We will not be holding events this month as Carol will be travelling to Empires of the Mediterranean with the Classic Greece pre-extension and Venice post extension. Check our Facebook page for updates as she enjoys all the wonderful sites the Mediterranean and Italy have to offer!
Permission to Relax
Finding Rest on Explora Journeys
Mom celebrated her 90th birthday this year, and we wanted to surprise her with a memorable gift – a cruise on Explora Journeys.
So she could enjoy the anticipation, we wrapped up a model of the ship and gave it to her at Christmas, explaining that we would be celebrating her on a 7-day journey from Vancouver to Los Angeles, California. (She said she didn’t want to fly to Europe anymore!)
Some friends and clients to join us, so had a group of ten. We embarked in Vancouver on a beautiful day, and the ship was decked out in its most gorgeous attire.
Vancouver is just a beautiful city, and well deserving of its great reputation, so sailing out that afternoon was the perfect way to start our vacation. The ship is absolutely beautiful – Its maiden voyage was just nine months ago, so it is pristine in every possible way. Every category is a suite, and inclusions like gratuities and all beverages make it totally relaxing and enjoyable. The food is absolutely incredible, too – some of the best I’ve ever had on sea or on land!
The first day was a sea day, and I immediately felt myself start to unwind. There weren’t a lot of must-see ports, so our schedule wasn’t as full as it often is on other itineraries. This was just what we needed, as we were all coming off of some pretty intense schedules. It was a welcome relief to everyone not to have a lot on the daily calendar.
Mom & Me Enjoying Teatime
We did have some wonderful times at our ports of call, though. Our first port was a visit to the quaint town of Astoria, Oregon, where we enjoyed beautiful weather and strolling into local shops on this town along the Columbia River which divides Washington from Oregon.
This was followed by another sea day of great food and relaxation. There was time to enjoy the beautiful spa with its traditional sauna, steam room and whirlpool. But it also has some new aspects that are fun, such as a Himalayan salt cave for enhanced relaxation and great for taking deep breaths to get that upper respiratory cleansing. The experience shower has lots of different massage and temperature options, combined with the fragrance of essential oils to make the experience a real treat.
Then others participated in onboard lectures with guest speakers they call “Luminaries.” There was also a wonderful photography lesson by Margarita, Explora’s resident photographer. She taught a very popular class on how to best use your cell phone to take great photos. Later in the week she did an advanced class, and was one of the most appreciated workshops onboard the ship.
Explora photographer, Margarita shows Julie & Jo some photo tips
We entered San Francisco Bay through a thick fog as we sailed under the bridge, but once we got to port, beautiful sunshine emerged for the day! Mom had sweet memories of San Francisco as Dad worked for Lockheed for 45 years and was sent to California many times to work on secret projects that Mom never knew about. He’d be gone for the week, and she didn’t know where he was, but he’d come home for the weekends and she was the “travel agent” and would plan what she called “mini honeymoons” and they’d travel all over California. She remembered watching the ships sail under the bridge and always thought it would be so romantic to do that herself – many years later, she got to experience that herself!
Golden Gate Bridge at Night
Muir Woods – the World’s Tallest Trees!
We took a tour of Muir Woods National Park, home of the world’s tallest trees (the tallest is 258 ft, and the average age is 600-800 years old.) This was another great memory as when the family was still young and they lived there, they saw it together. It was such a peaceful setting, and Doug pushed Mom in a wheelchair throughout the park, which had a nice, planked-board walkway.
Doug, Terri & Mom at Muir Woods
Later that afternoon, we went to Pier 39 to view this iconic shopping area, complete with hundreds of sea lions! They found shelter here after the earthquake of 1989, and are safeguarded by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (you can see the live webcam here.) They are so cute to watch them climb over each other and play in the water (but would be noisy neighbors!)
Sea lions at Pier 39
We also saw a produce stand with the largest strawberries I have ever seen! More than that as you walked by them, you could smell the heady fragrance. This was fruit at it freshest and finest. Even with all the great food we had onboard, I couldn’t resist purchasing a few huge and juicy Bing cherries.
Another day at sea allowed us to enjoy more wonderful food, and visiting with friends at tea time and again at Explora’s specialty restaurants (which are all included in the cruise fare.)
Because 95 percent of our business is made up of Viking cruises, I did a poll of our group to compare their thoughts on this new experience with Explora Journeys. Everyone loved both cruise lines, but both are very different, too. The conclusion was that “you go with Viking when you want to see a lot of places, as they have the included excursions and you don’t want to miss anything. You come on Explora because the ship, the staff and the food are so wonderful, you don’t want to leave, so it makes for a more relaxing vacation.”
You can’t go wrong with either option, but without a doubt, this was the perfect trip for Mom. The staff fussed over her like she was the ship’s godmother and was waited on her hand-and-foot everywhere she went. She felt totally celebrated and we know she felt this was a perfectly wonderful way to enjoy her 90th birthday!
Mom’s 90th Birthday Aboard Explora Journeys
Note: Would you like to be featured in a future issue of this online newsletter? We would love to share your favorite highlights and special photos from a cruise you booked through Imagine Going There. Reach out to Carol.McBride@ImagineGoingThere.com
Dec 12, 16, 2024 Fares starting at $2,799pp and free air (website price: air starting at $999pp. Other 2024/25 dates available with air starting at $599pp)
Dec 23-30, 2024 Fares starting at $2,799pp and free air (website price: air starting at $999pp. Other 2024/25 dates available with air starting at $999pp)
Aug 3-15, 2024 – Fares starting at $7,795pp and free air (website price starts at $10,995pp)
Aug 15-27, 2024 - Fares starting at $7,995pp and free air (website price starts at $9,995pp)
The Compass - Print Edition
If you missed the print edition of The Compass, click here to read the second part of Carol’s report on Viking’s new itinerary: Treasures of the Rhine with some fascinating shore excursions. Also, Krista reports on her mother-daughter cruise on the Danube Waltz. Meet our newest team member, Nina Young. Finally, we shared a truly ingenious travel hack for dividing a room. (Oh, and don’t forget to check out the yummy recipe for a busy-day dinner!)
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!
Imagine Going There Travel, 3600 Dallas Hwy, Suite 230-215, Marietta, GA 30064, (770) 421-9627
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