We've shared our gift guide ideas (travel essentials, luxe splurges, kid-friendly, editor-approved), but our readers are some pretty savvy travelers themselves, so we asked them to share the best travel gifts they ever received, as well as the ones that they most want. Want to add your pick? Post it on our Facebook wall.

This week, Royal Caribbean is offering plenty of deals on sailings to their namesake sea. The cruise line, which earned top honors in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards, is offering short (three-night) to medium-length (seven-night) cruises that are great for those looking for an island getaway anytime between now and late January. A three-night cruise to the Bahamas costs as little as $129—what you might spend on dinner for two at a decent restaurant—so book now for a great escape from the cold and stress of the holidays.

These days, the experts aren’t just on the trails—they’re in the kitchens as well. We asked some of our favorite chefs at our favorite resorts (as chosen in our just-released 2012 Ski Poll) where they go to eat, drink, spa, and—yes—ski.
 

This weekend, I hopped on the Metro-North Railroad and headed to the new Madava Maple Farms in Dutchess County, NY, for a pig roast prepared by chef April Bloomfield of NYC’s lauded Breslin, Spotted Pig and John Dory Oyster Bar.

This year marks Condé Nast Traveler’s thirteenth annual list of those trip designers extraordinaire known as our Top Travel Specialists. Did you know that your feedback determines who’s on the list and who’s off? Go to condenasttraveler.com/travel-specialists, pull up the profile page of the specialist you’re considering, and check out the reviews posted by fellow readers who’ve returned from trips arranged by that specialist. Read the reviews before contacting a specialist—so you know what to ask for or avoid—and, when you return from your trip, post a review yourself. Here’s what you’ve said about some of our specialists:

Our holiday shopping survival advice: Book a room at one of these hotels. Soon.

We talk a lot about great hotels in the pages (virtual and otherwise) of Condé Nast Traveler. Today, we're going to talk about the people who work at them: who they are, what they do, how they can make or break your stay, and how to get the best service possible. Our expert: Jacob Tomsky, veteran of the luxury hotel business and author of the new Heads in Beds, a very funny and very candid look behind the curtain of the hotel service industry.