Much like you, we’ve travelled a lot in the past 12 months.  Between Bob and me, as well as Kim, here’s where our travels have taken us recently:

• Alaska and Yukon (a cruise tour including Denali, Dawson City, and Fairbanks)
• The Danube River between Budapest and Bavaria
• The Galapagos Islands (with time in Quito, and the Ecuadorian Amazon)
• Greece and Turkey including a land trip to Cappadocia (for a balloon ride!)
• The Lower Danube (including Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania (with Transylvania)).
• The Norwegian fjords
• Provence and Lyon in France on the Saone and Rhone rivers.
• The Rhine, Main, and Moselle Rivers between Amsterdam and Nuremberg.  I did this trip in October with Tauck attending their Travel Academy.  It was a privilege to be chosen for this (more than 500 travel advisors applied), and you’ll be hearing lots more from me about this experience this month!)
• Tahiti and French Polynesia

So, our knowledge is especially fresh for these destinations!  

What will influence all of our travel in 2025?  My crystal ball is no clearer than yours, but here are a few thoughts:

EXTERNAL FACTORS that will affect how you travel:

• OVER TOURISM:  We will still be seeking equilibrium between over and under tourism.
• AIR TRAVEL is better than it was, but still a long way from what it should be in terms of reliability and customer service.  It will continue to be the biggest travel complaint.
• POLITICAL:  The conflicts in Israel and Ukraine will continue to impact where we travel.
• VISAS and ETAs will become more of a thing.  As of this week, you’ll need an ETA to visit the UK, and Europe’s not far behind.  See our video: https://youtu.be/6NGfCqOsDKk 
• INFLATION:  It seems our economy performed very well in 2024, with hotel and air prices actually declining over 2023, and inflation otherwise averaging about 2.7%.

WHERE You’ll Travel

• CONTINUE TO BE POPULAR:  Australia, Canada (168% higher than last year), Egypt, Iceland, Japan (160% higher than last year), New Zealand, Portugal.
• EMERGING DESTINATIONS: Colombia, Eastern Europe, Newfoundland/Labrador, Thailand, West Africa.
• COOLCATIONS: Canada (Far North), Greenland, Norway.
• LAND CRUISES: Bosnia, Morocco, Pakistan, Tibet.

HOW You’ll Travel

• LONGER DURATION or back to back cruises.  This trend will continue. 
• CRUISE VACATIONS – 3 million more cruisers in 2024 than 2019.  This is the fastest growing sector of the travel industry.  Yachts are up 52%, rivers up 23%, and expeditions are up 19% over 2023. 
• RAIL – Slow travel, with time to take  in the scenery, is growing quickly. 
• INCLUSIONS – You want to pay once, and have as much as possible included.  
• FAMILY TRAVEL – to celebrate milestones, OR just to create memories. 
• UNESCO sites – people have decided these are pretty cool, and are travelling to them.

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Today’s Travel Opportunities

UNIWORLD BOUTIQUE RIVER CRUISES

Uniworld has custom built and decorated ships specific to the region in which they sail.  Fares include transfers, a choice of shore excursion at each port, an open bar, and gratuities.  They are also offering an early booking bonus of up to 20% for 2026 departures:  https://pamperedcruiser.uniworld.com/us/current-offers/2026-early-booking-savings 

EGYPT for 12-days (4 nights Cairo and 7-nights on the ship)

• See the Pyramids and Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum, Temple of Karnak, Temple of Luxor, Valley of the Kings, and a Nile Felucca ride.
• Departures in December 2025 from $6999, and January through May 2026 from $6749.  

Mekong River between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi for 15-days

• Visit Ho Chi Minh City for 2-nights prior to embarking the ship at My Tho, and visit Tien Loi, a local farm in Vinh Long, the fishing village at Sa Dec, Gieng Island, Phnom Penh (to tour the city, and take a tuk-tuk ride), The Killing Fields near Anchor Ban, a children’s school at Wat Hanchey, and disembark at Kampong Cham.  Then spend 3 nights at Siem Reap, and fly to Hanoi for 3 nights. 
• Optional extension to Ha Long Bay for 4 days. 
• Departures in September from $6999.

VENICE & Northern Italy for 7-nights

• Visit Venice (several spots), Mazzorbo, Burano, Chioggia.
• Departs every Sunday from April – October from $4399.  This is far more cost-effective than staying in a hotel in Venice for a week.

There are a number of add-ons you can make to this cruise: 

• ADD: 2-nights in Milan
• ADD:  Lugano (Switzerland)  & Lake Como
• ADD: Train to Istanbul.  If you want to add to your country-count, then transfer from the ship to board the train in Venice and stop in Trieste, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Belgrade (Serbia), Montenegro (beaches every bit as spectacular as Greece, but undiscovered), Bulgaria, and 2 nights in Istanbul.
• ADD: Rome 3-nights.  Includes a city tour, and a tour of the Vatican.
• ADD:  Train from Budapest, then visit Vienna, Innsbruck, Zurich, Lake Como, Verona, Trieste, Lake Bled, Ljubljana.

Here’s a link to our video blog when we did this cruise: https://youtu.be/QRIHi6SED6g?si=IJvnYEJlqJt_iV4n 

AZAMARA Small Ship Destination Immersion

With just 680 guests, Azamara ships go places the bigger ships don’t, and they build their itineraries to really focus on the destination.

SPAIN & PORTUGAL:  Lisbon to Barcelona departing April 12 for 12-nights

• Visit Lisbon, Seville (for 2 nights!), Gibraltar, Malaga, Cartagena, Majorca, Barcelona
• Golf excursions available on this trip!
• Veranda fares from $3999.  Includes beverage package, gratuities and $250 OBC.

ITALY Intensive Voyage departing October 9 for 11-nights:

• Visit Nice, Florence/Pisa (overnight), Rome, Salerno, Sicily, Crotone, Taranto, Kotor, Venice (overnight).  If you really want to explore Italy, combine this with a Uniworld Venice river cruise (above).
• Verandas from $4969 with a $250 OBC

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND departing January 20, 2026 for 16-nights

• Visit Auckland, Bay of Islands, Napier, Wellington, Nelson, Picton, Christchurch, Dunedin, Milford Sound, Hobart (overnight), Eden, Sydney.
• Verandas from $8989 with a $250 OBC.

HX EXPEDITIONS Remote Adventures

You don’t have to be an elite athlete to enjoy these locations, but you do have to be curious about the more remote corners of the world.  

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS and Quito for 9-days

• 2-nights in Quito, then fly to Galapagos (included in fare) for 6 nights.  Visit Mosquera Inlet, Santa Fe, South Plaza, Santa Cruz, Charles Darwin Research Station in Port Ayora, Espanola Island, Eden Islet.
• Depart May through August from $7839
• Depart September through December from $7643

ICELAND & GREENLAND round-trip from Reykjavik for 14-days

• Visit Reykjavik, and visit south and west Greenland for 7-days of expedition activities, followed by 3-days of expedition activities in Nuuk and its surrounding fjords before returning to Reykjavik. 
• Depart May 31, 2025 from $8775, or depart June 2, 2026 from $9277
• See our ship tour video here:  https://youtu.be/1L_ByDqhGR0 

INTREPID PREMIUM LAND CRUISES

COSTA RICA:  round-trip San Jose for 9-days

• Costa Rica is both naturally exotic, and nearby (under 4 hours from Houston, Atlanta, or Miami). 
• Visit San Jose, La Fortuna, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio NP.
• See monkeys, parrots, iguanas, caimans and sea turtles.  Enjoy coffee where it is harvested, slide into the hot springs at Arenal Volcano, and go snorkelling, kayaking, or take a surfing lesson in Tamarindo.
• Depart January through May, or September to December from $3695

MEXICO from Mexico City to Tulum for 15-days

• This trip is closer to home, and allows you to comfortably see the wonders of our southern neighbor.  
• Visit Mexico City, Puebla, Teotihuacan (for the pyramids), Oaxaca, Playa del Carmen, Valladolid, Chichen Itza, Merida, Tulum.
• Eat at award winning restaurants, take in Mayan Ruins and Museums, see the pyramids and archaeological sites, experience the wilds of the jungle, swim in a cenote, do a Mayan home visit, and see the artists’ community and musicians in Oaxaca.
• Weekly departures year-round from $6150 with a maximum group size of 12.

In Case You Missed It:

TAHITI:  Imagine the tropical beauty of Hawaii with a small fraction of the crowds.  That’s Tahiti and the French Polynesian Islands:  https://pamperedcruiser.com/tahiti-destination-focus/ 

FORCE MAJEURE:  A whole bunch of cruise itineraries were altered in 2024 because of the closure of the Suez Canal.  In situations such as this, what can you expect from the cruise lines? https://pamperedcruiser.com/the-suez-canal-and-force-majeure/

Latest YOUTUBE Post:

VISA FOR GREAT BRITAIN?  What’s up with the UK’s new entry requirements?  In this short video, Bob outlines the process, and what his experience was like applying for the new ETA: https://youtu.be/6NGfCqOsDKk 

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.

Contact us to book your NEXT VIKING CRUISE

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