“If I had one wish this holiday season, it would be that all the children of the world would join hands and sing together in the spirit of harmony and peace. If I had TWO wishes this Christmas….” – Steve Martin

I invite you to search for “Steve Martin’s Christmas Wish” on YouTube if you’d like to hear the rest of this classic comedy bit.

I seem to be getting a lot of various holiday greetings in my inbox this week, so I struggled whether sending out a “best wishes” email is just more noise in the busy week before Christmas. So perhaps the Steve Martin reminder will set my message apart.

I do – quite sincerely – want to wish you the very best for Hanukkah, Christmas, New Years, and/or anything else you may be celebrating this month. In the travel industry, we are in a remarkably different place than we were last December, and I am greatly appreciative of that fact. The feedback I get from our clients tells me they are very happy to be out exploring the world again too.

Our family’s Christmas explorations this year will be quite low key and tropical. We lived in Mexico for a while several years ago, and we like to spend as much time as we can in this beautiful country. So, Feliz Navidad!

Besides the obvious differences of both weather and language, I deeply appreciate how the Mexicans value family and community in general, and especially at this time of year. Both due our fair complexion, and our bad Spanish, we are clearly visitors here… but we are always made to feel welcome.

My Christmas wish to you is the one so well-demonstrated by our Mexican friends: A Christmas that is less about shopping malls and gifts, and one much more about connecting with family, friends, and neighbours. It used to be this way for us at home, but somehow, we’ve collectively lost our way over the past few decades.

Today’s Travel Opportunities

Just in case you find yourself dreaming of travel over the Christmas break, here are a few year-end offers I found:

SilverSea

SilverSea currently has a number of voyages discounted between 10% and 20% off their regular price. All staterooms on these ships are suites, and your booking includes a shore excursion in each port of call, onboard gratuities, an open bar, Wi-Fi on the ship, specialty dining, and classic luxury service and amenities on board. Here are a few examples of voyages with discounted prices:

ALASKA – Anchorage to Vancouver

1. Departing May 25th, 2023 for 7-nights
2. Visit Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, and Ketchikan
3. Prices start at $2848 per person

ICELAND – Reykjavik round-trip

1. Departing July 4th, 2023 for 10 nights
2. Visit 8 ports of call in Iceland (circumnavigation)
3. Prices start at $4920 per person

PORTUGAL & AFRICA – Lisbon round-trip

1. Departing September 22nd, 2023 for 14-days
2. Visit the Azores, Madiera, Canary Islands, and Morocco
3. Prices start at $6345 per person

THE BONUS: On any of the above departures we can get you an additional $300 per person on board credit through our agency’s exclusive relationship with SilverSea (not available if you book directly with Silversea)

THE CATCH: The above fares require payment in full at the time of booking.

Uniworld

Uniworld is offering savings of up to $1500 per person on select departures. This river line is known as the “Boutique Hotel” version of river ships, with each of their vessels specifically designed and decorated for the area through which it sails. They also include a shore excursion in every port, onboard gratuities, an open bar, and Wi-Fi on the ship. Here are some examples of voyages with discounted prices.

TULIPS and WINDMILLS – Amsterdam to Antwerp

1. Departing March 29th, 2023 (peak of tulip season!). April departures also available.
2. Visit Haarlem, Keukenhof Gardens, Hoorn, Nijmegen (for the Van Gogh Museum), Rotterdam (Kinderdijk), Middelburg, Bruges
3. Fares from $3699 per person

VENETIAN LAGOON – Venice round-trip

If you’ve never been to Venice, this is a fantastic way to explore it in depth. If you’ve been there previously, you’ll get to see it in a brand-new way, with private access to the major attractions in Venice, and also get to visit out-of-the-way places in other parts of the lagoon.

1. Departing April 2023, for 8-days (4 departure dates)
2. Visit Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s before/after hours when it’s not open to the public, Chioggia (little Venice), Burano, and countless other neighborhoods.
3. Fares from $2699 per person.

Bob and I did this trip with Uniworld earlier in 2022 and it was fabulous! Here’s a link to our video about this trip: https://youtu.be/QRIHi6SED6g

Uniworld also has several other specials right now. Here’s a link to their website if you want to see additional itineraries: https://pamperedcruiser.uniworld.com/us/current-offers/2023

Explora Journeys – North America Extended Journey

We featured Explora Journeys in our newsletter a few weeks ago. In case you missed it, here’s the link: https://pamperedcruiser.com/lets-look-explora-journeys/.

Also we recently posted a new video about Explora Journeys on our YouTube channel. Bob interviews Aimee Price – the Head of Sales for USA West and Canada. Besides participating in an in-depth discussion of what to expect from Explora Journeys, Aimee also provided a bunch of photos and videos about the ships and their amenities. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/qxtqmE94EBg

Back to the topic at hand… Explora’s North America Extended Journey.

Grand Journeys on any cruise line are normally in Europe or Asia, and this is the first time we’ve seen an itinerary like this one. You can get on the ship in Vancouver, ride all the way around North America, and get out 53 days later in Quebec City. Conversely, you can opt to do segments of this cruise, and then fly to catch up with the ship (if you wanted to get out and stay for a week in one or more places). Here’s the overview:

1. 53 days from Vancouver to Quebec departing on August 9, 2024.
2. Visit Alaska, California Coast, Pacific Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama Canal, (full transit), Columbia, Honduras, Belize, Bahamas, Miami, New York, Boston, Sydney (Canada), Havre Saint Pierre (Quebec),
3. Fares from $22,250 per person – and remember the base fare on Explora is a 300 square foot suite with a king bed, and a 75 square foot ocean terrace.
4. Includes all taxes and fees, an open bar, specialty dining, onboard gratuities and Wi-Fi on the ship.

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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

I would be surprised if anyone reading this DOESN’T remember a world without the internet (meaning you’re probably as old as, or older, than me).

As the internet developed, wiki sites appeared to be the antidote to the sales and marketing campaigns of big companies. The definition of “wiki” is a website that allows users to contribute to or edit the content on that website.

Trip Advisor, Cruise Critic, and Facebook Groups are all examples of wiki sites. To be clear, what follows is not a commentary on any of those specific channels, but rather a caution and suggestion of how they should be used.

Wiki sites have undoubtedly added a layer of democracy to the information out there, but like anything else they need to be read with a critical filter – just like the marketing campaigns of travel vendors should be viewed critically.

Here’s a demonstration that will reinforce my point: Think of the most fantastic vacation or travel experience that you’ve ever had. Maybe it’s a cruise, maybe it’s a destination, or maybe even a restaurant or attraction. Go to a wiki site and be amazed by how many reviews there with exactly the opposite opinion than you. Marvel in how many people say that your perfect experience sucked for them!

Part of this is the reality that everyone assesses an experience with different criteria. However, the other consideration is that wiki sites tend to attract participation by those who either have a real axe to grind OR who want to share their perfect experience with everyone. This leads to what the statisticians call a bi-modal distribution – a whole bunch of 1-star ratings, and another large group of 5-star ratings, and very little in the middle. It is binary – it is either the “worst-ever” or the “best-ever”.

Such reviews are not particularly insightful, and you should probably eliminate them from your consideration.

What IS useful are the few comments and reviews that fall between the 1’s and the 5’s – particularly those with specific comments or feedback for how and why they came up with such an assessment.

Here’s suggestion as to how to use wiki sites to your advantage:

1. ELIMINATE all the top and bottom scored reviews.
2. ELIMINATE those without comments or feedback describing how they came up with that rating.
3. IGNORE overall scores – these are easy to manipulate for better or for worse, and not very instructional.
4. IGNORE comments that make sweeping declarations (“This is the BEST cruise line ever”). First of all, anyone who makes such a declaration has almost certainly not been on ALL the others. For the record, I have been on all the others, and I would never declare one to be the best, simply because I know people have different criteria to determine what is best for them.
5. PAY ATTENTION to the very few people out there who are thoughtful enough to objectively state what they like and don’t like and why, and invite others to disagree with them. People with this type of intelligence are a small minority – both on wiki sites, and in our society in general.

This means there is very small percentage of the total reviews and comments on any of those wiki sites that you should actually pay attention to. Consider it like panning for gold – you need to be patient and pay close attention or order to mine out the valuable nuggets.

Sorting through the information on wiki sites with a critical eye is hard work. As our attention spans have shrunk (a measurable phenomenon in the past few decades), we are less practiced at seeing nuance and subtlety, and insist more on seeing things in binary terms: It’s black or white (blue or red), right or wrong, unbelievably fantastic or disgustingly bad.

None of these extremes serve us well when making rational decisions with our vacation dollars (or anything else, for that matter).

Today’s Travel Opportunities

Viking is throwing their FREE AIRFARE promotion at some of its cruises to fill up the last few rooms:

1. Hawaii – round-trip from LA for 17-days departing in December 2023, and February 2024. Fares from $5499 per person.
2. Panama Canal between Fort Lauderdale and Panama City for 11-days departing in Oct/Nov/Dec 2023. Fares from $3399 per person.
3. Panama Canal Full Transit between Fort Lauderdale and LA for 18-days departing Oct – Dec 2023 and Jan – Mar 2024. Fares from $5999 per person.

Remember that Viking Ocean fares include all taxes and fees, ROUND-TRIP FLIGHTS, airport transfers, a 270 square foot veranda suite, a shore excursion in every port, beer/wine with meals, and wifi on the ship.

If you’d prefer to travel on the river:

1. Elbe River (Berlin to Prague) for 10 days, departing March – July 2023. Fares from $3499 pp in March and $3999 pp in July.
2. Holland & Belgium for 10 days, departing March – August 2023. Fares from $4599 pp in March and $3399 pp in July/August.
3. Paris to Zurich for 12 days, departing March – August 2023. Fares from $3599 pp in March, and $3999 pp in August.
4. Amsterdam to Budapest for 15 days, departing May through August. Fares from $5299 pp in May, and $4499 pp in July/August.

Remember, these prices INCLUDE round-trip international airfare.

Just as an aside, please don’t book direct with Viking. We can get you exactly the same price you’d get by booking direct (including any special promotions). PLUS we can always add at least $100 per person onboard credit in addition to anything you receive from Viking. This applies even if you already paid your deposit, or even if you’re already paid in full. If you’re already booked, please get in touch so we can add these extra perks to your existing reservation. By now, hopefully you know there is no fee to work with us (we get paid commission from the cruise lines). So please support a hard-working small business owners by bringing your booking to us. Thank you – we love working with you all!

If you’d rather stay state-side this spring, here’s an interesting one that came across my desk:

American Queen Voyages Kentucky Derby Cruise:

1. Departing Louisville May 1, 2023, bound for Cincinnati (9 days).
2. Inside rooms $3499 per person. Veranda suites $5699 pp.
3. Includes pre-cruise hotel night, open bar, unlimited shore excursions in each port of call, and wifi on the ship.
4. Optional Premium Excursion to the Kentucky Derby including covered seats in the final stretch, VIP access to Churchill Downs, Access to Affirmed Lounge with complimentary food and beverage

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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

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) published a survey a few weeks ago that indicated 27% of travellers are currently in the planning process for 3 or more trips. That’s a lot of travel! But it probably makes sense given how long we were having to sit on our hands for the past couple of years.

It also explains some of the demand pressure points we are seeing. Since the middle of 2021, the luxury leisure vertical of the travel biz has been adjusting to the pent-up demand caused by that event of which we do not speak. However, that extra demand is not evenly distributed.

So, what’s hot?

I’ve put this list together based on the requests we get from our clients AND where I’m having the most difficulty finding availability or options. Keep in mind, if you want to do one of these trips, we can almost always find you space. The tricky part comes if you want to travel with 6 other couples on a specific date – in which case, it may already be too late (but let us know anyway, and we’ll check).

Egypt

A river cruise is really the best way to see this fascinating country, and apparently the word is out. Many of the ships are sold out for 2023, and 2024 is already looking tight. All the river cruise lines have similar itineraries on this route: it’s usually a total of 4-nights in Cairo (pre AND post cruise), so you can visit the Egyptian Museum, and the pyramids at Giza. Then you fly to Luxor, to spend 7-nights on a river ship. The internal flights to/from Cairo and Luxor are included in your cruise fare.

These cruises typically run year-round, except for the summer months when the heat can be quite punishing in the Egyptian desert. Depending on the cruise line, there are also trip extensions to Israel, Jordan, and/or Dubai.

Here’s a sample fare that still has some availability:

AMA Waterways departing June 23 or Sept 1st 2023, with fares starting at $4949 per person.

1. 4-nights Cairo and 7-nights aboard AMA Dahlia
2. Includes airport transfers, 3 nights at the Four Seasons, Cairo Tour with Egyptian museum, tour to the pyramids & sphinx, Wine/beer with meals on ship, cocktail hour before dinner nightly, wifi on ship, pool spa fitness room, one more night in Cairo post cruise.
3. Pre/post packages available to Dubai, Jordan and/or Israel

Portugal & Spain on the Douro River

Many people who have already sailed the Rhine, Danube, and/or the French Rivers next look at Portugal. It’s a fascinating part of Europe, and people come back from this trip as raving fans. They’re apparently telling a lot of people, because the Douro is filling up fast for 2023 and 2024.

Most of the river cruise lines run 7-night itineraries round-trip from Porto. There is fantastic scenery, you visit world heritage sites from the Middle Ages, royal palaces with unique Baroque architecture, and of course there is a strong focus on vineyards and wineries.

Some cruise lines add additional hotel nights in Lisbon to make 9- or 10-night packages, but the 7-night river boat experience round-trip from Porto is fairly standard. Common trip extensions on this cruise are to Madrid, other parts of Spain, and sometimes Morocco.

Here are two examples with availability:

Uniworld departing April, July, August or November 2023 with fares from $5099 per person.

1. 7-nights round-trip from Porto, with optional extension to Lisbon for 3-nights.
2. Includes transfers, a choice of excursions in every port, an open bar, on-board gratuities and wifi.

AMA Waterways departing March 2023 ($3399 per person) or November 2023 ($3099 pp)

1. 7-nights round-trip from Porto, with optional extensions to Lisbon or Madrid.
2. Includes a choice of excursion in every port, beer/wine with meals, and wifi on the ship.

Alaska

Alaska was closed for all of 2020; had very limited tourist traffic in 2021, and 2022 was very soft due to ambiguous policy from the Canadian Government. So in 2023, we have almost 3 years’ worth of demand to catch up with.

Luckily, Alaska has a lot of capacity, but availability is certainly tighter than we’ve seen in previous years.

Alaskan cruises range between 7 and 14 nights, and go round-trip from either Seattle or Vancouver, OR one-way between Vancouver and Anchorage. If you want to visit Denali National Park, you’ll necessarily have Anchorage as an embarkation or disembarkation port. Coastal Alaska and Denali National Park are both spectacular, but vastly different from each other, so many people try to do both if they’re investing the time and money to visit the 49th State.

You should also consider staying pre or post in Seattle or Vancouver (or both) – both beautiful cities with tons to do for those that like to be outside.

Some itineraries with availability:

Oceania 7-nights round-trip from Seattle departing June 9 or 16, 2023:

1. Ocean view rooms start at $1949 per person. Verandas $3199 pp.
2. Visit Ketchikan, Juneau, Wrangell, Victoria

SilverSea 7-nights from Anchorage to Vancouver departing May 18, 2023:

1. Ocean view rooms start at $2750 pp. Verandas $3150 pp.
2. Visit Hubbard Glacier, Juneau, Haines, Sitka, Wrangell
3. Includes a shore excursion in every port, open bar, gratuities and wifi on board.

Viking 10-nights from Anchorage to Vancouver departing August 18, 2023:

1. Veranda rooms start at $5299 per person.
2. Visit Valdez, Icy Strait Point, Skagway, Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan
3. Includes transfers, a shore excursion in every port, beer/wine with meals, and wifi on board.

In Case You Missed It:

Last week we wrote about Explora Journeys – a brand new cruise line. We also learned they are planning a price increase on December 15th, so it’s worth dropping down a hold, if you’re considering it. Read the article here: https://pamperedcruiser.com/lets-look-explora-journeys/

We also produced a video about Explora Journeys for our YouTube Channel. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/qxtqmE94EBg

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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

New travel products don’t come along very often – particularly in the cruise sector. Virgin Voyages has attempted it – but that product is not quite right for our clients (although if you’re a 30-something looking to get a tattoo on vacation, it’s perfect!).

Explora Journeys is luxury lifestyle brand being created from scratch. They surveyed 20,000 travellers (only some of whom considered themselves cruisers) about their vacation and travel preferences. They then used this information to create this brand that launches in July of 2023 (with one ship per year coming out until they have 6 vessels in operation).

Here’s what we really love about what Explora Journeys has created:

1. Spacious Suites – the entry-level stateroom on their ships is a 377 square foot suite with a king-sized bed, walk-in closet, and a veranda (or “terrace” as they call them) large enough for 2 chairs AND a daybed for soaking up the sun.
2. Inclusions – the fare includes an open bar (including in-suite mini-bar), all specialty dining, gratuities, transfers, taxes/fees, high speed internet… it really includes everything other than shore excursions (that they call “shore experiences”). This is because the feedback they received in their survey indicated that guests would rather make their own decisions about allocating dollars to shore excursions. To be clear – the cruise lines that include shore excursions are not offering them free – they are simply pre-paid. With Explora you have the choice.
3. Dining – there isn’t a main dining room, where everyone shows up at an appointed time. Instead, much like a land resort, there are a variety of choices (9 of them!) where you can either make a reservation OR come as a “walk up”. One of the restaurants will be themed for the area through which you are travelling (e.g., when you’re in Greece, it will be a Greek restaurant). Frank Garanger, the Head of Culinary, was formerly with Oceania, so we are expecting great things with Explora’s culinary program.
4. Entertainment – much like the restaurant situation, there is no big main theatre that cranks out the Vegas-style production shows. Instead, there are wide variety of smaller venues (10 of them!) with different styles and types of entertainment, that are intended for you to drop in to see (no more setting your watch to rush through dinner to make the show).
5. Size – With 900 guests, the ships are small enough to offer a luxury experience, and large enough to be able to offer the multiple food and entertainment venues mentioned above.
6. Price – Currently the entry level price point (remember, no matter which room you choose, you’ll have a huge veranda suite with a king bed) is between $350 and $600 per person, per day. With all the inclusions, this translates to really good value – particularly when you compare it to a European urban city stay (which it resembles more so than a cruise, in many ways). Explora has already revealed that their prices will increase (not decrease) as the departure date approaches. Right now, with Explora trying to attract new guests, the pricing is at a real sweet spot. Prices are scheduled to increase in mid-December and again in mid-January.
7. Itineraries – Most itineraries start and finish in major ports, making air arrangements very easy. In between, you’ll visit many lesser-known places, which makes this perfect for people who have travelled extensively. You’ll get to the out-of-the-way places, but you don’t have to take a private plane or multiple connections to access them.
8. Itineraries (Part 2) – there are many 6-to-10-day itineraries you can combine with the segment immediately before or after, meaning you can string together cruises if you want to be on board longer (and you won’t repeat any ports). When staying at a hotel, you can pick your check-in and check-out dates… Explora Journeys has come as close you can to replicating that on a moving vessel.
9. Casual European Luxury – often, luxury cruise lines have things like caviar luncheons and butlers with white gloves. Some people love that stuff. Others in that situation (like me) feel like Gilligan on a ship full of Mr. & Mrs. Howells. Explora has struck the perfect balance between luxury, food, beverage, amenities and service that you can enjoy in a golf shirt (not a tuxedo).

Bob and I are amongst a small number of travel agents on the Advisory Board for this exciting new brand. As such, we can get you an exclusive 300 Euro Journey Experience Credit on 7+ night itineraries.

We just posted a new video about Explora Journeys on our YouTube channel. Bob interviews Aimee Price – the Head of Sales for USA West and Canada. Besides participating in an in-depth discussion of what to expect from Explora Journeys, Aimee also provided a bunch of photos and videos about the ships and their amenities. Watch the Video Here: https://youtu.be/qxtqmE94EBg

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel while you’re there!

Bob and I just signed up to travel with Explora Journeys, departing October 3rd, 2023 (10 nights from Quebec City to New York City). Why not join us?

The segment immediately before ours is appealing too – it’s the North American Inaugural Sailing for Explora, which will be an exciting celebration, and the timing is such that the fall colours should be on full display. Depart Sept. 25th, 2023 (8 nights from New York to Quebec City).

We’ve arranged for anyone who books through us on either of these 2 departures to get a 600 Euro per stateroom Journey Experience Credit (instead of the already-good 300 Euro credit mentioned earlier).

This is a good example of how you can combine two itineraries. If you do, you’ll be on board for 18 nights (Sept. 25th – Oct. 13th, 2023), New York round trip and you’ll receive a discount for choosing back-to-back cruises.

You also have the option to save 10% on these cruises (and others) if you choose to pay in full at time of booking.

Bob and I are super excited about Explora Journeys, and we hope you decide to join us on board next fall! Remember, prices will be going up mid-December, and again in mid-January. Lock in today’s ‘value pricing’ with a 25% deposit and Explora’s flexible booking policy which gives you flexibility to make changes if your circumstances change.

Today’s Travel Opportunities

All of today’s travel opportunities are examples from Explora Journeys:

England & Scotland

1. 10-days departing August 24, 2023 (London to Glasgow).
2. Visit Edinburgh (overnight), Newcastle, Invergordon, Stornoway, Greencastle, Liverpool.
3. $6050 per person

Scotland & Iceland

1. 8-days departing September 2, 2023 (Glasgow to Reykjavik).
2. Visit Fort William, Portree, Kirkwall, Shetland Islands, Faroe Islands.
3. $3545 per person.

Canada / New England

1. 11-days departing October 3, 2023 (Quebec to NYC).
2. Visit Saguenay, Baie-Comeau, Havre Saint Pierre, Charlottetown, Halifax, overnight in NYC.
3. $5350 per person.

Eastern Caribbean

1. 8-days departing November 10, 2023 (San Juan to Miami)
2. Visit Saint Barthe, Saint Kitts, Dominican Republic, Bahamas,
3. $2750 per person.

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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

One question we are often asked is “when is the best time to book a cruise?”.  This is a really good question in the context of Black Friday & Cyber Monday.  Is this really a good time to buy a cruise or packaged land vacation?

Maybe… but most of it is pure marketing hype when you dig into the details.  Like the retailers you deal with at home, the cruise lines have different pricing strategies that may impact what you’ll pay.  Here’s a look at those strategies, and who employs them:

Book Early to Save.  With these products, the earlier you buy it, the better the price you’ll get.  Companies that employ this strategy actually increase prices the closer to departure.  In some cases, it is done on a calendar basis (prices go up on X-date), or on a capacity basis (the first X cabins are at Y, price, and then it increases after that).  Explora Journey and Oceania use this pricing strategy.

Wait to the Last Minute to Save.  Companies that sell this way, sell as much as they can, and then when it gets close to departure, they mark-down what’s left to try to get something for it.  When a ship leaves, and a cabin is empty, it is the very definition of a “perishable” product.  You can do well if you’re buying this type of product, as long as you’re not set on your dates, or fussy about what type of cabin you want.  The mass-market cruise lines employ this strategy – so it’s worth waiting if you’re flexible.  We see this a lot in the Caribbean market.

Precision Marketing Campaigns – Companies that market this way use big data to finely target their marketing strategies and pricing.  There is normally a set price on these products, but there may be dozens of highly targeted promo or discount codes.  Such promo codes usually offer extra amenities, but sometimes have additional discounts or credits.  Viking is master of such campaigns, but we have seen other companies try their hand at it as well.

Pandemonium Marketing – This is where there is no discernable patterns to the pricing strategy, and the cancellation and rebooking conditions are punitive enough to rule out re-faring.  In this situation, it is possible two different people will pay a radically different price for the same product (which is infuriating).  From the consumer point of view, it looks like mass-confusion, but companies that employ this strategy purposely generate such confusion as a way to maximize their bottom line.  The airlines practice this strategy will great success.

Rotating Promotion with Equal Value – Many of the luxury cruise lines employ this strategy.  The actual price really doesn’t change but they rotate extra goodies, that ultimately means everything works out the same (this way they don’t have re-fare those who booked earlier).  For example, one month it might be a stateroom upgrade, and the next month perhaps an additional onboard credit.  The “book value” is the same… just the specifics change.  This allows them to have “specials” without discounting the product (a big no-no for any luxury brand).

The bottom line for those of us buying cruise and packaged land vacations is to understand the inclusions and how much we value them.  On the mass-market cruise lines, your fare might be $100 per night, but your room charges can easily exceed what you paid to get on the vessel.  The higher-end lines will cost you more to get on board, but maybe you don’t have ANY room charges.

So, is Black Friday worth the hype?

It’s possible you’ll end up with some incredible deal.  Keep in mind that cruise and packaged land vacations are usually structured to make them fully re-bookable (or cancellable) until 3 or 4 months prior to departure.

There is no chance suppliers are going to put themselves in a position of having to re-fare everyone because they have a Black Friday Sale.  What you might see is incredible incentives to travel in the next 3 or 4 months, because the cruise lines are under no obligation to re-fare anyone departing that quickly.  The higher end brands don’t play such games, but if you’re looking for cheap cruise getaway on a floating amusement park, then Black Friday might work out really well for you.

Today’s Travel Opportunities

Oceania Free On-Board Gratuities – Only available till Nov. 30th
Oceania does a very good job of “segmented luxury”.  The onboard product is excellent (particularly the culinary program), and you have the choice of paying cruise only OR their O-Life Package that also includes air and your choice of some goodies.  Get free pre-paid gratuities (value up to $500!) on 61 sailings in 2023 and 2024 – bookings must be made by Nov. 30th.  Here are a few examples:

• Miami round-trip for 8-days departing January 24.  Veranda staterooms at $2399 per person.
• Seattle round-trip for 10-days departing August 18 or 28.  Verandas at $4799 pp.
• New York round-trip to Bermuda for 7-days departing September 20 at $2499 p.  This is a great cruise if you wanted to try out small-ship cruising!!

Uniworld Sale on Spring River Cruises – Only available until Nov 26th
Uniworld’s Boutique River Cruise Collection is running a flash sale until November 26.  Remember that Uniworld includes transfers, a choice of shore excursion in every port, an open bar, and wifi on the ship.  Here’s a few examples:

• Budapest to Passau departing May 7 for 8-days.  Window: $2199 pp / French Balcony $4399 per person.
• Paris to Normandy departing March 26 for 8-days.  W: $2499 pp.  FB: $3899 pp
• Venice & Northern Italy departing May 14 for 8-days.  W: $2299 pp.  FB: $3399 pp

Here’s a link to the complete list of sailings included in the Flash Sale:
https://pamperedcruiser.uniworld.com/us/current-offers/2023-flash-sale

Hurtigruten
Sail on the first hybrid-electric cruise ship, OR take advantage of Hurtigruten’s Northern Lights Promise if you want to see them from a ship:

• Antarctica and the Falkland Islands for 16-days departing February 24 for $9871 per person.
• Northern Lights Cruise round-trip from Dover (England) departing February 4 for 15-days for $5453 per person.  If you don’t see the Northern Lights, they’ll give you another cruise!!
• Irish Sea round-trip from Glasgow departing April 2 for 7-days for $3405 pp.  Visit Isle of Man, Giant’s Causeway, Belfast, Dublin.

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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