Mariner Boating Holidays are good for everyone

by Helen Hopcroft on 12 Apr 2007 Maggie and Trevor Joyce are the sort of people that it would be good to go on holiday with. They’re funny, knowledgeable and well organised. After running their specialised boating holiday business for more than twenty years, they have a huge amount of local knowledge and can troubleshoot problems before they occur.

This year Maggie and Trevor are offering three types of holiday packages which will appeal to just about everyone. For travellers who enjoy their comfort; there are adventure voyages on the luxurious motor vessel Orion.

The ultimate ‘chick’s holiday’ can be had aboard a fully crewed Turkish sailing vessel called a gulet.

And for singles, couples or groups of friends, where some love racing and others love just cruising, there’s the option of joining one of Mariners famous fun regattas.

Mariner has been offering holidays on board Orion for just over twelve months now. They realised that some of their clients wanted to travel in ‘a bit more comfort and luxury than they would find on a yacht.’

Orion is definitely not a typical cruise ship with bingo, strict timetables and ballroom dancing.

‘We didn’t want to go down the cruise ship route’ explained Trevor

‘Where you’re putting people on a ship with 2000 others where they’ve got a roster for meals and they’ve got to sit in this place, and do this, and do that…horrible’

‘Orion is an expedition ship’ said Maggie.

‘Every single day you’re off the boat and in the zodiacs and going and doing something. And our clients who are sailors want to be doing something. They don’t want to be just sitting by a pool with a book. That’s not their idea of a holiday. It’s adventure and luxury.’

‘The ship is big enough to provide the facilities on board, but small enough to access places that are otherwise difficult.’

The ship has 53 suites and typically carries about 100 passengers. Guests are looked after by just 75 crew. The menu has been designed by executive chef Serge Dansereau of Bather’s Pavilion restaurant fame. Maggie and Trevor travelled on an Orion voyage from Papua New Guinea and were impressed by the freshness and quality of the food.

‘Serge had recommended certain wines and the great thing was that they had them all available. The other thing that impressed me, since I’m not a real foodie, was when you ordered a particular dish it rocked up at the same time as everyone else and the guy knew exactly where it belonged.’

‘So it’s not like in an Australian restaurant; ‘who ordered the steak?’

‘The service was just exquisite. 75 staff for 100 passengers’ added Maggie.

Trevor says that a trip on the luxurious Orion is a good way of rewarding long suffering sailing widows; ‘it’s something that they owe their partners after years and years of suffering on the high seas.’

In 2007 Mariner Boating will offer cruises on Orion to the Kimberley in late June, early July and Papua New Guinea in mid November.

Mariner also offers fully crewed holidays on board a traditional timber sailing vessel called a gulet (pronounced goo-let). In 2007 they will be organising trips along the Turkish and Croatian coasts.

A gulet typically has 8 double or twin bed cabins and carries up to 16 guests. The Mariner boats are fully air conditioned and have private en suite facilities. One of their boats, the Southern Cross Blue Timer, is suitable for families and smaller groups who want to travel in Turkey. It has four double cabins accommodating up to eight people.

A voyage on the Southern Cross would probably have to rank very highly in the ultimate ‘chick’s holiday’ wish list. The elegant boats are a smooth blend of the romance of a bygone era with the convenience of modern life. If you’re into sailing; you can help the crew get the sails up. If not, you can laze around on the sun deck or in the bar and common areas.

A holiday on a gulet means that you determine your itinerary so you can do as much or as little as you like. You can swim in the lovely clear waters or visit medieval towns, flirt with the locals or stuff yourself in the many excellent restaurants that line the Turkish and Croatian coastlines. This would be a great romantic holiday for couples or a fun holiday for a group of girlfriends.

If you’re travelling alone, a berth on one of Mariner’s regatta boats could be a good option. Maggie and Trevor pride themselves on organising sailing regattas that are fun, well organised and inclusive. They realised a long time ago that some people like to do a bit of racing, then a bit of cruising, and the regatta format is ideal in this respect.

Mariner charters a number of boats and runs a racing program where every second day is a lay day, or day off the boat. The regattas are not just for experienced racers. You can come along and learn, or choose to spend the race days on a non racing vessel. Trevor explained how it works.

‘We conduct some fun races so that the boys can keep their adrenaline rushing. But in the main, people visit the places and they are free to go where they want, when they want.’

‘We then package the whole thing together with the international and domestic flights, hotels and transfers and so on. So we eliminate the hassle factor.’

‘The consultant that the client deals with from the beginning when they make the booking travels with them. So it’s seamless service from A through to Z.’

‘Because we have softened the racing dimension, everyone can participate. The non-racers say to themselves ‘I’ve got to do six little races. But I can see plenty of opportunity for me to do what I want to do’. They can cruise around these little towns, sit in a restaurant and do a bit of shopping. Relax. Look at the sky. Take a swim….’

‘If you go to any of the major sailing regattas, for example Hamilton Island, it’s 80% male. The non sailors go there and think ‘well what’s for me? What am I supposed to do?’ The sailors are either racing, sleeping or drinking.’

‘Or watching the wet t-shirt competitions’ jokes Maggie ‘yawwnnnnn!’

The regattas are supported by 24/7 technical assistance and a local guide who can provides in depth regional information and help troubleshoot any problems. Maggie and Trevor are also keen to stress that they will provide help in emergency situations.

A couple of years ago in Croatia one of their clients had a stroke on his boat. They needed to get him back to port, onto an ambulance and into hospital.

‘He was off the boat and in hospital in an hour and fifteen minutes’ said Maggie.

On a lighter note, Mariner will be organising a regatta in Bonifacio in September of this year. The Bonifacio straits serve as a border between France and Italy. The area is renowned by yachting enthusiasts for its island dotted channels and unspoiled beaches. Deep blue offshore waters are a short sail away.

The area is home to the unique and rich island cultures of Sicily and Corsica.

‘After boarding in Portisco the two week rally visits a cross section of the area with the lay day race day programme which allows time to be a tourist in these diverse bays, towns, and coastal recreation areas, rubbing shoulders with super yacht owners and local farmers in the markets and marinas.’

‘The escorted event has many extras including post race dinners, all transfers, accommodation and local guides to assist with day to day issues and insure a carefree holiday on board.’

Contact details
Address : Suite 802, 83 Mount St
City : North Sydney
State : NSW
Postcode : 2060
Country : Australia
Phone : +61 2 9966 1244
Mobile: 0412 295 656
Fax : +61 2 9966 1255
Email : info@marinerboating.com.au

http://www.marinerboating.com.au