Future Travel Plans

As most of you know, Stu and I love to cruise, but since he has given up scuba diving it just hasn’t been on our bucket list. We’ve done all the Caribbean islands multiple times and those are the best priced cruises.

But that will change next year. We have booked a New England/Canada cruise out of Norfolk, VA on the Carnival Sunshine in October 2026. We’re not sure why they call it a New England cruise since we don’t stop there. Here is our itinerary:

• Norfolk, VA
• 2 days at sea
• Saint John, NB
• Halifax, NS
• Sydney, NS
• 2 days at sea
• Norfolk, VA

The next cruise after that is on the Disney Dream with our youngest grandson, Salem. It will be a 4-Night Bahamian Cruise out of Fort Lauderdale on January 11, 2027. We last did this with his older sister, Waverly, and she loved it. Normally we have taken the grandkids to Disney World but both Salem and Waverly have been, so it’s cruising time!

Then comes the biggie. I turn 80 in September 2027 and wanted to do something special. What started with a 14 day cruise of the British Isles on Holland America has morphed into THREE 14 day cruises in Europe. Here are the details…

14-Day Baltic & Scandinavian Capitals
Holland America Nieuw Statendam: Aug 20 2027 – Sep 3 2027

DAY 1 – DOVER (LONDON), ENGLAND, UK
DAY 2 – ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
DAY 3 – AT SEA
DAY 4 – COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
DAY 5 – ARHUS, DENMARK
DAY 6 – WARNEMUNDE (BERLIN), GERMANY
DAY 7 – AT SEA
DAY 8 – TALLINN, ESTONIA
DAY 9 – HELSINKI, FINLAND
DAY 10 – STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
DAY 11 – VISBY, GOTLAND, SWEDEN
DAY 12 – AT SEA
DAY 13 – OSLO, NORWAY
DAY 14 – AT SEA
DAY 15 – DOVER (LONDON), ENGLAND, UK

14-Day Wild British Isles: Belfast With History Channel
Holland America Nieuw Statendam: Sep 3 2027 – Sep 17 2027

DAY 1 – DOVER (LONDON), ENGLAND, UK
DAY 2 – AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
DAY 3 – AT SEA
DAY 4 – SOUTH QUEENSFERRY (EDINBURGH), SCOTLAND
DAY 5 – INVERGORDON (INVERNESS), SCOTLAND
DAY 6 – STORNOWAY, ISLE OF LEWIS, SCOTLAND
DAY 7 – PORTREE (ISLE OF SKYE), SCOTLAND
DAY 8 – BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND
DAY 9 – KILLYBEGS, DONEGAL, IRELAND
DAY 10 – GALWAY, IRELAND
DAY 10 – SCENIC CRUISING CLIFFS OF MOHER
DAY 11 – AT SEA
DAY 12 – DUN LAOGHAIRE (DUBLIN), IRELAND
DAY 13 – COBH (CORK), IRELAND
DAY 14 – AT SEA
DAY 15 – DOVER (LONDON), ENGLAND, UK

14-DAY Baltic Capitals & Berlin Oktoberfest
Holland America Nieuw Statendam: Sept 17 – Oct 1 2027

DAY 1 – DOVER (LONDON), ENGLAND, UK
DAY 2 – ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
DAY 3 – AT SEA
DAY 4 – OSLO, NORWAY
DAY 5 – ARHUS, DENMARK
DAY 6 – KIEL (HAMBURG), GERMANY
DAY 7 – WARNEMUNDE (BERLIN), GERMANY
DAY 8 – RONNE (BORNHOLM), DENMARK
DAY 9 – GDANKS, POLAND
DAY 10 – KLAIPEDA, LITHUANIA
DAY 11 – RIGA, LATVIA
DAY 12 – AT SEA
DAY 13 – COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
DAY 14 – AT SEA
DAY 15 – DOVER (LONDON), ENGLAND, UK

To say we are excited is an understatement. Not only do we get to visit Scotland again, we add in Ireland, plus a multitude of other countries. This doesn’t take as much planning as our two month European vacation in the fall of 2023 since hotels and local transportation aren’t needed. But we will have to fly to England and back. It’s too early to start working on that but I do have a spreadsheet prepared. More fun!!