Prepared by Alan Fox
In addition to being the largest seller of oceangoing cruises, Vacations To Go is the world’s leading seller of river cruises. We also are among the top sellers of escorted tours and tropical resort vacations. If you browse our sites, you’ll find travel options for every interest and budget.
From Caribbean cruises on megaliners to river cruises along the Rhine and Mississippi, and from escorted tours of Italy and Ireland to safaris in Tanzania, we’re here to help you see the world at the lowest possible price, in whatever style you choose.
Today, I’ll tell you about some of the best and most trusted companies in the travel industry, along with special discounts and deals for Vacations To Go customers.
Most of the cruise offers below include free shipboard credits, which are as good as cash on board and can be used to pay for almost anything not included in the upfront cost of the sailing, like spa treatments and shore excursions. Please note that some rates on our site may not be eligible for free amenities or shipboard credits.
As always, these offers are for new bookings only and subject to availability. Restrictions may apply, and some free amenities and shipboard credits may apply only to eligible rates. Past guests of some cruise lines may see better rates on select sailings.
Just click any link for more information.
Oceania Cruises sails destination-rich itineraries around the world, calling at must-see locales, off-the-beaten-path villages and secluded bays. The line often schedules late evening stays in port, as well as overnights in cities like Venice, Bordeaux, Kyoto and Melbourne. Its ships offer an intimate setting and superb cuisine inspired by master chef Jacques Pepin, Oceania’s executive culinary director.
Oceania is offering our customers newly reduced pricing on select sailings — save up to 85%. Plus, receive exclusive shipboard credits of up to $900 per cabin on select last-minute departures in 2019 and beyond. Book by October 25. See dates and prices.
Four ships carry 684 guests each, while the Marina and Riviera accommodate up to 1,250 passengers. Travelers are pampered in an elegant, country club ambience. Guest lecturers such as historians, wine experts and former diplomats share their insights and experiences. By January 22, all ships will feature Oceania’s own new spa concept, the Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center, which will provide wellness programs both on board and ashore.
The Marina and Riviera serve Pepin’s French country cuisine at a restaurant called Jacques. Other venues in the fleet include the Polo Grill for steaks, Toscana for Tuscan meals and Red Ginger for Asian specialties. Sharpen your own cooking skills at the Culinary Center aboard the Marina and Riviera. Oceania’s unique shore excursions, including a collection of Culinary Discovery Tours, delve into the culture and history of the sailing region.
To learn more about the cruises of Oceania, click here.
Azamara specializes in immersive itineraries aboard three boutique-style, 690-passenger ships that travel to harbors that larger ships can’t access. Guests can linger longer in port thanks to extended stays and overnights at many destinations, and they can enjoy a complimentary evening excursion on nearly every sailing.
Azamara has exclusive new discounts on select sailings for our customers — save up to 84%. Also get exclusive shipboard credits of up to $500 per cabin on eligible voyages. Book by October 25. See dates and prices.
The upfront fare includes select wines, beers and spirits throughout the ship, as well as gratuities, bottled water, soft drinks, teas and specialty coffees. Where available, Azamara provides complimentary shuttle service between the pier and the port community. After exploring ashore, you’ll return to a ship that offers a club-like atmosphere with warm, personalized service and soothing, elegant staterooms and public spaces.
A complimentary AzAmazing Evening is offered on all sailings except transatlantic crossings and voyages of less than seven nights. See a show of music, acrobatics and dance in Valencia, Spain, or go to a carnival-style celebration in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Azamara sails to all seven continents. It also has designed country-intensive voyages where all or most ports of call are within one nation such as Italy, Iceland or Australia. You’ll immerse yourself in the culture, cuisine and history and connect to local life while visiting popular cities and hidden gems.
Click here to start your search for an Azamara vacation.
The Globus Family of Brands has introduced the 2020 Undiscovered Mediterranean collection of escorted vacations. Offered by Globus and Cosmos, these itineraries explore destinations along the coast and beyond, in Italy, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Slovenia and Albania. Discover secluded shores, whitewashed villages and towns laced with medieval alleys.
The escorted vacations of Globus incorporate VIP access to top attractions, with no waiting in line, as well as “Local Favorites,” which are special experiences that spotlight what makes the destination unique.
Save 10% off 2020 Globus vacations in Europe, North America, South America and more.
Save $200 per couple off airfare on 2020 Europe departures when you book by October 28. Plus, receive free prepaid gratuities on most departures.
Cosmos combines the freedom of independent exploration with the benefits of group travel, all at an unbelievable value.
Save $100 per couple off departures worldwide when you book by October 22.
Save $200 per couple off airfare on Cosmos’ 2020 Europe trips when you book by October 28. You’ll also receive free prepaid gratuities on most of these vacations.
Undiscovered Mediterranean trips incorporate some ports featured on cruise itineraries. If you’ve visited Dubrovnik, Crete or Sicily as a cruise passenger and want to return and spend more time there, consider itineraries like The Croatian, Greek Island Adventure or Southern Italy & Greece. You’ll stay in hotels that are handpicked for their great locations and views, enjoy the local cuisine and hear the myths of the Med from people who grew up there.
For all Globus itineraries and offers, click here. To view our Cosmos trips and deals, click here.
Norwegian Cruise Line is known for its innovative ships — including the brand-new Norwegian Encore debuting next month — and its Freestyle Experience, which offers guests the freedom and flexibility to cruise their way, with no assigned dining and no formal dress codes.
Norwegian is offering our customers discounts of up to 86% and exclusive shipboard credits of up to $300 per cabin on select cruises. In addition, on select sailings choose your free perk(s) based on cabin types booked at eligible rates — receive one perk for an inside cabin, two perks for an ocean-view cabin or up to five perks for a balcony cabin or higher. Here are the perks: 1) unlimited open bar for two, 2) a specialty dining package that includes up to five meals for two guests at select dining venues, 3) up to 250 minutes of Internet, 4) a shore excursion credit of $50 per cabin, per port (not including embarkation port), or 5) friends and family sail free as third/fourth passengers in the cabin on select departures (port fees and taxes are additional. Book by October 30. See dates and prices.
Take in the majestic beauty of Alaska, cruise to the historic cities of Europe, spend a week in Hawaii or island-hop in the Caribbean. Many Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries stop at Norwegian’s private island, Great Stirrup Cay, a 250-acre oasis with private cabanas, WaveRunner tours, a stingray encounter and more.
Click here to view all of Norwegian’s ships and sailing regions.
Viking offers curious travelers culturally enriching, destination-focused river cruises in Europe, Russia, Asia and Egypt. Its serene, Scandinavian-designed vessels provide an intimate, no-kids setting and are small enough to dock in the heart of town.
Here are a few early booking deals from Viking for our customers. They must be booked by October 31.
Fly for free from select gateways, plus save up to $2,000 per couple off select 2020 and 2021 river cruises in Europe.
Fly from $99 to $1,199 per person from select gateways, plus save $1,000 per couple off 2020 and 2021 sailings in Europe.
Save $1,000 per couple off round-trip airfare from select gateways, plus save $1,000 per couple on certain 2020 and 2021 cruises on the Douro, Mekong, Nile and Yangtze.
Click here to see more Viking river cruise offers.
The rate of your Viking vacation includes a river-view stateroom, one complimentary shore excursion in every port, onboard activities and entertainment, unlimited Wi-Fi and all onboard meals, with complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks at lunch and dinner. Some Viking itineraries also include hotel stays with guided city tours.
Viking brings passengers closer to the destination’s culture, cuisine and traditions through immersive experiences like port lectures, cooking and craft demonstrations, wine tastings and folkloric shows. Meals showcase regional dishes and locally sourced ingredients.
Viking’s ships embrace the outdoors, with light-filled public spaces and alfresco dining. Among accommodations are 445-square-foot Explorer Suites with two full rooms and private wraparound verandas.
Viking also offers oceangoing cruises. To read about its ships and see itineraries and rates, click here.
Princess Cruises provides exceptional service, intimate public spaces and an array of restaurants and activities on its ships. You’ll find culinary demonstrations, yoga and tai chi classes and stargazing experiences. Grab some popcorn for Movies Under the Stars shown on a giant poolside screen, or escape to the Lotus Spa or The Sanctuary, a no-kids deck oasis. Dining venues include buffets, main dining rooms serving multicourse meals, pizzerias, grills and specialty restaurants like Share by Curtis Stone, with a six-course menu by a Michelin-starred chef.
Princess is offering Vacations To Go customers discounts of up to 73%, with special pricing on select departures in South America, Canada/New England, the Panama Canal, Europe, the Caribbean and Australia. Also get shipboard credits of up to $85 per cabin on eligible cruises. See dates and prices.
Princess sails the Caribbean nearly year-round from Fort Lauderdale; its newest ship, the Sky Princess, will be in the region starting in December. Many Caribbean cruises spend a day at Princess Cays, a private beach retreat where you can snorkel, paddle a clear-bottom kayak or go surf fishing.
Five Princess liners feature MedallionClass service; it will be rolled out to additional ships throughout 2020. The quarter-size OceanMedallion can be worn as a wristband, pendant or clip or carried in your pocket. It provides an array of functions for more personalized and efficient service: Enjoy an easy, seamless check-in at embarkation and order beverages on demand from anywhere on the ship, for example.
To find your Princess vacation, click here.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises is one of the most all-inclusive six-star cruise lines. Your upfront fare includes unlimited shore excursions, gratuities, Wi-Fi, unlimited beverages including fine wines and premium spirits, in-suite minibars that are replenished daily, meals at specialty restaurants and 24-hour room service, with dinners served course by course during restaurant hours.
Regent has reduced rates by up to 86% for our customers, with newly reduced, exclusive prices on a variety of sailings. In addition, receive shipboard credits of up to $850 per cabin on select voyages. See dates and prices.
Regent’s next ship, the Seven Seas Splendor, debuts in February 2020. During its inaugural season, it will cruise in the Mediterranean, the Greek Isles, Northern Europe, the Caribbean and more.
Regent vessels carry 490 to 750 guests. All accommodations are suites, and nearly all have private balconies. Ships feature pools, libraries, fitness centers, show lounges and a variety of dining venues such as Prime 7 for classic steakhouse fare, Chartreuse for modern French cuisine and Pacific Rim for Pan-Asian dishes. This winter, Regent will replace onboard Canyon Ranch spas with its own globally inspired Serene Spa & Wellness.
The Seven Seas Explorer and Seven Seas Splendor have Culinary Arts Kitchens with workstations for hands-on instruction. Regent will nearly double its Internet bandwidth across the fleet by January 2020, making online surfing faster and more reliable on all devices.
Click here for more information on Regent’s ships and sailings.
Cruise & Maritime Voyages offers a terrific value for vacationers who want to visit new ports on intriguing itineraries. It sails in destinations worldwide but offers its broadest array of voyages in Europe — explore Guernsey in the Channel Islands, Denmark’s Bornholm Island or the ancient Spanish city of Cadiz, for example. The company also cruises in other regions such as Asia and Australia/New Zealand, and it has debuted new itineraries this winter in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez.
Cruise & Maritime Voyages is offering our customers huge discounts — save up to 76%. Also receive shipboard credits of up to $3,000 per cabin on select sailings. See dates and prices.
The British line specializes in leisurely sailings aboard intimate ships, four of which do not carry guests under age 16. You’ll find a traditional cruising experience with afternoon teas, lounges, bars, libraries, wellness centers, pools and evening shows, as well as guest speakers and arts and crafts classes.
The new Mexico cruises highlight the wildlife, natural beauty and culture of the Baja California Peninsula and the mainland coast, with stops at famed destinations like Cabo San Lucas and rarely visited ports such as Santa Rosalia. They depart from the Mexican resort town of Puerto Penasco, about 215 miles from major cities in southern Arizona. Spend time on golden beaches, snorkel or go horseback riding, and keep an eye out for Pacific gray whales.
For more information on Cruise & Maritime Voyages, click here.
Celebrity cruises introduces travelers to the amazing wildlife and stunning landscapes of two destinations renowned for their natural wonders: See the best of Alaska by land and sea on a cruise tour, or explore the Galapagos Islands on an expedition ship designed for sailing in the remote archipelago.
Celebrity is offering our customers discounts of up to 82% off Alaska cruise tours and Galapagos cruises. See dates and prices.
Celebrity’s Alaska cruise tours combine an ocean voyage with a multiday land tour that visits destinations like Denali National Park and Preserve and the Alyeska Resort in the Chugach Mountains. The land portion includes your hotel accommodations, some guided sightseeing and transportation by deluxe motor coach and a glass-domed railcar aboard the Wilderness Express.
You also can choose an Alaska cruise tour that heads to stunning locales in the Canadian Rockies, like Jasper and Banff national parks.
The 100-passenger Celebrity Flora was built for navigating the Galapagos Islands, which are about 600 miles west of mainland South America. Guests go ashore in Zodiacs for up-close looks at the wildlife: frigate birds showing off 7-foot wingspans, waved albatrosses gliding across the sky and 5-foot-long iguanas sunning on the rocks. Snorkel amid sea lions and photograph lava lizards and giant tortoises.
The Celebrity Flora offers the largest and most luxurious suites in the Galapagos, as well as two restaurants, a glass-enclosed observatory, stargazing platform, plunge pool and hot tub.
For more on Celebrity’s ships and itineraries worldwide, click here.
I have scanned all the sailings in the next 90 days, and listed below are all the deepest discounts according to type of cabin.
Inside Cabins
Click here to see all sailings offering inside cabins for at least 65% off.
Oceanview Cabins
Click here to see all sailings offering oceanview cabins for at least 65% off.
Balcony Cabins
Click here to see all sailings offering balcony cabins for at least 60% off.
Suites
Click here to see all sailings offering suites for at least 55% off.
Here are today’s Top 10 Cruises, brand-new specials from the world’s best cruise lines. Click the FastDeal # for details.
1) Caribbean, 9 nights on Holland America, departs Fort Lauderdale Nov 11, starting at $449, save 64%, FastDeal # 16275
2) Australia & New Zealand, 11 nights on Norwegian, departs Auckland Dec 11, starting at $399, save 64%, FastDeal # 11911
3) Caribbean, 7 nights on MSC Cruises, departs Miami Jan 6, starting at $369, save 59%, FastDeal # 29360
4) Bahamas, 7 nights on Royal Caribbean, departs Baltimore Nov 23, starting at $462, save 57%, FastDeal # 33049
5) Caribbean, 7 nights on Celebrity, departs San Juan Nov 2, starting at $529, save 59%, FastDeal # 31112
6) Mexico, 7 nights on Princess, departs Los Angeles Jan 18, starting at $519, save 46%, FastDeal # 31858
7) Mediterranean, 7 nights on MSC Cruises, departs Rome Dec 8, starting at $509, save 50%, FastDeal # 26266
8) Hawaii, 7 nights on Norwegian, departs Honolulu Nov 2, starting at $899, save 65%, FastDeal # 18582
9) South America, 9 nights on Seabourn, departs Lima Nov 19, suite starting at $2,999, FastDeal # 27372 (Seabourn does not provide brochure rates for this cruise, so we are unable to show a savings percentage.)
10) Tahiti & South Pacific Islands, 7 nights on Paul Gauguin Cruises, departs Papeete Jan 11, oceanview starting at $3,395, save 50%, FastDeal # 12530
For the best last-minute cruise specials in the next 90 days, please visit our world-famous 90-Day Ticker.
To search for discounts of up to 82% on cruises departing more than 90 days from now, click here.
To save up to 40% with escorted tours, click here.
For river cruises up to 50% off, click here.
For discounts of up to 50% at hotels and all-inclusive resorts, click here.
For the lowest rates on Africa safaris from budget to luxury in quality, click here.
COLLIN COUNTY DFW MAGAZINE 