When you call us to inquire about a cruise, it’s our job to listen to your preferences, ask a few follow up questions and then make some suggestions based on your responses.
We don’t hesitate to offer you our opinions when asked, but we have a healthy respect for the fact that there really are “different strokes for different folks”.
I know this in unfashionable in a world where we’re conditioned to demonize anyone with an opinion contrary to one’s own… but I guess we’re just nerds that way 🙂
While the rest of the world becomes more polarized, our office will always be a place where you can do your own thing and have our full support (even if it differs from what we would personally choose).
I was reminded of this aspect of knowing what you want and (perhaps more importantly) what you DON’T want when I was reviewing our partner of the month promotion with Viking Cruises.
For any Viking cruise booked through us during the month of May 2021, we will add a complimentary $100 per person shipboard credit. This is NOT something you’ll receive booking directly through Viking, so we’re pleased to be able to offer this exclusive benefit for our clients.
You can use your $100 per person shipboard credit towards the cost of:
- Optional excursions
- Silver Spirits Beverage Package
- Pre-paid gratuities
Back to my musings above about knowing what you want (and don’t). One of the many things I love about Viking is that they don’t try to be all things to all people. They are completely up-front about “What Viking is NOT”:
- No casinos
- No children under 18
- No art auctions, or photography sales
- No formal nights or butlers
This unapologetic vision of who they want to be in the marketplace really appeals to me.
So, for the month of May, I’m going to bring you more information about the World of Viking. They are well known as the largest river cruise company in Europe, but they offer much more than European river cruises. With Viking you can also experience:
- River cruises in Egypt, Vietnam, and Eastern Europe
- Mississippi River Cruises
- Luxury Ocean cruises to six continents
- Expedition cruises to Antarctica and the North American Great Lakes
We’ll be exploring these products in more detail over the next couple of weeks. This week I’m going to talk about Viking Ocean Cruises… so it’s somewhat serendipitous that Viking released a whole bunch of exciting new ocean cruise itineraries just YESTERDAY:
Iceland (1 week). I was thrilled to see Viking add more departure dates for this fascinating European gem, because the first ones sold out within hours. Round trip from Reykjavik (and visiting 5 other ports in a circumnavigation of this island-country) from $2799 (air $999) in July, August, September 2021. The journey to Iceland is only 5 hours from northeast airports, so not quite as onerous as flying all the way to Europe. https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/baltic/icelands-natural-beauty/index.html?agenturlid=pamperedcruiser
If volcanoes and waterfalls aren’t your thing, there are also two new options for the Mediterranean this summer. Both these cruises home port in Valletta (the tiny, ancient walled city that’s the capital of Malta), a fascinating destination in its own right. Viking’s optional flight add-on takes the guesswork out of how you’ll get to this beautiful island nation.
Malta & the Adriatic (11 days) Fares from $3599 (Air $1299). Visits 4 ports in Croatia, as well as Montenegro, and 2 ports in Malta. July – October 2021. https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/eastern-mediterranean/malta-and-adriatic-jewels/index.html?agenturlid=pamperedcruiser
Malta & Greece (11 days) Fares from $3599 (Air $1299). Malta and 5 ports in Greece (including an overnight in Athens). July, August, September 2021. https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/eastern-mediterranean/malta-and-greek-isles-discovery/index.html?agenturlid=pamperedcruiser
Finally, if you want something closer to home, or maybe just want to try out the Viking Ocean experience at a fantastic fare:
Bermuda (1 week) Fares from $1799 (Air $599), departures in June, July, August 2021. Air $599. Viking added several sailings to their initial offering that sold out in a couple of days. These cruises are round-trip from Hamilton, and you also visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of St. George’s with its cobblestone streets and colorful building facades. https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/caribbean-americas/bermuda-escape/index.html?agenturlid=pamperedcruiser
Given what we saw last time Viking released new itineraries, we expect these sailings to be sold out in the next week. If none of these close-in voyages work for you, check out the Viking Ocean website where you can see ALL the options and find one that appeals to you: http://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/myagent/pamperedcruiser/
Regardless of what you choose, here’s a few things to keep in mind about Viking Ocean Cruises:
- The best priced entry-level room is a large 270 square foot veranda with a King Size bed. There are NO window-only or Inside rooms on Viking.
- Your fare includes all taxes/fees, a shore excursion in each port, Wifi on the ship, all Specialty Dining, beer/wine with meals, and airport transfers when you use Viking Air.
- There are only 940 people on board, so there’s lots of personal space on board and the ship doesn’t completely overwhelm small ports of call like the mega-ships do.
- The vibe on Viking is casual elegance. There aren’t any butlers, so you won’t feel like Gilligan on a ship full of Mr. & Mrs. Howells, and you also get first class service. It’s an understated luxury – a hard balance to achieve that Viking has mastered.
- Viking Ocean has won the World’s Best Small Ship cruise line for the past 5 years in a row as voted by Travel & Leisure readers.
I also promised I would highlight some domestic travel opportunities:
- Mount Rushmore & the Badlands. This is a land-cruise, where you are in one hotel (in Rapid City) for 7-days, and do daily “shore excursions” to Mt. Rushmore, the Crazy Horse memorials, Badlands National Park, Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane’s house, Adams House in Deadwood, Custer State Park. Includes 9 meals, all accommodation and transportation. Departures May through October starting at $1899 per person. For any bookings made during the month of May, we can get you $100 off your airfare.
- Pacific Northwest & California. Seattle to San Francisco. Visit Pike Place Market, Mount St. Helens, the Oregon Coast (one of the country’s best kept secrets), Yaquina Head Lighthouse, Newport, Bandon, Coos Bay, the Columbia River Gorge, Multnomah Falls, and the California Redwoods. Includes 10 meals, 7-nights hotel, all transportation. Runs June through October with pricing starting at $2399 per person. For any bookings made during the month of May, we can get you $100 off your air.
In Case you Missed it:
- Hawaii Cruise: One-week round trip from Honolulu on Norwegian’s Pride of America. Visit Maui, Kona, Hilo, Kauai, and much like the Alaskan cruise tours, you can add days on land to this cruise. Fares start at $1721 per person.
- Chesapeake Bay Cruise: One-week round trip from Baltimore on American Cruise Lines. If you’re a history buff, or just like charming small towns, this is great getaway. Prices starting at $3405 per person: https://pamperedcruiser.com/3-trips-you-can-take-in-2021/
Well…that’s it for this week. It’s so encouraging to see so many of you start to make plans again. We’ll do our very best to keep you up to date on the news… it seems things are changing very quickly (for the better!)
Remember, take advantage of our ‘Viking Partner of the Month’ promotion and receive $100 per person shipboard credit when you book ANY Viking cruise through us during the month of May 2021. You’ll want to let your friends and family know too.
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If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here to get in touch today.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
