Posted by David Porter on October 14, 2016 · 3 Comments
VIKING STAR ARRIVES IN NEW YORK FOLLOWING FIRST TRANSATLANTIC CROSSING – Award-Winning First Ship from Viking Ocean Cruises is En Route to the Caribbean for the Winter
Carol and I were honored to be invited by Viking Ocean Cruises to join them in NYC to celebrate their inaugural voyage into North America.
The Viking Star is currently docked at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal and we’ll board the ship today for a special five-day sail to San Juan, Puerto Rico which will serve as the Viking Star’s winter home.
This will be our first sailing with Viking Ocean Cruises, so we’re looking forward to experiencing the Viking River Cruise experience translated to the sea.
There are no kids onboard, no umbrella drinks, no water slides, and just like their famous river cruises, there are complementary shore excursions in every port and free wine and beer at lunch and dinner.
Viking Ocean Cruises is the world’s newest ocean line, and remarkably, they were also just voted by the readers of Travel + Leisure as the best ocean cruise line for 2016. So, we’re looking forward to climbing aboard to see what all the hubbub is about.
Before I share the press release on Viking’s inaugural sailing, you should also know that to celebrate, Viking is currently offering U.S. residents $2,000 savings on cruise and air fares.
Here’s the press release from Viking…
Los Angeles (October 13, 2016) – Viking Ocean Cruises® (https://www.vikingoceancruises.com) today welcomed its first ship, Viking Star®, into the New York harbor as part of its inaugural North American voyage. The 930-guest ship docked at Manhattan Cruise Terminal at noon, just after sailing past the Statue of Liberty with a reception by New York Fireboats. On October 11, Viking officially commemorated its first United States port of call in Boston, with a traditional maritime plaque ceremony attended by local officials and dignitaries. This is the first time Viking has sailed into North American ports, which are part of the company’s new itineraries exploring the Americas and the Caribbean.
“To sail past Ellis Island and into New York for the first time is a proud moment for our entire Viking family. With the same spirit as the Vikings who originally sailed their longships across the Atlantic, arriving in North America signifies a new era of possibilities for our company and our guests,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises. “As our fleet continues to grow, we will look for new ways to bring our unique destination-focused approach to more regions of the world. There are no kids onboard, and there are no umbrella drinks. Instead, our Caribbean itineraries are inspired by iconic 18th century navigation routes and were developed to highlight the rich history and culture of the region.”
The world’s leading river cruise line, Viking was recently awarded top honors as the #1 Ocean Cruise line in Travel + Leisure’s 2016 World’s Best Awards. After departing from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal on October 14, Viking Star will sail for San Juan, Puerto Rico, which will serve as her homeport for the winter season. From San Juan, the ship will sail the 11-day West Indies Explorer itinerary, which also calls on ports in the British Virgin Islands, Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, Guadeloupe, St. Kitts, St. Martin and the U.S. Virgin Islands. With no sea days on the itinerary, guests are able to avoid the time at sea typically associated with Caribbean cruises originating in Florida. While sailing West Indies Explorer, guests will have an opportunity to learn onboard about the destinations from local experts, historians and lecturers, as well as through a variety of shore excursions, including optional visits to museums, gardens and historic sites. Viking Star will return to Europe in February 2017, with a transatlantic sailing from San Juan to Barcelona.
Viking Star
Classified by Cruise Critic as a “small ship,” Viking Star features understated elegance and modern Scandinavian design. In its debut season Viking Star was awarded with the cruise industry’s highest honors, including being named Best New Ocean Ship and scoring a 5-star rating by the editors of Cruise Critic, as well as receiving the highest rating in the mid-size ship category in Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2016. In addition to the recently christened Viking Sea®, Viking will launch four additional ocean sister ships in the coming years, including Viking Sky® and Viking Sun® in 2017, Viking Spirit® in 2018 and the remaining, yet-to-be-named ship in 2020.
Designed by experienced nautical architects and engineers, including the same interior design team responsible for the award-winning fleet of Viking Longships®, Viking’s ocean ships feature:
· All Veranda Staterooms: Guests can choose from five stateroom categories, starting from a 270 sq. ft. Veranda Stateroom, all with private verandas and premium amenities that include king-size beds with luxury linens, large showers, luxury toiletries, heated bathroom floors and large interactive flat-screen LCD TVs with movies-on-demand.
· Explorer Suites: The ship will feature 14 Explorer Suites, which are two-room suites ranging from 757 to 1,163 sq. ft. that offer sweeping views from wraparound private verandas as well as the most amenities and privileges of any category onboard.
· Two Pool Choices: In addition to the Main Pool with a retractable roof permitting any-season swimming, the ship features a first-of-its-kind glass-backed Infinity Pool cantilevered off the stern, allowing guests to swim surrounded by their destination.
· LivNordic Spa: In keeping with Viking’s Nordic heritage, The Spa onboard is designed with the holistic wellness philosophy of Scandinavia in mind—from the centuries-old tradition of the sauna to a Snow Grotto where snowflakes gently descend from the ceiling through chilled air. Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2016 named it one of the “5 best cruise ship spas.”
· Explorers’ Lounge and Mamsen’s: Share a cocktail with friends. Linger over a Norwegian breakfast and a nautical history book. The Explorers’ Lounge and Mamsen’s gourmet deli are thoughtful spaces located at the bow and designed in the Scandinavian spirit, for complete relaxation and for marveling at sweeping views through double-height windows.
· The Wintergarden: Guests looking for serenity will find it in the Wintergarden. In this elegant space, guests can indulge in afternoon tea service under a canopy of Scandinavian trellised wood – an homage to Norse mythology and Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life.
· Dining Choices: Viking’s ocean ships offer multiple restaurant locations and food choices—from fine dining in The Restaurant, which serves three full meals and the widest choice of culinary options, and the World Café, which serves international fare and regional specialties—to intimate dining experiences at The Chef’s Table, which offers a multi-course tasting menu complete with wine parings, and Manfredi’s, which features freshly prepared pastas and Italian favorites. Additionally, The Kitchen Table experience focuses on regional dishes from market to table; the Pool Grill specializes in gourmet burgers; afternoon tea and scones are available in the Wintergarden; and Mamsen’s serves Norwegian deli-style fare. Furthermore, with multiple choices for outdoor seating during meals, Viking’s ships offer the most al fresco dining at sea.
· Enriching Entertainment: Connecting guests to their destinations through authentic experiences is central to Viking in creating “the thinking person’s cruise.” Instead of casinos and water slides, guests are offered Viking’s Culture Curriculum® including: world-class lectures on history and art; tasting of vintage wines from their destinations; restaurant menus inspired by local cuisine; informative port talks; enriching Destination Performances featuring folkloric shows and musicians playing regional and classical music; an onboard cooking school allowing guests to learn how to prepare local specialties.
· Sustainable Features: Designed with the environment in mind, Viking’s ocean ships feature energy-efficient hybrid engines, hydro-dynamically optimized streamlined hull and bow for maximum fuel efficiency and equipment that minimizes exhaust pollution and meets the strictest environmental regulations.
The Viking Difference
Designed for discerning travelers, Viking offers guests “the thinking person’s cruise” as an alternative to mainstream cruises. The Viking difference is providing guests with extraordinarily well-designed cruises that facilitate engagement with the cultures of the world. Ships are small allowing privileged access to smaller ports and getting guests closer to their destination, with more time in port, more overnights and fewer days at sea. Onboard, guests find serene Scandinavian spaces, where every room is beautiful and functional, quiet and filled with light. All-veranda ships mean that guests experience every day with a new, expansive vista. With the most al fresco dining at sea, featuring regional cuisines and always-available American classics, Viking’s guests can truly dine in their destination. A focus on cultural enrichment brings immersive experiences onshore and onboard. And only The Viking Way brings guests itineraries that feature Local Life, Working World and Privileged Access experiences.
In addition, Viking Inclusive Cruising provides a small ship experience at a big ship value—with every cruise fare including a veranda stateroom, shore excursions in each port of call, all onboard meals, and all port charges and government taxes. Guests also enjoy many complimentary amenities as part of their fare, including: beer and wine with lunch and dinner service; premium dining reservations; Wi-Fi; self-service laundry; access to the Thermal Suite in the LivNordic Spa; and 24-hour room service—an included value of more than $200 per person, per day.
Booking Details
From now through October 31, 2016, Viking is offering U.S. residents a special savings of up to $2,000 per couple: up to $1,000 off cruise fare and up to $1,000 off air.
To book your fun Viking Ocean Cruise, call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.
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Posted by David Porter on October 5, 2016 · Leave a Comment
October is Plan a Cruise Month in the United States and Canada
Discover a Variety of Cruise Vacations, Get Advice and the Best Offers from Travel Agents and Enter for an Opportunity to Win a Cruise
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the unified voice and leading authority of the global cruise community, has announced October is Plan a Cruise Month. The multi-faceted campaign will unite the cruise industry to help travelers discover there is a cruise vacation for every travel style and budget as well as offer tools, offers and advice to plan and book a cruise.
“Plan a Cruise Month is an opportunity for travelers to plan and book an incredible cruise vacation and showcases the unlimited choices our industry offers for every type of traveler,” said Cindy D’Aoust, president and CEO, CLIA. “With more cruise vacation options than ever before, CLIA and the cruise community are excited to engage with new and seasoned cruisers to help them explore all that cruise travel offers.”
Plan a Cruise Month, celebrated during October, is designed as a point of cruise discovery and a way to inspire travelers to plan and book cruise vacations. Through Plan a Cruise Month, CLIA is providing cruise information, insider travel tips and ways to connect with expert cruise travel agents, as well as a chance to win a cruise of choice through the #CruiseSmile sweepstakes.
Plan a Cruise Month Cruise Deals and Promotions
Travel agents continue to be the most popular and best way to book a cruise and CLIA Travel Agencies and Agents will have access to exclusive cruise deals and promotions to offer clients. During Plan a Cruise Month, several cruise lines have announced amazing offers to entice vacation planners to book a cruise.
To take advantage of the Plan a Cruise Month cruise line deals and promotions as well as the expertise from Roaming Boomers Travel®, reach out to us by using our convenient online information request by clicking here. Please let us know what areas you would like to explore, and if possible, your ocean or river cruise line of choice.
#CruiseSmile – A Weekly Chance to Win a Cruise Vacation of Choice
During Plan a Cruise Month, the cruise industry is once again launching #CruiseSmile, a simple and exciting digital and social promotion offering the chance to win a cruise vacation each week during the month of October. A wide variety of cruises will be showcased at www.CruiseSmile.org under the themes family-friendly, cultural exploration, fun in the sun and exploring nature. With 31 unique cruise vacations, participants have the chance to win a cruise experience to appeal to individual travel styles and preferences.
For a chance to win, participants must post a photo featuring a great “Cruise Smile” on Twitter, Instagram or the campaign landing page www.CruiseSmile.org, using #CruiseSmile and #sweepstakes from October 1 through 31, 2016. Participants are encouraged to come back each day to enter and discover new, amazing cruise vacations corresponding with the weekly themes. At the end of each theme period, a sweepstakes winner will be chosen and winners may select one of the featured cruises to best fit vacation travel preferences. A total of four cruises will be awarded over the 31-day sweepstakes period. For more information, visit https://www.CruiseSmile.org.
What to do
First of all, click the #CruiseSmile link above, put on your best smile, and see if you can’t win a cruise. You don’t need to be on a cruise to enter, you just need your very best smile. Be creative!
Secondly, if you don’t want to spend hours and hours trying to figure this all out, just drop us a call or email. Plus, we’ve likely got complimentary Virtuoso perks to give you on top of these special offers.
Lastly, please don’t simply send us an email requesting all of the deals. There are too many. We’d prefer to understand your travel style and get you pointed in the right direction. Sound fair?
To learn more, call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.
Here’s a list of the various ocean and river cruise lines participating in Plan a Cruise Month:
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Posted by David Porter on October 5, 2016 · Leave a Comment
Note: click image for larger view. ©2014, David A. Porter
This is likely to sound a little goofy to many of you, but one of the things I cherish about our visit to Budapest were the chestnuts we found roasting in the town square.
I snapped these photographs on December 5th, 2014 in Budapest, Hungary the day before we were to join Viking River Cruises on a memorable Christmas Markets Cruise.
I’m going to guess the temperature was around 50º, and the town square was filled with tourists and locals bustling about shopping at the myriad of booths hawking local crafts, food, hot mulled wine, and chestnuts!
The minute I walked into the square, the aroma of chestnuts roasting on an open fire filled my nostrils and my mind was instantly transported back to the mid-70s where I had my first encounter with roasted chestnuts in Paris, I think.
It had been 40+ years since I’ve enjoyed a roasted chestnut. However, as my wife and friends can attest, when I got a whiff of them, I disappeared as quickly as the road runner in the cartoons of old. Meep. Meep.
Can I give you a little tip?
River cruises are a wonderful way to experience Europe. But, if you can get there during the Christmas Markets season, do it! It’s very festive and all of the towns are beautifully decorated for the Christmas season.
To explore Christmas Markets with Viking River Cruises, CLICK HERE. To explore more about our Budapest experiences, CLICK HERE.
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Posted by David Porter on October 3, 2016 · 7 Comments
5 Most Popular Rivers for European River Cruises
European river cruises are wildly popular with baby boomer travelers.
While ocean liners can bring travelers access to Europe’s great cities built from ocean ports, a river cruise allows travelers to get to the interior of many countries and explore the fabulous cities built upon the great rivers of Europe.
Budapest, Vienna, Paris, Lyon, and Prague are cities that immediately come to mind.
While many of our clients come with an idea of which river they want to explore, a majority of folks come looking for our recommendations. Therefore, I thought it might be helpful to write about this important topic.
The 5 Most Popular Rivers for European River Cruises
- The Rhine – if you want to see castles, the Rhine should be your river of choice. Most Rhine sailings will sail from Amsterdam to Basil, Switzerland (or vice versa), and the Middle Rhine is chocked full of spectacular castles along the way. Be sure to spend some extra time in Amsterdam or Switzerland, at the beginning and end of your cruise.
- The Danube – the Danube is an equally popular river for river cruisers. While the Danube does have castles, some feel that they are not as spectacular as those found on the Rhine. However, the Danube will bring you the fabulous cities of Budapest and Vienna. Further, many of our clients will take a pre/post journey up to the magical city of Prague, the City of a Hundred Spires.
- The Seine – the Seine will bring you Paris, Monet’s home in Giverny, and the sorrowful beaches of Normandy. This is one of the shorter river journeys, so sailing times are much shorter than other rivers.
- The Bordeaux Region of France – here, you’ll sail the the Dordogne, the Garonne, and the Gironde as you explore the most famous vineyards in the world. If you’re a wine lover, this must be on your bucket list.
- The Rhone – once again, this river offers foodies and wine lovers an absolutely fabulous journey. Not only will you explore the world-famous Burgundy wine-country, but the city of Lyon is widely held as the culinary capitol of France.
While there are certainly other rivers that deserve your attention (the Doro in Portugal comes to mind), these are the five most popular rivers for European river cruises.
Travel Tip: we highly recommend that you spend a couple of extra days at the front and back of your river cruise, regardless of which river you chose. This will allow you time for airline cancellations (you don’t want to miss your cruise), to allow your body to adjust to the time difference, and most important of all, some relaxing time to explore. While river cruises bill themselves as relaxing, you’re going to find yourself in a new city nearly everyday. We find that we really enjoy a couple of days on our own in the front and back of our river cruise experiences.
To explore AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, Viking River Cruises, Tauck River Cruises, and the Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection in one convenient spot, CLICK HERE.
We’re Expert River Cruise Planners. Let us Help.
Once you’ve made the decision to give a river cruise serious consideration, give our travel agency a call. We know the various river cruise lines inside and out, we’ve got first-hand river cruise experience, and through our $15 billion/year Virtuoso Travel Network, we’ve likely got complimentary perks for you on top of the river cruise line’s best offers.
We send 100s of people to Europe each year on river cruises. We’ve got the expert advise you need.
For more information, or to book your fun European river cruise, call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.
Note: photo courtesy of Viking River Cruises
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Posted by David Porter on September 26, 2016 · 2 Comments
Avalon Waterways Announces its Biggest River Cruise Sale of the Year
Fly FREE + Save $2,000/Couple
It has been rather remarkable to watch the river cruise industry explode over the past few years.
Thanks to a massive advertising campaign, most boomer travelers are very aware of a certain river cruise line that dominates the river cruise industry.
However, biggest doesn’t necessarily always mean the best. And, the definition of best is certainly going to vary from person to person.
Therefore, before I begin to share the details of Avalon Waterways biggest river cruise sale of the year, let me highlight a few of the features that make Avalon Waterways distinct from the others.
Avalon Waterways Distinctions
- Fewer people on board – the newest European river cruise ships are essentially the same size, and will vary in size depending on which rivers they sail. However, when Avalon was designing their ships, they decided to put fewer people on board, make their rooms larger than the industry norm, and create more common space on their ships for guests to enjoy. Therefore, on the larger ships in their fleet, you will find a maximum of 164 guests aboard ship, where others might pack in north of 190.
- On Avalon’s newer “suite ships”, 80% of their staterooms are 200 sq.ft. suites with their highly publicized beds that face out to the large sliding windows in a French balcony configuration. And, even their smallest standard rooms (at 174 sq. ft.) are larger than the industry standard.
- Avalon Waterways is a division of Globus, which has been guiding European tours since 1928. Therefore, their roots are deep in Europe and their shore excursions are highly acclaimed.
There are other distinctions which makes Avalon Waterways stand apart, but we can discuss those with you at a later date. For now, I’d like to share a few facts about their “Biggest River Cruise Sale of the Year”.
Avalon Waterways Suite Sales Event
Note: click the three images below for much larger views.
Note: click the “fine print” below to review the details of this sale.
The Bottom Line
When contemplating a fun river cruise, we know it can be complicated and confusing to sort through and understand the many choices available.
That’s where we can help. It doesn’t cost you anymore to book a river cruise through our travel agency than trying to figure this all out on your own. Plus, we quite often have complimentary perks to add to whatever public offers the various cruise lines might be offering.
This is a wonderful offer from our friends at Avalon Waterways, and we’d love to help you take advantage of their biggest sale of the year.
To learn more, or to book a fun Avalon Waterways river cruise, call our travel agency office at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you. Hurry. While this offer is available through November 8, 2016, our Avalon back-channel contacts tell us that their bookings are up 40% from this sale, and supplies are becoming limited!
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The Roaming Boomers
Viking Star
