01/21/2025
Hi Everyone!
Much like you, we’ve travelled a lot in the past 12 months. Here’s where our travels have taken us recently:
Antarctica on Silversea
Disney World (a lot we moved here)
Universal Studios Orlando (see above)
London (and all over England from the Cotswolds, to Stonehenge, South Hampton etc)
Spain (Vigo etc on the transatlantic Sun Princess cruise)
Portugal
New England cruising (Boston, Eastport, Portland,Halifax etc)
New York
Bahamas on Disney, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Princess, Celebrity, etc including private islands of Castaway Cay, Princess Cays, Half Moon Cay, Perfect Day at Coco Cay, Labadee, Nassau (including Sandals Royal Bahamian)
Caribbean on Regent, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Oceania etc: Eastern, Southern, Western including St. Barths, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Tortola, St. Thomas, San Juan etc
I could spend all day listing places, but these are some places where our knowledge is especially fresh.
What will influence all of our travel in 2025? My crystal ball is no clearer than yours, but here are a few thoughts:
EXTERNAL FACTORS that will affect how you travel:
OVER TOURISM: We will still be seeking equilibrium between over and under tourism.
AIR TRAVEL is better than it was, but still a long way from what it should be in terms of reliability and customer service. It will continue to be the biggest travel complaint.
POLITICAL: The conflicts in Israel and Ukraine will continue to impact where we travel.
VISAS and ETAs will become more of a thing. As of this month, you’ll need an ETA to visit the UK, and Europe’s not far behind.
WHERE You’ll Travel:
CONTINUE TO BE POPULAR: Australia, Canada (168% higher than last year), Egypt, Iceland, Japan (160% higher than last year), New Zealand, Portugal.
EMERGING DESTINATIONS: Colombia, Eastern Europe, Newfoundland/Labrador, Thailand, West Africa.
COOLCATIONS: Canada (Far North), Greenland, Norway.
HOW You’ll Travel:
LONGER DURATION or back to back cruises. This trend will continue.
CRUISE VACATIONS - 3 million more cruisers in 2024 than 2019. This is the fastest growing sector of the travel industry. Yachts are up 52%, rivers up 23%, and expeditions are up 19% over 2023.
RAIL – Slow travel, with time to take in the scenery, is growing quickly.
INCLUSIONS - You want to pay once, and have as much as possible included.
FAMILY TRAVEL – to celebrate milestones, OR just to create memories.
UNESCO sites – people have decided these are pretty cool, and are travelling to them.
AMA WATERWAYS River Cruises You can book yourself here https://www.amawaterways.com/agent/smoothvacations
AMA has a strong focus on both WELLNESS with active shore excursion options, and on CULINARY with their Chef’s Table Restaurant and membership in La Chaine des Rotisseurs.
PORTUGAL & SPAIN departing July 4th for one week
Visit Porto, Douro valley, Regua, Pinhao, Vega de Terron, Salamanca, Afurada.
See the vineyards and estate wineries, traverse the locks, take in spectacular scenery, visit castle ruins, see paleolithic art, and enjoy architectural treasures.
Optional extensions to Madrid and/or Lisbon.
This trip is on the brand new AMA Sintra, carrying just 102 guests
Fares from $4639.
FRANCE, GERMANY & NETHERLANDS: Basel to Amsterdam departing July 19th for 7-nights
Visit Amsterdam (overnight), Cologne, Rhine Gorge, Rudesheim, Ludwigshafen, Strasbourg, Basel
Optional 4-night extension in Switzerland (2 nights Lucerne, 2 nights Zurich).
Fares from $3989.
SOUTHERN AFRICA: (this is on top of our list)
Start in Cape town for 3-nights, then board your ship, and spend the next 4 days on Safari both by riverboat and 4 X 4. Spend 2 nights in Victoria Falls, before finishing in Johannesburg for the trip home.
Fares from $12,045 with departures March through November.
SMALL SHIP LUXURY with SILVERSEA
We love Silversea’s small ship, all-inclusive luxury experience. It appears they love us back, because we have a LOT of specials on new, individual bookings made today until February 28, guests receive a saving of USD 1,500
WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN from Rome to Lisbon departing November 7 for 12-days
Visit Rome, Tuscany, Monte Carlo, Marseille, Barcelona (overnight), Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Malaga, Cadiz, Lisbon
Fares from $7700
JAPAN from Hong Kong to Tokyo departing March 9, 2026 for 14-days
Visit Hong Kong, Taiwan, Seoul (overnight), Busan, Kanmon Strait, Kochi, Osaka (overnight), Tokyo.
Veranda fares from $9300
SOUTH AMERICAN ENCOMPASSED from Buenos Aires to Santiago: Dec 28 for 18-days
Visit BA (overnight), Montevideo, Puerto Madryn, Falkland Islands, Ushuaia, Garibaldi Glacier & Fjord, Punta Arenas, Chilean Fjords, Puerto Montt, Santiago (overnight)
Fares from $9900
ACTIVE ADVENTURES with NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC (We also work with Adventures by Disney National Geographic which is more for active adults not young kids and families)
You don’t have to be an elite athlete, but if you like to be active on vacation, here are some great options close to home:
OREGON & WASHINGTON: Columbia River from Portland to Clarkston for 6-days
Visit Portland, The Dalles (for Multnomah Falls and fish hatchery), Columbia Gorge, Walla Walla, Palouse River. Traverse the locks by river boat right here at home!
Go hiking, kayaking, ride on the zodiacs, visit museums and wineries
Departures in March, April September or October from $3665
BRITISH COLUMBIA and the SAN JUAN ISLANDS for 8-days round-trip Seattle
Visit Victoria BC, Desolation Sound for kayaking and hiking, Alert Bay for First Nations immersion, the Canadian Gulf Islands to visit quaint communities, Friday Harbor on for the Whale museum, and other islands in Puget Sound.
This corner of the country is a well-kept secret. Visit remote islands to see the sea lions, eagles, humpback and orca whales. Go for a bike ride in Victoria; kayaking, zodiacs, and paddleboarding in remote bays.
Departures in September and October from $5397
WHALE WATCHING in MAGDALENA BAY (Baja California) for 6-days round-trip Loreto
Whale Watching in Magdalena Bay for 6 dyas Jan, Feb, Mar. RT Loreto Mexico
See the Gray Whales, explore the sand dunes at Sand Dollar Beach, and visit the fishing village of Puerto Magdalena. Go kayaking, zodiacs, paddleboarding, hiking, and cycling.
Departures January through March from $3215
LAND-CRUISE with COLLETTE
If you like the structure of cruise, but want to go somewhere not normally accessible by a ship, then Collette should be on your radar. Here are some of the SPOTLIGHT tours, where you only have to unpack once, but get tons of excursions and activities.
NEW YORK for 5-days
Visit Greenwich Village, Wall Street, Chinatown, Central Park, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the 9/11 Memorial.
Includes 4-nights at the Sheraton Times Square, 5 meals, and 2 Broadway shows.
Year-round departures from $2299.
PARIS for 7-days
See Notre Dame, Montmartre, Champs-Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower.
Includes 8 meals, 6-nights hotel, Seine River dinner cruise, Louvre Museum, Le Marais, Place de Vosges, Palace of Versailles, and dinner at the Eiffel Tower
Departures April through November from $2799
Here are some of their other SPOTLIGHT tours:
The French Riviera – 9-days from $2399
London – 7-days from $2199
Northern Italy – 9-days from $2449
San Antonio, Texas – 5-days from $1599
South Dakota, Mt. Rushmore & the Badlands
Tuscany – 9-days from $1849
Washington, DC – 6-days from $2399
