In today’s episode, Rodney shares what’s ahead over the next 18 months—brag-worthy escapes designed to indulge your sense of wonder and elevate your standard of comfort. From Antarctica's icy splendor to French Polynesia's turquoise waters, these once-in-a-lifetime trips feature luxury accommodations, immersive cultural encounters, and memorable journeys that stay with you forever. Whether sipping champagne aboard the Seabourn Pursuit or watching the sun rise over Bora Bora from the Four Seasons, these are not just vacations but experiences worth sharing. So tune in, take notes, and start dreaming big. 

Don’t let this opportunity slip away! Visit luxetrav.com to learn more about these amazing trips. Because, as Rodney always says: Remember, enjoy yourself—it’s later than you think!

IN THIS EPISODE:   

• (00:58) Rodney shares luxury travel opportunities available over the next 18 months. Antarctica 
• (01:29)  Rodney reads excerpts from a beautifully written reflection by a past traveler to Antarctica of his memorable journey 
• (06:57) Rodney shares dates for the exploration of Antarctica
• (09:34) Travel dates with Paul Gogan to French Polynesia, Bora Bora and including the Four Seasons luxury accommodations
• (15:12) Paul shares a client's itinerary taking in Bora Bora and then onto Australia and New Zealand
• (16:44) Stay tuned for what is in store for 2027 and 2028, and consider making your luxury memorial journey a family affair, take the grandchildren

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Rodney shares a vivid travel account of Antarctica, highlighting its alien beauty, unique wildlife and the emotional impact of visiting such a remote, otherworldly place. He invites listeners to join an exclusive 2027 expedition cruise aboard Seabourn’s Pursuit, with luxury travel amenities, expert-led excursions, and immersive wildlife experiences.
• The 2027 Antarctic expeditions will be hosted on the Seabourn Pursuit, a luxury expedition ship for around 200 guests. Travelers can expect personalized service, complimentary dining, caviar, champagne, wine, expedition gear, and daily expert-led conversations—all included in the experience.
• While Rodney has many favorite destinations, he declares Bora Bora in French Polynesia the most beautiful place he's ever been. He compares it to New York’s iconic status: “so incredible, they named it twice.”

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Luxury Travel, Luxury Accommodations, Memorable Journeys, Cruise, Luxury Cruise, Bora Bora, Antarctica, Seabourn Cruise, Cultural Experiences, Four Seasons, Expeditions, World Travel, French Polynesia, Travel Tips, Travel Agent 

So buckle up and prepare for a journey into the laugh of luxury. Now your host.

First and [00:01:00] foremost, well, not foremost, but certainly first is Antarctica. The seventh continent. And not to bore you, but this is something that, uh, a gentleman that just returned from Antarctica wrote, [00:01:15] and he's a much better writer than I am. And so I'm just gonna read a couple of excerpts from it just so you kind of get the feel for what it might be like to experience Antarctica for the first time.

It's incredibly beautiful and endlessly fascinating. The white continent is an alien, so unique and unearthly that it can [00:02:00] act as a preparation for outer space. It. He goes on to say, Antarctica is a gallery of icebergs that are as fascinating as are the animals sculpted by wind and water. You, you won't believe this part.

Now, I did not know this either, that humpback whales shut down half their brain [00:02:45] in order to sleep. Hmm. I, I know some folks that maybe shut down their old brain and never got it going again. I don't know about you. Uh, but when we arrived, it seemed to wake them up and they rolled and, and spouted and so [00:03:00] close to us that we could smell the fally fish stink of their breath.

Maybe just for fun just showing off. Right? And of course, the penguins, I. With their r uh, uh, R are means like a huge family of penguins. [00:03:45] He said they, they just go on and on. You can watch 'em all day because they're all into minor crimes and just misdemeanors, he says as they steal. Petty little neighborhood squabbles began stealing pebbles [00:04:00] or or rocks from their neighbor's, pile of stones, uh, to keep from having to go all the way to the, uh, cold waters to get them for themselves on their own.

They just follow the path that's already been created. And then he talked about the killer orca whales and what, and how they hunt and, and, and the, the fact that they're, they're, the sounds that they make are [00:04:45] so eerie that it's sometimes almost creepy. And he finished up with this, he said it probably helped that no one had to go shopping.

For the first time in 12 days, we were overcome with the the nostalgia [00:05:30] for the remarkable place that we had all shared together, the extraordinary continent at the end of the world. And at journey's end, this embarkation felt like an unhappy exile. Back to [00:05:45] reality. I love what he, when he says that we were overcome with nostalgia for the remarkable place that we had shared, can you wait to be overcome with [00:06:00] the nostalgia of the place that you have the opportunity to share so that you have that opportunity and so that you have a opportunity to do it in the luxury style that is.

Now it's not gonna be like June or July, is wherever you live in the United States, I can assure you [00:06:45] of that. But the temperatures will be in the mid thirties during the day. Uh, I'll tell you a little bit about what you're gonna get to help you accommodate for that. So you don't even have to take your coat with you.

Ship for about 200 people. Personalized service by a team of that. They live to Excel. Seaborn is known for their complimentary [00:07:45] caviar, uh, an indulgence that's offered throughout every voyage on every, uh, Seaborn ship. World-class dining and culinary experiences. All the dining is, is complimentary. So is the wine, so is the champagne.

Sometimes we'll be using. Zodiacs [00:08:30] and making some landings. Uh, there'll be some photography workshops on the way there to help you take better pictures while you're there, uh, I mentioned something about something to keep you warm. You get a complimentary seaborne expedition parka that [00:08:45] you can take home with you and a day pack and, uh, opportunities abundant.

[00:09:15] This is an incredible experience for all. It's, uh. I think I call it bragging rights because, uh, you might be the first person in your group that's been to the seventh continent. Okay. [00:09:30] Rub your heads together a little bit. Let's warm up a little bit because the, the next trip I wanna tell you about comes up a little sooner on the calendar because this is 2026.

So it depends on what you're looking for. If you're looking for history, it might be a cruise down the Danube River. Uh. The demarcation line for communism during World War ii. Uh, if you're looking for [00:10:15] a beach that could be anywhere, that's got a comfortable chair, and, uh, for me, I'm very simple. Cole Cervesa will do the job.

You know Frank Sinatra in his song New York? New York said the city's so great, they had to name it twice. Well. That's kinda like Bora Bora. It's so incredible. They named it twice and it's one of the [00:11:00] most, it is the most beautiful place that I've been to on this earth, and it's spectacular. So what we're gonna do is we have the Paul Gogan cruise ship, which is a, uh.

As a matter of fact, the lady that was supposed to be on the call today is with Paul Gogan, and when she returns to [00:11:45] record her session will have all types of photographs and videos of what the ship looks like now that it's been redone. Here again, we have two dates that you can join us. The first date is July [00:12:00] 14 to 29 of next year of 2026, or September 8th to 23rd.

And so we have some videos and things that we can send over to you [00:12:45] if you'd like some additional information. But first, let me tell you what all's included. This cruise with Paul Gogan. First of all, we highly recommend, although it's not included in the pricing, it's a separate, a separate entity because there's, um, I think [00:13:00] there's 27 different room categories at the Four Seasons in Bora Bora.

With your favorite beverage and with your favorite person. But on board the [00:13:45] gogan, everything's included. All your meals, all of your beverages, 24 hour room service. Um, you have an in-room refrigerator that's replenished on a daily basis. All your entertainment. And by the way, they have a lot of lectures on here too.[00:14:00]

Uh, they do that at the Destination Beach. They have two [00:14:30] different days that we go to a destination beach on properties that they, they actually own. Um, and, uh, just so you can stay in touch if you care to do so when you're in paradise, it's a little [00:14:45] harder to get focused on staying in touch. But I know in this world, in the, in today's world anyway, we do need to stay in touch.

I've got some clients that are leaving, [00:15:15] uh, this July. And they're doing exactly what we're talking about cruise wise. They're doing exactly what we're talking about at the Four Seasons, and then they're flying to Australia to do 20 days, 10 days in Australia and 10 days in New Zealand, [00:15:30] uh, to round out, uh, an entire month worth of travel in that region of the world.

And you're going to see such fabulous things as the Sydney Opera House and, uh, the Great Barrier Reef. Um, amazing, amazing countries, amazing [00:16:15] people, uh, in the land of down under. So we're constantly looking for new and exciting places to go because we find. As we grow older in this business, as we grow older in life, that our, our needs, our desires, our [00:16:30] wants, and our what's importance, uh, change.

Way out in [00:17:00] 2027 and 2028. That's how far ahead we plan some of these things. So stay tuned, keep a watch on what we're doing, and if you have questions about anything, we love to talk, we love to put together that perfect custom [00:17:15] itinerary for you. I remember, uh, about five years ago, I was interviewed by a local, by the local newspaper here in Naples.

I spent almost an entire day with 'em because they titled the article, take the [00:17:45] Kids and Pick Up the Tab. And as a grandfather, I, I get that. When, when grandpa's paying, you don't get very many no's. I have three children and four grandchildren, and my children are all married, and [00:18:00] so it becomes a pretty big undertaking.

I wish all of you, uh, a wonderful summer as we're getting into the summer months here, and I hope that you'll give us a call. And let us take you to where we want to go, where you want to go, or just give us, shoot us [00:18:45] an email, rodney@luxetravelconsultants.com and just drop us a note and tell us what you're thinking about and we'll be back at you as quick as we can to find out really what it is that you want to do so that it's a trip that's made [00:19:00] just for you and your family.

Voiceover: Thanks for joining us on the Luxury Travelers Podcast. For more information, head [00:19:30] on over to luxury travelers podcast.com to connect with our team or leave us a message. Until next time, safe travels and savor the [00:19:45] extraordinary.