Just Cruises Plus

Between the beautiful weather and the emerging election results, we realize we had a bit of competition for our November 7th virtual river cruise event! So do not worry if you missed it — we were able to record each of the two webinars so that you may watch at a time that is convenient for you.

     To watch the Danube webinar, click here.

     To watch the Rivers of France webinar, click here.

Virtual Cruise Event Exclusive Offer:  2-for-1 Cruises

Applies to the following sailings:

–AmaSerena/Best of Holland & Belgium, July 3, 2021

–AmaMora/Captivating Rhine, July 8, 2021

–AmaBella/Romantic Danube, July 18, 2021

–AmaCello/Essence of Burgundy & Provence, July 22, 2021

–AmaCerto/Melodies of the Danube, August 21, 2021

Applicable to categories CB to AA; excludes E/D and Suites

Must be booked by November 30th

Alternative Offer

For all other 2021 and 2022 AmaWaterways sailings booked by November 30th, Ama is offering Just Cruises Plus clients $100 off per person (in addition to other promotions that may apply to that sailing).

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.

Have you ever been curious about river cruising?  Are you interested in seeing medieval towns, grand cities and stunning scenery?

Please join us “virtually” in the South of France, Normandy Beaches, the castles along the Rhine and the legendary Danube on Saturday, November 7th.

Virtual Event Overview

We have invited Kathie DeVincenzo of AmaWaterways to host two separate sessions, each which cover different sets of rivers in Europe.  Kathie has sailed these rivers, so she will speak from her firsthand experience.  AmaWaterways is one of the premier lines servicing the rivers of Europe.

Right now, we can’t be sure when the Europeans will allow US citizens to visit.  However politics and COVID-19 can’t stop us from dreaming and perhaps put a river cruise on our “bucket list”.  If you’ve always wondered how a river cruise is different from larger ship travel or if you are simply interested in a more intimate view of these parts of Europe, you will not want to miss these two sessions!

The description of each of the sessions and the links to register are below.  We encourage you to register and check out one or both sessions.  You must register for each session independently.  

SESSION 1:  November 7th, 12:00 PM EST: Sip and Sail on the Danube and Rhine Rivers with AmaWaterways

Join Kathie for a “sip and sail” along the Danube and Rhine Rivers, the two most requested rivers by first-time river cruisers.  Kathie will take you on a virtual journey to ports along each river and share her firsthand experience sailing on these two iconic rivers.  This session will be kept to 45 minutes, including Q & A.

SESSION 2:  November 7th, 1:00 PM EST:  Sip and Sail in France with AmaWaterways

For this “sip and sail”, Kathie will compare and contrast river cruises in 3 amazing but distinct areas of France:  cruises along the historic Seine, cruises in romantic Provence and cruises in the wine region of Bordeaux.  Each area has highlights unique to that area so you’ll walk away knowing which cruise is best for you based on your interests and passions.  This session will be kept to 45 minutes, including Q & A.

Our October 24th Virtual Event has been postponed due to an unanticipated scheduling conflict.  We are working on a new event and will provide you with the date, time and other details within the next few weeks.  Please stay tuned!

US Map

We have hand-picked the following cruises that sail from US ports and have interesting itineraries that appeal to us.

Cruises From Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

1/9/22 Celebrity Equinox, 12-night S. Caribbean

Ports of Call:  St. Croix, USVI; Basseterre, St. Kitts; Roseau, Domenica; St. George, Grenada; Bridgetown, Barbados; Castries, St. Lucia and St Johns, Antigua

2/14/22  Vision of the Seas, 11-night S. Caribbean

Ports of Call: Puerto Limo, Costa Rica; Colon, Panama;  Cartagena, Columbia; an overnight in Oranjestad, Aruba and Willemstad, Curacao

Cruises from Cape Liberty, New Jersey

5/15/21 Celebrity Summit, 10-night Bermuda, Newport and Charleston

Ports of Call:  Newport, RI; overnight in Charleston, SC; 2 overnights in King’s Wharf, Bermuda

6/4/21, Celebrity Summit, 9-night Bermuda and Charleston

Ports of Call:  Charleston, SC; 2 overnights in King’s Wharf, Bermuda

7/11/21  Celebrity Summit, 7-night Newport/Bermuda

Ports of Call:  Newport, RI; 2 overnights in King’s Wharf, Bermuda

1/31/22  Anthem of the Seas, 11-night S Caribbean

Ports of Call:  San Juan, PR;  Philipsburg, St. Maarten;  St. Johns, Antigua;  Castries, St. Lucia;  Basseterre, St. Kitts

Cruises from Honolulu, Hawaii

8/14/21 and 1/22/22 Pride of America,  7-night Hawaiian Islands

Ports of Call:  Sail round trip from Honolulu, 2 days in Maui, 2 days on the Big Island (Hilo one day, Kona the next), 2 days in Kauai and an afternoon cruise along the spectacular Napali Coast

Cruisetours in Alaska

8/9/21  11-night Southbound Cruise-tour

Land Portion:  Anchorage, Denali, Talkeetna and Alyeska

Ports of Call:  Seward, Hubbard Glacier, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan, Inside passage, Vancouver

Land Packages Within the United States

For those who prefer to travel within the United States in 2021 and 2022, land tours and packages have been a hot request.  Think Tauck Tours, Globus, Insight, Disney and Collette.  Some tour operators offer small group or private travel options, for example, if you would prefer to travel exclusively with family and friends.   Let us know what you have in mind and we’ll find options for you!

For more information or any requests, please call us at (215)364-3310 or email us at info@justcruisesplus.com.

In a recent article, USA Today suggested that many travel agencies use their clients’ deposit money to fund the final payments of other clients in a ponzi-like scheme.  In another article, it was noted that some travel agencies use client deposit money to fund operations.  Both of these uses of client money are highly unethical.

How Are Your Payments Handled by Just Cruise Plus?

Credit Card Payments: When you give Just Cruises Plus your credit card information, we post your payment directly to your travel supplier (eg., Royal Caribbean, Globus, etc).   It is the travel supplier’s name you will see on your credit card statement.

Payments by Check:  When you pay by check, Just Cruises Plus deposits your check to our account and, once your check clears, we immediately transfer the same payment to your travel supplier.

Payments by Cash:  When you pay by cash, Just Cruises Plus deposits the cash to our account and immediately transfers the same payment to your travel supplier.

Just Cruises Plus will get you the identical or better price than you would get from a travel supplier and you get the additional benefit of our great service that we have been giving for the past 31 years.

Porto, Portugal

Considering a cruising to Alaska, Bermuda, Europe or Canada/New England next year?  Celebrity is offering incentives to book now.  In addition to the usual number of perks, you will receive another $300 per stateroom shipboard credit.

This promotion applies to most 6-night and longer sailings between May and November of 2021 and for the itineraries listed above.

Call us at (215)364-3310 or email us (info@justcruisesplus.com)  with the itinerary and date range you are interested in and we will check for you!

— Click here to view the full report —

The recommendations of the Healthy Sail Panel, sponsored by Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, are now available.  Here is a status update and summary of findings:

Healthy Return to Sailing – Status Update and Summary of Findings

The recommendations of the Healthy Sail Panel have been submitted to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in response to a request for public comment on the CDC’s current No Sail Order.  The Healthy Sail Panel, formed in June, consists of globally recognized experts experienced in various disciplines including public health, infectious diseases, biosecurity and marine operations.  The Panel has spent the last several months studying how to best protect the health and safety of guests and crew.

They’ve made 74 recommendations across the following five core focus areas that every cruise operator should address to reduce the risk of infection and spread of COVID-19* on cruise ships:

– Testing, Screening and Exposure Reduction

– Sanitation and Ventilation

– Response, Contingency Planning and Execution

– Destination and Excursion Planning

– Mitigating Risks for Crew Members

Among the recommendations are key strategies such as:

– Taking aggressive measures to prevent COVID-19 from entering a ship through robust education, screening and testing of both crew and guests prior to embarkation

– Reducing transmission via air management strategies and sanitation practices

– Implementing detailed plans for addressing positive infection onboard, including contingencies for onboard treatment, isolation and evacuation

– Closely controlling shore excursions

– Enhanced protection for crew member

It will take several weeks for the CDC to review the recommendations of the Healthy Sail Panel and to respond with feedback.

*Note:  The report references SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2). This is the virus that causes the disease COVID-19.

Click here to view the full report

Are you looking forward to your next cruise?  Then it’s time to start planning.  Shortly, the CDC will lift its ban on cruising in large measure due to the final report by the Healthy Sail Panel.  Click here for the full report.

If you moved your 2020 cruise to 2021 or 2022 or if you’re considering a cruise, you don’t want to miss Just Cruises Plus’ and Celebrity Cruises’ joint webinar on Saturday, October 24^th.  Even if you are not considering a Celebrity cruise, we’re sure that you will gain knowledge about some very interesting destinations.

Our guest host will be Mary Varaitis of Celebrity Cruises.  We expect to cover different topics/destinations between the hours of 12:00 Noon and 4:00 PM ET.  As we get closer, we will put out a schedule and you will be able to virtually attend the topics that most interest you.   We’d like your input.  Please let us know which topics or destinations interest you!  Please email us at info@justcruisesplus.com.

If you’ve already sailed with Azamara Cruises or if you’d like an introduction to a cruiseline with  smaller ships and more time in port, we invite you to register for Azamara’s Virtual Evening.

Immediately following the event, for a small window of time, we are offering an exclusive bonus that can be applied to most sailings.  Book between 8/28 and 9/4 and you will receive:

– 50% Deposit

– Shipboard Credit ranging from $250 to $1000 per stateroom (depending on stateroom type)

Remember to register for the event!