Open for Sale: An Incredible 2023-24 All-inclusive Luxury Expedition Collection

RESERVATIONS NOW OPEN! 
10- TO 28-NIGHT ALL-INCLUSIVE LUXURY EXPEDITIONS
15% REDUCED DEPOSIT BEFORE JUNE 30, 2021

Crystal Expeditions is now taking reservations on a thrilling expedition cruise aboard the world’s newest and most spacious luxury expedition yacht, the all-suite, all-verandah, all butler-serviced Crystal Endeavor. From Antarctica’s ice cathedrals and Svalbard’s polar bears to Indonesia’s magical Raja Ampat Archipelago and the windswept wonders of the Scottish Isles, the German-engineered, PC6 polar class vessel is set to explore the farthest reaches of Earth on 27 all-inclusive voyages in 2023-2024.

With a limited-time 15% reduced deposit for all voyages (normally 25%), your options range from expeditions to the Northeast Passage, Russian High Arctic or the Faroe Islands to remote offshore islands including Brazil’s Arquipélago dos Abrolhos and Uruguay’s Isla de Lobos Nature Reserve. You can cruise to Andalusia, Morocco, and the Côte d’Azur, or enjoy unique explorations by the river to dock in the heart of Seville, Rouen, and Bordeaux. Singular seasonal itineraries include springtime in the British Isles and autumn in Japan to see spectacular gardens awash in vibrant color. From Kamchatka and The Kurils to the Great Barrier Reef and Tasmania, we invite you to explore with Crystal Expedition Cruises… Where Luxury Roams Freely.

Contact me soon to secure your voyage.  The reduced deposit promotion is only valid until June 30, 2021. 

 

Rhine River Wine Cruise - Fall 2022

Fairytale castles, historic vineyards, charming villages, rich history, spectacular panoramas, majestic mountain landscapes...

all this and more could be yours for making some fabulous memories when you join us for a Rhine river wine cruise adventure. October/November 2022. Pre-cruise stay in Amsterdam and/or Post-cruise stay in Lake Como also available.

Limited rooms are available. Save $1,000 per person when you book before July 31, 2021. Message me for details and pricing.

Norwegian Cruise Line returns to service from US ports this year!!

Norwegian Cruise Line is getting ready to set sail from US ports once again! They have now announced departures from FLORIDA to the Caribbean and The Bahamas; departures from WASHINGTON for roundtrip Alaska sailings; departures from CALIFORNIA for the Mexican Riviera; and HAWAII's inter-island sailings resume this November from Honolulu! All available to book now.

• Norwegian Encore will operate 7-day cruises to ALASKA from SEATTLE sailing every Saturday from Aug 7, 2021, through Oct 16, 2021.

• Norwegian Gem will operate 7-day cruises to the Western Caribbean FROM MIAMI sailing every Sunday from Aug 15 through Aug 29, 2021, and a 4-day Bahamas sailing Oct 17, 2021.

• Norwegian Escape will operate a 7-day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean FROM PORT CANAVERAL sailing on Nov 13, 2021.

• Norwegian Breakaway will operate 7-day cruises to Bermuda FROM NEW YORK CITY sailing every Sunday from Sept 26, 2021, through Oct 17, 2021.

• Norwegian Bliss will operate a 7-day cruise to the Mexican Riviera FROM LOS ANGELES sailing on Oct 24, 2021.

• Pride of America will operate a 7-day inter-island cruise of the Hawaiian islands round-trip from HONOLULU sailing on Nov 6, 2021.

Where 2 Next: HAWAII - Virtual Event This Tuesday!

 

ALOHA! Tomorrow night is our virtual island getaway to Hawaii! There's still time to register and join in!

Hawaii is open and ready for you to visit! Don your most colorful lei and get those hips ready to hula as Cruise Planners and our partners head to Hawaii for the most unforgettable virtual journey. Discover why Hawaii is the #1 aspirational destination for all of North America. It's an absolute eruption of tropical culinary pleasures, watersports, and jaw-dropping ocean views that will leave you feeling like the Big Kahuna.

Register now and let's say Aloha to Hawaii! A Cruise Planners® Exclusive booking offer will be revealed during the event

Virtual Event details:

TUESDAY, JUNE 8 • 6:00 pm Eastern or again at 6:00 pm Pacific

Use the link below to register. You will receive instructions on how to join this virtual journey

https://www.icanshowyoutheworld.vacations/event/w2nhawaii

Please call or email with questions and let me know when you are ready to experience Hawaii! I can handcraft the perfect vacation on land, at sea, or both. ~Mahalo!

317.776.1733 | clingren@cruiseplanners.com

Cruising from the U.S. is BACK! The Wait is Over!

ROYAL CARIBBEAN ANNOUNCEMENT!! The wait is over as cruising from the U.S. is just around the corner!

3-5 NIGHT CRUISES:
** FREEDOM OF THE SEAS® -- from Miami, Florida, starting July 2, 2021 (NOW OPEN FOR SALE)

** MARINER OF THE SEAS® -- from Port Canaveral, Florida, starting August 23, 2021 (NOW OPEN FOR SALE)

7-NIGHT CRUISES:
NEW! ODYSSEY OF THE SEAS®-- from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, debuting July 3, 2021 (NOW OPEN FOR SALE)

ALLURE OF THE SEAS® -- from Port Canaveral, Florida, starting August 8, 2021 (NOW OPEN FOR SALE)

SYMPHONY OF THE SEAS® -- from Miami, Florida, starting August 14, 2021 (NOW OPEN FOR SALE)

Emerald & Scenic Return to the rivers of Europe This Summer!

Hello Europe...we've missed you! River cruising resumes next month...how about some great discoveries on the Douro this summer? Both Emerald Cruises and Scenic Cruises are returning to the rivers of Europe in July. Contact me to explore availability with either of these sister lines.

BIG NEWS! The CDC has Revised Mask Requirements for Cruises for Vaccinated Passengers

In its latest COVID-19 operations manual update, the CDC gave cruise operators much more leeway regarding fully vaccinated travelers and near normalcy for ships with at least 95% of crew and passengers fully vaccinated.

The measures go a long way toward restoring the traditional cruise experience — and even allow self-serve buffets in specific circumstances. Click the image below to read more in the story from FoxNews.com

ALASKA AT LAST! 2021 Cruises Are NOW POSSIBLE!

Thanks to the work by the US Congress to modify the long-held Passenger Services Vessel Act, there WILL BE an Alaska Cruise Season THIS YEAR! Shortened yes, but cruise ships will be sailing the Inside Passage once again!

There are now five cruise lines sailing Alaska this season. Contact us and book quickly if you want to see Alaska this year.

Here's a list of all your options.

Royal Caribbean & Celebrity

• Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas will sail 7-day cruises roundtrip from Seattle visiting Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, Endicott Arm fjord and Dawes Glacier starting July 19th.
• Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas will sail 7-day cruises roundtrip from Seattle visiting Glacier Bay National Park, Juneau and Skagway starting August 13.
• Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Summit will sail 7-day cruises roundtrip from Seattle visiting Ketchikan, Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier, Juneau and Skagway starting July 23.

Guests age 16 and older must have received their final dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to embarkation and have proof of vaccination. Guests under the age of 16 are only required to provide proof of a negative PCR test in order to sail. However, as of August 1, 2021, all guests ages 12 and older must be fully vaccinated, and guests under 12 are only required to provide proof of a negative PCR test in order to sail. All crew will be vaccinated.

Norwegian, Holland America & Princess

• Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Bliss will sail 7-day cruises roundtrip from Seattle visiting Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, and Glacier Bay National Park or Holkham Bay Glacier Fjord starting August 7, 2021.
• Holland America Line's Nieuw Amsterdam will sail 7-day Alaska itineraries roundtrip from Seattle visiting Stephens Passage, Juneau, Glacier Bay National Park, Icy Strait Point, Sitka and Ketchikan, starting Saturday, July 24.
• Princess Cruises' Majestic Princess will sail 7-day Alaska itineraries roundtrip from Seattle visiting Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay National Park, and Ketchikan, starting Sunday, July 25. On sale now!

Sailings on Norwegian, Holland America, and Princess are available exclusively for guests who have received their final dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to embarkation and have proof of vaccination. All crew will be vaccinated.

BIG NEWS!! Alaska Cruises Will Resume in 2021 with an Abbreviated Season

The good news about travel resuming continues! 

Yesterday the US House of Representatives approved a bill that the US Senate had already approved regarding a revision to the long-standing PSVA which will effectively allow for an abbreviated Alaska cruise season to happen in 2021!  This is huge news for the people of Alaska who are very dependent on travel and tourism and were affected greatly in 2020 with the complete shutdown of the industry.  The PSVA controls the movement of foreign-flagged ships within US ports and a big hurdle for the Alaska cruise market is the fact that ships must dock in Canadian ports per the PSVA, but very early this year the Canadian government banned any ships from their ports until at least February 2022. This bill from the US Congress will effectively modify the PSVA making the stop in Canada, not a requirement, so there can be roundtrip sailings from Seattle up into Alaska!  Following the passage in the House, three of the Carnival Corporation brands - Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, and Carnival Cruise Line - announced that they will be resuming sailing this summer, beginning in early July for 10 departures each.  Each line will have one ship sailing these itineraries, and all guests must be fully vaccinated.  

This is great news for the industry!!

Cruise Lines With Vaccination Requirements

 

For all those who are waiting anxiously to be able to resume cruising, here's the most current info on the assorted cruise lines and any vaccination requirements they have put into place. The list included is fairly extensive, though not all cruise lines have made their plans & requirements known yet. My team and I continually monitor the available information so that our guests have what they need to be prepared for their vacations.

Cruising is Back! - Join our Where2Next Webinar About Cruising's Return in Summer 2021

 

You can reclaim your summer cruise vacation with Cruising's Big Comeback! Join us for an informational webinar this evening at 6:00 pm Eastern. You can register here: https://tinyurl.com/ReclaimYourSummer

BIG NEWS for Land Lovers & Cruise Lovers Alike!

EUROPE IS SET TO REOPEN!  
CRUISING FROM US PORTS LOOKS LIKELY THIS SUMMER! 

This week has brought some wonderful news for the travel industry and economies the world over, to be sure.  In this pair of exciting articles, we find that Europe is set to reopen to vaccinated Americans this summer, AND the CDC has now said that cruising could most likely resume from US ports this July.  Both of these are wonderful and long overdue announcements!  Stay tuned for more as the news gets shared. I'm so excited to see travel ramping up as more and more countries begin to reopen or announce their pending reopenings. And it's been exciting to watch the cruise lines find ways to resume cruising worldwide, but even better to see that the US is finally coming around to allowing it from our ports as well. 

STILL MORE Opportunities to Cruise in Summer 2021!! NEWLY ADDED ITINERARIES!

MORE CRUISE NEWS - BACK TO SAILING

Today I'm adding to the list of information previously shared about assorted Cruise Lines that have announced that they will be sailing soon from assorted international ports (note that all are from international ports as the US still will not allow cruise departures from US ports). 

 

PREVIOUSLY SHARED

On March 19, I shared that Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Crystal Cruises would begin sailing from The Bahamas and St. Maarten.  

 

Then on March 25, I shared that Royal Caribbean was adding departures from Bermuda and Cyprus. 

 

TODAY I'm pleased to add to the list!!

 

NEW ADDITIONS!

Norwegian Cruise Line just announced that it will begin seven-night sailings from Athens, Greece to the Greek Islands on July 25 and from Montego Bay, Jamacia, AND Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic to Caribbean destinations on August 7 and 15, respectively.

 

• Norwegian Jade will operate 7-day cruises to the Greek Isles from Athens (Piraeus), Greece from Jul 25, 2021, through Nov 7, 2021.

• Norwegian Joy will operate 7-day cruises to the Western Caribbean from Montego Bay, Jamaica from Aug 7, 2021, through Oct 9, 2021.

• Norwegian Gem will operate 7-day cruises to the Eastern Caribbean from Punta Cana (La Romana), the Dominican Republic from Aug 15, 2021, through Oct 10, 2021.

 

 

 

Viking Cruises just announced their ocean sailings in JUNE and JULY 2021. Two distinct sailing itineraries include Iceland and also Bermuda. These will sell out fast!  Check these out below. 

 

https://www.vikingcruises.com/.../cruis.../welcome-back.html

 

 

 

 

The demand to cruise is high, and the available supply is still quite low with only a few ships from each line committed, so contact me quickly for any of these sailing opportunities!

MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO CRUISE THIS SUMMER!

For all Cruisers Anxious to Get Back to Sailing...there are now MORE Opportunities for 2021!

 

Royal Caribbean has announced more opportunities to cruise this summer. While the US government may not yet allow cruising from US ports, other countries are open or about to re-open and are allowing them to sail.

 

 

   

 

 

ADVENTURE OF THE SEAS from The Bahamas

>> Offering weeklong getaways, vacationers can enjoy a day in Cozumel, Mexico, as well as an island-hopping sampler of popular Bahamian ports — including Grand Bahama Island and two consecutive days at our very own private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

 

 

VISION OF THE SEAS from Bermuda:

>> Vision of the Seas® will set sail from Bermuda! Beginning June 26, 2021, you can enjoy a much-needed 7-night getaway soaking up the sun on Bermuda's pink-sand beaches and keep the vacation going after dark, as well as an adventure-packed day at our private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas.

 

and now...

 

JEWEL OF THE SEAS has been announced from CYPRUS featuring GREECE as well.

>> All-new 7-night cruises departing from Limassol, Cyprus onboard Jewel of the Seas®! Beginning July 10, 2021, Jewel will call Cyprus home for the first time and sail to the picturesque shores of Cyprus and Greece through October 23, 2021. You can explore a combination of culture-rich cities and idyllic islands, including Limassol; Athens, Greece, and the Greek islands of Rhodes, Crete, Mykonos, and Santorini.

Interested in any of these opportunities, reach out! Each ship has limited capacity, adults over 18 must be vaccinated, and negative test results before boarding for all guests.

CRUISES RETURN IN 2021!

FOR ANY CRUISERS COMFORTABLE AND READY TO SET SAIL AGAIN... LOOK WHAT SUMMER PROMISES. Both Royal Caribbean & Celebrity announced today that they will be setting sail beginning in JUNE from Nassau, Bahamas (Royal), and from St Maarten (Celebrity). And earlier in the week Crystal Cruises announced that they will be sailing starting in JULY from Nassau or Bimini, Bahamas as well!

 

Vaccinations are required for adults over 18 y.o. Reduced capacity on the ships. Call me for information.

 

• Royal Caribbean: https://tinyurl.com/RoyalisBack2021  (booking starts March 24th)
• Celebrity: https://tinyurl.com/CelebrityisBack2021   (booking starts March 25th)
• Crystal Cruises: Booking started today, so be sure to reach out if interested!

 

With successful cruise sailings happening in other parts of the world since last fall, but the CDC still says no to cruises from US ports, it's nice to see how they thought outside the box! It's true that it might not be right for everyone, but with some resumption in service, it'll sure be nice for those crewmembers to be getting a paycheck again, and for the islands to start seeing their economies rebound as well.

If you are interested, reach out right away, as demand will be high.

 

 

FacebookLive... I Need Some Help...

 As shared via FacebookLive this morning... I need some help, please! 

Continuing Education Update - Virgin Voyages

 More continuing ed taking place in my house recently.  Never stop learning. Today I am the newest Certified Travel Professional with Virgin Voyages as a Certified First Mate!  I am absolutely ready to help you discover all that the world's first adults-only (18+) cruise line has to offer. 

#virginvoyages #seacademy

 

2021 Winter Travel Planner Magazine is Here!

 

Our newest digital issue of the Travel Planner magazine is here!

 

If YOU are comfortable and ready to travel, I'd love to help you plan your trip! This magazine is a great source of inspiration, with some great possibilities for land-based vacations that could be enjoyed now, and when the cruise lines are able to start sailing again...river cruises in the USA and in Europe and ocean cruises all over the world. Many of the offers are valid for booking before April 30th, others are through various dates in March. If you see something that intrigues you...ask me about it!

 

I know everyone has a different comfort level at this time, but please know that a wide range of travel opportunities can be booked for this year, next year, or even 2023. This 45-page e-zine will certainly give you some great ideas to ponder and dream about in the following categories dedicated to those regions or sub-regions.

 

• Let’s Go Caribbean & Mexico

• Let’s Go USA & Hawaii

• Let’s Go Alaska

• Let’s Go Exotics & Expeditions

• Let’s Go Europe

 

It also has several featurettes sprinkled throughout, with embedded YouTube videos to continue to spark your travel imagination! When you're ready to book, please reach out to me and I will be very happy to take care of all the details for you. Just click the image to explore and start dreaming! (Plus on page 3, you could register to win a 7-night AMA WATERWAYS river cruise for two! Must enter by April 30th)

  

Where2Next: Europe

Our Next Virtual Vacation Presentation is coming up! 

It's time for an adventure that the whole family can embark on! Join Cruise Planners with our partners, Tauck, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and Globus for a virtual trip to Europe, family-style. From stunning gardens and parks to exciting museums and zoos, there's plenty of fun, culture, and history for the whole crew to enjoy together. Indulge your travel passions and ignite new memories as a family in some of the most unique places in the world.

 

Register today and then tune in on January 20th at 5 pm EST/2 pm PST or a Cruise Planners® Exclusive booking offer, giveaways, and the grand prize announcement!

 

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/VirtualEurope

Where2Next: Alaska

Greetings, adventurous friends! Your friendly neighborhood travel agency owner here to invite you to our next free virtual travel series event. Is ALASKA on your bucket list? Have you ever visited our 49th state? It's an AMAZING place that's great for exploration on land and sea for families, couples, and groups. I've been there more than once and can't wait to be able to return again! There's so much to see and do you can't go just once - it's definitely NOT a once-in-a-lifetime destination.

Join us for ALASKA: Discover the Last Frontier...which will take you on a virtual adventure through the wilds of Alaska. You can learn about the best places to catch sight of a whale breaching, how you can walk on top of a glacier and where to catch a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis. And that's just a taste of all the amazing experiences Alaska offers you.

Be sure to register via this included link and tune in on October 21 at 5 pm to learn more about Alaska. https://tinyurl.com/VirtualAlaska