Trusted Adventures Consortium Presents Extraordinary Active Vacations

If active travel is your thing, it's time to get acquainted with Trusted Adventures. This alliance, headed up by executive director Brad Moss, is made up of like-minded travel providers that focus on cruise and yacht vacations, eco trips, biking and hiking getaways, rafting adventures, and more.

Read about the group and explore each member's website. I guarantee they'll be a few trips you bookmark for future reference.

American Safari Cruises—focus is on active and luxurious yacht cruises in Alaska, Mexico's Sea of Cortez, the Columbia and Snake Rivers, and Hawaii.

Austin-Lehman Adventures—specializes in adult and family vacations around the world, including Yellowstone, Bryce/Zion, Grand Canyon, Costa Rica, the Canadian Rockies, the Galapagos, South Africa, and several western European countries.

Ciclismo Classico—offers expertly designed biking expeditions in many locations, including Croatia, Norway, Italy, Vietnam, and New Zealand.

Great Alaska—this is the place to find sport fishing and wildlife adventure trips to Alas.ka, Costa Rica, and Mexico.

InnerSea Discoveries—this is the sister company to American Safari Cruises (mentioned above); InnerSea offers active cruise adventures at a more affordable price in Alaska.

Myths & Mountains—unusual excursions to Asia (Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and Tibet), Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam), and South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, and Peru).

ROW Adventures—from Idaho rafting adventures to the Galapagos Islands and everything in between...ROW offers whitewater rafting, kayaking and canoeing, fly fishing, barge and yacht cruising, biking and hiking trips, and much more.

The Wayfarers—unique walking tours in the British Isles, South Africa, New Zealand, India, and Alaska.

Western River Expeditions—looking for a rafting adventure? Western River Expeditions offers trips in the Grand Canyon, Utah, and Idaho.

Wildland Adventures—Wildland has a varied list of itineraries that feature the best of wildlife viewing and active pursuits in the United States, Africa, Central and South America, the Antarctica, and the Far East.

For more information about these travel companies, visit their websites, call your travel agent, or do some research at Trusted Adventures.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Snag a Seat on a Private Jet for the Cost of Commercial Business Class

Maybe you've looked into fractional jet ownership before and couldn't quite justify the expense. Now a new company called WannaJet wants a crack at your business. The idea they're floating is this: share a private jet flight for the price of a business class ticket on a commercial flight.

First, decide where you wish to fly within the United States or Europe. Then go to WannaJet's website and either post your travel plans or join an existing group that's going your way on the appropriate date. At least four travelers must request the same route.

Once a full complement of travelers is formed, the itinerary is confirmed and WannaJet contacts its partners that operate private jets and charters one that is appropriate for your travel plans.

The fixed price is provided via the site's online booking engine so you'll know the per seat fee before locking into the itinerary. Figure on an average of $820 per hour in the air. For example, a flight plan that's currently posted on WannaJet's site departs from Westchester County Airport in New York and lands at DeKalb Peachtree Airport in Atlanta for $1,719 per person (one way).

Sixty domestic business routes are available and service onboard the jets rivals or exceeds top first-class offerings—professional attendants, multi-course meals, in-flight entertainment—from the commercial airlines.

What happens if the other passengers drop out at the last minute? Will you have to foot the bill for the entire jet? No. As long as four people are confirmed on your flight, you're good to go. If for some reason the passenger count drops below the required four passengers within 72 hours prior to take off, the company will offer to rebook you on a comparable commercial flight for the same price you agreed upon. That gesture doesn't quite hit the mark though if you've had your heart set on a private jet experience.

For more information, visit WannaJet.com.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Three Must-Have Travel Accessories for Your Next Trip

If you travel a lot, you probably have a few "can't live without" items permanently stowed in your luggage. Maybe it's a multicolored scarf that accents almost any outfit, a pair of polarized sunglasses, or set of electrical plug converters. For me, there a few travel accessories that I don't leave home without.

Don't Leave Home Without These Travel Accessories

See No Vino—I can't tell you how many times there's been a wine "incident" on an airplane or cruise ship. And, of course, the spill always seems to be red wine and not white! Magellan's sells a product called See No Vino that has saved several pieces of our clothing. This two-ounce bottle is filled with a biodegradable citrus spray that helps to dissolve stains while they're still wet. It's definitely worth it to have a bottle of this on hand!




Joby Gorillamobile Tripod—If you've got an iPhone or other mobile device, the Joby Gorillamobile tripod is a must. You'll use this on the airplane, in your hotel room, and on the road. We use it to hold our iPhone while we watch movies or set the phone to clock mode in our cruise cabin. The tripod will also accommodate a small camera, like my Canon PowerShot S800 (although Joby sells a variety of these tripods that are meant for cameras of all types). The tripod's legs are bendable, so you can set it up almost anywhere—even wrap it around a tree branch!


Chimes Ginger Chews—If my travel plans include a cruise, I also throw a bag of Chimes all-natural ginger chews. These bite-size candies are both spicy and sweet (they're covered in fine powdered sugar). These are a refreshing pick-me-up and the ginger settles the stomach when sea sickness comes calling. These Indonesian candies—which are available in the United States at stores like Whole Foods, Longs Drugs, and Walmart—come in a variety of other flavors too. Try peppermint, mango, orange, and peanut butter.

What are your can't-live-without travel accessories? Let me know!

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photos courtesy of Magellan's, Joby, and Chimes.