Welcome to Cruise Holidays of Clarkson’s November Newsletter

As we write this article for our November Newsletter Issue, Joe and I just returned from Europe, our third trip this year—South America and Antarctica in January, a cruise on the Adriatic Sea in May and one on the Mediterranean Sea just this October. It’s always an honour and privilege to travel with you, our Cruise Holidays of Clarkson traveler, and to admire the rich history, spanning countries and centuries with a diverse mosaic of cultural treasures.

Zaneta’s Interview with Bill Anderson of Classical 96.3 FM

Just recently I was invited to a radio interview by Bill Anderson of Classical 96.3 FM, our host on many of our group travels in Europe. I was asked to talk about the logistics of organizing our all - inclusive, culturally enriched cruise tours. You can imagine the challenge this presented: to describe a 12 to 18 month process in five minutes. Where does one begin? There is a whole barrage of people involved in these undertakings. Our secret? We partner up with conscientious, reliable and honest partners who are aware and share our own standards and principles; then, we seek out opportunities to culturally enrich your travels primarily through music and history; and now for next year, culinary and gardening themes as well. Bill and his wife Sharon will accompany us on our Classical Music Delights on the Danube river cruise tour in April of next year—the first step in planning this tour was to find a river cruise that this particular classical music band was commissioned to perform on (which happened to be the beautiful Blue Danube), and the rest, as they say, is history….

Current Promotions

Click here: Bill describes "Delights"

Many of you are listeners of the Classical 96.3 FM radio station, and have heard our promotions on the radio. Currently, we are taking bookings for the Classical Music Delights on the Danube tour, which departs Toronto on March 31^st and returns on April 14^th. Yes, we recognize it would have been better if this trip started a couple of weeks later, but had we done so, we would not have been able to offer a classical music programme with such richness. Plus, weather conditions are really not very easily predictable anymore, so we follow the “be prepared, not scared” motto, and it works. This promotion ends mid November-if you are thinking of joining us, please contact us soon—bookings are almost at capacity.

Click here for Orient Express brochure

Click here to review our Aus / NZ brochure

We also have two staterooms available for our Australia and New Zealand cruise tour on Oceania in February 2012. The ship is completely sold out—we have the last two cabins in our group. In addition to the Australia and New Zealand voyage and the Danube tour in April next year, Joe and I will be hosting the Deluxe Orient Express tour in November 2012—if you are looking for a true exotic experience, this is it, look no more; Thailand, Singapore, Bali are among the most exotic destinations in the world; we stay at 5 star deluxe properties, we hired the best local guides, and we spend three most memorable nights on the infamous Deluxe Orient Express train—ah, what a nostalgic and memorable experience this will be! Joe and I are truly looking forward to this trip-hope you can join us. We have room for a few more discerning travelers like you.

Cruise Destination Review

This October, we returned from our Magical Mediterranean Memories cruise tour. Our group of forty was accompanied by Marilyn Lightstone of Classical 96.3 FM. Marilyn shared moments of “her life in the arts” experiences as we cruised from Venice to Monte Carlo on the luxurious Regent Seven Seas Voyager, all along being entertained by four Canadian opera singers—what a musical feast this was! Although we visited three other countries on this cruise (Croatia, Greece, and Monaco), Italy was the highlight on this voyage. Italy lies in the heart of the Mediterranean-the north of the country is rooted in Europe, and the south stretches like a bridge to the coast of Africa. Many an ancient mariner has landed on Italy’s rugged coast, and the eventual rise of Rome turned the Mediterranean into a Roman Lake which they called Mare Nostrum. 

When Rome fell, the northern cities of Genoa, Pisa and Venice emerged as great sea powers and rival city states. Then came the Italian Renaissance, born in Florence in the early 1400’s and beauty became a byword of Italy. Glorious churches, grand palaces, and landscaped gardens were built. Marble fountains and statues soon adorned the squares, and a sense of style became an Italian birthright. The country’s creative force, fueled throughout the centuries by political turmoil and military conflicts, has been described by the art historian Bernard Berenson as “the intensification of life”. We travel to Italy to see the ruins and famous works of art, and soon find all of our senses awakened. This sense of living each moment in a state of beauty, is the ultimate “la dolce vita”.

Equal to the quality of this wonderful cruise tour, was the hospitality of Marilyn Lightstone and Moses Znaimer; Marilyn very generously invited the group to her home for our reunion and what an enjoyable Saturday afternoon strolling through the luscious grounds and enjoying the ambience of a wondeful home with gracious people. We thank you, Marilyn and Moses.

Our Culinary cruise tour with Julia Hanna

Joe and I love Italy and we are going back next September. This time, we will be travelling with a culinary host; Julia Hanna, Oakville restaurateur and chef. She is the proud owner of Julia’s Ristorante and Ritorno, both restaurants in Oakville. She is also the founder of Kids Culinary Community (KCC), a non-profit organization. KCC programs educate children about the benefits of healthy eating by providing experimental learning programs such as cooking sessions. These cooking sessions are designed to educate and entertain, while achieving Julia’s life-goal of leaner and healthier future generations. The children also learn taste doesn’t need to be sacrificed for nutrition. As a token of our appreciation, Cruise Holidays of Clarkson has offered to donate funds to the KCC foundation for each cruise booking on the Oceania’s Riviera October 14^th, 2012 10 night-sailing from Athens to Rome. Join us on this spectacular voyage as we sail along the spectacular Amalfi Coast and savour Italian inspired delicacies. Call our office for details on this amazing Mediterranean cruise experience.

Group on tour

Our China and Tibet group has just returned from their extensive tour. They were accompanied by Jean Stilwell of Classical 96.3 fm and her collaborator Patti Loach. We’ve enjoyed travelling with Jean and Patti on numerous other voyages—their company is an absolute delight. Stay tuned for the details on their trip in our December issue—and some spectacular photographs; Patti is a passionate photographer.

European Barge Cruising

Constantly searching for new and exciting ways of exploring our beautiful, wide world, we would like to welcome you to the world of European Barge cruising—a unique holiday experience that has been around for decades, but only recently captured the interest of you, our discerning traveller. Discover the fascinating world of hotel barging by the vineyards of Burgundy, on the shaded Canal du Midi in Southern France, the Venetian Lagoon, or the Shannon in rustic Ireland—there are so many delightful waterways to be discovered. Perfectly suitable for small family reunions or friends’ get together adventures, European Barging will be the next “it” in cruising without a doubt. We have just the ideas for your barging experience—call us and find out more details.

Click here for our spring 2012 programme

Joe and I want to thank all of you who have traveled with us; many of you have come with us on our group tours, and equally as many have booked your individual vacations with us. Whether you like the security of traveling with a group, or you prefer to travel individually—we are here to plan and arrange the perfect vacation for you.  For a schedule of our 2012 group departures, please visit our website www.clarksontours.ca. For all other cruise departures, visit www.clarksontravel.ca. You can also always call us at 905.855.1700 or visit us in person at 1739 Lakeshore Road West in Clarkson Village, Mississauga. In addition to the China Group Reunion on November 19^th, we have two more tour presentations scheduled this month: The Deluxe Orient Tour on November 23^rd and Oceania Cruises on November 30^th—call us to register your attendance. We look forward to making your travel dreams come true! We leave you with a couple of photos from aboard the luxurious Regent Seven Seas all suites Voyager “Opera Night Under the Stars” we were treated to as we sailed out of Sorrento—what a night!

Welcome to our October 2011 Newsletter

This article starts by reflecting on the gregarious nature of mankind and our natural tendency towards curiosity and learning; we have a need to satisfy that curiosity; and we do this through learning and exploring; and exploring involves travel, be it next door, to other Provinces in Canada, across the Oceans or to a new travel frontier, outer space.

Travel; an integral part of human nature

In last month’s article I cited an extreme case of exploration: that of oceanographers’ research into the events of Earth’s past using the ocean’s floor as a repository. Through research, insights were developed into Earth’s evolution over millions of years, enabling predictions into its future. Research and exploration share a common ingredient; that of our need to belong to something. We “belong” to family, tribe, nations, interests, political parties, communities, ethnicity, associations or clubs. Combining this sense of belonging with our innate curiosity has driven us to explore ... and travel ... from the beginning of time. Some Canadians travel to find out more about themselves; they are drawn to their families’ roots, most times abroad. Others, like the oceanographers above, seek information, and yet others are driven by curiosity to exotic destinations such as the Far East, regions in the southern hemisphere, or just pristine beach resorts anywhere. We at Clarkson have taken these aspects, our curiosity, our passions, and our sense of belonging as the core criteria for developing our group travel programmes.

Change is constant

Straights of Magellan as a reference point

In January this year, Zaneta and I sailed through the Straights of Magellan at the bottom of South America. Prior to Magellan’s discovery of this Inland Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, ships made this journey by way of treacherous Cape Horn, oftentimes with disastrous results. As we sailed through the straights, we marvelled at the dexterity of the ship’s navigation, and thought of Magellan. When he traversed this inland route it was uncharted, he relied on wind-power, and his knowledge of the constellation. And Magellan likely took four to six months to arrive at the Atlantic side of the straights.

Key events; leading to feasibility of global travel

I suggest three past events that greatly contributed to dramatic improvement in the desire for travel and the speed of travel: (1) discovery the world was round, not flat, in Columbus’ time; (2) discovery of flight (Wright brothers) (3) the recent exploration of space. (There were other events and discoveries that are not dealt with in this article; such as Marconi’s wireless, and chip technology. Space technology gave us GPS’s in cars which are so effective many consider them essential and some of us have already lost our ability to navigate from maps! And similarly, captains of ships benefit from these technological advances.)

Group Tours at Clarkson

Group tours at Clarkson offer a promise of travel with like-minded travelers, the start of new friendships, learning from guides, and amazement at the ingenuity and resourcefulness of generations long past. One oftentimes observes Maslow’s theory at play; for example, systems and inventions developed in medieval times for safety and survival such as fire lookouts and protection against floods; or levels of self-actualization achieved as evidenced by elegant, immense and elaborate building structures.

Music and cultural events: desirable content of our group tours

Our working relationship with the New Classical 96.3FM radio station is not accidental as we are ardent lovers of music. Whenever we can, we include a musical component in our group travel. Most times, we include performances at historic venues such as State Opera Houses or at festive events featuring folkloric performances.  All our group travel packages, including their day to day itinerary and prices can be viewed at www.clarksontours.ca . While you’re on the website, have a look at our Special Offers for individual travel.

We benefit from escorting you, our fellow traveler, on these voyages. By escorting, we benefit by keeping up to date with destinations, observing attention to detail, and facilitates our understanding of your feedback and suggestions; many of which we implement.

Groups to be escorted by Zaneta and Joe

Zaneta and I are escorting two musical voyages in 2012, and in addition two “destination” experiences. The musical voyages feature onboard and onshore performances and are:

·         March 31, 2012, “Classical Music Delights on the Danube” accompanied by Bill Anderson on Lueftner Cruises’ ms Royal. We start in Ljubljana, Slovenia and end in Prague, Czech Republic. CLICK HERE to view Bill's video.

·         September 15, 2012, “Iberian Interlude” from London (Southampton) to Barcelona on Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Voyager. This is our annual opera cruise with Regent Seven Seas.

“Destination” experiences, to explore, learn and understand the history and culture of places visited are:

·         February 14, 2012, “Australia and New Zealand” starting in Cairns, Australia; ending in Auckland, New Zealand. Your bookings will not be wait-listed; we have cabins on reserve.
      September 12, 2012, "Enchanting Rhine with Floriade" hosted by Denis Flanagan of Landscape Ontario.
      November 2, 2012, “Deluxe Orient Experience” from Bangkok to Singapore by train; then four nights in Bali and two nights in Hong Kong. We have added this new destination.

Groups to be escorted by Natalia, Tal or Victoria

Mairead Dickenson will be leaving our employ to spend more time at her Florida home and travel.  Natalia Katrenyuk has joined us and will assume Mairead’s portfolio with support and guidance of all staff including Mairead. Natalia is widely traveled and possesses over seven years of travel consultancy and tour leadership experience. Here are Natalia’s, Tal’s, and Victoria’s escorted picks:

·         May 6: “Greek Glory” from Venice to Istanbul on Oceania Cruises (Victoria)

·         May 13: “Romantic Danube” from Prague to Budapest on AMA Waterways (Tal)

·         June 11: “Russian Waterways” from Moscow to St. Petersburg (Natalia)

·         July 18: “Alaskan Wonders” from Anchorage to Vancouver on Regent Seven Seas Cruises (Victoria)

·         September 29: “Magnificent Europe” from Amsterdam to Budapest on AMA Waterways (Tal)

Groups departed this month / now on tour

On September 16^th, we wished “Bon Voyage” to our “Magnificent Europe” group; this is one of Europe’s most popular river cruise tours; all fourteen days are on board, and it is truly a floating hotel experience! It sails from Amsterdam up the Rhine, crosses the Continental Divide, then continues down the Danube to Budapest.

On September 27^th, Zaneta and I will travel with Marilyn Lightstone on “Magical Mediterranean Memories”. This voyage with onboard opera performances sails from Venice to Monte Carlo on Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Voyager – the “It’s all included!” cruise line.

On October 10^th our China tour with Jean Stilwell of 96.3FM departs. Our guests will come away from China with a good appreciation of that country’s traditions, customs and decorum. In this combined land and cruise tour, the group will see places such as: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Guilin, Hong Kong and more; also the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terra Cotta Warriors, and the Three-Gorges Dam, to name a few.

In-store events

You can register your attendance at any event that interests you by clicking on the event you wish to attend on our “Calendar of Events” page on our website.  We invite you to the following events:

Date	Starts at	Event
Oct 15, 2011	15:00	River Cruise Presentation; a review of river cruising today and cruise lines by Joe Rochemont	Confirm your attendance
Oct 19, 2011	16:00	Magnificent Europe Reunion	Confirm your attendance
Oct 22, 2011	15:00	Magical Maritime Memories Reunion Event; Marilyn Lightstone host	Confirm your attendance

About our “Refer a friend” program

We invite you to take advantage of our referral offer. Refer a friend, have your friend book and earn CAD 150 bonus on your booking.

Why Cruise Holidays of Clarkson

Cruise Holidays of Clarkson is an independently owned travel agency specializing in group and individual leisure travel services. Our business relies heavily on word of mouth and the promise of a lifetime travel experience.

We consider it important to understand our clients’ travel dreams, preferences, and needs, to keep abreast of travel trends, opportunities, and geopolitics, and to deliver travel services aligned with expectations.

We are part of the Travel Leaders Group franchised operation and benefit from the scale of that operation when dealing with suppliers. This positions us to provide significant value to our clients.

Cruise Holidays of Clarkson is a member of Cruise Holidays’ President’s Circle (2009 and 2010) and recipient of Royal Bank Insurance’s award for quality business.

For more information on group travel, see www.clarksontours,ca; for individual travel see www.clarksontravel.ca ; or call 905 855 1700 or email info@clarksontravel.ca . Or better yet, drop in at our store located at 1739 Lakeshore Road West, Mississauga ON L5J 1J4; we have ample parking at back.

These offers officially expired August 31 ... contact us for continuing options

Check "Learn More" below to review Oceania's unprecedented offers. Interested? Then contact us for options:

Call 905 855 1700 or email at info@clarksontravel.ca.
See our web site for a wide selection.

 Our staff enthusiastically supports this "Entry Level Luxury" Cruise Line.

We have good and bad news for you; the good news is Oceania's unprecedented sales program; the bad news is their offers expire August 31.

Below, we provide links to Oceania Cruises' flyers listing 2 for 1 voyages, inclusions such as air and hotel; some fares discounted up to 67% and others offering hefty shipboard credits. These voyages are to virtually all regions of the world.

Indulge yourself, there is no better time to travel as now!

2011 Departures| 2 for 1 fares with air | Dbl Occ PP rates in USD

Offer	Voyage and Offer Info	Request Quote
$500 shipboard credit per stateroom from $1,999	Learn more
125% single supplement from $1,499	Learn more
Up to 67% fare reduction; 125% single supplements selectively offered; from $1,999	Learn more

2011 / 2012 Departures w/ air | Dbl Occ PP rates in USD

Offer	Voyage and Offer Info	Request Quote
Up to 67% fare reduction; 125% single supplements selectively offered; from $949	Learn more
Up $4,000 off per stateroom; from $1,299	Learn more

Cruise Reviews July 2011

Adriatic

In May, Joe and I returned from our Treasures of the Adriatic group cruise. Should you have doubts about visiting Croatia because of the “recent” war history, DON’T; go and fall in love with Dubrovnik - the jewel of the Adriatic; lose yourself at the Diocletian Palace in Split; wander through the criss-cross alleys of Korcula. … and whatever you do, DO NOT sail the Adriatic on a mega-sized cruise ship. Certain destinations are meant to be traversed on small-sized vessels.

Here are some of the comments our guests made about this breathtaking destination and cruise experience:

Raymond and Shirley Mathews:

“Dear Zaneta and Joe: Shirley and I would like to express our appreciation for the wonderful trip we had with you. I commend you on the quality of the tour and the care you provided to us and all the members of the tour. I especially want to compliment your travel consultants who were extremely helpful. We will certainly look forward to further trips with you”.

Alan and Marlies Clark:

“Dear Zaneta and Joe: just a short note from us to thank you for another spectacular and wonderful trip. It was great! Great! … as always. Much thanks for the wonderful memories and looking forward to the reunion.”



In Split, Croatia Zaneta and Bev

Gondolas in Venice near Rialto

Russian Waterways

Another of our groups just returned from an amazing Russian Waterways cruise. This is Cruise Holidays of Clarkson’s third visit to Russia - we simply cannot get enough of this pulsating destination. On this 13-day river cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg, you will witness churches and cathedrals being restored, and private enterprise flourishing. In the countryside, our discriminating travelers discovered villages and landscapes lost in time, imperial palaces and walled monasteries, wide lakes and lazy rivers, and clusters of glistening onion domes everywhere. There could hardly be a more exciting time to visit Russia, a country emerging from the throes of vast political and cultural upheaval. Russia’s approach to tourism has changed. Places we could only dream of visiting before are now open to the world. This destination is a must for history, art, and music buffs. Future Group Departures

Magical Mediterranean Memories

This September, we are off to the Mediterranean for a cruise on the Adriatic and the Mediterranean Seas.

Here’s how Marilyn Lightsone, the radio host accompanying us on this cruise describes this voyage: “I am over the moon with Cruise Holidays of Clarkson’s invitation to host my very first Magical Mediterranean Memories cruise. The very names of our ports of call ring out like lyrics in an aria: Venice, Korcula, Corfu, Taormina, Sorrento and the Isle of Capri, Rome, Lucca, Florence, Portofino, and the grand finale of Monaco”.

China, the Yangtze River and Hong Kong

In October, Jean Stilwell will accompany about 25 of our travelers to the Orient for an 18 day tour of China. This destination is on many of our travellers’ lists of places to visit.

Visit the historic Tian An Men Square where Mao Tse Tung first raised the flag of the People’s Republic. Roam through the Forbidden City where, in earlier times, only members of the Emperor’s family were permitted. Visit the Great Wall, built over 2,000 years ago and covering a distance of 5,000 kms. Admire the 6,000 crafted life-sized Terracotta Warriors and horses in Xian. Sail down the Yangtze on a 5* deluxe cruise ship and cruise through the three fabled gorges for a spectacular view of this picturesque setting. Shanghai (or “Paris of the Orient”, as often referred to by travelers) and Hong Kong are your next stops. Your accommodations on this spectacular tour are all deluxe properties: the Crown Plaza in Beijing, Xian’s Golden Flower by Shangri-La, Sheraton in Gulin, Sheraton Hongkou in Shanghai, and the Grand Kowloon in Hong Kong.

Christmas Markets River Cruise

Tired of the Caribbean? Looking to avoid the pre-Christmas holiday rush? Have you considered escaping to Europe? Better yet, have you thought of a Christmas markets river cruise???

A river cruise at this time of year is a fabulous way to return to the magical, childhood memory of Christmas; to immerse yourself in the authentic festive atmosphere…smell the aroma of freshly baked delicious pastries, admire the absolutely breathtaking display of sparkling lights, colourful handy crafts, and ornate decorations…listen to the Christmas festive tunes filling the air, the jingle of horse-drawn carriages on cobble stone roads … ah! what a joy! Christmas trees, gold-foiled angels, nut crackers, ginger bread, roasted almonds and the legends of Saint Nicholas. Each day is just like unwrapping one beautiful present after another as you sail along the river calling on magical intoxicatingly charming cities … Vienna, Budapest, Prague ... History, art, music … ah, yes, let’s not forget the fine food and aromatic wines.

If you are even a bit intrigued, call us and ask for the details on our November 24^th Christmas Markets Cruise tour.  We’d love to show you Europe at Christmas time.

Clarkson Tours August 2011 Newsletter

Climate change -- global warming or cyclic?

Welcome to our August 2011 newsletter! Looking back at the last eight months, January 1^st was mild; old man winter awakened late. Then he took a long time saying adieu and winter dragged on through spring. This was followed by a prolonged period of rain followed by a prolonged period of sunshine with unseasonably high temperatures. Other parts of the world too, experienced climatic change; at times with disastrous results.

Environmentalists have warned of cataclysmic climate change for some time. Others, amongst them Nostradamus and the Mayans, predicted the world would end next year; Nostradamus talks about a fire ball in the sky and the ocean boiling. Proponents of Milankovic’s cycles cite the earth’s interaction with other planets, its elliptical orbit around the sun, its axial oscillation and tilt as harbingers of change to climate and weather. These cycles take a very long time to complete – 21,000 years being the shortest. Milankovic’s proponents documented their findings in a 1976 scientific research publication entitled “Variations in the Earth's Orbit: Pacemaker of the Ice Ages". This study relied on an analysis of ocean floor sediment in lieu of a historical record of weather.

In January, Zaneta and I attended Dr. Don Walsh’s lectures on board Oceania’s Insignia as she sailed the Antarctic. Dr. Walsh indeed did confirm Nostradamus’ vision but added 400 million years or so to the year 2012 for its occurrence. Whew!

As a species, we human beings have migrated from continent to continent from time immemorial; we find this migratory evidence within our Canadian borders. And as we migrate, we create history, and pass on traits, genetic or otherwise, and values from generation to generation. Travel does expand the mind and appreciation of life's mysteries.

Tours Zaneta and I will be escorting

Zaneta and I look forward to our next voyages with you our fellow travelers. Next month we will be with Marilyn Lighstone of 96.3FM on “Magical Mediterranean Memories”. This voyage features three Canadian opera performers on board. We depart September 27 and return October 9; the “Meet and Greet” will be at our store September 10^th from 3:00 to 5:00 pm.

Next, we will escort our “Splendours of Down Under” from February 14 to March 10, 2012 in Australia and New Zealand. Despite Oceania Cruises “wait listing” reservations, we still get you a guaranteed booking; we have two penthouse suites and one balcony stateroom still on hold. We are pleased to have several past guests join us.

We will escort the “Classical Music Delights on the Danube” with Bill Anderson and wife Sharon McCarney from March 31^st to April 14^th. This cruise tour is a classical music lover’s delight and includes musical events -- opera, concerts and ballet in Ljubljana, Budapest, Vienna, and Prague in addition to onboard classical musical performances. Sign up for our information session on this voyage September 24th from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. Details are available on clarksontours.ca.

Significant upcoming in-store events

On September 8^th we invite you to Bev Vickers’ presentation on Regent Seven Seas at our store at 7:00 pm. Regent leads the way in quality of cruise line as attested by authoritative sources such as Conde Naste and others. We are pleased to be associated with this cruise line. Sign up online or call to attend.

On September 14^th we invite you to an all-day OPEN HOUSE event, where we will be available to meet with you and answer your questions about travel trends, destinations, and demonstrate the singularity of our mission – to gain and sustain a trusted relationship with our clients. Drop in between 10:00 am to 5:00 pm; or call or email us at info@clarksontravel.ca should you wish to meet with a particular travel consultant.

On September 17^th at 3:00 pm, we have your “China, Yangtze River Cruise and Hong Kong” “Meet and Greet” event. This cruise tour that has two departure dates. Tibet departs October 5^th; their fellow travelers depart October 10^th. Jean Stilwell of 96.3FM and Patti Loach will accompany this cruise tour.

On October 15^th at 3:00 pm, we will hold a presentation on river cruising at our store. Attend Joe’s presentation on “Why river cruising?” and benefit from the collective travel experience of Clarkson Tours’ staff. Please sign up online or call us to attend.

Our CLIENT APPRECIATION EVENT is scheduled for November 26^th from 1:00 to 6:00 pm! Please mark your calendars or even sign up to attend.

Other picks to mid-year 2012

Zaneta and I plan our escorted group packages well in advance to provide elegance in travel and accommodation. These are packaged tours with included activities exclusive to Clarkson Tours. We present our picks below in no particular order.

River cruise picks

AMA Waterways promotions for bookings by August 31 and September 30

Did you know AMA Waterways has promotions on selected cruises? Their offers expire August 31^st in some cases and September 30^th in others. AMA Waterways reserves the right to withdraw these offerings at its discretion. Examples are:

·        USD 500 discount per stateroom on specific departures on the Riches of the Mekong for past passengers – expires August 31^st

·        “Companion Flies Free” offer on specific voyages and departures – expires August 31^st
In Celebration of Wine
Christmasand New Year Cruises
Variousthemes; vineyards, Christmas and more
Richesof the Mekong

·        CAD 150 discount per person for all other cruises  -- expires September 30^th

Our river cruise picks

These are our picks for richness of experience and value:

AMA Waterways’ Riches of the Mekong cruise tour has been a sell-out since its introduction in 2009. Our group departs March 4, 2013. In addition to AMA Waterways’ discounts if applicable, Clarkson Tours will add an additional CAD 150 discount for bookings of a Junior Suite on the November 1^st, 2011 sailing and a Category C cabin on the November 15^th, 2011 sailing; these offers are subject to cabin availability.

AMA Waterways’ Christmas Markets cruise tour departs December 3^rd; AMA’s “Companion Flies Free” offer applies to this and other departures.

AMA Waterways’ Romantic Danube cruise tour departs May 13, 2012; AMA’s “Companion Flies Free” offer applies to the November 6^th 2011 departure.

AMA Waterways’ Enchanting Rhine cruise tour departs May 26, 2012; AMA’s “Companion Flies Free” offer applies to the November 7^th 2011 departure. Rudi Schreiner, President of AMA Waterways will host this voyage with a sommelier. Just great for wine enthusiasts.

AMA Waterways’ Russian Waterways cruise tour departs June 11, 2012 starts in St. Petersburg ends in Moscow.; we have retained this “white nights” departure date for four years running!

Our Ocean cruise picks

Our “Splendours of Down Under” Australia and New Zealand cruise tour departing February 14, 2012. Call to snap up our available cabins while we still have them.

Splendours of South America departs Feb. 7, 2012; start in Valparaiso, Chile ... sail south around the horn to fascinating Rio de Janeiro. Our offer includes prepaid gratuities.

Coral Seas and Australian Adventure departs Auckland Mar 08, 2012; from Auckland NZ to Sydney, Australia. Our offer includes prepaid gratuities and a complimentary bottle of wine per stateroom.

Greek Glory departs Istanbul May 06, 2012; from Istanbul, Turkey to Venice Italy. Our offer includes prepaid gratuities and a USD 250 shipboard credit per stateroom.

About our “Refer a friend” program

We invite you to take advantage of our referral offer. Refer a friend, have your friend book and earn a CAD 150 bonus on your own booking.

Why Cruise Holidays of Clarkson

Cruise Holidays of Clarkson is an independently owned travel agency specializing in group and individual leisure travel services. Our business relies heavily on word of mouth and the promise of a lifetime travel experience.

We undertake to maintain an understanding our clients’ travel dreams, preferences, and needs, to keep abreast of travel trends, opportunities, and geopolitics, and to deliver travel services aligned with our clients’ expectations.

We are part of the Travel Leaders Group franchised operation and benefit from the scale of its operation. This positions us to provide significant value to our clients.

Cruise Holidays of Clarkson is a member of Cruise Holidays’ President’s Circle (2009 and 2010) and recipient of Royal Bank Insurance’s award for quality business.

Our passion for culture and classical music has forged a relationship with the New Classical 96.3FM radio station where radio personalities, Bill Anderson, Jean Stilwell, and Marilyn Lightstone accompany selected voyages.

For more information on group travel, see www.clarksontours,ca; for individual travel see www.clarksontravel.ca ; or call 905 855 1700 or email info@clarksontravel.ca . Or better yet, drop in at our store located at 1739 Lakeshore Road West, Mississauga ON L5J 1J4; we have ample parking at back.