It would be hard not to notice the incredible growth of Viking Cruises – both on the rivers and the oceans.  Since 2010, they have doubled their market share, and now have over 50% of the European River Cruise market.  This is made more impressive by the fact they achieved this during a time when the whole river cruise market was growing – so their growth in absolute terms is even larger. 

Their growth can be attributed to a variety of factors:

• Their overwhelming direct marketing campaigns – if you’re anything like me, you probably get printed flyers and brochures delivered to your house several times a month.
• Their TV advertisements on PBS, and their promotions with Downton Abbey have certainly worked.
• The Viking Air program, where air is included or significantly reduced makes it easy for people to anticipate their costs.
• The Viking referral program where past guests can refer others and each get a $100 credit is also a stroke marketing genius. 

Most often their fares are several hundred dollars less than their competitors, which sometimes made me wonder – is Viking cutting some corners in order to keep prices low?  

As travel agents, we often get invited to sail on ships for what is called a “FAM” (or familiarization) trip.  Normally, travel agents are invited on board for off-season or shortened versions of a regular itinerary so they can experience first-hand what their clients will with a specific travel product.

It’s extraordinarily difficult to get a FAM trip on board Viking, because most of their ships are full, most of the time.   So I felt extremely honoured – and was paying close attention – this past September when I was on board the Viking Egil on the Romantic Danube itinerary.

The short answer is that I don’t believe that Viking is rounding any corners. Instead, their price leadership is based on a number of other factors:

1. Scale – when you own more than half the market, you should be able to conduct business at a lower cost than competitors.  Viking does this well.
2. Number of people per ship.  The river ships are all approximately the same size.  This is a function of having to get under bridges, and navigate the bends in the rivers.  Most of the river ships hold between 140 and 180 people, and the costs to run them would be very similar regardless of how many are on board.  The Viking ships are near the higher end of this range  (although I never felt crowded on board their ships).
3. Bicycles, gym equipment and spas.  These are amenities that some of the other river cruise lines do offer that Viking does not.  For our clients who find such things an important part of their choice of ship, we will push them to a different river cruise line. 

Inevitably people want to judge quality of food and service compared to their perceptions of those things on the ocean cruise ships they have been on.  If there were more than 1500 people on your last ocean cruise, then you will have been on one of the mass-market lines.  These ships definitely serve a purpose in the market, but you will find the quality of food and service to be higher on Viking, than any of those lines. 

Some people have asked if Viking is down-market version of the European river cruise (similar to what is available on a very cheap ocean cruise). That is certainly NOT the case – you will find the food, service and quality on Viking to be comparable to any 5-star hotel – and they just happen to be very competitively priced as well.

If you’re thinking of a Viking cruise, please don’t book directly with Viking!  When you book through me, you’ll gain extra onboard credits that you wouldn’t otherwise receive (other than that, the pricing is exactly the same).  The specific perk varies depending on when you book, and which itinerary and departure date you’re looking at.  Please get in touch for specific information. 

For example, you’ll receive $350 onboard credit per stateroom on select departures for the following itineraries in 2019:

• Viking Homelands

• Rhine Getaway

• Romantic Danube
• Danube Waltz
• Paris & the Heart of Normandy

• Lyon & Provence

• Châteaux, Rivers & Wine


If you’ve already booked with me, then you can rest assured that I’ve gotten you the maximum perk possible for your situation.  To get that $350 onboard credit mentioned above, you’ll need to be very flexible with your dates, as the selection of departure dates is extremely limited.  There is also some ‘fine print’ – the biggest one being that this perk is not combineable with Viking’s popular referral program. 

Anyways, like I say, please get in touch so that I can find out exactly how much onboard credit I can get for your specific situation.  I look forward to hearing from you.

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

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

In high school English class, many of us had to study The Rime of Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.  In that poem, the mariner and his crew find themselves in the ironic situation of being surrounded by water but dying of thirst.

“Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink”.

It’s not quite that dramatic in Europe right now, although some of the media reports in North America would have you believe it. 

As a general rule, we really don’t pay too  much attention to what happens in the rest of the world… unless it might affect our vacation plans.

The news of an historic drought in Europe this year – the likes of which had not been seen on record – entirely failed to make the news in North America.  While Germany, Austria, and France suffered massive crop failures, and billions of Euros of damage was done to their economies, we didn’t hear a word.

But then, when a few river ships where unable to make all their port stops, it instantly became “news”.

Because our news agencies in North America are not required to provide any context (or many times even accurate facts), there is a whole bunch of misinformation and unnecessary fear about the situation floating around out there.

As a result, many people who are booked on river cruises in 2019 are worried that their ship won’t be able to make the journey.  Others are putting off making any river cruise plans in Europe until they see what happens with the water levels. 

These are perfectly normal reactions to hysterical media coverage of the weather in Europe. 

So here is our best attempt to provide prudent advice on the water levels:

• Any time you are discussing the weather, there are no guarantees.  You can be affected by low or high water on any river at any time.  Your chances of a river cruise in 2019 being adversely impacted by water levels are the same as any other year.
  
  
• In reality, river cruise guests are seldom affected by high or low water. Even in 2018, the vast majority of river cruise guests did NOT have any interruption to their trip.  Of course, the news media will not report (or even comment) when people’s trips go smoothly and according to plan.  Amongst all the irresponsible fear mongering in the media about water levels, there was no discussion about what percentage of guests actually experienced itinerary changes this year. 

• The low water in Europe was a seasonal drought that will likely be remedied this winter by the seasonal melting of the snow pack in the Alps and Urals. It is NOT at all like the situation in our Southwest where there is a systemic problem of too many people and not enough water.

So what do you do?

You should make your travel plans and hope for the best, because this is the bargain you make anytime you make vacation plans. 

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

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

I just returned from Antarctica – wow, what an experience of a lifetime!

You’ll hear much more about my trip in upcoming emails. I’m so excited to share my stories and photos/videos with you!

Of course, I saw penguins and icebergs… and these were highlights for sure.

But I also encountered many unexpected things along the way, things that completely surprised me.

My first surprise was discovering that the cruise line that hosted me is the #1 cruise line in polar regions (both in terms of number of passengers and number of departures).

Now, I’m a travel agent and I didn’t even know this!

In fact, I’d never even heard of this cruise line until a couple of years ago.

The #1 cruise line in both Arctic and Antarctic waters is NOT Princess, Holland America or Silversea.

It’s Hurtigruten, a Norwegian company that’s been in operation for 125 years.

The reason that you’re not familiar with Hurtigruten is because until now, the company has focused primarily on the European market.

Pretty soon though, Hurtigruten will be a household name in the US.

If you’re one of the knowledgeable few who’ve already heard of Hurtigruten, it’s likely because of their “Northern Lights Guarantee”. If you take Hurtigruten’s classic 12-day cruise along the Norwegian coast (which travels round trip out of Bergen), you are 100% GUARANTEED to see the Northern Lights. If you do not see them, you’ll get another cruise, absolutely free of charge! That’s how sure Hurtigruten is that the Northern Lights will make an appearance during your trip.

Hurtigruten offers expedition style cruises. There’s a large, expert Expedition Team on every cruise. These are your hosts both on board and ashore, guiding and assisting you during outdoor activities, and providing lectures in subjects such as geography, history, wildlife and more.

If you enjoy traveling with likeminded adventurers who value personal growth over exploring in luxury, then Hurtigruten would be a good choice for you.

But it’s not for everyone. You won’t find waterslides, casinos or any sort of dress code.

What you WILL find is a casual and relaxed atmosphere, great food, and all the quality equipment and knowledgeable guidance you need to explore new destinations.

By the way, if you’re thinking of an Alaska cruise in the next couple of years, you’ll want to consider Hurtigruten. All their Alaska 2020 departures were just released yesterday, so the selection is excellent. The itineraries include unique ports of call like Petersburg and Wrangell, interesting places that other cruise lines rarely visit.  You’ll experience Alaska in a way that few North Americans ever have.

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

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

The cruise lines are continuing to innovate to attract people to their ships. In the mass-market, they do this by building bigger ships with more attractions that are akin to an amusement park. These attractions are great for people travelling with children, or for those looking for a cheap getaway.

At the higher end of the market, we are seeing different trends. In some cases, cruise lines are doing different routings, and calling in on bucket-list destinations to attract people to their ships.  Other cruise lines have created themed cruises.

Here are some of the theme trends we’ve noticed lately.

Wellness themed cruises – A few months ago, I wrote about the arrangement that Seabourn has with Dr. Andrew Weill.  It appears as though other cruise lines have also identified wellness as a theme that can get people on board their ships. If you want to learn more about health, nutrition, meditation, exercise, then these cruises might be for you.

Example: AmaWaterways has recently added “wellness hosts” on their river ships. The hosts lead free stretching, jogging and resistance workouts every morning and afternoon, guide discussion groups on healthy eating and relaxation techniques, and offer complimentary classes such as yoga, Pilates, tai chi and circuit training.

Golf – For those who love the links, a golf-themed cruise would hold some appeal. Not only do you get to visit some golf courses in places you’ve likely never been, but they also have PGA coaches, and golf celebrities on board for you to hobnob with.

Example: Azamara’s Golf Voyages include 3-6 rounds of golf on each itinerary. Specialized staff on board and ashore arrange everything from daily pairings and competitions to social events and handling your golf clubs which you’ll find set up at each course awaiting your arrival from the ship.

Music – If you love big-band or jazz, there are cruises that will cater to your musical tastes.

Example: Silversea offers opera-themed cruises in 2018 and 2019, giving aficionados a unique opportunity to deepen their knowledge and passion. Talented artists from Accademia Teatro alla Scala will give performances, lectures, and Q&A sessions, and you’ll have the unique opportunity to mingle with the singers at a signature cocktail party.

Cuisine – It used to be that any cruise was an extraordinary culinary experience. On the small-ship lines, this is still very much the case, but Culinary themed cruises go a step beyond and feature celebrity chefs and sometimes have cooking classes on board for people to participate in. If you’re a “foodie”, then there are lots of options for you.

Example: Oceania’s has specific sailings where you can join Master Chef Jacques Pépin, Oceania’s Executive Culinary Director, on a cruise that feature exclusive signature menus, heartwarming lectures, and cooking demonstrations.

Magic – It is true there a few different ships called the “Magic”, but that’s not what I’m talking about here.  These themed cruises are about the stage craft of magic. If you’re a budding magician, or just someone who appreciates this type of performance art, then these cruises might be worth checking out.

Example: Crystal has a well-established partnership with Magic Castle, where magicians come aboard specific sailings to entertain with remarkable, mystifying performances featuring sleight of hand and illusions.

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

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley