Notes From Afar - September 2026
Greetings Travelers
We are just back from the Baltics and still glowing following a delightful late-summer sojourn. The perfect weather made each destination even more beautiful: sparkling waters, temperate breezes and long, bright days.
We started the journey in Copenhagen, one of our favorite European cities, enjoying an architecture-focused city tour and rediscovering a legendary hotel, the historic and gracious d’Angleterre.
Filled with excitement, we boarded the new Explora III a few days later. This wonderful new cruise line continues to garner praise for its elegant Italian design, delectable cuisine, comprehensive wellness offerings and attentive service. A perfect home to explore this region best navigated by sea.
Enjoy this issue exploring jewels of the Baltic. The region grows in popularity each year due to its warm hospitality, picturesque cities, mild climate and balanced tourism.
Safe travels,
Destination Feature: New York City
Visby, Island of Gotland
The Baltic region has become sought-after without becoming crowded. There is room to walk Riga's Art Nouveau streets at your own pace, to linger over coffee in Tallinn's old town without competing for a table, to be treated to hospitality that feels unhurried and genuinely warm. Vibrant capital cities like Copenhagen and Stockholm are ideal anchor destinations.
Riga and Tallinn, in particular, earn their reputations as hidden gems. Riga's Albert Street holds one of the finest collections of Art Nouveau architecture anywhere in Europe: ornate facades, carved faces, and wrought-iron balconies. Tallinn's old town is medieval in the truest sense, with cobblestone lanes, tall spires and city walls still standing exactly where they were built centuries ago.
Cruising the Baltics is luxuriously practical. It is, in our view, the most prudent manner to explore the region. A single voyage may thread together Copenhagen, Stockholm, Tallinn and Riga, along with smaller gems most travelers never reach, places like Visby, on the Swedish island of Gotland, with its rose-covered ruins and Hanseatic walls, all without the friction of unpacking, repacking, and losing days to transit. You simply wake up in a new city, already at ease.
From left to right: Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Tallinn Old Town, Estonia & Albert Street, Riga
Distinguished Sanctuaries: Hôtel d'Angleterre, Copenhagen
Few hotels display their history as gracefully as d'Angleterre. Opened in 1755 on Kongens Nytorv, in the very heart of Copenhagen, it has spent more than 270 years as the address where Danish royalty, artists and visiting dignitaries have chosen to stay, and it has not coasted on that legacy. A meticulous restoration, completed in 2013 and among the most ambitious in Danish hospitality history, brought the hotel fully into the present without erasing what makes it feel like d'Angleterre: soaring windows, warm wood, a sense of quiet occasion in every room.
The location is unbeatable: steps from Nyhavn's harbor, the Royal Theatre and the best of the city's shopping, yet insulated enough to feel like a private retreat the moment you step through the door. The Deluxe Rooms and Junior Suites strike the same balance throughout: Nordic restraint paired with genuine warmth, nothing overdone.
The rest of the hotel is just as considered. The spa is intimate and excellent. Balthazar, the champagne bar just off the lobby, is the kind of place worth planning an evening around, and Marchal, the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant, is a culinary destination in its own right.
Discover the World by Water
Welcome Aboard: Explora III
We have sailed with Explora Journeys before, but there is something special about being among the first guests aboard a new ship. Explora III builds thoughtfully on what we have enjoyed about the line from the beginning. The accommodations remain a particular strength. Every suite is oceanfront and generously proportioned, with layouts that feel more residential than traditionally nautical. The spa is another highlight, with an impressive hydrotherapy circuit, while the expanded outdoor sports area is a welcome addition to the fitness center, particularly for those who prefer to exercise in the fresh air. Pickleball lovers will be especially pleased!
From left to right: Ocean Terrace Suite & Balcony, Fitness Centre and Hydrotherapy Spa
Dining was consistently impressive. Between Sakura, Fil Rouge, Anthology and the ship’s other venues, we enjoyed excellent meals throughout the journey, with enough variety that the experience never felt repetitive. The pool areas offer a similar degree of choice. The new Conservatory Pool adds another appealing option, while other spaces range from lively and social to quieter, adults-only settings.
From left to right: Sakura and its Japanese fare and Kareem enjoying artful dishes at Anthology
We also appreciated seeing many familiar crew members from our previous sailings aboard Explora I. Several had joined Explora III to help train the new team and establish the level of service expected across the fleet. Their experience was evident: even during the ship’s inaugural season, service felt polished, confident and remarkably well established.
Explora III left us with an even clearer understanding of the experience Explora Journeys is creating at sea: spacious accommodations, thoughtful design, inspired dining and a relaxed approach to luxury. For travelers considering the line, it is an interesting new chapter and one we were very pleased to sample firsthand.
Journeys on the Horizon
There is a particular pleasure in traveling with people who share your curiosity: exchanging impressions over dinner, seeing a destination through another person’s perspective, and forming friendships along the way.
That spirit is at the heart of our Small Group Journeys, intimate, thoughtfully curated experiences designed around shared interests and a genuine desire to explore the world more deeply. The itinerary matters, of course, but so do the people with whom you share it.
Discover Southeast Asia by Yacht
February 1-12, 2027
We are especially pleased to share that we will personally host a sailing aboard Luminara, the newest yacht from The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. Our 11-night journey from Phuket to Bali will take us through Langkawi, Penang and Singapore before continuing into Indonesia, with time in Komodo National Park and a visit near Borobudur, the world’s largest Buddhist temple. It is an extraordinary part of the world to explore by sea, and we would be delighted to share the adventure with you.
Also on the horizon are our Archipelago Adventure through Australia and a deeply immersive journey through Ireland. Both reflect the philosophy behind our Small Group Journeys: traveling with a more intimate group, allowing time to experience each destination meaningfully, and creating opportunities for the conversations and shared discoveries that often become the most memorable parts of a journey.
If one of these journeys has sparked your curiosity, please send us a note. We would be delighted to share more about what we are planning, answer your questions, and help you decide whether it might be the right trip for you. And, of course, we always enjoy hearing where in the world you are dreaming of traveling next.
A Final Reflection
There is always a slight sense of longing that follows a memorable journey: the return to routine, and the feeling that a place you came to know has suddenly slipped just out of reach. Over the years, we have found that one of the best remedies is simply to stay connected to it a little longer.
So, in the coming weeks, we plan to revisit the Baltics from the sofa.
First, on our reading list is The Man Who Spoke Snakish by Andrus Kivirähk, a wonderfully inventive Estonian novel about the last holdouts of an ancient forest way of life and the near-mythical language that connects them to it. Strange, funny and unexpectedly moving, it offers a fascinating window into Estonia’s folklore and its relationship with a rapidly changing world.
We also intend to rewatch Babette’s Feast, the 1987 Danish film about a French refugee who repays the quiet kindness of a small, devout coastal community with an extraordinary meal. It is a beautiful meditation on generosity, artistry and grace. After a summer spent rediscovering the pleasures of Danish hospitality, it feels like an especially fitting way to bring this Baltic journey to a close.
Perhaps you have your own connection to this part of the world, a favorite city, a memorable journey, or a place still waiting on your list. We would love to hear about it. Some of the best travel conversations begin simply by sharing where we have been and where we hope to go...
Until next time,
Kareem & Fritz