Travel Research Online | August 15, 2025 | by Cheryl Rosen

Getting to $400K in Two Years: Sophomore-Year Success Stories from Travel Advisors

"Timetables from some experts

Lainey Melnick: A general rule of thumb for any start-up business is that it takes 1-3 years before you are profitable, and with travel agencies profitability is very variable. My expenses have grown with my sales growth, so if you only look at gross income, then you could say you are making money in year one. But if you look at net, it can take many years to have any significant profit. It took me 10 years to have gross sales larger than my corporate salary had been. And my net still isn’t there after 14 years."

Travel Weekly| August 16, 2025 | by Amanda Eyre Ward

Curated ship libraries offer a literary voyage for cruisers

"Cruise ships with thoughtfully curated libraries represent a growing trend in the industry, as operators recognize that intellectually curious travelers seek literary enrichment.

Washington Post| May 15, 2025 | by Natalie B. Compton

5 European Countries for Cheaper Summer Travel

"As a luxury travel adviser, Lainey Melnick says she is always looking for destinations that surprise and delight, "and Bulgaria does just that, without the price tag of Western Europe," she said.

Bularia has the essence of old Europe - Roman ruins, spectacular churches and walkable cities - plus sunny beaches along the Black Sea. According to Kayak, the average price of a double room is $125 per night, and you can find five-star hotels for $215 per night."

Travel Weekly | January 13 2025 | by Andrea Zelinski

A new position, a $5B investment: How NCLH is focusing on luxury cruising

"Lainey Melnick, owner of a Dream Vacations in Austin, Texas, said she is encouraged that NCLH is bringing back a seasoned cruise veteran. 

"It bodes well for my luxury clientele that they are listening to the market and bringing on new ships, refurbishments and investing in the future of luxury travel. My clients have loved the new Regent ships, and as more travelers are experimenting as aspirational luxury clients, this is a great opportunity to convert them," she said. 

While Melnick is happy to see Montague return, she said she is sorry about the departure of current Regent president Andrea DeMarco, who will step down March 4 after helping with the transition."

Cruise Critic | December 23 2024 | by Amanda Eyre Ward

How a Late Night Port Call Gave Me a New Look at a Popular (and Often Crowded) Cruise Destination

“A late port call offers a truly magical way to experience a city from a new perspective,” says Lainey Melnick, a Luxury Travel Professional with Dream Vacations. “When most of the tourists have gone, the ancient cobblestone streets come alive with an entirely different energy after sunset. My clients often tell me it’s the highlight of their cruise.” 

Travel Agent Central | December 3, 2024 | by Susan J. Young

Dream Vacations Advisors Share Their Top Priorities for 2025

"Attending her ninth national conference, Lainey Melnick of Lainey Melnick & Associates, Austin, TX, ranks in the top 4 percent sales-wise within the Dream Vacations franchise network. She echoes Martin’s view about networking. “I continue to attend because of the value it offers in relationship building,” stresses Melnick. “You can’t put a price tag on the inspiration and motivation surrounding you in this unique environment where thousands of your top supplier partners, successful colleagues plus the headquarters executive staff are confined to a cruise ship with days at sea." 

Looking to 2025, she’s preparing her daughter, also her business manager and partner, to transition into the agency’s leadership role. “I used this conference to speak to others who are in the process of succession planning to give me ideas of how best to transition without losing business,” she notes. Melnick says, however, that she’ll still serve as “the face and brand of the company,” and continue to handle the agency’s public relations, marketing, YouTube channel operations and lead-generation."

Travel Weekly | October 26, 2024 | by Amanada Eyre Ward

Ecotourism and chill at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve

""Clients like that the experience of the ship is reinvented on the island for an easy land experience," said Lainey Melnick, a luxury travel professional with Lainey Melnick & Associates in Austin, Texas. "It's a safe feeling for those people who feel uneasy in foreign countries. They know that the staff of the ship is there, the food from the ship is there and a variety of activities are available for adults and for children."

Many lines are working hard to offer private island destinations, Melnick noted. "The Royal Caribbean/Celebrity brands, the Carnival/Princess/Holland America brands and, of course, Disney have done a great job with their private islands for families. Virgin Voyages has mixed it up a little with their private adults-only beach club on Bimini," she said."

Travel Research Online | October 11, 2024 | by Cheryl Rosen

Bringing in the Family: Travel Advisors Look to Hire Those They Know Best

"Health issues also pushed Lainey Melnick to look for two more hands to help her handle the load—and to find them at home. Last year she hired her daughter, Alexandra Horne, as her general manager. Horne handles training and hiring staff, payroll, accounting, “and everything financial,” Melnick says. “She runs down missing commissions, sets up new suppliers, handles all the business end of the business, and runs the weekly team meetings.”

How’s that working out? “It’s perfect,” she says. Working alone and selling $2 million a year “translates into a lot of work and I was extremely stressed. So it’s been a godsend to have a team in place and to have my daughter to manage it.”

Her key to success? “Separate the personal from the professional,” she says. “It’s very difficult when you try to correct a grown child; there’s a lot of emotion involved. But work is work.”"