You have told us one of the reasons you book your travel with us, is because we’ve been to the destinations, and we’ve experienced the products that you want.  So today, I thought I’d offer a window as to where our team members are travelling this year, and how that benefits you. 

FIRST: An instructional story from the road:  Bob and I were in Rome a while ago, and decided to take the train out to the cruise ship port.  Knowing Europeans are generally better at public transit than we are, it seemed like a good idea that quickly became a bad idea.  First, Rail Italia was threatening to go on strike (a frequent occurrence in Italy).  Then, just 10 minutes before departure at Rome’s Termini Train station, the track had still not been announced.

What I learned from this (for our clients) is that for €120, a car service is probably a better way to get to the port – particularly if you’re carrying a lot of luggage.  So learn from our errors!

I have no doubt, there will be more lessons learned this year, as we and our other team members make journeys to these places:

• ROCKY MOUNTAINEER in the Canadian Rockies.  The journey between Vancouver and Calgary on this luxury train, is one of the world’s most scenic outings.
• GOLF CRUISE with AMA Waterways on the Danube River on AMA Magna.  Magna’s not like any other river boat, and you’ve been asking about this golf itinerary.
• COSTA RICA for a Premium Guided Land Journey.  Rainforest walks, wildlife, beaches, coffee plantations, volcanoes… it’s all here, and not too far from home. 
• CANYON SPIRIT Luxury Rail Experience through Colorado and Utah is a great way to experience several of our National Parks through some incredible scenery. 
• CARIBBEAN CRUISE with Celebrity.  This isn’t a common itinerary amongst our clients, but it’s still great to have some first-hand knowledge of this close-to-home option. 
• COLOMBIA with AMA Waterways with pre-cruise in Medellin and post-cruise in Panama City.  AMA’s the first river cruise company on the Magdelena.  Stay tuned for our report!
• NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM with TAUCK:  Historic cities, gardens, and lots of canals!  It’s also a chance for us to re-experience Tauck – one of clients’ favorites.  

Here’s few more trips that aren’t scheduled yet, but are near the top of our list:

• GREENLAND & CANADA’S ARCTIC.  It’s a scenery and wildlife safari at sea.
• EASTERN CARIBBEAN with SEA CLOUD on their sailing yacht.  We talk about Sea Cloud as a salt-water river cruise.  What a great way to experience the Caribbean!

We think in an age where algorithms and TV news only feed you information that aligns with your world view, that it’s important for us to get out there so we can speak firsthand to your travel destination or cruise line.  ALGORITHMS DON’T TRAVEL and it’s shockingly rare amongst travel agents and call center employees at the big travel brands to actually travel.  Sure… they read the brochures, and attend the webinars, but that’s a lot different than being there.   

We haven’t been everywhere, but whenever possible, we’d prefer to answer your questions from EXPERIENCE, not just from a brochure. 

The PODCAST:  Dream-Travel-Share UNPACKED

In this episode of UNPACKED, Kim & Bob pull back the curtain on something most travelers never think about — how much firsthand experience actually matters when planning a trip.

https://youtu.be/MNXwnClrtYE

In Case You Missed It:

GREAT LAKES:  People come from all over the world to experience our GREAT LAKES and surrounding areas.  It might be time for us to check out our own backyard.

https://pamperedcruiser.com/great-lakes/

OCEANIA occupies a unique space in the market between the Premium Cruise Lines and the Luxury Lines.  They also have a really strong focus on the culinary experience:

https://pamperedcruiser.com/oceania-private-sale-in-june/

TELECOM ABROAD:  E-Sims offer better performance, and cost a fraction of paying the roaming charges that most wireless carriers charge, but do you really need one?

https://pamperedcruiser.com/telecom-abroad-e-sims/

Featured YOUTUBE Video:

VIKING deploys its Antarctic expedition ships to the GREAT LAKES from May through September.  This provides you a comfortable and familiar way to explore the region OR to check out what an expedition ship is all about:

https://youtu.be/uDeGzBDb0mM

Remember to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel while you’re there.  It really helps us, and we can produce more content for you!

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Today’s Travel Opportunities

SILVERSEA Class Luxury Ocean Cruises

THIS WEEK ONLY:  Silversea is offering our clients an additional $250 on board credit on 2026 and 2027 voyages booked this week.  Here are a few examples:

NEW ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA:  Sydney to Auckland departing December 4 for 14-days

• Start in Sydney and visit Hobart, Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Stewart Island, Dunedin, Akaroa, Wellington, Napier, Gisborne, Tauranga, and finish in Auckland. 
• Fares from $11,400

NORWAY COAST & SCANDINAVIA: Copenhagen round-trip departing May 21,2027 for 15-days

• Start in Copenhagen and visit Olden, Leknes, Honningsvag (North Cape), Alta, Trondheim, Romsdal, Vik, Skagen, and finish in Copenhagen.
• Fares from $9,800

BALTIC SEA: Copenhagen to Stockholm departing June 5, 2027 for 13-days

• Start in Copenhagen and visit Aarhus, Aalborg, Gothenburg, Rostock, Ronne, Gdansk, Klaipeda, Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki, and finish in Stockholm. 
• Fares from $8,600

UNIWORLD Boutique River Cruise Collection

Uniworld is the Boutique Hotel on the river with ships that are custom-built and decorated for the areas through which they are sailing.  These 2027 fares represent 20% OFF

PORTUGAL & SPAIN departing round-trip from Porto for 7-nights

• Visit Porto, Douro valley, Regua, Pinhao, Vega de Terron, Salamanca, Barca d’Alva.
• See the vineyards and estate wineries, traverse the locks, take in spectacular scenery, visit castle ruins, see paleolithic art, and enjoy architectural treasures.
• Optional extensions to Madeira Island. 
• 2026: Departures June – November from $2,969
• 2027: Departures March – November from $3,199

CHRISTMAS MARKETS:  Nuremberg to Frankfurt for 8-days in November or December:

• The Germans go all-out on the Christmas Markets, and this cruise on the Main River exposes you to many different Christmas Markets in Germany.  Space for 2026 is nearly sold out, but there are a few cabins left:

• Start in Nuremberg and visit Bamberg, Kitzingen, Würzburg, Wertheim, and finish in Frankfurt.
• 2026:  Fares from $5,699
• 2027:  Fares from $4,589

YACHTING with WINDSTAR

If you like great food, a really relaxed atmosphere, and being on a first-name basis with the crew, you’ll love WINDSTAR with a maximum of 320 guests. 

TAHITI:  Papeete round-trip departing weekly for 7-days

• Tropical Beauty, Remote Islands, Dreamy Lagoons.
• Start in Papeete, and visit Moorea, Raiatea (overnight), Taha’a, Bora Bora (overnight), and Huahine before returning to Papeete.  

• Fares from $2,816
• Here’s our video blog from when we did this cruise with WINDSTAR: https://youtu.be/ctytpPPx1tM 

JAPAN and EAST ASIA from Hanoi to Osaka departing March 1, 2027 for 10-days

• Fly to Hanoi, and start in Halong Bay, then visit Hong Kong (overnight), Taipei, Ishigaki, Okinawa, Amami, and finish in Osaka.
• Fares From $7,954

REMOTE EXPLORATIONS with HX

Both these cruises are easy to get to from the United States, but your experience will feel VERY remote:

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.  

• 2026:  June through December from $6,753
• 2027:  January through December from $7,324
• See our video blog from when we did this trip: https://youtu.be/3F38Km2EEjQ 

Outdoor ALASKA: Vancouver to Anchorage for 10-days

• You’ve been to ALASKA, but not like this.  If you prefer a nature walk, or sea kayaking to the souvenir shops on the pier, this is the right choice for you.  This is also a great way to check out an Expedition Cruise, not too far from home.
• Depart Vancouver, sail the Inside Passage, then to Misty Fjords, Klawock, Fjords of the Alaskan panhandle, Icy Strait Point, Glacier Bay, Valdez, Prince William Sound, and then on to Anchorage
• 2026: Departures May through July from $4,867
• 2027: Departures May through July from $5,299

COSTA RICA Family Journeys with ABERCROMBIE & KENT for 10-days

• Explore in comfort and style, and take along kids or grandkids in a private group.
• Waterfalls, volcanoes, snorkelling, kayaking, jungle walks, coffee plantations, horse back riding, bird watching, surfing, nocturnal jungle walk, whale watching:  It’s ALL available in Costa Rica.
• Fares from $7595 per person

Exploring the GREAT LAKES with VIKING

In our summer months, Viking’s Antarctica ships ply the waters of the Great Lakes.  This is a great way to see if an Expedition Ship is right for you, while exploring this extraordinary region. 

GREAT LAKES with VIKING for 8-days between Milwaukee and Toronto

• Visit Toronto, traverse the locks of the Welland Canal, Niagara Falls, Point Pelee NP, Detroit, Alpena (MI), Mackinac Island, Milwaukee
• 2026: Nordic Balconies from $6,995 – Departures June through October
• 2027: Nordic Balconies from $7,995 – Departures May through September.
• Here’s our ITINERARY VIDEO from when we did this trip: https://youtu.be/uDeGzBDb0mM 

GREAT LAKES with VIKING for 15-days between Duluth MN and Toronto

• Visit Toronto, traverse the locks of the Welland Canal, Niagara Falls, Cleveland, Detroit, Alpena, Algoma (Wisconsin), Mackinac Island, Fathom Five National Marine Park (submarine available), Killarney (Ontario), Georgian Bay, Soo Locks transit, Silver Islet, Thunder Bay (submarine available), Duluth.
• 2026: Nordic Balconies from $17,995 – Departs August 10^th. 
• 2027: Nordic Balconies from $15,995 – Departures May through August.

See our Ship Tour video of Viking Polaris here: https://youtu.be/izwAZ6NdFOo 

See the Submarine and the HANGAR here: https://youtu.be/XlKq3ow2JrM 

OCEANIA for FOODIES

OCEANIA occupies the market space between the Premium and the Luxury Cruise Lines, with a strong focus on the CULINARY experience

ICELAND round-trip Reykjavik departing July 4, 2027 for 10-days

• Visit 8 ports in Iceland, as well as the Faroe Islands
• Fares from $4099 with a $300 per person shore excursion credit. 

HAWAII & ALASKA:  Vancouver to Honolulu departing September 19 for 16-days

• Start in Vancouver and visit Ketchikan, cruise the Holkham Bay Glacier Fjords, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Hilo, Kailua-Kona, Kahului, Nawiliwili, and finish in Honolulu.
• Fares from $3,910

Your Oceania fare includes SPECIALTY DINING, GRATUITIES, WIFI, and a choice of a SHORE EXCURSION CREDIT or BEER/WINE with meals.

Do You Have an Upcoming Viking Cruise?

Viking’s BON VOYAGE incentive allows you to book your next Viking cruise in the 35 days BEFORE you board, and get some extra goodies for doing so:

• $100 per person on board credit
• 6-month final payment date
• $100 per person OFF one-week cruises, and bigger discounts for longer itineraries.

We made a short video about the Bon Voyage Program if you’d like more details:  

https://youtu.be/gBM8IvjIb3U?si=Vy9UDiSqZQYHWR32 
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