Sad news from the Canadian Government. The Canadian port restriction has been extended through February 2022, ruining hopes for a busy Alaska cruise summer season and fall Canadian Maritimes cruises. Our Bucketeer hosted Alaska Inside Passage - Hubbard Glacier cruise on the Celebrity Eclipse, scheduled for June 27, 2021, has been rescheduled for August 7, 2022. Please call us at 804-557-3006 for details.

The Royal Caribbean brands of Celebrity and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines have extended the Cruise with Confidence Program until April 2021. This program allows cruisers to cancel their reservation for any reason up to 48 prior to sailing for a future cruise credit and price protection on a similar cruise up until May 30, 2023. Please call us at 804-557-3006 for details.

We are kicking off 2022 in a spectacular way. Join us on a 12-night Azamara cruise to South Africa, departing Cape Town on February 8, 2022.

Call us at 804-557-3006.

We’ll have it all: vibrant ports, exotic safaris, golden beaches, UNESCO World Heritage Sites and world-class wine country. Grab your camera and see the “Big Five” up close. Optional pre and post cruise excursions to Victoria Falls and the Kruger National Park. ​Six port visits, two overnights and three late night visits.

We’ll sail on the new mid-sized Azamara Pursuit - our boutique hotel at sea - comfortable and never crowded - as we explore the South Africa coast.

Book now through March and receive 40% off, free WIFI and much more.

See our Specials Page for details.

#iamabucketeer

So how far away do you wish to go in 2021? How about to French Polynesia? The island nation is welcoming all guests who present a negative COVID PCR test taken within three days of arrival. Arrive by air from LAX in only 8-hours

Our friends at Windstar Cruises are offering a perfect 8-day cruise + air + hotel + drinks package, starting at $4,799 per person, double.

Call us at 804-557-3006 and book your cruise package by December 31, 2020 and you’ll receive a free Captain’s Exclusive Beverage Package.

Imagine, a luxurious 8 to 13 day Tahiti cruise with Windstar and with air from Los Angeles (LAX), 1 night pre-cruise accommodation at the Intercontinental Tahiti Resort in Papeete, transfers from the airport to the hotel and ship, plus a day room at the applicable Papeete resort post-cruise on your day of departure back to the USA.

If you haven’t seen one Tahitian island, let alone six, plan to see them aboard the romantic WIND SPIRIT, a sailing ship carrying only 148 guests, or the roomy STAR BREEZE, a newly transformed 312-guest all-suite yacht.

The islands of French Polynesia are a welcoming, serene destination. Your small-ship experience will bring you to hidden harbors, crystal-clear coves, and pristine white sands massaging your every step. The islands of French Polynesia invite you to discover their own distinct magic. Hop ashore to the enchanted landscapes of Moorea, or explore Raiatea’s lush forests and black pearl farms. Melt into the warm lagoons surrounding the exquisite peaks of Bora Bora. Relax on board as your ship glides into small bays other cruise ships can’t reach and drops anchor in shallow waters teeming with schools of tropical fish. Jump into a beautiful palm-fringed lagoon from the Watersports Platform. Or simply unwind on deck, enjoying paradise and endless pampering. This is how Tahiti was meant to be seen.

With Windstar’s Beyond Ordinary Care program featuring hospital grade health protections and the flexibility to cancel up to 48 hours prior on 2021 departures for 100% Future Cruise Credit, now’s the time to start planning your 2021 adventure. Call us at 804-557-3006.

Every Thursday evening our Windstar Specials Page lists seven Windstar cruises on sale for 7 days. This week the December 16, 2021 departure of the Star Breeze is available from $2,399 [cruise only] for a 8-day cruise Tahiti Cruise, roundtrip Papeete. Check it out!

#iamabucketeer

Today is the day! Call us at 804-557-3006 for the best offers for 2021 summer travel. The world is on sale this weekend. River cruises, tours, resorts, ocean cruises, your pick. See our website for exciting opportunities to overcome your cabin fever. Its time to plan now for the summer. https://www.gobucketlisttravel.com/special-deals

What better way to fight pandemic cabin fever than to plan your late 2021 or 2022 getaway? We are swamped by Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers. For us, Friday will be “Bucketeer Friday” as we thrill our Bucketeers with amazing travel specials. Check out our Bucketeer Friday webpage for 26 wonderful offers we selected for you out of so many we have received. Don’t wait for Friday. Call us at 804-557-3006. #iamabucketeer

On its Facebook page today, Royal Caribbean posted a call for volunteers among past guests to help the cruise line recertify for service. The CDC requires cruise lines to conduct test sailings prior to starting commercial operations and to present to the CDC a clean report of success. Adults over 18 years old may apply at https://cruisesimulationform.questionpro.com/

We were delighted to hear from Celebrity Cruises this morning. Beginning on November 17, 2020, the cruise line will include its drink package, WIFI and gratuities with all future bookings, except for Galapagos, . Please call us at 804-557-3006 for more information.

Cruisers will have the opportunity to expand their amenity packages to include premium drinks, shore excursions and other options.

As befitting a premium brand, we see this as an excellent step which will do away with the weekly promotions and confusing, ever changing, amenity package offers.

Now through November 15th we have special reduced single supplement rates for most Azamara sailings. Please see our Specials Page for more information and call us at 804-557-3006​

We are delighted to offer you 2022 and 2023 sailing dates on the new Viking Cruises Expedition ships to the Arctic, Antarctic, Great Lakes & Canada and to the Galapagos Islands & Machu Picchu. Please see our Specials Page for an exciting offer!

Outside of Matamata, New Zealand on the North Island is The Shire, home of the Hobbiton movie set made for the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit trilogies. Over 42 hobbit holes are in the shire, part of a 1250 acre sheep farm owned by the Alexander family. Bag End, the largest hole and home to the Baggins family, has a commanding view of the Shire.

Running from $40K to over $100K are Australia’s famous “Beach Boxes.” Many popular beaches feature these brightly colored private refuges. ​Some can be over 100 years old!

During the Australian summer the penguin colony on Phillips Island is home to nesting boxes and hungry chicks, sometimes two to a box. Located 90 miles east of Melbourne, the Island is a must see attraction. Each evening a thousand penguins come ashore after gathering fish in the rich offshore waters and feed their chicks. The penguin parade of returning adults can be seen from viewing positions with the penguins only feet away from the spectators. Photos are not permitted of the parade but earlier in the day we did see these chicks awaiting their meal ticket.

Royal Caribbean Lines has upped Disney Cruises “Magic Porthole” with the introduction of an 80-inch high “Virtual Balcony” for inside cabins on its newest ship - Quantum of the Seas, now sailing out of Port Liberty, New Jersey for the Bahamas and Caribbean. Each of the Quantum’s 373 windowless inside cabins comes with a “virtual balcony” - an 80-inch LED high definition projection screen that stretches from floor to ceiling. Now you can see a digital real-time view of the ocean and destinations visible from the ship’s exterior at sea and in port on the side of the ship your virtual balcony is facing…...an yes, you can turn off the screens whenever you want. On Disney ships inside cabins come with an round “Magical Porthole - an LCD flat-screen monitor in a nautical frame disguised as a porthole. Besides a view of the outside world, Disney animated characters pop in from time to time.

Beware the Internet Special.

Occasionally we hear from a client that they found an internet price for a cruise at a price below our quote. Be careful on the Internet. Our quote will always include the “hidden” charges such as taxes, fees and port charges that some websites, even the cruise lines themselves, put deep in the fine print. We generally have access to the same prices or better as any other agency, plus we return 10% of our commission to your favorite charity. We also track your cruise bookings and negotiate with the cruise line on your behalf to lower your costs prior to final payment if the cruise lines place the itinerary on sale, or we ask for cabin upgrades whenever possible. Our passion is to design for you the best value vacation package that meets your desires and budget and to thrill you with our service. Let us know what we can do for you.

We recently enjoyed a private guided tour of St John and the surrounding area of New Brunswick, Canada. Our local driver brought the tour to life with his recollections of life growing up in St John. If you have only a few hours to spend and want to cover the highlights or want to see something special ask us to arrange for a private day tour. Leave the details to your “Bucket List Concierge.”