One thing that distinguishes Americans from Europeans (and Aussies, Kiwis and Canadians) is that we tend to take vacation blocks in 2-week intervals or less.  This is mostly because we get less paid vacation time than our peers in other countries.  However, once you reach a certain age, then you might have more time off, you might have more flexible work arrangements, or you might be retired.

And you’re still only taking 2-week blocks of time away.  It seems old habits die hard.

However, the pandemic has made many of us more willing to look at longer vacation options.  We’ve had a number of clients reach out to us recently to book trips to Europe that comprise of 2 or even 3 cruises, with some land tour options in between. 

Part of this is undoubtedly frustration from being unable to travel during the past 2 years, but it makes infinite sense in a world where air travel has become more challenging and expensive.  Getting to Europe is commitment of both time and money, so why not maximize your time there?

Some people really don’t like being away from home for more than 10 days or 2 weeks, and I would never attempt to talk any of those people out of that preference. 

However, if you are able to manage your domestic obligations while being abroad for a longer stay, I suggest that you try and make this happen.

Several of our clients are planning to be away for 3-6 weeks this summer.  For example:

• 7-day Rhine River cruise from Amsterdam to Basel (with pre- and post- cruise hotel packages) + transfer to Zurich for 3 nights + a one-week Switzerland-intensive guided land tour.  [That’s you, Tom]
• 7-day Rhine River cruise + 14-day “Grand European” river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest + 7-day Danube River cruise with a pre-cruise stay in Prague and a post-cruise stay in Paris.  Friends are joining along for various segments of the trip.  [That’s you, Fran]
• 25-day Ocean cruise from San Juan, PR to Venice Italy + 7-day Ocean cruise home from Southampton to New York, with independent travel in between. [That’s you, Mary]

This is one way to get even with the pandemic!

Today’s Travel Opportunities

American Queen – Companion Sails Free

For those ready to travel in the next couple of months, American Queen has a compelling offer on selected voyages:  The second guest in the room sails free.  This is one of those offers where you’ll have to be flexible about dates and stateroom type because availability is tight.  However, if you wanted to travel on one of the following departures in 2022, this offer is pretty hard to beat:

• Memphis to Louisville:  June 13, 20, July 2, 9
• Memphis to New Orleans:  June 12, 19, 26
• St. Louis to Minneapolis:  July 23, 25, 30

Remember that American Queen fares include a pre-cruise hotel night, unlimited shore excursions, an open bar, Wi-Fi on the ship, and fantastic entertainment.  Maybe it’s time to explore your own country this summer?

Uniworld Family River Cruise Sailings

We often get inquiries from people that want to take children or grandchildren on a river cruise, so they can expose these young people to the wonders of Europe.  In normal circumstances, river ships might not be the most family-friendly environment, so we look for sailings like this. 

How is it different from a regular river cruise?

• There will be other families and children on board… peers matter a LOT at this age!
• Shore excursions and ship activities will be more geared to children and teens.
• Menus will be adjusted to accommodate younger people that may not fully appreciate the delights of fois gras with balsamic reduction (for example).
• Family hosts will be on board to help entertain children and teens.
• A youth lounge is set up on the ship.

Here are some examples:

• Milan to Venice 10-days departing July 1, 2022.  Fares start at $3699 pp based on double occupancy.
• Basel to Amsterdam 8-days departing June 25, July 2, 9.  Fares start at $3999 pp based on double occupancy.
• Vienna to Prague 10-days departing June 29, July 8, July 27.  Fares start at $3999 pp based on double occupancy.

The prices above are the going rates for adults.  On designated family cruises, guests aged 4 – 17 get a 25% discount.  

BONUS:  On top of that, book any July – Aug 2022 Uniworld cruise through us and get an exclusive $250 pp discount (book by May 30th – does NOT have to be a family cruise).  

No matter which Uniworld cruise you choose, you’ll always receive a $200 pp onboard credit just for booking through us (you won’t receive the exclusive $250 pp discount or onboard credit if you book directly with Uniworld).  When you layer all these offers on top of each other, the value is quite compelling. 

Check out Uniworld Cruises here: https://pamperedcruiser.uniworld.com/us

Oceania Ultimate O-Life Sale Ends May 20th

With Oceania you normally get to choose one of the following perks: Beverage Package, free Shore Excursions, or an on-board credit.  On selected sailings (46 of them!) you get all three goodies (book by May 20).

Here’s the link directly to the Oceania Website if you want to browse the sailings, but remember to contact us for booking:

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/special-offers/olife-ultimate/

Here’s a few that caught my eye:

• Paris to New York departing August 27 for 14-days.
  • Inside rooms from $4549.  Balcony rooms from $5599
  • Includes AIR, beverage package, 8 shore excursions, and an $800 on board cabin credit
• Rome to Barcelona departing September 26 for 7-days
  • Balcony rooms from $4199
  • Includes AIR, beverage package, 4 shore excursions, and a $400 on board cabin credit
• Miami round-trip departing December 17 for 11-days.
  • Inside rooms from $3599, Veranda rooms from $4999
  • Includes AIR, beverage package, 6 shore excursions, and a $600 on board cabin credit

Viking Flash Sale for Asia (4 days – ends May 16th)

Flying to Asia can be expensive, and even the discounted cost through Viking is normally $1000+ per person.  For a limited time, you get FREE airfare, complimentary Silver Spirits Beverage Package, and $500 onboard credit!

Choose from 4 itineraries:

1. “Southeast Asia and Hong Kong” (15 days, Hong Kong to Bangkok – Oct. 27th, 2022 departure)
2. “Across the Bay of Bengal” (16 days, Mumbai to Bangkok – Nov. 14th, 2022 departure)
3. “Bangkok, Bali & Beyond” (13 days, Bangkok to Bali – Nov. 29th, 2022 departure)
4. “Komodo & the Australian Coast” (17 days, Bali to Sydney – Dec. 11th, 2022 departure)

Click the links above for more details about each itinerary.  Remember to disregard the listed cost of flights because if you book through us by May 16th you’ll get FREE airfare included in the price.

Why not get even with the Pandemic and combine two or more of these itineraries?

Remember, any time you book a Viking cruise through us, you’ll get an extra $100 per person onboard credit in addition to any discounts and/or perks offered by Viking. If you recently booked directly with Viking so we can get the onboard credits added to your existing reservation.

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/3277719799177178

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 few of our clients have asked if planning travel for 2022 is completely futile at this point.  They’ve heard horror stories of trips being completely sold out, or with significantly reduced availability. 

For example, Egypt river cruises are extremely popular right now, and I’ve been struggling to find clients availability.

Those having trouble finding what they want right now are people travelling with groups of 6 or more and with very specific dates in mind.  Clients in this situation are booking into 2024 to get what they want (Egypt, for example).

If you’re looking for just one or two staterooms on a cruise OR the equivalent on a land tour, you can still travel in 2022 if you haven’t already secured a reservation.

Here are some of our observations about dealing with the high demand for travel products:

1. Plan Ahead.  It goes without saying that the sooner you make your plans, the more likely you are to get everything you want.
2. Be Contrarian.  If you want to travel over Christmas or Spring Break, you’ll be competing with many more tourists.  Consider travelling slightly off season (for whatever product you’re considering), and you’ll have more options.  You’ll probably save some money too.
3. Be Flexible.  For some reason known only to the travel gods, east-bound river cruises in Europe sell faster than westbound (even though the itinerary is identical).  It makes sense to look at both directions.  On the ocean, round-trip ocean cruises sell faster than ships that embark and disembark in different locations.  The only explanation I can think of is that in the old days, round-trip air was much cheaper than open-jaw itineraries.  This is no longer the case.
4. Watch Cancellations.  The cruise lines make it very easy to book a trip, with little money down, and little in the way of cancellation penalties up to about 4 months prior to travel.  It’s right about this time that we see spots open up.  People like to have trips on the books, but when they have either make their final payment OR enter the penalty phase is when we find out if they are serious.  Some are not, and those spaces open up.  Some cruise lines and tour operators maintain wait lists.  Others do not, so you have to be looking. 
5. Extra Space is now Open.  When the cruise lines first came back into service about a year ago, many were only loading to 50% capacity.  As conditions improve, the cruise lines will have higher load factors, so more cabins are opening up.  If it was sold out two months ago, it might be different now.
6. Look at Domestic Options.  In 2020 and 2021, clients were mostly choosing domestic travel, and availability was really tight.  Things have lightened up a bit now, so availability is better.  For example, if you want to go to Alaska this summer, there is good availability for departure dates in May through September.

Today’s Travel Opportunities

Douro River in Portugal with AMA Waterways – FLIGHTS included

AMA just opened up 7 additional sailings for November and December 2022.  This itinerary was largely sold out across all the river cruise lines, so this represents a real opportunity.

1. Visit Mateus Palace, do a wine tasting at Pinhao, sample port wine in Porto, and enjoy the food and scenery in Portugal and Spain.
2. Prices start at $5499 per person for a French Balcony stateroom on Nov/Dec. 2022 departure dates.
3. AMA includes a shore excursion in every port, beer/wine with meals, onboard fitness and wellness classes, Wi-Fi on the ship, flights, and airport transfers.

SilverSea Alaska or Baltics – 50% OFF Second Suite

This is a great opportunity to explore with friends or plan a multi-generational family reunion this summer.  Book by May 31st and save 50% on the second suite. Here are a couple of examples.

1. Alaska:
2. 7-nights from Anchorage to Vancouver departing June 30th.  There are other departures in July and August as well.
3. Window suites from $3950, and Veranda Suites from $4450
4. Baltic Sea:
5. 7-nights from Stockholm departing June 28th.  Other departures are available in August.
6. Visit Talinn, Helsinki, Riga, Visby, Gdansk, and finish in Copenhagen.
7. Window suites for $2950 per person, and Veranda Suites from $3250 pp
8. These prices are for the first suite (save 50% on the second suite).
9. SilverSea prices includes airport transfers, shore excursions, all beverages on the ship, unlimited Wi-Fi, and gratuities. 

Viking River and Ocean Cruises

The folks at Viking have created a marketing machine, and as more travel continues to open up, Viking is ramping up their marketing even further.  In addition to their publicly visible advertising, Viking also does micro-targeted promotions – meaning they will send a particular promotion to a very small group of people – applicable only to them.  These promotions represent some terrific value, and you are wise to take advantage of these if you receive them. 

Please keep in mind that we can improve on ANY offer you get from Viking.  We can get you a minimum $100 per person on board credit on ANY Viking cruise, in addition to any discount or promotional codes they send you directly (or that you see on their website).  I’m pointing this out because multiple times just this week I’ve been asked by clients whether they need to book directly with Viking to get the deal that’s being offered.  I really appreciate those who asked!  But it also means there are many more of you out there who are under the impression that you must book directly with Viking to get the discounted price or extra perks.

If you’re considering a Viking Cruise (or recently booked direct) please get in touch as soon as possible.  We can often get you a discounted price or extra perks that are NOT visible on the Viking website.  You’ll want to act quickly, because some promotions end May 10th (others end later in the month) and availability can be tight.

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/3273037042978787

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

Maybe you were client of Crystal Cruises, or maybe you just heard about their untimely demise in the news a few months ago. 

Either way, when Crystal ceased operations, it became the poster child for the carnage of the pandemic.

Many other businesses failed due to the devastating economic effects of covid 19.  The overwhelming majority of such businesses were small, mom & pop shoppes… and the most substantial economic damage was in other countries – those much more dependent on tourism, and far less able to absorb such economic shocks.

What can we learn from all of this?

Do it Now.

Before the pandemic, most people would express some realization of their own mortality – wanting to do some travel while they were still able to do so.

The pandemic taught us that it is not only our own fragility that potentially limits our options. 

More recently, we’ve learned that you never know when a political event like the invasion of Ukraine will take away travel options. 

The lesson:  Do it now… you never know when opportunities will be taken away.

To illustrate exactly how quickly things change, Bob and I were invited on the Crystal Cruises private jet, Crystal Skye just weeks before the pandemic that led to Crystal’s demise.  The world’s largest private jet – owned by a cruise company that we fully expected to be around forever.  Here’s a link to our YouTube video on that unique plane ride: https://youtu.be/4YaJcEpBsSc.  Apparently, we’ll never get to do that again!

Insure Your Trip

Vendor insolvency is a standard clause in most travel insurance policies.  It’s also something people never think they’ll need.  Many Crystal clients were paid in full at the time of the company’s demise, and there is very little chance of recovering any money without filing an insurance claim.  Insurance is one of those things that some people never think they need… until they need it. 

Tourism is an Important Economic Driver

Travel and tourism is responsible for about 1 out of every 10 American jobs.  This puts it in the top 5 industries in the country by size and equates to tens of millions of jobs.  Now think about some lower latitude countries, where travel and tourism counts for more than one in five jobs – and those countries were not able to offer any form of government assistance to those impacted by the pandemic.  For those of us from western nations with the means to travel, the most effective way to help people in less fortunate countries is to visit there.

Is Crystal Really Dead?

In its current configuration – yes, it is dead.  However, it is an incredibly strong brand with the most loyal clients in the business.  There have been at least two attempts to buy the brand (or parts of it), but so far, those takeovers have not been successful. 

Part of the complexity is a result of Crystal’s parent company being based in Hong Kong.  The Chinese business culture is far less transparent than we are used to, so it’s difficult to make predictions.  The other contributing factor is that the bankruptcy is taking place across several countries.

At the very least, someone will buy up the Crystal ships – and Crystal clients will at least be able to go back and visit their favorites – even if they might have a different name on them. 

Today’s Travel Opportunities

Iceland with Hurtigruten: 20% off Select Departures + Air Credit

Iceland was one of the first countries to re-open last year after the pandemic, and those who visited came back raving about the scenery and the people.

Hurtigruten has 8 departures in 2022 and 2023 for Iceland.  Here’s one example for each year:

1. June 17, 2022.  Prices starting at $4906 per person and includes a $500 air credit.
2. May 13, 2023:  Prices starting at $4406 per person and includes a $500 air credit.

You’ll travel round-trip Reykjavik for 9 days on board the Fridtjof Nansen:

1. This revolutionary hybrid battery powered cruise ship was launched in 2020, just in time NOT to sail for 18 months.  She holds 528 passengers and is the perfect combination of luxury and expedition offerings (especially in Iceland).

We were on the inaugural voyage of the Nansen’s identical sister ship, Roald Amundsen, and did a ship tour video if you want to see what it’s like:  https://youtu.be/1L_ByDqhGR0

Vietnam & Cambodia River Cruise with Uniworld

This part of east Asia is open again, and ready to receive visitors.  Both the Mekong River and Uniworld’s Super Ship Mekong Jewel are spectacular!

You’ll travel between Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap for 13-days:

1. 2-nights at Ho Chi Minh City, 7-nights aboard the ship, and 3-nights at Siem Reap.
2. September and December 2022 departures starting at $4999 per person ($3000 off)
3. The entry level room is 340 square feet with a private balcony. 
4. Includes all shipboard meals, gratuities, all shipboard beverages, transfers, and an excursion in each port.

As with all Uniworld cruises, our agency gets you an exclusive benefit of $200 per person onboard credit. 

Are You Familiar with Azamara?

Azamara has four perfect vessels for those looking to avoid the mega-ships and prefer a bit of an upgraded offering.  Their ships hold 680 guests and Azamara does some really interesting itineraries.  Here are 2 examples:

Croatia & Italy

1. 12-nights from Venice to Barcelona
2. Visit Slovenia, 2 ports in Croatia, Montenegro, Amalfi, Sorrento, Rome, Florence, and Monte Carlo.
3. Veranda rooms for $3499 per person for departure on July 18, 2022

Ireland Intensive Voyage

1. 11-days from London to Dublin with stops in both Ireland and Northern Ireland.
2. Visit Cork, Foynes, Galway, Donegal, Londonderry, Belfast, and Warrenpoint.
3. There is an optional golf package available for this cruise.
4. Veranda Room for $3999 per person for departure on July 27, 2022
5. The Azamara fare includes all beverages, gratuities, and shuttle services into town in most ports.

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

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

The first “foreign” experience for cruisers is often Alaska.  I guess that makes sense – it is very different than the lower 48, and you get a stamp of a maple leaf in your passport from the Canadians.

The next outing is usually to Europe, which also makes sense not only because of the rich history and cultures there, but also because for those of us in the Eastern time zone it’s only about 6 or 7 hours away (about the same as Alaska!)

Once you go beyond Europe, it’s much more of a commitment to get there, so many people think twice.

Australia / New Zealand (ANZ) are on my radar for a few reasons.  The first is quite personal – I lived in Australia for 4 years as a child, so it is part of who I am.  The second is that New Zealand is easily one of my favourite destinations on the planet, and I am long overdue to get back (the last time I was there, I was pregnant with our son, who is now 18).

There is no doubt that Australia and New Zealand are a long way away.  The two big airports in North America for flights to Asia and Australia are LA and Vancouver, and it’s a 15-hour flight from either to get to Sydney, and almost as long to Auckland.

That’s a long way, and if you’ve only got a week to spare it’s a non-starter.  For those with a bit more time, it’s well worth exploring.  Here are some reasons why:

1. It’s easy.  The Aussies and Kiwis may talk funny, but they all speak English, and in many regards it is easier than travel within Europe.
2. It’s unique.  There are many species of animal, birds (and other) that only exist down-under.  The geology and geography are also much different than here.
3. It’s diverse.  We tend to think of Australia as a beach – and there are plenty of those.  It also has a ton of other geography in its vast land mass.  Australia is about the same size as the Lower 48 – so it is huge.  New Zealand, while only a fraction the size, is even more diverse in terms of its climate and geography. 

Ways to see Australia

There are 3 types of cruises to Australia/New Zealand:

1. A cruise that starts or finishes in Australia, but with most of the port stops in New Zealand.  This is the most common cruise, and for many people the best choice.  These trips are usually 2 weeks long.  Other than Auckland (a city of 2 million), NZ is a series of charming smaller cities and towns, and ship is a great way to explore them.
2. A cruise that originates in Australia and visits the South Pacific Islands or SE Asia.  This is good if you’re looking for a Polynesian experience, but you won’t get much of ANZ on these itineraries.
3. A circumnavigation of Australia.  Only consider this cruise if you really like sea days.  As noted above, Australia is as big as the USA, but with only 25 million people – so the cities and settlements are few and far between.  These cruises are a minimum of 4 weeks, and often have fewer than 10 port stops.

Why NOW?

These two countries quietly opened to visitors a few weeks ago, after having been closed for two years.  This means next season (our Northern hemisphere winter) will be in high demand down-under. 

Australia/New Zealand cruises run from October through March for the most part (although some ships stay there year-round).

We are also hoping to see expedition offerings for the Great Barrier Reef and Northern Australia, as more and more expedition ships come to market, but that will be another year or two. 

All the mass-market cruise lines operate in ANZ, although I’m not sure the best way to see this part of the world is on a floating amusement park.  If you’re going to invest the time and money to go that far, the small ship cruise lines all have at least one vessel there, so you can travel on your line of choice.

We are seeing some interesting itineraries on Oceania, Seabourn, and Viking. Some cruise lines even offer repositioning cruises to/from North America in the spring and fall months (if you have the time, this takes the sting out of a 15-hour flight… at least in one direction).

Today’s Travel Opportunities

Australia & New Zealand with Viking Cruises

Details here: https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/asia-australia/australia-new-zealand/index.html?agenturlid=pamperedcruiser

1. 2 weeks between Sydney and Auckland (you can sail in either direction)
2. Visit Melbourne, Tasmania, then 6 ports in NZ, as well as scenic sailing on South Island of New Zealand
3. Departures December through March.  The base pricing those months months starts at $7499 per person.
4. Remember that the entry-level room on Viking Ocean is a 270 square foot veranda, which is comparable to a mini suite on Celebrity, Holland America, or Princess.
5. Optional flights from $1599 round trip (that’s from the west coast… the price is slightly higher from points further east)
6. Book before April 30th and get an additional $500 per person room credit AND the Silver Spirits Beverage Package

Pre- and post-cruise packages are available in both Sydney and Auckland.  For those wanting to make the most of their time down under, you’ll want to consider the 6-day “Aussie Adventure” including Melbourne, Alice Springs and Ayers Rock. 

Celebrity Cruises Australia & New Zealand

12-nights round-trip from Sydney departing Nov 27th, 2022 (other dates available).

Visit Milford Sound & 6 ports in New Zealand and then back to Sydney.

1. Inside: $2028 per person
2. Window: $2253 pp
3. Balcony:  $2757 pp
4. Suite: $2968 pp

Viking’s FRANCE River Cruise Sale (2023 Departures).

Book by the end of April and Viking will throw in FREE international airfare for Verandas and Suites (or low-priced add-ons starting at $299 pp for other stateroom categories).

There are 3 different itineraries in France:

1. Paris to Normandy.  Visiting La Roche Guyon, Vernon (for Monet’s Gardens), Rouen, Normandy Beaches, Les Andelys, Le Pecq.
2. Lyon & Provence:  Visiting Tournon, Viviers, Arles, and Avignon
3. Chateaus, Rivers & Wine (round trip Bordeaux).  Visiting Cadillac, Libourne, Bourg & Blaye, Medoc, and Margaux Wine Country.

Here’s the price range dependent upon your departure date, itinerary and availability:

1. Standard: $2599 – $3799
2. French Balcony:  $3599 – $4999
3. Veranda: $3999 – $5599
4. Suites:  $5999 – $9999

Viking prices include all taxes and fees, a shore excursion in every port, beer/wine with meals, wifi on the ship, and flights (as discussed above – book by April 30th).

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/3260912677524557

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

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

Do you ever stay at a hotel or resort, and when you get your final bill, you have to sit down when you see it, because you think you’re either completely misunderstanding or maybe having a stroke?

This happened to me a couple times recently.

Bob and I were doing some domestic travel earlier this year and stayed at various hotel and resort properties along the way. 

Each of the places we stayed was lovely, but I was quickly reminded of the incredible value per dollar you get with cruise vacations.  The transparency of the value equation is also far superior on the water than it is on land.

Now, I am well aware that with some cruise lines, it’s easy to get into a situation where your end-of-cruise charges far exceed the fare you paid to get on the ship in the first place.  But you get what you pay for.  When you’re paying just $75/night for a cruise that includes accommodation, all your meals, and fantastic entertainment, you should expect an upcharge here and there.  If you really dislike this arrangement, then you’ll want to try a more inclusive cruise line.

But back to my original rant…

I have no objection to paying a fair price for quality hotels and resorts.  I just think that for a domestic property (the US is cheap by international standards), once you start paying over $500 per night, they might want to throw in the Wi-Fi.

Foolishly, I thought $500/night would be inclusive (like it is on luxury ships).  I got a few extra surprises on my bill when I checked out:

1. $180 plus tax for parking ($60 per day).
2. $90 plus tax for the resort fee ($30/day).  I still don’t understand the logic of this.  They told me it was for the use of the exercise room, common facilities, and the pool.  They could just bump the rate by $30, but instead they leave me feeling nickel and dimed to death.
3. $5 per day on my invoice for the housekeeping gratuity.  I have no objection to tipping the housekeeper – I just wish they had told me this before I tipped her in the room.  Better yet – how about we pay our housekeepers a living wage like they do in Europe?  Tipping used to be an incentive for better service, now it is something that is automatically added to the bill – which is simply passing the labor cost directly to the consumer. 
4. $10 for “porterage”.  I have no idea what this is.  I’m assuming it was when the bellman whisked away my bags upon check-in, and they showed up in my room.  Again… I have no objection to paying this – if the $10 went straight to the bellman, but perhaps we need to completely reassess who pays the labor in these resorts – see my comments above.

Needless to say, the total cost of my stay was several hundred dollars more than the $500/night I paid to be there.  In fairness, this price was for both of us, but my total charges approached the $350 per person, per night range, and I still had to buy all my meals, and pay for entertainment at external venues, as well as the Uber-fare to get from the resort into town to get to the restaurants and theatres.

For the same $350 per person, per night, I could have sailed on one of the small ship cruise lines and had a much more inclusive experience.  I need to reinforce that I DON’T object to paying – I object to being two-bitted to death with charges that are clearly intended to increase revenue, but NOT enhance the guest experience.  Is it really acceptable in this day and age to charge $15/day for internet access?

To be fair, not all land-based resorts lower themselves to this type of predatory revenue management.  In the future I will seek out those properties that are more transparent and forthcoming with their billing model. 

Today’s Travel Opportunities

Viking Cruises

The folks at Viking have created a marketing machine, and as the pandemic subsides and more travel opportunities open up, Viking is ramping up their marketing even further.  In addition to their publicly visible advertising, Viking also does micro-targeted promotions – meaning they will send a particular promotion to a very small group of people – applicable only to them.  These promotions represent some terrific value, and you are wise to take advantage of these if you receive them.  However please keep in mind that we can improve on any offer you get from Viking.  We can get you an additional $100 per person on board credit on ANY Viking cruise, in addition to any discount or promotional codes they send you directly.  I’m pointing this out because multiple times just this week I’ve had clients ask if they need to book directly with Viking in order to get the deal that’s being offered.  I really appreciate those who asked!  But it also means there are many more of you out there who are under the impression that you must book directly with Viking in order to get the discounted price or extra perks.

What if you’ve already booked?  If you booked directly with Viking in the past 60 days (either on-line, or through their call center), we can still get the extra $100 on board credit added to your reservation.  Contact us directly for details (contact info provided at the bottom of this message).  There is NO extra fee to work with us and everything about your original booking remains exactly the same, including the price, your room number, extra perks, any excursions you’ve reserved etc.  Also, in case you are wondering, when you work with us you do NOT undermine the Viking agent who originally helped you make the reservation.  I encourage you call Viking and discuss this with them – they will assure you that Agency Transfers are everyday occurrences.

American Queen Voyages

If you don’t want to go overseas, the AQV has a number of voyages on the Mississippi River System.  Here are two examples if you’re looking for something to do this summer:

Chicago to St. Louis for 9-days

1. Departing on August 8th or 15th, with fares starting at $2399 per person.
2. Visit Peoria, Havana, and Hannibal with 2 days in Chicago, and 2 days in St. Louis. 

Louisville to Memphis for 9 days

1. Departing June 13th or 20th, with fares starting at $2399 per person.
2. Visit New Madrid, Paducah, Henderson, Owensboro, Brandenburg

Remember that all American Queen fares include a pre-cruise hotel night, unlimited shore excursions, an open bar, and wifi on the ship.  We can add an extra $50 per person onboard credit to any AQV booking.

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/3255495711399587

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