• When can you actually travel to Alaska? Although winter time is not the best time to travel, you can visit anytime you would like to. The Alaskan cruises, though, usually run from May to September when the waters are easily traveled.
• Which cruise line should I use? There are many cruise lines that run through this line. It is your best bet to consider which fits your budget as well as your specific entertainment and travel goals. The Alaskan lines offer many wonderful choices in entertainment and sight seeing even some of which offer specific choices.
• When should I plan my vacation? It is best to start planning early, in the off seasons. Many people make reservations for their Alaskan cruise well in advance especially if you are traveling in the summer months when space is limited. If you go in May or in September, crowds are less likely yet you still should plan ahead.

The Alaskan cruise offers many adventures. It is not just a boat ride into the cold waters. You will find many enjoyable things to do and to see in Alaska, all of which will allow you to enjoy the things that interest you. When planning your Alaskan cruise, make sure to check out several opportunities so that you can find the best part for you. You can even do this on the web.

An Eastern Caribbean cruise will take you to the American and British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, St. Martin, and the Bahamas. December to April is the peak tourist season, when tourists from all around the globe flock here. However, you will get the best bargains during the lean season, during the summer and fall months. But there is a catch to it. The hurricane season is from June to November, and it is wise to avoid these parts of the world at this time. You would definitely not want to be marooned in your hotel room with a storm raging outside.

For short cruises, you can opt for Carnival and Disney, whose ships ply the whole year round but travel only to the Bahamas, while Royal Caribbean’s fleet has a three-night tour covering San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. However, the seven-night tours are the hugely popular ones. These will take you to Jost Van Dyke, San Juan, St. Martin, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Virgin Gorda. These are the traditional stops in a usual Eastern Caribbean cruise, but old-timers who would like to venture to offbeat places can opt for fleets that will ferry them to St. John, Norman Island and Water Island. The new kids on the block are Tortola and Dominican Republic with the upscale resort Caso de Campo. Rapidly finding favor with the tourists, these places are increasingly being covered by the cruise lines.

The Eastern Caribbean offers immense possibilities for exploration. The cruise lines, fuelled by tourist demand, are not averse to venturing into hitherto uncharted territories either. Thus, quaint, sleepy, tucked-away towns and villages are being unearthed and placed on the tourist map.

Several cruise liners have realized the untapped commercial potential of young people on a budget. Given the right cost bracket there are several in this group who would be eager to travel. The solution offered is cruise packages created keeping young students in mind.

Such packages offer a no frills cruise, with plenty of activities. Any extra amenities need to be paid for. Each liner sets up its own package and students may well scrutinize several such offers before opting for one.

Food is generally not included in the cost of Caribbean cruises for students. The options available are to buy food on board or stock up with non perishable food at every port of call. Students generally prefer the latter as food on board proves to be expensive.

Amenities like housekeeping, laundry services and the like are all on a pay and use basis. Rates for student cabins could start as low as $16.20 per night and go on to $120 per night. Lower rates mean shared occupancy. Cabins come equipped with basics like comfortable beds, showers and toilets.

The cruise ships adhere to strict rules with regard to boarding and check-in times at every port of call. Students are well advised to check out the times and follow them. If you miss the deadline, the ship may leave without you.

A week long Caribbean cruise for students will probably have the following itinerary. Starting from Bridgetown, Barbados going on to Kingstown, St. Vincent, Fort de France, Martinique, Bequia, The Grenadines, St George’s, Grenada, Castries, St. Lucia and then returning to Barbados.

Yacht Registration

It is possible to register recreational yachts in Panama. This has a different pricing structure than the ship registration described above. The registration certificate is issued for a two-year period, which is renewable after this period.

Applicable Registration Tariff:

• $1,500.00 – if owned by a foreigner
• $1,000.00 – if owned by a Panamanian (or a Panamanian corporation which is a nominal expense to arrange)

This tariff must also be paid upon renewal of the Registration.

Documents required for Registration:

• Sale & Purchase Agreement, Bill of Sale – or if the yacht is newly built, then a Builder’s Certificate
• Power of Attorney
• Deletion Certificate from previous registry (or Builder’s Certificate if brand new)
  Please note: you must also comply with the Radio Operator requirements, in order to register the yacht in Panama. If the yacht is more than 20 years old, then it will also be required to undergo a survey and safety
  inspection.

Anonymous Yacht Ownership – What is done is the yacht is purchased in the name of the Panama bearer share corporation. The ownership of such a corporation is anonymous in that no ownership records are in any database or registry. Thus if the yacht is owned by the corporation which is anonymous, the yacht ownership is anonymous. The nominee directors and your law firm (us) can handle the transaction for you completing all paperwork. We can wrap additional layers around the boat by having the Panama Bearer Share Corporation owned by a Panama Private Interest Foundation which is also anonymous, yet controllable by you. There are a number of different strategies we can employ to keep the ownership of your vessel anonymous and confidential as a tool to protect you from kidnapping, extortion, criminals and to keep your affairs private in general. Panama excels in privacy. Unfortunately financing with conventional lenders does not work with anonymous ownership strategies. If you were wondering when it comes time to sell the boat you basically just sell the corporation which owns the boat leaving the boat ownership in tact. There is no requirement to report new owners of Panama corporations.

Two Yacht-Based Panama Residency Visa Approaches

Because your yacht is owned by a Panama anonymous bearer share corporation and your investment is over $150,000, immediate residency is granted. You must have 3 full time Panamanian employees along with your company, which is easy to do with the standard minimal wage at $253 a month for crew members. This would be under the so called inversionista (business investor) program. However, if you invested $200,000 or more you could qualify under the solvencia economia propia program (person of means visa) and not even have the requirement of hiring at least three Panamanian crewman, since it can be easily argued that you are buying a home, albeit a moveable one. This latter probably would require investing in a full time moorage at a Panama port which would become your home away from home.

Add to this the effort of keeping the catamaran clean and well maintained for the season and you can see it takes a big commitment to own a cat, especially, one of Sunreef’s million dollar yachts.

If you have purchased a Sunreef through us or another company there are ways of reducing the work and cost of owning a yacht. A great way to do this is to put your Sunreef Yacht into our charter fleet. While not is use your new yacht could be paying back for itself and even better yet, earning you money. You will have the privilege of always having your yacht is sailing shape in a convenient Caribbean location.

When you own a charter yacht you can sail any time you like. Your yacht is always in perfect condition, clean, technically perfect. You won’t have to worry about getting your yacht ready when it comes time for you use it. It will be always ready to sail where the sun is shining and the wind is blowing.

With more leisure time and expendable income, demand for charter mega yachts is strong and rising. Our strategic location down in the beautiful British Virgin Islands gives us an advantage in the growing charter market. The Caribbean is the area in which the most charter revenue is earned. Within the Caribbean the British Virgin Islands is renown for the amount of sailing vacations they have. Interested? Become a partner in this exiting venture.

• Where is the cruise leaving from? You need to get to the port in order to get onto the ship. So there is the additional cost of flying to the port or driving there.
• What is there to do on the cruise? Some cruises offer water skiing, fishing or scuba diving.
• Who will be on the cruise with you? Some cruises are designed with special themes while others are not. A cruise that is designed for children may not be the one you want to take if you do not have children. Or, if you are single looking to find your soul mate, consider a singles cruise.
• Where will the cruise stop on the way? Many cruises will allow you to stop and enjoy the attractions of several ports. Perhaps you would like to do some sight seeing. Or, maybe you would like to find just the right location to do some whale watching.

One of the best ways to save money on your cruise is to look for deals that are available on the web. You may think that popular cruise vacations are the most expensive ones. This isn’t necessary true. Many people are able to find a cruise at a good deal. But, you need to know how to do this and where to look.

If you have the ability to travel at any time, it is best to take a cruise vacation during the off-peak season. Most cruise lines operate all year round. The peak season is usually during the summer and school holidays when it is the most expensive to travel.

Some cruise lines offer packages as an incentive to attract passengers. There may be free meals, free gifts or additional days for less.

Do you need to fly to the port where the cruise departs? You can easily compare airfares and book your tickets on the web. Airfares are relatively cheaper if you travel late at night and during mid-week.

If you plan your cruise trip in advance, you are likely to find some amazing deals. It is easy to compare various cruises and prices on the web. You are bound to find a cruise that fits your budget.

When that urge strikes (and believe me, it will strike), you’ve got to be prepared with a plan of action. If you mention the idea of a “family reunion” to your family members without a plan, you’ll most likely end up with mayhem on your hands. The next thing you know you’ll have relatives camping out on every square inch of your floor, piling your sink sky high with dirty dishes, and making executive decisions with your remote control. In addition, you’ll become far too acquainted with the health problems and bodily functions of some of your senior relatives (Who knew that toenail fungus was so prevalent?).

So, what’s the plan of action? You’ve got to head off those pesky relatives at the pass and make sure they never plan that family reunion at your house. What’s the alternative? You’ve got to plan your family reunion on a cruise ship!

Cruise ships are the perfect setting for a family reunion. This is neutral territory, so people don’t feel they are imposing on others. It levels the playing field and takes away the control that can sometimes come into play when reunions are held on a family member’s “turf.” Plus, the best part is the cruise line does all the work — the cleaning, the cooking, and the entertaining. All your family members have to do is relax and enjoy their time together. Plus, lest we forget to mention one of the most important factors — the variety of activities onboard the ship and at the various ports of call is a perfect fit for groups who want to do some of their activities together and some separately. In other words, you’re not trapped in “family reunion” bedlam the entire time. You can take a breather at one of the many bars or lounges onboard your ship, catch a current movie in the ship’s theater, put on your dancin’ shoes for the disco, try your luck at the casino, or simply hide out in your stateroom and order complimentary room service.

If your family group has children, traditional reunions can be horrible experiences for kids! You know what I’m talking about — the endless “remember when” discussions they overhear about things they’re too young to understand, the frequent rebukes for running through the house making too much noise, and the obligatory playing with the dreadful cousins. Yikes! What kid would look forward to that? But, tell a kid they’re going on a cruise ship with a miniature golf course, a pool, a sports court, an ice rink, and a really cool kid’s activity program, and they won’t grumble about having to endure a few hours of interaction with the relatives.

Most cruise lines offer attractive rates for groups — and some offer special packages specifically for family reunions. With their all-inclusive approach (meals and entertainment are included) and hassle-free planning, booking your family reunion aboard a cruise ship is the only way to go.

Because there are so many cruise ships in the water these days, it can take a huge amount of research to determine which ship and itinerary would be the best match for your family’s reunion. So, before you plunk down the dough for a family reunion cruise, make sure you’ve consulted with an experienced travel agent — preferably one who specializes in group cruises. The service is complimentary (agents receive their commission from the cruise line) and you’ll save yourself a lot of time and hassle.