Smaller Airlines Going Under

Spirit isn’t the only airline collapsing under these economic conditions. Smaller airlines generally don’t have as much wiggle room when it comes to overhead and finances. They often service smaller, less profitable routes, and as a result they are more susceptible to major changes in the market, like the ones we’ve seen in fuel costs. A lot of small, regional airlines, which will often operate under a larger company’s name, have been shutting down over the last six months because of rising costs.

In a sure sign of the stress hitting the airline industry, AirBaltic, the Flag Carrier line of Latvia (yes, the country), has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections in New York. They cited fuel prices doubling since the war with Iran started in late February. That’s not all they cited, though. The airline also highlighted a growing shortage of aircraft engines, which exasperated the debt that it was already carrying.

While AirBaltic isn’t shuttering the whole company like Spirit, it is shrinking its fleet, cancelling orders, and reducing its least profitable routes. It states that by the end of 2026, its fleet of 54 Airbus planes will be brought down 36 by the end of the year. If you have a flight with AirBaltic, however, know that it isn’t cancelling any tickets at this time.

Airfare Prices are going to be impacted by engine shortages, no matter what plane you book your flight on.

As an aside, that engine shortage isn’t new and there’s reporting going back to 2024 on how engine maker Pratt and Whitney is struggling to keep up with demand for new units and repairs among supply chain problems. The engine that they are struggling to keep up with is the Geared TurboFan used widely in the A320 family, the most delivered jet in history. This probable is impacting other lines as well.

A similar state-owned airline, Congo Airways, has been shutdown since 2024 due to debt and, pretty importantly, a lack of safety. While they completely missed their 2025 restart date, they are still trying to restart sometime before the end of the year.

What all these smaller lines shutting down, reducing service, or just not functioning means is that there are less planes filling in those smaller, unprofitable routes. Now, if you’re thinking, “Well, that sounds bad but I don’t fly smaller airlines, I fly the major carriers,” well I wouldn’t get too excited just yet because you probably do and haven’t noticed.

If you’ve ever bought a ticket from a major airline and seen in the small details of the flight, like the number or aircraft type, “this flight serviced by Company-Name-You’ve-Never-Heard-Of-Airlines”, that means a regional company is running the route for the major airline you booked through, and those companies have been folding at an accelerated rate. No matter where you are, all these companies closing the doors is likely to impact you.

FAA Pushing AI

The Federal Aviation Administration has been pushing for an artificial intelligence tool to manage flight scheduling. However, it was only described in the vaguest terms about what it would do and how it would do it, saying it would “offer advice to air traffic controllers”. There was significant industry pushback on the idea of an undefined AI system, called the Strategic Management of Airspace Routing Trajectories, or SMART system, telling these companies how air traffic management would be handled. In the last few weeks, there have been a number of long meetings with the FAA, and reporting is that rather than providing any answers, the airline officials were left with more questions.

The primary concern among the airlines is that this AI tool will add an extra layer of noise onto the already understaffed and overwhelmed air traffic controllers that have been the subject of firings and resignations during the various government shutdowns in the last few years.

The folks working in this tower are under a lot of pressure. Technically this is in Bogata, so not really directly impacted by the FAA’s work, but it’s a nice looking tower.

Earlier this month, there was a big meeting between the CEOs of the airline companies and the FAA, which looks to have caused the FAA to quote, “narrow the scope”, of the AI tool down to more of a recommendation system and providing alternative routing options to reduce bottlenecks, rather than being integrated directly into day-to-day traffic management.

It is currently set to be tested out in three airports that serve the Washington DC area.

Holiday Airfare Pricing

For all of you that have been anxiously planning your holiday travel, watching the rising cost of plane tickets, I don’t have great news. While oil prices surged in spring with the Iran War beginning, and then again in the summer, oil prices have broken over $100 a barrel this September. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, airfares from August 2025 compared to last month had risen 23%.

All this is to say, be prepared for a rough holiday travel season. Not only are the smaller regional flights disappearing, but airline executives at the Morgan Stanley Laguna Conference said they were prepared to raise ticket prices and cut less profitable routes going into the holidays in order to offset these increased fuel prices.

Airfare prices are only going up,,,

Executives from across the airline industry are, essentially, saying that prices are going up, availability is decreasing, and demand is staying steady. All of that translates into increased prices in every aspect of travel. Even cheaper flights, those extra fees they tack on for things like checked bags have been increasing. Recently, I personally saw a checked bag fee hit $200 for a single bag on a transatlantic flight.

While we don’t know, for sure, how it’s all going to shake out this season, be prepared to not see prices and fees improve anytime soon.

Are you planning out your holiday travel before things get pricier? Well, as you might have guessed we are a travel agency and if you are looking to book a trip to a resort, take a cruise, or just get away for a few days we can help with that! Each year we book hundreds of vacations for individuals, families, and large groups. We’ve got years of experience and firsthand knowledge to make sure you get the best trip possible with support all along the way. Our team of travel professionals can help find and book the best rates and discounts for your trip because it’s our job. So don’t book on your own, use our expertise and book with us so we can help get you, far far away.

The post New Airfare Prices are Staggering and the Holiday Outlook is Beak appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

What is this program all about?

When you sail with Virgin Voyages, you can join their Sailing Club, which is their loyalty program. By sailing multiple times with the Richard Branson backed company, you’ll earn benefits that you will receive when you are aboard their ships. The biggest perks are complimentary upgraded wi-fi, free laundry services, and even priority boarding (meaning that you’ll get on the ship faster! You’ll receive these benefits and more starting at your third sailing and you’ll get even more from your fifth sailing onward.

Here’s a breakdown of everything you’ll get.

Blue Extras Level (After Two Sailings or Status Match)

Blue Extras are perks for sailors on their 3rd or 4th sailing.

• 1 Coffee Credit per day (not eligible to use with room service AKA Ship Eats)
• 1 Laundry Bag (By the way, the laundry bags are BIG)
• An Exclusive Cocktail event
• Dedicated Sailor Services Support

Deep Blue Extras (DBE)

Once you reach your 5th sailing, you will have Deep Blue Extras. Your perks, include all the perks of Blue Extras, plus:

• Priority Boarding right after the Rockstars! Even if only one person has Deep Blue Extras, the entire party of people sharing the cabin may board together
• $100 Bar Tab credit. Each person in the cabin that qualifies for DBE gets the Bar Tab
• Premium Wi-fi. Everyone gets free wi-fi on Virgin, but there is an upcharge for premium. With Deep Blue Extras, you get free premium wi-fi
• Free Laundry Service including which includes 2 pressed items, 1 specialty-cleaned item and the big bag of laundry
• Two Coffee Credits Per Day (not eligible to use with room service AKA Ship Eats)

Temporary Status Match

Virgin Voyages has opened up an opportunity to folks with status on many other airlines, hotels, and cruise companies to receive a status match with Virgin. Here’s the offer from the Virgin Voyages website:

For a limited time, members from most airline and hotel programs – in addition to other cruise lines – are invited to apply for membership in the Virgin Voyages sailing club through our Status Match program. Once verified, you’ll receive an exclusive Access Key to add when you book your next voyage. This unlocks VIP perks, Blue Extras, that kick in when you set sail.

After that voyage, the standard Sailing Club journey applies, with Blue Extras returning on the third sailing and Deep Blue Extras awaiting those who keep coming back aboard.

In other words, if you’ve got status one on of the accepted programs, you’ll get to enjoy one voyage with Blue Extras. After that, you’ll earn your status normally. This program is for new sailings only and you must apply for it by October 31, 2026.

Virgin Voyages loyalty program is one of the better loyalty programs in the cruise industry, at least in our opinion. That means that if you’ve been thinking about trying Virgin Voyages, this is a very good time to act on that and book a cruise, after you’ve applied for the status match of course.

If this has got you pondering about a Virgin Voyages cruise, we know exactly how you feel! Far Far Away Travels is a travel agency and if experts on Virgin Voyages as we’re one of the Top 100 First Mates. Each year we book hundreds of Virgin cruises for individuals, families, and large groups. We’ve got years of experience and firsthand knowledge to make sure you get the best trip possible with support all along the way. Our team of travel professionals can help find and book the best rates, discounts, and promotions for your trip because it’s our job. So don’t book on your own, use our expertise and book with us so we can help get you, far, far away.

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We were only a few hours into our expedition cruise on the National Geographic Lindblad Islander II and I thought it couldn’t get better than that. How wrong I was.

Not Your Typical Cruise

A few months ago, close to the start of the year, we had several clients ask us about National Geographic Lindblad cruises. We’ve got a team with lots of experience under our belts, but we hadn’t done anything with Nat Geo Lindblad. Of course, we did our research and connected with the sales team at the company to answer questions from our clients. What we booked for them sounded amazing and our curiosity was piqued. We realized that we had a blind spot in our knowledge base. None of us had ever done any cruises like this, known as expedition cruises, and if our clients were going to ask about it, we figured we should have some answers.

By late May, we’d found some dates that worked for us and chose a location, one that I still can’t believe you can go to, the Galapagos Islands. Located several hundred miles off the coast of Ecuador, they aren’t exactly easy to get to and, given that they are not only a national park but also one of the most closely protected wildlife sanctuaries and research stations in the world, we figured this would be a very interesting trip.

The National Geographic Islander II is unlike any vessel I’ve ever been on.

You might notice that the title of this article does not say review and this isn’t one. If you’ve read our articles before, you’ll know that we hold ourselves to strict standards about reviewing travel companies. For an article to be a review we must pay the publicly listed fare, receive no special treatment or benefits because of our status as travel agents, and have no reason to believe that the crew of the ship is aware of our line of work. Our trip on the Islander II was discounted to a promotional rate available to travel agents, known as a fam or familiarization rate, and, although we don’t think we received special treatment, some staff were aware of our line of work.

That means this is a description of our time with Nat Geo Lindblad to help you understand what you are likely to experience when sailing with them.

They Handle It For You

Once we confirmed the dates with the National Geographic Lindblad booking team, we started making our travel arrangements. They informed us that we would need to book our flights to the city of Guayaquil and that they will make arrangements for us at the Hotel del Parque for the night before the cruise and they would have a driver and coordinator waiting to meet us at the airport. That was our first hint of just how different this type of cruise is. It’s not that no other cruise lines do that for guests, more so that it’s usually not part of the standard package, it’s an extra cost or an addon.

To be clear, the airfare is not included in the price, that is something that you have to book on your own. Also excluded is the cost of your meals while you stay at the hotel, although breakfast is included as standard by the Hotel del Parque so we had that, for lunch and dinner, though, we were on our own.

The hotel was exquisite, truly a luxury location. Nestled inside a historic park and indeed inside what, we were told, was the oldest building in the city. Apparently, some years ago, it was moved to the park, piece by piece, brick by brick, and reconstructed to create an immaculately posh place to lay your head. During the move and rebuilding, the structure was updated to include an elevator and space for all the modern amenities, like air conditioning and marble showers.

The Hotel del Parque is a wonderful place to stay, to put it mildly.

Nat Geo Lindblad also made flight arrangements to the Galapagos (this flight is included in the fare), transportation to the airport for that flight, and handled our luggage all the way from the hotel to the ship. The company is so thorough in its care for guests that we literally had an escort onto the flight to make sure that everything went smoothly.

Most importantly, though, Nat Geo Lindblad handled the vast majority of paperwork required to visit the Galapagos, which there is a great deal of. We did have to fill out a short declaration form ourselves, but that was it. They handled paying the $100 fee to enter the Islands. They worked through the customs forms that needed to be processed before visiting. All we saw was a few QR codes on our phones and they handled the rest, something I’m very glad wasn’t my job. Once we landed at the Baltra airport in the Galapagos, two of the guides were there to meet us and make sure we got to the ship.

On this journey, once we passed through Ecuadorian customs, National Geographic Lindblad held our hand every step of the way. Not just on the way out, but on the way back as well. National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions takes the step to not only arrange for a hotel at the front end, but the back end as well. We spent another night in the exquisite Hotel del Parque and in the morning they arranged transport, with a company representative, to take us to the airport.

The National Geograpic Islander II

Perhaps the descriptor “expedition cruising” has set the scene for you. An expedition is something done by explorers, adventurers, in other words, rugged types. While, yes, this sort of cruising does attract the more adventurous sorts, you won’t be roughing it exactly. Unless you consider king bed suites, marble bathrooms, and thrice per day room cleanings to be “rough”, I think you’ll find the accommodations to be opulent. Not that you’ll be spending much time in them, given the schedule you will likely keep.

Knowing the ship’s origins explains the palatial experience. The National Geographic Islander II was purchased by Lindblad Expeditions in 2021 from Crystal Cruises, the well-known high luxury cruise line, during Crystal’s bankruptcy proceedings that year. Crystal refit the ship after they acquired it in 2015, making it an all-suite ship, drenched in comfort. When Lindblad took possession, they promptly changed very little because, they didn’t need to. Even today, more than a decade after its last refit, the Islander II looks pristine.

Every surface is perfectly chosen for its purpose. Warm woods, cool marbles, durable carpets all put in their respective places to suit an exact need. Chairs are plush and comfortable after a long day of activities. Couches welcome you to gather on them. The dining facilities are open and inviting. Even the common area restrooms are, as the youths would say, extra, with heated toilet seats. Yes, you read that correctly, the common area toilet seats are heated.

Aboard the National Geographic Islander II you’ll be in the lap of luxury and comfort, not that you’ll likely care much by the end of the day.

This luxuriating extends beyond the things you can touch. The people who make it all work are the real magic to all of this. To say the staff are incredible is to commit a crime, for that word robs them of so much of the credit they are due. There is no single word in the English language adequate to the task of praising the people who work on the Islander II. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about the zodiac pilots, the ship’s doctor, hotel staff, purser, kitchen crew, wait staff, engineers, mechanics, or the captain and his mates, they all deserve more praise than I could possibly give. I try to limit naming individual people in my writing to avoid any potential pressure I could place on them in a public venue, but I certainly made my feelings clear to the company.

The wait staff, for example, takes pains to learn your preferences. After two breakfasts, where I opted for the daily juice and a coffee with cream, the waiters simply asked if I want the usual and, if there was an option, which juice I would like. They even took note of what we ordered from the menu and made suggestions about what we might like at each meal based on that. The bartender and bartender assistant knew not only how I like my drinks, but which drink I like at which time. Once again, they would simply ask if I wanted the same beverage as last night.

My one evening drink, which they knew just how to prepare.

It’s no accident that this is the experience either. National Geographic Lindblad maintains a 1:1 crew to passenger ratio on the Islander II. The ship can accommodate roughly 45-50 passengers and carries more crew than customers at 57 staff. I cannot say, at least with certainty, that the ship was laid out that way intentionally by National Geographic Lindblad or if it was designed that way by Crystal. Regardless, the crew aboard the ship is without an equal.

Since this ship is used for expedition cruising, you’ll find some facilities and ways of operating onboard that, if you’re used to large cruise ships, you wouldn’t expect. Meals are served for everyone at the same time, meaning that you all dine together. You can have your own table, if you prefer, or dine with other guests, usually 2-4 others. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all scheduled and there isn’t hot food available outside of these times.

There’s a lounge that you all gather in for a daily debriefing, covering what people experienced that day and what you are scheduled to do tomorrow. The bar is only open during meals and after dinner, but the bridge of the ship is open 24/7 and you can go and visit while they navigate. There’s also the marina deck where you embark/disembark and where you keep your wetsuit, snorkel, and flippers. You don’t have to bring your own, by the way, they provide them for you.

On the National Geographic Islander II, if you ever have any issues with the facilities or need some accomodations, simply put it in the Log Book at the front desk.

There are also features that you would expect to find on other cruise ships that might surprise you by their presence on a vessel of this size. There’s an observation deck complete with a small pool and sauna. It’s equipped with a gym, including cardio equipment and weights. Should your back ache after a long flight into Ecuador, you can book a session with the ship’s massage therapist who, I heard on the good authority of a mother of three young children, was fantastic. A small library area sits next to the hotel reception desk and across from the Global Gallery, which is what Nat Geo Lindblad calls their ship’s gift shop. There’s a “Science Hub”, which has some photo kiosks, board games, and a space for presentations; it was used mostly during the programing for the kids.

The Cabins

If you book an itinerary on the Islander II, your choice of room is limited to suites and larger suites, something that people ceaselessly never lament. The larger suites are most suitable for groups with more than two people. They come with convertible sofas and complimentary laundry. There are some of the smaller suites with adjoining doors to make a family suite, but not all of them have this ability. The layout of the rooms and if they connect is clear on the website should you be curious.

The suites themselves want for nothing. They can be arranged as two beds or one king size, with nightstands on both sides. Electrical outlets of both US and European connections are available on the nightstands as well as light controls for the room, so CPAP users have nothing to fear in that regard (though the distilled water may be more difficult). Here’s where I want to pause for a moment and remark on the quality of the light design in the suites. To be blunt, I found the light controls to be the best of any ship or hotel room I’ve ever stayed in.

The suites, which are your only option, on the National Geographic Islander II have plenty of bedside plugs to charge or run any device you need.

I promise that I won’t harp on for too long, but for some years I sold commercial and industrial lighting and designed custom lighting control systems, so I’m rather attuned to the demands of the industry and how they often fail to meet consumers’ needs. For example, have you ever stayed in a hotel room where you have to walk around the space turning each individual light off or what about a place where you simply couldn’t find the light switch to operate one specific light? I know I have and I hate that.

Space and light are the basis for architecture and so often one or the other, or both, are failed by the hospitality industry, not on the Islander II, though. From multiple points in the room, you can adjust the intensity of the lights, set different scenes, such as for reading lights only, and turn all the lights on or off. This is all done from simple, push-button panels. I don’t need to use a tablet and I don’t need to leave the bed to turn the lights off. Why this is the first time I’m seeing such an implementation on a cruise ship is beyond me but praise should be heaped upon whoever made this happen.

I truly loved the lighting design on the National Geographic Islander II. So simple, yet versatile.

Getting back to the rest of the room, storage space was plentiful, more than plentiful, in fact. As an expedition ship, there really isn’t a desire by most guests to change into dressier clothes in the evening, which cuts down on the wardrobe size needed. The ship is a casual dress environment, so shorts and sneakers are common with guests. You will, however, likely desire to air your clothing out after hiking and they have plenty of hangars and hooks in the room to allow for that. There is no need to bring any extra magnetic hooks to this ship.

The beds were comfortable, although I must admit that my ability to judge them fairly against other lines is hampered by the physical exhaustion I felt at the end of each day, so I won’t make any comparisons. Suffice it to say that I, a scoliosis haver, slept well in them. Regarding the room temperature, I never once had to adjust it because it was perfect from the moment we stepped into our suite. And that’s a good thing too because changing the temperature is, apparently, quite a faff. The hotel staff specifically mentioned to call them to adjust the temperature and guests, who attempted to do otherwise, reported to us that it really is a task for the crew. I cannot explain why this is, but it is.

Oh yeah, staying on the National Geographic Islander II is a real hardship. How can I even pee is a bathroom like this?

Bathrooms were marble and spacious. Showers were large enough for two people and complete with rain a shower head and wand. The lighting designers were even so thoughtful to add a nightlight by the toilet that is permanently on, allowing you to find your way safely even in the dark. The provided shampoo, body wash, and conditioner weren’t my favorite, but they weren’t bad either. Since everyone’s hair is different, your conditioning may vary. I did like the provided lotion, though, and used it frequently since I was swimming in the salt water and often showering twice per day. To be clear, that is not my usual showering frequency, but it is warm and quite humid in the Galapagos and you will be active… Just consider the other guests is all I’m saying.

There are TVs in the rooms with a host of movies to choose from, especially Nat Geo documentaries. Our tv, though, did seem to suffer from some “burn-in” and the image in our room was washed out slightly. It wasn’t so bad that it made the set unusable, but it was noticeable. I imagine, however, most guests don’t even bother to turn it on.

The TV in our room had a bit of “burn in” on some spots, at least that’s the best idea I have for whatever these bright spots are.

Each suite has a small desk space and a moveable round table for flat surfaces. Both can easily accommodate a laptop and other charging setups. Even I, with my three cameras, gimbal, 600mm lens, storage disks, laptops, phone, and smart watch had no issue finding areas to set up on, which is a first for a cruise ship, including some rather posh ones I’ve sailed on.

Housekeeping staff tend to your room three times a day and keep it stocked with a chilled carafe of water. They advise you to not drink the tap water, saying it’s safe for brushing teeth, and steer you toward using the water provided. There’s also a mini-fridge stocked with some beer and sodas that you are free to use. Only select wines and some crafted cocktails are extra on the ship, so hydrate to your heart’s content because the mini-fridge beverages don’t cost extra.

Cuisine

All of my previous cruises have been on ships larger than this. Only one ship I’ve taken, the Hurtigruten Trollfjord, had fewer than 500 guests. Unlike most other cruise ships’ approach  to culinary offerings, which I would describe as being akin to a shotgun, the Islander II operates their kitchen with surgical precision. Each menu for each meal is different. There’s no way for me to say what you’ll have to eat but, there will be some things that you can depend on.

There will always be a vegetarian dish, a fish dish, and a meat dish. Our meat dishes consisted of chicken, duck, beef, or pork. Most of the dishes are Ecuadorian in origin or given an Ecuadorian flare and, as much as possible, the food is sourced locally, especially the fish and other meats. You also won’t see any upcharges or extra cost dishes.

Lunch aboard the Islander II is a mix of hearty and light, either is available as you desire.

If you’re hungry outside of mealtimes, they keep snacks in the lounge area and the library, along with a stocked mini fridge at both locations. As I mentioned above, most alcohol is included. Beers and most basic cocktails (like a simple Manhattan or martini), wines at meals (selected by the house), and a variety of liqueurs are all available as part of the fare. Bottles of wine, many of which are sourced from the region, and premium cocktails are extra at typical prices for cruises/restaurants.

Should you want to bring your kids, they will be fine with the food if they aren’t too fussy of eaters. There were a number of kids on our sailing and they all seemed to like the meals from what I saw. Admittedly, I didn’t go into detail on how the kids were eating with each parent group, but I saw them every meal and it seemed to be fine. Ultimately, you know your child and will know if they will be alright with the menu. I’ve posted a couple samples below from dinners we had so you can assess.

A typical dinner menu on the National Geographic Islander II.

Most importantly, the staff took care to check for allergies every meal. I know that has become more commonplace, but it’s still critical. Less important to safety, they also took care to try and prepare your dish to your taste, and I want to recognize how hard this actually is. As someone who worked in food service for years, I’ll try and briefly describe how challenging what they did is.

The National Geographic Islander II gave us a BBQ night out on the open air back of the ship. It was one of my favoirte dinners because I love eating outside.

Each day, the kitchen team, which was only five of them, prepared three meals, along with appetizers, snacks, cut fruits, and desserts. Every morning, by 5:30 AM, before the day’s excursions begin, there were fresh cut fruits and yogurts available as an early morning snack. At 8 AM, breakfast was served, which included bacon, eggs, oatmeal, and several Ecuadorian dishes, which were all amazing! By 11 AM, they had prepared more snacks for the retuning excursions and a full lunch with multiple dishes to choose from along with soup and salad. Once 6 PM rolled around, more snacks for the returning evening excursions were ready and dinner was moments away. All of that made, as much as they can, to individual tastes, for around 45 guests.

That is food preparation on hard mode.

Ship Life

With only 45 or so guests on the ship, you get to know almost everyone you sail with. This would never happen on a large cruise ship. Yes, many guests get to know a few people onboard, but not everyone. That would be impossible. However, with a group of several dozen, instead of several thousand, it results in real connections with people from all over the world.

Let me walk you through one of our days to explain what this is like.

The first morning, most of the ship woke at 5 AM, or there about, for a hike at dawn. Sunrise is consistently early at the equator and avoiding the sun’s rays during the most intense parts of the day is important, hence the early beginning. About a dozen at a time, we boarded zodiac boats to get to the shore where the hike would begin. This hike took us up around 300 feet above the water on a challenging boardwalk ascent. We took pictures as a group and learned about flora and fauna as we saw them.

The National Geographic guides were fonts of knowledge, spewing facts about geology, history, and biology, as easily as you could ask. Once the hike concluded, we took a brief diversion on the zodiac to see some Galapagos penguins that had been spotted; these were a rare sighting this year because of El Niño making the water too warm. After the brief meeting with the penguin on the shore, we went back to the Islander II for breakfast.

This little galapagos penguin is so cute! Depending on how you measure, they are either the second or third smallest penguin.

After the morning meal concluded, anyone who wanted to snorkel changed into their wetsuits for our first dive into the waters of the Galapagos Islands. Once in the water, our guides took us around the area and pointed out amazing wildlife, like reef sharks and surgeon fish. Joyously, we were joined by sea lions freely swimming among us, and even the rare penguins graced our waters to dart around as they hunted for fish. Of course, the National Geographic Lindblad wouldn’t forget non-swimmers and those who didn’t snorkel had a glass bottom boat tour to see the amazing wildlife along the coast.

Once we were all back on the ship, greeted by stunningly delicious gluten free baked goods, and given a chance to shower, lunch was served. Both lunch and breakfast are enjoyed al fresco at the outdoor area on the back of the ship, weather permitting that is. We sat with some people we’d just been swimming with and recounted the amazing wildlife we’d already seen on the first day before noon. We get to know each other a bit more by chatting and sharing stories of our lives. The obvious question is always, “Why did you want to come to the Galapagos?” It turns out, everyone with us loves the natural world, is fascinated by what humanity has learned there, and visiting was usually a lifelong desire.

The educational seminars were well put together and always entertaining.

As the meal concludes, we go to an hour long seminar on a topic within the Galapagos. One day was on the geology and volcanic nature of the islands, another on the human history of the place, still another was on Darwin, who is the reason most of us are so fascinated by these remote lands. Each lecture is presented by one of the guides and they bring a vibrant, passionate energy to what they do. After a couple excursions, and a lecture, it’s easy to see just how deeply they feel about this place and their responsibilities in caring for it as stewards, educators, and ambassadors for the preservation of the islands.

Not long after the lecture concludes, it’s time to head out for the afternoon excursion. This schedule carefully avoids the most punishing hours of the midday sun, a fact my pale, freckly skin was immensely grateful for. On this day it was another hike and once again we boarded the zodiacs. Upon arriving at the trail head, it became clear that we would need to take our shoes off because the tide was high and we would be jumping out in the water then drying our feet off, a common experience on the excursions.

This path was more strenuous than the morning, but the effort would be worth it because it took us to see iguanas and, I promise, you aren’t prepared for iguanas this large and this close. They aren’t scary or threatening, just massive. I’ve spent enough time in the Caribbean to become familiar with these lizards, but I’d never seen any like this. They were amazing to behold.

These iguanas are HUGE! They’re also adorable

As the sun set, the guides hurried us up back to the zodiacs and by the time we stepped foot on the Islander II, dinner was being readied. Each evening, the entire ship gathered in the lounge to go over what we did that day and what we would be doing the next day. Staff would take time to announce any news and check in with guests. We also would usually have a brief presentation from one of the ship’s departments. After about 45 minutes of debriefing and, for many people, drinking from the bar, dinner was served.

Dinner took place, most nights, in the dining room. A more formal setting, but no more formal in attire. Like the rest of the dining experiences, you could choose to eat alone or with other guests. We always chose to eat with other guests as we enjoyed the conversations, but you can always choose otherwise. The dinners usually lasted an hour and by 8:30 PM, most guests were exhausted and wanted nothing more than the comfort of their pillow, including us. There would be a documentary shown in the lounge after dinner each night, but neither Nichole nor I ever had the energy for that. There were some guests who did and I remain astonished by their endurance.

The National Geographic Islander II dining room allows for both group and private dining.

After 4 days of this schedule, many of us passengers became closer than I had ever expected. In our last moments together on the bus before the plane, we were all swapping contact information, excitedly exchanging numbers via text swearing, to keep in touch with one another.

As a few of us got off the plane in Guayaquil, the first stop of a continuous flight itinerary that went onto Quito, around a third of the plane was waving goodbye to us and giving quick fist bumps and handshakes. I’ve never seen the like.

Life aboard the National Geographic Islander II forms a community. You are all there to do the same thing at the same time. It’s rare to find that as an adult and it’s worth relishing on its own. Despite my demeanor, and many refuse to believe this, I am more inclined towards introversion than extroversion. It’s not that I don’t like meeting people, I do, but I recharge myself by a quiet night in over a night out with friends. Given the choice between a party and my pjs, I almost always choose my pjs. Being this social may be a bit much for people more inclined towards introversion than myself, but even in that case, as Nichole can attest because she fits in this category, she wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Company Values

One might expect that a cruise run by National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions would value sustainability and you would be right.

The ship’s Purser, who ran the store, told us a great deal about the programs the line has to support the local economy and artisans. Everything that we found in the store was made either by artisans in the Galapagos or in mainland Ecuador. This even extended to the clothes you could purchase.

Valuing sustainability continues down to the artisans themselves. We purchased several carved wooden sculptures that were made using an invasive tree to the islands. By harvesting it, the artisans would rid the island of a destructive plant and turn it into a business.

This is one of my favorite things I’ve ever found. I’m so glad that it was crafted and that I was able to take it home with me. This blue footed booby sculpture sits on my mantle as I write. It will always sit there.

It might also be assumed that a cruise run by National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions would care about education and once again, you would be correct. On each excursion, the guides teach you about what you’re seeing. Each afternoon there is a educational seminar. The kids program teaches them about the biology and geology of the area in a captivating way because the guides wear their passion on their sleeves, which the kids respond to.

Earlier, I mentioned that the ship’s bridge was open to guests, something we took time to check out during the evening navigation on the last night. Even here the line wants to educate their guests. We were greeted by one of the ship’s navigators and were later joined by the captain. Both were eager to explain every single panel we asked about. Having some familiarity with aviation and radar tracking in the air, I took particular interest in their radar, and we spent a while discussing the reflectivity responses and various maps that could be projected over the screen.

The Few Flaws

Nothing is perfect and so too is it for the National Geographic Islander II.

Although I can’t really say this is a flaw, it is something that every guest needs to prepare for. Getting on and off the ship, every time, required a ride on a zodiac boat. That means traversing between a small boat bobbing on the ocean and a ship. The staff grips your arm each time, giving you a firm hand, but it still requires some dexterity and balance of your own. People with mobility issues should take this into consideration before booking. I have video of us leaving the ship on the last day with our carryon luggage. This would be the most difficult boarding process for your personal evaluation.

I have some of it playing over the screen now, but will have a link to a longer cut in the description below.

One more consideration is that there’s also no elevator on the ship. Guests must be able to take stairs and there isn’t really another option here. There aren’t many stairs, with only five decks compared to more than a dozen on big cruise ships, but it’s still more than you might have at home, which could be zero.

These boats are how you get on and off the ship, that’s the only way you can. Take that into consideration before booking anything on the National Geographic Islander II.

Guests also reported to us that rooms underneath the kitchen, which would be rooms in the center of the ship on deck three, especially the port side of the vessel, were loud during meal preparation. This meant that if they had wanted to sleep in, it would have been challenging for those sensitive to noise.

Last, and this is a rather unavoidable fact of physics, the boat rocks. Expedition cruises are smaller ships and the smaller the ship, the more you feel the rocking of the waves. If you are sensitive to ocean movement, take the sea sickness meds in whatever form you prefer but, be sure to take them and keep up with it. Several staff members on the ship were wearing the patches; others took the pills. I’m not prone to motion sickness myself but Nichole is and she didn’t have any trouble. Still, we both felt this is worth noting to help ensure that people have a good experience.

That’s about it for problems we encountered on the ship, but we think it’s also important to mention that we thought the line could do a little better off the ship with communication. Nichole and I felt that the line’s emails and information to sailors could have been more frequent and provided more information in them. They have many resources available for you to read, but most are stored in your account online and not sent to you in an email. It’s far from a deal breaker, but it’s still something that they could up their game on.

Value Proposition

As I said near the beginning, Nichole and I experienced this on a discounted rate for travel agents, it’s why I can’t call this a review. However, I still need to assess the value proposition of the line, which I’m finding a bit unfair or, at least, unequal.

As you might have guessed, these expeditions are not cheap. The cost of similar sailings to what we did run between $6,000 and $13,000 dollars per person depending on what you choose. That sort of price tag means that I have to compare it to top level suites on lines like Virgin Voyages, Regent Seven Seas, or Azamara. And that’s where I’m running into the problem because the comparison doesn’t seem to match.

As a Mega Rockstar on Virgin Voyages or in the Penthouse Suite category and above on Regent Seven Seas, you certainly have luxury. Your needs are tended to, the rooms are large, the beds plush. You have a butler. But these places offer none of what an expedition cruise offers. Look back at the day I described and ask yourself, could you ever experience anything like that on these other lines? I can’t imagine how you would.

Yes, this was me. I was surrounded by wold dolphins that approached our snorkeling group.

I haven’t even mentioned that on day three, our deep water snorkeling met a pod of hundreds of dolphins that swam right around us. Yes. I swam with dolphins in the wild. Hundreds of them were mere feet from me in the water. It was an experience I’ll never forget and it brought tears to my eyes in the moment. You won’t ever experience something like that on these larger lines.

We did three to four excursions EACH DAY. Not only could you never do that on the larger lines, but it would cost hundreds or thousands of dollars per day on top of what you already paid.

How then can I assess this fairly by comparison to mainstream cruises? The answer, I think, is that I can’t. It’s trying to compare a pizza deli to a Michelin Star restaurant. It’s not that one is better than the other, it’s that they aren’t even the same thing. They both serve food, but beyond that the similarity ends.

What I can say is that I’ve sailed in the ultra-luxurious suites on other lines but, for my money, I’ll take a National Geographic Lindblad Expedition cruise every time. It costs about the same, but the experience is incomparable.

Who Is This For?

National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions are for the person that wants to be outdoors more than they want to breathe. This for the person with an unquenchable desire to learn. It is for people who know the journey and destination are inextricably bonded and seek the beauty of both.

More than all of that, this is the journey of a lifetime. Expedition cruises go places that make up bucket lists, the kinds of destinations that in the waning hours of your life, you’ll still remember. These itineraries are not weekend getaways, nor are they lounging lazy days in the sun. It’s not that you can’t do that but why would you when you’re in a place as unbelievable as the Galapagos?

I woke up each day at 5AM and hiked for miles, over rough terrain. My mornings were spent swimming in deep and rough waters to see the world beneath the waves. I bobbed in the water with wildlife from sea lions and dolphins to penguins and hiked alongside iguanas and a very bewildered waved albatross. It would be easy to spend hours describing all the astounding things I did each day but I think the footage in this video speaks for itself.

The sort of person who should take a cruise with National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions is the sort of person that looks at the images I’ve presented and lets out a little “wow” under their breath.

Conclusion

This wasn’t a review. I said it couldn’t be and it isn’t. I can’t guarantee that my experience wasn’t colored in some way by the cruise line to make it better than it would have otherwise been. There’s nothing I can imagine that they could have done, but I can’t rule it out either.

None of the animal encounters can be scripted. Seeing the penguins was luck, as was swimming with dolphins. We even encountered the first humpback whales of the season and Nichole was the one to spot them and alert the ship. An event so exciting, the crew was buzzing around with fervent energy, telling one another the news. It resulted in a zodiac boat ride where the mother and her calf approached the boat, within a couple dozen feet, close enough to hear their breathing (you’ll have to watch my video to see this).

They couldn’t have planned a sea lion birth right in front of us. Nor could they have scripted the iguanas, the variety of boobies, and certainly not the albatross that walked right down the path at us.

Nothing about what we did can be created, it’s all serendipity. Perhaps though, some of it goes beyond mere chance and enters the realm of kismet because the real magic of this trip was more than just the place we were and the animals we saw, it was the people we did it with.

This is what bucket lists are made of.

The thing I can’t shake, what won’t leave my mind, is the people. The couple we swam with on our first day. The family from Long Island that took an interest in my camera gear and whose little girl alerted the ship’s crew to a fallen ladder and was given a plaque for her quick actions. A wonderful mother, father, and son that brought me real joy to see together. A fellow Michigander that traveled the world, sharing her adventurous spirit in literally every country.

A mother and daughter who were delightfully curious about our odd Midwestern cuisine. A photographer that’s traveled the world and could share the love of that art with me. An Australian whose cheerful energy would make everyone smile. Parents and their adult daughter together on a trip, embarrassing each other in the way a family does that shows just how much they love they share. A crew that made it all happen and brought us face to face with impossible, then made it real.

One lovely woman we met wanted to see the tortoises more than anything in the world! Sharing that excitment with her is something that I cherish.

That’s not even close to all the amazing souls we met and formed friendships with, just all that I have the space for, and frankly I’m already pushing it.

We saw wonderous things. I did what I never dreamed I would do. We met people I never imagined I would meet and for that I am all the richer. I went to the Galapagos to see wildlife and nature. What I found down there was better, though. What I found was humanity.

This is the first of at least two articles (and videos) that I have planned on our trip to the Galapagos islands. I’m working on a story about the encounters we had to, hopefully, bring you a bit closer to the adventure we had and showing you why taking a trip to the Galapagos is worth it. I’m actively processing the thousands of photos and hours of video I took. I have links to the album below and it will be updated as I add more.

This little face is something I’ll never forget.

I also have a number of photos I took of various people. They didn’t give permission to be in my publicly displayed work and I didn’t ask them either. Some of you have my personal contact information, some of you don’t. If you’re interested in getting your personal photos from me and don’t have my number, just reach out using the contact form on our website and I’ll give you a private link.

Like I said earlier, we are a travel agency and if this video made you want to book a cruise with National Geographic Lindblad, take a trip to a resort, or just get away for a few days we can help with that! Each year we book hundreds of vacations for individuals, families, and large groups. We’ve got years of experience and firsthand knowledge to make sure you get the best trip possible with support all along the way. Our team of travel professionals can help find and book the best rates and discounts for your trip because it’s our job. So don’t book on your own, use our expertise and book with us so we can help get you, far far away.

The post National Geographic Islander II: What It’s Really Like? appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Then there’s things like currency exchanges and know where to do that, much less where to do that without getting hosed by the broker. If you lived through the 80s you might even be asking if traveler’s checks are still a thing? No matter how you decide to take your money with you, there are things you should prepare for.

That’s why we’re here to help you with what you should, and shouldn’t, do with money on your next trip. With a little bit of planning, you can save yourself from a lot of hassle, and save yourself time and, well… money.

Credit Cards

Just like at home, credit cards are the dominant way people pay for things when they are traveling. Most cards, especially Visa and MasterCard network cards, are accepted widely around the world. With phones able to become a store register using tap-to-pay, the convenience has never been higher. Everything from small shops on the corner to major tourist venues are all equipped to conduct credit card transactions.

It’s gotten even easier in the last decade because modern-day credit card networks are very advanced. In the past, it was necessary to alert banks when you travel, but financial institutions have much more advanced fraud detections now and (for the most part) that’s no longer necessary. That doesn’t mean it’s clear sailing without barriers, though, so let’s go over some crucial steps.

Credit Cards by Sean MacEntee.

1. Check your credit and debit cards for PIN numbers. While it is not common in the US, pin numbers are sometimes needed in other countries when you conduct transactions. Many of us will know our debit card PINs, but credit cards are rarely known. It’s worth calling the card issuer to get this information, just in case you need it.
2. Always bring at least two cards. If one gets lost, stolen, or frozen due to a fraud alert, you want a back-up. We once landed in Norway for a two-week trip only to get word from our credit card company, as we landed, that our primary card was frozen due to a fraud attempt, and it really was a fraudulent use. Fortunately, we brought a back-up card.
3. Although I said it’s usually not necessary, it’s a good idea to check if your financial institutions want to be alerted if you are traveling. Most do not, but their website or a customer service rep will be able to tell you very quickly.
4. Amex cards are often coupled with travel perks, especially the ones from airlines, but, ironically, they are not widely accepted abroad. Bring a Visa or MasterCard for backup.
5. Do not use your credit card to get cash from an ATM. You will be paying massive fees. Use your debit card for this instead.
6. Keep all your credit cards in a RFID blocking sleeve when stowed in your wallet or purse. Theses sleeves block thieves from using short range scanners to steal your card’s information.

That extra step: If you know that you are traveling abroad in the future, you might want to get a card or two that does NOT charge foreign exchange/transaction fees. Many travel oriented cards feature this is a perk but not all, so verify the card does not have these fees before use.

Your Phone

Nowadays, your cell phone is your lifeline to the world. We keep our photos, emails, texts, home security cameras, and just about everything else on it. However, how you use it can bring unwanted risks so follow these tips.

1. If you are walking around holding your phone and staring at a map to get around, you might be seen as an easy target. Thieves are brazen and will try to grab your phone right out of your hand. They are often on scooters or bikes when they do this, so they can get away quickly. When you aren’t using it, consider keeping your phone in a safe place on your person.
2. If you’re on a cruise ship, put your phone in airplane mode the minute you’re onboard. We have seen people charged hundreds of dollars in roaming fees because they didn’t take this step.
3. You can use an app like WhatsApp or Signal so you can make free VoiP calls to family and friends. Just make sure your friends are on the same system.
4. Think you’ll use Uber abroad? Uber sneaks in a 1.5 percent fee for paying in dollars instead of the local currency. To avoid paying the extra cost, go into your account, open your “Wallet” and, under “Preferred currency,” select “No preferred currency.” (Just make sure the card you use doesn’t have those foreign currency fees like we discussed)
5. Verify your cell phone plan before traveling to any country. Know what the charges will be, if any and if you want to connect to the networks at all. Additionally, consider looking into either international coverage plans or eSim plans in order to continue having cell service around the world. We use Google Fi, but there are a wide range of services you can use and often download from your phone’s app store.
6. Turn off your phone’s NFC, Near Field Communication, setting. That can be used by scammers to get a lot of information without you knowing. If you want to use your phone to pay for things, which is a perfectly safe thing to do, turn the setting on to make the payment and then turn it off immediately after completing it.

Foreign Currency

When you’re traveling to other countries, they likely have their own currency. That’s not always true as many nations accept or fully use the Euro, the Dollar, or the Peso, as legal tender, but it is often the case. Knowing what type of currency the place you are visiting uses is a must but there’s a other important points as well.

Currency Exchange Sign by Bradley Gordon.

1. Never use those foreign currency exchange windows or kiosks at airports, you will pay huge fees and throw money away.
2. If a credit card transaction asks if you want to convert your payment to your home currency, say no. This is just another way to get more fees.
3. Avoid multiple ATM cash transactions in a single day. Most banks won’t cover your out-of-network ATM withdrawals, not to mention foreign exchange fees, and each time you use an ATM those fees are racking up. Also, don’t use an ATM without checking the surroundings and making sure no one can see your pin entry.
4. Don’t worry about getting foreign currency for tips. In most countries, they will gladly accept USD if that’s what you have. Along with this, know the tipping culture of where you are and follow it, doubly so for US travels and travelers. If you’re visiting the US, don’t stiff US workers if you visit – that just makes you a prick. If you’re from the US, don’t assume that you should tip like you do when you’re home because that too can be considered rude in other places!
   
   To be clear, I’m not defending the US tipping culture, but until something changes that’s the way it is and that’s how many workers, especially in food service and hospitality, actually earn their living.

Common Sense Safety

There are some steps to keep your finances in order that really are more common, or not so common, sense actions. Although these next points don’t all directly deal with money, they are worth bringing up here.

Pulling Out Money From ATM by OTA Photos.

1. Stay aware of your surroundings and do not leave a bag or backpack unattended even for a few seconds.
2. Take a picture of your passport in case a replacement is needed. This picture should be on your phone or in a cloud storage account you can access without your phone (if it’s lost). This is not a stand in for your passport, but having an image of all the information on it will smooth the replacement process. Also, keep a picture of your luggage on your phone as well as any luggage claim tickets you might get. If your luggage gets lost, this will make recovery easier.
3. Check the network of the ATM before you use it. Those no-name machines in hotels or corner stores often come with inflated fees and terrible exchange rates. Try to use one affiliated with major international banks—HSBC, Barclays, Santander, etc.
4. Most European countries are now almost entirely cashless as cards are accepted everywhere. But countries like Egypt, Morocco, and Japan, are still heavily cash based in many areas so don’t get caught out without any currency. Be sure to carry at least $50 worth with you, but not more than $200.

Don’t Forget Insurance

If something happens, like you miss your flight or lose your luggage, you could be out thousands of dollars, all your clothes, or worse. Travel Insurance can be one of the most important things you can buy to keep your money safe. Plus, a lot of health plans don’t cover healthcare needs aboard or offer very limited coverage. A simple sprained ankle could mean you’re out hundreds or thousands of dollars by visiting a doctor.

There are a variety of trip insurance options, but you’ll want to look for ones that cover medical expenses, including evacuation, trip delay or cancellation, and if you need it, pre-existing conditions. This isn’t a simple thing to go through and we have an entire article dedicated to it. Take a few minutes and read it over.

Conclusion

We crammed a lot of information into this, but the core message is that you need to be aware of how your money is handled when traveling. Vacations are already expensive, so don’t bring any extra costs on yourself by not being informed. Keep yourself safe and knowledgeable wherever you go and you’ll be better off.

As you might have guessed we are a travel agency and if you are looking to book a trip to a resort, take a cruise, or just get away for a few days we can help with that! Each year we book hundreds of vacations for individuals, families, and large groups. We’ve got years of experience and firsthand knowledge to make sure you get the best trip possible with support all along the way. Our team of travel professionals can help find and book the best rates and discounts for your trip because it’s our job. So don’t book on your own, use our expertise and book with us so we can help get you, far far away.

The post Travel Mistakes – How To Handle Your Money When Abroad appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

• Elegent and refined entertainment and enrichment activities on the ship.
• The crew on the Quest were amazing and were an absolute standout part of the trip.
• Focusing on what makes a cruise great has served this smaller line well.

Cruises are a wonderful vacation. You get to see different places around the world with each trip and you don’t have to change hotels every day while you do it. One of the problems that many people have with cruises, though, is how many people you share the ship with. These days, there’s ships that have more than 7,000 passengers on them, which is quite a few people to have afloat at once. The desire for something less than a floating city, then, is why we’ve seen more lines offering smaller ships over the last few decades. These more specialized cruise lines have been slowly growing their numbers and attracting loyal customers. That’s why we booked a cruise on one of them, so we could bring you an Azamara review.

Please take note that this is a Review. That means that we booked a full fare price and received no special benefits from being travel agents. The only discounts or bonuses we received were from publicly available promotions. The staff was not aware beforehand that we were travel agents and, to the best of our knowledge, we did not receive any special treatment because of that. Further, I normally would have hours of footage and pictures from the trip, but it was lost. There was significant data corruption that ruined the majority of our Azamara files. Please forgive the lack of our usual, illuminating media.

Azamara’s Reputation

Azamara, as a line, is made up of smaller ships with fewer passengers on them. Their reputation is for moderate luxury. Not quite as gilded as Regent Seven Seas, but above the experiences typically found on lines like Celebrity or Virgin Voyages. Azamara also tends towards longer itineraries, which is to say 7 days or more. This puts them in a similar pricing and experience category to Viking’s ocean cruises. 

The onboard experience with Azamara is reputed to be a quieter one. This is a common, but not universal, trait of longer itineraries. The reality is that the person who has 7 or more days, in a row, to vacation is often going to be older and will typically prefer a calm and relaxed atmosphere. It’s often said that the line has excellent cuisine and staff; it’s quite common to see people online raving about the crew on the ships. 

Finally, Azamara’s reputation is to make guests comfortable from start to end. That means that from the moment you begin the boarding process to the last few seconds of your disembarkation, they try to help ease the way.  

What We Booked

When we decided to make an Azamara review, we ended up taking a sailing that was advantageous for us. Our son lives on the other side of the Atlantic from us, and when we visit him it’s often cheaper to take a cruise than to take a flight. That’s why we booked a trans-Atlantic sailing on the Azamara Quest from Miami to Lisbon. Although it only stopped in two ports along the way, it would give us a great deal of time to experience the ship and what it had to offer. It also meant that we could really see how good Azamara’s staff are.

Azamara, like most cruise lines, offers a variety of staterooms and suites. We booked a Veranda Plus category stateroom, which is Azamara’s top tier Stateroom. Here’s a look at the broad categories.

Across Azamara’s fleet there is some variation in specific room design and amenities, which comes as no surprise. That chart should be viewed as a general overview rather than anything all encompassing. Since Azamara gears itself toward a more luxurious market, there are even more suite options than stateroom options. We did not experience or personally see any of the ship’s suites, though.

First Impressions

Our first experience, before we boarded, was very positive. Embarking from Miami, we arrived about 45 minutes before the earliest boarding time.  On many other lines, we would have been left standing in the Florida sun, not on Azamara. When our driver dropped us off, several staff came up to take our luggage and direct us into the terminal. To my surprise, there was no waiting. We breezed through security and had, maybe, a 4-minute wait in line to check-in. After check-in, we boarded immediately. Very relaxed, and a great first impression.

From the first step onboard, we found the ship to be clean and stylish. One of the main draws of Azamara is that they have much smaller ships than what you might find outside of the very high-end cruise lines. For example, the Quest typically tops out at about 700 guests, whereas most cruise ships will carry from 1,500 to 3,000.

Well, it may have been a bit chaotic when we boarded the Quest for our Azamara review, but a stiff drink always helps smooth things out.

Quickly it became clear that Azamara’s design teams have a great eye for art and décor that fits their refined image. Each hall, stairwell, and common area is adorned with elegant embellishments. We were also struck at just how clean everything was. There’s a certain amount of wear and tear that one anticipates in a space like a cruise ship or hotel, but we strained to see anything. Even the carpets in the halls looked pristine and the ship was consistently extremely clean throughout the entire voyage.

Given our early arrival, our cabins were not ready, nor did we expect them to be. Nearly everyone who boarded ended up at the buffet as little else was open. Consequently, the area was extremely crowded. We took note that the staff worked valiantly to keep up with demand, despite the mass of early guests hungry for a bite. However, the impression that the scene gave was less luxurious than I imagine the line hopes for. So, high marks for letting people board early, but it may be necessary to have another dining venue available.

The Cabin

I prefer to sail in the aft of ships, so we chose a room in the rear. Many people prefer the center, which is why cruise companies often charge more for those cabins, so I am aware that in this regard I am a bit of an odd duck. Nonetheless, I enjoy watching the wake of the ship fall away behind us. Our choice was cabin 6093, which has a big balcony. Further, this cabin is a P1 category, which includes additional amenities highlighted in the earlier chart.

Our favorite part of the room was the balcony. Typically, we find that ship balconies are often less comfortable than you’d like. The chairs are usually hard and the tables are small. That was not true of this cabin. The chairs were plush, at least for outdoor seating, and the large table was great for a room service meal. We loved it so much that we ordered room service multiple times on our voyage, when we typically never do.

This is a promotional image from Azamara, but it is very representative of the cabin that I stayed in for my Azamara Review.

We found the bed to be reasonably comfortable, not as good as the beds on Princess Cruises, but better than the typical cruise sleeping arrangements. The desk and workspace was sufficient for taking care of things on a laptop without feeling too crowded. Since I work when I travel, being able to set up comfortably is a big deal and not something many cruise line staterooms allow for. They had the typical flat-screen TV with entertainment streaming on it. The ship’s menus for lunch and dinner were available through the “infotainment” system.

One particularly important element for modern travelers, we didn’t have any issues with the availability of electrical outlets like we have had on many other lines, especially on older ships. Outlets were plentiful with access locations everywhere you would want them. Storage space for bags, clothes, to-be-washed laundry and toiletries was all completely fine.

Reading online before our sailing had lead me to believe that the bathrooms, namely the shower, were going to be an issue. If I am to be entirely truthful, this detail had me fairly worried in the week or two leading up to our departure, but I shouldn’t have. The shower was fine. Yes, it was a small bathroom and a small shower, but it was no smaller than other cruise ship bathrooms we have been in. We had no problem with the arrangement. There weren’t any real innovations or highlights to discuss, but neither were there any downsides that don’t exist in other staterooms on other lines.

This is a promotional image from Azamara, but this is very similar to what I stayed in for my Azamara Review.

The included self-service laundry was a nice touch. That’s something that I always appreciate having. The ability to do a quick wash if something gets a stain on it or if you get soaked with rain on an excursion is always good to have. Even better, Azamara provides the detergent. I cannot say if the detergent met any specific allergen needs, so if that’s a concern, you may still want to bring a supply for your own use.    

Overall, I would say that the cabin layout and design was fairly typical, but well done. The clean lines and modern sophisticated décor give a sense of elegance without feeling stuffy. It was spacious enough that I never felt cramped, whether I was working or relaxing. Even with a coffee table in the seating area, we had plenty of room, which speaks to the intelligent use of space. Given that most of Azamara’s itineraries are longer ones, they must have put some considerable thought into how their rooms were arranged for guests and it pays off.

Food and Drink

Like most cruise lines, you’ll never want for food. The main dining room was open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with no reservations required. We never had more than a 10-minute wait to be seated, likely a benefit of the lower passenger capacity.

Regarding taste, we found the food was well prepared but tended to be a bit under-seasoned. On the occasions when they played a little more with the seasoning, it was quite enjoyable, especially a Thai soup. The variety of dishes offered was par for the course, in our estimation, for cruising. Neither adventurous nor boring yet well presented.

If you’re the type of diner that prefers steak, chicken, pork, or pasta when you eat, you’ll be just fine. There are mainstays to the main dining room’s menu that do not change each night that cater to those dishes. In fact, my husband lavished praise on the lemon chicken and I appreciated the tenderloin and their eggs benedict at the breakfast. There are, of course, a variety of dining options on the ship other than the main dining room.

Some of the images that survived are of dishes I had. As you can see, the plates are picturesque, but the flavor was muted.

The Patio Grill which, as the name implies, is outdoors and provides burgers and a daily special, e.g. nachos, as well as sandwiches and hot dogs. You will also find soft-serve ice cream here. The burgers were a standout as they grind their own beef onboard, rather than use pre-made frozen patties. That’s not something I expected to find on a cruise ship and was pleasantly surprised by it. In good weather, this is a great place for a casual lunch.

As for the buffet, we generally avoided it. We don’t like buffets, so if that’s a part of cruising that you love, I am not the authority on buffet quality. However, we did eat there a couple times to sample the quality and we thought they did admirably. I quite enjoyed the sushi and thought they prepared it well (considering that it is a cruise ship and not a dedicated sushi restaurant on land). The pizza was also above average, certainly better than most cruise lines, but not as good as Virgin’s. The highlight that did continue to draw us back to the buffet was the gelato, which we would take away quite often.

Although this is a promotional image from Azamara, it is the buffet on the ship. Even though I am not a buffet lover, I made sure to stop by a few times for my Azamara Review.

If you’re looking for a latte or tea, the Mosaic Café produced lovely, caffeinated brews and always had a selection of small pastries available. I fancy myself as a coffee snob and usually pass on cruise ship coffees, but Azamara was meeting that luxury standard they set for themselves with the quality of the café. I happily consumed the drip and the espresso here.

The two specialty restaurants offered onboard, Prime C and Aqualina were standouts, especially the chateaubriand and the souffle. Dining at either place is an upcharge, but was included in the cabin category and onboard package we purchased. As such, there were limits to the number of reservations we could make for them. These reservations can either be done beforehand online, or with staff when you board.

The Mosaic Cafe was one of the most lovely spaces on the ship for a quick bite. Even though this is an Azamara Promotional image, this is what the place looks like.

Additionally, Azamara provided some special event dining options. On White Night, a themed dress night, they had a beautiful buffet, including lobster. We saw one table that had managed to eat 7 lobster tails in one sitting! Another day brought an on-deck barbecue lunch that we loved. Complete with ribs, sausage, pulled pork, corn on the cob, beans, and potato salad, it was by far the most delicious barbecue we’ve had on any cruise line.

Regardless of your fare, some beers, wines, and cocktails are generally included. As I mentioned, we purchased a package which included some amenities like dining and premium drinks. The cocktails we ordered exceeded expectations at each turn. Servers and bartenders were all attentive and diligent, but not wooden, each of them checking on details like allergies or drink preparation preferences. They were all lovely to chat with whenever we sat down to order, and it was quickly apparent why so many customers love the Azamara crew.

White Night was a lot of fun on the ship and I’m glad I went, even though I’m not the most social person. My Azamara review wouldn’t be complete if I hadn’t at least spent a little time at the party.

Overall, the cuisine on Azamara was nice, but fell short of the top-tier in cruise lines. There were standouts at every venue, but for my taste, the dishes lacked flavor and creativity. There’s a boldness that I’ve seen in other cruise line meals that isn’t present here. I don’t doubt that the kitchen could make such dishes and I wish they would.

Onboard Experience

Smaller ships, like the kind Azamara built their small fleet around, afford passengers a chance to become familiar with the crew. To the last, every member of the Quest’s crew was polite, attentive, and kind. Every positive moment we had on the ship was enhanced by the graciousness of the crew. On the rare moment something negative happened, the deftness of Azamara’s team softened the situation. Truly, I can’t say enough good things about the crew.

On the ship tour – which we recommend you take because it’s fascinating – it was clear that the crew took great pride in their assignments and work areas, no matter the area they worked in.  The tour included the bridge, engineering, laundry, galley, and even the freezers.

The spaces throughout the ship were immaculate. It brought to mind a saying from the restaurant industry, “you can tell how much a restaurant cares by how clean their bathrooms are.” If I apply that to Azamara, they care a great deal. Nary a speck of dust was to be found anywhere we went.

Everywhere we went on the ship it was beautiful and spotless. Impressive art and impressive cleaning were not something I was expecting to find together for the Azamara Review.

We adored the library for some quiet time. While the pool was fairly small, it was more than enough for the number of passengers aboard. Admittedly, though, it was not heavily used in the mid-Atlantic in early April. Even walking the halls can be an enjoyable pastime as they are lined with prints by famous artists.

Because it’s a small ship, there were no big, Broadway style productions that you will find on larger vessels. Instead, there were six extremely talented singers and dancers that did different performances most nights of the cruise. They would run duets, solos, and the like, and would also run trivia as well as other events around the ship. We had a lot of fun at each event we took part in.

One thing we loved is that Azamara dispenses with some things that other major cruise lines will often push on you. There was no casino taking up a large portion of one of the decks, no art auctions haranguing you to empty your pockets. They had regular speakers providing entertaining and educational events most days on the sailing.

Like some other cruise lines, they have the occasional theme nights. Azamara’s main themed evening is the “White Night,” where everyone is expected to dress in white. It was fairly fun, but we ended up ducking out early for a dinner at Prime C. While they are famed for their “AzAmazing nights” which are culturally inspired parties associated with their over-night port visits we unfortunately didn’t have one offered on this sailing because it was a trans-Atlantic.

Sometimes, all you really want is a drink by the pool. The relaxed atmosphere made it all the better during my Azamara review.

Something I’ve never seen on any other line was the “EXPO”, which is an event where a representative from each of the ship’s departments has a place to talk about what they do on the ship, and the thought process behind what they do. While I have heard online that it can be a little sales-y, that was not our experience at all. We had a great time learning about the variety of behind-the-scenes sort of things that we love about cruise ship tours. The food service got a lot of attention, but one could also inspect a spare piston.  Surprisingly, the housekeeping department was very interesting and helped explain how they were able to keep the ship in such top-notch condition.

On-Ship Amenities

Even though it was a small ship, Azamara didn’t skimp on the amenities that you often find on larger vessels. They had a well-equipped, clean gym with ocean views, and group fitness classes available for free. As I mentioned, the pool wasn’t large but was very nice.

I also touched on the included, self-service laundry with detergent provided earlier on. As much as I do appreciate these facilities, your experience with them depends heavily on the courtesy of the other guests. On a longer sailing, like we did, it was convenient and reassuring, even if it sometimes brought out the baser instincts of other guests.

The general vibe of the ship is “resort casual” so there’s no pressure to feel overdressed, which was nice. Many of the other guests we met seemed to be long-time Azamara cruisers. There were plenty of public spaces that were just nice to be in, like the forward panoramic lounge and the library. The smaller card room adjacent to it was consistently filled with the mahjong and bridge players, so if that’s your thing, you might find some new friends!

There was regular live music, shows, talks, trivia, and other events happening all over the ship, so we never felt like there wasn’t enough to do, even on a longer voyage with very few stops.

Conclusion

Who is Azamara for? What I found on Azamara was a classic, but elevated, cruise experience. It was the sort of vibe that you can find on lines like Princess or Celebrity, but better. Since everything was on a smaller scale, it felt more intimate. Because there are under a thousand guests, you get to know everyone a little more, and the staff were particularly wonderful. Crew morale can make or break a cruise line in my opinion. If the staff aren’t energized and happy, that bleeds over into every aspect of the ship. Every crew member we talked to seemed to enjoy working for Azamara, which is not the case on some other lines that we have been on.

There are many lessons that the other lines could learn from Azamara. No, they shouldn’t simply copy it, but they could learn a bit from their dedication to refining what they are as a brand.

There are more inclusions than you might find than in the typical cruise as well. Self-service laundry, gratuities, some alcohol, and special events tailored to the locations that you are visiting. No, they aren’t breaking any conventions, or trying something exciting and experimental, but what Azamara is doing is taking what people have loved about cruising for decades and perfecting it. It’s not going to be a party boat, a floating casino, or a theme park at sea. It’s simply going to be a cruise ship in all the best ways.

Azamara is similar to my experiences on Cunard or Viking, and on that smaller scale which I really love. If that sounds at all appealing to you, I strongly recommend giving Azamara a try.

If this review got you excited to do just that and sail on Azamara, as you might have guessed we are a travel agency and if you are looking to book a trip to a resort, take a cruise, or just get away for a few days we can help with that! Each year we book hundreds of vacations for individuals, families, and large groups. We’ve got years of experience and firsthand knowledge to make sure you get the best trip possible with support all along the way. Our team of travel professionals can help find and book the best rates and discounts for your trip because it’s our job. So don’t book on your own, use our expertise and book with us so we can help get you, far far away.

The post Azamara Review – Other Cruises Could Learn A Great Deal From Them appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

No Cabin Choice

What, I think, is the least troubling, is when you book a Lock-it-In fare, you won’t have a cabin assignment, meaning you don’t have a specific cabin number. It operates like a guaranteed rate on a lot of other cruise lines. You’ll get a cabin in the category you booked, but it won’t be determined which one until right before you sail. That means, if you book a Lock-it-In Sea Terrace, you’ll likely end up in a Limited View with the risk of being right above some noisy common area. Sure, there’s a chance you’ll get a Central Sea Terrace on idyllic deck 10, but that’s a slim chance.

Never go into booking Lock-it-In expecting anything more than the cheapest, most basic option. Even when that cabin is assigned, you won’t be able to move it, wherever they put you, that’s where you’ll stay.

Base Fare does vary slightly here. You’ll have an assigned cabin number, but you won’t be able to move it. Virgin also has the right to move that cabin as they see fit up until you are, literally on the gangplank boarding the ship! Okay… that’s slightly hyperbolic, but Virgin really can change that cabin right up until you check-in and receive your Band. For this reason, people who are sensitive to noise or want a specific deck, like a lower level deck that will avoid sea sickness, aren’t going to want to book these rates.

No Booking Flexibility

Whether it’s Lock-it-In or Base fare, once you are booked, you’re booked. What this means is that you can’t make any changes to the booking at all. If you can’t sail those dates because something came up in your life, you’re “locked-in”. You can’t change to a different sailing. Neither can you swap out your cabin mate because they’re, “locked-in”. It doesn’t matter if it’s your spouse you caught cheating on you with your, now ex, best friend; there’s no name changes allowed for any of the sailors. You especially cannot cancel the booking for a refund, or even credit for another Virgin sailing, because you’re, say it with me… “locked-in.”

Basically, if something goes wrong and you can’t go, too bad. To quote the best Willy Wonka, “You get nothing. You lose. Good day, sir.”

This also means that if the price drops, you can’t re-price. I have heard horror stories of someone who booked a Lock-it-In rate, only for the price of a regular cabin to fall below what they paid well within the window to reprice, but they couldn’t take advantage of it because they were, one more time, “locked-in”.

Promotional Restrictions

Here’s one area where the Lock-it-In and Base Fares vary. While the Base Fare can enjoy assorted promotions that Virgin may offer, like extra Sailor Loot or Bar Tab, or use a My Next Virgin Voyage certificate, the Lock-it-In rate gets none of that. The already low price is the perk, and you are not allowed to combine it with anything else.

How much this particular restriction impacts you is variable, but there are quite a few discounts and promotions that us travel agents will help you take advantage of. For example, there is a First Responder discount for people like EMTs. There’s also residency rates that more than a third of Americans qualify for, not to mention the entire countries of Canada and Mexico. Active and retired U.S. and Canadian military members receive discounts as well. Additionally, Virgin will run promotions adding hundreds in Bar Tab for specific sailings.

If you book the Lock-it-In rate, you can’t take advantage of any of those. Now, yes, many times the Lock-it-In rate is lower than those discounts, but there’s all the restrictions we’ve already mentioned and, we still haven’t talked about the difference in onboard experience…

On-Ship Downgrades

Let’s say you can live with all those downsides. You don’t care where your cabin is on the ship, you aren’t eligible for any other discounts, and you have already determined that you will be taking this trip no matter what. Fair enough. We’re not done with the limitations, though, because there are a few more rules to both the Base Fare and the Lock-it-In cabins that may make your on-board experience less exciting than you may want.

Both fares can only make reservations for dining 15 days before sailing. What that means is, by the time you get to make dining reservations, a full month will have gone by since the Essential Fare sailors could book their dining, and they generally make up about 80% of a ship’s bookings. Now, if you like to eat late, like I do, you should still be able to get into various restaurants. I’ve also eaten at Virgin’s restaurants quite a few times at this point, so if I miss an Extra Virgin night, I’m not going to feel like I missed out.

If you’re on the Lock-it-In Fare, you might miss out on dining reservations for the times you want to eat.

If there’s a restaurant that you are keen to visit or a night that’s special and you want to eat at a particular time, you might not get what you are hoping for.

Outside of dining reservations, Virgin has added more tiers to their Wi-Fi and, not surprisingly, they’ve made their included Wi-Fi for Base and Lock-it-In worse. While Wi-Fi is still included at this rate, you are going to be at the absolute lowest level with both of them. This is a special tier of Wi-Fi access they created when they made the Voyage Fare changes in October of 2025. Don’t expect to do much more than some simple text messages, basic internet browsing, and social media. I’ve tried it out this tier and images don’t always load, it’s often just text and emojis and, if you’re a Millennial, your .gif filled chats aren’t loading either. Don’t even think about Wi-Fi calling and video streaming, it’s not happening.

On the other hand, if you’re trying to disconnect, that might be a plus.

Rockstar Lock-it-In

I haven’t yet touched a category of Lock-it-In that’s a little different, that’s the Rockstar Lock-it-In rate. Yes, Virgin offers discounted rates on their suites as well and their Lock-it-In rate doesn’t work the same way as the regular cabins. With this rate, you still get all the on-ship perks of being a Rockstar, including the super early dining reservations, however you get a lot of the downsides of Lock-it-Ins when it comes to flexibility. What this means is: no promotions, no choosing your cabin, no changing your cabin, no name changes, no sailing date changes, and definitely no refunds.

The Mega RockStar suites on Virgin Voyages do have their own Lock-it-In Fares.

The suites on Virgin aren’t cheap either, not even with the Lock-it-In rate. That’s a lot of money that you are “locked-in” to paying Virgin and that always makes me a little nervous. People aren’t immune to sudden changes in their life. Maybe you find out you’re pregnant and would be too late in your term to fly to the cruise, with Lock-it-In that’s just too bad. Perhaps, your brother sets his wedding date the same week as your cruise, oh well. Whatever the case may be, if you can’t go anymore, too bad. It doesn’t matter how much you paid, you chose to be “locked-in”

Conclusions

I have seen too many people get burnt by all the exclusions that come with the Lock-it-In price to ever think about doing it myself. If I’m dropping thousands of dollars on a vacation, I’m going to spend a little bit more to have a good experience and not settle for hurdles and risks.

You never know what might happen, pay a little more and protect yourself when you’re booking a vacation. Whether that’s through travel insurance or by booking a refundable fare.

I always recommend having travel insurance when you are buying a cruise, or really any vacation, and I recommend getting it from a third party vendor that will cover every part of the trip. If you absolutely want to book a Lock-it-In rate, I consider trip insurance to be even more essential, since that “no refund policy” can look a lot worse when you are facing an illness or injury that has thrown off your travel plans, or your even something simple like the plane is delayed and the ship leaves without you.

If this article made you second guess booking that Lock-it-In rate, then I’ve done my job because we want you to be informed about what you are purchasing when you book a vacation. That’s how we work with all our clients, by making sure they understand their options and any risks they take because informed decisions make for better trips. And if you want help staying informed, you can subscribe to this channel. As you might have guessed we are a travel agency and if you are looking to book a trip to a resort, take a cruise, or just get away for a few days we can help with that!

Each year we book hundreds of vacations for individuals, families, and large groups. We’ve got years of experience and firsthand knowledge to make sure you get the best trip possible with support all along the way. Our team of travel professionals can help find and book the best rates and discounts for your trip because it’s our job. So don’t book on your own, use our expertise and book with us so we can help get you, far far away.

The post Why I Never Book Lock-it-In on Virgin Now appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Disney World

Back in 2024, Disney announced their plans to expand Magic Kingdom with a whole new land, named “Villain’s Land”. Although the name might be a bit on the nose, Disney villains are quite popular with many fans, so the idea has merit to it. This is slated to include two rides, one themed on the magic mirror and including a large cast of villains, and one focused on Maleficent. Early reporting estimates that this land will be about the same size as the Galaxy’s Edge Star Wars land in Hollywood Studios.

Villains Land is part of the massive Disney updates dropped during D23. Disney Promotional Image owned by Disney

Continuing with the changes in Magic Kingdom, construction has already started where Tom Sawyer Island was in Frontierland. Replacing it is Piston Peak, an area themed around the Cars franchise. A demolition derby ride and a rally ride are expected to be part of this new space. While in Tomorrowland, the Carousel of Progress is getting an update, with the dad being voiced by Bryan Cranston, and the mom by Jamie Lee Curtis. Whether this means any revisions to the dialogue isn’t clear. Perhaps they’ll spice up the script with door knocking discussions or add a brother named Mike to the story.

Piston Peak is part of the enormous Desney updates announced at D23. Disney Promotional Image owned by Disney.

Over in Hollywood Studios, that park recently saw the reimagining of the Rock’n’Roller Coaster to include the Muppets, something that I am looking forward to seeing myself. The area that used to host the famous felt cast has been under construction for a new Monsters, Inc themed area, including two new dining locations, Harryhausen’s and Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza. Replacing Muppetvision 3D will be Welcome to Monstropolis, which will be a similar stage show. They are also bringing a coaster ride based off the Door Vault from the films, which will be Disney’s first “suspended” coaster style ride, that is, the track is above the cars. While parts of the land are set to open in 2027, the coaster, sadly, will not be.

The Monster, Inc. takes over the former Muppet area in the latest Disney updates. Disney Promotional Image owned by Disney.

Moving to Epcot, we are seeing the first update of Spaceship Earth in 20 years, however, there isn’t much information about it yet. These are part of delayed upgrades that were supposed to have happened before COVID. Another update coming to Epcot is that they are reworking Journey Into Imagination with Figment. Their big announcement is that Dreamfinder is coming back from the original 1983 version. While I never got to experience that version, my wife and MANY other Epcot fans are very excited to see his return.

The Tropical Americas area is part of the sweeping Disney updates. Disney Promotional Image owned by Disney

Finally, we come to Animal Kingdom, with another slate of changes announced. Construction is already underway on the Tropical Americas section of the park, which used to be the DinoLand area. As part of those changes two rides are being built. The first is an Encanto themed ride where guests will enter The Casita on the day Antonio receives his gift where they will be taken through the house seeing the events of that day. The other ride is being built where the Dinosaur ride was. This one will be an Indiana Jones ride, similar to the one at Disneyland but with its own story and theming. There is also set to be a carousel ride in the Tropical Americas area with popular animal characters from across Disney’s properties.

The terrifying Yeti in Expedition Everest will move again! Just one more of the huge Disney updates. Disney Promotional Image owned by Disney

There’s Yeti more news, though, because the biggest news is about the Expedition Everest ride. When you’re on that ride, the ominous presence of a Yeti disrupts your journey, and for many visitors that monster has always been limited to shadows, noises, and a statue near the end of the ride. That statue is actually an animatronic Yeti and, when the ride first opened, it would claw at the riders. But the complex figure promptly broke and Disney imagineers permanently disabled its movements. Well, Disney has announced that it is coming back and it will once again move! We’ll see how long that lasts.

Disneyland

Over on the West Coast, Disneyland is seeing some serious changes as well. In California Adventure, they are expanding the Avengers Campus to include two new attractions. Avengers Infinity Defense and the Stark Flight Lab are both set to open in 2028. Additionally, in California Adventure, we are going to see a boat-style ride themed around the movie Coco with a journey through the Land of the Dead. While it’s known that a Pandora area is being built in California Adventure, Disney was surprisingly quiet on that front.

Over in Disneyland, two shows are set to be refurbished 2027, the Magic Happens parade, and the fireworks show Remember … Dreams Come True. They also announced that changes will be coming to Tomorrowland at Disneyland, but were pretty light on the details.

Disney Cruise Line

Finally, some new announcements for Disney Cruise Line. Their newest ship, Disney Believe, is still set to arrive in 2027, with some new details released. The Grand Hall will feature a statue of Moana and her animal companions. They went over some more of the ship’s decoration and aesthetics, but overall, it is expected to be similar to the other ships in the class.

I really like the design for the Believe’s aft that was shown as part of all the Disney updates. Promotional Image owned by Disney.

Their big announcement was the reveal of the next class of DCL ships and they were very, very light on details. Here’s what we know right now:

• They are set to first arrive in 2029
• They will have a lower passenger capacity than the Wish class ships, probably around 3000 passengers.

That’s it. That’s all we know about it. In my opinion, this seems like a very reasonable step to take, with cruise ships hitting capacities of 5, 6, and 7,000 passengers, the trend has become stressful for the crew, the ports, and the passengers as well. I believe that it also creates some fragility in the market, if you can’t fill such a giant ship, the logistics needed to support it risk collapsing. To me, it has felt like an over-expansion like we see so many famous retail brands commit to and then collapse from. So, I am glad to see Disney Cruise Line taking a step back from these megaships.

If any of this news has piqued your interest and made you want to visit one of Disney’s properties, we can help. As you might have guessed we are a travel agency and if you are looking to book a trip to a resort, take a cruise, or just get away for a few days we’ve got you covered! Each year we book hundreds of vacations for individuals, families, and large groups. We’ve got years of experience and firsthand knowledge to make sure you get the best trip possible with support all along the way. Our team of travel professionals can help find and book the best rates and discounts for your trip because it’s our job. So don’t book on your own, use our expertise and book with us so we can help get you, far far away.

The post Big Disney Updates – With A New Ship Class Announced appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Yes, staying healthy at home feels challenging enough, now add in travel, and it’s even harder. You’re coming into contact with tons of new people and food sources you’re unfamiliar with. Tons of people have come home from a trip sick. But, I promise you, all is not lost.

Airports are so full of people it makes it hard to stay healthy when you travel. They’re a common hotspot where a lot of airborne illnesses can spread. It pays to be careful!

As you might imagine, I’m traveling more than the average person. I write about travel and that means that I need to, ya know… travel. I research destinations, cruise lines, resorts, hotels, but to do that, I need to be there. I also can’t afford to get sick when I’m on the road, so I take precautions to make sure that I stay healthy and, since I started doing these things, I’ve never gotten sick when I’m traveling.

I’m not doing anything special either, I’m just taking easy, reasonable steps to keep myself safe from other people’s… less sanitary habits and there’s no reason you can’t do the same if you want.

Wash Your Hands

Yes, that’s really the first thing I do and it’s also the easiest thing I do. Using simple soap and water, along with about twenty seconds of scrubbing, goes a long way to keeping you healthy. There’s all sorts of nasty stuff that your hands come into contact with while you’re out and about and keeping your little fingies clean keeps the grossness out of you.

Aside from all the usual prodding by doctors and such to wash your hands, here’s one particularly good reason to grab the soap and water – norovirus. That little bug is one of the most unpleasant illnesses you can contract and each year, millions of people around the world experience all the fun there is to have with it, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Best of all, the disease is spread through human feces and vomit! That means that if you have the disease, it’s because you put those things in your mouth.

Airport lounges are great, just make sure to wash your hands before you eat!

Guess what hand washing does! It cleans your hands and kills norovirus!

Just keep that in mind when you do things like, handle a serving spoon at a buffet, hold onto the rail at the escalator, or tap on the seatback screen on a plane.

Now, you can still contract norovirus even if you wash your hands because it can also be spread through food or beverages prepared by someone who has norovirus and hasn’t cleaned their hands of their… poop or vomit. It can also be spread through places like pools because norovirus can live just fine in your standard chlorinated pool water.

Sanitizing Wipes and Such

This is why things like hand sanitizers and wipes have their place, but it isn’t at the top of my list. The cleaning agents deployed in these wipes are typically an alcohol and they often cannot kill norovirus, which is why hand washing is still the champ. Still, there’s lots of other nastiness that these things do clean up that protects you. Some strains of common viruses are killed by sanitizing wipes and gels, but they need to be used properly and contain high levels of alcohol to be effective. The figure that I see commonly quoted for minimal effectiveness requirements is to make sure that your sanitizer contains at least 60% alcohol.

Touchscreens literally have “touch” in the name, Who knows how many fingers have been there.

The best time to use these products is when you cannot wash your hands or clean a surface with soap and water. Yes, that means that when I get on a plane, bus, train, etc., I wipe the seat down with a sanitizing wipe. I also hit any surface that I touch, like the tray table, and armrests with it. Take a close look at the usage instructions for whatever product you have because some sanitizers need several minutes to be effective, especially the wipes.

Also, as a courtesy for your fellow travelers, try to get unscented products. Some people are very sensitive to scented products and you are all about to share an often cramped and closed space. Don’t get me wrong, I love my vanilla scented stuff, but not everyone does. Being courteous costs nothing so it’s what I try to do.

Avoidance

The phrase “discretion is the better part of valor” comes to mind here. Sometimes my strongest defense to illness is to simply avoid things that make you sick.

Hear someone coughing? Move away from them. Is someone sniffling repeatedly? I’ll go the other way. Just looking sick in general? Just back up.

Again, this is not complicated. Put some distance between you and whoever is showing signs of illness.

Sometimes some space is better than… flocking… together!

That’s not the only thing to avoid though. You can also avoid interacting with common surfaces. One of the most notorious places for spreading disease are buffets. Tons of shared serving utensils and lots of people. When I’m traveling, buffets are everywhere. Cruise ships, hotel breakfasts, even the precious airport lounges. Obviously, you’ve got to eat, but do everything you can to wash your hands both before and after you touch the serving utensils.

Right now, you’re probably thinking, “Why before and after? Isn’t after enough?” Well, yes, but you don’t know what you’ve been touching and what’s on those surfaces. Again, it’s a bit of courtesy to others to clean your own hands before handling a common surface. If you need to rebel against something though, just rebel against the washing before and please, please, please, wash your hands after you touch it.

Masks

Yes, I use a mask when I travel. The moment that I hear coughing on the plane or bus, which is usually all winter long, I throw my mask on. When you’re on a moving vehicle, there’s no option to leave or get some distance and masks are a line of defense from breathing in the floating particles of mucus that someone else just hacked up into the air. Even if they aren’t sick, I don’t want to breathe in someone else’s snot! Yeah, humans are kinda disgusting!

This is an N95 mask I use for yardwork, though I often use a lighter surgical mask to ensure I don’t get sick when I travel.

To be crystal clear, the mask isn’t something that I bother with in places other than small and enclosed spaces. Airplanes, buses, trains, that’s when I think about it. This is doubly true if the coughing or sneezing culprit is the person next to you.

Sleep

Alright, not everything on this list is easy to do, I admit. Getting good or enough sleep is the hardest on the list to do, but it might actually be the best. Being well rested when you travel earns dividends for your immune system.

Again, I understand, this one is hard. Flights are early, last-minute packing keeps you up, travel anxiety is commonplace. Oh… and children. Every parent I’ve ever known has some amount of sleep deprivation. The point is, there’s lots of reasons you might not get great rest, before and during a trip. So, here’s a few ideas that might help with that:

1. If you have an early flight, falling asleep early often doesn’t work for folks. Just because you need to be awake at 4AM doesn’t mean your body starts getting sleepy at 7PM. Instead, try to make sure that you get enough sleep the two nights before you fly. It’s not perfect, but it’ll help and it’s easier to achieve.
   
2. Make your hotel rooms as dark as possible. Humans typically sleep better in dark rooms. Close the curtains (using a chip clip can help keep the drapes together), use a sleep mask, and turn off or hide bright blue LED charging lights on devices.
   
3. Keep your room cool. If you can get your room temperature below 70 F (19 C), there’s evidence showing that cooler environments improve your overall sleep. Hotel rooms are often quite easy to get to these temps but, your home bedroom might be harder.

What Are the Dangers on a Cruise?

I’ve given you my advice on how to stay healthy while traveling, but there’s one last topic I want to touch on – cruises.

A lot of the most head turning, attention grabbing news in the world of health have come from cruises lately. The hantavirus scare back in April was enough to make the world freak out about another pandemic. Just a little while back, there was this video from a cruise of a woman scratching her foot with a fork in the dining area. It’s enough to make you swear off sailing.

Those incidents are actually why I wanted to update this article, because we’re shown a lot of reasons to be scared of cruises specifically. Headlines are rarely reflective of the whole story, though, and it’s worth diving into what the reality is.

Right away, there’s no denying that cruise ships can have a slightly increased risk of things like norovirus and some respiratory diseases, like the flu, because of the large number of people in communal spaces. However, this is true of any similar situation. Conventions, concerts, amusement parks, all are large gatherings of people for extended periods. Using communal spaces in places like that brings similar risks.

Cruise ship buffet areas can be a hotbed for transmissible diseases, so make sure to take percautions when you go.

Why do we hear about people getting sick on a cruise then? Well, the cruise industry has to report it. If you get sick on a cruise, the ship needs to report any outbreaks to the port. In the US, that means the Centers for Disease Control or CDC. They monitor cruise ship health, advise on and sometimes oversee cleaning of ships with reported illnesses, and publish when outbreaks happen. All that means that we hear about illnesses when they happen.

If there was a similar outbreak at a convention, we probably wouldn’t hear about it on the news because there are far fewer reporting standards for events on land.

Don’t be scared, though, because health experts don’t see cruising as a risk to public health. There are elevated risks to being on a cruise ship, but they are similar to risks you face at other large gatherings. If you are comfortable going to Comic-Con or seeing Taylor Swift in concert, you should feel comfortable on a cruise.

Is the Hantavirus scary? You bet it is! Did that have anything to do with cruising? No. Those people got sick before the cruise when they engaged in dangerous activities while not heeding safety warnings. They literally went to a place with known Hantavirus issues to try and see a bird. I love birds and go birding myself, but there’s nothing that could convince me to do what they did.

Concert venues and other public gatherings can be just as dangerous, They’re just underreported.

Cruise ships have fully trained and licensed doctors onboard, and on the larger lines, a surprising array of impressive medical equipment to help diagnose all sorts of issues. In more severe cases, they can even medevac patients off the ship with a helicopter onto the mainland. We’ve been on a cruise where that happened so I can verify they will do it. It wasn’t for anything infectious, by the way, the person had a heart attack and needed immediate, advanced medical care.

All of this is to say, that as long as you are taking responsibility for your health and being considerate of the health of others around you, you can easily have a safe, and enjoyable journey on a cruise anywhere around the world. If you follow the guidelines I’ve set out, you can effectively mitigate your risks of illness anywhere you go. Whether it’s a cruise or a concert, you’ll be safer.

The post How to Stay Healthy When You Travel appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Another thing that I see making the rounds on social media is that people are celebrating other things. Like graduating from school. Things called reunions, bachelorette parties, even breaking things in Spring… I think…

No matter what reason you have to celebrate, if you’re on Virgin Voyages to do that, there’s an addon package that is perfect for the occasion, but I’ve hardly heard anyone talk about it. It’s called Splash for Your Bash and it’s something you should really know about.

What Does Splash for Your Bash Get You?

Splash for Your Bash is an addon package to any Virgin Voyages sailing. It can be applied to anywhere from 1-9 cabins to participate in and costs $250/cabin and covers two people in a cabin. When you book it, you’ll get the following:

• Every cabin receives a bottle of Moët & Chandon.
• There is a bottomless brunch for everyone.
• A dinner party complete with beverages and Treat Yourself items.

Let’s dive in a little deeper on the second two items.

Bottomless Brunch

The bottomless brunch will take place either the Wake or Razzle Dazzle. It’s for everyone who is participating in the Bash, meaning that range of 1-9 cabins with two people per cabin.  As for the bottomless part, yes, that means that alcohol is included in that price.

If you were to purchase the Bottomless Brunch options yourself (they are on the menu at both restaurants), you’d be running $35 per person, so a $70 value. With Splash for Your Bash, though, it’s included. And, for the non-drinkers, you they have alcohol-free Mimosas, Bloody Marys, and NA Beer that are all part of the Bottomless Brunch.

A bottomless brunch at The Wake can be part of the Splash for Your Bash package on Virgin Voyages. Image credit Virgin Voyages.

Most importantly, you don’t have to scramble to get the reservation, even for your big group. As you may know from our Virgin dining video, brunch and dinner reservations can cause no small amount of anxiety among some Virgin sailors, so this can help take off that stress, which is doubly good because it’s for a large group.

Dinner Party

As for the Dinner Party, if you buy the Splash for Your Bash package, the Dinner Party that comes with it has some extra perks with it. Just like the brunch, you get a large group reservation at a restaurant, so you’ll all eat together. Unlike the brunch, you may choose to host the meal at any of the specialty restaurants. The meal includes beverages as well. Once again, yes, that means both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Which beverages are available will depend on which restaurant you choose, but they will be a pre-selected list.

The biggest deal, for many people who buy this package, are the included Treat Yourself items at this dinner. If you aren’t aware, these Treat Yourself items are additional cost items on the menu that can be fairly pricy, as much as $85. Your meal also comes with a special dessert, which is usually a small cake.

Who is Splash for Your Bash For?

The interesting thing about this package is that it’s for almost anyone. It can be purchased by a single cabin or as many as 9 cabins. That means that it can be used on small to medium sized groups or just a couple of people sailing together.

Even though there’s not a direct monetary value associated with it, there’s a huge benefit in the group meals. Everyone that’s participating is going to get to have two meals together, which is a pain to coordinate otherwise, especially if you have more than 4 cabins total dining together. 4 cabins number is not arbitrary either, because at that many cabins, you get special pre-cruise concierge assistance with the group dining reservations as part of the package.

This is a great option for any group that’s sailing together, even if they aren’t celebrating something specific. It’s also a nice alternative to the Splash of Romance package for couples that really don’t see any value in the spa access. Like Splash of Romance, though, there is a limit on how many can be booked per cruise. A maximum of 50 groups can book a Splash for Your Bash, so make sure to snag this package as soon as you’re booked if you want it.

Caveats

There’s something, well, a few things I haven’t mentioned yet that make this particular package a little tricky to talk about. Not everything about this package is totally clear. Here’s what I mean.

Some people have posted images from the Splash for Your Bash where they received a 10-shot use Polaroid-esque camera. That’s a fun perk you get to snap some nostalgia infused images and create fun keepsakes. I think it sounds great and it would really make me smile if it happened. The problem is, this isn’t listed as a perk by Virgin and doesn’t seem to happen every time. So, even if it does happen, as a travel agency, we can’t talk about this with you and pitch this as a perk.

There’s also conflicting information about the drinks at the dinner. Virgin is, what I would call, unspecific on what these drinks will be. Some guests have reported that they received selected glasses of wine, others report cocktails and wine. Still more people have said they received an additional bottle of sparkling wine at dinner on top of other drinks. There are even some guests that said they received nothing, although I’m willing to chalk that up to some mistake by staff, rather than the intended experience.

Virgin Voyages Splash for Your Bash marketing shows this desert, but is that what you’ll get? Image credit Virgin Voyages.

Even the Special Desert mentioned in the benefits is inconsistent. Most people I’ve seen discussing this talk about a cake, but that doesn’t always seem to happen so there might be supply dependency issues. It’s unclear why Virgin is so vague about what these benefits are in some cases. I can certainly understand the argument that should you choose to have the dinner at Extra Virgin, the drinks are different than if you have it at The Wake. I don’t understand why they don’t say that.

Overall, I see almost unanimously positive reports about the package, so don’t misconstrue these variabilities and unknowns as out-and-out criticisms or warnings, they are not. However, I can’t be specific about exactly what you’ll get in this package, at least when it comes to these portions of it. The bottle of champagne is easy. The brunch is straightforward. The Treat Yourself items are included. The desert and drinks at dinner are… hazy.

Is Splash for Your Bash Worth It?

Every time there’s a package on a cruise or resort, the first question we get asked is, “Is it worth it?”

There’s two ways to break down value, the first is price compared to included features. The second is emotional. We’ll start with the first.

Let’s add up the maximum dollar value of the Splash for Your Bash Package:

• Included bottle of Moët & Chandon: $105
• Bottomless Brunch: $35/person $70 Total value.
• Dinner Party Curated Drinks: Avg. at $11/drink, 3 drinks/meal/person $66 Total
• Dinner Party Treat Yourself: Avg $50/Person $100 Total

Final Total: $341 Value

Cost: $250

Difference: $91 in your favor.

There’s obviously some financial benefit to this, but I have made a few assumptions that need to be taken into consideration.

• I’ve assumed that the purchasers consume alcohol. If you abstain from drinking, the potential benefit is lower because non-alcoholic drinks are usually cheaper.
• I’ve also assumed that when attending the dinner party, the purchasers take advantage of the perks and order the Treat Yourself options. Yes, I was conservative in my average cost for these items as well.
• The caveats I mentioned before are smoothed over in these calculations, but I still can’t guarantee them.

This is where the second part of the value consideration comes in, the emotional value. Many people would gladly take advantage of this package to the fullest. Drinking everything you desire at brunch, ordering the most expensive Treat Yourself items you can, and indulging in that champagne. Consider, though, are you the type of person that enjoys those things?

A lot of the value of the Virgin Voyages Splash for Your Bash package is dependant on how you use it and, especially, enjoying a drink or three. Image credit Virgin Voyages.

To get the most out of this package, you sort of need to like champagne. Also, to continue maximizing the benefit, you’ll need to order the Treat Yourself items at dinner, even if those things aren’t what you’re in the mood for. Again, that’s not to say it isn’t worth it. I mean, I just did the math to show it can be but, is it worth it to you is what needs to be asked.

With packages like this, it’s all about perceived value. No matter what the math breaks down to, if the benefits of the upgrade sound good to you, then you’ll likely enjoy it. If they don’t, you might not.

This is the exact same assessment process I take with the Splash of Romance package. There’s possibly some benefit from a cost and value perspective, but the ultimate determination always comes down to whether the purchaser sees value in what they get. We’ve sent my article and video to hundreds of clients when they ask if, “Splash of Romance” is worth it and, even after hearing that there’s no significant monetary benefit, almost all of them book it anyway because they feel those benefits are valuable.

Conclusion

Overall, Virgin claims that for this $250 price tag you are getting $375 in value, which isn’t far off from my own calculations. The reality is that, like Splash of Romance, the value we really see in this is the intangible parts, knowing that you’ll have a special dinner on the special day and that dinner can be as a group.

We have booked groups of 8, 10, and 12 people for dining on Virgin, and while it is possible, the space needed means you’re going to be going very early or very late, and you’re going to be paying for all the drinks à la carte. The Splash for Your Bash package makes having a dinner like that, much easier.

Virgin Voyages Splash for Your Bash does seem like it could be fun, if you’ve got a group to share it with! Image credit Virgin Voyages.

You’ve already wrangled all your friends and/or family onto a cruise to celebrate with you and show them a great time, planning a dinner is one more hassle on top of that. The pre-cruise concierge, helping make sure you get your dinner and brunch at the right time, and making sure that there is space for everyone can’t be beat. In our opinion, that peace of mind is where the real value lies. Taking a group cruise and knowing that you’ll have a great brunch and dinner together without a huge lift on your end to make it happen. This is about the experience, not the item-by-item pricing.

Is the Splash for Your Bash package right for you or your group? Maybe! We haven’t used it ourselves, and I want to be clear about that, but we’ve heard plenty of positive remarks from the people who have booked it. So, while I can’t give my personal account and experience, this seems like an offering that you should know about, and we think provides something worthwhile.

The post What is Virgin Voyages Splash for Your Bash? appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

The change, effective August 6th, 2026, is that Virgin closed a long-standing loophole that’s existed since the program started. The previous MNVV policies let you change the name on the MNVV before booking, which was in place because sometimes you might want to book something, but life doesn’t work out and the certificate does expire. What this policy had the effect of was people selling the certificate to another sailor so they could get the benefits. The new policy does away with that transferability and means that the person who purchased the MNVV must be the lead sailor on the booking.

No more name changes on MNVVs.

For many Virgin Voyages sailors, this has the greatest impact of First Mates no longer being able to provide MNVVs for bookings. Now, this doesn’t change MNVVs that have already been purchased, but once those purchased before August 6th are gone, they’re gone

That being said, there is a “workaround” that’s already being discussed online. Before we dive in to explaining it, I want to be clear that we aren’t encouraging this tactic, but we do want to address it so you know that we’re aware of it.

While you can’t transfer an MNVV, if you use the MNVV to make a Premium Fare or Rockstar booking, those categories of booking are technically able to be transferred to new sailors after the booking is made. So, yes, this does get around the no name change rule but, again, we do NOT encourage this approach!

Virgin is explicit that their intent was to close the MNVV resale market. As travel agents, we feel that we have some responsibility to warn people to be wary of offers to “transfer” MNVV bookings or whatever other way people might pitch it. In the future, if someone offers to sell you an MNVV booking and you aren’t talking to Virgin staff on the ship, stay away.  Virgin, we think, will not look kindly on bookings that seem suspicious.

Virgin Voyages MNVV changes overhaul some of their critical points.

We’re not done yet, though, because there’s another change to the MNVVs that’s a little confusing in its wording on the sailing window of the MNVV. In the past, you had to sail within 2 years of the purchase date of the MNVV, full stop. In their update, they say, “Starting Fall 2026, Sailors can book any voyage they’re excited about, with a 1-year booking window and unlimited voyage date changes within that year.” When this will go live and how it plays out is yet it to be seen.

Does this mean that you have 1 year to book a cruise for any sailing date? Do you have to book a cruise that leaves within a year, but then change it to any sailing date after that? Can re-price your cruise within that one-year window an unlimited number of times? Unfortunately, we don’t know yet.

This is the first of several changes we are expecting to see by the end of the year. There will likely be changes to the loyalty program, as well as their fare system coming out in the future, we just don’t know what or when. What I can tell you is that we will cover it whenever it happens and give you updates as we get them.

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