To be well-off and famed comes with its benefits. No matter what the loaded and well-known do, they can do it 50 times more extravagantly than the average person. Cool gadgets are no different. Devices aren’t always the neatest items, but they help make our world less challenging. The prosperous and famed are aimed at by manufacturers by applying shine, or “bling” to present products. Listed below are gadgets only fit for the extremely wealthy and famous bunch.

James Bond Bed. This media bed comes with nearly anything a rich and popular guy or woman might want to include. This hi-tech luxurious bed is available set up with a flat screen television that comes from the foot of the bed. A luminotherapic light is built-in the head board to provide light remedy and a calming awakening. This remarkable design by Nicolas Melan also includes a THX 5.1 surround system, DVD player, and a noiseless alarm clock with a sound canon system to rise the designated person and not the sleeping companion. Nearly the only thing this bed doesn’t have is a Playstation 3.

Keymat YALOS Diamond LCD. This 40-inch LCD Television includes white gold trim set with 160 diamonds. With this equipment, even television watching will be a lavish experience. For this new age work of art, shoppers can expect to pay £130,000. A moderate price for such a lavish viewing experience.

Hydro Physio Lifestyle. Water based work out is growing in attractiveness because it is a lot easier on the joints than various other methods of cardiovascular exercise. Hydro Physio is for the commited individual that is attempting to discover a kind of physical exercise that provides less stress on the joints. This original piece of gear can be tailor made to in good shape the decor of any modern day residence. The glass pocket is filled up with water and combined with a treadmill. The glass makes it possible for the exercises to be viewed by a instructor standing outside. The coach can give directions on form and method. Dependent upon the water height, a different muscle group will be developed. The device is also flexible to the height and weight of the person.

Custom Sony Vaio P Series by Crystal Roc. Want a very small netbook that will cost you £1500? Perfect. Step right up for this subdued little number; the lightweight Vaio P series, festooned in jet hematite crystals, it’s a ’stylish’ little computer that only the wealthiest could afford.

Liquid Crystal Display tellies are also referred as LCD tellies are tellies which use LCD technology for visual output. The technology used is usually thin film transistor, because this allows for size, but more specially depth reduction, lower weights and reduced energy utilisation. Liquid Crystal Display screens are for the majority of the time now used as computer monitors.

Early on Liquid Crystal Display TV’s did have difficulties in relation to the known optical display technologies for the TV’s and computer VDU marketplace from the customary cathode ray tube sort, with benefits that include energy efficiency being critically important when put alongside with the CRT design. With LCD TV’s progressing to make better and extra steps all the time it permits it to challenge besides opposing technologies, such as plasma flat panels and rear projection TVs for big- screen High-Definition tellies.

For a considerable time on the tellies market it was mainly understood that LCD technology was suitable only to smaller sized flat panel TVs with sizes of 40″ or smaller, as it could not contend with plasma technology for screens bigger than this because plasma had the edge in cost & performance. Yet, Liquid Crystal Display TVs are able to now provide almost matching performance.

Basically almost every single one of the LCD telly businesses have agreed campaigns to spend tens of thousands of ponds in Liquid Crystal Display development over the next couple of years with televisions likely to be decisive in the market. Expnasion in Liquid Crystal Display technology has helped to narrow the technological gap allowing creators to offer the lower weight, diminishing prices & better accessible resolution which is decisive for HDTV. Visit the Sound and Vision website and grab yourself Cheap 32″ LCD TV today!

electronics buyers used to discover that LCD tellies were preposterously expensive, its now on the other hand really painless to acquire bargain high definition ready LCD television from a choice of highly regarded brand names a large number of them include the best makes like that of Runco, Fujitsu and Sharp.

You wouldn’t believe how much people eat when they’re on a boat. I’ve been slaving down here in this galley like… well, a galley slave. Must be all that salt air.

Not that the air down here in is particularly fresh. Something to do with the loo. They all seem to think life’s too short to pump a toilet.

The toilet isn’t the only thing that’s primitive on this 36 foot bath toy we’ve hired for the weekend. Before we left port yesterday, a bloke with a grey beard showed us the ropes.

His language was so archaic it was like watching a foreign film. Why call it a cleat when “thing you wind the rope around” would do? He kept trying to scare us with stories about people getting beached and having to be rescued. Silly old barnacle.

I didn’t much like the way he smiled when we waved him goodbye and motored away from the wharf without pulling the rope off the thingee he called a bollard. We weren’t trying to demolish the wharf.

Nautical door heights haven’t changed since the Battle of Trafalgar - which accounts for the huge lumps on my head. Not that I’m complaining. Nothing worse than a belligerent sailor.

I don’t mind being stuck down here really. I much prefer roosting in the woody womb of the vessel to being up there white knuckling the wheel and screaming.

But I only did that once yesterday. Sailing’s like war, I’ve decided - long periods of boredom interspersed with brief moments of life threatening terror.

I was steering through a stretch of perfectly empty water, when suddenly hundreds of little yachts started whirling around us like angry bees.

The famous camaraderie of the seas went right out the porthole. You’d think the Anglo Saxons had invented only one word.

I can still see the faces of the yachtsmen I nearly sliced in half - pale and open-mouthed like portraits of the damned in a medieval painting.

A miss is as good as a mile, I said. But they told me go downstairs and cook dinner. All they think about is their stomachs.

Soon after, my husband visited me in the galley saying he needed the radio. Well, the boat does have a nice cd player. No, he said, we’d run aground.

The man with the grey beard’s smile seemed to have widened an extra few centimentres when he turned up in a yellow rescue launch. He told us to sit on the far side of the boat while he tied a rope around the mast and hauled us out of the mud.

The yacht leaned on such a sharp angle as he roared off into the distance we were heaved into the air like acrobats from Cirque du Soleil.

Things quietened down after that. We anchored overnight in a bay. Now they’re hungry again. And they expect meals from a pathetic excuse for a fridge.

If they’re not careful I’ll throw in the tea towel and run away to sea.

Helen’s email: notnuts@bigpond.com

Bareboat sailing means that the yacht you charter does not have the amenities you would have with a crewed or luxury sailing charter. You don’t necessarily need to have sailing experience as you can have a captain and crew along on these charters as well. If you book a bareboat charter, you have to supply all your own food as well as that of the captain and crew. You will also have to pay these people yourself because that cost is not included in the quote for bareboat sailing yachts.

You can book a bareboat sailing charter in just about any part of the world where there are sailing charters available. You can sail the yacht yourself if you have the necessary qualifications. However, in many parts of the world where there are navigation hazards, such as in the islands of Greece, you may need to have an experienced captain along with you for bareboat sailing. The charter company will supply you with all the navigational charts you need and will give you the instruction you need so that you can have a safe sailing charter.

Have you ever considered bareboat sailing along the coast of Turkey? The yachts available for these sailing charters are well maintained and the budget price will provide you with a cheap vacation. The major cost involved in this type of bareboat sailing charter will be the travel costs associated with getting to Turkey. The cost of living is quite low in this part of the world, so the cost of the bareboat yacht is not expensive at all. In addition, the cost of groceries you need to take with you are also very inexpensive.

Bareboat sailing in Turkey will enable you to charter a yacht that is easy to handle as well as able to accommodate a small family or several couples. The protected bays and inlets along the coast are easy to navigate and will provide you with an exceptional view of Turkish culture. With a bareboat sailing charter in Turkey, you will enjoy sunfilled days, exotic scenery and turquoise waters. There are many itineraries for you to choose from if this type of bareboat charter appeals to you.

Choosing Turkey as your location for bareboat sailing will offer you a stress free holiday. There are no tides, currents or high waves to worry about and there is usually a steady afternoon wind in the summer, which makes for ideal sailing conditions. The temperature of the water is perfect for swimming in the summer, so your bareboat yacht could become your diving platform. When you consider bareboat sailing, there are so many places in the world you can go that you will have a difficult decision to make.

When searching for the best cruise deals, many of us believe that luck is the key to finding the cruise deals of the century! Well that’s not necessarily true, and we want to show you how to find a cruise deal that will have you traveling on the seas with class!

If you’re interested in taking a cruise, whether it be to the Caribbean, Mayan Riviera, Hawaii, or Europe, one thing to keep in mind is that many cruises are based on seasonality for each select destination, so timing in your vacation is the key.

If you happen to have a flexible vacation schedule, and would like to save considerable amounts of money on your next cruise vacation, then consider traveling on what is called shoulder season, or off-season. This is where demand for cruises is lower than peak times, and in most cases your costs are drastically reduced for vacationing during this time of year!

Top cruise line companies operate in the same capacity as a luxury hotel. It’s all about supply and demand, and when staterooms are not filling up, they take action to fill these cabins, and in most cases in a form of a cabin discount.

Sail An Inaugural Cruise! Be The First To Experience Luxury At A Discount

Depending on what your budget may be for a cruise vacation, many vessels such as Princess, Radisson, Norwegian, Cunard, and so many more ships are expanding their fleet to keep up with the demand of cruisers. however, just like any company introducing their product to the market, a cruise ship is no different. They offer incredible discounted pricing for their inaugural cruises, because they want to introduce their new fleets to the market, and they will rely on your word of mouth to spread the news on how great your vacation was on the select ship you were sailing.

For Cruise Lines, this form of advertising is more valuable and cost effective than mass advertising in the media. The discount is more of a promotional savings that they hope will pay off in the long run, and in most cases it does pay off with great success. This is why they encourage these low discounts during an inaugural cruise launch.

Other cruise companies that take part in these promotions are Celebrity, Holland America, and Royal Caribbean, and you can take advantage of great deals to hot destinations such as the Bahamas, Panama, as well as International cruises to the Mediterranean.

Repositioning Cruises Take You From Point A To Be In Style And Class!

If you have never heard of a repositioning cruise before, then you’re in for a treat! Many people take advantage of the deep savings offered for this type of cruise, and why not, it’s the best way to get from point A to point B in unbelievable Style and Class.

Cruise destinations are broken down into geographic areas during the select seasons, and even though most of these destinations may operate cruises throughout the year, many of the itineraries during the busiest time of year need to fill the needs by sending more ships to that area. So as the Caribbean slows down for vacationers in late spring and summer, the European cruises are starting to increase during their peak season, and ships from the Caribbean are sent to European and Mediterranean ports to meet this seasonal demand.

What this means for you, is that these cruise lines would rather charge an incredibly low price to fill these ships as they travel across the international waters, than to leave them empty. They have to pay staff anyway, so why not have them take care of you in luxury and style while taking in a full cruising experience!

Last Minute Cruise Specials Are Easy To Find Online!

At one point trying to get a last minute cruise vacation deal was like winning a lottery. You would read the Saturday morning paper, and see your local vacation agency advertising incredible last minute deals to exotic ports of call, and as you can picture yourself already there, you have one problem. There are more than likely a thousand others that are dreaming the same dream as you.

You try and call this agency without success, as you’re on hold for what feels like hours! Finally you get through to get the disappointing news that there were only 4 cabins available at that price and they were just sold. Now I don’t know about you, but I believe that booking your relaxing vacation should be a fun experience, not a stressful one.

The best way to overcome this frustrating experience is to plan your last minute cruise vacation, and I know what you’re thinking right now! You are probably wondering how you can plan a last minute cruising holiday, and we say it’s easy when you have a computer and the Internet.

Since the Internet, relying on those ads in your paper were one of a few options, but with access to online Cruise Companies that provide sophisticated technology in selling cruise packages, they become one of the best sources for last minute cruise deals and specials.

With many online travel suppliers offering special search tools, last minute email alerts, and last minute auction capabilities, they open opportunities in achieving your last minute cruise with very little effort, and practically stress free. Imagine an email alert telling you that your last minute vacation is waiting for you to book right now with a few clicks, what a concept!

About the author: William Lezubski (Accredited Cruise Counsellor (ACC), and Certified Travel Counsellor(CTC) - William is a professional in the Travel Industry and is the owner and author of “Discount Caribbean Vacations Web Site” available at http://www.discount-caribbean-vacations.com If you’re searching for a last minute cruise, or just a relaxing holiday getaway on an exotic island. We provide you helpful tips and information from cruise ships, destinations, and itineraries, to quality sources offering discount luggage, and comfortable travel clothing all in one convenient location.

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.

Marc Onrust is owner of MarineYacht, a Dutch Yacht Charter agency with charter yachts worldwide.
http://www.marineyacht.com

Replacing Parts

OMC, one of the biggest names in sterndrives, is a name you can trust. But what if you need new boating parts, and you want to get them from another name that you can trust? Replacing parts can be a costly and time-consuming procedure, especially if you hire out all the work to another person. It would be nice to work on the boat all on your own, but what if you don’t feel that you know enough about your OMC sterndrive to go it alone? Do you just keep shelling out your hard-earned dollar to fix every little thing and to keep up with regular maintenance?

If you can afford to hire a professional mechanic, then it’s probably your safest bet. However, if you are mechanical by nature and prone to repairing things on your own, you may not want to pay the price the professionals will demand. There is a certain pride to be had in fixing something all on your own, and some prefer that avenue of action to anything else.

Buying the Parts You Need

Luckily, in today’s age of information, you can pretty much learn anything on the Internet - some of it too strange to fathom. But some of the information on the ‘Net is very useful, and some of it can even help you repair your OMC cobra sterndrive, or replace necessary parts. You can purchase all the parts you need, and learn how to install them all at the same time if you wish. These days, even complicated machinery can be made simple. Once you learn how to repair your OMC cobra sterndrive on your own, you can be one of those people who charge others’ for repairs and maintenance, if you like.

Since OMC is such a big name in the boating world, most boating retail outfits will carry the parts you need, or have a way to order parts they don’t carry. If calling around and asking certain stores if they carry OMC parts just isn’t your thing, calling a boating repair shop is a good bet. They’ll have information on where you can get the parts you need, and if you can afford them they can install the parts for you.

Buying the Parts You Need…More Cheaply

If you are a haggler by nature and committed to roping the very best bargain out there, one of your best bets is probably an auction site. However, if computers and the Internet aren’t one of your strong points, you might feel a little in over your head on this site. The search features are easy to negotiate, but the finer points of buying and selling are not. One of the best things about auction sites is that, except in extremely rare cases, you will always find what you want. However, you will want to know a little something, beforehand, about the parts you are purchasing. Internet auction sites are great for wheeling and dealing, but if you do not know much about your OMC cobra sterndrive you might want to learn a bit more before you dive right into the world of these sites.

Even if you aren’t great at fixing things, or just don’t know much about your OMC cobra sterndrive, you don’t have to spend a fortune on parts or costly mechanics. Anything can be learned, and shopping around for the best prices is always a wise decision. There is great satisfaction to be had in fixing something all by yourself, in getting a great deal on something, in a job well done. Learning the proper maintenance and repair practices for your OMC cobra sterndrive is almost a necessity if you want to keep your boat in the best possible condition.

There’s no reason to spend a fortune on mechanics or to pay too much for the parts you need. You can find what you need at the lowest possible price, and even get instructions on how to properly install the new parts you purchase. Even buying an entire motor can be done simply and quickly, without draining your wallet. Without hassle, without frustration, without paying someone else to do the work for you, owning your own OMC cobra sterndrive just got a whole lot better.

Trish is the author for http://www.sterndrive.info - Get more information on OMC Parts Stern Drive Tech Drawings.

A recent five day tour of some of Europe’s key boat building factories by The Catamaran Group yacht brokers highlighted important design innovations and new directions in technology from leading European builders such as Lagoon, Yapluka and Alliaura Marine.

The trip allowed yacht brokers and staff to see first hand how catamarans such as the Lagoon 500, Lagoon 420 and Yapluka 70 are put together using a blend of the latest technology and well trained labor specialists.

PART 1: LAGOON - BLENDING ART AND SCIENCE TO PERFECTION

Nick Harvey, President of Lagoon America, provided an in-depth and insightful tour of the Lagoon facilities that have all gone through incremental and sometimes revolutionary changes in the four key areas of boat building: molding, trimming, assembly and expedition/finishing.

Over the last 20 years Lagoon has been constantly tweaking and revising the process to include the use of robotics, template designs and rapid prototyping thus speeding up the production process. A highly skilled and mobile workforce ensures high-end finishing with up to three separate quality control checks before the boat leaves the factory.

One of Lagoon’s leading figures in directing design and implementation has been Bruno Belmont, a graduate of the Southampton School of Naval Architecture who helped introduce new composite techniques that have saved up to 50% in costs when applied to new models such as the Lagoon 500 and 420.
The construction of the Bordeaux III factory underscores the growth in production and engineering requirements that are taking place within Lagoon at the moment.

Situated between Bordeaux I (Aluminum) and Bordeaux II composite workshop, Bordeaux III will cumulatively occupy more than 15,000 square meters of space. It includes an assembly space 120 meters long; 25 meters wide.

The factory will also house a 2,500 square meter pre-assembly platform, offices overlooking the river, stores, diverse workshops and a company restaurant for the entire Bordeaux site.
Outside facilities will notably include a 6,000 square meter area outfitted for the pre-launch preparation of boats, an inclined plane launch facility and landscaped areas highlighting the facility’s integration into its riverside environment.

Bordeaux III will focus strongly on the Lagoon brand and the Lagoon 500 in particular. Advanced construction techniques are currently being applied to the Lagoon 500 and Lagoon 420 which are outlined further below under the molding section.
Inside the Construction Process

What follows is a brief description of the Lagoon boat building process that have helped establish the French yard as one of the dominant catamaran builders in the world today.

MOLDING

The construction process gets underway in the molding department where a female mould is sprayed with gel coat resin.
This is followed by a hand lay up of fiberglass, more cloth and more resin.

All fiberglass used in the mold room is pre cut, labeled, and delivered to mold room team for building of hulls, decks, and grids. The delivery of fiberglass kits ready for use assures precise fitting and correct quantities.
With each layer of fiberglass a coat of resin is applied, and the process of hand rolling the fiberglass layers begins. Each layer of glass is carefully rolled by use of small grooved rollers, which will remove trapped air and excess resin. Once this process is completed, then the next layer of fiberglass can be applied.

Overhead receivers are used for securing the bulkheads as well as locations for hatches and access areas for deck mounted hardware. The overhead liner also provides locations for conduits for running of electrical wiring as well as for instrumentation wiring.

Vacuum Bag-Infusion with Vinylester Resin

This technology is less than 10 years old and is revolutionizing the construction of modern catamarans such as the Lagoon 500, Lagoon 420 and recently the Lagoon 570.
After comparative laboratory trials, this technique provided excellent engineering results. These results are equal to or superior to pre-preg in as much as fabric compaction is achieved without the slightest possibility of air being captured in the composite.

The fabric is positioned with the same precision used in pre-preg. This technology also allows Lagoon to construct simultaneously the outer skin, core and inner skin, as well as the structure (in case of female mold construction). Using glue between each layer is unnecessary.
For each hull made, a sample can be saved for engineering or chemical testing. The Tg obtained is at least 80°C (110°C in vinylester).

TRIMMING

Some cleaning and adjustments are made in this facility. The windows, ports, hatches, lockers and other openings are cutout and cleaned. Any voids, low spots or imperfections are ground out and repaired at a central inspection station. From here the bridgedeck is moved to the assembly line where the modular interiors are attached.

Pre-assemly
Prepping booths house hulls prior to delivery to the assembly line and help streamline the process and maintain high organizational levels in the process.

ASSEMBLY

All the pieces of the puzzle start to fit together in the assembly bay. These include the installation of pre-cut wood interiors made in the wood shop.

The “moving” assembly lines are characteristic of all Lagoon factories. This method of bringing the pieces to the stations where workers and their tools are located is extremely efficient in reducing the wasted man-hours that occurs when the moving assembly line is not employed.

Raised assembly lines and mezzanines are other design features that are not seen in many major sailboat manufacturing facilities. This design feature affords a safer platform for Lagoon workers and easier access in and out of the yachts. These rolling assembly lines allow yachts to move from station to station. The tools and craftsmen remain in place.

Bulkhead Installation

The bulkheads are installed and bonded to hull (and later to the deck) for stiffness, and all wiring is placed in the pre-designed raceways port and starboard. The engines, tanks, hoses, thru-hulls, cabinets, windows, ports, and hatches are all installed on this line.

After the entire interior is assembled, the deck is then set onto the hull using the same poly-sulfide adhesive and sealant along with bolts for a strong, waterproof bond. The bulkheads are bonded on all 360 degrees to the hull and deck surfaces.

The deck hardware including the winches, hatches, sheet stoppers, blocks, cleats and toe-rail are attached. Each piece of deck hardware is installed by teams of two, with one on deck and the other below bedding and tightening each nut and bolt.

A Touch of Wood

The interior furniture kits are produced by the Beneteau wood shop and shipped to the various production plants in France and the Marion, South Carolina site. The wood is completely finished with varnish and ready for assembly. Beneteau’s furniture factory runs 3 shifts producing over 6,000 finished pieces of furniture per day and a completed wood kit every 15 minutes.

This speed is achieved by the use of many huge computer controlled cutting and finishing machines. Interior furniture is pre-fitted in a duplicate mold of the hull grid mold, prior to final installation in the yacht. This extra step allows a precise fit of all interior furniture and ensures efficiency of assembly outside the hull.

Ultrasound machines are used to cure the resin on laminated wood that are fused together in three layers.
Greater speeds were introduced with the inclusion of four CNC routing machines that work off coded templates and quickly punch out grooved interior wood finishing for the latest Lagoon models on the production line including the 420, 500 and Lagoon Power 44.

Furniture is protected with clear plastic sheeting and foam held in place by tape.

The woodshop identifies processes for both regular and irregular wood finishings and additionally has a separate building for fusing non-visible wood pieces that are used on a typical Lagoon catamaran.

EXPEDITION OR FINISHING

The completed hull is then lifted into one of the huge in-house test tanks. The engine and electronics are tested as well as all the thru-hulls for any leaks. The finished boats then go to a final inspection stage where a team goes over the entire hull, deck, interior and exterior checking each system for integrity and quality. Any boat that shows anything that is below the standard gets repaired before it goes out to the shipping area.

Yachts are also fitted with floorboards, cushions, and loose gear is stowed in sail lockers. Final quality checks are preformed and the yacht is released to shipping department.

Conclusion

Lagoon has consistently fine tuned the boat building process over the last 20 years and introduced some ground breaking techniques into certain stages such as Vacuum Bag Infusion

Molding.

Wherever possible technology is used to aid, streamline and improve the process but there is a high degree of human interaction to enforce quality control and improve production line speeds.

The combined advances in molding, trimming, assembly and expedition are being used creatively to produce the latest line of top models including the Lagoon 420, Lagoon 500 and Lagoon Power 44.

Coming Soon
PART II: YAPLUKA
PART III: PRIVILEGE

If this information was interesting and would like to learn more please visit http://www.catamarans.com/

For three, five, seven or however many days, the ship’s cabin will be your second home. Depending on your plans for rest and relaxation, you might want to give some thought to your choice of cabins. If you plan to be on the go, go, go and partake of all the ship has to offer, then pay for the cheapest cabin rate. After all, you will only be in your cabin to sleep and change your clothes. However, if you need to be alone and plan to huddle in your cabin at times, reconsider your options.

All cruise cabins are created for comfort with a sensible design where you can move with ease. Nonetheless, all cruise cabins are not the same. Your normal, average cruise ship cabin is going to be smaller that what you would find at some landlocked hotel. To compensate for the size, cruise lines spoil the passengers with mints on their pillows, shampoos, bath gel, fluffy robes and other amenities.

The cruise ship cabins were designed to make the best of the least amount of space possible. Sure some cabins have more room than others, but in any case, not a square inch is wasted. The cruise literature depicts a roomy cabin but that is just trick photography. The furnishings are utilitarian, but attractive. There is often a queen or king sized bed that could be broken down into twin beds if you were traveling with a companion other than a spouse or significant other. A closet or wardrobe is also in the cabin with a desk, bathroom, shower and chair. Depending on the size of your cabin, you might even have a little nook with a small couch and table.

Inside cabins tend to be the most economical. If you do not mind not having any windows or portholes to see outside, then this might be the choice for you. Inside cabins are usually about the same size as the outside cabins. It does tend to be darker when you have an inside cabin, so keep that in mind.

Outside cruise ship cabins have a window or a few portholes, which allow the sunshine to come into your cabin. If you are susceptible to claustrophobia and the thought of an inside cabin with no window gives you the shakes, book an outside cabin.

If enjoying the ocean views in the privacy of your own cabin is a must, consider booking an outside cabin with a balcony or terrace. This option is pricier, but it gives you a private view of the ocean with your own little deck.

If you have the expendable cash and want the “ooh-la-la” factor, consider the cruise ship suite option. Just picture the usual amenities along with some excess square footage. You definitely have room to maneuver! You’ll have extras like a mini-refrigerator and a private veranda.

The only thing about booking a cabin is that you cannot pick what part of the ship you want. You pay the going rate for the kind of cabin you want and hope for the best when it comes to its location like being near elevators or the bow are of the ship. If you are worried about seasickness, request a cabin on the lower decks. You may not be able to be accommodated, but it never hurts to ask. Just remember to keep in mind why you are on the cruise in the first place. Choose the best type of cabin for your needs and enjoy your cruising experience.

Kirsten Hawkins is a cruise and travel expert specializing in discount cruises and travel. Visit www.luxury-cruise-deals.com/ for more information on how to cruise the world for little or no money.

Are you up for a little eco-luxury? Tiamo, an earth-friendly resort made up of a row of wooden cottages that are chic and simple at the same time, provides the ultimate in Caribbean luxury travel. Scattered along a quite strand of white powder on Andros island in the Bahamas, this Caribbean luxury travel resort is surrounded by orchids and giant lizards and offers nothing but relaxed comfort and ecological correctness. This Caribbean luxury travel resort offers the perfect antidote to the Caribbean’s more familiarly hedonistic piña colada and party resorts. At Tiamo, the Caribbean is reduced to barefoot luxury – polished and refined yet set in an environment that can only be described as natural.

Out of all the Bahamian islands in the Caribbean region, Andros is one of the less well-known. And yet, its subdued allure is what makes it even more appealing as a Caribbean luxury travel destination. With an area of 2,300 square miles and home to only 8,000 people, it is one of the least explored places in the western hemisphere.

However, don’t even for a second think that Andros is just one of those dime-a-dozen island destinations which the Caribbean is full of. Andros is the largest island in the country so you have plenty of grounds to have fun and enjoy the warm Caribbean sun. And because the island is yet undeveloped, there are few phones, few bus lines, and other facilities that could distract you from your relaxing vacation.

In truth, the island is not just one island but a group of islands tightly meshed into one archipelago. With its rocky shores and a web of creeks, this Caribbean luxury travel destination has never offered the kind of obvious harbor found on other Bahamian islands so, apart from the odd fishing lodge and Caribbean luxury travel retreats, development has largely bypassed it. However, what has made the island unsuitable for urban evolution makes it perfect for eco-tourism.

The Caribbean luxury travel resort of Tiamo is remote, even by Andros’ standards. Set three, road-less miles from the nearest village and surrounded by palm trees, banana plants, orchids, herons, tiny tree frogs, and some vicious mosquitoes, Tiamo is only accessible to guests by boat. Relying on its solar power system and solar-heated rainwater showers, the resort stays true to its ecological philosophy but at the same time offers you with an idyllic retreat is incomparable anywhere else.

Tiamo’s wooden cottages come with massive beds, hand-painted “do not disturb” signs, brightly tiled mirrors and showers lean towards safari-chic, especially when taken in with their painted, corrugated-iron walls. And in a clever twist on recycling, even the wood left over from building the cottages were used to build this Caribbean luxury travel resort’s funky outdoor furniture.

But while the interiors are outstanding, the main features of all the cottages though are their open porches. They have fans rather than air conditioning, but you don’t need to worry about the heat. The open sides of the cottages are designed to help keep temperatures down. Climate control aside, the real beauty of these porches is that they offer you panoramic views of the forest and the beach.

About the author:

Magne Bjorklund, http://www.america-cruise-line-norwegian-pride.info/

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