COME RETREAT WITH ME!
For information on specific retreats currently offered, click on these buttons:
“Truly everything about the retreat was shocking in how incredible it was. Location, people, food, the love and sincerity of everyone there. I would go again in a second and recommend it to anyone.“
2022 Retreat Participant
For general info and frequently asked questions, read on!
FAQ
What retreats are you booking now?
2025 RETREATS
- July 27-AUGUST 3, 2025: MEDITERRANEAN Cruise Retreat, CLICK HERE
- April 3-6, 2025: OREGON Respite Retreat Weekend, CLICK HERE
- November 7-10, 2025: OREGON Respite Retreat Weekend, CLICK HERE
2026 RETREATS
- January 16-21, 2026: GRAND TURK / BAHAMAS Cruise Retreat CLICK HERE
- January 21-25, 2026: KEY WEST / BAHAMAS Cruise Retreat CLICK HERE
- April 9-12, 2026: OREGON Respite Retreat Weekend, CLICK HERE
- November 5-8, 2026: OREGON Respite Retreat Weekend, CLICK HERE
- July 16-23, 2026: ALASKA Cruise Retreat CLICK HERE
Will I be welcomed and included?
OUR INCLUSION POLICY: We welcome all adult humans (who are welcoming of all humans) to all of our retreats. We are LGBTQ+ friendly and an inclusive space. We’d love to have you attend!
If you’re neurodivergent, experience disabilities, have allergies, or need specific accommodations, we’d love to work with you. Although some of what we can offer is dependent on cruiseline facilities, we’ve found them to be very understanding and helpful. *DO NOTE* that accessible cabins tend to sell out quickly, so it’s best to book early if you need one. If you have any questions about accommodations, please contact me directly at beth@bethwoolsey.com.
Should I come if I’m not an experienced traveler? Should I come solo?
Yes and yes! Travelers of all experience levels are welcome, and you should feel free to bring friends or come on your own. Two of the biggest reasons I LOVE to host retreats is to open up the world to folks who would like to travel but don’t necessarily know how or have a readily available friend to come along. We are here to assist and embrace! That includes helping you with all the details like what to pack, where to stay, helping arrange your ground transportation, including you in our Facebook travel planning group, and answering any other questions you have. And if you’re looking to share expenses with a roommate, we can connect you there, too.
How active are the cruise retreats? You say “relaxing” but what does that mean? And how social will I be expected to be?
We have ONE RULE for retreat participants, and it’s this: YOU do what’s best for YOU. If that’s attending all planned activities and meals, great! If that’s skipping out for alone time, also great! We want you to travel guilt- and worry-free.
Confession: I love relaxation time and am not interested in a go-go-go itinerary. Like, I like to do one thing in a port city. An e-bike tour. A sailboat trip. A foodie tour. Something to get the flavor of a place. And then I get back onboard and sit my butt by the pool. BUT, my friend, Adina, who attends all my retreats with me, LOVES to GO and DO and SEE. So we both share our plans for the day so you can pick and choose how much activity you want. We always meet at the end of the day for dinner, but that’s optional for you, too!
How many people attend each retreat?
Groups sizes vary widely, but I prefer smaller groups and always cap attendance. Each retreat will list the cap.
How much experience do you actually have with travel and retreat-planning?
I grew up in Southeast Asia–Indonesia and the Philippines–and have traveled solo internationally on multi-day trips since I was 13-years-old. Yeah, the 1980s was a wild time to grow up. 😉 Now, I’m over 50-years-old; in my half-century, I’ve lived on 3 continents, traveled to 6, and visited over 35 countries (airports don’t count…there are RULES, folks.) Travel is an embedded part of who I am. It’s changed my life, my perspective, and opened my brain and my heart.
My first job out of college was as a guest coordinator at a retreat center where we both hosted independent groups and held programmed retreats we planned. I followed that by working as an event coordinator, and then worked in the admissions office of a university as the assistant director for visits and events. My last job for over a decade was in international humanitarian aid as the executive assistant to the CEO, which included planning myriad board and executive retreats. And then I started planning my own!
These days, I’m a certified travel advisor, and I plan and host the kind of retreats I want to attend. Fun. Relaxing. Zero pressure. With authentic humans. All over the world.
So, how much experience do I have with travel and retreat planning? Lots is the answer. Lots and lots.
What’s your why? Why do you spend your time hosting retreats? It’s probably a real money-maker, right?
So far, I’ve made approximately zero dollars holding retreats. In fact, they usually cost me money. I’m very terrible at money-making, and that’s not why I do this work, anyway, although I am working on finding ways to offset the cost because I want to keep doing this and make it sustainable. Wish me luck.
Why, then?
One of my very, very favorite things to do is hang out with members of our incredible, worldwide community and offer rest and respite from our regular lives. We are overwhelmed simply trying to keep up, aren’t we? So tired that we forget, sometimes, to look up. To see. To be part of a gentle community. To experience joy. And to be delighted by the world and the people in it. That’s what I want to do. It’s who I want to be. And I’d like to do it with you.
Why are your 2025 and 2026 cruise retreats on Virgin Voyages (VV)?
After voyaging on multiple cruiselines, I have so many reasons!
- It’s the most inclusive. My first cruise on VV, I wondered if I’d fit in as a geeky, somewhat chubby, older, introverted, queer human. Like, is VV just for the young, cool, straight partiers? What I found was THE most inclusive cruiseline. The staff is welcoming. The other passengers are incredibly friendly. Age, gender, nationality, body type, etc. run the full spectrum, and everyone is embraced for who they are. And while there are opportunities if you want to drink or party, there’s no pressure whatsoever.
- It’s the most affordable. Dollar for dollar, VV offers its sailors the highest quality at the most affordable rate. Although VV initially looks like it costs more, it eliminates all the hidden fees other cruiselines charge in favor of transparent pricing. Soda, juice, wifi, beverage and staff gratuities, specialty dining, group fitness classes, and more are all included in your initial cost. And the minimal things you do pay extra for, like alcohol and spa services, cost similar to or less than the rates you’re used to on land.
- It has the best food and drinks at sea. VV has eliminated buffet and huge-dining-room dining in favor of intimate, specialty restaurants with menus built by Michellin star chefs, all included in your initial price. In addition to craft cocktails offered at reasonable prices, I particularly love that there’s an extensive list of mocktails for the alcohol-free crowd.
- It lets grown-ups remember how to play. Although VV is an “adults only” cruiseline, it taps into our childlike natures and encourages play. There’s an expansive selection of games on board, sweet treats like popsicles and jars of candy, teeter-totters and swings, a downright wholesome pajama party with cookies and milk, and more. The things we usually sidestep so the kids can have them? On VV, all those things are for US.
Click these buttons for more information on specific retreats!
