Captain Jack’s Blog

There are individuals who go on a cruise each and every year, maybe even twice a year. How can they afford it, you might ask? They shop around or wait for cruise deal last minute travel. They are able to take these cruises, not because they are wealthy but because they are wise. Instead of making plans, written in stone, to take a cruise, they are flexible and wait for a cruise deal last minute travel sale.

This isn’t realistic for everyone since most people do have full-time jobs, families and various commitments which dictate their schedule. Unfortunately if this is the case, it may be difficult to book a cruise deal last minute travel package. People who are compelled to make plans months in advance are likely to pay triple the cost of a cruise deal last minute travel package. For people who are able to jump and go, a cruise deal last minute travel package is the answer. The best thing about buying a cruise deal last minute travel package is the price includes most everything. If fortunate enough to get in on a cruise deal last minute travel, you should give it serious consideration.

It’s unlikely the real estate agency in town is going to randomly call people up and inform them of a cruise deal last minute travel sale. If hoping to find a great last minute cruise deal, you should regularly check travel or cruise related sites on the Internet. Google is your best friend. Acting as your personal real estate agent, the Internet can put in touch with excellent last minute travel deals including a cruise deal last minute travel package.

Every summer thousands of individuals take a cruise.  The majority leaves the ship with great memories and new friends. But like ‘real life’ misfortunes happen on a cruise ship as well. Fortunately cruise ship accidents are few and far in between.

Over the past few years, there have been numerous reports of cruise ship crime. While it may seem like the cruise ship industry has a problem, the reality is that they do not. Cruise ships are a safe place. But despite the fact that you are safe aboard a cruise ship, you should still take some precautions. Most of these precautions are simple and can be done with little effort.

When you board your cruise ship, there are a number of steps that you should take to ensure your safety. The most important is to familiarize yourself with the ship. Get to know it. It may take some time to examine the ship, but please do it anyway. And ask one of the ’sailors’ for a map if one wasn’t given to you. Carry it with you and you’ll never get lost. Read more on cruise ship safety.

Don’t awake sleeping dogs right? Well, according to this guy you might as well. They are toothless anyhow. He gets pretty creative when it comes to describing the flaws in most common home security system.

read more | digg story

Golfers who come to Hawaii find courses unlike any others on the planet. Divers who come to Hawaii find a wealth of underwater life that is not found in many other places on Earth. It is the same for sport fishers! The blue, clear waters abound with trophy fish that you would be proud to mount on your wall at home – the biggest fish in the sea grow here. The largest fish ever caught with rod and reel was caught near Oahu. It was a blue marlin, and it weighed almost a ton – 1805 pounds!

Hawaii is home to several sport fishing tournaments every year, including the venerated Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament, that draws competitors from all over the world.

10 tips to help make your sport fishing experience a memorable one: Sport Fishing in Hawaii

CRUISE SHIP JOBS
Do you have what it takes?

People tend to think a job on a cruise ship is a 24/7 vacation - just annoyingly interrupted by work. The brutal truth is: it’s 100 percent the other way around. It’s a 24/7 job - every now and then interrupted by some hours off. And it’s a job hard to escape. There is no going home after a long day.

A job on a cruise ship is a job with greater impact then most people think. Not just because of the long hours and hard work. It’s a job that is hard to get away from. How many people sleep in the office or the factory after a hard days work? That’s exactly what cruise ship employees do. Home is work, work is home. There is no 9 to 5. There even aren’t any weekends. But there are always passengers. It takes a special kind of people who are able to cope with that.

Don’t get me wrong: for those special people who can deal with the fact that their office is home and their home is the office, working on a cruise ship may be a perfect career choice. Let’s face it. How many people wake up in a different country every morning? How many people can tell the difference between a sunset in Aruba and and a sunset in Antigua by personal experience? When you are up to the challenges, a career on a cruise ship is a dream come true.

Let’s put your dreams into perspective and find out whether you are ready for life and career on board. On my regular website I wrote an article with a checklist to see what you need to make it to that sailing beauty. It’s too long for a blogpost. So go here to see if you have what it takes.

Take care,
Jack

For some reason most people think packing your bags is the only preparation needed for a cruise. Well, let me be the one to spoil the fun. There is more work to do. A lot more. The two most important rules? Number one; start preparations the minute you booked your cruise. Number two; bring your passport.

Most cruise ships travel on international waters and dock at international ports. Before being able to even board your ship, you’ll have to show proper identification. With international cruises, this identification often includes a drivers licenses and most certainly a passport. You already knew that right? Well, you’ll be ‘flabbergasted’ with the number of people that show up without a passport. Believe it or not, but a cruise ship hardly ever departs without leaving behind at least one not so happy camper. Often familys. Kids included. And take it from the captain: when you show up without a passport, there is absolutely nothing the crew can do to help you.

 A passport will get you aboard, but it’s obvious that it takes considerable more preparation if you want to enjoy your cruise to the fullest. A couple of minutes ago i uploaded an article on this subject on my website. The title is… well, almost poetry:  How to Prepare For a Cruise. Brilliant isn’t it You can read it here.

Maybe I’ll start writing some more on this subject. It’s important. I’ve seen too many people (first timer cruisers but seasoned veterans as well) that ran into trouble because of a lack of preparations. But please don’t sit behind your screen in anticipation. The captain is retired remember

 ”Captain Jack, What’s The Best Times to Take A Cruise?”
I get that question a lot. And let’s be honset, it’s a good question. The answer however, isn’t all that simple.The right time for you, can very well be the wrong time for me. Let’s face it, not everybody gets a choice as to when they can take their holidays. Don’t we all have to worry about school schedules or work schedules?  But, the more options that you have in the times that you can cruise, the better your options are going to be. But, to break it down, we’ll put it quite simply as traveling in the off season, which is generally the winter months, or traveling in the travel season which includes summer and holidays from school. And still, the answer isn’t going to suit anyone. I’ll try anyway. Read more.

With magnanimous workloads, feverish schedules, and kids, allot of couples need a romantic getaway as a time out from their day by day routines.  If you and your better half are seeking your next romantic getaway, you might want to study the possibleness of a cruise. Get aboard and forget the workload, schedules and the stress. A romantic getaway onboard spices up your marriage! 

Once it comes to romantic breaks, there are several who do not even look at a cruise liner as an option. However, there are others who virtually live for cruises. These couples are likely to take two or even more cruises annually.  Whether you have gotten on a cruise liner before or not, it’s imaginable for you and your spouse to have a romantic cruise ship getaway.

Before booking a cruise liner break, you’re encouraged to look at a list of elements.  These factors are crucial when designing a romantic getaway onboard a cruise liner. There are a couple of different cruise ships and cruise lines.  Lets be honest: where is the romance you are looking for when you end up on a cruise ship that’s ‘plagued’ with children…  

If you are interested in having an intimate, relaxing, and romantic cruise, try to find a cruise ship that has an age limit for its passengers. These cruise ships often restrict kids from coming aboard.  Many times, cruise ships with a passenger age limit target their voyages specifically to couples looking for romance. Learn more

It’s amazing what people ‘think’ to know about a cruise. Even when they haven’t ever been close to a cruise ship.
A cruise?Seasick in your vacation!
And bored….
And trapped….

Well, let me tell you…

Being bored on a cruise ship is humanly impossible. Unless you are brain death of course.
Feeling trapped? It’ll take you at least 20 minutes (at least!) to jog a round on the ships deck. How can you feel trapped?

Being seasick is something different. You will get seasick! That’s a personal guarantee from the Captain. But not on the moments you think you will. Not on sea. Not while sailing. You’ll get seasick the moment you disembark. For almost any ‘coastie’ it takes a while to get their ‘land legs’ back.

To be brutally honest; the crew is always looking forward to a good (but professionally hidden) laughs when the passengers leave the ship after a couple off days at sea.

The remedy? Stay aboard and watch your fellow passengers disembark…

Capt. Jack

I ‘m in Holland right now, and on this side of the Great Water it’s almost 2007. The champagne is frosted. I have some fireworks waiting for the clock to strike the big one. Unfortunately it’s raining and Zeus is working against me. I’ll have some fun with my Chinese toys anyway.I’d like to wish you and your beloved ones a very prosperous, spectacular and in all means healthy 2007. Let’s meet again on the other side of 2006/2007.

Happy New Year - or as we say in Holland: “Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!”