Joseph Briere - Cruise Planners

Joseph Briere - Cruise Planners From epic expeditions to iconic cruises and more, I design travel experiences that bring your bucket-list adventures to life.

Welcome to Cruise Planners, your premier travel agency specializing in unforgettable cruise experiences. Serving Richmond, Charlottesville, and Lynchburg, we offer expertly curated cruise packages tailored to your preferences. Our online appointment system ensures seamless planning, allowing you to explore a variety of destinations with ease. Whether you're seeking a luxurious ocean voyage or a sc

enic river cruise, Cruise Planners provides personalized service to make your travel dreams a reality.

Did you know that can trace some of its earliest roots to a floatplane hangar in Juneau Alaska? Before merging to becom...
06/11/2026

Did you know that can trace some of its earliest roots to a floatplane hangar in Juneau Alaska? Before merging to become Alaska Airlines, multiple bush float plane operators housed their aircraft in the now-famous "Blue Building" along Junaeu's waterfront.

Today, this building is known as Merchants Wharf and houses several businesses, including "The Hangar on the Wharf", a popular local restaurant and pub.

Here, you can see this iconic historical building in the center of the photo dwarfed by the bow of Star Princess. I took this photo last week, but just as in the pre-Alaska Airlines days, Juneau is still only accessible by air or by sea, so boats and seaplanes are still a popular site along the city's waterfront.

While in Juneau last week, I joined a hike on the East Glacier Loop trail overlooking the Mendenhall Glacier. I'm a litt...
06/11/2026

While in Juneau last week, I joined a hike on the East Glacier Loop trail overlooking the Mendenhall Glacier. I'm a little disappointed I didn't capture more of it, but to be fair, the pictures barely do it justice.

A 3.5 mile loop tail with a 1,000' elevation gain, this trail passed through lush moss-covered rainforest with views of Mendenhall Glacier (pictured) and the spectacular Nugget Falls in the distance (not pictured, but the 2nd pic is of AJ Falls, a much smaller waterfall along the trail). It was an uncharacteristically warm day for early June with no rain and perfectly clear skies, and while I didn't see any bears on the trail, I did see signs of them (check out the photo of the tree trunk with claw marks!).

We wrapped the day with a stroll through Juneau to check out the Kootéeyaa Deiyí (Totem Pole Trail) and a stop at Devil's Club Brewing (named for the Devil's Club plant that's native to Alaska's damp forests and coated with painful thorns) for a refreshing pint.

Spotted the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions Sea Lion while cruising through Endicott Arm this morning. Designed...
06/03/2026

Spotted the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions Sea Lion while cruising through Endicott Arm this morning. Designed to navigate narrow inlets and wildlife-rich passageways inaccessible to larger ships, the Sea Lion was able to get much closer to Dawes Glacier than those of us on the Star Princess. That’s what I love about the options in Alaska though - there’s literally something for everyone, from big-ship comfort to small-ship expeditions. I’ll share more Endicott and Dawes pics later on - back to enjoying time in Alaska!

Ketchikan, “Alaska’s First City”, is an isolated but vibrant town in the southeast portion of the state. As both the sal...
06/03/2026

Ketchikan, “Alaska’s First City”, is an isolated but vibrant town in the southeast portion of the state. As both the salmon capital of the world and home to the world’s largest Totem collection, it serves as the ultimate gateway to the rest of Alaska, despite not being accessible by road or highways (planes, ships, and ferries only). It also happens to be one of the rainiest cities in the country, which made yesterday’s sunshine-filled visit especially enjoyable.

Yesterday was a sea day, so lots of time exploring the ship and enjoying the different spaces onboard. My favorite part ...
06/02/2026

Yesterday was a sea day, so lots of time exploring the ship and enjoying the different spaces onboard. My favorite part of the day though was our time spent at Spellbound, a speakeasy and magic theater with a secret door that features illusions, magicians, and theatrical cocktails not found anywhere else onboard.

Sunday, we said goodbye to Seattle and Mt. Rainier as we kicked off my 2026 hosted sailing to Alaska aboard the Star Pri...
06/02/2026

Sunday, we said goodbye to Seattle and Mt. Rainier as we kicked off my 2026 hosted sailing to Alaska aboard the Star Princess.

Scenes from Seattle
05/31/2026

Scenes from Seattle

Mark your calendars! 🌊 Norwegian Cruise Line has officially announced September 4, 2026 as the opening date for the new ...
05/29/2026

Mark your calendars! 🌊 Norwegian Cruise Line has officially announced September 4, 2026 as the opening date for the new Great Tides Waterpark at Great Stirrup Cay.

Guests sailing from New York, Philadelphia, and Florida ports will be able to experience the new waterpark and purchase passes directly through their myNCL account. The park will feature 19 water slides, private cabanas, three food trucks, and attractions including industry-first water coasters, the Caribbean’s only four-person body slide, and an expansive kids’ zone.

Safe to say Great Stirrup Cay is about to get even more fun. ☀️🚢

One thing that surprises a lot of travelers: cruise final payment dates can arrive sooner than people expect.Even when a...
05/22/2026

One thing that surprises a lot of travelers: cruise final payment dates can arrive sooner than people expect.

Even when a sailing still feels “far away,” the balance may already be due, especially for longer itineraries, holiday sailings, specialty voyages, or group bookings.

It’s one of the reasons I always encourage my clients to plan earlier than they think they need to. Better options, less stress, and fewer last-minute surprises is never a bad thing!

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