Senior Clubs Offer Discounts on Alaska Cruises

Mature travelers will discover that cruise lines and tour operators, because of the recession and increasing competition, are still offering discounts and deals, particularly to Alaska.

Take Bill Taylor of Taylor Tours & Cruises. Five years ago, Taylor organized a Seniors Cruise Club, which now has more than 10,000 members. By reserving large blocks of cabins on summer sailings to Alaska on Costa Cruises’ Daphne, Taylor can provide members with low rates and with “early bird” (booking discounts) packages.

Taylor has also created a Club Alaska to provide more savings and services for mature travelers who sail on weekly round-trip cruises that leave Fridays from Vancouver, Canada, June 28 to Sept. 1, sailing north through Alaska’s Inside Passage. Ports of call on the cruise are Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Wrangle. The ship also goes into Endicott Arm to view a glacier.

Club Alaska provides a shipboard director on every voyage to help members with luggage (getting it on and off the ship), shore excursions, dining-room seating and shopping on shore. A representative of the club, who is also aboard every voyage, tips stewards, waiters and the maitre d’ for club members. Also, the representative purchases wine each night for members at dinner and pays the $55 ports tax charged passengers.

The air/cruise package from Southern California airports for a one-week Club Alaska cruise starts at $1,650 per person for an outside twin cabin on the 420-passenger Daphne, June 28 to Aug. 3.

For more information on these Alaska cruises or the Seniors Cruise Club (which has a quarterly newsletter of tips and other special offerings), contact Taylor Tours & Cruises, 3171 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Angeles 90039, (213) 664-4815 or (800) 282-4998.

The Pasadena Senior Center is offering a six-day Mother’s Day tour to Mazatlan, Mexico, May 12-17. Cost of the trip is $559 per person, double occupancy, from Los Angeles, with transportation on the trip by air and motor coach.

Price includes ocean-view rooms at Playa Mazatlan hotel, a dinner show, city sightseeing tour and departure taxes.

For more information, call Senior Citizen Clubs at (818) 242-4722.

More evidence of mature travelers preferring gambling spots is in a recent visitor profile conducted by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau, which notes that the average age of a visitor is 47 years. The profile also disclosed that the average age of a Laughlin, Nev., visitor is 57 years.

The Time of Your Life Expo will be held April 27-29 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Los Angeles Convention Center. One of the nation’s largest exhibitions for people 50 years and over, the show will feature more than 450 exhibitors who will be offering financial and retirement planning, health and nutrition information, hobby and crafts ideas and travel topics.

Admission is $6, with $2 discount coupons available at Thrifty stores and most Denny’s restaurants. A two-day pass for $7 is also available, along with the coupon discount.

A STRAC Travel Trade Show with about 100 booths and travel information related to California, Nevada and Arizona will take place May 6 in the Grand Ballroom of the Radisson Palm Springs Resort and Convention Center, and will be open to mature travelers. Until now, the show has only been open to tour planners for senior clubs and other organizations. Seniors will be admitted free from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Senior tour planners can attend on May 7, but by invitation only.