You still have a few days to take advantage of our exclusive Partner of the Month promotion with Viking Cruises, but more on that in a minute.
We’re going into the Memorial Day long weekend – the traditional unofficial start of the summer season. I would invite everyone to spend a few minutes reflecting on what this holiday is intended for – remembering those who fought and died for this country.
This became even more meaningful when someone pointed out to me that our last international pandemic occurred just as the First World War was ending. About 15% of those who fought in that war didn’t return. And many of those who did survive the war managed to get the Spanish Flu on the way home and died from that. All of a sudden, our petty grievances about wearing masks (or whatever else we’re angry about) seem quite trivial.
That got me to thinking about other lessons this most recent pandemic has taught me:
- Breath mints and deodorant are the next thing to hoard. After more than a year of standing six feet away from other humans (if you’re in the same room at all), personal hygiene will take on a renewed importance.
- Zoom meetings suck. ‘Nuff said!
- Do things you really want to do while you can. We’re all aware of our own aging and health, but the pandemic has shown us that other factors beyond our control can also take opportunities away.
- Eating at home is pleasure I had forgotten.
- $5 seems like a reasonable price to pay for a head of cauliflower. Yep… I’ve become completely desensitized to the cost of some things. It’s like living in Europe.
- Travelling is a privilege. We’ve (very) occasionally had conversations with clients complaining about restrictions in the countries they want to visit, and it is framed as a “rights” issue. Our rights only extend to our borders, and when we are visitors in others’ countries, we accept their rules as a condition of passage.
- Travelling with others is life changing. There have been times in the past year when I’ve wondered if I would ever get to travel again, and I nostalgically recalled the travels of my past. The trips that stood out the most were those where I travelled with friends or family.
Viking is our Partner of the Month
There are still a few days to take advantage of our exclusive Partner of the Month promotion with Viking. You’ll get you an extra $100 per person onboard credit on ANY Viking cruise booked by the end of May, and Viking’s Risk-Free Guarantee enables you to cancel without penalty as late as 2 weeks prior to departure (the Risk-Free Guarantee is also set to expire at the end of the month).
There have been a number of developments with Viking’s return to service. Here’s the latest:
Western Mediterranean. Italy and Spain are back open! Take an 11-day cruise visiting Malta, Sicily, Naples, Rome, Florence/Pisa, Genoa, and Barcelona. Sailings start on July 27th, and fares start at $3599 per person.
Greece & Croatia. For those who couldn’t decide between these two countries, Viking now offers an extended 21-day cruise that visits both. You’ll visit Montenegro, 4 ports in Croatia, 2 ports in Malta, and 5 ports in Greece (including an overnight in Athens). This itinerary is available July through September, and fares start at $6998 per person.
To see ALL of Viking’s ‘Welcome Back’ cruises, CLICK HERE: https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/cruise-destinations/welcome-back.html?agenturlid=pamperedcruiser
Where Exactly is Malta, Anyways?
Viking is home porting all its Mediterranean cruises for 2021 in Valetta, Malta. Here’s a 30-second Social Studies class on the tiny nation of Malta:
- This independent nation is a series of islands in the Mediterranean 50 miles south of Italy. On an unmarked map, many people will assume it is part of Italy.
- Maltese and English are the official languages. Italian and Sicilian also spoken.
- The country is only 122 square miles in area and has 500,000 residents.
- Malta is a member of the European Union and uses the Euro as its currency.
- Malta is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations (along with the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand amongst others).
- Valletta, the capital city of Malta, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and was the site of the first in-person meeting between President George HW Bush and Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbacev, a conversation that effectively ending the Cold War.
- With over 70% of their residents fully vaccinated, they are the first country to achieve herd immunity against Corona Virus.
Here’s Viking’s video about their new Mediterranean itineraries. If you watch the first 2 or 3 minutes, it gives a really great feel for Valletta, Malta (CLICK the arrow to start the video):
You’ll also want to check out “Viking TV”. Viking launched this channel shortly after the pandemic started, and it’s a great resource for learning not only about Viking, but also destinations, people, history and culture of the places that Viking visits: https://www.viking.tv. There are some REALLY cool programs here, including one that features the actor who plays Jesus in the Oberammergau play (to locate the video, type ‘Oberammergau’ into the search box at the top of that page).
If you’re looking to do something with Viking in the next few months, hopefully the information above has given you some ideas.
If you’ve been following our Partner of the Month promotion, you will have seen our past posts about:
- Viking’s Ocean Cruises
- Viking’s European River Cruises, including newly released departures for July 2021
- Viking’s Expedition Cruises
The World of Viking
To wrap up our look at the World of Viking, today I’ll draw attention to some of the lesser-known parts of Viking’s portfolio of products:
Combination River/Ocean:If you can’t decide between River or Ocean, then how about a package that includes both? https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/ocean-river-voyages/rhine-and-viking-shores-and-fjords/index.html?agenturlid=pamperedcruiser
Mississippi River. The wait is finally over. Viking starts sailing the Mississippi in 2022. https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/cruise-destinations/mississippi/index.html?agenturlid=pamperedcruiser
Egypt: Go round trip from Cairo on this 12 day tour. https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/cruise-destinations/egypt/pharaohs-pyramids/2022-cairo-cairo/index.html?agenturlid=pamperedcruiser
Viking Mekong River. Travel between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City visiting Angkor Wat in Cambodia on this 15-day tour. https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/cruise-destinations/asia/magnificent-mekong/2022-hanoi-hochiminh/index.html?agenturlid=pamperedcruiser
Grand Voyages and World Cruises: These range from 29 – 138 days and visit all corners of the world. https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/world-grand/index.html?agenturlid=pamperedcruiser
We love working with Viking, and their past guests have a fierce loyalty to the Viking experience and brand, with good reason.
Remember, book ANY Viking cruise by May 31st and you get an extra $100 per person onboard credit through our Partner of the Month promotion.
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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
