If you live in the northern half of the country, and you’re anything like me, January can be a bit of a struggle. 

When it’s not light out until 8.00 in the morning, and the sun sets before 5.00pm, it’s hard to find the energy to do much other than work and what in minimally required to maintain the house.

I’ve found that one of my coping mechanisms for the dark and cold is to use January to transform some of my travel dreams into reality.  But sometimes planning an adventure several months into the future is far too abstract to act as therapy to the winter blues.

Some people choose this time of year to go to Florida and hop on a ship to the warmer climes of the Caribbean.  This is a great way to get some sun, but for me, the Caribbean is somewhat routine and dull as a travel destination.  Plus – it is at this time of year that the cruise lines charge a premium to get on board in that region.

Last year we kicked the winter blues with a river cruise in France in March.  Here’s a link to our video blogs if it is of interest:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA1r3eOMaDVEP9ouRrZGrhocmhYp7EUPW

We put this trip together on fairly short notice (for a river cruise); we booked it about 3 months in advance. 

If you feel the need to have something to look forward to this spring, there is some availability left in April.

There is no doubt the weather can be a bit of a gamble in April, but it is not too cold.  The average temperatures in Paris, Amsterdam and Budapest at this time of year are in the 60s, and there are typically between 5 and 7 days of rain during that month.

The other nice thing about being a month or two earlier than the normal tourist season is that the historical and cultural sites in Europe are far less crowded than they are May through September.  The trade-off of having to pack a sweater and a rain coat is well worth NOT having to fight the crowds as much.

Taking a quick look at river cruise availability this April, Viking is mostly sold out.  This is generally what we would expect so close to departure.  However, I can see some availability on AMA and Uniworld for those who might want to beat the crowds to Europe this spring. 

I can see base fares between $2800 and $3500 per person, which is also pretty good value for river ships in Europe. 

If you need a lift from the post-Christmas blahs, and you were thinking about a European river cruise, now might be time to book.

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 media is already jammed with reviews of the past year, and predictions for the next year, so I write this with some reservation.  However, based on trends we’ve seen in the past several months, and new innovations and announcements from our cruise partners, I thought it might be interesting to offer our perspective on what we see as trends for 2020 and beyond.

One thing there is no denying is the incredible growth of the cruise industry in the past several years.  That continued in 2019, and is projected for 2020, where we see year over year growth in the high single digits.  The cruise industry has almost doubled in size in the past decade.  It seems that people really like to travel by ship!

That growth, however is not equally distributed, and here are the trends we see as we move into 2020:

1. Environmental Sustainability.  As a whole, the cruise industry does not have a stellar reputation for their environmental practices.  Look for this to change significantly in the coming months and years.  Most cruise lines have already made some moves to reduce waste and recycle.  Hurtigruten is leading the pack with the elimination of single use plastics, and the debut of the world’s first hybrid cruise ship.  We participated in the North American inaugural voyage – here’s a video link of our experience: https://youtu.be/1L_ByDqhGR0
2. Cultural Sustainability.  The cruise lines have figured out that many us of don’t like to be amongst 25,000 cruise passengers disgorging into small towns with only a few hundred permanent residents.  Many cruise guests are looking for more authentic experiences where they can participate in the local culture without overwhelming it.
3. Expedition Cruising.  We are still at the front end of the curve with this type of travel, and as travellers run out of Caribbean Islands and Mediterranean ports to visit, they are looking to visit more remote areas of the planet such as Antarctica and Galapagos.  Many cruise lines are investing heavily in this trend to meet projected demand.  For example, Viking Cruises recently announced it is launching 2 new expedition ships in 2022 (bookings are currently limited to past Viking guests, with general sales opening in early 2020).
4. Communication Technology on Board.  The jokes about how slow internet connectivity is on cruise ships are not all that funny if you really need to connect.  The cruise lines are running to play catch-up, and it will only get better.  Princess promises internet speeds fast enough to stream video on its ships that have been upgraded to Medallion class.  The other cruise lines will be sure to follow suit.
5. Overnight Stops.  We are seeing more and more cruise itineraries that include port stops longer than 8 hours, satisfying demand to experience more of what these ports have to offer, including during the evening.
6. Small Ship Cruising.  This transformation has been occurring for a few years now, but we get more and more requests for ships with 1000 guests or fewer.  There will always be a market for the cheap vacations with 4000+ passengers, but a growing segment of travellers is making it very clear they will pay more to be on a ship with fewer guests, more inclusions, and a higher quality of food and service.  We see Seabourn as leading the pack with this trend.
7. River cruising.  About half of the cruises we book now are on rivers.  This trend has been occurring for a few years as well, but we see no signs of it slowing.  People really like the cultural immersion that you can only get on a river ship, as well as being able to visit ports not accessible to ocean vessels.

So cruising has come a long way since the 1970s when the Love Boat was cruising up and down the Mexican Coast from LA (although that itinerary is still very much available).  

We continue to see cruising get cheaper on the mega-ships as they pack more people on board to drive the costs per passenger even lower.  Our clients have largely trended the other direction, towards small ocean ships, river ships, and more unique, authentic, and higher quality experiences. 

We’ll continue to look for new products and experiences to share with you into 2020 and beyond, but hopefully the above has given you a few ideas for your next vacation.

Happy New Year to all.

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

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

Every family has its own unique holiday traditions, those once-a-year activities that give us a sense of identity and belonging as we celebrate this special time of year.

Often (but certainly not always) these traditions revolve around food.

My favourite childhood holiday treat was chocolate peanut butter balls. My mom can still be counted on to have a batch of these on hand during the holidays. She was also famous for her butter tarts, made entirely from scratch including the crusts.

As an adult, I tended to adopt my mom’s recipes. My hand-written recipe cards are now faded, worn and splattered.

This year though, I tried a couple of new recipes, and I’ve decided that one in particular will become a new tradition for our family.

Cinnamon Stars, also known as “Zimtsterne” cookies, are a traditional German favourite.

If you’ve ever been to a Christmas Market in Europe (possibly while on a river cruise), you will have certainly seen these cookies.

Maybe you’ve even tasted them, or baked them yourself.

They are made out of ground nuts (almonds or hazelnuts) and lots of cinnamon, and are frosted before you put them in the oven.

Here is the recipe I used: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/10210/cinnamon-stars/

(Tip: I used ‘almond flour’ from Costco and it worked great).

Much to my surprise the cookies turned out exactly as shown in the photo! I love the nutty taste combined with cinnamon.

If you try making these cookies, imagine that you’re eating them still warm from the oven, while you’re wandering through a Christmas Market and sipping on a glass of mulled wine.

I have never visited a Christmas Market in Europe, but I sure would love to experience a Christmas Market River Cruise one day.

Maybe next year!

Bob and I wish you a wonderful Christmas, with lots of yummy treats and the company of friends and family to enjoy them with.

All the best,

Sue Bradley

Cocktails anyone?

Many of the cruise lines have a predictable line-up for their promotions over the course of a year. 

As a case in point, every summer, we expect Princess to offer its “Sip & Sail” promotion where they include a Beverage Package with the fare.

This is an eagerly anticipated event, and many of our clients wait until the summer to book their Princess cruises.

So, we were a bit taken by surprise this week, when Princess launched their “Best. Sale. Ever.”, a never-seen-before promotion that not only includes the Beverage Package, but Gratuities and Wifi as well.

This is a solid offer from Princess.  Here’s what you get:

• Free Premier Beverage Package.  This includes adult beverages, as well as soda, premium coffees etc.  What we really like about the way Princess offers this is that it is truly inclusive.  Some of the other cruise lines’ “free” beverage packages end up costing you several hundred dollars in extra fees – meaning it is not even close to being “free”.  This one includes all taxes and tips on the drinks.
• Free Unlimited WiFi.  Princess is part way through upgrading all their ships for enhanced internet, so if you find yourself on one of their Medallion Class ships, the promise is for internet fast enough to stream video.  This is a significant improvement in and of itself.  Not having to pay extra for this service is a huge bonus for those who like to be connected at sea.
• Free Pre-Paid Gratuities.  Cruisers are accustomed to daily gratuities being added to their room charges, and these do add-up – particularly on longer itineraries.  The amount varies a bit but it is safe to say that this perk will save you around $100 per person, per week, based on the suggested gratuity amount.

There is a bit of fine print on this promo (like any other one), but there are no “gotcha surprises” like we have seen on some of the other lines.  Here is some of that fine print:

• All guests in the stateroom need to participate.  If you don’t value the beverage package, for example, there is no way to get onboard credits instead.
• Only for select sailings from April 2020 and after.  We went through and looked at the selected sailings and there are lots for Alaska, Europe, Asia, and Australia/New Zealand.  There are very few for the Caribbean. 
• WiFi is available for one device per guest, and speeds are not guaranteed.

While all the cruise lines have their own differentiators, I would suggest that Princess really shines in three areas:

• For families and multi-generational groups, Princess has an on-board program for everyone.
• Princess has some really interesting itineraries – particularly in Europe (both Northern Europe and the Mediterranean), as well as Asia and Australia/New Zealand.
• Princess is the largest operator in Alaska, and their shore packages (in collaboration with Holland America) are pretty hard to beat.

If you’re thinking about the Caribbean this winter, this offer is NOT particularly useful. 

On the other hand, if you’re looking at any other destination, and you were considering Princess, you’ll want to take a serious look at this offer.

Book now and you’ll get free Beverages, Gratuities, and Wifi ALL included in your fare!

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 horrible flooding in Venice has put this UNESCO World Heritage Site on our radar recently.  Luckily, it looks like the waters are receding, and things should return to normal there fairly quickly.

But what is “normal” for Venice?

In reality, the city has been sinking for centuries, and without significant investment and effort, the place would have been uninhabitable decades ago.  They have begun to limit the number of cruise ships that visit Venice as a way to control the number of tourists.  Venice in the summer months is a little bit like Disney World at spring break.  The one big difference being that once Disney hits capacity, they can close the gates.  This is what they are thinking about for Venice.

I absolutely believe that tourism is one way that we can develop a better understanding of each other in a world where such sentiments are increasingly not valued.  In many cases tourism is an effective way to redistribute wealth from those in very fortunate countries (like ours) to those that are not as lucky as we are.

The other side of tourism is what we are seeing in Venice.  Too many visitors have created a situation whereby the locals are looking to limit the crowds – even though all those visitors come with open wallets. 

Added to this is the increasing affluence of China and India.  Those two countries combined have about half the world’s population.  China alone is 5 times larger than the United States, and every year the number of Chinese that have the economic means to travel increases.

I experienced this first hand last week when I was in Europe.  Even though November is quietest month of the year in many parts of Europe, it was still busy.  I also saw multiple tour groups from China – something that had been a rarity before now. 

So what does all this mean?

For me, it underscores the necessity of travelling now.  Besides all the regular hazards that may impact one’s ability to travel:  health, aging parents, political uncertainty, economic questions; there is now another hazard: Competition from other tourists.

Travel now, while you still can.

You just never know when that destination on your bucket-list will become unavailable.

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

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley