Carole is very fastidious. The only public bathroom she will use willingly is the one in Trump Tower in New York. Therefore one of her great joys as we sailed around the world, was that being in our own boat, Dolphin Spirit, allowed her to carry her own toilet along, and avoid using ones that did not meet her exacting standards.

You and your co-captain have read Chasing Sunsets and both are now convinced that ordinary people just like you can go cruising in comfort and safety. Then you read Steering You Straight and got all the real practical information you needed to prepare, but now let's take a little time to make sure that you have the critical matters well in hand.

As with any area of specialization, there are business travelers who always seem to know what they are doing and those who constantly seem to be in a state of crisis.

Greece boasts more than eight thousand miles of coastline shared between the mainland and the islands, and entices adventurers to relax or explore the many facets of the landscape.

During our six and a half year circumnavigation in Dolphin Spirit we visited 56 countries and ate in 50 of them. The only time we were ever sick was after eating at a McDonalds in Egypt – that exotic food will get you every time.

We sailed around the world in our Mason 53 Dolphin Spirit for six and a half years, visiting 56 countries, so developed a good knowledge of the requirements of checking into and out of countries, and a simple rule for dealing with officialdom: "You are in their country; the rules are their rules; so smile, do what you are told without complaint, or leave.

Sailing around the world for six and a half years and visiting 56 countries, meant we had to buy food and other necessities in almost all of them. Because we deliberately sought out-of-the-way places, shopping for food and other necessities was mostly directly from the local producers, or at local markets.

Hospitality has long been synonymous with the hotel industry. Any changes in trends of hotel business have wide scale implications on an otherwise diverse industry. What might be an opportunity for a traveler can be a matter of survival for hotels?

"Boy, if I'd only known then what I know now," is the wish of all adults thinking about their youth, and of most cruisers more than a month into their voyage, thinking of before they left.

In the hotel business it is well known that reserved rooms are preferred rooms and while the walk up business definitely helps the bottom line it is the pre-determined revenue of the reserved rooms that hotels use to make their living.