Did you grow up with a single telephone mounted on the wall at the end of the hallway for the whole family to share?  We tell our kids such stories and they laugh with delight at how primitive life must have been for those who grew up in the 20^th century.

I bring this up because this past week, I had much more “on-the-phone time” than “off-the-phone time” – a necessary (and positive) consequence of the huge surge in booking requests we are getting right now from clients.

It’s a far cry from that single phone on the wall at the end of the hall. 

Both Bob and I are on the phone all day, every day. 

Bob handles most of the in-person client work – so almost all the time, you’ll end up speaking with him on the phone.

My own job includes managing our relationships and bookings with the cruise lines and other suppliers, and email correspondence with clients between time of booking and time of travel.

Others in the travel biz compare our process to how Elton John and Bernie Taupin write songs together.  It’s a bit unusual, but it works for us. 

It also explains why we usually try to book phone appointments with our clients.  When we’re on the phone with someone, we want to ensure that person has our complete attention, so the phones are forwarded to voicemail, and we will never interrupt a conversation to answer a call on another line. 

This past week, we’ve also been dealing with dozens of rebooks (some of you for the third or fourth time) from recently cancelled sailings originally scheduled for June and July.

Thank you to all of you for your patience as we sort through all of this.  We’re doing our best.

New Travel Opportunities:

The CDC’s erratic behavior as it relates to cruise ships continues, so more and more cruise lines are bypassing them altogether, and sailing from foreign ports.  This is devastating for the 250,000 Americans employed by the cruise ship industry, and hopefully those jobs will eventually return to the US, but until the Federal Government provides instructions to the cruise lines as to what hurdles will be required to sail from US ports, the cruise lines will continue to deal with more cooperative governments.

Here are some examples:

Bermuda

Viking Cruises recently announced brand new one-week cruises round trip from Hamilton starting in June 2021:

• If you find Bermuda a somewhat uninspiring port of call, you might want to view this as unique opportunity to try out a Viking ocean cruise.  It might also just be a nice change of scenery for a week. 
• Fares start at $1799, with air add-ons at $599. 
• The best priced cabin on Viking is a 270 square foot veranda, so this is a very competitive price compared to other cruise ship rooms. 
• At the same time the Bermuda itinerary was announced, Viking also released one-week cruises in Iceland, but those already sold out (within a week!).  If they deploy another ship, and more space opens up, we’ll let you know.

We continue to get a ton of requests for domestic travel options that depart in the next few months.  Here are some ideas:

Glacier National Park, Montana

The Pacific Northwest is one of the best kept secrets in the country, with spectacular scenery, a number of National Parks, and wide-open spaces.  On this 10-day trip, you’ll travel between Chicago and Seattle by train. 

• Available June through October.
• 2 nights in Chicago, 2 nights in Seattle, 3 nights at Glacier National Park.  There are also two nights aboard the train, and sleeper cabins are available on this route.
• Glacier NP covers more than 16,000 square miles, two mountain ranges, and includes 130 lakes.
• $2749 per person based on double occupancy.
• Travel through 7 states retracing large parts on Lewis and Clark’s journey.
• This itinerary is unique in that you get to visit some of the most remote parts of the country, in between the two great urban experiences of Chicago and Seattle.

Mackinac Island, Chicago, and Detroit

If you want to explore the Midwest instead, this “land-cruise” guided tour caught my eye:

• Two nights in Chicago, then on to Traverse City for one-night; followed by 2-nights at the charming and famous Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island; then to the Bavarian town of Frankenmuth; and finally, 2-nights in Detroit where you can visit the Henry Ford Museum and take in Detroit’s other attractions.
• 7-nights starting at $2799 per person, for departures June through October.
• Includes all breakfasts, and 4 dinners

In Case You Missed It:

• Floriade – This horticultural expo is happening in the Netherlands next year. 
• American Queen Steamboat Company resumed sailing on the Mississippi about a month ago, and by all accounts, things have been going just fine. 
• Caribbean Cruise from St. Maarten on the Celebrity Millennium. 
• Rocky Mountaineer Rail Packages between Denver and Las Vegas or Salt Lake City

I hope this helps.  We’ll continue to respond to your requests for vacation ideas that you can take in the next few months.  It seems we’re not the only ones ready to get away!

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/2975900702692424

If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

I’m yearning to be in Mexico right now.  I guess it’s Easter that’s making me feel this way.

Many years ago, we started spending chunks of the spring months in Mexico.  Some years it was only for a few weeks, and other years we were there much longer – our son did most of the first grade at a small school in Puerto Vallarta.  One of my most cherished pictures is his class photo that year – twenty-two beautiful dark-haired and dark-eyed children, and one ridiculously blonde and blue-eyed gringo.  They called him “Bola de Nieve” – yep, there is a Spanish word for “Snowball”. 

We’ve learned a great deal from our Mexican friends and neighbors.  Easter (Semana Santa, or Holy Week) is one of the biggest celebrations of the year in Mexico.  Every year we would attend the parade where they recreate the last days of Jesus Christ (complete with a simulated crucifixion), and after the parade we would visit the Catholic Church with the local community.

The fact that we were not Catholic was of no concern to our Mexican friends – we were welcome as part of their community – even if we did look different and struggled to make ourselves understood in Spanish.

Amazingly, we’ve now missed two Mexican Easters in a row due to the pandemic, after having spent the previous dozen Semana Santas amongst these generous and accommodating neighbors.

It is being attached to our communities (both in Mexico AND at home) that I am missing most about the fight against covid-19.  If you saw the news today, you’ll know the CDC adjusted its advice for travel for those fully vaccinated. 

Thank goodness, the end is in sight.  We’re almost there.

On to today’s travel news:

Floriade Expo 2022 with Ama Waterways

Much like Oberammergau, this is an event that takes place once every 10 years – although where the Passion Play at Oberammergau attracts about half a million visitors, the Floriade gets four times that many.  This is a big deal – particularly if you’re into gardening and horticulture.

Never heard of it?

Floriade is an international horticultural Expo that will run six months, from April 14 to October 9 of 2022.  The last one was in 2012.  It takes place in the Netherlands – in Amsterdam and Almere.  People from all over the world flock to Holland to see the tulips, and next year there’ll be even more to see.

If you’re a gardening or sustainable living enthusiast, there will be lots to hold your attention.  In a way it’s like the Christmas markets, with food stalls, souvenir shopping and live entertainment, but with gardens and horticultural exhibits.  There are pavilions that focus on green food, green energy and healthy food.  They investigate urban sustainability, renewable energy, green architecture, and how we will build our cities in the future. 

Many of our river cruise partners have put packages together that include time at Floriade 2022.  Here’s an example from AMA Waterways:

• “Tulip Time” 7 nights round trip Amsterdam starting April 24^th, 2022 – This coincides beautifully with peak tulip season in Holland (mid-April to early May).  You’ll visit Floriade as part of an included shore excursion. French Balcony is $4298 per person.  A 2-night pre-cruise extension in Amsterdam is available as an optional add-on.
• Thats just one example. Here is the full list of Ama river cruise itineraries that include Floriade when you travel between April 14 and October 9, 2022:
• If you’re interested in Ama Waterways but not necessarily Floriade, please get in touch as we have groups on the following departure dates and a limited number of staterooms with advantageous pricing ($250 per person lower than published rates):
  • Tulip Time April 5, 2022 on the AmaCerto 
  • Magna on the Danube July 10, 2022 (named one of TIME Magazine’s World’s Greatest Places – and it’s a SHIP!)
  • Melodies of the Danube October 21, 2022 on the AmaViola 
  • Essence of Burgundy & Provence July 28, 2022 on the AmaCello (wine-themed cruise)

The loss of the 2020 river cruise season, as well as at least part of 2021, means that 2022 is in high demand.  Oberammergau is driving increased demand on Danube River cruises, and Floriade will undoubtedly have the same impact on Rhine River packages. 

Book any Ama Waterways Cruise through us by April 15^th, 2021 and we’ll add a minimum $100 onboard credit to your reservation.

Greek Islands Cruise

Last week we told you that Celebrity Cruises is resuming operations in the Caribbean in June.  Here’s a link if you missed it:  https://pamperedcruiser.com/officially-tired-of-the-pandemic-cruising-is-back/

Celebrity is also back in service in Europe (with Americans on board) starting in June.  The Celebrity Apex is brand new and would have made her inaugural voyage sometime this past year if not for the pandemic.  She is the sister ship to the innovative Celebrity Edge.  Apex will home port in Athens, Greece through to the end of September, with mostly 7-night round trip itineraries.  Most of the itineraries visit the Greek Islands and Cyprus, and a number of itineraries visit Israel. 

Apex will be running at half capacity at first, and proof of vaccination and a negative PCR test will be required to board.  As always, the Celebrity fare includes all Beverages, Gratuities, and Wifi on the ship. 

Fares start at $2299 per person for a balcony room (Inside and Oceanview cabins are NOT available for these cruises due to reduced capacity).  We’ll add a minimum of $90 onboard credit to your reservation.

American Cruise Lines

Finally, we’ve had a TON of response to our post on American Cruise Lines (ACL) in Alaska for 2021.  In case you missed it last week, here’s the link:   https://pamperedcruiser.com/officially-tired-of-the-pandemic-cruising-is-back/

ACL operates small American flagged vessels, so they are not caught up in all the nonsense affecting larger ships.  Much of their fleet is river ships, and their ocean ships (even those in Alaska) are more like river ships than those big ocean ships.  They have some really innovate itineraries too – particularly in the Northeast (Hudson River, New England States).

Hopefully that give you some ideas for trips both at home and abroad, as we slowly crawl our way back to a new normal.

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/2969550876660740

If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

You are officially tired of the pandemic and you’re ready to travel. 

Two weeks ago, we conducted a survey of our readers, and they confirmed in detail many of the things we suspected, and we learned a few new things too.  We intend to reply individually to all of you that participated, but please be patient with us… the response was overwhelming.

Here’s what you told us:

• Over 75% of you intend to travel in 2021.  In many cases, you are leaning towards domestic trips this year, although 25% intend to go abroad before the end of the year.
• People are generally not worried about their health and safety.  This makes sense – with the combination of vaccines, rapid testing, masks and cleaning protocols, travel is likely safer than it has ever been. 
• The larger concern holding people back is whether an overseas travel experience will be diminished by closed attractions or other restrictions.
• For specific travel options, there is a high correlation between WHEN and WHERE:
  • Spring Travel:  National Parks and City Stays
  • Summer Travel:  Vacation Rentals and Resort Stays in the USA.
  • Fall Travel:  Tropical Travel to Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
• Underscoring all of this is people’s higher tolerance for ambiguity.  Many of our clients who have overseas trips booked for this summer fully realize the situation is fluid, and they seem comfortable to wait and see.  They are hopeful, but realistically so.  Overall, I think this is a healthy frame of mind for travel in the immediate term. 

Thank you to all of you that took the time to respond.  It really helps us to be able to highlight those travel opportunities most relevant to you.  With that in mind, in the next few weeks we’ll highlight trips that match what you’ve told us.

Here are a few ideas to get started:

1. ALASKA CRUISE:

“WAIT!”, you say.  “I thought Alaska was cancelled for 2021?”.  In reality, the US and Canadian governments continue to dither on what may or may not happen in Alaska this year.  While they fail their citizens in both countries, the cruise lines have largely moved on.  The good news is that small American-flagged cruise ships with fewer than 500 people are exempt from all the silliness, so they are carrying on as usual.  There isn’t a better year to cruise to Alaska than this one, with the mega-ships absent, and you have the place to yourself.  Here’s an example:

American Cruise Lines (ACL)

• 7-nights, round trip from Juneau (a 2-hour plane ride from Seattle).
• Visits Petersburg, Tracy Arm (for Sawyer Glacier), Haines (for the Yukon Railway), Icy Strait Point (for the world’s longest zip-line), and Glacier Bay National Park (for spectacular scenery).
• The American Constitution was launched in 2018 and holds 170 guests.
• Departures in July and August from $5650 per person.

What we like about this trip:  ACL is more like a river cruise line that operates on the ocean.  The upgraded small ship environment provides superior food and service options, and this itinerary includes the highlights featured by many of the mega-ships, while also visiting some more out-of-the-way places as well.  You’ll get to see more of Alaska on a trip like this, and in 2021 you don’t have to share it with the floating amusement park ships carrying 4000 passengers or more.

Alternatives: 

• Uncruise Adventures also uses small, US-flagged vessels, so they are exempt from the current regulatory quagmire.  Uncruise is more of an expedition offering, and is perfect for those who want to have a more active experience in Alaska.  Travelling with teenagers?  This is a great option.
• We highlighted some Alaska Rail trips a few weeks ago.  Here’s the link: https://pamperedcruiser.com/land-cruise-ideas-for-spring-2021/

2. CARIBBEAN

Celebrity Cruises announced this deal a couple of days ago, making it very easy to get back to cruising:

• 7-nights cruises on the Celebrity Millennium round trip from St. Maarten, starting on June 5, and carrying on through to October.  If the CDC keeps playing games with their uninformed action towards the cruise industry, it is possible the Millennium will be doing this itinerary well into the fall.
• Balcony rooms from $1599, and Suites from $3399. 
• Inside and ocean view rooms are not available, because the ship is running at 40% – 50% capacity for this year.  This means there will be about 1000 people on a 90,000-ton vessel (talk about social distancing).
• Book through me and you’ll get a free bonus: Specialty Dining for Two (Value $90). Book a Suite and you’ll get Specialty Dining for Two AND a $75 shopping credit as well! (If you booked directly with the cruise line please get in touch ASAP so I can get this perk added for you).
• Here’s the best part:  Celebrity is offering air add-ons for $500 for round-trip economy air.  That is from east coast gateways, but you can also fly from LA from $800.  Other gateways are between these two price points.
• The Celebrity fare includes all beverages, pre-paid gratuities, and wifi on the ship. 
• The Millennium has undergone a massive $40 million refurbishment in the past few months.  The ship is brand new, and you’ll be the first to be on her. 
• Here’s the fine print:
  • Proof of vaccination will be required.
  • A PCR test within 3 days of departure is required to get into St. Maarten.
  • For the first cruises back, shore activities will be restricted to sanctioned shore excursions.  This will be lifted as restrictions ease, but we don’t know exactly when.

What we like about this trip:  The ship is brand new, and even if the shore activities are limited, the ship itself is a destination.  Also, the low-cost flight add-on provides price certainty and minimizes the hassle of finding your own flights.

3. REMINDERS OF OTHER NEAR-TERM TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES

• Mississippi and Columbia River Cruises.  American Queen Steamboat Company has been operating since mid-March, and by all accounts it is going extremely well: https://pamperedcruiser.com/spring-2021-alaska-or-mississippi/
• Rocky Mountaineer Rail Packages between Denver and Las Vegas or Salt Lake City:  https://youtu.be/7D2vFBWA500
• Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts:  https://pamperedcruiser.com/were-learning-new-travel-tricks-for-you/

You told us you were committed to travelling, so we’re ready to help you nail down your plans.  Hopefully some of the above gives you some ideas. 

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/2963955367220291

If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

Things are moving quickly in the world of travel, so this week I thought I’d offer you a short list of the trends and new developments we’re seeing.  

First though, I wanted to share a success story with one our clients.

Peter and his partner are working with us to plan their next cruise.  In conversation, Peter mentioned they were also looking at a 4-day getaway at the Four Seasons resort in Santa Fe. 

Peter (like all of you) knows that Bob and I are “The Cruise People” so we didn’t immediately come to mind when he was planning their getaway, and he booked directly with Four Seasons.

It’s true, the hotel side of the business is less familiar to us than cruise, but we have a strong partnership with Four Seasons and other luxury hotel brands.  In the same way we are able to get extra goodies for our cruise clients because of the size of our agency, we also get perks with Four Seasons.  In fact, our agency HQ in New York (SmartFlyer) is a top producer worldwide for Four Seasons, so they go out of their way to treat our clients like VIPs.

I called our contact at Four Seasons to see if there was anything I could do for Peter.

We were ALL thrilled when I was able to get them a 3-category upgrade to a 1100 square foot Sunset Suite, complimentary daily breakfast, and a $100 resort credit. 

(Previewing the details of the property also got me salivating about what a great getaway this would be after our year under house arrest. Check it out: https://www.fourseasons.com/santafe/photos-and-videos/)

So, the pandemic has caused us to learn some new tricks, and I expect we’ll be booking more hotels and resorts as we move forward, while retaining our focus on cruises and packaged land tours.

If you’re thinking about a trip similar to Michael’s, with a Four Seasons Hotel or Resort in mind, let me know.  I can’t always promise a spectacular upgrade like that one, but I’ll do my best, and in any case you’ll always do better than booking direct.

Now to the news of the week:

Back in the Water:

• This week the American Queen Steamboat Company (AQSC), and American Cruise Lines both resumed operations in the United States.  Both companies run river cruises on the Mississippi River system and the Columbia River, so their ships are smaller and not subject to some of the restrictions imposed on the mega-ships.
• AIDA and COSTA also resumed operations this week.  These companies operate in Europe, and cater to Europeans, so it doesn’t affect American travelers, but it is a positive sign.
• Delta is resuming flights to Italy in April.  This may seem premature given that Italy is currently experiencing its third wave, but it shows that people are looking beyond short-term headlines.  There are testing requirements in place, but if you are negative, then you can land in Italy and not be subject to quarantine.  I am bringing this up not because I want to specifically encourage travel to Italy, but more because of what this signals about the gradual return to travel.
• You can take an Alaska Cruise on American Cruise Lines or Uncruise Adventures starting in May. Both these companies have American flagged vessels, so they are not affected by the Canadian port closures.  These lines operate out of Juneau or Ketchikan.  I suspect they will sell out for 2021 very quickly.

Cruise Trends:

• Cruises that only involve one country are quickly appearing to be the way that cruise lines are easing back into service.  We have seen cruise lines announce itineraries that ONLY involve the UK for example.  The Bahamas is also quickly becoming another cruise destination.  This makes sense – there are far fewer variables when you only have to comply with ONE government’s regulations.  Sadly, it does not appear that the US Government will be able to get its act together to revise the archaic Passenger Services Act, so the US will not be one of those countries for the larger cruise lines.
• Proof of Vaccination is now required on several cruise lines (AQSC, Virgin Voyages and Crystal).  It is unclear whether this will become a standard requirement across the industry, but an industry poll conducted this week showed that 66% of travelers would be more willing to sail if a vaccine requirement is in place.

Before the end of March….

• Our contacts at Oceania tell us they are raising prices on many cruises on April 1st.  If you’re contemplating a voyage on Oceania, get in touch with us to secure your booking before the end of the month.
• Viking Ocean Cruises is offering a $500 on board credit AND a free room upgrade on eleven different voyages.  We don’t see them do this very often, so if you were contemplating sailing with them on one of these itineraries, it’s worth looking at it now.  Here’s a list of the 11 voyages included in this promotion: https://www.viking.com/promotions/us/ocean/MAR/20210309.html?agenturlid=pamperedcruiser
• We are running a private sale with American Queen Steamboat Company and Victory Cruise Lines (sister companies).  You can save up to $3000 per stateroom on select 2021 voyages and receive an early booking discount on a 2022 – 2023 trip.  Book through us by the end of March and receive $100 per person Shore Experience credit.  [A note of caution – their website is a good place to learn about the itineraries and ships, but please get in touch with us directly to inquire about accurate prices].  Speaking of American Queen…
• Calling all Lee Greenwood Fans.  If you’re a country music fan, you’ll be interested to know that the American Queen Steamboat Company has several departures with Mr. Greenwood on board (April 4 or 11, June 20 or 27, December 5 or 12).  All of these river cruises start or finish in Nashville, so the itinerary is perfect for music lovers.  I suspect these cruises will be completely sold out by the end of this month.

We are euphoric about the domestic travel that’s already re-started and feeling optimistic about international travel for the summer and fall. 

Thanks for sticking with us through this past year. 

We’re almost there! 

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/2958493127766515

If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

The big question everyone is asking us right now is (of course) this one: “What’s going to happen with international travel for the rest of 2021?”

You know we don’t have a crystal ball, but here is our opinion based on what we’re hearing in the trade. 

The news is optimistic, but the pandemic is far from over.  You will see these seemingly competing narratives in the news. 

Here is a more nuanced take:

• Increasing rates of vaccination both in the United States and in Europe will make travel there more likely for this summer and fall, but it doesn’t mean the pandemic is over.
• Masks will be required on airplanes until further notice – it will likely be years before this requirement is removed.
• Masks may be required at indoor venues for the balance of this year.
• If you’re going on a river cruise, the best resource I’ve seen so far is this 5-minute video from Viking about what to expect on the ships.  Even if you’re not sailing with Viking, the other lines will have similar protocols.  https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/my-trip/health-and-safety/health-and-safety-program.html
• Testing will continue for some time yet, and proof of vaccination will not remove the need for testing.  Until there is proof that vaccination stops you from being a carrier of the virus, testing will be part of the deal.  Fortunately, rapid and reliable testing is becoming easier and more available.
• Some countries and more travel suppliers could announce a vaccine requirement (American Queen Steamboat Company and Crystal Cruises have already done so).
• Greece has published its roadmap to reopening and announced it will welcome foreign visitors on May 15^th.  The European Union members are meeting later this month to discuss their reopening plans, so we expect more information to be forthcoming shortly following that.
• Outside of Europe, the message is more mixed.  Canada has closed its borders to cruise ships until next year.  Australia and New Zealand are making similar signals.  I’ve been asked if this is some big conspiracy of Commonwealth Nations J.  No – it has much more to do with how reliant a country is on tourism.  While these three countries all have large tourism industries, they are rich countries with other interests.  Mexico, by contrast, has had very little in the way of restrictions, likely because it is heavily reliant on tourism.

The bottom line here is that we are optimistic for travel to Europe this summer and fall, and other parts of the world will be open on a highly localized basis. 

It will be different than it was in 2019, but I don’t believe it will be a significantly diminished experience. 

Some things will be better – there will be fewer crowds, for example.

Now it’s your turn. What are YOUR thoughts about international travel in 2021?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/2952544705028024

If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley