Family Vacations Aboard Privately Chartered Yachts

Are you and your family in the process of planning a family vacation? If so, have you already decided on a destination yet? If you have yet to choose your family vacation destination, you may want to take a close look at the chartering of a private yacht. Although the chartering of a private yacht isnt like visiting the beach or an amusement park, it is something that your family may love and enjoy.

Before further examining family vacations aboard privately chartered yachts, it is first important that you know what chartering a private yacht entails. If you werent already aware, the chartering of a private yacht is when you actually pay to have the yacht for a specific period of time. While this will sound a lot like renting, it isnt exactly the same. See, when you charter a private yacht, you are not only getting the yacht, but a trained yacht staff. This staff is likely composed of a captain, as well as a number of other trained professionals. Essentially, this means that you get to sit back and basically do nothing, aside from enjoy your family vacation.

When it comes to taking a family vacation aboard a privately chartered yacht, there are many families who wish to do so, but fear that they cannot. One of the many reasons for that is because of restrictions. Private yachts are often associated with luxury and romance. For this reason, there are many individuals who believe that children are not allowed aboard privately chartered yachts. While it is not uncommon to find a yacht chartering company that does have an age requirement or age restrictions, you will find that most companies would be more that willing to allow you to charter one of their yachts for your family vacation. In most cases, the quick viewing of that companys website or a quick call to their offices and you should be able to determine whether or not your children would be allowed onboard.

Although it is nice to know exactly what the chartering of a private yacht entails, you may be wondering exactly why your family should take your next family vacation aboard one. In all honesty, there are a number of different reasons. Just of those reasons involves a change of scenery. Where has your family spent vacations in the past? If you are like many American families, there is a good chance that your answers would include amusement parks, campgrounds, or beaches. While these destinations are nice, they can get old and tiring quick. The chartering of a privately owned yacht will likely be considered new and exciting for your family, particularly your children. Although it can be considered a unique family vacation, it is one that everyone will likely enjoy.

Another reason why you may want to think about taking your next family vacation aboard a privately chartered yacht is because of quality time. In the past, family vacations were designed to allow families to spend quality time together. Nowadays, it seems as if they have more of a focus on fun and less of a focus on quality. Aboard a privately chartered yacht, there are an unlimited number of fun activities that you and your family can participate in, but it is also important to remember privacy. You will be on your own private yacht, without anyone else except for the crew. For you and your family, this can mean less distractions and more one-on-one time together.

The decision as to whether or not you want to charter a private yacht for your next family vacation is yours to make, but it should be something to discuss with your family. You may be surprised with just how well the idea sounds to them.

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Preparing your Vehicle for Holiday Travel

No one wants to have their holiday travel plans ruined due to their vehicle breaking down, so make sure you give it plenty of attention before hand. Complete a thorough check of all the routine items on your vehicle. The oil should be changed and you will want to check all the fluids including the transmission fluid, windshield wiper fluid, and brake fluid.

Dont wait until something breaks on your vehicle to replace it, especially when you are traveling for the holidays. Carefully inspect all of the hoses for signs of wear as you never know when they will end up breaking. If you havent used your windshield wipers for a while make sure they are in good condition.

Have someone stand behind your vehicle so you can make sure both of your turn signals work as well as your break lights. Replace any bulbs that are burned out or seem to be dim. Do the same for your headlights on both low beams and high beams. This will ensure other vehicles are able to see you coming and know when you are planning to stop or to turn. It is a good idea to carry fuses in your glove box so that you can replace any that may burn out during your travel for the holidays.

Your tires are very important when you are traveling for the holidays. Check the wear patterns on the tread to make sure they are in good shape. Of the two front tires are wearing unevenly you may need to have your vehicle aligned. You may find it is time to rotate the tires on your vehicle as well. This involves moving the front ones to the back and the back ones to the front.

Depending on the time of year when you travel for the holidays, you may experience bad weather. Make sure you have a survival kit in your car that includes tire changes which many end up being mandatory to drive on the roads in some areas. You also want this survival kit to include a flashlight with fresh batteries, flares, food, water, a first aid kit, blankets, a car jack, and a gas can.

It is a good idea to make sure you have a cell phone will you as well. Most models come with a battery charger that plugs right into your cigarette lighter so you dont have to worry about the battery running low while you are traveling for the holidays. If you dont want to get caught up in a lengthy cell phone contract, look for those offered at retail stores. They are inexpensive and they work well. However, you buy the amount of minutes you want for the phone in advance. When the minutes run out you can choose to buy more or simple get rid of the phone.

It is never a good idea to be in a vehicle without seatbelts for all passengers. However, some states dont require the use of a seatbelt so people dont pay attention to them working or not. If you are traveling out of state for the holidays you may be going through those that do require them and you need to be prepared.

Accidents can still happen even when you have properly prepared your vehicle for holiday travel. Seatbelts and car seats offer you a way to reduce the chances of serious injury if such an event does take place. In your glove box you should have a disposable camera so you can take pictures of the accident scene for your insurance company. Make sure you have a pen and paper handy as well so you can exchange insurance and personal information with the other party involved.

Thousands of people choose to travel for the holidays using their own personal vehicle. Doing your very best to make sure your vehicle is in excellent working condition will help you to arrive at your destination safely.

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Universal Studio Tours Blackout Dates

If you are a regular annual pass holder for Universal Studios Tours, there are certain blackout dates when you cannot visit the park unless you pay for a one day full priced ticket for the blackout date. Not being aware of these dates may cause you problems, so make sure you know when they are!

In 2006, there are no blackout dates during the months of January through June, and no blackout dates in October. Every Saturday and Sunday are blacked out for July and August. Additionally, July 3rd and 4th are blackout dates. September 2nd and 3rd, November 24th and 25th, and December 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, and 31st are all blacked out.

Additionally, the park is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. If you are a regular annual pass holder, either upgrade to a premium or deluxe annual pass, or avoid the Universal Studios Tours on these dates so that you will not have to pay the full one day price which costs almost as much as a regular annual ticket!

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