January 17, 2025 • 53 mins
The Wishing Well's Terrie Dean and Harry Reif discuss this week's travel news and Hot Deals!
In this episode we dive into the fascinating world of the cruise industry's Wave Month. Discover what Wave Month is, its intriguing history, and how you can take advantage of the incredible deals available during this period. Learn expert tips on how to save money and book your dream cruise at the best prices.
Whether you're a seasoned cruiser or planning your first voyage, this episode is packed with valuable insights to help you navigate the seas of savings. Don't miss out on this opportunity to make your next cruise adventure more affordable and enjoyable!
In this episode we dive into the fascinating world of the cruise industry's Wave Month. Discover what Wave Month is, its intriguing history, and how you can take advantage of the incredible deals available during this period. Learn expert tips on how to save money and book your dream cruise at the best prices.
Whether you're a seasoned cruiser or planning your first voyage, this episode is packed with valuable insights to help you navigate the seas of savings. Don't miss out on this opportunity to make your next cruise adventure more affordable and enjoyable!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is a Lifeless Ordinary. It's a travel show and
podcasts from your friends at the wishing Well two forty
three f Avenue in harsmerg and online at the wishing
Well dot This. The wishing Well is your ultimate luxury concierge,
travel agency and a Lifeless Ordinary is a travel show
and podcast hosted by Terry Dean, bringing her over forty
years of experience in the travel industry to help guide
(00:21):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be
around the block, around the country, or around the world.
Let's bring in Terry Dean and say.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Hello, I'm here and it's a Saturday again, Chris, and
it's great to see you.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
It's good to see you, Terry. We got to say
hi to Harry Rife as well.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Yes, very cool Saturday today, my friend, it's.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Going to be even colder Monday and Tuesday. I think
the low temperature is going to be like negative one,
negative two. Wow. But it'll feel great during the day
when it reaches ten degrees.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Well, it'll be like a heat wife.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Feel better if you can get on a plane and
go somewhere warm.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Yes, that's the best part about this show. We get
to talk about warm destinations.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah, I said, I love to live vicariously through a
lifeless ordinary and I get to do it once a week,
so I'm happy about that.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
We do have. We're under a winter storm morning tomorrow.
We're supposed to get maybe five six inches of snow.
I'm imagining that's up in the higher elevations, maybe one
to three down in the valley. But if you ever
needed encouragement to pick up the phone or go to
the website, the wishing Well dop is you can pick
up the phone five four oh nine oh eight twenty
three thirty three and call and make your vacation reservation
(01:28):
out of town.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
And I have to tell you little shameless plug for
the other side of our business this morning, speaking of
which we decided on the floral side of our business.
And for those who are listening who don't know, the
wishing Well is actually a three pronged business. We've got
the core of our business of course as a travel agency.
We have an event planning side of our company. And
then we have a floral boutique which is lovely and
(01:51):
we decided that we were going to sell sunshine, so
we have this great new product. If you're listening and
you want to visit our Facebook page, you can see
all about it there. It's also on our website on
the Wishing Weld dot biz. But we are selling sunshine.
If you really want to know what that means, just
go take a look on our floral Facebook page.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
I'm intrigued.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Yeah it is.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
It's fun and I'll tell you on a day like this,
why not let's sell a little sunshine.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Chris, your outfigure. You look like you're advertising your floral boutique.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Right.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
I know everybody can't see this, but I love flowers,
you know, and flowers are fun and flowers make me happy.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
And so you know I did it right, did I not?
Speaker 1 (02:31):
You look good?
Speaker 4 (02:33):
Thank you?
Speaker 1 (02:34):
And Harry's wearing a blue sweater. That's right, it's a keyword.
But the color of the sea.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
That's right, Yeah, ocean blue.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
I like it. Sorry, we got to get caught up
on what's been going.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
On the last year, yeah, you know, and there's plenty
of things in the news right now. Of course, we
still continue to focus on the California fires. They're not
over yet, sadly, but I just want to give just
a couple of bullet points. Let people know who are
listening that may have some concerns, family members, friends, whatever.
Out in the California area, more than one hundred and
(03:08):
seventy thousand people are still under evacuation notices as firefighters
battle this deadly Los Angeles blazes. There is hope fire
teams will continue to make progress Chris this weekend, ahead
of another round of fire fueling winds expected next week.
(03:30):
Here we go plummeting into the deep cold, the deep freeze,
and the poor folks out in California are going to
battle those wins. Evacuees anxious to return to devastated neighborhoods
to survey their damage, they're going to have to wait
for at least another week as hazardous material is removed.
Now for some a return to home is likely months away.
(03:54):
That's a long time if you're away from home.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
But if we're saying also a shout out to the
travel industry terry, sometimes we make remarks about companies and
things that happen. The travel industry has really stepped up.
Airlines have issued pretty much unconditional waivers for flights in
and out of some of those airports, and hotels have
done a lot of things to make rooms available to
(04:18):
people who don't have a home anymore. And the industry
executives have been stepping up also and making some nice
donations to help the aid efforts that are going out there.
So big shout out to all those people who are
doing the kind things to help those poor people that
have been inconvenienced in a huge way by these fires.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
And I want to say, if you would like to
help out, you can text a relief to thirty three
one hundred. That's relief to thirty three one hundred. You'll
get a text message back with information on how you
can give. And iHeartMedia has teamed up with an organization
in southern California to help those that are being affected
by the wildfire.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Excellent, excellent, So our hearts go out to everybody in California.
Harry and I have some close colleagues that are in
the travel industry that live out there, some of our
representatives from some of the vendors, so we're watching it
all so very closely. So I really appreciate having that
link Chris to know where to go to help out.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Always good. Also, speaking of.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Back on the East Coast, there's going to be some
big goings on going on in the nation's capital during
the deep freeze. Understand that they've moved the inauguration inside. However,
there are going to be some great hotel packages that
are offering some I'm going to say staggering package deals
(05:44):
for Inauguration Day, and those are looking very interesting. For example,
the Watergate Hotel is offering a head of State inaugural
package for just a meager seventy three thousand and five
hundred dollars plus tax. Guests will receive round trip transportation
(06:05):
from New York City to d C if you need that,
on a Blade helicopter, and a daily executive chauffeur in
an armored mayboch. The package also includes a presidential welcome amenity.
They get a custom wax seal on stationery along with
keepsake Watergate crystal, and a private whiskey tasting with the
(06:30):
hotel's esteemed whiskey console and a tour of the scandal
suite where the historical break in was conducted. And that
stay is for three nights for a meager seventy three
thousand dollars and change.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
It sounds like a bargain, it really does. Tell, I mean,
for everything you're getting that chant afford it personally, But
man if I could, I do it.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
And you're at the Watergate, come on. So the next
one is at the Salamander DC. If the Watergate's seventy
three thousand dollars package feels a little on the cheap
side for you, do not fear, because you can immerse
yourself in the newly renovated Salamander Hotel in Washington, d C.
For the inauguration of the forty seventh President and bring
(07:11):
your pet. Yes you can. The Salamander recently announced a
pet friendly inaugural four nights stay, not to be upstaged
by the Watergate, and it includes round trip luxury transportation
from the airport to the hotel's presidential suite, a twenty
four hour butler, and a spa day. All of this
(07:32):
can be yours for a very low two hundred and
forty four thousand, seven hundred dollars.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Now the other one sounds like a bargain.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Yes, So that one now appears to be economical, does
it not.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
Now?
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Third is the Ritz Carlton Pentagon City. They will be
offering the ultimate inauguration experience with a three night stay
in a luxury suite also includes a personal styling session
because you've got a look good, a five hundred dollars
wardrobe credit again because you've got to look good, and
dinner for two at Sante, a private monument tour by Moonlight,
(08:11):
and that is being offered The Fairmont, also in Washington,
d C. And Georgetown is offering a stay in the
presidential Suite, two butlers, and round trip airfare for four
people and their pet. So everybody's trying to outdo everybody else.
Guests are going to get in room hair and makeup,
(08:32):
and this is only going to be three hundred and
fifty thousand dollars for those four nights. Plus you get
a twenty five thousand dollars shopping spree at Sacks Fifth Avenue,
so and a personal photographer for all of that revelry.
And for three hundred and fifty thousand dollars, Chris, you
(08:53):
two can enjoy the inauguration in Washington, D C.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
In style.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
My offer, I'll charge you three hundred and fifty dollars.
You can stay at my house and we'll watch on TV.
I might even feed you.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
There's a deal, folks, there's a deal. Not quite a lifeless.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Ordinary, but you know what matters, Chris company matters.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
I feel really bad for the people that have already,
you know, made their way to DC to see the inauguration,
and now it's going to be moved inside the road Tunda.
I understand for safety because it's going to be so
cold it is, but I mean, you know, a couple
hundred and three hundred thousand people show up and they
get to watch it on TV and a bar somewhere.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Yeah. So yeah, life's all about choices, Chris, And you know,
I want to just sort of continue this vibe of
extravagance with our news today because this hit my inbox
and I felt like I really just had to share it.
This show is called a Lifeless Ordinary, and I really
(09:54):
wanted to make sure that people knew about this. I
was so taken by this, as a matter of fact,
that I did post it on our Facebook page, which
is the Wishing Well. So this is one of the
most exclusive restaurants in the entire world, and with this experience,
which by the way, is a seven hour experience and
(10:16):
a fifty course tasting menu, has the wildest dining experience
I have ever heard of. They call it five acts,
seven hours and fifty impressions. This is dinner at the
Alchemist in Copenhagen, and it's only at a two star
Michelin restaurant helmed by Rasmus Monk, who was recently named
(10:40):
the world's top chef at the Best Chef Awards in
twenty twenty four. This dude is not very old. He's
only like thirty three years old. And you must go
to our Facebook page and watch this video about this experience.
The gentleman who actually went through this details it and
(11:01):
videos his experience in detail. It's amazing to watch. The
outrageous expedition comes with a substantial price tag. Bookings start
roughly at only at seven hundred I was going to
say only but seven hundred and eighteen dollars a person,
not including the beverage pairings, so really all told out
(11:22):
the door, you can expect to be at about twelve
to thirteen hundred euros per person for this experience. And
they ask him was it worth it? He said, while
I can't speak for everyone, as a person who is
deeply passionate about food and travel, for once in a
lifetime culinary experiences, without a doubt, it was worth every
(11:45):
penny and every minute. So I had to share that
with you today because while we were talking about over
the top experiences, that one hit my radar and I
thought it was worth sharing with you today. Now as
we talk about something else in the news and we
talk about airlines, the mood changes drastically. I'm sorry, the
(12:08):
DOT just filed suit against Southwest for chronically delayed flights
and find Frontier Airlines for chronically delayed flights as well.
This move comes after the DOT just signed Jet Fine
Jet Blue two million dollars earlier in January.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
For the same issue.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
All I can say is, get with it, airlines, these
chronically delayed flights that really are unnecessary and unwarranted. You know,
you get what's coming to you. And then finally, a
tip of advice in our new segment today for our travelers,
and that is travel fakes are something that's on the
(12:50):
rise and something that have now been exposed, and I've
got just a couple of simple steps to protect you
and your trip and your wallet. What they're saying is
travel scams are increasing in twenty twenty five, with criminals
using AI to create fake websites, listings, and even social
media profiles. Now They've gone so far as to fake
(13:13):
websites for accommodations, hotels, airbnbs, and even yes, airlines. One
common scam involves fake vacation rentals that are nonexistent or
significantly different from their advertised appearance. I've heard about that
one several times. But travelers should be cautious of phishing
(13:35):
emails also, and text messages that appear to be from
legitimate travel companies but aim to steal your personal information. Now,
how do you spot a fake when you're booking travel?
Here's a couple of tips. Book through a legitimate source.
First of all, I'm going to say shamelessly the wishing
well please, we'd love to have your business, and we
(13:57):
will not scam you. I can guarantee you that. But
a legitimate source includes the airlines, hotels, and tour operators
with which you are familiar and have a proven track record.
Stick to a well known and reputable travel website and
service provider. Also, be wary of deals that seem too
good to be true. Right now, people, because money is
(14:21):
an issue and economics are an issue for most households,
people are looking for that great pie in the sky deal.
They are, and so they are more tempted to launch
out and give information to one of these fake sites
unwittingly because they're just after the great deal.
Speaker 4 (14:39):
Folks.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
If it's too good to be true, it usually is.
And I have many times dealt with callers who call
our office who ask me about those I'm happy to
do that and let them know whether it is or
isn't one of those kind of deals. Double check everything,
verify your reservation and payments, and look for reviews on
(14:59):
multiple platforms to validate the surface or accommodation. Be safe
out there. You strong passwords and two factor authentication, don't
recycle your passwords, and be extra careful when using a
public Wi Fi network. So a couple of things out
there to really be careful about. Harry, I don't know.
(15:21):
This is kind of your Bailey Wick, So I don't
know if you've got a couple of things you'd like
to add to that.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
I can add a couple of things. I think when
you get excited on the phone and you get that
call and it sounds so good and it is so
good to your ears, you're going to want to share.
It opens you up, It makes you predisposed to share information.
You're going to share lots of personal information. You're going
to share your name, You're going to share your data birth,
you're going to share your address, you're going to share
your passport information. You might even share your credit card
(15:49):
over the phone. If you don't know who you're talking to, Please, please,
please don't do that. Even if you're talking to the
wishing well and you have a doubt, tell us you
know you're going to and you're gonna call us back
at the number you know we're at that five four
zero nine zero eight two three three three. That way
you can know who you're talking to at least a
(16:10):
little bit better, a whole lot better than if you're
receiving a call and someone's asking you for all that
personal information. It's so easy to get caught up in
the heat of a moment and share things that you
regret sharing real soon thereafter. Credit cards, personal information should
not be shared casually.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
It's so easy to forget everything you've learned in that moment. Yeah,
I was on the phone just yesterday with somebody from
our company that was asking me some information that they needed,
and I gave them the information and I hung up
and went, I don't know if that person really works
for our company. Yeah, I'm like, why did I do that?
(16:51):
Didn't even think twice until after i'd hung up, and
I just saw something from one of the banks using you.
We've talked about AI and how it can just make
things look real. And one of the things that the
scammers are doing now is they spoof the phone number
of your credit card company. So when you start to
(17:13):
have hesitation, they say, there's no reason not to trust us.
Look at the back of your credit card. We're calling
from that number. Don't believe it, And you're like, oh,
of course, yes, here's all my information. Don't do it.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Well. The best thing you can do is call that
hang up and say you're right. What's your name. I'll
call back and I'll ask for you yes, and they'll
start explaining why that's not possible. That should be a
tip off to you. They can put a note in
the record and you can get back to somebody at
that bank if in fact they are legitimate, or somebody
(17:46):
at that person off at that place offering you that
travel deal is just too good to be true. Somebody
will make some notes and if they're legitimate, you should
be able to call them back on a number that
you choose to dial, not with your phone says is
calling you very different.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
On a completely different note, because that just this scary stuff, Terry.
Last week we talked a little bit about the wave season,
Wave Month, and we're going to do a whole show
about it today.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
We are we are, and we're calling this Riding the Wave.
What I wanted to do with today's show because we
just tipped the edge of the iceberg last week, Harry
introduced information about Wave Month and that it was coming. Well,
let's hear folks, and if you've ever wanted a great
deal on a cruise, now's the time to look at it.
But in addition to that, on today's show, we're going
(18:37):
to be looking at a more intimate insight into who
these cruise lines are and exactly what their wave deal is.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Love it. We'll get into that more next as we
ride the wave here on a life less ordinary.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Protect your vacation investment with guidance from a travel professional.
The wishing well knows travel and help you avoid pitfalls.
They can spoil your hard earned vacation. We'll plan your
trip and have you back as you travel. All of
this without support or so called convenience fees. We're on
the web at the Wishingwell dot biz or call us
at five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
(19:12):
That's five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
The wishing Well really does make dreams come true.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Welcome back to a lifeless ordinary. This is your travel
show and podcasts from your friends at the wishing Well.
You can find them on f Avenue in Harrisonburg, online
at the wishing Well dot biz, or give them a
call at five four oh nine eight twenty three thirty three.
Every Saturday morning we sit down with Harry Rife and
Terry Dean from the wishing Well and today our show
(19:40):
is Riding the Wave. And Terry, You've got a lot
of information about Wave Month and what the deals are
and what you can expect.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
You ready ride the wave.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
I'm ready. I don't like water, but I'll get the
get into it for you if that's going to help
save some money.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Yeah, And what we're going to talk about today, actually, Chris,
is what I like to think of as one of
the best secrets in the travel industry, and that is
Wave Month.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
A lot of.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
People don't know what that means. That's sort of an
industry jargon term that we use. And I know you're thinking,
what is wavemonth? It's all is it about ocean waves
or what the heck is it? But Wave Month is
an annual event in the travel world where cruise lines
roll out their very best deals, their promotions, and their perks.
(20:25):
It's kind of like, as Harry said last week, the
Black Friday of cruising. It only lasts longer and the
rewards feel a little bit more like a vacation in paradise. Now,
how did Wavemonth get its name? Well, it got its
name because of the wave of bookings that sort of
happen after the holiday season. In January, people start dreaming
(20:46):
about their next big adventure. And I can tell you
without fail, historically January to May is what we call
bumper to bumper season. It is crazy now, whether it's
escaping the winter cold or just planning your summer get away,
that's what happens, and that's what we're doing in those months. Now,
cruise lines noticed that trend and they decided to ride
(21:08):
the wave. They're offering irresistible deals to entice travelers to
lock in their next voyage early in the year, and
that way they can sort of see and forecast what
kind of profitability they're looking at, what they need to do,
and what their load factors are going to look like. Now,
what makes wave months so special is during Wave Month,
(21:32):
cruise lines pull out all the stops. You're going to
find offers like discounted fares. Now you can think of
that as the golden ticket to some of the best
prices of the year. For sure, they offer free upgrades,
balcony cabin prices, for example, for the price of an
ocean view yes please. And then on board credits. Essentially
(21:54):
they give you free money to spend while you're on
board your cruise and literally is free money. And then
perks glory, you get free Wi Fi, specialty dining, they've
got those free alcohol drink packages which everybody loves, or
even airfare discounts if not to for one airfares or
(22:15):
even in many cases free airfare. Make sure though, that
you have somebody with you to go over the details,
make sure you understand what's included and what's not. Some
deals might look amazing, but they do come with exclusions.
So it's not just about the deals though. Wave Month
(22:37):
gives you access to the best choices So if you're
booking before ships sell out, that means you're going to
get first DIBs on the perfect itinerary, the best cabins,
and the ideal sale dates. What happens in our area,
especially that I have happened upon, is that we have
(22:58):
an area of folks here in Schendel Valley. I'm not
picking on anybody. I'm just saying this is the way
it is. People are slow to the party. You know,
Just send out an RSVP one time, see how many
responses you get. It's true people in this area are
just slow to respond. Don't do that during wave months
you will get left behind and you'll get what my
(23:20):
mother used to call the dregs in the bottom of
the pan if you wait that long. So who's involved
in wavemonth it's actually every major cruise line. You've got
luxury liners like Regent, seven Seas and Silver Sea. They
offer the all inclusive packages at exclusive rates. You've got
(23:40):
big names out there like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian. All
of them dazzle with family friendly itineraries. They've got those bold,
budget friendly discounts. Even river cruises like Viking and Alma
Waterways and Avalon all have joined in the fun. Perfect
for travelers looking for more intimate cultural experience, because those
(24:02):
are the guys that's focused on more of the europe market,
the European waterways. Now, while airlines themselves don't directly participate
in Wave Month, a lot of the cruise lines do
bundle airfare into their packages. I mentioned that a while ago.
Those deals often offer significant savings, as I said, or
(24:22):
even free flights when you book that alongside your cruise. Now,
what should travelers expect if you're thinking about booking a
cruise during wavemonth? Here's some helpful tips for you. Book early.
I said that it's all about timing. Do your research
with a lot of options. It helps to know what
(24:43):
you're looking for. I mean, are there particular destinations that
you want to travel too? Is this a romantic getaway
or a family adventure or maybe a reunion. That's good
to know. Use a travel advisor again, the wishing well
is here. We'd love to help you out with that,
but just having a knowledgeable person to help you navigate
(25:05):
through this is a lot better than trying to do
it on your own and be flexible. You're going to
find some great deals but being open to travel dates
or destinations can help unlock even better opportunities. So you
want to know about all of those now, Chris. Next,
we're going to begin getting familiar with these offers and
(25:30):
the cruise lines that hopefully you're going to have an
interest in pursuing. It's not just the deal that's important.
It's important to align your travel desires and destinations with
the cruise line you choose. So I want to get
a little more intimately involved and share some knowledge about
these cruise lines. I'll tell you we had some folks
in the office the other day, a family, family of
(25:53):
none that are looking for a cruise and they came
in actually with one particular cruise line mentioned in what
they came to look at and really what we do,
and I've told you this before, we go through a
process and with people that involved sitting down talking to
them about some of their previous vacation experiences. What did
(26:16):
they like, what did they not like, what vacations would
they never repeat again? Or the ones that really made
a significant impact. Where did they go and why did
they go there? And why was that one that stood
out so much? When you come in with a specific
requested cruise line, and that's it. That's where you draw
(26:37):
your barriers. Sometimes that's not exactly the best experience if
your destination has changed. So we're going to jump right
into some of these twenty twenty five wave offers, and
the one that I'm going to start with is one
that we haven't talked a lot about here on a
Life Less Ordinary, but one that has really come into
(26:59):
vote in the last couple of years, and that's a
cruise line called Atlas Ocean Voyages. They're a luxury expedition
cruise line. They offer small, really yacht style ships that
focus on intimate voyages to some of the more diverse
destinations around the world. Their particular emphasis is on the
polar region, like Antarctica and the Arctic. Now, Atlas offers
(27:24):
a more adventurous cruising experience, so you should know that
compared to traditional cruise lines. They're also known for their
focus on immersive cultural experiences and all inclusive amenities like
that coveted gourmet dining and some unlimited beverages. Now, the
very fact that I just told you, Chris, that this
(27:46):
is a more adventurous cruise line focused on Antarctica and
the Arctic. If an eighty something year old couple came
in and said, we're celebrating our anniversary and they said
to you, you we've heard that Atlas Cruise Lines is
the great cruise line that we should be focused on.
(28:06):
What would you tell them.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
I'd say, you're right, it is a great cruise line,
but let me guide you to a different option, because
that might be a little bit too much for you.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Absolutely, and for those of you listening to us on
a lifeless ordinary, I want you to know that's exactly why.
Sometimes we don't want to foo foo your ideas of
what you come in and have a request for, but
sometimes it means that you perhaps don't have all of
the information to make a good, educated decision about where
(28:35):
you want to go.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
And that's why it's part of our role as a
travel advisor is to give you that kind of advice.
If they came in and you know, we're very athletic
and outdoorsy and they're eighty five years old, that'd be
a great adventure for them to consider. Exactly we need
to explain to them what to expect, what the exertion
level might be, the kinds of things that that cruise
(28:58):
Line might offer them. That cruise Line actually offers an
opportunity to jump into the Antarctic, into the water. They
into a special little apparatus, get you all suited up
and you can say you were in the anttach Antarctic.
If you're prepared to do that, that's great. If that's
(29:19):
going to give you a heart attack, probably not the
right decision, not a good idea. I wouldn't advise Chris
that you and I take that jump. Real quick, a minute,
what are you saying we're not going to do it? Brother?
Speaker 2 (29:31):
But if you are the adventurous cruising type and the
Antarctica and the Arctic do appeal to you, I want
to tell you a little bit about what their wave
offer is. Okay, it's called Adventure Beyond. So again, just
by that name alone, I think you can see the
kind of audience that they're going for. They're going to
offer thirty percent savings, a value of up to ten
(29:53):
thousand dollars per state room, and up to a six
hundred dollars on board credit for select expedition. Your onboard
credit can be used for enhanced Wi Fi package on
small group excursions including kayaking and camping in the Antarctica
for their land portions to luxuriate at Cespa by Luxetain
(30:16):
for shopping in the boutique. The in depth journeys that
they have of seven to twenty nights or more include
many overnights and late evenings in a lot of those
captivating destinations, and those usually follow the exploration of the Creuse.
Plus interestingly enough, Atlas has solo travel opportunities. You can
(30:39):
enjoy a single supplement on atlass right now for only
twenty five percent more of their double room rate on
a lot of their expeditions, and they're booking window for
the Wave season is from now until February the third,
So if you are interested in doing any of that,
I know it's cold right now and we're not thinking
(31:00):
of that right now, but come August, I think that
would look pretty good and now would be a good
time to buy. The next one on the list is
one that a lot of families wait for, and that
is with Disney Cruise Line. For those of you who
don't know or have lived under a rock for a
long long time, Disney Cruise Line is the line that
(31:21):
offers family friendly vacations with Disney entertainment, dining, and activities.
The Walt Disney World Company founded Disney Cruise Line in
nineteen ninety five, and to date they have one, two, three, four, five, six,
seven eight cruise ships in their family fleet, two which
(31:42):
are scheduled to join the fleet this year. And that
is the Disney Destination and the Disney Adventure. I don't
think I need to say a whole lot more about
what Disney does or what they offer. Have you ever
been on a Disney cruise?
Speaker 1 (31:55):
I have not. My aunt and her family went on
one and had just a blast.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
Yeah. Who's always on the Disney cruise? Mickey, mickey, And
it's your front, right, Yeah, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
And for a limited time right now, their wave offer
is to pay fifty percent of the required deposit at
your time of booking on select Disney cruises. You must
book by March the fourteenth, which is how long their
wave season runs, and you pay only half of your
required deposit on the day you make your reservation. Now
this valid. This offer is valid on any new reservation
(32:29):
for select Disney cruises departing between June the sixteenth, So
that's casting the net out there a good way. And
May the thirty first goes through twenty twenty six, So
if you're cruising between June sixteenth and May thirty first
of next year, twenty twenty six, that can be included
(32:51):
in this deal, and that is the Disney Cruise Line deal.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
Let's take a quick break and then when we come back,
we're going to dig more into the Wave season. Our
show today is called Riding the Wave, and we'll talk
more about it next Here on a Lifeless Ordinary.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
Who would think of driving off to a new destination
without guidance from Google to Siri. Let the Wishing World
guide your next travel experience. Travel the world as you
enjoy the very best destinations and all they offer at
the best prices. Our mobile travel app keeps your vacation
on track and keeps you connected with our team of
experts for help. If you need it, call us at
five four zero nine zero eight two three three three stop,
(33:32):
buy two forty threep Avenue or visit us at the
Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
And welcome back to a Lifeless Ordinary, the travel showing
podcast from your friends at the Wishing Well. Every Saturday morning,
we sit down and we talk travel. This is the
best part of the week, and today We're lucky enough
to have Harry Rife and Terry Dean with us, and
if you'd like to get in touch with them, you
can stop by and see him on the f avenue,
give him a call at five four ZHO nine oh
eight twenty three thirty three or five on the web
(34:00):
at the wishing Well dot biz. And our show today
is called Riding the Wave. We're talking about wave season
in regard specifically to cruises, and we are in the
heart of wave season. Terry, we were talking about Atlantic
cruises and their very immersive experience. How about if I
(34:20):
am that eighty five year old couple and I'm looking
for something a little bit more laid back, can we
find something for them?
Speaker 2 (34:26):
I know we can, And I wish we had time
to really cover all of the cruise lines today because
this is a very interesting segment for people who love cruising,
and we have a lot of people who are just
die hard cruisers. But if we looked at that same
couple we were talking about just a second ago, I'll
tell you what, Harry's got a couple of deals that
(34:46):
I know would be perfect for that couple.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
Yeah, I want to start with one you talked about
that eighty five year old couple. One of the cruise
lines that's out there that's renowned for its traditional British
style excellence, that's Canard. Canard has been around since eighteen forty. Okay.
Canard has these elegant interiors, Cherry and I've been on
a cruise on their ship. It's wood, teak, wood and brass,
(35:14):
polished brass throughout, very classic, very historic. You see pictures
of the people that have been saying.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
You do love it, Chris, because there's pictures of Queen
Elizabeth throughout the ship.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Can I just say, this is how much of a
geek I am and and I'm glad this has all
come full circle in my life. When I first moved
out of the house and was trying to decorate the house,
I found this poster for Canard Cruise Lines, Oh No,
that I had framed and it hung in my house
for probably twenty years. Want that I think I still
have it somewhere. We don't have it hung up anymore.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
I'll put it up in the office.
Speaker 4 (35:47):
Absolutely, I can find it at yours, Okay.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
And that's part of what makes Canard so special. There's
an esthetic about the Canard ships They're filled with that
kind of just be an intriguing kinds of posters, the design,
the grand staircases, the spacious libraries, even a cigar bar
on board that is something that I have never seen
(36:10):
anything the likes of. I'm not a cigar smoker, but
you gotta be impressed when you see something you know.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
It's also one of the only pet friendly cruise lines.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Yeah, you bring your pet in. They board your pet
on board for you, so he or she's got their
special post. If you like to dress up for dinner,
you're encouraged, not required, to dress up for dinner. On
formal nights, you'll see tuxedos, you'll see evening gowns, and
it fits this ship just perfectly. They do Transatlantic voyages,
(36:41):
but they also do some voyages right here from the
East Coast out of New York City. They bought some
ships and they go down to the Caribbean, so lots
of opportunities there. You're going to enjoy afternoon tea on board,
you can take your pinky, put it in the air,
and it's just a fantastic cruise line. Four ships, the
(37:02):
names of which should be very familiar. The Queen Mary
two the Queen Victoria, the Queen Elizabeth, and the Queen Anne.
And during wave period they're making available one of their
special packages, Chris, and that's called the Enjoyed All package
that gives you unlimited Wi Fi, gives you beer, wine,
spirits and their drink packages, alternative dining or you might
(37:23):
want to have champagne with your afternoon tea. So that
package is available for sailings from June twenty five through
September twenty six. Special price on that of sixty dollars
a day per person. Very very nice. And that's Canard.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
And I want to say just one other quick thing
about Canard. While the Canard cruise ships have don't have
the bells and whistles and are tricked out like a
lot of them are. I think Harry pointed to this,
and I want to reiterate that it's the traditional way
of cruising for those who remember sailing like I do,
(38:03):
years and years ago, more than forty years ago, when
you know, elegance started in the cruise line industry with
the SS Norway and Canard cruise ships. That is still
a standard on board these cruises and they are, without
a doubt some of the most elegant ships still on
the ocean.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
And they also have one unique feature that more and
more cruise ships are bringing on board the offerings Now
they have single or solo traveler rooms specifically designed. So
lots of good options there. And one of the things
I should mention also is we're going through all these
options terry is the virtuoso benefits, those virtualso benefits that
(38:45):
you get all year long by booking through an agency
like the wishing Well that is a virtual agency. You
get those on top of all of these great wave deals.
These are not available when you go online and do
your booking there. So virgin voyage is one another one
I should mention. If you're in that lifestyle or age
(39:06):
group where you want something a little more elegant, a
little more intimate, how about ships that only carry about
one hundred and fifty to three hundred and fifty passengers.
If you like that, you're going to be looking at
Windstar Cruises. They've got small, boutique style sailing. They don't
call them just ships, they call them yachts. And you're
going to see this intimate and immersive experiences. Everybody on
(39:28):
board is going to know your name, and the service.
You know staff by the time you get off a
ship like that, because they're trained in that same kind
of elegance that you would expect from a five star
hotel and a high end cruise lines. They're recognized for
their high quality service. They have an exceptional culinary program,
(39:49):
and they focus. Because they have these small ships, they
get on some of the what I call the off
the beaten path ports. They can go into places that
the large guys cannot enduring wave season. They've got what
they call a pick your perk deal, and you get
to choose. You can either take an onboard credit of
one thousand dollars per suite that's good for sure excursions,
(40:11):
beverage packages, spot treatments, more. You can choose a night
at a hotel before or after your cruise, or you
might want this complementary all inclusive experience where you might
reserve a premium suite and have that as your options.
So Win Star Cruise Line an excellent option. Again, if
(40:33):
you're looking for that off the beaten path, you're looking
for something exceptional, you're looking for something classic. You're looking
for something that you can come home and return with
some great memories from your vacation. We're going to move
over to Virgin Voyages. They are a cruise line that's
headquartered in Florida, relatively new. They're part of the Virgin
(40:54):
group and the Virgin Virgin name you remember from the
music business, Chris who the big name is Virgin.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
Yeah, that's Branson.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
Branch Branson, exactly right. They've got three ships in their fleet.
They're growing the couple thousand people on a ship. Some
of the things that they have for their special Wave
week is what they call eighty percent off the second
Sailor Deal, and they're putting three hundred dollars in free
(41:24):
beverages on that package too. So if you're going to
look at a special deal and you want to bring
somebody along, getting eighty percent off not too shabby.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
Huh, It's not too shabby. One thing I do want
to note, though, Harry, and make sure that our listeners
are very much aware of. I think it's noteworthy to
say that Virgin Voyages has an appeal and they market
to a much younger sect of sailors.
Speaker 4 (41:50):
I would say.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
Anything from eighteen to forty is usually their demographic for
their cruise ship, and that's who they mostly appeal to.
Speaker 3 (42:00):
That's a great point, Terry, and it gets right back
to what we're just talking about. If you're that eighty
year old couple, we probably would not point you to
virgin voyages. But if you're that twenty year old couple
looking for a lot of great you know, couple's action
on board, where you see people all around and up
late at night, you're gonna find Virgin Voyage could be
very attractive.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
I feel there are probably a few eighty year old
people listening to the show right now going.
Speaker 2 (42:24):
We're not that old, I know, and my mother would
probably say that as well. But I think it's interesting
to note though, most people who travel want to be
with other like minded people. This has really nothing to
do with your age on your birth certificate. This has
to do with being with people that you most identify with,
(42:46):
and certainly you want to be when you travel, when
you vacation, especially if you're on a cruise, you want
to be or you hope to be with like minded people.
Speaker 1 (42:55):
Let me ask you a quick question if, as we
talk about wanting to find that cruise, we're going to
be with our tribe when we when we do a
family cruise, where we're going to have maybe grandma all
the way down to grandkids, who are we keeping happy?
And the one who's paying? Is that how we decide
which style of cruise we go on?
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Actually, rash It is a great question, and Chris, we
get that a lot as a matter of fact. And
the one that you want to keep happy is everybody.
And are there cruise lines out there that has that
that have that multi generational appeal to answers, Yes, absolutely
they are, and actually we're going to start talking about
some of those.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
One more I wanted to cover just before that, but
I wanted to respond to Chris's comment. Also, I spoke
to a family this week. They have somebody that's graduating
from college going with their parents and they're bringing grandpa
and grandma along too. So I've got three generations of family.
I'm trying to find the perfect cruise and we had
a great discussion about that. Each one of them is said,
(43:59):
well that it's not my favorite thing. I'm saying, well,
it's somebody else's favorite thing. So how do you find
that compromise. Part of our job as advisors is to
bring the family together and have them engage in those
kind of conversations while they're thinking about what they want
to do, so nobody feels that they were pushed into
something that's not what they want. They see that there's
(44:22):
some trading and you know, back and forth going on there,
which is ideal for a family. Isn't that what family
should do? Talk and discuss and compromise.
Speaker 2 (44:31):
And I'll tell you other one little known fact that
is a bit of trivia about one of the most
famous river cruise lines that you probably hear about, and
that's Viking Cruise Line. That is probably not a good
choice for a multi generational cruise.
Speaker 4 (44:47):
Do you know why? It's adults only.
Speaker 2 (44:50):
They do not allow anyone under twelve years of age
on board their ships, and the rooms are laid out
such that they're really we only designed for two people
in each cabin. So those are the kinds of nuances
that your travel advisors know. That probably likely, Chris, I'll
bet that's a piece of trivia. You didn't even know
(45:11):
about Viking Cruise Line.
Speaker 3 (45:13):
No clue, you know here in the commercial they're not
going to advertise that, but they expect us to advise
the guests on it. I do want to talk about
one of the other river cruise lines if I can,
as we're talking about Wave Week and that's Alma Waterways.
Alma Waterways is a family owned river cruise line. They
go through the rivers in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America.
(45:33):
They have these innovative ship designs, authentic cultural experiences, and
they are kind of got a great reputation because the
person that's designed most of those ships a god by
the name of Rudy Schriiner. He is kind of thought
of as the godfather of river cruising, and so he
was inspired by luxury yachts, but he modified those to
(45:57):
make these river cruises with a lot of equal friendly
features too. They've got solar heating, led lighting on board.
The dining on an Amal Waterways cruise is very very good.
It's not, you know, cafeteria food. It's not the buffet
food that you might think of sometimes that some of
the more economically priced cruise lines have. They have great dining,
(46:19):
they have great shore excursions and they specialize in some
small group shore excursions. Also, when you're taking an excursion
a lot of times when you're in Europe and some
of these places, a big crowd can't really be accommodated
as well in some of these places, and yet some
of the cruise lines might try and get a big
crowd in there. Ama does not. They've got a variety
(46:42):
of onboard services. They have dance parties, they've got games,
wellness classes, and they always have hot tubs, lounge chairs,
other places to relax on the top deck, so as
you're going down the river you can be really comfortable too.
They go to Europe, Asia, Africa. One of the cruises
I'm looking at is the Nile that I was recently
at you talked about with me when I was in
(47:03):
Europe recently or in Egypt recently. I'm gonna goes there,
and they've got a summer triple savings offer that's really good.
They can for These are on select European river cruises
that you can reserve between now and the thirty first
of March, that's their deadline. You can enjoy a lot
of savings up to two thousand, well actually up to
(47:26):
four thousand on some of the longer cruises, the fourteen
night cruises up to four thousand dollars terry. The shorter ones,
the seven to eleven ten night cruis at ten to
eleven night cruises are two thousand per state room. They're
going to upgrade your state room and they're going to
give you an onboard credit in addition again to the
virtuoso benefits. So they are a great choice. I'm a Waterways.
(47:50):
We do a lot of work with them, and they
make an excellent choice and they just have a great reputation.
Speaker 2 (47:56):
So so far, we've heard about a lot of what
I would consider the luxury cruise lines, small yacht cruising,
that kind of thing. But now, Chris, we're going to
shift our focus just a little bit for the remainder
part of our show today to what I call the
pedestrian cruise lines. And those are going to be cruise
lines like Holland America Princess, and those are the lines
(48:19):
that we want to talk about because they get a
lot of attention during wavemonth primarily for one reason, and
that is because they both go to Alaska. And when
I'm talking with my clients, I always say, if you're
going to Alaska, there's really only two choices in the
pedestrian cruise line, and that's Holland America or Princess. Right now,
(48:44):
Holland America is offering a bonus of up to four
hundred dollars on board credit per state room for guests
who book by January the thirty first. That offer ends
on February the twenty eighth. The next what I call
pedestrian cruise line that goes to Alaska is Princess Cruise Lines.
They have what they call come Aboard Sale and they
(49:06):
are offering up to forty percent off plus a free
room upgrade. Your third and fourth guests can go free
plus ninety nine dollars deposits. That booking window is from
now until February the twenty eighth, and that includes all voyages,
so that's something great to look at. The next one
(49:27):
on our list, which is pretty popular. They do cover
a great deal of the Caribbean, as do Holland American Princess,
but they're more known for their Caribbean destinations as well
as the Mediterranean. No better time to plan your vacation
with celebrity cruise lines. You can now get their Wave deal,
(49:48):
which is nothing comes close. It's what they call it
whole New side of Experiences, and you can for a
limited time get seventy five percent off your second guest
fare and save up to an additional five hundred dollars
per room.
Speaker 4 (50:07):
So all of the and that.
Speaker 2 (50:08):
Includes the inside ocean view, Veranda's concierge class, and even
their retreat. Two of the last ones I saved. I
think the best for last and that Silver Sea and Explorer.
Silver Sea is not new to the cruise industry. They
are again one of the small yacht cruises and they
(50:29):
are offering a deal of up to five thousand dollars
savings per suite. It is an all sweet, small ship
small yacht cruise line. Explorer Journeys one of my new favorites.
They are launching with their wave offer something called Unique
Oceans offer incredible pricing. It's their lowest prices of the season.
(50:53):
Their Destination experience includes four hundred to one thousand dollars
off per sweet category. Only a ten percent deposit holds
your booking and for journeys of seven nights or longer,
that offers a perfect way to gift yourself or your
loved ones with an unforgettable journey. Now, the Explorer Journeys
(51:16):
is probably one of the ones that's most akin to
Silver Sea or Regent or those cruise lines.
Speaker 3 (51:25):
They're very industry yep.
Speaker 2 (51:29):
So I had just a few final thoughts really about
Wave month, and that is you have a special invitation
with these to really experience your dream, to plan to
set sail on an adventure that you can leave your
everyday life behind now, whether you want to explore the
(51:50):
Caribbean or navigate the Fjords of Norway, or sipping wine
in Europe on a European river cruise. This, Chris, is
your chance to make those travel dreams a reality because
the deals aren't going to get much better than this,
and now would be a perfect time to actually book these.
Speaker 3 (52:10):
I'm really pleased that we were able to talk about these.
You know, still in the middle of January. There's time
for people to choose. If you wait until the end
of any of these periods, the choices may still be there,
but the selection is there now. So we've hit a
lot of deals, a lot of opportunities. We've kind of
covered the whole ocean in terms of waves.
Speaker 1 (52:28):
This morning, Chris, I'd recommend you call the Wishing Well
at five four h nine oh eight twenty three thirty
three and make an appointment to come in and sit
down with Terry and Harry and the team and get
that dream vacation.
Speaker 2 (52:42):
Booked absolutely absolutely, And in the weeks and months ahead,
we're going to be focusing on a lot of the
luxury aspects of travel. People are still very much interested
in that, and we'll start to unfurl some of these destinations.
The world is a wonderful pearl, just waiting for you
to experience it.
Speaker 1 (53:02):
If you don't need anything else to encourage you, the
snow will do it.
Speaker 4 (53:05):
Amen.
Speaker 1 (53:06):
Amen, all right, how do we get in touch with you?
We want to book some trips.
Speaker 2 (53:09):
We are easy to find, Chris. We're located at two
forty three NEF Avenue in the Valley Center in Heresonburg, Virginia.
You can call us always at five four oh nine
oh eight two three three three, or look us up
on the web. We are at the Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (53:25):
This has been a life less ordinary the travel show
from your friends at the wishing Well at two forty
three NEP Avenue in Harrisonburg. If you have any questions
on topics discussed today, please reach out to the wishing
Well online at the Wishingwell dot biz or five four
oh nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. Past episodes
are available on the iHeartRadio app and we'll see again
next Saturday morning at ten for a life less ordinary.
(53:47):
From the wishing Well
This is a Lifeless Ordinary. It's a travel show and
podcasts from your friends at the wishing Well two forty
three f Avenue in harsmerg and online at the wishing
Well dot This. The wishing Well is your ultimate luxury concierge,
travel agency and a Lifeless Ordinary is a travel show
and podcast hosted by Terry Dean, bringing her over forty
years of experience in the travel industry to help guide
(00:21):
you to great experiences in your travel, whether it be
around the block, around the country, or around the world.
Let's bring in Terry Dean and say.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Hello, I'm here and it's a Saturday again, Chris, and
it's great to see you.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
It's good to see you, Terry. We got to say
hi to Harry Rife as well.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Yes, very cool Saturday today, my friend, it's.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Going to be even colder Monday and Tuesday. I think
the low temperature is going to be like negative one,
negative two. Wow. But it'll feel great during the day
when it reaches ten degrees.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Well, it'll be like a heat wife.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Feel better if you can get on a plane and
go somewhere warm.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Yes, that's the best part about this show. We get
to talk about warm destinations.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah, I said, I love to live vicariously through a
lifeless ordinary and I get to do it once a week,
so I'm happy about that.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
We do have. We're under a winter storm morning tomorrow.
We're supposed to get maybe five six inches of snow.
I'm imagining that's up in the higher elevations, maybe one
to three down in the valley. But if you ever
needed encouragement to pick up the phone or go to
the website, the wishing Well dop is you can pick
up the phone five four oh nine oh eight twenty
three thirty three and call and make your vacation reservation
(01:28):
out of town.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
And I have to tell you little shameless plug for
the other side of our business this morning, speaking of
which we decided on the floral side of our business.
And for those who are listening who don't know, the
wishing Well is actually a three pronged business. We've got
the core of our business of course as a travel agency.
We have an event planning side of our company. And
then we have a floral boutique which is lovely and
(01:51):
we decided that we were going to sell sunshine, so
we have this great new product. If you're listening and
you want to visit our Facebook page, you can see
all about it there. It's also on our website on
the Wishing Weld dot biz. But we are selling sunshine.
If you really want to know what that means, just
go take a look on our floral Facebook page.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
I'm intrigued.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Yeah it is.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
It's fun and I'll tell you on a day like this,
why not let's sell a little sunshine.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Chris, your outfigure. You look like you're advertising your floral boutique.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Right.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
I know everybody can't see this, but I love flowers,
you know, and flowers are fun and flowers make me happy.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
And so you know I did it right, did I not?
Speaker 1 (02:31):
You look good?
Speaker 4 (02:33):
Thank you?
Speaker 1 (02:34):
And Harry's wearing a blue sweater. That's right, it's a keyword.
But the color of the sea.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
That's right, Yeah, ocean blue.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
I like it. Sorry, we got to get caught up
on what's been going.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
On the last year, yeah, you know, and there's plenty
of things in the news right now. Of course, we
still continue to focus on the California fires. They're not
over yet, sadly, but I just want to give just
a couple of bullet points. Let people know who are
listening that may have some concerns, family members, friends, whatever.
Out in the California area, more than one hundred and
(03:08):
seventy thousand people are still under evacuation notices as firefighters
battle this deadly Los Angeles blazes. There is hope fire
teams will continue to make progress Chris this weekend, ahead
of another round of fire fueling winds expected next week.
(03:30):
Here we go plummeting into the deep cold, the deep freeze,
and the poor folks out in California are going to
battle those wins. Evacuees anxious to return to devastated neighborhoods
to survey their damage, they're going to have to wait
for at least another week as hazardous material is removed.
Now for some a return to home is likely months away.
(03:54):
That's a long time if you're away from home.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
But if we're saying also a shout out to the
travel industry terry, sometimes we make remarks about companies and
things that happen. The travel industry has really stepped up.
Airlines have issued pretty much unconditional waivers for flights in
and out of some of those airports, and hotels have
done a lot of things to make rooms available to
(04:18):
people who don't have a home anymore. And the industry
executives have been stepping up also and making some nice
donations to help the aid efforts that are going out there.
So big shout out to all those people who are
doing the kind things to help those poor people that
have been inconvenienced in a huge way by these fires.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
And I want to say, if you would like to
help out, you can text a relief to thirty three
one hundred. That's relief to thirty three one hundred. You'll
get a text message back with information on how you
can give. And iHeartMedia has teamed up with an organization
in southern California to help those that are being affected
by the wildfire.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Excellent, excellent, So our hearts go out to everybody in California.
Harry and I have some close colleagues that are in
the travel industry that live out there, some of our
representatives from some of the vendors, so we're watching it
all so very closely. So I really appreciate having that
link Chris to know where to go to help out.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Always good. Also, speaking of.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Back on the East Coast, there's going to be some
big goings on going on in the nation's capital during
the deep freeze. Understand that they've moved the inauguration inside. However,
there are going to be some great hotel packages that
are offering some I'm going to say staggering package deals
(05:44):
for Inauguration Day, and those are looking very interesting. For example,
the Watergate Hotel is offering a head of State inaugural
package for just a meager seventy three thousand and five
hundred dollars plus tax. Guests will receive round trip transportation
(06:05):
from New York City to d C if you need that,
on a Blade helicopter, and a daily executive chauffeur in
an armored mayboch. The package also includes a presidential welcome amenity.
They get a custom wax seal on stationery along with
keepsake Watergate crystal, and a private whiskey tasting with the
(06:30):
hotel's esteemed whiskey console and a tour of the scandal
suite where the historical break in was conducted. And that
stay is for three nights for a meager seventy three
thousand dollars and change.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
It sounds like a bargain, it really does. Tell, I mean,
for everything you're getting that chant afford it personally, But
man if I could, I do it.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
And you're at the Watergate, come on. So the next
one is at the Salamander DC. If the Watergate's seventy
three thousand dollars package feels a little on the cheap
side for you, do not fear, because you can immerse
yourself in the newly renovated Salamander Hotel in Washington, d C.
For the inauguration of the forty seventh President and bring
(07:11):
your pet. Yes you can. The Salamander recently announced a
pet friendly inaugural four nights stay, not to be upstaged
by the Watergate, and it includes round trip luxury transportation
from the airport to the hotel's presidential suite, a twenty
four hour butler, and a spa day. All of this
(07:32):
can be yours for a very low two hundred and
forty four thousand, seven hundred dollars.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Now the other one sounds like a bargain.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Yes, So that one now appears to be economical, does
it not.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
Now?
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Third is the Ritz Carlton Pentagon City. They will be
offering the ultimate inauguration experience with a three night stay
in a luxury suite also includes a personal styling session
because you've got a look good, a five hundred dollars
wardrobe credit again because you've got to look good, and
dinner for two at Sante, a private monument tour by Moonlight,
(08:11):
and that is being offered The Fairmont, also in Washington,
d C. And Georgetown is offering a stay in the
presidential Suite, two butlers, and round trip airfare for four
people and their pet. So everybody's trying to outdo everybody else.
Guests are going to get in room hair and makeup,
(08:32):
and this is only going to be three hundred and
fifty thousand dollars for those four nights. Plus you get
a twenty five thousand dollars shopping spree at Sacks Fifth Avenue,
so and a personal photographer for all of that revelry.
And for three hundred and fifty thousand dollars, Chris, you
(08:53):
two can enjoy the inauguration in Washington, D C.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
In style.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
My offer, I'll charge you three hundred and fifty dollars.
You can stay at my house and we'll watch on TV.
I might even feed you.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
There's a deal, folks, there's a deal. Not quite a lifeless.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Ordinary, but you know what matters, Chris company matters.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
I feel really bad for the people that have already,
you know, made their way to DC to see the inauguration,
and now it's going to be moved inside the road Tunda.
I understand for safety because it's going to be so
cold it is, but I mean, you know, a couple
hundred and three hundred thousand people show up and they
get to watch it on TV and a bar somewhere.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Yeah. So yeah, life's all about choices, Chris, And you know,
I want to just sort of continue this vibe of
extravagance with our news today because this hit my inbox
and I felt like I really just had to share it.
This show is called a Lifeless Ordinary, and I really
(09:54):
wanted to make sure that people knew about this. I
was so taken by this, as a matter of fact,
that I did post it on our Facebook page, which
is the Wishing Well. So this is one of the
most exclusive restaurants in the entire world, and with this experience,
which by the way, is a seven hour experience and
(10:16):
a fifty course tasting menu, has the wildest dining experience
I have ever heard of. They call it five acts,
seven hours and fifty impressions. This is dinner at the
Alchemist in Copenhagen, and it's only at a two star
Michelin restaurant helmed by Rasmus Monk, who was recently named
(10:40):
the world's top chef at the Best Chef Awards in
twenty twenty four. This dude is not very old. He's
only like thirty three years old. And you must go
to our Facebook page and watch this video about this experience.
The gentleman who actually went through this details it and
(11:01):
videos his experience in detail. It's amazing to watch. The
outrageous expedition comes with a substantial price tag. Bookings start
roughly at only at seven hundred I was going to
say only but seven hundred and eighteen dollars a person,
not including the beverage pairings, so really all told out
(11:22):
the door, you can expect to be at about twelve
to thirteen hundred euros per person for this experience. And
they ask him was it worth it? He said, while
I can't speak for everyone, as a person who is
deeply passionate about food and travel, for once in a
lifetime culinary experiences, without a doubt, it was worth every
(11:45):
penny and every minute. So I had to share that
with you today because while we were talking about over
the top experiences, that one hit my radar and I
thought it was worth sharing with you today. Now as
we talk about something else in the news and we
talk about airlines, the mood changes drastically. I'm sorry, the
(12:08):
DOT just filed suit against Southwest for chronically delayed flights
and find Frontier Airlines for chronically delayed flights as well.
This move comes after the DOT just signed Jet Fine
Jet Blue two million dollars earlier in January.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
For the same issue.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
All I can say is, get with it, airlines, these
chronically delayed flights that really are unnecessary and unwarranted. You know,
you get what's coming to you. And then finally, a
tip of advice in our new segment today for our travelers,
and that is travel fakes are something that's on the
(12:50):
rise and something that have now been exposed, and I've
got just a couple of simple steps to protect you
and your trip and your wallet. What they're saying is
travel scams are increasing in twenty twenty five, with criminals
using AI to create fake websites, listings, and even social
media profiles. Now They've gone so far as to fake
(13:13):
websites for accommodations, hotels, airbnbs, and even yes, airlines. One
common scam involves fake vacation rentals that are nonexistent or
significantly different from their advertised appearance. I've heard about that
one several times. But travelers should be cautious of phishing
(13:35):
emails also, and text messages that appear to be from
legitimate travel companies but aim to steal your personal information. Now,
how do you spot a fake when you're booking travel?
Here's a couple of tips. Book through a legitimate source.
First of all, I'm going to say shamelessly the wishing
well please, we'd love to have your business, and we
(13:57):
will not scam you. I can guarantee you that. But
a legitimate source includes the airlines, hotels, and tour operators
with which you are familiar and have a proven track record.
Stick to a well known and reputable travel website and
service provider. Also, be wary of deals that seem too
good to be true. Right now, people, because money is
(14:21):
an issue and economics are an issue for most households,
people are looking for that great pie in the sky deal.
They are, and so they are more tempted to launch
out and give information to one of these fake sites
unwittingly because they're just after the great deal.
Speaker 4 (14:39):
Folks.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
If it's too good to be true, it usually is.
And I have many times dealt with callers who call
our office who ask me about those I'm happy to
do that and let them know whether it is or
isn't one of those kind of deals. Double check everything,
verify your reservation and payments, and look for reviews on
(14:59):
multiple platforms to validate the surface or accommodation. Be safe
out there. You strong passwords and two factor authentication, don't
recycle your passwords, and be extra careful when using a
public Wi Fi network. So a couple of things out
there to really be careful about. Harry, I don't know.
(15:21):
This is kind of your Bailey Wick, So I don't
know if you've got a couple of things you'd like
to add to that.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
I can add a couple of things. I think when
you get excited on the phone and you get that
call and it sounds so good and it is so
good to your ears, you're going to want to share.
It opens you up, It makes you predisposed to share information.
You're going to share lots of personal information. You're going
to share your name, You're going to share your data birth,
you're going to share your address, you're going to share
your passport information. You might even share your credit card
(15:49):
over the phone. If you don't know who you're talking to, Please, please,
please don't do that. Even if you're talking to the
wishing well and you have a doubt, tell us you
know you're going to and you're gonna call us back
at the number you know we're at that five four
zero nine zero eight two three three three. That way
you can know who you're talking to at least a
(16:10):
little bit better, a whole lot better than if you're
receiving a call and someone's asking you for all that
personal information. It's so easy to get caught up in
the heat of a moment and share things that you
regret sharing real soon thereafter. Credit cards, personal information should
not be shared casually.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
It's so easy to forget everything you've learned in that moment. Yeah,
I was on the phone just yesterday with somebody from
our company that was asking me some information that they needed,
and I gave them the information and I hung up
and went, I don't know if that person really works
for our company. Yeah, I'm like, why did I do that?
(16:51):
Didn't even think twice until after i'd hung up, and
I just saw something from one of the banks using you.
We've talked about AI and how it can just make
things look real. And one of the things that the
scammers are doing now is they spoof the phone number
of your credit card company. So when you start to
(17:13):
have hesitation, they say, there's no reason not to trust us.
Look at the back of your credit card. We're calling
from that number. Don't believe it, And you're like, oh,
of course, yes, here's all my information. Don't do it.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Well. The best thing you can do is call that
hang up and say you're right. What's your name. I'll
call back and I'll ask for you yes, and they'll
start explaining why that's not possible. That should be a
tip off to you. They can put a note in
the record and you can get back to somebody at
that bank if in fact they are legitimate, or somebody
(17:46):
at that person off at that place offering you that
travel deal is just too good to be true. Somebody
will make some notes and if they're legitimate, you should
be able to call them back on a number that
you choose to dial, not with your phone says is
calling you very different.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
On a completely different note, because that just this scary stuff, Terry.
Last week we talked a little bit about the wave season,
Wave Month, and we're going to do a whole show
about it today.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
We are we are, and we're calling this Riding the Wave.
What I wanted to do with today's show because we
just tipped the edge of the iceberg last week, Harry
introduced information about Wave Month and that it was coming. Well,
let's hear folks, and if you've ever wanted a great
deal on a cruise, now's the time to look at it.
But in addition to that, on today's show, we're going
(18:37):
to be looking at a more intimate insight into who
these cruise lines are and exactly what their wave deal is.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Love it. We'll get into that more next as we
ride the wave here on a life less ordinary.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Protect your vacation investment with guidance from a travel professional.
The wishing well knows travel and help you avoid pitfalls.
They can spoil your hard earned vacation. We'll plan your
trip and have you back as you travel. All of
this without support or so called convenience fees. We're on
the web at the Wishingwell dot biz or call us
at five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
(19:12):
That's five four zero nine zero eight two three three three.
The wishing Well really does make dreams come true.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Welcome back to a lifeless ordinary. This is your travel
show and podcasts from your friends at the wishing Well.
You can find them on f Avenue in Harrisonburg, online
at the wishing Well dot biz, or give them a
call at five four oh nine eight twenty three thirty three.
Every Saturday morning we sit down with Harry Rife and
Terry Dean from the wishing Well and today our show
(19:40):
is Riding the Wave. And Terry, You've got a lot
of information about Wave Month and what the deals are
and what you can expect.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
You ready ride the wave.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
I'm ready. I don't like water, but I'll get the
get into it for you if that's going to help
save some money.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Yeah, And what we're going to talk about today, actually, Chris,
is what I like to think of as one of
the best secrets in the travel industry, and that is
Wave Month.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
A lot of.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
People don't know what that means. That's sort of an
industry jargon term that we use. And I know you're thinking,
what is wavemonth? It's all is it about ocean waves
or what the heck is it? But Wave Month is
an annual event in the travel world where cruise lines
roll out their very best deals, their promotions, and their perks.
(20:25):
It's kind of like, as Harry said last week, the
Black Friday of cruising. It only lasts longer and the
rewards feel a little bit more like a vacation in paradise. Now,
how did Wavemonth get its name? Well, it got its
name because of the wave of bookings that sort of
happen after the holiday season. In January, people start dreaming
(20:46):
about their next big adventure. And I can tell you
without fail, historically January to May is what we call
bumper to bumper season. It is crazy now, whether it's
escaping the winter cold or just planning your summer get away,
that's what happens, and that's what we're doing in those months. Now,
cruise lines noticed that trend and they decided to ride
(21:08):
the wave. They're offering irresistible deals to entice travelers to
lock in their next voyage early in the year, and
that way they can sort of see and forecast what
kind of profitability they're looking at, what they need to do,
and what their load factors are going to look like. Now,
what makes wave months so special is during Wave Month,
(21:32):
cruise lines pull out all the stops. You're going to
find offers like discounted fares. Now you can think of
that as the golden ticket to some of the best
prices of the year. For sure, they offer free upgrades,
balcony cabin prices, for example, for the price of an
ocean view yes please. And then on board credits. Essentially
(21:54):
they give you free money to spend while you're on
board your cruise and literally is free money. And then
perks glory, you get free Wi Fi, specialty dining, they've
got those free alcohol drink packages which everybody loves, or
even airfare discounts if not to for one airfares or
(22:15):
even in many cases free airfare. Make sure though, that
you have somebody with you to go over the details,
make sure you understand what's included and what's not. Some
deals might look amazing, but they do come with exclusions.
So it's not just about the deals though. Wave Month
(22:37):
gives you access to the best choices So if you're
booking before ships sell out, that means you're going to
get first DIBs on the perfect itinerary, the best cabins,
and the ideal sale dates. What happens in our area,
especially that I have happened upon, is that we have
(22:58):
an area of folks here in Schendel Valley. I'm not
picking on anybody. I'm just saying this is the way
it is. People are slow to the party. You know,
Just send out an RSVP one time, see how many
responses you get. It's true people in this area are
just slow to respond. Don't do that during wave months
you will get left behind and you'll get what my
(23:20):
mother used to call the dregs in the bottom of
the pan if you wait that long. So who's involved
in wavemonth it's actually every major cruise line. You've got
luxury liners like Regent, seven Seas and Silver Sea. They
offer the all inclusive packages at exclusive rates. You've got
(23:40):
big names out there like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian. All
of them dazzle with family friendly itineraries. They've got those bold,
budget friendly discounts. Even river cruises like Viking and Alma
Waterways and Avalon all have joined in the fun. Perfect
for travelers looking for more intimate cultural experience, because those
(24:02):
are the guys that's focused on more of the europe market,
the European waterways. Now, while airlines themselves don't directly participate
in Wave Month, a lot of the cruise lines do
bundle airfare into their packages. I mentioned that a while ago.
Those deals often offer significant savings, as I said, or
(24:22):
even free flights when you book that alongside your cruise. Now,
what should travelers expect if you're thinking about booking a
cruise during wavemonth? Here's some helpful tips for you. Book early.
I said that it's all about timing. Do your research
with a lot of options. It helps to know what
(24:43):
you're looking for. I mean, are there particular destinations that
you want to travel too? Is this a romantic getaway
or a family adventure or maybe a reunion. That's good
to know. Use a travel advisor again, the wishing well
is here. We'd love to help you out with that,
but just having a knowledgeable person to help you navigate
(25:05):
through this is a lot better than trying to do
it on your own and be flexible. You're going to
find some great deals but being open to travel dates
or destinations can help unlock even better opportunities. So you
want to know about all of those now, Chris. Next,
we're going to begin getting familiar with these offers and
(25:30):
the cruise lines that hopefully you're going to have an
interest in pursuing. It's not just the deal that's important.
It's important to align your travel desires and destinations with
the cruise line you choose. So I want to get
a little more intimately involved and share some knowledge about
these cruise lines. I'll tell you we had some folks
in the office the other day, a family, family of
(25:53):
none that are looking for a cruise and they came
in actually with one particular cruise line mentioned in what
they came to look at and really what we do,
and I've told you this before, we go through a
process and with people that involved sitting down talking to
them about some of their previous vacation experiences. What did
(26:16):
they like, what did they not like, what vacations would
they never repeat again? Or the ones that really made
a significant impact. Where did they go and why did
they go there? And why was that one that stood
out so much? When you come in with a specific
requested cruise line, and that's it. That's where you draw
(26:37):
your barriers. Sometimes that's not exactly the best experience if
your destination has changed. So we're going to jump right
into some of these twenty twenty five wave offers, and
the one that I'm going to start with is one
that we haven't talked a lot about here on a
Life Less Ordinary, but one that has really come into
(26:59):
vote in the last couple of years, and that's a
cruise line called Atlas Ocean Voyages. They're a luxury expedition
cruise line. They offer small, really yacht style ships that
focus on intimate voyages to some of the more diverse
destinations around the world. Their particular emphasis is on the
polar region, like Antarctica and the Arctic. Now, Atlas offers
(27:24):
a more adventurous cruising experience, so you should know that
compared to traditional cruise lines. They're also known for their
focus on immersive cultural experiences and all inclusive amenities like
that coveted gourmet dining and some unlimited beverages. Now, the
very fact that I just told you, Chris, that this
(27:46):
is a more adventurous cruise line focused on Antarctica and
the Arctic. If an eighty something year old couple came
in and said, we're celebrating our anniversary and they said
to you, you we've heard that Atlas Cruise Lines is
the great cruise line that we should be focused on.
(28:06):
What would you tell them.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
I'd say, you're right, it is a great cruise line,
but let me guide you to a different option, because
that might be a little bit too much for you.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Absolutely, and for those of you listening to us on
a lifeless ordinary, I want you to know that's exactly why.
Sometimes we don't want to foo foo your ideas of
what you come in and have a request for, but
sometimes it means that you perhaps don't have all of
the information to make a good, educated decision about where
(28:35):
you want to go.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
And that's why it's part of our role as a
travel advisor is to give you that kind of advice.
If they came in and you know, we're very athletic
and outdoorsy and they're eighty five years old, that'd be
a great adventure for them to consider. Exactly we need
to explain to them what to expect, what the exertion
level might be, the kinds of things that that cruise
(28:58):
Line might offer them. That cruise Line actually offers an
opportunity to jump into the Antarctic, into the water. They
into a special little apparatus, get you all suited up
and you can say you were in the anttach Antarctic.
If you're prepared to do that, that's great. If that's
(29:19):
going to give you a heart attack, probably not the
right decision, not a good idea. I wouldn't advise Chris
that you and I take that jump. Real quick, a minute,
what are you saying we're not going to do it? Brother?
Speaker 2 (29:31):
But if you are the adventurous cruising type and the
Antarctica and the Arctic do appeal to you, I want
to tell you a little bit about what their wave
offer is. Okay, it's called Adventure Beyond. So again, just
by that name alone, I think you can see the
kind of audience that they're going for. They're going to
offer thirty percent savings, a value of up to ten
(29:53):
thousand dollars per state room, and up to a six
hundred dollars on board credit for select expedition. Your onboard
credit can be used for enhanced Wi Fi package on
small group excursions including kayaking and camping in the Antarctica
for their land portions to luxuriate at Cespa by Luxetain
(30:16):
for shopping in the boutique. The in depth journeys that
they have of seven to twenty nights or more include
many overnights and late evenings in a lot of those
captivating destinations, and those usually follow the exploration of the Creuse.
Plus interestingly enough, Atlas has solo travel opportunities. You can
(30:39):
enjoy a single supplement on atlass right now for only
twenty five percent more of their double room rate on
a lot of their expeditions, and they're booking window for
the Wave season is from now until February the third,
So if you are interested in doing any of that,
I know it's cold right now and we're not thinking
(31:00):
of that right now, but come August, I think that
would look pretty good and now would be a good
time to buy. The next one on the list is
one that a lot of families wait for, and that
is with Disney Cruise Line. For those of you who
don't know or have lived under a rock for a
long long time, Disney Cruise Line is the line that
(31:21):
offers family friendly vacations with Disney entertainment, dining, and activities.
The Walt Disney World Company founded Disney Cruise Line in
nineteen ninety five, and to date they have one, two, three, four, five, six,
seven eight cruise ships in their family fleet, two which
(31:42):
are scheduled to join the fleet this year. And that
is the Disney Destination and the Disney Adventure. I don't
think I need to say a whole lot more about
what Disney does or what they offer. Have you ever
been on a Disney cruise?
Speaker 1 (31:55):
I have not. My aunt and her family went on
one and had just a blast.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
Yeah. Who's always on the Disney cruise? Mickey, mickey, And
it's your front, right, Yeah, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
And for a limited time right now, their wave offer
is to pay fifty percent of the required deposit at
your time of booking on select Disney cruises. You must
book by March the fourteenth, which is how long their
wave season runs, and you pay only half of your
required deposit on the day you make your reservation. Now
this valid. This offer is valid on any new reservation
(32:29):
for select Disney cruises departing between June the sixteenth, So
that's casting the net out there a good way. And
May the thirty first goes through twenty twenty six, So
if you're cruising between June sixteenth and May thirty first
of next year, twenty twenty six, that can be included
(32:51):
in this deal, and that is the Disney Cruise Line deal.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
Let's take a quick break and then when we come back,
we're going to dig more into the Wave season. Our
show today is called Riding the Wave, and we'll talk
more about it next Here on a Lifeless Ordinary.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
Who would think of driving off to a new destination
without guidance from Google to Siri. Let the Wishing World
guide your next travel experience. Travel the world as you
enjoy the very best destinations and all they offer at
the best prices. Our mobile travel app keeps your vacation
on track and keeps you connected with our team of
experts for help. If you need it, call us at
five four zero nine zero eight two three three three stop,
(33:32):
buy two forty threep Avenue or visit us at the
Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
And welcome back to a Lifeless Ordinary, the travel showing
podcast from your friends at the Wishing Well. Every Saturday morning,
we sit down and we talk travel. This is the
best part of the week, and today We're lucky enough
to have Harry Rife and Terry Dean with us, and
if you'd like to get in touch with them, you
can stop by and see him on the f avenue,
give him a call at five four ZHO nine oh
eight twenty three thirty three or five on the web
(34:00):
at the wishing Well dot biz. And our show today
is called Riding the Wave. We're talking about wave season
in regard specifically to cruises, and we are in the
heart of wave season. Terry, we were talking about Atlantic
cruises and their very immersive experience. How about if I
(34:20):
am that eighty five year old couple and I'm looking
for something a little bit more laid back, can we
find something for them?
Speaker 2 (34:26):
I know we can, And I wish we had time
to really cover all of the cruise lines today because
this is a very interesting segment for people who love cruising,
and we have a lot of people who are just
die hard cruisers. But if we looked at that same
couple we were talking about just a second ago, I'll
tell you what, Harry's got a couple of deals that
(34:46):
I know would be perfect for that couple.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
Yeah, I want to start with one you talked about
that eighty five year old couple. One of the cruise
lines that's out there that's renowned for its traditional British
style excellence, that's Canard. Canard has been around since eighteen forty. Okay.
Canard has these elegant interiors, Cherry and I've been on
a cruise on their ship. It's wood, teak, wood and brass,
(35:14):
polished brass throughout, very classic, very historic. You see pictures
of the people that have been saying.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
You do love it, Chris, because there's pictures of Queen
Elizabeth throughout the ship.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Can I just say, this is how much of a
geek I am and and I'm glad this has all
come full circle in my life. When I first moved
out of the house and was trying to decorate the house,
I found this poster for Canard Cruise Lines, Oh No,
that I had framed and it hung in my house
for probably twenty years. Want that I think I still
have it somewhere. We don't have it hung up anymore.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
I'll put it up in the office.
Speaker 4 (35:47):
Absolutely, I can find it at yours, Okay.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
And that's part of what makes Canard so special. There's
an esthetic about the Canard ships They're filled with that
kind of just be an intriguing kinds of posters, the design,
the grand staircases, the spacious libraries, even a cigar bar
on board that is something that I have never seen
(36:10):
anything the likes of. I'm not a cigar smoker, but
you gotta be impressed when you see something you know.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
It's also one of the only pet friendly cruise lines.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Yeah, you bring your pet in. They board your pet
on board for you, so he or she's got their
special post. If you like to dress up for dinner,
you're encouraged, not required, to dress up for dinner. On
formal nights, you'll see tuxedos, you'll see evening gowns, and
it fits this ship just perfectly. They do Transatlantic voyages,
(36:41):
but they also do some voyages right here from the
East Coast out of New York City. They bought some
ships and they go down to the Caribbean, so lots
of opportunities there. You're going to enjoy afternoon tea on board,
you can take your pinky, put it in the air,
and it's just a fantastic cruise line. Four ships, the
(37:02):
names of which should be very familiar. The Queen Mary
two the Queen Victoria, the Queen Elizabeth, and the Queen Anne.
And during wave period they're making available one of their
special packages, Chris, and that's called the Enjoyed All package
that gives you unlimited Wi Fi, gives you beer, wine,
spirits and their drink packages, alternative dining or you might
(37:23):
want to have champagne with your afternoon tea. So that
package is available for sailings from June twenty five through
September twenty six. Special price on that of sixty dollars
a day per person. Very very nice. And that's Canard.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
And I want to say just one other quick thing
about Canard. While the Canard cruise ships have don't have
the bells and whistles and are tricked out like a
lot of them are. I think Harry pointed to this,
and I want to reiterate that it's the traditional way
of cruising for those who remember sailing like I do,
(38:03):
years and years ago, more than forty years ago, when
you know, elegance started in the cruise line industry with
the SS Norway and Canard cruise ships. That is still
a standard on board these cruises and they are, without
a doubt some of the most elegant ships still on
the ocean.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
And they also have one unique feature that more and
more cruise ships are bringing on board the offerings Now
they have single or solo traveler rooms specifically designed. So
lots of good options there. And one of the things
I should mention also is we're going through all these
options terry is the virtuoso benefits, those virtualso benefits that
(38:45):
you get all year long by booking through an agency
like the wishing Well that is a virtual agency. You
get those on top of all of these great wave deals.
These are not available when you go online and do
your booking there. So virgin voyage is one another one
I should mention. If you're in that lifestyle or age
(39:06):
group where you want something a little more elegant, a
little more intimate, how about ships that only carry about
one hundred and fifty to three hundred and fifty passengers.
If you like that, you're going to be looking at
Windstar Cruises. They've got small, boutique style sailing. They don't
call them just ships, they call them yachts. And you're
going to see this intimate and immersive experiences. Everybody on
(39:28):
board is going to know your name, and the service.
You know staff by the time you get off a
ship like that, because they're trained in that same kind
of elegance that you would expect from a five star
hotel and a high end cruise lines. They're recognized for
their high quality service. They have an exceptional culinary program,
(39:49):
and they focus. Because they have these small ships, they
get on some of the what I call the off
the beaten path ports. They can go into places that
the large guys cannot enduring wave season. They've got what
they call a pick your perk deal, and you get
to choose. You can either take an onboard credit of
one thousand dollars per suite that's good for sure excursions,
(40:11):
beverage packages, spot treatments, more. You can choose a night
at a hotel before or after your cruise, or you
might want this complementary all inclusive experience where you might
reserve a premium suite and have that as your options.
So Win Star Cruise Line an excellent option. Again, if
(40:33):
you're looking for that off the beaten path, you're looking
for something exceptional, you're looking for something classic. You're looking
for something that you can come home and return with
some great memories from your vacation. We're going to move
over to Virgin Voyages. They are a cruise line that's
headquartered in Florida, relatively new. They're part of the Virgin
(40:54):
group and the Virgin Virgin name you remember from the
music business, Chris who the big name is Virgin.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
Yeah, that's Branson.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
Branch Branson, exactly right. They've got three ships in their fleet.
They're growing the couple thousand people on a ship. Some
of the things that they have for their special Wave
week is what they call eighty percent off the second
Sailor Deal, and they're putting three hundred dollars in free
(41:24):
beverages on that package too. So if you're going to
look at a special deal and you want to bring
somebody along, getting eighty percent off not too shabby.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
Huh, It's not too shabby. One thing I do want
to note, though, Harry, and make sure that our listeners
are very much aware of. I think it's noteworthy to
say that Virgin Voyages has an appeal and they market
to a much younger sect of sailors.
Speaker 4 (41:50):
I would say.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
Anything from eighteen to forty is usually their demographic for
their cruise ship, and that's who they mostly appeal to.
Speaker 3 (42:00):
That's a great point, Terry, and it gets right back
to what we're just talking about. If you're that eighty
year old couple, we probably would not point you to
virgin voyages. But if you're that twenty year old couple
looking for a lot of great you know, couple's action
on board, where you see people all around and up
late at night, you're gonna find Virgin Voyage could be
very attractive.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
I feel there are probably a few eighty year old
people listening to the show right now going.
Speaker 2 (42:24):
We're not that old, I know, and my mother would
probably say that as well. But I think it's interesting
to note though, most people who travel want to be
with other like minded people. This has really nothing to
do with your age on your birth certificate. This has
to do with being with people that you most identify with,
(42:46):
and certainly you want to be when you travel, when
you vacation, especially if you're on a cruise, you want
to be or you hope to be with like minded people.
Speaker 1 (42:55):
Let me ask you a quick question if, as we
talk about wanting to find that cruise, we're going to
be with our tribe when we when we do a
family cruise, where we're going to have maybe grandma all
the way down to grandkids, who are we keeping happy?
And the one who's paying? Is that how we decide
which style of cruise we go on?
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Actually, rash It is a great question, and Chris, we
get that a lot as a matter of fact. And
the one that you want to keep happy is everybody.
And are there cruise lines out there that has that
that have that multi generational appeal to answers, Yes, absolutely
they are, and actually we're going to start talking about
some of those.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
One more I wanted to cover just before that, but
I wanted to respond to Chris's comment. Also, I spoke
to a family this week. They have somebody that's graduating
from college going with their parents and they're bringing grandpa
and grandma along too. So I've got three generations of family.
I'm trying to find the perfect cruise and we had
a great discussion about that. Each one of them is said,
(43:59):
well that it's not my favorite thing. I'm saying, well,
it's somebody else's favorite thing. So how do you find
that compromise. Part of our job as advisors is to
bring the family together and have them engage in those
kind of conversations while they're thinking about what they want
to do, so nobody feels that they were pushed into
something that's not what they want. They see that there's
(44:22):
some trading and you know, back and forth going on there,
which is ideal for a family. Isn't that what family
should do? Talk and discuss and compromise.
Speaker 2 (44:31):
And I'll tell you other one little known fact that
is a bit of trivia about one of the most
famous river cruise lines that you probably hear about, and
that's Viking Cruise Line. That is probably not a good
choice for a multi generational cruise.
Speaker 4 (44:47):
Do you know why? It's adults only.
Speaker 2 (44:50):
They do not allow anyone under twelve years of age
on board their ships, and the rooms are laid out
such that they're really we only designed for two people
in each cabin. So those are the kinds of nuances
that your travel advisors know. That probably likely, Chris, I'll
bet that's a piece of trivia. You didn't even know
(45:11):
about Viking Cruise Line.
Speaker 3 (45:13):
No clue, you know here in the commercial they're not
going to advertise that, but they expect us to advise
the guests on it. I do want to talk about
one of the other river cruise lines if I can,
as we're talking about Wave Week and that's Alma Waterways.
Alma Waterways is a family owned river cruise line. They
go through the rivers in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America.
(45:33):
They have these innovative ship designs, authentic cultural experiences, and
they are kind of got a great reputation because the
person that's designed most of those ships a god by
the name of Rudy Schriiner. He is kind of thought
of as the godfather of river cruising, and so he
was inspired by luxury yachts, but he modified those to
(45:57):
make these river cruises with a lot of equal friendly
features too. They've got solar heating, led lighting on board.
The dining on an Amal Waterways cruise is very very good.
It's not, you know, cafeteria food. It's not the buffet
food that you might think of sometimes that some of
the more economically priced cruise lines have. They have great dining,
(46:19):
they have great shore excursions and they specialize in some
small group shore excursions. Also, when you're taking an excursion
a lot of times when you're in Europe and some
of these places, a big crowd can't really be accommodated
as well in some of these places, and yet some
of the cruise lines might try and get a big
crowd in there. Ama does not. They've got a variety
(46:42):
of onboard services. They have dance parties, they've got games,
wellness classes, and they always have hot tubs, lounge chairs,
other places to relax on the top deck, so as
you're going down the river you can be really comfortable too.
They go to Europe, Asia, Africa. One of the cruises
I'm looking at is the Nile that I was recently
at you talked about with me when I was in
(47:03):
Europe recently or in Egypt recently. I'm gonna goes there,
and they've got a summer triple savings offer that's really good.
They can for These are on select European river cruises
that you can reserve between now and the thirty first
of March, that's their deadline. You can enjoy a lot
of savings up to two thousand, well actually up to
(47:26):
four thousand on some of the longer cruises, the fourteen
night cruises up to four thousand dollars terry. The shorter ones,
the seven to eleven ten night cruis at ten to
eleven night cruises are two thousand per state room. They're
going to upgrade your state room and they're going to
give you an onboard credit in addition again to the
virtuoso benefits. So they are a great choice. I'm a Waterways.
(47:50):
We do a lot of work with them, and they
make an excellent choice and they just have a great reputation.
Speaker 2 (47:56):
So so far, we've heard about a lot of what
I would consider the luxury cruise lines, small yacht cruising,
that kind of thing. But now, Chris, we're going to
shift our focus just a little bit for the remainder
part of our show today to what I call the
pedestrian cruise lines. And those are going to be cruise
lines like Holland America Princess, and those are the lines
(48:19):
that we want to talk about because they get a
lot of attention during wavemonth primarily for one reason, and
that is because they both go to Alaska. And when
I'm talking with my clients, I always say, if you're
going to Alaska, there's really only two choices in the
pedestrian cruise line, and that's Holland America or Princess. Right now,
(48:44):
Holland America is offering a bonus of up to four
hundred dollars on board credit per state room for guests
who book by January the thirty first. That offer ends
on February the twenty eighth. The next what I call
pedestrian cruise line that goes to Alaska is Princess Cruise Lines.
They have what they call come Aboard Sale and they
(49:06):
are offering up to forty percent off plus a free
room upgrade. Your third and fourth guests can go free
plus ninety nine dollars deposits. That booking window is from
now until February the twenty eighth, and that includes all voyages,
so that's something great to look at. The next one
(49:27):
on our list, which is pretty popular. They do cover
a great deal of the Caribbean, as do Holland American Princess,
but they're more known for their Caribbean destinations as well
as the Mediterranean. No better time to plan your vacation
with celebrity cruise lines. You can now get their Wave deal,
(49:48):
which is nothing comes close. It's what they call it
whole New side of Experiences, and you can for a
limited time get seventy five percent off your second guest
fare and save up to an additional five hundred dollars
per room.
Speaker 4 (50:07):
So all of the and that.
Speaker 2 (50:08):
Includes the inside ocean view, Veranda's concierge class, and even
their retreat. Two of the last ones I saved. I
think the best for last and that Silver Sea and Explorer.
Silver Sea is not new to the cruise industry. They
are again one of the small yacht cruises and they
(50:29):
are offering a deal of up to five thousand dollars
savings per suite. It is an all sweet, small ship
small yacht cruise line. Explorer Journeys one of my new favorites.
They are launching with their wave offer something called Unique
Oceans offer incredible pricing. It's their lowest prices of the season.
(50:53):
Their Destination experience includes four hundred to one thousand dollars
off per sweet category. Only a ten percent deposit holds
your booking and for journeys of seven nights or longer,
that offers a perfect way to gift yourself or your
loved ones with an unforgettable journey. Now, the Explorer Journeys
(51:16):
is probably one of the ones that's most akin to
Silver Sea or Regent or those cruise lines.
Speaker 3 (51:25):
They're very industry yep.
Speaker 2 (51:29):
So I had just a few final thoughts really about
Wave month, and that is you have a special invitation
with these to really experience your dream, to plan to
set sail on an adventure that you can leave your
everyday life behind now, whether you want to explore the
(51:50):
Caribbean or navigate the Fjords of Norway, or sipping wine
in Europe on a European river cruise. This, Chris, is
your chance to make those travel dreams a reality because
the deals aren't going to get much better than this,
and now would be a perfect time to actually book these.
Speaker 3 (52:10):
I'm really pleased that we were able to talk about these.
You know, still in the middle of January. There's time
for people to choose. If you wait until the end
of any of these periods, the choices may still be there,
but the selection is there now. So we've hit a
lot of deals, a lot of opportunities. We've kind of
covered the whole ocean in terms of waves.
Speaker 1 (52:28):
This morning, Chris, I'd recommend you call the Wishing Well
at five four h nine oh eight twenty three thirty
three and make an appointment to come in and sit
down with Terry and Harry and the team and get
that dream vacation.
Speaker 2 (52:42):
Booked absolutely absolutely, And in the weeks and months ahead,
we're going to be focusing on a lot of the
luxury aspects of travel. People are still very much interested
in that, and we'll start to unfurl some of these destinations.
The world is a wonderful pearl, just waiting for you
to experience it.
Speaker 1 (53:02):
If you don't need anything else to encourage you, the
snow will do it.
Speaker 4 (53:05):
Amen.
Speaker 1 (53:06):
Amen, all right, how do we get in touch with you?
We want to book some trips.
Speaker 2 (53:09):
We are easy to find, Chris. We're located at two
forty three NEF Avenue in the Valley Center in Heresonburg, Virginia.
You can call us always at five four oh nine
oh eight two three three three, or look us up
on the web. We are at the Wishingwell dot biz.
Speaker 1 (53:25):
This has been a life less ordinary the travel show
from your friends at the wishing Well at two forty
three NEP Avenue in Harrisonburg. If you have any questions
on topics discussed today, please reach out to the wishing
Well online at the Wishingwell dot biz or five four
oh nine oh eight twenty three thirty three. Past episodes
are available on the iHeartRadio app and we'll see again
next Saturday morning at ten for a life less ordinary.
(53:47):
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