High-School Reunion Time? Host Yours on a Yacht!
August 31, 2007
Sometimes it can be difficult to round up the old gang from high school; everyone is busy, someone in their family either can’t or won’t go, or people will think, "Oh, those things are so boring."
Well, if you or someone you know is in charge of coordinating your reunion for the "Class of —-," you’ll definitely get better results from the get-go if you decide to plan the reunion aboard a luxury yacht, offering your former classmates a real chance to unwind while they reminisce about the "old days" with you and your friends.
Most yacht clubs offer more than adequate dining and banquet rooms for a special occasion like this. One thing to keep in mind in advance, though: Make your reservations early, because this concept is quickly catching on! And though yacht clubs are always great choices for reunions of that size, the ocean, or sailing yachts will likely appeal to even the stodgiest of your past classmates. There’s just something about floating along in luxury on the world’s oceans that people just can’t resist. Add a good party with lots of good food, service, and great accommodations, and you’ll have one rockin’, rollin’ ship!
Want a Dream Career? Get a Job on a Yacht!
August 30, 2007
If you’re the "outdoorsy" type, prefer to work on a team, have a positive attitude and are a confirmed "people-person," you may fit right in as part of a yacht crew. Though jobs on most yachts are seasonal or part-time (depending on when someone rents it for a cruise), you will gain an incredible amount of experience while sailing your work days away.
A few yacht crew jobs include the following:
Chef/Cook Diesel Mechanic Flotilla Skipper Host/Hostess Sailing Instructor
You can apply for positions with private yachts; exploration ships that travel far and wide; commercial vessels; or megayachts and superyachts, liners or tankers. But, where do you find these jobs, anyway?
There are several yacht crew-finder services for vessel owners and employers around the world. Remember, this is a global industry, and though you’ll have full decision-making authority on things like what kind of vessel you’d like to sail on and when you’re available to crew, things like salaries or whether you will work a working holiday yacht cruise or as a voluntary crew member are largely non-negotiable, particularly for entry-level jobs.
Sit Back and Relax on a Crewed Yacht Charter Vacation
August 29, 2007
Ever wanted to really put yourself to the test and teach yourself how to sail and guide a yacht? On a crewed yacht charter voyage, you can do just that ? and more ? while taking turns at the helm and seeing the sights of your specially planned destination.
Unlike other ocean yachts, a crewed charter yacht vacation allows you to be more independent and make more choices about your trip. For example, you’ll set your own pace by choosing your itinerary and the activities you prefer, instead of going along with the crowd; you can even decide to go "off chart" and head in a new direction.
This kind of yacht vacation includes, of course, the boat, its captain and crew, the chef, who will prepare your favorite meals at your request; and a standard bar, with your choice of wines or liqueurs readily available. With all the freedom you want on the wide-open ocean, the price, starting generally around $1300 per person per week, is a really good deal when you consider that everything is set up entirely to suit your preferences.
Yacht Competition Racing for the Disabled Takes Off!
August 28, 2007
Yacht racing, though it may seem like "a breeze" to spectators (to turn a phrase), is really a lot more complicated than it looks. Anyone who’s ever been involved in a "backyard regatta" or a world-class yacht race will tell you: This is a sport that requires very savvy technical skills and a strategic mind. Still think anyone can do it? Just ask anyone who’s served as a crew member in a yacht-racing adventure catered to the disabled. Here’s a guarantee: They’ll look at you like you’re crazy.
Races are always set along a designated course, and are usually sponsored by a Disabled Sailors association (which can be found in most of our United States and abroad). Usually, men’s and women’s teams compete separately, and boats can range from Olympic-class dinghies to basic, modern fiberglass-planing dinghies. In fact, this sport has been internationally recognized since 1976, when it was featured in the Montreal Olympics.
As with any sport, volunteers are always needed for upcoming events. For example, the St. Francis Yacht Club will host the upcoming 470 Class North American Races in the San Francisco Bay area in mid- to late August. This race is just one of many taking place all across the United States, solely for disabled racers, and they’ll need skippers and deck hands to help get the action going.
Artic Tours
August 28, 2007
Take an Arctic Tour by flying north of Fairbanks to Dead Horse, on the northern edge of Alaska’s North Slope. This unreserved wilderness area, stretching to an indescribable horizon at the Arctic Ocean, is home to caribou, grizzly bear, musk oxen, and so many more species of mammals. A great place to start is with an orientation to the region, then moving on to a tour of the shores of the Arctic Ocean, finishing up with an overnight stay in Dead Horse at the Arctic Caribou Inn.
Start early to get a morning view of the waterfowl and other tundra life. You will find the scenery is conquered by the rugged and majestic Brooks Range, the domain of traveling packs of wolves, Dall sheep, lone wolverines, arctic hare, lemmings, and other wilderness-dependent species. The affluent procession of wildlife found within this region includes more than 160 bird species, 36 kinds of land mammals, nine marine mammal species, and 36 types of fish.
Explore historic mining roads above the community of Wiseman Hike within the border of the Gates of the Arctic National Park. Then enjoy a scenic float on the Hammond or Koyukuk Rivers.
Online Shopping for Cruise Deals, Travel Deals & Great Vacation Packages!
August 27, 2007
Are you contemplating a travel vacation and don’t know how to get the best deal? Online shopping for cruise deals, travel deals and vacation packages should be your first thought.
When shopping for vacation packages or cruise and travel vacations, many people are reluctant to deal with online merchants or even offer their email address for price quotes. Let’s look at this last item.
You search online for a specific cruise or vacation. You find a link that looks interesting. Clicking on the link takes you to a merchant. You plug in the parameters of your preferred travel vacation. Then the unthinkable happens. You’re asked to provide your e-mail address! Oh no!
Relax. What’s the worst case scenario? You will perhaps receive an e-mail requesting a little more information regarding your preferred cruise or vacation. After having given the answers requested, you will receive a quotation for your cruise or travel vacation package. You may even receive specials and updates from the merchant to keep you up to date with special cruise and travel deals. Is this so bad? If you do receive subsequent special offers, you may just find your preferred vacation on sale! What’s wrong with that?
The Best European Cruise Travel Vacation!
August 26, 2007
So, you are contemplating a European cruise. You are looking for the cruise to be a luxury travel vacation. Europe tours must be part of the vacation package. Then the European cruise travel vacation for you is a European river cruise!
One of the best ways to travel Europe to see and experience the magnificent and historic sites are the river cruises aboard the luxurious cruise boats. Fly to your departure destination and board the boat. Unpack once, then relax and enjoy!
Virtually all of the major rivers in Europe have luxury cruise vacation packages available on them. These magnificent boats cruise the mighty rivers through the indescribable scenery that is steeped in history. Each day you can visit another town, city, village or point of interest ? all without travel in uncomfortable surroundings and the packing and unpacking required by other means of European travel.
Many of the cruise itineraries have special cruises available depending on the time of year. Art and music cruises are available. Wine tasting cruises are available taking you to some of the vineyards and wineries in Europe’s wine country. See the fall colours or watch as spring "bursts forth". Many of the "shore excursions" provided by the river cruise lines are included in your ticket price. Now that’s value added!
Alaska Cruise Ship Vacations
August 25, 2007
Alaska is one of the world’s great cruise destinations, particularly for those with an interest in world class fishing. Alaska is arguably the most beautiful of the American states, and cruise ships offer a unique way of seeing Alaska’s beauty. In addition, Alaskan cruises yield an abundance of opportunities for anglers. The combination of these attractions makes Alaska the ultimate cruise destination for many.
Cruising in Alaska is mostly seasonal, with the primary months running from May through September. The prices in May and September are generally a bit cheaper since these months are at the edges of acceptable climate conditions.
There are many things to see and do on Alaska cruises. Glacier Bay is one of the most popular destinations for cruise ships in Alaska. Glacier Bay is abundant in wildlife, and you are likely to see seals, Dall sheep, bears, and perhaps even Humpback whales. Trolling around in a massive ship through iceberg infested waters to see some of the most majestic views of glaciers and arctic scenery in the world is a thrill that should not be missed.
Fun and Fat Free Cruising
August 24, 2007
This year more than 10.5 million people will go on a cruise. Almost all of them will have a fabulous time but when they step on the scales after they get home, they will let out a shriek at how much weight they have put on.
However, going on a cruise can be both fun and healthy. You can eat, drink and be merry without packing on the pounds by following our ten simple steps for fun and fat free cruising.
Now before you all roll about laughing, let me explain that I have just come back from my first ever cruise. I ate three meals and some a day, drank more than my doctor would have liked me to yet I didn’t put a single pound on for the seven days we were at sea. I appreciate that most of us go cruising to get away from it all and have a good time.
Many of us even go on a diet before sailing so that we look our best as we lounge by the pools but there really is no need to put on a lot of weight while we are at sea only having to shed it all once we get back home.
Taking A Paddleboat Cruise
August 23, 2007
In May my husband and I took a wonderful steamboat trip on the Colombia River, 1,240 miles long, and Snake River, 1,038 miles long, aboard the American West’s Empress of the North. This is the first time we had ever done a "niche" type cruise and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Yes, the clientele tends to be older, but, what a shame that the younger mature adults are missing out on all this fun. It is steam boating in the true sense of the word. The paddlewheel turns as you leisurely make your way up and down the rivers and through the many dams that have been erected since the time of Lewis and Clarke. The ship is patterned after the river boats that plied the waters of Alaska, Oregon and Washington over 100 years ago and has a distinctly Russian flavor.
