SANDPEARL RESORT REVIEW INCLUDES MEETINGS AFLOAT!

Sandpearl’s Press Tour Pays Off in Publicity for Yacht Charter Company

Redington Beach, FL, USA; July 11, 2011 –  In mid-May, the Sandpearl Resort on Clearwater Beach hosted five travel writers/editors for a press tour of its facilities and the neighboring environs of Clearwater Beach.

With the objective of showing the visiting journalists an experience that they wouldn’t soon forget (and would, hopefully, write about), the Sandpearl’s marketing staff enlisted the help of MEETINGS AFLOAT! Executive Yacht Charters to deliver the group to Caladesi Island State Park, just north of Clearwater Beach.  As an island, Caladesi is accessible only by water.

The results of that travel writers’ familiarization trip have started to come in.  The Orlando Style magazine has published a review of the Sandpearl in its July issue.  The review also mentions MEETINGS AFLOAT!’s primary charter yacht, “Dolce Vita,” and discusses our trip with the journalists to Caladesi Island State Park, near Dunedin, FL.

The writer, Dana Damato, said in her article:  “As  the Dolce vita  set  sail  into  the Gulf, Captain  Paul of Meetings Afloat,  took  the group on a fascinating excursion along the Intracoastal Waterway from Clearwater  to  Caladesi  Island  State  Park.  Cruising  through  the Mandalay Channel under the clear blue sky, we fnally reached  our  destination  at  the  park’s marina where we explored the private beach and enjoyed some R&R.”

Travel writers from Florida Travel + Life and Tampa Bay Weddings/Tampa Bay Metro Magazine also participated in the Sandpearl’s press tour.

MEETINGS AFLOAT! Executive Yacht Charters is a significant hospitality resource   in the Tampa Bay area for meeting and event planners, hoteliers, concierges, and business executives.  Its yachts provide a relaxing, yet luxurious atmosphere for business meetings, hospitality events, trade show support, team building, employee incentives, and company outings.  In addition to its Tampa Bay yachts, MEETINGS AFLOAT! Executive Yacht Charters can also provide yachts in other waterfront cities including Miami, New York, San Diego, Baltimore/Annapolis, and Washington, DC.

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Sandpearl Article (Orlando Style Magazine), Jul 2011

 

When:          July 4, 2011

Where:         Clearwater to John’s Pass/Treasure Island & Return

Who:             The Matthews Family from Tennessee

With arrangements made through the concierge (Alison) at the Sandpearl Resort on Clearwater Beach, we took the Matthews Family from Tennessee on a water-borne tour on July 4^th.  We cruised from Clearwater Beach, going south on the Intra-Coastal Waterway, passing thru seven different beach towns on the Sand Key barrier island.

Our route took us past waterfront condos and residential communities, waterside restaurants, large clusters of mangrove trees growing in the salt water and dozens of other boaters enjoying the long holiday weekend.  We even passed by the only McDonald’s Restaurant with its own marina.

Meanwhile, everyone onboard was enjoying the relaxing gentle motion of the boat’s rocking, the fresh sea air, and the bright Florida sunshine.

Our destination was John’s Pass, between Madeira Beach and Treasure Island.  We docked at Gator’s on the Pass, a popular waterfront restaurant and sports bar.  The Matthews sat outside on the deck for their mid-day meal, joined by some friends who were staying in St. Pete Beach, a bit further down the beach from John’s Pass.

After everyone’s appetite was satisfied, we re-boarded “Dolce Vita” and entered the Gulf of Mexico for the return to Clearwater.  The north-bound trip took us along the 17-mile long beaches of Sand Key.  Along the way, we were visited by a couple of dolphin, but we were unsuccessful at getting them to play in our wake.

Finally, the afternoon’s cruise was over and the family disembarked in time to freshen up and catch the great fireworks shows that all the beach communities stage on this national holiday.

 

Star of “Inception” and “Platoon” in Tampa for Honors at Gasparilla Film Festival

Tampa, FL, USA; March 26, 2011 – Tom Berenger, an actor with over 50 movies and a dozen television shows to his credit, went cruising on Tampa Bay recently with MEETINGS AFLOAT! Executive Yacht Charters (www.meetings-afloat.com).  Berenger was in Tampa to receive a “Career Achievement Award” at the 2011 Gasparilla International Film Festival, where he was the guest of honor.

In addition to last year’s sci-fi hit “Inception” and the Vietnam-era movie “Platoon,” the other major films that Berenger has starred in include “Looking for Mr. Goodbar,” “The Big Chill,” “Major League,” and “Sliver” where he played opposite actress Sharon Stone.

Berenger’s cruise on a warm, bright, sunny Saturday afternoon gave him a bit of relaxation time during a hectic Festival schedule filled with filmmaking lectures, panel discussions, movie screenings and social receptions.  Several family members, friends, film critics and Festival VIPs joined Berenger for the yacht trip around Davis Islands and into Tampa Bay.

MEETINGS AFLOAT! Executive Yacht Charters is a two-time sponsor of the Gasparilla Film Festival.  In 2009, the Tampa yacht charter service hosted actress Terry Moore, that year’s honoree, for a cruise around Clearwater.

For further information about yacht charters from MEETINGS AFLOAT! (www.meetings-afloat.com), please call (877) 860-MEET (6338)/Toll Free, or e-mail to info@meetings-afloat.com.

Photo of Tom Berenger w/MEETINGS AFLOAT! Executive Yacht Charters:

Caption:  Hollywood Actor Tom Berenger is flanked by Captain Paul and 1^st Mate Mary Warren of MEETINGS AFLOAT! Executive Yacht Charters.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

MEETINGS AFLOAT! Executive Yacht Charters is a unique yachting service operating in the Tampa Bay, Florida area.  Utilizing the Motor Yacht “Dolce Vita,” a 45-foot long CHB flybridge sedan trawler, MEETINGS AFLOAT! specializes in providing meeting space for business and non-profit organizations wanting to host “off-site” meetings from their own facilities.  “Dolce Vita” has a US Coast Guard-regulated capacity of 12 persons.  The yacht is equipped with a state-of-the-art audio-visual setup including

• an on-board notebook computer + printer
• a flat panel LCD computer display
• a digital pen tablet for drawing and document mark-ups,
• a high-speed wireless Internet connection, and
• a surround-sound home theatre system w/DVD-CD changer

MEETINGS AFLOAT! also represents a variety of other power and sailing yachts that are available for charter.  Some offer larger guest capacities, overnight accommodations, or alternate cruising areas.

M/Y “Dolce Vita” meets all the US Coast Guard requirements for operation as an uninspected passenger vessel.  Captain Paul Warren, Vice President of MEETINGS AFLOAT! and the skipper of “Dolce Vita,” holds a 100-Ton Master’s License issued by the US Coast Guard.

Photo:

Motor Yacht “Dolce Vita,” a 45’ CHB Seamaster Flybridge Sedan Trawler

 

 

MEETINGS AFLOAT! Uses Tampa LinkedIn Group to Drive Attendance at Hospitality Event

Tampa, FL, USA; March 21, 2011 — MEETINGS AFLOAT! Executive Yacht Charters (www.meetings-afloat.com), a Tampa Bay yacht charter service, is staging an “Open Boat” hospitality event onboard its premier charter yacht, “Dolce Vita,” on Friday, March 25, 2011.  The hospitality event for MEETINGS AFLOAT! will also be a networking event for members of the “Tampa Bay Business Networking Group” on the LinkedIn business/professional social network.

The yacht will be docked at the Tampa Municipal Docks, immediately behind the Tampa Convention Center, near the Sail Pavilion on the City’s Riverwalk.

According to Captain Paul Warren, VP and Yacht Master for MEETINGS AFLOAT! (www.linkedin.com/company/279127), “We’ve invited local meeting planners, tourism officials, hospitality industry executives and business leaders who belong to the local LinkedIn group.  It’s an opportunity for them to experience our yacht first-hand and begin to visualize holding meetings or their own hospitality events onboard our yacht.”

“Our LinkedIn membership has been very valuable in helping us to gain recognition in the Tampa business community.  Thus, we’re pleased to offer our luxury venue for face-to-face networking that solidifies their on-line LinkedIn relationships,” Warren continued.

Brian French, Moderator of LinkedIn’s Tampa Bay Business Networking group, working with MEETINGS AFLOAT! extended an invitation to his group’s members regarding the event.  He says, “We try to provide our group’s members with frequent opportunities to get together in person to make new business contacts.  We’re excited about the level of participation we expect from our members for this event.”  LinkedIn is a business and professional networking Website that boasts over 90 million members worldwide.

Warren noted that over 50 members of the LinkedIn group have indicated their intention to visit the yacht and meet other local business executives.  The response, he said, was an indication of how strong a sense of membership and involvement people today gain from their use of social media.

“Dolce Vita” is equipped with state-of-the-art business tools including an onboard laptop computer, a 32” LCD display screen, a digital annotation tablet, wireless Internet access and an onboard printer.

For further information about yacht charters from MEETINGS AFLOAT! (www.meetings-afloat.com), please call (877) 860-MEET (6338)/Toll Free, e-mail to info@meetings-afloat.com or visit our LinkedIn profile at www.linkedin.com/company/279127.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

MEETINGS AFLOAT! Executive Yacht Charters is a unique yachting service operating in the Tampa Bay, Florida area.  Utilizing the Motor Yacht “Dolce Vita,” a 45-foot long CHB flybridge sedan trawler, MEETINGS AFLOAT! specializes in providing meeting space for business and non-profit organizations wanting to host “off-site” meetings from their own facilities.  “Dolce Vita” has a US Coast Guard-regulated capacity of 12 persons.  The yacht is equipped with a state-of-the-art audio-visual setup including

• an on-board notebook computer + printer
• a flat panel LCD  computer display
• a digital pen tablet for drawing and document mark-ups,
• a high-speed wireless Internet connection, and
• a surround-sound home theater system w/DVD-CD changer

MEETINGS AFLOAT! also represents a variety of other power and sailing yachts that are available for charter.  Some offer larger guest capacities, overnight accommodations, or alternate cruising areas.

M/Y “Dolce Vita” meets all the US Coast Guard requirements for operation as an uninspected passenger vessel.  Captain Paul Warren, Vice President of MEETINGS AFLOAT! and the skipper of “Dolce Vita,” holds a 100-Ton Master’s License issued by the US Coast Guard.

Photo:

Motor Yacht “Dolce Vita,” a 45’ CHB Seamaster Flybridge Sedan Trawler

 

 

View the racing and participate in the VIP events from the comfort of a chartered yacht

Redington Beach, FL, USA; February 6, 2011 — MEETINGS AFLOAT! Executive Yacht Charters (www.meetings-afloat.com), a Tampa Bay yacht charter service, has announced that it is accepting reservations for yacht charters for the 2011 Honda Grand Prix auto race in St. Petersburg, FL.  The Honda Grand Prix (HGP), billed as “The World’s Fastest Spring Break Party,” is the Indy car racing extravaganza that takes place on the streets of downtown St. Petersburg on the weekend of March 25-27, 2011.

A key attraction of the annual Honda Grand Prix (www.gpstpete.com/) is the lineup of mega-yachts docked at the HGP Yacht Club, at a waterfront location adjacent to the race course.  The yacht club’s floating docks provide a weekend home for the yachts and their guests.  Up to 20 yachts, ranging from 40’ to 150’ in length, will join the Yacht Club for the racing and other events.  The docks, located adjacent to Turns 10-13 of the race track, offer a premium viewing location of the races for the yacht charterers, their guests and crew.

MEETINGS AFLOAT!’s premier yacht, the motor yacht “Dolce Vita,” is available for charter for the Grand Prix weekend.   M/Y “Dolce Vita” is a 45-foot Seamaster flybridge sedan trawler that accommodates 4 overnight guests.  The yacht features a Hollywood-themed interior saloon for entertaining, with decorator-styled living room comfort furnishings.  It also has a full galley (kitchen) setup, with refrigerator, ice maker, microwave oven and 3-burner cooktop to assist with any catering services used for the weekend.  Accommodations include an island queen bed in the master stateroom and an over/under bunk bed arrangement in the guest stateroom.  There are separate master and guest lavatories, each with household-style toilets and full shower facilities.  The yacht also has several coolers and BBQ grilles for onboard entertainment.  Dockside, the yacht can accommodate up to 20 guests.

When the car racing fades, the yacht has a surround-sound theater system with a multi-disc DVD/CD changer for playing corporate videos, movie and music.  There’s also an onboard notebook computer, printer, an LCD flat panel computer display and a Wi-Fi hotspot for Internet access.

In addition to the front-row seating position to watch the racing, the Yacht Club membership also includes passes to the team paddock (race preparation) areas and several VIP social events associated with the Honda Grand Prix.  Visiting yachtsmen and women can also choose to purchase optional access to the VIP Grandstand Hospitality areas, with full food & beverage service during the racing.

In addition to M/Y “Dolce Vita,” MEETINGS AFLOAT! Executive Yacht Charters has access to a number of other yachts that can also host guests for the Honda Grand Prix.

For further information about yacht charters from MEETINGS AFLOAT! (www.meetings-afloat.com),  please call (877) 860-MEET (6338)/Toll Free, or e-mail to info@meetings-afloat.com.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

MEETINGS AFLOAT! Executive Yacht Charters is a unique yachting service operating in the Tampa Bay, Florida area.  Utilizing the Motor Yacht “Dolce Vita,” a 45-foot long CHB flybridge sedan trawler, MEETINGS AFLOAT! specializes in providing meeting space for business and non-profit organizations wanting to host “off-site” meetings from their own facilities.  “Dolce Vita” has a US Coast Guard-regulated capacity of 12 persons.  The yacht is equipped with a state-of-the-art audio-visual setup including

• an on-board notebook computer + printer
• a flat panel LCD  computer display
• a digital pen tablet for drawing and document mark-ups,
• a high-speed wireless Internet connection, and
• a surround-sound home theatre system w/DVD-CD changer

MEETINGS AFLOAT! also represents a variety of other power and sailing yachts that are available for charter.  Some offer larger guest capacities, overnight accommodations, or alternate cruising areas.

M/Y “Dolce Vita” meets all the US Coast Guard requirements for operation as an uninspected passenger vessel.  Captain Paul Warren, Vice President of MEETINGS AFLOAT! and the skipper of “Dolce Vita,” holds a 100-Ton Master’s License issued by the US Coast Guard.

Photo:

Motor Yacht “Dolce Vita,” a 45’ CHB Seamaster Flybridge Sedan Trawler

 

11 Tampa Bay Parades Offer Spectacular Backdrop for Office or Personal Holiday Parties

Redington Beach, FL, USA; November 29, 2010 — The waters of the Tampa Bay region will soon be sparkling with the reflections of colorfully-decorated boats participating in the area’s numerous boat parades.  Pinellas County has 10 different holiday boat parades in locales from downtown St. Petersburg to the Gulf Beaches communities.  There is also a parade in Tampa, along Davis Islands, Harbor Island and Channelside.  A full schedule for all Holiday Boat Parades in the Tampa area can be found on the Internet at www.meetings-afloat.com.

Most folks view the parade for just a few minutes as it passes by their back yard or a public-access viewing spot such as a local park.  However, a local executive yacht charter service, MEETINGS AFLOAT!, is offering an alternative:  take an evening cruise that allows a group to see the whole parade by following the lighted boats along the full parade route.

Hosting a holiday office or personal party onboard the company’s premier yacht, “Dolce Vita,” offers the cruisers the opportunity to enjoy all the festivities for 3-4 hours instead of just a few minutes.  The holiday spirit is bound to be infectious as guests watch the dozens of brightly-decorated boats cruise the local waterways.  Most parade boats have holiday and/or beach music playing, enthusiastic crews waving to spectators and a general atmosphere of merriment and good times.  The same is true aboard “Dolce Vita” which features plenty of comfortable indoor and outdoor seating, an air-conditioned/heated interior saloon, a full galley (kitchen) for serving refreshments and its own sound system for holiday tunes.

“The lighted boat parades are fun events that always provide lots of excitement, entertainment and enthusiasm for both the participants and the spectators.  Enjoying a parade from our yacht, shadowing the parade, gives our guests a much fuller view of the parade,” says Captain Paul Warren, Yacht Master for MEETINGS AFLOAT!.  “It’s a great way for business owners to do something unique for their holiday office parties.  It’s also a great way for a group of friends to get together to celebrate the holidays.”

Most of the Holiday Boat Parades are scheduled on a Saturday or Sunday evening, although there are several events on mid-week or Friday dates.  Many waterfront residents host “boat parade” parties in their homes which adds to the festivities:  party guests usually line the waterfront and docks to wave at and shout to the passing boats and crews.  Cowbells and horns frequently interrupt the seasonal music as the boats pass by, especially when a “favorite” decorated boat cruises past.  The entire spectacle unfolds for the guests aboard “Dolce Vita” as it follows the parade route along with the parade boats.

For more information about the upcoming boat parades, contact MEETINGS AFLOAT! at (727) 394-8978 or via e-mail:  info@meetings-afloat.com.  The company’s Web site address is:  www.meetings-afloat.com.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

MEETINGS AFLOAT! is a unique yacht charter service operating in the Tampa Bay, Florida area.  Utilizing the Motor Yacht “Dolce Vita,” a 45-foot long CHB Seamaster flybridge sedan trawler, MEETINGS AFLOAT! specializes in providing meeting space for business and non-profit organizations wanting to host “off-site” meetings from their own facilities.  “Dolce Vita” has a US Coast Guard-regulated capacity of 12 persons.  The yacht is equipped with a state-of-the-art audio-visual setup including

• a flat panel LCD computer display,
• an on-board notebook computer + printer and
• a high-speed wireless Internet connection.

MEETINGS AFLOAT! also represents a variety of other power and sailing yachts that are available for charter.  Some offer larger guest capacities, overnight accommodations, or alternate cruising areas.

M/Y “Dolce Vita” meets all the US Coast Guard requirements for operation as an uninspected passenger vessel.  Captain Paul Warren, President of MEETINGS AFLOAT! and the skipper of “Dolce Vita,” holds a 100-Ton Master’s License issued by the US Coast Guard.

Photo:

Motor Yacht “Dolce Vita,” a 45’ CHB Seamaster Flybridge Sedan Trawler

 

 

 

Super Bowl Fans: See Tampa Bay from Tampa Bay

Yacht Charter Service Available for Pre-Game Business Hospitality Events!

 

Holiday Parties On Board Yacht Add Adventure, Panache

“Dolce Vita” Offers Festive, Memorable Venue for Tampa Bay Holiday Affairs

 

Contact:  Captain Paul Warren, (877) 860-MEET (6338)

E-Mail:  info@meetings-afloat.com

GERMAN TRAVEL WRITERS HOSTED BY MEETINGS AFLOAT!

Recent Charter by Pinellas CVB Shows off Clearwater’s Beaches

Clearwater, FL, USA; October 13, 2008 –  Last weekend, six visiting travel writers and editors from Germany were treated to a water-borne visit to and tour of the #1 beach in the U.S. at Caladesi Island State Park.  They traveled aboard the Motor Yacht “Dolce Vita,” operated by MEETINGS AFLOAT!, a Tampa Bay yacht charter service.

The four-hour trip included a cruise up the Intra-Coastal Waterway from Clearwater to Dunedin and, then, into the Gulf of Mexico, via Hurricane Pass.  Once the group was positioned within 15 yards from the beach, the yacht anchored and the group swam to shore to explore and enjoy Caladesi, which is currently rated as the “best beach in the U.S.” according to Dr. Stephen Leatherman, a beach expert known as “Dr. Beach.”

The media group, representing German newspapers, magazines and broadcast outlets, got a chance to swim in the 82-degree Gulf waters, to kayak along the pristine beach, to collect sand dollars and other sea shells and to enjoy the Park’s nature trails.

After 2 hours ashore, the group, along with their hosts from the St. Petersburg-Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, reassembled aboard “Dolce Vita.” The yacht, then, cruised past the fine white sands of Clearwater Beach, past the stately condominiums and hotels that line the beachfront.  During the last part of the cruise, the group was treated to a pod of dolphins playing in the bow wave of “Dolce Vita.” There were lots of “Oooh!’s” and “Wow!’s” from the excited visitors, along with a rush to get their cameras.                                           

NOTE TO EDITORS:

MEETINGS AFLOAT is a unique yacht charter service operating in the Tampa Bay and Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Florida areas.  Utilizing the Motor Yacht “Dolce Vita,” a 45-foot long CHB flybridge trawler, MEETINGS AFLOAT specializes in providing meeting space for business and non-profit organizations wanting to host “off-site” meetings from their own facilities.  “Dolce Vita” has a US Coast Guard-regulated capacity of 6 persons (12 passenger certification pending.)  The yacht is equipped with a state-of-the-art audio-visual setup including

• a LifeSize Communications high-definition videoconferencing system,
• a 32” LCD television,
• a home theatre surround sound A/V system and
• a high-speed wireless Internet connection.

M/Y “Dolce Vita” meets all the US Coast Guard requirements for operation as an uninspected passenger vessel.  Captain Paul Warren, President of MEETINGS AFLOAT and the skipper of “Dolce Vita,” holds a 100-Ton Master’s License issued by the US Coast Guard.