Happy Boxing Day – for those that observe it. Everyone is doing the year in review. I’m going to look ahead to 2026, for the year in PREVIEW – at the risk of getting everything wrong. Oh well… no guts, no glory. Here we go:
The seeds for many of these things have already been sewn. Here’s some things we expect to see in 2026:
- Shoulder Season (redefined). In Europe (for example), high season used to be July & August, with shoulder season being the times immediately before and after that. High season is now May through September, with tons of winter options to explore there.
- Metering of Visitors. You’ve heard about Venice limiting the number of visitors, and Barcelona is looking at ways to do something similar. Look for other destinations to meter the number of visitors and restrict cruise ship traffic.
- Chinese Tourists. By the end of this decade, there will be more Chinese tourists out in the world, than there will be Americans. This will lead to even more metering and restrictions for visitors.
- ETAs (Electronic Travel Authorizations). You already need one for Australia, New Zealand and the UK. 2026 may be the year the Europeans finally agree on how to implement their ETA. Expect MORE countries to require ETAs, and if you collect stamps in your passport… do it now – this practice will end.
- Israel and Middle East Tourism Recovery. Hopefully the conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean is over, and tourism in the area will begin to rebuild.
- Air Travel. We all hope it will improve, but hope is NOT a strategy, and there doesn’t appear to be any willingness by Washington to do anything differently as it relates to air travel. Expect more of the same poor customer experience.
- Longer Vacations. Partly as a result of painful air travel, and partly because of what we learned during the pandemic, the trend towards longer vacations will continue.
- Sustainability in Travel. Viking will launch LIBRA in 2026 – the world’s first hydrogen powered cruise ship with zero emissions. This will be the first of many.
- Misinformation. Artificial Intelligence is a great tool, but not particularly reliable yet. That, with social media algorithms that work hard to tell you what it thinks you want to hear, means travel misinformation will continue to plague travellers.
- Stock Market Returns. This is directly related to luxury leisure travel goods, so we pay attention. From 2021 to 2025, the stock market grew at an annualized rate of about 12%. If a correction comes, travel products COULD moderate in price.
- New Ships. There’s going to be LOTS in 2026:
- RIVER: AMA (2 new ships), Tauck (2 new ships), Viking (10 new ships)
- OCEAN: Explora, Regent, and Windstar, will each introduce a new ship to the market. Viking will have 2 new ships in the market in 2026.
Dream-Travel-Share UNPACKED Podcast
Check out our UNPACKED PODCAST where Kim & Bob talk about trends, and make some predictions for 2026: https://youtu.be/46NSD4MCKiI
In Case You Missed It:
REMAINING MOM & POP: We’re proud to be a small family-owned business, and do our best to retain that personal contact between our small and dedicated team with our clients:
https://pamperedcruiser.com/remaining-mom-pop/
GREAT LAKES: It’s in our own back yard, but we often overlook this spectacular, naturally beautiful destination:
https://pamperedcruiser.com/great-lakes/
VIKING: Their growth is like a business case study. What can you expect going forward from this iconic brand?
https://pamperedcruiser.com/viking-whats-new/
Featured YOUTUBE Video:
ANTARCTICA: What are the different ways to visit the LAST continent? When should you go? What companies have ships there? We produced this video when I got back from Antarctica a few years ago, but most of the information is still very relevant (and the images are stunning!)
Remember to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel while you’re there. It really helps us, and we can produce more content for you!
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Today’s Travel Opportunities
CRYSTAL Small Ship Luxury
If you want lots of space, and to find out why Crystal has the highest guest repeat-rate in the business, check out some of these cruises:
SOUTH AMERICA: from Buenos Aires to Santiago departing November 11, 2027 for 18-nights
- South America ENCOMPASSED! Visit Uruguay, Puerto Madryn, Falkland Islands, Ushuaia, Punta Arenas (overnight), 2-days in the Chilean Fjords, and then 4 port stops in Chile before finishing with an overnight in Santiago.
- Fares from $8330
ALASKA: Anchorage to Vancouver departing August 1 for 7-nights
- Visit Hubbard Glacier, Sitka, Icy Strait Point, Wrangell, Ketchikan.
- Fares from $3900
- OR go round-trip Vancouver for 11-nights and also visit Klawock, Prince Rupert and Victoria from $6700.
SEA CLOUD Salt-Water River Cruises
If you like the size and rhythm of a river cruise, but would like to immerse yourself in ports in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, the Sea Cloud should be on your radar:
MEDITERRANEAN: Malta to Athens departing June 25 for 8-nights
- Start in the exotic Valletta, Malta to board your ship, and then travel to Syracuse and Taormina (both in Sicily), before sailing eastward to visit 4 different small (and rarely visited) island ports in Greece before finishing in Athens.
- Fares from $5195 ($2000 per person off)
CENTRAL AMERICA: Panama City to Cozumel departing Mar.13th for 12 nights
- Details: https://issuu.com/seacloudcruisesusa/docs/sea_cloud_big_book_2026_/100
- Visit San Blas Archipelago, Bocas del Toro (Panama), Puerto Limón (Costa Rica), Honduras, and Belize
- SPECIAL PRICE: Fares from $5990 per person
UNIWORLD Boutique River Cruise Collection
UNIWORLD has an early booking discount of up to 20% for 2027 departures. Here’s the full list:
https://pamperedcruiser.uniworld.com/us/current-offers/2027-early-booking-savings
Uniworld operates a river boat in the Venice – the very best way to explore that corner of Italy, AND they have some interesting add-ons to that itinerary:
VENETIAN LAGOON: Venice round-trip for 8-days
- Explore all around Venice (several spots), Mazzorbo, Burano, Chioggia, Bologna).
- Departures April through November from $2799
- Here’s a link to our video blog when we did this cruise: https://youtu.be/QRIHi6SED6g?si=IJvnYEJlqJt_iV4n
ITALY & SLOVENIA from Ljubljana to Rome for 14-days
- Visit Slovenia’s charming and scenic capital city of Ljubljana for 4-nights (and also visit Lake Bled, and Postjna Caves), and then transfer to Venice for 7-nights aboard the SS Venezia (to see Venice, Burano, Chioggia, & Mazzorba), and then on to Rome for 3-nights
- Departures April through October from $6299
AZAMARA Destination Focused Cruises
Azamara has a fleet of R-Class vessels carrying just 680 guests. They offer an affordable way to get on board a smaller ship for a more intimate experience, and better destination immersion. Your fare includes on board gratuities, an open bar, some shore activities, and a shuttle service into the city center at port stops where that is necessary.
They also run COUNTRY-INTESIVE voyages. Here are two examples:
ITALY INTENSIVE from Rome to Venice departing August 22 for 11-nights
- Depart Rome and visit Sorrento, Amalfi, Sicily (2 ports), Crotone, Taranto, Kotor, Bologna, and finish with an overnight in Venice.
- Verandas from $4819
CROATIA INTENSIVE from Venice to Athens departing June 29 for 9-nights
- Visit Venice, Opitija, Zadar, Sibenik, Split, Dubrovnik, Korcula, Kotor, Athens
- Verandas from $5119
If you’d like to see AZAMARA’s full line-up of COUNTRY INTENSIVE Itineraries:
https://www.azamara.com/cruises?keywords=country-intensive
REMOTE EXPLORATIONS with HX
If you’d rather do a nature walk than a shopping mall, or be on a sea kayak instead of a motor coach, then HX can get you to some remote places where fewer people go:
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS and Quito for 9-days
- 2-nights in Quito, then fly to Galapagos (included in fare) for 6 nights. Visit Mosquera Inlet, Santa Fe, South Plaza, Santa Cruz, Charles Darwin Research Station in Port Ayora, Espanola Island, Eden Islet.
- Departures year-round, with best price in June from $6652
- See our video blog from this trip: https://youtu.be/3F38Km2EEjQ
ANTARCTICA round-trip from Buenos Aires for 12-days, with 5-days of landings
- Includes flights to/from Ushuaia (from BA) to board the ship.
- Departures November through March from $9721
With HX, you can also travel on the world’s first hybrid-electric cruise ship. See our ship tour video here:
LAND CRUISES with TAUCK
SOUTHEAST US from Jacksonville to Charleston for 8-days
- Visit St. Augustine, Jekyll Island, Savannah, Beaufort.
- Departures March through December from $5290
NEW YORK to WASHINGTON for 12-days
- New York (dinner at ONE World Observatory, Walking tour of Manhattan, 911 memorial, Central Park), Valley Forge NP, Philadelphia (early access to Museum of American Revolution, Independence Hall, Liberty Bell), Amish Country in Lancaster, Gettysburg National Military Park, Harper’s Ferry, Charlottesville, Jefferson’s Monticello, Richmond, Williamsburg, George Washington’s Estate, Washington DC (National Mall, Early Access to National Archives to see Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights)
- Departures March through October from $7590
- Click here for more details: https://www.tauck.com/tours/freedom-footsteps-philidelphia-washington-dc-guided-tour?insider=mmjy-sue-bob-bradley-the-pampered-cruiser
Do You Have an Upcoming Viking Cruise?
Viking’s BON VOYAGE incentive allows you to book your next Viking cruise in the 35 days BEFORE you board, and get some extra goodies for doing so:
- $100 per person on board credit
- 6-month final payment date
- $100 per person OFF one-week cruises, and bigger discounts for longer itineraries.
We made a short video about the Bon Voyage Program if you’d like more details:
https://youtu.be/gBM8IvjIb3U?si=Vy9UDiSqZQYHWR32
Contact us to book your NEXT VIKING CRUISE
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
