Princess Cruises has had two ships named Pacific Princess.  The first one was originally made famous by Captain Stubing and the gang back in the 1970s.  The ship all of us of a certain age saw on TV every Saturday night was part of the Princess Cruises fleet up until 2002.  At that point she was sold off (and eventually dismantled in 2014), and another ship assumed the name. 

The 2002 Pacific Princess was in service until 2021, and we got more than one or two emails from people who were a bit cranky that Princess retired her (they loved the small ship size and the resulting intimate onboard experience).  The good news is, she didn’t go too far… but more on that in a moment.

Princess ships range between 90,000 and 145,000 tons and carry between 2200 and 3600 guests.  Pacific Princess was an anomaly at just 30,000 tons with 680 guests.  So, it’s not a huge shock that Pacific Princess left the fleet. 

Princess just announced their next class of vessel – Sphere Class — that will debut in 2023.  At 175,000 tons, and 4300 guests, these new ships will be almost 6 times larger than the Pacific Princess retired in 2021, and 10 times larger than the original Love Boat you remember from TV.

I (erroneously) made the prediction a couple of weeks ago, that the first Sphere Class ship would be named Pacific Princess and be made flagship of the fleet.  Instead, they chose the name Sun Princess – an identity with lots of history in the fleet as well.  Most notably, the original Sun Princess was the identical sister ship to the original Pacific Princess (and was also used for filming The Love Boat).

But I digress – what happened to that small boutique Pacific Princess (2002) that so many people loved?

She was bought by Azamara Cruise Lines and now sails as the Azamara Onward.  You might not have heard of Azamara – up until the last few years, they only had two ships, and were part of the Royal Caribbean Group.  They are now an independent company, and with four identical ships (yep… there are more Pacific Princesses out there), so there are many more itineraries to choose from.

The entire Azamara fleet consists of what are called “R-Class vessels” – all are 30,000 tons, and all hold under 700 passengers.  People who love these ships REALLY love them.  Oceania also has four R-class vessels, and we have some clients that will only sail on these smaller R-ships.

What Azamara does with its four boutique vessels is quite interesting.  They position themselves between the Premium Brands (of which Princess is one), and the luxury small-ship companies (like Seabourn and Silversea).  If you’re looking for a moderately priced small-ship experience, then you should be aware of Azamara. 

What you get on Azamara:

1. Country-intensive itineraries, so you can fully immerse yourself in one country
2. More overnight stays and late-night departures, allowing you to enjoy relaxing evenings in ports of call
3. Inclusions: Gratuities, bar drinks, and some shore events are included in the fare.
4. A small-ship experience

The cabins aren’t as big as what you’ll get on a luxury small ship, but there aren’t many other compromises on Azamara if you’re looking for an upgraded experience.

Here are some ideas if you’d like to give Azamara a try:

Today’s Travel Opportunities

Rome to Barcelona with Azamara, departing May 25, 2023 for 9-nights

1. Visit Rome, Livorno, Monte Carlo (overnight), Toulon (Provence, France), Mahon (Spain), Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Barcelona.
2. This voyage includes an overnight in Monte Carlo, if you care to take in the Monaco Grand Prix.
3. Veranda rooms starting at $3899 per person.  Includes $150 per person on board credit.

South Africa Round-Trip Capetown with Azamara, departing January 27, 2023 for 12-nights.

1. Visit Capetown, Port Elizabeth, East London, Maputo (Mozambique), Richards Bay, Durban.
2. Do a game drive in Zulu Nayala, a cooking class in Maputo, and/or extend your voyage pre or post in Capetown. 
3. Veranda rooms starting at $3799 per person. 

Ireland Intensive from Dublin to London with Azamara, departing August 29, 2023 for 10-nights.

1. Visit Dublin (overnight), Belfast, Londonderry, Donegal, Galway, Foynes, Cork, Southampton.
2. See the Giants Causeway (UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Cliffs of Moher, or take advantage of the golf packages available.
3. Veranda for Interior Price of $3399 per person.

Auckland to Sydney with Azamara, departing January 21, 2023 for 16 nights.

1. Visit Auckland, Bay of Islands, Tauranga, Napier, Wellington, Nelson, Picton, Christchurch, Dunedin, Milford Sound, Hobart, Eden, Sydney. [This is one of the BEST New Zealand itineraries I’ve seen]
2. Go sailing in Nelson, Visit New Zealand wineries or take advantage of optional golf packages.
3. Ocean View room from $4099 and Verandas from $6899

Remember, all Azamara fares include onboard gratuities, beverages (beer, wine, & spirits), and some shore events.

A note about Oceania

As noted above, Oceania also has four R-Class vessels.  If one of their cruises is on your radar, our sources at Oceania tell us that they are scheduling a fare increase for October 1, so it would be worth investigating before the end of the month.  Book through us and we can get you free pre-paid gratuities or other exclusive benefits on select Oceania sailings.  Details here: https://oceania.gage.com/28virtuoso8

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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’re subject to any advertising, you will have noticed that the sales cycle for next year’s Alaska season is in full swing.  We’re expecting it to be busy – Alaska was completely closed in 2020, almost closed in 2021, and in 2022, the uncertainty caused by Canadian Government regulations discouraged booking until it was too late.  So, 2023 will be busy in the nation’s largest state.

All the cruise lines operate in Alaska, and they broadly fall into three categories:

Mass Market – these are the big-ship lines, and the cheapest way to visit Alaska.  These trips offer a more ‘standard’ experience – but the scenery and wildlife in Alaska are spectacular regardless of how you get there.

Just about all the mass market cruise itineraries visit Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan.  Occasionally, we see port stops in Sitka or Icy Strait Point.

Several of the big-ship lines have excellent packages for Alaska.  Celebrity, Holland America, and Princess are the lines to look at, particularly if you want to extend your cruise on land to Denali National Park.

Expedition – If you want to get off beaten path, and get out in zodiac boats, kayaks, or maybe just do some light hiking in Alaska, an expedition ship might be more appropriate.  These itineraries tend to go where the other ships in Alaska DON’T go, and the onboard experience is closer to the luxury offerings.

Don’t be put off by the word “expedition” – if you can get in and out of a bathtub unassisted, and can walk up two flights of stairs, you meet the fitness requirements for an expedition voyage. 

American Queen Voyages and Hurtigruten are good choices for casual expedition in Alaska.

Luxury Small Ship – Many parts of Alaska can only be accessed by ship, and the small-ship luxury lines appeal to those who want to see this incredible part of the world, but don’t see themselves fitting into either of the two categories above and/or may not consider themselves to be ‘cruisers’.  These cruise lines are all-inclusive, and the quality of food, service and amenities exceeds those found at the world’s best hotels.  They are also remarkably casual (especially in Alaska).  It seems that those who are ready, willing, and able to pay for a higher quality product don’t like to play dress-up.

Silversea, Seabourn, Regent Seven Seas, and Viking are examples of luxury small ships that visit Alaska.

After you’ve chosen which one of those three cruise types is best for you, there are other decisions to made.  Choosing amongst all the options in Alaska is a bit like Lithuanian language lessons, so here’s a Cheat Sheet:

WHEN?   The tourist season runs from late April through to early October, and there is no “best” time to visit, just a series of trade-offs:

1. April, May and early June have lots of daylight hours, are usually light on rain, and with fewer crowds.  If you are going to Denali, it is also possible you won’t be able to get all the way into the depths of the park until the beginning of June.
2. June, July, and August have reliable weather (although the further north you go, the more subject to rain you are starting in July).  There are also more crowds, and you’ll find it to be a bit more expensive in these months.
3. September and October things get a bit quieter again, but the later in the season you go, the fewer daylight hours you get, and you are more subject to rain and colder weather.

CRUISE, LAND, or BOTH?  You can do round-trip cruises out of Seattle or Vancouver, but those trips only go halfway up the coast.  This might be fine if you’re just looking for a taste of Alaska, but many people who do these cruises vow to return to see the rest of the state, especially Denali National Park.  If you’re going to go to the time and expense of visiting Alaska, I recommend doing a cruise with a land extension to Denali National Park (and including other points if you have time).

NORTHBOUND or SOUTHBOUND?  If you’re not doing one of the round-trip cruises, the endpoints of your trip will be in Anchorage or Fairbanks in the north, and Seattle or Vancouver in the south.  It’s a matter of personal opinion as to which is preferable but remember that the northern end of the trip involves a much longer flight.  Vancouver is closer to Mexico than it is to Anchorage and flying from Seattle to Fairbanks or Anchorage takes about 4 hours.  You’ll want to consider whether that longer day of air travel should be pre-vacation or on your way home.

LENGTH OF TRIP?  There really aren’t any Alaskan cruises shorter than 7 nights because of the huge distance you are covering.  The land extensions are an additional 3 days to 8 days.  If you’re going to Denali, keep in mind it is about an 8 hour trip by train or motor coach from the port, and the park itself is larger than Massachusetts.  If you choose a 3-day land extension, plan on spending most of that time on a bus just getting to and from the park.  The most common land extension is 5 nights, which makes for a more comfortable pace.

SEATTLE or VANCOUVER?  Both these cities are spectacular in their own way, but logistically, they are very similar.  Vancouver has a larger cruise ship port and airport, but Seattle is better served for domestic flights.  In both cases you will need a passport.  These two cities are only about 100 miles apart, so this should be your last criteria, after you’ve decided on all the ones above.

Today’s Travel Opportunities

Here are today’s travel opportunities with an example of each of the three modes of cruise ship travel mentioned above.

Celebrity

If you’re looking for a cost-effective way to see Alaska, on a medium-sized ship, then Celebrity could be the right choice for you.

1. Departing Vancouver on May 26, 2023 for 8-days
2. Visit Vancouver, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, and the Hubbard Glacier before finishing in Anchorage.
3. Veranda Rooms from $1740 per person including all drinks, on board gratuities, and Wi-Fi. 
4. Add a 5-night post-cruise land package to Denali for $1542 pp (Visit Alyeska, Denali, Talkeetna)

American Queen’s Ocean Victory

If you’d rather avoid the gift shoppes in the bigger Alaskan ports, and would rather get out in Alaskan nature, then American Queen’s Ocean Victory might be a good choice for you.

1. Departing Sitka May 15, 2023 for 13-days.
2. Visit Sitka, Endicott Arm, Tracy Arm, Kake & Frederick Sound, Petersburg, Wrangell, Misty Fjords, Ketchikan, Kynoch Inlet, and Vancouver
3. Window Staterooms from $5858 per person, and Balcony staterooms from $6258 pp.
4. Includes pre-cruise hotel night, open bar, unlimited kayaking and zodiac boating, Wi-Fi on the ship
5. $299 Air Supplement available.

SilverSea

If you like the traditional comfort of a luxury small ship, then SilverSea is currently offering a 2-category upgrade. 

1. Departing Anchorage on May 25, 2023 for 8-days
2. Visit Anchorage, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Ketchikan, before finishing in Vancouver
3. Window stateroom from $3550 per person and balcony staterooms from $3950 pp.
4. Add round-trip flights, and transfers (at your home airport, as well as in Alaska) for $1150 pp.
5. Includes open bar, gratuities on board, a shore excursion in every port, PLUS a $300 per person on board credit.

Quiet Season Mediterranean Flash Sale – FREE FLIGHTS

This one is hot off the presses – Viking is trying to fill up its last few rooms on some Mediterranean cruises this November and December 2022.  This is great if you’re looking for a getaway in the next few months, and you like Europe when it’s not completely overrun with tourists.  The Catch:  you must book by September 19, and payment in full will be due shortly after that. 

Rome to Barcelona – for 1 week.  Departures in November 2022

1. Visit Rome, Florence (Overnight), Monaco, Marseille, Montpellier, and Barcelona (overnight).
2. Veranda rooms from $2599 per person
3. INCLUDES round trip economy airfare

Athens to Rome – for 1 week in November 2022.

1. Visit Rome, Naples, Sicily, Crete, Ephesus, and Athens (overnight)
2. Veranda Rooms from $2999 per person
3. INCLUDES round trip economy airfare

Athens round-trip – for 11 days in December 2022

1. Visit Athens (overnight), Volos, Thessaloniki, Ephesus, Rhodes, Santorini, Crete, Nafplio.
2. Veranda Rooms from $3799 per person
3. INCLUDES round trip economy airfare

Remember the Viking price includes all taxes and fees, airport transfers, a shore excursion in every port, beer/wine with meals, and wifi on the ship.  The prices above are for a 270 square foot veranda stateroom.

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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 of the trends we’re seeing in 2022 is that people are taking longer vacations.  Part of this is certainly a hangover from the pandemic, but it could be a trend that is here to stay.  The event in 2020-21 (of which we shall not speak!) made people’s bucket list that much more urgent.

So how about a longer voyage?  I’m going to define this as anything longer than 30 days, right up to the 200-day world cruise in 2025 that Oceania is getting ready to offer for sale on Wednesday. 

Not everyone has the time or financial resources to cruise for weeks (or months) on end, but it might not be as expensive as it would first appear.  Most obviously, whatever amounts you spend on everyday living expenses like groceries and gas for your car should be deducted from the cost of these extended voyages.

Longer trips are also cheaper on a per-day basis.  For example, if you had two trips to Europe planned in subsequent years, and instead did them back-to-back, you save the round-trip airfare of one of those trips. 

Perhaps most important is that you just never know when opportunities will be taken away (as we’ve all learned in the past couple of years).

One of my personal regrets:  I’ve long wanted to travel the Volga River between Moscow and St. Petersburg – now I’m not hopeful for travel to Russia any time soon.

So, if you’d like to consider being away a bit longer, here are some of the opportunities we’re seeing.

World Cruise Segments – the cruise lines have figured out that not everyone can be away for 6 months at a time.  So, they release their world cruises, then a month or two later, they release sections of those cruises (based on how much space they have available).  We see people who have already spent a lot of time in Europe opt for these segments as they expand their travels to other parts of the world.  A couple of examples:

1. [NEWLY open for booking] Miami to San Diego on Oceania Insignia (180 days) – departing January 5, 2025. 
2. Travel eastward (a bit unusual for a world cruise).  Visit South America, then cross to Southern Africa, up to the Maldives and Seychelles, over to India, then to Asia and Western Australia, New Zealand, before heading to the Pacific Islands on the way home.
3. Overnight stays for the Amazon (Manaus), Rio de Janeiro, African Safari (Capetown), the Taj Mahal, Angkor Wat, Singapore, Bangkok, Saigon, and Terracotta Warriors (Shanghai), Auckland, Bora Bora, Papeete, and Honolulu.
4. Prices from $44,999 or $67,199 per person for a balcony on the 656 guest Oceania Sirena
5. Includes Gratuities, free laundry services, and shoreside events. 
6. Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale on Island Princess (97 Days) – Jan. 2024.
7. Sail westward to the Pacific Islands, Australia/New Zealand, the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean, and back to Florida.
8. Prices from $18,199.  Balconies from $26,799.

Trans-Pacific – We forget how big the Pacific Ocean is (for our discussion, let’s consider it to be approximately half the planet).  As such, it takes a while to travel across it.  We see such cruises in repositioning season – spring and fall, when the ships migrate to/from Alaska and the South Pacific.  The other time we see these itineraries is on the first segment of world cruises (which usually leave in January).

1. San Diego round-trip on HAL Volendam (94-nights) – departing January 3, 2024.
2. Visit Hawaii, Fiji, French Polynesia, Australia (19 stops in Australia, with overnights in Perth and Sydney), New Zealand and Tahiti.  This is a great chance to visit Down Under without the punishing flights.
3. Prices from $17,199 per person.
4. Los Angeles to Sydney on Seabourn Odyssey (47 nights) – departing October 21, 2023.
5. Visit Hawaii, Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia.
6. Prices start at $19,809 per person.  Remember, the entry level room on Seabourn is a 300 square foot suite.

River “World Cruises” – this is a new trend, but we’ve seen both AMA Waterways and Uniworld get in the game with multiple rivers, and the flights and logistics covered between ships.  AMA’s 7-River Journey for 2024 was just released; here are some details:

1. Amsterdam to Giurgiu, Romania (or reverse) on AMA Mora (49 days) – departing on April 22, 2024 (OR June 10, 2024).
2. Visit the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Moldova.
3. Prices start at $25,649 per person for a window room, or $30,051 pp for a French Balcony.
4. It all takes place on ONE vessel, so you only unpack once.  See our ship tour video of the AMA Mora here:  https://youtu.be/BCfmq1g4CaU

Australia Circumnavigation – we get asked about this quite often, and a few different companies do it.  It’s a minimum of 4 weeks, and if you like a lot of sea days, this a great option.  Australia is a huge country.  It’s about the same size as the lower 48, but with only 26 million people – so there’s lots of wide-open space between cities. 

1. Round-trip Sydney on Oceania Regatta (35 days) – departing December 21, 2023.
2. Prices start at $6899 per person ($9699 pp for a veranda)

South America – You can certainly take shorter cruises here, but the most interesting itineraries include both the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts, and maybe Antarctica.  Either way, you’re looking at thousands of miles, and as such, this takes some time.  Example:

1. Rio de Janeiro to Santiago on Oceania Marina (30 days) – departing January 8, 2023.
2. Visit Brazil, Argentina, Chilean Fjords, Patagonia
3. Prices start at $7099 per person ($9399 pp for a balcony)

Northwest Passage – I mentioned how big Australia is, and Canada is even bigger (about 30% larger than the Lower 48).  Only Russia is larger.  So, when you add the huge area of Alaska on to the Canadian North, it’s not a shock that this journey takes a month.  This cruise is near the top of my personal bucket list.

1. Reykjavik to Vancouver on Hurtigruten’s Fridtjof Nansen (27 days) – departing August 13, 2023.
2. Visit Iceland, Greenland, Nunavut Territory, Northwest Territory, Yukon Territory, and Alaska.
3. Prices from $26,569 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

As a child, I remember watching TV shows and being in awe that the President (and other rich and famous people) had mobile telephones in their cars. 

Today, many 5th graders from families of even marginal means run around with mobile phones far superior to anything the President had in the 1970s. 

This is how luxury products evolve. 

As it pertains to travel, here are a few things Bob and I have been experimenting with lately, which may have traditionally fallen into the “luxury” (translation: “out of reach for most people”) category:

Car Service – Uber has been an improvement over taxis (for the most part), but limo and sedan services have been around for decades.  Now a private sedan often costs only a few dollars more than a taxi (and it’s pretty cool to have someone standing at the airport baggage claim holding a sign with your name on it!). 

This isn’t only the case with local trips.  Recently, we used a car service to get between Seattle and Vancouver for a cruise.  The two cities are about 120 miles apart (and with an international border).  The car ride was about $300 total for the two of us – much less than two plane tickets… and much easier too, especially given how awful air travel is right now.

Luggage Service – You can have your bags shipped ahead to your hotel or cruise ship, and it is immensely easier than carting it to the airport, checking it in, and then waiting at baggage claim, hoping it actually arrived at your destination.  We recently used this service to ship a bag to Spain.  The cost was about $300, but you need to deduct from that the fee the airline would have charged to check the bag AND the expense and hassle-factor involved if the airline had lost that bag (a distinct possibility with the current state of the aviation biz).  We chose to do it because we were travelling in Morocco prior to our cruise, and the two trips required completely different clothes. 

Premium Economy Air – Note: we do not have this upgraded class of service domestically (this is NOT the first 3 rows of the economy section where they charge you an extra $100 for an extra inch of legroom).  Premium Economy is available on overseas flights and is the equivalent of Business Class domestically.  You get a wider seat, more leg room, priority check-in and boarding, and usually upgraded meals service and an extra checked bag. 

The cost: to Europe it’s usually between $800 and $1000 per person more than Economy.  Yes, this is a lot of money, but I’ve decided that $50 per hour is a reasonable price to ensure I’m NOT jammed into the economy section between two sumo wrestlers.

Airport Lounge Access – You get this if you fly Business Class, or if you possess certain credit cards.  However, in most cases you can also buy your way in.  The cost in US airports ranges between $50 and $75 per person, and if you’ve got a layover of more than 2 hours, it might be worth considering – especially if you think there’s a chance of taking a delay.  They’ll feed you in there, so you can deduct the extortionate cost of an airport lunch from whatever you pay to get into the lounge.

Private Shore Excursions – On our recent trip to Europe, we paid about $500 for a private shore excursion.  At first, it sounds like a lot of money, but when you consider there were four of us, and a similar group shore excursion would have cost about $150 each, it was actually cheaper on a per person basis to take the private excursion.  We felt it was great value.

Global Entry/Nexus – The cost for this service is about $50 for 5 years, and it allows you to use the priority airport screening lines in the United States and Canada, as well as expedited customs clearance.  To see the value in this, you only ONCE need to land right behind a 747 full of people coming in from Hong Kong.  Given the marginal cost, I’m really surprised more people don’t do this.

Private Airport Transfers – Many cruise line transfers are group transfers, meaning you might wait for 40 – 60 minutes until the bus is full enough to warrant a trip to the ship.  Given what they charge for these, often a private transfer might only be $20 or $30 more.  After you’ve been on plane for 6 or 8 hours, it’s sure nice to be whisked away to your destination without having to wait for others.

Private Aviation – OK – this one is still mostly the purview of the rich and famous.  However, if you’re travelling with a group of 6 or 8, and you were all going to fly commercially in business class, the cost would be very close to charter your own plane.  It’s certainly not cheap, but if the incremental cost is only a bit more, then it might make sense to at least consider a private plane.

Today’s Travel Opportunities

EXPLORA JOURNEYS

Explora Journeys is a brand-new luxury lifestyle brand, with their first journey scheduled for May 2023.  Bob and I are on the advisory board for Explora Journeys, passing along our ideas and feedback as high-producing travel advisors.  This has also allowed us to be among the first to hear about breaking news as it applies to Explora Journeys, and to share in the general excitement that comes with launching a new brand.

Check out this article we wrote about them a few weeks ago: https://pamperedcruiser.com/your-personal-invitation-to-meet-explora-journeys/

This is NOT just another cruise line.  Their goal is to re-define the luxury cruise category.  Explora surveyed more than 20,000 travellers (including a large proportion of non-cruisers) before they started imagining their ships.  As a result, you’ll notice the onboard spaces resemble those found in a luxury hotel, and there’s a striking absence of features commonly found on cruise ships (i.e. there’s no large theatre or “main dining room”).  Instead, you’ll find a comfortable “home at sea” with multiple specialty dining options, lounges, and bars.  You may never want to leave your suite though, because it’s so large and comfortable…. with a HUGE private sun terrace that brings you closer to the ocean.

These short videos explain it better than I can:

https://youtu.be/3eX62nXE0xw [what the suites are like]

https://youtu.be/2aWvlaZ4H_o  [what it’s like on board]

They’ve got some cool itineraries too.    The itineraries were designed to provide the perfect blend of celebrated destinations and less-travelled spots.  The way they do this is by embarking/disembarking in major ports (so guests have easy access to major airports) and then quickly going off the beaten path to smaller ports.  You’ll also see a lot of ‘overnights’ in ports where there’s a lot to do.

The itineraries are also arranged so you can “stack” them (at a discount) to create a longer journey… WITHOUT repeating any ports (see the examples below). 

Athens round-trip (6 nights):

1. Depart June 11th, 2023
2. Fares from $4600 per person for a suite with a terrace (veranda)
3. Visit Athens, Patmos, Bodrum, Kastellorizo, and Santorini (overnight)

Athens to Barcelona for (8 nights):

1. Depart June 17th, 2023
2. Fares from $5450 per person for a suite with a terrace (veranda)
3. Visit Mykonos (overnight), Gozo (Malta), and Ibiza (overnight)

COMBINE the 2 journeys above – Athens to Barcelona (14 nights):

1. Depart June 11th, 2023
2. Fares from $9500 per person for a suite with a terrace (veranda)

If Northern Europe is more appealing, here’s another combination:

London to Glasgow (9 nights):

1. Depart August 24th, 2023
2. Fares from $6050 per person for a suite with a terrace (veranda)
3. Visit Edinburgh (overnight), Newcastle, Invergordon, Stornoway, Greencastle (Ireland), and Liverpool.

Glasgow to Reykjavik (7 nights):

1. Depart September 2nd, 2023
2. Fares from $3950 per person for a suite with a terrace (veranda)
3. Visit Fort William (UK), Portree, Kirkwall, Shetland Islands, and Faroe Islands.

COMBINE the 2 journeys above – London to Reykjavik (16 nights):

1. Depart August 24th, 2023
2. Fares from $8950 per person for a suite with a terrace (veranda)

Click here for a full list of itineraries: https://explorajourneys.com/us/en.html

[Please DON’T book directly with Explora Journeys.  Allow me to make the reservation for you so I can add extra perks].

Note: you can save 10% on any voyage by paying in full up-front, rather than choosing the typical deposit + final payment option.

In contrast to other cruise lines, Explora’s pricing strategy is to INCREASE prices as the departure dates gets closer.  They want to reward people who book early.

EGYPT WITH UNIWORLD

We have seen a lot of interest in Egypt over the past several months, and 2023 departures are filling up quickly.  Uniworld has two ships on the Nile, and there’s still some space left for the first half of 2023.  

See itinerary details here:  https://pamperedcruiser.uniworld.com/us/river-cruise/egypt/nile/splendors-of-egypt-and-the-nile/2023-cairo-to-cairo

Prices (per person) for a French Balcony (12 days):

1. $6699 January
2. $6999 Feb/Mar
3. $6499 April
4. $6199 May

Includes:  2-nights pre-cruise in Cairo, and admission to the Egyptian Museum there; flight to Luxor to board the ship; 7-nights aboard; tours all along the route (conducted by an experienced Egyptologist); an authentic Felucca Ride and afternoon tea at Aswan flights back to Cairo for 2-nights post-cruise; and visits to the Sphinx and Pyramids at Giza.

There are also extensions available to visit Jordan OR the Red Sea.

WEBINAR INVITATION – OCEANIA 2025 “AROUND THE WORLD VOYAGE” PREVIEW

The folks at Oceania are getting ready to release the details of their 2025 World Cruise and Grand Voyages on September 7th.  It doesn’t go on sale until September 14th, but if you’d like a sneak preview, they are putting on a webinar for our clients and you’re invited.

Register here: https://ocievents.com/voyagepreview/register

[There are 4 events on Sept. 7th so you can choose the time that suits you best].

They’ll ask you, “Are You Working with a Travel Agency Advisor” [choose YES]

1. Advisor Name = Sue Bradley
2. Advisor Email = Sbradley@smartflyer.com

Here’s a little bit of information to hold you over:

1. The World Cruise departs Miami on January 5th, 2025, and sails for 180 or 200 days depending on where you choose to leave the ship.
2. If six months is too long, there are several Grand Voyages – meaning you can choose segments of this world cruise, sailing between 50 and 111 days.  Once again, Oceania is offering choice.
3. The world cruise (and Grand Voyages) vessel holds 680 guests – so a nice, intimate sized ship.
4. There will be visits to South America (including the Amazon), Africa, the Indian Ocean and SE Asia, Australia/New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands.

Register here: https://ocievents.com/voyagepreview/register

See you on the webinar!

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/pfbid0wzVLm6vSKGGyterg8QRpF2RBNr144VVvp2fyx4sc41KnZ3EQsv6ABsgLwbyqVvVhl

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

Last week Bob and I attended Virtuoso Travel Week, a huge international travel conference, to learn what’s new in the world of travel. 

Here’s a few quick tidbits, followed by how you can take advantage of some of this insider info:

1. First, some context:  The travel biz is divided into Business Travel and Leisure Travel.  By virtue of being connected to me and my business The Pampered Cruiser, you fall in the second category.  For the record, Business Travel is expected to take a LONG time to recover.  It seems that businesses have learned that Zoom meetings, while not perfect, are reasonably effective, and are much cheaper than flying people around the planet.
2. Leisure sales for 2022 now exceed 2019 levels, making it harder to find deals and discounts.  Leisure bookings for 2023 are outpacing 2019 by 47%.  That is a huge increase!
3. Outbound travel by Americans is 122% higher than in 2019.  This leads the world, although other countries are catching up.  It seems we are ready to get out there again, and air travel nightmares, heatwaves in Europe, and health scares are not deterring us.
4. 76% of travellers have accepted the “new normal”.  This means they’re ready to deal with the ambiguity and uncertainty to realize their vacation plans.  We have seen this in spades amongst our clients this summer – many have stories to tell, but they all seem to have a sense of humor about some of the travel disasters.
5. People are spending 34% more on average.  The higher spend is mostly a result of longer trips or upgraded offerings.  It’s difficult to know if this is a temporary phenomenon based on the fact they didn’t spend much money on travel during the pandemic, or if experiential travel will permanently be a higher priority.  Americans have always lagged other industrialized nations for vacation time, and even after retiring, Americans have historically taken shorter vacations.  This appears to be changing. 
6. The top 2022 summer destinations:  US (domestic travel), Italy, France, Canada, and Greece. 
7. Looking ahead to the fall, people are still travelling lots in the US, as well as Canada, Mexico, Italy, and France.

So, what to make of this? 

Cruise lines (both river and ocean) and land-tour companies started the year planning for reduced capacities, and they have slowly released more availability as the year has progressed.  This means we are seeing some solid deals for the balance of 2022, and the first quarter of 2023 (see examples below).

In September, we will begin to see marketing campaigns for Alaska and Europe for next summer.  We expect both markets to fill more quickly than normal.  The pent-up demand for travel will take another year to normalize, so if you have specific ideas in mind for 2023, I don’t think you need to panic, but you might want to start your research soon.

Today’s Travel Opportunities

All these offers expire on August 31st, so get in touch with us quickly if you’re interested.

Repositioning Cruise on Ocean Victory (Small Ship Expedition)

The word “expedition” puts some people off, but it really just means your shore activities are kayaking, zodiac boating, or light hiking.  If you can play a round of golf, climb 2 flights of stairs, and get in/out of a bathtub unassisted, then you’re physically fit enough for an expedition cruise.  It’s also a great way to experience a small ship – only 168 people on the Ocean Victory, that is repositioning from Alaska to Antarctica for the season.  Bob and I journeyed on the Ocean Victory and few months ago and fell in love with the ship.  Here’s a link to our ship tour video:  https://youtu.be/KVaMZC2oTrQ.  We are highlighting this repositioning cruise because it represents excellent value and a unique itinerary.

This Pacific Coast trip has two segments, and you can take either one (or both):

– Segment 1:  San Diego to Puerto Vallarta departing October 3, for 8-days.

1. Fares start at $2599 per person for a Veranda Stateroom.
2. Visit San Diego, Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, and Puerto Vallarta.

– Segment 2:  Puerto Vallarta to San Jose (Costa Rica) departing October 9 for 9-days:

1. Fares start at $2799 per person (ocean view); $2999 pp veranda.
2. Visit Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Huatulco, Puerto Chiapas, Playas del Coco, Puntarena

– Back-to-Back (Segments 1 AND 2):

1. 15-days from San Diego to San Jose, Costa Rica
2. Fares from $5099 per person (ocean view); $5999 pp veranda
3. Includes Round-trip Airfare, and a $300 per person on board credit

– Inclusions:

1. Pre-cruise hotel night in city of embarkation
2. Unlimited zodiac and kayak excursions
3. Open Bar
4. Wifi on the ship
5. Enrichment lectures and entertainment on board

Viking Expedition to Antarctica – Free Airfare!

1. 13-days with 6 days of scheduled landings on the continent.
2. Includes return flights from the US, daily landings, Wi-Fi, beer/wine with meals, all taxes & fees, transfers, expedition gear (so you can pack light)
3. Oct/Nov 2022 = $9,995 per person for a veranda room
4. Dec 2022/Jan/Feb 2023 = $11,995 per person (veranda)

River Cruising in the US with FREE Round-trip Air

(We’ve NEVER seen a free airfare promotion from American Queen Voyages before!)

– Lower Mississippi between New Orleans and Memphis

1. Depart select dates in 2023: February 26, April 2, 9, or 23.
2. Visit Memphis, Cleveland (Mississippi), Vicksburg, Natchez, Baton Rouge, St. Francisville Nottoway Plantation and New Orleans.
3. Veranda cabins start at $5098 per person, including free round-trip airfare.
4. Includes pre-cruise hotel night, unlimited shore excursions, open bar, and Wi-Fi on the ship.
5. Bob and I did this itinerary last fall on the American Queen and had a blast.  Here’s the link to our video:  https://youtu.be/HIfirwH0V5M

– Columbia/Snake Rivers between Portland OR, and Spokane WA:

1. Depart select dates in 2023: April 2, 9, 16, 23, or 30.
2. Visit Spokane (Clarkston), Richland, The Dalles, Stevenson, Camas/Washougal, Astoria, and Portland.
3. Veranda Cabins start at $3,698 including round-trip airfare.
4. Includes pre-cruise hotel night, unlimited shore excursions, open bar, and Wi-Fi on the ship.

AMA Waterways Free Air

Update to our post from last week:

AMA is extending and expanding the Free Air Offer to include several options for European River Cruises departing in March and April of 2023.  So if you’re not ready to go in 2022 (the original offer), then perhaps a river cruise early in the season would work better for you.

Here’s a link to last week’s post with more details: https://pamperedcruiser.com/get-free-flights-with-your-european-river-cruise/

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/pfbid03r8UQGegabg1tpJqWU6R7pbDy6ofigUMgoKd9n9GvpZRTpmPNNGJZuTaKiFvviufl

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