Just Cruises Plus

Late last week, the CDC recommended that people avoid cruises regardless of vaccination status.  Are they right?  The CDC has a checkered past regarding previous recommendations.  Therefore, we must examine the latest recommendations regarding cruise ships with some caution.

The cruise industry has been at the forefront of creating safety protocols. Major cruise lines are requiring that all passengers be fully vaccinated and tested prior to boarding the ship and some test at points throughout the cruise. Cruise lines have been transparent in their reporting. No other industry has implemented such stringent rules.

According to the Cruise Lines International Association:

“The decision by the CDC to raise the travel level for cruise is particularly perplexing considering that cases identified on cruise ships consistently make up a very slim minority of the total population onboard—far fewer than on land—and the majority of those cases are asymptomatic or mild in nature, posing little to no burden on medical resources onboard or onshore. No setting can be immune from this virus—however, it is also the case that cruise provides one of the highest levels of demonstrated mitigation against the virus. Cruise ships offer a highly controlled environment with science-backed measures, known testing and vaccination levels far above other venues or modes of transportation and travel, and significantly lower incidence rates than land.”

CLIA adds that “many of our members have announced additional measures in response to the Omicron variant, including strengthening testing, masking and other requirements, as well as encouraging booster vaccine doses for those eligible.”  We at Just Cruises Plus have witnessed first hand the protocols that cruise lines have put in place and which they evaluate and adjust on an ongoing basis.

If you are already booked for a trip, we are keeping you updated on safety protocols. If you’d like to plan a trip and have questions about the current safety protocols in place for a particular cruise line or travel company, please give us a call at (215)364-3310.

We wish you a happy and healthy 2022!

Despite great news from pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, it will be many months before a significant portion of the population is vaccinated.  Meanwhile, masks are still the best defense against Covid-19.

If you intend to cruise in the next 18 months, we urge you to book your cruise before November 30^th.  If you book a cruise before  November 30^th, most of the major cruise lines are allowing you to cancel that booking at the last minute and receive full cruise credits.  This is in addition to the current policies in place.  Each cruise line has slightly different rules so you should call us so we can go over the rules with you.

Booking by November 30^th allows you to take advantage of these “cancel for any reason” options.

Terry is on the edge.  Actually she is on the Celebrity Edge, the brand new Celebrity cruise ship.  Celebrity Cruises invited Terry to sail on her inaugural cruise from the U.S.  Terry has sent back amazing photos and we want to share some of them with you.  The first ever “Magic Carpet” is the most notable of the many innovative features of the Celebrity Edge.

The Magic Carpet is a unique venue that changes mood, function and even its location as the world’s first cantilevered, floating platform.  Terry’s first three photos show the Magic Carpet as the platform where you board a bucket-seated tender (third photo) when needed to reach an exotic shore.  The fourth photo shows the Magic Carpet in its cafe form.

Edge will sail in the Caribbean during the winter months and then will move to Europe in the spring.  If you want to be among the first to cruise on this amazing new ship, give us a call!

Magic Carpet as tender boarding platform.

Magic Carpet as a tender boarding platform.

Magic Carpet viewed from tender.

Edge tender with bucket seats.

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Magic carpet in its cafe form.

Celebrity is building a ship specifically designed for the Galapagos Islands.  The 100 passenger ship is the smallest ever built for Celebrity Cruises.  The Ecuadorian government restricts the size ships that are allowed to visit these islands that are rich in wildlife seen exclusively in this part of the world.  The ship will be named Celebrity Flora and will begin cruising in May of 2019.

This “soft adventure” cruise will be premium priced because this is one of the world’s most sought after destinations and government restrictions limit the number of visitors.

Artistic rendering of the Infinite Veranda

There was so much hype leading up to the announcement of Celebrity Edge, Celebrity’s new class of ship which is scheduled to debut at the end of 2018.  Now that we’ve seen the plans, we understand what all the fuss is about!

This groundbreaking ship is truly on the cutting edge in the world of cruising:

~~~ Its Infinite Veranda allows passengers to turn their entire stateroom into one open-air veranda by opening the glass door barriers (they fold to the side like French doors). Alternatively, you can enlarge your stateroom by leaving the “french doors” open and closing a second set of veranda doors which seal off the wind.

~~~ The Magic Carpet is a covered platform attached to the starboard side of the ship. It moves up and down on the side of the ship and stops on certain decks, adapting to each of those decks as an extension of what already exists (an extension to the pool area, an extension of one of the new restaurants, Raw on 5, a platform to streamline stepping onto a tender, etc.)

Artistic rendering of the Magic Carpet

~~~ Suite passengers on the Edge have use of exclusive public spaces called “The Retreat”.  There is an exclusive lounge, sundeck, pool bar and pool along with Luminae, Celebrity’s suite-only restaurant.

~~~ Celebrity has introduced two new Edge-class suites. The 950 sq ft Edge Villas are awesome 2 story luxury residences that surpass any “suite” we’ve seen. The 1880 sq ft, 2 bedroom Iconic Suites are positioned above the bridge and enjoy sweeping panoramic views.

~~~ Celebrity has been moving n the direction of open air spaces on all of their ship classes.  The Edge expands on this theme with the Rooftop Garden, a space artfully decorated with tree-top sculptures. It’s a place where you can relax with a good book, grab a bite to eat, dance under the stars or watch a movie.

There is still quite a bit of information about the Edge that has not yet been released – as we receive more information we will provide updates.

The Edge will begin its season with an East/West Caribbean itinerary.  Reservations are available for sailings from December 2018 through April of 2019.  Pricing and promotions are competitive with other Celebrity ships, so call now to reserve your space!

Harmony of the Seas docked in Nassau

Jonathan just returned from the Harmony of the Seas’ inaugural sailing!  He describes this new Oasis class ship as “amazing” and says “you have to see it to believe it”!   The Harmony, Royal Caribbean’s 3rd ship in the Oasis class, will be doing 7-night East and West Caribbean itineraries from Fort Lauderdale.

Call or email us to plan your next vacation on this magnificent new ship!

Harmony of the Seas is the first of the  Oasis class ships to host bionic bartenders.

Harmony of the Seas pool deck.

Harmony of the Seas has two 10-story slides overlooking Boardwalk!

Grandeur of the Seas

A category 3 hurricane hit Bermuda last week.  The Grandeur of the Seas was scheduled for a five night cruise to Bermuda and had to be diverted.  Royal Caribbean selected Bayonne as the alternate port.  Is Bayonne for Bermuda a good trade?  Before you scoff, let’s see what happened with the passengers.

First, they were given 100% credit toward a future cruise.

Second, Royal Caribbean provided a free ferry to Manhattan.

It seems to us that the Grandeur’s passengers got an all-expense paid trip to New York City.  Imagine the cost for 2 nights at a hotel and 3 meals per day.

Our clients who were aboard the Grandeur were very happy and can’t wait to book their next Royal Caribbean cruise.

We applaud Royal Caribbean for this more than fair offer.

Street in Havana – photo from Globus Journeys collection

We were looking for the word “Cuba” in your response to our question “Guess why Royal Caribbean brought her (Empress of the Seas) back?“. It’s one of the worst kept secrets that Royal Caribbean is bringing back the Empress of the Seas for cruises from Miami to Cuba. After all, could they let Carnival have Cuba by themselves?  Fathom Impact Travel, a Carnival subsidiary, has already announced cruises to Cuba beginning in May of this year. Globus has also begun a Cuba program and has created a few different land itineraries.

Royal Caribbean hasn’t announced dates nor have they officially admitted that the Empress of the Seas will be sailing to Cuba. However, it would be bizarre to bring back a relatively small 27 year old ship for Caribbean cruises when they have the stunning Allure and Oasis of the Seas already serving the Caribbean with much success.

Want to be among the first to visit this beautiful but slightly dilapidated island? You should know a few things.

1. You will go as a traveler, not a tourist. A traveler interacts with the inhabitants; a tourist rides a bus and sees the sights.

2. Don’t expect to go to a beach and sip Cuba Libres. This is still not allowed. You will have direct contact with Cuban people in person-to-person cultural exchanges.

3. It won’t be cheap. Expect to pay around $2000 per person for an oceanview stateroom plus taxes plus $150 for a Cuban visa.

4. Buy euros. Fidel charges more to exchange US dollars.

Do we think a trip to Cuba at this point is worth it?  You bet!  Cuba is the world’s biggest car museum.  Cars from the fifties and sixties are common in Cuba. The food is fantastic, the art is amazing and you will become immersed in the sounds of son (Cuba’s popular music).

Still want to be among the first in more than a half century to visit this up and coming jewel of the Caribbean?

Email us and we will contact you when Royal Caribbean makes an announcement.  Or, if you’d like to consider a “people-to-people” cultural exchange through Globus, we can help you with that, too (tours through April and part of May are already sold out).

Forty-seven people mentioned “Cuba” in their responses. The winner of the drawing is Sue Bass of Levittown, PA. She will receive a $25 gift card.

While we wait for Cuba:

The Empress of the Seas has some very low priced cruises on 4 (Bahamas) or 5 (Western Caribbean) night cruise beginning in April.

We received over 60 responses to our May 9th trivia question which asked which ship had 7 godmothers.

Click here for lots of Oasis information and photos

Congratulations to Adrienne Klein of Philadelphia, PA, whose name was randomly selected from those with the correct response.

The answer is Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas®.  The 7 godmothers represent the Oasis’ 7 “neighborhoods”.

The 7 neighborhoods are:

– Central Park
– Boardwalk
– Royal Promenade
– Entertainment Place
– Vitality at Sea Spa & Fitness Center
– Pools & Sports Zone
– Youth Zone

And who were the 7 Godmothers?

-Gloria Estefan (singer)
-Michelle Kwan (figure skater)
-Jane Seymour (actress)
-Dara Torres (swimmer)
-Keisha Knight Pulliam (actress)
-Shawn Johnson (gymnast)
-Daisy Fuentes (tv personality)

The Oasis of the Seas is a destination in and of itself.  Click here for Oasis info, updates and photos as well as detailed info on each of the neighborhoods.

Click here for a great deal on a “dance-optional” cruise aboard the Oasis.

Viking River Cruises announced that New Orleans will be the home to 6 new Viking ships.  The first one is to arrive in 2017 and will sail to destinations like Memphis, St. Paul and St. Louis.  Viking’s move is expected to be a boon to the New Orleans’s tourism industry, with increased traffic to hotels and restaurants.

Because of Viking’s popularity in the European river cruising market, its move to the United States is likely to spark new interest in Mississippi itineraries in general.  The cruise line plans announcements on its Mississippi itineraries and ship design later this year. The boats which will be built in the U.S. are expected to be similar to the contemporary ships Viking uses on European rivers.

Interested in a Mississippi River cruise sooner than 2017?

The American Queen Steamboat Company operates the only true overnight steamboat on the Mississippi. The food is truly gourmet and the vessel, although a steamboat, has every modern amenity.

Although not a true steamboat, American Cruise Line’s new paddle wheeler, the America Eagle, will debut on the Mississippi April 11^th.

Why a river cruise?

River cruising in general has exploded in popularity in recent years, offering a more intimate way to experience cruising than the mega-ships that carry thousands of people and are loaded with attractions such as rides and Broadway shows.  Some travelers say riverboats are a welcome throwback to an earlier era of cruising.

River cruising is also more destination-oriented, with boats navigating narrow waterways to port cities that massive ships could never reach.