Do you remember the old adage about NOT wearing white after Labor Day? I don’t think people pay too much attention to that anymore, but there’s no doubt that Labor Day is second probably only to New Year’s Day for marking transitions.
For those of us in the northern half of the country, Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, even though there are a few weeks left of it on the calendar; the kids go back to school, and we start making plans for the fall and beyond.
What does this mean in the world of cruise?
Normally September is amongst the busiest months for cruise bookings, but we weren’t sure what to expect this year with the effects of the pandemic still very much influencing people’s travel plans.
It turns out that people are booking cruises, but rather than booking 2 or 3 months in advance, they are booking six, twelve or more months out.
Many of the river cruise, and small ship ocean lines are reporting to be more sold-out for 2021 when compared to this time last year. There is some logic to this – many people who had their cruises cancelled in 2020, simply moved their plans ahead a year. When you combine this with people’s need to have something to look forward to, it’s not a big surprise that some travel providers are seeing increased demand.
Over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll let you know about different offers we’re seeing out there, if you’re one of those who are itching to make plans for your next adventure.
This month (September 2020), our agency is the “Partner of the Month” for Oceania Cruises. What this means is that on just about all their scheduled cruises in 2021 and beyond, we can get you FREE gratuities when you book a veranda cabin or higher category. Normally you would be charged between $16 and $23 per passenger (per day) for gratuities, so this exclusive perk could be worth several hundred dollars depending on the length of your cruise.
Oceania has 6 ships that travel to 6 continents, so there are hundreds of itineraries, but here are a few examples.
Alaska – Departing June 21, 2021 from Vancouver for 11 nights
Why we like this cruise:
- Starting at $2399 per person
- The Oceania Regatta holds only 680 guests
- You start in Vancouver, and finish in Seattle, that enables you to visit both these spectacular cities. Most of the time you have choose one or the other.
- In addition to the standard Alaska ports of Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan, you get to visit some less travelled places like Wrangell, Sitka, and Victoria.
Amazon River – Departing Nov 27, 2021 round trip from Miami for 24 nights
Why we like this cruise:
- Starting at $4699 per person
- The Oceania Insignia also only carries 680 guests
- You start and finish in Miami, removing the need for international flights, while visiting some of the more remote ports in South America.
- You will visit some of the Eastern Caribbean’s best beaches on its way down
- You spend 6 days in the Amazon, including an overnight stop in Manaus
Mediterranean – Departing May 18, 2021 from Istanbul for 15 nights
Why we like this cruise:
- Starting at $3649 per person
- This cruise is also on the Insignia, so you’ll only have to share with 680 others.
- There are overnight stops in Istanbul and Venice – giving you a chance to really explore these ports.
- You will visit standard ports in Greece (Mykonos and Athens) and Croatia.
- You also visit less frequented ports like Kavala (Greece), Sicily, Sorrento and St. Tropez.
We like Oceania because it’s a smaller ship experience, and their pricing structure enables you to choose whether you want a more inclusive package, or just take “cruise-only”. They are also known as “the cruise line for foodies” for those who enjoy an upgraded dining experience.
We can see reasonable availability on the examples above, but some cabin categories are already sold out.
Even if none of these particular cruises work for you, we can get still you free gratuities on almost any other Oceania cruise booked before the end of September (Veranda or higher category).
If you recently booked an Oceania cruise directly with the cruise line, please get in touch as soon as possible so we can try to add the pre-paid gratuities added to your existing reservation. Important note: free gratuities cannot be added to reservations booked under Oceania’s recent Labor Day Sale.
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I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
