Just Cruises Plus

Royal Caribbean “Weekly Sales Event”  Must Be Booked By Tuesday, January 31st

2/12   Allure of the Seas  7 night W Carib from Ft Lauderdale – Oceanview Balcony $1499; Oceanview $1149

2/17   Explorer of the Seas  10 night E Carib from Bayonne – Balcony $1299; Oceanview $1249

2/18   Oasis of the Seas  7 night W Carib from Ft Lauderdale – All Balconies $1079; Inside $999

2/18   Voyager of the Seas  7 night W Carib from New Orleans – Balcony $759; Prominade Inside $549

2/18   Jewel of the Seas  5 night W Carib from Tampa – Balcony $559; Oceanview $459

2/18  Liberty of the Seas  5 night W Carib from Ft Lauderdale – 5 night W Carib from Ft Lauderdale – Balcony $499;  Inside $359

2/19   Allure of the Seas  7 night E Carib from Ft Lauderdale – Oceanview Balcony $1649; Boardwalk View $1449; Inside $1129

2/27   Explorer of the Seas  11 night S Carib from Bayonne – Balcony $1299; Oceanview $959; Inside $799

2/27   Liberty of the Seas  5 Night W Carib from Ft Lauderdale – Balcony $469; Oceanview $379; Inside $309

3/10   Enchantmennt of the Seas  9 night Bahamas from Baltimore – Oceanview $679; Inside $579

3/19   Explorer of the Seas  11 night S Carib from Bayonne – Jr Ste $2099; Balcony $1249; Oceanview $999; Inside $729

Celebrity “Exciting Deals” Must Be Booked By Tuesday, January 31st

2/6    Millennium  5 night W Carib from Miami – Veranda $429; Oceanview $299; Inside $269

2/11   Millennium  5 night W Carib from Miami – Veranda $549; Oceanview $349; inside $299

2/11   Eclipse  7 night E Carib from Miami – Oceanview $649

2/12   Solstice  7 night E Carib from Ft Lauderdale – Veranda $729; Oceanview $649

2/19   Solstice  7 night W Carib from Ft Lauderdale – Oceanview $699; Inside $549

Bermuda Sailings – Special Rates and Dates

6/10    Summit  7 nights from Bayonne – Veranda $1069; Oceanview $894; Inside $789

6/17    Summit  7 nights from Bayonne – Concierge Veranda $1348 Veranda $1179; Inside $899

6/24    Summit  7 nights from Bayonne – Concierge Veranda $1498; Oceanview $1119; Inside $1024

7/1      Summit  7 nights from Bayonne – Veranda $ $1419; Oceanview $1139; Inside $1024

7/22, 8/5, 8/12   Summit  7 nights from Bayonne– Veranda $1419; Oceanview $1119; Inside $1014

9/2     Summit  6 nights from Bayonne – Veranda $854; Oceanview $619; Inside $474

Celebrtiy Promotion through February 5th

Book a cruise by February 5th (for sailings after March 5th) and receive $100 per stateroom off (6 or fewer day cruises), $200 per stateroom off (7-9 day cruises) and $300 for 10 or longer day cruises.  This promotion does not apply to Bermuda sailings but does apply to most other Celebrity cruises.  In addition, Captain’s Club members receive $80 ship-board credit for sailing aboard Solstice Class vessels.

Princess Cruises “Flash” Promotions”  Must Be Booked By Wednesday, February 1st

3/1    Emerald Princess  10 night S Carib from Ft Lauderdale – Balcony $1499

3/17  Grand Princess  7 night S Carib (Aruba and Curacao) from Ft Lauderdale Balcony $899; oceanview $579; Inside $549

3/27  Emerald Princess 10 night S Carib from Ft Lauderdale – Balcony $1399; Oceanview $899; Inside $799

3/31  Grand Princess  7 night E Carib from Ft Lauderdale – Balcony $899; Oceanview $579; Inside $549

5/3    Caribbean Princess  11 night Transatlantic NYC to London – Balcony $1299; Oceanview $799; Inside $699

Cunard 7 night Transatlantic Crossings from NYC Queen Mary 2

5/4  & 5/22  Balcony $1495; Oceanview $1295; Inside $1195

6/10   Balcony $1495; Oceanview $1295; Inside $1095

7/6, 7.27, 8/3   Balcony $1795; Oceanview $1595;  Inside $1395

Apple Vacations Cancun’s Riviera Maya All Inclusive

May 3rd and May 10th  Ocean Coral and Ocean Turquesa (Superior First Class Properties) with free non stop air from Phila. – $799 incl. tax

New Rules for Airline Advertising

Airlines must now include mandatory fees and taxes when advertising prices.  Until now, passengers were shocked and dismayed when they saw an advertised price of $500 for flights to Europe only to find out that there was another $500 in taxes and fees.

The rules also require airlines to hold reservations for 24 hours without deposits and to refund deposits for cancellations made within 24 hours of booking.

The government also tried to get truth in advertising for extra cost baggage fees but Spirit Airlines (the maestro of baggage fees) has gone to court to fight the government so these requirements are on hold.

Costa Offers “Bird-In-Hand” Settlement

Costa Cruise Lines is offering passengers of the capsized Costa Concordia a settlement of about $14,500 per person to be paid within 7 days.  Passengers who accept this offer will give up their right to sue.  Costa is counting on most people accepting this quick and sure payment.

Passengers who retain attorneys could possibly receive much more but it might take years of  litigation.

Last week’s Trivia question:  What is the original name of Celebrity’s first ship? 

Correct Answer:  Galileo Galilei

We had only two correct answers to our trivia question.   Rhoda & Matt Refsin of Huntingdon Valley,PA and Rocky Cestroni of Huntingdon Valley, PA.  gave the correct answer.   Since there were only two right answers, we decided to award the $25 credit toward a future cruise to both winners.

SS Galileo Galilei

The Galileo Galilei was originally built as an ocean liner for the Italian shipping company, Lloyd Triestino. Its maiden voyage was from Genoa, Italy to Sydney Australia in 1963.  In 1977, she was reconstructed into a cruise ship and put into service with the Italian Line.

The ship was purchased by the Chandris Group in 1983 and the ship was rebuilt once more – this time with cabins added to the forward deck.  She sailed with the named shortened to Galileo under Chandris’ Fantasy Cruises brand. 

SS Galileo

In the late 80’s, Chandris’ executives decided to create a new up-market brand and, with this in mind, sent the Galileo to Bermerhaven, Germany for a multi-million dollar refit.  In March of 1990, she emerged as the stylish SS Meridian, the first ship of the new Celebrity Cruises brand. The Meridian cruised in the Caribbean and also sailed to Bermuda from Boston, New York and Philadelphia.

SS Meridian

In 1997, the ship was sold to Sun Cruises, which operated her as SS Sun Vista.   Within two years, the ship experienced an engine fire and sank..  All passengers and crew were safely evacuated.

Virtually everyone is aware of the grounding and capsizing of the Costa Concordia and the total vilification of the captain of the ship.  We know that the ship had every modern aid to navigation and was equipped with more than enough lifeboats and life rafts.  So why did the ship impale itself on the rocky coast of Giglio Island and why did people die?

From all of the information available from the news media, it would appear that a hubristic captain and a less-than vigilant company combined to cause the destruction of the Concordia and the resultant loss of life. It appears then that the captain made the decision to steer the ship toward disaster despite having all of the information that he needed to avoid tearing the bottom out of his ship.  It appears that he chose to ignore the information that would easily have brought the ship onto a safe course.

We know that the ship has a “black box”.  Does Costa Cruises have someone who reviews each sailing to determine whether this or any other captain makes risky navigational decisions? 

What about the deaths?  No passengers should have died in this incident.  There were plenty of lifeboats and life rafts.  However, there was no leadership and very lax training as evidenced by how long it took to get people into boats.  Training is clearly the responsibility of Costa Cruises.  While the captain appears to have made major errors of judgment, we believe that Costa must bear an equal part of the blame in that abandon ship procedures were woefully inadequate.

Just Cruise Plus has not booked a client on any Costa ship since 2005.  We stopped recommending their ships as a result of customer feedback.

We have always believed that cruising was an extremely safe way of seeing the world at great comfort and convenience and we urge all of the cruise lines to review their safety policies to make certain that this kind of event never occurs again.

The name of the grouping of boulders shown in our January 6 photo contest (see photo below) is The Baths, which are located on the island of Virgin Gorda, part of the British Virgin Island chain.  The winner of the contest, randomly drawn from the 16 people who responded correctly, is Anne Quinn of Lansdale, PA.

Photo Contest 1/1/12 - The Baths, Virgin Gorda, BVI

The Baths are an amazing collection of exotic pools and grottos formed by giant boulders strewn across sand beaches.  Some of the boulders are best appreciated underwater.  On more than one snorkeling occaission, we have seen some of the best parrot fish feasting along these underwater havens.

Snorkelers planning their approach.

For those who wish to experience the boulders and grottos along an adventurous land/sea route, there is a marked trail to Devil’s bay, which is accessed by cutting through one of the grottos.  This path requires a combination of walking, climbing steps, crawling and wading and does require some agility.

Follow the trail for an exciting path through the grotto.

And for those who are most sure-footed and athletic, our rock-climbing friend demonstrated that with the right shoes (he just happened to bring them along) and the right experience, it was possible to reach the peak of one of these boulders.

At your own risk.

The Baths are usually offered as an excursion for those cruising to Tortolla, BVI.   The Baths also are easy to reach by sailboat (which we have done and can arrange for you).

Do you chose your cruise based on the ports or do you choose based on the ship?

Cruise lines recognize that these are two distinct groups.  Alaska, Europe, South America, Asia and Hawaii are destinations and the ships that take you there are  the supporting actors.  The ship is not the focus of these travelers.   These cruises are selected because the passengers wish to experience the ports of call.

On the other hand, there are folks who choose their ship because of the features and amenities of the particular ship.  This is true of many Caribbean cruisers where the various islands have much in common (great beaches and lots of sun).  Since entertainment is a significant amenity of Caribbean cruises, cruise lines are partnering with entertainment companies to enhance the entertainment experience.

Disney has always been in the forefront of this cruise/entertainment marriage since the ship and the entertainment are all Disney.  In order to compete, Royal Caribbean has aligned with Dreamworks, a Disney rival, and you will see Dreamworks characters (Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, etc) on their ships.  Royal Caribbean also acquired the rights to Broadway shows like Hairspray, Chicago and Saturday Night Fever.

Norwegian Cruise Line is associated with “Second City”.  It also added the hit show “Blue Man Group”.  The theater on the Norwegian Epic was built with this show in mind.

Cunard’s three ships offer original plays based on West End (London) plays while Carnival Cruise Line has hired George Lopez to lead the comedy direction on their ships.

Finally, the Great American Steamboat Company has lined up the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Harry James Orchestra, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Platters and The New Orleans Jazz All-Stars (sorry – no heavy metal or Hip-Hop).

The correct answer for the name of the locomotives in the December 9 photo contest (see photo below) is “mules” and the place is the “Panama Canal.”   The winner of the contest, randomly drawn from the 22 people who responded correctly, is Norman Remer of Southamption, PA.

Photo Contest 12/9/11 - Mules at the Panama Canal

The “mules” guide the ships through the Canal.  Today’s ships sometimes have less than two feet of clearance on either side of the ship, so it is critical that the mules keep ships in the center of the canal.  Cables are attached to the bow and stern and the mules pull or brake as needed to keep the ships centered.  They do not “pull” the ships through the Canal.  This is done by the ships’ own power. 

The cables at the bow of the ship are attached to mules which stabelize the ship as it passes through the Canal.

Why are they called “mules”?  Mules (the animal) were used to guide ships through many canals, including the one in New Hope, PA.  However, electric locomotives were always used on the Panama Canal.

Did you know?

- When you travel from the East Coast to the West Coast, you travel through the Panama Canal in an easterly direction.

- The existing lock chambers are 110 feet wide, 41.2 feet deep and 1000 feet long.  Because of clearance issues, the sizes of ships that can pass through are somewhat smaller.  The maximum sized ship that can transit the Canal is known as a “Panamax” ship. 

- A third set of locks to accommodate much larger ships is underway and is tentatively slated for completion in 2014.  These locks are expected to double the capacity of the Panama Canal.  The limit on ships sized for this new set of locks is referrred to as ” New Panamax.”

Additional Canal Photos

Another view of the ship being stabilized by Mules. Note that the starboard-side cable is taut and the port-side cable is slack.

The Galaxy, now called the Meinshift 1, using the second set of locks.

Opening the lock chambers.

New year, new look… That’s what’s in store for Celebrity Summit in January 2012, when the award-winning ship becomes the third in Celebrity Cruises’ much-loved Millennium Class quartet to complete a significant “Solsticizing,” the term Celebrity coined for its initiative to complement its Milllennium Class ships’ style and design with some of the most popular attributes found on its widely heralded Solstice Class ships.

What are some the highlights?

-       Aqua Class veranda staterooms

-       Bleu (Aqua-class) and Qsine specialty restaurants

-       Creperie and Bistro on Five

-       Café al Bacio and the Gelateria

-       Cellarmasters wine bar, including the “Enomatic” state-of-the-art wine serving system

-       The cool, ice-topped Martini Bar and Crush

-       An expanded collection of original, contemporary art

-       Updated carpeting, upholstery and other cosmetic updates

Click here for a video which contains great before and after images of the Millennium Class ships:  What Is Solsticizing?

What does this mean for you?  

The Summit, already a Bermuda favorite pre-solsticization, sold out many sailings early on last year.  In anticipation of the solsticization of the Summit, we decided to hold cabin space, at prices lower than Celebrity’s online rates, on many of its 2012 Bermuda sailings.  Bermuda cabins tend to go early, so it is not too soon to reserve your cabin now.  See our hot deals for some sample pricing on these Bermuda sailings.

Princess Cruises just announced the new 3600 passenger Royal Princess whose inaugural sailing is scheduled for May of 2013.  Does this name sound familiar?  That’s because the first P&O Princess Cruises cruise ship (1984) was also named Royal Princess.  It was one of the first, if not the first, ships to completely dispense with interior cabins.  The ship now serves in P&O Cruises fleet as the Artemis.

The latest Royal Princess, in addition to being the largest in the fleet at 141,000 tons, will feature an on-deck retreat exclusively for adults which offers passengers a secluded spa-like setting for complete relaxation.  As the first Princess had all outside staterooms and no inside rooms, the new Royal Princess has no traditional outside staterooms.  All ocean facing rooms will have balconies.

A sister ship to the new Royal Princess is expected to sail in the Spring of 2014.

We had a small turnount for our three Alaska seminars held on November 22nd…and this was by design.  Each of three small groups (12 or less) met with Judy Bliss, our Princess Cruises representative who has an immense passion for and knowledge of Alaska.  During Judy’s presentation, we were taken on a virtual tour of Alaska via land, sea and rail.  Many who were considering an Alaska cruise-tour in the next few years had felt intimidated by the overwhelming number of options available.  Judy helped break down the options into manageable decision points – she did this in a methodical, yet engaging, manner.  All who attended agreed that the hour spent with Judy was well worth it.