Your sports and your vacation plans were only two of the events disrupted by the pandemic. 

Even the Olympic games were postponed by a year. 

But did you know there was another big event originally scheduled for 2020 that occurs just once every decade?  It was re-scheduled for 2022 and will be sold out within the next month or two.

The Passion Play takes place just once every 10 years in the small Bavarian town of Oberammergau in Germany.  The play is about the last days of Jesus Christ and was originally performed in 1634 as a vow to God for the town being spared from the Bubonic Plague (and it’s worth keeping in mind that plague was exponentially worse than our 21^st century version).

Since the 17^th Century, the residents of Oberammergau have performed the Passion Play every 10 years with just a handful of cancellations or off-cycle performances during that time.

It is still performed by the local people, and the 2010 production involved over 2000 Oberammergau residents.  Unlike other plays you may have seen, this one has a 3-hour intermission between the opening and closing acts, and during that time they feed you dinner. 

The river cruise packages attached to this play normally involve 2 to 4 nights on shore in Germany and/or Austria either before or after the river cruise.  The ship travels between Bavaria and Budapest on the Danube, OR between Amsterdam and Basel on the Rhine.

Originally, the Passion Play (and the associated river cruises) was scheduled for May through October of this year.  The decision was made this past spring to put it off until 2022 as a result of the coronavirus.

Most of the river cruise packages that offered tickets to the Passion Play for 2020 were sold out 2 years in advance, so we’ve been waiting patiently for the various river cruise lines to announce their plans for Oberammergau, because we know it will sell quickly.

We’ve been given the heads up that Viking will begin selling Oberammergau river cruise packages within the next few days. Booking is already open for guests with future cruise vouchers who were originally scheduled on a 2020 Passion Play cruise.

There are four different itineraries being offered, with various dates from May through September of 2022:

• Munich to Budapest (1 night Munich, 1 night Oberammergau, 7 nights shipboard)
• Munich to Amsterdam (1 night Munich, 1 night Oberammergau, 2 nights Innsbruck, 7-nights shipboard)
• Amsterdam to Oberammergau (7 nights shipboard, 2 nights Innsbruck, 2 nights Oberammergau)
• Oberammergau to Budapest (2 nights Oberammergau, 2 nights Salzburg, 7 nights shipboard).

Viking has not released pricing yet, but it will be in the same price range of other Viking cruises with 4-night land extensions.  This would lead me to believe that pricing will start at about $5500 per person.

If this is something you’re considering, you’d be well advised to book it sooner rather than later.  While we can always find you a river cruise in Europe, the number of tickets to the Passion Play is definitely limited, as we learned in the run-up to 2020.

We are assembling a “stand-by” list for Oberammergau reservations.  If you’d like to be on this list, please contact us as soon as possible with your preferred itinerary and travel dates. We will collect your information ahead of time, and as soon as the Oberammergau cruises are open for booking, we will put a courtesy hold on a cabin for you. 

Perhaps these cruises won’t sell out as quickly as I’m anticipating, but it sure would be disappointing to miss out and have to wait until 2030 to experience this event!

If there’s one thing we’ve all learned from the pandemic, it’s that you really must do the things you really want to do, when you have the opportunity to do them.

Have something to say about this?

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If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help!  Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

You can’t be surprised that the “New Normal” keeps changing.  If nothing else, the greatest public health threat in a century has taught us all to remain malleable in our expectations!

We were recently asked by an industry panel what we’re seeing with our cruise clients throughout all of this, and here’s what we said about you:

• Most are willing to travel, but in the short term that will be domestic trips.
• Most who had their cruise plans cancelled for 2020 pushed those same plans ahead to 2021.
• Most want to dream and plan to have something on the books to look forward to.  This explains why we are seeing tighter availability for some travel products in 2021.
• People do not have an irrational fear of catching Covid-19, but they do want some assurance that it is being managed well – both by governments and by travel providers.

If you don’t see your opinions represented above, you are NOT wrong – we have simply aggregated what most people have been telling us.  Everyone has to make their own decisions about their personal health, and willingness to travel.

The cruise industry (through CLIA – Cruise Lines International Association) also released this week how they intend to resume operations in the Americas.  You have probably heard that cruise ships are sailing again in Europe, and with the occasional hiccup here and there, it has generally been successful. 

Our ability to learn from our European counterparts’ experience, as well as the amount of consultation that the cruise lines have conducted in putting their plan together, gives me some reason for optimism.  It would be easy to cynically view this as self-serving by the cruise lines. However, they all know if they return to business and have a few Covid mishaps then they may not ever recover.  So, they are acting with an abundance of caution.

Much like the safest time to get on an airplane was in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, the health and safety precautions on your next cruise will greatly exceed the already high standards previously in place.

There are, of course, hundreds of pages of documentation, but here are the highlights for cruise safety protocols going forward:

• Testing.  100% testing of passengers and crew for Covid-19 prior to embarkation.
• Mask-Wearing.  Mandatory wearing of masks by all passengers and crew onboard and during excursions whenever physical distancing cannot be maintained.
• Distancing.  Physical distancing in terminals, onboard ships, on private islands and during shore excursions.
• Ventilation.  Air management and ventilation strategies to increase fresh air onboard and, where feasible, using enhanced filters and other technologies to mitigate risk.
• Medical Capability:  Risk based response plans tailored for each ship to manage medical needs, dedicated cabin capacity allocated for isolation and other operational measures, and advance arrangements with private providers for shoreside quarantine, medical facilities, and transportation.
• Shore Excursions:  Only permit shore excursions according to the cruise operators’ prescribed protocols, with strict adherence required of all passengers and denial of re-boarding for any passengers that do not comply.

CLIA was also quick to address some of the misinformation perpetuated by the media about cruising, noting that only a small fraction of 1% of those who contracted Covid-19 did so aboard cruise ships – context the media failed to provide. 

The cruise industry is directly responsible for about 2 million jobs worldwide, about 420,000 of those in the United States alone.  If you look at the larger impact of cruising – the flights to get to the ship, the pre & post hotel nights, and the tours, it is easy to see how getting cruising back on track is essential to the economic recovery from Covid-19. 

So here we are 7 months after the first cruise was cancelled due to the pandemic, and although life hasn’t returned to normal, we are seeing indications of hope.

Last week we wrote about the promotion we are currently running with Oceania that will get your gratuities included if you book between now and September 30.  Here’s the link if you missed it: https://pamperedcruiser.com/exclusive-perk-free-gratuities-on-your-oceania-cruise/

Based on the response we received, people are indeed ready to book their next cruise.

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/2811841175765045

If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help!  Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

Do you remember the old adage about NOT wearing white after Labor Day?  I don’t think people pay too much attention to that anymore, but there’s no doubt that Labor Day is second probably only to New Year’s Day for marking transitions. 

For those of us in the northern half of the country, Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, even though there are a few weeks left of it on the calendar; the kids go back to school, and we start making plans for the fall and beyond.

What does this mean in the world of cruise?

Normally September is amongst the busiest months for cruise bookings, but we weren’t sure what to expect this year with the effects of the pandemic still very much influencing people’s travel plans.

It turns out that people are booking cruises, but rather than booking 2 or 3 months in advance, they are booking six, twelve or more months out. 

Many of the river cruise, and small ship ocean lines are reporting to be more sold-out for 2021 when compared to this time last year.  There is some logic to this – many people who had their cruises cancelled in 2020, simply moved their plans ahead a year.  When you combine this with people’s need to have something to look forward to, it’s not a big surprise that some travel providers are seeing increased demand.

Over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll let you know about different offers we’re seeing out there, if you’re one of those who are itching to make plans for your next adventure.

This month (September 2020), our agency is the “Partner of the Month” for Oceania Cruises.  What this means is that on just about all their scheduled cruises in 2021 and beyond, we can get you FREE gratuities when you book a veranda cabin or higher category.  Normally you would be charged between $16 and $23 per passenger (per day) for gratuities, so this exclusive perk could be worth several hundred dollars depending on the length of your cruise.

Oceania has 6 ships that travel to 6 continents, so there are hundreds of itineraries, but here are a few examples.

Alaska – Departing June 21, 2021 from Vancouver for 11 nights

Why we like this cruise:

• Starting at $2399 per person
• The Oceania Regatta holds only 680 guests
• You start in Vancouver, and finish in Seattle, that enables you to visit both these spectacular cities.  Most of the time you have choose one or the other.
• In addition to the standard Alaska ports of Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan, you get to visit some less travelled places like Wrangell, Sitka, and Victoria.

Amazon River – Departing Nov 27, 2021 round trip from Miami for 24 nights

Why we like this cruise:

• Starting at $4699 per person
• The Oceania Insignia also only carries 680 guests
• You start and finish in Miami, removing the need for international flights, while visiting some of the more remote ports in South America.
• You will visit some of the Eastern Caribbean’s best beaches on its way down
• You spend 6 days in the Amazon, including an overnight stop in Manaus

Mediterranean – Departing May 18, 2021 from Istanbul for 15 nights

Why we like this cruise:

• Starting at $3649 per person
• This cruise is also on the Insignia, so you’ll only have to share with 680 others.
• There are overnight stops in Istanbul and Venice – giving you a chance to really explore these ports.
• You will visit standard ports in Greece (Mykonos and Athens) and Croatia.
• You also visit less frequented ports like Kavala (Greece), Sicily, Sorrento and St. Tropez.

We like Oceania because it’s a smaller ship experience, and their pricing structure enables you to choose whether you want a more inclusive package, or just take “cruise-only”.  They are also known as “the cruise line for foodies” for those who enjoy an upgraded dining experience.

We can see reasonable availability on the examples above, but some cabin categories are already sold out. 

Even if none of these particular cruises work for you, we can get still you free gratuities on almost any other Oceania cruise booked before the end of September (Veranda or higher category). 

If you recently booked an Oceania cruise directly with the cruise line, please get in touch as soon as possible so we can try to add the pre-paid gratuities added to your existing reservation. Important note: free gratuities cannot be added to reservations booked under Oceania’s recent Labor Day Sale.

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/2801264336822729

If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help!  Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

If you’re like other avid cruisers, there is plenty that attracts you to cruising as a mode of travel:

• The inclusive nature of cruising, and value it represents compared to travelling independently.
• The consistency of your favorite cruise brand in terms of the quality of food, service, and amenities compared with the consistency amongst hotels and resorts.
• Getting to see multiple destinations in a single trip.
• Having someone else manage logistics and details to the point where all you really have to do is get to your departure airport on your own (and some of the cruise lines will even pick you up at your house!)

This is fantastic, but what if you want to visit a place that not near the ocean or a major river?

We introduced the idea of “Land Cruises” a couple of months ago, as we found our clients shifting their focus more from international trips to domestic ones.  Essentially, what we have termed “Land Cruise” is a vacation package that is NOT on a ship but has many of the same advantages that draw people to cruising.

Bob and I have done a number of such trips and have had really positive experiences – and this is from two people who always resisted the idea of packaged tours.  Once we learned there were small group (8 – 15 people) options, that use local guides and local transport, it seemed much more appealing than being on a motor coach with 50 other tourists with minimal exposure to the local people and culture. 

The last trip we did (in Central America) was with G Adventures.  They illustrate well the upside of this type of travel, and they are doing some interesting things right now to deal with the pandemic.

“Book Your Bubble”

While G Adventures has always offered small-group travel, they are now offering extended families, or a group of 2 or 3 families that are comfortable in the same bubble the opportunity to travel together.  This gives you comfort of travelling with a group of people you know, but with the expertise and experience of a local guide that will help you get immersed with the local people and culture.

National Geographic Journeys

G Adventures has partnered with National Geographic for some of their trips to maximize the experience for those seeking insider access to some of the world’s most iconic sites. 

The Ripple Score

Have you ever wondered when travelling abroad, how much of your money actually stays in that community, as opposed to being sucked up by some big, foreign, multi-national conglomerate?  G Adventures rates its trips based on how much of your money supports local people and local businesses. 

Here are a few examples of their trips, and if you want to check out their website, here’s the address:  https://www.gadventures.com

Domestic Trips:

• Alaska:  Kenai & Denali.  10 days from $3899 per person.
• California:  Yosemite NP, King’s Canyon NP, Sequoia NP, Death Valley NP.  9 days $3099
• Canadian Rockies:  12-days $4199

International Trips:

• Costa Rica:  14 days from $2399
• Morocco:  9-days from $1899
• South Africa:  10-days from $3399
• Croatia & Montenegro:  12-days $3249

After we travelled with G Adventures, I equated it to travelling with a hyper-organized friend who has done the route before.  Your local guide (called the Chief Experience Officer) handles all the details and logistics of getting you around, and you’ll be travelling with fewer people than would normally accompany you on a shore excursion when you take a cruise.

Land Cruises are not for everyone, but if you wanted to try something a little different in a part of the world difficult to access by ship, this is worth considering

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/2777750459174117

If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help!  Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

In a normal year, I would have slept through most of this weekend, after flying home from Las Vegas on Friday night as Virtuoso Travel Week normally wraps up.  This year, I only had to walk from my office to the living room, so the journey wasn’t quite as exhausting.

There is no doubt that attending this event, and connecting with all our contacts via video-conferencing was not as good as being there in person, but we all really did try to make the best of the situation, and I do feel that I learned as much as I have in other years, definitely making it a worthwhile effort.

I thought some of the trends being discussed at Virtuoso Travel Week might be of interest to our readers, so here’s summary of a week’s worth of meetings:

When can we travel again?

• There are lots of opinions on this, and only those possessing a time-machine know for sure, but consensus is that travel will start to ramp back up later this year, and through the first half of next year. 
• Vaccines are at the center of a recovery, and it is hoped they will be available by the end of the year.  The other pillars of a return to normalcy are rapid (and accurate) testing, treatment options and contact tracing.  These tools to combat the virus may be available before a proven vaccine. 
• Gloria Guevera, the President of the WTTC (World Travel & Tourism Council) addressed us and spoke optimistically about the things we can learn from those countries that have had the best outcomes to date in managing covid. 

Where are People Most Interested in Going Next?

• There are some interesting data points here that I am still digesting.  As you would expect, people are planning domestic travel, but the top-five destinations are not quite the same as they were pre-covid.  They are: California, Hawaii, Alaska, Washington and Montana.  Nobody could tell me why, but I’m guessing there is a strong focus on National Parks that is driving this.
• For cruising, there is a parallel trend:  Alaska and Canada/New England are selling very briskly for 2021 right now.  We are also seeing strong interest in the Rocky Mountaineer Luxury Train Trip (also in Canada).
• Internationally, there are also some new trends.  South Africa has overtaken Italy as the place most people are booking to.  Italy fell to second place followed by Australia, France, and Japan. 
• For cruising, we are seeing European River Cruises continuing to be very popular for next year, as well as Egypt (Nile River) and Southern Africa (Zambezi River).

How will it be different?

• Even if we get a vaccine, and other countermeasures in place in short order, it will still take some time to get them fully deployed, so we can count on some differences in the way we travel.  Some changes may remain permanent.  For example…
• Muster Drills:  For the cruise ships that have returned to service in Europe, they are doing the safety chat on TV, and then asking people to report to their muster stations within a specific time period.  This practice may outlive the pandemic.
• Cruise sales overall are down 6% for 2021 over where they would normally be this many months in advance.  However, small-ship ocean cruises, and river cruises are MORE fully booked out than they would normally be for 2021.  Part of this is undoubtedly due to rebooking of 2020 cancelled cruises, but there is another trend at work here too.  It seems that people aren’t all the worried about catching covid.  Their fear is getting stuck on a ship somewhere with no way to get ashore to get home.  This doesn’t happen on river ships and is much less likely on a small ocean vessel.
• Masks will be part of our reality when we fly for some time yet.
• Buffets on board ships are not available now, and there is some question as to whether they’ll return or not.  Buffets are not really consistent with a luxury experience, so while they may eventually return to the mega-ships, it is an open question as to whether river ships and small ocean vessels will return to buffets once all this nonsense is over.
• Reduced capacity on both ships and in hotels until further notice.
• Bubble-Travel.  This is a trend we’re seeing amongst land-tour operators.  Extended families or groups of two or three families are getting their very own group when doing land tours.  These groups are normally 8 – 12 people, and some land tour operators are making this a very attractive way to get out there again while minimizing the risk.  I’ll write more about this next week.

Finally, Gloria Guevara (President, WTTC) reinforced for us the importance of the tourism industry both in the United States and abroad.  Travel and tourism is responsible for about 1 in 10 jobs globally, so the spin-off effects of having shut the industry down are devastating.  Some governments around the world have recognized this fact, and attempted to put mitigating factors in place, but there is no doubt there are a lot of people hurting both at home and in those countries we like to visit. 

Over-tourism (a very real problem) has given way to under-tourism this year, as the whole industry has simply ground to a halt.  Hopefully, as we emerge from the pandemic we can return to travel in a thoughtful and sustainable way.

For me… I’m looking forward to being back in Vegas in person next August to take in Virtuoso Travel Week 2021 (and the floral scents of the Bellagio!)

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/2771749366440893

If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help!  Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley