Antarctica is the southernmost continent and contains the South Pole. It is approximately 2 times the size of Australia, but much of the recorded continental size is ice shelf and the landmass is much smaller. Antarctica is the windiest, coldest, and driest continent – much of it is Polar desert and has not seen rain in approximately 2 million years. This seems at odds with some of the coastal regions which record large amounts of snow. It also has the highest average elevation at 8200 feet, with the largest peak of Mount Vinson at just over 16000 feet. The average temperature in the coldest part of the year -63C.

I am writing this only a couple of days after my 9th trip to East Africa. We had a fabulous 16 night itinerary of Tanzania and Kenya and I loved the 20 people who joined me. It was a great compliment to me that 6 of those people had joined me for almost the identical itinerary before. I can’t tell you enough about how much this part of the world has grabbed my heart and my “animal intensive” photo safaris are something I just don’t seem to get sick of. I come home with another 1000 pictures and wonder why I even bother bringing a camera, as when I add them to my collection I have enough lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant, giraffe shots already – yet the new ones have their own new memories and I manage to remember where each were taken. I think I must be addicted to this part of the world and I know that I can give you the best advice on what kind of itinerary would be best suited for you.

Venice is a world-renowned destination and wildly popular with travelers for good reason. This Iconic city is actually made up of 117 small islands. The islands are divided by canals and connected by many bridges. In the middle ages, the city was a powerful military stronghold but has since grown into a mecca of cultural and artistic development. It’s so very easy to get lost by the charm of this enchanting city that you may want to find a way to extend your vacation here. Here are just a few of our favorite sights and activities to enjoy in Venice.

Venice is a world-renowned destination and wildly popular with travelers for good reason. This Iconic city is actually made up of 117 small islands. The islands are divided by canals and connected by many bridges. In the middle ages, the city was a powerful military stronghold but has since grown into a mecca of cultural and artistic development. It’s so very easy to get lost by the charm of this enchanting city that you may want to find a way to extend your vacation here. Here are just a few of our favorite sights and activities to enjoy in Venice.

If you're new to cruising there are a lot of commonly asked questions we can answer! If you don't find the answer you are looking for you can always give us a call at 1-800-854-9664 or send us an email!

Finding yourself in Prague with time to spare is quite the blessing. The regions rich history has created a city of iconic architecture and incredible beauty that can be found nowhere else. This city was once the location for a powerful empire ruled by Charles IV and has played an instrumental role in Europe for centuries. Whether it’s before after or in the middle of your CruisePlus vacation, Prague is a must-see destination. Due to its reliance on tourism, all the must-see attractions favor foot traffic, making it perfect for cruisers. Here are our favorite attractions when visiting this enchanting city.

The experienced cruiser knows that its best practice to get to the embarkation city a day before the ship departs and might even be fun to take another day after the cruise before flying home. If your cruise is departing from Fort Lauderdale I have to tell you, my friend, you’re in luck! So many cruises depart from this port and it's often overlooked just how much there is to do and see in this wonderful city. Below we’re going to cover our top things to do before and after your cruise in Fort Lauderdale.

San Francisco is a bustling hub for excitement and activities attracting people from all over the world. Whether you’re a foodie, an outdoorsy type or anything in between, travelers rejoice and consistently praise this city for catering to everyone. In this post, we're going to narrow down the seemingly endless list of activities while in this beautiful city down to just a few of our favorite must-see attractions and activities.

This is an important topic for cruisers and we all want the answer. When do I book to get the best value for my money? I’d love to say, book during January for the best deal but unfortunately, the answer isn’t that simple. In this post, we’re going to cover some of the variables that we have to consider to really get the best bang for your buck.

The Galapagos islands are well known to be a true “bucket list” destination, and people come from all corners of the globe enjoy these pristine islands. The islands boast incredibly diverse marine and land wildlife that simply cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. Pair that with the natural unspoiled beauty of these islands and it's a destination that's hard to beat. It’s no wonder why Charles Darwin was so fascinated by this collection of volcanic islands and its diverse inhabitants. Visiting the Galapagos feels much like stepping into your very own nature documentary. To give you a better idea of just how amazing this place is and why you should add it to your bucket list if you have yet to do so. CruisePlus Travel & Tours presents are our top 13 facts about the Galapagos Islands.

These days, we live in an increasingly connected world allowing us to communicate with friends, loved ones and even coworkers while on the go virtually anywhere in the world, even while on vacation. Instant communication is now only a few button clicks away. Social media, text messaging and face to face video applications are now the standard as the most convenient way to stay in touch with family and friends across the globe, but these services often require access to the internet and sometimes demand a reliable and consistent high-speed connection on your cruise. As demand for connectivity and technology steadily increases, we're finding internet availability growing just as quickly. From the top of Mount Fuji to destinations across the globe and yes, even while cruising the ocean and waterways of the world, you're never too far from getting your internet fix. That being said there’s quite a bit that travellers should know about internet access at sea.

It’s a first-time cruisers biggest fear, finding themselves stuck on a ship for days or weeks at a time feeling sick to their stomach due to the ocean’s waves causing the ship to rock back and forth. Even some seasoned cruisers can find themselves a bit seasick from time to time, so no one is immune. There’s no doubt getting symptoms of nausea, dizziness or even vomiting is the opposite of what you had envisioned for your hard earned vacation. So how does one avoid or overcome this unfortunate, often unprepared for, unexpected ailment? In this CruisePlus Compass post, we’ll go over some causes and even some common solutions to help you better understand and avoid motion sickness.

It’s always a good idea to be prepared for as much as you can in life and being prepared for travel is no exception, especially when packing for your hard-earned vacation. Just about everyone tends to forget an item or two when packing in a rush for an upcoming journey, but there are just some items important enough to double check the bag to make sure you have and some that should really be left at home. Cruise lines are known for making every effort to have your onboard experience feel as comfortable if not more comfortable than home, so we encourage you to bring the essentials and leave the ” do not bring” items listed below behind. (yes, all of the items below and more have actually been brought on board by guests.) Read on for a few of the most important do’s and do not’s when packing for a cruise vacation.

If you choose a GUARANTEE stateroom: A stateroom guarantee is a reservation for the category selected or possibly better. Your stateroom may be located on any passenger deck of the ship at any location; staterooms may be partially or fully obstructed, balconies may have a solid steel railing, or the stateroom may be handicap equipped for example. When booking a guarantee, we have no control over the location of your assignment; upgrades are by chance only and controlled by the cruise line. If stateroom assignment is important to you, we recommend you bypass a guarantee option.

This week, our email is focusing on World Cruise 2022. This is because they are a hot commodity and may very soon be sold out - and the early booking bonuses expire soon for some. If you have ever dreamed of doing a world cruise, and 2022 is your year, this is for you! Our team of world cruise experts is waiting to hear from you!

The key is to figure out if there has actually even been a price drop in the first place. To be quite honest with you, while we at CruisePlus Travel & Tours certainly do check price often between the time you paid and the date you go into penalty (more about penalties in a minute), we don’t check every day and sometimes we could miss a new price or promotion. If you want to help us (and in turn help yourself), then check with us or directly with the cruise line, and as long as we are before penalty, we almost certainly can price adjust accordingly.

Travel agents, in most circumstances, act as agents for a travel supplier (airline, hotel, cruise,tour company). In almost all circumstances, the funds are transferred to the travel supplier and not held by the travel agent. The travel supplier, not the travel agent, determines in most cases whether you receive a future travel voucher or a refund depending on the terms and conditions of purchase.

Book with Cunard Cruises before November 18, 2020 and you may receive amazing upgrades such as prepaid gratuities, free beverages and reduced deposits!

Sensational suite savings, reduced deposits and early booking savings of up to 10%. Book with confidence with Seabourn and cancel for any reason!

Guess what! CruisePlus is offering up to 10% of the cruise fare in additional incentives for a limited time when you book a Princess Plus Fare! Princess Cruises has created their best value ever - Princess Plus. It's the best value for all destinations and all staterooms! Extras may include premier beverage package, unlimited wi-fi and full gratuities! Ask about extras for suites!

We look forward to welcoming you on board our Summer 2022 cruise season with up to US$1,300 in extras, including:

Book now for up to $2,900 US un extra on select 2021 & 2022 cruises

We hope everyone is well! Here's some of what we are watching for this week

We hope you had a great Thanksgiving! Covid-19 has inspired a travel innovation – with people more able to work and even attend school remotely, some travelers are packing up their families and doing working in a chosen destination. This can work for short-term vacations, but in some destinations normal requirements have been waived and it is possible to stay for a much longer period. Fees and restrictions may apply…but if our government changes the status of our travel advisories, I can see this being a thing for many of us. We’ll be here to help!

Thanksgiving is in the wings, and it’s sure going to look and feel differently this year. In our case, we will not see our extended family and are not able to invite our friends. It feels so strange to shut the door when our tradition is to open it. We are lucky that we will celebrate with a nice dinner..but quietly to be safe. I think the internet is going to be busy, swamped with video calling. Let’s work hard together so that next year we can bust loose and celebrate in person with the people we love! In the meantime, we wish you a wonderful celebration!

With the back to school season just around the corner, we hope you and your families are continuing to stay safe! This "Stay Safe" message continues to remain as important as it was back in March. On Vancouver Island it feels like our summer is coming to an end, the cool autumn nights have started! Most suppliers are still working through the backlog of cancelations, however, it does feel like we're getting close to the goal post. Most suppliers are being very strict with cancelation policies based on the date that your booking was canceled. If you have any questions about your cancelation please don't hesitate to touch base with us, we're here for you!

It is strange to think that it is almost 6 months since Covid-19 slapped us in the face…and stranger still to have a predominant message of please be safe, everyone. Travel is coming, but for now, we still need to embark on close to home adventures (we can help with this) …but nothing is stopping us from dreaming and planning our next destination vacation!

If you are in the lower part of BC or AB, you may well be covered in smoke. Our gorgeous coastline has virtually disappeared into the haze and many of us are trying to avoid being outdoors. Yuck! We can’t wait for this to be over and feel so much for our neighbours to the south that are dealing with the actual fires.

We are all working away, some trying to juggle the return to school and all of the changes that it has inspired this year. At the same time, concerns about managing our health and economy are increasing. But, there is some good news.

Greetings from beautiful Nanaimo, where we are enjoying a lovely fall day. With fall in the air, many of us are longing for our winter vacations that are likely to be just a dream this year. As this virus situation continues to wreak havoc, please continue to be safe.

We hope everyone is well! Here's some of what we are watching for this week