Between sensationalized TV news reports, and State Department advisories designed to minimize government liability, it would be easy to never leave home again.  So what do you do?  

You shouldn’t ignore these sources, but you shouldn’t treat them as the gospel, either.  BOTH are motivated by other interests, and if you identify that bias, it helps you frame the information so that it might be useful.  TV news is designed to sell advertising — not to provide impartial, contextualized information.  Government advisories are designed to limit the government’s liability if you DO run into trouble when abroad. 

ALSO – if you’re looking to dial your risk to zero, you need to bubble wrap yourself, and never leave your home, and hope it doesn’t catch fire.

THE PROBLEM:  IDENTIFYING THE SITUATION:

• TV “News”:  The bias is towards sensationalism, and they ONLY report exceptions.  They don’t generally offer much context for their headlines.
• STATE DEPARTMENT Advisories:  The bias towards protecting themselves from risk of litigation if they fail to disclose any and all hazards abroad.  It’s extremely cautious.  
• GEOGRAPHY.  Know where you’re going, and its proximity to war zones.  Amsterdam is a long way from Tehran.  

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• Seek out information from people that are on the ground in your destination.  Ideally those people are other travellers with a similar risk tolerance to you. 
• If a cruise line is running a trip, they have already made a risk assessment.  They are very risk averse, and don’t want to put clients in harm’s way. For example, we’ve recently seen cruise lines divert AWAY from Dubai due to the conflict in Iran.
• Know your cancellation terms.  Your decisions may be contingent on your penalties. 
• INSURANCE:  Fear of travel is not an insurable reason to cancel a trip, so if you’re within the penalty period, there’s not much you can do.  If you have a Cancel For Any Reason Clause in your insurance, you’ll get a future travel credit.  You won’t lose anything, but you won’t be getting a refund either.

THE BOTTOM LINE: 

• You’ll never dial the risk to zero, so figure out your risk tolerance, so you can be comfortable when travelling abroad.  
• An important signal is whether the cruise lines and tour operators are still doing trips in the area.  They have a strong incentive to keep their clients out of harm’s way. 
• Assess the information you’re getting from the media and government.  It’s much more nuanced than the headlines indicate. 
• Travel advisories and media reports are pieces of a much larger puzzle. You need context, nuance and perspective to make sense of them.

The PODCAST:  Dream-Travel-Share UNPACKED

In this episode of the UNPACKED PODCAST, Kim & Bob tackle one of the biggest questions we get from clients:  “IS IT SAFE TO TRAVEL?”

https://youtu.be/e9sY9OGTpcQ

In Case You Missed It:

AVOIDING TRAVEL DISASTERS:  Stuff happens when you’re on the road.  How do you minimize the chances of such things ruining your trip?

https://pamperedcruiser.com/travel-disasters-and-how-to-avoid-them/

CRYSTAL CRUISES:  Crystal has the most loyal cruise clients in the industry.  Here’s why:

https://pamperedcruiser.com/crystal-whats-new-whats-cherished/

VISITING the UK & IRELAND:  This is a favorite destination amongst our clients, and you can visit by ship, or by Premium Land Package Journey.

https://pamperedcruiser.com/uk-ireland-destination-spotlight/

Featured YOUTUBE Video:

CRYSTAL SERENITY SHIP TOUR:  Bob takes a walk around Crystal Serenity, and points out why it’s a client favorite. 

https://youtu.be/QPyVijoO8Nk

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

SEA CLOUD Sailing Yachts

If you like the size of the ship, and the rhythm on a river cruise, you’ll love SEA CLOUD.  

Eastern CARIBBEAN: round-trip Philipsburg departing December 6 for 8-nights

• Visit Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, Iles des Saintes, Nevis & Antigua.
• Sail the scenic Eastern Caribbean islands, and get into small coves and harbors on board the 136 guest Sea Cloud Spirit.  
• Fares from $3995

SPAIN:  Palma de Mallorca to Malaga departing October 25 for 8-nights

• Start in Palma de Mallorca and visit Barcelona, Tarragona, Valencia, Cartagena, and finish in Málaga. 
• Fares from $4565

CLIMBING THE RIGGING:  You can’t do this on any other ship:

https://youtu.be/iyRxhlBPGj0

CRYSTAL CRUISES:  Luxury of Space

Crystal has the highest space per guest in the industry, with ships originally designed to carry over 1000 modified to carry just 700.  

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 $10,200

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 on August 8, for 9-nights and also visit Klawock, Prince Rupert and Victoria from $4380.

LUXURY RAIL Vacations with CANYON SPIRIT

This is the perfect way to take in the incredible scenery in Colorado, Utah, and the surrounding National Parks:

Denver to Las Vegas for 5-nights with 5 National Parks:

• Denver, Glenwood Springs, Moab (2), Bryce Canyon, Las Vegas
• Departures available April through October from $5163

Denver round-trip for 7-nights with 4-Days on the Rails

• Denver, Glenwood Springs, Moab (for 3 nights), Glenwood Springs, Denver
• Departures available April through November from $4638

RIVER CRUISING with TAUCK

Tauck is the MOST inclusive of the River Cruise Lines in Europe, and they have some availability left in 2027:

TULIP CRUISE: Amsterdam to Brussels for 9-days

• Visit Brussels, Antwerp, Bruges, the Hague, Kinderdijk, Rotterdam, Keukenhof Gardens, Enkhuizen, Amsterdam (overnight). 
• Departures in March and April from $5790

GERMAN OKTOBERFEST:  Amsterdam to Munich for 10-days in September

• Visit Amsterdam (overnight), Dusseldorf (to visit local craft breweries), sail the Rhine Gorge, Heidelberg for a beer-paired lunch, Strasbourg, Lucerne and Mt. Pilatus, Lake Konstanz, and then on to Munich for 2 nights for the world’s largest festival!
• 2026: Sold Out
• 2027: Depart September 15 or 22 from $8990

REMOTE EXPLORATIONS – Atlas

NORWAY & ICELAND:  Longyearbyen to Reykjavik departing July 10, 2027 for 10-nights

• Get NORTH of the Arctic Circle, and experience the midnight sun, the Greenland Sea, and urban Reykjavik
• Start in Oslo, and then take an included charter flight to board your ship in Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean.  Spend 3 days spotting whales, polar bears, and other wildlife in coastal Norway before heading across the Greenland Sea.  Make 3 stops in remote parts of Iceland before finishing your trip in Reykjavik.  
• Fares from $9504

GREENLAND & NEWFOUNDLAND: Nuuk to St. John’s departing Sept 13, 2027 for 17-nights

• Fly from New York, and home from Canada while still experiencing the spectacular Arctic scenery and wildlife
• Start in Nuuk (with a direct flight from New York), and then carry on to 4 more ports in Greenland, 4 stops in the Canadian Territory of Nunavut, 6 stops in Newfoundland & Labrador.  Next visit the French colony of St. Pierre/Miquelon, and finish in St. John’s, Newfoundland – a short flight back to the United States. 
• Fares from $16,832

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