Princess is going to announce next week that they are changing their pricing structure so that passengers have the option to include drinks, WiFi, and gratuities in the fare (the Best.Sale.Ever was so popular that they decided to make it a permanent fixture).

So this got me to thinking “is it worth it to pay for your own amenities”?

First a bit of background. 

When you go on a cruise there are three main elements of your price:  the actual fare, the taxes and port fees, and the goodies.  The goodies are things like beverage packages, shore excursions, or pretty much anything else you pay for either as an addition to the fare ahead of time, or charged to your ship board account.

The cruise lines differentiate themselves on how these things are included (or not).  If you sail on many of the mass-market ships to the Caribbean, normally nothing is included.  The good news is you’re getting on board for cheap.  The bad news is your onboard charges will often exceed the cruise fare you paid in the first place.

At the other end of the spectrum are lines like Regent Seven Seas.  The fare on Regent includes everything:  your drinks, gratuities, shore excursions, and just about every thing else.  This works great for the person who is going to use all those amenities.  However, if you don’t drink, for example, you end up paying for something you’re not going to use.

Other lines, like Celebrity and Oceania, have two pricing structures:  a lower “cruise only” fare, and secondary fare structure that give you a choice of extra goodies.  It appears as though Princess is going this way as well (although we’ll have to wait to see their announcement next week). 

The criticism of such pricing structures is that you end up paying for your own benefits.  However, I think it is great to have the choice. 

We don’t yet know the difference between the Princess Saver Fares (cruise only) and the Princess Plus Fares (includes drinks, wifi, gratuities), but a tiny bit of math will make it clear very quickly which one is best for you.

The gratuities are $13 per day, and if you buy an all-inclusive beverage package it will be about $60 per day.  However, the beverage package is really only worth what you think you would consume.  So you’ll need to guess how many beer (@ $6), mixed drinks (@ $8) and/or wine (@ $10) you’ll drink every day.  That is the value of the beverage package. 

WiFi is also something that will have a different value for different guests.  For me WiFi is worth $0.  On most cruise ships it is painfully slow, and I end up using my cell phone when I’m in port, and paying the roaming charges to connect my computer.  However others will place some value on WiFi, and if we’re talking specifically about Princess, then their upgraded WiFi might be worth it.

So if you’ve been waiting your entire life for that one situation to use the skills your 6^th Grade math teacher tried to impart to you through word problems, now’s your big chance. 

It is quite possible that paying for your own amenities could be great value for you.  Conversely, you might be better off buying a cruise-only fare, and paying as you go for certain amenities.

You gotta do the math.

Planning a Cruise?  I’d love to help!  Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

One of the cruise industry executives commented to us recently how much she appreciated our “media presence”.  This was a sincere compliment, and I tried to accept it graciously, but I was taken off-guard by the term “media presence”.

We are literally a mom & pop shoppe.  There is just Bob and me, and we have some admin support.  We certainly don’t have a PR department or a media section.

For those of us who grew up in the 60s and70s, the idea of “media” was about large newspapers, periodicals and broadcast television.  In the 21^st Century, this is about regular blogging, posting on social media, and contributing on YouTube.

We do a reasonable job of trying to connect with our clients and readers once a week.  Occasionally we get busy and miss a deadline, but we’re generally pretty consistent. 

For the record, there are lots of media services out there that offer to write our stuff for us, and distribute it via multiple media channels. We don’t like this idea, so everything we post is written by Bob and me. 

We post regularly on our Facebook page, and if you use Facebook and are not already connected with us, we’d love for you to join us!

We are certainly not on all the social channels, and we get regular feedback that we need to be more active on Instagram and Twitter so that we can attract more Millennials to our business.  We’ll probably work on improving our presence on these channels at some point.

However our focus on the moment is on Facebook and YouTube, because we really like dealing with people who are similar to us in age and interests:  55 – 75+ year-olds who are curious about the world, and want to get out and explore it as much as they can, for as long as they can.

The one media channel we have been working on improving our presence is YouTube.  We personally do many of the trips that we book our clients on, and we try to document these trips with short videos.  We now have 47 videos posted, and will continue to add stuff regularly.

If you’re looking for the flashy, highly-produced videos, I would refer to you the individual cruise lines’ websites.  On the other hand, if you want to know what these trips are like from the perspective of normal people (not the models on the professional videos), and taken with an iPhone, then our videos might be of interest.

Here’s a link to our YouTube homepage.  There is a “subscribe” button (top right) there if you want to be notified when we post new videos.  If you click on “Playlists”, you can see the series of videos from various trips we’ve taken. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeRk0RaMl2AGV-bsA-j_6eA

One video I would draw your attention to (because it just doesn’t translate as well to the written word), is the plane ride we took a couple of months ago on the Crystal Skye.  It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to travel on the world’s largest private plane (a Boeing 777-LR), with only 88-seats, as well as a cocktail lounge and restaurant area.  It’s the only time I’ve had a buffet breakfast on a plane… or seen an ice sculpture while in the air.  Here’s the link:

This plane is available for private charter, either in connection with a Crystal cruise or for any other purpose.  If you need further information just let me know (serious requests only please). It would be a good choice for a large-ish group of people who all want to fly business class together, because it’s difficult or impossible to get a large number of business class seats all together on the same flights.

So, we’ll continue to blog regularly with original content written by us, and document our trips as they occur via YouTube.

I guess we do have a “media presence”.

Planning a Cruise?  I’d love to help!  Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

Part of any experience to Europe involves wine. Even for those who don’t drink wine, it is always a treat to visit the estate wineries while on a river cruise.

For some, the wine experience is as important as the cultural and historical sites when they visit Europe. Luckily, there are more and more options for those who want to immerse themselves in the grapes when on a river cruise.

AMA Waterways has set itself apart in this regard. They offer several wine-themed cruises every year in all different parts of Europe. In both 2020 and 2021, they have wine-themed itineraries in these areas:

• Bordeaux – in Southwest France
• Seine River – between Paris and the Normandy coast
• Provence – in Eastern France between Lyon and Avignon
• Douro – in Portugal and Spain
• Danube – between Bavaria and Budapest
• Rhine – between Amsterdam and Basel, Switzerland

A wine-themed cruise includes a number of trips to wineries along the route, as well wine tastings and lectures on board the ship that are all INCLUDED in your fare.

A wine expert – usually a winery owner or sommelier – sails with you for the entire cruise acting as your host and wine expert. 

If you’re anything like me, you probably like wine (in my case a lot) but might not be particularly expert at any aspect of the wine industry. I don’t really feel the need to become a collector or true connoisseur of wine, but I do look forward to opportunities to learn more about wine, and to visit the wineries.

Here’s one wine-themed cruise that really caught my eye for later this year:  it’s a 1-week cruise on the Rhine with Ama Waterways, departing Basel on November 16, 2020 and finishing 7 days later in Amsterdam.

This is a wine-themed cruise, but it’s even better than that.

Our agency has a host on board, and you’ll be part of a small, exclusive group receiving extra benefits during the cruise. You’ll be invited to a private cocktail reception, and you’ll be included (at no extra charge) in a very special shore experience along the Alsace Wine route in Strasbourg, ONLY for our guests who are part of our exclusive group.

If you’ve ever wanted to join a wine-themed cruise, this is a great time to try it.

Right now, availability on that cruise looks good. Here’s the pricing by cabin type:
• Window rooms: $2199 per person
• French Balcony rooms: $2898 per person
• Veranda rooms: $3698

If those particular dates or the itinerary doesn’t work for you, AMA has plenty of other wine-themed itineraries in 2020 and 2021. Here’s the link:
https://www.amawaterways.com/destination/wine-cruises/2020

The other thing I like about sailing with AMA is their focus on physical activity and wellness (could come in handy if I spend a lot of time at the wine tastings). There are bicycles on board for you to borrow at any time, and they arrange shore excursions on those bikes as well.

They also have a dedicated Wellness Coordinator on board all their ships. This person conducts the more active shore excursions, and also offers classes on yoga, Pilates, or general fitness.

After all, you need to do something to offset all the incredible food and wine!

Planning a Cruise?  I’d love to help!  Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

We offer only ONE piece of advice when it comes to travel insurance: “Make sure your out-of-country trip is protected by insurance”.

If you need insurance advice beyond that, you’ll want to consult an insurance professional.

We always provide our clients with two different insurance quotes, and we are happy to provide copies of the policies ahead of time for you to look over.  We have occasionally frustrated our clients who are looking for a recommendation about which insurance is the best choice for them, when we refer them back to the written policy or to the insurance company. 

There are two reasons we don’t give insurance advice:

1. Our passion and expertise is travel, not insurance.
2. As travel advisors we are legally required to offer travel protection, but we are not allowed to interpret the coverage.

Here is a bit of guidance to help you when you are speaking with an insurance pro.

Three Aspects of Travel Insurance

Most travel insurance policies bundle these three aspects together, but if you only wanted one of them, a good insurance broker can help you with that:

1. Trip Cancellation.  This covers you if you are unable to make the trip (for specified reasons).  Without this coverage you are risking whatever you paid for the trip.
2. Trip Interruption.  This is for annoying things like flight delays or when your luggage goes missing.  You are not mitigating much risk with this type of insurance, but it does make your life way easier, when things go wrong. 
3. Travel Medical.  This is the critical one, and you are taking a significant risk if you leave home without this.  It can cost you tens of thousands of dollars if you are caught without this type of insurance.  There are no circumstances that I can ever see where I would leave home without this – including those who live near the Mexican or Canadian borders and may drive across for a few hours. 

Here is some of the rationalization we sometimes hear from people about insurance, and why they may want to talk to an insurance professional about the flaws in their logic:

“Health Care is Free in Europe/Canada/Australia/NZ”.  It is true that in almost every developed nation that health care is available to residents without a direct charge.  This is NOT extended to visitors, who will pay (a lot) for medical attention.  We often hear this from clients going to Alaska because some of those cruises start and finish in the United States.  You will be in Canadian waters for most of that trip, and the small communities you visit in Alaska may require evacuation for a serious medical issue to the nearest major hospital – probably in Canada.  They will undoubtedly be polite about it, but you will pay dearly. 

“I’m insured on my credit card”.  Check the fine print – you may or may not be covered, and there may be significant limitations to that coverage.  Unfortunately, this probably means reading through a few hundred pages of legal double-speak, but if you’re relying on such coverage, make sure you know what’s in there (and what is not).

“I’ll just fly home if I have a problem”.  This is truly asinine, and a really poor risk mitigation strategy.  You are betting everything you own that if you become sick or injured, you’ll be able to fly across the world on a commercial jet.

Cancel for any reason?

One final thought on insurable reasons.  Most travel insurance policies will cover cancellation for specified reasons.  Usually this means you or your travel partner are not well enough to travel, there’s a death in the immediate family, your house burns down etc.  People get into trouble when their version of “catastrophe” does not align with that of the insurance company.  As a spoiler-alert, the insurance company (and their army of lawyers) is always going to win this argument.   So you will pay more for a trip cancellation policy with a “Cancel for any reason” clause, but it might be worth it.

A case in point currently is travel to places with suspected outbreaks of the Corona Virus. 

We have been recently advised by several different travel insurance providers that they do NOT cover people’s fear of travelling due to emergent situations.  “Emergent situations “ can include epidemics, terrorist activity, natural disasters or about 1000 other things the lawyers have specified.

All of a sudden, the extra amount for ‘cancel for any reason’ seems like a bargain.

To summarize:

1. Always make sure your out-of-country trip is protected by insurance.
2. Be informed about what you’re buying when you purchase insurance
3. If necessary, consult an insurance specialist

Planning a Cruise?  I’d love to help!  Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

It’s Wave Season, which means that every cruise line is claiming once in a lifetime deals that have to be booked NOW.  This is mostly nonsense, of course, but I always like to let people know when I do see something that appears to be great value.

Regular readers here will know that we advocate the small ship experience because of better quality service and amenities than are available on the mega ships, but also because you are not competing with thousands of people when you go ashore.

This is especially important in Alaska, so we take particular note when we see great deals in Alaska on small ships.

The Oceania Regatta holds just 684 guests and was completely refurbished in 2019.  Oceania’s pricing structure normally allows you to pick from a “Cruise-Only” fare OR a semi-inclusive “O-Life Choice” package where you choose ONE of three amenities.

Oceania is good value BEFORE adding any kind of deal.

Now, for a select few voyages to Alaska this summer, you get ALL THREE amenities instead of choosing just one. Oceania calls this their “O-Life Ultimate” package. 

Plus, our agency has a special arrangement with Oceania, where we can get your gratuities covered on the following cruises as well:

1. July 13, 2020:  10-days from Seward (Anchorage) to Vancouver.  Fares start at $3899 per person.
2. August 31, 2020:  10-days round-trip from Vancouver.  Fares start at $3599.
3. September 10, 2020:  12-days from Vancouver to LA (via 5 Alaskan ports, and stopping in Portland, Oregon).  Fares start at $3749 per person.

To summarize, your fare on all 3 sailings includes ALL of the following:

• Round-trip flights from several US gateways
• Internet on board the ship
• 6 shore excursions per cabin
• $600 on board credit per cabin
• All-inclusive beverage package for both guests
• Gratuities (but only when you book through me)

When you add up the value of all these inclusions, it means you will be able to sail on a small ship for less than you would normally pay to get on the mega-ships in Alaska.

We don’t see deals like this very often, so we wanted to share this with you.

These fares are available now through the end of February BUT they are subject to availability.  At time of writing, there is availability in most cabin categories including the entry-level (inside) fares shown above.  However, the normal disclaimer applies here – availability is subject to change at any time as the ship fills up. 

If none of the above three dates work for you, there are also some other dates where you get all of the above amenities except the gratuities:

• May 2, 2020: 12-days from San Francisco to Vancouver (via 5 Alaskan ports).  Fares start at $3199 per person.
• July 30, 2020:  11-days from Seward to Vancouver.  Fares start at $3799 per person.
• Aug 10, 2020:  14-days from Vancouver to Seward.  Fares start at $4499 per person.
• Aug 24, 2020:  7-days from Seward to Vancouver.  Fares start at $2699 per person.

If you’re thinking about Alaska on a small ship, this is definitely worth looking at.

Please get in touch as soon as possible to make a booking.

 Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

P.S. Here is a flyer with all the details:

OceaniaAlaska2020