Retirements, graduations, anniversaries, milestone birthdays. All these occasions are notable, and many people want to mark the occasion by taking a special trip.
When Bob turned 50 a few years ago, he decided he wanted to go sailing. The smart thing to do would have been to spend a bit more money and charter a boat with a skipper who could do the skilled work that sailing vessels require.
We didn’t do that though, because Bob had all the necessary qualifications to rent a 40-foot sailboat with a 10,000 pound keel,
However, like all skills that are learned (in his case 30 years previously), and not practiced – you use it, or lose it.
The potential for disaster was there from the outset, and it is only by sheer miracle that the ship and crew (Bob, me, our son, and our son’s friend) returned in one piece, with the only casualty being frayed nerves.
If the purpose was to create a memory… then mission accomplished. However, if we’d thought it through a bit more, those memories might exclude the occasional shocking ‘near miss’.
Regardless of the occasion, here are some guidelines to follow when planning a Milestone Trip of your own:
- Create a memory. Milestones necessarily mean doing something different. It might be a different place, a different mode of travel, or perhaps travelling with different people.
- People or places? If you want to create a memorable trip with a large number of people, then the location may matter less. If it’s just a few people, you might need a more exotic location.
- The more people, the more complexity. If you want 30 or 40 people on a Milestone Trip, pick something simple, and probably closer to home. The more schedules you’re trying to coordinate, the more difficult it will be. Our clients who have had the most success planning Milestone Trips simply say, “We’re doing x on these dates: xxx… we hope you can join us”. And then they don’t agonize over who can make it, and who can’t.
- Multi-generational groups are tricky. There is no doubt that seniors and teenagers have different interests when they travel. If you plan well, there will certainly be some overlap, but it is difficult to keep all the people happy all the time. This is why cruise vacations are so popular with multi-generational groups – the provide a little bit of something for everyone, AND draw the whole group together.
- Not everyone travels the same way. We’re in New York often, and every time we go, we take in one or two Broadway shows, and spend time in one or more of New York’s excellent museums. One trip a few years, we went with others, and learned quickly that not everyone likes to do what WE like to do. Don’t assume just because everyone wants to go to New York (for example), that they’ll all want to do the same things when they get there.
- Build flexibility and diversity into the trip. Following on the example above, the people who have had the most success with a Milestone Trip are those that build flexibility into the itinerary. Don’t schedule everyone to do all the same things. While one group is at the museum, the other group can go to Central Park.
- Plan well in advance. The more people, and/or the more complexity to the trip, the further in advance it needs to be planned.
- Go anyway. Groups necessarily mean that some people will have circumstances that cause them to back out. You need to decide early to do the trip anyway with whomever manages to make it happen.
Here are this week’s travel opportunities:
Ohio and Cumberland Rivers
When most people think of river cruises in the US, the Mississippi comes instantly to mind. However, riverboats also run on some of the tributaries of the Mighty Mississippi as well. American Queen Steamboat Company is offering up to $2000 off some of these cruises further upstream. Here’s a few examples:
- Cincinnatti to Memphis departing May 9, 2022, with fares starting at $1999 per person
- Chicago to St. Louis departing August 15, 2022, with fares starting at $1899 per person
- Pittsburgh to Louisville departing October 29, 2022 with fares starting at $2699 per person
If you’d prefer to stick with the Lower Mississippi between New Orleans and Memphis, we are seeing some attractive pricing in March 2022, with prices starting at $1899 per person.
All the above examples are 8-night cruise packages and are based on double occupancy. Inclusions on American Queen Steamboat Company:
- Hotel night before embarkation
- Unlimited shore excursions
- Unlimited beverages (open bar and lounges)
- All specialty dining
- Wifi on the ship
Tulip Cruises – Spring 2022
If you’ve always wanted to see the Tulips in Holland, we’re seeing some really strong pricing from Viking for March 2022 departures:
- 10-days round trip from Amsterdam with flights from the US included.
- Ports of call: Hoorn, Arnhem, Kinderdijk, Antwerp, Ghent, Zeeland, Keukenhof Gardens
- Prices start at $3199 per person, and include all taxes and fees, flights, transfers, a shore excursion in every port, beer/wine with meals, and wifi on the ship.
If you wanted to extend your stay after the river cruise, the Floriade Horticultural Expo starts on April 14, 2022.
In case you missed it:
Uniworld: Buy one cruise, get the second one 50% off: This is for 2021 departures ONLY, and the offer expires Sept. 30th. This is great for people looking for Christmas markets, or for those ready to travel in the next three months. Here’s a link to our post about this sale: https://pamperedcruiser.com/how-to-get-a-50-off-a-uniworld-river-cruise/
SilverSea: These guys have some interesting things happening right now, including a 20% off sale that ends September 30th. Here’s a link to the details we published last week: https://pamperedcruiser.com/we-cant-put-life-on-hold-any-longer/
We are excited to announce we are partnering with Silversea on the Consumer Event scheduled for this week on September 22nd at 7pm ET.
Because you work with me, a Virtuoso travel advisor, you have access to this exclusive session. I’ll be joining along with you.
During the webinar, you’ll discover more about Silversea’s all-inclusive cruises, its luxurious fleet, and its destination-immersive voyages.
The event will be hosted by Mark Conroy (President of SilverSea) and Karl Kannstadter (Head of Expeditions), and you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions and get help planning your next trip.
By attending this session, you’ll be eligible to save $500 per person on any sailing with Silversea! This offer is available ONLY to webinar attendees.
Click here to register for the webinar: https://virtuoso.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMtcOqorj8iEtNBQU_agptFnqfLmD9Q_jpl
IMPORTANT When you register, indicate that you are a ‘Traveller’ and list me (Sue Bradley) as your traveller advisor. Also, after you register, send me your confirmation email for a further exclusive bonus from me and Bob (forward your confirmation to sue@pamperedcruiser.com).
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If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here to get in touch today.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
