Patrick (Paddy) Moore September: A Season of New Beginnings
September has always felt like a second New Year to me.
Remember those childhood days of heading back to school: new clothes still crisp from the shop, pristine notebooks waiting for their first scribble, familiar friends returning with summer stories—and perhaps a few new faces waiting to become friends?
There was anticipation, mixed with just a little hesitation.
Rather like booking a vacation.
Every journey begins with that same flutter: the excitement of what lies ahead, tempered by the small uncertainty of leaving the familiar behind. Then the reservation is made, the suitcase comes out, and hesitation gives way to possibility.
Perhaps September is the perfect time to begin again—and put a new adventure on the calendar.
Three September Escapes Worth Noticing
1. REPOSITIONING—Sail Through the Panama Canal
Each autumn, ships finish their Alaska season and reposition from Vancouver toward the warmth of the Caribbean. These longer voyages can offer exceptional value—and one of the world’s great travel experiences: a passage through the Panama Canal.
The 2026 departures are now sold, but the ships must return. Next April, you can sail from Fort Lauderdale back to Vancouver, trading palm trees for mountain peaks while experiencing the lakes, locks and remarkable engineering of the Canal along the way.
It is more than a cruise home. It is an unrushed journey between oceans—and one of the cleverest ways to see the Americas.
2. Italy—Now Is the Time
September is one of Italy’s loveliest months.
Summer’s intensity begins to soften, bringing pleasant walking weather and a more relaxed rhythm to Rome, Florence and the Amalfi Coast. Café tables still spill into the piazzas, the Mediterranean remains inviting, and sightseeing becomes less of an endurance sport.
In Tuscany, September also ushers in the grape harvest. Vineyards glow beneath the late-summer sun, villages celebrate the vendemmia, and the countryside seems to offer a toast of its own.
Italy in September is still golden—just a little gentler around the edges.
3. Kenya and the Great Migration
Across Kenya’s Maasai Mara, September delivers one of nature’s most stirring spectacles.
Vast herds of wildebeest and zebra move across the plains during the later stages of the Great Migration, while lions, cheetahs, elephants and giraffes complete an astonishing living tableau.
Wildlife viewing can be extraordinary, but the experience is about more than numbers. It is the sound of hooves across the grasslands, the immense African sky and the humbling realization that you are witnessing a story far older than ourselves.
Some journeys entertain us. Africa has a habit of changing us.
Planning Ahead: Featured Journeys
🎄 Christmas Markets Along the Rivers of Europe
Imagine sailing into the heart of Europe as its medieval squares begin to sparkle with lights.
The scent of gingerbread, roasted chestnuts and mulled wine drifts through the streets. Cathedral bells sound above wooden market stalls filled with ornaments, local delicacies and handcrafted gifts. Each day brings another beautifully decorated town; each evening, your warm and welcoming river ship waits nearby.
AmaWaterways and Viking and other suppliers offer wonderful Christmas Market journeys along rivers such as the Rhine, Main and Danube, visiting festive favourites in Germany, Austria, France, Hungary and beyond.
These seasonal sailings are always popular, and the best ships, dates and staterooms can disappear like shortbread at a Christmas party.
Now is the time to reserve your 2027 or 2028 Christmas Market river cruise. Booking well ahead provides the widest choice—and gives you something magical to anticipate long before the first snowflake falls.
Please contact me to find the itinerary, ship and travel style that suit you best.
🌸 Spring Blossoms in Japan—April 2027
Japan in spring feels almost dreamlike.
Cherry blossoms drift across temple gardens, parks fill with picnics, and ancient traditions unfold beside the exhilarating energy of modern cities. From serene shrines and carefully tended gardens to bullet trains and lantern-lit streets, Japan offers beauty in both the grand gesture and the smallest detail.
Our April 2027 journey is being planned to capture this remarkable season. Cherry blossoms keep their own calendar, naturally, but anticipation is part of the pleasure—and this is a journey worth anticipating.
Please contact me for details and availability.
🛳 EXPLORA III: The Headline of the High Seas
Over the past two years, a new luxury cruise line has been making some very elegant waves.
Explora Journeys—the luxury ocean-travel brand of the MSC Group—has earned awards and critical acclaim with its first two ships, EXPLORA I and EXPLORA II.
And next year, it will be here.
Beginning in July, the brand-new EXPLORA III is coming to Vancouver for its 2027 Alaska season, bringing a distinctly different style of ocean travel to our doorstep. Its appeal lies in generous space, sophisticated cuisine and attentive service, all delivered with an atmosphere of relaxed European luxury—without unnecessary fuss or formality.
It is particularly well suited to younger, affluent travellers, couples and families looking for a polished experience that feels contemporary rather than conventional.
My clients and colleagues who have sailed with Explora Journeys have returned raving about their time aboard. Now we have the opportunity to experience its newest ship while exploring Alaska’s glaciers, fjords, wildlife and wild coastal communities from Vancouver.
New ship. New style of luxury. One magnificent backyard.
Explore EXPLORA III’s official Alaska journeys
Contact me for itinerary choices, current pricing and the journey best suited to you.
September Traveltini: Teacher’s Pet
With new notebooks, fresh starts and journeys waiting to take flight, September calls for a Paper Plane—this one is a Canadian version.
This modern classic is bright, bittersweet and beautifully balanced—rather like the best adventures.
Ingredients
- Âľ oz Crown Royal
- Âľ oz Aperol
- Âľ oz Amaro Nonino
- Âľ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a tiny folded paper plane or a curl of lemon peel.
Equal parts sweet, sour, bitter and bold—and considerably more enjoyable than homework.
The Alternatini: Apple Ginger Fizz
Ingredients
- Apple cider: 4 ounces of fresh, crisp apple cider
- Lime juice: ½ ounce of fresh lime juice
- Apple cider vinegar: A small splash
- Ginger beer: 3 to 4 ounces
- Cinnamon and mint: A pinch of ground cinnamon and a fresh mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the apple cider, lime juice, cinnamon and a splash of apple cider vinegar in a shaker with ice.
- Shake vigorously for 20 to 30 seconds, until chilled.
- Strain into a glass filled with fresh ice.
- Top with ginger beer and stir gently.
- Garnish with a cinnamon stick and fresh mint.
A Final Sip
Perhaps we never entirely outgrow that back-to-school feeling.
A fresh page still invites us to imagine something new. A new journey does the same. There may be a little hesitation before we begin—but beyond it lie unfamiliar streets, remarkable landscapes and stories we have not yet learned to tell.
Wherever September finds you, I hope it brings renewed curiosity, something wonderful to anticipate—and perhaps the first page of your next great adventure.
Patrick “Paddy” Moore
Travel Advisor | Expedia Cruises
📧 pmoore@expediacruises.com
đź“ž 604-377-2544
Personal service before, during and after every journey.
