By David Barclay | October 4, 2023

Spring break is a popular time for families to travel, but the timing can challenge trips to many parts of the world.  March & April are transitional seasons in both the northern and southern hemispheres, which can mean colder and rainier weather in many popular travel regions.  To assist you as you think about your next spring break trip, I decided to create a guide outlining places I think are wonderful to visit in March & April.

North America

For those looking to limit travel time and remain relatively close to home, there are many great options within a few hours flight time of most major U.S. cities.

Hawaii

Hawaii has always been a popular vacation destination.  While flight times from the Midwest and East Coast can rival travel time to Europe, for travelers who live in the western states Hawaii can be a great option.  The recent fires on Maui severely impacted the popular Lahaina Town, but the island has bounced back and resorts north of Lahaina Town and in the Wailea area are fully open and hosting visitors.  The Big Island, Oahu, and Kauai are also great islands to visit.  The Four Seasons resort on the island of Lanai is wonderful for those looking for a little more seclusion (there are two Four Seasons on the island, but one is adults only).  For families with spring breaks in April, Hawaii can be especially nice as this is the start of the off-season when the islands will be less crowded, and prices will moderate a bit.

Florida

Florida has always been a popular spring break destination.  While the Orlando area around Disneyworld and Universal can be very crowded, the 1,350 miles of coastline provides many other great places to vacation without the theme park crowds.  Both the Atlantic and Pacific sides of this state have something to offer travelers looking for some R&R sprinkled with casual adventures. 

The Caribbean

The Caribbean provides a plethora of options for spring break and is sure to offer a week of fun to any spring break traveler.  For those who don’t want to deal with passports and immigration control on their vacation, Puerto Rico is a great place to visit and many large cities in the lower 48 have direct flights to/from San Juan.  Travelers wanting to limit their flight times might want to look at the Bahamas or Turks & Caicos.  Those able to travel a little farther might consider the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic or Jamaca (known for its all-inclusive resorts).   The Leeward Islands are also a favorite destination for many U.S. vacationers.  The Virgin Islands (both US and British) are popular for boat charters, and a catamaran or motor yacht can offer a great spring break for families with up to 12 travelers.  The other Leeward Islands, while a little harder to get to, each offer visitors a unique experience and there are many great 4- and 5-star resorts to cater to travelers. 

For those wanting to visit many locations in the Caribbean, a luxury cruise can be a great option.  Many cruise lines add kids’ clubs during this season due to the larger number of families.  The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection ships have full-time kids’ clubs on board (the Ritz-Kids Club) for guests 12 and under.

Mexico

Mexico is another popular destination for U.S. travelers, given its proximity, great weather and reasonable prices.  While the beach resort areas of the Riviera Maya (south of Cancun), Cabo San Lucas & Punta Mita (north of Puerto Vallarta) are very popular destinations, other parts of Mexico are also welcoming to vacationers.  Mexico City has emerged recently as a popular destination, with visitors exploring the UNESCO city center and venturing south to the archaeological sites of Copilco and Cuicuilco, and the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is well known as a great vacation destination (it is the most visited country in Central America).  A spring break trip to Costa Rica can be a combination of many different travel experiences (from relaxing downtime to soft and hard adventure activities).  Visitors usually combine a visit to the mountains & rain forests with a trip to the Pacific coast.  In the mountains, vacationers can ride ziplines through the forest canopy, view steaming volcanic craters, hike, white water raft, and return to their hotel to soak in hot spring waters.  At the beach, guests can relax or participate in many water activities including snorkeling/SCUBA, sea kayaking, sport fishing, and wind surfing.

South America

While a little farther away, traveling to South America has the advantage of staying in a very similar time zone, so jetlag tends to not be an issue.  This can be a big benefit for families that only have a week for spring break and want to hit the ground running the moment their flight lands.

Ecuador/Galapagos

A trip to the Galapagos Islands can be a fun family trip and appropriate for kids of all ages who will marvel at the unique wildlife.  There are many options for visiting and exploring this region of the world.  Several cruise lines sail the Galapagos, most itineraries are 7-days long (weekend to weekend) which requires about a week and a half total trip time.  For families with less time, a 3-6 night stay at one of the island-based camps with day trips to several of the other islands can fit into a weeklong spring break.

Argentina

While spring break might not provide enough time to fully explore this wonderful country, it does provide enough time to hit a few highlights and create a desire to return some day.  The weather tends to be mild with temperatures in the 70’s.  With a weeklong spring break, guests can visit Buenos Aires and spend a few nights outside the city at a cattle and horse estancias (“ranches”).  Adventurous families can skip the estancias and travel either to the Iguazú Falls, the Bariloche high lakes district, or Patagonia (March is the end of the summer travel season in Patagonia).  Families with one and a half weeks can easily combine Buenos Aires with two other parts of the country.

Europe

While parts of Europe will still be in the last throes of winter or just starting to transition to early spring, areas around the Mediterranean can provide a wonderful option for spring break. 

Italy

One of the most popular countries for travelers in general and a great country for families, Italy has a lot to offer for a spring break trip.  Rome is a must-see destination, and a week could be spent just exploring the city and surrounding area.  With a weeklong break, travelers could add in a stop at Venice to the north or Naples/the Amalfi Coast to the south (with visits to Pompeii and Herculaneum for history buffs).  Italy’s train system is very efficient and travel times between Italy cities are reasonable.  With a week and a half, vacationers could start in Venice, visit Naples, and end their trip in Rome.

Spain

Spain offers a lot to travelers and can be a great option for a week of travel.  With 7-8 nights, visitors can visit either Madrid or Barcelona along with Sevilla.  With 9+ nights, guests can travel to all three cities.  Or they can visit Sevilla and either Madrid or Barcelona but add on Lisbon at either the beginning or end of the trip to get a quick taste of Portugal and its similarities to and differences from Spain. 

Morocco

For a slightly more exotic trip, Morocco is a great option (and yes, it’s not part of Europe but should be in the same consideration set as my European suggestions).  Spring break is a great time to visit Morocco, as visitors avoid the heat and the crowds common during the summer months.  With a week, visits to Casablanca and Marrakech are possible.  With a little more time, a third stop can be added, and the options abound.  Those interested in history can add Fez and compare/contrast to Marrakech or visit the capital city of Rabat.  Those looking for a little downtime can visit a seaside town such as Agadir, though the water temperatures (averaging 17C) will likely be too cold for all but the most adventurous

Greece

Norway or Iceland

Greece can be a wonderful spring break option, especially in April.  Visitors can avoid the heat of the summer and find off-season deals on accommodations and activities.  With a week, travelers can visit Athens and two of the islands.  With more time, guests can extend their stays in these locations or add on a 3^rd island stop.  Some cruise lines start sailing through Greece in March & April and that can be another good option, though few offer round trips out of Athens so likely a cruise would entail embarking or disembarking in a different country. 

For a completely different spring break experience, travelers can embrace the cold of winter and visit Iceland or Norway.  These countries offer excellent winter activities and guests would still have a good chance of seeing the northern lights.  Vacationers will also find the pricing in these very expensive countries more reasonable in the off-season of March & April.

Asia

While there are many countries in Asia that are wonderful to visit in March & April, the travel times combined with limited spring break vacation days make them less than ideal for a spring break trip.  However, I do have one suggestion for those wishing to travel far to the west for their break.

Japan

Japan is my one exception to avoiding Asia for a spring break trip.  While better for a family with a week and a half break, the plethora of direct flights to Tokyo from many major U.S. cities means a trip can be squeezed into a weeklong break.  While it doesn’t provide time to explore the far north or south of this country, visitors can explore Tokyo for a few days, then travel by high-speed train to Osaka and from there take day trips to visit Kyoto and other historic Japanese cities.  And if you are lucky, you will arrive during the famous cherry blossom season!

By David Barclay | September 20, 2023

Hello from Croatia! I’ve been traveling the Dalmatian Coast and I’ve seen an enormous number of boats and ships of all shapes and sizes, including a number of cruise ships. I narrowly missed seeing the Celebrity Beyond, one of the new Edge class ships, that Celebrity launched in 2022. She’s due into Dubrovnik tomorrow but we’ve moved on to Hvar. The Emerald Azzurra was here in Hvar yesterday, a beautiful new yacht launched in 2022 by Emerald Cruises.

Although I don’t sail on the mainstream megaships, I’m always fascinated to see them in person and marvel at their size and the engineering skill required to construct them. Each new ship tries to outdo the last in size and over the top common areas that put many land-based amusement parks to shame. The Celebrity Beyond I mentioned above, while not as big as the megaships, is still a pretty big ship. But I can appreciate all of the new features she brings to cruising and I like Celebrity’s “ship within a ship” concept with the Retreat, that offers a luxury cruising experience while still providing access to many of the amenities offered on a premium line ship. A ship like the Beyond is a great option for multi-generational family trips, as she has refinement to offer to the adults while still providing numerous onboard activities for the kids/grandkids.

While I’m intrigued by all of the new cruise ships starting to sail, what I’m really excited about is all of the new ships entering the luxury cruise segment and how they are continuing to evolve and improve the cruising experience for discerning travelers. With that in mind, I thought I would dedicate this blog post to an overview of the latest ships joining the luxury cruise line fleets and how they are “changing the game” for luxury cruisers.

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Silver Nova (Silversea)

Maiden Voyage: August 14, 2023

The Silver Nova is the first of two Nova class ships that will join the Silversea fleet (the Silver Ray is scheduled to launch in 2024). The latest Silversea ship to date, the Nova can accommodate 728 guests and is 35% larger than the Muse-class ships, the previous flagships of the Silversea fleet.

The Silver Nova brings several revolutionary features to the Silversea fleet and to the luxury cruise segment. First, she has an asymmetrical design, which allowed the builders to incorporate unique deck layouts. This is very noticeable on the Nova’s pool deck, where the pool is shifted to the port side (pictured above at the beginning of this newsletter). Traditional ship design puts the pool in the center of the ship to balance the weight of all of that water, but that means deck chairs are positioned to face the pool and away from the sea, making the pool deck feel less attached to the world around the ship. With this new design, all of the chairs face the ocean and there are no walls on the ocean side of the pool, providing pool guests unobstructed ocean views. The asymmetrical design is also visible in the atrium, which is shifted to the starboard side and has floor to ceiling windows that stretch 2 full decks, letting in an incredible amount of natural light.

The Silver Nova is continuing the move towards sustainability and carbon neutrality in the cruise industry. She is the first luxury line ship to use Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) as the primary fuel and has a fuel cell/battery system to ensure zero emissions while docked in port. The Nova also incorporates some of the best aspects of the other ships in the fleet, including many of the popular restaurants and the Sea and Land Tastes (S.A.L.T.) program started with the Silver Moon. The Nova adds to this program, changing the S.A.L.T. Lab in the evening into the Chef’s Table, a small group interactive dining experience.

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EXPLORA I (Explora Journeys)

Maiden Voyage: August 1, 2023

Explora Journeys is a new luxury cruise line launched by the MSC Cruise Group. With current plans for six sister ships, the EXPLORA I was the first to launch earlier this summer. The EXPLORA I is the largest ultra-luxury cruise ship, able to accommodate up to 900 guests. While still small compared to premium and mainstream line ships, the added size allows EXPLORA I to offer an incredible number of restaurants and venues. She has 4 separate pools, including one with a retractable roof allowing guests to lounge by the pool even in inclement weather. Another pool is adults only, and while she won’t host as many families and children as the ships of non-luxury lines, she does have 78 connecting suites designed for families and multi-generational groups. She also offers the most dining venues among the luxury ships (10) and bars/lounges (12). The creators behind the Explora Journeys brand didn’t want to create just another cruise line and don’t want guests to feel like they are on a cruise ship. Instead, they want guests to feel like they are staying at one of the worlds finest hotels. This carries through the design of the EXPLORA I, with the interior feeling more like a luxury hotel. The main lobby and bar could easily be mistaken for one of the better hotels in any major city. And the ship had a very sophisticated European design throughout.

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Vista (Oceania Cruises)

Maiden Voyage: May 13, 2023

The first new ship added to the Oceania fleet in over 10 years, the Vista (and soon to launch sister-ship Allura) was designed to take the Oceania cruise experience to the next level of luxury.  Oceania operates in the luxury cruise space, a half-step below the ultra-luxury cruise lines, and delivers an incredible cruise experience at a slightly lower price. The Vista can accommodate up to 1200 guests, cared for by a crew of 800, for a guest-to-crew ratio of 1.5. The Vista is the first all-veranda ship to join the Oceania fleet, offering elevated suite designs and a new category of Concierge Level Veranda Staterooms dedicated to solo travelers. Known as a cruise line for foodies, Oceania adds new dining options with the Vista. The new signature restaurant, Ember, features elevated American cuisine. The Aquamar Kitchen, following the theme of the Aquamar spa, focuses on indulgent wellness-inspired dishes.  The Vista also brings an elevated mixology program and new evening entertainment options.

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Pursuit (Seabourn)

Maiden Voyage: August 12, 2023

The Seabourn Pursuit is the sister-ship to the Seabourn Venture (launched 2022) and adds to Seabourn’s ability to deliver incredible expedition cruises. Purpose built to explore more remote destinations and sail in icy waters, the Pursuit takes adventurous travelers to bucket list locations in exquisite luxury. She has a PC6 Polar Class hull, allowing her to travel in both Arctic and Antarctic regions where most other cruise ships cannot sail. She carries 24 zodiacs to bring guests ashore in remote areas and on expeditions to see the local wildlife up close. She also carries a variety of other expedition equipment including sea kayaks for those wanting to explore while not disturbing the native land and sea creatures. For guests seeking the ultimate excursion experience, she carries two 6-person submarines capable of diving up to 1000 feet. Those on board are treated to views through the two giant clear acrylic spheres, while enjoying custom-embroidered leather upholstery, air conditioning, and a champagne chiller to toast their extraordinary journey.

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Grandeur (Regent Seven Seas

Maiden Voyage: November 18, 2023

The Grandeur is the third Explorer Class ship to join the Regent fleet (along with sister-ships Explorer and Splendor). Although similar in design to her sister-ships, the launch of the Grandeur brings some improvements. The culinary team has elevated the epicurean experience on board, creating over 130 new dishes and enhanced recipes of guest favorites across the seven dining venues. The spa has also been enhanced, with new treatments utilizing the restorative power of an amber and quartz crystal bed, and an advanced treatment table for a Zero Gravity Wellness Massage. Several restaurant spaces, including the famous Prime 7, have been reimagined. And like her sister-ships, she boasts the largest suite at sea, the 4,443 sq ft Regent Suite.

By David Barclay | August 23, 2023

One of the most popular regions for ocean cruises is the Mediterranean and not surprisingly, this means it’s one of the most popular destination for first time cruisers. There are many aspects of Mediterranean cruises that make them attractive to experienced cruisers and new cruisers alike. First, Mediterranean cruises visit multiple European ports and Europe has always been a popular destination for U.S. travelers. Second, the relatively short distances between ports means few, if any, sea days, so travelers can maximize their time exploring seaside towns and cities. Third, the short travel distances allow even a modest 7-9 day cruise to visit 3-4 different countries. Fourth, many cruise itineraries start and end in major European cities, making flights to/from the embarkation/disembarkation ports readily available from a number of airlines. Finally, many cruise lines offer 7-night cruises which start and end on a weekend. These itineraries are very travel friendly for travelers who are still working and/or still have children at home, limiting time away to a single long week.

The cruise season in the Mediterranean stretches from April to November, providing a plethora of options. Families and multi-generational groups can cruise during the summer months when children are on summer break. Couples and adult groups can also travel during the summer or in the shoulder seasons to avoid the summer heat and visit when ports are less crowded with tourists.

Just as Mediterranean cruises are popular overall, they are also very popular in the luxury cruise segment. The Mediterranean is dotted with numerous smaller oceanside towns and villages, allowing the luxury lines to get away from the crowds brought by larger mainstream ships and deliver unique experiences to guests. If these itineraries below contain ports that are not familiar to you, that just means they provide the opportunity to explore some of the undiscovered beauty of the Mediterranean.

With the start of the 2024 Mediterranean cruise season still roughly 8 months away, you may wonder why today’s blog post is focused on this region. It’s because cruises in the Mediterranean have become so popular that ships are filling up many months earlier than they have in the past. A few years ago, I would have said travelers should start looking at cruise options 6 months in advance and make sure they book their cruise at least 4 months out to ensure they get a good stateroom location. But recently, as I’ve looked at Mediterranean cruise options for my clients, I’m seeing a lot of 2024 cruises with very few staterooms remaining. Several 2024 itineraries are completely sold out and waitlisted. And not just during the peak travel months of June-August, recently I looked for cruise options in September/October for a client and more than a quarter of the cruises that were a good match for that client were completely sold out.

If you’ve been thinking about a Mediterranean cruise for 2024, I’d suggest you start planning soon or consider changing your plans to cruise in 2025 where there is still good availability of staterooms.

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Oceania (Riviera)

7-night Enchanting Rivieras
Barcelona to Rome
Jun 10 – 17, 2024

Barcelona to Rome is a very common Mediterranean itinerary for 7-10 night cruises and is very popular with cruisers. Guests are treated to a few stops along the Spanish or French Riviera and visit a few of the islands between Spain and Italy. Most itineraries continue from the French Riviera to one or more ports in northern Italy (e.g. Portofino) before arriving in Rome. This itinerary is different as it travels south to Sicily and then up the coast of Italy, with a stop at Amalfi. Travelers with extra time can spend a few days in Barcelona pre-cruise and/or Rome post-cruise as both cities have a lot to offer, even to returning visitors.

Oceania is a great cruise line for cruisers new to luxury cruising who want to “test the waters” without investing in a cruise with one of the ultra-luxury lines (and associated higher cruise fares). It is known as a cruise line for foodies and earlier this summer changed its fare structure to become even more all-inclusive. The new “simply MORE” fares include free round-trip economy air and airport transfers, free dining in the specialty restaurants, free beverage packages, free Wi-Fi, and credits for shore excursions (the amount is based on the cruise itinerary length). Guests who book a Concierge level or higher stateroom receive additional onboard perks and services.

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Seabourn (Encore)

7-night Adriatic & Greek Treasures
Venice to Athens
Jul 28 – Aug 4, 2024

Another very common Mediterranean itinerary is between Venice and Athens. While ships will cruise both this route and the reverse, I prefer cruises that start in Venice as I think a few pre-cruise days in this fascinating city is a great way to start a vacation. In Athens, those who have never visited before can add on a post-cruise day or two for exploration, while those needing to get home can easily schedule a flight back to the U.S. the afternoon after disembarkation. This itinerary with Seabourn also demonstrates how even a shorter 7-night cruise can visit 4 countries (Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, and Greece).

Seabourn is one of my favorite ultra-luxury cruise lines, combining great food, incredible service, and beautiful ships with a more country-club relaxed atmosphere on board. The Encore, and sister ship Ovation, are the largest ships in the fleet, accommodating up to 600 guests. The size allows these ships to offer multiple dining options (including the famous Thomas Keller Grill) and many spacious common areas.

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Explora Journeys (EXPLORA I)

8-night A Journey into Ancient Empires
Rome to Athens
Aug 15 – 23, 2024

Rome to Athens might be the most common itinerary among the luxury cruise lines, and the most varied in the itinerary options. The numerous ports along the Italian and Greek coastlines offer an almost unlimited combination of stops for the itineraries, allowing the lines to create unique experiences and not rehash the same itinerary multiple times in a summer. This itinerary skips the southern Italian coast in favor of Sicily before traveling to Greece. Also relatively unique, the EXPLORA I will travel past Athens to visit the island of Mykonos before heading back for its final port of call.

Explora Journeys is a new ultra-luxury cruise line that launched this year. The EXPLORA I is the largest ship among the luxury lines, accommodating up to 900 guests. Her size means she can offer an incredible number of dining venues (10) and bars/lounges (12). But don’t let her size make you think she’s like the large mainstream and premium line ships. She’s still small relative to those ships and offers one of the best space-to-guest ratios among any of the lines, meaning guests will never feel crowded. She also offers 4 separate pool areas, allowing guests to relax in more secluded common areas around the ship.

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Silversea (Silver Moon)

7-night Athens to Athens
Jul 1 – 9, 2024

While most Mediterranean itineraries have different embarkation and disembarkation ports, Athens is a common port for a looping cruise itinerary. This cruise has a very Greece intensive itinerary, with only one stop outside of Greece (in Kusadasi, near the famous ruins of Ephesus). This itinerary is perfect for someone who has never visited Greece and wants to stop at many of the most popular islands.

The Silver Moon is one of the newest ships to join the Silversea fleet, launching in 2020. She can accommodate up to 596 guests and with her launch Silversea started offering its Sea and Land Tastes (S.A.L.T.) program. In addition to her many on board dining venues and common areas, she added the S.A.L.T. Kitchen where guests can dine on local cuisine, the S.A.L.T. bar for local beverages, the S.A.L.T. Lab for interactive cooking experiences, and unique S.A.L.T. excursions accompanied by Silversea’s food experts and chefs.

By David Barclay | September 6, 2023

I like to share my family’s travels in my blog to highlight for clients that when we travel, we do so in the same manner as Barclay & Company Travel recommends for its clients’ trips.  We stay at the same luxury properties, use the same tour providers, and utilize the same transfers & transportation options.  This means that Barclay & Company Travel’s recommendations draw on personal travel experiences and our partners are vetted to ensure they will deliver the high level of service that our clients (and we) expect for our leisure travel. 

Today’s blog post recaps a trip to Paris & Berlin we took in June, right after school ended.  I hope it can give you a feeling for the type of family travel Barclay & Company Travel can plan.  Also, I provide a little insight into passports and the current passport renewal issues, a hot topic for travelers with passports expiring within the next year.

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In the weeks leading up to this trip I was a little nervous.  Not about flying to and traveling through Europe, as I’ve done that many times and even taken my children to Europe on several vacations.  The reason I was nervous was my children’s passports were close to expiring.  You may ask how I let this happen and I’ll tell you it was completely intentional.  My original plan had been to renew their passports after our return from our spring break trip.  I even had an appointment scheduled with the USPS for the Saturday after we returned from spring break.  But the day before our appointment, the U.S. Department of State updated its estimated renewal timing and increased the estimate to 7-9 weeks for expedited processing.  Add 2 weeks for the applications to reach the processing center and 2 weeks for the new passports to be mailed to us and we could be without passports for my kids for up to 13 weeks.  And that meant their new passports might not arrive until about a week AFTER we were scheduled to return from this trip.  So not a great situation to be in.

There are ways to get a passport faster.  If you are traveling within 14 days, you can call the Passport Agency’s urgent travel phone number and request an appointment at a passport agency office.  But just as there is high demand for passport renewals in general, there is high demand for these urgent appointments.  Even calling the moment appointments became available (14 days in advance of our departure date), I wasn’t guaranteed to get an appointment in Chicago.  I had one client do this for a trip this spring and the client (and her daughter) had to fly to Denver, CO, as that was the only facility that had an available appointment.  So I didn’t like our odds trying to get an urgent renewal appointment.  There are also companies that can get you through the renewal process in as little as a few days, but that comes with a large price tag.  I contacted one company and was told their price for a 2-week renewal (the “slowest” and least expensive option) was $700/passport.  Spending $2,100 for new passports also wasn’t something I looked forward to doing.

So what did I do.  I took a gamble that we would be okay.  Usually, the recommendation is to have 6 months remaining on your passport before traveling to another country.  That’s because the most stringent countries require 6 months of validity on arrival, so if you overstay your travel visa (which are typically no longer than 90 days) your passport will still be good and they can send you back home without a lot of fussing from the U.S. that you don’t have a valid passport.  But that’s the general recommendation and not the requirement of every country.  It turns out that for Schengen countries (the 27 countries in Europe that make up the Schengen area) the requirement is 3 months of validity after your scheduled departure.  It’s important to pay attention to these nuances as it can make a difference when your passport validity is running out.  We were traveling to Europe from June 9^th to the 19^th.  Their passports would expire on September 30^th.  The three-month limit would be reached on June 30^th, 11 days after we were scheduled to return to the U.S.  So assuming the passport control agents in Paris understood the rules, we’d be fine.  I also checked the policy of our airlines (in this case, American Airlines) as airlines can have their own rules.  Some impose the 6-month validity and won’t let customers fly if they have less validity remaining on their passports, even if the destination country has different requirements.  The reason is that airlines receive heavy fines if they let someone fly to a country without the right passport requirements and then have to fly that individual back home since they won’t be allowed entry into the destination country.  American Airlines had this 6-month requirement a few years ago, but luckily, they changed their stated policy to “Some countries require your passport to be issued at least 6 months before the day you arrive. Check your destination’s requirements if you’re unsure” which meant they followed the requirements for the destination country. 

Having confirmed we didn’t need to renew their passports before this trip, I kept my fingers crossed as we departed our home.  And what happened, you ask.  We had no issues checking in at the American Airlines counter and on arriving in Paris, no issues with the passport control agents.  In fact, the only issue we experienced had nothing to do with their passports, it had to do with the age of my youngest daughter.  She was only 9 and the automated passport control scanners (which use facial recognition) could only be used by those 12 years and older.  So, while the rest of my family breezed through passport control in only a few minutes, my daughter and I waited for over 30 minutes in line to see an actual agent.  Ah, the joys of international travel!

Also, an update as I’m finishing up this blog post.  I just checked the status of my children’s passports, and they are being printed and will be delivered around Sept 6^th (the day this blog post will be published).  We went to the USPS to apply on June 27^th and their applications were received by the Passport Agency on July 4^th.  Assuming we receive them this week, it took about 10 weeks total (and we did standard processing for them, not expedited, which had been 10-13 weeks excluding mailing time to/from the facility).  Renewal times can vary based on which processing center receives the application so there is wide variation in renewal times, but I have heard similar examples from some of my peers that indicated processing times are dropping and our renewals show that seems to be the case.

Paris

With that all behind us, we were on our way to enjoy our time in Paris.  I used two different local partners for this trip.  Yes, it would have been possible to use a single partner that covered both France and Germany, but my best partners for each country only covered that specific country.  A little more planning work for me, but I thought it would result in a better travel experience for my family.  For France I worked with We Travel France and for Germany I worked with Pure Germany.  But I wasn’t done adding complexity for this trip, as I didn’t use either partner for our accommodations.  We Travel France doesn’t handle accommodations (their focus is on private tours, transfers, and experiences) and Pure Germany doesn’t work with apartments, and we wanted apartments in each city.  Luckily, I have several very good partners that focus just on luxury apartment rentals.  Yes, it is possible to book apartments through Airbnb and a few other travel sites, but there’s always a risk as to what you will get because sites like Airbnb don’t send team members to personally inspect the apartments before representing the owners.  My partners do inspect the apartments, they will have personal knowledge of each apartment and guarantee the apartments meet their standards before agreeing to represent.  Also, I love that most of the apartments have their own names, it adds some character to where you stay.  In Paris, we stayed in the apartment “Let’s Rendezvous” which is a wonderful 3-bedroom apartment in the 2^nd arrondissement near the opera house. 

I also broke one of my cardinal rules, which is to not plan a private guided activity for the arrival day.  I do this because if a client’s flight is delayed on their travel day, they might miss their activity and that’s just money down the drain.  But we were scheduled to arrive at Charles de Gaulle at 11:55am on a direct flight from O’Hare so I felt comfortable planning an evening city tour by vintage Citroën (actually 2 Citroëns as the 5 of us would not fit into one).  This was a great option for somewhat weary travelers as we covered a lot of Paris and had a good orientation but didn’t have to do a lot of walking. 

Our next day started with a tour of The Ile de la Cité (the birthplace of Paris and the island on which Notre Dame was constructed).  An enjoyable stroll from our hotel, we passed through the neighborhood around the Louvre and down the Seine.  At Notre Dame, we saw the reconstruction efforts and our guide described the work that had been completed and what remained.  The entire roof and support structure needed to be rebuilt (having been made of timber and destroyed in the fire) and the decision was made to rebuild using the same construction techniques used in the original construction.  This required harvesting of over 1500 large oak trees and utilizing construction techniques not used in centuries.  The reconstruction leaders were also worried about the famous flying buttresses collapsing until Notre Dame was fully rebuilt, so they installed wooden supports that will remain until the reconstruction is completed.   

Next, we walked back to the Louvre for a roughly 2hr tour.  Although my wife and I have visited Paris before, we had never visited the Louvre and our son felt it was a “must see” site for his visit to Paris.  To keep things interesting for our kids, our guide led us through a “tour hunt” tour designed for families.  We did a similar tour in Venice when we took our kids there.  Our guide had various famous paintings, sculptures, and historical object that our kids had to find as we walked through the Louve, with the promise of a prize if they found a specified number of the “treasures” as we toured.   We saw many famous pieces of artwork, but it was also fascinating to walk through the building, which had been a palace of the French kings until it was turned into a museum after the French Revolution.  Originally a castle had sat on the site, and a relatively new area of the Louvre was opened when it was discovered that the base of a few castle walls and towers still remained under the existing buildings. 

The Louvre visit was also exciting because my older daughter had studied the Code of Hammurabi in school last year.  It wasn’t officially on our treasure hunt path, and in a completely different section of the Louvre, but my daughter very much wanted to see it in person.  Our wonderful guide was very adaptable and made sure we had a few minutes to stop and admire this important piece of history as we prepared to depart the Louvre (one of the benefits of a private tour with an expert guide).

For the rest of the day we were on our own to explore Paris, but I had asked We Travel France to pre-purchase lift tickets to the top of the Eiffel Tower for this afternoon.  Tickets sell out quickly, so it was helpful to have a local partner with access to secure tickets when they became available.  Access to the very top of the Eiffel Tower is weather dependent and as we started walking over to the Eiffel Tower, we heard thunder pealing in the distance.  When we arrived (a little early since entry is timed and if you show up late you don’t get to go up) we found out that the top had been closed to some of the prior entry times.  But luckily it opened back up for us and we swiftly ascended through the two separate elevator banks to get to the top.  The views from the top were incredible and included with our tickets were glasses of champagne (sodas for the kids) to toast our ascension!

Our third day was a day on our own.  We wandered the streets of Paris, found a wonderful bistro for lunch, went shopping (my wife found a store with her name which had lovely sneakers she purchased), and stopped at cafes for wife/sodas/snacks.

We also stopped at Sainte-Chapelle to marvel at the incredible quantity of stained glass.

Our 4^th day was an all-day trip out to Versailles.  This palace started as a hunting lodge, but continued to grow and for the last few French kings it was their main palace.  Both the palace and the grounds are breathtaking and enormous.  We only toured one wing of the palace but saw how the king and queen lived and many of the “new” technologies that the royalty used to impress their guests (and other royalty), such as the Hall of Mirrors.  The wall hangings for the Queen’s Apartment were recreated recently from the original plans, taking several years and several million dollars to recreate.  Although relatively warm that day, we found lots of shady spots as we walked the grounds and enjoyed the multitude of fountains sprinkled around the gardens. 

On returning to Paris, we discovered a wonderful pedestrian street which felt like the Paris we visited many years ago and had some of the best oysters we’ve ever had (we later learned the restaurant we ate at is one of the top places to get oysters in Paris)!    

Our last full day in Paris was mostly a day on our own, except for one more fun activity that we saved for the end.  My family loves to cook and during the pandemic I took up bread making (mostly sour dough like everyone else).  So when We Travel France proposed the idea of learning to make baguettes and croissants in a real boulangerie from a skilled boulangère, we jumped at the opportunity.  Our hands-on, private class allowed us to learn step by step how to make these two famous French bakery staples.   Our boulangère led us through the process of making the dough, forming/shaping our bakery items, and baking them.  All the while answering the numerous questions I peppered him with to make sure I learned all the “tricks of the trade” for making good baguettes and croissants.  I was jealous of his professional equipment (especially his multi-level oven) but our boulangère explained how we could still make great baked goods at home with conventional kitchen gear.  And after the class, we received an email with his detailed instructions for making baguettes and croissants at home. 

The next day we departed Paris, heading for Berlin.  We love to travel by train in Europe since it’s very efficient and provides good downtime to rest and recuperate after many days of exploring.  Our plan was to take two trains, one from Paris to Köln and then a second train from Köln to Berlin.  We had a scheduled 35 minute “layover” in the Köln train station, not enough time to go explore Köln but plenty of time to get from one track to the other (Köln’s train station is not very big).  However, our train out of Paris was severely delayed and we ended up arriving in Köln 2 minutes after our Berlin bound train left.  Thankfully, I had bought “flexible” fare tickets (and I always recommend this to my clients) which meant we could still use them on trains later that day.  The only downside was that for our scheduled train I had booked us all in first class in seats together.  When using the flex feature of the tickets, you can board any other train but don’t have an assigned seat.  Once on board, you can take any seat that is not already booked (digital signs above the seats tell you if they are free all the way to the final destination or if someone boarding at a later stop has the seat reserved).  This meant that we had to split up, as we found only 1 open seat in first class and 4 seats relatively close together in 2^nd class.  Not the experience we wanted but not the end of the world and it meant we arrived in Berlin only 2hrs later than planned.  It also gave us time to go out and see the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Köln, the most visited landmark in Germany.

Berlin

Our first full day in Berlin started with a half-day highlights tour of the city.  We met our guide, Manfred, outside our apartment that morning.  Manfred would be our guide for our 3 days in Berlin, which ensured we didn’t duplicate anything during our time in Berlin.  He was also shocked to learn that all three of our children studied German in school, and then proceeded to tell every German citizen we met that our American children spoke German! 

Our highlights tour was on foot, but we also made use of the very efficient Berlin subway system (U-Bahn) and Manfred provided us with a good overview of how to navigate the system.  We learned that each station has a different color tile, so even if you don’t quickly spot the station name, we could easily spot the tile of our “home” station near our apartment.  After using the U-Bahn for several days, we longed for Chicago to have a system even half as efficient! 

Our tour included many of the famous sites in Berlin, including the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the marker where the Berlin Wall once stood, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the location of Hitler’s bunker, a section of remaining wall, and Checkpoint Charlie.  There were a few historical sites which Manfred purposely left for our last day of touring, but he had informed us that morning before starting out what we’d see on our first day and what he was saving for our last day.

Manfred took us to a wonderful German restaurant for lunch and then departed for the day, leaving us time to explore on our own.  We did some shopping (with a must do stop at the Ampelmann store) and visited the German Spy Museum where we learned more about the creation of the Berlin wall and many of the attempts by East Germans to get over/under/through the wall.  It was fascinating to see all of the creative methods employed, from cars with hidden compartments, to cars armored to punch through the wall, to a tunnel dug completely by hand under the wall. 

Our next day was a combined Graffiti Class and Food Hall Tour.  Manfred picked us up that morning with a driver (although the U-Bahn is efficient, it wasn’t the best way to travel for our 2^nd and 3^rd day of tours).  We started our day visiting a famous section of the Berlin Wall where the most famous graffiti artwork was commissioned by the city after the wall fell.  Then, we traveled to a graffiti workshop and learned about the art of graffiti in Germany from a skilled artist.  Next, it was our turn to try our hand at graffiti art.  We spent time brainstorming a theme for our work of art, eventually deciding on a design that combined our home city of Chicago and the two cities we visited on this trip.  Then, with instruction from our resident artist, we began the process of taking it from concept to finished work of art! 

After finishing our artwork, we headed to the famous Markthalle 9 for lunch and to explore the goods sold to tourists and locals alike.

Our third and last day in Berlin was a customized tour created just for us.  My wife had studied mid-20^th century Germany in college and wanted a tour that covered Berlin’s history from the rise of fascism through the reunification of east and west Berlin.  After providing a detailed “tour brief” on what we wanted, Pure Germany went to work pulling together a very customized tour for us.  Our tour covered the rise of the Nazi’s, the destruction in WWII, the post-war rebuild, the building of the Berlin Wall, the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and finally the work to reconnect both halves of the city.  While we visited many incredible sites on this tour, here are a few of my favorites.  My top favorite stop was a visit to a “ghost station”. Several U-Bahn lines operated by the west crossed under East Berlin. The East Berlin government sealed off the stations to those lines, allowing West Berlin trains to run through the tunnels but preventing East Berliners from using the stations/tunnels to escape to the west.  We later learned that our home station (Rosenthaler Strasse) had been one of these ghost stations.  Another interesting stop, we visited the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church which was mostly destroyed in WWII.  However, the church was such a meaningful part of Berlin that the city decided to keep its destroyed remains rather than demolish and rebuild.  Our last stop of the day was at the Tempelhof Airport and the nearby memorial to the Berlin airlift.  The Tempelhof Airport was built by the Nazis and at the time was not only the largest airport in Europe, but the terminal was also the largest building in Europe.  About a block away, the Berlin Airlift Memorial pays tribute to the pilots and crew who died during the 322 days that Berlin was blockaded by land and sea and the only way to bring in supplies was by air.  For almost a year, every two to three minutes an aircraft landed at Tempelhof Airport with supplies.  Needless to say, those tight landings resulting in several accidents and seventy-nine airlift personnel died to keep supplies flowing to Berlin.

With our time in Berlin over, we packed up our bags and headed home, with many fond memories of our time in these two great cities.

By David Barclay | August 9, 2023

Thank you for reading my inaugural Client Trip Spotlight blog post.  To help prospective clients better understand the planning and implementation of trips with Barclay & Company Travel, I will periodically highlight a recent client trip.  The trip summary will cover the planning of the trip, a high-level summary of the itinerary, and my clients’ travel experiences and trip feedback.  For each spotlight, I will have permission from my clients to post about their trip but will remove any personal information to protect their privacy. 

I hope these trip spotlights help you understand what it is like to work with Barclay & Company Travel and provide some thought starters for your future trips.

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This inaugural spotlight outlines a trip I planned for a family of four looking to visit Portugal and Spain after a 2-year delay caused by COVID.  While these clients had initially thought they would plan the trip themselves, after two years of delays and understanding the challenges of international travel post COVID, they decided to enlist professional help.

Trip Planning

These clients reach out to me looking for assistance with a roughly 9-day trip to Portugal and Spain.  No one in the family had previously visited either country and prior to contacting me they had conducted only minor research themselves, so they were open to discussing which cities would be the best to visit during their trip.  During our Discover call, we discussed the family’s interests, including historical sites, food/cooking, and seeing the highlights of each city they would visit.  Their sons were 16yrs and 18yrs old, which meant the family could participate in a wide range of activities and tours.  One of the sons had a request to visit a beach while on the trip, so we added that to the list of desired activities.  Although they are an active family, they asked for a mix of activities and time on their own to explore (or just to have some downtime).  They also wanted something planned for most evenings (either a dinner reservation or evening activity).  They had hoped to visit four different cities/regions if it was possible to do so while keeping their trip length to nine nights.  For locations to visit we discussed Lisbon, the Algarve (the southern region of Portugal on the Atlantic known for great beaches), Seville, and either Barcelona or Madrid.  After discussing the experiences visitors can have in Barcelona and Madrid, my clients decided that Madrid sounded more interesting, so we had our list of 4 potential stops for their vacation.

After the Discover call, I immediately knew which of my Spanish partners would be a great fit for this family and sent that partner a trip brief so we could start working on an initial itinerary.  Within a few days, my partner shared an initial draft itinerary based on the trip brief.  I reviewed and felt the pace might be a little too fast paced for what my clients desired.  I contacted my clients to see if we could remove a 2-night stop in the Algarve to give them more time in the cities.  I promised we’d find a way to incorporate some beach time into the itinerary and my clients agreed to remove this stop.  My partner and I reworked the number of nights in each city, and identified two places we could add beach time, one on a day trip out of Lisbon and one during the transfer from Lisbon to Seville.

I shared the initial itinerary with my clients and they were thrilled with the overall flow, hotels, and activities.  The only concerns my clients had centered on a private sunset cruise in Lisbon Harbor, as they were worried about family members getting seasick.  I suggested we could substitute an activity that kept them on land and proposed a food tour based on their interest in food and cooking.  My partner and I quickly updated the itinerary to substitute the food tour and the clients gave their approval to proceed with the trip.

The Itinerary

My clients started their trip in Lisbon, staying there for 3 nights, then transferred to Seville for 3 nights, and wrapped up their trip with 3 nights in Madrid.

The hotels we selected were all 4- or 5-star hotels.  In Lisbon, we reserved two deluxe rooms the lovely One Palacio de Anunciada.  In Seville, we were able to find a family suite at the wonderful and centrally located Gran Melia Colon.  In Madrid, we were also able to secure a family suite, at the Heritage Hotel (part of the Relais & Châteaux hotel collection).  Due to our strong relationships with these hotels, we were able to add on extra small amenities including complimentary breakfast each morning.

The itinerary didn’t just include excellent accommodation, we also ensured the activities were just as bespoke.  In Lisbon, for their first full day we planned a private highlights tour of the city.  I like including 3-4 hour highlights tours when my clients are visiting a new city, as it allows them to get a first taste of the city and I think makes their unscheduled time more productive.  We also scheduled the private walking food tour which took the place of their dinner.  The activity for their second day in Lisbon was a full day trip out of the city to visit Sintra and Cascais.  In the afternoon we included a stop at a beach near Cascais so the younger son could get some of the beach time he desired.  This is one of the benefits of private tours, we can tailor the activities to deliver exactly what my clients want based on their specific interests.  The next day, it was time for them to travel to Seville.  Since there isn’t a good option to travel by train between Lisbon and Seville, we arranged a private car transfer.  And to break up the drive, we scheduled a stop at one of the seaside towns in the Algarve.  So, while we removed an overnight stay there, my clients were still able to visit this beautiful part of Portugal before starting their adventures in Spain.  That evening in Seville, they were treated to a Flamenco show and then a private tapas tasting tour.  The next morning, they saw the highlights of Seville on a private walking tour, with the rest of the day open to explore Seville on their own.  Their final full day in Seville, they took a day trip out to see some of the famous White Villages.  For their transfer between Seville and Madrid, we arranged for them to travel by high-speed train, with private transfers between the train stations and hotels.  During their two days in Madrid, my clients explored the city on a highlights tour and took a private Spanish cooking class with a master chef.

My Spanish partner also provided a list of recommended restaurants and secured reservations for most evenings, so my clients could have everything planned in advance. 

If you would like to view the entire itinerary, you can access a copy here.  While that’s a PDF printout of the itinerary, all of my clients receive an online digital itinerary though a service I used called Axus.  Axus allows my clients to access their itineraries online and through an app on their phone.  They are also able to view documents attached to their itinerary, including restaurant recommendations, travel guides, and any tickets/vouchers they need for their trip.

Trip Cost

I’m sure many of you reading this blog post are intrigued by this itinerary, but also wondering how much it would cost for you to take a similar trip and whether it would fit within your travel budget.  Since every trip I plan is tailored to my clients wishes, I can adjust accommodations and activities to achieve a desired travel budget.  We can also look at potential travel dates if you have flexibility for when you travel, as trip costs can vary based on the time of year (traveling in the shoulder seasons will be less than during peak summer travel months).  Last, since most of my European partners price trips in euros, the current exchange rate can also impact the cost in USD$.  While I can’t control exchange rates, if exchange rates are favorable vs. historic averages, as they are right now for the USD vs. euro, it might mean taking the trip now would be less expensive than waiting a few years.  But roughly, a trip similar to this one for 4 travelers would be in the range of €16,000 – €20,000 for 9 nights.

The Clients’ Feedback

I always try to schedule a Share call with my clients when they return from their trips, so I can gather feedback on how the trip went.  I want to learn if the trip met their expectations, both what they had envisioned for the trip at the start of the planning process and based on their expectations after reviewing the final itinerary.  This feedback helps me better understand what each of my clients want from their trips and helps me improve on the experience for future trips.

For this trip, my clients’ feedback was glowing for me, my Spanish partner, and their guides/drivers.  They said they had a wonderful time and would love to go back to every city they visited.  In fact, they enjoyed the trip so much that they wished they had more time in each city, though they knew with only nine days to travel that wasn’t possible.  They said they also thought the pace of the trip was exactly right for their family, they saw a lot of things, but weren’t exhausted by the trip due to the many partial days where they had unplanned time to relax. 

I always enjoy hearing that my clients enjoyed their trip, and it delivered exactly what they wanted, as it means my planning process has once again been successful at identifying and delivering an excellent vacation.

By David Barclay | July 26, 2023

For those new to cruising, a river cruise can be a great option. River cruises are also a great option for travelers worried about motion sickness, as the ship movement on river ships is almost undetectable by guests. While river cruises do not cover the same distances as ocean cruises, they do allow travelers to immerse themselves in the regions of travel and enjoy the scenery as the ships slowly travel up or down stream.

The mention of river cruising likely invokes images of central European river valleys and quaint river towns. European river cruises are very popular and likely you know someone who has cruised on either the Rhine or Danube. Besides these two rivers, European river ships also travel on numerous other rivers, including the Douro, the Seine, the Main, the Moselle, and the Rhone, just to name a few. But river cruising has expanded well beyond Europe. Today, travelers can cruise on rivers around the world, including the Mekong (Cambodia & Vietnam), the Nile (Egypt), the Amazon (Peru), the Chobe (Africa), the Magdalena (Colombia), and the Ganges (India).

While river cruising is popular in the summer, it’s possible to cruise anytime of the year. Late November through December each year, many cruise lines offer Christmas Market cruises on the Rhine and Danube where guests visit Christmas markets to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of quintessential town squares decked out in their holiday finest, teaming with artisan made goods begging to be purchased. Rivers in the Tropics and Subtropics offer guests the opportunity to cruise any time of year in terrific weather.

River cruising has grown in popularity, as has the number of cruise lines and cruise itineraries. Viking Cruises dominates this segment of cruising and has heavily promoted the concept of river cruising, becoming a household name. But many other smaller, boutique river cruise lines offer elevated luxury experiences, combining great cuisine and service with unique activities and excursions.

Below I’ve provided just a small sample of river cruise itineraries on some of my favorite river cruise lines. If a river cruise sounds appealing for a future trip, send me a note and we can discuss which cruises and cruise lines might be a good match for you.

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Uniworld (S.S. Antoinette)

7-night CASTLES ALONG THE RHINE, Basel to Amsterdam
June 1-8, 2024

Traveling the Rhine River from Basel to Amsterdam (or the reverse) is a classic European river cruise itinerary. Guests visit 4 countries (The Netherlands, Germany, France, Switzerland) on a typical 7-night cruise and visit many quaint towns along the river.

Uniworld is the most luxurious river cruise line cruising in Europe. Every ship is outfitted differently with décor to match the cruising location. The S.S. Antoinette has a very classic European interior including marble on the walls and floors, a 19th-century Venetian glass mirror, a stylish Bar du Leopard with full-service bar, and a 10-foot blue Strauss Baccarat chandelier in the two-story foyer. Uniworld is one of the most all-inclusive lines, including all meals and activities, unlimited beverages on board (fine wine, beer, spirits, specialty coffee and tea, soft drinks and mineral water), crew gratuities, and free wi-fi.

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Amawaterways (AmaMagna)

7-night MAGNA ON THE DANUBE, Budapest To Vilshofen
May 19-26, 2024

Another very popular river to cruise is the Danube. Ships departing Budapest sail both up and down the Danube, the most popular itinerary is from Budapest to Vilshofen (about 1.5 hrs from Munich).

In 2019, Amawaterways launched a unique river ship to sail the Danube, the AmaMagna. Because she does not need to fit into European river locks, the ship designers could design a ship that was twice as wide as the average river ship. Although the size of the AmaMagna is twice that of a typical river ship, she accommodates only 25% more guests, providing significantly more onboard space per guest. Staterooms are larger and many offer as much space as staterooms on luxury ocean cruise ships. The AmaMagna also offers 4 different dining venues to guests (Al Fresco Restaurant, Jimmy’s, The Chef’s Table, and the main dining room).

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Tauck (ms Andorinha)

11-night Exploring the Douro, plus Lisbon & Madrid
July 10-21, 2024

While the rivers in central Europe have historically been the most popular to cruise, the Douro River in Portugal is quickly gaining interest among travelers. Ships sailing the Douro River are smaller and more intimate than other European river ships, most only accommodate 80-100 guests (standard river ships can accommodate 150-200 guests). Some itineraries sail out of Porto and travel halfway up the river before returning to Porto. Others, like this one from Tauck, start in Porto and end in Barca de Alva, allowing guests to add on pre/post extensions in Lisbon and Madrid.

The ms Andorinha is a newly launched ship, custom-built for Tauck to sail the Douro. She has a very beautiful Portuguese crafted interior and offers guests who like more room the option of 300 ft² suites or 225 ft² staterooms. Tauck is known for exemplary service and for offering unique experiences on each of its cruises. This particular cruise offers guests a tour and private dinner in Queluz National Palace in Lisbon. This cruise also includes the pre & post stays in Lisbon and Madrid in the cruise fare and itinerary, seamlessly combining both land and river travel.

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Amawaterways (AmaDahlia)

11-night SECRETS OF EGYPT & THE NILE, Cairo to Cairo
Feb 2-13, 2024

One of the most famous rivers in the world, the Nile is a bucket list river to cruise. Itineraries generally start with a pre-cruise stay in Cairo. Guests then take a short flight to Luxor where they board their ship. The ship will sail from Luxor to Aswan and then return to Luxor, where guests will take a return flight to Cairo. The included pre- and post-cruise stays in Cairo allow guests time to explore this historic city.

Cruises on the Nile have become very popular and Amawaterays will launch a second “sister ship” to the AmaDahlia in 2024. As with the Douro, ships cruising the Nile are custom-built for this river. The AmaDahlia accommodates only 72 guests, with suites ranging in size from 198 to 430 ft². On board, guests can enjoy regional specialties and Western favorites in the main restaurant or the Chef’s Al Fresco specialty restaurant.

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Aqua Expeditions (Aqua Nera)

7-night Amazon Expedition Cruise, Iquitos to Iquitos
Apr 5-12, 2024

For travelers looking for an expedition style cruise and to get close to nature in remote, untouched areas, nothing beats a cruise on the Amazon River. Guests on an Amazon River cruise will travel through the most biodiverse rainforest and river system on Earth. Home to more than one-third of all discovered animal species and over 40,000 plan species, endless discoveries await for those interested in this famous river.

Aqua Expeditions is the leader in luxury cruising on the Amazon. While it offers shorter 3- and 4-night cruises, travelers will regret not booking the full 7-night Amazon Expedition Cruise. Aqua Expeditions operates two ships on the Amazon, the recently launched, state-of-the-art, Aqua Nera is setting new standards for luxury cruising. With only 20 suites on board, guests will not feel the ship is at all crowded and will enjoy the Amazon’s tranquility. Each day includes small group excursions with the ship’s naturalists and authentic cuisine from one of Peru’s finest chefs.

By David Barclay | July 12, 2023

Over Spring Break my family knocked a major trip off our bucket list, visiting the Galapagos Islands.  There are many options for staying the Galapagos, both on land and by ship.  I’m a big proponent of cruises for exploring the Galapagos as they let you experience more locations during your stay (typically the ships will reposition a few times per day).  There are many great cruise lines sailing this wonderful national park, each catering to different types of travelers.  It’s important to match the cruise line to the needs of the entire traveling group (adults & kids).  After discussing the options with my family, we decided to sail with Silversea as we wanted to connect with the natural wonder of the islands while still feeling pampered on our vacation.

The Silversea Galapagos Package

Getting to the Galapagos Islands is not a straightforward process.  There are no direct flights from the U.S. as the area is protected and the Ecuadorian government tightly controls visitor access.  Travelers must first travel to Ecuador and then board internal flights to one of the regional airports on the islands.  Visitors must also secure a Galapagos Transit Control Card (by completing a form at the airport and paying a $20 fee) and pay a park entrance fee upon arrival in the Galapagos of $100.  While all cruise lines include the cruise as part of the cruise fare, what is offered pre/post cruise can vary by line.  Silversea is the most all-inclusive cruise line, offering their “door-to-door” cruise fares for the Galapagos.  These fares cover all aspects of the trip from pickup at a guest’s home to when they return after their trip.  This includes all transfers (including from a guest’s home to their local airport), airfare, hotels, and of course the cruise. 

Silversea also operates one of the newest and most technologically advanced ships in the Galapagos, having launched the Silver Origin in 2020.  This 100-guest, all suite ship has a crew of 90 (including 10 naturalists) for the best crew-to-guest and naturalist-to-guest ratio of any ship sailing the Galapagos.

Pre-Cruise

Our vacation started with our car service pickup at our home.  Silversea has partnered with Blacklane (a global car service company I’ve used many times in Europe) for U.S. transfers.  Guests receive a code about 3 weeks prior to their departure allowing them to book their complimentary transfers to/from their local airport through the Blacklane website.  Our international fights had been arranged through the Silversea air desk many months prior, and since we prefer to fly American Airlines the air desk arranged for us to fly on American through Miami.  Although a mechanical issue caused our Chicago-Miami flight to be delayed, the flights we had requested with the Silversea air desk left enough layover buffer that both we and our luggage made it safely to Quito, Ecuador.

Although our arrival into Quito was late in the evening, the airport was efficient at getting us deplaned and reuniting us with our luggage.  Outside of baggage claim we were met by 4 Silversea representatives and quickly directed to a waiting minibus.  Although 14 guests had arrived on our flight, Silversea had two buses waiting and only 8 guests (including our family) were on our bus.  This was a consistent theme of our entire trip, we never felt crowded and there was plenty of room whether on transfers, zodiacs or on the Silver Origin.  On our 45-minute ride from the airport to the JW Marriott (Silversea includes 2 nights in Quito at this hotel) a Silversea representative recorded our shoe and shirt size.  These would be used to select wetsuits and flippers which would be waiting for us in our suites on the Silver Origin.  Upon arrival at the hotel, we were given a welcome package with details on our cruise and a few forms to complete (waivers for snorkeling, sea kayaking, etc.).

Guests who arrive 2-nights prior to the cruise have a full day to explore Quito, the capital of Ecuador.  At ~9,000 feet in altitude, it is the highest capital in the world.  We were advised to drink a lot of water and avoid strenuous activities to avoid altitude sickness.  While a few other guests mentioned feeling a little bit of the altitude, for our family the higher altitude went mostly unnoticed.  Silversea offers numerous optional private tours (for an additional fee) in and around Quito, but we opted to explore on our own, which is easy to do.  Taking an Uber, we traveled to the edge of Quito to visit Mitad del Mundo (“Middle of the World”), a village built around a giant monument that sits on what is supposedly the equatorial line.

That evening, we took the complimentary “Quito by Night” tour offered by Silversea.  It included highlights of the old town and a chocolate tasting at the end.  We also saw a local parade pass by with great music and many enthusiastic dancers.

The next morning, we boarded buses for our trip back to Quito airport and our flight to the Galapagos.  The flight had a brief stop in Guayaquil (the other major city in Ecuador) but guests just remained on board and continued on to San Cristobal Island.

The Silver Origin

The Silver Origin is one of the newest ships to join the Silversea line, replacing the Silver Galapagos in 2020.  She’s also the largest cruise ship sailing the Galapagos (along with sister ship, the Celebrity Flora).  She can host a maximum of 100 guests, the maximum allowed by the Ecuador government, in 51 suites.  Classic Veranda suites on deck 5 each have an outside veranda and have a 3rd berth capability (though the fold out couch is small and makes the suite crowded, I would not recommend this suite option for 3 adults but it would be fine for parents with a single child).  Suites on deck 6 have Horizon Balconies, each with a large upper window that can be lowed to create something like a veranda railing.  I’m a traditionalist and preferred the Classic Veranda, but the Deluxe & Superior Veranda suites gain more interior space which is comparable to the interior suite space on other Silversea ships. 

The Silver Origin has two restaurant options, The Restaurant and The Grill.  While this is significantly fewer options than on standard Silversea ships, these two restaurants can serve up an extraordinary number of dishes and deliver the quality expected on a Silversea ship.  Reservations are required for dinner at the Grill (unique among Silversea ships as usually the Grill doesn’t require reservations).  Guests can make 2 reservations and the menu changes halfway through the week, starting with a more traditional “Hot Rocks” menu and then changing to an Ecuadorian menu.  We preferred the latter Grill menu, but generally ate in the Restaurant (which was also unique, normally we don’t eat frequently in The Restaurant on other Silversea ships).  The menu in The Restaurant was well curated, with a good number of options.  It changed each day for lunch & dinner.  We really liked the menu variety and the executive chef did an incredible job given the logistical challenges of getting some ingredients to the Galapagos (and at least 50% of ingredients had to be sourced from the Galapagos). 

The common areas on board were also lovely.  Guests embark and disembark the ship through Base Camp on deck 3.  The exterior area of Base Camp is well designed to accommodate guests as they return from any of the excursions.  After snorkeling excursions, guests can rinse their equipment in large tubs of fresh water and hang on nearby hanging rods to dry, ready for the next day.  The interior area of Base Camp is perfect for relaxing before or after the excursions, with comfortable chairs and many artifacts related to the Galapagos.  A big hit with our kids, Base Camp also has an enormous interactive screen, allowing guests to pull up details on any of the stops and all the local wildlife.

The Silversea Crew

The crew of the Silver Origin was wonderful and what you would expect of a Silversea crew.  Very attentive, they made sure guests felt well cared for in their floating home away from home.  Since this is a smaller ship, within 24hrs most of the crew were greeting us by name.  Our butlers were among the best we’ve had on a Silversea ship and were always trying to deliver unexpected surprises.  One of our butlers noticed that our kids liked the popcorn served at lunch with the ceviche.  On our second day, he brought 2 huge bowls of popcorn to their suite as an afternoon snack and repeated daily after that.  Another example, our other butler brought my wife and I a delicious BLT chicken sandwich as an afternoon snack when he saw we had returned early from an excursion and were just lounging in our suite.

The Silversea naturalists were incredible and were a key part of making our voyage on the Silver Origin such a memorable experience.  They are all native Ecuadorians (most from the Galapagos), very knowledgeable, very friendly & outgoing, and many were very humorous and frequently joked with the guests.  They were extremely good with our kids, my 14yr old son basically attach himself to whichever naturalist was leading our small group and pepper them with questions, but they seemed to enjoy this.

As mentioned above, the exec chef was very creative with the menu.  He also offered cooking classes to both the adults and kids on board, a nice break from the expedition activities and consistent with Silversea’s focus on a strong onboard culinary experience.

The crew also made the Silver Origin a wonderful ship for families.  Silversea is generally known as a cruise line for adults, though on every cruise I’ve seen a few families.  The Silver Origin, likely because it sails the Galapagos, is much more accustomed to having guests <18yrs old.  On our cruise, there were 5 families on board for a total of 9 children (~10% of guests).  The crew went out of their way to ensure all of the children on board had a great time.  In addition to the kid focused items mentioned above, they also organized a pizza, movie and snack night in the Explorer’s lounge for all of the kids about halfway through our cruise. 

Our Experience in the Galapagos

I could write a short book on our weeklong voyage in the Galapagos and trying to capture the entire adventure in a blog post won’t do it justice.  A trip to the Galapagos is a trip you need to experience yourself; you can’t vicariously live it through others due to both the breath and nuance of what you see and do.  If you want to see some of the details of our trip, I encourage you to look at my social media posts which summarize our experiences by day, with many great photos to show you a sample of what you can see. 

Days 2 & 3: The Galapagos Islands
Days 4 & 5:  The Galapagos Islands
Day 6, 7 & 8:  The Galapagos Islands

Although I won’t write about our cruise in detail, I have some highlights.  First and foremost, my son is infatuated with turtles and had joyfully anticipated seeing green sea turtles and giant land tortoises from the moment I booked our cruise.  The Galapagos didn’t disappoint, he saw his first sea turtle on our first zodiac ride to embark on the Silver Origin.  The naturalist that checked us in learned about his turtle interest and told him to be sure to snorkel on Monday morning, and sure enough, he was in turtle heaven.  Below is one of my favorite pictures, the first good underwater picture capturing my son swimming alongside one of these wonderous creatures. 

Snorkeling with my family each day was also a highlight.  Silversea has two different itineraries which they alternate by week, we happened to luck out and our Spring Break overlapped with the itinerary that has more water excursions and you see more of the aquatic life.  Seeing my children’s joy as they pointed out the incredible underwater wildlife is a memory I’ll always cherish.  My youngest daughter fell in love with the sea lions, and these playful creatures would frequently come swim with us. 

The Galapagos provided such a plethora of activities and experiences, there was something for everyone in our family.  I saw my family bond over both shared and personal interests and had the opportunity to both spend time as a family and to spend more individual quality time with each other.  My older daughter joined my wife and I on an early morning power walk while our other kids slept in and my son and youngest daughter stuck it out with me as we swam completely around the Silver Origin on our “Galapagos Plunge”.  It was wonderful to have these opportunities to have one-on-one time with my kids in addition to our great family adventures on many of the excursions. 

As I said, I can’t truly summarize in words our experience in the Galapagos, but it will always be a cherished experience with many lifelong memories.  I’ll end with a few of my other favorite photos from the trip, just a sampling of what we saw.

By David Barclay | June 14, 2023

2023 is setting new records for travel to Europe and eclipsing the incredible travel demand of 2022.  The most popular places to visit in Europe are more crowded, have low availability of accommodations, drivers, and guides.  And as expected from basic economics, with higher demand comes higher prices.  Today’s blog will focus on alternatives to some of the most popular and/or expensive European countries to visit.  These suggestions are great places to visit but have yet to get on the radar of the average traveler.  This means they are great places to visit if you want to avoid the crowds or want to stretch your vacation dollars a little further. 

Instead of Italy, consider Croatia

Located on the other side of the Adriatic Sea from Italy, a trip to Croatia can be a great alternative to an Italian vacation.  Croatia shares many characteristics with Italy, including many beautiful old towns & villages, a great wine country, dramatic limestone cliffs, and great beaches.  For travelers that like the water and seaside towns, the Dalmatian Coast provides a plethora of islands and island towns to visit.  Visitors can charter a boat for the day and lazily island hop while traveling between Dubrovnik and Hvar, or Hvar and Split.  While the Italian island of Capri has its famous Blue Grotto, the island of Biševo has a similar blue grotto which provides the same awe to visitors. 

Travelers to many of Croatia’s coastal towns and villages will notice a very Italian feel to the architecture.  This isn’t surprising as Venice controlled this area in its heyday and built some of the key structures in many of these towns.

Wine lovers will enjoy the many wine regions in Croatia, mostly located near the coastal area of the country.  These wine regions produce spicy reds and crisp white wines.  The wine region of Istria in the north is considered a stronghold for orange wines, which have gained in popularity in recent years.

Croatia is also known for beautiful geography.  A visit to the Plitvice Lakes National Park in central Croatia or the Krka National Park in the south is a must for any trip to Croatia.  Both parks have beautiful, terraced waterfalls that captivate visitors with their sheer splendor. 

While prices are highest in July and August, when the most tourists travel to Croatia, even then prices tend to be less than in Italy.  In the shoulder seasons, Croatia can easily allow visitors to stretch their travel dollars further, especially for travelers willing to visit Croatia’s less touristy areas.

Instead of Spain, consider Portugal

Sharing the Iberian Peninsula with Spain, Portugal is often overlooked by travelers focused on visiting this part of Europe.  In 2021, Portugal welcomed less than 1/3 as many tourists as its neighbor Spain, however Portugal has as much to offer visitors.  While Portugal and Spain are two countries with different cultures and languages, they also have a lot of similarities.  Visitors will notice similarities in Portuguese cuisine, in fact Portuguese petisco will seem very familiar to fans of Spanish tapas and petisco walking tours are very popular among foodies.

Visitors to Portugal can fly into and out of Lisbon, spending several days there exploring this wonderful city.  Lisbon is known for the street cars that traverse the city and many Americans think Lisbon bears many similarities to San Francisco. 

From there, wine lovers can head up to Porto and explore the Douro valley and the wonderful port wines produced in this region.  Travelers that enjoy historic towns can take a day trip out of Lisbon to visit the smaller towns of Sintra and Cascais.  Vacationers who want some fun in the sun and a Mediterranean Riviera experience can travel to The Algarve on Portugal’s southern coast.  Here they can enjoy soaring cliffs, golden beaches, and quaint seaside towns. 

Travelers who still need to get a taste of Spain while on their vacation are in luck. Seville is only about a 4hr drive from Lisbon and a visit to both cities can easily be included in a weeklong trip. 

While Portugal is not a budget destination, visitors will notice that costs are lower than in Spain.

Instead of Switzerland, consider Slovenia

Slovenia is a wonderful country that’s quickly building a reputation as a great vacation destination.  Although a relatively small country, it offers mountains and lakes, castles and alpine forests, vineyards and meadows, beaches and island resorts. Because of is broad variation in geography, Slovenia is a great alternative for numerous more popular European countries.  I could easily have picked Slovenia as an alternative to Italy, Austria, or Croatia.  However, one place I think Slovenia shines is as an alternative to Switzerland. 

Travelers visit Switzerland to experience its soaring snow-capped peaks, alpine lakes and meadows, and interesting architecture in historic towns.  But visiting Switzerland comes at a cost, literally, it’s one of the more expensive European countries to visit.  Slovenia offers a similar mountainous experience but requires a significantly lower travel budget (or allows travelers to upgrade to a more luxurious experience for the same travel budget). 

Instead of France, consider Belgium

France is one of the most visited European countries, most years it holds either the first or second spot in visitation rankings.  For those looking to get away from the crowds, consider visiting France’s smaller neighbor to the north.  Although a small country, Belgium has a lot to offer visitors. 

Visitors can start in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, where they can visit museums, shop, and eat the delicious and ubiquitous Belgium frites sold at kiosks throughout the city.  Belgium is also known for its Trappist beers and visitors can take a tour of a brewery using the traditional method for making lambic beers.  They can then travel to the small town of Bruges, famous for its chocolates, canals and bridges.  Travelers interested in fashion and design can visit Antwerp, shopping in the trendy fashion district and visiting the Fashion Museum Antwerp.

Due to its position as a crossroads in Europe, Belgium has three official languages, Dutch (Flemish), French, and German.  So those fluent or semi-fluent in French will find it easy to communicate with the locals in their native tongue.  Belgium is also easily reached by train from Paris, allowing visitors to combine a visit to the City of Lights with an exploration of this lovely country.

Instead of Iceland or Norway, consider a small ship cruise to these countries

Iceland & Norway offer incredible geographic splendor, but they are also two of the most expensive countries in Europe for tourists.  Unfortunately, there aren’t good substitutes for these two countries (except maybe each other).  So rather than pick an alternate country to visit, I’d like to suggest picking an alternate way to visit and explore these countries, via a luxury cruise.

Travelers can enjoy 5-star service on board a cruise ship and the entire trip will likely be significantly less expensive than similar land-based options.  Visiting these countries can require visitors to travel significant distances to see many of the popular sites.  A cruise opens up travel to some of the more remote areas.  For example, traveling into a fjord in Norway or visiting Tromsø, Norway’s northern most city, is easily accomplished on a cruise ship, but requires more meaningful logistical planning on an overland trip.   

By David Barclay | June 28, 2023

Although we are just starting summer, I already have clients thinking about their fall and winter getaways. Since many of my clients live in states with cool or even cold winters, it’s not surprising that the Caribbean and Mexico (Riviera Maya, Cabo) are popular destinations. The resorts at Mayakoba near Cancun, Las Ventanas al Paraíso near Cabo, Baha Mar in the Bahamas, and Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic are all very popular. While many of my clients are happy to stay on-property and lounge by the pool, others like to venture off-property to either visit local restaurants or see the island scenery. If you fall into the latter category and are thinking about some fun in the sun as the weather turns cooler, I’d like to suggest a luxury Caribbean cruise.

The luxury cruise lines deliver the same 5-star experience you would find at the resorts I mentioned above, but with the benefit of taking you to many parts of the Caribbean, Mexico and other destinations in Central and South America. You won’t have to spend 5-8 days in the same location, each day gives you a new place to explore and new experiences to savor. All shipboard suites have incredible ocean views and most will have a private balcony. Plus, the nearly all-inclusive fares of the luxury cruise lines mean you won’t have a hefty food & beverage bill at the end of your vacation (which has happened to many of my clients staying at land-based resorts).

If you want to start planning your fall & winter escapes to warmer weather, I’m happy to discuss which resorts might be best for you, but I’d also love to share a cruise itinerary or two as an alternative option to consider. Below are a few examples of itineraries offered on luxury lines with 5-star service, cuisine, and experiences.

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Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection (Evrima)

5-night Bridgetown to San Juan
Nov 26-Dec 1, 2023

Launched in October 2022, Evirma is the first of 3 planned luxury yachts for Ritz-Carlton. Known for its wonderful resorts and Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection brings the Ritz luxury experience to the seas. The Evirma is an all-suite yacht with a maximum of 298 guests, allowing her to visit many smaller ports in the Caribbean.

She is also an ideal option for families, especially those with children 12 & under, as Ritz-Carlton has included a Ritz-Kids club on board. Although not a large ship, the Evirma offers 6 unique dining experiences and plenty of outdoor space to lounge in the Caribbean sun. Many of my clients visiting the Caribbean or Mexico like to visit for less than a week and 5 nights is a very common trip duration. I like this itinerary since it is a 5-night itinerary, but also offers the option of a post-cruise stay in San Juan.

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Explora Journeys (EXPLORA I)

8-night UNESCO Wonders of Columbia, Panama and the Caribbean
Jan 11-19, 2024

Explora Journeys’s brand new EXPLORA I will sail the Caribbean from November to March. The ship was built as a floating luxury resort and the interior feels more like a luxury hotel than a cruise ship. If sitting poolside for part of your vacation is critical, don’t worry as the EXPLORA I has 4 separate pools, including one that’s adults-only and one that’s indoors (on the off chance you experience a brief afternoon Caribbean rain shower). With 10 different dining options and 12 bars & lounges, foodies will be well satisfied with the onboard offerings.

I like this particular itinerary since it visits both South and Central America, two of the ABC islands, plus part of the southeastern Caribbean. In fact, I will be sailing on the EXPLORA I for this itinerary and would love to share the journey with some of my friends & clients!

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Silversea (Silver Nova)

7-night San Juan to Bridgetown
Nov 27-Dec 4, 2023

The brand-new Silver Nova will launch later this year and take the reins as the flagship of the Silversea fleet. The revolutionary asymmetrical pool deck provides one full side with unobstructed views of the scenery. The Nova also boasts the latest in technologies, including running on cleaner liquefied natural gas and utilizing zero emission fuel cells while in port.

Foodies will love the multiple dining options and the Sea and Land Tastes (S.A.L.T) program, offering food and drink options from the region being sailed. Butler service is offered to every suite on board, delivering one of the most luxurious experiences at sea. With a full seven nights for this itinerary, the Silver Nova is able to weave her way through a good portion of the eastern Caribbean and visit many unique ports and islands.

By David Barclay | May 31, 2023

It’s always fun to dream about major travel bucket list trips. Going on a safari, visiting Antarctica, and possibly in the future going into outer space are all worthy trips for a travel bucket list. For those who like to cruise (which I do) another major bucket list trip is a World Cruise.

Stemming from increasing popularity, in recent years many cruise lines have started offering World Cruises. A few cruise lines offer more than one World Cruise each year. And there is no set route for a world cruise, which means each cruise is unique (even for a particular line, its World Cruise itineraries will vary dramatically each year). What this means is there are a multitude of options to pick from to find the perfect World Cruise for each traveler. Although many of the Mainstream and Premium lines have started offering World Cruises (Royal Caribbean made headlines recently for offering a 274 day World Cruise dubbed “The Ultimate World Cruise”) the cruises I’ve highlighted are offered by my favorite luxury cruise lines. If I’m sailing the world for 3-4 months to explore new cultures and unique sites, I don’t want giant water slides and Broadway performances, I want refined travel accommodations and likeminded travelers on board.

I’m not expecting you to read this post and immediately decide you want to book a World Cruise for the beginning of 2024. A World Cruise is something you might spend years planning and saving for, it’s not an impulsive decision. And if you asked me a few years ago, I would have also said that World Cruises are really only suited for retirees, who have the free time available to be away for several months. But my opinion on this has slowly evolved. Cruise ships are improving their broadband internet connections dramatically. On my recent trip to the Galapagos, I was able to use Verizon’s Wi-Fi calling feature to make calls to the U.S. which sounded perfectly clear with no noticeable delay or lag. Many cruise lines are launching new ships and retrofitting in-service ships to utilize Starlink’s network of low earth orbit satellites. This is a game changer, finally providing reliable and fast internet service wherever a cruise ship may sail. Since World Cruises include a fair number of sea days as the ships need to cover a lot of distance, they now might be an options for those who’s careers allow them to work remotely with flexible work hours. Work during the sea days (and maybe when visiting a familiar port) and explore on the port days, all the while being pampered by the ship’s crew and the multiple dining options on board.

Another aspect of World Cruises that many people don’t know about, but opens up the opportunity to travel for those of us still working and with family obligations, is that you don’t have to sail the full World Cruise itinerary. On most World Cruises, only a portion of the guests are aboard for the full duration. Many World Cruises are broken up into smaller segments and guests can choose to sail one or more segments. If you scroll down to my first World Cruise example, the itinerary map highlights each starting/stopping point for a segment. So while you might not have 136 days to commit to the full World Cruise, you might be able to carve out time to sail a 9-20 day segment of the cruise.

I hope I have intrigued you to learn a little more about World Cruises and I hope you will take a few minutes of your day today (even if you aren’t a cruiser yet) to look at my sampling of World Cruises and day dream about spending several months exploring the breadth of our world.

If you’d like to learn more about World Cruises, please see my World Cruises page on my website.

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Controtempo – World Cruise 2025 – Tokyo to New York City

136 Days, 59 Port, 30 Countries
Silversea

Silversea’s 2025 World Cruise will sail on one of its newer and largest ships, the Silver Dawn. With 8 dining establishments including the famous La Dame and the new S.A.L.T. Kitchen which prepares food from the region being visited, guests on this World Cruise won’t have to worry about becoming bored with the food. Silversea is also sprinkling in unique bespoke events on this cruise to create lifetime memories. Silversea includes its door-to-door fares for this World Cruise, which include transfers to/from the airports, business class air and a pre-cruise hotel stay. For those unable to sail the entire 136 days, the itinerary is divided into 10 smaller segments.

Pricing starts at $81,000 per person.

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Extraordinary Horizons – World Cruise 2024 – Los Angeles to Athens

145 Days, 72 Port, 28 Countries
Seabourn

Sailing aboard the Sojourn, one of Seabourn’s 450 guest ships, this World Cruise is very East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania intensive. As is common with World Cruises, this itinerary includes 20 overnight port stays in major ports including Sydney, Shanghai, Bangkok, and Singapore. The cruise includes door-to-door service with transfers to/from the airports, business or first class air, personal valet luggage shipping service, unlimited laundry, and substantial shipboard credits. World Cruise guests also experience a gala bon voyage dinner, multiple exclusive World Cruise events and receive a special World Cruise gift.

Pricing starts at $79,399 per person.

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The Sense of Adventure – World Cruise 2026 – Miami to Miami

155 Days, 77 Port, 41 Countries
Regent Seven Seas

For those who want to circumnavigate the world, Regent is offering the opportunity in 2026! The Seven Seas Mariner will depart Miami on January 10th and return 155 days later having traveled 39,722 nautical miles. Guests will visit 6 continents (all except for Antarctica), sail on 3 oceans and overnight in 16 ports. All guests receive first class air to Miami, enjoy a pre-cruise gala event, will experience multiple exclusive shoreside events, receive complimentarily door-to-door luggage service, have unlimited laundry service, and will get a commemorative gift.

Pricing starts at $97,599 per person.