Travel and Leisure Articles

Depending on what route you have taken for your Caribbean cruise it is very useful to have good prior knowledge of the places you will be visiting. You have already a great array of activities to keep you busy on board your cruise but you must also take advantage of the wonderful places you will stop at to take a break from the on board activities. So without further ado here is a small run down of the best Islands you simply must see in your Caribbean cruise.

1. St. Croix.

If you have chosen to cruise around the Eastern side of the Caribbean, St Croix in the Virgin Islands offers great facilities if you are a sporty type as you can go kayaking. But if you are more interested in history here you can also visit the landing site of Christopher Columbus.

2. St. Thomas

Still in the Virgin Island in St. Thomas you will find a perfect venue for snorkeling at the Cinnamon Bay National Park. This is because St. Thomas’ surrounding water is very shallow enabling you to see the wonderful creatures living underwater.

3. Grenada

To see the largest shipwreck in the Caribbean Grenada is the place to visit. But also if you like to scuba dive there are great under water sights here. You will be able to see lots of underwater volcanoes as well as colorful tropical fish. Even though hurricane Ivan devastated this island in 2004 it is still very much a place you must visit if you can.

4. Jamaica

If you stop over in Jamaica as well as the busy markets you can go and visit the resting place of Bob Marley and if you are into extreme sports you can also go Bamboo rafting.

5. Puerto Rico

Worth a quick visit as Puerto Rico has one of the most famous beaches in the world: Condado Beach

6. Aruba

This small island in the Dutch Antilles has no less than 365 beaches. With that many you will struggle not to find a spot where you will be able to relax and take in the sun and sea. It is considered by many as the paradise island of the paradise that is the Caribbean.

Have you ever seen those ads in the newspaper for your dream job; working a few hours a day on a luxury cruise ship, traveling the world, meeting interesting people, and getting paid for this all. Whilst this sounds like anybody’s dream job, it is important to get the facts straight before you jet set off to start your new career on a cruise ship. Whilst it does sound like a very desirable job, either short term or permanent, there are many scams out there; we look at Cruise Ship Jobs and give you the lowdown on whether these are a scam or a plan.

Firstly, before you start sending off your resume and pack your bags, do some research into the cruise ship company or the recruitment agency. This may be a matter of checking their contact details - making sure they have a legitimate address and phone number - or actually giving them a call and discussing the matter with somebody there. If it is a legitimate company they will only be too happy to answer your questions or give you the number or contact details of somebody that can. If they are reluctant to answer any question of yours fully, I would not trust their legitimacy. Cruse Ship jobs are notorious for being scams or misrepresenting the holiday experience that you are going to have, so the first step is to establish that they are legitimate and that they can answer any queries that you may have.

Secondly, if you are considering working on a cruise ship, make sure you read all of the terms and conditions of your contract; including things such as your salary, duties, breaks, living arrangements, ect. A Surprising number of people do not read their contracts properly, or do not sufficiently enquire into the details of the working arrangements. Often a bonus will be awarded if you stay for the full term of your contract; make sure you understand that if you decide to leave before this date the money will not be awarded to you, often making the whole experience rather low paying.

Thirdly, make sure you check with other people who have previously done your job/role on a cruise ship (preferably with the company that you are applying for). It is always best to do your research, and you won’t hear anything more true than the comments of people who have actually worked on the cruise ship. If you don’t know anybody personally, there are many forums and message boards on the internet related to cruise ship jobs; be sure to check these out and ask as many questions as possible. It is always better to sort things out before you go, than when you are 100 miles out to sea.

Finally, beware of hidden costs. All the money you may earn on the cruise ship won’t make much of a difference if you have to pay fro an airfare to get to the cruise ship. Nor will paying a $100 fee to apply for a cruise ship job. Most of these are scams so beware of them. There are scams out there, and there are companies that mislead the romanticism of a cruise ship job, but if you do your homework a cruise ship job can be a rewarding and fun experience.

Cruising has become one of the more popular ways that people are traveling these days. It is typically cheaper than flying somewhere and paying for a hotel, food, entertainment, etc. Everything you could want to do you can do on the ship. With so much to do in one place, it can be daunting trying to figure out what to pack. So, being that I just came back from a cruise to Bermuda, and that I focus on grooming and style, I’m here to tell you exactly what you’ll need. The good thing about packing for a cruise is that you can wear the same thing in the morning through the afternoon if you choose to. It’s only for dinner and night time activities that you’ll want to change. Since most cruises are about a week long, I’ll base my packing list on that amount of time.

Packing list:

3 pairs of casual shorts (white, navy, khaki),

1 pair of dress shorts (solid white or black linen, or a pin stripe),

8 t-shirts in different colors/patterns, etc.,

5 button down casual dress shirts (white, navy, black, or white with a pattern)- at least 3 of them short-sleeve,

1 pair of white jeans,

1 pair of white dress slacks,

1 pair of navy dress slacks

2 pairs of denim jeans,

1 white or navy casual sport jacket,

1 zippered hoody in white or navy,

3 bathing suits,

1 light weight rain jacket with hood (for any excursions you may go on at ports-of-call should it be raining),

1 pair of sandles and/or flip-flops,

1 pair of sneakers (white or navy).

1 pair of boat shoes.

1 pair of dress shoes (for the evening),

10 pairs of underwear,

7 pairs of socks.

The above packing list gives you a very good idea of what you’ll need. If you notice I talk about brining a few select colors. This is so that you can mix-n-match throughout the trip. All your t-shirts will go with your shorts, and all your button down shirts will go with your white jeans, jeans, or white or navy dress slacks.

If you’re someone who works out and plan on going to the gym, you’ll also need to add a few gym outfits to your packing list.

Some cruises are now “free style” cruises. This means that you can eat your meals at any time, and that except for a few restaurants on-board, you can be casual all the time, or you can dress up. It’s up to you. However, even on the free style cruises, most people choose to dress up for dinner and stay that way through the night. Getting dressed up on a cruise basically means you’ll wear your slacks, white jeans, or dress shorts with one of your button down shirts or fancier t-shirts. It does not usually mean suit and tie. You can wear a suit and tie of you’d like, but these days it’s usually not necessary. If the cruise line lets you know that there is a formal night on-bard, then you will want to bring a suit and tie.

When it comes to your grooming needs, just bring the basics such as your cleanser, moisturizer, shaving supplies, and any hair products you may use. Also remember to bring an all natural sun block that blocks both UVA and UVB rays.

Now that you know what to bring with you, hopefully you’ll get to experience just how wonderful going on a cruise can be.

In today’s society, we often think of traveling as a boring, tedious task. Maybe that is because we are more concerned with getting to our destination so quickly that we don’t take time to enjoy our ride. However, this all changes when you choose a cruise for your vacation. Instead of having your vacation begin when you arrive at your destination, your vacation will begin when you board the dock. An Alaskan Cruise package is a great way to enjoy all of the time you allot for your vacation.

Your Alaskan Cruise vacation package will include a jubilee of activities included. However, before you assume that this will cost you an arm and a leg, remember that proper preparation will keep everything affordable. By arming yourself with some good travel tips you can save yourself from spending too much.

You can either do the research yourself, or contact a travel agent. Sometimes an agent can find a better deal for you than you would be able to locate on your own. You can start by making a list of all the cruise lines which offer service to Alaskan ports. This is a fairly lengthy list now, so allow yourself time to check out rates and packages.

The next thing that you can do when preparing for your Alaskan Cruise vacation is to book your cruise during the off seasons. Also make sure that you book early, at least a few months in advance, to prevent yourself from paying more. If you do not mind the weather being colder, then you might want to consider booking during the off season and save yourself a lot of money.

The next thing to consider is the size of the cruise ship that you would like to travel with. Some ships will carry over 2000 people whereas others might carry only a few hundred. Prices will change according to ship size. Another factor to consider is what type of cabin that you would like to stay in. If you are on a large ship with tons of activities then you may not care about your cabin and whether it has a window or not.

For one final note, make sure that you are aware of the cruise’s position on insurance while you are on your cruise. Do not let yourself be put in an unfortunate event with no insurance.

It is important to make sure you pack your medications, sunscreen, hat, and other essential items so you can be comfortable on your next cruise. Many people tend to forget these items when they are packing because they concentrate more on the outfits and accessories they will need. Before you pack your clothing, pack smaller items and make sure they are all easily accessible while you are traveling. If you are travelling by air or by car in order to get to the cruise ship, make sure you have these items handy when on the road.

Other small items such as soap, deodorant, razors, toothbrush, and lip balm can all be purchased on the boat, but they will cost a lot more than if you remember to bring your own. Buying a small bag and packing it before anything else will help you pack everything you will need. Stopping before boarding the cruise ship is another option if you discover you need these items. Remember that a cruise trip is very unlike a Murcia flight which is short in duration and has much less risk of causing sickness.

Medications you take every day should be filled before your trip. This way, you will have enough to last for the entire vacation. Taking the time for proper travel preparation will help you have a better time. If you have food allergies or if you suffer from sea sickness, there are medications that can help. Follow all instructions to ensure you take these medications at the right time. You may not be able to mix some of these medications with alcohol, so be sure to find out before visiting any of the bars.

Since you will probably be spending more time in the sun, having a hat and sunscreen will help protect your skin from the heat. Having these items readily available will keep you from forgetting them in the cabin. People who spend a lot of time in the sun should wear sunscreen of at least 30SPF. This will keep the skin from becoming dry and will also prevent skin cancer later on.

While packing for a cruise can be frustrating, once you develop a routine, packing for any vacation becomes easier. Depending on the cruise you are taking, you may not need to pack different types of outfits. Try to pack as light as possible so you will not have a much to bring with you. This will make travelling much easier as well. Bring a good pair of shoes that you can wear with most of your outfits. This will help you save space and allow you to leave the ship and sightsee if the ship docks in any port cities along the way. Travelling sensibility will allow you to have a much better time on your cruise.

The time has come to do your talks. First, how will you learn about when you’ll do your presentations?

As a general rule you will only give your presentations when you are at sea or on “sea days.” At your meeting with the activities coordinator and he or she will sometimes tell you “about” when your talks will be. Sometimes the activities coordinator will call you the evening before or the morning of your talk.

But don’t count on it.

The absolute best way to know when your talks are scheduled is to closely monitor the daily onboard newsletter which will be delivered to your cabin every evening. This is the ultimate authority on when and where you will present.

Next, you must show up at least 30-minutes before your presentation. If you are unsure of exactly which venue you will present in, go a few minutes earlier to find your way in plenty of time.

Once you arrive at the venue confirm that all of your equipment is there. Note: Don’t freak out if the equipment is not there. Many times the Audio/ Visual Technician won’t arrive with it until 15 minutes before you are to start. If he or she has not arrived by 10 minutes till, call the activities coordinator and advise.

To build rapport with the audience I will greet and introduce myself to them as them enter the venue. I’ll ask their name, where they are from, how they are enjoying their cruise, etc.

For the talk itself I usually use a short PowerPoint program or a follow-along guide or both.

Clearly, you must not only know your material but you must be enthusiastic about sharing it. Another crucial thing is to introduce yourself and let your audience know how you got to be standing in front of them. In this intro it is crucial that you describe as many common threads as possible. In other words, you want to show that you have much in common with members of your audience. For example, you have common interests, common experiences, have made similar observations, etc.

I will also incorporate as much light humor as my topic will allow. People absolutely adore speakers who can make them chuckle. Similarly, I will use a variety of audience participation strategies like allowing questions and observations throughout my talk and will even incorporate games or role plays where I’ll bring someone up on stage and role play with them. It’s all good fun and gets your audience to invest in the program.

At the end of my talk I will always thank them for coming and, using my discretion, I will suggest that if they liked the program that they should tell the cruise lines about that fact when at the end of the cruise an evaluation survey is distributed to them.

That’s it for this installment.

If you’re not ready for an all-gay cruise, or there’s something you don’t like about them, the next best thing is gay group cruises. Gay group cruises are basically an organized group of gays on what would be an otherwise straight cruise. They’re treated like any other group, such as a company or other arranged group. It’s like a cruise within a cruise!

The gay group on a large ship might be between 1 and 10% of all the passengers. The experience is somewhere in between being on a mainstream cruise and an all-gay cruise, as you might expect.

Meetings and activities will be arranged, which will make it easy to find friends and dining buddies, but gay activities will sometimes be in closed quarters, so as not to offend other passengers. There are some special events though, parties, bar events or access to certain areas or lounges that might otherwise not be available.

The good thing about gay group cruises is that there are far more options than with gay cruises They have different ports of call, destinations, timings and are far more numerous in availability. As a result, pricing may also be more competitive than it would be with an all-gay cruise.

Gay group cruises are like a half-step into all-gay cruises. You get to sample a lot of the benefits, but aren’t forced into that atmosphere. On the other hand, all-gay cruises go to destinations that they’ve found to be gay-friendly, and there’s no chance of weird looks from other passengers.

As always, the best option is to thoroughly investigate your options, give it a lot of thought, then make your decision and be happy with it!

Chartering a yacht has always been thought of as an expensive way to have a vacation. Let me explain why that’s not always necessarily right.

But I’ll start with yacht charters that really are expensive. There’s virtually no upper limit to the amount you can spend on these types of vacation. One of the largest mega yachts available for charter, MY Annaliesse will set you back approximately EUR 94,000, and that’s for each day. Expenses, fuel amongst others, have to be added to that amount. We have to admit though that Annaliesse is not a standard mega yacht but rather a floating hotel, capable of accommodating up to 36 guests. You will be pampered by crew of 34, including hairstylists, fitness instructors, some of the best chefs and of course the captain and his crew who safely navigate the vessel in the Mediterranean, Caribbean or other beautiful places around the world.

Now, Annaliesse is of course an extreme example. Nevertheless she is booked throughout the year. Considerably cheaper is, for exampe, MY Carmen Fontana. This 40 meter / 120 feet long mega yacht is available in the Greek waters from approx. US$12,000 per day. Still a large amount of money for most of us though. However, these yachts are typically chartered by pop stars, movie stars or other VIP’s. The alternative, booking a room or suite in a hotel, will often not work for well known people for obvious reasons. On a yacht one can enjoy their holidays in utmost privacy while a professional crew is always available at their service.

As said, US$12,000 per day is an amount most of us are not willing to spend on a vacation. Most people who charter a yacht in the Mediterranean or Caribbean spend amounts like US$1800 per week for, for example, a 36 feet bareboat sailing yacht. A 36 feet sailing yacht for example, is capable of accommodating 6 people. So when you decide to take your friends and split the amount, you will only spend like US$300 per person per week….. Which in many cases is cheaper than a hotel room. Add the great views, changing by the day if you decide to do some island hopping, the joy of being on the water and the fun of sailing in the most wondeful places on earth and you know why yacht charters are becoming increasingly popular.

If you’ve thought of taking a Royal Caribbean Cruise, or any cruise at all, you should know that cruising is the best kind of vacation. Cruising is the perfect combination of tour and relaxation. Moreover Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines makes sure that you’re pampered. In fact, the vast majority of people who take cruises enjoy them so much that they’d recommend cruising to friends, and they’d cruise again.

While a lot of tours that people take for vacations are hectic, taking a cruise isn’t hectic. There is no six am wake up. You stay in the same room every night. You don’t have to pack and unpack daily. There is time to relax aboard the ship, and there are plenty of onboard activities.

On a Royal Caribbean Cruise, you can enjoy spa treatments. You can play games in the casino, and shop in online shops. If you don’t feel like spending any money on board, you can eat delicious meals at the main dining halls. You can enjoy sports activities and swim in the pool. Ships feature activities for children, including baby-sitting for children ages three and up. For teens, there are activities ranging from karaoke to watching movies in the pool.

If you’ve never been on one before, it is just what you need. When you compare the costs of a cruise to a land vacation, there truly is no comparison. A cruise can run as little as $75.00 per day, which includes all food and drinks (except alcohol) and all shipboard activities, like the Broadway-style shows. You would have a hard time just staying in a good hotel at those rates! Ask any friend who has been on a cruise and they’ll tell you that it’s the best vacation you can imagine. You can see new port towns, and enjoy touring, while knowing that tomorrow you’ll be someplace new and different. Every day starts with a delicious breakfast and ends with a fantastic dinner. Take a Royal Caribbean cruise and the only question you’ll be left with is “Where will I go next time?”

Cruising homes - that are a new era residences. Huge cruise ships with luxurious residences. These residences are really spacious. They can have from 1000 to 3500 square feet. You can have 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, lounge, kitchen, terrase with yacuzzi, simply all you need. There are restaurants, cinemas, clubs, game rooms, fitness clubs or even art of state spa and wellness. You can go fishing, diving or boat cruising from an onboard marina. And there is more you can do on these ships.

Some of these ships even use their own onboard helicopters to get you comfortably from airport to your apartment. Ships itinerary is planned to circumnavigate the planet every 2 or 3 years. There are about 300 ports of call. When ship reach a port, it stays there for 2-5 days so you can enjoy the city or surrounding nature, then it moves to another port.

Of course, to get this kind of residence is costy. It can cost you couple of hundred thousands of dollars or even millions. That depends if you choose to buy a full ownership or partial.

One of the most luxurious and latest residential cruise ships on market these days is a vessel Magellan. This ship is currently being buit by Residential Cruise Lines, Ltd. Construction time is about 3 years. It is a huge US$650 million project.

The Magellan will have 76,000 gross weight tons and will be 860 feet long and 106 feet wide. Magellan will feature 15 decks and there is going to be a multinational crew of 350.

Magellan is being constructed by Aker Yards. Aker Yards is a part of the Aker Group, which is one of the largest and most renowned shipbuilders in the world.

Magellan is designed by the internationally acclaimed Norwegian firm of Petter Yran and Bjorn Storbraaten Architects A.S.

If you buy an apartment your residence will circumnavigate the world every few years while you will live in the luxury with such a services like marina, on call private helicopters and about 150 ports of call. Residents will have non-stop access to their floating penthouses. That includes other luxuries like housekeeping staff, spa, marketplace, 24-hour concierge , pools (in and outdoor), 4 restaurants, a 450-seat theatre, Monte Carlo style casino and Starbucks cafe. These are only just a few of the conveniences. Magellan residences are sold from US$1.8 million up to US$8 million. Also there is a fractional ownership available, which could be reachable through share clubs.