Cruise vacations lend themselves well to themed events, if for no other reason that unlike hotels and resorts, cruise ships can move to where such events occur.  

Here are a few different themes and events that may be of interest to you:

Bridge Cruises

If you’re a Bridge player, and would like to travel with others with the same interest, then our friends at Oceania have 36 departures with a Bridge theme.  Here’s a link to their list of Bridge Cruises:  https://www.oceaniacruises.com/special-offers/bridge-cruises 

On board will be an American Contract Bridge League Accredited Master Instructor (imagine having that title on your business card!), and there are lectures and educational events, as well as tournament play.  It is appropriate for all levels.  Here is ONE of the 36 options:

Miami to Barcelona departing April 5, for 14-nights

• Visit Nassau, Bermuda, the Azores, Seville, Granada, and Alicante (Spain)
• Verandas available from $4099 – $4499, and include a $500 per person shore-excursion credit.  
• We also get extra goodies on this departure for reservations made by November 15.  
• This trip is on board Marina.  If you want to see our ship tour video of her identical twin, Riviera, here’s the link:  https://youtu.be/KvgJJ2bE1OU?si=VpEgz6q82_zR4Qys 

Wine Cruises on AMA

AMA has dozens wine themed every year that are hosted by wine experts, with tastings and winery visits included in your fare.  Here’s their complete list:  https://www.amawaterways.com/destination/wine-cruises/2024

Some Examples:

Basel to Amsterdam for 10 days departing July 14

• Visit Basel, Breisach, Strasbourg, Ludwigshafen, Rudesheim, Bernkastel, Trier, Cochem, Cologne, Amsterdam.
• Hosted by Kimberly Zacharias of Black Star Farms Winery in Sutton’s Bay, MI
• Fares start at $4480 per person

Portugal & Spain for 7-nights departing August 14.

• Visit Porto, Entre-Os-Rios, Regua, Pinhao, Barca D’Alva, Vega de Terron.
• Hosted by Regina Gaines, from House of Pure Vin in Detroit MI,
• Fares start at $4049 per person

Golf Cruises with Azamara

Azamara has a partnership with PerryGolf for fully hosted and all-inclusive golf vacations where you get to try out courses in different ports.  Your fare includes green fees, carts, and gratuities.  Here’s a list of all their golf themed cruises: https://www.azamara.com/cruises?keywords=golf-cruise

Some Examples:

Ireland Golf Experience from Dublin to Oslo for 13-days departing July 1

• Visit Dublin, Cork, Bantry Harbour, Foynes, Galway, Donegal, Belfast, Londonderry, Ullapool, Kristiansand, Oslo
• Verandas from $5601 per person

Spain Golf Experience from Lisbon to Barcelona for 10-days departing September 11:

• Visit Lisbon, Portimao, Cadiz, Seville, Gibraltar, Malaga, Cartagena, Valencia, Barcelona.
• Verandas from $4400 per person

If you are travelling with someone that is NOT a golfer, then this is the perfect vacation.  While you’re on the links, your travel-partner has a long list of other excursions and activities available.

Ken Burns’ American Journeys with Tauck

If you’ve seen his documentaries, then you’re aware of what an iconic photographer and story-teller Ken Burns is.  He has partnered with Tauck to enable guests to experience what he has documented on camera in his documentaries.  Here’s a list of all those truly American experiences:https://www.tauck.com/tours-and-cruises/exclusive-partnerships/ken-burns

Some Examples:

Philadelphia to Washington for 11-days with departures May through September

• Visit Philadelphia, Gettysburg, Charlottesville, Richmond, Williamsburg, Mt. Vernon, and Washington.
• See the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the Gettysburg Museum and battlefields, Jefferson’s House, Virginia State Capitol, Governor’s Palace in Williamsburg, George Washington’s Mt. Vernon Estate, National Mall, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Exclusive visit to National Archives for a private viewing of the declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the bill of Rights.
• A great trip for American history enthusiasts, or perhaps those that want to offer their kids or grandkids a window into this world. 
• $6190 for departures in May and September.  Enquire for pricing other months. 

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks for 8 days with departures June through September:

• Visit Wyoming and the Tetons, Snake River, Mormon Row, Jackson, Yellowstone NP, The Bighorns, and Mt. Rushmore
• Pricing from $5490 in June, July, August, or  September

Monte Carlo Grand Prix with Windstar

If you’re a racing enthusiast, it’s too late for 2024, but 2025 is still available.  This cruise is hosted by a Formula One racing expert, and includes Section K seats for Saturday’s time trials, and higher seats for the final on Sunday.

Barcelona to Rome for 7-nights departing May 20, 2025

• Visit Barcelona, Palamos, Sanary-sur-Mer, Antibes, Monte Carlo (overnight), Portoferraio, Rome
• Your Race Kit includes a program, ear plugs, binoculars, seat cushion, poncho & cap.
• Fares from $8399 per person.

Viking Free Air to Australia and the South Pacific

OK… this one doesn’t have a specific theme, but we rarely see free air across the Pacific, so I thought I should include it this week: 

Sydney to Singapore departing for 28 days on Feb 15

• Visit Sydney (overnight), Mooloolaba, Airlie Beach, Cairns, Thursday Island, Komodo NP, Bali (overnight), Java, Ho Chi Minh City, (2nights), Koh Samui, Singapore (overnight)
• Includes all taxes & fees, air, transfers, a shore excursion in every port, Silver Spirits Beverage Package, and wifi on the ship
• $13,499 per person for a veranda room.

Veterans Day

Tomorrow is Veterans’ Day, and I don’t have any specific themed cruises to highlight, but I do want to thank all those that have served for enabling the privilege the rest of us enjoy to be able to travel freely both at home at abroad.  We do not forget your contribution, nor do we take it for granted.  

Recently booked a Viking Cruise?

Viking makes it really easy to book direct, either online or by phone.  Our clients worry that if they book on-line, that they’re cutting us out, but if you let us know after you’ve booked, then we can still help you with your reservation.  

We’ll check over your 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).

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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

We’re getting a lot more inquiries from you about river cruise packages in Vietnam & Cambodia, so I thought I’d offer a bit of information on that this week.  

Even though you may not be too familiar with Southeast Asia, rest assured that most of your favourite cruise lines from the rivers of Europe are also on the Mekong River. 

Here are some things to consider when looking at the Mekong River for your next adventure:

• It’s “New”.  The river cruise lines have been there for over a decade, but the number of ships they have there is a fraction of what we see in Europe.
• It’s Fully Escorted.  Most of the river cruise lines have packages or extensions to complement a one-week river cruise.  About half our clients to Europe travel independently pre or post cruise.  In SE Asia, just about everyone takes the cruise line extensions, and they do a very good job of it.  After all, you really don’t want to fly all that way for a one-week cruise.
• Flying across the Pacific.  We sometimes forget the Pacific Ocean occupies half the planet.  It is a very long flight to get to Vietnam – about 15 hours.  The good news is there are direct flights from San Francisco.  Just like travelling to Australia/New Zealand, once you invest that much time on a flight, you’ll want to stay as long as you can.  
• The Food.  For some, the culinary experience in a foreign country is a key part of the trip (and Vietnam & Cambodia won’t disappoint).  Others prefer to stick to meat and potatoes.  The river cruise lines offer you both.
• Happy People.  You can expect seemingly never-ending smiles and very accommodating locals.  Given the somewhat tragic history in these countries, it’s a real testament to human resilience.
• The Heat.  It will be hot if you go May through October.  The ships and hotels are all air conditioned, but if you’re sensitive to the heat, go November through April, where your average temperatures will be in the 70s.
• The Ruins at Angkor Wat.  The world’s largest religious structure; a UNESCO world heritage site, and much different than anything you’ll experience in Europe.  This is a true highlight according to our clients who have been.  
• Stop Over?  Australia and New Zealand are the other popular destinations WAY across the Pacific.  Some of our clients are combining these destinations with a Mekong river cruise,  so they only have to cope with one set of long flights.
• It’s Trending.  The popular destinations change year to year based not only on demand, but on geo-political considerations as well.  Many of our clients (who are typical of travel consumers nationally), are looking for alternatives outside of Europe and the Mediterranean.  Japan has been hot for a while, Australia/NZ has seen tremendous demand in the last 18-months, and we’re seeing the same trends with Vietnam & Cambodia.  There’s no need to panic if there’s just two of you travelling.  But if you’d like to go with a larger group, then the options are already somewhat limited for 2024.  

Today’s Travel Opportunities

AMA Mekong departing September 30, 2024 for 7-nights

• Visit Ho Chi Minh City, My Tho, Cai be – Sa Dec, Tan Chau, Phnom Penh, Oudong, Kampong Tralach, Oknhatey, Angkor Ban, Kampong Cham, Siem Reap.

• $2400 for a 251 square foot twin balcony.  Price reflects 20% off per person
• Available 7-night trip extensions to Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap, Hanoi and/or Halong Bay for $2399 per person

Uniworld Mekong departing February, March, or September for 15-days

• Visit Ho Chi Minh City for 2-nights, 7-nights on the ship, 3-nights in Siem Reap, and 2-nights in Hanoi.  
• $7999 for a 340 square foot French Balcony on the 68 passenger Mekong Jewel.

Viking Mekong —  only a handful of cabins left in 2024 – Please enquire. 

• Visit Ho Chi Minh City, Cai Be, Tan Chau, Phnom Penh, Kampong Cham, Siem Reap, Hanoi.  
• 2025 departures for 15-days from $7999 for 305 square foot French Balcony

Oceania South Pacific Special Itineraries

If you’re looking for something near Australia, then you’ll be interested in these two really unique itineraries with Oceania – the small-ship cruise line for foodies.  Due to our exclusive relationship with Oceania, we can get some nice additional perks on both these cruises.  Contact us for details.

Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tahiti for 21-days departing March 10.

• Visit Sydney, Napier, Rotorua, Auckland, Bay of Islands, Lautoka (Fiji), Suva (Fiji), Samoa, Pago Pago, Bora Bora (overnight), Raiatea (French Polynesia), Moorea, Papeete (overnight). 
• This cruise cuts your return flight time down significantly, OR you can choose to stay on the ship and ride it all the way to LA.  
• Verandas from $9199, with a $600 per person shore excursion credit. 

Sydney to Singapore for 20-days departing March 22

• Visit Sydney, Newcastle, Townsville, Cairns, Alotau (Papua New Guinea), Port Moresby (PNG), Darwin, Komodo (Indonesia), Bali (overnight), Java, Singapore (overnight).
• This itinerary visits Australia’s Queensland remote coast, and the Island nations nearby with large airports to fly in and out of pre and post cruise.  
• Veranda rooms from $7199 with a $600 shore-excursion credit 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

Here are some seemingly random bits of news that have come across my desk this week, that I thought I would share:

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection:

• Uniworld has acquired 2 new ships that formerly belonged to Crystal Cruises.  This is a very big deal for fans of Crystal Cruises, and those ships will be in very good hands at Uniworld.  The ships will be renamed Victoria and Elisabeth, and will operate on the Rhine and Moselle Rivers.
• Uniworld is continually innovating its product offering and the latest one is a cycling trip where you will be fully escorted with guides and support vehicles, with a tablet attached to your handle bars with a GPS unit.  Best part is you only have to unpack once, as the Uniworld ship will follow you on your bike ride through Europe.  These trips will operate on the Rhine and Danube Rivers.  And no… you DON’T have to be an Olympic athlete to enjoy this trip. 

Paris in Summer 2024

• Speaking of Olympic athletes… the 2024 Summer Olympic Games will take place in Paris from July 26 to August 11.  If you have plans in France around this time, make sure you’re aware of what disruptions the Olympic Games will have on public venues and transportation. 

Explora Journeys

• We just finished a trip through Quebec and New England with this new brand.  You can see some of our posts on our Facebook Page:  www.facebook.com/pamperedcruiser 
• They offer a great experience, and one thing I think will be a game-changer is their ANTHOLOGY restaurant.  This is where a celebrated chef does a residency on board the ship, offering their tasting menu for a period of several weeks or months.  On our cruise, Emma Bengsston – the 2-star Michelin Chef behind Aquavit in New York was featured.  This is a great opportunity if (like us) you would probably never go to such a restaurant on shore.

Viking Cruises

• A 2023 survey of over 525,000 Conde Nast Traveler readers named Viking #1 in River, Ocean, and Expedition categories.  This is the first time any one brand has taken the top spot in all 3 categories.
• To add to the accolades, Travel & Leisure readers also rated Viking #1 in all three categories in 2023.  Viking has some fans!

Oceania Cruises 

• Oceania’s new ship, Vista (we participated in her christening in May), made her first port stop in the United States a bit earlier this year, and scored 100% on the USPH Vessel Sanitation Checklist.  Any vessel that calls in at US ports is inspected twice yearly, and the criteria is rigorous.  So this is quite an accomplishment.  Imagine if hotels were subject to the same scrutiny… probably wouldn’t have as many headlines about bed bugs.  
• Oceania is launching Vista’s sister ship ALLURA in 2025, and that ship is now open for bookings.  

Seabourn Expedition

• Seabourn now has two expedition ships, and both were in North America in September.  Seabourn Venture was in Vancouver after a Northwest Passage Cruise, and the brand new Seabourn Pursuit was in Florida on the same day making her North American inaugural.
• Seabourn will be doing an itinerary on the Kimberley Coast in Western Australia.  This area is remote, but stunningly beautiful, if you’d like to do an Expedition trip, but perhaps in warmer climates.  

Today’s Travel Opportunities

Viking Free Flights available until October 31:

Buenos Aires to Barcelona departing March 17 for 22 days

• Visit Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Cape Verde, Casablanca, Granada, Barcelona
• $4999 per person.

Antarctica departing January 20 or 29 for 13 days

• Buenos Aires to Ushuaia
• $9995 per person – Including round-trip air from the US, and the flight between BA and Ushuaia.
• Includes kayaks, zodiacs, special operations boats, Expedition gear, and an expedition jacket you get to keep.
• See our ship tour video of Viking Polaris: https://youtu.be/izwAZ6NdFOo?si=K4Qk4JGgMPve_GZA 

Mississippi River New Orleans round-trip departing November 23, 30, or Dec 7, 2024 for 8 days

• Visit New Orleans, Darrow, St. Francisville, Natchez, Vicksburg, Baton Rouge
• $4299 per person with free round-trip air

All the above Viking fares include round-trip air, all taxes and fees, a shore excursion in every port, beer/wine with meals, and wifi on the ship. 

Oceania Cruises Exotics in Asia

Oceania Japan, China & Korea departing February 26 for 12 days

• Visit Hong Kong, Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Hualien (Taiwan), Ishigaki, Shanghai (overnight), Kagoshima, Nagasaki, Seoul.
• Verandas from $5999 with $1300 optional air add-on

Oceania Singapore to Cape Town departing April 11 for 28 days

• This is a great opportunity to visit several countries that are hard to get to.  Tick off a bunch of bucket-list destination in one trip!
• Visit Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, Seyschelles, Mozambique, South Africa.  5 overnight stays.  
• Fares from $8799 with a $1500 optional air add-on.  

AMA Waterways 20% off Sale

Our friends at AMA are offering 20% a list of river cruises in Europe and the Mekong for a limited time.  Here’s a link to their list of cruises:

https://www.amawaterways.com/agent/pamperedcruiser/save20-2024#sailings

Tauck Southeast Exploration

For those looking for a land-cruise closer to home:

• Visit Savannah, the coastal Low Country, Fort Pulaski, Hilton Head, Beaufort, and Charleston.  Tour the islands off Beaufort SC, see Savannah’s beloved Madeira traditions at the Davenport House Museum.  Have dinner at 45 Bistro in Savannah’s oldest hotel – The Marshall House. 
• 8-day inclusive packages with departures in April, May, and September, October from $5290 per person.  

Recently booked a Viking Cruise?

Viking makes it really easy to book direct, either online or by phone.  Our clients worry that if they book on-line, that they’re cutting us out, but if you let us know after you’ve booked, then we can still help you with your reservation.  

We’ll check over your 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).

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/pfbid02ThJ9MUoqAyHK2vZRPkUt9xjaED6cdQfeGC53HqGFxXLwJFKWp44VCqBAeRrC3Ykzl

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 been following us on Facebook, you’ll know we just completed a Canada-New England Cruise with Explora Journeys.  We’ve found it’s better to share our travels once we’re home, so that we are more able to respond to your comments and queries.

We also had the privilege of meeting some of our clients on this trip (Hello Kathy & Betty, Barbara & Gail, Cathy & Charley, and Nancy & Anthony!).  It is an extraordinarily rare pleasure to meet our clients in person, much less get to travel with them.  We have clients in all 50 States, and they come from all walks of life, but the one thing that seems to bind all the people we deal with together is that they all seem to be the nicest people.  

I don’t say this lightly, or as false praise.  Anyone who has ever worked in retail will tell you that some significant portion of people can be disrespectful and sometimes downright nasty.

We don’t experience this.  What a pleasure!

While eating meals or drinking wine with these clients, we found them asking a lot of questions about us, and our backstory, so at the risk of appearing a bit self-indulgent, here are a few details about us:

• I was born in Iowa, and grew up in Australia.  I have lived in the US, Canada, Australia, and Mexico.  I studied to be a Marine Biologist, worked most of my career as a laboratory technician specializing in Haematology, and came to the travel business about 9 years ago. 
• Bob was born in Vancouver (the one in Canada), and has lived in the US, Canada, Australia (not with me… this is a coincidence), and Mexico.  He studied Business and Commerce, and spent most of his working life as a Management Consultant.  He joined me full time this business about 7 years ago. 
• We have both always been wanderers, and placed a high value on travel.
• Our office is in New York, but we really don’t spend much time there (although we really do enjoy it a few days at a time).
• We have two adult children, and one grandson (who is adorable).  
• We are in our late 50s. Most of our clients are 55 – 80… so that might be reason we feel so connected to them. 
• Our job requires travel (a good problem to have), so we’re on the road a lot.  We have a team that backs us up.  You may have spoken on the phone with Kim, or swapped emails with Peri or Satonis.  All of them work from home, and are located in three different time zones (I guess this is the nature of the travel biz).

We feel very fortunate to be able to call this our “job”, and dealing with great people makes it that much better.  

Today’s Travel Opportunities

Uniworld Bucket-List Sale available for booking until October 31

$3000 OFF — Amsterdam to Bucharest for 25 days departing July 13.

• There are too many ports to list, but you start in the Netherlands, sail through Germany, France, Austria, Hungary (with 2 nights in Budapest), Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania.  You will visit 9 UNESCO World Heritage sites on this voyage.
• Fares from $7999 per person on April 16, or July 13.

$2000 OFF — Bordeaux to Paris for 15-days departing April 7

• This is two back-to-back cruises with an escorted trip on the high-speed train between them:
  • In Bordeaux visit: Bordeaux, Cadillac, Cussac Fort Medoc, Blaye, Bourg Sur Gironde, Libourne, then back to Bordeaux to catch the high speed train to Paris
  • The do Paris to Normandy and visit: Paris, La Roche Guyon, Vernon, Giverny, Rouen for the Normandy Beaches), Versailles. 
• Fares from $5799 per person.

Remember that all Uniworld Cruises include a choice of shore excursion in every port, an open bar, use of bicycles, on board gratuities, and wifi on the ship. 

BONUS:  You can save a further 10% if you pay in full at time of booking, AND any bookings with our agency get an additional $150 per person on board credit not available on direct bookings.  

Viking Free Air Codes

Viking has some Free Air incentives out there right now.  Here are a few examples.  The catch:  must be booked before October 31: 

Panama Canal Full Transit departing LA on January 3 for 18-days:

• Visit LA, Cabo San Lucas, Costa Rica, Full Transit of the canal, Colon, Cartagena, Cozumel, and arriving in Fort Lauderdale.
• Veranda fares from $4999 per person.  

Pacific Island Adventure round-trip from LA for 33-days departing January 13.

• This cruise is great for those that like sea-days, or are just looking for some warmer weather in January.
• Visit Hilo, Maui, Honolulu, Kauai, Bora Bora, Moorea, Tahiti, Marquesas, and San Diego
• Veranda Fares from $7999

South America Encompassed: Santiago to BA departing January 26 for 18-days.

• Visit Santiago (overnight), Puerto Montt, Chilean Fjords, Amalia Glacier, Punta Arenas, Ushuaia, Falkland Islands, Puerto Madryn, Montevideo, Buenos Aires (Overnight)
• Veranda Fares from $7499 per person

All of the above Viking Ocean fares include all taxes and fees, round-trip AIR, transfers, beer/wine with meals, a shore excursion in each port of call, and wifi on the ship.  

If you’d like to try out Viking’s Expedition Ship, here an opportunity close to home in the Great Lakes.  

Toronto to New York City departing April 17 for 13-days:

• Visit Toronto (overnight), St. Lawrence Seaway locks, Trois-Rivieres, Quebec City, Saguenay, Sept-Iles, Cap-aux- Meules, Charlottetown, Halifax, NYC.
• Fares from $10,795 includes round-trip air and a stateroom upgrade, as well as the standard Viking inclusions noted above. 

See our ship tour video of Viking Polaris here:  https://youtu.be/izwAZ6NdFOo?si=B5YNMMkI0ldZrwQA

If a River Cruise sounds more appealing, try this one:

Viking Mississippi departing New Orleans for 12-days on February 29:

• Visit New Orleans (2 nights), Darrow, Baton Rouge, St. Francisville, Natchez, Vicksburg, Greenville, Rosedale, Memphis (2 nights).
• Veranda fares from $6799.  Includes round-trip air and a stateroom upgrade.  
• Also on available May 30, June 6 or 13 for $8099

Japan & Alaska with Seabourn

Knock off TWO bucket list destinations with one cruise.  These repositioning cruises offer unique itineraries (these are not standard Alaskan port stops) and lower fares on a per-day basis: 

Kobe to Vancouver for 23 days departing April 18.

• Visit Kobe, Hakodate, Kushiro, Dutch Harbor, Kodiak, Homer, Glacier Bay, Sitka, Klawock, Ketchikan, Nanaimo, Vancouver.
• Suites from $9999 per person.  
• Every room on Seabourn is a 300 square foot (or more) suite.  Includes an open bar, specialty dining, on board gratuities, and wifi on the ship. 

Hawaii Island Hopping for 13 days

You’ve been asking for both more land options and domestic offerings.  This one ticks both!

• On this land tour, you’ll spend 3 nights in each of Oahu, Kona, Maui, Kauai.
• Includes 12 breakfasts and 5 dinners, Air between islands, Pearl Harbor tour, Volcanoes NP, cruise on the Wailua River in Kauai, and admission to the Iolani Palace.
• $5899 per person departing January 4.
• $6499 per person departing March 28 or June 20.

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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

Many of you ask what new trends, and things we can expect in the travel industry in the next few years.  I don’t own a time machine, or a crystal ball, so here is my best guess at the rest of this decade for travel trends.

I see the future of travel being influenced by these three forces:

ONE:  What Travellers are demanding

Ultimately, the consumer will drive the travel business, and while popular destinations will come and go, here’s what we see people asking for more of:

• More Inclusive:  People want to pay once, and have as much as possible included, rather than be constantly pulling out their wallets.  This explains why cruise and packaged land tours have seen such extraordinary growth.
• Experiential Travel:  Lying on the beach and drinking beer gets old… fast, for many people.  People want leisure, but they also want to be able to experience and learn things unavailable to them at home.  A shopping trip with a chef, or perhaps a reading english books with local school children are examples of this.  
• Culinary:  It appears we’re starting to catch up with our European cousins in terms of the value we place on a good meal.  Food and wine experiences, as well as healthy food choices are now a key part of the travel experience.
• Exclusive Access.  More travel providers are offering before or after hours access to busy tourist sites, as people grow tired of standing in long lines with thousands of others.  
• Longer Duration.  This might be because air travel has become so onerous that people want to make the most of the (frustration) investment they make to get to their destination.  We are seeing people do back-to-back vacations in the same region, so they only have to make the flight once. 
• Self-improvement.  This takes many forms: lectures and educational activities, wellness events and voluntourism.
• Sustainability.  People are being more discerning about the impact their travels have on local economies, cultures, and the environment, so you can expect to see travel vendors highlighting their efforts in these areas. 

TWO:  What local authorities and governments are demanding

• Over-tourism.  Many local authorities are trying to balance the obvious benefits of tourism with the impact that too many tourists can cause.  Venice, Barcelona, Iceland, and Key West, Florida are high profile examples of jurisdictions that are restricting tourist traffic.  This trend will grow. 
• Redeployment away from some ports of call.  As a result of over-tourism, expect to see different patterns for cruise line itineraries.  Both the European and the US governments will require cruise ships to “plug-in” when they are at port before the end of the decade.  This will push traffic to those ports with such infrastructure.
• Carbon neutrality by 2050.  The cruise ship industry has committed to be a net zero carbon emitter in fairly short order.  We’ve already seen hybrid-electric ships, and LNG powered ships, so look for new technologies as cruise lines renew their fleets. 

THREE:  Conditions that macro-economics and demographics are going to impose on us:

• Inflation is real:  We’ve already seen this in hotels and resorts, and it’s only a matter of time before this shows itself in cruise and packaged land tours.  The best way to insure against this is to hold space now to guarantee your price. 
• The Chinese will be travelling.  Currently, the USA is the largest “exporter” of tourists to the world.  By 2030, it will be China.  Given China’s huge population, this is going to have a huge impact on the industry, and will likely cause even more local governments to restrict and regulate tourist traffic.  I suspect India will also not be far behind.  For context the population of these two countries combined is almost TEN TIMES that of the United States.  Most of their populations are not affluent enough to travel abroad.  This is changing quickly.  
• Baby-boomer influence on travel will wane.  We don’t have access to demographic data for who reads these posts regularly, but based on who we talk to, we know a significant number of you were born between 1946 and 1964 (as were we!).  It’s been a great run, hasn’t it?  But we are increasingly NOT who travel vendors are looking to attract, and design products for.  Interestingly, they are most focused on those born between 1980 and 2000 – what has been called the “echo” of the Baby Boom (it is the baby boomers’ children).  So if you want to see the future of travel, then look to what most interests YOUR kids.  Until then… as members of the baby-boom cohort ourselves, Bob and I will continue to travel and promote products appropriate to our peers.

Today’s Travel Opportunities

Tauck European River Cruises

You probably know Tauck as the high-quality provider of land tours both domestically and abroad, but they also have a fleet of river ships in Europe.  They are the most inclusive of any of the river cruise lines, and have the lowest passenger counts.  Here are some examples:

Munich to Budapest for 7-nights departing April 13

• Visit Passau, Cesky Krumlov, Grein, Durnstein, Vienna, and Bratislava.
• Includes gratuities (on and off the ship), small private shore-excursions with a choice in every port, Imperial evening at a Private Vienna Palace.  Wine tasting at Weissenkirchen, Open bar, transfers. 
• $4390 per person

Tulips Cruise (Amsterdam to Brussels) for 7-nights departing April 7

• Visit Amsterdam (overnight), Keukenhof Gardens, The Hague, Kinderdijk, Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp, Brussels
• $4990 per person including transfers, all gratuities, open bar, and a choice of several shore excursions in each port of call.  

Explora Journeys Mediterranean

This new brand is more like a European city stay (where the city changes daily!).  There is no main dining room, but rather a series of (included) specialty restaurants.  There’s no Vegas style production shows, but rather a series of smaller venues with first quality entertainment (like a city).  You’ll also have a huge 375 square foot veranda room.  Your fare includes an open bar, wifi, specialty dining, and gratuities.

Due to our exclusive arrangement with them, we can also get you

• 10% off any 2023 departure, or 
• 5% off any 2024 departure.
• Shore Experience credits €300 per person

If you missed our vendor focus on Explora… here’s the link:  https://pamperedcruiser.com/explora-journeys-world-debut/ 

Here are some examples for the Mediterranean:

Athens to Venice for 7-nights departing August 2

• Visit Athens, Patmos, Kefalonia, Dubrovnik, Zadar, Rovinj, Venice
• $5250 per person

Athens to Istanbul for 7-nights departing September 13

• Visit Athens, Mykonos (overnight) , Skiathos, Thessaloniki, Kavala, Istanbul.
• $5250 per person

Rocky Mountaineer

Some of you have asked for travel ideas that are closer to home.  Rocky Mountaineer provides luxury experiences with great scenery in both the United States and Canada.  The train only operates in daylight hours, so you don’t miss any of the stunning vistas or wildlife sightings.  

Rocky Mountaineer round-trip from Denver for 7-nights

• Visit Denver, Glenwood Springs and Moab with lots of spare time for exploration of the National Parks in the region
• 4-days on board the train
• $ 4109 per person for departures in May

Rocky Mountaineer Circle Journey round-trip Vancouver for 10-nights

• Visit Vancouver, Kamloops, Jasper NP, and Banff NP
• 4-days on the train with a different rail route (and different scenery) eastbound versus westbound.
• $5550 per person for departures in May

Recently booked a Viking Cruise?

Viking makes it really easy to book directly, either online or by phone.  Our clients worry that if they book on-line, that they’re cutting us out, but if you let us know after you’ve booked, then we can still help you with your reservation.  

We’ll check over your 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).

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