Things Are Looking Up!

Cruise ships will be setting sail again from U.S. port cities. The European Union is opening up to fully vaccinated U.S. travelers. Some countries are dropping their pre-arrival COVID testing if you are fully vaccinated. For some you still need to quarantine unless you present your negative PCR test. Still others are outside the box and are now requiring proof of medical insurance in case you get COVID while in their country. And all of these protocols change. Almost daily. Sometimes twice a day. Nothing is set in stone anymore. (Was it ever???) The dust is beginning to settle, but has a ways to go before we can sweep it up and throw it away permanently.

What I really would like to talk to you about today is what we missed during COVID. You know…..your first Alaska Cruisetour, or your bucketlist Foodie Tour through Italy, or even your Annual Family Reunion gathering. We all had something special in mind – probably booked and paid for – that we were unable to do because the world was shut down. But, that is changing and we need to discuss how to put that something special back on the books and make it bigger and better than it ever could have been in 2020.

What milestone happened to you during COVID? Reaching a banner year in your birthdays? Finally able to celebrate a big year anniversary – with you, your spouse and the dog? Graduation was a HUGE bummer for the Class of 2020. As was Prom. Weddings were either done super small or postponed until some time in 2021.

Each of these milestone celebrations called for a big gathering and many times a celebration vacation to follow the occasion. So many multi-generational family cruises or villas rentals cancelled. Honeymoons gone by the wayside. Babymoons, bachelor and bachelorette parties, the BIG 30, 40 or 50 came and went without so much as a popped balloon.

Whatever you had planned, can and should be rebooked ASAP! Why not?!? Remember…someone super smart back in the day coined the phrase “It is never too late!” I agree. Let’s take that milestone vacation plan, rework it, rebook it and give you something exciting and wonderful to look forward to! We all need a ray of sunshine, a glimmer of hope, something amazing in our future! In person! We have had enough Zoom chats to last a lifetime. It is time to make fabulous memories to last the rest of our lives. Let’s do it!!

Guys and Gals Getaways are the BEST! Even couples getaways can be amazing. The buzz words towards the end of 2020/beginning of 2021 were TRAVEL BUBBLES. Yep! A select group of friends or family traveling together in their own pod. Insight Vacations was offering amazing domestic ‘Travel Bubble’ Small Group itineraries for our National Parks and theme cities that were perfect. Private luxury home rentals became super popular because 10 – 12 of your closest pod mates could travel together without outside influence and be completely relaxed without worrying about “C”.

Make no mistake – this was not just a passing fad for stepping out in the beginning stages of post-covid travel. Not by a long shot. This is a trend that I predict will last for a while. It makes sense! You only have 12 in your group – let’s find you a private tour option. Or let’s find you a private luxury home complete with a Chef and Butler. You’ll spend a week (or however long)  just enjoying your posse, eating freshly prepared gourmet food and getting totally spoiled because you don’t have to lift a finger. How sweet would that be?

Want to kick it up a notch? Take a private jet to a private island paradise. Have you ever wondered how amazing living on a luxury yacht would be, drifting around the Caribbean Islands? Or the Greek Isles? SeaDream Yacht Club offers private charters of their 2 yachts. There are only 56 staterooms onboard SeaDream I & II, with a maximum capacity of 112 guests.

Perhaps during the pandemic lockdown, heck – maybe even PRIOR to the lockdown – you started wondering what it would be like to strike out on your own once things improved. Heaven knows we got pretty used to spending time alone or close to that during Covid. Maybe the people you have traveled with before aren’t ready to resume vacationing yet. Or maybe, you just want to give it a try on your own. Now is the perfect time to go Solo!

Many of our great Travel Partner Cruise Lines have anticipated single occupancy requests and they have listened. Some, like Norwegian Cruise Lines for example, had Solo Traveler areas already designated on some of their larger ships called The Studio. This is a private, closed off interior section of the ship with solo cabins on 2 decks with a common Studio Lounge just for the Studio cabin occupants. They designed this area very nicely and it is really pretty cool! But what about smaller ships or river ships? Could that even become reality without paying double?

Yes it can and is, thank you for asking! AmaWaterways has dedicated solo cabins on all of their fleet, so a river cruise is totally within your reach. Silversea and Seabourn also cater to Solo Travelers on select voyages with little to no single supplement. Other ocean cruise lines have stepped up as well, offering reduced supplements for solos. I discovered today that African Travel has 9 Tanzania Safari itineraries for 2022 that have NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT for Solos! That is amazing! With some planning ahead and flexibility, Solo Travelers can take advantage of single pricing on land AND sea. About time, I say!

Let’s face it folks, we are itching to get out and start experiencing the world again! Whether it be a local in-state trip such as a Grand Canyon Railway experience; a domestic trip sticking to travel within our gorgeous United States; or going all out and traveling internationally to Greece or Italy. We are ready to see the world! And Infinity Travelaz is here to help guide you and design the perfect vacation itinerary for you. There are so many moving pieces in planning these days, you need to consult a Travel Advisor that can put the puzzle together seamlessly. It is so much more than just flights, hotel, cruise cabin or tour. We need to ensure you have the right documentation, required additional medical insurance, dining reservations, reserved shore or tour excursions and approved Covid testing to name a few things. We are ready to turn your travel dreams into a real vacation – it is what we trained for during that last several months! Let’s get started planning today!