When someone contacts me to book an Alaska cruise, one of the standard questions I ask them is, “why Alaska”?  This helps me make sure I’m putting them on the right ship at the right time to see everything they want to see there.

Where I’ve run into problems is when people want to take an Alaskan cruise to see the Northern Lights.

While nothing is impossible, it is very unlikely to see the Aurora Borealis on an Alaskan cruise. This is mostly a contradiction of timing – the Alaska cruise run is May through September, and the best time to see the Northern Lights is October through March. This kind of makes sense – in the summer months, it doesn’t get dark much in Alaska, so even seeing stars can be a challenge.

There are now two options available for those who want to see the Northern Lights from the deck of a cruise ship.

Both options are in Norway, and both cruises will put you north of the Arctic Circle in months when it is dark enough to see the Northern Lights. For those collecting geography points, it’s also worth noting that your Alaskan Cruise doesn’t get anywhere near the Arctic Circle (Anchorage is about 400 miles South of there).

The first option is on Hurtigruten cruise line, and is round-trip from Bergen, Norway. Hurtigruten has gone so far as to guarantee you will see the Northern Lights, or they’ll offer you another cruise for free. The ships that do this run also act as ferries to some of the many communities they visit on the 12-night journey from Bergen, up past the Arctic Circle and back. You won’t find Broadway shows on this cruise line, but if you’re looking for an authentic expedition experience that visits small villages in a remote part of the world, this could be for you. Prices for this cruise start at about $1700 USD per person.

The other option is on Viking Ocean. Starting in 2019, the Viking Sky will take a 12-night Northern Lights cruise starting in London, and finishing in Bergen. If you want to see the Northern Lights, and also want a first-class cruise experience, this is the better option for you. Viking is best known as the largest river cruising company in Europe, but they are quickly making a name for themselves on the oceans as well. Travel and Leisure Magazine named Viking Ocean the Best Ocean Cruise Line in 2016, and Cruise Critic awarded Best New Ship to the Viking Star in 2015. It will cost you about $5800 per person to get on this ship.

Until now, my standard response to people who want to see the Northern Lights has been to send them to Churchill, Manitoba (in Canada) during the winter months. While this is still a viable option, it is not near as comfortable as travelling the Norwegian Coast by cruise ship. The two options above offer two completely different experiences – perhaps one of them is right for you if the Northern Lights are on your bucket list.

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

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

As regular readers of this blog know, I am very cautious about passing on “deals”. This is partly because every other travel agency is constantly pushing these things out, and I worry that I would just become part of the noise. The other reason is that the cruise lines constantly have promotions, which are usually just variations on a theme.

I’m looking for promotions that stand out, and offer true value.

The latest promotion from Azamara made me take some notice.

For those who are perhaps unfamiliar with Azamara, they are one of the luxury, small ship operators. They have only 3 ships, each of which is positioned as a floating boutique hotel. Unlike the mass-market brands, Azamara is intended to be all-inclusive, meaning that your drinks, gratuities, some shore excursions, and transfers are all included in your fare. Perhaps most importantly, with fewer than 700 guests, you never have to wait in any significant line ups.

For the month of November, Azamara has a “Double Upgrade” offer, giving you a Veranda Stateroom for the price of an Inside.

When you consider the inclusions, this promotion could get you on one of Azamara’s luxury ships for a lower overall price than you would pay on one of the mass-market ships.

Here are some examples:

• Spain, France & Tuscany: 7-nights, departing Barcelona June 16, 2018 for $2299
• Thailand & Viet Nam: 10-nights, departing Singapore November 26, 2018 for $2999
• Cuba & Grand Cayman: 10-nights, departing December 11, 2018 for $3299
• Denmark, Netherlands & UK: 11-nights, departing Copenhagen August 30, 2018 for $4399
• India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia: 19-nights, departing Dubai November 7, 2018 for $5789.

All of these are base prices, per person, and with the current promotion will get you into a Veranda Stateroom.

There are dozens of different voyages, but the list above will give you an idea of itineraries and costs. When you consider that on the mass-market cruise lines, your on board charges often equal or exceed your fare, these prices look particularly attractive.

If you’ve been thinking about a smaller ship cruise, then this might be worth looking at.

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

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

Travelling solo has both benefits and challenges.

Perhaps the most significant challenge is paying double for accommodation – and the higher-end your trip, the more the single supplement bites.

That’s why I was pleased to see AMA Waterways’ current offer, where the single supplement is waived on select 2017 and 2018 sailings if you book before October 31st.

You are NOT limited to the base category cabins (i.e. window-only), which is the normal situation. A a range of stateroom types is available with the waived single supplement, including balcony and French balcony cabins.

So… what’s the catch?

None that I can see!

(By the way, in case you think this sounds rather cynical, I can assure you that I have become trained to be think this way becomes some travel providers will advertise a marvellous-sounding deal such as this one, but it often turns out to be only available on one or two departure dates, for example).

Yes… there are some date restrictions with AMA’s offer, but I was pleasantly surprised when I went to check the availability.

AMA is offering the waived single supplement on a wide variety of departures in 2017 and 2018, along the Rhine, Main, and Danube Rivers. What caught my eye about this is that these are the most popular rivers for cruising in Europe, and even though there are some great itineraries along the other rivers, it is these two rivers that garner them most interest from our clients.

I have personally sailed with AMA (on the Rhine, from Amsterdam to Basel), and was very pleased with the entire luxurious experience.

I recently spent some time with Gary Murphy at Virtuoso Travel Week this year, where AMA Waterways won “Cruise Line of the Year”.

Gary is the Senior VP of Sales and co-owner of AMA Waterways. I asked him a few things about AMA that I thought might be interesting to anyone considering a river cruise.

Here’s a condensed version of our chat:

• AMA has 20 ships in Europe, and have been cruising the rivers there for 15 years.
• It is an American, family-owned business.
• Their ships have won numerous awards, and have a maximum of 164 guests (compared to 190 on the same sized Viking ship)
• This is the river cruise line for “Foodies”. Tapas are available all day, and there is a 5-course meal every night.
• Premium wines and beer are included for all meals, and for “happy hour” before dinner.
• Internet access is included in the fare
• Fare includes an excursion in every port

As regular readers will know, it’s not very often that I promote a specific cruise line or offer. I prefer to put good information out there, and let people use their own judgment. However, when I see an offer that I feel truly stands out, then I do like to make people aware of it.

If you’re a solo traveller who has been considering a European river cruise, but you’ve always been put off by the cost, then now might be a good time to look at a river cruise with AMA Waterways.  Remember, you must book before Oct. 31st to get the single supplement waived.

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

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

A couple of weeks ago however, I attended an industry function put on by Crystal Cruises. It made me want to share more about this cruise line with my readers, as I believe it offers great value.

I was especially excited to learn more about Crystal’s new River Cruises, but that’s a topic for another day.

For those not familiar with Crystal, they are a luxury, all-inclusive cruise line.

Crystal normally costs quite a bit more than Princess or Holland America. For some people, the additional cost is well worth it to get the inclusions and high quality amenities and services that all guests enjoy.

Crystal is currently offering some good deals that I thought I’d let you know about. It’s a great opportunity to try out luxury cruising for the first time, whether you’ve considered ‘moving up’ to luxury, or if you’ve cruised the Caribbean many times and are looking for something new. More about those deals in a minute.

But first – a bit more about Crystal.

Like all the luxury lines, Crystal operates smaller ships, with their largest carrying just over 1000 passengers. The obvious advantage is better service, and unique port stops that aren’t as crowded. About half of Crystal’s passengers sailed on Princess or Holland America on their most recent cruise, and the average age is about 60.

Crystal is the luxury line for active people. Crystal promises “Participative Vacations” whether it be in health, fitness, art, or culture. There are many more options on a Crystal ship than sitting on the deck chairs watching the world go by.

The other really nice thing about Crystal, is that it has far more inclusions than any of the mass-market lines. If you’ve ever gotten to the end of a cruise, and found that your on-board charges exceeded your fare, you’ll appreciate this. Here are some of the inclusions you can expect on Crystal:

• Specialty restaurants included
• Complimentary fine wines, champagne, and premium spirits
• Open bar, everywhere on the ship
• Specialty coffee, waters, juices and sodas
• All gratuities included in the fare
• 24 hour room service included.
• Broadway style entertainment, and learning/enrichment activities on board.

So if your bar-bill, gratuities, and on-board activities on your last cruises cost you several hundred dollars, then it might be better value for you to try a luxury line.

Here are some especially good deals that might interest you:

7-night cruise round-trip out of Fort Lauderdale, visiting Turks/Caicos, Grand Cayman, and Key West, departing on November 20, 2017, starting at $1995 per person (before taxes and port fees).
Learn more here: http://www.crystalcruises.com/voyage/details/tropical-treasure-7330

9-night cruise round-trip out of Fort Lauderdale, visiting Tortola, St. Bart’s, and St. Maarten, departing on November 27, 2017, starting at $2595 per person (before taxes and port fees).
Learn more here: http://www.crystalcruises.com/voyage/details/caribbean-cachet-7331

You don’t have to worry about that price being an inside cabin next to the engine room – there are no inside cabins on Crystal – all the staterooms have picture windows and/or verandahs.

If you’ve been curious about the luxury lines, there won’t be a better opportunity than this to check it out.

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

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley