After receiving our J & J vaccines two weeks ago today, we both started thinking about booking travels into the future, although we hadn’t discussed it much.  A few days ago, I asked Tom if any cruises might appeal to us, now as the world of cruising begins to open up in many parts of the world, besides the Caribbean, which we’ve sailed many times over the years.

Yesterday, his fingers flew across his keyboard for hours as he researched options that might appeal to us. With no plans with the family all day and evening, this was a perfect opportunity for him to see what was available. At the same time, I stayed busy working on post corrections, which I haven’t neglected while in the USA.

I still have a long way to go. (After preparing and uploading each day’s post, I made a point of making corrections on at least ten posts. But, if I continue at this pace, I should have this task completed in approximately four months).

As he conducted research, we chatted back and forth about some of the options he’d discovered, including the number of days of any given cruise, the cost, and, of course, considering what works for our budget. The excitement between us was palpable. How long had it been since we were able to build an itinerary?

After I had open-heart surgery in South Africa in February 2019, we followed the itinerary set at that point. The only new adventures we added were the exciting trip on the Maharajas Express Train in India, the following 54-night private tour of India, and the later canceled cruise from Mumbai to London, all of which was cut short due to Covid-19 in March 2020.

To be able to begin building a new itinerary is exciting and rewarding after this extended period. So much has happened since the last time we were in booking mode, hopeful for the future. No, Covid-19 is not over in most countries. And yes, there are still countless restrictions in most countries throughout the world, but cruising for vaccinated individuals is opening up by the day, leaving frustrated cruise enthusiasts reeling with joy.

Tom has always mentioned how much he’d like to cruise the Black Sea. But, in the past, the cost was prohibitive, and based on the outrageous expense of our 2018 Antarctica cruise, we tended to think about more moderately priced cruises. Then, as cruise lines began accepting bookings once again, Tom noticed, during his research, that suddenly, the Black Sea was a possibility with the upscale Azamara Cruise Line on the ship, Onward, which will be remodeled by the time we sail on June 29, 2022.

This time, for the first time, we booked the cruises through Costco with our new membership. Prices were slightly less than through Vacations to Go, which we’ve always used, but we get a gift card from Costco for booking through them. The cruise listed here provides a complimentary $760 gift card used in any Costco store or online and a $595 gift card on the second cruise. That’s quite a perk (These gift cards may not be used for future travel).

Wow! This is spectacular! The perks for both cruises value $3,876! On top of that, for both cruises, we received total credit including; shore excursion credits for $600; an $800 onboard credit to use as we like; the internet package for one device (valued at $419. We’ll pay for one more device);  the premium drink package, valued at $16.95 per person per day (for a total value of $712).

Here is some information on the ship, Onward: