I’m sure some of you thought I was nuts when I was chatting about Christmas last week, but the Christmas Market River Cruises are filling up fast, so you need to be a bit ahead of the game.
After almost two years of being trapped in our basements, the term “revenge travel” started to make the rounds in 2021. It was referring to pent-up demand for travel, and we’re not through it yet, and there are no obvious signs that supply and demand are going to reach equilibrium when it comes to travel anytime soon.
On our recent trip to Rome at the beginning of May, we noticed the crowds were equivalent to what we normally see in the summer months. It’s busy, and things are getting sold out.
So what do you do? You plan ahead… and many of you are.
In 2019 – the last “normal” year, our average time between booking a trip, and travelling was about 9 months. It’s now over 12 months. In reality, that gap between booking and traveling is probably longer than a year, because we are filling a whole bunch of requests for travel in the next 2 or 3 months (and that is dragging that 12-month average down). It seems that you are travelling “right now” or many months or years from now. Or Both!
Yep… many of you have two, three, or more trips on the books.
These trends are having big effects on availability. Here’s what we’re seeing:
What’s Hot:
You can still get hotel rooms and cruises for these destinations, as long as you’re flexible for dates, and you’re not trying to travel with ten other people:
- Egypt: There is some availability in 2023, but some river cruise lines are sold out until 2025.
- Portugal: The Douro River doesn’t have many ships on it, although there are lots of cruise lines there. There is very tight availability on these itineraries.
- Japan: This country was one of the last to reopen. Given the ease of travel, and the fact travellers feel safe there, it is very busy.
Emerging Demand:
We’re seeing a lot of increased interest, and requests for information about these destinations, so there could be a spike in demand coming shortly:
- Greenland – Although technically part of North America, Greenland is a semi-autonomous Province of Denmark. It’s huge – nearly 3 times as big as Texas, and it’s a place more and more ships are calling in. If you want to see the remote, rugged beauty of Greenland’s ice and granite ringed coastline and be far away from shopping arcades and T-shirt shops, then it’s a great choice.
- West Africa – The tourist trade is well developed in North, East and Southern Africa. West Africa… not so much. Most countries here are former French Colonies, and it is more difficult to get to, and travel to than other parts of Africa. For this reason, it lends itself well to travel by cruise ship, and more ships are calling in on the Atlantic side of Africa. Go to Dakar to see where the largest slave-trading center once operated, or go to the Cape Verde Archipelago to see the lava landscapes and sand dunes.
- Patagonia – The Pacific coastline of Chile has some of the most stunning scenery in the world, and due to its remoteness and inaccessibility, many are choosing to see it by cruise ship. Several cruise lines are offering cruises out of Santiago (fairly easy to get to from the US), and also the longer cruises that go between Buenos Aires and Santiago usually have a few stops in Patagonia.
- Alaska (the more remote parts) – Alaska may not seem that exotic to many of us, but it’s worth remembering that people come from all over the world to see coastal British Columbia and Alaska. If you’ve already been, there are options to get beyond Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan. Some cruise lines are offering stops at a whole bunch of places (both in Alaska and BC) that you’ve probably never heard of before. This is perfect for those that go to Alaska to see scenery and wildlife, but don’t need the T-shirt shops.
What’s Quiet
Ideally, I would have some suggestions for you about places where demand is soft, and therefore we’re seeing some solid deals. There are two things working against me here:
- It seems to be busy everywhere
- Cruise ships move to where the demand is
Having said that, cruises that visit the Caribbean Islands and Mexico still represent tremendous value when you consider what you pay on a per day basis. Compared to comparable hotel and resort stays, the value of cruise vacations are really hard to beat.
Today’s Travel Opportunities
Egypt with Uniworld departing December 16, 2023 for 12-days. Take the grandchildren on a once in a lifetime trip to see Egypt!
- Spend 3-days in Cairo to see the Pyramids and the Egyptian Museum. Then fly to Luxor to board the ship for a week, where you’ll visit the Temple of Karnak, the Temple of Luxor, Valley of the Kings, Aswan, Temple of Esna, and then back to Cairo.
- Optional pre-trip to Jordan, and/or post trip to Jerusalem
- Prices start at $6299 per person.
Iceland, Greenland & Canada on Explora Journeys departing September 9, for 17-days.
- Reykjavik to New York City
- Visit Reykjavik (overnight), 2 more ports in Iceland, 4 stops in Greenland, Sydney (Canada), Saint John (Canada), New York.
- Prices start at $10,150 per person for a 375 square foot veranda suite. Includes all taxes, an open bar, on board gratuities, and wifi on the ship.
- Due to our exclusive partnership with Explora Journeys, we can get you 10% off published fares ($10,150 LESS $1015 on this cruise), and a $500 Journey Experience Credit.
Recently booked a Viking Cruise?
Viking makes it really easy to book direct, either online or by phone. Our clients worry that if they book on-line, that they’re cutting us out, but if you let us know after you’ve booked, then we can still help you with your reservation.
We’ll check over your booking to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal, and we will also add some onboard credits that are not available on direct bookings.
We can add at least $100 per person onboard credit to any direct Viking reservation made in the last 60 days.
There is never a situation where you’ll get a better deal by booking directly with Viking (or any other cruise line).
Also, in case you’re wondering, there is NO fee to work with us. We get paid commission by the cruise lines after our clients travel. So, please get in touch to let us know about your existing reservations (including those made while on board).
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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
