Posts Tagged ‘Caribbean’

Entertain your Guests By Choosing A Caribbean Corporate Yacht Charter

Some people charter a yacht for personal use while other people opt for a corporate yacht charter to entertain their corporate guests. There are plenty of reasons why your company may want to make use of a yacht and one of the many reasons why many people choose to charter a yacht is to celebrate the anniversary of their company. Of course, there are also many companies who opt for corporate yacht charter for the purpose launching a new product. Chartering a boat for any of these purposes is considered to be a very stylish affair and if you want your company’s event to be stylish and one that your guests will remember for a long time, then may be you should consider chartering a yacht.

The Caribbean islands are popular destinations for yacht charters so you can consider going to any one or more of the islands in the Caribbean for any special corporate event.

Leeward Islands are some of the islands that you can visit when you choose to opt for a yacht charter to celebrate any corporate event. When you visit this region, you will be able to navigate your yacht to other Caribbean islands. The islands that you can consider going to are St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica and Antigua. When you decide to visit these island nations, you can visit the sugar plantations here. There are also many small hotels where you can stay in.

When you are on your corporate yacht charter in the Caribbean, do not forgot to visit Saba, which is a very tall rock that stands at three thousand feet. You will be happy to learn that the water in the surrounding areas is perfect for scuba diving. If you get hungry then you can take your guests to the cottages where you can treat them with the local cuisines before you leave these islands. You can also head to Anguilla and St. Bart’s. If you do decide to take the yacht here, be sure to check out the clear and pristine beaches.

When it comes to corporate yacht charter, you need to determine the number of guests that will be sailing with you before you book a yacht. It is only when you are sure about the number of guests, then only you will be able to have a clear idea about the size of the boat that you should book. You need to know that most of the yachts have limited capacity, even the bigger ones. So you should try to find out about the number of people that the different yacht sizes can accommodate. When it comes to paying for the yacht, the chartering company will generally charge you depending on the number of people that will be on board.

Of course, you will also need to have a budget in mind before you go to a corporate yacht charter company and book a yacht. See the options that are available to you and then make your decisions accordingly.

Nassau – Haven of the Caribbean Pirates

Nassau – Haven of the Caribbean Pirates

by Cherie Pugh

Cherie Pugh discovered the true story of the Nassau pirates when sailing through the Caribbean on a traditional wooden ship. She found the court records of their trial in London, and spent years researching and writing

â??Mary Read â?? Sailor, Soldier, Pirateâ?.

This ultimate pirate yarn is now available as an ebook or paperback from www.womanpirate.com

After Queen Anneâ??s war, European, and particularly British soldiers and sailors, were left to beg for their bread all over the far-flung European colonies. Many of those stranded in the Caribbean were forced to cut logwood in the jungles, the desperate life uniting them into tight-knit brotherhoods. When they took to the sea as pirates, they were united by the Welsh Captain Henry Jennings, who led them in an attack on a Spanish salvage camp, and made off with a fortune.

[For more information on the pirate life, see my article

â??The Real Pirates of the Caribbeanâ?]

But the war with Spain was over, and the pirates were now outlaws, with the Navies of all the European powers against them. So Jennings led them to Captain Mission’s old pirate base: the port of Nassau on the island of Providence in the Bahamas. This stood directly in the line of trade from Europe to the American colonies and Africa, the triangle of goods, sugar and slaves that made England rich, and built her western cities, such as Bristol and Liverpool. As every ship had to sail the ‘trade winds’ in this direction, every ship would have to run the pirate gauntlet. Those merchants rich enough paid heavily for Naval protection, and their ships sailed in convoys.

Jennings united the pirates under Captain Mission’s code. He insisted on the honour of the Brethren of the Sea, claiming they were the only true gentlemen, those well-born being but a pack of wolves that gorged on the helpless and weak. The pirates came from the 80% of Britain that lived in desperate poverty and lawlessness, and having suffered from terrible injustice, they chose not to tolerate it.

Each pirate company aboard each ship elected a captain, to lead them when ‘chasing or being chased’ and a quartermaster, who was to protect the rights of the men from the captain. When in Nassau, these captains and quartermasters formed the Nassau council, that heard complaints, and attempted to keep the peace, not just between the pirates, but between the pirates and islanders and the occasional Governor appointed by the British government.

Those pirates such as Edward Teach, or Blackbeard as he styled himself, who could not conform to humane standards, were not welcome in Nassau. Indeed, Blackbeard and his crew were based on Saint Thomas, and then the American mainland.

Some of the pirates, such as Captain Cockram of Harbour Island, married island women, founded families, and made significant contributions to their small settlements. Captain Cockram compiled an accurate chart of the Bahamas from notes and scraps of navigator’s maps, and presented his life’s work to the ungrateful Governor Woodes Rogers. He was also involved in building the small forts that saved the islanders when they were attacked, and in organising the islanders’ effective defense.

John Haman designed and built the pirate ships at Harbour Island in the Bahamas, and he based his designs on the sloops of the Malacca pirates, ‘fast to attack, faster to run’, which were themselves based on the Arab dhow. Shallow draughted and agile, the pirate sloops were much more suited to sailing the treacherous reefs and shallows of the Caribbean. Their fleets of small, quick sloops and schooners, all with the new bird-wing sails and longer prows, glided across the water under the lightest of breezes. Despite, or because of, their smaller size, they easily outran, out-sailed and out-fought the clumsy, square-rigged, massive Navy ships. The Dutch had provided an effective defense against Spanish invasion using small, lightly-armed fishing boats against huge Spanish galleons, and these lessons were not lost on the pirates. Thousands of them flourished in the Caribbean by 1715, in companies of hundreds of men, in fleets of fast ships.

The British Navy found itself totally at a loss, too far from home, with ill and dispirited crews, who were only kept in line with a discipline so harsh it caused mutinies. The poor, starving sailors, most shanghaied by their own governments, probably dreamed of being captured by pirates, and becoming rich and free, and they could certainly not be relied upon to fight with the desperation of the pirates. And as the navy commanders made fortunes from convoying merchant ships, sometimes demanding up to a quarter of the cargo, and further contributing to the demise of trade in the area, their commitment to the actual destruction of the pirates might be questioned.

When King George lost patience with his Navy’s inability to deal with the pirates, he cleverly offered an unconditional Pardon to the pirates first. Within a few months, half the Nassau pirates had gone home, glad to end a long exile away from their families. Governor Bennett of Bermuda sent his own son to sail straight into Nassau harbour, and invite the pirates to Bermuda to take the Pardon. Henry Jennings immediately set sail for Bermuda, hundreds of pirates with him.

Then the King sent Captain Woodes Rogers to take Nassau back from the pirates. During Queen Anne’s War, Rogers had captured enough Spanish gold to finance Englandâ??s entire campaign against French domination. When he sailed his fleet into Nassau, Captain Vane met him with fireships, and forced him out again. Yet that night, Vaneâ??s supporters melted away from him. Given their love of freedom, and Vaneâ??s reputation for arrogance, they chose to live as Englishmen, in an English colony, with a Governor, rather than as the subjects of a pirate King. When the Governor sailed in again the next morning, Vane only stayed long enough to fire a volley at him, and then fled through the impossibly narrow eastern channel. Anne Bonny and Jack Rackam sailed with him. The pirate Mary Read remained in Nassau, still dressed as a man, and sought the Pardon.

[For more information on pirate women, see my article

â??Mary Read and Anne Bonny - Pirate Women of the Caribbeanâ?]

Governor Woodes Rogers was an ambitious Puritan, with little time for women, and none for the Brethren. He didnâ??t understand the piratesâ?? readiness to surrender, and was sure they would mutiny against him. Rogers had brought hundreds of colonists with him from war-ravaged Europe, but the rains brought fever, and he buried most of them within weeks. The Brethren would not farm, and when he insisted that they slave to erect forts against an expected Spanish attack, many returned to the sea.

After a successful cruise, Vane’s arrogance and disdain for the pirate code saw him lose the leadership of his pirate fleet to the handsome and popular Jack Rackam. Under Rackam’s captaincy, the pirates prospered, and after a wild revel with Tom Moody on Tortuga at Christmas, during which Anne Bonny disclosed her true identity to Rackam, he proposed that they divide their plunder and ships, and seek the Pardon.

They returned to Nassau, persuaded the Governor that they would defend his colony from any invasion by Spanish forces, and set up a trading company. As there was a new war with Spain looming, the Governor was rightfully terrified of a Spanish attack, and had to accept them. When the Spaniards finally did attack, the pardoned Brethren easily beat them off, but Governor Rogers still distrusted them.

Then the Governor heard that Jack Rackam intended to pay off Anne Bonnyâ??s first husband, as she was now the mother of Jack’s child, and he wanted to marry her. Rogers denounced Anne as a whore, threatened her with a whipping, and declared that Jack would wield the lash. Within days, Anne had tricked her way aboard the fastest ship in the harbour, one of John Haman’s own sloops, and Rackamâ??s old crew were back on the account.

When the Naval commanders based in the colonies appealed to the local Governors for money to equip small fleets of sloops, they were finally able to challenge the pirates. When Rogers sailed into Nassau, he had sloops with him, though they did not dare follow Vane through the narrow eastern channel out of Nassau harbour. Yet Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet were both captured by naval sloops that trapped them in the shallow mudflats of rivers on the American Main, and blasted them to pieces. Jack Rackam was also finally captured by a Jamaican Navy sloop, though the wild women in his crew almost fought off their attackers single handed.

[For more information on the British Government's slaughter of these pirates,

see my article â??The End of the Pirates of the Caribbeanâ?]

Any historian of the Caribbean pirates must wonder what would have happened if the pirates had refused to surrender Nassau. The ease with which half of them beat off the Spanish attack confirms that it would have been beyond the powers of the British Navy to take Nassau in their massive, square-rigged ships. If Charles Vane had not been so high-handed, and if Henry Jennings had not been so convinced that the Pardon was in the pirates best interest, they could have held the port indefinitely. That most of them chose to abandon this stronghold and return home proves that they were indeed exiles, forced into piracy to survive. That the rest found it hard to give up a life of freedom and riches is hardly surprising, in a time when to be rich and free was beyond the hope of a poor man, unless his dream came true, and he was captured by pirates.

This ultimate pirate yarn is now available as an ebook or paperback from www.womanpirate.com

Visit Paradise on Caribbean Holidays

When we think of the ideal holiday paradise, most often Caribbean holidays will spring to mind. With palm trees, empty sandy beaches and blue waters you will love luxury holidays in the Caribbean, where you have so many islands and quality resorts to choose from.

The Caribbean is made up of thousands of islands, and choosing which to visit on Caribbean holidays is a lovely problem to have. Because the Caribbean islands are spread over such a large area, there are regional differences in climate, but in general, the weather systems of the Caribbean Sea keep the area warm and welcoming. Taking Trinidad & Tobago as an example, the islands enjoy only a slight variation during the year, with an average annual temperature of 25°C with highs of 31°C: perfect for luxury holidays to the Caribbean.

Romance

The Caribbean is undoubtedly a romantic part of the world. Drawing partly on the desert island fantasy of being stranded in paradise, and partly from the innate beauty of the location, these islands are ideal for honeymoons and intimate Caribbean holidays for couples. There are many resorts perfect for romantic holidays where you can walk hand in hand on an empty beach and watch the sunset from the balcony of a luxury hotel.

The Cotton House in Mustique is one of several hotels that offer privacy and luxury on Caribbean holidays that couples will enjoy. You get your own private pool here and the chance to have a suite with its own lounge, so you can have your own space. You may even choose a cottage so you can feel really at home on the island.

For couples who like sailing, there are ‘Sail away’ packages and island hopping experiences. You might like to stop for a time on the tiny Young Island resort close St Vincent while exploring the Grenadines by yacht.

Family Fun

As well as being good for couples, the Caribbean is the perfect place to share with all your loved ones. There are many Caribbean holiday resorts where your children are welcome and can enjoy long days of play in the fine weather. Look out for the ‘family friendly’ resorts and hotels with Kids’ Clubs like the one at the Round Hill Hotel & Villas in Jamaica.

For some activity on your luxury holidays in the Caribbean there numerous opportunities to play golf or tennis, and you can take to the sea with a variety of water sports. You might like to try windsurfing in Barbados or Jamaica. The Round Hill Hotel & Villas in Jamaica have safe waters for learning to windsurf as well as snorkelling and diving. You can rely on sea temperatures in the Caribbean to be clement, and scuba divers will love the access to the colourful coral reefs vibrant with tropical fish.

Natural Beauty

The natural beauty you can see on luxury holidays in the Caribbean is not only found on the coast. You might like to stand underneath one of the waterfalls on of St Lucia, washing yourself with the waters of a Caribbean stream, or float in the fresh water pools in a woodland oasis. On the same island you can see the dormant volcanoes and explore the jungle environment. The Caribbean is an area of natural diversity where you might see wildlife on some islands that are rare and you can’t see anywhere else.

A Caribbean Vacation Destination Unknown To Many

As a Caribbean Vacation Destination Los Roques an archipelago of Venezuela has a lot going for it. Los Roques Archipelago is about one hundred miles north of Caracas, and is a beautiful and ecologically important group of islands which was declared a National Park some thirty five years ago.

One of its attractions as a Caribbean Vacation Destination is its relative inaccessibility, it is probably one of the most remote places of the Caribbean Sea because you either have to sail there or get a flight from Caracas or Margarita or Maracaibo, not names that are very familiar to tourists, European ones at any rate.

What makes Los Roques such a wonderful place is the peace and quiet and the relative calmness of the incredibly colored sea. There are masses of lagoons, over fifty small islands, three hundred emerged sand banks and white coral sand, few of them ever occupied. The sky is almost permanently blue, there is very little rain, and is outside the Caribbean hurricane belt.

Added to this is the fact that Los Roques has the third largest coral reef in the world, this is as Christopher Columbus observed on discovering Los Roques in the fifteenth century a “True Paradise on Earth”.

As Los Roques is a National park this automatically prohibits building high rise hotels so visitors stay in local guesthouses on Gran Roques where you arrive by air or sea, and is the only place with permanent settlements. It is home to over one thousand two hundred people.

The visitors, and there are around fifty thousand a year, who come to Los Roques for a Caribbean vacation are normally attracted by the stunning beauty of the beaches, and of course to scuba dive and snorkel the coral reef. Sport fishing and windsurfing are other popular activities at Los Roques

The guesthouses, inns and Pousadas on Gran Roques tend to be very picturesque, and are probably a luxuriously refurbished old fisherman house. Lodging usually includes breakfast and dinner, and can range in price for as little as USD50 to USD200 per night per person. Some of the guesthouses also include in the price transfers to nearby islands, lunch, sunbeds, umbrellas and equipment for snorkeling.

You could also stay on a boat, or even camp in specially designated areas, but far and away the most popular option is to stay in a pousada.

Having said the only accommodation is on Gran Roques, you can get to a small cay called Rasqui where there is a small lodge with only two rooms, and is really a private island. You should also visit Water Cay known as Cayo de Agua, which is totally deserted and absolutely beautiful.

Why not visit Dos Mesquises where the Los Roques Scientific Foundation has a program involving adopting a turtle, and is well worth visiting.

Could you find a better Caribbean Vacation destination than Los Roques Venezuela, where there are no hurricanes, miles and miles of white sand beaches, countless uninhabited islands and coral reefs teeming with multicolored undersea life.
There’s simply nowhere like it in the Caribbean, but go now whilst it is still a secret.

For more information about Caribbean Vacation Destinations Go To http://www.caribbean-vacationspots.com/pages/Site-Map.html

A Caribbean Cruise Is The Perfect Getaway

The Caribbean is the number one vacation spot for thousands every year. It appeals to so many because it offers so much. You’ll find sun, sand, warm water and multitudes of friendly souls. Keep reading to learn why the Caribbean is so popular.

The Caribbean generally consists of the group of islands that find their home in the Caribbean Sea. The east coast of Mexico is sometimes considered part of the Caribbean as well, most notably Cancun, Cozumel, and the Mayan Riviera. This area of the world enjoys wonderful weather year round and is one the hot spots for pensioners heading south for the winter, otherwise known as “snowbirds”.

With so many beautiful places and islands in the Caribbean, how do you decide which one to visit? Each island has its own unique charm and history. Many of the islands host fascinating ruins that are the artifacts left behind by the original inhabitants to the area. If you head to the Mayan Riviera, the archeological sites and the ruins are awe-inspiring. These ruins date back to Mayan times. Some of the islands have a multi-national population, such as the island of Saint Martin (Sint Maarten). Half of Saint Martin is Dutch, and half are French. The two territories are unique and offer tourists different sites to explore.

One of the sights that you won’t want to miss when you visit the Caribbean is the island of Guadeloupe. Guadeloupe consists of two islands: Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre. The islands have a huge Creole influence and culture, merging a flamboyant blend of African and French traditions. Guadeloupe is famous for its wonderful beaches and resorts, as well as its rum! When you visit Guadeloupe you will be pleasantly surprised as you travel the islands visiting the many beaches, the modern cities, and the out of the way inlets.

Another of the Caribbean Islands that is a treat to visit is St. Thomas, which is known by sailors the world around as one of the yacht capitals of the world. The shopping in St. Thomas will keep you busy for hours before you head back to your private villa or exotic resort.

When you visit Charlotte Amalie, the capital of St. Thomas, you will be able to dine at one of the many restaurants that line the streets before talking a stroll along the boardwalk. If you are in the mood for staying out all night you can indulge yourself in one of the many bars that can be found along the coastal waters.

Regardless of which Caribbean Island you choose to explore, you can always be assured of blue pristine waters, beautiful beaches and amazing sunshine. You’ll always find something to grab your attention and make you want to keep coming back for more.

The Charisma And Romance Of A Caribbean Cruise Wedding

The wedding day is definitely one of the most memorable days of our lives in this earth and it is not surprising that we all look for ways to make this day as unique and romantic as possible. This is also reason why a Caribbean cruise wedding will cover all your expectations and provide you and those that attend this wedding with the most wonderful memories to cherish for a lifetime.

What can be more romantic on earth then getting married on a cruise ship while at sea or even in a port? More often than not most couples choose to marry on the first day on the cruise even prior to the ship leaves the port so that they can have the family members attend and then, leave on the cruise for their honeymoon. The captain of the ship has the authority to marry if you want him to officiate your wedding, if not you can bring along your own minister on your wedding day.

It is indispensable you plan the Caribbean cruise wedding especially if you want to hold it before the cruise starts, because you cannot bring on board anyone without prior permission from the captain and that cannot be obtained on the same day in order to ensure the safety of all those onboard and be in concordance with the rules and regulations enforced by the US coast guard.

Everything be able to and will be catered for by the ship staff if they are advised in time for example, your wedding reception, the drinks, food and even the wedding cake. You will need to let them know the day you want your Caribbean cruise wedding to take place, the number of people will attend and when you want to it take place. You are also allow to bring your own drinks and food provided you obtain the approval of the cruise line first.

Have the wedding of your dreams in such an unique surroundings of the most romantic settings in the world and follow it by a similarly romantic honeymoon to the beautiful beaches and ports of the Caribbean.

One of the most thrilling and romantic ways to spend your honeymoon is to go on a cruise with the Royal Caribbean cruise liner. Not only that you will be able to have real good times on board the Royal Caribbean cruise liner, you will also have the chance to travel around the islands when you make your stopover. What on earth could be more romantic than exploring the Caribbean on your honeymoon on board the Royal Caribbean cruise liner? There are many destinations for you to choose from when you want to go on a cruise on board the Royal Caribbean cruise liner. And one of the most favorite routes that people on their honeymoon often take is the route which could bring you to such port stops as Conzumel, Mexico: George Town, Grand Cayman, Montego Bay, Jamaica and ends at the Royal Caribbean cruise lines private destination at Labade, Hispaniola.

Without trying to state the understandable, one can safely say that the Caribbean honeymoon cruise is one of the most romantic experience that allows couples to savor elegant sands, dip into warm waters as well as just having gentle winds scream out inviting one to take a moonlight stroll as well as enjoy fun filled picnics. One can find the most ideal romantic getaways in the seclusion of stylish resorts that will satisfy every newly- wed couple. People normally flock to the Caribbean in search of exotic as well as breathtaking islands that can provide every amenity, and also to provide that unforgettable experience that one has always hoped for, where honeymoon couples are especially pampered and feasted.

With the warm settings, secluded spots as well as beautiful beaches and clubs to provide all the necessary ingredients to grow the romance, one can see in your mind’s eye how much lovers would appreciate a week or two together in these idyllic locations. Most honeymooners gravitate towards Jamaica and the Dominican Republic for the reason that costs are lower and there is plenty on which they can splurge on. Getting married is a once in a lifetime event and the Caribbean provides some of the best honeymoon resorts that are even better to those found on some of the smaller European islands.

Caribbean honeymoon cruises specials are available almost everywhere and one can just click on a travel website and see the whole range of options that are available, and there are also certain to be some bargain basement prices as well. One can easily find resorts that are surrounded by the nature in all of its splendor and places such as the Paradise Bay Resort offer clear blue water and are hidden amid thousands of acres of beautiful nature, which also explains how it got its name are certainly visiting on a honeymoon. It is places such as these that put together the Caribbean honeymoon cruise worthwhile.

Caribbean Vacation Travel Cruise

A Caribbean travel vacation cruise has much to offer to sophisticated travelers who recognize the great value in traveling to the island. If you want a vacation that is rich with culture galore, quaint architecture, seas to explore, fantastic swimming and snorkeling, then the Caribbean has it and more.

Here, you will find some great Caribbean vacation travel cruise offers that are guaranteed to give you the best value in cruise traveling.

A Seven Night Dream

Dreams become reality when you find yourself floating through warm, welcoming water of the on one of several vacations travel cruise ships. Enjoy the sun, sand, and surf of a picture perfect island during brief land excursion in any one of your ports of call and spend the day indulging in duty free shopping, diving in clear blue water, or exploring Mayan ruin.

With the coming of the cold month, the Royal Caribbean, one of the leading cruise lines on the islands, is offering many fantastic vacation travel cruise offers to its visitors who opt to book early. One of these is the seven night dream travel beginning at four hundred dollar per person, the cruise and featuring fabulous inside cabins where you can get excellent views of the dazzling ocean.

The Mariner of the Seas, which departs from Port Canaveral, Florida and takes you to four different ports of call where you can go on brief land excursions Labadee, Hispaniola, Ocho Rios, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; Cozumel and Mexico before you cruise back to Port Canaveral in Florida.

The Voyager of the Seas lets you start your travel cruise fun in Miami, Florida, and making brief stops in Hispaniola, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Mexico. The ship offers you four kinds of room accommodations, ranging from five hundred dollar to two thousand plus dollar.

Other midsize ships mean a more spacious and comfortable vacation cruise, with all the service and amenities you had expect, but no waiting in long lines for meals or port of calls.

Three Night Enchantment or Four Night Excitement

Few places on earth are more conducive to relaxation than the island of the Caribbean. Perhaps, it is the light, tropical breezes that gently soothe the soul. Or the warm water and warm receptions tat await you on every shore. One thing is certain: aboard a Celebrity vacation travel cruise, a vacation offers something for everyone.

But if you want your vacation cruise to be brief but enchanting, the vacation cruise offers several short cruises for your pleasure. You will find short vacation cruises, just three nights long, out of San Juan, Puerto Rico, for as little as two hundred eighty nine dollar per person.

Or consider a bit longer, western vacation cruise, four nights starting at three hundred fifty dollar, on the Enchantment of the Seas. Take a four night Western vacation cruise aboard the Century for only three hundred thirty, starting from Miami, Florida. The cruise provides you with all the amenities you could ever wish from, from shipboard accommodation to ocean transportation, meals, beverages, and entertainment aboard the vessel.