What

If you received our invitation by email, you've been invited to a first-of-its-kind event: A lunch in San Francisco where you'll get to hear 5-minute pitches from the founders of four great startups.

Who

This event is for angels and early-stage VCs interested in the consumer Internet, mobile tech or travel sectors. You may bring a plus-one and invite colleagues and other investors, though we need attendees to RSVP. Venue holds about 25. See below for startup details. 

There are few more aspirational travel experiences than a six-month vacation that hits upward of 30 countries.

Sure, the first round-the-world sailing trip back in 1521 didn't go as planned -- legendary Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan died, along with 50 of his crew during the 1,082-day voyage.

Thankfully, today's global journeys are infinitely safer and more comfortable.

In fact, on many ships, you'd be forgiven for thinking you've checked into a five-star hotel suite, such are the levels of luxury on offer.

There’s nothing wrong with being a choosey cruiser when it comes to selecting shore excursions. In fact, several cruise lines are letting guests take the wheel and customize their own land tours with the help of a trip planner or travel agent.

Azamara: Roll your own shore excursion

Azamara Club Cruises’ destination-immersive voyages are able to customize their land tours through the brand’s new “Private Journeys” program. Prior to embarkation, guests receive access to Azamara’s dedicated team of destination insiders who use their extensive knowledge of travel to create land tours that are customized to guests’ preferences. The concierge-style service tailors “Private Journeys” to guests’ interests, travel style and budget, helping arrange everything from exclusive experiences to sightseeing tours with a private guide.

For cruise lovers, nothing says vacation like the wind blowing through your hair, the horizon hanging just ahead, and perhaps most importantly: your favorite adult beverage, gripped firmly in hand. Happily, many cruises have graduated from the days of "Bahama Mama" umbrella drinks served in tacky souvenir glasses to numerous high-end "booze cruises" that make for surprisingly sophisticated sailings. Here, we round up the most buzzworthy alcohol-themed sailings—whether it's wine, champagne, beer, or spirits that best wet your whistle—spanning a range of ships, large and small. Yes, we'll drink to that.

The allure of maritime exploration beckons to us all at one time or another with the promise of a seafaring voyage to lands afar, perhaps the same charted courses followed by the Vikings and other legendary explorers from the past. I have long dreamed of sailing upon the cresting waves of the North Sea along a rugged Norwegian coast; a majestic setting where spectacular fjords carve their way between the mountains and the only sounds breaking this idyllic silence is the crashing of the waves, thundering waterfalls heard on high, and perhaps a cacophony of seagulls flying alongside my vessel. This is the stuff of dreams, the voyage of a lifetime.

Tracing its roots back 1893 when a fledgling shipping line began operations along the hurtigruten or "swift route," the Hurtigruten line sailed along the western coast of Norway from Trondheim to Hammerfest, far above the Arctic circle. More than a century later, Hurtigruten expeditions venture beyond the Norwegian coast—Spitsbergen, Svalbard; Iceland; Greenland and even to ends of the earth—Antarctica!

Sail upon a Norwegian vessel designed not only for maritime trade and transport but for leisure travel as well. While the ship's operations get underway each day, you and your fellow travelers are off on your next adventure to explore and discover the rich heritage and traditions of each new port of call. And when you arrive, be sure to take a good long look at your surrounds. What sets this port apart from the last? How has the landscape changed? What indelible impressions from the past will you discover? "Connect with your inner explorer" is Hurtigruten's hallmark and it's easy to understand why!

The Pride of America, Norwegian Cruise Line's ship in the Hawaiian Islands, has returned from a drydock during which the ship received new venues, redesigned public spaces and refreshed décor.

The cruise line's president, Andy Stuart, calls the Pride "essentially a new ship."

“This is much more than just a fresh coat of paint and new drapes," Stuart said.

Every stateroom received new bedding, new furniture, new flat-screen televisions and updated flooring.

On the final day of the Seatrade trade show and conference in Ft. Lauderdale earlier this month, the last session featured a speaker who shared a fascinating look the emergence of Generation Z and how it promises to reshape culture and business for years to come.

While there has been lots of media attention lavished on millennials, who now outnumber baby boomers, you might not have even heard of Generation Z. It’s the moniker that analysts and writers are attaching to today’s tweens and teenagers, ages 19 and below, whose world outlook is quite different from that of millennials. 

One highlight of the talk by Marcie Merriman, executive director of Growth Strategy and Innovation at Ernst and Young, was the difference between whom the two groups looked to as celebrity influencers.

We created an infographic that spotlights the difference – please download it as a .png or download the PDF version, or share it on Facebook or your favorite social network.

At first glance, the Galapagos Islands look like scrubby, desolate bumps of land in the middle of the ocean.  But when you actually set foot on the beach, you immediately see an amazing abundance of wildlife.

Many of these species are found only here in the Galapagos, located in the Pacific Ocean about 600 miles west of Ecuador.  And what’s fascinating and almost disconcerting is that the birds and animals look directly into your eyes and don’t fly or scurry off.  They have no natural predators and are therefore fearless.

It's official: Cruise giant Carnival Corp. (CCL) will launch its first voyages from the USA to Cuba in May.

The parent company of Carnival, Princess and eight other cruise brands on Monday said the Cuban government had approved its previously announced plans to begin sailings to the island nation out of Miami.

The cruises, which already are on sale, will be operated bi-weekly by the company's new social impact-focused Fathom brand, which will debut in April with volunteer vacations to the Dominican Republic. The trips will take place on Fathom's 704-passenger Adonia, a former P&O Cruises vessel.

For the first time since the project’s announcement in 2014, Norwegian Cruise Line this week issued new details on the $100 million Harvest Caye private island development in Belize. Originally scheduled to open in February, the project’s debut was recently re-scheduled to November.

Scheduled to open in November and located on two adjoining islands off shore from Placencia, a small former fishing village, the development will include Belize’s first cruise ship pier, a marina facility for mainland excursions, a seven-acre beach, restaurants and eco-tourism and adventure activity centers, said Norwegian officials in a statement.

Harvest Caye’s beach area will feature 11 enclosed, air-conditioned villas with lounge and dining areas, restrooms, indoor and outdoor showers, hammocks, and exclusive dining and beverage options. A 15,000-square-foot pool in a landscaped area will feature a swim-up bar with stools and lounge tables and 15 canopy pool cabanas available for rent.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises announced that it had partnered with Norwegian Cruise Line’s entertainment team to help develop an entertainment lineup for its newest ship, the Seven Seas Explorer.

When the Seven Seas Explorer debuts, it will feature four new shows in its the Constellation Theater. Some of the shows include Peggy Lee (an homage to American jazz singer Peggy Lee), Burn the Floor (a tribute to the British Invasion), Paradis (Parisian-style entertainment) and A Day in Hollywood (Tony Award-winning movie-themed show).

The shows will be performed by a cast of 12 singers and dancers with a live seven-piece orchestra, but the upgrades don’t just apply to the Seven Seas Explorer. Regent Seven Seas Cruises is also investing in entertainment upgrades for its entire fleet.