
"Life will show you masks that are worth all your carnivals." — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Happy Mardi Gras! French for "Fat Tuesday," ancient Greeks and Romans were the first to celebrate it, and then Paris joined the fun in the Middle Ages. French explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville brought it to the U.S. in 1699, and our oldest Mardi Gras celebration can be found in Mobile, Alabama. People just love a good parade! Everyone knows about New Orleans, but other cities go all out too! Biloxi, Mississippi starts their carnival season on January 5 and keeps the party going into February with over 20 parades along the Gulf Coast. Other cities with Mardi Gras revelry include Baton Rouge, Galveston, Orlando, Tampa, Pensacola, San Diego, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C.
My favorite carnival was being in Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome with a group of friends and watching the most epic, elaborate floats filled with multi-stories of decorations and dancers. The music was amazing, and the spectacle was unforgettable. I'd really love to arrange a trip for you and your friends and family to experience it too!
Speaking of celebrations, Happy Year of the Dragon! It's considered such a strong and lucky sign that countries who observe the Chinese Zodiac see birth rates spike during a Year of the Dragon. 2024 is a Wood Dragon year, and those born this year (or 1964) are said to be very creative and curious. Sounds like my ideal clients!
While we're thinking of Asia, Japan continues to have a lot of interest from American travelers, and American Airlines announced they're going to begin nonstop service from New York (JKF) to Haneda, Japan (HND) in the coming months. If you want to visit Japan in the springtime, it's best plan that trip NOW for 2025. There are only so many guides in Japan, and I want you to always have the best, most knowledgeable ones. For Japan, that means planning your trip far in advance!
I'm also happy to have sold another Holland America Line cruise this week called 7-Day Viking Sagas that sails roundtrip from the Netherlands to Copenhagen, Oslo, and lots of Norwegian fjord cruising. I personally love Holland America because it's more for adults with interesting talks, excellent live music, the best food and service I've had yet on a major cruise line, plus a lot of outdoor deck space. You can even get out front on the bow of the ship. It's classic in all the best ways. They also extended their HAVE IT ALL package promotion which includes all of this - plus I can secure even more on board credits for you!
$150 per person shipboard credit
$100 per person Shore Excursion credit
One Specialty Dining restaurant meal
Wi-Fi Surf Package
Signature Beverage Package
Up to 40% off cruise fares
50% reduced deposit
My clients are really making the most of their sailing with all these inclusions and discounts!
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Nine Muses Travel designs journeys to inspire artists, arts lovers and the culturally curious.
Danielle Dybiec
Founder & President
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