Everyone should name their AI assistant. It started with Alexa and Siri, and now we’re into the next level. My AI assistant’s name is “Bootlicker” because even though I asked it to tone-down the flattery and obedience, it still goes out of its way to tell me what it thinks I WANT to hear, rather than what I actually NEED to hear (or, heaven forbid – challenge my thinking).
Just like social media, AI’s preference for pleasing you, is going to mess up your travel plans (and probably other areas of your life too) sooner rather than later.
We’ve been experimenting with AI travel planning in the past year, to enable us to become faster and better at routine, transactional parts of the business so we can dedicate more time to the human interface. Here’s what we’ve learned during that journey (and why it matters to our clients):
- Too much information is a bigger problem than not enough information.
- More information only leads to better decisions when data is converted to wisdom.
- Review sites need to be treated with extreme caution. They are full of misinformation to the point where the Federal Trade Commission has had to step in.
- AI will tell you what’s most popular, or what’s most commonly believed. NOT what’s true. Sydney, Australia is a lovely place, but because most of us THINK it’s the capital of Australia doesn’t make it true (Canberra is the capital).
- We all value different things, and one person’s “best-ever” is another’s “worst-ever”. One person complains the ship is too quiet. Another loves the peaceful atmosphere.
How Should YOU Use AI for Travel Planning?
- Use AI to collect and organize information. It will help you ask better questions.
- Use Google. Watch some YouTube videos. Ask AI questions. Come armed with that info, and we can have a much more robust conversation about your next vacation.
- Use your critical-brain to challenge what AI is telling you. As a society, our critical thinking skills have atrophied. Travel planning is a great place to recover this ability. You’ll also have a better travel experience.
AI should be treated like a highly capable, hard-working, reasonably smart summer student. It’s great at rote tasks, and can probably do more difficult stuff if properly supervised. Ultimately, ALGORITHMS DON’T TRAVEL, and they can’t advise you well on how your preferences may differ from the masses (that it is well-positioned to articulate).
Our team members have all travelled. We’ve lugged our baggage up those charming staircases in Europe, so you can learn from our successes and failures when we’ve been out there.
A simple thing, but not available through AI or the cruise lines’ call centers.
The PODCAST: Dream-Travel-Share UNPACKED
In this episode of UNPACKED, Bob and Kim talk candidly about artificial intelligence, travel planning, ChatGPT-style tools, online research, misinformation, and why we believe the best travel planning combines technology with real human experience.
In Case You Missed It:
CRUISE MATH: Want an apples to apples comparison when deciding on a cruise? It will require a little bit of arithmetic. Here’s your guide:
https://pamperedcruiser.com/cruise-line-math-assessing-the-best-cruise-value/
TAHITI: It’s only 2-hours past Hawaii, and gets as many tourists in a YEAR, as Hawaii gets in a WEEK. Time to check out this tropical paradise:
https://pamperedcruiser.com/tahiti-off-the-beaten-track-windstar/
WINDSTAR Yachting Experiences. With a maximum of 340 guests, Windstar is perfect for a small-ship, casual experience with a great culinary offering.
https://pamperedcruiser.com/windstar-a-different-experience/
Featured YOUTUBE Video:
WINDSTAR’s STAR BREEZE Ship Tour. Bob walks through Star Breeze while he and Sue were on board. If you’re sailing on one of the BREEZE’s identical sisters: STAR LEGEND or STAR PRIDE, this video will also give you a great feel for the ship.
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
WINDSTAR: Casual Yachting Experiences
With a maximum of only 342 guests, it’s only a bit larger than a river boat, and as a member of the James Beard Foundation, you’ll enjoy the elevated culinary experience.
TAHITI: Papeete round-trip departing week for 7-days
- Tropical Beauty, Remote Islands, Dreamy Lagoons… and way LESS CROWDED than Hawaii.
- Start in Papeete, and visit Moorea, Raiatea (overnight), Taha’a, Bora Bora (overnight), and Huahine before returning to Papeete.
- Fares from $2597
- Here’s our video blog from when we did this cruise with WINDSTAR: https://youtu.be/ctytpPPx1tM
CANADA & NEW ENGLAND: Montreal to Boston departing October 11 for 11-nights
- Start in Montreal and visit Quebec City, Gaspe, Sydney, Halifax, Portland, and finish in Boston with overnights in Sydney and Halifax.
- Fares from $7248
INTREPID Premium Guided Land Journeys
INTREPID operates small group guided land journeys on six continents. Here’s a couple of examples:
COSTA RICA: round-trip San Jose for 9-days
- Costa Rica is both exotic and nearby (under 4 hours from Houston, Atlanta, or Miami).
- See a turtle sanctuary, enjoy coffee where it is harvested, slide into the hot springs at Arenal Volcano, see the abundant wildlife in the rainforest, and take a surfing lesson in Tamarindo (or maybe just watch it!).
- Departures year-round from $4046
AFRICA: KENYA & TANZANIA from Nairobi to Arusha for 15-days
- If you’re going to Africa to see wild game… this is the trip for you.
- Start your adventure in East Africa’s Gateway of Nairobi, then head to the Great Rift Valley to see lions, hippos, and multiple species of bird. Do a game-drive by 4 X 4 where you’ll see leopards and rhinos. The next stop is Maasai Mara NP where you’ll meet the local tribes-people, and visit a zebra reserve, and also see elephant, wildebeest, gazelle, giraffe, and cheetahs. Your journey continues on to Arusha where you’ll start the Tanzanian leg of your trip by 4 X 4. Next it’s on to Ngorongoro Crater, where you’re almost guaranteed to see all the game. Stay at Serengeti NP in a luxury tented camp. Take an optional hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti.
- Fares from $15,370 January through October.
EXPLORA JOURNEYS
If you’re looking for an elevated culinary experience, and a unique entertainment concept, all while enjoying a luxury small ship experience, then Explora is worth looking at. The entry level room is a 380 square foot veranda – bigger than the suites on the mega-ships!
ALASKA: Vancouver to Anchorage departing July 16 for 7-nights
- Visit Tongass and Kenai Fjords NPs. Optional post-cruise extension to Denali NP.
- Start in Vancouver and visit Ketchikan, Prince Wales Island, Sitka, Juneau, sail past Hubbard Glacier, and finish in Seward.
- Veranda Fares from $6720 on the brand new Explora III
- Denali NP extension available.
PORTUGAL & SPAIN in Quiet Season: Barcelona to Rome departing December 26 for 7-nights
- A great opportunity to visit Europe when it’s less busy.
- Start in Barcelona and visit Marseille, Nice, Florence, Corsica, Naples, and finish in Rome.
- Fares from $4710
Monaco FORMULA 1: June 3 – 8, 2027
- Explora I will be docked in Monte Carlo for 5 nights during the Monaco FORMULA 1 Race weekend. Your cruise fare includes Grandstand Access for 3 days, and you’re docked right in town. Use Explora 1 as your hotel for 5-nights or stay on board for a cruise:
- 7-nights round-trip from Rome from $22,875
- 12-nights from Monte Carlo to Barcelona from $25,875
- 13-nights from Rome to Barcelona from $31,875
UNIWORLD Boutique River Collection
Uniworld likes to experiment with different itinerary ideas, so here are two:
AMAZON Headwaters round-trip from Lima for 11-days
- 7 nights sailing on the Amazon and 3 nights in Lima.
- Your ship, the Aria Amazon, only holds 32 guests, and there are floor-to-ceiling windows in every suite, offering unparalleled views of this pristine part of the world.
- Have lunch with a family in Lima, visit a remote Amazon village, shop at a local market, take a skiff ride at night to view nocturnal creatures, visit local artisan and craft markets, and more.
- 2027: Departures June through December from $11,949
- 2028: Departures January through December from $13,299
- ADD: Extension to Machu Picchu, Rio de Janeiro and Iguazu Falls
Agatha Christie Itinerary: Istanbul to Paris departing May 16 for 15-days
- Travel with Agatha Christie expert Dr. Mark Aldridge
- Start in Istanbul, and ride the Golden Eagle Danube Express train through Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Austria, and disembark in Paris. Then board Uniworld’s riverboat for a cruise out to Normandy and back that includes Monet’s Gardens, Rouen, Versailles, and a day at the Normandy Beaches.
- Fares from $30,999
AZAMARA Small Ship Experiences
With just 680 guests, Azamara offers a great way to experience a fully-inclusive small ship.
SOUTH AMERICA: Buenos Aires to San Antonio departing February 17 for 21-nights
- Start in Buenos Aires and visit Montevideo, Punta Del Este, Port Stanley, Ushuaia, Punta Arenas, Puerto Chacabuco, Puerto Montt, and finish in San Antonio, with 6 days of sailing scenic Antarctica.
- Fares from $7159
Azamara’s COUNTRY INTENSIVE VOYAGES are fantastic if you really want to immerse yourself in a particular place. Here are some examples:
- Chile
- Croatia
- Greece
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Norway
- Scotland
- Spain
If you’d like to see AZAMARA’s full line-up of COUNTRY INTENSIVE Itineraries:
https://www.azamara.com/cruises?keywords=country-intensive
REMOTE EXPLORATIONS with ATLAS
All the ATLAS yachts carry less than 200 guests, so it’s a great way to see the polar regions up close:
GREENLAND, CANADIAN ARCTIC & NEWFOUNDLAND: September 13, 2027 for 17-nights
- Start in Nuuk, visit 4 ports in Greenland, then call in at 5 ports in the Canadian Arctic before heading southbound down Iceberg Alley off the coast of Labrador and Newfoundland. Experience L’anse aux Meadows where the first Europeans landed in North America (500 years before Columbus) and stop in at North America’s only French Territory at Saint Pierre & Miquelon before finishing in St. John’s.
- Fares from $15,608
ICELAND ENCOMPASSED: Reykjavik round-trip departing June 5, 2027 for 7-nights
- Circumnavigate Iceland with landings on 6-days, and cross the Arctic Circle
- Fares from $5676
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, 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 (even if you booked ON BOARD).
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.
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
