March Newsletter 2024
Greetings!

Specialty Cruises and New ships
 
Fans of the Love Boat TV Show may be interested in an announcement from Princess that the second themed “Love Boat” cruise will sail from New York to Canada from August 31-September 7, 2024. Original cast members Doc, Gopher, Isaac, and Vicki Stubing will be on board, as well as some surprise guests. The cruise will include meet-and-greet photo and signing opportunities. This cruise will surely be quite popular, so call as soon as possible if you are interested.
 
Carnival has announced two new ships. One will be the fourth in the Excel-Class, respresenting the first newbuild ship Carnival has ordered in five years. It is expected to be in service in 2027. In addition, the Carnival Firenze will join the fleet later this year. Sister company Costa Cruise Line owned this ship, and it will be totally refitted. As the name implies, the ship will have a decided Italian flair. The announcement states, “When guests board Carnival Firenze, they’ll be immersed in Italian architecture. The ship’s atrium is modeled after Florence’s beautiful main public square, Piazza del Duomo, and the Lido deck draws inspiration from the Italian Riviera.” West Coast Carnival fans will be pleased to know that the Firenze will sail out of Long Beach, CA.
 
Not to be outdone, Royal Caribbean has revealed its latest and greatest ship, The Star of the Seas. This Icon-Class ship “turns up the volume on family fun with unbelievable thrills, chills, and wows for the whole crew all day long. Get ready for night after night to remember, with over 40 ways to dine and drink, plus entertainment that rocks the house. The memory maxing even extends from ship to shore — because every sailing stops at the award-winning private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay.” The Star of the Seas will sail out of Port Canaveral beginning August of 2025.
 
Now for some airline news. British Airways confirmed it will restart Israel flights this April with four flights a week from Heathrow Airport. Anticipating less demand, it will utilize smaller aircraft. “We’ve taken the commercial decision to move Tel Aviv to our short-haul network when we restart our flights,” the airline said. Similarly, United Airlines has announced plans to resume flights to Tel Aviv, Israel, in March. It is planning on offering non-stop service from Newark. Now that these teo airlines are re-opening service, it will be interesting to see what other airlines join in re-establishing service to Israel!

In other airline news, many major airlines have announced that baggage fees will be increased. American Airlines, for example, indicates it will raise fees from $30 to $35 when bags are checked online and to $40 when checked at the airport. Other carriers have announced similar raises.

Well, it has happened again. We have always encouraged our clients to purchase travel insurance as soon as a trip is initially deposited. The two major benefits are the inclusion of pre-existing conditions and vendor default. You may recall when we discussed the demise of Thomas Cook Travel, which, when it ceased operations, left clients stranded all over the world. A few days ago, we read the following announcement: River cruise line American Queen Voyages has abruptly ceased all operations. “All future cruises have been canceled,” a website message says. “American Queen Voyages has made the difficult decision to shut. Customers should expect to be fully refunded for canceled cruises.” The company blames ‘unforeseen business circumstances and an inability to obtain sufficient capital at a commercially reasonable rate to continue.’ Note the phrase “should expect to be fully reimbursed.” What if they aren’t? We hope those impacted had the type of travel insurance we recommend to you all.

While this newsletter provides disparate information, enthusiasm about travel is surging with both new and seasoned travelers. In fact, we are pleased to announce four new cruise opportunities. The first is a Disney cruise in April, then there is a Celebrity “Best of Italy and Croatia” cruise in May, and finally, two Royal Caribbean cruises in June. Let us know if you would like to join any of these wonderful cruises.

So, Where in the World Do You Want to Go?

Betty & Frank Villani
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7 Night Mexican Riviera
Roundtrip: San Diego
April 21 - 28, 2024
Disney Wonder
Experience the magic of the Disney Wonder, saling to Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, and Ensenada with 3 fabulaous sea days.
12 Day British Isles Cruise
Ireland, Scotland, & France
Roundtrip: Southampton
Regal Princess
May 3 - 15, 2024
Best of Italy and Croatia
11 Nights
Rome to Raveena
May 13 - 24, 2024
Celebrity Constellation
VISITING:
Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy;
Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy;
Portofino, Italy;
Naples, Italy; Sicily (Messina), Italy; Brindisi, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Kotor, Montenegro; Split, Croatia; Ravenna, Italy
Join Us!
Uniworld River Cruise
Burgundy & Provence, France
May 19 - 26, 2024
Join Us! as we follow in the footsteps of Van Gogh, Cezanne and Gauguin on an exquisite journey of southern France. Cruise the Rhone and Saone rivers from Lyon to Arles, visiting Avignon, Viviers, Tournon and Macon with an extension to Paris.
7 Nights - Mexican Riviera
Roundtrip: Los Angeles
June 14 - 21, 2024
Navigator of the Seas
VISITING: Los Angeles, California; Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Mazatlan, Mexico; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
4 Nights - Catalina & Ensenada
Roundtrip: Los Angeles
June 24 - 28, 2024
Navigator of the Seas
VISITING: Los Angeles, California; Catalina Island, California; Ensenada, Mexico
Join Us!
Rocky Mountaineer
Vancouver to Jasper
July 4 - 13, 2024
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.
Join Us!
7 Day Alaska Gulf (Northbound)
Vancouver to Anchorage
July 13 - 20, 2024
Royal Princess
15-Day Off the Beaten Path
Alaska Cruisetour
Vancouver to Anchorage
Grand Princess
August 14 - 29
Best of Scandinavia
August 16 - 28, 2024
Roundtrip: Rotterdam
Celebrity Silhouette
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
North to Alaska
7 Nights
August 18 - 25, 2024
Roundtrip: Seattle
Cruise the beautiful Majestic Princess to these 5 stunning ports:
Ketchikan, Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier (scenic cruising), Juneau, Skagway and Victoria, Canada.
Ancient Mediterranean Treasures Cruise
8 Days: September 18 - 25, 2024
Athens to Istanbul
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.
Turning Leaves
October 7 - 17, 2024
Boston to Quebec
Emerald Princess
Join Us!
11 Day Japan Explorer
Round trip: Tokyo, Japan
March 25 - April 5, 2025
Diamond Princess
12 Nights British Isles Cruise
Roundtrip: Amsterdam
Celebrity Eclipse
April 27 - May 9, 2025
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
7 Day Mediterranean Cruise
Athens to Barcelona
June 21 - 28, 2025
Sun Princess
Mediterranean Cruise
Athens to Venice
October 5 - 15, 2025
Seven Seas Grandeur
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.
909-980-6040