Specialty Full Service travel agency in Surprise, AZ. Tropical Sails specializes in tall ship cruises (Star Clippers, Windjammer), China travel, Turkey travel and yacht charters, Church Travel (Holy Land and Asia Minor, Turkey) and Astronomy (Solar Eclipses) travel. We have been in business since 1990 and have over 1000 past clients on solar eclipse travel alone. We also offer cruises. river cruises, hotels and other travel packages.
Tropical Sails began in 1990 while Dan Oppliger was working for a tour operator in El Paso, TX. Dan worked in the marketing department where he received a call from a prospect wanting a solar eclipse tour down the Mexican Baja peninsula for the July 1991 total solar eclipse. I took the project to my boss, who said “We don’t go to Baja in the summertime.”
I ran ads in Astronomy magazine and quickly had 75 people signed up to drive the Baja Peninsula. We saw all six minutes plus of the total solar eclipse from a gorgeous beach southeast of La Paz. We camped in RV parks and deserted beaches on the trip. All arrangements we made using Dan’s expertise. A few clients backed out after erroneous information was published in the major astronomy magazines.
Some clients asked “What are doing for Peru?” What do I know about Peru? In 1994 we had some clients in El Paso for the annular solar solar eclipse. Dan was the big cheese in town supplying some 100,000 pair of “Eclipse Shades” to schools, businesses, radio stations and individuals.
Someone came up with idea is that I should charter a Windjammer Barefoot tall ship for the February 1998 solar eclipse off Guadeloupe. We ended up with the Fantome, Polynesia, Legacy, and Mandalay. Added to that was the new Star Clipper ship. We also added cruises to our offerings including the Dawn Princess and a Royal Caribbean ship.
In 1999 we went to Turkey for the first time. 33 people on private yachts for two weeks. Sailing past Ephesus, the Dardanelles and Bosporus into the Black Sea. Followed by two Africa eclipses.
We had a small group in Australia after 911. We saw a annular solar eclipse at sea on the Yankee Clipper. We had a summertime group on the Polynesia for the Venus Transit of 2004. 2006 was a big year with 84 people going to Turkey. I think is sold so well because it was off season and just a 8 night voyage. Part of that group went on to tour Western Turkey including most of the Churches of Revelation.
We had large groups in China for both the 2008 Silk Road Eclipse and 2009 repeat of the Baja Eclipse Saros cycle. The Pacific in 2010 and Australia 2012. Interestingly it was the same Dawn Princess and the same, but older Captain for the Australia Eclipse Cruise.
We have good arrangements with suppliers all over the globe. Dan has been to 32 countries. We are here to arrange you group tour, or for individual travel with our great suppliers.