How This Former Principal Turned a YouTube Channel into a Booming Travel Business

Before 2019, RacQuelle Major-Holland had never been on a cruise. Now, she is a go-to cruise expert for both subscribers of her YouTube channel, MH Family Adventures, and clients of her business, Major Adventures Travels – and there’s lots of overlap.

The former educator never planned on being a travel advisor. But when she got hooked on cruising and started a YouTube channel documenting her trips, one thing led to another, and another, until she started her own travel agency in 2021.  

Today, she’s been on nearly 100 cruises on 16 different cruise lines and is retired from her job as an elementary school principal, which she did for 19 years. She’s made cruise vlogging and travel advising her full-time gig, and they go hand in hand; about 90% of her clients come from YouTube and other social media. 

“There is power in being a content creator on YouTube and growing a business,” Major-Holland told Travel Market Report. “There are times when I have to not accept new clients because it just gets to be a lot. But it’s a good problem to have.”   

Here’s how Major-Holland built Major Adventures Travel off her passion for cruising and educating about it through video. 

Becoming Cruise-Addicted 

One girls’ trip with her sisters was all it took for Major-Holland to catch the cruising bug. They originally had a land trip to Jamaica in mind, but when they factored in the resort, tours, and transportation, the price was far higher than a cruise. The group ended up sailing on the now-defunct Carnival Sensation for about $500 per person. 

The next month, Major-Holland had a trip to Las Vegas planned with her family. She canceled it – and took them on a cruise instead.  

“What attracted me was the value,” Major-Holland said. “We spent way less and felt like we got more. We didn’t have to stress about the planning piece because you have entertainment, you have the ports included, you have all these things, and it was just so much easier. Since then, that’s our favorite mode of vacation.” 

When COVID hit, Major-Holland missed being on a ship so much that she would watch cruise vloggers on YouTube. Little did she know, this would spark something major… 

Growing a YouTube Following 

Ironically, before 2020, YouTube was banned in the Major-Holland household in Ohio, as her three children were pre-teen and teenagers at the time. But after watching tons of cruise videos to reminisce, she saw it was safe, and one of her sons dared her to make her own channel – so she did. 

It started off as a cooking channel. Then, the family was right back on cruise ships in the first year that cruise lines returned to sailing. Major-Holland began posting informative videos about what to expect on cruise ships during those unpredictable times. That’s when the YouTube channel really took off. 

“I think it’s the educator in me,” she said. “We started getting comments and compliments about how they loved my presentation style.” 

The videos are not scripted; Major-Holland simply records herself during important parts of the cruise and speaks as if she was talking to her best friend, she explained. 

Because of her depth of knowledge, YouTube subscribers began asking if she was a travel agent. Though she had done some part-time work selling for Carnival, she didn’t consider herself an advisor – but the seed was planted.  

“I had no intention on going that route,” she said. “But then I said, ‘I keep getting asked for a reason. Maybe this is something I need to explore.'” 

Major-Holland first started the business part-time, then realizing how lucrative it was, made it her full-time gig. Her initial goal was simply to make enough money to cover her own cruises each year, but it became much more.  

Both the YouTube channel and agency have grown alongside each other: YouTube subscribers went from 3,000 when the business first started to more than 43,000, as Major Adventures Travel now celebrates five years in business. 

Turning Views into Bookings 

The nature of Major-Holland’s YouTube content, in depth and educational, could lend themselves to people taking the information and booking on their own – and they likely do. Major-Holland even hears from other travel advisors who use the videos for their own planning research. 

However, the MH Family Adventures YouTube connects with its audience enough to not only gain a loyal following, but loyal clients, as well. The family of five, and sometimes even extended family, are all featured in the videos.  

Major-Holland also hosts weekly “Monday Midday Cruise Q&A with RacQuelle” where she directly answers cruise questions on a livestream. While she’s offering her tips and tricks, she’s also showing her personality and forming a bond with viewers who will be more likely to want to book with her. 

Plus, those who are looking for a travel advisor value her first-hand expertise. Some clients say they simply want to support her small business, while others fully understand the value of having an expert plan their travel. 

“There are a lot of travel agents that have never stepped foot on a cruise ship, yet they’re selling cruises. I don’t sell resorts because I’ve only literally been to one resort ever, and so I have other travel agents that I refer that business to because I’m not an expert in that area,” Major-Holland said. “So, I say, you want to go with someone that is an expert in that cruise line, certified through that cruise line, has experienced it, and I have evidence that I’ve done it because here are my videos.” 

By traveling so much – she now goes on about two cruises per month – and documenting it through video, Major-Holland essentially takes care of all the leg work when it comes time to plan for her clients. 

“Our ultimate goal is just to help people cruise and get rid of that anxiety of travel and cruising, especially for first timers,” she said. “We love when people come and say, ‘We saw this. Now we want you to help us plan it,’ or just book what we have already done.” 

About a year and a half ago, Major-Holland also began hosting large group trips – this way, clients really have the itinerary covered for them and get to sail with the family. This November, she will take her 100^th cruise when she sails to Japan in preparation for a sailing of more than 150 guests in March 2028.