View in browser

In This Issue:

This Month’s Events & Webinars 
Carol Sails the Galapagos
September Specials (some great ones this month!)
Join IGT on Explora Journeys Feb 21-28, 2025!
Links to Past Newsletters
The Last Laugh

September's Events & Webinars

Rescheduled Webinar: Thursday, September 19th at 2pm

      Viking Oceans Itinerary: British Isles Explorer

Registration Link: British Isles Explorer Registration

September 23 - Cresswind Charlotte, Charlotte, NC

Ice Cream Social, 2:00 - 4:00 pm

September 24 - Sun City Carolina Lakes, Indian Land, SC

Vendor Fair, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm (including presentation 1 - 2 pm)

September 27 – Lake Oconee, Greensboro, GA

Vendor Fair, 1:00 - 4:00 pm

October 2 - Sun City Hilton Head, Hilton Head, SC

Ice Cream Social, 4:30 - 6:00 pm (Pickney Hall, May River room)

October 5 – Village at Deaton Creek, Gainesville, GA

Vendor Fair, 9:00 am -1:00 pm

Carol Sails the Galapagos!

There is so much to share about our recent trip to the Galapagos Islands that I wanted to include it in both our online newsletter as well as the print one to come later this month.

By the way, are you on both lists? If you’re not on our print newsletter list, we share completely different content. If you’d like to get that issue as well, you can email Rachel@ImagineGoingThere.com with your best snail mail address to enjoy totally different content like: trip highlights for us as well as our clients, travel tips and monthly recipes!

One of the things I love about the online newsletter is I can share a lot more photos and I’m not limited to 750 like print copy requires. This issue will be longer than normal, so grab a cup of coffee, this version will give you a lot more info on this amazing destination!

We traveled on Silversea, as they are the best cruise line to this area. Why? Not only have been doing it the longest, they have the most amazing guides (all from the Galapagos Islands), and they have the newest and most luxurious ship specifically designed to sail this area.

Side Note: Another reason I’m so glad we used Silversea is – unlike a lot of other destinations – you really need someone who’s been doing this for decades to arrange all the logistics. The National Park Service heavily regulates these islands to keep them as pristine as possible. Silversea takes care of meeting all those guidelines for you, and using Silversea’s Door-to-Door service is the easiest, most inclusive, and stress-free way to travel.

Now to the Trip Highlights:

Day 1-2 - Quito

The Galapagos Islands are about 700 miles from Quito and our package included two nights there. It was an easy 5-hour flight from Atlanta to Quito, and our 2-night stay was in the beautiful JW Marriott.

The Silversea staff was there to greet us when we arrived – and stayed there until the last flight came in at 2:30am! They had our welcome package ready for us, and said someone would be at the desk the next day from 7am to midnight until our departure in case we had any questions.

We got a great night’s sleep, then the next day did the included tour of Quito, which included a drive around the city.

We also got a tour of a chocolate factory, as Ecuador is known for its microclimate conducive to growing the cacao beans. We learned that dark chocolate has significant health benefits, but milk chocolate has none, and white chocolate is not chocolate at all, “in fact, it hurts my heart to even say the two words together,” said Jared, our tour host!

We learned that Ecuador’s biggest exports are: Oil, Shrimp, Bananas, Cacao, Tuna Fish and Roses.

The guide told us that due petroleum being such a high export, their fuel costs are very minimal. For instance, they can do public transportation for as little as 35 cents.

What caught my attention was the roses – they were everywhere in this hotel! Due to their position at the equator, the roses grow straight and tall – the stems must have been 3 feet long! They were in huge arrangements, and are changed every week by the hotel’s in-house floral department. I asked how much it cost the hotel for these beautiful flowers, and while she said she didn’t know for sure, we were told you could usually buy 75 rose for $5!

Guayaquil airport, then on to the Galapagos. The luggage had to be separately scanned and tagged prior to landing in the Galapagos to be sure no foreign substances would be introduced. When we picked up our luggage in Quito, they all had green zip-tie closures so they couldn’t be opened and anything else added.

The Silversea guides walked us through the airport as far as possible, then we waited for our smaller plane to take us to Guayaquil, where we picked up additional passengers before landing in San Cristobal where we would board our ship.

Our arrival in San Cristobal had us go through their customs process (there are fees for this, but included in your Silversea fare). Then all the luggage was lined up and the officials had a dog go through and sniff all the luggage to be sure nothing was there that shouldn’t be.

From there we identified our luggage and the Silversea guides took us to the bus and to the zodiacs to board the ship where we had a delicious lunch!

Our staterooms had a welcome bottle of champagne as well as expedition backpacks and a stainless refillable water bottle to use on our excursions.

Day 3 - On to the Islands!

On our way to the ship, we did a detour to see an abandoned boat that had a platform for sea lions. Once onboard, we had a delicious lunch, followed by the mandatory muster drill.

Next up was the snorkeling gear distribution in preparation, which included wet suits and snorkels, fins all in a duffel-bag backpack, followed by the destination briefing.

We set sail mid-afternoon, and our first evening was highlighted by the sunset sail away around Kicker Rock, where the captain circumnavigated it several times so we could all get the best photos. Then it was on to a delicious dinner of beef tenderloin for Doug and grilled sea bass for me.

Day 4 – Bartolome Summit & Buccaneer Cove

The day started early this morning, and you could choose from a zodiac tour or an adventure hike. We chose the hike, and had to be off the ship at 7am to walk up Bartolome Summit, one of the area’s most beautiful panoramic viewpoints. It was a two-hour excursion, but lots of stops in between as we spotted the wildlife and learned about the plants unique to this island.

We got some incredible photos, saw Lava Lizards, Darwin Finches, and a Marine Iguana as well as some fun photos.

Side Note: One of the fun parts of this summer trip was seeing the multigenerational groups that were onboard. One made a great celebration of their mother’s 75^th birthday – all 31 of them! Another family chose to take their grown children and their spouses on their 50^th anniversary celebration. Another group was made up of several families who all participated in swim team when their children were young but had stayed friends through the years. They all gathered to explore the Galapagos while reconnecting with each other. Such a great way to create friends and family memories that will last for years to come!

31 family members celebrating Monina’s 75^th birthday

We went back to the ship for a quick change to get ready for our beach snorkeling for beginners. (It had been too long since I had done any snorkeling, so the course was a good refresher.) Speaking of refreshing - the water at this time of year is very cold! The Humboldt Current is what brings a lot of cold and nutrient-rich water to the Islands, which causes the marine life to thrive. It is also what makes snorkeling a very cold experience, but we did it! There was the cutest Galapagos penguin swimming in the waters as we were starting our lesson, too.

After that experience, we went back to the ship was next for a hot shower, but on the way in, we were greeted by Juan, the Hotel Manager with the best hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted! What a nice welcome that was!

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch in the Grill – the section on the top of the ship which has great views (and delicious fish!), serenaded by music while and the Captain and the Maître ‘d made sure we had everything we needed. Then we went to a kayaking briefing as we wanted to participate in that excursion later in the week.

We had time for a quick Sunday afternoon nap, then to the zodiacs for a tour of Buccaneer Cover, Santiago. On this excursion, we saw lots of Blue Footed Boobies, Nazca Boobies, Brown Pelicans, Frigate birds and sea lions. We learned that the Frigate birds are called “the pirates of the Galapagos” because they can’t get wet or they will drown. If there are fish on the surface of the water, they can scoop those up with their long bills, but never land in the water like other birds do.

In order to get the food they need, they basically terrorize other birds who have caught fish, chasing them around and sometimes even biting their tails and swinging them back and forth until they throw up the fish from the stress. Then the Frigate birds eat their fish – just like real pirates!

Then it was back to the ship in time for a lecture on the geology of the Galapagos by the Silversea Naturalist. Later – and as would be the case for every night, Sofía, our Destination Leader, would give a briefing on the next day’s adventures – which would be Fernandina and Isabela Islands that we would visit the next day.

Day 5 – Punta Vicente Roca, Isabela & Punta Espinoza, Fernandina

Today’s highlight was the search for the Galapagos Penguin, which is not found anywhere else in the world. It’s one of the smallest species of penguins and the only one that lives north of the equator. Scientists estimate there are about 1,000 breeding pairs, which also makes it one of the rarest penguins in the world, too.

Add to that, is the fact that about 90 percent of the population is in the western islands of Fernandina and Isabela, so this was the perfect opportunity to spot them.

Our morning started with a zodiac tour where we visited the coastline of the Ecuador volcano. The weather was beautiful, and we saw lots of Blue Footed Boobies, sea turtles and sea lions.

Next up was the deep-water snorkeling tour. After the experience with cold water beach snorkeling the day before, I wasn’t sure I was going to be up for it. However, seeing a sea turtle close to the ship was the sign I needed to brave the cold and give it a try.

I am so glad I did!! I was with Dominica, our naturalist guide, who had a Go Pro with her. We saw some wonderful fish, but then also saw so many huge sea turtles as well as Marine Iguanas that were swimming and eating together. She got our group photo, and at the end of the tour, we saw a horn shark as well, apparently a rare thing to find.

It really was an amazing experience!

How often do you get an opportunity to see such incredible animals up-close?? Of course coming back to the ship to that wonderful hot chocolate made it well worth the effort, too.

Did I mention that there is a heated towel and bath robe rack, so the staff greets you upon your return with warm towels and bath robes? Very luxurious treatment!

The afternoon’s lecture was from the Expedition Filmmaker, Jorge Prigann, who told us how to take the best photos during our trip. As you would expect, he has an amazing ability to capture the perfect photo, so the timing of this talk was very helpful in preparing us to take better photos during the rest of the trip.

Three rather obvious, but often overlooked tips:

Clean your lens before every photo – take notice of how often you are touching your lens every time you are grabbing your phone, whether it’s out of your pocket or purse. As Jorge said, “If you take 1,000 photos, clean it 1,000 times!”
Be sure the camera brightness is up - While advanced photographers may make adjustments to the lighting, for most of us, we will want the brightness up to capture the best photos.
Try to get eye-level with the animals – this will give you the best perspective for your photos.

That afternoon was a nature walk to Punta Espinosa. We had a dry landing to an island known for its many marine iguanas. They were everywhere, just basking in the sun (did you know they snort sea salt?) We also learned about the lava cacti, which as the name suggests, grows through cracks in the lava and survive with very little water. As the lava fronds die, it decomposes into a dirt-type substance that allows other plants to grow which otherwise would not be able to.

It was a gorgeous day and we enjoyed walking around this island, seeing the many little sea coves which had seals playing in the water or guarding their domain, as well as iguanas and crabs everywhere posing for photos!

To keep this newsletter short and sweet, I will end this tale with a link to continue reading about days 7-10 of our amazing and immersive Galapagos cruise. Also, click here to watch the video our Expedition filmmaker, Jorge Prigann, made of this trip.

**Tip: There are a lot of moving parts to booking this trip, and that is one of the reasons we wanted to personally experience before recommending it. If you are interested in traveling to the Galapagos with Silversea, call us today at 770-421-9627, and we can give our insights into best time of year, stateroom categories and additional tips to help you determine if this is the best fit for your next vacation.

The Galapagos Islands are truly a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and well-deserving of the high place it holds as a bucket-list destination!

E55606EE-994F-40E4-8B71-A7CDF4C9D294_1_105_c

September’s Specials (Savings You Won’t See Anywhere Else!)

Rivers:

Select river cruises through August 2025, have free Silver Spirits Beverage Package included.

Rhine & Main Explorer (11 days, Nuremberg to Basel)

Starting at $4,999pp, free air plus free Silver Spirits Beverage Pkg.

London, Paris & D-Day (12 days, London to Paris)

Starting at $5,499pp, free air plus free Silver Spirits Beverage Pkg.

Oceans:

Treasures of Australia & Indonesia (24 days, Sydney to Singapore)

February 6, 2024 –Starting at $9,999pp and free airfare (Huge savings!)

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

Dec 11, 2024 – starting at $3,499pp and free air

January 2, 2025 – starting at $4,499pp and free air

South America & the Chilean Fjords (18 days, Valparaiso to Buenos Aires)

Dec 12, 2024 – starting at $4,999pp and free air

November 25, 2024 – starting at $5,999pp and free air

Greek Odyssey (11 days, round-trip Athens)

Feb 3, 2025 – starting at $5,499pp and free air

Repositioning cruises on sale:

Atlantic Crossing (15 days, Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale)

Dec 5, 2024 – $2,999pp and free air

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

Oct 18, 2024 – starting at $4,499pp and free air

March 24, 2025 – starting at $4,999pp and free air

North Pacific Passage (23 days, Tokyo to Vancouver)

April 17, 2025 – starting at $6,999pp and free air

May 16, 2025 – starting at $6,999pp and free air

Expeditions

Antarctic Explorer (11 days, Buenos Aires to Ushuaia)

Nov 20, 24 and Dec 1, 2024 – starting at $9,995pp and free air

Dec 5, 12, 2024 – $11,995 pp and free air

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 $3,280 per person, and includes $200 per person (up to $400 per stateroom) shipboard credit too. Plus, by booking with us, you’ll also get an additional 5% discount on any cruise booked by September 20. For those that want even more savings, there’s an extra 5% discount if paid in full within 7 days of booking, too.

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

The Compass - Print Edition

If you missed the print edition of The Compass, click here to read more about some of the places that surprised Carol (in both amazing and mediocre ways) on her recent trip on Viking’s Empires of the Mediterranean. In Tales from our Sails, Katherine and Chuck report on their first trip to Scandinavia on the Viking Homelands itinerary, reviewing the highlights of being in a Penthouse Veranda and helpful the Viking staff. (Don’t forget to check out the yummy recipe for Chicken “Pop” Pie, a sure hit for those younger family members.)

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!