Welcome to our January 2012 Newsletter

Select 2012 voyages Where we've been and where we're going Visit our Website About Us Our Group Packages NOTE: We welcome you, our fellow travelers to our January newsletter. This newsletter contains links to detailed information such as day to day itineraries, prices and more. Year 2011 in review – highlights Last year witnessed many firsts; Standard and Poor’s downgrading of the US economy, the four-year old Euro-crisis, and the Arab upheaval that saw several long-standing heads of state removed. Nonetheless, we enjoyed many rewarding voyages in the year and reflect on some below. Our 2011 voyage highlights include a cruise from Rio de Janeiro to Valparaiso with a side trip to the Antarctic, another from Venice to Athens (this included the Dalmatian Coast, a visit to antiquity in the Greek Islands, and the Corinth Canal), and a third from Venice to Monte Carlo (this included onboard opera performed by emerging Canadian artists).  Our visits to the Greek Islands were unaffected by the economic crisis in Greece. In Athens, we avoided the afternoon demonstration by conducting our tour of Acropolis and the New Museum in the morning. At Clarkson, we build our group travel menu from voyages we ourselves have experienced and judged to have value. We add new voyages as they become viable, and are pleased to tell you there are three flavours of South African voyages now available; two travel on the Chobe River to Victoria Falls! Call us for details!  Our “Annual Repeat” voyages are: ·        Russian Waterways; we schedule this for a June departure when the “white nights” can be experienced. Your ship is your hotel on this voyage between Moscow and St. Petersburg... ·         Magnificent Europe; travel between Amsterdam and Budapest; experience medieval history; witness Hitler’s Zeppelin Fields where he addressed and motivated thousands. ·         The Black Sea Voyage; travel between Vienna and Istanbul. Vienna conjures opulence, the era of the Hapsburg family (“make love, not war”), of Mozart, Strauss; view Budapest’s chain bridge from the vantage point of Fisherman’s Bastion from the Buda side; and there is Istanbul; the seat of Emperor Constantine and the Ottoman Empire that lasted for over six hundred years. ·         The Enchanting Rhine; travel between Amsterdam and Basel; continue to historic Lucerne at the foot of the Alps and on to Zurich. FLASH: Every ten years, the Floriade Expo is held in Venlo. We have a special departure in September where we include tickets to this event. DENIS FLANAGAN of Landscape Ontario will accompany this voyage, and is prepared to share his extensive horticultural knowledge with you. On our May departure, there are still a few cabins (four at time of writing) left. ·        Magical Croatia; this intimate voyage travels from Dubrovnik to Split in July on a 36-passenger yacht. There is an option for an add-on land tour from Split to Ljubljana! You can call us for details on the above and many more voyages, or download day to day itineraries from our clarksontours.ca website. Travel choices – Total Cost of Travel (TCT) When booking air travel, we all look for deals! We balance price and travel-time and pick the most economical. When booking leisure travel involving voyages, or stays at resorts, our decision criteria must differ. Specifically, as travelers, we determine the “Total Cost of Travel” (TCT), which requires us to match our lifestyle with that of the travel experience preferred. We at Cruise Holidays of Clarkson are prepared to help you plan your dream vacation and to review TCT with you. Oftentimes, depending on your preferences, the quality of your vacation can be significantly enhanced without adding to TCT. Come in and let us review these options with you. Our travel menu Although these newsletters focus on group travel, our core business remains that of individual travel where we help you plan and organize your individual and family events. See us to help you plan travel occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, or just plain old getaways. This service is free and is an opportunity for you to get to know us. A great planner of meals, Zaneta applies her gourmet expertise to creating a group travel smorgasbord. We at Clarkson all get an opportunity to serve up voyages from her menu as we escort you on several. Zaneta herself will travel with the Australia and New Zealand group in February / March. At this time her sous-chefs have the following serving assignments: ·         Joe will accompany the “Musical Delights on the Danube” in April. Opera and ballet performances are scheduled in the elegant State Opera Houses in Budapest and Prague; cabins may still be available. Join Bill Anderson on this voyage. ·         Victoria will accompany the  following voyages: o   “Greek Glory” in May from Istanbul to Venice – a wonderful, rich itinerary! o   “Alaskan Wonders” in July from Anchorage to Vancouver o   The “Black Sea Voyage” in September from Istanbul to Vienna ·         Tal will accompany the  following voyages : o   “Romantic Danube” in May from Prague to Budapest; an outstanding experience! o   “Magnificent Europe” in September from Amsterdam to Budapest ·         September is chock full of surprises; Regent Seven Seas’ two departures, one September 6th circumnavigating the British Isles, and the other September 16th from London (Southampton) to Barcelona. ·         For gourmet chefs and budding chefs, come with us on Oceania’s new ship Riviera on the “Enchanted Grandeur” voyage from Athens to Rome. Cook along with Bon Appétit chefs, enjoy private dining with food and wine pairings and more! ·         Joe and Zaneta will accompany the “Deluxe Orient Experience” in November from Bangkok to Singapore (on train) and Bali to Hong Kong featuring the famed Orient Express and top hotels. ·         Welcome in the New Year on Disney’s Fantasy; departs December 29, 2012, 7 nights, East Caribbean, and to Disney’s private island – Castaway Cay. The assignments above are subject to group-sizes stipulated in our brochures. There are several side dishes to Zaneta’s menu in just about every month of the year; call, us, drop in, our visit our website. A feature destination – Galapagos Prior to Columbus’ discovery in the late 15th century that the world is “round” and not flat, ocean and sea travel was more or less restricted to the “Middle Sea”, and trade routes to India. The centuries following saw a deluge of able navigators, Cook, Magellan, Drake and others, who played significant roles in “opening up” the globe. We still use their passages (e.g., the Drake Passage, the Magellan Straits...) today. When visiting the South American region, one is struck by the relatively recent historical events as compared to those of North Africa, Europe, and China. References are mostly to the 19th century at which time indigenous peoples inhabited the land and followed survival strategies not unlike those of the Eskimos of the North. And there remain mysteries that predate history and continue to challenge the world’s best minds; for example, figures etched into the land by the Incas, discernible only from the air; and what appears to be “landing strips”. Galapagos, part of Ecuador, has a strong association with Charles Darwin. It is said that Darwin developed his theory of evolution here, observing as he did wild life seemingly preserved in time. It is amazing that some species of the giant turtle survived extinction (from the onslaught of whalers and other explorers who sought their fat). Today, Galapagos is a national ecological park. Its pristine and peculiar beauty has attracted curious-minded travelers for some time. Typical travel to the area includes tours of Ecuadorian sites (see inset map from Avalon Cruises) and can be supplemented with a visit to the Amazon for the nature seeker. There is significant benefit that one can derive from touching, and experiencing that cannot be fully imagined by reading books or narratives. Many times I have heard “Now that I have visited [that place] this [article, book] makes much more sense to me”. 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 Time Description of Event Location Jan 28 15:00 Meet & Greet; Aus and NZ (Departs Feb 14) Store Mar 3 15:00 Meet & Greet: Classical delights on the Danube with Bill Anderson; (Departs Mar 31) Store Mar 22 19:00 Information session on our Culinary Cruise *Julia’s Ristorante Mar 31 15:00 Reunion: Aus and NZ (Returns Mar 10) Store *NOTE: Julia’s Ristorante address: 312 Lakeshore Rd E Oakville, Ontario L6J 1J2; Tel: 905 844 7401 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. Best regards, Zaneta Rochemont President, Cruise Holidays of Clarkson t: 905 855 1700 | f: 905 855 1701 e: info@clarksontravel.ca | w: www.clarksontravel.ca

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.