CHRISTOPHER AVES (aka Sir Travel Guru)
  • Home
  • Books for Sale
    • Florida Residents Travel Guide
    • Great Britain Plans / Books >
      • London and England Land Cruise
      • Getting the most out of a Brit-Rail Pass
    • Other Train Books >
      • Central and Eastern Europe.
  • British Custom Tours
  • Lectures
    • Lecture Movies >
      • North America & Caribbean
      • Europe
      • Rest of World
      • Special Interest / Generic
  • About
  • Contact

About: Christopher Aves - Sir Travel Guru - World Traveler

Picture
​I have 50+ years of international business experience cultivating products and client relationships.  I started several new companies, either for myself or others, and saw them through to successful fruition. As an international accountant, I was a specialist in international internal control and compliance.   Raising external funds for corporate initiatives from investors and banks, funding and purchasing numerous corporate assets, including building locations, equipment, and hiring staff, as well as developing partnerships with businesses and organizations.  I am now retired from full time business consulting and am using my extensive knowledge to mentor and help by teaching at local community colleges. I am an accomplished seminar leader, lecturer, and travel consultant.

Education: M.B.A. Master of Business Administration - International Finance,  University of Dallas, Texas
                   Chartered Accountant UK (CPA in US terms)​

Interests:   Travel, Computers, Railways, Philately, Music, History, and Geology

Picture
It has been my pleasure to travel the world. I have taken trips by car, train, boat, ship, and plane. There are pros and cons to each  transportation method - regardless to say I have enjoyed each and every trip. Here is a list of the countries I have been fortunate to visit so far:
​

Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Holy See, Honduras, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America.   
​
Mostly my wife and I prefer to visit a country, rent a car or use local trains/buses, so that we can explore independently. We have taken trips organized by tour operators, such as Gate1 when location and timing dictates. As I get older, cruising is becoming a very acceptable way to travel and still see far off lands. The following is a list of my most recent cruises that I have had the pleasure to take: ​

Oceania Insignia - Island Dreams - December 28, 2019 - January 8, 2020 (Was to have been Cuba)
Miami, ​Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Fort de France, Martinique; Castries, St. Lucia; Basseterre, St. Kitts; St. John's, Antigua; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas;
Seabourn Odyssey - Caribbean Gems - November 30 - December 14, 2019
Philipsburg, Sint Maarten; Sopers Hole , BVI; Gustavia, Saint Barthelemy; Basseterre, St Kitts And Nevis; Guadeloupe, French West Indies; Terre-De-Haut, Iles Des Saintes, Guadeloupe; Castries, Saint Lucia; 
Saline Bay, Mayreau, St. Vincent And The Grenadines; Bridgetown, Barbados; Port Elizabeth, Bequia, St. Vincent And The Grenadines; Trois Ilets, Martinique; Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe; Charlestown, Nevis, St Kitts And Nevis; St. Johns, Antigua And Barbuda; Carambola Beach, Saint Kitts And Nevis.​
Seabourn Sojourn - 12 Day Leeward Island Gems November 4-16, 2019.
Miami; ​San Juan, Puerto Rico; Gustavia, Saint Barthelemy; Terre-De-Haut, Iles Des Saintes, Guadeloupe; Fort-De-France, Martinique; St. Johns, Antigua And Barbuda; Carambola Beach, Saint Kitts And Nevis; Great Harbor, Jost Van Dyke, BVI​
Seabourn Quest - Route of the Vikings II - August 6 - 30, 2019
Reykjavik, Iceland; Qaqortoq, Paamiut (Frederikshab), Nuuk (Godthab), Greenland; Maniitsoq (Sukkertoppen), Greenland; Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg), Ilulissat (Jakobshavn), Greenland; Iqaliut, Nunavut, Canada; Lady Franklin Island, Nunavut, Canada; Monumental Island, Nunavut,  Akpatok Island, Nunavut; Happy Valley-Goose Bay;  Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland; Havre-Saint-Pierre, Quebec; Sept-Iles, Quebec;
Saguenay; Quebec City; Montreal.
Seabourn Sojourn - African Isles & Cape Coast - Jan 30 - Feb 21, 2019
Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles; Mombasa, Kenya; Zanzibar, Tanzania; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Mamoudzou, Mayotte; Andoany (Hell-Ville), Nosy-Be, Madagascar; Ilha de Mocambique, Mozambique; Richards Bay, South Africa; Durban, South Africa, Port Elizabeth, South Africa; Mossel Bay, South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa.​
Seabourn Odyssey - Greek Island Odyssey - Sept 8 - 22, 2018.
Athens-Greece, Skopelos-Greece, Mykonos-Greece, Naxos-Greece, Agios Nikolaos-Crete-Greece, Syracuse-Italy, Valletta-Malta, Xlendi (Victoria)-Gozo-Malta, Nisos Spetsai(Spetses)-Greece,
Thira (Santorini)-Greece, Rhodes-Greece, Kos-Greece, ​Piraeus (Athens)-Greece. 

Picture
​Viking Ocean Cruises - Viking Star - Cities of Antiquity and Holy Lands 
Nov 9 - Nov 23, 2017 ​Rome to Athens

Nov 23 - Dec 7, 2017  Athens to Rome.
Rome, Italy; Naples, Italy; Crete, Greece; Ashdod, Israel; Haifa, Israel;  Limassol, Cyprus; Rhodes, Greece;  Mykonos, Greece; Athens, Greece.

Viking Ocean - Viking Star - Trade Routes  Sept 23 - Oct 7, 2017
Bergen, Norway; Amsterdam, Holland; Zeebrugge, Belgium; Le Havre, France; Portsmouth, England; Falmouth, England; Porto, Portugal; Malaga, Spain; Cartegena, Spain; Barcelona, Spain
Viking Ocean - Viking Sky - Baltic Jewels and Midnight Sun - July 1 - July 29, 2017
Greenwich (London),  Rosyth (Edinburgh),  Lerwick (Shetland Islands),  Kirkwall (Orkney Islands),  Lofoten (Leknes) Norway,  Honningsvag, Tromso,  Molde, Geiranger,  Bergen, Eidfjord, Stavanger,  Alborg Denmark, Copenhagen,  Berlin Germany, Gdansk Poland, Tallinn Estonia,  St. Petersburg Russia, Helsinki Finland,  Stockholm Sweden.
Viking Ocean  - Viking Sea - Spain to Scandinavia April 16 - May 14, 2017. ​
Barcelona Spain, Malaga (Granada) Spain, Cadiz (Seville) Spain,  Lisbon Portugal, Porto Portugal, A Coruna Spain, Cherbourg France,  Paris (Le Havre) France, Southampton UK,  Haugesund Norway, Bergen Norway,  Eidfjord Norway, Stavanger Norway, Alborg Denmark, Copenhagen Denmark, Berlin Germany, Gdansk Poland, Tallinn Estonia, St. Petersburg Russia, Helsinki Finland, Stockholm Sweden.
Viking Ocean Cruises - Viking Sea - Med. Odyssey 3/5 - 3/17/2017
Barcelona Spain, Toulon France,  Monte Carlo Monaco,  Florence/Pisa (Livorno) Italy, Rome Italy, Naples Italy, Corfu Greece,  Dubrovnik Croatia, Split Croatia,  Venice Italy.
Viking Ocean Cruises - Viking Sea - Grand Med. 2/19 - 3/5/2017
Barcelona Spain, Toulon France, Monte Carlo Monaco, Ajaccio France, Florence/Pisa (Livorno) Italy, Rome Italy, Valletta Malta, La Goulette (Tunnis) Tunisia, Cagliari Sardinia Italy, Algiers Algeria, Valencia Spain, Barcelona Spain.
Holland America - Rotterdam 17 Day Voyage of the Vikings August 7 - 24, 2016
Rotterdam, Holland; Dublin, Ireland; Douglas IOM, UK; Belfast, UK; Akureyri, Iceland; Isafjordur, Iceland; Nanortalik, Greenland; St. Johns, Canada; Halifax, Canada; Boston USA.
Viking Ocean Cruises - Viking Star - Homelands  July 10 -24, 2016.
Stockholm, Sweden; Helsinki, Finland: St. Petersburg, Russia; Tallinn, Estonia; Gdańsk (Gdynia), Poland; Berlin (Warnemünde), Germany; Copenhagen, Denmark;  Ålborg, Denmark; Stavanger, Norway; Flåm, Norway; Bergen, Norway.
Holland America - Volendam 19 Day North Pacific Crossing  Apr 16 - May 4, 2016.
Yokohama, Aomori, Otaru, Hakodate, and Kushiro Japan. Kodiak, Glacier Bay, Juneau, and Ketchikan Alaska. Vancouver, Canada.
Viking Ocean Cruises - Viking Star 15 Day Grand Mediterranean Tour. February 21 - March 6, 2016.
Barcelona Spain; Toulon, France; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Ajaccio, Corsica, France; Livorno (Florence/Pisa), Italy; Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy;  Naples, Italy; Valletta, Malta; Trapani, Sicily, Italy; Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy; ​Palma De Mallorca, Spain; Valencia, Spain; ​Barcelona, Spain.
Viking Ocean Cruises - Viking Star 15 Day Mediterranean Explorer. February 7 - February 21, 2016.
Barcelona Spain; Toulon, France; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Ajaccio, Corsica, France; Livorno (Florence/Pisa), Italy; Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy;  Naples, Italy; Messina, Sicily, Italy; Trapani, Sicily, Italy; Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy; Palma De Mallorca, Spain; Valencia, Spain; Barcelona, Spain.​
Holland America - Volendam 33 Day Circumnavigation of Australia Oct 19 - Nov 21, 2015.
Sydney,  Brisbane,  Hamilton Island, Cairns,Great Barrier Reef. Sherrard Island,  The Torres Strait,  Darwin, Komodo Island, Indonesia, Benoa (Denpasar), Bali, Indonesia; Geraldton, Fremantle (Perth) , Albany, Port Lincoln, Adelaide, Penneshaw- Kangaroo Island, Burnie-Tasmania, Melbourne, Eden, Sydney.
Holland America Line - Veendam July 25 - August 12, 2015
Boston, MA; Corner Brook, Newfoundland; Red Bay, Labrador;  Qaqortoq, Greenland; Prince Christian Sund, Greenland;  Reykjavik, Iceland; Berufjordur, Iceland;  Djupivogur, Iceland;  Geiranger, Norway; Alesund, Norway; Bergen, Norway; Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Holland America Line - Rotterdam March 28 - April 22, 2014.
Singapore;  Port Klang, Malaysia;  Penang, Malaysia;  Phuket, Thailand; Colombo, Sri Lanka;  Marmagao (Goa), India; Mumbai (Bombay), India; Muscat, Oman; Salalah, Oman; Aqaba (for Petra), Jordan; Suez Canal; Piraeus (Athens), Greece.
Holland America Line - Maasdam February 7 - March 7, 2014.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Key West, Florida; Georgetown, Cayman Islands; Oranjestad, Aruba; Willemstad, Curacao; Kralendijk, Bonaire; Port of Spain, Trinidad; Scarborough, Tobago; Devils Island, French Guiana; Belem, Brazil; Recife, Brazil; Maceio, Brazil; Vitoria, Brazil; Ilhabela (Sao Sebastiao), Brazil; Rio de Janeiro; Armacao dos Buzios, Brazil;  Salvador da Bahia, Brazil.
Holland America - Prinsendam July 15 - August 5, 2013
Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Bergen, Norway; Flam, Norway; Alesund, Norway; Longyearbyen, Norway; NyAlesund, Norway; Akureyri, Iceland; Isafjordur, Iceland; Reykjavik, Iceland;  Torshavn, Faroe Islands; Rosyth (Edinburgh), Scotland; Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Holland America - Oosterdam April 13 – May 5, 2013
​Sydney, Australia; Noumea, New Caledonia; Suva, Fiji; Dravuni Island, Fiji; Apia, Samoa Islands; Pago Pago, American Samoa; Nawiliwili, Hawaii; Honolulu, Hawaii;
Vancouver, Canada; Seattle Washington USA.
​
Crystal Cruises - Symphony October 16, 2012 - November 2, 2012
Los Angeles - Honolulu - Moorea - Tahiti
​Holland America Line - Rotterdam October 16, 2012 - November 2, 2012
Rotterdam, Netherlands; Portugal: Lisbon,  Funchal. Spain: Canary Islands - Santa Cruz - Las Palmas - Arrecife. Morocco:  Casablanca. Spain: Cadiz. Netherlands: Rotterdam
Crystal Cruises - Serenity September 6, 2012: 12 Night Voyage to the Crimea
Greece: Athens, Nafplion, Mykonos, Samos.   Ukraine: Yalta, Sevastopol, Odessa.  Turkey: Istanbul.
All text and photographs (c) 2008-2022 Christopher Aves - All rights reserved  ​