Scott uses Viking Travel, a local travel provider based near Chicago, for many of her trips. She is using them for a customized trip to France in August that will include Paris and Normandy. Her group will cruise on a Uniworld ship on that trip. She also sent four travelers to Russia this year on a Grand Circle river cruise.
In February, 25 or so of her travelers will cruise in Hawaii, visiting the Big Island, Oahu, Kauai and Maui. That trip is with Norwegian Cruise Lines.
Diana Thorson, who manages the travel program for Merchants Bank in Winona, Wisconsin, also put her group on an American Queen cruise this year and is sending them to Chicago on Amtrak this December.
“I highly recommend the American Queen,” she said. “We did their Louisiana History and Culture cruise in May, which included Natchez, Baton Rouge, New Orleans and other stops. It was a great cruise. One of our customers became ill, and their staff could not have been more helpful. They helped us get him to a hospital in Baton Rouge. Everything was top-notch on that trip.
“The Amtrak trip is a long weekend in Chicago that includes a progressive dinner at three restaurants, a tour of the Salvation Army’s training headquarters, the Elks veterans memorial building and several of the museums. This is not a shopping group — they want to see the city instead of spending all their time in stores.”
