In This Issue:

This Month’s Events & Webinars 
Update on ETAIS Visas
Barb & Juliette Share Their Explora Journey Highlights
Join IGT on Explora Journeys Feb 21-28, 2025!
November Specials
Links to Past Newsletters
The Last Laugh

November's Events & Webinars

We have had a lovely time visiting many communities over the past 10 months, but due to our travel schedules and the holidays, we will not be holding any community events in November or December.

Exciting news: Watch for updates on my first Expedition cruise with Viking to Chilean Fjords & Scenic Shores November 8-21. I’m excited to share my experience in future newsletters, but also going to try to give live updates on our Viking Cruises IGT Travel Community Facebook page. Would love to have you follow us on our journey!

While I am gone, I will be checking in “from the sea,” but know that the rest of the IGT team will be in the office, if you need anything. Feel free to call 770-421-9627, or better yet, send a message to the office email: Carol@ImagineGoingThere.com and someone will reach out to answer any questions you might have.

Update on ETAIS

Recently, we have been fielding a lot of questions about the much anticipated (and much delayed) ETAIS (The European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) which is expected to be operational in the first half of 2025. (This is a delay from the previously planned launch dates of 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024.)

Once ETIAS is operational, travelers from countries that currently do not need a visa to visit the European Union will need an approved ETIAS online before departing. Applicants will be able to apply for ETIAS via an official website or mobile app and will need to pay a fee of €7. The application form will ask for basic personal details, including passport information, full name, current address, citizenship status, and more. Most applicants receive their authorization via email within minutes.

We are continuing to monitor when this will start and Viking has said they are as well. Viking has told us they will be sending out announcements to travelers once it finally goes into effect. Click here for the official ETAIS website.

The UK is also planning on introducing an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) in the near future, possibly starting as early as January 8th. Similar to ETAIS, the exact roll-out date is not confirmed though the official website states Americans will be able to apply starting Nov 27th. It, too, has been delayed before and Viking has advised they will be sending out notices once it is confirmed as required. It will be an online application process with a small fee and can take up to three days. Click here for more information.

Barb & Juliette Share Their Explora Journeys Highlights!

You know Imaging Going There for our expertise in Viking cruises, but don’t forget we also represent a wonderful all-suite cruise line called Explora Journeys, too!

Explora Journeys strives to put its guests in an “Ocean State of Mind”, meaning you are going to immediately feel a sense of peace and relaxation when you board. The ships are gorgeous and elegant and the food is fresh and absolutely superb. There are educational and experiential activities as well, but you’ll also sense the freedom to unwind and rest should decide on a slower pace.

In early October, long-time Viking cruiser and IGT clients, Barb Horner and Juliette Babb took their first Explora Journeys cruise leaving from Barcelona. We are so pleased to report that they loved their experience as much as we did!

Barb had the following to say about her trip on Explora:

“We loved our room, especially the dresser/make up vanity outside of the bathroom - that was much easier for two women to get ready each day. The ship is beautiful, and you were right, the food was amazing. Juliette and I were hungry for lasagna towards the end of the trip so Juliette inquired to see if it would be on the Marketplace menu as it wasn't on the specialties' menu. Much to our amazement they asked if we wanted chicken or beef in our lasagna which was when we found out they were going to make it just for us. We said no, not necessary but they insisted! The following evening, we enjoyed a wonderful dish of lasagna for dinner. It was so delicious!!! I was shocked they did that. Like you said, their meals are fresh and very tasty!!!”

Oh, and some of the other highlights they noted...they had a female captain! And, because the Explora parent company is MSC, those of us that have traveled on Explore have noticed that the clientele comes from all over the world. It was such a delight to meet new people from so many different places!

The first three pictures above are from Barb's hike along the Caminito del Rey in Malaga, Spain, which was considered a more difficult category level of activity. Barb exclaimed “I enjoyed it immensely!!!”

Asilah, Morocco. A communal to bake bread, pictured on right.

The Caves of Hercules in Tangier, Morocco

View from our suites balcony as we left Lisbon, Portugal

One of the things Juliette said they really appreciated was their ship staying in

ports longer - that allowed them to explore cities/areas into the late afternoon/evening. Once, due to rough water, their itinerary was revised adding Seville, Spain, but as we all know from traveling, there is need to be flexible and you never know what new experiences may come your way.

Several of us on our IGT team have experienced traveling on Explora and we all loved the 4pm tea time - Barb and Juliette agreed it was delicious!

Thanks, Barb & Juliette, for sharing your wonderful journey with us, and here’s to many more to come!

November's Specials

Rivers:

Save up to $250 per person on select dates for these river itineraries for 2025:

Rhine Getaway (8 days, Basel to Amsterdam)

Danube Waltz (8 days, Passau to Budapest)

Romantic Danube (8 days, Budapest to Regensburg)

Chateaux, Rivers & Wine (8 days, Bordeaux to Saint-Emilion to Bordeaux)

Holland & Belgium (10 Days, Amsterdam to Antwerp)

Pharaohs & Pyramids (12 Days, Cairo to Cairo) (some dates offering free air!)

Portugal’s River of Gold (10 days, Lisbon to Porto)

Elegant Elbe (10 days, Prague to Berlin)

Paris & the Heart of Normandy (8 days, round-trip Paris)

Magnificent Mekong River Cruise (15 Days, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City)

Oceans: Reduced cruise fares & free air: (**These itineraries also have reduced single supplements, so are great deals for single travelers!**)

Amazon & Caribbean Adventure (13 days, Manaus-San Juan)

Starting at $4,799 (Mar 9, 2025) and free economy air

Australia & New Zealand (15 days, Auckland-Sydney)

Starting at $7,999pp (Jan 6) and free economy air

Other dates available with free air: Jan 10 ($8,299pp), Jan 24 ($8,499pp), Feb 7 ($8,499pp)

Atlantic Ocean Passage (15 days, Ft. Lauderdale-Barcelona)

Starting at $3,499pp (Mar 27, 2025) and free economy air

Classic Panama Canal Passage (11 days, Ft. Lauderdale to Fuerte Amador)

Starting at $3,299pp (Dec 17, 2024) and free economy air

Empires of the Mediterranean (10 days, Venice to Athens)

Starting at $3,599pp (Dec 30, 2024) and free economy air

Far Eastern Horizons (15 Days, Hong Kong to Tokyo)

Starting at $7,999pp (Apr 3, 2025) and free economy air

Grand Hawaii & Polynesia (33 Days, Los Angeles, CA, to Los Angeles, CA)

Starting at $7,999pp (Jan 31, 2025) and free economy air

Greek Odyssey (11 days, round-trip Athens)

Starting at $4,999pp (Feb 3, 2025) and free economy air

Hawaiian Islands Sojourn (17 Days, Los Angeles, CA, to Los Angeles, CA)

Starting at $4,499pp (Mar 4 & 20, 2025) and free economy air

Iconic Western Mediterranean (8 Days, Barcelona to Rome)

Starting at $2,799pp (Dec 16, 2024 & Jan 6, 2025) and free economy air

Komodo & the Australian Coast (17 Days, Bali to Sydney)

Starting at $6,499 (Feb 20, 2025); $7,499 on (Mar 21, 2025) and free economy air

Malta, Morocco & the Mediterranean (16 days, Barcelona to Barcelona)

Starting at $4,999 (Dec 19, 2024) and free economy air

North Pacific Crossing (26 Days Tokyo (Yokohama) to Vancouver, BC)

Starting at $4,999 (Apr 17, 2025) and free economy air

Southern Atlantic Crossing (22 Days, Barcelona to Buenos Aires)

Starting at $4,999 (Mar 24, 2025) and free economy air

Venice, the Adriatic & Greece (8 Days, Venice to Athens)

Starting at $3,299 (Jan 1, 2025); $7,499 on (Mar 21, 2025) and free economy air

Mississippi:

Free air and free category upgrades (Veranda pricing gives you up to Deluxe Veranda 1 for free) for 2025 sailings

Mississippi Delta Explorer (8 Days; New Orleans, LA, to Memphis, TN)

Heartland of America (8 Days; St. Louis, MO, to St. Paul, MN)

The Big Easy to the Gateway City (15 Days; New Orleans, LA, to St. Louis, MN)

America’s Great River (15 Days; St. Paul, MN, to New Orleans, LA)

Mississippi River Odyssey (22 Days; New Orleans, LA, to Red Wing, MN)

New Orleans & Southern Charms (8 Days; New Orleans, LA, to New Orleans, LA)

These specials are only available by contacting Carol@ImagineGoingThere.com or by calling 770-421-9627. Contact us today for your free quote!

Join Us on Explora Journeys – Feb 21-28, 2025!

I’ve told you in previous newsletters how fabulous our Explora Journeys cruises have been!

Well, we’re doing an Imagine Going There Travel cruise to the Caribbean February 21-28, 2025, and would love to have you join us!

What a great way to get away from the winter blues – here's the itinerary:

A Journey to Boho-Chic Beaches on Rum-Casked Islands (7 nights, Miami to San Juan)

Every stateroom is a gorgeous suite, and includes gratuities, the beverage package and all meals and amenities onboard the ship. It is an absolutely wonderful experience!

You can learn more about the ship by clicking here: Life Onboard Explora Journeys. Pricing starts at just $3,306 per person, and includes $200 per person (up to $400 per stateroom) shipboard credit too.

Come join us!! Call 770-421-9627 or email Carol@ImagineGoingThere.com for more details.

Links to Past Newsletters

The Last Laugh

About Imagine Going There Travel

Carol is a Viking Master Cruise Expert and Group Travel Specialist, and she loves getting people together to enjoy the intimacy and hospitality unique to small ship cruising.

Consequently, our clients benefit from the “inside information” we have as a result of the great relationships we have developed over the years. They don't have to call an 800-number hoping to get a knowledgeable professional to answer their questions, and are also on the “first-to-know” list for specials and bonuses, all while receiving the signature TLC we put into every trip.

Vacations are the highlight reels of the year, and each one needs to be truly memorable.

Great Vacations Matter, Because Great Memories Matter Most

P.S. Whether you have questions about your upcoming cruise, or you have a Future Cruise Voucher you're trying to put to the best use, feel free to contact me at 770-421-9627 or email Carol@ImagineGoingThere.com. I'll be happy to answer all of your questions and give you the best advice for your Viking dollars.

P.S.S. If you've booked direct with Viking in the last 60 days, call 770-421-9627 to get an additional $200 shipboard credit to your reservation!