Greetings!
Summer Travel Adventures
Schools are out, and summer vacations have already begun. If you haven’t already planned yours, let us know, so we can explore some options for you.
In cruise news, several cruise lines are touting itineraries for guests to observe the 2026 Total Eclipse. These cruises will sell out quickly, so if you are an eclipse-seeker, let’s get your stateroom reserved as soon as possible. Princess, for example, has published the following Astrotourism opportunity: “The next, not-to-be-missed total solar eclipse takes place on August 12, 2026, and once again a Princess cruise ship will be perfectly positioned, this time in northern Spain, to witness this bucket list event – two minutes and 18 seconds of totality. The 3,660-guest Sky Princess departs Southampton on August 8, 2026, on a 14-day Mediterranean cruise, highlighted with total eclipse viewing while the ship is in its path at sea off the coast of Spain.”
In other cruise news, the Port of Baltimore is now operational. The first two cruise ships departed from Baltimore for the first time in over two months following the Key Bridge collapse. Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas kicked off Baltimore cruise operations again as it left on Saturday for a five-night Bermuda cruise. Carnival Pride followed a day later and headed north on a 14-day sailing to Greenland and Canada.
In a final note on everything involving cruises, Port Canaveral is set to expand again. A new multi-user cruise terminal is planned at the existing North 8 berth. It would be operational within two years and able to accommodate the largest ships currently sailing. “We have cruise partners with immediate needs to locate assets in Florida, and Port Canaveral is where they want to be,” said Capt. John Murray, Port Canaveral CEO.
We always try to keep you informed of any developments impacting the travel industry. One such development involves the countdown to an important change in airport security. In less than a year, travelers will no longer be able to use a standard driver's license when going through airport security and will be required to use a license with the Real ID accreditation. Real ID is an added identity check that is applied to a standard driver’s license. Travelers will need the updated identification by May 7, 2025, or otherwise use a passport to get through security. Airline passengers who do not have a Real ID or an approved alternative by the deadline will be turned away, and not able to proceed through a security checkpoint.
To obtain a Real ID, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has set up a helpful interactive map for citizens to select the state or territory where their license was obtained and follow steps to get their ID updated. Often, people will automatically receive a Real ID when they go through a regular update of an expired license; however, it is helpful to check and ask if the new license is considered a Real ID.
Over the Memorial Day weekend, we were part of the crowd that garnered a new record as the busiest single day for air travel. TSA said it screened a total of $2,951,163 passengers on the Friday before the holiday. While there was the usual spate of delays and cancellations, the weekend was relatively smooth.
Several of you have inquired about New England cruises for this Fall. As a result, we have added another one departing Boston on October 4 and sailing to Quebec. For those of you who have never had an opportunity to visit this quaint, Canadian city, we encourage you to consider joining some of our clients who have already made reservations.
Are you looking for an easy way to increase your status with a cruise line? The answer may be to take one or more short cruises, as each one will count toward your total number of sailings. For example, we have just announced a 3-day sailing from Los Angeles to Ensenada on January 24, 2025. Regardless of your location, we can help you find short cruises to help increase your status. You may even consider two, short back-to-back cruises building your status even faster. We can help you get there!
So, Where in the World Do You Want to Go?
Betty & Frank Villani
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11 Day Rhine River Cruise
Basel to Amsterdam
July 4 - 14, 2024
Monarch Baroness
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Have an unforgettable journey visiting these stunning ports: Basel, Switzerland; Breisach, Germany; Strasbourg, France; Speyer, Germany; Koblenz and Cologne, Germany; and a full day in Amsterdam! |
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Join Us!
Rocky Mountaineer
Vancouver to Jasper
July 4 - 13, 2024
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Enjoy 3 days onboard the Rocky Mountaineer in Gold Leaf Service, nine nights of hotel accommodations, gourmet meals, and unlimited beverages while onboard, lunch at the Columbia Icefields, Ice Explorer and Glacier Skywalk, Banff Gondola, all tours and transfers as specified in the itinerary, luggage handling/porterage at the hotels and train stations, prepaid gratuities for onboard Hosts.
Space is limited, so contact us as soon as possible!
See the video below for Rocky Mountaineer highlights.
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Join Us!
7 Day Alaska Gulf (Northbound)
Vancouver to Anchorage
July 13 - 20, 2024
Royal Princess
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Join Us! for a beautiful cruise to Alaska, visiting these 5 stunning ports:
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12-Day Danube River Cruise with Prague
Regensburg to Budapest
August 7 - 18, 2024
Monarch Queen
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Enjoy this amazing river cruise visiting these stunning ports: Passau, Melk Abbey, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. The Prague extension gives you more time to see this amazing capital. |
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15-Day Off the Beaten Path
Alaska Cruisetour
Vancouver to Anchorage
Grand Princess
August 14 - 29, 2024
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Cruise first (7 days), followed by land (8 days)
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Best of Scandinavia
August 16 - 28, 2024
Roundtrip: Rotterdam
Celebrity Silhouette
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Enjoy 12 nights aboard the Celebrity Silhouette, visiting these amazing ports:
Rotterdam, Netherlands;
Berlin (Warnemunde), Germany;
Gdansk (Gdynia), Poland;
Visby, Sweden;
Tallinn, Estonia;
Stockholm, Sweden;
Copenhagen, Denmark
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North to Alaska
7 Nights
August 18 - 25, 2024
Roundtrip: Seattle
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Cruise the beautiful Majestic Princess to these 5 stunning ports:
Ketchikan, Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier (scenic cruising), Juneau, Skagway and Victoria, Canada.
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Ancient Mediterranean Treasures Cruise
8 Days: September 18 - 25, 2024
Athens to Istanbul
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Visit 2 countries and 6 ports: Athens, Heraklion, and Rhodes in Greece and Ephesus, Troy, and Istanbul in Turkey, and discover the wonders of these ancient lands. |
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7 Day Cruise
Canada & New England
Boston to Quebec
NCL Gem
October 4 - 11, 2024
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Visiting these amazing ports:
- Boston,Massachusetts
- Bar Harbor,Maine
- Halifax,Nova Scotia
- Sydney,Cape Breton Island
- Charlottetown,Prince Edward Island
- Saguenay (La Baie),Québec
- Québec City,Canada
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Turning Leaves
October 7 - 17, 2024
Boston to Quebec
Emerald Princess
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Experience the beauty of fall and visit these stunning ports:
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10 Night Voyage
Southern Caribbean
Round trip: San Juan
January 11 - 21, 2025
Resilient Lady
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Join Us! on the amazing Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady visiting Tortola, BVI; St. Kitts; Antigua & Barbuda; Martinique; Barbados; St Lucia and St Vincent from San Juan. This will be a fabulous cruise!
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3 Night Cruise
Ensenada, Mexico
Round trip: Los Angeles
Navigator of the Seas
January 24 - 27, 2025
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Sail away on the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas for 3 amazing nights. You'll visit Ensenada and have a full day at sea on your return trip to Los Angeles! |
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Join Us!
11 Day Japan Explorer
Round trip: Tokyo, Japan
March 25 - April 5, 2025
Diamond Princess
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12 Nights British Isles Cruise
Roundtrip: Amsterdam
Celebrity Eclipse
April 27 - May 9, 2025
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Visiting 7 stunning ports:
Amsterdam, Netherlands;
Cork (Cobh), Ireland;
Waterford (Dunmore E.), Ireland;
Liverpool, England;
Holyhead, Wales;
Belfast, Northern Ireland;
Glasgow (Greenock), Scotland;
Lerwick, Scotland;
Amsterdam, Netherlands
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10 Night Cruise
Greece, Italy & Croatia
Round trip: Rome
Celebrity Ascent
May 16 - 26, 2025
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VISITING: Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy; Olympia (Katakolon), Greece; Corfu, Greece; Split, Croatia; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Bar, Montenegro; Sicily (Messina), Italy; Naples, Italy; Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy |
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7 Day Mediterranean Cruise
Athens to Barcelona
June 21 - 28, 2025
Sun Princess
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Aboard the NEW Sun Princess.
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Mediterranean Cruise
Athens to Venice
October 5 - 15, 2025
Seven Seas Grandeur
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Sail aboard the luxurious Seven Seas Grandeur from Athens, Greece to Santorini, Greece; Heraklion (Crete), Greece; Katakolon, Greece; Tirana (Durres), Albania; Kotor, Montenegro; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Zadar, Croatia; Koper, Slovenia and Venice, Italy. |
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