Champagne Yacht: A One-of-a Kind Charter Experience

By Susan Payne

This summer, elevate a special occasion by taking it on the water — yacht style.

Charter off the San Diego harbor and have a one-of-a-kind birthday, corporate event, celebration of life/burial, engagement, family reunion or other special occasion on Champagne, a private luxury motor yacht certified, licensed and insured for up to 49 passengers.

Built in Florida in 1983, the Bertram motor yacht owner David Levkowitz completely remodeled Champagne to add a full gourmet kitchen, household-sized appliances, two bars, two guest bathrooms and professional sound system.

“Everything inside was replaced so that our yacht guests can have the time of their lives. We cater to special occasions, milestones and events you want to remember, lifetime experiences,” Levkowitz said. “We’ve been officially licensed for charter since 2019.”

Under the amazing San Diego skyline, a private setting and customizable options, Champagne Yacht is ready to help you create a one-of-a-kind lifetime experience with your friends or family or workplace.

“Private rentals on Champagne are so fun and full of life, no one ever regrets investing in a private celebration, you are creating lasting memories. Some of my favorite moments are when guests are amazed at the skyline or sunsets that we can see from the yacht,” said Levkowitz. “Champagne helps elevate the celebration even more. Guaranteed the best time for you and your guests.”

The yacht departs and returns from Point Loma Sport Fishing in San Diego. For additional fees, groups may board at the Marriott/Hyatt marina in downtown San Diego. Charters are scheduled in four-hour increments from 12-4 p.m. or 5-9 p.m. On select weekends, 10 p.m. night cruises are available.

“We’re the only private yacht in San Diego that has a commercial license, and we love hosting groups of all sizes up to forty for any occasion,” Levkowitz said.

Champagne cruises downtown, the Super Yacht dock, past the USS Midway, under the famous Coronado bridge, by the Hotel Del then anchors near the Coronado Golf Course in the scenic Glorietta Bay so guests can swim, play on the floaties, drink, dance and lounge in the boat.

A licensed captain, bartender and deckhand is included on the boat to ensure a safe voyage and excellent service. Champagne Yacht has a wide range of catering options for events, but guests are welcome to bring their own food and beverage items, Levkowitz said.

“Anytime you book a private yacht, especially Champagne, you’re planning to have the time of your life. It’s a special, unique way of celebrating those milestones.” said Levkowitz.

Charters start as low as $3,500 for a threehour cruise Monday through Thursday, or $4,500 for a four-hour cruise Friday through Sunday, excluding holidays, peak summer weekends and special events.

Arrangements for your special occasion such as a DJ, saxophonist, catering, private chefs, specialty cakes, balloon decorations, party buses or limousine transportation, photographers and videographers are available for booking, as well.

“We’ve had guests propose to their significant other surrounding loved ones and friends on Champagne and we’ve had some celebrate 75th and 90th birthdays, the possibilities are limitless. We’re here to help make your celebration that much more special,” said Levkowitz. “A party on

Champagne is one you’ll never forget.”

Champagne hosts corporate events, team building activities, birthdays, wedding celebrations, anniversary parties, family reunions, graduation parties, proposals and celebration of life/burials at sea and more upon request.

Champagne Yacht reservations for the summer season are filling quickly. More information and vibrant photos from Champagne parties can be seen here. Reservations can be made here.

By Susan Payne

Learning a new language can be difficult, but with the right tools, it can be a complete learning adventure.

ChidoLingo Language School combines private online lessons with cultural experiences, founded by Uriel Benitez of Mexico City and Ryan Brown of Los Angeles, who believe the best language learning techniques are one-onone lessons with a native teacher, coupled with immersion excursion abroad.

With ChidoLingo’s private online tutoring and personalized lessons, the programs give you individual attention and exposure to a variety of accents and styles of conversation.

“We both know the struggles of learning a new language, so we get how hard it can be. We’ve built ChidoLingo from the ground up with a focus on understanding and relating to students’ needs,” said Brown. “You can learn at your own speed and get instant feedback, which helps you understand faster.”

Most students start with private online tutoring. ChidoLingo offers a free 30-minute Spanish trial class in which you will meet the teachers ahead of your private lessons — experienced, qualified native-level speakers who love to teach.

Lessons focus on language competencies

By Susan Payne

For all your travel and exploration needs, H. Savinar Luggage Co. is a dealer you can trust.

Serving Los Angeles with two brick and mortar locations, H. Savinar has been helping generations of family find brand name, quality luggage since its inception in 1916 — over 100 years ago — and is one of the oldest luggage stores in the United States.

Whether you are looking for luggage with multi-terrain maneuverability or security and durability for peace of mind while traveling, your next destination should be an H. Savinar Luggage Co. in either Culver City, which opened in February of this year, or Canoga Park.

“Our warehouse is filled with one of the largest selections of nationally advertised brands of luggage, briefcases, laptop cases and travel accessories at the guaranteed lowest prices,” said Joey Diamond, owner of H. Savinar.

Diamond has had a 39-year relationship with the company, starting out as a monogrammer, then moving into sales, and eventual ownership of the company in 2016, after the 2010 passing including speaking, conversational skills, grammar, vocabulary, reading and writing. With these skills, Spanish learners are able to speak confidently in any situation, understand native speakers from across the globe and feel comfortable building simple to complex sentence structures.

As you progress, you’ll delve into more advanced topics like ser, personal pronouns, nouns, adjectives, prepositions, verbs and conjugations. Beginner, intermediate and advanced courses are available.

For those who like a challenge, ChidoLingo has a challenge course that exposes students to a variety of different accents and styles of conversations within a three-month time period, packed with 36 different lessons and three different teachers. As a bonus, if you complete your classes in under three months, ChidoLingo offers a 30% refund.

Through ChidoLingo, students can sign up for an Immersion Excursion — a trip to Mexico City where you put your new language skills to the test in a real-life environment. Each day is packed with learning opportunities, personalized Spanish lessons and activities and tours designed to show you the Mexican culture.

“By immersing yourself in the vibrant Mexican culture, you’ll not only gain a deeper understanding of Spanish, but also experience an incredible opportunity of a lifetime,” Brown said. We don’t just teach you the language, we open the door to the amazing and vibrant Mexican culture.”

Immersion Excursion is a safe and fun experience that includes a private teacher to guide you as you learn about the culture while practicing Spanish. You’ll visit places like Frida Kahlo Museum, Xochimilco, Chapultepec Castle and more.

ChidoLingo’s affordable and accessible classes gives students the freedom to customize their study plan, schedule classes at their convenience and access 24/7 virtual tutoring.

“We believe that learning Spanish is the key