Have you ever been on a cruise? Do you know what kind of clothes to pack? Do you know what you would actually be doing on a cruise? Do you know what kind of food you would be eating? If you answered yes or no to either question, read on.

When you prepare for your cruise the amount of clothing you pack will depend on:

(1) The area you will be visiting and the season.

(2) The length of your cruise.

The correct clothing and accessories are important. When you pack for your cruise you must be prepared for every occasion. Be prepared to eat, eat and eat some more. Be prepared to dance and be entertained nightly. There are bus tours when your ship is docked for a day of sightseeing.

There is one evening dinner when the ships captain will join you. When you enter the dining room a photographer will take your picture along side the captain. On this evening it is a formal affair. Anything goes from a suit to a cocktail dress to an evening gown. It all depends upon you as a person and what kind of clothing you are comfortable in wearing.

THE CLOTHING YOU WILL NEED:

(1) A few shorts, jeans, slacks and the appropriate tops to go along with your selection.

(2) Comfortable walking shoes and dressy shoes for evening.

(3) Small purse or appropriate size.

(5) Jewelry/accessories.

(6) Jacket or sweater.

(7) Underwear.

(8) Robe, pajamas or nightgown.

(9) Swimsuit and swim cap.

(10) Passport

MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES:

(1) Toothbrush/toothpaste

(2) Medicine

(3) Hairbrush/comb

(4) Makeup

(5) What ever personal items you may need.

When you pack your clothes choose wisely. Not only do you have to carry your suitcases but you have to unpack and store your clothes inside your room. The cruise ship has a store on board where you can purchase needed items. These items are charged to your charge card. You can always send your clothing out to be cleaned or you can hand wash your clothes in the sink.

Have a pleasant trip.

Thank you for reading my article. Please feel free to read my other numerous articles on various subjects.

Copyright Linda E. Meckler 2007

Linda is the author of her first published book, Ghost Kids Trilogy. “Christy, 12 and her Brother Brad, 16 moves into an old house on top of a mountain and meet two Ghost Kids.

Then we have a mysterious, magical Blue Vase where Uncle Charlie the villain is trapped. He wants out of the Blue Vase and exchange he will tell Christy and Brad where Pirates Treasure is Hidden.

Take a walk with Christy and Brad down a dark hall hunting for Pirates Treasure. You will think were you there right there with them.

Love, Family Values and Charity burst off the pages. http://www.lmeckler.com

Check out my new 4 E books Titled:

How To Appeal Medical Bills

Appeal and Collections Letters for Medical Providers

Boost Your Self Esteem and Blossom

Computers Cause Pain on my website http://www.lmeckler.com/store

Check out my website http://www.lmeckler.com

Author: Linda Meckler
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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It is very enjoyable for a skipper to set a well executed passage ending in a safe arrival at the destination, regardless if you know the harbour well. It does not matter if you arrive safe and sound the experience can be very exhilarating. It cannot be equaled by any other form of travel, and it gives you a great sense of satisfaction. As skipper, you alone are responsible for the safe handling of the boat and the welfare of the crew. If your experience is limited, you can always start with short day trips, building up to a sailing cruise lasting several days.

The role of the skipper.The skipper’s responsibility includes all aspects of running the yacht, the boats safety and the well being of the crew. He or she should be capable and comfortable with all aspects of sailing and navigation skills, and must have the ability to inspire confidence in the crew, regardless of circumstances, being an excellent communicator. He or she should be able to manage and delegate appropriately all his duties, give the tasks that are relevant and appropriate to the crew to develop there ability and experience, and grow. They should ideally be neither under worked nor overburdened. Most importantly, he or she should be patient with inexperienced crew members and be able to run the yacht with a light touch while retaining respect and authority.

The Crews Role. Good crew are worth their weight in gold. The most important qualities are a positive attitude, a sense of humour, and the ability to get on with others in the confined space of a yacht. If the crew also have good sailing or navigation skills, the skipper can consider himself fortunate. The crew should be fully involved in the boat’s management and route planning, and the skipper should always listen to their opinions. The crew must remember, however, that a vessel at sea might appear to be a democratic environment but ultimately the skipper is in charge and must make the final decisions. This can be very difficult to the inexperienced skipper. Skippers therefore vary tremendously in their approach to running a yacht. Good ones demonstrate calm professionalism, while those unsure of their own abilities are often loud and tense. As a member of the crew you may encounter very different styles of boat management and you will need to assess how you approach the idiosyncrasies of your skipper. No two skippers are alike in the way they operate a boat, and if you crew for a succession of skippers, you may even find that their ways of doing things are contradictory. If you still aspire to become a skipper, then you will have hopefully learned from the best skippers you have sailed with. You will also need to know and demonstrate all aspects of sailing.

Be a skipper. It is fairly easy to define the technical, sailing and navigation skills required to be a skipper. You can learn these I skills and obtain certificates at sailing schools. The ability to manage people aboard a small yacht and develop your crew is considerably different and difficult to define and more difficult to acquire. If you have business management skills these will help you but you will need to modify your approach significantly as running a boat is not like running an office. Crew members are not paid employees, unless you are a commercial skipper. Sailing for most skippers and crew is for experience and for fun, so they must be handled with consideration and understanding. Very often they are family or close friends and your relationships can be seriously harmed by stressful experiences afloat. Your crew will feel more relaxed and confident if you exhibit these qualities, so try not to let your own nerves show or affect your behaviour. Try to avoid high stress situations by only attempting things that are in you comfort zone, where possible. I know this is not always possible, in fact that is what sailing is all about, to teach and push you and your crew further. The technical and theoretical sailing and navigation skills you acquired at sailing school are crucial and must be honed by regular practice, getting as much experience as possible. Experience managing the crew mainly comes with practice and experience only, and you can never have too much of that, as you will always lack something. Pre-plan, plan and visualize each passage carefully and, if you feel at all unsure at all, ask a more experienced sailor to check your plans and confirm your interpretation of wind and tides, and route. In doubt, never be afraid to call off a cruise. If you are concerned about maneuvering your boat in tight spaces seek advice from other skippers. This may not be possible, so you must be forced to carry it out regardless, just remember maneuvering is not a race, and so pace yourself accordingly. You may in advance, practice maneuvering with different boats in your own marina or harbour. If you have problems handling the boat in a crowded marina, a well stationed crew, with roving fenders will often help your avoid or soften a collision.

Remember to perform berthing manoeuvres slowly; this way if you do have a collision it will be relatively mild, and again, only your pride may be damaged. Manoeuvring is only one small aspect of sailing, but the same logical, common sensible approach should be your goal for other aspects of sailing. If you need a hand or advice, then ask for it. This is a sign of a good skipper. Never be afraid to seek advice, it is not a form of weakness but of strength. The consequences could be fatal, where only your pride could be hurt. Do not undertake passages that are well beyond your level of experience. Sailing is as much about the planning, the organizing, the journey, the enjoyment, and the challenges, as it does about the arrival. Successful day trips can therefore provide just as much, or even more pleasure for both the skipper and crew as for the more ambitious. (The more ambitious can always seek adventure on other boats, but you as a skipper must seek challenge in safely managing the boat). Short trips also involve more close-quarters boat handling with which to improve skills. Although ultimate responsibility lies with the skipper, his job will be much easier if some of the crew have offshore passage-making experience. Passage making with an inexperienced crew puts great demands on a skipper, who may feel under immense pressure. It therefore makes sense that if you cannot find a practiced sailor in your crew, to adjust your strategy to suit the crew’s level of familiarity.

Become a better Skipper.Try to always learn from the second you spend afloat, slowly building knowledge of the sea, weather and your boat. Everybody gets disheartened or discouraged if something does not go according to plan; but develop from these bad experiences, learn from them, that is what will make you more competent.

You will then learn, very quickly and develop the skills and confidence necessary to undertake longer cruises lasting several days or more. Although it is important to develop your technical skills, concentrate on improving your interpersonal and crew management skills. Greenhorn crew can be anxious about the route ahead, while others may be brash and want to push too hard. A good skipper therefore takes personal awareness in everyone on board and pays special consideration to novice or nervous crew members. As an improving skipper therefore, concentrate on ensuring that everyone on board has a safe and enjoyable experience.

Crew Morale.If at the end of the passage, the crew is healthy and happy, and can enjoy a chat reminiscing about the passage, then the skipper has done a good job.

About the Author. Gordon McCulloch is a professional engineer and teacher. He has worked and sailed in boats all his life. He was brought up near the coast, served with the Merchant Marine, and now occupies himself with all forms of water sports, in which he has developed his skill as a webmaster. Feel free to visit and comment on his website site at [http://www.keelbilge.com] .

Please feel free to use this article in any way you wish. It appears on my website at www.keelbilge.com [http://www.keelbilge.com] , where I have included some photos to give the article a flavour. All I ask is that you include my website URL address. I would also be happy to answer any questions you may have by contacting me at GCCMCCULLOCH@aol.com

Author: Gordon Mcculloch
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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It is very enjoyable for a skipper to set a well executed passage ending in a safe arrival at the destination, regardless if you know the harbour well. It does not matter if you arrive safe and sound the experience can be very exhilarating. It cannot be equaled by any other form of travel, and it gives you a great sense of satisfaction. As skipper, you alone are responsible for the safe handling of the boat and the welfare of the crew. If your experience is limited, you can always start with short day trips, building up to a sailing cruise lasting several days.

The role of the skipper.The skipper’s responsibility includes all aspects of running the yacht, the boats safety and the well being of the crew. He or she should be capable and comfortable with all aspects of sailing and navigation skills, and must have the ability to inspire confidence in the crew, regardless of circumstances, being an excellent communicator. He or she should be able to manage and delegate appropriately all his duties, give the tasks that are relevant and appropriate to the crew to develop there ability and experience, and grow. They should ideally be neither under worked nor overburdened. Most importantly, he or she should be patient with inexperienced crew members and be able to run the yacht with a light touch while retaining respect and authority.

The Crews Role. Good crew are worth their weight in gold. The most important qualities are a positive attitude, a sense of humour, and the ability to get on with others in the confined space of a yacht. If the crew also have good sailing or navigation skills, the skipper can consider himself fortunate. The crew should be fully involved in the boat’s management and route planning, and the skipper should always listen to their opinions. The crew must remember, however, that a vessel at sea might appear to be a democratic environment but ultimately the skipper is in charge and must make the final decisions. This can be very difficult to the inexperienced skipper. Skippers therefore vary tremendously in their approach to running a yacht. Good ones demonstrate calm professionalism, while those unsure of their own abilities are often loud and tense. As a member of the crew you may encounter very different styles of boat management and you will need to assess how you approach the idiosyncrasies of your skipper. No two skippers are alike in the way they operate a boat, and if you crew for a succession of skippers, you may even find that their ways of doing things are contradictory. If you still aspire to become a skipper, then you will have hopefully learned from the best skippers you have sailed with. You will also need to know and demonstrate all aspects of sailing.

Be a skipper. It is fairly easy to define the technical, sailing and navigation skills required to be a skipper. You can learn these I skills and obtain certificates at sailing schools. The ability to manage people aboard a small yacht and develop your crew is considerably different and difficult to define and more difficult to acquire. If you have business management skills these will help you but you will need to modify your approach significantly as running a boat is not like running an office. Crew members are not paid employees, unless you are a commercial skipper. Sailing for most skippers and crew is for experience and for fun, so they must be handled with consideration and understanding. Very often they are family or close friends and your relationships can be seriously harmed by stressful experiences afloat. Your crew will feel more relaxed and confident if you exhibit these qualities, so try not to let your own nerves show or affect your behaviour. Try to avoid high stress situations by only attempting things that are in you comfort zone, where possible. I know this is not always possible, in fact that is what sailing is all about, to teach and push you and your crew further. The technical and theoretical sailing and navigation skills you acquired at sailing school are crucial and must be honed by regular practice, getting as much experience as possible. Experience managing the crew mainly comes with practice and experience only, and you can never have too much of that, as you will always lack something. Pre-plan, plan and visualize each passage carefully and, if you feel at all unsure at all, ask a more experienced sailor to check your plans and confirm your interpretation of wind and tides, and route. In doubt, never be afraid to call off a cruise. If you are concerned about maneuvering your boat in tight spaces seek advice from other skippers. This may not be possible, so you must be forced to carry it out regardless, just remember maneuvering is not a race, and so pace yourself accordingly. You may in advance, practice maneuvering with different boats in your own marina or harbour. If you have problems handling the boat in a crowded marina, a well stationed crew, with roving fenders will often help your avoid or soften a collision.

Remember to perform berthing manoeuvres slowly; this way if you do have a collision it will be relatively mild, and again, only your pride may be damaged. Manoeuvring is only one small aspect of sailing, but the same logical, common sensible approach should be your goal for other aspects of sailing. If you need a hand or advice, then ask for it. This is a sign of a good skipper. Never be afraid to seek advice, it is not a form of weakness but of strength. The consequences could be fatal, where only your pride could be hurt. Do not undertake passages that are well beyond your level of experience. Sailing is as much about the planning, the organizing, the journey, the enjoyment, and the challenges, as it does about the arrival. Successful day trips can therefore provide just as much, or even more pleasure for both the skipper and crew as for the more ambitious. (The more ambitious can always seek adventure on other boats, but you as a skipper must seek challenge in safely managing the boat). Short trips also involve more close-quarters boat handling with which to improve skills. Although ultimate responsibility lies with the skipper, his job will be much easier if some of the crew have offshore passage-making experience. Passage making with an inexperienced crew puts great demands on a skipper, who may feel under immense pressure. It therefore makes sense that if you cannot find a practiced sailor in your crew, to adjust your strategy to suit the crew’s level of familiarity.

Become a better Skipper.Try to always learn from the second you spend afloat, slowly building knowledge of the sea, weather and your boat. Everybody gets disheartened or discouraged if something does not go according to plan; but develop from these bad experiences, learn from them, that is what will make you more competent.

You will then learn, very quickly and develop the skills and confidence necessary to undertake longer cruises lasting several days or more. Although it is important to develop your technical skills, concentrate on improving your interpersonal and crew management skills. Greenhorn crew can be anxious about the route ahead, while others may be brash and want to push too hard. A good skipper therefore takes personal awareness in everyone on board and pays special consideration to novice or nervous crew members. As an improving skipper therefore, concentrate on ensuring that everyone on board has a safe and enjoyable experience.

Crew Morale.If at the end of the passage, the crew is healthy and happy, and can enjoy a chat reminiscing about the passage, then the skipper has done a good job.

About the Author. Gordon McCulloch is a professional engineer and teacher. He has worked and sailed in boats all his life. He was brought up near the coast, served with the Merchant Marine, and now occupies himself with all forms of water sports, in which he has developed his skill as a webmaster. Feel free to visit and comment on his website site at [http://www.keelbilge.com] .

Please feel free to use this article in any way you wish. It appears on my website at www.keelbilge.com [http://www.keelbilge.com] , where I have included some photos to give the article a flavour. All I ask is that you include my website URL address. I would also be happy to answer any questions you may have by contacting me at GCCMCCULLOCH@aol.com

Author: Gordon Mcculloch
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The Island of Ailsa Craig.

What is Ailsa Craig? Ailsa Craig is a very well known landmark in Scotland and is a renowned bird sanctuary. The island is home to one of the largest gannet colonies on the world, with more than 70,000 birds, and is designated as a European Special Protection Area.

Ailsa Craig, in the Firth of Clyde, is an Island rising abruptly from the sea to an elevation of 1,110 feet. It is a volcanic plug which lies in the firth of Clyde, being active about 500 million years ago.

Who owns Ailsa Craig? Ailsa Craig is owned by the Kennedy family, whose title was taken from Marques of Ailsa. Ailsa Craig had been part of the lands of Crossraguel Abbey; the dispute of ownership of these lands had formed the background to the notorious “Roasting of the Abbot” in the 16th century. The Kennedy family were also the owners of Culzean Castle, who is now owned by the National Trust.

Where is Ailsa Craig? The distinctive dome-shaped island-rock lies approximately 8 miles from Girvan, and approximately 12 miles from Maidens on the coast of South Ayrshire. It rises sharply from the Firth of Clyde to a height of 340m (1114 feet). Its position is: Latitude 55° 15.1′N, Longitude 5° 06.4′W

It has a conical summit and is very precipitous except on the North East Side where it slopes more gently and is accessible. It can be seen from Girvan for miles in either direction along the Ayrshire coast. The shape appears to change as you move along the coast, viewing it from different angles.

The Background of Ailsa Craig. Ailsa Craig comes from the Gaelic for ‘Fairy Rock’, is 1200m (1300 yards) long and 800m (900 yards) wide, with an area of 100 Ha (245 acres). It is also known as Paddy’s Milestone owing to its position as a landmark en route from Ireland.

What is Ailsa Craig made from? The island was the heart of an ancient volcano, its rock exhibiting fine columnar structure and was renowned as the source of a superior micro-granite used to fashion curling stones.

Indeed, most curling stones still in use today were made from Ailsa Craig granite. It was here that the curling stones used by the Scottish Women’s Curling Team, winter 2002 Olympic Gold medal winners, were made.

The Living History of Ailsa Craig. By the late 19th Century the island had a population of 29 people, working in the quarries or the lighthouse. In 1881, petitions were received by the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses from Lloyds and the Scottish Shipmasters Association requesting the erection of two fog signals and a lighthouse on Ailsa Craig. The Board of Trade and Trinity House both agreed to the proposal and work commenced the following year. The construction was supervised in 1883-6 by Thomas and his nephew David Stevenson, Engineers to the Board. (Thomas was the father of Robert Louis Stevenson). The light was first exhibited on the night of 15 June 1886, an oil burning light which remained in use until 24 January 1911, when it was converted to incandescent.

Siren fog signals were erected on the North and South ends of Ailsa Craig and were powered by gas engines until 1911, when they were replaced by oil driven engines.

These fog signals were permanently discontinued in November 1966, and replaced by a Tyfon fog signal, which had a character of 3 blasts, each of three seconds duration every 45 seconds. It was sounded from a position close to the South East of the Lighthouse tower and not at either of the previous siren signals sites.

This fog signal was discontinued in 1987. Until wireless telephone communications were established on Ailsa Craig in 1935, the light keepers and employees of Ailsa Craig Granites Ltd used to depend on pigeons for the conveyance of messages.

A pigeon house was established at Girvan Green, where the town council established a parking place for cars and buses in 1935.

The Upgraded Light House on Ailsa Craig. The lighthouse was automated in 1990 and is now remotely monitored from the Northern Lighthouse Board’s offices in Edinburgh. In 2001 as part of the refurbishment and de-gassing programme Alisa Craig Lighthouse was converted to solar-electric power.

Local sayings. “When Ailsa Craig has on its coat, The Weather will be very hot, (hoat). When Ailsa Craig has on its hat, You can be sure it will be wet, (wat). When Ailsa Craig has on its tie, That’s a sign its going to be dry” The ‘coat’, ‘hat’ and ‘tie’ are the clouds or mist often seen at Ailsa Craig.

There is only one harbour to Ailsa Craig. It is adequate to land, but only just. The water here gets deep very quickly.

At one time, you were discouraged from landing on Ailsa Craig, but now the freedom of the country side act, allows you full access, as long as you act responsibly.

Please feel free to use this article in any way you wish. It appears on my website at www.keelbilge.com [http://www.keelbilge.com], where I have included many photos to give a flavour of the island. All I ask is that you include my website URL address, preferably attributing it to myself, Gordon McCulloch.

I would also be happy to answer any questions you may have by contacting me at GCCMCCULLOCH@aol.com.

About the Author. Gordon McCulloch is a professional engineer and teacher. He has worked and sailed in boats all his life. He was brought up near the coast, served with the Merchant Marine, and now occupies himself with all forms of water sports, in which he has developed his skill as a webmaster. Feel free to visit and comment on his website site at [http://www.keelbilge.com]

Author: Gordon Mcculloch
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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What I want to tell you is what vacations are for me, a mother and wife. Tom and I have been married for 23 years and have had four children (We gave one to the U.S. Marines, and are looking for the highest bidder for the other three.) Our first child was born after we had only been married for 14.4735 months (At least according to Tom, Some odd calculation of his.) So when we were younger (speaking as a 41 year old) vacations were few and far between. Most of the time our vacations were visiting family, camping trips or after we got a little more stable, we started using Time-share condo’s. Needless to say that is still not much of a vacation for “The Mom”. I still have to cook and clean, sometimes for more than my little brood, and the kids still do not want to clean the kitchen.

On top of it I am married to a Workaholic (We took the Workaholics Test where if you answer yes to 3 of 20 questions then you may be a Workaholic and he answered yes to all 20. He’s a freaking Workaholic, now if only I can convince him.) Since he is also very good at his job most of the time has had to work while we were on vacations. When we drove from Portland, Oregon to Orlando, Florida one year, his company even went so far as providing him with a Skypager and laptop that they never took back because they found it very convenient for him to have it, to take with us. In a way I could see why, we were gone for a month. But he did have to work a little each day. I do need to clarify here that we took a month vacation because he had to take the time or lose it. At the end of the month he still had three weeks of vacation time sitting there for him to take within the next year. This was back when we still had to use dial-up connections, so as you can imagine, now with high speed connections it has only gotten worse.

Camping is not even a way to make him get away from it all because we either rough it camp (really not much fun for mom) or we go to a developed camp ground were most of the time there is an internet connection available. Not that he now needs it because of the cell phone he has, it also doubles as a modem.

So now to my main point… Why I Love Cruises!!! It is a great way to force your Workaholic to get away from work. And, I get a true vacation myself. True you can still get an internet connection on most ships, but it is sporadic, expensive and unless you bring your own computer you cannot use the ships computers for much. True, if you are like my Workaholic, your phone can connect for you. But if you are out at sea the cell phone either does not work or the ships cell phone service charges are higher than can be justified unless it is an emergency. If you are in port then chances are you are in an area that is considered International by your carrier, so then again the charges are fairly high.

If you are lucky enough that money is not a problem, then the next deterrent for your Workaholic is workspace. Yes, most laptops now have really good batteries but your Workaholic is not going to want to take the chance that it will run out of power while they are working and they would have to stop in the middle of something. So that means they go in search of a power outlet that uses the right type of plug (unless you were smart enough to buy an international power conversion set), most of which are already in use by someone else’s Workaholic. In the cruises we have been on there were very few public power outlets. So that then leaves your Workaholic working in your cabin. True, if your Workaholic is like mine he or she will not really notice you as you go in and out of the cabin but let’s face it, everyone who has ever cruised knows that the cabins are a little small to spend too much time in.

What you need to do at this point is start pointing out that there is a show in the theater, the pool and sun are calling the both of you, there is a class on something they are interested in, the art auction is about to start, the casino is open, they are doing a game show in the lounge, the chocolate buffet is start, or any of the multitude to things to do on a ship. Eventually they will come out of their shell and join you in enjoying at least a part of the vacation.

So the point in the end is for the spouse of a Workaholic, cruises are great. You don’t have to cook and clean, your husband or wife starts to remember there is more to life then the perfect program and work problems really can wait for a few days most of the time. So get out there and enjoy life.

So, to prove that he is a Workaholic he has edited and helped me flesh this out, and he still says he is not a Workaholic, after all he plays poker (Isn’t that a thinking and calculating game, ummm work…)

Karla Truxton lives in Portland, Oregon is the mother of 4 and with her husband operates a home-based travel business at http://www.TimeEnoughTravel.com creating escapes for parents, families, and people of Large Size.

Author: Karla Truxton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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