Bob speaking today. I wanted to share a bit of my backstory, and how I got hooked on travel, long before Sue and I were in the biz.
We’ve both always been wanderers. Sue was born in Iowa, and did most of her growing up in Australia. I was born to an American family, but mostly grew up in Vancouver (the one in Canada). In 1986, the World’s Fair was hosted by Vancouver, and I was hooked. Two years later, World Expo 88 was hosted by Brisbane, Australia, and I knew I had to go.
Part of that memorable trip was a stop-over in Fiji on the way TO Australia, and then again a year later on the way home. On my first trip to Fiji, my travel mates and I took a long bus ride out of Nadi, and then a boat ride of several hours to arrive at Beachcomber Island – a coral atoll, perhaps the size of two football fields, with white sand, palm trees, tropical fish, fruit right off the vine, and the friendliest Fijians you can imagine. It was like Gilligan’s Island… but with beer.
I stumbled off the boat, and gave the nearest middle-aged Fijian woman a hug, and announced “I’m home, mom!”. I was performing for my buddies more than anything else, but it became the running joke for the duration of my stay on the Island. Every time Mary (my Fijian mother) saw me, she’d give me a hug, calling me “sonny”.
After working at Expo 88 in Brisbane, and then travelling to every corner of Australia and then New Zealand, I returned to Beachcomber Island in Fiji. I hadn’t been ashore more than 5 minutes, when Mary tapped me on the shoulder, and declared, “Sonny… you’ve made it home again”. She had seen hundreds of young Aussies, Kiwis, Brits and Canadians on this island, and she somehow remembered me from the previous year.
This second time around, she introduced me to her family, and I would play soccer with her sons on the beach. She toured me to the staff-only areas of Beachcomber Island. Upon my departure, she said something that changed my life forever:
“You go back home, and work really hard, save your money, and come back and visit us again.”
The Fijians have a very simple lifestyle. They don’t have the big homes, cars, and consumer goods we consider to be “normal” in North America. And yet I was going to return home, so I could work 50 weeks a year, so I could fly back to Fiji to spend 2 weeks living like they do every day.
That’s when I knew that I had so much more to learn about life from people in what we would consider to be less-developed countries. That’s when I knew I didn’t really have much interest in collecting consumer goods, as much as I wanted to collect experiences. That’s when I knew it was our ignorance of others, and arrogance of thinking we’ve got life “all sorted out” is horribly misguided.
That was nearly 40 years ago, and Mary’s gift put me on the path of discovery that Sue and I find ourselves on now. Continuing to travel and learn, and helping others do the same could not be more fulfilling.
And I owe it all to Mary.
Dream-Travel-Share UNPACKED:
Check out our VIDEO BLOG where Kim & Bob talk about Bob’s trip to Fiji many years ago, and Kim shares one of her life-changing travel stories. https://youtu.be/kJuModdsI5E
REAL ID for Domestic Flights
Effective May 7, you’ll need REAL ID to board an airplane for a DOMESTIC flight. Previously a Driver’s License could be used as ID for domestic flights, but now you’ll need REAL ID compliant identification. Here’s a link to the Government’s website for you to learn more: https://www.dhs.gov/real-id.
We are, unfortunately, unable to answer detailed questions on how and why this change is occurring, nor can we confirm whether your ID is compliant or not. Please use the link above to get more information.
Passports are still required for any international travel.
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Today’s Travel Opportunities
UNIWORLD BOUTIQUE RIVER CRUISES
Uniworld has custom built and decorated ships specific to the region in which they sail. Fares include transfers, a choice of shore excursion at each port, an open bar, and gratuities.
They are also offering an early booking bonus of up to 20% for 2026 departures: https://pamperedcruiser.uniworld.com/us/current-offers/2026-early-booking-savings
WESTERN EUROPE from Basel to Amsterdam for 8-days
- Visit Basel, Breisach (for Alsace/Lorraine), Strasbourg, Speyer (for Heidelberg), Rudesheim, Braubach, Koblenz, Cologne, Amsterdam.
- Optional pre-trip to Lucerne for 2-nights
- Optional Amsterdam 2-nights post trip
- Fares from $2959
ITALY: VENICE & Northern Italy for 7-nights
- Visit Venice (several spots), Mazzorbo, Burano, Chioggia.
- Departs every Sunday from April – October. This is far more interesting and cost-effective than staying in a hotel in Venice for a week.
- 2025: Departures in July from $2499 or October from $3519
- 2026: Departures in May or September from $3869. July/August from $3199
Here’s a link to our video blog when we did this cruise: https://youtu.be/QRIHi6SED6g?si=IJvnYEJlqJt_iV4n
There are a number of add-ons you can make to this cruise:
- ADD: 2-nights in Milan
- ADD: Lugano (Switzerland) & Lake Como
- ADD: Train to Istanbul. If you want to add to your country-count, then transfer from the ship to board the train in Venice and stop in Trieste, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Belgrade (Serbia), Montenegro (beaches every bit as spectacular as Greece, but undiscovered), Bulgaria, and 2 nights in Istanbul.
- ADD: Rome 3-nights. Includes a city tour, and a tour of the Vatican.
- ADD: Train from Budapest, then visit Vienna, Innsbruck, Zurich, Lake Como, Verona, Trieste, Lake Bled, Ljubljana.
Sail PROVENCE with SNL ALUM RACHEL DRATCH from Arles to Lyon
- This women-only cruise is being hosted by Rachel Dratch from Saturday Night Live and 30-Rock.
- Depart Arles on August 24, 2025, and then visit Avignon, Viviers, Tournon, Lyon, Beaune,
- Fares from $4679
- Optional Pre-trip 2-nights French Riviera
- Optional post trip Paris or Athens.
OCEANIA
Oceania positions itself between the Premium cruise lines and Luxury lines, and operate small ships with a strong focus on culinary.
Oceania is running a limited time offer with fares included gratuities, the beverage package, and an additional on board credit. I’ve put 3 examples below, but here’s the whole list:
SOUTH AMERICA Circumnavigation departing Buenos Aires on December 21 for 20-days
- Visit Buenos Aires, Puerto Madryn, Falkland Islands, 4 days of scenic cruising on the Antarctic Peninsula, Ushuaia, Punta Arenas, 2 days in the Chilean Fjords, Puerto Chacabuco, Castro, Puerto Montt, Santiago.
- Fares from $5799. INCLUDES beverage package and $400 pp On Board Credit.
- OR depart Feb 15, 2026, with fares from $5699 (with Beverages and OBC)
Eastern MEDITERRANEAN from Istanbul to Athens departing July 27 for 12-days
- Visit Dikili, Izmir, Samos, Bodrum, Rhodes, Antalya, Alanya, Cyprus, Kos, Crete, Santorini
- Verandas from $5185. INCLUDES beverage package and $300 pp On Board Credit
PANAMA CANAL from Miami to LA departing December 3, for 17-days
- Visit Jamaica, Santa Marta (Colombia), Cartagena, full daylight transit of the canal, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Huatulco, Puerto Vallarta.
- Verandas from $6499. INCLUDES beverage package and $400 pp On Board Credit
OCEANIA CULINARY. We get lots of inquiries about Oceania’s food and wine program, so we put together this Video: https://youtu.be/O0Que9codHo
REMOTE ADVENTURES with SEABOURN
If you want to get to the remote corners of the world, and do so in style and comfort, then Seabourn’s expedition vessels are for you. For any bookings on Seabourn made this week, we can also offer an additional $150 per person on board credit!
AUSTRALIA: KIMBERLEY COAST from Darwin to Broome for 10-nights
- See the waterfalls, visit fresh water reefs, see the horizontal waterfalls at Talbot Bay, visit with the Wunambal Gaambera indigenous peoples, learn about the pearl trade in Kuri Bay, and the mangrove forests at Hunter River, and Darwin.
- 2025: Depart June 27 from $12,699
- 2026: Depart May 19 from $14,699
AMAZON RIVER round-trip from Belem (Brazil) for 9-days:
- Visit Macapa to visit the Equator Marker, then do several days exploring tiny Amazonian villages, local markets in Santarem, and do scenic cruising, bird watching, and wildlife spotting by zodiac, kayak, and on foot.
- 2025: Depart October 12 or 21, from $9299 for a Veranda Suite (
IRELAND, SCOTLAND & ICELAND from Dublin to Reykjavik to London for 10-nights
- Visit Dublin, Isle of Man, Isle of Bute, Tobermory, Isle of Eigg, Stornoway, St. Kilda, Shetland Islands, Westman Islands
- Departing July 6, 2026 from $14,599
PRE & POST CRUISE City Spotlight tours with COLLETTE
LONDON City Spotlight for 6-days
- Includes accommodations, 8 meals, Hop-ON, Hop-Off London Retro bus, Westminster Abbey, London Theatre, Tower of London, river bus on the Thames to Greenwich
- Year-round packages from $2399
PARIS City Spotlight for 8-days
- See Notre Dame, Montmartre, Champs-Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower.
- Includes 12 meals, accommodations, Seine River dinner cruise, Louvre Museum, Le Marais, Place de Vosges, Palace of Versailles, and dinner at the Eiffel Tower
- Optional tour to Normandy Beaches, Optional to Monet’s Gardens at Giverny,
- Packages February through November from $3299
In Case You Missed It:
LUGGAGE: If you leave home with a suitcase larger than a refrigerator, you’re making your life unnecessarily difficult. Here’s some thoughts on how to pack for vacation:
https://pamperedcruiser.com/luggage-a-refrigerator-sized-problem-2/
UNIWORLD: Who is Uniworld, and how do they differentiate themselves in the crowded river cruise market: https://pamperedcruiser.com/who-is-uniworld-and-why-sail-with-them/
Latest YOUTUBE Post:
VIKING EXPEDITION: How is a Viking Expedition cruise different than Viking Ocean? Who goes on Viking Expedition, and what can you expect? PLUS – a backstage look at the HANGAR (where Viking keeps all the Expedition toys), and the YELLOW SUBMARINES.
Recently booked a Viking Cruise?
Viking makes it really easy to book direct, either online, by phone, or on board. Our clients worry that if they book on-line, that they’re cutting us out, but if you let us know after you’ve booked, then we can still help you with your reservation (even if you booked ON BOARD).
We’ll check over your reservation to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal, and we will also add some onboard credits that are not available on direct bookings.
We can add at least $100 per person onboard credit to any direct Viking reservation made in the last 60 days.
There is never a situation where you’ll get a better deal by booking directly with Viking (or any other cruise line).
If you recently booked a Viking Cruise, please let us know as soon as possible.
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
Sue Bradley
