You are officially tired of the pandemic and you’re ready to travel. 

Two weeks ago, we conducted a survey of our readers, and they confirmed in detail many of the things we suspected, and we learned a few new things too.  We intend to reply individually to all of you that participated, but please be patient with us… the response was overwhelming.

Here’s what you told us:

• Over 75% of you intend to travel in 2021.  In many cases, you are leaning towards domestic trips this year, although 25% intend to go abroad before the end of the year.
• People are generally not worried about their health and safety.  This makes sense – with the combination of vaccines, rapid testing, masks and cleaning protocols, travel is likely safer than it has ever been. 
• The larger concern holding people back is whether an overseas travel experience will be diminished by closed attractions or other restrictions.
• For specific travel options, there is a high correlation between WHEN and WHERE:
  • Spring Travel:  National Parks and City Stays
  • Summer Travel:  Vacation Rentals and Resort Stays in the USA.
  • Fall Travel:  Tropical Travel to Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
• Underscoring all of this is people’s higher tolerance for ambiguity.  Many of our clients who have overseas trips booked for this summer fully realize the situation is fluid, and they seem comfortable to wait and see.  They are hopeful, but realistically so.  Overall, I think this is a healthy frame of mind for travel in the immediate term. 

Thank you to all of you that took the time to respond.  It really helps us to be able to highlight those travel opportunities most relevant to you.  With that in mind, in the next few weeks we’ll highlight trips that match what you’ve told us.

Here are a few ideas to get started:

1. ALASKA CRUISE:

“WAIT!”, you say.  “I thought Alaska was cancelled for 2021?”.  In reality, the US and Canadian governments continue to dither on what may or may not happen in Alaska this year.  While they fail their citizens in both countries, the cruise lines have largely moved on.  The good news is that small American-flagged cruise ships with fewer than 500 people are exempt from all the silliness, so they are carrying on as usual.  There isn’t a better year to cruise to Alaska than this one, with the mega-ships absent, and you have the place to yourself.  Here’s an example:

American Cruise Lines (ACL)

• 7-nights, round trip from Juneau (a 2-hour plane ride from Seattle).
• Visits Petersburg, Tracy Arm (for Sawyer Glacier), Haines (for the Yukon Railway), Icy Strait Point (for the world’s longest zip-line), and Glacier Bay National Park (for spectacular scenery).
• The American Constitution was launched in 2018 and holds 170 guests.
• Departures in July and August from $5650 per person.

What we like about this trip:  ACL is more like a river cruise line that operates on the ocean.  The upgraded small ship environment provides superior food and service options, and this itinerary includes the highlights featured by many of the mega-ships, while also visiting some more out-of-the-way places as well.  You’ll get to see more of Alaska on a trip like this, and in 2021 you don’t have to share it with the floating amusement park ships carrying 4000 passengers or more.

Alternatives: 

• Uncruise Adventures also uses small, US-flagged vessels, so they are exempt from the current regulatory quagmire.  Uncruise is more of an expedition offering, and is perfect for those who want to have a more active experience in Alaska.  Travelling with teenagers?  This is a great option.
• We highlighted some Alaska Rail trips a few weeks ago.  Here’s the link: https://pamperedcruiser.com/land-cruise-ideas-for-spring-2021/

2. CARIBBEAN

Celebrity Cruises announced this deal a couple of days ago, making it very easy to get back to cruising:

• 7-nights cruises on the Celebrity Millennium round trip from St. Maarten, starting on June 5, and carrying on through to October.  If the CDC keeps playing games with their uninformed action towards the cruise industry, it is possible the Millennium will be doing this itinerary well into the fall.
• Balcony rooms from $1599, and Suites from $3399. 
• Inside and ocean view rooms are not available, because the ship is running at 40% – 50% capacity for this year.  This means there will be about 1000 people on a 90,000-ton vessel (talk about social distancing).
• Book through me and you’ll get a free bonus: Specialty Dining for Two (Value $90). Book a Suite and you’ll get Specialty Dining for Two AND a $75 shopping credit as well! (If you booked directly with the cruise line please get in touch ASAP so I can get this perk added for you).
• Here’s the best part:  Celebrity is offering air add-ons for $500 for round-trip economy air.  That is from east coast gateways, but you can also fly from LA from $800.  Other gateways are between these two price points.
• The Celebrity fare includes all beverages, pre-paid gratuities, and wifi on the ship. 
• The Millennium has undergone a massive $40 million refurbishment in the past few months.  The ship is brand new, and you’ll be the first to be on her. 
• Here’s the fine print:
  • Proof of vaccination will be required.
  • A PCR test within 3 days of departure is required to get into St. Maarten.
  • For the first cruises back, shore activities will be restricted to sanctioned shore excursions.  This will be lifted as restrictions ease, but we don’t know exactly when.

What we like about this trip:  The ship is brand new, and even if the shore activities are limited, the ship itself is a destination.  Also, the low-cost flight add-on provides price certainty and minimizes the hassle of finding your own flights.

3. REMINDERS OF OTHER NEAR-TERM TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES

• Mississippi and Columbia River Cruises.  American Queen Steamboat Company has been operating since mid-March, and by all accounts it is going extremely well: https://pamperedcruiser.com/spring-2021-alaska-or-mississippi/
• Rocky Mountaineer Rail Packages between Denver and Las Vegas or Salt Lake City:  https://youtu.be/7D2vFBWA500
• Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts:  https://pamperedcruiser.com/were-learning-new-travel-tricks-for-you/

You told us you were committed to travelling, so we’re ready to help you nail down your plans.  Hopefully some of the above gives you some ideas. 

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/2963955367220291

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

Things are moving quickly in the world of travel, so this week I thought I’d offer you a short list of the trends and new developments we’re seeing.  

First though, I wanted to share a success story with one our clients.

Peter and his partner are working with us to plan their next cruise.  In conversation, Peter mentioned they were also looking at a 4-day getaway at the Four Seasons resort in Santa Fe. 

Peter (like all of you) knows that Bob and I are “The Cruise People” so we didn’t immediately come to mind when he was planning their getaway, and he booked directly with Four Seasons.

It’s true, the hotel side of the business is less familiar to us than cruise, but we have a strong partnership with Four Seasons and other luxury hotel brands.  In the same way we are able to get extra goodies for our cruise clients because of the size of our agency, we also get perks with Four Seasons.  In fact, our agency HQ in New York (SmartFlyer) is a top producer worldwide for Four Seasons, so they go out of their way to treat our clients like VIPs.

I called our contact at Four Seasons to see if there was anything I could do for Peter.

We were ALL thrilled when I was able to get them a 3-category upgrade to a 1100 square foot Sunset Suite, complimentary daily breakfast, and a $100 resort credit. 

(Previewing the details of the property also got me salivating about what a great getaway this would be after our year under house arrest. Check it out: https://www.fourseasons.com/santafe/photos-and-videos/)

So, the pandemic has caused us to learn some new tricks, and I expect we’ll be booking more hotels and resorts as we move forward, while retaining our focus on cruises and packaged land tours.

If you’re thinking about a trip similar to Michael’s, with a Four Seasons Hotel or Resort in mind, let me know.  I can’t always promise a spectacular upgrade like that one, but I’ll do my best, and in any case you’ll always do better than booking direct.

Now to the news of the week:

Back in the Water:

• This week the American Queen Steamboat Company (AQSC), and American Cruise Lines both resumed operations in the United States.  Both companies run river cruises on the Mississippi River system and the Columbia River, so their ships are smaller and not subject to some of the restrictions imposed on the mega-ships.
• AIDA and COSTA also resumed operations this week.  These companies operate in Europe, and cater to Europeans, so it doesn’t affect American travelers, but it is a positive sign.
• Delta is resuming flights to Italy in April.  This may seem premature given that Italy is currently experiencing its third wave, but it shows that people are looking beyond short-term headlines.  There are testing requirements in place, but if you are negative, then you can land in Italy and not be subject to quarantine.  I am bringing this up not because I want to specifically encourage travel to Italy, but more because of what this signals about the gradual return to travel.
• You can take an Alaska Cruise on American Cruise Lines or Uncruise Adventures starting in May. Both these companies have American flagged vessels, so they are not affected by the Canadian port closures.  These lines operate out of Juneau or Ketchikan.  I suspect they will sell out for 2021 very quickly.

Cruise Trends:

• Cruises that only involve one country are quickly appearing to be the way that cruise lines are easing back into service.  We have seen cruise lines announce itineraries that ONLY involve the UK for example.  The Bahamas is also quickly becoming another cruise destination.  This makes sense – there are far fewer variables when you only have to comply with ONE government’s regulations.  Sadly, it does not appear that the US Government will be able to get its act together to revise the archaic Passenger Services Act, so the US will not be one of those countries for the larger cruise lines.
• Proof of Vaccination is now required on several cruise lines (AQSC, Virgin Voyages and Crystal).  It is unclear whether this will become a standard requirement across the industry, but an industry poll conducted this week showed that 66% of travelers would be more willing to sail if a vaccine requirement is in place.

Before the end of March….

• Our contacts at Oceania tell us they are raising prices on many cruises on April 1st.  If you’re contemplating a voyage on Oceania, get in touch with us to secure your booking before the end of the month.
• Viking Ocean Cruises is offering a $500 on board credit AND a free room upgrade on eleven different voyages.  We don’t see them do this very often, so if you were contemplating sailing with them on one of these itineraries, it’s worth looking at it now.  Here’s a list of the 11 voyages included in this promotion: https://www.viking.com/promotions/us/ocean/MAR/20210309.html?agenturlid=pamperedcruiser
• We are running a private sale with American Queen Steamboat Company and Victory Cruise Lines (sister companies).  You can save up to $3000 per stateroom on select 2021 voyages and receive an early booking discount on a 2022 – 2023 trip.  Book through us by the end of March and receive $100 per person Shore Experience credit.  [A note of caution – their website is a good place to learn about the itineraries and ships, but please get in touch with us directly to inquire about accurate prices].  Speaking of American Queen…
• Calling all Lee Greenwood Fans.  If you’re a country music fan, you’ll be interested to know that the American Queen Steamboat Company has several departures with Mr. Greenwood on board (April 4 or 11, June 20 or 27, December 5 or 12).  All of these river cruises start or finish in Nashville, so the itinerary is perfect for music lovers.  I suspect these cruises will be completely sold out by the end of this month.

We are euphoric about the domestic travel that’s already re-started and feeling optimistic about international travel for the summer and fall. 

Thanks for sticking with us through this past year. 

We’re almost there! 

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/2958493127766515

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

The big question everyone is asking us right now is (of course) this one: “What’s going to happen with international travel for the rest of 2021?”

You know we don’t have a crystal ball, but here is our opinion based on what we’re hearing in the trade. 

The news is optimistic, but the pandemic is far from over.  You will see these seemingly competing narratives in the news. 

Here is a more nuanced take:

• Increasing rates of vaccination both in the United States and in Europe will make travel there more likely for this summer and fall, but it doesn’t mean the pandemic is over.
• Masks will be required on airplanes until further notice – it will likely be years before this requirement is removed.
• Masks may be required at indoor venues for the balance of this year.
• If you’re going on a river cruise, the best resource I’ve seen so far is this 5-minute video from Viking about what to expect on the ships.  Even if you’re not sailing with Viking, the other lines will have similar protocols.  https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/my-trip/health-and-safety/health-and-safety-program.html
• Testing will continue for some time yet, and proof of vaccination will not remove the need for testing.  Until there is proof that vaccination stops you from being a carrier of the virus, testing will be part of the deal.  Fortunately, rapid and reliable testing is becoming easier and more available.
• Some countries and more travel suppliers could announce a vaccine requirement (American Queen Steamboat Company and Crystal Cruises have already done so).
• Greece has published its roadmap to reopening and announced it will welcome foreign visitors on May 15^th.  The European Union members are meeting later this month to discuss their reopening plans, so we expect more information to be forthcoming shortly following that.
• Outside of Europe, the message is more mixed.  Canada has closed its borders to cruise ships until next year.  Australia and New Zealand are making similar signals.  I’ve been asked if this is some big conspiracy of Commonwealth Nations J.  No – it has much more to do with how reliant a country is on tourism.  While these three countries all have large tourism industries, they are rich countries with other interests.  Mexico, by contrast, has had very little in the way of restrictions, likely because it is heavily reliant on tourism.

The bottom line here is that we are optimistic for travel to Europe this summer and fall, and other parts of the world will be open on a highly localized basis. 

It will be different than it was in 2019, but I don’t believe it will be a significantly diminished experience. 

Some things will be better – there will be fewer crowds, for example.

Now it’s your turn. What are YOUR thoughts about international travel in 2021?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/2952544705028024

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

Many of you had lots to say about our blog post last week.  It seems that the idea of a “Land Cruise” resonates with you.  Cruisers like the idea of having built in activities, entertainment and some meals with their land vacations. 

You also echoed what we’ve been hearing everywhere:  people want to travel as soon as possible domestically and are excited about their trips abroad this year and next.

Apparently, a year under “house-arrest” has made us all anxious to get out there!

Over the next few weeks, we’ll try to make you aware of domestic travel opportunities for this spring, and further afield after that. 

In case you missed our post last week, we talked about “Land Cruises” to Alaska (by rail), Hawaii, New York City, and New Orleans.  Here’s the link: https://pamperedcruiser.com/land-cruise-ideas-for-spring-2021/

I thought I would also offer a little window into our world.  We received some comments indicating surprise when you learned that our office now consists of just Bob and me.  Before the pandemic, we did have administrative help, be we have always preferred to manage correspondence and conversations with clients ourselves. We still have some support through our Host Agency (SmartFlyer) in Manhattan, but we are the only ones who deal with clients. 

If you’ve noticed our weekly emails look more like an email from a friend, as opposed to a glossy, corporate pitch – that is by design.

As clients start travelling again (and we start get paid again), we will ease back in to using contract help for the more routine tasks, but we’ll still reserve the client contact for the two of us – it’s the best part of our job!

Here are this week’s travel ideas:

Land Cruise:  Washington DC

$1999 per person for 6 days departing May 6.  (Other departure dates available)

• Includes hotel, all breakfasts and 3 dinners
• Guided City Tour with the National Mall, and all the Monuments.
• Washington National Cathedral, Ford’s Theatre
• Arlington National Cemetery
• White House Visitors’ Center
• Smithsonian Institute
• Bob still talks about spending weekends in Washington when he lived in Philadelphia, and how much there is to do there.  What a great opportunity to explore our own history.

Land Cruise:  Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands

$1799 per person for 7 days departing May 7.  (Other departure dates available)

• Includes hotel, all breakfasts, 3 dinners
• Departs from Rapid City, South Dakota
• Included visits:
  • Crazy Horse memorial
  • Indian Museum, Native American Cultural Center
  • Mt. Rushmore
  • Badlands National Park
  • Deadwood National Historic Monument
  • Kevin Costner’s Tatanka
  • Custer State Park
  • A buffalo safari
  • Devil’s Tower National Monument

Land Cruise:  American Canyonlands by National Geographic

$2799 per person for 8 days departing June 30.  (Other departure dates available)

• Includes hotel, all breakfasts, 2 lunches
• All National Park fees and transportation.
• Round Trip from Las Vegas
• Visit Zion NP, Bryce Canyon NP, Grand Canyon NP, Antelope Canyon, Lowell Observatory, Horseshoe Bend, and a Route 66 stop.

Unique Cruise Opportunities:

Northern Lights Cruise (Seabourn Venture December 2021 – March 2022). 

• $10,999 per person – Veranda Suite.
• Between Copenhagen and Tromso, Norway (12-nights)
• Be amongst the first to travel on this innovative new vessel.  All the comfort you’d expect from Seabourn on this yacht with only 132 veranda suites.  My favorite:  there are two submarines on board that you can hitch a ride on!
• Normally this ship would be in Antarctica, so this is a unique opportunity to get on board.

South Africa Cruise and Safari (Regent Seven Seas Voyager)

• $10,749 per person – Veranda Suite
• Round-trip from Capetown November 21, 2021
• 16 nights on the ship, PLUS an included 3-night shore package (when booked before March 31)
• Regent is the MOST inclusive of the cruise lines:  all shore excursions, all beverages, gratuities, specialty dining, and onboard wifi.
• South Africa has recently eclipsed Italy as the overseas destination most booked by American travellers, so I expect this one to sell quickly.

[BRAND NEW!] 7-River Journey in Europe

• This trip is kind of like a World Cruise, but on the rivers of Europe with Ama Waterways.  It’s the first time anything like this has been offered, by ANY cruise line.
• June 1^st, 2023 (46 nights) from Paris to Bucharest. 
• Visit 14 countries on 7 different rivers.  You’ll be on 4 different river ships with one dedicated cruise manager, and there are no hotel nights “between rivers”.
• This is not yet available for booking, BUT our contacts at AMA gave us the ability to pre-register any of our clients for priority access. To pre-register, there is a $4800 per person deposit (which is fully refundable).
• People who pre-register will be phoned by Ama Waterways in sequential order, based on the date they pre-registered. So, the earlier you pre-register, the better the chance of getting the stateroom you want.
• Window: $27,379 per person.  French Balcony: $36,378 per person.  Includes all taxes and fees, gratuities, transfers, laundry and much more.  Solo supplement is 50%
• Only 72 staterooms are being offered, which means there will be only 144 guests on the ship.
• I expect this trip to sell out during the pre-registration phase, before even opening to the public next week.
• Pre-registration for a couple of weeks already, and it’s going crazy.  If you’d like to pre-register for this cruise, please let me know as soon as possible.

Hopefully this gives you some ideas for travel both near and far for this year.  Thanks for sticking with us through this past year.

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/2946402722308889

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

By all indications, you are ready to travel. 

February was a bit overwhelming for Bob and me (but in a good way!), and it looks like it will go down in history as our highest booking month ever.  It is true that many of those were re-bookings for those caught up in the April and May cancellations, and we’ll be MUCH happier when all of you are actually travelling, but it’s still evidence that the light is at the end of the tunnel (and it’s NOT an oncoming freight train).

The feedback we continue to receive is that you are happy to have trips on the books for late 2021 and into 2022 and 2023, but you’re also looking for options in the next few months.

We also know that most of our readers are avid cruisers who like the dining, entertainment, activities and easy logistics that cruise vacations offer.  When the ships aren’t sailing, can those things be replicated on land?

YES!

Each of the vacation options below (that we are calling “Land Cruises”) is structured like a river cruise:  included excursions/activities for part of the day, and free time to do your own thing for the other part of the day.  You can do as much or as little as you wish – just like a cruise. 

Here are a few specific ideas until your ship sails again – both literally and figuratively.

Land Cruise:  Alaska By Rail

The 2021 Alaska season is still up in the air due to the Canadian port closures.  In reality, Alaska by sea, and Alaska by land are two very different trips anyway.  Why not consider doing a rail tour of Alaska this year to really explore those places the cruises DON’T visit?  Without all those cruise ship passengers, you’ll have the place to yourself!  There are tons of options, but here’s an example:

• 10 Days – June through September for $3749 per person. 
• Start in Anchorage, visit Kenai Peninsula, Talkeetna, Denali NP, and Fairbanks.
• Includes sightseeing cruise through the Kenai Fjords, tour of Anchorage, sight-seeing tour of Denali National Park.
• All accommodations (at Gold Star Alaskan Cabins and Lodges)
• All transportation is by rail (this is different than the cruise line extensions, where most of your transportation occurs by motor coach).  The views from a domed rail car are far more impressive than out the window of a bus. 

Land Cruise:  Hawaii

If you don’t want to wait until summer to visit the 49^th State, then perhaps you’ll want to get out of the cold in the next month or two and visit the 50^th State (or maybe do both!):

• When planning a trip to Hawaii, the first choice is whether you want to go chill for the whole time in one place, or whether you wish to island-hop.  This land cruise is an island-hopper, covering three of the islands:  Oahu, Kauai, and Maui. 
• 10 Days in April, $3999 per person.  Includes all breakfasts, and 4 dinners, transfers, and flights between the islands.  Other inclusions:
• Oahu: Pearl Harbor tour & Honolulu City Tour.  North shore Oahu tour to Hawaii’s surfing capital.
• Kauai:  Tour of Waimea Canyon, and Coffee estate.  Open Air boat cruise up Wailua river, hula dance demonstration.
• Maui:  Tour of Lahaina, Optional tours to Road to Hana, Haleakala Crater,
• The first half of this tour is quite busy, so a few days pre/post on your own might be worth considering – particularly if you’re flying from the Eastern Time Zone.

Land Cruise:  New York: 

• 5 Days in June for $2199 per person.
• Includes accommodation at the Sheraton Time Square, Breakfasts and 2 dinners, 2 Broadway shows, a tour of the 9/11 museum, a guided city tour, a ferry cruise of New York Harbor, Ellis Island tour
• Optional Night walking tour of Greenwich Village including dinner

Land Cruise:  New Orleans

• 5 Days in April $1399 per person
• Includes accommodation a the Royal Sonesta Hotel in the French Quarter, Breakfasts, 2 dinners, guided City Tour, a walking tour of the French Quarter, and a Swamp Cruise.

Again… we like these types of trips because the logistics are taken care of for you – just like on a cruise. 

Other Cruise News:

• Oceania Tropics & Exotics:  Their 2023 world cruise sold out in one day a few weeks ago.  The 2022-23 “Tropics and Exotics” collection is available for booking on March 3^rd, and we expect those to sell quickly as well.
• ONE Stateroom on Viking’s World Cruise 2022:  This cruise has been sold out for months, but we have access to ONE Deluxe Veranda DV3 stateroom as a result of a cancellation.  This is 118 nights from LA to London departing January 10, 2022.  The price is $52,995 per person (double occupancy), and includes round-trip business class flights, airport transfers, all taxes and fees, gratuities, all beverages, all visas, luggage shipping service, a shore excursion in every port, Wifi, there are some nice onboard credits too – but with everything included, you might be challenged to spend them!  We can only hold this option for a few more days, so if this is of interest to you please call us immediately: 800-876-0168.
• Mississippi River:  American Queen Steamboat Company will have river boats on the Mississippi with passengers by mid-March.  AQSC has a vaccine requirement, and coupled with the fact it is a domestic trip, we expect the remaining cabins in 2021 to sell out quickly.  We can get you an additional $500 off just about any date on the Columbia or Mississippi.  Cruises between New Orleans and Memphis (7-nights) in April start at $2099 (inside cabin), or $3699 for a veranda.

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/2942778886004606

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