1. 🚢 River Cruise Spotlight: From Vienna With Insight, Elegance & Expertise

Some meetings are worth flying across an ocean for.

At the ASTA River Cruise Expo in Vienna, I invested four packed days into what I love most: river cruising. I toured 17 ships across all the top brands, dined onboard with cruise executives, and deepened my understanding of what sets each line apart. Why? Because my clients deserve more than good guesses—they deserve perfect matches.

One of the highlights? Reconnecting with AmaWaterways co-founders Kristin Karst and Rudi Schreiner. Sharing dinner with Kristin and being joined by Rudi was a joy—they were warm, insightful, and full of the Ama spirit. Rudi’s "Ask Me Anything" session was a true insider’s experience. I even had the chance to ask him about Ama’s ship draughts vs. competitors—the kind of detailed, nerdy cruise info I love to use when tailoring trips to client needs.

I also dined aboard ships from Avalon, Viking, Uniworld, and AmaWaterways, experiencing firsthand the onboard ambiance, cuisine, and service that make each line unique. During the expo, I toured 3 Ama ships, 2 Viking ships, 3 Avalon ships, and ships from Tauck, Riviera, Amadeus, Riverside, Emerald, and Scenic as well. Avalon wowed with its panoramic suites and active discovery programs. Viking impressed with sleek design and consistency—I stayed on Viking Rinda and toured Ingvi (identical footprints make it easy to know what you’re getting). Uniworld's S.S. Maria Theresa felt like stepping into a baroque palace—an experience fit for royalty.

The artistic elegance of AmaLea, inspired by Gustav Klimt and chartered by Adventures by Disney, struck the perfect balance between family-friendly function and luxury. And the private Vienna Boys' Choir performance (thank you, Viking!)? Unforgettable. Sixteen boys—aged 10 to 14—sang with the poise of professionals. I was blown away by their discipline, heart, and talent.

One moment I’ll never forget? Receiving a public shoutout from Michelle Palma of Uniworld in front of fellow advisors and cruise partners. She recognized my commitment to river cruising and the work I do to match clients with the right product—and hearing that from someone I respect so deeply was incredibly meaningful.

Beyond the ship tours, I dove deep into education. I learned about AmaWaterways’ group strategy from Kristin Karst and Alex Pinelo, and explored Avalon’s differentiators with Tim Statz. Every session gave me more tools to serve you better.

And let’s not forget the magic of Vienna itself: wandering through Michaelerplatz as horse-drawn carriages clip-clopped by, marveling at St. Stephen’s Cathedral, indulging in cake at Demel, and basking in imperial architecture along the Ringstrasse. This city always sweeps me off my feet.

Being the only Canadian advisor in attendance (that I know of) was an honour. I flew across the ocean to advocate for you, to get face-to-face with the decision-makers, and to gather the insights that only come from being there. As a Virtuoso Cruise Icon, owner of Lush Life Travel, and affiliate of Direct Travel, I don’t just book trips—I bring back knowledge and connections that elevate every itinerary I design.

✨ Ready to find your perfect river cruise match? Let’s talk: sheila@lushlife.ca | #AskSheila

Ready to plan your next trip? Next Step: Luxury Travel, Booked Wisely

📩 Let’s curate your next unforgettable cruise experience:
🔹 Pre-Consultation Survey: https://tinyurl.com/LushLifeConsultSurvey
🔹 Schedule a Consult: https://tinyurl.com/LushLifeConsult

Exceptional journeys require expert planning. Let’s make your next luxury cruise experience truly extraordinary.

Sheila Gallant-Halloran | Lush Life Travel
🌍 www.lushlife.ca | ✉️ sheila@lushlife.ca

2. River Cruise Corner -  🚢 Cruise Spotlight: Viking Pop-Up Sale + My Time on Board!

If Viking Cruises has been on your radar, now’s the time to book! Viking has launched a limited-time Pop-Up Sale, exclusively for Direct Travel—and as the owner of Lush Life Travel, a proud affiliate of Direct Travel, I’m thrilled to extend this offer to you.

I’ve just returned from the ASTA River Cruise Expo in Vienna, where I stayed aboard the Viking Rinda and toured the Viking Ingvi. Experiencing Viking’s signature blend of elegance, destination focus, and outstanding service firsthand reminded me why this line remains a favourite among discerning travellers.

Watch my instagram reel here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHIdAJbAwv3/?next=%2F

Onboard, Viking’s design is serene and sophisticated, with light-filled lounges, thoughtfully appointed staterooms, and menus inspired by the regions you sail. What truly stands out is their deep commitment to cultural enrichment—think curated shore excursions and onboard talks that bring each destination to life.

This Direct Travel-exclusive sale features special fares, airfare incentives, and added-value offers on select river and ocean sailings. Whether you’re dreaming of drifting along the Danube, exploring Portugal’s Douro, or setting sail through the Norwegian fjords, this is a rare opportunity to lock in your next adventure with exceptional value.

As a Virtuoso Cruise Icon, I work closely with Viking’s top team and can often enhance your booking with exclusive perks.

Let’s connect soon—this pop-up won’t last long (it's over March 29th), and your next great journey awaits!

https://my.dt.com/sheilagh/en/cruise/15275/Pop-Up-Sale-with-Viking-Cruises

3.Adventure Travel Corner- Haida Gwaii: Islands at the Edge of the World

Looking to truly disconnect and immerse yourself in nature, culture, and storytelling? Haida Gwaii—formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands—offers one of the most remote and profound travel experiences in North America. 

Often referred to as “Canada’s Galápagos,” this isolated archipelago off British Columbia’s northwest coast is a wild and sacred land, steeped in Haida Indigenous heritage and ecological wonder.

This exclusive small-group adventure takes you deep into the heart of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, a place co-managed by the Haida Nation and Parks Canada. You’ll explore ancient coastal rainforests, kayak among kelp forests, and visit UNESCO-designated Haida heritage sites, including SGang Gwaay, with its hauntingly beautiful totem poles still standing.

Your home for this journey? A nimble, expedition-ready ship with just 12 guests, led by expert naturalist guides. With no roads, no cell service, and no distractions, you’ll connect deeply—to nature, to culture, and to your fellow travelers.

The Haida Gwaii experience isn’t just a trip; it’s a reconnection—with stories carved into cedar, with eagles soaring above old-growth forests, and with a worldview rooted in deep respect for the land and sea.

As one of my preferred partners, Natural Habitat Adventures ensures this journey is as enriching as it is respectful, sustainable, and authentic. Dates are limited and space is tight.

Let me know if this kind of soul-stirring wilderness speaks to your adventurous heart.

https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sheilagallanthalloran/tours/16604231/haida-gwaii-islands-at-the-edge-of-the-world 

4. Wellness Travel Corner- SHA Wellness Clinic – A Reset for Body & Mind

🌿 Wellness Spotlight: SHA Wellness Clinic – A Reset for Body & Mind

Looking to reset, recharge, and reconnect with your healthiest self? Let me introduce you to SHA Wellness Clinic in Alicante, Spain—a globally acclaimed destination for integrated wellness and a Virtuoso-preferred property.

Perched between the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, SHA offers a serene, design-forward setting for transformative wellness programs. This isn’t your average spa retreat. SHA combines Western medical expertise with Eastern holistic disciplines, all personalized to your goals—whether that’s stress reduction, detox, sleep improvement, weight loss, or simply aging vibrantly.

Every guest begins with a full health consultation and receives a tailored itinerary of treatments, therapies, and nutrition, guided by a team of experts ranging from doctors to nutritionists to yoga instructors. The food is plant-forward and delicious, based on the SHA nutrition philosophy that balances taste with therapeutic benefit.

The result? Guests leave feeling lighter, clearer, and more energized—physically, emotionally, and mentally.

As a Virtuoso advisor, I can offer my clients exclusive perks, such as upgrades on arrival (when available), a complimentary 50-minute massage, and early check-in/late check-out. And with my insider connections, I can help you choose the perfect program, navigate the various SHA offerings, and coordinate all logistics.

This is wellness done at the highest level. If you’re craving a purposeful escape with real results, SHA is your place.

Let’s talk about how you can start your wellness journey here.

See https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sheilagallanthalloran/hotels/15395868/sha-wellness-clinic

6. Travel with Sheila: 2025 Women's River Cruise to Paris & Normandy

What are you waiting for? 

I’m thrilled to be hosting another incredible group journey, this time on a women-focused river cruise to Paris and Normandy in November 2025. While the spotlight will be on women’s themes, spouses and partners are welcome! They can skip the morning talks and still enjoy the shore excursions, dining, and everything else onboard. (Several husbands are booked too!)

Why Join This Cruise?
✨ Paris: Always enchanting and vibrant.
✨ Normandy: Stunning coastlines, artistic beauty, and rich history. Explore Monet’s Gardens, the charming harbor of Honfleur, Joan of Arc’s legacy, and the D-Day beaches, including a special Remembrance Day tour on November 11th (with tailored visits to Canadian or American beaches).
✨ Château de Bizy: Experience the grandeur of "the Versailles of Normandy."

Blend culture, art, architecture, and the good life as we sail the Seine together.

Cruise Details:
🚢 Line: AMA Waterways, aboard the luxurious AMA Dante
📅 When: November 8, 2025, for 7 nights (option to add a 2-night pre-cruise in Paris)
📍 Itinerary: Roundtrip Paris along the Seine

Special Offers: Reduced solo supplement cabins—grab them before they’re gone!

•  The latest edition of Travel with Sheila -Join Me: 2025 Women's River Cruise to Paris & Normandy

All category E, D, and C are now sold out. I still have some category A, B, and suites. If you've been considering joining me, now is the time to book. Would you like to join me?

For the category B twin balcony or category A twin balcony, let me know if you'd like updated pricing. The pricing promos changed as at Dec.31.24. So let me know if you'd like to book, and if you are solo or double occupancy, as that will impact pricing. 

🗺️ For full details, including itinerary, deck plans, and inclusions (kindly note - the pricing promos have changed as at Dec.31.24 - let me know if you'd like to confirm updated pricing), visit: 2025 Women’s River Cruise Details.

🎥 Watch a recording of my webinar with AMA Waterways BDM Neil Dudley: Cruise Presentation.

And there's also this presentation with Neil and me:

Kindly see https://lush-life-travel.optin.com/newsletter/awlist4876745/MjU0OTcyOTI=/2025-women-s-river-cruise-paris-normandy-from-sheila-of-lush-life-travel.htm 

for details on: Itinerary, Map, Video, Info about AMA , Deck Plan, Inclusions. Pricing. Sheila Promos. Land Package in Paris. Air Promo. 

Ready to join us? Cabins are filling fast! Let me know if you’d like to secure your spot. 🌟

See some additional detail on these preferred HOTEL PROGRAMS

• A&K 100 Club ;  Accor Step & Fairmont ,  Belmond Bellini Club Program ;  
• Couture by Langham;  Dorchester Diamond Club;  
• Four Seasons Preferred, Hilton Impresario;  Hyatt Privé Program; 
• IHG Hotel Program ; Jumeirah’s Passport to Luxury , 
• Kempinski Club 1897; Luminous Hotel Program ,
• Mandarin Oriental Fan Club; Marriott Stars & Luminous , 
• Pearl Partner Oetker;  Peninsula Fan Club , Preferred Hotel Program ; 
• Rocco Forte Knights Program ; Rosewood Elite ; Small Luxury Hotels 

9.  Special Offers from Lush Life Travel, a Direct Travel affiliate & top Virtuoso partner

As the owner of Lush Life Travel, a boutique travel agency affiliated with Direct Travel, I’m delighted to bring you access to exclusive offers through Direct Travel’s status as one of the largest Virtuoso luxury travel network partners.

Here are some fantastic opportunities from a few of our favorite travel supplier partners:  

DESTINATION of the week: 

Colombia: The New Luxury Destination of the Americas

https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sheilagallanthalloran/current-news/supplier/procolombia/Colombia-The-New-Luxury-Destination-of-the-America 

SMALL OCEAN CRUISE Partner of the week:

WIndstar - Pick Your Perk: https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sheilagallanthalloran/promotions/16915313/pick-your-perk

RIVER CRUISE Partner of the week:

Viking Cruises Pop Up Sale

https://my.dt.com/sheilagh/en/cruise/15275/Pop-Up-Sale-with-Viking-Cruises

EXPEDITION CRUISE Partner of the week:

Seabourn A Sail Beyond Event

https://my.dt.com/sheilagh/en/cruise/14920/A-Sail-Beyond-Event-with-Seabourn

TOUR PARTNER of the Week:

Micato Safaris - Heed the call of the wild https://e.virtuosoemail.com/heed-the-call-of-the-wild?ecid=ACsprvsQqFST0ePR_Hyqd6W_W1Zu8hTAKjzPmWJ46O6ptD93mJcAGapGTBqWtbMAx1ApbyBT-wT8

HOTEL of the week:

The Towers at Lotte New York Palace https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sheilagallanthalloran/promotions/16725523/every-third-night-complimentary 

LUXURY experience of the week:

Rocky Mountaineer - Make your way to the revitalized Jasper National Park https://e.virtuosoemail.com/make-your-way-to-the-revitalized-jasper-national-park?ecid=ACsprvu9o-zP7uocY3yLVIGp7idGb4ocBcLyLJBL4WFZvu5MYyHQgSAhZwXWs_1tPw4l1IMNZ6BS

Let me know if one of these holidays catches your eye—I’d love to help you plan your next unforgettable journey!