SAILING VACATIONS: CAPTAIN YOUR WAY INTO YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE

  

BY CLAY LARROY

Across the America many couples are having wonderful wedding after months of planning. The bride and groom will need a honeymoon to rest and recuperate.  Vacations are so important, as it gives us a way to connect with each other in a stress free relaxed environment. Couples that take vacations together build memories that will last a lifetime. Couples vacations and travel can be a most rewarding experience. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!

Imagine sailing from island to island, across water a deeper blue than you have ever imagined, dolphin jumping along the bow so close you can see the water rolling across their backs. Sailing vacations are a terrific way to experience the water from an entirely new perspective: as captain of your own ship. If you have never before sailed, you may be surprised to learn that not only are sailing vacations extremely comfortable, but also affordable. With a little planning, you and your traveling companions can be cruising offshore on a sailing yacht, your days spent piloting the boat, snorkeling, fishing or sunning, and your nights visiting interesting ports along the way, dining aboard or in local restaurants. With a little bit of planning and the assistance of a good travel consultant, you will be sailing along with the wind in your hair and the sun on your face!

The steps to working with your travel consultant to book a sailing vacation are few and simple. Your travel agent will familiarize you with the destinations available for your vacation, ranging from the entire United States coastline, to the Caribbean, Europe and the Mediterranean. Once you narrow down the location, the agent will research charter companies and assist you with choosing one that has a good reputation and boats that meet your needs, prior to making the reservation. Chartering a sailboat is either done "skippered" or "bareboat". If you are a novice with little or no experience, your first outings will be accomplished with a licensed and experienced skipper, or captain. However, even experienced sailors will often hire a skipper and a cook from the charter company, especially when the object of the trip is more relaxation and less work. Skippers also come in handy when traveling on unfamiliar water, or when accomplishing a new type of travel, such as your first long distance passage through open water.

On a skippered sailing, the captain and other crew live aboard with you during the trip. Captains typically act not only as a pilot of the boat, but also as a guide to local history, waters and knowledge. They will maintain their own quarters, affording you and your guests as much privacy as can be managed on the boat - in fact, most have an uncanny ability to make themselves invisible. The captain and crew will be professional sailors who love their jobs, are people-oriented and who go out of their way to make your sailing vacation a really enjoyable experience. Do note, however, that the crew does not act as babysitters. If traveling with infants or very young children, be sure to make arrangements for babysitting if you need it.

"Bareboat" charters, offering the maximum degree of independence and freedom, are for those individuals who already know how to sail and who can demonstrate a degree of competence to the charter company. Although formal training or certification is not always required, most charter companies will ask for a sailing resume that details past sailing history, the size of craft formerly piloted and the equipment with which you are familiar. You might also be asked to participate in a "check out" cruise to verify that you have the necessary skills to pilot the boat safely and that you are aware of the "rules of the road." Prior to leaving the dock, the charter company will provide a full briefing on the vessel, going over all of its systems, including the engine, the water system and rigging. If you are a bit rusty, most will provide a few initial hours with a captain to reacquaint you with the basic skills necessary to safely navigate and sail your boat.

It is also possible to join a "flotilla", setting sail with a group of yachts sailing an identical itinerary. Typically organized by your charter company, a flotilla is lead by a professional captain that plans the itinerary and acts as a guide and event organizer.

The length of the yacht is the key way of indicating its size. Charter boat most often run between 30 feet and 62 feet, though both shorter and longer boats may be available. The longer the boat, the more spacious the living quarters, the more experience necessary to sail it, and the more expensive its charter fee. Some charter companies have only a few boats in their fleet, while others have a wide variety.

Living quarters on a sailing yacht can range from spartan to luxurious. Although quarters are typically tight, they usually have a bed or bunk situation and room for dressing. Restroom facilities, known as "heads", are attached to a storage tank that can be pumped out at marina facilities. If traveling with a skipper, cook or other crew, keep in mind that the boat must accommodate their quarters as well. Your travel consultant and charter company will assist with appropriate selection of a boat to meet your needs. Nights are spent on board the boat, either at anchorage in a bay or at a dock in a marina.

A boat’s age and condition are of key importance. Boats in charter fleets take a beating, and no one wants to spend vacation time being towed back to shore! Ask about the age of the boats in the fleet, their general condition, and the charter company’s policy for breakdowns and mishaps. Many charter companies have provisions to dispatch repair crews in limited geographic areas to assist in the event of a necessary repair.

REFERENCE SITES:

http://www.travelresearchonline.com

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” 
― Marcel Proust

 Travel  have fun and create wonderful memories for your family!

NICHE CRUISING: EXPLORING THE WORLD FROM THE BOW OF A SHIP

BY CLAY LARROY

There is nothing more exciting than travelling. Whether you are going for a road trip to see something new in your own state, or heading off to somewhere for the very first time to visit a city you have always dreamed of, there are some travel basics that you should know. Travel in the off seasons from November to April, to avoid crowds, save money and enjoy temperate weather. In those months, many families with children cannot travel due to school commitments, making many tourist attractions much less crowded. This may also result in lower costs for airfare and hotels.  When you are ready to plan a vacation contact me!

The rivers and fjords of the world are some of the most sought after small cruise adventures. Niche-river cruises give participants a close-up view of the villages and cities lining the banks of the world’s great rivers. In Europe, cruises on the river waterways of Russia, Germany and France capture the history, the castles, and the day-to-day lives of the inhabitants. The fjords of Norway ease through towering green mountains and the deep Scandinavian waters. Small ships can slip into the wilds of the Amazon and the jungle rivers’ of South America like the Orinoco. American history comes to life on the Mississippi in authentic steamboats, while on the East Coast of North America, small ships visit ports from the Florida Keys, to the antebellum ports of Charleston, South Carolina to the fishing villages of Nova Scotia and Greenland. On the other side of the world, niche cruise operators and English speaking guides lead travelers down the endangered Yangtze River in China.

Some of the most remote and ecologically fascinating destinations on the planet are open to the niche cruising vessels. Travel to the northern arctic regions of Greenland, Iceland and Alaska are available, typically accompanied by naturalists and trained scholars that provide both formal and informal talks and lectures. The southern boundaries of Argentina and Antarctica are favored destinations for the small cruise industry. Participants go ashore to the stark white and rocky landscapes and colonies of penguins that live in a world that few people ever get to experience. A lucky few each year get to visit the Galapagos Islands off of Ecuador to see the same exotic wildlife that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. And in the South Pacific, small tropical islands and the wonders of New Zealand are on many niche cruise itineraries.

One of the best aspects of a niche cruise is that you unpack only once. The destination "comes to you" as you experience the comforts of the ship. The small ship experience offers a wide variety of amenities. Many ships have a full array of services and entertainment options such as casinos and on-board nightclubs. As in all cruising, dining is taken seriously and the cuisine aboard is almost universally applauded by travelers and travel magazines. Most programs are all-inclusive, meaning most of your expenditures like meals, entertainment and planned sightseeing excursions are included in the cost of your trip. Work with your travel consultant to determine exactly what is, or is not, included in the cost of various packages as you research your options.

The atmosphere aboard a niche cruise vessel tends to be relaxed and informal. The more intimate setting lends itself to striking up conversations with other passengers and crew. The vessels tend to have very distinct personalities reflected in the themes chosen for the itineraries, the destinations, the decor and meal selections. As you research your options, be sure to cover your preferences with your travel consultant to ensure that your experience meets your expectations. This is particularly important with your choice of cabin. Some ships have all "outside staterooms" while others have both interior and exterior cabins. On some ships verandas and suites are available. An experienced travel consultant can best explain the type of cabin options available to you and can work with the cruise line to obtain suitable accommodations.

This year, do something special for yourself and seek out a cruise unlike any you might have imagined and try a niche cruise!

REFERENCE SITES:

http://www.travelresearchonline.com

Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience.

Francis Bacon

Experience life by traveling with friends and family!

<a href="http://feedshark.brainbliss.com">Feed Shark</a>

NICHE CRUISING: EXPLORING THE WORLD FROM THE BOW OF A SHIP

BY CLAY LARROY

Regardless of whether you are traveling to a nearby location for the weekend or taking a week-long destination vacation, you are always going to benefit from some tips and ideas on how to make the whole process, more fun and less stressful. Take time each day to alleviate stress while traveling or vacationing and you will thank yourself for it when you get back home. With all the chaos, jet-lag, partying and other excitement of travel comes a whole lot of stress on your mind and body. By the time most vacations are over, another one is needed to recover so taking a few minutes each day to rejuvenate will make it easier for you to resume your normal life when it's all over. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!

Is it really possible that less is more? If you are talking about small ship and niche cruising, the answer is a definitive "Yes"! Whether you want to cruise on a tall-masted ship, sail the Amazon, visit small, secluded islands or see Antarctica up close and personal, niche cruising offers a fantastic alternative to mega-liner cruise ships. Because most niche cruise lines are operated by smaller companies, their itineraries and even their existence is often not known to the traveling public. Yet these cruises offer an exciting, intimate adventure that simply cannot be matched by mass market cruises.

Many of the small ship lines carry fewer than 800 passengers, some as few as 100 or even less. The "niche" part of niche cruising is all about destinations and themes. Itineraries are geared to travelers looking for a more adventurous, off the beaten track type of travel. Some have sails, some steam engines, and some are barges. Some visit exotic South Pacific destinations, some visit the arctic extremes of the planet and still others cruise European waterways, rivers and fjords. Some niche cruises focus on luxury and some on ecology. The choice is yours.

Use this TRO Guide to learn more about the world of niche and small ship cruising. Other TRO Guides go into more detail regarding particular destinations, itineraries and themes. If niche cruising is for you, contact your travel consultant and prepare to set sail!

Niche cruises typically use ships that are smaller than the mass market boats operated by better known cruise lines. This gives the niche cruise lines a tremendous advantage over their larger counterparts. The smaller ships can go where bigger ships cannot, seeking out smaller ports, narrow waterways and more shallow waters. The smaller passenger count means the ships are more environmentally friendly, and can visit more ecologically sensitive areas. Their itineraries often focus on a destination or a theme. Many niche cruise operators employ experts in zoology, history, anthropology or biology to give informal lectures and to act as guides.

The words most often associated with niche cruises are words like "adventurous", "intimate", "personal" and "rewarding". All types of people travel on niche cruises, but in general the crowds are quieter and less rowdy than on large, mass market cruise experiences. The typical niche cruising enthusiast loves adventure and a sense of discovery. They view their travels as an opportunity to explore and learn. They are travelers, not tourists, and take an active, engaged participation in the voyage. The age range varies widely with the theme and personality of the itinerary.

The traveler considering a niche cruise typically decides first on a destination to visit and then researches the niche cruise lines servicing the chosen destination. Niche cruises are literally world-wide in their scope and schedules. Some have set itineraries, and others deviate not only from trip to trip, but during the course of a single trip. The smaller size of the vessels gives the crew the option to respond quickly to changing conditions, special opportunities and events and to make unscheduled port calls.

REFERENCE SITES:

http://www.travelresearchonline.com

The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.

Gilbert K. Chesterton

Travel to create marvelous memories!

ANTARCTIC VOYAGE

BY Clay Larroy

The purposes of traveling are different for different people. There are some people who travel for the sake of pleasure. The people that are heavily burdened either at their domestic front or at their offices move too far off places for relieving their worries and anxieties. The poets and writers make a trip to distant places for collection of facts for their writings. Businessmen also visit various places to enquire as to whether there are scopes for expansion of their business. Travelling provides the benefit of sightseeing and gives pleasure to the visitor. In addition, it gives a scope to an individual to have firsthand knowledge of variegated people inhabiting the world. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!

Antarctic Voyage - Journey to the Bottom of the World

By George Bailey

Getting to the Antarctica is no mean feat. This is the body of water between the southern tip of South America at Cape Horn and Antarctica. It’s called the Southern Ocean and is the ocean that circumvents the Antarctic. It’s the fourth largest ocean in the world (after the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean). This passage held up to its reputation as the roughest stretch in the world. I was mesmerized from the first moment I set eyes on the continent. It was a place that expanded my senses of time. It was deliciously peaceful. I listened to the silence outside my porthole. The skies were flawless blue with marshmallow clouds. The sun was shining for 22 hours a day and the temperature about +3C (+39 F). It was truly another world.

When weather permitted, as it did for most of this cruise, I took shore excursions (zodiac cruising) among icebergs to the continent itself. And it was Saturday, December 22 at 1 pm that I first stepped foot on Half Moon Island part of the 7th continent of the world, Antarctica. I became one of the approximate 35,000 people to do so each year. There was a sizable rookery of Chinstrap and Adelie penguins and an abundant bird population of terns, petrels, cormorants, wandering albatross and whales. I saw stunning views of surrounding volcanic mountains. Later, we cruised just off ice-covered Elephant Island, named for its sizeable colony of elephant seals. Next day we visited King George Island home to the Arctowski Polish Research Antarctic Station. Managed by the Polish Academy of Science it is manned year-round and undertakes researches in biology, glaciology and oceanography.

Would I Return? In a heartbeat. The vastness of this white continent made me feel like I was the only person on earth. I now have a persuasive calm and sense of balance. Much like the white continent itself. 

REFERENCE SITES:

http://www.travelresearchonline.com/

“All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost.” 
― J.R.R. Tolkien

Enjoy life and travel often, the more you travel, the more memories you create!

ANTARCTIC VOYAGE

BY Clay Larroy

Traveling is great personal interests because it will make a more open-minded person when it comes to inter acting with people. It also made it easier to understanding as to why people act the way they do in their own society and in a society as diverse as the U.S. It has long been said that travels “broadens the mind”. Now new evidence proves that jumping on a plane will not only make you smarter, but more open-minded.  When you need to plan a vacation contact me!

Antarctic Voyage - Journey to the Bottom of the World

By George Bailey

It was mid-December and I had traveled to the coldest, driest, and windiest continent where there’s no permanent human residents or any evidence of any pre-historic indigenous population. It lies in darkness at the bottom of the world. It’s a vast unknown, like an afterthought of creation. Antarctica would prove to be the type of adventure that makes life worth living. At 63 years of age I wanted a "different" kind of experience. I got it.

It’s about a ten to fifteen-hour flight depending on where you leave from North America to Buenos Aires, Argentina. After overnighting Argentina’s capital city it was another three hour flight to Tierra del Fuego and its capital Ushuaia where I embarked on a ten day trip aboard the mv Discovery to the South Shetland Islands and Antarctica Peninsula. People who knew the television series, "Love Boat" will recognize the mv Discovery. It was built during a time when vessels had graceful lines and not manufactured in mass quantities. After a superb refit in 2003 it has back its original charm. It"s a classic ocean liner with a passenger capacity of 800, but never carries more than 650 (500 for Antarctica). On this cruise there were 425 passengers and almost an equal crew. When we were welcomed aboard, we were all given a red winter jacket. From that moment we all became a sea of red on and off the ship.

I knew I was not going hungry. The exquisite welcome aboard buffet set the tone for the cuisine on the cruise. There are several places to eat aboard ship. The Seven Continents Restaurant has menu service for breakfast, lunch and dinner or the top-side Lido Café and Yacht Club Restaurant are two other alternatives. Amazingly, I managed to remain the same weight coming on board that I did when I disembarked.

On warm days (remember, it’s summer in the Antarctic in December) I swam in the top side pool then soaked in one of the aft side hot tubs. There’s something surreal about relaxing in a hot tub in the middle of the Southern Ocean at the end of the world. During the day I attended excellent lectures, arriving at the ship’s Carousel Lounge early for a seat to learn more about topics like, "A Beginners Guide to Penguin Appreciation" or the "Geography and Geology of Antarctica." This was one of the highlights of the journey. If you get bored watching icebergs (if that’s possible) you can catch a movie in the Discovery Theatre. In the nearby lounge you can listen to a band and dance.

REFERENCE SITES:

http://www.travelresearchonline.com/

“Travel brings power and love back into your life.” 
― Rumi Jalalud-Din

Enjoy and travel to create great family memories!

VOYAGE TO ANTARTICA…EXPLORING THE END OF THE WORLD

By CLAY LARROY

Leisure travel is a wonderful experience that everyone should have in their lifetime. Even business travel can be made enjoyable. There are some aspects of travel that can detract from your enjoyment.  When planning to fly for a trip, don't forget any frequent flier miles you might have racked up. It does you no good to hang onto those once you've already gone on your big vacation. Even if you don't have enough miles to cover the whole trip, many airlines will allow you to discount your rate using your miles. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!

ANTARCTIC

Most visits from travelers occur during the Antarctic summer from November to March, when there is typically 20 or more hours of sunlight each day. Sunglasses, hats and sunscreen are a must as more solar radiation hits the earth here than anywhere else - due to both the length of the day and the invisible, infamous hole in the ozone layer. During the summer, the coastal zone ice melts, making incursion by ice-hardened tourist vessels possible. The scenery is comprised of every shade of purple, blue, white and golden images and reflections against the water, which is filled with enormous icebergs. Winter visits by tourist ships are nearly impossible due to the shifting ice flows that can encapsulate a ship very quickly, stranding it in the pack ice that extends for more than 600 miles around the continent in the near total dark of the southern winter.

Antarctica is far from the lifeless void many perceive it to be. Summer is the mating season for penguins and the many species of seabirds. Fur seals and elephant seals breed here, and more than 200 species of lichens grow. The long days create spectacular lighting conditions for photography as the penguin chicks begin to hatch and the rookeries become a maddening cacophony of noise. As late summer approaches humpback, orca and minke whale are a common site. Antarctic expeditions offer some of the most unique and esteemed photography and wildlife viewing opportunities.

Most leisure expeditions to Antarctica originate in Ushuaia in Argentina or other South American ports in the Western hemisphere and either Hobart or Christchurch in the Eastern Hemisphere.

Interestingly, visiting requires no visas or other travel documents beyond the trip’s point of origin. It does, however require an eagerness for adventure, time (most journeys are fifteen days or more) and a budget within a wide range of $4,000 to $50,000, depending on the itinerary, tour company and ship accommodations.

Ships that visit range in size from small 20 person vessels to larger 900+ passenger cruise ships. Companies that bring tourists are almost uniformly conscientious of the ecological systems and maintain a rigorous respect for the environment. Visitors are inevitably accompanied by experienced naturalists that watch over both travelers and wildlife, ensuring that each keeps its appropriate distance from the other. Many such tour operators belong to an organization known as the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) that voluntarily restricts the number of persons who may land at any one time.

Inflatable boats known as Zodiacs provide much of the transportation for sightseeing as they shuttle from the ships, filled with travelers. Trips out in a Zodiac can be invigorating, rigorous and on most ships, completely optional for passengers. A few ships have on-board helicopters, allowing for visits to the interior. Biologists, ornithologists and experts in oceanography accompany many, if not all of the trips to enlighten and engage the passengers. Itineraries are well planned - and subject to change. Glaciers calving into the water, animal sightings, moving ice-flows, wind and water all conspire to keep everyone flexible and excited.

Because of the small number of tours operating in Antarctica, the short length of the tourist season, and the capacity limitations of the IAATO, it is best for travelers to plan well in advance of their visit, as available space goes quickly. Working with an established tour operator and a solid travel consultant on your Antarctic adventure ensures the trip of a lifetime and an experience reserved for the lucky few.

REFERENCE SITES:

http://www.travelresearchonline.com

Besides, I'm a gypsy at heart and I like to travel around.

Reba McEntire

Live Life, Have Fun and Travel Often!

VOYAGE TO ANTARTICA…EXPLORING THE END OF THE WORLD

By CLAY LARROY

When you choose to travel, whether it is for business or pleasure, it is important to plan your trip well before hand. Here are some tips to help you. Don't be afraid to cash in your airline miles. Many travelers let their miles accumulate and never bother using them. Reap the rewards of your traveling and spend the miles you've earned! Miles have expiration dates, so be sure to use them before they expire.  When you need to plan a vacation contact me!

ANTARCTICA

It is a land with little soil, where 96% of its mass is covered in ice, with no indigenous people, no indigenous government. No economic activity exists, except for that in small isolated encampments of scientists and from the incursion of tourism to the island continent.

Antarctica is a land of many superlatives. It is the driest place on earth, it is the coldest. Its land mass forms the largest desert on the planet. Its average precipitation is the lowest anywhere, and its mean elevation the highest of any other continent. It is the southernmost continent, its 14 million square miles almost entirely contained within the Antarctic circle, 620 miles south of the coast of South America. It is the windiest place on earth, the most remote. It has no time zone, since all time zones converge in its interior. There are no non-indigenous animals - no dogs, cats or other pets - as a matter of treaty. Over the continent, an atmospheric anomaly - a giant hole in the earth"s ozone layer.

The name Antarctica is derived from the Greek word antarktikos meaning "opposite to the Arctic." In 1959, a group of twelve countries devised the Antarctic Treaty - that document, now signed by forty-five countries, prohibits activities of a military nature or any commercial mining operations. Seven nations claim territories ( UK, Norway, Chile, France, Australia, Argentina and New Zealand) and two others, (the United States and Russia) have reserved the right to do so. The Antarctic treaty neither recognizes nor contests those claims. Today, more than more than 4,500 scientists work there conducting research not possible anywhere else. The population tends to be seasonal, increasing to over 33,000 in its summer. In 2006, more than 28,000 tourists visited, carried there by the approximately 25 ships that have regular routes through the region.

Antarctica is the fifth largest continent, larger than both Australia and Europe. The Transantarctic Mountains split the continent in half. The ice pack averages a thickness of over one mile. Nearly 85% of the world's ice and 75% of the world's fresh water is frozen here - if it were to melt, ocean levels would rise approximately 200 feet; the Antarctic Peninsula has experienced an accelerated warming over the past 50 year of almost 5 degrees Fahrenheit, causing ice pack and glacier melt and the appearance of plant life where none was previously recorded. Every visit to the continent will reflect its changing environment.

At one time, Antarctica was much further north. Fossils of trees, plant life and dinosaurs have been found, and large deposits of low-grade coal are present. Additionally, scientists have discovered more meteorites in concentration there than in any location in the world, many of which originated on Mars and have given tantalizing hints of life elsewhere in the solar system.

REFERENCE SITES:

http://www.travelresearchonline.com

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.

Saint Augustine

Travel  and create wonderful memories for your family!