You are undoubtedly aware that the pandemic caused complete carnage for EVERYONE involved in the tourism sector on a scale never seen before, and the effects of which we are still recovering.  The poster child for pressure on the cruise segment was the demise of Crystal Cruises in 2022.

Crystal operated two ocean vessels, four river boats, and a 787-LR custom aircraft (if you want to see our video of our ride on the plane here’s the link: https://youtu.be/4YaJcEpBsSc?si=JXpuZlkHCsQjsVfC 

All these assets were seized when Crystal’s parent company couldn’t pay its bills, and were sold off to pay staff, clients, and creditors.

A few months after this depressing debacle, it was announced that Abercrombie and Kent (a well established, luxury land tour operator, partially owned by Manfredi Lefebvre – previously of SilverSea and Sitmar Cruises fame), would buy up the ocean vessels and attempt to resurrect the brand.

I thought this was a textbook case of a really poorly thought out business strategy.  The Crystal Ocean ships are old (29 and 22 years old), not particularly fuel efficient, and perhaps worst of all – Crystal was a very badly damaged brand, that upset a lot of travellers. 

I was wrong.  I always knew Crystal had an incredibly loyal following, and the A&K Group leveraged this to resurrect the brand.  They hired back many of the same shipboard staff, offered travellers a credit that lost their money to the OLD Crystal, and updated the ocean vessels.  

We have not been on board the new Crystal yet, but by all accounts those that previously loved Crystal are coming back again as raving fans.  

In case you’re wondering, the river ships were bought up by Riverside Luxury Cruises, and two of them have become part of Uniworld’s fleet.  The plane was bought up by an aviation specialist that does private VIP charters.  

So all of this got me wondering with the recent demise of American Queen Voyages, whether we can expect a resurrection there as well.  We really liked the American Queen on board product, and as more details come to light about the situation leading to their bankruptcy, it’s becoming clear they were mismanaged into receivership.  

Still, there are structural challenges to making a go of it in US waters.  Protectionist measures put in place decades ago by the Federal Government (and left in place by successive governments), make it very difficult for operators of cruises that operate exclusively in the US to compete.  American staff and crew are notoriously difficult to retain, and travellers just aren’t willing to pay more for a domestic river cruise than they would elsewhere in the world.  

The paddle wheeler vessels themselves are very expensive to operate — it’s old technology.  We loved the American Queen on board product, but it doesn’t engender the same raving fans that Crystal did, and you can only take so many cruises on the Mississippi River system, whereas the Crystal Ocean ships can move to various markets around the globe.  

So I’m not as hopeful for AQ’s resurrection, but we need good domestic river cruise options, so I guess you never know!

Today’s Travel Opportunities

CRYSTAL CRUISES:

Quebec City to NYC departing September 24 for 7 nights:

• Visit Quebec City (overnight), Halifax, Saint John, Portland, Newport, NYC
• Veranda from $5100 per person.

Reykjavik round-trip departing September 1 for 7-nights:

• Visit 5 ports of call in Iceland, as well as the Faroe Islands
• Oceanviews from $5400.  Veranda from $5900

Lima to Santiago departing January 25, 2025 for 9 nights:

• Visit Lima (overnight), Pisco (Peru), Iquique (Chile), Antofagasta, Coquimbo, Santiago (overnight).
• Verandas from $5100

Crystal fares include specialty dining, gratuities, an open bar, butler service, and wifi on the ship.  Due to our exclusive arrangement with Crystal, we can also get you a minimum of $125 per person on board credit on any Crystal Cruise, but only if booked through our agency. 

UNIWORLD BOUTIQUE RIVER COLLECTION

If you’d rather travel on the river, then you can experience the former Crystal boats that are now part of Uniworld’s fleet.  Earlier this week, the Uniworld SS Victoria (formerly Crystal Bach) hit the waters:

Basel to Amsterdam departing June 16 for 8-days:

• Visit Amsterdam, Cologne, Koblenz (for Marksburg Castle), Rhine Gorge, Rudesheim, Speyer, Strasbourg, Breisach, Basel
• This is the PRESIDENT’S CRUISE, and you get to travel with Ellen Bettridge.  We’ve sailed with Ellen before, and besides being a blast to hang out with, she always has a surprise or two in store for those travelling with her.  
• French Balconies from $4999 (represents $1000 off).

Tulip Cruise departing Amsterdam on April 6, 2025 for 8-days.

• Travel on the SS Elisabeth (formerly Crystal Mahler).
• Visit Amsterdam, Cologne, Koblenz, Rhine Gorge, Rudesheim, Speyer, Strasbourg, Breisach, Basel.
• Fares from $4229 LESS the 10% early booking pay-in-full discount.

Uniworld’s fares include transfers, an open bar, a choice of shore excursion in every port, gratuities, and wifi on the ship.  These two former Crystal River boats carry 110 guests on the same platform that other river cruise lines put 190 guests on.  

Due to our exclusive arrangement with Uniworld, we can get you an additional $150 per person on board credit not available elsewhere.  

OCEANIA FARE INCREASE

Our friends at Oceania are really good at giving us a heads-up when fare increases are coming, and that will happen April 1.  If you want to experience the Finest Cuisine at Sea, and you’ve got your eye on an Oceania Voyage, then here’s a link to those voyages included in their current promotion:
https://www.oceaniacruises.com/special-offers/savings

Have something to say about this?

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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

If you’ve considered visiting the Mediterranean in the QUIET SEASON, then there are a few trade-offs for you to be aware of.  Bob and I are in Greece and Turkey right now (follow along on Facebook here:  https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/), so I thought I’d outline some of the considerations of travelling to the Med at this time of year.

First… some clarity:  The Mediterranean is MUCH further north than we generally perceive it to be.  We think of it as a tropical place, when in fact it is middle latitude.  Here are a few places in the Mediterranean that share a parallel of latitude with North American Cities:

• Venice = Montreal
• Istanbul = New York City
• Athens = San Francisco
• Marseilles = Toronto
• Barcelona = Chicago

OK… now we’ve established where the Mediterranean sits on the planet.  Here are the considerations:

• Weather.  There are never any guarantees, but typically the weather in the Med is a bit more moderate than in North America.  In Istanbul this week, the highs were to 65, and the lows were to 40.  We brought jackets!
• Fewer People.  This is a huge benefit of the Quiet Season.  We visited Ephesus, and there were a small fraction as many people at this time of year, as opposed to when we’ve been here in the summer.
• Daylight Hours.  The weather may be variable, but daylight hours are not.  Much like when I lived in Chicago… the days are short in December and January.  It is the same in Barcelona. 
• Number of Ships.  May through September, literally every cruise line has ships in the Med.  Most of those ships leave in the quiet season.  However, I ran a quick search for November 2024 through February 2025, and found a surprising number of cruise lines present in the Med:  Azamara, Celebrity, Explora Journeys, HAL, Oceania, Princess, Regent, Seabourn, SilverSea, Star Clippers, Viking Ocean, and Windstar.  
• Will attractions be closed?  Most things are open, but if a tourist site must close for maintenance, it will definitely be in the winter months, when there is less impact on the tourist trade.  There are also  shorter open hours in many cases.  
• Will Air be Cheaper?  Probably… but there’s also not as many flights to Europe in winter, so you might end up paying just as much, AND if you’re flying from a smaller airport, you may have to connect in one of the big US Gateway airports.  
• Will my cruise be cheaper?  Yes… but count on 10% or 20% less – not 50% less. 

Today’s Travel Opportunities

Here are a few options for Quiet Season Mediterranean:

OCEANIA VISTA 

• Visit Greece (3 ports), Croatia (2 ports), Malta, Sicily, Italy, Spain, Tenerife, St. John’s, Puerto Rico.
• Depart Athens for Miami on November 11 for 24 days with Verandas from $6699, OR
• Athens to Rome for 9 days with Verandas from $3449, OR
• Depart Rome for Miami on November 20 for 15 days with Verandas from $4349
• If you ride the ship back to Miami you only have to endure one trans-Atlantic flight!
• See our VISTA ship tour video here:  https://youtu.be/nN5lyXCEy_g?si=4s-bkiU-K9JsELC_ 

Regent Seven Seas Quiet Season Mediterranean:

• Lisbon to Barcelona for 7-nights departing April 16, 2025
• Visit Lisbon, Portimao, Cadiz, Gibraltar, Malaga, Melilla, Alicante, Barcelona
• Suites from $5049 with a $150 per person on board credit

OR

• Athens to Istanbul for 7-nights departing April 30, 2025.
• Visit Santorini, Rhodes, Bodrum, Ephesus, Istanbul (overnight).
• Suites from $4649 with a $150 per person on board credit

Regent Fares include an open bar, gratuities, a choice of shore excursion in every port, specialty dining, transfers, wifi and laundry service on the ship.

Tauck River in Quiet Season

Prague to Paris departing April 25, 2025 for 14-days

• 2-nights in Prague, with a 9-night cruise, and 2-nights in Paris
• Visit Prague, Regensburg, Nuremberg, Wurzburg, Rothenburg, Frankfurt, Rudesheim, Cochem, Trier, Luxembourg, Paris
• Fares from $10,790

OR

Douro River: Spain & Portugal departing April 11, 2025 for 8-days

• Round-trip Porto
• Visit wine estates, lush vineyards, idyllic riverside villages, baroque castles, hilltop medieval ruins, and rock art from the valley’s earliest inhabitants…
• Fares from $6590 per person 

VIKING FREE AIR to MEDITERRANEAN

Viking is offering Free Air on a handful of Mediterranean itineraries THIS spring if you’re ready to leave in the next month or two:

Athens to Istanbul for 7-nights departing June 23 or 30, 2024

• Visit Athens (overnight), Crete, Rhodes, Ephesus, Troy, Istanbul (overnight).  This is the cruise we’re on right now, so follow along on Facebook if you want more information.  
• Fares from $3499 per person including round-trip air.

London to Bergen for 14-nights departing May 31, or June 12, 14, 26, 2024

• Visit London (overnight), Edinburgh, Kirkwall, Shetland Islands, Honningsvag, Tromso, Leknes, Geiranger, Bergen (overnight)
• Fares from $5699 per person including round-trip air.

Recently booked a Viking Cruise?

Viking makes it really easy to book direct, either online, by phone, or on board.  Our clients worry that if they book on-line (or on board), 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 reservation to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal, and we will also add some onboard credits that are not available on direct bookings.

We can add at least $100 per person onboard credit to any direct Viking reservation made in the last 60 days.

There is never a situation where you’ll get a better deal by booking directly with Viking (or any other cruise line).

If you recently booked a Viking Cruise, please let us know as soon as possible.

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/pfbid031SmgfX8T8NUeg9JkcSvW7W9Gn1qtgXXmQLcndBGS2szM5TKwte7KqDQS8FdXyeagl

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

Do you remember standing at a phone booth in some foreign country with a calling card, trying to get a phone call out to someone at home?  It wasn’t that long ago.  Even though we’re a few decades into cellular phones, those devices weren’t all that functional in foreign countries until the last few years.

Now think ahead to ten years from NOW.  Undoubtedly, satellite phones will be in much wider use, making things like global roaming charges and data limitations a nostalgic memory not unlike standing at that phone booth 15 years ago.

Until then, how do you best manage your telecom when abroad?  It depends where you’re travelling to, and also what your wireless carrier offers… and there’s a wide disparity here.  

Roaming Charges

• Contact your wireless service provider to understand what fees you’ll be subject to based on where you’re going.  Sometimes there’s flat fee (often $10/day), and other times you pay by use.
• Some carriers advertise “Global Roaming” for no additional fees.  Be really careful here… that is often marketing hype, and loaded with pages of fine print that you usually discover AFTER you’ve assumed it was all free.  Global Roaming also usually significantly restricts your data use.

Do I need a SIM card?

• Probably not.  A SIM card is the electronic chip you insert into your phone that assigns your mobile number to your device.  When people go abroad, they often get a local SIM so they can use their mobile phone like the locals do.  
• If you’re only going to a place for a week or two, unless you plan on using a lot of data, or talking on the phone a lot, it’s probably unnecessary.  However, SIM cards are cheap, and easy to install (just don’t lose your home SIM card when you make the swap). 

What is an E-SIM?

• An electronic SIM is an APP you install on your phone that enables it to behave like you’ve installed a local SIM card when you’re abroad.
• E-SIMs solve the problem of swapping out small (easy to lose) chips on your device, and they are usually more cost effective.  I recently used one in Europe that cost about €10 for an entire month of unlimited voice and data.  This was much better (and cheaper) than roaming because my data was not restricted.

What about WiFi calling?

• Skype is probably the best-known version of this voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) telephone service.  It works well and is easy to use (just get the Skype APP or something similar onto your phone).  The catch?… you need WiFi.  
• If you’re going to Europe, FREE public Wifi is just about everywhere.  You can also find a Starbucks or a McDonald’s that will offer it to you.  
• This is the cheapest and easiest solution for most people.

How is the WiFi on cruise ships?

• Better than it used to be, still not as good as home.
• The technology continues to improve, but it does depend on the ship, that ship’s location, and how many others are using it at the same time. 
• If you’re attempting to upload your vacation videos to Facebook, at the same time 600 others are (as the ship is pulling out of port, before dinner), it’s going to be SLOW, no matter how good the technology is.  

Underscoring all of this is the fact that you’re supposed to be on vacation, and being less connected is a GOOD thing for many of us.  Don’t assume you’ll need the same level of connectivity when you’re on vacation that you require at home. 

Today’s Travel Opportunities:

AMA WATERWAYS

PROVENCE from Arles (Marseilles) to Lyon departing December 12 for 7-nights

• Visit Arles, Avignon, Viviers, Tournon, Vienne, and Lyon.
• Visit Van Gogh’s house, a Truffle Farm, sample local red wine & chocolate, see the Roman ruins, and do a Beaujolais wine tasting at a vineyard.
• $4698 for a Twin Balcony Room with a $150 per person on board credit.
• Optional extensions to Barcelona (3-nights pre), or Paris (3-nights post). 

Vineyards of the Rhine & Moselle from Amsterdam to Luxembourg for 7-nights on June 26

• Visit Amsterdam, Cologne, Rudesheim, Mainz, Cochem, Bernkastel, Luxembourg.
• Lots of visits to vineyards, as well as bike rides, and gentle hikes.
• $4898 for a Twin Balcony with a $150 per person on board credit. 

AZAMARA SMALL SHIP OCEAN CRUISES

Azamara ships hold only 680 guests, and fares include an open bar, and gratuities.  Flash Sale until March 21:  the voyages below are $2000 off per stateroom (discount is reflected in the pricing below), and you get up to $1000 in on board credits as well:

Stockholm to London departing August 22 for 12-nights:

• Visit Stockholm, Visby, Gdansk (overnight), Ronne, Warnemunde, Kiel Canal, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Antwerp (overnight), London. 
• Verandas from $4536, with a $150 per person on board credit.

Canada / New England from Montreal to Miami departing October 24 for 15-nights:

• Visit Montreal, Quebec City, Sydney, Halifax, Saint John, Portland ME, Boston, Cape Cod, Newport, NYC, Baltimore, Charleston, and Miami.
• Verandas from $4590 with a $500 per person on board credit . 

TAUCK LUXURY LAND-CRUISES

Salt Lake City to Denver for 8-days, with 2-days on the rails with Rocky Mountaineer

• Visit Salt Lake City, Park City, Moab, flightseeing over Canyonlands NP, Arches NP, 2 days on board Rocky Mountaineer, and Denver
• Includes all hotels, transfers, Silverleaf PLUS rail car with adjoining Lounge Car, flightseeing, off-road Hummer trip, 16 meals, and gratuities.
• Departures June through October for $7590 per person

Australia & New Zealand for 20-days from Melbourne to Auckland

• Visit Melbourne, Ayers Rock, Queensland (for the Barrier Reef), Sydney, Wellington, Marlborough Sound, Te Anau, Fjordland NP, Milford Sound, Queenstown, Weiheke, Auckland.  This trip is busy, but you see an incredible amount of both these countries.
• Departures September 2024 through April 2025 for $14,990 per person.  Includes private charter flights (6 of them) for the on-tour portion of the trip.  

VIKING PROMOS

Current Client second cruise booking incentive:  

• If you have an existing reservation with Viking, they will make it worth your while to book another cruise with them.
• Get up to $1000 off your next Viking cruise, with a 6-month final payment date.
• This offer applies to ANY new Viking booking.  Here are two examples:

New Orleans to Memphis with departures May, June and November for 12-days

• Visit New Orleans, Darrow, Baton Rouge, St. Francisville, Natchez, Vicksburg, Greenville, Rosedale, and Memphis
• Experience the French quarter, former plantations, southern mansions, Cajun cooking, Civil War historical sites, and Graceland.
• Veranda Rooms in May from $4499.  June from $4999, and November from $5999.
• Includes round-trip air, transfers, the Silver Spirits beverage package, a shore excursion in every port, and wifi on the ship.

Shanghai to Hong Kong (or reverse) for 10-days.

• Experience the urban cultures of Shanghai and Hong Kong with colonial buildings juxtaposed with brand new sky-scrapers, explore the Chinese coastline and fishing villages, visit ancient temples, 
• Visit Shanghai (overnight), Zhoushan, Dongtou, Pingtan, Xaimen, Hong Kong (overnight)
• Verandas in September & October from $4499.  November from $3999. 
• Includes round-trip air, all taxes & fees, transfers, a shore excursion in every port, beer/wine with meals.
• Pre and post land stays available in Shanghai and Hong Kong.

See more here:  https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/asia/countries/china/index.html?agenturlid=pamperedcruiser

Have something to say about this?

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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

There are about 30,000 of you that receive this email every week.  Bob and I have been very deliberate about how we communicate with people, and now that our team is a bit bigger, I thought I’d explain a few things – mostly so you don’t think you’re dealing with some big corporate machine.  We’re a mom & pop business… we’re proud of that, and want to conduct ourselves accordingly.

Our Email Broadcasts

• Bob and I write all these notes.  Normally the topics come from YOU.  If we’re seeing a question or concern repeatedly come up, we often write a post about that.
• We don’t buy content.  There are some excellent services out there, but we don’t use them.  This is partly because we’d rather do our own thing.  It’s also because the services that write for travel agents, provide their content to everyone.  We want to have a unique voice.
• We don’t sell your information.  You can probably imagine that a list of 30,000 luxury travel clients is probably quite valuable.  We’re playing the long-game, and know if we sold your contact information that it would reflect poorly on us and our brand.  It’s also not the right thing to do. 
• We don’t use vendor content.  We certainly collect information and ideas from the vendors we deal with, but we don’t forward their marketing materials to you under our name.  Some of it is really good, but we’ve decided NOT to forward vendor marketing emails.  
• We have never paid for subscribers.  All of you on this list signed up at some point for one of our original content pieces (some of you several years ago!).  

Our YouTube Channel

• We conduct ourselves on YouTube with the same principles as above.  We don’t re-post vendor content, and we don’t pay for content. 
• Our videos are hokey… and we’re proud of that.  The videos we post on YouTube are NOT slick and produced.  The majority of the images and video are taken with our iPhones (although we do use some cruise-line B-roll to fill in the gaps).
• Ship Tour Videos are what get the most viewership, so we post one of those EVERY time we travel.  There are also itinerary videos, and some interviews with cruise industry experts that we think you’ll find interesting. 
• No professional models or drone footage.  Just us, and other REAL people enjoying their vacation.  You can find the slick, professional stuff at the cruise lines’ websites.  We want to be authentic.  

Subscribe to our YouTube channel here, if you’re not already:  https://www.youtube.com/c/ThePamperedCruiser 

Our Facebook and Instagram Feeds

• We try to use our own photos and original content here.  Rachel, on our team helps us make sure the content is posted regularly, and does the technical stuff, but the content is ours. 
• Our weekly blog posts appear here, as well as things related to whatever travel opportunities we highlighted that week. 
• We post when we’re travelling.  We usually post daily so you can come along with us.  Often this is delayed a few days, but nevertheless, you can come along with us on our adventures. 

Follow us on Facebook here:  https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/ 

Our communication and media strategy will continue to evolve, and we’ll try new things that we hope you’ll like.  However, any new content or channels will be consistent with the personal content we have always delivered.  It has worked for us, and we really don’t want to mess with a good thing. 

Today’s Travel Opportunities

OCEANIA WORLD CRUISE 2026

Oceania world cruise itineraries sell out fast.  Luckily, for 2026, they are using the 1200 passenger VISTA, so there should be a bit more space.  I won’t list all the ports, but here’s a quick summary:

• Depart LA on December 20, 2025 for 197 days with fares from $62,999, OR
• Depart Miami on January 6, 2026 for 180 days with fares from $57,999, OR
• Depart San Diego on March 7, 2026 for 120 days with fares from $41,999.
• If you start in LA from the very beginning, you’ll travel through the canal to Florida, then down around South America, and back to California,  Hawaii, Tahiti, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, India, Egypt to Mediterranean, to UK, Iceland, Canada,  and Eastern Seaboard before finishing in Miami.
• You’ll see 43 countries, stop at 101 ports, do 11 overnight stays, and tick-off 81 UNESCO world heritage sites on your bucket list. 
• Fares include free 1st Class Air, transfers, all taxes & fees, $1000 pp OBC, free laundry, gratuities, $9600 Shore Excursion Credit, wifi, specialty dining, beer/wine with meals.
• The best priced cabins (French Verandas) will sell out very quickly.  
• We were on VISTA for her pre-Maiden voyage.  Here’s our ship tour video: 
• https://youtu.be/nN5lyXCEy_g?si=6LNHumFIPB0Eowd_ 

If a world cruise isn’t your thing, here’s a couple of other offers from Oceania:

Japan & SE Asia for 24-nights departing Toyko on February 14, 2025

• Visit Toyko (overnight), Shimizu, Kagoshima, Ishigaki, Manilla, Boracay, Puerto Princesa, Borneo, Muara, Java, Surabaya, Bali (overnight), Jakarta (overnight), and finish in Singapore.
• Fares from $7699,  with a $500 per person shore excursion credit, and we can get you free pre-paid gratuities on this departure.

British Isles & Norwegian Fjords departing London for 14-nights  on June 14, 2025

• Visit Belfast, Killybegs, Isle of Skye, Shetland Island, Alesund, Geirangerfjord, Nordfjordeid, Flam, Stavanger, Kristiansand, Skagen, Oslo (overnight).
• Fares from $7799,  with a $500 per person shore excursion credit, and we can get you free pre-paid gratuities on this departure.

UNIWORLD EARLY BOOKING – 10% OFF 2025 VOYAGES

Uniworld ships are floating boutique hotels, with each one designed and decorated to reflect the area it is travelling:

Danube River: Budapest to Prague for 10-days

• Visit Budapest (overnight), Vienna, Krems (Wachau Valley), Passau, Regensburg, Nuremberg, Prague (2 nights).
• Fares from $3869 in May, June, July, August, 2025.  LESS 10%.
• Includes Gratuities, $150 pp OBC, open bar, a choice of shore excursion in each port of call, and wifi on the ship. 

Italy:  Milan to Rome for 13-days

• Visit Milan (2-nights), Venice (7-nights on the ship including Chioggia, Mazzorbo, Burano), and Rome (3 nights).
• Fares from $5309 for departures in July & August 2025.  LESS 10%. 
• Includes Gratuities, $150 pp OBC, open bar, a choice of shore excursion in each port of call, and wifi on the ship. 

WINDSTAR SMALL YACHTS

Athens round-trip departing July 27 for 7-nights:

• Travel on the Windstar… a 4 masted sailing yacht holding 148 guests.
• Visit Mykonos, Ephesus, Patmos, Santorini, Monemvasia, Nafplio, 
• Fares from $4522 (includes gratuities, an open bar, and Wifi on the ship).  We can also get you an additional $150 per person on board credit on this voyage. 

Iceland:  Reykjavik round-trip departing August 9 for 7-nights:

• Visit 6 port-stops around Iceland, and see the volcanoes, waterfalls, wildlife, and be there when it’s light out almost 24 hours per day.  
• Fares from $4222 (includes gratuities, an open bar, and Wifi on the ship)
• This 312 guest, All-Suites yacht was completely rebuilt in 2021.

COLLETTE DOMESTIC LAND TOURS

You’ve been asking for more domestic offers.  Here’s two from Collette: 

National Parks of America – Phoenix to Rapid City for 12-days

• Visit the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Zion NP, Bryce Canyon NP, Jackson Hole, Grand Teton NP, Yellowstone NP, and Rapid City.
• See Old Faithful, the Hoodoos at Zion, Bighorn Mountain, visity the Sioux Nations Territory, Mt. Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Monument, Navajo Bridge, and the Buffalo Bill Center
• $4999 for departures in August, September & October. 

America’s Music Cities:  New Orleans, Memphis & Nashville for 8-days

• Do a walking tour of French Quarter, a jazz show in New Orleans, the Grammy museum in Oxford MS, Graceland Mansion, National Civil Rights museum, Sun Studio, Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame, RCA Studio B, and the Johnny Cash Museum. 
• $3399 for departures in June through November.

Recently booked a Viking Cruise?

Viking makes it really easy to book direct, either online, by phone, or on board.  Our clients worry that if they book on-line (or on board), 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 reservation to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal, and we will also add some onboard credits that are not available on direct bookings.

We can add at least $100 per person onboard credit to any direct Viking reservation made in the last 60 days.

There is never a situation where you’ll get a better deal by booking directly with Viking (or any other cruise line).

If you recently booked a Viking Cruise, please let us know as soon as possible.

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/pfbid02JLvbYDcyixdCxPNq2JB2RXQM33WfLccu1KdEx3DnnoFY8uJzThcuvgQV4nnNyNacl

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 of the questions you all ask most frequently is about the uncertainty regarding travelling to certain regions in the world – particularly when the TV “News” is plastering images of death and destruction 24-hours a day.  

My answer probably frustrates you sometimes:  “I don’t know”.  

I don’t know for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is:

1. I don’t have a crystal ball, and therefore can’t foretell the future
2. I am not on the ground in these locations to get an accurate account of what is actually happening. 

So what do you do if you’re feeling a bit nervous?  I’ll share these ideas, but before the hate-mail begins, I make no claims about being expert in geopolitical affairs, not do I offer any guarantees about an ever-changing world (see point #1 above).

• The Cruise Lines are incredibly risk averse, and they are constantly managing both what is actually happening in these places, AND travellers’ anxiety about their perception of what’s happening.  Here are two examples that tell a story:
  • Egypt:  Despite its proximity to the conflict in Israel, none of the cruise lines cancelled operations there.
  • The Red Sea & Suez Canal:  Just about all the cruise lines have adjusted their itineraries away from the Red Sea and Suez Canal due to the drone attacks by Houthis, and the counter-activities by the British and American Navies.
• The cruise lines have people on the ground in these locations and are well positioned to assess actual and perceived risk to tourists.  
• Another example:  Bob and I were in Paris during the Gillet-Jaune (Yellow Jacket) protests in 2019.  The protests and military counter-action was a fraction of what the media made it out to be.  None of the Cruise lines cancelled their itineraries as a result.  We felt completely safe. 
• State Department Advisories are NOT particularly helpful.  If you followed all the State Department’s advisories, you’d never leave your basement.  Their primary goal is to ensure that if someone does run into harm’s way overseas, they can say “we told you so”, so as to insulate themselves from litigation.
• TV “News” is equally dubious.  TV “News” is produced to sell advertising, and to do that they need to attract viewers.  They’ve proven repeatedly that they get more viewers by being more sensational (translation: blood, violence, destruction).  Context and nuance have been missing from the news for a long time now, so even though the reporting may be based on a true story, it is not an accurate representation of the situation.  

The bottom line to all of this MUST be your own level of comfort.  If you’re going to be looking over your shoulder the entire time you’re away, then you shouldn’t go, and I would be the last one to talk you into it.  

Today’s Travel Opportunities

TAUCK RIVER for FAMILIES

Tauck has a handful of voyages that are specifically designed for parents and grandparents to share the river cruising experience with children.  Bring the history and culture of Europe alive for these young minds.  We love Tauck, and we’ll be talking a lot more about them in the coming weeks.  

Here are a couple of examples:

Rhine River departing Basel, Switzerland on June 19 or July 10 for 8-days:

• Visit Basel, Lucerne, Strasbourg, Heidelberg, Speyer, Rudesheim, Cologne, Amsterdam.
• Enjoy a private dinner at a moated medieval castle.  Take a train ride to Lucerne for Mt. Pilatus.  See the ruins of Heidelberg Castle.  Scenic cruising through the Rhine Gorge. Visit a Chocolate Museum in Cologne, and do a windmill & canal cruise in Amsterdam.
• Fares from $5190 per person.

Danube River departing Budapest on July 2 or 9 for 8-days

• Visit Vilshofen and Passau (Bavaria), Linz, Salzburg, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest.
• Enjoy an evening at a Viennese Palace for dinner and music.  Take a class to make Marzipan.  Do a bike ride on the riverside, see the Hellbrunn Castle, visit the Sound of Music sites.  Scenic cruising in Wachau Valley.  See where King Richard the Lionhearted has imprisioned.  Visit the legendary Schonbrunn Palace.  See a Knight Tournament, and a Fencing Show.  
• Fares from $4990 per person.

HURTIGRUTEN GALAPAGOS ISLANDS for departures between April 27 and September 25 2024, for 9-nights

If you’re considering the Galapagos Islands this year, this offer from Hurtigruten will be hard to beat.  Bob and I are doing this trip in a couple of months (my choice, to my 60th birthday) and we can’t wait!

• Includes internal flights from Quito to Baltra, 2 hotel nights pre-cruise in Quito, a tour of Cotopaxi NP, Galapagos National Park admission fee, all meals on the ship, beer/wine, wifi on the ship, kayaking, snorkeling, and a glass-bottom boat. 
• Visit Quito, stand on the equator with one foot in each hemisphere, walk the sandy dunes on Baltra, visit a tortoise reserve to see the endangered giant tortoises, go to the Charles Darwin Research Station, see the sugar plantations and miles of coral beaches.
• Wildlife viewing: Sea Lions, Blue Footed Boobies, Sally Lightfoot crabs, mockingbirds, lava lizards, albatross, finches, rays, reef sharks, and many more.  Nature is alive here!
• Fares from $5778 per person.  Extensions to Machu Picchu available 

PRINCESS LOVE BOAT REUNION CRUISE August 31

Most of our clients are small-ship people, but there are luxury touches available on some of the bigger ships, and every now and then some interesting itineraries come up:

Love Boat Cast Reunion departing August 31, round-trip from New York City for 7-nights

• Join Julie McCoy (your Cruise Director), Gopher (your Chief Purser), Isaac (the Bartender), Vicki (the Captain’s Daughter), and Doctor Bricker.  Yep… the actors that played these roles will all be on board. 
• Visit Newport RI, Boston, Rockland MN, Saint John and Halifax (Canada)
• Our small-ship guests would probably prefer a Penthouse Suite, which is more comparable to the staterooms on the small ships.  These are 419 square feet, with a separate bedroom, full bathroom and powder room. 
• Includes complimentary access to the lotus spa thermal suite, complimentary laundry and cleaning, priority dining and shore excursion reservations, priority embarkation/disembarkation, and specialty dining
• Penthouse fares from $3998 pp.  

Holland America Repositioning Cruises

HAL has 7 ships in Alaska (they have a HUGE presence up there), and they need to reposition in September.  Here are two interesting itineraries with a great cost per day:

SOUTH PACIFIC: Vancouver to San Diego — via Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, and the South Pacific Islands

• Depart Vancouver on September 25, 2024 for 56 days.  A great way to see the South Pacific without the long flight. 
• Visit California (3 stops), 5 stops in Hawaii, American Samoa, 4 stops in Fiji, Tonga, 2 stops in the Cook Islands, 6 stops in French Polynesia including an overnight stop in Papeete. 
• Oceanview for the inside price of $9999 pp.  Or Vista Suite for $17,199 pp.

PANAMA CANAL:  Vancouver to Fort Lauderdale departing September 19, for 28 days

• Visit San Francisco, San Diego, Puerto Vallarta, Huatulco, Puerto Chiapas, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, full transit of the Panama Canal, Aruba, Turks Caicos, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Bahamas
• Veranda for OceanView price of $5639 pp

LAST MINUTE HAL CARIBBEAN

If you’re ready to travel this month, and are looking for reasonably priced getaway, here’s one:

• Fort Lauderdale round-trip for 14-nights on Nieuw Amsterdam
• Visit Nassau, Grand Turk, Dominican Republic, Half-Moon Cay, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, 
• Balconies from $2629 pp.  Suites from $3349 pp.

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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