It’s been a wild ride these past three years – both for travellers, and those of us that work in the industry.
Today is the first day of Virtuoso Travel Week – often equated to Paris Fashion Week for the Leisure Travel Industry. We’ll be meeting with vendors to renew and reinforce the important relationships we have in the industry, AND to learn about new products. The week is both busy and intense, but well worth it – it would have to be worthwhile to get me anywhere near Las Vegas in the summer!
I thought I would share a little bit about how our business has evolved in the past three years, where I see it going, and the impact macro-forces in the industry are having on both you and us.
- Supply and Demand are Not Balanced – This is the root cause of many of the problems travellers currently face. Statistically, demand for cruises, packaged land vacations, and hotel stays is somewhere between 200% and 300% of what they were in 2019 (the last “normal” year). In terms of supply, the biggest shortage is of qualified people to operate these travel products.
- It’s Very Busy – After going 15 months without getting paid, this is a good problem to have, but it is a problem, regardless. We are doing our very best to scale up quickly to manage all of your additional requests, but our response time may not be as good as we want it to be. So thank you all for your patience – we’re working as hard as we can, and we are taking action to improve.
- Vendors are Busy – Many of you have commented about wait times of several hours for cruise vendors or tour companies. They have the same problem we are having – we’re just better equipped to handle it because we are smaller and more agile. This has gotten better, but many of those companies are still not fully staffed. It is frustrating (both for you and us), but these companies are well aware they have a problem. Fixing it is a much bigger challenge.
- Air Travel is Not Fully Restored – This is partly a result of the forces above, and partly a regulatory failure, as legislators have betrayed the travelling public for the past 45 years. I am hoping for improvement, but not seeing any credible signs from either the airlines or from Washington that this will occur.
- Inflation is Real – Contrary to some media reports, this is a global problem that is much worse in other jurisdictions than it is here at home. The bottom line is that you should expect to pay more for travel in the next few years. We’ve already seen this with hotel pricing. So far, cruise pricing is not seeing double-digit increases, but I make no promises for what is to come.
- Off Season Travel – It used to be that if you went somewhere in the “quiet-season”, you would face far fewer crowds, and get a break on price. This is now significantly muted. It’s still possible, but the peak season has gotten longer. Bob and I were in Rome in early May – and it was every bit as busy as we’ve seen at the peak of the summer in other years.
- Crowds and Crowd Mitigation – We have seen more and more destinations around the world put measures in place to limit the number of visitors. Venice has eliminated cruise ships entirely (if you’re sailing to or from Venice, you’ll actually be docked outside of the city). West Palm Beach Florida has restricted the number of cruise ships that can visit. Most recently, Amsterdam has put a limit on the number of ocean ships that can dock at that city (river boats are unaffected). I would look for this trend to continue.
- Longer Trip Duration – We are slowly catching up to our European cousins with the amount of time taken off at once. The number of trips longer than 2 weeks that we’ve booked in the past year has increased substantially.
- Close-In and Longer Out – People are booking last minute (travel in the next 3 months), and/or further out (travel 12 months or longer from now). This is partly by necessity for some trips: Egypt and Portugal (for example) are mostly sold out for 2024, so people are looking into 2025. Travellers are also booking close-in trips to take advantage of pricing that will perhaps not be quite as subject to inflationary pressures.
Today’s Travel Opportunities
Northern Lights with Hurtigruten
It may be strange to be talking about the Northern Lights in the heat of the summer, but you’ll want to plan your winter escapes now.
- Travel from either London (Oct/Nov/Dec) or Amsterdam (Jan/Feb/Mar) up the Norwegian Coast and north of the Arctic Circle.
- Visit Tromso, Mount Hoven, Lofoten, Arctic Alta, Aurora City, Narvik, Bergen, Egersund. See fishing villages, the Northern Lights Cathedral in Alta, a Viking village, the Polar Museum, and a Bergen City tour.
- 15-days round-trip from London in the fall from $5299.
- 14-days round-trip from Amsterdam in the winter from $4795.
- Hurtigruten promises you’ll see the Northern Lights or they’ll give you another cruise free.
Uniworld Early Booking Bonus
You can save 10% off 2024 bookings on Uniworld if you choose to pay in full at the time of booking. Here are two examples:
Venice & Northern Italy
- Visit Venice, Mazzorbo, Burano, Chioggia
- Here a link to our video from when Bob and I did this cruise: https://youtu.be/QRIHi6SED6g
- Departures in April or May 2024 from $5699 for a French Balcony MINUS 10% early booking bonus.
Paris and Normandy
- Visit La Roche Guyon, Vernon, Giverny (for Monet’s Gardens), Rouen, Caudebec-en-Caux, Normandy Beaches, Versailles, Paris
- Here’s a link to our YouTube Video playlist from when Bob and I did this cruise: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA1r3eOMaDVEP9ouRrZGrhocmhYp7EUPW
- Departures on April 14, 21, or July 7, 14, 21, 28 from $4999 MINUS 10% early booking bonus.
Mekong Flash Sale
- Visit Ho Chi Minh City, Tho, Tien Loi, Vinh Long, Sa Dec, Phnom Penh, Angkor Ban, Seam Reap, Hanoi. Optional extension to Ha Long Bay
- Depart on December 8, for 15-days for $6999 in a suite ($2000 off per person). Must be booked before August 18.
If you’d like to see other Uniworld Flash Sale offers, here’s the link: https://pamperedcruiser.uniworld.com/us/current-offers/2023-flash-sale
Remember Uniworld Fares always include private transfers, a choice of several shore excursions in every port, an open bar, and gratuities. When you book with us, you’ll also receive an additional $150 per person on board credit not available on direct bookings.
Alaska with Seabourn
- 7-nights from Vancouver to Juneau departing September 29, 2023.
- Visit Ketchikan, Queen Charlotte Sound, Sitka, Hubbard Glacier, Inian Islands, Icy Strait Point, Haines, Juneau
- Veranda Suites from $5039
If you’d prefer to go round-trip from Vancouver (over 14-days):
- ALSO visit: Glacier Bay, Wrangell, Misty Fjords National Monument, Prince Rupert, Alert Bay.
- Veranda Suites from $6749 (for the 2-week itinerary)
Here’s a link to our YouTube playlist from when Bob and I did this cruise: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA1r3eOMaDVGIkLzMGzGDOfx8xOSpC2Vt
Seabourn ships hold only 450 guests, so you’ll get to see Alaska up close. The fare includes all taxes & fees, gratuities, specialty dining, an open bar (including a mini bar stocked and refilled with your preferences), and remember that every room is a 300 square foot Suite.
Tauck – Canada’s Capital Cities
You’ve been asking for more domestic offers, and for such purposes, I’ll include Canada. Normally vacation packages focus on Canada’s natural splendor in the Rocky Mountains or Maritime Provinces. This urban itinerary from Tauck caught my eye because it’s a little different:
- 10-days between Toronto and Quebec City:
- Toronto: Canada’s largest city, and one of the world’s most diverse and multicultural cities in the world. Visit the Hockey Hall of Fame, or the CN Tower (the tallest structure in the Western Hemisphere and previously the tallest in the world).
- Niagara Falls: It’s touristy, but you still have to visit
- Ottawa: Visit the Canadian Parliament, or perhaps one of the many museums.
- Montreal: Go for dinner in Old Montreal, and feel like you’ve been transported to Europe.
- Quebec City: wander North America’s only walled city, and bask in its French language and culture.
- Stay at the beautiful Fairmont Hotels throughout your trip, including the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec – reportedly the world’s most photographed hotel.
- Departures from $5590 per person (double occupancy) in September 2023, or May – September 2024.
Have something to say about this?
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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
