P.O.S.H.

Today, I have been doing some research on a large mailpiece we are doing with one of our suppliers.  I have been looking for vintage postcards of Europe.  On one of them I saw the word P.O.S.H.

When we opened Just Cruisin' Plus in 1988, I had heard the term P.O.S.H., but didn't know what it meant.  This term for "grand" or "first-rate" originated in the days of ocean steamship travel between England and India.  Wealthy passengers would, at some considerable cost, book round-trip passage as "Port Outward, Starboard Home."  They would book a cabin on the cooler side of the ship while crossing the unbearably hot Indian Ocean under the sun.  Abbreviated as P.O.S.H., the expression soon came to be applied to first-class passengers who could afford that luxury.

However, the reality is that the monsoon winds that blow in and out of the Asian area shift between winter and summer, so that the sheltered side of a ship would change according to the season.  During my research today, I found some old deck plans of ships during that period, and  in looking at them I found that most cabins were located mid-ship with indoor promenades or hallways along each side, so the actual definition of the origin of P.O.S.H. could be said to be taken as artistic license.

Just my bit of trivial information for today.....

Welcome to Outta Here!

For months I've thought that our company, Just Cruisin' Plus, needed a company blog. After some coaxing from family and friends, I finally got off my duff and have started writing. Some days, I'll write. Some days Charlie, my hubby and business partner, will write. We'll post information on vacations, destinations and some "insider" info as well. If you have something you're interested in, let us know and we'll research it for you. If you have questions about travel, ask away. We may not know all the answers, but we will know someone who can help us find them.

By the way, I'm Sherrie Funk, and I started this little company out of the basement of our home in 1981. This was during the time when the term "home-based" was unheard of. In 1982, I moved 3000 people to the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville. Anyone remember those wonderful Petros made with Fritos, chili, and cheese? No cholesterol there. But, oh, so good!

This venture led to sending more and more people away on incentive trips and primarily dealing with groups. We took groups of UT Vol fans to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans and Vandy fans to Birmingham for a bowl game there. We even took Vandy fans to the Great Alaskan Shootout in Anchorage. School groups, church groups, every type of groups you can imagine became our specialty.

However, some of these group members soon wanted us to book their individual vacations. So, in 1987, we bought my partner out, changed the name and direction of the company and re-surfaced on Jan. 4, 1988, as Just Cruisin', Tennessee's first cruise only agency. Two years later, we realized that we needed to book more than just cruises, so we added the "Plus" to our name.

In 1990, we were named Carnival Cruise Lines' "Agency of the Year", an honor we cherish today. We have won numerous awards from all of the major cruise lines over the years. Now, we focus on vacations of any type - cruise, land-based travel, escorted tours, group travel, incentive travel, river cruises in Europe, China, Egypt and Russia.

Hope you'll subscribe to our blog, and encourage others to do the same. By the way, be sure to visit our website at http://www.jcp.travel/.

Welcome!