I hope you were able to spend it with family and other people that are important to you. At our house, Thanksgiving is a mix of different traditions, and like many families where there’s an American and Canadian in residence, you end up doing the whole thing twice.
This year is even more strange, because for Canadian Thanksgiving (on October 9th) we were Stateside, and right now we’re in Mexico (where, by the way, it’s very difficult to find a turkey). So in both cases, we celebrated on our own.
This is a mere inconvenience, because both our kids and our grandson are here to mark the occasion with us. So the fact that our Thanksgiving dinner had rice and refried beans, rather than brussels sprouts and stuffing, doesn’t matter because those most important to us are with us.
If you consume television news (you really should try to quit – your mental health will be far better), it would be easy to think there’s little to be thankful for. I don’t subscribe to this. We consider ourselves to be amongst the most fortunate in the history of humankind, and the long list of things to prove this, greatly outweighs those challenges we face (you know… those things the TV news focuses exclusively on).
One of the questions I’m often asked at this time of year is about the Black Friday Sales, and all the related hype. It is always worth looking at, of course, but in the luxury leisure travel segment, I haven’t really seen anything that qualifies as a smoking deal. Most of the time, I see the cruise lines and packaged land tour operators highlight the few dates or itineraries they have that are a bit soft.
So today, rather than bombard you with more noise about Black Friday advertisements, I thought I’d highlight trips that lend themselves well to travelling with family and close friends.
Because those are the experiences to be truly thankful for.
Today’s Travel Opportunities
Tauck Bridges Tours
The folks at Tauck have a whole series of trips intended for families and multi-generational groups. Here are two examples:
- Paris to Normandy Family River Cruise. Expose your children or grandchildren to the culture of Paris, and the important history of the Normandy Beaches.
- Highlights include: Paris City tour (by foot, or bicycle), Eiffel Tower, Monet’s House at Giverny, Omaha beach and the American Cemetery at Normandy, Rouen (to visit the Roman ruins, and Joan-of-Arc’s museum and place of death), the Palace of Versailles.
- Departures in June/July for 8-days from $4990.
- Canadian Rockies. If you’d like to get outside with your family, this is a place that is safe, easy to travel, and has spectacular scenery.
- Highlights include Lake Louise, Icefields Parkway, Maligne Canyon, Jasper NP, Athabasca river rafting, a ride across the Athabasca Glacier and Banff NP.
- Round-trip from Calgary for 1 week in June, July, or Aug from $4990.
Galapagos Islands with your kids or grandkids:
- Travel with Hurtigruten for 9-nights (2 nights Quito, and 7-nights aboard)
- Includes transfers, flights between Quito and Galapagos, all meals aboard, expedition gear and activities, gratuities, lectures, discussions, access to science center on board, and wifi.
- Departing April 10 from $5687 per person. Some departures qualify for 50% off children between the ages of 6 and 15.
Spring break with the kids on Seabourn
- Round-trip Barbados for 7-nights departing March 17 or November 23.
- Visit St. Lucia, St. Johns, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Martinique, Trinidad & Tobago.
- 2-category upgrade and up to $2,000 on board credit
- Verandas from $4699 with $500 per person on board credit.
Viking Free Air Codes
We’re seeing a number of FREE AIR codes for certain Viking itineraries. Here are a few examples that include free round-trip economy air:
- Northern Lights Cruise from London to Bergen for 13-days departing March 12
- Visit Bergen (overnight), Alta (overnight), Tromso (overnight), Narvik, Amsterdam, London for $6699
- Panama Canal from LA to Fort Lauderdale for 18-days departing March 1.
- Visit LA, Cabo San Lucas, Costa Rica, full transit canal, Colon, Cartagena, Cozumel, FLL for $6499
- Athens to Istanbul for 8-days departing April 6
- Visit Athens (overnight), Crete, Rhodes, Ephesus, Troy, Istanbul (overnight) for $4799
- Buenos Aires to Santiago for 15-days departing March 2.
- Visit Ushuaia, Chilean Fjords and Glaciers, Puntarenas, Puerto Chacabuco, Castro for $7995.
- Toronto to Milwaukee for 7-nights departing May 2, 9 or 16.
- Visit Toronto, Welland Canal, Point Pelee, Detroit, Alpena, Mackinac Island, Milwaukee.
- Includes a complimentary room upgrade for $5995.
- See our ship tour video video here: https://youtu.be/izwAZ6NdFOo?si=8TVYGrbmXanghNeB
- Antarctica for 13-days with 7-days of scheduled landings
- Depart January 18 or February 9 for $9995 including round-trip air from the United States or Canada.
- Tulip Cruise for 10-days. Departures from March 17 through April 2
- Visit Amsterdam, Ijsseleer, Nijmegan, Kinderdijk, Antwerp, Middelburg, Zeeland for $3199.
Recently booked a Viking Cruise?
Viking makes it really easy to book direct, either online, by phone, or on board. Our clients worry that if they book on-line (or on board), that they’re cutting us out, but if you let us know after you’ve booked, then we can still help you with your reservation.
We’ll check over your reservation to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal, and we will also add some onboard credits that are not available on direct bookings.
We can add at least $100 per person onboard credit to any direct Viking reservation made in the last 60 days.
There is never a situation where you’ll get a better deal by booking directly with Viking (or any other cruise line).
If you recently booked a Viking Cruise, please let us know as soon as possible.
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If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here or call 800-876-0168 to get in touch today.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
