Black Friday has quietly become one of the better windows for booking big trips, and this year's crop of deals leans towards the ambitious end of the list rather than the last-minute domestic jaunt.
The headline offer comes from Silversea, whose sale cuts up to 45 per cent off more than 850 voyages, with departures stretching through 2029. Among the standouts: a 10-night British Isles sailing on Silver Spirit timed to the Tour de France's Grand Départ in Edinburgh, from $10,140 a person; a 12-night Japan cruise on Silver Muse aligned with Kyoto's Gion Matsuri festival, from $11,710; and a seven-night Mediterranean loop through the Greek islands and Turkish coast on Silver Nova from $6140. Expedition voyages are included too. The catch is timing — bookings close December 7.
If flights are the hold-up on your Christmas plans, Philippine Airlines has a sale that covers both ends of the calendar: up to 30 per cent off travel between December 1 and March 31 (so yes, this festive season is still bookable), and up to 40 per cent off flights from April 1 onwards for anyone planning further ahead. That one wraps up after this weekend, so there's no room for dithering.
Points collectors get a shot too. Inspiring Vacations is giving away 5 million Velocity Points in its Black Friday promotion, with a 1 million point jackpot in the draw. Book an eligible holiday by December 3 and you'll pick up double points plus an entry — enough to potentially fund the trip after the one you're booking.
On the hotel front, two openings and one indulgence stand out. Australia's first Andaz has opened in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast, part of the strip's ongoing shift from party town to luxury precinct. It has 202 rooms and suites, four food and drink venues, a pool club with private cabanas, Byredo toiletries, Dyson hairdryers and — a rare and welcome touch — complimentary minibars. Opening rates start at $360 a night.
Meanwhile, The Ritz-Carlton in Melbourne has launched a bath concierge service running until February 28, 2027. Staff prepare your in-room tub with Diptyque products and throw in sleep tea, a wellness snack, plus a skincare set and robe to take home. It's gimmicky, sure, but as post-flight recovery rituals go, there are worse ideas.
One for the serious travellers rather than the holiday bookers: Swiss watchmaker Raymond Weil has released a limited-edition Freelancer World-Traveller watch, showing local time, a second time zone and the hour in 24 cities on a dial with a relief map of the world. Only 260 exist, marking the brand's 50th anniversary and the centenary of its founder's birth. At $6995 it won't save you money, but it will outlast any phone.
The common thread here is deadlines. Most of these offers expire in early December, so if any of them overlaps with a trip you were already half-planning, it's worth locking in now rather than waiting for a second-round sale that may never come.
Story via Traveller (Sydney Morning Herald).
