Labor Day Sales, Scenic’s ‘Enriching’ Private Events - and Cruise Match Making

Labor Day feels like the actual New Year to me. Everyone, not just families with kids back to school, is getting serious about things they’ve put off all summer.  That includes planning travel, and my inbox is full of emails from people panicking they’ve missed booking their perfect cruise this fall, winter or next spring. Never fear. There are still cruises to be booked.

It’s true that Christmas market river cruises are in short supply for 2025 (a couple of suites left on our Scenic Christmas market river cruise on the Danube December 14-21 if you’d like to join us filming an upcoming episode of World’s Greatest Cruises while supporting public television!).

But as the Labor Day sales in this newsletter show, there are great cruises and great deals in booking 2025 and 2026 cruises now that summer’s officially over. 

Have you been following Your Cruise Match Maker? It’s the alter ego I assume to answer questions I’m asked to help people find the perfect cruise. I’m I on the right track? Some of my answers are more controversial than others – and I’d love to hear what you think!  A few recent editions are in this newsletter, like: 

Which is the best cruise to see the Northern Lights?

What cruise line makes the best pizza at sea? And

What is the best river cruise to take in France?  

Don’t hold back – you can comment online or send me a note with your opinion! (Or send my your own questions – I can usually be counted on to have an opinion  .)

My grandmother had a saying, “There are 6 people in this house and 7 opinions.” So I’m expecting to hear lots of lively debate and other cruise lovers agreeing to disagree with me!

Another entry in today’s newsletter: if you’ve never sailed on Scenic, you may not have heard about their Scenic Enrich program. We filmed upcoming episodes of World's Greatest Cruises aboard 2 Scenic cruises this summer: one on Scenic Eclipse in the Mediterranean, and a Bordeaux river cruise. Scenic Enrich events are private, cultural events in spectacular settings on shore after hours – and just for the guests of the ship. (I'm pictured, top, with Scenic's Samiha Hassan, in front of the French chateau where one Scenic Enrich event was held - fans included to channel our inner medieval French princess!)

I describe it and two other wildly different Scenic Enrich events in this article/ photo gallery. 

They remind me of how privileged any of us is to travel, and to, no matter how many incredible experiences we ‘collect’, how important it is to retain a sense of travel wonder, and never be too jaded to be in awe of the extraordinary world we live in, and the moments life offers us.

So as we all get back into the fall rhythm, and think about where our travels in the coming months will take us, I hope you find fascinating new shores or revisit warm memories. If you are among the people I’ve sailed with, and share some of those dear memories, I hope our paths will cross again soon. 

Wishing you fair winds and following seas, 

Lynn Elmhirst, 

Cruise/ travel journalist and producer/ host of World’s Greatest Cruises