The Expedition of a Lifetime Awaits - Join Us in 2023

Antarctica is a world of pure amazement where immense icebergs and whales will leave you awestruck.

January 2023. The expedition of a lifetime awaits. I'm building an interest list now. Like or comment for more info as it becomes available.

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.

Norway! Come Travel with Us

Venture to a place where the crashing ocean meets craggy mountains, forging the awe-inspiring majesty of the Norwegian fjords. Come discover the HIGHLIGHTS OF NORWAY!

April 29 - May 7, 2022

9 Days ● 12 Meals: 7 Breakfasts, 5 Dinners

Trip Highlights: Oslo, Fram Museum, Stave Church, Flåm Railway, Sognefjord, Briksdal Glacier, Geirangerfjord Cruise, Bergen

Optional Extensions:

OPTION 1: 5 Days 3-Night Stockholm Pre Tour Extension -OR-

OPTION 2: 4 Days 3-Night Iceland Post Tour Extension

Learn all about it: https://tinyurl.com/Norway2022

It's the Adventure of Your Life: Pole to Pole!

Have you ever dreamed about going on a journey from pole to pole? This 93-day Grand Expedition on Hurtigruten would be unlike any other voyage you've ever been on, taking you on an immersive journey from north to south, visiting the most iconic destinations along the way, and experiencing the amazing diversity of cultures and wildlife of the Americas and Antarctica. Departs August 8, 2022, from Vancouver. Rooms are selling quickly and space is limited. Let's get it on your calendar. Book Now while you still can.

Learn more about it: https://tinyurl.com/PoletoPole2022

Also available, a 66-day Grand Expedition on September 2, 2022, with an overnight in Edmonton, Canada before departing from Cambridge Bay.

As a certified Hurtigruten agent, I'd be happy to help you secure passage on either of these ultimate adventures!

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!!

Las Vegas Plans Return to Pre-Pandemic Guidelines Effective June 1st

Las Vegas lifts social distancing requirements June 1, 2021

From our friends at the Las Vegas Convention & Vistors Authority... 

The Clark County COVID-19 mitigation plan will expire June 1, allowing for the return of pre-pandemic guidelines that lift restrictions involving capacity limits, large gatherings, and more.

 

The new CDC guidance on masks recommends that those who are not vaccinated continue wearing masks and following social distancing and other precautions until fully vaccinated. The guidance allows fully vaccinated people to stop wearing face coverings in crowds and in many indoor locations

 

Additionally, masks still must be worn in hospitals and healthcare facilities and on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States, and in transportation hubs such as airports and stations. More guidance about masks is on the CDC’s website at https://www.cdc.gov/

  

NOW OPEN...Iceland! Welcoming Visitors Once Again in 2021

I'm pleased to say that ICELAND is once again open for travel! A place where you can descend into a dormant volcano one day, and snowmobile on a glacier the next. Where you can walk behind the plummeting waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss, and witness the blast of a mighty geyser from just a few feet away. In the winter, you could enjoy a private excursion into the darkness to search for the mesmerizing Northern Lights, dancing luminously in the sky above. And year-round, delight with a dip in the warm, misty-blue waters of the Blue Lagoon.

Iceland is welcoming both vaccinated US travelers and those with proof of antibodies. Reach out and speak with me by phone, email, or through my website to make your Iceland travel wishes a reality for your own independent travels in 2021 – or if you’d like to be part of a shared group travel experience, why not register to join my group in March 2022 to experience the wonders of the Aurora Borealis for yourself March 19-25, 2022.

www.icanshowyoutheworld.vacations/group/Iceland2022

clingren@cruiseplanners.com | 317.776.1733

Who'd Like to Change their View?

Discover majestic St. Croix with its eternal summer caressed by cooling tradewinds. The average temperature is in the mid-80s, and there’s just enough rain to keep the flora in bloom.

#adventure #islandlife #noice #nosnow #takethetrip #icanhelpyou

Give the Gift of Travel this Holiday Season

Travel makes an amazing gift. This year why not give the gift of time and memories to your loved ones...your time with them, and shared lifetime memories.

Give the Gift of Experiences Instead of Stuff

There is no better gift to share that I can think of than giving the gift of travel. With the holidays approaching us, why not consider getting your loved ones an EXPERIENCE where the memories will never fade away. Toys, gadgets, electronics, and "stuff" go out of style, but travel memories are timeless treasures! I have many ideas to share for various vacation options on LAND, RIVERS, and on the OCEAN. Each adventure is unique and will create a lifetime of memories for those you love!

www.icanshowyoutheworld.vacations | 317.776.1733 | clingren@cruiseplanners.com

#givethegiftoftravel #takethetrip #makememories #travelisthebestgift #planfor2020 #planfor2021 #travelin2020 #familytime #familymemories

I'm Heading Down Under!

I have wanted to be able to go visit Australia since 1984 when Blair, Jo, Natalie, and Tootie - along with Mrs. Garrett, all went there during the "Facts of Life Down Under" episodes of The Facts of Life. It has always been a far-off, magical kind of place. Shortly after that "Crocodile Dundee" hit theatres, and the mystique only grew. 

 

  

When I got into the travel business, I knew that selling far-off lands was part of the gig, but also something that I needed to be better versed in.  Last year at GTM West, I met with the Australia Tourism Board and another vendor specializing in Down Under vacations, and the desire grew once again. When I was invited to attend Corroboree 2019 I became ecstatic.  And now here I am... about to depart on my flight to the Southern Hemisphere for the first time!  I'm so excited to able to attend this Conference, as well as experience for myself some of the wonders of two of the territories within that amazing country/continent.  I'll be in Western Australia for the first part of the conference, and then my smaller group from the conference will be heading north to the Northern Territory for our familiarization trek. I'm sure there will be a number of posts and things shared over the coming week and a half, but for now, the next 16+ hours are the journey there, and thanks to crossing the international dateline as we head west, we'll jump ahead a day. I'm excited about all that lies ahead and hope to be able to share some really cool stuff along the way. 

 

A Little Appreciation Goes a Long Way!

I love helping people put together amazing trips, and making fantastic memories. It's always nice to hear things went well afterward, too. Especially by hand-written card, instead of by email.

#exploretheworld #traveldeep #makememories #ilovehelpingpeople #travelconcierge #romancespecialist #thankyousareawesome #icanshowyoutheworld #cruiseplanners

13Brittny Foga, Scott Hammer and 11 others

Life is short. Take the trip. Explore. Make amazing memories. Become a storyteller.

 

Take the Trip. Make the Memories While You Can.

When the kids are young, and often budgets are tight, it might not seem possible to be able to take vacations. At the moment it seems like they'll be small forever - but in reality, they'll be grown and gone before you know it. Stuff will always be waiting for you to buy. Time with the kids won't always be available. Take the trip. Make the memories while you can. I'd be honored to help you create some fantastic memories for your family in 2017 and beyond. www.icanshowyoutheworld.vacations 317.776.1733

Glacier Bay National Park

Today we arrived in Glacier Bay National Park at about 6:15am, and picked up one of the Park Rangers, and a Tlingit cultural representative who stayed on board with us until about 3:30pm, answering questions, providing insight, and more. It was awesome!

As we worked our way up into the park and the bay, we saw a lot! We got to see Reid Glacier, Lamplugh Glacier, Johns Hopkins Glacier, part of Grand Pacific Glacier, and the biggest and best of them all, Margerie Glacier. The captain parked us very close to, and in front of Margerie Glacier, which is up in the Tarr Inlet for an hour. Starting with the port side, and then rotating the ship to the starboard side, everyone was amazed at the sheer size and majesty of that glacier. We reveled as we got to see several small calvings and one really big one! (I took about 400 pictures of the glaciers alone, but am only sharing these select few now...more will be shared later after getting home to wifi that isn't so expensive).

As we woke this morning it was raining, and everyone was a bit disappointed at the prospect of not being able to see a lot, but as we got closer in, the sky stopped and the misty fog lifted. Southeast Alaska is a rainforest, so having rain on any given adventure is to be expected. The glaciers were surreal. The beautiful colors and the sounds of the cracking were amazing.

After the captain set sail once more and as we pulled far enough away from being able to see Margerie Glacier it was lunchtime. Followed by a great presentation in the main theatre by the Park Ranger. She shared some great stories and wonderful information about GBNP and the assorted critters that call it home. And then after her presentation, the Tlingit lady - Alice is her English name, but sorry, I couldn't even begin to know how her Tlingit name is spelled - gave a presentation on the Tlingit peoples that have called this area home for centuries.

What an amazing day filled with such beauty, and just a teeny tiny bit of this great state.

Featured Foto Friday - You WILL Get Wet

Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls in the Toon Lagoon area of Islands of Adventure, at Universal Orlando Resort is one of my favorite log flume attractions ever, simply because this attraction was truly designed to get you wet.  And in the Florida heat, that can be such a welcome refreshment.  I first rode it in 2007, and loved it then, and love it now.  Being a Rocky & Bullwinkle Show fan helped a bit, to be able to understand the various thematic elements, sight gags and overall inherent humor of the attraction - but that is by no means necessary to be able to enjoy it.  All in all, this water adventure is just good clean fun!