March 2025 * View as Webpage

A MEMO TO OUR READERS

We hope you read the story in the March 2 issue of The Connection, telling you all about the new and expanded partnership between YMCA Alumni and Go Travel. If you happened to miss it, click HERE. Watch GOING PLACES and the Travel Club Information Center website over the following months as many more group adventures, opportunities to enhance your personal and family travel, and so much more begin to roll out.

– Phill Morgan, YMCA Alumni President.

(Photo: Phill on Royal Caribbean YMCA Alumni Reunion-at-Sea Cruise)

MEET YOUR YMCA ALUMNI

TRAVEL CLUB GO TRAVEL TEAM

Pictured above is the team of Go Travel professionals who will be "powering" our YMCA Alumni Travel Club. In front: Susan Bales, Owner and President; Julia (Bales) Reviczky, Vice President

'MY GO TRAVEL AGENT WAS INVALUABLE FOR OUR AMAZING TRIP TO EGYPT'

CRAIG SCHAEFER, SCHREINER CHAPTER

Craig and Ellen Schaefer of the Schreiner Chapter book their individual and family adventures with Go Travel agent Barb Maher. Here they are in Egypt (L-R) with the Sphinx, atop Mt. Sinai and inside King Tut's tomb.

Having a travel professional like Barb Maher of Go Travel plan a trip for you and your family can prove invaluable. This is especially true for an unfamiliar location and culture. I have worked with Barb on several individual trips. They can take the stress out of planning.

Barb put together the most amazing two-week trip to Egypt for us. It was a private 8-day tour to Cairo and a cruise on the Nile, followed by four days at an all inclusive resort on the Red Sea which included climbing Mt Sinai. Our two private tour guides and drivers were very knowledgeable and professional. We were able to have experiences we never would have had on our own or with a larger tour group.

Barb is currently putting together a 2-3 day trip to Cappadocia in Central Turkey prior to our YMCA Alumni Travel Club Explora sailing from Istanbul to Venice in October.

We know from experience that a great travel professional is well worth it if you want an extra-special trip. Knowing there is someone who has your back if something goes awry provides peace of mind as well. In many cases, they can also save you money!

Barb adds: "I am always looking out for the best for Craig and Ellen and love providing the unusual to enhance their travel adventures. The Egypt tour was with one of our best suppliers, just like the one we have in Turkey. I have personally met and used the services of both Tarek in Egypt and Asli in Turkey and have been to their homes. Both are suppliers we depend on and are very reliable. Everyone loves what they do for us."

FOUR TRAVEL CLUB ADVENTURES

WAITING FOR YOU IN 2025-2026

LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN

JUNE 17-JULY 3, 2025

Join YMCA Alumni on the Emerald Princess for this 16-day ocean adventure with 10 fascinating port stops while cruising through Norway's magnificent deep blue fjords. The cruise embarks from and returns to Southampton, England allowing for pre or post extensions to London. Your YMCA Alumni Hosts: Patrick and Jan Murphy.

DETAILS

NEW: SOUTH AMERICA GETAWAY

OCTOBER 14-22, 2025

Our YMCA Alumni Travel Club South America Getaway via Globus Tours takes us to two of the world’s most sizzling cities so you can do it all. With time in Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, this exciting luxury motor coach and air tour combines the best of Brazil and Argentina, plus the opportunity to witness the thundering Iguassu Falls from the perspective of both countries. Our trip includes an empanada cooking class, private tango lesson, and a day on an authentic Argentine ranch to channel your inner gaucho. Your Host: Go Travel National Sales Director Bob Cook.

DETAILS

ANCIENT ADRIATIC TREASURES

OCTOBER 20-NOVEMBER 3, 2025

Discover Adriatic and Aegean treasures on this Viking Ocean journey, combining Venice, the Dalmation Coast of Croatia, the Adriatic and Greece, and Ancient Mediterranean Treasures of Turkey. Discover for yourself what makes Viking the world’s leading small-ship cruise line. Virtually everything you will need or want is included in Viking's fee. Our cruise sails on Viking's newest ship, the 998-passenger Vesta, launching in July. Your YMCA Alumni Hosts: Craig Altschul and Peggi Simmons.

DETAILS

ALASKA: THE LAST FRONTIER

JUNE 5-12, 2026

We'll cruise Alaska before the huge summer crowds arrive. We depart from Vancouver, B.C., and return to Seattle on the Celebrity Edge. Our cruise includes exciting port stops in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and sailing through the Endicott Arm to Dawes Glacier. This is an ideal seven-night trip for bringing along family and friends. This will be our Travel Club's third Alaska cruise thanks to members' requests. Your YMCA Alumni Hosts: Jean and Burt Bock.

DETAILS

ARE YOU A FOODIE?

CULINARY TRAVEL AWAITS YOU

Culinary cruises are a "filling way" way to combine fascinating travel with gourmet dining experiences. Many cruise lines now offer food-focused itineraries featuring world-class chefs, hands-on cooking classes, wine tastings, and onshore excursions to local markets and vineyards.

The following cruise lines will satisfy the most discerning YMCA Alumni tummies:

Known for their focus on fine dining, Oceania partners with famous chefs like Jacques Pépin and offers onboard cooking schools. Your ship's chef sources local ingredients to create memorable Chef's Market Dinners.

Offers destination-focused cuisine with excursions that include visits to wineries, local farms, and markets. Learn to cook dishes highlighting an upcoming destination on Viking Sea Days. Handpick ingredients at a local market on Port Days.

Features partnerships with Michelin-starred chefs, specialty dining options, and immersive food and wine experiences. Together, with a Celebrity Cruises chef, you’ll explore local markets to gather fresh regional foods straight from the farmer and learn new cooking techniques. Later, watch as your chef prepares a select menu, featuring the ingredients and techniques you’ve observed.

Luxury all-inclusive cruises with gourmet dining, wine pairing events, and exclusive chef-led shore excursions. These Regent Seven Seas curated experiences into the fascinating worlds of gourmet cuisine, fine wines and whiskies will heighten your cruise experience. There are multiple opportunities on these cruises to interact with esteemed chefs, notable experts and visionaries.

Are you interested in a culinary cruise?

We may be able to form a group or we can arrange for your individual cruise. Just drop a note to Bob Cook of our Go Travel YMCA Alumni Travel Club Team or call him at (407) 774-7730 ext. 110.

NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF TRAVEL

A VISIT TO PUPPY MOUNTAIN

When Shanghai-based designer Guo Qingshan posted a vacation photo on Valentine’s Day and captioned it “Puppy Mountain,” it became an Internet sensation in China and even created a new tourist destination. Guo had gone on a hike while visiting his hometown of Yichang in central China’s Hubei province. When reviewing the photos, he saw something he hadn’t noticed before: A mountain shaped like a dog’s head rested on the ground next to the Yangtze River, its snout perched at the water’s edge. “It was so magical and cute. I was so excited and happy when I discovered it,” Guo said. –Euronews

LUXURY RAIL ON GOLDEN EAGLE

Agatha Christie would likely love the new Golden Eagle Luxury Trains (though they will compete with her famous Orient Express). Golden Eagle will soon welcome guests on their inaugural Paris to Istanbul voyage with four departure dates for 2025 in either direction. This magnificent eight-day odyssey traversing seven countries on the gorgeous Danube Express train showcases Golden Eagle's growing success and dedication to expanding its European tours. –Travel Industry News

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL...

WITH A JELLYFISH

Sea World San Diego has just opened its highly anticipated Jewels of the Sea: A Jellyfish Experience. This exciting new attraction is the first at any Sea World park. It offers guests a unique blend of unusual aquaria, diverse jelly species, and immersive media to create a truly unique experience never before encountered. Explore the unknown world of jellyfish, creatures that have existed since before the age of dinosaurs. You will be able to learn, touch, and encounter these fascinating animals like never before. –Breaking Travel News

NEW EURO TRAVEL FEE

POSTPONED AGAIN

U.S. travelers with plans to hop the pond to Europe this year can breathe a sigh of relief. We won’t need to worry about obtaining approval and paying a fee for the new European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) that was supposed to go into effect in 2021, but was delayed several times and was currently set to go this year. ETIAS is now planned to start operations in the last quarter of 2026 and it will apply to 19 member countries in Europe’s Schengen Zone –AFAR Daily Wander

'ON THE GO'

SHARED ADVENTURES, ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

An alternative to our official YMCA Alumni Travel Club group trips, "On The Go" highlights independent trips booked with Go Travel by members who are open to having others join them. These are not official YMCA Alumni Travel Club group tours — just fellow travelers welcoming others to join them in the joy of exploration. Discover new destinations together while enjoying the freedom of independent travel.

Patrick and Jan Murphy of the Schreiner YMCA Alumni Chapter are heading out on a Princess cruise to Canada and New England for some beautiful leaf-peeping ocean scenery in September 2026. They'd love to have you join them. Go Travel has arranged group pricing, too. Just click the button below and fill out the inquiry form.

GO TRAVEL INQUIRY