My travels take me to every corner of this wonderful world and one of my favorite ways to get around it so sail. This week’s installment of Snapshot Monday ~ Sailing is a picture I took while cruising around the waters off of Langkawi, Malaysia.
Snapshot Monday ~ Sailing
Wafting off the boat where the sounds of tropical music, cheerful laughter, and the popping of Champagne! I was tempted to jump off my boat and swim over to join the obviously deliriously happy group of sailors.
As I sat there envying the sailing party it got me thinking…being a perpetual traveler I always want to get to my destination as fast as I can to start my adventures but part of the destination is the journey! While I love to fly, if I could board a beautiful said boat or yacht I think I might just prefer sailing to flying.
Time
Day dreaming of the possibilities I asked myself…what are the differences? The most noteworthy difference between air travel and sailing is the length of the journey. Most destination take just a few hours by plane, longer flights can take a day or so but usually include layovers. Traveling by boat involves multiple days to reach your destination.
Let’s say you want to fly to London from New York. That’ll take you about 12 hours. However, if you take a ship, yacht, or sailboat you’re talking about four or five days depending on weather conditions.
Cost
The cost is another consideration… airfare is significantly less than sea travel. Flying from New York to London will cost less then $1000 but a cruise or private yacht or sailboat will cost three to six times the cost
Safety
For a female solo traveler like myself there is always the consideration of safety. (Not that men don’t have to be careful but it’s a bit easier for them to travel solo then women for obvious reasons!) Both flying and sailing are really pretty safe. The difference being once you’re on a plane there’s not much you can do if something should go wrong. However if you’re on a cruise, yacht, or sailboat there are several ways to avoid catastrophic disaster; hop into a raft and you’re still alive, there’s nothing to “hop” onto 35,000 ft in the air! Get what I’m saying?
Comfort
Let’s talk comforts… flying in coach is all about the no-frills experience. Bag of peanuts, soda, and the inevitable seatmate who take their shoes off or snores bad breath in your ear. First class is better but, unless you have a million points or dollars in your bank, most travelers can’t afford it. On a boat you’re free to roam, enjoy meals at a table with interesting people to talk to and learn from, stop at ports of call or, if you’re on a private yacht or sailboat, you have the privacy to sunbath, sleep where you want, enjoy romantic sunsets on deck, or whatever else you might want to indulge in!
The more I think of it, the more I like the idea of sailing or cruising over flying…now I just have to figure out how I can make that happen!!
What do you prefer? Have you been on a cruise? Have you experienced a private yacht or sailboat? Do you prefer flying? Share your experiences with us! I hope you enjoyed this week’s installment of Snapshot Monday ~ Sailing and was inspired to try sailing if you haven’t!
