The Pampered Cruiser

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Happy Thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGIVING – I hope you are recovering well from eating too much, and you DIDN’T spend all day today standing in a line-up at some awful shopping mall.  

I DO hope that you spend some time this long weekend with family and other people that are important to you.  At our house, Thanksgiving is a mix of different traditions, and like many families where there’s an American and Canadian in residence, you end up doing the whole thing once at the beginning of October, and then again this week. 

We’re in Mexico right now, and celebrated with some other expatriates.  We managed to find something beyond rice, beans and tortillas that somewhat resembled a Thanksgiving dinner.  Turkey is not a big part of the Mexican diet, and the Mexicans are more focused on Christmas at this point.  

I find myself largely ignoring the Black Friday marketing – it is more hype than anything substantial – and focusing more on what I believe we should be on this holiday.  Like most of you, I am immensely thankful for the people around me, and the peace and fortune in which I live.  Some of our acquaintances are pretty sure we’re enduring the apocalypse as we speak, and while most of those people are intelligent, contributing members of society, they have two things in common:

  1. They are addicted to television news.  This is not compatible with a healthy mental state, and can be every bit as devastating as other addictions.  And no… it doesn’t matter what channel you watch.  Our brains are not meant to witness a constant stream of images of death, destruction, and other sensationalized bad news on a daily basis. 
  2. They don’t travel.  If you get out into the world, you quickly realize we’ve got a good thing going here.  Yes – we should always look to be aware of those countries that do better than we do at certain things, and learn from that.  On balance – we are very fortunate, and must not forget that.  

It is also at Thanksgiving that I start planning family trips for the following year.  It is a tremendous privilege to be able to share unique experiences with family and close friends, and for an increasing number of people in my orbit, investing in experiences is far preferable than standing in line at the mall, buying more stuff we really don’t need (especially on Black Friday!)

I once heard a mall described as “a place we go to buy things we can’t really afford, and don’t really need, to impress people we don’t really like.”  Perhaps a bit cynical, but perfectly illustrates why many of us would rather invest in experiences with those that are important to us.

So today, rather than bombard you with more noise about Black Friday advertisements, I thought I’d highlight trips that lend themselves well to travelling with family and close friends.

Because those are the experiences to be truly thankful for.

Today’s Travel Opportunities

AMA WATERWAYS

If you want to travel with a multi-generational group, AMA makes that easy.  There are lots of rooms with a third berth, several adjoining rooms, and they allow people under 18.  Here are a few examples, if you’re working around kids in school:

MEKONG River: Vietnam & Cambodia from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap for 7-nights

PARIS & NORMANDY departing March 13, 15, 22 or 27 for 7-nights

FRANCE, GERMANY & NETHERLANDS: Basel to Amsterdam for 7-nights

  • Visit Amsterdam (overnight), Cologne, Rhine Gorge, Rudesheim, Ludwignshafen, Strasbourg, Basel

EXPLORA JOURNEYS

This luxury lifestyle brand has large rooms (some with 3rd berths), and is one of the only luxury small-ships with dedicated public space for those under 18 who like to travel with their families.  

Click here to learn more about the Explora Journeys experience: https://inspires.to/experiences/the-explora-journeys-experience-43wo3

CARIBBEAN round-trip MIAMI departing February 14 for 7-nights

SPAIN & MOROCCO from Rome to Barcelona departing April 23 for 11-nights

See our Explora ship tour video here:  https://youtu.be/LHjAS0JKCQ0 

ATLAS YACHTS to REMOTE LOCATIONS

If you’d like to take your kids or grandkids to the more remote parts of the planet, then ATLAS has some options for you:

We are really excited about Atlas and we think this relatively new brand is a great fit for our clients!  Click here to learn more about the Atlas Ocean Voyages experience: https://inspires.to/experiences/the-atlas-ocean-voyages-experience-wx208

ANTARCTICA round-trip from Buenos Aires departing December 17, 2025 for 11-nights

  • Includes charter flight to Ushuaia and 6-days of scheduled landings on the continent.
  • Fares from $12,654.

ICELAND & GREENLAND departing Reykjavik to New York – August 9, for 10-nights

  • Visit Iceland, and make 8-stops in Greenland, the board a charter flight (included) back to New York.
  • Verandas from $7999

BALTIC SEA departing Stockholm on July 30, for 9-nights

  • Visit Stockholm, Tallinn (Estonia), Helsinki, 2 stops in Latvia, Gdansk, Ronne (Denmark), Binz (Germany), and finish in Copenhagen
  • Fares from $5799

TAUCK Bridges LAND CRUISES

Tauck has a whole series of products designed for travelling with children and grandchildren.  The itineraries are especially designed for all ages and generations to enjoy together.

Click here to learn more about Tauck Bridges Family Journeys (they offer Bridges Family River Cruises too!): https://inspires.to/experiences/tauck-bridges-family-journeys-1dgpo

MT. RUSHMORE & NATIONAL PARKS from Jackson WY to Rapid City for 8-days

  • Visit Jackson, Snake River Ranch, Yellowstone NP, Grand Teton NP, Cody WY (for Buffalo Bill Center), Ucross, Crazy Horse Memorial and Mt. Rushmore.

COSTA RICA from San Jose to Liberia for 8-days

CANADIAN ROCKIES: Round-trip from Calgary for 7-days.

  • Take your kids or grandkids to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, and visit Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, Maligne Canyon, ride across the Athabasca Glacier and travel the Icefields Parkway.  
  • Cycling, light hiking, paddling, and optional river rafting.
  • Departures June through August from $5890.  If you depart in early July, you can travel independently pre or post trip and take-in the CALGARY STAMPEDE – the world’s LARGEST rodeo.  
  • Click here for more details: https://www.tauck.com/tours/canadian-rockies-family-tour?tcd=yr2025&insider=mmjy-sue-bob-bradley-the-pampered-cruiser

In Case You Missed It:

DESTINATION CANADA:  It’s right next door, and has become a top tourist destination for Americans.  Here’s some ideas on what to see in this vast country:

https://pamperedcruiser.com/destination-canada/

GLOBAL ENTRY and other frequent traveller programs.  Are these programs worth it?  Which one is best for you?

https://pamperedcruiser.com/trusted-traveller-programs-which-one/

Latest YOUTUBE Post:

Viking Pre-Trip Mail-out Package.  If you’re taking a cruise with Viking, when will you get your luggage tags, and what else can you expect from them pre-trip?  We made this quick video to answer those questions:

https://youtu.be/62QlltkT7xo

Have something to say about this?

Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/pfbid029RkDV93LHmBHdyrWGdizCZZthFq7Tfv53cnYoAUQjDuMCm5hUqK23w6eMby47VAJl

If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here or call 800-876-0168 to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

Hi There!

My mission is to help my clients accomplish the dream experiences on their travel-related 'bucket lists'.  Often, that includes a small ship cruise.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Sue Bradley

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The Pampered Cruiser

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The Pampered Cruiser