FALL 2019
Monterey Peninsula & Beyond
We plan. You play. We are here to serve your wanderlust. We’ve done the research, uncovered the special experiences and know the tricks, to then focus on your special interests and needs to build your best journey.
Experience is our expertise Ensemble Travel Group membership enables us to bring you added amenities, custom touches, unexpected experiences, and a genuinely warm welcome wherever your travels take you. You now have the opportunity to work with a travel professional who can make YOUR aspirations and experience come to life. We take care of all the planning, support you throughout the journey, and save you time and money. Explore, dream and discover, and let us do the rest.
Solo Travel in India 2019 Trending Travel Bruegel in Vienna Mysterious Places
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With personalized touches, added amenities and stress-free planning, our agency designs once-in-a-lifetime experiences that are unique, just like you. Explore, dream and discover, and let us do the rest. WE PROMISE: COUNTLESS BENEFITS WITHOUT THE STRESS Your time is valuable, so planning your trip should be seamless. Enjoy exclusive privileges like complimentary amenities and custom touches when you book with us. UNIQUE EXPERIENCES + LOCAL INSIGHTS Gain the insider’s edge through our worldwide partnerships and expertise. PERSONALIZED SERVICE We thoughtfully plan unforgettable tailor-made moments – simply put, our focus is you.
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Contents Fall 2019
FEATURES
DEPARTMENTS
Worldwide
Asia
3
24 9 Bizarre Laws From
42 Next Level Noodles
4 Contributors
64 Adventures in
Vienna, Austria
Around the World Plus Size Travel
68 Mysterious Places Monterey, California 30 Majestic Monterey Peninsula
50 Once In A Lifetime:
An Art Pilgrimage to See Bruegel in Vienna
Rishikesh, India 56 Rishikesh for Solo Travel
From the Editor
8 BriefCase: Fun Facts About Travel
10 Literary Escapes: Our
recommended reading for your next trip
12 Planning Ahead: 2020 calendar of events worldwide
18 What's Trending Now 70 Traveler’s Notebook: Exclusive
deals & offers from our preferred travel suppliers
2 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR STAFF WRITER CREATIVE DIRECTOR ART DIRECTOR AT LARGE ART DIRECTOR
Alice Stroh Kimberly Buerkle Valerie Murray Alexa Wheeler Laura Torrisi Yin Wong Allyn Bacher
DESIGN & PRODUCTION Torrisi Design Associates An Ensemble Travel® Group Publication Ensemble Vacations® is a publication of Ensemble Travel® Group. © September 2019 Ensemble Travel, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise duplicated without written permission of the publisher. Ensemble Travel Group 256 West 38th Street New York, NY 10018. Ensemble® Ensemble Travel® Ensemble® Hosted Cruises Ensemble® Hotel & Resort Collection Ensemble® On Location Ensemble® Villas & Vacation Homes Ensemble® Exclusives Ensemble® Experience and the floret design are registered and unregistered trademarks of Ensemble Travel, Inc.
From the Editor Dear Traveler,
T
HIS PAST MAY, I traveled with my husband and our one-and-a-half-year old daughter to Punta Cana for a destination wedding. It was her first time flying, so as you can imagine I was a little stressed preparing for the trip. Between trying to fit a week’s worth of diapers, snacks, and sippy cups into as little luggage as possible to navigating the airport with a bulky car seat, toddler, and suitcases, I’ll admit that there were a few times where I wondered if this trip would be worth it. But our daughter had flower girl duties to perform, and so we went, and I’m so glad we did – we all had an amazing time, and I’ll cherish those memories forever. We all know how wonderful travel is, but we often let various factors keep us from taking that next trip. In this issue, we’re sharing some stories of travelers who have overcome their barriers to travel: writer Mariellen travels to India, and discovers it’s an ideal destination for solo female travelers. Then we have my friend and writer Mia, a plus size advocate who shares her tips for fellow plus size travelers who may feel discouraged from traveling. We’re also exploring California’s gorgeous Monterey Peninsula, a mother & son trip to Vienna, mysterious places all over the globe, and the best noodle spots throughout Asia; plus book recommendations, what’s trending in travel, planning ahead for 2020, and just for fun: weird laws around the world.
I’d love to hear from you! Please share your travel stories with me: editor@ensembletravel.com
What’s holding you back from traveling? I hope this issue inspires you to go ahead and take that trip you’ve been dreaming of. As always, you can rest assured that your Ensemble-member travel advisor (their contact information is on the back cover) is ready with insider information and special perks to make your travels out of this world.
Happy travels,
Alice Stroh Editor in Chief
ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 3
Contributors
ROBIN CHERRY lives in the Hudson Valley and writes about travel, food, and popular culture. She’s written two books: Catalog: The Illustrated History of Mail Order Shopping and Garlic: An Edible Biography (with over 100 recipes). She’s visited over 100 countries and has a passion for Central and Eastern Europe. p. 20
Based in Colorado, NANCY HELLMRICH is a recovering advertising creative director and active travel enthusiast. Her work includes brand alignment projects as well as travel stories. Her recent adventures include grappa tasting on the coast of Croatia, cycling in New Zealand, snuggling up in Sweden’s Ice Hotel, and glamping in the Sahara. p. 18, 22
Toronto-based travel writer TIM JOHNSON is always in search of the next good story, from tracking lions on foot in Botswana to drinking local moonshine with camel herders in Mongolia. Contributing to some of the largest publications in North America, he’s visited more than 140 countries on all seven continents. p. 42
MIA O’MALLEY is an advocate for Plus Size mothers on @miaomalley and founder of @plussizebabywearing on Instagram. She is a social media consultant, a writer, photographer and a mom. Her work has been featured on Plus Size Birth, The Plus Mommy Podcast, and the Today Show. She loves babywearing, photography, traveling, and spending time with her husband and 15 month old son. p. 64
CHRIS ROBINSON is a travel broadcaster and writer. A passionate traveler throughout his life, he played important roles in world-leading tour operators in Europe and North America. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and has visited all seven continents and more than a hundred countries. p. 68
MICHAEL SHAPIRO writes about travel, food and entertainment. His National Geographic Traveler feature, about Jan Morris’ Wales, won the Bedford Pace grand award. His recent story about sustainable seafood in Vancouver earned the 2016 Explore Canada Award of Excellence. Shapiro’s book, A Sense of Place, is a collection of interviews with the world’s top travel authors. michaelshapiro. net p. 50
Based in Monterey, California, STUART THORNTON is the author of several Moon Travel Guides covering the California coast including the Moon Monterey & Carmel Guidebook. He has had the pleasure of giving tips about traveling to his local area at various events including the Bay Area Book Festival and The New York Times Travel Show. You can find him looking for the best tacos, waves, and beers along the California coast. p. 30
MARIELLEN WARD is a Canadian travel writer and blogger who resides in India. She runs the award-winning travel site Breathedreamgo. com, inspired by her extensive travels in India, Canada and South Asia. She has been published in leading media outlets worldwide and can be found just about everywhere online as Breathedreamgo. p. 56
4 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
SOMEHOW, WE FOUND A WAY TO MAKE ALASKA EVEN MORE STUNNING.
The Last Frontier is one of the first places you can experience The Celebrity RevolutionSM, our $500 million fleetwide modernization. Now sailing Alaska, the newly revolutionized Celebrity Millennium® offers stunningly designed suites that make you feel right at home and our new suite experience, The Retreat®, featuring an exclusive sundeck, lounge, and restaurant for all suite guests. Whether you book a seven-night sailing along Alaska’s coast or a land-and-sea Cruisetour into the heart of the wilderness, you’ll discover a new level of luxury and design in one of the most ruggedly beautiful corners of the world. For more information please contact your Ensemble Travel Group Advisor.
©2019 Celebrity Cruises Inc. Ships’ registry: Malta and Ecuador.
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
Egypt by Luxury Small Ship There’s a Journey to Fit Your Style
The luxury Small Ships of Oberoi enjoy private docking facilities along the Nile, so you can step off easily and comfortably – away from the cluster of larger ships and their passengers. So whether you choose the Oberoi Philae or Zahra, you’ll enjoy a more pleasant voyage and more time to explore Egypt’s sites of antiquity. With their signature style, Alexander+Roberts 9-day Visions of Egypt exclusively combines a 4-night Nile cruise aboard the sleek Oberoi Philae with Nile-view rooms at the luxury Kempinski boutique hotel in Cairo. In the company of expert Egyptologists, this remarkably-affordable journey includes complete sightseeing – even roundtrip flights to Abu Simbel to visit the must-see Temples of Ramses II.
Those with more time to travel might choose A+R’s 13-day journey, Between the Paws of the Sphinx. This uniquely in-depth foray into the ancient world combines a 5-day cruise aboard the Oberoi Zahra with the luxury Kempinski Nile Hotel in Cairo and sea-view rooms at the lavish Four Seasons in Alexandria – the fabled city of Cleopatra and Alexander the Great. Highlighting the tour is a private field talk between the paws of the sphinx; in this area that’s usually off-limits to visitors, A+R guests are joined by Dr. Ashraf Mohie El-Din, an Egyptologist with extensive experience mapping excavations on the Giza plateau. Abu Simbel and lesser-visited tombs in the Valley of Kings complement in-depth touring of Egypt’s most important ancient sites.
➜ For special offers from Alexander+Roberts please see page 73. For more information please contact your
Ensemble Travel® Group Advisor.
6 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
When you walk into a traditional market in such places as Barcelona or Porto�ino, the scent of fresh tomatoes, citrus fruits, herbs and cured meat �ills the air. The vendors are offering their freshest farm cheeses, the best olives, the catch of the day, the local harvest of mushrooms, squash, artichokes and whatever else may be in season. The daily market is a very special place for a chef or any culinary lover – not only is it over�lowing with the fruits of the surrounding seas and farms, it is a slice of the local culture and it’s absolutely �illed with the spirit of the place. That is what we wanted to bring to life with our Chef ’s Market menus at Terrace Café during dinner.
An Insider’s Look at
Our New Chef ’s Market Menus
A CULINARY SYMPHONY We are always looking at how we can enhance and evolve our menus, and pushing the boundaries of what we do in the galley is really how these Chef ’s Market menus came to be. Our culinary team began with the Mediterranean and we worked our way through developing menus worldwide. This project has been like a finely tuned symphony, with many instruments that add layers, color, texture and interest as we go. Each menu features cold selections and hot selections, an entrée at the carving station, a grill station with multiple fresh entrée choices, several sides and of course, dessert. Each Executive Chef is given basic guidelines but then they become the conductor – they are free to choose the ingredients and craft the menu according to what they find in the markets at certain ports, improvising and innovating. With these menus, it’s a balance of consistency and creativity that create a harmonious finale for our guests. ➜ For special offers from Oceania Cruises please see page 75. For more information
please contact your Ensemble Travel® Group Advisor.
ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 7
BRIEFCASE
Fun facts and figures that have today’s travelers all atwitter
Rain Vortex The art of life
®
Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya, an ultra-luxury boutique resort, offers a completely new kind of vacation experience focused on wellness, serenity and romance.
The world’s tallest indoor waterfall, at 130 breathtaking feet, and one of the most dramatic features in Singapore’s new Changi Airport.
For more information, please contact your Ensemble Travel Group Advisor.
4.4 billion
FREE
Approximate number of airline passengers that currently fly per year, according to the IATA.
The price of a tourist visa to visit Sri Lanka for citizens of 48 countries, including the U.S.
12
8 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
ARROBA INTERNATIONAL
hi
S
©2019
Number of visa categories that remain open for legal travel to Cuba by U.S. citizens.
o k a z e Pa r
k
EXPERIENCE ENDLESS PRIVILEGES ® FOR THE MOST DISCERNING TRAVELER.
Where you’re going to want to be next summer to catch beach volleyball in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
148 FEET
The depth of the new Deepspot pool set to open soon just outside of Warsaw, Poland.
6 I N C H E S
How much taller the Eiffel Tower can become when its iron expands due to high summer temps.
flinkdrinkin One of 421 Scottish words for snow. Others include fleefle (swirling snow), snaw-pouther (a fine, driving snow), and skelf (a big snowflake).
307 million The number of natural lakes in the world. At nearly 146,000 square miles the Caspian Sea is the largest, which is about the size of Montana.
3.8 million The number of members in Clear, the security pre-screening company that uses biometrics to help you get to your gate faster.
9
1.46
The average G-force you’ll feel sliding down the Ultimate AbyssSM, the tallest waterslide at sea.
The number of time zones in Antarctica.
71
Number of deserts in the world. ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 9
Literary Escapes
Whether you want to curl up with a heartwarming novel as autumn closes in or load up on audiobooks to take on your next trip, we’ve got you covered. These TSA-approved stories revolve around the destinations in this issue. And, bonus, they’re all written by women.
Maharishi & Me
Monterey Bay
If Rishikesh for Solo Travel on page 56 left you spellbound, grab a copy of this inspiring and honest memoir of a woman who served on the personal staff of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi – guru to the Beatles, Deepak Chopra, and others.
Need a fresh read before you take off for California? This bold act of imagination blends the real-life characters of John Steinbeck and biologist Ed “Doc” Ricketts with the story of a young girl and the worldfamous aquarium.
Lands of Lost Borders
The Storyteller’s Secret
If Next Level Noodles on page 42 has you craving a delicious Asian adventure, put down that smartphone and pick up this edge-ofyour-seat memoir about a dramatic bicycle journey along Asia’s fabled Silk Road.
In this vivid portrait of India’s culture, a New York journalist travels to rural India to learn about her family’s past. Her grandmother’s servant spills the beans. And she returns home with a lot more than silk sarees and sandalwood.
by Susan Shumsky
by Kate Harris
She Explores by Gale Straub
This collection is the final nudge you need to go ahead and book that solo trip. For those who yearn to see the world on their own terms, She Explores shares the stories of 40 courageous travelers and their journeys in nature.
10 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
by Lindsay Hatton
by Sejal Badani
Pieter Bruegel and the Idea of Human Nature by Elizabeth Alice Honig
Published to coincide with the 450th anniversary of Bruegel’s early death, this study of the artist’s life and work reminds us that laughing at the vices and follies of humankind never goes out of style.
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
Perfectly situated in the exclusive gated community of Cap Cana, Secrets Cap Cana Resort & Spa brings the highest level of luxury to the crystal blue waters and magnificent sugar-sand Juanillo Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in the Dominican Republic.
Secrets Cap Cana Resort & Spa D I ST I N CT • LU X E • H AV E N
UNLIMITED-LUXURY® INCLUSIONS
• Limitless access to gourmet à la carte dining options without reservations required Luxe and superior, Secrets Cap Cana Resort & Spa is the epitome of luxury with 457 suites adorned with sophisticated Caribbean furnishings, gourmet dining, top-shelf spirits, 24-hour room service, daily refreshed mini-bar and close proximity to the unique pleasures of Cap Cana – a protected harbor marina, a renowned fishery, thrilling excursions, and Punta Espada golf course, designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus.
• Unlimited international and domestic top-shelf spirits • Unlimited natural fruit juices and soft drinks • 24-hour room and concierge services • Pool and beach wait service
Experience Unlimited-Luxury®, where everything is included, in a setting of unparalleled magnificence, just 20 minutes from the Punta Cana International Airport. Spacious suites are adorned with striking décor, marble bathrooms and furnished balcony or terrace with stunning views of the ocean or lush landscape. A world-class spa offering a bevy of treatments, an expansive infinity pool, daily activities and nightly entertainment, the opportunity to spend a night out at a neighboring resort with the Sip, Savor & See Dining Experience, and so much more allows guests to customize and enjoy their stay their way. Escape into luxury at Secrets Cap Cana Resort & Spa and experience all of the pampering you deserve in the most superb surroundings in the Dominican Republic.
• Daily refreshed mini-bar with soft drinks, juice, bottled water and beer • Daily maid service • Endless daytime activities and live nightly entertainment • Theme parties, oceanfront bars and entertainment venues • No wristbands required • All taxes and gratuities • Free Wi-Fi and free international calling to the US, Canada and local landlines with Unlimited Connectivity
➜ For special offers from Travel Impressions and Secrets Cap Cana please see page
72. For more information please contact your Ensemble Travel® Group Advisor. ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 11
SE A SO N A L E V EN TS 2020
Planning Ahead for
2020
Field of Lights
Starkbierzeit
Jan 1 - Dec 31
Uluru, Australia
Super Bowl LIV
With Uluru as a backdrop, British artist Bruce Munro’s art installation features 50,000 solar-powered lights mounted on stems to resemble a large field of desert flowers after the rain.
Feb 2
J A N
Jan 25 Chinese New Year Shanghai, China
Miami, FL, USA The Hard Rock Stadium will host football’s championship match-up. Grab a Shula Burger named for the legendary coach of the Dolphins.
F E B
Feb 20 - 25 Cologne Carnival Cologne, Germany
Celebrate the Year of the Rat at Longhua Temple where a bell strikes 108 times to bring luck, prosperity, and longevity, followed by Chinese dance performances.
This exuberant festival features parades, dances, and costumes. During the Rose Monday parade, chocolates, flowers, and toys are thrown from the floats.
Jan 26 Marrakech Marathon
Vail, CO, USA
Marrakech, Morocco
Start the year right with this single lap route that takes runners along 12th-century ramparts, through lush gardens, and past orange groves and camels.
Mar 13 - 22
The Sardine Run
Oktoberfest’s lesser-known cousin, Starkbierzeit, the Strong Beer Festival, dates back to the 1600s and celebrates Bavarian culture in beer halls and breweries across the city.
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Munich, Germany
Feb 24 - Mar 2 Snowboarders compete in three categories: slopestyle, halfpipe, and entertainment. The free event also has musical performances and a raucous closing party with celebrated DJs.
Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships
M A R
May - July
Each year, the annual migration of sardines in shoals up to 4.5 milelong attracts marine predators to a feeding frenzy that entrances divers and underwater photographers.
A P R
Mar 21 - May 10 Tulip Festival Amsterdam
Apr 20 - 22 Weifang International Kite Festival
With over seven million tulips and other flowers, a visit to the Keukenhof Castle Gardens is a flower lover’s dream. The flower parade will take place on April 25 with floats made of tulips, crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths.
With a 2,000-year-old kite making tradition, the World Capital of Kites hosts an annual festival featuring a procession of kites from 40 different countries, competitions, parades, and fireworks.
Amsterdam, Holland
Mar 16 - 22 South by Southwest Austin, TX, USA
One of the largest creative gatherings in the world, SXSW celebrates innovation in music, film, comedy, and gaming with interactive performances and conferences.
Weifang, Shandong, China
Apr 25 SPAM JAM® Waikiki, HI, USA
Hawaiians love SPAM – they eat almost seven million cans a year – and this street festival celebrates the canned meat with SPAM dishes, free entertainment, and stands selling crafts and SPAM-themed merchandise.
M A Y
May 11 - 17 PGA Championship
San Francisco, CA, USA
When golf’s greatests tee off at TPC Harding Park, it will be the first time the event is held in San Francisco and only the second time on a public course.
May 16 - Oct 4 The Passion Play Obergammergau, Germany
This dramatic and musical reenactment of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ dates back to 1634 and is only performed every ten years by the residents of this small Bavarian village.
J U N
Jun 1 - 30 International Light Festival Jerusalem, Israel
The ancient walls and cobblestone streets of the Old City come alive with contemporary light installations by Israeli and international artists.
Jun 16 Bloomsday
Dublin, Ireland This celebration of the life of James Joyce relives events of his novel, Ulysses, set on a single day. Expect readings, dramatizations, pub crawls, and whiskey.
Jun 29 - Jul 12 Wimbledon Champsionships London, England
Enjoy a Pimm’s Cup and Strawberries and Cream at the All England Club while the world’s best players compete in the only Grand Slam played on grass.
Wimbledon Champsionships 12 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
Whether you’re on island time with a “�ive o’clock somewhere” mentality or anxious to pull your thermals out of storage, in need of a musical escape or ready to indulge in your guilty pleasure, 2020 is packed with cultural events and festive celebrations both in your own backyard and around the world.
Yul Brynner’s 100th Birthday
Arizona State Fair
Klausjagen Dec 5
Jul 11
Oct 2 - 25
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Küssnacht, Switzerland
A granite monument of the late actor as the King of Siam is installed near the house where he was born. Every year on his birthday, a public screening of one of his films is held outside.
Enjoy rodeos, rides, and music along with more eccentric acts like Swifty Swine Swimming … and of course culinary delicacies like Deepfried Tamale-on-a-Stick and Chocolate-Covered Scorpions.
Klausjagen means "chasing the klaus”, so locals reenact a pagan practice of scaring evil spirits away by chasing Santa with cowbells, horns, and cracking whips while wearing candlelit paper hats with cathedral-like windows.
Vladivostok, Russia
J U L
A U G
Jul 17 - 19 & 24 - 26 Tomorrowland
Aug 22 - 23 Notting Hill Carnival
One of the largest electronic music festivals in the world, this event also features a pop-up campground with food stands from around the world.
London’s biggest street party celebrates the Caribbean communities of London with live music, non-stop dancing, and Caribbean delights like Jerk chicken, goat curry, and rum punch.
Boom, Belgium
Jul 24 - Aug 9 The Summer Olympics
London, England
S E P
Sep 7 - 14 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower’s Arrival
Provincetown, MA, USA A replica of the famous ship will sail into town celebrating the Pilgrim’s voyage in 1620 with historical reenactments and activities.
Tokyo, Japan
Sep 14 - 20 Kentucky Bourbon Fest
Athletes will compete in iconic venues used in the 1964 Games and new structures like Kengo Kuma’s lattice-topped Olympic Stadium. Karate and surfing will make their Olympic debuts.
Distillery tours, food and bourbon pairings, mixology classes, and barrel races are some of the activities that honor Kentucky’s most famous adult beverage.
O C T
Oct 7 - 25 Festival Internacional Cervantino Guanajuato, Mexico
Latin America’s biggest arts celebration hosts international music, dance, and theatrical performances in the colonial city’s ornate theaters and plazas.
Bardstown, KY, USA
Aug 23 World Bog Snorkeling Championships Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales
Snorkelers from around the world compete to make their way through a murky peat bog using only flippers and a snorkel - no hands allowed.
Oct 20 - Apr 21, 2021 Dubai, UAE
Held every five years, the World Expo celebrates innovation and human ingenuity. Expect stunning architectural pavilions from the 192 participating countries, cultural performances and great food.
N O V
Nov 14 - 19 Diwali
Jaipur, India The five-day “Festival of Lights” celebrates the homecoming of Lord Rama after he defeated Demon King Ravana. Homes and businesses are decorated with lights and candles, and fireworks are plentiful.
Nov 20 - Dec 20 (weekends) Christkindlmarkt
Bethlehem, PA, USA This market showcases exquisite crafts, handmade ornaments, and live Christmas music – one of the best holiday markets in the US.
D E C
Dec 16 Elton John’s Last Concert London, England
After five decades of music making, the legendary singer will make his last stop on his three-year Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in the O2 Arena in London.
Dec 31 New Year’s Eve
Carlsbad, CA, USA Families with young children should head to Legoland where the countdown to “midnight” starts at 6 pm with a giant Lego brick drop followed by fireworks at 8 pm.
The World Expo
ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 13
The great beyond is now within reach — but it’s not always about how far you travel. It’s about what you feel in your soul when you experience each moment in its purest form. The first glimpse of a whale’s tail and the last flash of the Northern Lights. Experience a sensory overload of the utmost magnitude. This is what is means to discover the authentic beauty of the world. Let Silversea take you there — and beyond. #ThisIsSilversea
POLAR ALL-INCLUSIVE PACKAGE
FLIGHTS FREE ROUNDTRIP ECONOMY CLASS AIR OR REDUCED BUSINESS CLASS EACH WAY Plus, IN COUNTRY FLIGHTS ON SELECT VOYAGES
HOTELS 1 PRE-CRUISE HOTEL NIGHT Plus, 1 POST-CRUISE DAY-USE HOTEL
EXCURSIONS FREE SHORE AND GUIDED ZODIAC EXCURSIONS Plus, A FREE POLAR PARKA
Offers available for a limited time. Contact your travel advisor for complete Terms & Conditions.
TRANSFERS FREE TRANSFERS BETWEEN AIRPORT, HOTEL AND SHIP WITH LUGGAGE HANDLING.
ADVENTURE BEGINS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD LET US TAKE YOU CLOSER TO THE AUTHENTIC BEAUTY OF THE WORLD
2020 FEATURED VOYAGES DATE
DAYS
FROM/TO
SHIP
FARES FROM
17 Sep
14
Tromso to Reykjavik
Silver Explorer
$15,300
16 Nov
15
Ushuaia Roundtrip
Silver Cloud
$13,800
Contact your Ensemble Travel Group Advisor to reserve your suite today and receive exclusive benefits
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
The Magic of Ireland with Insight Vacations
A small but mighty country, Ireland is rich in culture with its wild landscapes and hearty culinary delights. From enjoying a pot of Irish stew to exploring Ireland’s lush lands and regal castles, you will connect with your Gaelic Roots. On Insight’s remarkable journeys to Ireland, you are invited to meet and interact with locals and explore various establishments that offer authenticity as well as good old-fashioned fun.
PLAY IRELAND’S ANCIENT SPORT:
While visiting Kilkenny, you can delve into Ireland’s 3,000-year-old sport of hurling on 12-day Country Roads of Ireland trip. You’ll get the chance to meet a hurling player right on the field, who will show you the skills it takes to play the world’s fastest field game.
FIND HIDDEN GEMS, SAVOR IRISH HOMECOOKING: On Insight’s 7-day Focus on
LIVE A FAIRY TALE AT ASHFORD CASTLE: An exquisite and historical
Ireland trip, you’ll see hidden delights of Killarney on a traditional horse-drawn jaunting car ride. Later, you can enjoy Irish home cooking in kitchens of chef John Sheehan. Join John and his wife Freda for drinks and personal insight into classic Irish recipes that are loved throughout the world.
hotel awaits you in the countryside as a lone piper escorts you over the drawbridge to the majestic Ashford Castle. On Insight’s 8-day Irish Elegance trip, you’ll lodge in superior and romantic surroundings that offers both relaxation and comfort.
JOIN US ON A 2020 ESCORTED JOURNEY as we venture to some of the most iconic and
remarkable destinations in Europe & beyond. As an Insight traveler, you’ll enjoy an altogether deeper, more enriching experience; not just meeting local people, but joining them for unique opportunities to share their stories, passions, customs and expertise. We’ll take you to places that you otherwise wouldn’t get to if you traveled independently.
➜ For special offers from Insight Vacations please see page 72. For more information
please contact your Ensemble Travel® Group Advisor. 16 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
BOOK EARLY AND SAVE
2020 U.S. RIVER CRUISES
N
ext year, look for the latest addition to our paddlewheeler fleet – the American Countess.™ She will travel the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee rivers just as
her sisters, the American Queen® and American Duchess.™ Enjoy the same service
excellence, fine dining and Broadway-caliber entertainment that exemplify an
American Queen Steamboat Company experience, and some exciting themes, such as Bourbon to Blues, Maiden Voyage to Pittsburgh and the Chairman’s
Cruise. Also in 2020, the American Duchess will feature regal inclusions such as an Unlimited Beverage Package and prepaid gratuities.
SAVE $1,200 PER STATEROOM* *Offer expires on 10/31/19 or when no valid cabins remain. Additional terms and conditions may apply.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR
ENSEMBLE TRAVEL GROUP ADVISOR.
Grotta Palazzese
What’s Trending Now Built-in VieW For those who truly wish to be one with the landscape, Adrère Amellal Ecolodge, in Egypt’s Western Desert, feels primitive and luxurious all at once. Perched on a cliff overlooking the Adriatic Sea, Italy’s Grotta Palazzese Hotel is a study in contrasts with crisp, clean, modern suites above and elegant dining in a rugged stone cave below. For the rugged-yet-posh set, The Kumaon is a minimalist Himalayan mountain lodge immersed in nature near India’s Kasar Devi ridge and the leopard-friendly Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary. Omm. Treehouses at Lion Sands Game Reserve
One-of-a-Kind Stays In a bold quest to find the most impressive places to spend the night, an increasing number of travelers are checking into a range of rare and wonderful accommodations in remote locations all over the world. Joshua Tree House
The Hanging Gardens of Bali
Treehotel Mirrorcube
Lofty Pursuits The Joshua Tree House is not an actual treehouse as one might think, but rather a beautifully restored 1949 hacienda near the entrance to southern California’s Joshua Tree National Park. It’s run by a couple of amiable designers named Sara and Rich. With pristine rooms, thoughtful amenities, and incredibly affordable rates, this high desert retreat is the perfect place to escape the madness of the modern world.
Outdoor Envy Under Canvas® Stateside travelers are reconnecting with the outdoors in safari-inspired glamps across the US. Word is, the acoustic campfire music at the outfit’s Great Smoky Mountains camp in Tennessee is worth the journey alone. Meanwhile, for bubble enthusiasts in the Maldives, impossibly lithe social media influencers are luring nature lovers to the Finolhu Beach Bubble Tent on Baa Atoll, a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Under Canvas
Our favorite actual tree dwellings are the Treehouses at Lion Sands Game Reserve, which are billed as a “million-star experience” because you quite literally sleep in a tree beneath the stars. Also up there, The Hanging Gardens of Bali featuring airy villas and a two-tiered pool overlooking a vast expanse of lush jungle. In Scandinavia, Finland’s Arctic Treehouse Hotel features luxurious glass houses on a wooded slope, while Sweden's Treehotel takes the glass theme to new levels with the mesmerizing, fort-like Mirrorcube.
Finolhu Beach Bubble Tent 18 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
The Ice Hotel
LOGODOWNLOAD.ORG
Iglu-Dorf in Zermatt
Worth a Follow… Social media much? Check out these stunning Instagram accounts. They’ve got us craving new adventures in faraway lands.
We’re So Cool Looking for someplace to wear whiteon-white and ogle the northern lights? The Ice Hotel in the Swedish Lapland village of Jukkasjärvi is an established favorite. This one-of-akind features both warm and cold room accomodations and changing ice art exhibitions. Other equally thrilling options include Iglu-Dorf in Zermatt, Switzerland; the magical Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort inside the Arctic Circle in Finland; and Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel in the northernmost region of Norway.
Whether you’re craving star-struck nights in the desert, stunning sunrises over the sea, softly falling snow, dense rainforests or all of the above, if you look hard enough you’ll find that the world is full of unique places to lay your head.
@beautifuldestinations @colorearthpro @eljackson @everchanginghorizon @destinationchaser @natgeo @neuedestinations
Don’t Mind if I Do Giraffe Manor, from The Safari Collection, is a boutique hotel just outside of Nairobi, Kenya, that is popular with a herd of wild Rothschild’s giraffe. The elegant and amiable creatures visit at dawn and dusk, often peeking in the windows to receive treats. For extra bragging rights, ask for the Karen Blixen suite, named for the author of Out of Africa.
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What�s Trending Now
Cruise News
Your Own Private Island Cruise lines with private islands are all the rage and the competition is heating up.
Royal Caribbean’s CocoCay® in Nassau recently completed a $250 million renovation and is now home to North America’s tallest waterslide, the Caribbean’s largest wave pool, and the only overwater cabanas in the Bahamas. There’s also a 1,600 foot zip line and a swim-up bar. Holland America’s Half Moon Cay has been around for over twenty years but recently debuted a 3,860-square-foot, pirate-themed waterpark for kids. Other activities include an eco lagoon tour by glass bottom boat, a stingray adventure, and horseback riding on the beach and in the ocean Even with the new waterpark, most of the island remains a migratory bird reserve.
Wellness at Sea Today’s cruisers are focusing on health and wellbeing and cruiselines are meeting the challenge.
Oprah is the godmother of the Nieuw Statendam and Holland
America has partnered with O, The Oprah Magazine for its onboard range of wellness activities including morning meditation sessions, healthy cooking demonstrations and a book club. Exclusive programming will be developed with the magazine’s editors and thought leaders from the SuperSoul 100 will be onboard to share inspirational ideas for living your best life.
Seabourn has partnered with Dr. Andrew Weil, a pioneer of integrative medicine, to create a holistic program that integrates physical, social, environmental, and spiritual well being. Each ship with have a Mindful Living Coach who will inspire guests with complimentary classes and get togethers. Dr. Weill himself will be onboard the Seabourn Encore’s February sailing to Australia and New Zealand and he and his team will present seminars on a wide range of topics like healthy aging, mind-body healing, hypnosis, and brain health.
New Plant Based Gourmet Menus Oceania has introduced more than 200 flavorful plant-based menu items including pad Thai, truffle mac and cheese, and apple-oatmeal crumble with plant-based vanilla ice cream. Regent Seven Seas Cruises has also introduced more than 200 gourmet plant-based selection including falafel fritters with harissa mayo; spiced potato and green pea samosas with tamarind chutney and summer berry pudding Chantilly. Taking things a step further, SeaDream Yacht Club introduced the first of its kind at sea, a “Raw Food” menu option. A once-radical form of vegetarianism, “Raw” refers to a style of preparation in which all ingredients are raw, organic and vegan and nothing is heated above 118°F in order to retain all the healthy micronutrients. SeaDream’s owners personally experienced the health benefits of eating “raw” and decided to bring the concept on board its two mega-yachts.
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Appiness @ Sea These are the cool apps that cruise ships are using to enhance their guests’ experiences. Passengers on all 25 Royal Caribbean and 13 Celebrity Cruises ships can now use a mobile app to scan their passport, take a security photograph, and receive a digital boarding pass before arriving at the ship. On Celebrity Edge, passengers can use the app to remotely open their cabin doors, control their room's lights, and raise or lower the temperature. Princess Cruises’ wearable OceanMedallionTM lets guests to speed up embarkation, unlock staterooms, and make payments. They can even order a drink using a mobile app and the medallion tells the server the person’s name and location even if they’ve moved. Four ships in the Princess Cruises fleet have the medallion now and six more will offer it in 2020. Crystal has several customized apps. A precruise app offers a virtual reality tour of Crystal’s ships and destinations. Cruise Companion Media Player lets guests watch free movies, destination guides, and lectures filmed during Crystal Cruises and passengers on the Crystal Esprit yacht can see daily menu and cocktail specials, schedule housekeeping, and access port guides and maps.
IT WAS IN BALI ... We headed inland in the afternoon, making our way toward a local temple. It was a work of art and simply beautiful. As our tour was ending, the sun was getting low in the sky and decided to steal the show. Rays of light flickered across the rice fields, shelved into the sides of nearby hills. It was like something out of a movie or a magazine. It’s still the first thing I bring up whenever someone asks me about my favorite places… I’ll never forget it.
ENJOY AN ENSEMBLE EXCLUSIVE SHORE EVENT ON SELECT VOYAGES FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ENSEMBLE TRAVEL GROUP ADVISOR
What�s Trending Now
Happy Feet A good pair of sneakers is a travel essential but most have a high carbon footprint. Here are eco-friendly, comfortable brands worth a try.
Uniworld + Iraq al-Amir Women’s Cooperative Topas Ecolodge
EcoCamp Patagonia
We Are The World The next trip you take could change the world!
No Leftovers People in the US throw away $165 billion worth of food every year. These hotel companies worked with the World Wildlife Fund to develop a Hotel Kitchen Toolkit to reduce food waste. Hyatt also hired the design firm Ideo to analyze and reduce food waste in buffets. It found that guests ate just over half of the food put out and only 10-15% of the leftovers could be donated because of food safety regulations. There were some easy fixes. Yogurt was offered in single servings instead of large bowls. Overflowing bread baskets were eliminated and finger pastries replaced whole cakes and pies. Intercontinental Hotel Group is the first hotel company to use Winnow Vision AI enabled technology to reduce food waste by 30%. Winnow Vision will analyze ingredients during food prep and on plates returned to the kitchen to determine which food items are most wasted. Marriott International has pledged to cut food waste by 50% by 2025. Developing strategies include refreshing buffets more frequently which also improves food’s freshness. 22 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
Empowering Women Actress Lauren Conrad and friend Hannah Skvarla were inspired by the local markets of Bali to create The Little Market, an online platform that sells crafts made by female artisans from around the world. As a member of the Fair Trade Federation, the non-profit provides safe working conditions, fair pay, and the means to establish a sustainable business without exploitation. Bestsellers include colorful glasses from Mexico, woven grass baskets from Senegal, and jute tote bags from Bangladesh. www.thelittlemarket.com Guests on Uniworld pre-cruise tour of Jordan can visit and help support the women of the Iraq al-Amir Women’s Cooperative. The cooperative, founded in 1993 to make women financially independent and help preserve local heritage, has trained more than 150 local women on a variety of handicrafts which are for sale in their shop and online.
Eco-travel update Earth-friendly places are high on everyone’s list these days. In the Chilean high country, 100% sustainable EcoCamp Patagonia invites guests to explore fragile Torres del Paine National Park from the comfort of geodesic domes. Elsewhere, Topas Ecolodge in North Vietnam and the 100% solar powered Kudadoo Maldives are rocking the planet-friendly vibes.
Allbirds Wool Runner is made from merino wool from New Zealand. The superfine wool is breathable and moisture-wicking. Allbirds manufacturing process uses 60% less energy than that of synthetic shoes. The Tree Runner is made from sustainably harvested eucalyptus pulp. Laces are made from recycled polyester and lightweight soles mean that Allbirds won’t weigh down your luggage. www.allbirds.com
An estimated 8 million tons of plastic waste ends up in our oceans every year. Parley for the Oceans harvests and uses that plastic to make Parley Ocean Plastic™ yarn. The non-profit has teamed with Adidas on the Adidas x Parley shoes which are made using the breathable yarn. www.adidas.com/us
For its vegan Primus Lite II Bio shoes, Vivobarefoot uses a natural by-product of the corn industry that’s nontoxic and petroleum free. The shoe’s mesh is made from plant based fibers and BLOOM, an algae-based alternative to synthetic and petrochemical EVA. www.vivobarefoot.com/us
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
Where Luxury is Personal
TM
Step aboard the World’s Most Luxurious River Cruise Line™ and discover an entirely new standard of travel along Europe’s majestic rivers.
Inviting and inspiring. Revealing treasures ashore and celebrating discovery on board. Discover the gorgeous fleet of the newest European river ships and see for yourself how the region’s dazzling colors burst into full glory during Christmas market season. Enjoy festive 6 to 16-night Christmas markets voyages in 2019 and 2020. Peruse the ancient cathedrals, quaint market stalls and decorated squares of cities and small intimate towns along Europe’s legendary rivers. Immerse in the tradition and delight with the flavors and warmth of mulled wine and explore the Budapest Christmas Fair and countless locales for shopping in Nuremberg. Experience Crystal’s renowned six-star service aboard Crystal River Cruises®, with one of the highest staff-to-guest ratios, where your every wish is catered to with gracious hospitality. Revel with the youngest fleet on Europe’s rivers in the all-suite, all-balcony river ships featuring the largest suites king-sized beds and personal butler service in every suite. Crystal river ships await your arrival, ready to transport you into the heart of legendary capitals and enchanting landscapes in sheer elegance.
Enjoy everything from farm-to-table dining featuring Crystal’s innovative and acclaimed Michelin-inspired cuisine (including fresh Lobster and Dover Sole), the finest pour of wines, champagnes and premium spirits to unmatched complimentary and optional Crystal Destination Discoveries™ experience in every port of call. On journeys both cultural and adventurous, every aspect of your Crystal River Experience is wrapped in all-inclusive luxury, shared with genuine hospitality. Come explore with Crystal and discover firsthand why Travel + Leisure named Crystal River Cruises® the “World’s Best River Cruise Line” in 2017. Travel with Crystal River Cruises for an experience far beyond the ordinary. ➜ For special offers from Crystal Cruises please
see page 75. For more information please contact your Ensemble Travel® Group Advisor. ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 23
9
BIZARRE LAWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD Travel teaches you things that homebodies never learn. Like how to snag the best airplane seats, get a quick visa, say “thank you” in Pidgin Motu, and stay on the right side of quirky laws.
1
You can run, but you can’t hide in the Caribbean
2
Try not to be a bother in the Philippines
3
Singapore is serious about urban hygiene
That camo bikini is totes adorbs, and those dappled cargo shorts could qualify as a comfort animal but, sadly, they must stay home. Only law enforcement can wear camouflage in the islands, mon.
That cute-but-annoying thing you do can land you in jail in Manila. As per a 2009 law, you can be arrested for “vexing” someone. In Australia, a similar law prohibits annoying people with a kite.
While this Southeast Asian city-state is bursting with “die-diemust-try” flavors, it’s positively Juicy Fruit-free. Thanks to a 1992 law, chewing gum is illegal. So leave the Hubba Bubba at home.
4 In Switzerland, even poetry can spell trouble
Financiers may be able to stash money in Swiss banks, but there are some things they can’t do in the land of cheese and chocolate – like hike naked or recite poetry while skiing down a mountain.
5
Fishing can be a hazard in the United Kingdom
6
Italy wants you to be nice … and quiet
7
Beware destination wedding faux pas
The U.K. Salmon Act of 1986 makes it illegal to “handle salmon suspiciously.” Because one should be upfront and clear about their salmon intentions. John Dory is a whole other story.
Living la dolce vita can be a blast if you keep a few things in mind. For example, in Milan, they prefer it if you smile. And on the island of Capri, wearing flip-flops is strictly forbidden.
Always remember, you can’t be married while unconscious in Germany. Meanwhile, over in Montana, one or both of you can have a proxy stand-in at your wedding.
8 It’s Illegal to dance naked in the Acropolis
So much for that Dionysian escape you had planned. High heels are taboo too. The 2009 rule was put in place because ancient sites “have a skin and suffer and people must realize that.”
9
Say au revoir to long, lingering, French kisses
There’s no kissing on train platforms in France. It turns out, bittersweet goodbyes were delaying departures. Also worth noting, the French consider loose swim shorts uncouth. Ergo, Speedos.
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WINDSTAR SIGNATURE EXPEDITIONS
No one else goes so far to get travelers so close
Windstar Signature Expeditions, featured on our Alaskan itineraries from May through August 2020, allow you to get closer, see more, and go home with once-in-a-lifetime memories you can’t get any other way. Each is led by one of six expert guides who travel on board for the entire cruise and provide insight, education and commentary on the Alaskan Wilderness. Contact your Ensemble Travel Advisor for more information.
S I G N AT U R E E X P E D I T I O N
S I G N AT U R E E X P E D I T I O N
S I G N AT U R E E X P E D I T I O N
KAYAK TOURS
ZODIAC TOURS
MT. DEWEY HIKE
Available in Kenai Fjords, Misty Fjords, or Tracy Arm/Endicott Arm
Available in Kenai Fjords, Misty Fjords, or Tracy Arm/Endicott Arm
Available in Wrangell, Alaska
ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 XX
Exclusive Meets Inclusive: LUXURIOUS OCEANFRONT SUITES WITH PRIVATE TERRACES PERFERRED CLUB WITH EXCLUSIVE UPGRADES LIMITLESS GOURMET DINING, SNACKS & TOP-SHELF SPIRITS SIP, SAVOR & SEE DINING EXPERIENCE WITH SELECT NEARBY RESORTS Restrictions apply. Transportation not included.
UNLIMITED CONNECTIVITY: FREE WIFI AND CALLING TO THE U.S. & CANADA COMPLIMENTARY GREENS FEES LIVE SHOWS NIGHTLY WORLD CLASS SPAS Additional fees may apply
Unlimited-Luxury® for All-Adult Romance Indulge in adults-only (18+) Unlimited-Luxury® where everything is included at Secrets Resorts & Spas. Ideal for couples and honeymooners, Secrets Resorts & Spas offer an extra measure of romance and sensuality in exquisite, luxury settings. Each resort features limitless access to gourmet dining and top-shelf spirits, endless activities, live nightly entertainment, spacious accommodations with 24-hour room service, and so much more. Getting there is both easy and affordable! Each Apple Vacations package includes roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations, and in-resort transfers. Plus, you’ll receive the assistance of a Resort Representative** from Amstar DMC during your stay, so you always have a friendly face in a faraway place. That’s the Apple Advantage!
Jamaica
Riviera Nayarit
Secrets Wild Orchid Montego Bay
Secrets Vallarta Bay Puerto Vallarta
6 Unlimited-Luxury® Adults-Only (18+)! Sip, Savor & See!
6 Unlimited-Luxury® Adults-Only (18+)! Sip, Savor & See!
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These featured Secrets Resorts & Spas include $200 in resort coupons per room and nonstop transfers - an Apple Exclusive!
Call your Ensemble Travel Group Advisor today! ®
*“Land Only” prices are per person and include accommodations based on double occupancy, hotel taxes and r/t airport/hotel transfers (unless otherwise state). Restrictions, blackout dates and surcharges may apply. Prices are subject to availability and change. Some allinclusive/Unlimited-Luxury/Unlimited-Fun resorts do not include watersports. **Resort Representatives are provided by Amstar DMC or other independent destination management companies operating in resort and providing services to Apple Vacationers. Apple Vacations is not responsible for errors or omissions. Cancellation policies apply. See the Apple Vacations Fair Trade Contract ©2019. CST2139014-20 AD29913 07/19
TA H I T I
LOS ANGELES
PA R I S
TO KYO
Welcome to Travel Inspired by Tahiti. Onboard our new fleet of Tahitian Dreamliners, you’ll be immersed in pure luxury. Full lie-flat seats in Poerava Business. Spacious 2-3-2 seating in the truly Premium Economy cabin. And all-inclusive Moana Economy that will remind you of the glory days of air travel. Make your dreams come true on Air Tahiti Nui.
AUCKLAND
SYDNEY
For more information, please contact your Ensemble Travel Group Advisor.
Majestic Monterey Peninsula by STUART THORNTON
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The Monterey Peninsula is worldrenowned for its stunning coastal vistas, seafood restaurants, upand-coming wineries, bucket list golf courses, vibrant wildlife, and very popular aquarium that was featured in the second season of the hit HBO series Big Little Lies. But the peninsula’s communities— Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, and Carmel-by-the-Sea— offer even more to the enterprising traveler, including rich recreational opportunities and historic sites that predate California’s Gold Rush.
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Monterey Having been founded by the Spanish in 1770, Monterey is one of California’s oldest cities. Today, Monterey is also one of the state’s most beloved destinations due to its location on the southern end of the Monterey Bay and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The aquarium is the region’s most popular attraction and the place to see the creatures of the offshore bay – sea otters, leopard sharks, squid – up close without getting wet. The aquarium is located in Cannery Row, a neighborhood that was once full of stinking, bustling sardine canneries in the early to mid 1900s. The last vestige of that era is Pacific Biological Laboratories, which is located between the aquarium and a new luxury hotel. The lab was the workplace and home of Ed Ricketts, a marine biologist who
was the basis for the character “Doc” in John Steinbeck’s novel Cannery Row. The building is open for tours once a month and by appointment. Old Monterey is situated around Alvarado Street and has some of the region’s most historic buildings. Monterey State Historic Park is a collection of adobes and other buildings from the 1800s including the Stevenson House, where the writer Robert Louis Stevenson lived in 1879. Just a block and a half away from Stevenson House is the Cooper Molera Adobe, a 2.5acre compound that was built in 1827 by some of the city’s first American residents. The facility has a manicured garden, a free museum, a touted on-site bakery, and a restaurant set to open soon.
A great way to experience the Monterey coastline is to walk along the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail, an 18-mile long paved path that follows the course of an old railroad track. The best and most scenic segment is the four-mile roundtrip walk from in front of Fisherman’s Wharf to Lovers Point Park in nearby Pacific Grove and back. Kayak or stand-up paddleboard into Monterey’s relatively protected waters to view the bay’s abundant wildlife. The paddle from San Carlos Beach Park to the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a scenic stretch of the water populated by many backstroking sea otters.
SAVOR MONTEREY
The Sardine Factory Experience old school cool at this longtime seafood restaurant that has a piano bar and was featured in the Clint Eastwood film Play Misty for Me. Be sure to check out the glass-domed conservatory and the castlelike wine cellar.
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The Sandbar & Grill Hanging off Monterey’s Municipal Wharf with almost water level views of Monterey Harbor, The Sandbar & Grill is a local favorite for seafood. Locally caught sand dabs, a flatfish similar to sole that can be sautéed or grilled. The calamari, which are pounded flat and golden fried, are the best in a town crawling with calamari.
Beer Tasting in Monterey Since opening in 2014 on downtown Monterey’s main street, Alvarado Street Brewery has quickly become one of the state’s most celebrated breweries with its flavorful IPAs, ales, and sours. Even newer is the Dust Bowl Brewing Company Tap Depot, which is located in the old Monterey train station. It has a variety of beers on tap, an outdoor beer garden, and a taco truck.
Pacific Grove Founded as a Methodist retreat in 1875, Pacific Grove lays claim to some of the most scenic coastline on the peninsula. It also has a cozy downtown with colorful Victorian buildings.
S A V O R P A C I F I C GR O V E Poppy Hall In just a year, Poppy Hall has become a Pacific Grove institution with its rustic California cuisine. Enjoy entrees like grilled wild Monterey Bay salmon or time your visit for one of their once a month doughnut pop-ups.
One of its can’t miss sights is Lovers Point Park, which has a beach, pool, concession stand, and more offers superb views of the inner Monterey Bay. It was also the location of the outdoor coffee shop in season two of Big Little Lies. Another attraction worth a visit is the Point Pinos Lighthouse, which was built in 1855 and is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the west coast. Nearby Asilomar State Beach & Conference Grounds appeals to both beach bums and history buffs. The beach is a mile-long stretch of sand with a nice wooden boardwalk behind it, while the conference grounds were designed by famed Hearst Castle architect Julia Morgan. State park staff offer tours of the historic grounds and the surrounding sand dunes along with a special walk for birders.
Passionfish One of Monterey Peninsula’s most celebrated seafood restaurants, Passionfish serves only sustainable fish and has an extensive wine list that is known for its moderate markups.
Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary Every October, thousands of butterflies make a stop in a Pacific Grove eucalyptus grove, the preferred Monarch butterfly habitat, during their migration to warmer climates. The butterflies hang in clusters from eucalyptus branches to maintain body temperature, and the resulting effect is stunning. Visitors come from miles around to take Monarch butterfly tours throughout the sanctuary.
Crema Crema has the peninsula’s best brunch. They do that special meal daily serving popular items including bacon cheddar biscuits drenched in a spicy sausage gravy and the classic Monterey County breakfast of calamari and eggs.
Pebble Beach A gated community between Pacific Grove and Carmel, Pebble Beach draws visitors from around the world to its seaside golf courses, fine dining restaurants, and luxury accommodations.
SAVOR PEBBLE BEACH Roy’s at Pebble Beach Helmed by James Beard Award winning chef Roy Yamaguchi, his namesake restaurant serves poke, sushi, and Hawaiian fusion cuisine entrees.
The main attraction in Pebble Beach is 17-Mile Drive. Gawk at what is arguably the peninsula’s most scenic sweep of coastline on this road that also passes by some impressive mansions. Make sure to snap a photo of the Lone Cypress, a wind battered tree on a rocky outcropping, which is trademarked by the Pebble Beach Company.
The Tap Room Casual for Pebble Beach, this low-key pub located inside The Lodge at Pebble Beach is a favorite of celebrities including Bill Murray. The prime rib chili will warm you up on a chilly day.
Pebble Beach also draws visitors from around the world to its famed golf courses including Spyglass Hill, Poppy Hills, Pebble Beach Golf Links, and The Links at Spanish Bay. Every February, professional golfers paired with celebrities of all stripes compete in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, a tournament that benefits local non-profits.
STICKS Enjoy upscale grill food or drinks in a sports bar or outside on a patio with fire pits. Be sure to stick around for sunset when a bagpiper does his daily performance out front by the first tee at The Links at Spanish Bay.
Kayak or SUP Stillwater Cove, one of the community’s most overlooked assets. Take a tour from a local outfitter or rent some gear and put in at the Stillwater Cove public boat launch.
Lone Cypress
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Carmel Beach
Carmel-by-the-Sea A former arts colony turned upscale coastal enclave, Carmel-by-the-Sea has a European feeling downtown, the best beach on the Monterey Peninsula, and a resident named Clint Eastwood who was mayor of the town in the mid 1980s. For more than 100 years, this artist colony has been infusing creativity into the local culture. Stroll down cobblestone streets with fairytale-style cottages. Here art is a way of life. With over 100 art galleries, studios, and antique shops in one square mile, Carmel today has one of
the highest concentrations of art galleries anywhere in the U.S. A visit to Carmel Beach confirms what drew artists to the areas: twisted cypress trees frame views of a light colored sandy beach offset by sparkling blue water. The beach is very popular with local canines and their owners. Carmel is also home to the peninsula’s only Spanish mission, the Carmel Mission. Experience this place of worship that is also the burial place of Junipero
Serra, the father of the California mission system. Try and locate the gravestone of Old Gabriel, a Native American who is said to have lived over 150 years. A lesser known attraction is the Tor House and Hawk Tower. Take a 75-minute guided tour of the artful stone house that was hand built by local poet Robinson Jeffers. The high point of the experience – literally and figuratively – is the climb up to the top of the four-story Hawk Tower with its views of Carmel Bay.
S A V O R C A R M E L- B Y-T H E -S E A Aubergine The recipient of the Monterey Peninsula’s first Michelin star, Aubergine does luxurious seafood entrees in an intimate setting. Executive chef Justin Cogley showcases eight courses of California coastal cuisine with his nightly prix fixe menu.
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Wine Tasting in Carmelby-the-Sea More wine tasting rooms seem to pop up in Carmel-by-theSea every week. That being said, Caraccioli Cellars Tasting Room is the place for upscale wines, while Scheid Vineyards Carmel Tasting Room features friendly staff and a variety of wine varietals.
Channeling Clint Eastwood Stop by his former pub, Hog's Breath Inn where his spirit reigns strong or dine at his currant upscale restaurant and inn, Mission Ranch. The 1800’s ranch was preserved and restored by the former Carmel Mayor, Clint Eastwood. Located 9 blocks south of downtown Carmel, the Inn now consists of 31 hotel rooms and the restaurant looks out onto a meadow with grazing sheep.
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
There are a couple of worthwhile hiking destinations right outside Carmel-by-the-Sea’s downtown. Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is located three miles south of town and is a natural wonderland of twisted cypress trees, dramatic seaside cliffs, and dense offshore kelp forests. The .8-mile Cypress Grove Trail heads out and back on a stunning spit of seaside land. Right across Highway 1 from Point Lobos is Palo Corona Regional Park, a 4,350-acre park that offers a bird’s eye view of the Carmel coastline. To visit, secure a free day permit through the Monterey County Parks Department.
Big Sur Just south of Carmel, the landscape grows more dramatic as inland mountains rise higher while cliffs plunge into the crashing sea. This is Big Sur, a 90 mile stretch of coastline that may be the most photogenic seaside region in the Lower 48. This is a hiker’s paradise, a place to unplug, a space to reconnect with nature. Just the drive down the coast on scenic Highway 1 is a memorable experience, but be sure to take in Bixby Bridge, featured in the opening credits of Big Little Lies, and Pfeiffer Beach, a coastal access point with a unique arch rock offshore, purple sand onshore and a waterfall that flows directly into the ocean.
To book your trip to Monterey, please contact your Ensemble Travel® Group Advisor. SAVOR BIG SUR Food experiences are plentiful in Big Sur whether at the Big Sur River Inn, where you can sip your drink while sitting by the river, or Nepenthe, a cliff-side restaurant with marvelous views. And don’t miss breakfast at Deetjen’s, a cozy historic restaurant with terrific eggs benedict and classical music.
Pfeiffer Beach
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EXPLORE ALASKA WITH HOLLAND AMERICA LINE Whether gliding into magnificent Glacier Bay, reeling in a hefty halibut, capturing the perfect magic-hour photo of Mt. Denali or panning for gold like the sourdoughs of yore, experience the Great Land with the people who know it best.
7-Day Alaskan Inside Passage
7-Day Glacier Discovery Northbound
Roundtrip Vancouver Koningsdam | May 23, 2020 Taxes, fees and port expenses are an additional at $205
Vancouver to Seward (Anchorage) Westerdam | June 28, 2020 Taxes, fees and port expenses are an additional at $240
Exclusive Offer: Ensemble Hosted Sailing
Exclusive Offer: Ensemble Hosted Sailing
OCEAN-VIEW FROM
1,699
$
OCEAN-VIEW FROM
1,459
$
Terms & Conditions: Offers are based on Promo(s) NZ/DZ. Featured fares are per person based on double occupancy, cruise only. Fares are in U.S. dollars. Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses are additional on all fares and range from $205 to $240. Subject to availability. Onboard spending money is for guests 1 and 2 sharing a stateroom and is offered in the following amounts: cruises 7-9 days: interior, ocean-view, lanai and verandah staterooms receive US$400 per stateroom, and suites receive US$600 per stateroom; cruises 10+ days: interior, ocean-view, lanai and verandah staterooms receive US$600 per stateroom, and suites receive US$800 per stateroom. Onboard spending money is in U.S. dollars and is non-refundable, non-transferable, not for cash value, expires at the end of that cruise, and may not be used in the casino. Onboard Spending Money cannot be used to purchase or reserve shore excursions or onboard amenities in advance (must be done on board). Reduced Deposit is valid for new bookings only. Bookings made on voyages requiring immediate final payment are not eligible for a reduced deposit. Complimentary Pinnacle Grill dinner: per person for guests 1 and 2 sharing a stateroom and is not transferable or refundable nor redeemable for cash. Reservations and dining times will be assigned and a confirmation card will be placed in your stateroom upon embarkation day. Offer excludes Specialty Dining Events in the Pinnacle Grill such as Sel de Mer, De Librije, Master
SAVING
BOOK YOUR CRUISE NOW FOR MORE ON BOARD* • FREE ONBOARD SPENDING MONEY OF UP TO US$800 • FREE PINNACLE GRILL DINNER • $25 BEVERAGE CARD (FOR KIDS OR EXTRA GUESTS) • 50% REDUCED DEPOSIT BONUS DEAL —VERANDAH & SUITE GUESTS ALSO RECEIVE A PREMIUM INTERNET PACKAGE
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ENSEMBLE TRAVEL GROUP ADVISOR
Chef’s Table and Sommelier Dinner. Beverage Card valued at US$25 per person is for kids or extra guests as a 3rd/4th guest in a stateroom and is not transferable or refundable nor redeemable for cash. Participants may order beverages one at a time and must be 21 years or older for alcoholic beverages. No sharing is permitted. Beverage management reserves the right to revoke the card if misused and to refuse service for any reason, including service of alcoholic beverages to intoxicated guests. Verandah and Suite offer: Premium Internet Package is per person for guests 1 and 2 sharing a stateroom and valued from $139.99 for a 7-day cruise, up to $699.99 for a 81+ day cruise. Offers are capacity controlled, and may be modified or withdrawn without prior notice. Other restrictions may apply. For more information about our stateroom categories and suite descriptions, to view deck plans and for full terms and conditions applicable to your cruise, please refer to hollandamerica.com or the appropriate Holland America Line brochure. Offers end October 31, 2019. Ships’ Registry: The Netherlands.
REVEL in THE SEASONAL SIGHTS, SCENTS & SOUNDS OF MAGICAL CHRISTMAS MARKETS
• Warm and gracious six–star service from a staff of all Crystal employees • The highest staff–to–guest ratio in European river cruising • All–suite accommodations with king–size beds and butler service • 24–hour room service • Michelin-inspired, farm–to–table cuisine • Flexible open–seating dining • Luxury spa services & fitness center • Complimentary shore excursions using Crystal luxury motor coaches • All-inclusive with premium beverages, gratuities, airport transfers, unlimited Wi-Fi & more DEPARTURES
SHIP
ITINERARIES
DESTINATIONS
Nov 24 - Dec 15
Crystal Mahler®
Magnificent Christmas Markets
NIGHTS
FARES FROM
Passau to Budapest*
7
$2,870
Dec 11
Crystal Ravel®
Danube Christmas Markets Vienna Roundtrip
10
$5,440
Nov 29 - Dec 16
Crystal Debussy®
Christmas Time on the Rhine
Basel to Amsterdam*
7
$3,120
Dec 11
Crystal Bach®
Christmas Time on the Rhine
Basel to Amsterdam
7
$2,999
*Itinerary also operates in reverse.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ENSEMBLE TRAVEL GROUP ADVISOR All fares and savings are per person, in U.S. dollars based on double occupancy for category S1- S5. Cruise Fares are cruise only and do not include taxes, fees, and port charges. Your Crystal Savings are subject to availability at time of booking. All offers and promotions are capacity-controlled, subject to availability and may be withdrawn or changed at any time. Savings are per person and valid September 1 to October 31, 2019. For Complete terms & Conditions visit CrystalRiverCruises.com. ©2019 Crystal Cruises, LLC. Ships’ registries: Malta. AD190607_R.
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
All-Inclusive PLUS in Mexico and the Caribbean
Imagine everything you could desire for a vacation all for one convenient, upfront price. That’s exactly what you get with an Exclusive All-Inclusive PLUS vacation, available only through Delta Vacations. Select hotels in Mexico and the Caribbean offer exclusive amenities at no additional cost that add an exceptional level of service and pampering. This is in addition to the all-inclusive vacation deals and standard amenities that these hotels already offer.
We suggest: GRAND VELAS LOS CABOS Set in an ideal location, Grand Velas Los Cabos is the perfect blend of style, culture and all-inclusive service. This luxurious property features oceanview suites, all over 1,180 square feet with a private terrace. Enjoy a choice of five gourmet restaurants with an extensive beverage and wine program, and enhanced signature facilities and services, including duplex wellness suites with juice bars, wine-based features and dramatic ocean views. Let this hotel's privileged location, facing the monumental Arch, become the perfect backdrop for romance and activities such as sport fishing, snorkeling and more.
Exclusive ALL-INCLUSIVE PLUS Amenities could include: • Express check-in and check-out
GRAND VELAS RIVIERA NAYARIT Discover the luxurious all-inclusive resort in Riviera Nayarit; a retreat of lavish beauty and comfort that is sure to exceed your expectations. Having revolutionized the all-inclusive concept, Grand Velas is pleased to offer you a "Beyond All Inclusive, Beyond All Compare" vacation experience with exceptional gourmet dining, world-class hospitality, and luxurious accommodations. Experience a breathtaking resort and spa that seduces your senses and rejuvenates your spirit. The only luxury all-inclusive family-oriented resort in the Mexican Pacific to be awarded Five Diamonds by the AAA.
• Dedicated concierge • Unlimited á la carte dining • Upgraded in-room amenities • Spa discounts and more
➜ For special offers from Delta
Vacations please see page 71. For more information please contact your Ensemble Travel® Group Advisor.
ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 39
Cruise Europe’s Legendary Rivers Journey through the heart of Europe along legendary rivers with award-winning AmaWaterways. Follow the paths of conquerors and kings on exhilarating hikes and bike rides led by knowledgeable local guides. Taste exquisite, locally-sourced cuisine and fine wines, be treated to unparalleled service and wake up each morning to a fascinating new city or charming village just outside your balcony.
For more information, please contact your Ensemble Travel Group Advisor. XX ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
Dürnstein, Austria
ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 XX
WO R L D LY D E L I G H TS
Noodles NEXT LEVEL
Humble and nourishing, a staple across the continent – and in university dorms – noodles are simple yet, when done right, can reach the sublime. Here are some of the best noodle bars and restaurants in Asia.
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by TIM JOHNSON
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42 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
an
Ichiran Ramen Tokyo
Provence Café Bangkok
Starting with a small, single 1960s food stall in the southern provincial city of Fukuoka, Ichiran now serves its tonkotsu ramen out of dozens of bustling locations across Japan – all of which are usually marked by a line-up out the door. Created on the southern island of Kyushu, their signature soupy mix brings together a pork bone broth, mellowed for hours, served up with ramen noodles and topped with pork belly. Order by pressing some buttons on a machine at the entrance, customize your order (add spice, soften the noodles) on a subsequent form, then carry your steaming bowl of joy to one of the tiny, individual booths and slurp it down in relative privacy, giving the deliciousness your undivided attention.
Beyond the multi-floor, sparkling malls and below the elevated walkways of this vertical city, Bangkok is crisscrossed by a series of canals. Bypassed by typical tourists, many of whom can pass a whole visit without knowing these fresh, subterranean waterways are even there, these canals feature their own cuisine – boat noodles. Historically served by a oneman-shop out of a paddleboat, today this thick combination of beef, bean curd, garlic, soy and, most importantly, cow’s blood can be found in restaurants across the city. Provence Café offers some of the best, attracting both local and international celebrities (plus plenty of locals).
Clockwise from top: Cup Noodles Museum food hall; Cup Noodles Museum; Katong Laksa's deliciously bold, coconut milk based curry broth with a spicy kick; A Niang Mian's yellow croaker noodles in a savory broth; Famous ribeye boat noodles from Provence Café
A Niang Mian Shanghai
Cup Noodles Museum Yokohama
328 Katong Laksa Singapore
A small shop with a long history, Shanghai’s favorite seafood noodles have garnered praise from Michelin, who included the diminutive spot in last year’s Bib Gourmand guide. Its predecessor, A Niang, was one of the city’s most famous restaurants, run by a beloved chef and grandmother who cooked and carefully attended to her clients until she passed away in her 80s. Having passed her recipes to her grandson, he returned from England to continue her legacy and opened A Niang Mian, which means, literally, Grandmother’s Noodles. The shop serves up the same yellow croaker noodles boiled in a broth with tender, white fish or crab meat, or stir-fried with eels. Michelin also recommends ordering some sides, especially shredded pork with pickled vegetables.
Cheap, dependable and delicious, Cup Noodles have worked their way into the dorm rooms – and hearts – of students on a budget, worldwide. And while it may not be anybody’s idea of a fancy meal, this massive museum in the Japanese port city of Yokohama is a completely immersive experience, with theme park, movie theatre and several galleries dedicated to instant ramen and its inventor, Momofuku Ando. But when it’s time to eat, you can take things to the next level, making your own chicken ramen by hand and even designing your own package in their “factory,” or just browsing among food stands in the Noodles Bazaar, which features international versions – Korean, Indonesian, Malaysian, Vietnamese – from across the globe.
Its numerical name has been a self-fulfilling prophesy for this East Coast Road fixture: 328 sounds like “prosperous business” in Cantonese. Opened decades ago after touring the best laksa shops on the island, founder Lucy Lim’s special mix of rice vermicelli noodles, laksa gravy infused with coconut milk and adorned with shrimp, fish cakes and clams has become the stuff of legend. Hong Kong celebrities stop by for a bite, the shop has achieved Bib Gourmand status, and, perhaps most impressive, Lim and her son challenged Gordon Ramsey to a laksamaking competition on the television show, Hawker Heaven – and won.
To book your trip to Asia, please contact your Ensemble Travel® Group Advisor.
ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 43
it’s your time to live the dream Enjoy up to $50 to spend on board plus $100 Cruisetour Cash per person! Denali Explorer 11 nights Vancouver to Anchorage |
$
Royal Princess®️ Jul 11 2020
3,533
Voyage of the Glaciers 7days Whittier to Vancouver |
$
Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses of $226 are additional.
Pacific Princess ®️ Jul 29 2020
2,449
Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses of $229 are additional
EVERYONE enjoys gratuities* ‡ stateroom location upgrade * onboard credit Book now with a non-refundable deposit of 10%!* *Certain restrictions apply. Please refer to your travel advisor for complete terms, conditions and definitions that apply to all bookings. Offer valid 9/4/19-10/31/19.
see why Princess is #1 in alaska ®
v
Exploring the wilderness has always required an expert who can show you the best parts. For more than 50 years, Princess has been that guide in Alaska. Showing guests mountains that seem otherworldly, glaciers that inspire awe, wildlife they’ve only seen on screen. Explore just a few of the reasons why we’ve hosted more people in Alaska than any other cruise line.
North to Alaska
One-of-a-kind cruisetours
Our award-winning program brings the
Combine a Voyage of the Glaciers cruise with
Alaska experience on board. Meet sled-dog
nights on land in Princess-owned wilderness
Puppies in the Piazza. Dine on salmon you
lodges for a true Alaska adventure. See two of
caught earlier in the day with Cook My Catch.
the Great Land’s greatest attractions – Glacier
Celebrate gold rush days with the Klondike
Bay National Park and Denali National
Festival, and hear Tales from the Deadliest
Park – and enjoy our exclusive Direct-to-the-
Catch. And that’s only the beginning.
Wilderness®️ rail service. Only with Princess.
Voyage of the Glaciers cruise Our top-rated sailing, this seven-day itinerary features two glacier-viewing opportunities and sails 500 miles farther into the Gulf of Alaska than other voyages.
Princess MedallionClass ™ makes great cruises even better ®
It begins with your OceanMedallion™️, a device the size of a quarter that never needs to be turned on or off. On your ship, it replaces your key and credit card. All you have to do is wear it and almost anything you want is at your fingertips – a burger and beer, directions to your favorite show, even casino games.
For more information, please contact your Ensemble Travel Group Advisor
©2019 Princess Cruises Lines, Ltd. Ships of Bermudan and British registry.
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
Sky’s The Limit
Princess Cruises’® newest ship, Sky Princess features the best of Princess with some new twists. The biggest news is the Sky Suite, with room for five and featuring the largest balcony at sea, at more than 1000 sq. ft. This luxurious suite also features 270-degree panoramic views, including of our Movies Under the Stars® big screen, and a host of other VIP amenities. There’s something for everyone on the Sky Princess. SM
The ship features over 25 restaurants and bars, including Princess Favorites, like Crown Grill and Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria as well as a French Bistro, inspired by Michelin-star chef Emmanuel Renaut. And casual dining is taken to new heights with the Salty Dog Grill, Alfredo’s Pizzeria and the Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar.
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LIVE ON STAGE Broadway-caliber performances have always been a hallmark of the Princess experience, and we’re kicking it up a notch or two on Sky Princess. Enjoy a night of edgy elegance at Rock Opera, the third evolution of our always popular pop-opera performances, Bravo! And Encore. An evening of rock, opera orchestral pieces and contemporary musical theater features the powerful tenor tones of America’s Got Talent finalist Brian Justin Crum, along with a full cast and musicians backed by a string quartet. High tech meets sky-high fun at 5 SKIES, a spectacular visual onstage performance. Follow along as Gamer 1 searches for Sky Princess in this virtual reality-powered showstopper. A MUSICAL JOURNEY You’ll do a lot more than simply listen to music at our new signature lounge, Take 5, on Sky Princess. This is a true jazz theater, an interactive experience that breathes new life into standards through storytelling. From the classic American songbook to international influences, immerse yourself in the everchanging rhythms and soulful sounds.
GAME TIME Entertainment is everywhere and all around with Princess Live! & Café on Sky Princess. All throughout the day and every evening, join interactive culinary shows, live music and late-night fun with comedy and game shows. Stop by the art deco-inspired café or get in on the fun of Majority Rules. Indulge your sense of exploration with Phantom Bridge, part of Princess’ Discovery at SEA program and the World’s First interactive Mediascape™ Room. Up to six guests can jump right into an immersive game, with puzzles designed to appeal to all ages and skill levels, making it a perfect family activity.
PRINCESS MEDALLIONCLASS™ The first ship built from the ground up with Princess MedallionClass,™ Sky Princess joins the Princess fleet fully equipped with MedallionClass technology. Exclusively on Princess, MedallionClass™ offers the fastest way to an easy, personalized and smooth-sailing vacation, featuring the OceanMedallion™, a complimentary, quartersize device, that never needs to be turned on or off. On your ship, it replaces your key and credit card. All you have to do is wear it and almost anything you want is at your fingertips – a burger and beer, directions to your favorite show, even casino games.
BEST WI-FI AT SEA Even if you are on vacation to get away from it all, you can still stay connected. Princess MedallionNet™ delivers land-like connectivity so guests can post photos, text, video chat, and stream your favorite shows and more. Sky Princess will debut this fall in the Mediterranean before crossing the Atlantic and sailing the Caribbean waters for Winter and Spring.
➜ For special offers from Princess Cruises please see page 78. For more information please contact
your Ensemble Travel® Group Advisor. ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 47
Did you KNOW?
VIKING TAKES YOU TO THE HEART OF THE PLACES YOU WANT TO EXPLORE
The size of our vessels—with just 930 guests—enables us to dock where mega-liners simply cannot. From our prime, central berths in great cities like Venice, London, Hong Kong and Sydney, and in seldom-visited ports like Kotor,
Montenegro and Scotland’s Shetland Islands, enriching cultural discoveries are just a short walk from your ship.
FEATURED OCEAN SAILINGS
MEDITERRANEAN ODYSSEY
VIKING HOMELANDS
W E S T I N D I E S E X P LO R E R
BARCELONA TO VENICE
STOCKHOLM TO BERGEN
ROUNDTRIP SAN JUAN
13 DAYS • 10 TOURS • 6 COUNTRIES
15 DAYS • 11 TOURS • 8 COUNTRIES
11 DAYS • 9 TOURS • 9 COUNTRIES
Ask about Viking’s special cruise fares plus international air discounts*.
For more information, please contact your Ensemble Travel Group Advisor.
*Note: Special cruise fares and international air discounts are considered a single offer. International air does not have to be purchased to get cruise offer. Air offers valid on all North American gateways except Alaska, Hawaii, San Juan and Mexico City. Must request offer at time of booking. Pay in full by current cruise and air promotions’ expiration date. Valid on new bookings only as of 9/1/19, subject to availability and may not be combinable with any other offers except Past Guest Travel Credit and Referral Rewards Credit. Viking reserves the right to correct errors and to change any and all fares, fees and surcharges at any time. Additional terms and conditions apply; see Passenger Ticket Contract at vikingcruises.com. Offer expires 11/30/19. CST# 2052644-40
Did you KNOW?
VIKING INCLUDES FREE BEER AND WINE WITH MEALS FOR BETTER VALUE
Viking was founded to provide value to our guests. With inclusive cruises that offer all the things you need—beer and
wine with lunch and dinner; an excursion in every port; free Wi-Fi; all port taxes and fees; bottled water; and many other inclusions—you won’t be nickeled and dimed. We call it Viking Inclusive Value; our guests call it delightful.
FEATURED RIVER SAILINGS
D A N U B E WA LT Z
G R A N D E U RO P E A N TO U R
R H I N E G E TAWAY
PASSAU TO BUDAPEST
BUDAPEST TO AMSTERDAM
BASEL TO AMSTERDAM
8 DAYS • 6 TOURS • 5 COUNTRIES
15 DAYS • 12 TOURS • 4 COUNTRIES
8 DAYS • 6 TOURS • 4 COUNTRIES
Ask about Viking’s special cruise fares plus international air discounts*.
For more information, please contact your Ensemble Travel Group Advisor.
*Note: Special cruise fares and international air discounts are considered a single offer. International air does not have to be purchased to get cruise offer. Air offers valid on all North American gateways except Alaska, Hawaii, San Juan and Mexico City. Must request offer at time of booking. Pay in full by current cruise and air promotions’ expiration date. Valid on new bookings only as of 9/1/19, subject to availability and may not be combinable with any other offers except Past Guest Travel Credit and Referral Rewards Credit. Viking reserves the right to correct errors and to change any and all fares, fees and surcharges at any time. Additional terms and conditions apply; see Passenger Ticket Contract at vikingrivercruises.com. Offer expires 11/30/19. CST# 2052644-40
ONCE IN A LIFETIME AN ART PILGRIMAGE TO SEE BRUEGEL IN VIENNA by MICHAEL SHAPIRO
My mother and I never imagined that a puzzle we completed when I was nine would lead us to take a trip to Europe more than 40 years later. The puzzle was 500 pieces of Pieter Bruegel’s Children’s Games, which featured more than 200 raucous kids in a courtyard. When my mother, Phyllis Shapiro – a longtime docent for San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art – heard that a major retrospective of the 16th-century Flemish-Dutch artist would be held in Vienna, she emailed me a story from an art magazine and said, “Let’s go!” Born in the late 1520s near Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Bruegel was active as a painter for just 18 years. He worked slowly and died in his forties; only about 40 of his paintings survive, an ARTnews story said. Many of his masterpieces were painted on wood panels, making them fragile, so museums that own them are reluctant to lend the precious works, even for a blockbuster show.
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Clockwise from left: Michael and Phyllis in front of Children's Games Pieter Bruegel's Peasant Wedding Central stairway and dome of Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum Pieter Bruegel's Hunters in the Snow
With our decades-long connection to Bruegel, and especially to Children’s Games, we had to go. I got tickets for an evening champagne reception that included a guided tour in English and sent the PDF to my mom. Her email reply: “This is SO EXCITING, and we will LOVE the tour!!!!!” Arriving at Vienna’s airport, we were greeted by billboard-size posters of Bruegel’s art with the caption: “Once in a Lifetime.” My mom suggested: “That could be the title of your story.” I said I didn’t know if I’d write about this, and she said, “Oh, you will.” Part insight, part command. The following day we passed the museum with banners for the Bruegel exhibition, and Phyllis raised her fists and shook her arms in excitement.
The actual painting is 46 by 63 inches, and this scene, painted more than 450 years ago, took away my breath too.
On a chilly Friday night in January, it was time to meet Bruegel. The palatial Kunsthistorisches museum dates to 1891 and is capped with an octagonal dome; the museum’s grand central staircase is flanked by elaborate marble carvings. We went straight to Children’s Games.
Phyllis gasped the moment she saw the painting. It was larger than I imagined; I still had the 16-by-23-inch puzzle in my mind. The actual painting is 46 by 63 inches, and this scene, painted more than 450 years ago, took away my breath too. Painted in 1560, Children’s Games is known as a wimmelbild (busy picture)
because it has hundreds of small figures. “Never before in art had children been given a stage of this size,” read the program for the exhibition. What most impressed me were the painting’s luminous colors (nearby Antwerp was known for the high quality of its red pigment) and the ebullience of the kids wrestling with one another, walking on stilts, climbing walls, swimming in a creek and playing all sorts of other games. Next we viewed other Bruegel epics, such as Hunters in the Snow: a wintry scene that’s part of a series depicting the changing seasons. (The painting representing spring remained at The Metropolitan Museum in New York because the Met’s curators felt it was too fragile to travel.)
ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 51
Vienna Opera House
We moved on to The Battle Between Carnival and Lent, another wimmelbild contrasting the ease of the wealthy elite with the travails of the hard-toiling poor. The champagne reception had begun but we chose to stay with Bruegel. I lost track of time and had visions of Night at the Museum: Perhaps the celebrants in Bruegel’s Peasant Wedding would offer us a pitcher of beer. I would have been happy spending the night among this art, but when I pushed on a set of heavy 12-foot-high wooden doors, they yielded. In the cafe, the champagne reception was concluding, but a server poured us each a glass of prosecco. The next day, we visited the Belvedere museum to see the work of two of Vienna’s most notable artists, Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. Painted in 1907-08, Klimt’s The Kiss, a gold-leafdecorated vision of an embracing couple who become one, shimmers in a way no reproduction can capture. Born in 1890, Schiele was strongly influenced by Klimt in his late teens 52 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
Among the trip’s highlights: seeing The Barber of Seville at Vienna’s opera house, visiting St. Stephen’s gothic cathedral, and dining on Wiener schnitzel at a restaurant called Gasthaus Poschl.
Gasthaus Poschl
St. Stephen’s Cathedral
before developing a his own style in his twenties. Both were deeply committed to authentic art, a theme embraced by Bruegel more than three centuries earlier. Tragically, Schiele died in 1918 in the Spanish flu epidemic. He was just 28 years old.
Walking back to our hotel, the Bristol, we passed an art-house cinema showing The Third Man, a noir film based on a Graham Greene novel shot in Vienna just after World War II. I was amazed to see the piles of rubble throughout the shattered city.
Among the trip’s highlights: seeing The Barber of Seville at Vienna’s opera house, visiting St. Stephen’s gothic cathedral, and dining on Wiener schnitzel at a restaurant called Gasthaus Poschl. Another highlight: wandering through the Naschmarkt, a warren of outdoor food stalls where vendors sell sauerkraut from large wooden barrels.
There was just one last place we had to visit: Cafe Sperl, which opened in 1880, where Freud and other Viennese intellectuals gathered. We sat at a small round marble table under crystal chandeliers as a pianist serenaded us, sharing delicious apple strudel, sipping rich coffee, and reminiscing about all we’d seen.
About a block away from the Naschmarkt we came upon the Secessionist Building, which houses Klimt’s Beethoven Frieze. This a set of eight painted panels, 7 feet high and an average of about 15 feet wide, that tell the story of humans’ search for happiness and fulfillment.
Ultimately, this mother-son trip was about companionship and amazement that a puzzle of a whimsical 16thcentury painting propelled us on a journey nearly half a century later, a trip we’d remember for a lifetime.
To book your trip to Vienna, please contact your Ensemble Travel® Group Advisor.
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
DISCOVER
The Undiscovered We suggest:
The Croatian 11 days
•
Starting at $2,569
Overnights in Zagreb, Ljubljana, Opatija, Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik
With more than nine decades of introducing travelers to the world’s most beloved destinations, we’ve learned a thing or two about the undiscovered spots that tell the true story behind the country. Follow us to the off-the-beatenpath locations with the charm, tradition, and cultural beauty that can only be found in the authentic towns and landscapes of Europe. From undiscovered hamlets of Great Britain to the vineyards and hills of Italy, and the sun-washed cities of the Mediterranean, places that only the locals know, we share our favorite, less-traveled treasures with you. THE WORLD IS WAITING. Simply put, a tour is a perfectly planned vacation package. There's nothing easy about planning a vacation – the research, the planning, the reservations, the logistics. Add in currency conversions and language barriers and you have one major project on your hands. Let us and your Ensemble Travel Group Advisor handle all the hassles, while you have all the fun. ➜ For special offers from Globus please see page 71. For more information please contact your Ensemble Travel® Group Advisor.
With pure emerald lakes, splendid sapphire oceans, and exquisite amber sunsets, the many wonders of Croatia are truly hidden gems. Embrace the unique beauty as you make your way through scenic Slovenia before hugging the village-specked Adriatic coastline of Croatia.
Spectacular Spain 8 days
•
Starting at $2,199
Overnights in Barcelona, Madrid, Granada, Costa del Sol Picasso and paella. Fortresses and flamenco. Sand and siestas. From city to city and coast to coast, you’re invited to relish everything the metropolitan cities and seaside towns of sun-soaked Spain are famous for.
ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 53
FEEL FREE TO LET THE OUTSIDE IN. The Best Way to Experience Alaska is with Norwegian Cruise Line. When you cruise with Norwegian, the awe of Alaska stays with you throughout your cruise. From hiking up snow-capped mountains and witnessing majestic whales splash in the Pacific to coming back on board and catching an amazing show followed by an equally amazing starlit stroll on the top deck. So come aboard the youngest fleet cruising Alaska including Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Joy or Norwegian Jewel, and feel what it’s like when you let the outside in.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ENSEMBLE TRAVEL GROUP ADVISOR.
©2019 NCL Corporation Ltd. Ships’ Registry: BAHAMAS and USA
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38715 08/19
Hubbard Glacier
Observation Lounge
The Waterfront
Mendenhall Glacier
Sages have long gathered at the picturesque spot where the Ganga River leaves the lower Himalayas. Today, Rishikesh is also an ideal destination for female solo travelers.
RISHIKESH for Solo Travel by MARIELLEN WARD
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Triveni Ghat Aarti, Rishikesh
Aarti on Ganga at Ram Jhula
Every evening, as the sun begins to set, and the fading light casts a pearlescent glow, the sound of chanting starts to fill the peaceful valley. In ceremonies called aartis that take place along the banks of the Ganga, Hindu priests pay homage to India’s most sacred river. And as night falls, the priests light diyas, lamps fueled with ghee, to accompany the chanting. The spectacle is entrancing, and just one of many that make Rishikesh so special. Rishikesh was the first place I visited in India, back in 2005. I traveled from Delhi, where I was staying with friends, and went to the Ganga aarti at Parmarth Niketan Ashram. I dove into the crowd on the river’s edge and was immediately surrounded by an Indian family who enthusiastically showed me how to take part in the ancient rituals. Joining the aarti in Rishikesh was a wonderful experience. Not only was I learning about Indian culture, but also benefitting from it. The ritual honoring the mother river of India helped me come to terms with the grief I was feeling over my own mother’s death. Rishikesh turned out to be the perfect destination to begin my six-month healing journey in India. Rishikesh is a small town in North India, picturesquely located at the spot where the Ganga River tumbles out of the foothills of the Himalayas to begin her long journey across the plains of India. The small town runs alongside the banks of the river, through a green and peaceful valley, surrounded by the forested hills of Rajaji National Park. Like many people before me, I was drawn to Rishikesh largely because it is renowned as a spiritual and yoga center. Since time immemorial, sages, yogis, and rishis have been gathering in Rishikesh to meditate and deepen their spiritual practise. More recently, The Beatles famously visited Rishikesh in 1968, to meditate at an ashram and write songs – putting it squarely on the pop culture map in the West. It was also a great choice as a solo travel destination. I found that Rishikesh was filled with spiritual seekers meditating in ashrams, dipping into the glacial cold waters of the Ganga, and attending evening aartis to worship India’s most sacred river. Alcohol, meat, and eggs are forbidden, and only vegetarian food is served in the few cafes and restaurants clustered around the tourist end of town, where I stayed in a small hotel with a view of the river. It was peaceful and safe, and imbued with unmistakably spiritual vibes.
I continued to visit Rishikesh often as my trips to India became longer and more frequent. When I decided to move to India last summer, I looked at several places, but ended up settling in Rishikesh. There have been a lot of changes since my first visit. Because of the worldwide yoga phenomenon, Rishikesh – often called the Yoga Capital of the World – is bursting at the seams. Though still a small and relatively peaceful town, Rishikesh is chock-a-block with yoga schools, teacher training programs, and classes, as well as Ayurveda clinics and meditation courses. The big influx of foreign yoga students also means a slew of businesses that cater to them: organic cafes, guest houses, and specialty shops that sell yoga clothes, gear, and related items. The Beatles’ ashram is now a tourist attraction, with an entrance fee of 600 rupees (about $8) and you can find gluten-free baked goods and vegan cuisine. This makes it more hectic than it used to be, but also better for solo female travelers. There are so many other foreign women studying yoga in Rishikesh, that it’s very easy to connect with people and make friends. And the tourist end of town is such a small and compact area, you can walk everywhere. There are always people milling about, yoga mats slung over their shoulders, drinking chai or espressos in outdoor cafes, buying fresh fruit from carts piled high with papaya, mangoes and pomegranate, or rushing to their next class. A favorite Rishikesh activity is to walk the length of the pilgrim, or tourist area from Tapovan to Swarg Ashram. In Tapovan, there are cafes and restaurants clustered around each end of the Lakshman Jhula bridge. Likewise, in Swarg Ashram, there are places to eat at each end of Ram ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 57
Lakshman Jhula, Rishikesh
Jhula bridge. Generally, they serve a predictable menu that combine classic North Indian vegetarian dishes such as dal, palak paneer, roti, and lassi, with foreign fare such as grilled cheese sandwiches, Nutella pancakes, Israeli salad, and cappuccino. The quality of food in Rishikesh is usually fair-to-middling, with a few exceptions. Many of the popular spots are notable more for their view of the river and policy of allowing people to linger than for the quality of their food. But like so much else in Rishikesh, that’s changing as places like the Pure Soul Organic Café (healthy), A Tavola Con Te (Italian), and Café Okaeri (Japanese) up their game. As in many traveler haunts, chilling out in cafes is a potential way to meet others. But one of the best ways to connect with people in Rishikesh is to become part of a community, sometimes called a yoga sangha. Which is what I’ve done. When I first came to Rishikesh, I connected with an Indian yoga teacher I had met in Canada, Yogrishi Vishvketu. Together with his Canadian wife Chetana, Yogrishi Vishvketu – known to his friends as Vishvaji – opened an ashram in Tapovan just at the onset of the boom. The ashram offers daily classes, twiceweekly kirtans, yoga teacher training, courses, and, most of all, community. There are many other ashrams in Rishikesh that offer courses, kirtan, and community as well. My apartment overlooks Yoga Niketan, one of the
58 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan Ashram
Yoga means connection, and that’s what happens in Rishikesh.
Mariellen and Ram Jhula
Mariellen at Beatles Ashram oldest and most credible. They offer yoga and meditation every day, on a leafy campus uphill from the main road, with a view of Ram Jhula and the river. Parmarth Niketan is the biggest ashram in Rishikesh. It was founded in 1942 and runs along the banks of the Ganga River. The Parmarth Niketan aarti is the most well-known in Rishikesh, and many people gather there every evening to immerse in the spectacular ritual. Many yoga teachers and tour operators from around the world bring groups
Mariellen and Rishikesh sign
Anand Prakash Ashram fire puja to Rishikesh, or offer retreat courses here, too. Some take their classes to The Beatles ashram, to meditate or do yoga there. Or they go down to the banks of the river to practise. There are stretches of sandy beach that are ideal for both practicing yoga and enjoying the proximity to the celadon-green river. In Rishikesh, I feel both safe and peaceful. The place carries the energetic vibes of countless spiritual rituals and practices, the prayers and chants of countless sages and rishis. It’s scenic and inspiring, and also offers practical amenities like guest houses and cafes. And you can partake in yoga from sun up to sun down. Heavenly.
To book your trip to Rishikesh, please contact your Ensemble Travel® Group Advisor.
B O L D F U N. S H I N ISNECRET G S UFINN.D S OF A P R I VAT E PA R A D I S E Buried treasure is the stuff pirate legends are made of. And while there are tales of loot scattered throughout The Bahamas, there are some hidden gems that you can’t miss on your next trip to the Royal Caribbean ® private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay. Check out some of its best kept secrets on your next adventure.
ACT IO N-PAC KED FAMILY S POT
FUEL UP WI TH FAV ES
SWI M - WO RTH Y SECR E T S
Adventure Pool is the perfect spot to set up camp and call home for the day with plenty of umbrellas and places to sit — and lots of ways to make a splash.
Pair the Snack Shack signature Shack Burger with a refreshing brew from one of two self-serve beer stations where you can get cold pours on demand.
Work up a thirst with a quick swim to the floating bar for a signature Coco Loco over horizon views. Or dip your head underwater at Oasis Lagoon SM and hear a symphony of music below the waterline.
The best kept secret of all? Now you can be among the first to visit Coco Beach Club — where every moment is elevated. Kick back in the first overwater cabanas in the Bahamas. Find your zen at the beachfront infinity pool. And indulge in new Mediterranean flavors. All debuting this December. For more information, please contact your Ensemble Travel Group Advisor.
Coco Beach Club, overwater cabanas and South Beach are currently in development and are scheduled to open December 2019; all features and timing are subject to change without notice. Images and messaging for Perfect Day at CocoCay may include artistic renderings. Perfect Day and CocoCay are registered trademarks of Royal Caribbean. © 2019 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Ships’ registry: The Bahamas. 19069444. 08/6/19 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 59
EXTRAORDINARY WORLDS â„¢ Elegant adventure, luxury unbound.
ADRIATIC & GREEK ISLES
Venice to Piraeus (Athens) 7 days, July 25; August 22, 2020
From
$3,999
For more information, please contact your Ensemble Travel Group Advisor
*All fares are in U.S. dollars, cruise-only, for new bookings only, per guest, double occupancy, subject to availability, and valid only for residents of the Americas. Some suite categories may not be available. Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses of US$195 to US$200 per person are additional. Fares are not combinable with any other offer, may vary by sailing date, are capacity controlled, and are subject to change without prior notice. All savings amounts are included in fares shown. Certain restrictions may apply. Information herein is accurate at time of printing. Seabourn reserves the right to correct errors.
XX ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
FOOD, FUN, ACCOMODATIONS & SO MUCH MORE ALL INCLUDED. Everyone deserves to have a little FUN! When you choose a Carnival® cruise, it’s all yours for the taking including the amazing destinations, award-winning service, delicious dining, endless onboard activities, nighttime entertainment and spacious accommodations. And the best part, just about everything is included. This much fun has never been so affordable!
SPECIAL OFFER Early Saver Rates + 50% Reduced Deposit* Offer ends October 31, 2019
7 Day Eastern Caribbean from Port Canaveral, FL
7 Day Mexican Riviera from Long Beach, CA
6 Day Western Caribbean from Miami, FL
For more information please contact your Ensemble Travel® Group Advisor. 50% reduced deposit is non-refundable. Reduced deposit is applicable to sailings outside of final payment due date and is valid for all ships, stateroom types and sail dates. Onboard Credit offer is non-transferable and non-refundable. Deposit is non-refundable. Changes made to the reservation may result in the assessment of cancellation penalties or service fees. Full names are required for each guest. Carnival reserves the right to withdraw and/or change offer at any time without prior notice. Price Protection applies to the cruise fare only and does not include Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses. Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses range from $54.06 to $372.40, and are assessed on a per guest basis for all guests according to the itinerary. Early Saver fare is backed by a unique price protection policy (only available to bookings made in USD currency) that allows you to adjust your cruise fare to the best available fare for a like category stateroom (no downgrades allowed) advertised by Carnival and available to the general public. Price protection will be subject to the prevailing Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses and/or fuel supplement if applicable. Carnival will honor your request for price protection if the reduction on the total amount paid for your booking results only from a lower cruise fare and not from the booked ancillary services, such as air, transfers, pre-paid gratuities, or Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses. The guest is responsible for increases to ancillary services such as air, resulting from changes to ship and/or sail date, or adjustments to cruise fare. Early Saver price protection does not apply to group rates, membership programs, charters, select promotional fares, travel agent rebates, or other travel agent promotions not offered by Carnival to the general public. When re-pricing to a new promotion, guest assumes all terms and conditions of the new promotion and may forfeit any or all features associated with the original fare, such as cabin assignment, onboard credit, an upgrade, special deposit and payment terms, etc. A $50 change fee per guest will be assessed for ship and/or sail date changes made prior to final payment due date. Remaining funds are nonrefundable/nontransferable and will be held as a future cruise credit to be applied to your cruise fare on a sailing within 24 months from the date of cancellation. Guest may select the stateroom, but a minimum purchase of category 1A is required. Offer is applicable on new bookings made between September 6, 2019- October 31, 2019. Offer is applicable on sailings through April 2021. Ships’ Registry: The Bahamas, Panama & Malta. © 2019 Carnival Corporation. Carnival® and the Carnival logos are trademarks of Carnival Corporation. All rights reserved. Used under license. Ships’ Registry: The Bahamas, Panama and Malta.
ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 XX
G
ADVENTURES IN PLUS SIZE TRAVEL by MIA O ’MALLEY
This past July I traveled through Europe with my 14 month old son and my husband. Three different countries, six different cities, four different �lights and many car, bus, boat and train rides later, I’m here to tell you, as a US size 20, that plus size travel is doable and fun! Don’t wait to take that trip until you’ve reached an arbitrary number on the scale. Go live your life right now! Here are some tips to encourage you to take that trip:
Mindset Is Everything! Traveling and flying are not privileges for one body type. People of all sizes and all different abilities have the right to travel. Don’t be afraid to take up space. This is easier said than done, but embracing this philosophy is key to you enjoying your time while traveling.
Mia O’Malley, an advocate for Plus Size mothers on @miaomalley on Instagram, shares her travel tips for plus size travelers.
Let me explain: Your body is your body. There is no need to attempt to shrink yourself (not possible) or apologize for your body (sorry, not sorry). If fellow travelers are even paying attention to you (which most of
them are not), they will have their own opinions and come to their own conclusions about you no matter what you do! So get comfy, sit where you need to sit, and ask for more space if you need it. Enjoy yourself!
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Flying - Be Prepared!
Take Care of Your Plus Size Body
Certain airlines make flying more accessible
For me, traveling often means lots of walking and hiking. I like to get
for passengers of size than others. Some will
out and explore on foot as much as possible. For many plus size
allow you to book two seats and will cover the
people, chafing can be a big discouraging factor especially in
cost of the additional seat as a refund, or offer a
hot climates. Don’t let chafing stand in the way of you checking
percentage off of a second seat. Check with your
out that beautiful view and getting some exercise! There are so
travel advisor ahead of time to learn more about
many great anti-chafing clothing options and products available,
their policies.
including Mega Babe Thigh Rescue.
Board early for passengers who need extra
Those heels look great for photos, but make sure you bring some
time. You might need a little more time (and
comfortable footwear that’s going to give your feet some support
space) to get settled and make sure to ask for
and diminish impact on your knees.
that time. Take rests when you need to and don’t be afraid to ask for the Instead of waiting until you are seated, ask for a
accommodation that you need. If you’re on a group tour, speak to
seat belt extender as you walk onto the plane
the guide ahead of time to let them know you might need more
and let them know what seat you’ll be in. You
breaks or time. Most guides can provide these accommodations if
can also purchase your own belt extender (but
they know ahead of time.
check that it’s compatible with your airline). Stay hydrated and always have water on hand. This goes for all The seating concerns continue in restaurants,
travelers, but especially plus size travelers in hot climates. Studies
bistros and osterias around the world. The
show that plus size individuals are more likely to be dehydrated.
good news is most restaurants have photos
Water and foods with higher water content will keep you feeling
up on their websites where you can check out
energized throughout your travels.
what kind of seating situation you’re going to be dealing with, and your travel advisor can make recommendations and reservations. If a restaurant doesn’t have a website, in this age of social media, you can bet that underground, word-of-mouth spot has a hashtag and you can spot some seating arrangements in those selfies! And what if you only see some narrow chairs
with arms? You already know what I’m
going to say, don’t you? Call the restaurant or visit ahead of your reservation and ask for the accommodation that you need. Don’t let this very minor adjustment stand in the way of you living your best life!
With a few accommodations and a bit more planning ahead, traveling as a plus size person can be fun and comfortable. You will be surprised by how asking for what you need just a few times will completely change your mindset and empower you in other areas of your life, beyond your travel. And that is precisely what traveling is about: enriching our lives, opening our minds, and giving us access to the world around us.
ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 65
All-Inclusive, Luxury Small-Ship Voyages TAH IT I FR EN CH P O LYN E SI A FI J I S O UT H PACI FI C
66 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
A coconut a day...
For more information, please contact your Ensemble Travel Group Advisor.
A DV E RT I S E M E N T
An overseas adventure can bring generations of families closer while sparking great memories. CIE Tours guided vacations and private driver experiences foster the wonder of travel in all ages – tots, teens, and adults – and offer several advantages over independent travel. No driving or navigating unfamiliar roads means travelers can relax and focus on family and sights. And with all excursions included in the tour, there are no hidden expenses.
5 TIPS for a
Multigenerational Guided Vacation With a Family Collection and several other tours suitable for multi-generational groups, CIE Tours offers five tips to make the experience memorable:
1 Pick a tour with hands-on activities to engage the whole family, whether cutting turf on a farm visit, baking Irish brown bread, or interacting with animals, from sheepdog demonstrations to falconry. CIE Tours’ Lochs, Luck & Lore tour is a perfect match.
2
Fantasy is popular with all ages, whether it’s the Loch Ness legend or Game of Thrones. Young adults who cut their teeth on Harry Potter will be as thrilled as smaller kids to tour the Great Hall at Hogwarts or ride the famous Jacobite Steam Train. Try English Knights & Wizards.
3 Use scheduled “free time” as an opportunity to break away from the group and relax as a family.
4 Take advantage of free Wi-Fi on coaches to have school-age kids learn more about destinations that pique their interest.
5 Meet ‘tweens and teens in the middle on social media. Suggest a project like creating an Instagram story about their trip.
If your children are under the minimum age of 8 for a CIE Tours guided coach tour, or a senior family member needs a slower pace, consider a Private Driver experience. There are no age restrictions, you can customize your tour to your family’s needs and make last-minute changes.
➜ For special offers from CIE Tours please see page 70. For more
information please contact your Ensemble Travel® Group Advisor. ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 67
There are some places on our planet that defy explanation. Mysterious places, strange places, places that live indelibly in the memory of all travelers fortunate enough to have experienced them. This is our selection to add to your bucket list.
Mysterious
PLACES
68 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
by CHRIS ROBINSON
➤ EASTER ISLAND
Paci�ic Ocean
➤ ULURU
Australia
Sometimes the very rocks of our planet seem to pulse with a strange energy. Uluru is such a place. It’s an other-worldly landscape transplanted massively to the Australian Outback. Here a gargantuan eruption of towering sandstone rises abruptly, inexplicably, from the flat, gritty desert all around into the largest natural monolith in the world. Aboriginal Australians have always revered this special place and talk of listening to creation stories on the wind – it is fitting that ownership has been returned to the local Pitjantjatjara Aborigines. And yes, Uluru really does glow at sunset.
➤ FATEHPUR SIKRI
➤
There are iconic images of the massive, steely-eyed and alien-like heads that gaze across volcanoes and ocean. But nothing prepares you for the reality. On Easter Island, a tiny, remote Polynesian island, there are hundreds of gigantic moai statues. Some stand proudly, others shattered in pieces – and some are still partly hewn from the volcano’s flanks, where the statues were created. Their origins are half-forgotten by the local Rapa Nui people. But their power is very real, especially at sunrise and sunset when their faces glow ethereally.
LALIBELA
Ethiopia
A thousand years ago, King Lalibela of Ethiopia built a second Jerusalem inside a remote African mountain. Instead of building skywards, a rich complex of 11 interconnected churches was created earthwards, cut down into the mountain. The miracle is that the interior of the buildings was created by the physical removal of rock. Tradition tells of angels descending at night to assist with construction. Biete Medhane Alem, set in a vast subterranean courtyard, is the world's largest rock-hewn excavation. Another, Biete Ghiorgis, is a freestanding monolith carved in the shape of a cross, always graced with pilgrims worshipping in the half-light.
➤ MONTE ALBAN
Mexico
To stand atop this massive ancient citadel in Mexico, amidst misty mountains, is to hear the voices of The Cloud People who built it. The Zapotec were a warrior artisan race who chose this high plateau two and a half millennia ago to build temples, palaces and fortifications. Sweeping pyramids, expansive courtyards, ball courts and enigmatic bas-relief carvings await modern visitors, here where the ancient city meets the sky. Echoes of forgotten battles and human sacrifices to their many gods make this site eerily atmospheric.
India
In all its regal richness, Fatehpur Sikri lies devoid of people on the hot plain of Northern India. It’s not a ghost town, but the ghost of an imperial capital city. Fatehpur Sikri was built by Mughal Emperor Akbar in the late 1500s, one of the largest cities in the world. But after just 14 years, history – and Akbar – moved on, and the city was abandoned. Now it’s a haunting assembly of courtyards, arches, tombs, mosques, treasury, palaces, harems, all left as they were over 400 years ago for you to imagine a life of incredible opulence.
➤ INGAPIRCA
Ecuador
If only these stones could talk! Massive, perfectly fitted, mortar-less blocks form the base of the Temple of the Sun – the masterpiece of this northern outpost of the Incan Empire at Ingapirca. Each solstice, the sun would illuminate the doorway of the sacred chamber atop the Temple. There are no Machu Picchu crowds here. In this southern Ecuador stronghold, amidst imposing Andean mountainsides, it is still possible to stroll the original Incan roads in glorious isolation. And to hear the whispers of the Incas in the whistle of the wind.
ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 69
TRAVELER’S NOTEBOOK
Secrets Wild Orchid Montego Bay
Secrets Vallarta Bay Puerto Vallarta
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 15, 2019.
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 15, 2019.
• 5 nights at Secrets Wild Orchid Montego Bay • Montego Bay, Jamaica • Travel November 25, 2019 - December 18, 2019 • From $1,359 per person, Junior Suite Garden View King
• 5 nights at Secrets Vallarta Bay Puerto Vallarta • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico • Travel December 15 - 18, 2019 • From $965 Junior Suite Ocean View King
Book from September 15 - October 31, 2019. Travel from October 1, 2019 - March 31, 2019
Book from September 15 - October 31, 2019. Travel from October 1, 2019 - March 31, 2019
Set on a peninsula with over a mile of private beach leading into the waters of Montego Bay, this vibrant AAA Four Diamond resort is an island retreat complete with all the benefits of Unlimited-Luxury®. Unlimited-Luxury® - Includes all meals, beverages and more! Receive $200 in Resort Coupons. Includes non-stop transfers to your hotel.
Situated on the golden beaches of the Pacific coast within walking distance of the famous El Malecón boardwalk, this vibrant oceanfront AAA Four Diamond resort provides adults 24/7 access to buzzing nightlife, non-stop entertainment and Unlimited-Luxury®. Unlimited-Luxury® - Includes all meals, beverages and more! Includes savings of up to 50%. Includes $200 in resort coupons and non-stop transfers to your hotel.
Agency Exclusive: Save $100 per reservation.
Agency Exclusive: Save $100 per reservation.
Guided Tour Vacations
Private Driver Vacation
BOOK BY DECEMBER 31, 2019.
BOOK BY DECEMBER 31, 2019.
• Minimum 5 days to maximum 23 days • Ireland, Britain, Iceland & Italy • Departures: January 1, 2020 - December 31, 2020 • From $836 per person
• Minimum 3 nights • Ireland, Scotland, England or Wales • Departures: November 1, 2019 - April 30, 2020 • Pricing based on how we craft your dream vacation
Since 1932, CIE Tours has been creating distinctive and memorable travel experiences to Ireland and Britain. Our outstanding local tour directors are the heart and soul of any CIE Tours vacation. From the first warm welcome, they will play a special role in making your trip amazing. They will regale you with local lore, bring you insider access and ensure you have the trip of your dreams. CIE Tours offers the largest selection of vacations in the market to Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales so you’ll have the greatest choice of guided tours.
Our drivers relish the opportunity to unfold the hidden beauties of their homeland, taking guests beyond the surface for a truly immersive experience. Explore local villages, medieval castles and rugged countryside accompanied by a local expert. Our luxury specialists partner with your travel advisor to ensure a personally crafted vacation encompassing recommended routes, hotels and activities to suit your tastes. This, accompanied by our long-standing relationships with valued partners in Ireland and Britain, ensures a memorable and stress-free experience.
Agency Exclusive: 10% off all 2020 Guided Tour Vacations as shown in
price.
70 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
Agency Exclusive: $400 off per Private Driver Vacation.
FOR RESERVATIONS, CALL US TODAY.
Grand Velas Los Cabos
Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 7, 2019.
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 7, 2019.
• 3 nights or more at Grand Velas Los Cabos • Los Cabos, Mexico • Travel now through April 30, 2020 • Ask our agency for best available fares
• 3 nights or more at Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit • Riviera Nayarit, Mexico • Travel now through April 30, 2020 • Ask our agency for best available fares
Set in an ideal location, Grand Velas Los Cabos is the perfect blend of style, culture and all-inclusive service. This luxurious property features ocean-view suites, all over 1,180 square feet with a private terrace. Enjoy a choice of five gourmet restaurants with an extensive beverage and wine program, and enhanced signature facilities and services, including duplex wellness suites with juice bars, wine-based features and dramatic ocean views.
Having revolutionized the all-inclusive concept, Grand Velas is pleased to offer you a “Beyond All Inclusive, Beyond All Compare” vacation experience with gourmet dining, world-class hospitality, and luxurious accommodations. The only luxury all-inclusive family-oriented resort in the Mexican Pacific to be awarded Five Diamonds by the AAA.
Agency Exclusive: One hydrotherapy access per adult, per stay. Offer subject to change without notice. Minimum night stays, select travel dates and other restrictions may apply. For complete terms and conditions please visit: http://files.ensembletravel.com/marketing/GrandVelasLosCabos.pdf
Agency Exclusive: One hydrotherapy circuit per room, per stay + Room upgrade + Choice of greens fees for up to two persons or 20% discount off of services during length of stay + $50 credit towards hotel experiences catalog + Early check-in and late check-out when available. Offer subject to change without notice. Minimum night stays, select travel dates and other restrictions may apply. For complete terms and conditions please visit: http://files.ensembletravel.com/marketing/GrandVelasRivieraNayarit.pdf
Spectacular Spain
The Croatian
BOOK BY DECEMBER 2, 2019.
BOOK BY DECEMBER 2, 2019.
• 8 days touring Spain • Barcelona to Costa del Sol • Departures April 7 through October 6, 2020 • From $2,199 per person, land only
• 11 days touring Croatia and Slovenia • Zagreb to Dubrovnik • Departures: April 19 through October 11, 2020 • From $2,569 per person, land only
Picasso and paella. Fortresses and flamenco. Sand and siestas. From city to city and coast to coast, you’re invited to relish everything the metropolitan cities and seaside towns of sun-soaked Spain are famous for. Visit Barcelona, Madrid, Granada, Málaga, and Costa del Sol.
With pure emerald lakes, splendid sapphire oceans, and exquisite amber sunsets, the many wonders of Croatia are truly hidden gems. Embrace the unique beauty as you make your way through scenic Slovenia before hugging the village-specked Adriatic coastline of Croatia. Visit Zagreb, Ljublana, Postojna, Pula, Plitvice, Zadar, Trogir, Split and Dubrovnik.
Agency Exclusive: Receive prepaid gratuities on select 2020 Globus Undiscovered Mediterranean vacations when you book by October 31, 2019. Plus, save 10% when you book & deposit by December 2, 2019.
Agency Exclusive: Receive prepaid gratuities on select 2020 Globus Undiscovered Mediterranean vacations when you book by October 31, 2019. Plus, save 10% when you book & deposit by December 2, 2019.
ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 71
TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK
Irish Elegance
Treasures of Italy
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 30, 2019.
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 30, 2019.
• 8 days touring Ireland • Roundtrip Dublin • Departures April through September, 2020 • From $2,875 per person, land only
• 11 days touring Italy • Rome to Venice • Departures March through October, 2020 • From $4,175 per person, land only
Showcasing the very best sights and scenery of Ireland including the Wild Atlantic Way and a night at the magnificently restored Ashford Castle. Enjoy VIP priority entry to the Book of Kells and a guided walk through Trinity College with a University insider. Smaller groups, authentic experiences and passionate Travel Directors will make your journey unforgettable.
This escorted journey immerses you in Italy’s historic cities, idyllic fishing villages, islands, lakes, and canals, heritage buildings, inspiring art, fabulous food and breathtaking scenery. Gain VIP access into the Vatican Museums and explore the backstreets of Rome with a Local Expert. Throughout your trip, enjoy authentic dining which immerses you in the heart and soul of the destination.
Agency Exclusive: $100 off per person on 2020 Insight Vacations itineraries. Plus, Early Payment Discount: Book and pay in full by December 18, 2019 to save 10% on your trip.
Agency Exclusive: $100 off per person on 2020 Insight Vacations itineraries. Plus, Early Payment Discount: Book and pay in full by December 18, 2019 to save 10% on your trip.
The Palms Turks and Caicos
Secrets Cap Cana Resort & Spa
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 15, 2019.
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 15, 2019.
• 5 nights at The Palms Turks and Caico • Providenciales, Turks & Caicos • Travel now through December 19, 2019 • From $1,579 per person, Junior Suite, including roundtrip hotel
transfers, full American breakfast buffet at The Garden, and hotel tax.
• 5 nights at Secrets Cap Cana Resort & Spa • Punta Cana, Dominican Republic • Travel now through April 30, 2020 • From $2,626 per person, Junior Suite Tropical View King Room,
including roundtrip hotel transfers, $200 in Resort Coupons, Endless gourmet meals, snacks, and top-shelf spirits and more!
Inspired by the classic estates of Oliver Messel, The Palms Turks & Caicos lies amidst 12-acres of gardens on Grace Bay beach. Its 72 suites feature no less than 1800 square feet of living space. Other features include a 15,000 square foot spa; aromatherapy mists, tropical sorbets and iPod minis poolside; Pan-Tropical cuisine; butler and chauffeur service.
Experience Unlimited-Luxury®, where everything is included. Spacious suites adorned with striking décor, marble bathrooms and furnished balcony or terrace with stunning views. A world-class spa, an expansive infinity pool, daily activities and nightly entertainment, the opportunity to spend a night out at a neighboring resort with the Sip, Savor & See Dining Experience, and so much more.
Agency Exclusive: $75 Spa credit (per room, per stay) and a welcome
Agency Exclusive: Access to Hydrotherapy Circuit once per person, per stay + Complimentary room upgrade + Late check-out.
bottle of wine.
72 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
FOR RESERVATIONS, CALL US TODAY.
Between the Paws of the Sphinx
Visions of Egypt
BOOK BY DECEMBER 31, 2019.
BOOK BY DECEMBER 31, 2019.
• 13 days with 4 nights aboard Oberoi Zahra • Roundtrip Cairo • Departures now through October 27, 2021 • From $8,399 per person, Luxury Cabin
• 9 days with 4 nights aboard Oberoi Philae • Roundtrip Cairo • Departures now through November 13, 2021 • From $5,999 per person, Luxury Cabin
Join our outstanding Egyptologists for this uniquely in-depth foray into the ancient world. Featuring 4 nights aboard the elegant Oberoi Zahra and luxury Four Seasons and Kempinski hotels in Alexandria and Cairo, you’ll discover the remarkable Temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel, tour the fabled city of Cleopatra and Alexander the Great, visit all the sites along the Nile, and see all the antiquities of Cairo and Giza.
With lavish staterooms and fine dining, life onboard the sleek and modern Oberoi Philae is matched only by the fabled ancient sites you’ll explore along the Nile with our top-notch Egyptologists. We exclusively combine your 4-night cruise with Nile-view rooms at the luxury Kempinski boutique hotel in Cairo and two full days of expertly guided sightseeing. We even include roundtrip flights to Abu Simbel to tour the must-see Temples of Ramses II.
Agency Exclusive: Free pre-tour night in Cairo at the luxury boutique Kempinski Nile Hotel with chauffeured airport transfer and breakfast. Plus, save $1,000 per couple ($500 per person) when you pay in full at time of booking.
Agency Exclusive: Free pre-tour night in Cairo at the luxury boutique Kempinski Nile Hotel with chauffeured airport transfer and breakfast. Plus, save $1,000 per couple ($500 per person) when you pay in full at time of booking.
Enchanting Rhine
Taste of Bordeaux
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 30, 2019.
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 30, 2019.
• 7 nights cruising the Rhine River aboard AmaDante, AmaKristina,
AmaMora, AmaSiena, or AmaStella • Basel to Amsterdam • Departures March - November 2020 • From $2,899 per person, Category E Stateroom Grand cities blend in perfect harmony with their historic past and their progressive futures. Take a front-row seat on an enchanting journey that takes you from Switzerland to Amsterdam along the Rhine and through its designated-UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its 40 castles, magnificent cities and charming villages strung like pearls on its river banks. Agency Exclusive: Receive $300 per stateroom onboard credit on select sailings (Aug 10, Nov 11, Dec 23). Plus, save up to $1,000 per person on select 2020 sailings. THE HIGHEST RATED RIVER CRUISE SHIPS
• 7 nights cruising Bordeaux aboard AmaDolce • Roundtrip Bordeaux • Departures March - October 2020 • From $3,199 per person, Category E Stateroom
Travel to France’s legendary wine capital, Bordeaux. Iconic châteaux, timeless vineyards and delicious wine tastings are plentiful as you visit Libourne, Blaye, Bourg, Pauillac and Cadillac. This trip is a must for anyone interested in the best of French culture, lifestyle, wine and cuisine. Agency Exclusive: Receive $300 per stateroom onboard credit on select sailings (Apr 30, Jul 30, Oct 22). Plus, save up to $500 per person on select 2020 sailings.
THE HIGHEST RATED RIVER CRUISE SHIPS
ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 73
TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK
Western Caribbean
Southern Caribbean
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 15, 2019.
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 15, 2019.
• 7 days cruising the Caribbean aboard Carnival Vista® • Roundtrip Galveston, TX • Departures: February 1, 2020 - February 27, 2021 • From $629 per person, Oceanview stateroom
• 8 days cruising the Caribbean aboard Carnival Horizon® • Roundtrip Miami, FL • Departures: May 2, 2020- April 3, 2021 • From $829 per person, Oceanview stateroom
Cruises to the Western Caribbean are the very picture of paradise – the kind you see when you close your eyes and imagine a tropical nirvana. Everybody loves a good island, but that’s only half the vacation story … especially in the Western Caribbean. Ports of call include Cozumel, Belize, and Mahogany Bay.
Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. These far-flung islands were made for getting out and swimming, snorkeling, hiking … not to mention excellent shopping and beach lounging. For a remote island getaway within reach of home, look no further than one of Carnival’s cruises to the Southern Caribbean.
Agency Exclusive: Early Saver + 50% reduced deposit.
Agency Exclusive: Early Saver + 50% reduced deposit.
Alaska Hubbard Glacier
New Zealand & Australia
BOOK BY DECEMBER 31, 2019.
BOOK BY DECEMBER 31, 2019.
• 7 nights cruising Alaska aboard Celebrity Eclipse® • Roundtrip Vancouver • May 24 - 31, 2020 • From $1,949 per person, Concierge Class
• 11 nights cruising New Zealand & Australia aboard Celebrity Solstice® • Auckland to Sydney • April 14 - 25, 2020 • From $2,799 per person, AquaClass Stateroom
Explore the wilderness on the best Alaskan cruise. Discover the beautiful wilds of Alaska aboard our newly revolutionized Celebrity Eclipse®. Alaska is so much more than its legends and myths. Set out on an unforgettable adventure where you’ll get up close and personal with 30-ton whales or take flight high above the snow-capped lands and glaciers.
Sail Down Under on an over-the-top vacation that immerses you in cosmopolitan cities from Sydney to Auckland and natural wonders from the Great Barrier Reef to Milford Sound. This is a region of beautiful beaches, majestic fjords, fine wine, friendly people, and exotic wildlife.
Agency Exclusive: Receive $100 Shore Excursion credit on Concierge or
Agency Exclusive: Receive $100 Shore Excursion credit on Concierge or AquaClass staterooms.
AquaClass staterooms.
74 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
FOR RESERVATIONS, CALL US TODAY.
Delightful Danube
Tulips & Windmills
BOOK NOW.
BOOK NOW.
• 7 nights cruising Hungary, Austria and Germany aboard Crystal Mahler or Crystal Ravel • Budapest to Regensburg • Departures: April 3 through December 14, 2020 • From $3,199 per person, Petite Suite with Panoramic Balcony Window
From Melk’s Benedictine Abbey and Regensburg’s UNESCO treasures to Vienna’s famed Ringstrasse and Budapest’s stunning Parliament Building, discover picturesque Durnstein and the pastoral Wachau Valley. Enjoy overnight stays in Budapest, Vienna and Regensburg on this all-suite with balcony, all-butler serviced luxury river cruise. Crystal includes choices of complimentary excursions in every port, complimentary fine wines/spirits, gratuities, Wi-fi, airport transfers and more. Agency Exclusive: $125 per guest “As You Wish” credit.
• 7 nights cruising the Netherlands and Belgium aboard Crystal Bach
or Crystal Debussy • Roundtrip Amsterdam • Departures March 27 through April 24, 2020 • From $2,999 per person, Petite Suite with Panoramic Balcony Window
Experience Crystal River Cruises – all-inclusive, all-suite with balcony, all-butler serviced river ships. Cruise the inland waters of the Netherlands and Belgium to discover the land of windmills, tulips and wooden shoes; marvel at the spectacular modern architecture of Rotterdam, the medieval charm of Ghent and the artistic masterpieces of Antwerp. Agency Exclusive: $125 per guest “As You Wish” credit.
Baltic Legacies
Retreats & Rivieras
BOOK NOW.
BOOK NOW.
• 10 days cruising the Baltic Sea aboard Marina • Copenhagen to Stockholm • June 26 - July 6, 2020 • From $4,499 per person, Veranda Stateroom
• 12 days cruising the Mediterranean aboard Sirena • Rome to Barcelona • June 6 - 18, 2020 • From $5,199 per person, Veranda Stateroom
From the influence of the Vikings to the impact of Communism, you will see, taste and feel how history has affected nine countries bordering the Baltic Sea. Sail from Copenhagen to Berlin, Ronne, Gdansk, Klaipeda, Riga, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, and Stockholm.
Retreat into relaxation and celebrate the goodness of life in Italy, Monaco, France and Spain, where rocky coastline covered in succulents and olive trees is interspersed with towns bursting with bougainvillea and good times. Sail from Rome to Olbia/Porto Cervo, Calvi, Florence/Pisa/Tuscany, Marina di Cararra, Portofino, Monte Carlo, Antibes, Saint-Tropez, Mahón, Ibiza, Castellón, and Barcelona.
Agency Exclusive: Pre-Paid Gratuities.
Agency Exclusive: Hosted Cruise featuring an exclusive shore event in
Portofino.
ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 75
TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK
Greek Odyssey
7-Day Alaskan Explorer
BOOK BY OCTOBER 31, 2019.
BOOK BY OCTOBER 31, 2019.
• 12 days cruising Italy and Greece aboard Nieuw Amsterdam • Rome to Venice • May 22 - June 3, 2020 • From $2,229 per person, Ocean View Stateroom
Rome is your launching point to the wonders of ancient Greece and its picturesque isles. Visit Rome, Pompeii/Amalfi, Santorini, Ephesus, Crete, Athens, Nafplion, Olympia, Corfu, Montenegro, and cap off your journey with an overnight stay in romantic Venice.
• 7 days cruising Alaska aboard Oosterdam • Roundtrip Seattle • May 31 - June 7, 2020 • From $1,279 per person, Ocean View Stateroom
Embark on a convenient roundtrip Seattle adventure, offering spectacular Hubbard Glacier vistas, whale-watching and stops in rough-hewn Ketchikan and Alaska's capital, Juneau.
Agency Exclusive: Up to $50 onboard spending money and one plate of chocolate dipped strawberries per stateroom. Plus, Explore4: Four Extras + A Bonus Deal: Free Onboard Spending Money (up to US$800 per stateroom), Free Pinnacle Grill Dinner, $25 Beverage Card (for kids or extra guests), 50% Reduced Deposit and as a Bonus Offer: Verandah & Suite guests also receive Free Internet.
Agency Exclusive: Up to $50 onboard spending money per stateroom. Plus, Explore4: Four Extras + A Bonus Deal: Free Onboard Spending Money (up to US$800 per stateroom), Free Pinnacle Grill Dinner, $25 Beverage Card (for kids or extra guests), 50% Reduced Deposit and as a Bonus Offer: Verandah & Suite guests also receive Free Internet.
Adriatic Dream
Great Alaskan Explorer
BOOK BY OCTOBER 31, 2019.
BOOK BY OCTOBER 31, 2019.
• 12 days cruising the Adriatic Sea aboard Zuiderdam • Venice to Rome • May 27 - June 8, 2020 • From $2,229 per person, Ocean View Stateroom
• 14 days cruising Alaska aboard Maasdam • Roundtrip Vancouver • May 18 - June 1, 2020 • From $1,999 per person, Ocean View Stateroom
From Venice and medieval Croatia, circle up toward idyllic Messina and the fishing village Malta – where you’ll enjoy an overnight stay. Then head north for a journey to Rome.
Board this convenient Vancouver roundtrip cruise and experience nature's awesome sculpting power at Tracy Arm and Hubbard Glacier. Visit Homer, the Halibut Capital of the World.
Agency Exclusive: Up to $50 onboard spending money and one plate of chocolate dipped strawberries per stateroom. Plus, Explore4: Four Extras + A Bonus Deal: Free Onboard Spending Money (up to US$800 per stateroom), Free Pinnacle Grill Dinner, $25 Beverage Card (for kids or extra guests), 50% Reduced Deposit and as a Bonus Offer: Verandah & Suite guests also receive Free Internet.
Agency Exclusive: $75 onboard spending money per stateroom. Plus, Explore4: Four Extras + A Bonus Deal: Free Onboard Spending Money (up to US$800 per stateroom), Free Pinnacle Grill Dinner, $25 Beverage Card (for kids or extra guests), 50% Reduced Deposit and as a Bonus Offer: Verandah & Suite guests also receive Free Internet.
76 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
FOR RESERVATIONS, CALL US TODAY.
Awe of Alaska: Inside Passage & Glacier Bay
Alaska with Glacier Bay
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 15, 2019.
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 15, 2019.
• 7 days cruising Alaska aboard Norwegian Bliss • Roundtrip Seattle • Departures: May 10 & 24, 2020 • From $1,799 per person, Balcony Stateroom
• 7 days cruising Alaska aboard Norwegian Jewel • Roundtrip Vancouver • Departures: May 11 & 25, 2020 • From $1,799 per person, Balcony Stateroom
The beauty of natural wonders and rustic wildlife sightings makes this Alaska cruise a remarkable experience. Venture into the wilderness on a dogsled ride in Juneau, witness Misty Fjords aboard a jet-powered catamaran in Ketchikan and take it all in via the rails on the Skagway White Pass Scenic Railway.
Set sail from Vancouver for a fascinating adventure. Cruise the Inside Passage and gaze at the spectacular scenery and wildlife of Glacier Bay. Get a chance to see diverse wildlife, such as whales and brown bears. Round out this exciting vacation with a train ride on the White Pass and Yukon route in Skagway. Prepare for the adventure of a lifetime.
Agency Exclusive: Up to $100 Onboard Credit plus Free at Sea
Amenities.
Agency Exclusive: Up to $100 Onboard Credit plus Free at Sea
Amenities.
Alaska with Inside Passage
Alaska with Inside Passage
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 15, 2019.
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 15, 2019.
• 7 days cruising Alaska aboard Norwegian Jewel • Seward to Vancouver • Departures: May 18 & Jun 15, 2020 • From $1,949 per person, Balcony Stateroom
• 7 days cruising Alaska aboard Norwegian Joy • Roundtrip Seattle • Departure Dates: May 2, 16 & 23, 2020 • From $1,599 per person, Balcony Stateroom
Depart Seward for some of Alaska's most scenic destinations. Watch for humpback whales, porpoise and sea lions in the waters surrounding Icy Strait Point. Enjoy a traditional salmon bake in Juneau. Experience the thrill of dog sledding in Skagway. Learn about Alaska's rich logging history by watching a lumberjack show. Then cruise the Inside Passage to arrive in Vancouver.
Sail from Seattle on Norwegian Joy. Visit Ketchikan and immerse yourself in the region’s lush views and vibrant culture before heading to Icy Strait Point. A walk on the wild side awaits because here, the wildlife outnumbers the populace. And in Victoria, chart the same courses once navigated by Britain’s most iconic sailors.
Agency Exclusive: Up to $100 Onboard Credit plus Free at Sea
Amenities.
Agency Exclusive: Up to $100 Onboard Credit plus Free at Sea
Amenities.
ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 77
TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK
Northern Japan Spring Flowers
Mexican Riviera
BOOK BY OCTOBER 31, 2019.
BOOK BY OCTOBER 31, 2019.
•9 days cruising Japan aboard Diamond Princess® •R oundtrip Tokyo • April 20 - 29, 2020 •F rom $2,699 per person, Balcony Stateroom
• 7 days cruising Mexico aboard Royal Princess® •R oundtrip Los Angeles • O ctober 24 - 30, 2020 •F rom $1,049 per person, Balcony Stateroom
Japan is a study in contrasts: tranquil retreats of profound beauty lay just outside cities where skyscrapers soar over stunning temples and shrines. Neon-bright architecture and pink cherry blossoms vie for attention amid the colorful Harajuku district and traditional kimonos.
Discover this country’s festive heart & soul on award-winning shore excursions like coastal whale-watching in Cabo San Lucas, folkloric shows and authentic fare in Mazatlán, sportfishing in Manzanillo and a zip line adventure in Puerto Vallarta. This sailing also features exclusive Princess® MedallionClassTM, a more personalized way to vacation.
Agency Exclusive: $85 onboard credit per stateroom when you book now PLUS book by October 31, 2019 and you'll receive Princess 3 for Free perks: Free stateroom location upgrade, Free gratuities, and Free onboard credit up to $800 per stateroom.
Agency Exclusive: $50 onboard credit per stateroom when you book now PLUS book by October 31, 2019 and you'll receive Princess 3 for Free perks: Free stateroom location upgrade, Free gratuities, and Free onboard credit up to $800 per stateroom.
Iceland, Norway & Northern Isles
Mediterranean
BOOK BY OCTOBER 31, 2019.
BOOK BY OCTOBER 31, 2019.
• 1 4 days cruising Northern Europe aboard Island Princess® •R oundtrip London • S eptember 7 - 20, 2020 •F rom $4,219 per person, Balcony Stateroom
• 7 days cruising the Mediterranean aboard Enchanted PrincessSM •B arcelona to Rome • August 15 - 21, 2020 •F rom $2,099 per person, Balcony Stateroom
Let Princess introduce you to the next port on the horizon like no one else can. On board, hear from speakers who offer personal knowledge of the destination’s history and culture. Get an insider’s guide to essential experiences and distinctive treasures. Ports of call include Haugesund, Shetland Islands, Faroe Islands, Reykjavik, Grundarfjordur, Akureyri, Seydisfjordur, Bergen, and Kristiansand.
Discover the treasures of the Mediterranean on Princess’ new Enchanted PrincessSM, Enjoy world-class dining and the latest innovations onboard while being swept away by old world charm. This sailing also features exclusive Princess® MedallionClassTM, a more personalized way to vacation.
Agency Exclusive: $60 onboard credit per stateroom when you book
now PLUS book by October 31, 2019 and you'll receive Princess 3 for Free perks: Free stateroom location upgrade, Free gratuities, and Free onboard credit up to $800 per stateroom.
78 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
Agency Exclusive: $50 onboard credit per stateroom when you book now PLUS book by October 31, 2019 and you'll receive Princess 3 for Free perks: Free stateroom location upgrade, Free gratuities, and Free onboard credit up to $800 per stateroom.
FOR RESERVATIONS, CALL US TODAY.
Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day at CocoCay
Bahamas & Perfect Day at CocoCay
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 15, 2019.
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 15, 2019.
• 7 nights cruising the Caribbean aboard Harmony of the Seas® • Roundtrip Orlando • April 19 - 25, 2020 • From $899 per person, Balcony Stateroom
• 4 nights cruising the Bahamas aboard Mariner of the Seas® • Roundtrip Orlando • May 25 - 29, 2020 • From $509 per person, Balcony Stateroom
This is not a cruise. This is the most epic expedition ever with never-before-seen thrills. Plunge down the tallest slide at sea, the Ultimate AbyssSM. Sip cocktails crafted by a robot at Bionic Bar®. Savor reimagined rustic Italian by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. And hand jive along to the hit Broadway musical Grease.
The newly amped up Mariner of the Seas® is packed with more ways to play on the most maxed-out short getaway ever. Hang ten on the newly added FlowRider® surf simulator or race down The Perfect StormSM waterslides. Bond over family-style Tuscan eats at Jamie’s Italian by Jamie Oliver, or kick off date night at The Bamboo Room. Ditch the road trip for an action-packed ship, with quick cruises sailing from Orlando.
Agency Exclusive: Up to $100 to Spend at Sea.
Agency Exclusive: Up to $100 to Spend at Sea.
Adriatic & Greek Glories
Thailand & Vietnam
BOOK NOW.
BOOK NOW.
• 7 days cruising the Mediterranean aboard Seabourn Odyssey • Venice to Athens • July 25 & August 22, 2020 • From $3,999 per person, Oceanview Stateroom
• 14 days cruising Southeast Asia aboard Seabourn Ovation • Singapore to Hong Kong • February 15 - 28, 2020 • From $5,699 per person, Veranda Suite
Step into a wondrous world adorned with a sapphire jewel at its center. From Venice, sail the Dalmatian coast of the Adriatic, visiting tiny Sibenik and the breathtaking Kotor Fjord. Then see Corfu, Lefkada, Sparta and Nafplion enroute to Athens.
Between Singapore and Hong Kong, our most popular Asian voyage visits the timeless capitals natural splendors and colorful villages of Southeast Asia’s friendliest nations. Ports of call include Bangkok, Ko Kood, Sihanoukville, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Halong Bay.
Agency Exclusive: Hosted Cruise featuring an exclusive shore event in
Kotor.
Agency Exclusive: Hosted Cruise featuring an exclusive shore event in
Laem Chabang.
ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019 79
TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK
Arctic & Greenland
Antarctica
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 30, 2019.
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 30, 2019.
• 14 days on an expedition cruise of the Arctic aboard Silver Explorer • Tromso to Reykjavik • September 17 - 30, 2020 • From $15,300 per person, Adventure Class Suite including Roundtrip
Economy Air The beauty of Silversea’s expedition cruises is that the flexible itinerary takes advantage of the unpredictability of Mother Nature – be it for wildlife or weather. With Expedition Leaders that guide you through the local history, culture, flora and fauna of the Svalbard region and Silver Explorer’s Captain and crew to make sure that your adventure is the best possible. Agency Exclusive: $300 shipboard credit per person, plus Polar allinclusive package: roundtrip economy class air, one-night pre-hotel stay, transfers, shore excursions and more.
• 15 days on an expedition cruise of Antarctica aboard
Silver Cloud Expedition • Roundtrip Ushuaia • November 16 - 30, 2020 • From $13,800 per person, Vista Suite including Roundtrip Economy Air
If it is change that you are after, if it is peace and tranquility, if it is grandeur like you have never experienced, then it can only be Antarctica. The fabled land is an ice-crowned wonder, the wildlife superb, the setting both extreme and pristine. No place on Earth can compare, so join us and set sail to step foot on the world final frontier. Agency Exclusive: $300 shipboard credit per person, plus Polar allinclusive package: roundtrip economy class air, one-night pre-hotel stay, transfers, shore excursions and more.
Romantic Danube®
Into the Midnight Sun®
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 30, 2019.
BOOK BY NOVEMBER 30, 2019.
• 8 days cruising the Danube River aboard state-of-the-art Viking Longships • Budapest to Nuremberg (or reverse) • Departures available throughout 2020 & 2021 • From $2,199 per person, Riverview Stateroom
• 15 days cruising Norway and Scotland aboard Viking ocean ships • Bergen to London (or reverse) • Departures available throughout 2020 & 2021 • From $6,499 per person, Oceanview Stateroom
Visit Budapest’s Castle District and cross the famous Chain Bridge. Explore Göttweig Abbey, one of Austria’s most revered monastic centers. See Europe’s largest pipe organ in Passau and celebrate Vienna’s musical heritage at a concert featuring works by Mozart and Strauss. Wander the streets of Nuremberg’s Old Town. With medieval towns, grand cities and stunning scenery, this journey is one you are sure to love.
Cruise deep-cut fjords along the fabled Norwegian coast. Sail across the Arctic Circle where the midnight sun shines 24 hours a day. Then follow the path of Vikings from the remote beauty of North Cape to the windswept Shetland and Orkney Islands of Scotland. Enjoy an overnight stay in the former Hanseatic League city of Bergen and visit the Scottish capital Edinburgh.
Agency Exclusive: $100 shipboard credit per stateroom for 2020 and
2021 departures.
Agency Exclusive: $100 shipboard credit per stateroom for 2020 and
2021 departures.
FOR ALL ENSEMBLE VACATIONS® OFFERINGS: Prices are per person, double occupancy unless otherwise stated. Prices and terms are displayed throughout this catalog as received from individual suppliers. Certain offers carry restrictions and penalties to be advised at time of booking. Validity differs with each offer. Offers are subject to change without notice, subject to availability, and may be withdrawn at any time. Offers apply to new bookings only. Some blackout dates apply. Ensemble Travel® Group does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy of prices and terms. Ensemble Travel Group and its sub-agents act solely as agents for the companies providing services and facilities to travelers and have no responsibility or liability for loss of or damage to property, injury, or death due to errors, omissions, or intentional acts of the companies providing services.
80 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS FALL 2019
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These special cruise departures feature an Ensemble® Host, a private cocktail party and complimentary Ensemble® Experience shore event.
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We plan. You play. We are here to serve your wanderlust. We’ve done the research, uncovered the special experiences and know the tricks, to then focus on your special interests and needs to build your best journey.
Experience is our expertise Ensemble Travel Group membership enables us to bring you added amenities, custom touches, unexpected experiences, and a genuinely warm welcome wherever your travels take you. You now have the opportunity to work with a travel professional who can make YOUR aspirations and experience come to life. We take care of all the planning, support you throughout the journey, and save you time and money. Explore, dream and discover, and let us do the rest.
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