All Things Travel Podcast

Discover the World with Viking Cruises: Rivers, Oceans, and Expeditions Explained

• Ryan Hedstrom & Julie Shaffer • Season 1 • Episode 228

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Show Notes:

Welcome to another exciting episode of All Things Travel! This week, we are thrilled to have Mary Trotter from Viking Cruises join us to explore the vast offerings of Viking's river, ocean, and expedition cruises. Whether you are a seasoned traveler or planning your first cruise, Viking provides a unique experience that caters to the mature traveler looking for cultural immersion and adventure.

In This Episode, We Cover:

  • Viking Cruises Overview: Learn about Viking’s journey from river cruising in Europe to expanding their fleet to ocean and expedition cruises worldwide.
  • Unique Features of Viking Cruises: Discover what sets Viking apart, including adults-only cruises, all-English-speaking staff, and exclusive access to cultural experiences.
  • Diverse Itineraries: From the picturesque rivers of Europe to the majestic fjords of Norway and the exotic landscapes of Egypt, we dive into some of Viking’s most popular and unique cruise itineraries.
  • Sustainability Efforts: Learn about Viking’s commitment to environmental sustainability with hybrid engines, fuel efficiency, and scientific research aboard their expedition ships.
  • Onboard Experience: From elegant Scandinavian design to enriching onboard activities and amenities, find out what makes a Viking cruise a truly luxurious experience.
  • Special Promotions: Join us for an exclusive virtual cruise night with Viking Cruises on September 24th to learn more about Viking’s offerings and access special promotions!

Make sure to listen in as Mary shares her insights and stories from Viking Cruises, offering valuable advice for your next adventure on the water. Whether you dream of exploring Europe’s historic rivers, sailing through the Arctic, or enjoying the Mediterranean sun, this episode has all the inspiration you need to start planning your dream cruise.

Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review All Things Travel to stay updated on all things cruising and beyond!

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Ryan:

Hello and welcome to all things travel I'm sure you've heard of Viking River cruises the picturesque boats winding down the European River But did you know Viking offers so much more today? We're joined by our friend Mary Trotter from Viking to discuss exploring rivers Oceans and the far reaches of the globe with this amazing company Listen in with travel advisors and destination experts, Ryan and Julie. I'm your travel professor, teaching you everything you need to know to have a magical vacation. And she's a Disney loving Maryland mom of three and a specialist in family travel. we're discussing destinations, top vacation tips, or sharing personal stories, it's always all things travel. So Julie, I know you have some experience with Viking. When you think of Viking river ocean or expedition cruises, what comes to for you?

Julie:

Just thinking like those beautiful scenes going down the rivers in Europe. I know they're in other countries, but that's what I think of floating down those rivers in

Ryan :

It was really hard for me not to include Downton Abbey in the introduction. Cause that was my first introduction to Viking river cruises.

Julie:

When I was in Amsterdam I visited several ships. they were absolutely amazing.

Ryan :

The decor, and we're going to talk about the Scandinavian decor today. Just beautiful ships with tons of light. one of the best meals I had the entire trip on any of the ships was the salmon that was particular to the owner of Viking. Was one of the best dishes I had.

Julie:

you remember exact dish?

Ryan :

me. Absolutely.

Julie:

I expect nothing less from you, Ryan.

Ryan :

we have our friend Mary Trotter who is with Viking Cruises. Welcome, Mary. Thank you so much for being with us today.

Mary:

I'm excited to be with you and talk about all things

Ryan :

So give us a little rundown of your job, your experience within travel. Cause it's a little extensive.

Julie:

Mm hmm.

Mary:

Yeah, absolutely. So I'm a director of business development for Viking, which just means. I work with wonderful travel agents like the two of you and help you learn more about Viking and get you on board the ships to see what they look like. So that's where I've been for the last two and a half years. Before that, many years ago, I owned a travel agency and had several podcasts just like yours

Ryan :

so look ourselves, we keep working.

Julie:

If we just keep trying.

Mary:

It started with the Disney podcast. So lots of podcasts at a travel agency and moved to Florida 12 years ago and really wanted to take that expertise of what I learned in being a travel agency owner and how can I impact more people and help them create memories? Because there's the ability to reach a lot more people in my position now than when I was just a travel agency owner. I've been. Working in business development with a couple different companies for the last 10 years, started on the all inclusive side with a company called Apple Leisure Group, and then I moved over to a luxury Ocean Cruise Line, Crystal Cruises Until they had a little snafu for a bit. They're back and doing great. Time I moved over to Viking and just absolutely love it. Such a great cruise line to work for.

Julie:

Yeah, so we first met Mary at our Asianpalooza, which is our annual conference in January. And Mary's been in our Asianpalooza for couple them,

Ryan :

Yeah. Yeah.

Mary:

Yeah,

Julie:

Yeah, a couple, for sure.

Mary:

Yes.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

it's just so awesome to hear Mary talk about Viking, which is why we wanted to have her on because she does an amazing job of painting the picture. I still remember you telling us a story about feeling like Belle in Beauty and the Beast on the cruise and the sights that you were seeing and it just, I know like so many people that's stuck with them and it was such a great, it's such a good introduction to Viking Cruise Line to be able to help then sell our clients. And my parents have gone on Viking and we have another one booked. I had just booked their first one and was able to pepper Mary with questions make sure they had the best experience I could give them.

Ryan :

And I actually have clients that have been on Viking many times just got back from the Mekong River and she said this was the best, most immersive river cruise they've ever taken with Viking.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

Whoa.

Mary:

incredible.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

Whoa.

Ryan :

we get into all things Viking today, Mary, Viking has such a strong reputation in the cruise industry. What do you think sets Viking apart from other cruise lines? And it can be for river, ocean or expedition. what's the value proposition of Viking compared to others?

Mary:

Great. So we've been in business for 27 years. we started in European river cruising and, really work hard to do what we start really, really well. So we focus just on river cruising till 2015. We built that strong reputation in the cruise industry. We really brought the European river cruising to the U S market, to the North American market. So that's that reputation that we have with, you know, Viking on European rivers. in 2015. We moved into ocean cruising built that reputation and then we moved into expedition cruising. So that's, you know, really doing well at everything that we do. And so, you know, so many, we have so many ships. I think people don't realize how many ships we have. We have over a hundred ships now across our whole fleet. one thing that people don't realize about Viking is that we are adults

Ryan :

Yeah. Right.

Mary:

I think a lot of times people assume that children can come. But it's a more luxury cruise line. So they just aren't there, but we are adults only. We're 1 of the, the few out there that are and we only have English speaking people on board the ships, which is another thing that sets us apart. That means all of our crew is speaking in English. All of our guests are speaking in English. All of our guides are speaking in English. I've been on other cruise lines and sometimes language is an issue, but it's just not on a Viking cruise. So that really does set us apart because now by being all English speaking, 88 percent of our guests come from North America. It's like minded people interested in history culture geography and art. So really, you know, a lot of people try to be everything for everyone, but we just aren't, we're very focused on mature travelers that are English speaking, and they're interested in that history, culture, geography, and the art. So that makes us very different from other lines that are out

Ryan :

So, the last time I saw you Mary was a couple months ago We were up in the port of Detroit, which you don't think about when you think of cruising was doing a tour of one of the expedition ships and Seeing the labs and the submarines and the classrooms and the chief scientist who actually took us around most of it. It's like, this is not what I think of when I think of cruising. And he said, you know, this is not a drinking man's cruise. This is a thinking man's cruise. And it's like, how amazing to immerse yourself in climate and weather and learning about the oceans and the great lakes with this cruise. it just really opened my eyes to all the different types of cruising. with a company like Viking.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

Wow. That is so cool. I didn't realize all that was on there when you saw that

Ryan :

Yeah, it was amazing.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

That is so neat. if we are talking to a client who has never cruised with Viking before, what are some unique experiences that we should share with them that they can look forward to on board or during their excursions?

Mary:

absolutely. everything we do on the ship and off the ship is very focused on the destination. on river, you are right next to the destination. You are in the heart of the city. So most of that destination immersive piece happens. Off the ship, you're tons of tours. You have a tour included at every port of call. One thing that not every Cruise line uses is we have a system called the Quiet Box System. It's a little box that sits in your room. when you head out every day, you grab your little quiet box. You take it with you, you've got a little earpiece, and as you walk through the city, you have a guide speaking into a microphone and you hear everything in your ear. I often forget. They're speaking just in my ear. Sometimes they bring out my camera, my phone, and I'm like videoing things. And then I realized, Oh, no one hears what I'm hearing. Cause it's in my ear. I often forget that the first couple of videos I did when I first started with Viking, I was like, wait, no one, I listened to it back. I was like, Oh yeah, nobody knows what I was hearing. Cause it was in my ear. not all cruise lines do that and it can be difficult. You've got to like crowd around your guide to hear what they're saying. So that really, is a huge piece for us. But even our tours, some of them are Very unique to Vikings. we do have some things called privileged access tours. So we do tours like going behind the scenes of the Vienna Boys Choir. You spend the afternoon with the boys that are in the Vienna Boys Choir and, and talking to them and finding out what that experience is like. We have another experience going up to the top of the Cologne Cathedral. So that's a great one. On some of our ocean cruises, we do things like going to the grand estate of the Earl of Derby. on our British Isles Explorer cruise. We have special access to museums throughout the world where you're just not going to have crowds of people around you. And you know, Ryan, you'll appreciate this. We do have pre and post extensions to Highclere Castle, the castle from Downton Abbey. so all kinds of, really great, unique experiences you're just not going to experience on other cruise lines.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

Yeah. And I think having that experience where you can point out there's not going to be a ton of people here and you're not going to have to be crowded around a tour guide. those are things that you can't really put a price tag on until you experience something like that and realize how much better that can be Being in a shared crowd with everyone else at the same time, is just going to make such a better

Ryan :

Yeah. And I can speak from experience with those earpieces being one, somebody who likes to wander. And two, being somebody who can't

Mary:

That's me, Ryan. I'm a wanderer.

Ryan :

focused and helps me know what's going on.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

I was going to reference back to when Mary said the mature traveler on Viking, if that was why we had

Ryan :

Well, well,

Mary:

Normally on Viking, when you wander too far, it starts to break up a little bit. Then I know I've wandered too far. I must walk back to where I can hear them again. I, love the earpieces cause I know when it starts getting staticky, I'm definitely way too

Ryan :

Yeah, if I don't have a tour guide specifically asked me, please stop taking pictures and stay with the group. I know it's not a normal tour for me. So, so at the beginning I mentioned, we know a lot about Viking river cruises. We've talked about river cruising on this podcast several times. Viking offers cruising now for ocean cruising and expedition cruises briefly talk about the differences between the three other than location? Obviously and how can I decide what's right for me when I'm thinking about vacations?

Mary:

Absolutely. I mean, they're all so different. Starting with river river is kind of like a floating hotel, if you will. You know, you've got 190 people on boards. It's a much smaller ship Experience. And it is all about the destination. you have your restaurants to go and eat, you have your lounge area where it's, you know, light music, some dancing, maybe some musicians in the evening or singers, dancers, that kind of thing, but really it's all about being in the destination, so you're not going to have a lot of heavy entertainment, a lot of lectures on board. It's all going to be. So you're right there. You can come and go as you please. It's super easy. someone asked me recently say I have a tour at 8 30. What time do I need to leave my stateroom to be on time for my tour?

Ryan :

Yeah, yeah I was gonna say say a 20 put your shoes on and you're gonna be

Mary:

Yes, you will be on time. it's a very immersive experience. You're right there by the heart of the city. Then you move into ocean. ocean is a much bigger shift, but still less than a thousand guests on board. you're still going to have those great immersive destination experiences, some incredible tours. You may have even more tours available to you because you've got, more options, but a lot more entertainment on board. So you've got several restaurants to choose from. 24 hour room service. a show every evening. it's not a big over the top Broadway show, but we have some incredible singers, a great band on board, several lounges to choose from and one thing that really sets ocean apart for us is we do have guest lecturers. We also have resident historians. They are part of our crew. So the resident historians will do lectures about the destination, about the history of the destination. They'll also do small forums. They have office hours. much like a college professor, you can go and schedule some time with them in their office. So much larger experience for someone who. You know, once a pool to go and hang out in, you know, once to go watch a movie in the theater, once a more nightlife you're sailing more at night on an ocean cruise than on a river cruise. Then we move to expedition. So expedition really three main experiences We do Antarctica. during the Antarctic summers, November to March. Then in summer. We're in the great lakes and also in 2025, we'll be spending the summer in the Arctic doing the Northwest passage expedition is in between the size of an ocean ship and a European river cruise ship. So it's 378 guests on board. So it is beautiful ship, not as many restaurants as you have on our ocean ships. You do have a few to choose from. You still have your 24 hour room service. The ports again can be depending on the port. You may have to go through some security a little bit Antarctica. I mean, they'll do it one time and then you're in Antarctica. Antarctica is very expedition. Great Lakes is what I would say is expedition light. You're going to do some really cool things and some more expedition like studying you plankton and seeing some great sea life and wildlife and things like that. You'll go to Niagara Falls, then you'll be in Detroit and go to the Henry Ford Museum. in Antarctica, you're going to be doing landings. You're going to be going with your parka and your waterproof boots and your trekking poles, you're visiting Antarctica seeing the Penguins. we have expedition guides on board. it's more about the science behind it exploring nature wildlife and Sea life. And as, as Ryan mentioned, our chief scientist, we bring science students on board. We have science labs. You're spending time immersed in that destination in the scientific things behind all of it. So very different experience than ocean cruising. And I should mention, because I know we mentioned the Mekong river. We do also go on a much smaller cruise experience, 80 guests on board. We also have can't even believe we have this many ships. Now we have six Egypt river cruises Egypt river cruise ships. We will have 10 by 2027. It is our third most popular itinerary is our Egypt river Cruise. only 82 guests on board. that's a very small and intimate experience. You're not going to have crowds around you. if that's something you want to do, that's very unique and different. we did just add Mississippi in the last couple of years. you have a Mississippi ship with 386 guests on board. if you want to go along the Mississippi River. That's a whole different experience. but it is available.

Ryan :

It's a little different than Egypt.

Mary:

Just a little, just a little. Yeah,

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

All those options are just so amazing. I have a question, though. I know that for the river cruises, you get one excursion included. Does that carry over to ocean and expedition?

Mary:

It does. It does. Absolutely.

Ryan :

so that bring, that brings up give us a little bit of a rundown of what is included as a guest and what a guest may expect to pay extra from their cruise.

Mary:

So you do have the one tour. At each port of call. So you will have, it's usually a pretty set tour on ocean. Sometimes you have a couple of options just depending on the court on river. It's everybody's on the same tour. I just want to speak to that for a second, because I recently watched a YouTube video about someone who was talking about how it's all everybody's on the same tour, and I think that kind of speaks to the whole, like, we want everyone to be like minded. You know, everyone's going on that same tour then coming to dinner and talking about their experience on that same tour. Some people may do optional tours. at an additional cost. So that would be an additional cost if you wanted to do something optional. You do the included tour in the morning. Then you may pay to do an optional tour in the afternoon or explore on your own. all of your dining at all of our venues are included. on Ocean and Expedition, you do have some specialty restaurants. those included. no surcharges or anything for that. You have beer and wine with lunch and dinner included. beer, wine and soft drinks. Outside of those hours, if you want to have a drink, you would either purchase those drinks all apart. So if you go to the lounge in the evening you could purchase that all apart. It's pretty reasonably price compared to what I've seen with some other cruise lines. You also have the option to do an unlimited beverage package. It's called the Silver Spirits. Really It's 25 per person per day. So for a week, that's 175 for the week.

Ryan :

is crazy.

Mary:

yeah, it's such a great deal. I mean, a lot of people added, it for ocean. You know, river, because you're so close to town, it doesn't always happen, it's a great value. Now you have unlimited drinks. You don't have to think about it. Another option is if you're out and about you stop at a wine shop, you can grab a bottle of wine. You're at a winery. Bring that back on board. we'll be more than happy to serve it to you in the restaurants and bars We don't charge any kind of corkage fee. if you want to keep that bottle to yourself, don't sit with anybody else. They might want to have some of your wine.

Ryan :

tasting experience. Well, I just want to, I just want You talked about lounges, Mary, when I was on the ship in Detroit, and I know this was an expedition cruise, so it wasn't even the, the river cruises or the ocean cruises. Those lounges were Absolutely beautiful. I I would rotate around and, be laughing because in two old fashions in, I would have paid for my drink package for that day. Right. I just would have

Mary:

You know, what's funny is when you look at videos of Viking and pictures, there are so many lounges on our Ocean Expedition ships, they don't even show, like, the Hyde Lounge on

Ryan :

Love that idea. Yeah.

Mary:

Love it, but we don't have any pictures of that lounge anywhere. you go looking for it, there's no picture. You don't even know it exists. But here it is hidden Same thing on our ocean ships. We have tourist Haven, which is a great nightclub. We have our live band there and some singers and great dancing that people just don't, we don't talk about it that much. it's where I spend all my time every evening on an ocean cruise. Really great bars and lounges. You can definitely spend all that money pretty quickly

Ryan :

high, the Julie, we were there on this visit. And that is actually like Mary said, kind of a secret little lounge in the front the expedition staff actually comes in in the evening and we'll talk to guests with stories of their adventures in Antarctica and in the Arctic That just feels really cool.

Mary:

It is very cool.

Ryan :

have a lot more to talk about Viking. But first I want to talk about where in the world is all things travel a new location for us that popped up. is Edmonds, Washington. Edmonds, Washington is a suburb of Seattle. It's 15 miles north of Seattle and 18 miles southwest of Everett. And what I love about this location, Julie, is it faces the Puget Sound. It's right on the water, and it faces the Olympic Mountains to the west. I want to meet our listener there, and because we're talking about cruising tonight, I want to hop on a sailboat with them and have a great time and plan a cruise with our listeners. much Edmonds for listening to all things travel. We really appreciate it. reach out to Julie or myself, either on Facebook or email. Cause I would love to send you a thank you gift for me. You feature on the show and they're brand new. Thank you gifts. I just got some from Julie in the mail this week.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

You're welcome, Ryan. So, Mary, you've talked about how beautiful the ships are, and they are known for their elegant Scandinavian designs. tell us about how that design philosophy enhances what the guest is going to experience on board.

Mary:

Absolutely. that Scandinavian design really brings a lot of light to our ships. when you go to some of the other river cruise ships, many of the ships feel very, very

Ryan :

I agree with you, Mary, you walk into some of them and they looked like old timey casinos. they were dark and dated. then you walk into Viking and it's light bright light woods and natural decor. It was just beautiful.

Mary:

that Scandinavian design is also kind of purpose built for us. attention to detail. If you look at all of our railings on our river ships, they're all wrapped in leather. All of our door handles on our ships are wrapped in leather. it's those little pieces, but then, looking at the design itself, and I think people don't realize this, but, those square back chairs are actually for a purpose. everywhere you go on our ships in a public space, you'll see our chairs have a square back. They are like that because if you're traveling and you have a jacket, a sweater, something like that, and you're going to put it on the back of a chair, If it's rounded, that jacket may fall off. If it's square backed, it is less likely that that jacket is going to fall off the back of the chair. So you'll notice every single picture that you see of a Viking cruise ship, all the chairs, you're like, Oh, that's Scandinavian design. Yes. But it's also for a purpose.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

Heh.

Mary:

Looking at our, you know, in our state rooms, all of our toiletries are, they're big, but they're also large font because we're focused on the mature traveler. our chairman was on a trip in, in the shower. Couldn't He didn't know what he had in his hand because he couldn't read it who wears their readers in the shower? So came back from that trip and said, wait, we got to redo the toiletries. We need large font.

Ryan :

says, you do, right?

Mary:

just do it. You just be like, whatever he says, you do it. Heated floors, anti fog mirrors. So, you know, it's bringing that Scandinavian vibe and those light colors, bringing that light inside. lots and lots of windows to look outside of the destination. So we're bringing that destination into the Ship. everything is very purpose built on the

Ryan :

I remember on the ship tour this summer going into the pool area outside the spa There was actually even a fireplace there were different showers one of which was a snow shower. I mean, it was really cool. to be honest a goal of mine is to live in one of those Explorer suites. the Episode. but yeah, it was just absolutely beautiful.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

they have hot tubs on board?

Mary:

Yes. Not on river, not on our river ships, but yes, on ocean and expedition, we do have hot tubs.

Ryan :

speaking of design and natural settings, sustainability has become an important issue for travelers, Mary. I'm sure Viking is doing things to approach environmental sustainability across all of their ships. what are some of their practices?

Mary:

Yeah, absolutely. So on our river ships, we utilize solar panels. We have a hydro hybrid engine. our ocean ships, we currently the 10 ships that we have, it is a hybrid engine as well. It uses, you know, it's very fuel efficient. I believe it's 40%, fuel efficiency, it just really is very sustainable, but we wanted to take a step further. So currently our ocean ships, the 10 we have already very green. We don't want to impact our environment. we have 930 guests on board. Those ships are new ships that are coming out starting this year are going to have a few more guests on board. And the reason there's a few more guests still going to look identical. But there will be a few more state rooms. That will be the only difference. And the reason why is we're going to a new engine, which requires more space. So we're doing a hydrogen fuel cell engine, which will be very, very Green. so it's all about, how can we not Impact our environment still cruise, but still be very sustainable and friendly to the environment. So you're going to see those changes moving forward in all of our new ships is that we will have a hydrogen fuel cell engine. And then of course on expedition, that's what we're all about. we are We're constantly studying our environment. That's what the science labs are all about. We're checking the sea life. We've written scientific papers. Our scientists are constantly writing scientific papers that are being published about how. Our environment is affecting the sea life is affecting, affecting the plant life. So it's, how can we help the environment around us? So something we're super focused on.

Ryan :

That's great.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

Okay. Yeah, that's a lot to think about when you're going on those ships. What are some of your favorite destinations or itineraries that maybe you've done or you think people should know about?

Mary:

I know you mentioned earlier, about how I felt like Bell on one of my tours was on the Rhine getaway, which is our number one itinerary. Typically when people first start river cruising, the Rhine is our most popular.

Ryan :

Hmm.

Mary:

it is the gateway track for sure. You get on the Rhine getaway in Basel to Amsterdam, and there are just some beautiful destinations there, honestly, my favorite destination. And I, you know, I've been a lot of places. I just love Strasbourg, France. That's one of our stops on that itinerary. And there are some really great tours. There's this beautiful cathedral there that has this great astronomical clock. It was built hundreds of years ago and it's incredible. You have to see it to really understand it, but it is just incredible. the streets of Strasburg, it's just a little town and cobblestone streets, I did a tour with this cute little French. young lady that was walking into every shop going bonjour, bonjour. And she was just walking in and we're trying all these little treats and things. We stopped at a bakery, we stopped at the cheese shop. It was just the greatest experience. Love that itinerary. But there's so many others. the Viking homelands is another one of our ocean cruises it takes you. Into the fjords of Norway, which not a lot of ships can do that. So you're going into those fjords. You're really kind of seeing the areas that our chairman, our founder, Thorstein Hagen, where he grew up. You're visiting a lot of those little places that he grew up So incredible. Scenery throughout Norway and Sweden. That one's from Stockholm to Bergen. It's a two week long cruise. And you know, iconic Western Med. If you've never been to the Mediterranean, you want to see those places a lot of people talk about. That one's Barcelona to Rome. So you're going to go to Barcelona. You're going to go to Florence and Pisa, Marseille. So Monte Carlo. Beautiful itinerary there as well. And of course you have lots of exotic itineraries. You can go to Bali you can go over to Hawaii. If you have 180 days, you can do our world voyage. Then you could just see everything. so many different experiences to choose

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

My parents are actually booked on that Ryan getaway, that Basel to Amsterdam. That's the one they're going to do. I want to say they're doing it in 2026.

Mary:

Okay.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

I'm thrilled to hear you talk about that

Mary:

that's the one they get a brush up on their songs from beauty and the beast before they go.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

they're big Disney people, so I think we'll be fine. I'm excited to share that with them because I, Just so remember you talking about that and painting that picture for us. And they were booked on a different itinerary. And we kind of moved towards this one and I liked the stops better. And adding on some days in Switzerland was, just sounds so cool.

Mary:

yeah, it's a great itinerary. Great place to start. I mean, you're going to go to the black forest and learn how to make. Black forest cake, which I'm going to be honest. I didn't realize that you specifically black forest cake came from the black forest area in Germany. I thought it was just a cake. Someone just came up with this recipe, but no, it's from that region. And so they teach you how to make it, learn all about cuckoo clock. It's a great one. And then Egypt, how can you not love Egypt? That's a very different itinerary because it's part on land and part cruise. So you actually spend three days in Cairo, Egypt then we fly you to Luxor, Egypt, where you get on the ship and spend seven days on the Nile then fly back to Cairo. So really great experience. You get a couple of days of tours in Cairo, and then you go and do your tours along the Nile river. So incredible experience on the Egypt river cruise.

Ryan :

that

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

Wow. That I love the variety of destinations. That is so amazing to me. I'm excited to share those with, listeners and clients and offer those as their future trips. Ryan has some

Ryan :

Yeah, so so good segue Julie sharing with our listeners and our clients because we have an exciting thing for everybody Mary's actually gonna meet with us later this month to offer a virtual cruise night for Viking and As part of that she's gonna go through much more detail about What Viking is, why you would want to book with Viking, what to expect, and she's going to be offering some special promotions for those people that join us on that virtual cruise night Tuesday, September 24th at 730 Eastern Standard Time. she'll have a link for a zoom meeting that we'll put up on the page. if you attend that night, there's going to be some special promotions for you So Mary talked to us about what that evening is going to entail.

Mary:

Yeah, absolutely. So we're gonna talk more in depth about Viking. We'll go into what all is included, who Viking is, what our culture is, go over some of the itineraries, and then as Ryan mentioned, there will be some special offers. So you definitely don't wanna miss out. I know special offers are good but you have to book within a couple of weeks to get those offers. And deposits are really low right now, so now's the time

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

if any of what we just talked about with those cruises in Europe or Egypt or the Mekong or even the ocean or expedition, if that sounds like something you want to do, make sure that you are at our cruise night on September 24th so that we can get you booked with a promotion.

Ryan :

absolutely. and even if it's not now, Mary talks about a low deposit with these types of cruises, you need to plan ahead. We're talking 2025, obviously, but we're also talking 2026. And in some cases even beyond that, these cruises and get exactly what you want and when you want it.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

Mm hmm.

Mary:

Absolutely. 2027, we'll be out anytime now.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

Right.

Mary:

Which seems crazy. We actually did put some 2027 itineraries all came out and sold out within a day. So it was, it was a, it was a rare 1. it was on on in Egypt, there is a complete solar eclipse in 2027.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

Oh,

Mary:

So. Yeah. So we had six different dates and those sold out within hours. 2027, I expected to come out at any time people are typically booking, two years in advance The ships do fill up. Definitely.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

The cruise I have booked for my parents, they don't sail until October of 2026 and it's been booked for a couple of months, but because you plan, the cruise and then you're looking at what excursions you want to do and then you're thinking of your pre and post, It's something where you're extending that trip. There's a lot to think about with these vacations. So planning them in advance gives you a lot of time to do

Ryan :

And so remember, Tuesday night, September 24th at 7. 30 Eastern Standard Time. we will have more information on the Facebook page, and we'll also be reminding you in episodes in between. So, as we wrap up here where do you want to cruise next with Viking? So Julie, if I could give you a golden ticket for a cruise, where would you go?

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

I like that Norwegian Fjords one she was talking about. Norway is on our list for cruising for sure. that's so intriguing. I think I have some people in my family that would love that cruise.

Mary:

I'm going on the iconic Western med in December and I'm taking my dad. It's his first cruise ever. So he's super excited. So I'm excited about that. I've been to a lot of those destinations, but my dad hasn't. So I thought it'd be great for him. we have one called British Isles Explorer. I would love to go to British Isles. I was supposed to go last year and had a little health issue. Couldn't go. So that's one that's on my

Ryan :

got got it.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

just looked at that one for my in laws recently. Cause that is a destination they are really interested in That looks pretty

Ryan :

Well, Julie, you know what I'm gonna say. I've gotta do a Christmas Markets I can't not do it, Mary. Danube River cruise for Christmas Markets.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

Ryan, there's going to be a cruise night on September the 24th.

Mary:

Yes,

Ryan :

you go. And I, and I bet there's going to be a special promotion that night so that I can book my cruise. All right. Well, Mary, thank you so much for joining us today. It has been so much fun to talk about a product that you and I really are excited about. Viking Cruises, whether it's rivers, oceans, expeditions, there's just so much. exciting happening with Viking and what they're offering to guests. So thank you so much for being with us.

Mary:

Thanks for

Ryan :

And we look forward to seeing you on September 24th at 7 30.

juliethecoolone_1_08-25-2024_190814:

You want to plan the trip to an amazing destination like sailing on the Nile the Mekong or even down the Danube? But don't know how to get started as your travel advisors We work with you to create a customized itinerary for your vacation and take the stress of planning away So you can focus on the fun and creating memories you can reach me at Julie at creating magic vacations

Ryan :

And you can reach me at Ryan at CreatingMagicVacations. com We look forward to talking to you next week on all things travel as I help Julie prep for her family trip to Disneyland and Aulani, a Disney resort and spa.

People on this episode

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Julie Shaffer

Co-host
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Ryan Hedstrom

Co-host