When people ask me what my job is, it can sometimes make me pause.
Bob and I don’t really consider this a “job” – it’s more of a passion project we’re pursuing because we’re too old to be on a corporate food chain somewhere, and too young to “retire”.
If this is a job, then there is no doubt it is the best job ever.
The most obvious perk is that we get to travel a fair bit. This past summer, we were the onboard Virtuoso Hosts for an Alaskan cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn.
But more on that in a minute.
What is a Virtuoso hosted cruise, and why might that make any difference to your experience?
Virtuoso is the travel consortium that our agency is affiliated with. There are about 25,000 Virtuoso Travel Advisors world-wide, and it is through this network we are able to get you extra benefits and amenities on many cruises.
Sometimes, that additional benefit is just an onboard credit, but on Virtuoso Hosted Voyages there are often some interesting goodies:
- An onboard welcome reception exclusively for Virtuoso guests. This is a great way to jump-start getting to know people on your voyage. After having been a host, it is always amazing to me how much our Virtuoso guests have in common with each other, and how quickly they connect.
- An exclusive “Shore Experience”. This is different than a shore excursion in so far as it is not something available for purchase by other guests. Sometimes it is after-hours access to a local attraction when it is not overrun with tourists. Other times it might be an exclusive dinner, or other food and wine experience.
- The services of the Virtuoso host. The Hosts are not members of the ship’s crew, nor are they tour leaders. It is more like travelling with a friend who knows the ropes really well.
As I mentioned earlier, we were the Virtuoso Hosts on board the Seabourn Sojourn to Alaska this past summer. It’s taken us a while to get our videos posted, but they are all on our YouTube Channel now. Here is the link to that Playlist:
We can help with any cruise you may have in mind, but if the video clips inspire you to take a small ship trip to Alaska, NOW is a good time to book Seabourn for next season.
Until November 20th, Seabourn is offering the following booking incentives for Alaska:
- A Veranda Suite upgrade (get a Veranda for the price of an Oceanview stateroom)
- Up to $500 on board credit
- Up to $1000 Air Credit
- 300 free internet minutes
- 50% reduced deposit
As always on Seabourn, gratuities, all beverages (including an in-suite mini bar stocked and refilled with your preferences), and specialty dining is included in the fare.
Seabourn ran this same promotion last fall, and we had more than one person that called us after the promotion was over asking us when it would come around again.
It’s here now.
Book before Nov. 20th to get the extra perks from Seabourn mentioned above.
Many of Seabourn’s Alaska sailings are hosted Virtuoso Voyages, so you’ll receive the Virtuoso benefits in addition to the Seabourn incentives!
You must book through a Virtuoso agency like mine to get the Virtuoso benefits (you will NOT receive these benefits if you book directly with the cruise line).
Planning a Cruise? I’d love to help! Click here to get in touch today.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
