Disney Expeditions
Adventure by Disney has recently opened its reservations for its exciting 2023 expedition cruises including Antarctica, the Arctic, and the Galapagos Islands. Choose from:
Galapagos Islands Expedition Cruise: This is a nine-day getaway to these unique islands off the coast of Ecuador. Your family will explore diverse ecosystems that are home to an array of wildlife that includes marine iguanas, Galapagos tortoises, sea lions, and Blue-footed Boobies. You can also snorkel among reef sharks and spotted eagle rays and can extend your trip with a pre-expedition Amazon River experience.
Antarctica & Patagonia Expedition Cruise: This is a 12-day adventure to the icescapes of the southernmost continent. You will hike with naturalists to observe colonies of penguins and glide on zodiac boats between glaciers. The trip also explores the culture and diverse landscapes of Patagonia and you can extend your stay in South America with a visit to Buenos Aires.
Arctic Expedition Cruise: A 10-day expedition to one of Europe’s last great wildernesses where polar bears outnumber people. Your journey begins in Oslo, Norway before you embark on a cruise to the Svalbard Archipelago with an epic exploration of the region’s wildlife and majestic polar landscapes.
Children Free on Holland America
Children ages 5-17 can sail free as the third and fourth guests in a cabin with Holland America Line’s Kids Cruise Free offer on select sailings through May 31, 2022. You just need to book by December 9, 2021. Select 2021 holiday sailings are included! Cruises throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, Canada/New England, and Alaska are all part of this promotion. Onboard your children, tweens, and teens ages 5 to 17 can enjoy Club HAL, the supervised youth activities program that includes arts and crafts, sports, video game competitions, scavenger hunts, challenging team games, themed parties, and more. Holland America Line is currently committed to operating vaccinated cruises, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The cruise line’s Flexible Cancellation Plan allows you to cancel for any reason up to 30 days before departure and automatically receive a Future Cruise Credit. Their Cancellation Protection Plan allows cancellation up to 24 hours in advance of departure.
Fourth Sails Free
This winter your fourth family member sails free with Lindblad Expeditions! Just book three full-paying guests on select departures in the Americas for sailings through March 2022. In the Galapagos, choose from their 7-day Wild Escape or 10-day classic itinerary to linger longer among the legendary wildlife thriving on land and at sea. In Baja, Mexico experience the beauty and remoteness of the Pacific coast and the Sea of Cortez for 5 days or sail from Los Angeles for a more leisurely 12 days. In Central America, head through the Panama Canal and into the wilderness on an 8-day voyage; or escape for 6 days to Guanacaste, Costa Rica to hike, ride horseback, and zipline amid mist-shrouded volcanic peaks. In Belize, discover lush jungles, turquoise lagoons, wild mangroves, and the Northern Hemisphere’s largest and most vibrant reef system for a 6-day adventure. This exciting promotion is valid for bookings through the end of November and is applicable on two double-occupancy cabins with the second cabin in the same category or lower as the first cabin.
Prima Pride
Norwegian Cruise Line has revealed details about its next ship, the 3,215-passenger Norwegian Prima, scheduled to debut in August 2022. The vessel will feature the largest inside, oceanview, and balcony staterooms in the NCL fleet, with up to 50 percent more room! Premier Owner’s Suites in The Haven (NCL’s exclusive ship within a ship) will also be twice as large as their other ships. To meet demand, the number of Haven all-suite staterooms will increase to 107 and for the first time, all of the keycard-access suites will be centralized over eight decks, all located at the aft of the ship, close to private elevators reserved for Haven guests. This adds to the refined ambiance of a residential-type enclave. New and returning amenities and activities include a larger Prima Speedway go-cart racetrack, both water and dry slides, food hall, The Donna Summer Musical, darts lounge, virtual gaming complex, interactive real-life gameshows, and more! The ship will first sail in Europe and then head to the US for sailings from New York, Port Canaveral, and Galveston.
Explore Galapagos
The population of the Galapagos is nearly fully vaccinated and ready for your visit. Metropolitan Touring, which owns three small yachts, is offering lots of freebies when booking within 60 days of travel. Their 7-day/6-night program (2 nights in Quito and 4 nights in Galapagos) includes:
- Free private transfer from the airport to your hotel in Quito
- Free 2-nights of accommodation at a premium hotel in Quito
- Free Scenic Tour of Quito
- Free Shared airport transfers in Galapagos
- Free Domestic airfare to/from the Galapagos Islands
Most sailings include an engaging children’s program to help them learn and appreciate the nature and biodiversity of these unique islands. Their Pirates Aboard program is geared for ages 6-12. The ship also offers special kids-style menus, children’s books, movies and games in the libraries, and visits to the bridge to spend time with the Captain and navigators.
RCCL Updates
Royal Caribbean International has returned to California for the first time in more than a decade! The amplified Navigator of the Seas will offer short three-, four- and seven-night cruises to such ports as Catalina Island, Ensenada, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas beginning on November 19, 2021. The cruise line just also announced that they are moving their brand-new mega-ship, Wonder of the Seas, to the US and Europe for 2022 instead of sailing in Asia. The maiden voyage will be from Ft. Lauderdale on March 4, 2022. In May, the ship will then sail to the Mediterranean for departures from Barcelona and Rome. The Wonder of the Seas’ new features includes a family suite that sleeps up to ten, an eighth neighborhood solely for suite guests, a cantilevered bar on the pool deck, and Wonder Playscape, an underwater-themed play area.
Amazon Jungle Cruise
A theme park ride that was developed into a movie encourages us to write about jungle cruises on the Amazon. Our friends at Our Whole Friends, who are originally from Brazil, are once again offering group or private getaways to experience one of the world’s longest rivers. They work with small vessel expeditions and a luxury design lodge to create unique experiences in one of the Brazilian Amazon’s most protected and remote regions. The cruise along the Rio Negro, one of the river’s most important tributaries, starts in Novo Airão. This is the last town reachable by paved road, where all the traditional Amazon cruise expeditions end. Their exciting weeklong Brazilian Amazon Cruise Adventure is ideal for families of all ages and includes two nights in Manaus, four nights on the river, and one night in a jungle lodge. Experiences include a variety of hikes, plenty of wildlife viewing, piranha fishing, evening canoe rides, visiting with pink dolphins, learning about the environment and sustainability, and visiting with local communities (if COVID safe for them). Group departures are available on December 19-26 and December 24-31, 2021 as well as in 2022 from February 16-26, April 10-17, and August 22-29. Itineraries can be customized!
MSC Family Additions
MSC Cruises recently announced details of its completely redesigned children’s area and a line-up of brand-new entertainment onboard MSC Seashore, its new flagship scheduled to arrive in Miami this November. The ship design is in tribute to New York City! The kids club area with over 7,500 sq. ft. (the largest in the fleet) boasts six newly designed rooms dedicated to space and planetary exploration including the new TEENS LAB filled with tech. Located near the entrance of the kids’ area, The Studio is a modern space that includes a cinema, live TV studio, and video games. At the cinema, there will be two special film nights throughout the cruise, one for children and one for teens. New onboard activities at The Studio include a Late Show for teens and a music-themed game show for all. Supervised programming is available for toddlers to teens with limited baby care also available starting at age one. For a limited time, your family can get free drinks + free internet + up to $200 in shipboard credits on Bahamas, Caribbean, and Mediterranean cruises, including on the MSC Seashore. You can be one of the first to experience Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, the new and exclusive private island in the Bahamas with two miles of beaches and ship docking right on the island. This Labor Day promotion is available through September 6 for departures through April 30, 2022.
Disney Updates
Disney Cruise Line will showcase the Avengers superheroes on the new Disney Wish with a super creative Marvel-themed dining experience. Avengers: Quantum Encounter at the Worlds of Marvel dining room will feature a menu inspired by the Marvel universe and a cinematic dining adventure featuring Ant-Man, The Wasp, Captain American, and Captain Marvel as they attempt to save the day along with your family’s help with an interactive Quantum Core that allows you to shrink and grow objects! The ship is scheduled to debut in June 2022. In other Disney news, the line announced it will begin sailing again to the Bahamas and Castaway Cay beginning this August 9 for 3- and 4-night cruises. Guests ages 2 and up will be required to wear masks in all indoor areas except when eating and drinking or in your stateroom. Masks will not be required on Disney’s private island. Meet and Greets with the characters are on pause, but the kids club will offer small group options. Fully vaccinated guests will be exempt from pre-cruise COVID testing and travel insurance requirements.
Ancestry River Cruise
Luxury river cruise line AmaWaterways recently announced a new partnership with Ancestry, a leader in family history and genomics. With so many families embracing heritage travel, Ama’s Ancestry Experience allows you to further personalize and enrich your family’s river cruise experience with a pre-cruise private consultation and family history research, onboard presentations, and curated excursions accompanied by an expert genealogist throughout the cruise. The first cruise in the series, Heritage on the River: Your Personalized Ancestry Experience, will depart July 30, 2022, on board the 156-guest AmaStella. The ship, which offers connecting cabins for families, sails from Amsterdam on a seven-night river cruise along the Rhine River visiting Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland. Upon booking, you will be matched with an expert from Ancestry’s professional research division for a one-hour consultation and 5 hours of research to learn about your family background and identify places of interest to visit during your cruise. Genealogists onboard will bring to life how your ancestors lived and show you where to find family history records. You will also receive a private onboard consultation with the expert genealogist and can enjoy an Ancestry-specific group excursion with your expert genealogist. An optional add-on of an Ancestral Home Visit accompanied by an expert genealogist may also be available.