SixStar Cruising on Luxury Cruise Lines

Six-Star Cruising on Luxury Cruise Lines
By Colin Hartness

A luxury cruise is just what the name implies, a cruise at the upper end of the spectrum, not just five stars but a six-star cruise. There are six cruise lines that are in the luxury class: Crystal Cruise Line, Cunard Cruise Line, Radisson Seven Seas, The Yachts of Seabourn, Silversea Cruise Line, and Windstar Cruises.

Crystal Cruise Line has received numerous awards for excellence. For the last nine years, Conde Nast Traveler has named Crystal Best Large-Ship Cruise Line. Also for the last nine years, Travel + Leisure magazine has given Crystal the status of Worlds Best Large-Ship Cruise Line. And for service, a Travel + Leisure readers poll voted Crystal Worlds Best. Crystal Cruise Line operates only three ships: Crystal Harmony, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity. These ships carry approximately 1,000 passengers each and Crystal Cruise Line boasts the greatest passenger space per guest of any cruise line.

Do you recognize the ship names Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth? These great ships come from Cunard, a name long synonymous with luxury and elegance in cruises. With Cunard, the journey may be even more magnificent than the destination states their promotional literature. Cunard operates just two award-winning luxury ships. The Queen Mary 2, launched in January, 2004, is known as the longest, tallest and largest ocean liner and carries 2,620 passengers. It is replacing the Queen Elizabeth 2 for transatlantic crossings but the QE2 will still be available for cruises.

Radisson Seven Seas is a small luxury cruise line. Small here means that the ships carry a small number of passengers. Fewer than 700 fortunate passengers per cruise are pampered by attentive staff. Radisson Seven Seas has been named by Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure magazines to be the Worlds Best Small Cruise Line. Radisson Seven Seas appeals to the sophisticated traveler.

The Yachts of Seabourn cruise line advertises that they provide Ultra Luxury by delivering the highest levels of personalized service to an exclusive group of guests aboard intimate, elegant ships that could visit the most enticing destinations worldwide. Seabourn sails three identical all-suite ships that cater to only 208 passengers each. Of course, dining and service is world-class.

Silversea Cruises is a new company, founded in 1994, for the express purpose of providing an ultra-luxury cruise experience aboard small and intimate ships with all the features of a large cruise vessel. The Silverseas ships Cloud, Wind, Shadow, and Whisper provide all-suite accommodations that between 250 square feet and over 1,300 square feet in size. Silversea vies with Radisson Seven Seas and Crystal Cruise Lines for the accolades of Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure in the worlds best categories. Silversea Cruises has also has been named by Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure magazines to be the Worlds Best Small Cruise Line many times since its inception.

Windstar Cruises offers a totally different sailing experience. Windstar Cruises offers motor-sail-yachts instead of cruise ships. Yes, their ships actually have sails that are computer-controlled with the latest in technology. Windstars four ships carry just 148 to 308 passengers in staterooms or luxurious suites, giving the feel of being aboard a personal yacht. Even with such a small fleet, Windstar Cruises sail to over 47 countries around the world.

If youre in the market for a luxury cruise, there are a number of excellent cruise lines to chose from.

Looking for information about cruises?Go to: http://www.whatcruises.com

'What Cruises' is published by Colin Hartness - An excellent resource for Cruises!

Check out more cruise articles at: http://www.whatcruises.com/archive

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10 Reasons to do a Basic Boating Course!

10 Reasons to do a Basic Boating Course!
By Willie Jones

Boating is a great adventure on any type of boat and is being enjoyed by many on a daily basis, but with that comes a great responsibility. It is not mandatory to do a boating course at this time but there are some very good reasons to get your self informed about the rules of the road.

1)You will learn about safety equipment and what you are required to have on your boat before you undertake any boating excursion. This is very important because what you dont have with you could make the difference between being able to handle a situation or not. Also, that outing for the day could cost you if the sheriff stops you to spot check your boat and fines you for not having all the safety equipment required for your specific boat.

2)You will learn that driving a boat is vastly different from driving a car. You are dealing with air and water currents. If you have never docked a boat you may think that it is easy, until that is, the current is pulling you in the opposite direction that you want to go. Understanding air and water currents will help you learn how to dock your boat.

3)Knowing how to work with lines and tying knots is part of boating. You have to be able to secure a boat properly. If your boat gets away, it is amazing how quickly the current will take it out of your reach and you will probably require the assistance of another boater to help you get to it. So learn your knots.

4)You will learn what the channel markers mean. We learned the hard way the first time we went out on a boat and ran aground outside the markers. We also had no clue what the red and green markers meant on the poles. This you also learn on the course.

5)There are speed limits on certain water ways but unlike the roads, they may or may not be posted. Ignorance may not be enough to get you out of a ticket.

6)Using charts for coastal navigation can be a life saver. Its your road map that helps you stay away from the shallows and shows where all the markers and bridges are, and by using measurements you can calculate the distance and time it will take to get somewhere. It can be valuable tool for navigation.

7)Just like on the roads, there is the right of way. On a boating course you will learn who has the right of way and why.

8)Every boat should have a horn. You may hear one long toot or 2 short toot and so on, and youll learn what they mean.

9)There are boating regulations and laws that must be followed by all boaters, for example, (and I have seen this rule broken so many times) you are not allowed to sit on the bow of the boat with your feet hanging over board. There are many more regulations to learn and not knowing them can cost you.

10)Anchoring a boat is not just a matter of plopping it down to the sand. There is a mathematical technique applied to anchoring that has to do with the size and length of your boat. Knowing how to do this correctly will give you that extra insurance of knowing your boat is going nowhere until you want to move it.

There are many ways to enjoy pleasure boating, such as the fast pace of ski boating or the slow pace of a trawler, kayaking or canoeing. In whatever way you want to do it, it is a good idea to know the rules of the road. Then you can avoid potential situations and get on with the fun of being out there with all that sky, sun, water, family and friends.

Enjoy!

Willie is a freelance writer and researcher and is dedicated in bringing information on health related issues and other topics. http://www.adventure-boating.com

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Auto Detailing and Boat Detailing

Auto Detailing and Boat Detailing
By Lance Winslow

Many auto detailers, automotive detail shops and mobile car wash and detailing business have found a lucrative niche in cleaning, washing and detailing boats, yachts and personal watercraft. You would be surprised the demand for such services. It is worthy to look into this if you are considering expanding your business or starting a brand new auto detailing company.

You see boat detailing can be a nice addition to the various services that your detailshop or for your mobile detailing company. While it is not generally quite as profitable as say aircraft washing and detailing private jet aircraft, it can be a lucrative venture especially for those of you that live near lakes, rivers or ocean harbors and have a large population of people with boats. For those of you that have this, you might consider this advice as you strategize your potential market niches for the up coming year.

Is boat detailing difficult? No, not really but you do need to brush up on Gel Coats, wood finishes and corrosion control a bit, so you understand what you are getting into. Additionally there are several good lines of products out there, such as StarBrite and Meguires, which manufacture custom waxes and polishes for marine applications. So be thinking on this in 2006.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; www.WorldThinkTank.net/

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Texas Hiking Vacation

Texas Hiking Vacation
By Alison Cole

One of the longest trails for a hiking vacation in Texas is in the Hillcountry area. The Goodwater Trail snakes around Lake Georgetown and just about totally encircles it. With numerous trailheads to select from, this hike offers abundant opportunities for a hiking vacation. The most familiar starting point for a hike along Lake Georgetown is at Cedar Breaks Park, which is at the southeastern corner of the lake. The trail starts off on a well-maintained plane of crushed stone. However, within a quarter of a mile, it turns rocky and rough along the lakeshore. Some of the most excellent views of the lake are near mile marker one on the trail and thereafter. The trail cuts through rough terrain, occasionally passing through gaps and enormous limestone boulders over six feet high. Thick clusters of cactus and Cedar also dot the area, at times partly overhanging the trail itself.

Another hiking vacation spot is one of Williamson County's newest parks, Berry Springs Park and Preserve. In a short period of time, this park has added over two miles of trails appropriate for families and beginners. The hike starts at the parking lot near waypoint Trailhead. From this spot, a paved path leads to the east and west and both end in a small loop, turning back to the trailhead. However, at each of these turnaround points, unpaved trails continue. The trail system makes a loop around much of the park's land, along with side trails bisecting it at different points along the way.

In most cases, the north shore's trails are easier, and this is mainly true of the trails on the northwest sector of the lake. They consist of wide jeep trails and dirt roads on terrain that gently undulates for several miles before it becomes a bit rougher. There are alternate trailheads at the end of West Lake Parkway at Tejas Camp and at Russell Park.

Hiking Vacations provides detailed information on Hiking Vacations, Spain Hiking Vacations, Scotland Hiking Vacations, Hiking Vacation Spas and more. Hiking Vacations is affiliated with Montana Fishing Vacations.

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The Da Vinci Code Good Or Bad? An Opinion From The Travel Industry

The Da Vinci Code, Good Or Bad? An Opinion From The Travel Industry
By R. Johnson

We are just days from the official release of the film the Da Vinci Code, yet even before it has hit cinemas in Europe the upcoming release has caused concern in Christian circles. Dan Browns novel, which has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, tells a story of attempts by the Church to suppress the truth of Christs marriage to Mary Magdalene and his fathering of a royal bloodline.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Rt Revd Rowan Williams, criticized it in his Easter address: Think of the massive international industry around The Da Vinci Code: it is exciting to think of conspiracies and cover-ups when trust in traditional institutions is low. But here is the problem. We are familiar with the world of cover-up stories; we are on safer ground with their cynicism and worldly wisdom. They are less challenging and dont involve us in confronting difficult realities. And like any kind of cynicism they stop us hearing anything new or surprising.

Last year Westminster Abbey refused to allow the 40 million Hollywood adaptation of the book, starring Tom Hanks and Sir Ian McKellen, to be filmed there. Instead, the diocese of Winchester opened its doors to the producers. So is the films subject matter unsuitable, as Westminster Abbey believes, or it an opportunity for the Christian faith, as the diocese of Winchester believes?

From the travel and tourism industrys point of view, it is an opportunity to bring increased tourism and travel to the UK. From that point of view it may have been a blessing that Westminster declined, as it is already able to draw large crowds. More tourists can now be expected to travel to Winchester. Large numbers of tourists, especially from the United States, are expected to go on spiritual tours to Europe that will include visits to sites used in the film.

Indeed, the English National tourism agency VisitBritain, the Scottish tourist board VisitScotland and the French tourist office, Maison de la France, have partnered with Sony Pictures and its global partner, Eurostar - the high-speed rail service.

They have even created a dedicated new website, www.visitdavincicode.com, featuring in-depth visitor information about Paris, London, and Edinburgh, behind-the-scenes secrets from different locations, key destinations and related attractions and a downloadable The Da Vinci Code movie map. Unfortunately, vacation rentals are not included in the resources that the site provides links to.

The site also offers holiday packages offering consumers the chance to seek the truth and follow in the footsteps of the films characters. But how sincere is this and what should Christians think about it? This authors point of view is practical: sometimes bad publicity is better than no publicity. Millions of people will see the film and many of them will come to Europe to visit locations used in the film. They will enter genuine holy sites and while there perhaps they will put aside the films mixed message and have time to consider the beauty of the sites and think about God.

Whatever your opinion may be, some Roman Catholics have taken a humourous approach and created a fun site for people going on a Da Vinci Code tour. Check out Freebies for The Da Vinci Code Enthusiasts.

We would certainly recommend spending time near each of the sites. There are lots of bed and breakfasts and holiday cottages for rent around Lincoln Cathedral. For Rosslyn Chapel, just south of Edinburgh in Scotland, there are also many cute holiday cottages to rent. Even the north-west of Paris where Chateau de Villette is, there are French holiday villas.

Feel free to re-publish this article as long as you include my resource box! Article by Robert Johnson working as Journalist in Residence at HolidayKeys. HolidayKeys is a great place to book and pay safely for your vacation rental in Europe: http://www.holidaykeys.com

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Zambezi Sharks Under Threat at Protea Banks

Zambezi Sharks Under Threat at Protea Banks
By Melt Du Plooy

Sharklife.co.za has been fighting an ongoing for the protection of the Zambezi shark on Protea Banks but has been informed that a fishing charter is still trophy fishing for these sharks.

Sensational Fishing Charters is the only charter in the area to actively advertise and promote shark trophy fishing.

It takes Zambezi sharks over 20 years to reach breeding maturity. Should this slaughter be allowed to continue we fear that the entire Zambezi shark population of Protea Banks will soon be gone. Currently the only sharks seen on Protea Banks that have any form of protection, are the Great White and Spotted Ragged-tooth. Many other species, like the Zambezi, are in desperate need of protection and we need your help to get the authorities to act and get unscrupulous charters to stop their slaughter.

Local dive charter African Odyssea has witnessed the drastic decline in the Zambezi shark population on Protea Banks. One could expect to see up to 20 or more individual sharks on a single dive when diving began there in 1994 and this season 2005 there are an estimated 7 individual Zambezi's left on the reef.

Each of these 7 sharks is a national treasure attracting thousands of divers each year to Protea Banks not to mention their vital importance to the ecology of the reef.

To voice your protest or support, e-mail Sensational at fishmad@iafrica.com. Please cc SHARKLIFE at grant@sharklife.co.za. Visit the sharklife website here

South African scuba diving, marine and environmental newshttp://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com

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Koeberg Nature Reserve Cape Town

Koeberg Nature Reserve, Cape Town
By Tracey Obery

The beautiful Koeberg Nature Reserve surrounds the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, and is situated only 30 km from Cape Town. It can be reached by taking the West Coast Road (R27) past the beach-side suburbs of Milnerton, Bloubergstrand and Melkbosstrand.

History
The Reserve measures roughly 3,000 hectares of Eskom property, and was proclaimed as a nature reserve in 1991. It was established to protect and conserve the local flora and fauna, and it also acts as an educational center for young and old.

The reserve plays a pivotal role in the conservation of the area, especially since the development of industries and residential properties along the West Coast. Within the reserve you can find a number of unique coastal land forms, wetlands and different vegetation communities protected within this area.

Trails
The reserve offers two diverse, well marked hiking trails and a mountain bike trail.

1.The Dikkop Trail (9.5km; 19,3km, or a 22.3 km trail)
The Dikkop Trail has been designed to lead the hiker through a widely varying terrain, and it is the perfect opportunity to experience the many moods of the West Coast. The trail starts at the visitor center, and follows a circular route through the nature reserve.

The Mountain Biking trail follows a similar route to the Dikkop Trail, with plenty of gradients to make it enjoyable for the seasoned cyclist and the novice, young or old.

2.Grysbok Trail (2,5km or 5,7km trails)
The Grysbok trail again starts at the visitors center covered parking and follows a circular route through the reserve. There are two alternatives for this trail, the first is a 5,7 km hike, which follows a circular walk , which includes a stroll along a private stretch of beach and offers beautiful, unobstructed views of Table Mountain. There is an abundance of plant life and fynbos to be seen and animal life, especially bird-life is abundant. Hikers will also be able to view the ruins of a historical farmhouse, a truly spectacular site in Spring, with a variety of flowers in bloom, all around.

The 2,5 km trail will take you through all of the above areas, except the wetlands, and is a pleasant way to spend a few hours.

Animal Life
The reserve has a variety of buck; Springbok, Bontebok, Eland and Impala's, they also have a small herd of Zebra, all the animals are originally indigenous to the area and have been reintroduced so that visitors can view them in their natural habitats. The park has a few small predators, such as the African Wildcat, Grey Mongoose and Genet, and if lucky visitors might be able to spot the elusive Caracal, which is the largest predator in the area. Reptiles are also abundant in the park, and if you are patient you can observe first-hand the habits of , the Cape Cobra, Mole Snake, Boomslang, Skaapsteker and the Angulated Tortoise.

For the bird-watcher there are over 172 identified bird species on the reserve, which can make for hours of uninterrupted bird watching.

During the whale season, there are viewing platforms which offer you perfect and private views of Southern Right Whales.

The reserve is continually expanding on the breeds of animal at the reserve, and now have Wildebeest on their list of wild life.

Be sure to pop in to the visitors center and ask for a map of their trails before you start to ensure that you make an informed decision.

Tracey Obery is a virtual concierge for City Guide SA - a comprehensive one-stop travel resource providing visitors to South Africa with up-to-date information on where to stay, eat and play in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and the Garden Route.

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