I’m sure some of you thought I was nuts when I was chatting about Christmas last week, but the Christmas Market River Cruises are filling up fast, so you need to be a bit ahead of the game.  

After almost two years of being trapped in our basements, the term “revenge travel” started to make the rounds in 2021.  It was referring to pent-up demand for travel, and we’re not through it yet, and there are no obvious signs that supply and demand are going to reach equilibrium when it comes to travel anytime soon.

On our recent trip to Rome at the beginning of May, we noticed the crowds were equivalent to what we normally see in the summer months.  It’s busy, and things are getting sold out. 

So what do you do?  You plan ahead… and many of you are.

In 2019 – the last “normal” year, our average time between booking a trip, and travelling was about 9 months.  It’s now over 12 months.  In reality, that gap between booking and traveling is probably longer than a year, because we are filling a whole bunch of requests for travel in the next 2 or 3 months (and that is dragging that 12-month average down).  It seems that you are travelling “right now” or many months or years from now.  Or Both!

Yep… many of you have two, three, or more trips on the books.  

These trends are having big effects on availability.  Here’s what we’re seeing:

What’s Hot:

You can still get hotel rooms and cruises for these destinations, as long as you’re flexible for dates, and you’re not trying to travel with ten other people:

• Egypt:  There is some availability in 2023, but some river cruise lines are sold out until 2025.  
• Portugal:  The Douro River doesn’t have many ships on it, although there are lots of cruise lines there.  There is very tight availability on these itineraries. 
• Japan:  This country was one of the last to reopen.  Given the ease of travel, and the fact travellers feel safe there, it is very busy.

Emerging Demand:

We’re seeing a lot of increased interest, and requests for information about these destinations, so there could be a spike in demand coming shortly:

• Greenland – Although technically part of North America, Greenland is a semi-autonomous Province of Denmark.  It’s huge – nearly 3 times as big as Texas, and it’s a place more and more ships are calling in.  If you want to see the remote, rugged beauty of Greenland’s ice and granite ringed coastline and be far away from shopping arcades and T-shirt shops, then it’s a great choice.  
• West Africa – The tourist trade is well developed in North, East and Southern Africa.  West Africa… not so much.  Most countries here are former French Colonies, and it is more difficult to get to, and travel to than other parts of Africa.  For this reason, it lends itself well to travel by cruise ship, and more ships are calling in on the Atlantic side of Africa.  Go to Dakar to see where the largest slave-trading center once operated, or go to the Cape Verde Archipelago to see the lava landscapes and sand dunes.  
• Patagonia – The Pacific coastline of Chile has some of the most stunning scenery in the world, and due to its remoteness and inaccessibility, many are choosing to see it by cruise ship.  Several cruise lines are offering cruises out of Santiago (fairly easy to get to from the US), and also the longer cruises that go between Buenos Aires and Santiago usually have a few stops in Patagonia.
• Alaska (the more remote parts) – Alaska may not seem that exotic to many of us, but it’s worth remembering that people come from all over the world to see coastal British Columbia and Alaska.  If you’ve already been, there are options to get beyond Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan.  Some cruise lines are offering stops at a whole bunch of places (both in Alaska and BC) that you’ve probably never heard of before.  This is perfect for those that go to Alaska to see scenery and wildlife, but don’t need the T-shirt shops. 

What’s Quiet

Ideally, I would have some suggestions for you about places where demand is soft, and therefore we’re seeing some solid deals.  There are two things working against me here:

1. It seems to be busy everywhere
2. Cruise ships move to where the demand is

Having said that, cruises that visit the Caribbean Islands and Mexico still represent tremendous value when you consider what you pay on a per day basis.  Compared to comparable hotel and resort stays, the value of cruise vacations are really hard to beat.  

Today’s Travel Opportunities

Egypt with Uniworld departing December 16, 2023 for 12-days.  Take the grandchildren on a once in a lifetime trip to see Egypt!

• Spend 3-days in Cairo to see the Pyramids and the Egyptian Museum.  Then fly to Luxor to board the ship for a week, where you’ll visit the Temple of Karnak, the Temple of Luxor, Valley of the Kings, Aswan, Temple of Esna, and then back to Cairo.
• Optional pre-trip to Jordan, and/or post trip to Jerusalem
• Prices start at $6299 per person.

Iceland, Greenland & Canada on Explora Journeys departing September 9, for 17-days.

• Reykjavik to New York City
• Visit Reykjavik (overnight), 2 more ports in Iceland, 4 stops in Greenland, Sydney (Canada), Saint John (Canada), New York.
• Prices start at $10,150 per person for a 375 square foot veranda suite.  Includes all taxes, an open bar, on board gratuities, and wifi on the ship.
• Due to our exclusive partnership with Explora Journeys, we can get you 10% off published fares ($10,150 LESS $1015 on this cruise), and a $500 Journey Experience Credit. 

Recently booked a Viking Cruise?  

Viking makes it really easy to book direct, either online or by phone.  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.  

We’ll check over your booking 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).  
Also, in case you’re wondering, there is NO fee to work with us.  We get paid commission by the cruise lines after our clients travel.  So, please get in touch to let us know about your existing reservations (including those made while on board).

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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

You certainly know it seems the Festive Season starts earlier every year, so I’m not trying to exaggerate the phenomena, but I will tell you that if you want to visit the Christmas Markets in Europe in 2023, you need to be looking at it now.  

The Christmas Markets in Europe run from the last week in November through Christmas.  There are a bunch of reasons you may want to consider a trip to Europe at this time of year, even if you’re not a hard core Christmas enthusiast.  

First of all, there are far fewer tourists in Europe in the winter months than the summer.  The Christmas Markets themselves attract lots of European and foreign visitors, but the museums and historical sites that are lined up with hundreds of people in the summer, are relatively quiet in the winter months.  

There are no guarantees around weather, but normally in November and December it is quite moderate in continental Europe.  It will still be winter weather – but it shouldn’t be drastically below freezing either. 

Europe is a big place, and there are Christmas Markets in just about all countries, so where should you go?

There are lots of different opinions of where the best markets are, but I’ve yet to find a definite answer to which is best, and I suspect it’s largely a matter of personal choice.  The one aspect that is generally agreed upon is that the Germans go ‘all out’ on Christmas Markets.

For this reason you may want to start your research on one of these itineraries:

• Rhine River – includes the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Switzerland
• Danube River – includes Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary
• Main/Moselle Rivers – Includes France and Germany

The added bonus of exploring the Christmas Markets on a River ship is that you don’t have to decide on ONE country’s markets to visit:  you unpack once, and can experience the Christmas Markets in three or four countries.

One of our clients was having trouble convincing her husband he would enjoy the Christmas Markets in Europe.  He really wasn’t interested in “walking around gazing at trinkets”.  There is no doubt there are plenty of Christmas trinkets on offer at these markets, but there is much more going on as well.

There’s music and entertainment, mulled wine, food vendors, horse-drawn carriage rides, roasted chestnuts, and bonfires.  Where the weather permits, you’ll find outdoor skating and curling rinks, and there are enormous Christmas Trees everywhere.  The Europeans visit the Christmas Markets in their own backyards because it’s also a place of community, so you get a much better feel for the people and culture at a Christmas Market than you would standing in line with all the other foreigners at the museum in the summer months.

Oh yeah… and there’s lots of trinkets.  

Today’s Travel Opportunities

Here’s some ideas if you want to travel during Festive in 2023:

Uniworld Christmas Market Cruises – All Uniworld cruises include transfers, on-board gratuities, open bar, a shore excursion (several choices) in each port of call, and wifi on the ship.  Due to our exclusive arrangement with them, we can also get you additional on board credits not available on direct bookings.  Here’s some options:

• Rhine Holiday Markets departing November 25 for 7-nights.
  • Visit Basel, Strasbourg, Baden-Baden, Mainz, Rudesheim, Rhine Gorge, Koblenz, Cologne (overnight). 
  • Prices start at $3599 per person.  
• German Christmas Markets departing December 15, 22 or 23 for 7-nights
  • Visit Frankfurt (overnight), Wurzburg, Wertheim, Rothenburg, Bamburg, Nuremburg (Overnight)
  • Prices start at $2599 per person.

AMA Christmas Market Cruises.  AMA is offering free land extensions right now, so if you want to spend a bit longer in Europe this Christmas, here are some ideas:

• Provence French Christmas Markets departing November Nov 30, December 14 or 21
  • Visit Lyon, Villefranche, Tournon, Vienne, Tarascon, Arles, Avignon.
  • Prices start at $3499 for 7-nights on board, PLUS 2 free nights pre or post in Paris.
• Holland & Belgium departing December 25 or 26.
  • Visit Amsterdam, Utrecht, Veere, Ghent, Brussels, Antwerp, Dordrecht, Kinderdijk.  
  • 7-nights departing Dec 25 or 26 with 2-nights free Amsterdam
  • Prices start at $3499 per person for 7-nights on board PLUS a free 2-night pre or post in Amsterdam.  

Warm Weather Christmas Vacations

If you’d  rather visit a warm weather destination over the Festive Period, here are some ideas from Explora Journeys.  This is a great opportunity to try this new product (with some fantastic pricing).  Due to our exclusive relationship with Explora Journeys, we able to offer the following goodies for our NEXT 5 bookings only:

• 10% OFF the published pricing on any 2023 departure, AND
• $500 Journey Experience credit (onboard credit)

Caribbean – Explora Journeys departing December 6 for 8-days

• Bridgetown to Miami
• Visit St. Lucia, Saint Kitts, Antigua and Barbuda, and the Bahamas.
• Details here: https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/bobbrad77410/travel/luxury-cruises/sailings/16312564/discovering-the-islands-of-the-caribbean-06dec2023-13dec2023
• Prices start at $3650 per person for a 375 square foot veranda suite.  Includes all taxes, an open bar, on board gratuities, and wifi on the ship.
• These prices do not yet include the exclusive 10% discount and extra onboard credit mentioned above.  

Caribbean –Explora Journeys departing December 13, for 10-days

• Miami round-trip
• Visit Turks & Caicos, Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, and the Bahamas. 
• Details here: ​​https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/bobbrad77410/travel/luxury-cruises/sailings/16312563/diamond-beaches-and-sparkling-private-idylls-13dec2023-22dec2023
• Prices start at $4700 per person for a 375 square foot veranda suite.  Includes all taxes, an open bar, on board gratuities, and wifi on the ship.
• These prices do not yet include the exclusive 10% discount and extra onboard credit mentioned above.  

As a reminder, Bob and I are travelling with Explora Journeys in October (Canada/New England – Quebec City to New York for 10 nights, departing Oct. 3rd, 2023 ).  Why not join us?  We’ve got several clients signed up already.  Book now and you’ll get a 10% discount and $500 Journey Experience credit.  Details here: https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/bobbrad77410/travel/luxury-cruises/sailings/16312588/quebecois-culture-canadian-fjords-and-new-amsterdam-03oct2023-13oct2023

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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

This headline may appear to be a bit self-serving, but indulge me for a moment.  About 25,000 people read our posts every week, and amongst that list about 2% become clients.  Believe it or not, this is actually a very high rate, but amongst the other 98%, there are some people that buy into the fallacy that it is better to deal with cruise lines and land-tour operators directly.

This error is an easy one to make.  If you’re booking rental cars, 3 or 4 star hotel rooms, or economy airline tickets, the best price is usually directly with the vendor.  Cruises, land-tours, and higher-end hotels are different.  Here’s why:

• You’ll never get a better price by going direct.  For cruises and packaged land tours, there are no circumstances where you’ll get a better deal by going direct to the vendor.  This is counter-intuitive, because the airlines and some hotels definitely offer better prices for direct bookings.  
• We get additional amenities.  Yep… that’s right – there is no cost advantage to going direct, and in most cases, we can get you additional on board credits or perks NOT available to you if you book direct.  
• You’re supporting a small business.  Small business is the engine of the economy, and the largest creator of jobs.  I enjoy my trips to Costco as much as anyone else, but they aren’t sponsoring your kids’ soccer team.  If you can support a small business, AND it’s not going to cost you anymore to do so, it seems like a win-win.
• We’re real people.  You talk to the same person… not who’s on shift in the call center.  
• You’ll get better advice.  If you call cruise lines direct, the agents are well trained to sell THEIR product.  We deal with all the cruise lines, so we can offer alternatives so you can make the best decision for you.
• Good travel advisors actually travel.  We’ve travelled with all the brands we sell, and we’ve been to most of the destinations we send people to.  The big call centers are full of well-trained employees, but they typically don’t travel very much.  

Some people who read our posts every week, already have established relationships with a travel advisor that they really like and trust.  Keep dealing with them – my purpose here is NOT to poach business from other advisors.  My purpose IS to inform those dealing directly with cruise lines and land-tour operators that they would be better served dealing with us, or another good travel advisor.  

Here are some other considerations for dealing with an advisor:

• Fees:  Some agents charge fees, but we prefer not to.  We choose to only sell products we know really well, so it doesn’t require hours of research to put a proposal in front of clients.  For custom itineraries (which is something we don’t typically do), these often require a great deal of advance research and you SHOULD expect to pay a fee to an advisor who knows your desired trip plans well. 
• Professional Service:  You might be surprised to learn that we know several travel advisors who were lawyers or MBAs in their previous careers (this includes both Sue and Bob).  The attention to detail, and approach to advising clients can be very similar to legal or other professional service providers.  
• Option Shopping:  We occasionally get an inquiry from someone new, who will consume a bunch of our time and then decide to book elsewhere because they can’t get over the misconception that it’s cheaper.  Putting aside the ethical considerations of coming to us for advice, and then using that advice to book elsewhere, those people also lose on the additional amenities I mention above. 
• Agency Transfers:  We regularly get calls from people who booked a cruise directly with the cruise lines in the past couple of weeks, and they stumble across one of our information pieces, YouTube videos, or our Facebook page.  We can still help you.  The rules vary slightly between cruise lines, but we can move a direct booking over to our agency, and offer you additional amenities. 

Cases where you should book direct

• Air:  If you’re not dealing with a cruise line’s air department, you should never abdicate control of your air arrangements.  There are multiple micro-decisions that YOU should make, and adding an agent inserts an unnecessary third party.  
• If You Require an Instant Response:  If you’re one of those people who wants to be able to phone at any time of day or night and have someone available to pick up immediately and answer questions about your trip, you’d be better off dealing with a call center.  Much like the lawyers we discussed above, we work on several files at once, and like to be prepared when we meet with you, so we work best when we set up phone appointments.  You will find most professional travel advisors to be the same. 

Today’s Travel Opportunities

Hawaii with Explora Journeys

For those who love sea days, this voyage is a great opportunity to try out this exciting new cruise brand (and you only have a long haul flight in one direction!) 

• Vancouver to Honolulu, departing April 18, 2024 for 11-nights. 
• After leaving Vancouver, visit Hilo (overnight), and then Honolulu (overnight).  
• If you’d like to extend your stay in Hawaii, it’s very easy to get between the islands.
• Prices from $5300 per person for a 375 square foot Veranda Suite.  Includes all taxes and fees, an open bar, gratuities, and wifi on the ship.  
• Due to our exclusive arrangement with Explora Journeys, we can also get you a $600 Journey Experience credit. 

Oceania ‘Extraordinary Savings’ Sale

If you follow us on Facebook, you know we’re on board Oceania’s brand new ship, Vista, this week, previewing the ship with other industry insiders before next week’s Maiden Voyage.

We LOVE Oceania’s onboard experience!

Oceania is currently running a couple of very good promotions and the one I want to tell you about today is their “Extraordinary Savings” promotion.  Please click this link for a list of applicable sailings (all for travel in 2023)… the prices are indeed extraordinary:

https://image.explore.oceaniacruises.com/lib/fe3711737164047c731071/m/2/725de646-6a42-4388-b450-d2cb1ffaa5a3.pdf

Uniworld:  Basel to Amsterdam for 11-days departing September or October 2023:

• Visit Basel (overnight), Strasbourg, Speyer, Frankfurt, Oberwesel, Cologne, Arnhem, Harlingen, Amsterdam (overnight)
• Window Rooms from $2999.  French Balconies from $4299 per person. (Represents a savings of $1500 each).

If you’d like to see what else Uniworld has on offer, here’s the link: https://pamperedcruiser.uniworld.com/us/current-offers/2023

Recently booked a Viking Cruise?  

Viking makes it really easy to book direct, either online or by phone.  Our clients worry that if they book online, 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 booking 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.  

We also have access to unadvertised promotion codes you may not be aware of.  Depending on the exact situation, these promotion codes can save you money and/or get you extra perks.  

There is never a situation where you’ll get a better deal by booking directly with Viking (or any other cruise line).  We have access to all the same prices and special promotion codes… and we can always add something above and beyond what you’d receive by booking directly with the cruise line.  
Also, in case you’re wondering, there is NO fee to work with us.  We get paid commission by the cruise lines after our clients travel.  So, please get in touch to let us know about your existing reservations (including those made while on board).

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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

SilverSea can best be described as traditional luxury.  Some of you have asked if it is “stuffy”, and I don’t think I’d describe it that way, although with their marketing images of tuxedoed butlers wearing white gloves, it is an easy assumption to make.  While tuxedos and ball gowns are not required on SilverSea, there will be some guests that choose to dress that way.  

Up until 2020, SilverSea was owned by the Lefebvre family of Rome, who were the same family who owned Sitmar Cruises in the 70s and 80s.  I have a special reverence for Sitmar, because it was my very first cruise, way back in 1981.  

SilverSea has 6 small ships (700 or less) with one more coming in 2023, and another in 2024.  They also have 5 expedition ships.  On this fleet, they sail to 7 continents, and so some really interesting ports of call.   You’ll notice in the Travel Opportunities below, that while they may start and finish in major ports, some of the stops in between you may never heard of!  This is fantastic for those that have done a lot of travelling, and want something new.  

They also have an innovative fare structure.  No matter what you choose, the fare is very inclusive: 24-hour gourmet dining, an open bar, superb entertainment, gratuities, on-board enrichment and lectures, a shore excursion in every port, and butler service in every suite.  

If you choose their “Door to Door” fare, they will pick you up at your home, deliver you to the airport, fly you to the ship, and then do the same on your return home.  

We find that most of our small-ship ocean clients make their decisions based more on itinerary than anything else.  If this is the primary driver for you, then it’s worth browsing through SilverSea’s itineraries to see where they go.  I’ve put a handful of examples below, but that is really just the tip of the iceberg.  

SilverSea is also running some interesting promotions until the end of this month, and in many cases, they are combinable – meaning you may be able to take advantage of all of these:

• Two category suite upgrade, and a $1000 on board credit on select sailings
• $500 referral credit.  If you haven’t sailed with SilverSea previously but you know someone that has, they’ll offer you $500 of your suite, and give whomever referred you a $500 credit for their next trip.
• 20% off selected sailings.  There is some fine print on this offer, most notably it is payment in full at the time of booking, and it’s non-refundable, so you’ll want to make sure you put your insurance in place at the same time. This offer represents tremendous value for higher-end product like SilverSea.  Here’s the link to their website where you’ll find the list of sailings this promotion applies to:

List of voyages:  https://www.silversea.com/best-luxury-cruise-deals/port-to-port-prepaid.html

Today’s Travel Opportunities

Here’s some examples from the SilverSea Pre-Paid, Port to Port fares.  The prices shown here already reflect the discounted rate (so this is what you’ll actually pay). 

Vancouver to Puerto Vallarta – Departing October 2, for 16-days.

• Visit Neah Bay, Rainer (OR), Portland, Astoria, San Francisco, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Isla Espiritu Santo, Isla San Jose, Isla San Francisco. 
• Prices from $5058 per person.  

Japan – Yokohama to Hong Kong – Departing October 9 for 16-days.

• Visit Tokyo (overnight), Osaka (overnight), Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Busan, Seoul (overnight), Keelung, Koahsiung.
• Prices from $5908 per person

Alaska — Vancouver to Anchorage – Departing May 9, 2024 for 7-days.

• Visit Vancouver, Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Hubbard Glacier
• Prices from $2920 per person

Mediterranean — Athens round-trip — Departing March 29, for 13-days

• Crete, Bodrum, Rhodes, Paphos, Jerusalem (overnight), Alexandria Egypt (overnight), Crete, Naphlion, 
• Prices from $5280 per person

Caribbean – Ft. Lauderdale round-trip – Departing February 5 for 11-days

• San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Bart’s, St. John’s, St. Maarten, BVI, 
• Prices from $4208 per person

Sydney to Auckland Departing January 18 for 14-days

• Visit Sydney, Burnie, Port Arthur, Hobart (overnight), Bluff, Dunedin, Akaroa, Picton, Bay of Islands, and Auckland 
• Prices from $5653 per person

Rollin On The River

If River Cruising is more your jam, AMA is offering Free Land Add-ons for select voyages.  Hardly any of our clients go to Europe and just do a one-week cruise, so this is definitely worth looking at: 

• Includes 4 or 5 star hotels, breakfasts, city tours and/or excursions, transfers, and your cruise manager travels with you from the ship (so you’re escorted through your journey).  Some examples of Free Land Extensions:
  • Prague 3-night extension (Value: $1320 per person)
  • Amsterdam 2-night extension (Value: $1190 pp)
  • Budapest 2-night extension (Value: $840 pp)
  • Lake Como, Italy 3-night extension (Value: $1440 pp)

Here’s a link to the page:  https://www.amawaterways.com/agent/pamperedcruiser/freeland-2023

There are tons of combinations, but here are two examples of how a river cruise and free land extension would stack up:  

Rhine River Cruise departing November 16 for 7-nights on the ship and 2-nights land:

• Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland
• Visit Cologne, Rhine Gorge, Rudesheim, Ludwigshafen, Strasbourg, Breisach, 
• Free Amsterdam pre-cruise for 2-nights.
• Prices start at $3199 per person.  

Danube  River Cruise —  4 departures in August for 7-nights on the ship, and 3-nights land: 

• Budapest to Vilshofen (Bavaria, Germany)
• Visit Bratislava, Vienna, Krems, Wachau Valley, Linz, Passau.
• Free Prague post-cruise for 3-nights
• Prices start at $4199 per person.

There are lots of other combinations too.  Check out the link above for more information.

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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

So alike… and yet so different.  That is the only way to describe Australia and New Zealand.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that although I was born in Iowa, my mother was Australian, so I lived in Canberra for several years as a child.  Long before I ever knew Bob, he also lived there as well – first to work at World Expo ’88 in Brisbane, and then as a backpacker around both Australia and New Zealand.  So we both have a strong personal connection to both these countries.  

These two South Pacific Island nations share many things in common:  they are both Commonwealth nations (with very similar looking flags); they historically have collaborated on many military and security initiatives; and they obviously have proximity.  

They are also very different:  Australia is huge (almost as large as the Lower 48 states), NZ is about the size of Colorado.  Australia’s aboriginal population is about 4% of the population and there is some debate as to whether they are of African descent, or if they are a unique race. New Zealand’s Maori population is about 18% of the population, and are Polynesian.  

English is the predominant language in both countries.  When I lived in Australia, I could easily tell the difference between an Aussie and a Kiwi as soon as they spoke.  I’m embarrassed to say that with the exception of some specific trigger words, I now have to ask.  Australians love to shorten words, and have some really unique phrases.  The Kiwis have integrated many native Maori words into their English.  

One other thing these countries share:  they are a long way from the United States (a 14 or 15 hour plane ride from the West Coast).  This is one reason why people tend to visit both, after making the investment in time and money to get there. 

New Zealand is spectacular for the diversity of things you can do outside.  They have beautiful sandy tropical beaches in the North, and snow-capped glaciers in the south.  There are wineries, hot springs, and a series of charming small cities and towns throughout the country.  You can see New Zealand quite easily by cruise ship, or a driving vacation if you’re so inclined. 

Australia has the Great Barrier Reef that really doesn’t have anything that compares with it anywhere on the planet.  Sydney is a fantastic urban experience.  The Red Center and Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock), are spectacular.  Australia is full of wide-open spaces — there are less than 30 million people in that huge area, and most of them live on the perimeter, along the ocean.  

Here are my best suggestions for seeing these two beautiful countries:  

• Go for as long as you can.  The flight is long, and never cheap.  
• See both countries.  Australia tends to attract more visitors, but in many ways there is more to see in New Zealand.  
• If you want to explore different parts of Australia, do it by plane.  It is too big to explore by other means unless you go for many months.  Bob drove around the country (over the course of 6 months), and he claims he’s still recovering from that road trip!
• Their seasons are opposite to ours, but the weather is moderate in both places year round (although Northern Australia can be very hot in December & January).  Those visiting from the Northern Hemisphere usually go November through April, but there’s no down-side to visiting at other times of the year. 
• Plan in advance:  demand is high for these two countries after having effectively being closed for 2 years.  
• In repositioning season, the cruise ships migrate between Alaska and the South Pacific.  If you don’t feel like a 15 hour flight, you can make the journey one-way by ship.  They either cross to Japan, and then down the east side of Asia, OR head out to Hawaii, and then to Fiji, Tahiti and the Pacific Islands.  Either trip is usually about 4 weeks.  

As different as these countries are from the United States, and each other, they are probably the MOST like us when it comes to travel.  English is overwhelmingly the most spoken language in both places, and their infrastructure is very similar to ours. 

If you go to where the young people hang out in Australia, you find an overwhelming number of 20-something travellers from the UK and Canada.  This is no coincidence – the ease of travel in Australia and New Zealand make it a great place for kids to learn how to travel.  It probably also helps that as members of the Commonwealth, kids from the UK and Canada are legal to work down-under.

Today’s Travel Opportunities

There are a few different ways to experience New Zealand and Australia by ship.  Here are some ideas for each of those ways:

A cruise including Australia’s East Coast and New Zealand.  Usually these are about two weeks long, and travel between Sydney and Auckland:

Celebrity Edge Sydney to Auckland

• 12-days, departing February 4.   
• Visit Milford Sound, Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Napier, Tauranga, Bay of Islands
• Verandas from $3050

SilverSea Auckland to Melbourne

• 14-days, departing February 1.   
• Visit the Bay of Islands, Tauranga, Gisborne, Napier, Wellington, Kaikoura, Dunedin, Bluff, Hobart (overnight).
• Suites from $6150 per person (15% off), including a $300 per person on board credit.  
• Includes gratuities, an open bar, shore excursions, and butler service in every suite.

Viking Ocean Auckland to Sydney (or reverse)

• 15-days departing January 2, 16, or 30.
• Visit Rotorua, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Foveaux Strait, Tasmania, Bass Strait, Melbourne, Gippsland Coast.
• Veranda Rooms starting at $7599
• Includes transfers, beer/wine with meals, a shore excursion in every port, and wifi on the ship. 

Don’t want to fly both ways?  Here’s some repositioning cruises:

Majestic Princess:  Sydney to Seattle

• 33-days departing April 10, 2024
• Visit Picton (NZ), Wellington, Tauranga, Bay of Islands, Auckland, Tahiti (overnight), Honolulu, Kona, Vancouver (overnight), Victoria.  
• Veranda Rooms starting at $4003

Oceania Regatta: Sydney to Los Angeles

• 42-days departing March 10, 2024.
• Visit Napier, Rotorua, Auckland, Bay of Islands, Lautoka (Fiji), Suva (Fiji), Pago Pago, Apia, Bora Bora (overnight), Raiatea, Moorea, Tahiti (overnight), Rangiroa, Nuku Hiva, Hilo, Lahaina, Honolulu (overnight), Nawiliwili.  
• Inside: $9299  Balcony: $13,999

Recently booked a Viking Cruise?   

Viking makes it really easy to book direct, either online or by phone.  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.  

We’ll check over your booking 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.  

We also have access to unadvertised promotion codes you may not be aware of.  Depending on the exact situation, these promotion codes can save you money and/or get you extra perks.  

There is never a situation where you’ll get a better deal by booking directly with Viking (or any other cruise line).  We have access to all the same prices and special promotion codes… and we can always add something above and beyond what you’d receive by booking directly with the cruise line.  
Also, in case you’re wondering, there is NO fee to work with us.  We get paid commission by the cruise lines after our clients travel.  So, please get in touch to let us know about your existing reservations (including those made while on board).

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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