TRAVEL LONG. TRAVEL SLOW: World cruises are a commitment. You’re not really on vacation – you’re living on a cruise ship for several months. It’s an efficient way to see the world, but not everyone’s ready to be away from home for months on end. However, some of you have expressed an interest in options LONGER than the standard 2-week vacation… so here’s some ideas for you.
WHAT duration are we talking about?
- World cruises are all over 100 days, so today, we’ll look at those cruises and vacations longer than 21-days, but less than 100 days.
WHY would I consider being away that long?
It’s not for everyone, but there are advantages to a longer duration vacation:
- It costs LESS. Your per-day expenses will be less
- You can go DIFFERENT PLACES: Some remote places take longer to get to, so the ONLY way to get there is to spend more time. For example: The Northwest Passage, Easter Island, and Antarctica.
- Less time on airplanes: Consider going to Europe 3 times in 3 years. What if you went ONCE, and stayed 3 times as long? Any solution to spending less time on planes and in airports is worth considering.
- Reduced JET LAG. In the example above, you’ll only have to suffer jet lag ONCE instead of three times. There are also Trans-Atlantic (or Pacific) cruises that offer you the chance to adjust to a new time zone over the course of several days, rather than a few hours.
- Because YOU CAN. You’ve worked hard and lived within your means in order to afford yourself an extra luxury now and then. The myth that we can only take one or two weeks vacation at a time is quickly disappearing for those that want longer breaks.
HOW can I do this?
- Longer Cruises. More cruise lines are offering longer voyages, and there is something to be said about only having to unpack once, but being able to experience a wide variety of stops.
- Back to Back Cruises. Many of the luxury lines design their itineraries so you can be on board for several weeks, and not have to repeat a port. They usually offer a price break on subsequent voyages, too.
- Multiples. Do TWO cruises, with time in between for independent travel. We do this just about every time we go to Europe.
- Trans-Oceanic. If you have time, taking a ship across the Atlantic rather than a plane can be a cost-effective and more leisurely option. The Pacific Ocean is much bigger, but there are plenty of options there as well
Some really don’t want to be away from home for more than a few days. The rest of us really have no constraints when it comes to how long we choose to travel.
Dream-Travel-Share UNPACKED:
Check out our VIDEO BLOG where Kim & Bob talk about different ideas to take longer vacations, and where you can go: https://youtu.be/RAIwXXWawRE
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Today’s Travel Opportunities
Longer voyages on the OCEAN
We’re running a private sale with Holland America this month, and can get you a 10% discount on cruises over 20 days long and 12% off cruises over 35 days long. This could save hundreds (or even thousands) on longer cruises. Here are some examples:
HAWAII & ALASKA round-trip Seattle departing September 6, 2026 for 28 Days.
- Visit Vancouver, Sitka, Hubbard Glacier, Anchorage, College Fjord, Valdez, Kodiak, Dutch Harbor, Kauai, Honolulu (overnight), Kona, Hilo.
- Fares from $5744 (LESS 10%)
AUSTRALIA Circumnavigation round-trip Sydney departing November 15, 2026 for 35-days
- Great if you like sea days. Visit every major port in Australia, as well as 4 ports in Papua New Guinea.
- Fares from $7749 (LESS 12%)
ICELAND & CANADA round-trip Boston departing June 20, 2026 for 28-days
- Visit Portland, Sydney, St. Pierre/Miquelon, St. John’s, 7 stops in Iceland, 2 stops in Newfoundland, Quebec, and Halifax before returning to Boston
- Fares from $7669 (LESS 10%)
SOLAR ECLIPSE from NORTHERN EUROPE departing July 25, 2026 for 28-days
- Visit 3 ports in Norway, and one fjord sailing day, 8 stops in Iceland, 4 stops in Greenland, experience the eclipse from the path of totality, the Faroe Islands, 3 stops in Scotland, London
- Fares from $7734 (LESS 10%)
ALASKA: The 49th State is HUGE and a long way away (particularly for those living in the Eastern Time Zone). If you visit Alaska, you should stay as long as you can, and HAL has over 20 land-sea packages that allow you to thoroughly explore Alaska, Denali, and the Yukon Territory. Our Private Sale is the BEST TIME to book an Alaska cruise tour.
VIKING GRAND JOURNEYS
Viking has a number of longer cruises. Here’s their webpage on their Grand Journeys:
https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/specialty/grand-journeys/index.html
Longer Voyages on the RIVERS
There are more constraints for extended journeys on the rivers, but here are a few ideas:
TAUCK Europe from West to East from Amsterdam to Bucharest (Romania) for 25-days
- Visit Amsterdam (overnight), Cologne, Rhine Gorge, Rudesheim, Rothenburg, Bamberg (Bavarian town and UNESCO site), Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau, Melk Abbey, Vienna (overnight), Bratislava, Budapest (overnight), Pecs, Vukovar, Novi Sad, Belgrade, Iron Gates Gorge, Ruse, Constanta & Mamaia, Bucharest, and Transylvania
- Stay on ONE river boat through the Netherlands, France, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania. From the Atlantic to the Black Sea!
- Depart July 5, August 6, or August 30, 2026 from $14,690
UNIWORLD Ultimate France from Bordeaux to Lyon on THREE rivers for 21-days
- Can’t decide WHAT river to do in France? Do all three!
- Leg 1: Bordeaux round-trip for wineries, vineyards, oyster tasting, ancient fortresses, Farmer’s Markets.
- Leg 2: Paris to Normandy: Versailles, Monet’s Gardens, Normandy Beaches, Rouen, Honfleur.
- Leg 3: Provence for Farm to table food, wineries, roman ruins, and silk demonstrations. Visit Lyon,Beaune (Burgundy), Vineyards at L’Hermitage, Viviers (for Ardeches), Avignon for the Pope’s New Palace, and Chateau Neuf du Paper, and Arles
- Departures March through October 2026 from $11,339
Uniworld RIVERS OF THE WORLD departing April 16, 2026 for 51 days
- If you want a comprehensive exploration of Europe, with Egypt thrown in for good measure, this one is right for you.
- There are 5 segments to this cruise package, and you are escorted the entire way, and your luggage is managed for you.
- Start in Brussels on April 16, 2026, and finish in Amman, Jordan 51-days later.
- Fares from $41,995
ACTIVE ADVENTURES with HX
NORTHWEST PASSAGE from Seattle to Reykjavik departing August 10, 2026 for 26-days
- Start in Seattle, then fly to Nome (included), sail around Alaska, and up the Bering Strait, enter the NW Passage, and follow the trail of intrepid explorers across Canada’s Northern Coast, spotting wildlife, and stopping at remote indigenous communities en route. Spend your last week aboard making port stops in Greenland, before disembarking in Nuuk, and flying to Reykjavik (included).
- Fares from $23,892
ANTARCTICA, SOUTH GEORGIA & THE FALKLANDS for 23-days
- Start in Santiago, and fly to Punta Arenas(included), then sail to the Falklands for 3-days of landings, and then on to South Georgia Islands for 4-days, before crossing the Drake Passage for 4-days of scheduled landings on the continent, then back to Punta Arenas.
- Fares from $20,606, with departures November to March
DEMYSTIFYING EXPEDITION: If you think you need to be an Olympic athlete to enjoy an expedition cruise, then you’ll want to watch this interview where Bob chats with Alex McNeil – the Chief Expedition Officer for HX Expeditions. You might be surprised who goes on Expedition Cruises, and what they’re all about:
LAND CRUISES with TAUCK
Australia & New Zealand for 20 days.
- Australia is so large and so sparsely populated that it can be difficult to travel. This itinerary has a number of internal flights included in the price, so you get to see a wide variety of Australian attractions before doing the same in New Zealand.
- Visit Melbourne, fly to Ayers Rock, then to Cairns, cruise the Great Barrier Reef, then on to Sydney. Fly to Wellington, Blenheim & Marlborough Sound, Te Anau, Fjordland NP & Milford Sound, Queenstown, Auckland, and Waiheke Island.
- 2025: Departures September to December of 2025 from $16,290
- 2026: Departures from January – April, OR September – December from $16,990
- Click here for more details: https://inspires.to/experiences/discover-the-wonders-of-australia-and-new-zealand-with-tauck-ppeg
US NATIONAL PARKS
There are concentrations of our National Parks in the Southwest, the Northwest, Alaska, and Hawaii. Do a National Park Safari, by piecing together multiple tours with TAUCK:
- Canyonlands — Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, Zion, 1-week March to October from $4990. Also available as a “Bridges” tour if you want to take children with you.
- Death Valley & Joshua Tree – from Las Vegas to San Diego for one week from $5990.
- Yellowstone & Grand Teton – Jackson to Rapid City (also includes Mt. Rushmore) for 1 week from $5190 1 week. Also available as a “Bridges” tour for families.
- Canyonlands & Arches NP – from Salt Lake City to Denver for 1-week from $7990.
- Sequoia & Yosemite – RT from San Francisco for 1-week from $6790.
- Grand Canyon, Zion, Arches, Bryce Canyon, & Canyonlands – from Grand Junction (CO) to Las Vegas for 10-days from $7990
Learn more about visiting the National Parks with Tauck here: https://www.tauck.com/tours-and-cruises/national-parks?insider=mmjy-sue-bob-bradley-the-pampered-cruiser
In Case You Missed It:
HX REMOTE ADVENTURES. More and more of our clients are wanting to go places a bit further afield, that others DON’T visit. Here’s our feature article on HX – a leader in adventures to more remote places:
https://pamperedcruiser.com/adventures-in-remote-destinations-with-hx/
WHAT WE DO ON VACATION. We learn a lot of tricks from our clients, so here are some of the things we do to make the most of ANY vacation:
https://pamperedcruiser.com/how-we-travel-on-vacation/
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.
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
