About 20 years ago, river cruising became the next big thing in travel.  It had been around previously in a limited capacity, but nothing like it is now.  About half the trips we book is on the river – and we are typical of many travel agencies.

Expedition cruising is in the same space from a market perspective that river cruising was a couple of decades ago.  People have heard of it, but most of our clients have not experienced an expedition cruise.

Part of this is awareness, and part of it is the word “expedition”.  It makes people feel they are not young or fit enough enjoy such a trip.  We need to come up with a better word than “expedition”, but until that happens, here’s a quick test you can take to assess whether you would be a good fit for an expedition cruise:

1. Are you between 55 and 75 (either chronologically, or at least in spirit)?
2. Can you climb two flights of stairs easily? (you’re allowed to be a bit winded)
3. Can you get in and out of a bathtub unassisted?
4. Are you curious about the earth and outdoors?

If you answered “yes” to all four of these, you are a good match for an expedition cruise.

In reality, the cruise lines have blurred the line between expedition cruise products and small ship luxury products.  All the expedition companies we deal with definitely qualify as luxury products as well.  You won’t be roughing it. You can expect a comfortable stateroom, gourmet meals, and luxury ship amenities like a spa, swimming pools and saunas, and with only a few hundred people on board.

In many ways, an expedition cruise is much more like a river cruise – one that just happens to take place on the oceans (or the Great Lakes, or the Amazon… but more on that in a minute).

Here’s a look at the companies with whom we book the most Expedition Cruises:

American Queen Voyages.  168 guests in Alaska.  See our ship tour video here:  https://youtu.be/KVaMZC2oTrQ

Celebrity Galapagos.  They have three ships there – the smallest holds 16, and the largest holds 100.

Hurtigruten.  They have the hybrid electric powered ships, as well as science lab, and plenty of luxury amenities too.  See our ship tour video here:  https://youtu.be/1L_ByDqhGR0

Seabourn.  Seabourn is best known for its small luxury ships, and the Seabourn Venture lives up the brand name, but with only 264 guests.  They also have kayaks, zodiacs and a submarine on board.

SilverSea.  SilverSea recently acquired the Crystal Endeavour, bringing its expedition fleet up to 5 vessels.  Masters of the luxury cruise, they use this expertise to bring added comfort for the expedition cruiser

Viking.  Viking is best known for its river product, but it has an ocean fleet of 9 vessels, and more recently added 2 expedition vessels to its fleet.  This combination of river and ocean experience will serve them well as they build their expedition market.  The Viking Octantis and Polaris each hold 378 guests.  There is a submarine available for guest use.

So… where can you go on one of these expedition ships?

1. Alaska
2. Amazon River
3. Antarctica
4. Galapagos Islands
5. The Great Lakes
6. Northwest Passage
7. Norwegian Coast
8. Pacific South America (incl. Patagonia)
9. West Africa
10. Some out-of-the-way tropical places during repositioning season

What can you do on board?

Kayak adventures.  You really don’t need any previous experience or special skills to paddle in a kayak. 

Zodiac boat rides. If you don’t want to paddle, and leave the driving to someone else.

Gentle hiking. Most of the “hiking” excursions are more of a walk (although there are more challenging optional hikes).

Submarine rides.

Participate in scientific research – most expedition companies have agreements with educational institutions, and research is being conducted on board.

Whale watching.

Snorkeling. Believe it or not, you can do this in both warm water destinations, and cold water ones as well.  We went snorkeling in Alaska a few years ago (with dry suits!), and it was spectacular. 

Lectures and enrichment. Learn about the ecology, geography, and wildlife of the land and sea life where you are travelling.

What you DON’T do. Shopping malls and tourist traps.

If you’ve been to a lot of other places, and want to try something new, OR you just really like being outside, then an expedition cruise might be next for you.  There’s no need to worry about being super-fit or active.  It’s more about your interest and frame of mind. 

Today’s Travel Opportunities

Already booked a Viking cruise? Please get in touch as soon as possible so I can add extra onboard credits to your existing reservation. Viking makes it really easy to book direct and often it makes sense to do that… but I want to make sure you’re getting all the extra perks you’re entitled to, just for being associated with my agency. I have access to exactly the same prices you’d receive by booking direct (including ‘invisible’ promotions), and in case you’re wondering, I do not charge any extra fees.

Panama Canal with Viking Expedition

The folks at Viking are offering some incentives to get on their expedition ships.  For expedition cruises booked between now and the end of the month, they’re throwing in Free Air, and the Silver Spirits Beverage Package. 

1. Sail from Fort Lauderdale to Santiago for 18-days.
2. Departures in March, April, September or October 2023 from $9995
3. Visit Cozumel, Colon, Manta (Ecuador), Lima, Iquiqui (Chile)
4. Includes round-trip air, transfers, Beverage Package, a shore excursion or expedition activity at each port of call, all equipment, and wifi on the ship.
5. The best priced room is a 215 square foot veranda with a King Bed.

South America and Patagonia with Viking Expedition

1. Sail between Santiago and Buenos Aires for 15-days.
2. Departures in February and March 2023 from $7995.
3. Visit Ushuaia, Chilean Glaciers (4 days), Punta Arenas, Chilean Fjords, Tortel (Chile), Castro (Chile).
4. Includes round-trip air, transfers, Beverage Package, a shore excursion or expedition activity at each port of call, all equipment, and wifi on the ship

Niagara & the Great Lakes with Viking Expedition

1. Sail between Toronto and Milwaukee for 8-days.
2. Departures in April 2023 from $5995
3. Visit Niagara Falls, Point Pelee, Detroit, Alpena MI, Mackinac Island. 
4. Includes round-trip air, transfers, Beverage Package, a shore excursion or expedition activity at each port of call, all equipment, and wifi on the ship

Circumnavigate Iceland with Hurtigruten

Sail round-trip from Reykjavik for 9-days/ Departures in May & June 2023 from $4797 pp.

Rather than list all the unpronounceable Icelandic port of call, here’s what you’ll get to do:

1. Wildlife: bird-watching, whales, dolphins, puffins
2. Activities: Glacial cave tour, photography, hot springs, kayaking, zodiac boats, museum visits
3. Take Photos of: ice-capped volcanoes, wildlife, waterfalls
4. Visit:  fishing villages, black sand beaches, botanical gardens, the Blue Lagoon

Warm-water Expedition with Hurtigruten

1. Sail from Puntarenas (Costa Rica) to Puerto Vallarta (Mexico) for 9-days.
2. Sail on board the world’s first hybrid electric cruise ship, the Roald Amundsen.
3. Departure in April 2023 from $3987.
4. Visit Nicaragua (San Juan del Sur, Leon), El Salvador, Puerto Chiapas (Mexico), and Huatulco NP.

Alaska with American Queen Voyages

Sail between Vancouver and Sitka for 12-days in May 2023 from $4699

You haven’t heard of most of the port stops between Vancouver and Sitka, so here’s what you’ll be doing:

1. Wildlife: Eagles, whales, orcas, dolphins, grizzlys, black bears, moose, sea lions, mink, river otters.
2. Activities: Photography, bird-watching, kayaking, zodiac boats, walks in the old-growth rain forest, bike ride through Stanley Park (Vancouver).
3. Take Photos of: Ice-capped volcanoes, wildlife, waterfalls (lots of them!), totem poles, tide-water glaciers (calving into the sea).
4. Visit:  Fishing villages, and the very spot where Russia turned over Alaska to USA

Includes pre-cruise hotel night in Vancouver, open bar, shore excursion or expedition activity in every port of call.

Galapagos Islands on Celebrity Flora

Baltra round trip for 8-days from $9550 pp. Machu Picchu extensions available.

1. Wildlife: Sea lions, pelicans, blue-footed boobies, tropical birds, sea turtles, finches, mockingbirds, albatross, flamingo, pintail ducks, iguanas, stingrays, sharks, penguins, fur seals, sunfish, surgeonfish,
2. Activities: Photography, bird-watching, snorkeling, swimming, walking, zodiac boats,
3. Take Photos of:  Volcanic cones, green-sand beach, geysers, wildlife, lava flows, mangroves, underwater reefs, cactus,
4. Visit:  Charles Darwin Research Station, Tortoise breeding center.

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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

Bob here.  Normally you get to hear from Sue in these messages – but today you’re getting the B-team (“B” stands for Bob – thank you for asking).

Today is my dad’s 80th birthday.  I’m struggling a bit with how to best mark the occasion, because he passed away 13 years ago.  I miss him every day, but the pain and shock of having lost him suddenly at 67 years-old has eased in the intervening years, so my thoughts here are less about mourning him, and more about reminding myself about what can be learned from his life (and his death).

Fifteen years ago, Sue and I found ourselves at a transitionary point in our lives, so we put our things in storage and lived in Mexico for the year.  Upon our return, we ended living in my parents’ house for several months, as we completed construction on our new home. 

My parents wouldn’t take any rent money from us, so we needed a way to recognize them for having put up with us for 3 months.  This was before Sue and I created the travel business, but sending my parents on a nice trip seemed like a natural idea (what else do you get people that have everything, besides experiences?)

My mom had Greece on her bucket list, and my dad mentioned that he had never been to Monaco.  This was a bit of a shocker – he was in the Merchant Marines for two years in the 1960s and had been to almost every country that touched salt water.

Now my mission was clear.  I need a trip for them that included both Monaco and Greece.  The distance between these two countries necessarily meant I would be looking at a cruise.  On a whim, Sue and I (and our young – at the time – son) decided to join them.

We spent two weeks in Europe, ticking off stops on my parents’ bucket list, and creating memories to last a lifetime.  Those memories became that much more cherished when my dad died a few months later.

My mom and dad did some travelling before my dad died, and they always did lots of things with their kids, and their grandchildren.  However, it’s fair to say that with my dad having passed away in his mid 60s, there were many trips not yet taken, and many memories not created.  My mom has carried on, and bravely created her own memories, and realized yet more ticks for her own bucket list.  But it often feels like there is an empty seat – even this many years later.

I learned many things from my dad, but perhaps the most important lesson is to do the things you want to do, with the people that are important to you… and do those things NOW. 

For many of us, travel is one of those critically important things.  As Sue and I transition through middle age (where time is infinite), and more towards retirement and grand-parenting age (where you have more leisure time, but are unsure of HOW MUCH of it you’ll get), we’re looking closely at our own bucket list.

Because we’re in the travel-trade, we are fortunate to get many travel opportunities.  What has become more urgent is travelling with our family and close friends while everyone is able to do so.

I have a few years yet before I reach the age my dad was when he passed away.  I plan to live longer than he was able to, but I don’t control that, so my goal now is to create those memories with important people without delay. 

Because when your number’s up, it’s up.

Today’s Travel Opportunities

Today I thought I’d highlight trips that would be great for multi-generational groups.  The floating amusement parks that operate out of Florida do a great job of this.  However, instead of highlighting those, I picked four trips that I think my dad would have really liked to have done with his kids and grandchildren if he’d had the chance to do so:

ALASKA

1. 7-nights round-trip from Vancouver in July 2023 on board Celebrity Eclipse. 
2. This ship has children’s and teens’ programming, so there are activities and designated places for them on the ship.
3. Visit Icy Strait Point (and experience the world’s longest zip-line), Juneau (to go dog-sledding at the top of the glacier), Hubbard Glacier (to watch the tide-water glacier calve into the sea), Ketchikan (to take in a logger’s show).
4. Extend your stay in Vancouver for a few days, and take in the West Coast vibe, go for a walk in the rainforest, or just hang out on the beach. 
5. Balcony rooms start at $1250 per person.  Four departures in July 2023

LOWER MISSISSIPPI CRUISE

1. 7-nights between Memphis and New Orleans in March 2023.
2. This is an opportunity to share the history, culture, food, and music of the American South with your kids and/or grandchildren.
3. The American Queen has adjoining inside and balcony rooms – making this a great option for families and multi-generational groups.
4. Fare includes pre-cruise hotel night, unlimited shore excursions, open bar, and wifi on the ship.  Fares in March 2023 start at $2199 per person.
5. This one is pure Americana – and paddle wheelers are really cool!  You can take your kids to the engine room to check out how it all works.

MEDITERRANEAN ON THE WORLD’S LARGEST SAILING SHIP!

1. 12-days between Rome and Venice in August 2023.
2. Expose your kids and/or grandchildren to the ancient Roman ruins, Greek ruins, the spectacular shoreline of Croatia and Montenegro, as well as everything that Rome and Venice have to offer.
3. You’ll travel on the 225 passenger Royal Clipper.  On board, you can help the crew trim the sails, or use the water sports platform right on the ship.  This one has all the charms of a small sailing vessel, but with cruise ship amenities like a pool, spa, library, and fitness center. 
4. Depart Aug 1, 2023 from Rome starting at $3070 per person.

EGYPT

1. 12-days round-trip from Cairo in December 2023.
2. Visit the Great Pyramids and Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum, the Valley of the Kings, go sand dune boarding, and take a felucca boat ride on the Nile. 
3. On three sailings in December, there will be specific activities planned for children both on board the ship, and ashore – including the opportunity to meet some local children. 
4. You’ll visit 12 UNESCO World Heritage sites on this trip – each with unique perspectives for children and teens.
5. Depart December 16, 23, or 30 (2023) starting at $6399 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

A couple of weeks ago, a bunch State Government Attorneys General (38 of them!) petitioned Congress to allow them to punish the airlines for their bad behavior.  On the surface, this looks like a good idea, and it likely has overwhelming political appeal.  

I’m not sure it will make any difference.

The airlines in the United States were deregulated in the late 1970s, and it’s been a bit of free-for-all ever since.  It is tempting to believe that tightening regulation will improve the insult that air travel has become.

However, consider the fact that the Europeans (and just about every other advanced economy), has far more stringent airline regulations than we have, and they are struggling too. 

Closer to home, Canada (with whom we exchange more air traffic than anyone) has strong consumer protection regulation for airline customers, and their two largest carriers (Air Canada and Westjet), both had performance records WORSE than American, Delta and United at the peak of the summer’s air travel woes.

I am not opposed to better regulation… I’m simply stating that people will be disappointed if they think that alone will remedy all that ails the industry.

So, what do we do?

In the longer term, we should seriously examine the regulatory framework for air travel.  We should also pressure the airlines to tell us how they are going to self-correct out of the current mess.  We also need to give the labor market time to return to normal (we are still recovering from the pandemic in this regard).  For domestic and Canadian travel, we should also encourage much better train service.  Compared to what the Europeans are doing on the rails, North America is second-rate and third world.

In the short term, we’re going to have to put up with frequent schedule changes, lost luggage, and flight delays.  Here’s my attempt at an Airline Survival Guide (to be used until further notice):

Expect Problems – and be pleasantly surprised when it goes well.  I’m a bit baffled by people who have been surprised by their air-related disasters in the past few months.  This is a well-known problem, and you are not exempt.  For the record, your favorite airline is statistically just as bad as the airline you hate.

Build in Buffers – Get to the airport early and take a book to read if you end up in a long line.  If you’re boarding a ship, go at least one day early.  The relatively small price of a hotel will save you a lot of stress.

Get TSA Pre-Check, Global Entry, or Nexus – Ideally you would have this already, because there are delays to getting these right now.  If you leave the country once a year, then one of these programs is worth it.

Pack Light – ideally go with carry-on luggage only.  Wear your most bulky clothes, and pack light clothes that you can easily wash while you’re away.

Ship Your Luggage – if you’re unable to pack light, there are awesome services that will ship your bags to your destination (or to a cruise ship).

Consider Premium Economy or Business Class – the extra space on the plane is nice, but when you pay more, you also get priority service at airport check-in, screening, and lounge access if you take a delay.  It will cost more, but for some people the value is definitely there.

Get a Hotel and Wait for the Airline to Sort it out if things go horribly wrong.  If you booked flights through a cruise line, call the cruise line while you’re standing in the airline’s queue, so you can hedge your bets.

Use an Electronic Kiosk or Airline App for rescheduling flights when you’re in transit.  For example, we were flying through Frankfurt in the summer and our plane arrived late enough that we missed the connection.  Rather than stand in Lufthansa’s line-up (that was 20 deep), we punched our reservation code into one of their self-serve kiosks, and it spat out 2 new boarding passes for the next flight to our destination.  People don’t like to hear this, but often the best course of action when you miss a plane is to do nothing and simply wait for the airline to reschedule your flight.

Have Trip Interruption Insurance – if you lose a bag, or if you have to overnight unexpectedly, it nice to have someone else pay for.  You can chase the airline to compensate you, but don’t count on getting much action in any timely fashion.

Use Air Tags – half the problem when your bags go missing is not having any idea where they are.  Apple Air Tags can allow you to direct the airline as to where to look for your bags (ie: look downstairs at THIS airport, OR please get someone at my home airport to put my bags on the next plane).  Ideally the airline would already know this (but they often don’t).

Don’t be a Jackass.  Airline employees are at their limit – there’s not enough of them, and ones that do show up are overworked.  Be mad at their bosses if you want, but the best way to make sure you’ll get NO discretionary effort is to be nasty to the front-line employees.

Bob and I have flown 6 times so far this year (twice domestically and four times internationally), and we haven’t yet lost any bags, and only had one significant flight delay.  There is some luck involved here, but statistically airline on-time departure performance is above 80%.  This is still horrible, but it does mean you have a 4 out of 5 chance of getting to where you’re supposed to be on time. 

The only thing I know for sure is that this is NOT a problem that will be solved quickly – so plan accordingly.

Today’s Travel Opportunities

People have been asking about things coming up in the next few months, for here’s a few ideas if you want to travel in a specific month:

NOVEMBER 2022

Douro River (Portugal/Spain) with Uniworld

1. 7-nights round-trip from Porto.  Extensions to Lisbon available.
2. Get the urban experience of Porto; visit the wine making regions in the Douro Valley; check out local archeological sites; explore medieval castles.
3. $4549 per person.  Includes transfers, choices of shore excursions in every port, open bar, gratuities, and wifi on the ship.

DECEMBER 2022

Holidays on the Mississippi River with American Queen Voyages

1. 7-nights between New Orleans and Memphis.  Package includes pre-cruise hotel night, and flights from most major gateways
2. Visit Helena, Vicksburg, Natchez, St. Francisville, Baton Rouge & the Nottoway Plantation.
3. $3098 per person for a veranda room.  Includes all taxes & fees, round-trip air, shore excursions in every port, open bar, and wifi on the ship.

JANUARY 2023

Antarctic Explorer with Viking Expedition

1. 13-days from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia.  Includes flights from the US.
2. $14,995 per person.  Includes all taxes & fees, air, transfers, landing/shore excursion at each port, beer/wine with meals, speciality dining, kayaks, zodiacs, expedition gear.

FEBRUARY 2023

Carnivale in Rio with Azamara

1. 15-nights round-trip from Buenos Aires.  This allows you to visit Rio during Carnivale and stay on board a ship instead of a pricey hotel.  It’s also easier to fly in and out of Buenos Aires.
2. Visit Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Sao Paulo, Ilhabela (Brazil), Parati (Brazil), Rio de Janeiro (3 days), Punta del Este (Uruguay)
3. Prices from $2599 per person (window), or $3999 pp (veranda)
4. Includes open bar, gratuities, some shore events, and wifi on the ship.

MARCH 2023

Panama Canal and South America with Viking

1. 18-days from Fort Lauderdale to Santiago, Chile
2. Visit Cozumel, Colon, Panama Canal (full transit), Manta (Ecuador), Lima, Iquique (Chile)
3. Prices start at $9995 per person.  Includes round-trip flights, all taxes & fees, transfers, shore excursion in every port, open bar, and wifi on the ship.

Caribbean with Oceania

1. 10-days round-trip Miami
2. Visit Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St. Barts, Dominica, St. Vincent, St. Kitts,
3. Prices start at $3199 per person (window) and $3599 pp (veranda).

APRIL 2023

Great Lakes and Niagara with Viking

1. 7-nights between Toronto and Milwaukee
2. Visit Niagara Falls, Point Pelee, Detroit, Alpena (MI), Mackinac Island
3. $5995 per person.  Includes all taxes/fees, air, transfers, open bar, an excursion in every port, wifi on the ship.

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If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here or call 800-876-0168 to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

“Oo-EE, Oo-EE, baby” – with apologies to Herman’s Hermits

If you’ve been following us on Facebook, you’ll know we just finished up a land-tour of Newfoundland and Labrador.  If you’ve missed it, here’s a link to our Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/

We’ve gotten to calling packaged land tours a “Land Cruise”.  There are a few reasons for this:

1. Our cruise clients like the idea of someone taking care of logistics for land trips, from start to finish.
2. They like to be busy, with lots of options for activities, and seeing several different places in one trip.
3. They like moving from one place to another, so the scenery and activities change daily.
4. They like to pay once, and have most things included.
5. They like to learn and interact with the local people where they travel.
6. They like to travel with other like-minded individuals and make friends to last a lifetime.
7. They like entertainment, lectures and learning experiences.

All the things people love about ocean and river cruising are available on Land Tours; you just need to know where to look.

There are even more Land Cruise providers than there are cruise lines, so here are some of the questions you’ll need to consider when choosing a land-tour provider:

1. HOTELS:  The quality of places you prefer to stay e.g. 3-star, 4-star, 5-star
2. PACE:  Are you in each place for 1 night, 2 nights or longer?  This will make a big difference in how you experience the destination.  You also need to decide how much packing and unpacking you wish to do (one distinct advantage to cruising).
3. INCLUSIONS:  Are meals and drinks included?  How about excursions (those optional activities just like on a cruise).
4. SIZE OF GROUP:  this ranges between 8 and 52 people. 

The price point on land-tours is as varied as we see on ships, and it is based on the variables mentioned above.

Here are some Land Cruises that may interest you.

Morocco 15-days

Bob and I did a variation of this tour early in 2022 , and this is a country everyone needs to visit.  Here are the details:

1. Visit the Medina in Casablanca, Meknes, Fes, Erfoud, the Saharan village of Merzouga (where you go for a camel ride!), Dades, Ait Benhaddou (you’ve seen this ancient casbah in many different Hollywood movies), Ouirgane (in the High Atlas Mountains), and Marrakech.
2. Camel riding, cooking classes, rug weaving demonstrations, and exposure to local people and merchants in the Medinas is a key part of this experience.
3. Departures in all months ranging between $3186 and $4030 per person.
4. Includes all transportation within Morocco, accommodation, most meals, attraction entrance fees,

Mount Rushmore and the Badlands – 7 days

This is a trip you could drive and do on your own, but you’ll probably get more out of it if you had a guide.  On this trip, you stay in Rapid City for a week (so you only unpack once!), and do day trips to take in the surrounding sites:

1. Visit Rapid City, Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Badlands NP, Deadwood, Custer State Park, Devil’s Tower National Monument,
2. Meet a Native American Chronicler to learn about the Lakota way of life, dinner and Western Show, and do a Buffalo Safari
3. Departures May through October ranging between $1999 and $2299 per person
4. Includes all accommodation and transportation, most meals, entrance fees

Britain & Ireland – 15 days

1. Visit London, Stratford upon Avon, York, Durham, Edinburgh, St. Andrew’s, Inverness, The Lakes District, North Wales, Dublin, Kildare, Killarney, Ring of Kerry, Waterford, Cardiff, Bath, Stonehenge
2. Departures April through September ranging between $4275 and $4850 per person.
3. Includes all accommodation and transportation, some meals, attraction entrance fees.

Iceland  – 9 days

1. Visit Reykjavik, the Golden Circle (Gullfoss Waterfall, Geysir Thermal area, Thingvellir NP, Stykkisholmur, Vik (Geothermal power station, and Lava Exhibition Center), Skaftafell NP & Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon, the Blue Lagoon. 
2. Departures April through September ranging between $2999 and $3899.
3. Includes all accommodations and transportation within Iceland, most meals, attraction entrance fees.

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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

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