The Joy of Cruising Podcast

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. I am delighted to welcome back to The Joy of Cruising Podcast Paul and Carole, creators of one of the top cruise brands in the world, Paul and Carole Love to Travel. They are dominant on every social medium platform they are on, and whether you classify them as cruise influencers or cruise content creators they are among the world's leader as either. Most importantly to me is that Paul and Carole are passionate cruisers, and just about every time I read about them on social or see them on YouTube, they are cruising to one of my bucket list destinations! Like the topic of this podcast; we'll be checking off Dubai from our bucket list in a few weeks, and when I found out Paul and Carole had recently cruised there, I had to get them back on the show. They are no strangers to The Joy of Cruising Podcast—you can count on a few fingers the number of guests appearing on the podcast for the third time. Ep 27 Paul and Carole Love to Travel, and  Ep 99 Paul & Carole Love To Travel, Mekong River Cruise, AmaWaterways, AmaDara, Japan!By the way, you can count on a couple of fingers the passionate cruisers who have been in more than one of my books, and Paul and Carole Love to Travel was featured in both The Joy of Cruising amzn.to/2EAMddF, and Cruising Interrupted amzn.to/3seFU8y. It's been over a year, so I wanted to catch up with Paul and Carole, and especially to get their thoughts on their cruise to Dubai and the Emirates, which Cheryl and I will be visiting in a couple of weeks. Support the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome back Linzi and Mark Cowgill, creator of the UK-based Suite Natured blog, YouTube channel, and Instagram platform. Over a year ago, I reached out to Linzi and Mark to come on the podcast to talk about transatlantics, in advanced of our first transatlantic cruise around this time last year on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady Ep 91. Suite Natured, Transatlantics. It was a fun conservation which ended with a hilarious anecdote. (Sure enough, I included it in my second annual end-of-the-year episode of the The Joy of Cruising Podcast year's "most memorable, funniest, and most embarrassing stories.” It won!) Linzi and Mark are back to share with the cruise community their reflections on their recent bucket list on Windstar Star Legend. Support the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Presley Pfereka, a crew member for Azamara luxury cruise line. I have long observed with awe and fascination cruise ship crew from the Captain to entry-level crew members and have hosted on The Joy of Cruising Podcast a cross-section of ship crew, both former as well as active over the past years. I would love to delve into their lives in an in-depth manner both on the home front as well as at sea. I have often noted that if I had the resources this is a book project I would love to pursue. While I can't begin to do justice to that in an hour or so podcast episode, my discussion with Presley affords us a brief, unique look at ship life through her eyes. The variety of crew, staff, officers, and guest performers who have guested on the podcast range from childcare associates to maitre d' to Captains, acrobats, magicians, to guest singers and comedians from all over the world. Presley is my first guest from Zimbabwe, in the Southeastern part of Africa. I first found out about Presley by way of an article I read in Conde Nast Traveler, “What It's Like to Be a Waitress on a Cruise Ship,” by Ashlea Halpern. Presley is a 37-year young lady from Easten Zimbabwe, Manicaland Province. She finished high school and started working at a young age as an organizing secretary for a non-governmental organization). This was after her parents passed on. Presley has two daughters aged 17 and 6. She moved to South Africa in search of greener pastures and worked a variety of jobs. In 2012 Presley met a fellow Zimbabwean who introduced her to Open Distance Learning with the University of South Africa. She enrolled with the University and attained a Higher Certificate in Business Management and then Registered for Bachelor of Commerce In Business Management which she is still pursuing. After coming across an advertisement on LinkedIn regarding cruise ship job interviews to take place in Cape Town in 2023, Presley applied as it was her wish to travel and work on cruise ships. This led to her being hired by Azamara January 2024 as Assistant Waitress. In November 2024 she got promoted to Administration as a Payroll Purser.Find Presley online YouTube: presleypfereka3174TikTok: @Presley PeeInstagram:  presley_pee87Facebook: Presley PeeEmail:  pee.pfereka@gmail.comSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. I am delighted to welcome this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, a special group of guests, The Chefs: Jerome Brown aka Chef Rome, the chef to the stars with over 35 years of professional cooking, the go-to chef for celebrities worldwide; Chicago Chef George Outlaw specializing in elevated soul food with bold and unusual food combinations; Chef Sondra (Dra) Rhodes bringing creole and southern country cuisine to your table; and, Chef Ricky Simpson, Jr., an Atlanta resident whose credo is “To enlighten people to a healthier way to make their favorite foods.”  We were introduced to The Chefs on our recent bucket list cruise, the Soul Train Cruise, which we raved about in our reflections of the cruise several weeks ago on Ep 165 The Soul Train Cruise. It was our first Soul Train Cruise; we enjoyed it so much that we booked for 2026. Immediately after we boarded the Holland America Line Nieuw Amsterdamwe became aware of The Chefs albeit in an indirect way. In the buffet we noticed some soul food items; for instance, there was Rick's Ribs. Then at the main dining room, throughout the menu was soul food and New Orleans favorites. Things came into perspective when we read the tent card on our table mentioning The Chefs return to the Soul Train Cruise (for the third year) along with short bios of each. I have hosted several fascinating celebrity chefs on The Joy of Cruising Podcast. This is the first time I get to host a team—each a celebrity chef in their own right.Support the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. I am delighted to welcome back to The Joy of Cruising Podcast Sheri of Cruise Tips TV. Sheri is a special friend to me, having been featured in my first two cruise books, The Joy of Cruisinghttp://amzn.to/2EAMddF and Cruising Interrupted http://amzn.to/3seFU8y, and then being my first choice for the initial episode of The Joy of Cruising Podcast which she graciously accepted Episode 1. Sheri returned to the podcast for Episode 93. Today Sheri becomes the second podcast guest to make a third appearance on the show. Cruise Tips TV has its own podcast, Cruise Tips TV Unplugged, as well as blog, You Tube channel, IG and more. In fact, across all platforms Sheri and Cruise Tips TV is one of the mostly followed and influential cruise brands in the world. It's been over a year, so I wanted to catch up with Sheri, and especially to get her thoughts on her cruise to United Arab Emirates, which Cheryl and I will be visiting this spring on a land trip.  Support the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. This week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am proud to welcome Dr. George Alexakis, a former colleague of mine from Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. George is a Hospitality Professor at FGCU, and he did some collaboration with the organization I led, which was the Office of Continuing and Off-Campus Education. George and I always had a good rapport given our mutual interests—not just in continuing ed but hospitality, which I had taught at my prior institution. George taught cruise management classes and led several cruises with students. He also garnered a reputation for putting together annual land trips to his homeland of Greece, popular with students, faculty, and the southwest Florida community.  Dr. George Alexakis is a lifelong tourism and hospitality professional who began his career managing his family's restaurant and banquet operations in Ontario, Canada. He went on to serve as a hospitality consultant and marketing manager for the renowned firm, Cini-Little International. Today, he is a full professor at Florida Gulf Coast University, where he teaches courses in culturally responsible tourism, sustainability, and a variety of other courses. An accomplished speaker and educator, Dr. Alexakis has presented across the globe on topics such as dynamic communication, exceptional customer service, and human resource development. He has taught in Italy, the Caribbean, Israel, and aboard major cruise ships. He holds a doctorate in higher education with a concentration in hospitality, a hospitality master's, and a hospitality and tourism bachelors. A prolific scholar, George has authored numerous articles and book chapters in the fields of tourism, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Each summer, he plans a tour for travelers to have an authentic experience of Greece—off the beaten path and beyond the postcard views. Very fluent in Greek and deeply connected to his heritage, George collaborates closely with a professional tour director and local guides to create unforgettable cultural experiences filled with heritage, storytelling, and—of course—fun. He proudly refers to himself as the “Mayor of Fun.”Find Dr. Alexakis OnlineEmail: george7alexakis@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/george7alexakisLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dralexakis/Support the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. I am delighted to welcome this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Belencia Wallace, creator of Ladybug Travel of Facebook, Instagram, and with its 55k following on TikTok, which is where I met her. I was amazed to learn Belencia decided last year to leave her professional career to embark on a full year at sea. Belencia sails on a variety of Royal Caribbean ships and estimates her one-year journey to cost approximately $100k. When Belencia's The Joy of Cruising Podcast episode airs, she will have completed more than half of her yearlong journey. We not only want to hear all about what the adventure has been like but—inquiring minds want to know—what's next after her one-year adventure is over! Ladybug is a passionate traveler and former healthcare administration professional who has embarked on an extraordinary one-year sabbatical to explore the world by sea. Starting her journey in October 2024, she meticulously planned every detail of her grand adventure without the assistance of a travel agency, showcasing her organizational skills and love for exploration. Over the course of this year, Ladybug will cruise along the East Coast, the enchanting Caribbean islands, and the rich cultures of Europe and the Middle East. Her voyages encompass popular destinations and hidden gems alike, allowing her to indulge in diverse experiences while connecting with fellow travelers.Ladybug brings a unique perspective to her travels. Her dedication to service and attention to detail enhance her journey, as she navigates new environments with a keen eye for culture and community. Follow Ladybug on her continuous cruising adventure as she shares insights, stories, and breathtaking photographs from around the globe, inspiring others to pursue their own travel dreams.Find Ladybug Travel online:YouTube: @officialladybugtravel TikTok:  @ladybugtravel Instagram: @officialladybugtravel   Facebook: @ladybugtravel Email:  officialladybugtravel@gmail.comSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast I am delighted to welcome Racquel and Vincent, two cruisers who have never been on a cruise ship. Yes, you heard that right. All of you, well the vast majority of you—I know we have listeners who aspire to take their first cruise—the vast majority of you have been on cruise ships, yet unlike most of you Racquel and Vincent have cruised around the world. Confused? Well, with respect to mainstream cruising, it is true that Racquel and Vincent have never been on a cruise, however, people who live a lifestyle similar to theirs i.e., sailing around the world, are also called cruisers, hence the confusion.  For background, Racquel had a nomadic upbringing and has always been passionate about authentic living and marching to the beat of her own drum. Little did she know that her life journey would lead to living on a boat and circumnavigating the globe. After working as a therapist in London in 2021, Racquel found herself in a challenging position when the clinic she was working at lost funding. This setback pushed her to start her own private practice online, and move back to her native home of Mallorca, Spain. Not long after, she met her partner, Vincent, who had been living on his boat for the past several years. She made a bold decision to join him and try digital nomadism at sea. Racquel began working remotely while living aboard a sailboat.  Since then, Racquel and Vincent's life has been a whirlwind of adventure. They spent one summer sailing the Balearics, then a winter surfing in Portugal. They then bought a larger boat, completed a full refit over the course of a year in the Canary Islands, and in November 2024, she and Vincent crossed the Atlantic Ocean and are now traveling through the Caribbean as part of a circumnavigation journey. Their experiences combine remotely maintaining professional careers—Racquel as a therapist and Vincent as a software engineer—with the realities of full-time cruising, including adapting to different cultures and managing life at sea. Now, they're in Martinique, exploring the Caribbean, and plan to spend the next two years discovering the islands before heading into the Pacific Ocean. Racquel and Vincent are slowly travelling, enjoying learning new cuisines, cultures and individuals as they go. Find Racquel and Vincent Online & Vincent onlineYouTube: SailingMenyrInstagram: @sailingmenyrSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome JD Harbor, author of the new seafaring novels, Emerald Tide, and Sapphire Seas. They are both set aboard a luxurious cruise ship and were inspired by JD's own experience. You see, he met his wife onboard a singles cruise in 2014, and they have sailed together ever since. Man, that sounds fun! As JD notes, “Meeting my wife on that cruise is proof that the magic of the sea really can lead to unexpected connections!” JD Harbor is an author and long-time cruise enthusiast. His own love story started onboard the Carnival Sunshine, and it's been a huge inspiration in his writing. He says, “There's something about being at sea that allows people to leave behind the stresses of life and open themselves up to adventure and possibility. That's the energy I wanted to capture in my novels, pairing romance with personal growth against the dreamy backdrop of the open sea.”  JD's debut novels, Emerald Tide and Sapphire Seas, are two interconnected stories following Aidan Murphy and Harper Brooks, who meet onboard the Elysian Serenade during a hosted group voyage for single sailors.The two books explore themes of self-discovery, second chances, and how love can flourish when we allow ourselves to embrace change and vulnerability. Cruising provides such a unique and romantic backdrop—it's a world where you can truly leave everything behind and focus on the moment. There's a special kind of magic onboard a cruise ship that brings people together in ways they don't expect, and JD tried to infuse that same feeling into these stories.The books are the beginning of a series, RomantiSea Serenades, with each installment exploring new characters and love stories, all tied together by the romance and adventure found at sea. It's a project JD is deeply passionate about. Find JD Harbor online:TikTok:  @jd.harborInstagram:  @jdharbor (send me a DM with the keyword “Joy” and I'll send you a free sample)Facebook: @jdharbor.authorWebsite: www.jdharbor.comEmail: author.jdharbor@gmail.comJoin the 2026 LoveLit Cruise: www.lovelitcruise.comSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast I am delighted to welcome back a special guest, my cohost Cheryl.We are largely in the bucket list checking stage of our lives, and just got the opportunity to check one off—a cruise on a luxury cruise line, specifically Explora Journeys and its first ship, Explora I. Let me preface with a brief overview oo the main categories of cruise lines:Mainstream-Carnival, Royal Caribbean, NCLPremium-Celebrity, Holland America, Princess, Virgin Voyages, DisneyLuxury-Regent Seven Seas, Seaborne, Crystal, Windstar You can argue with those classifications but that is accepted in the cruising industry. Where you are more likely to get arguments is about these cruise lines on the edge between categories. When we decided on explora journeys it was not on our luxury cruise radar—the luxury lines just mentioned were. This aspiration to cruise in luxury was decidedly low on the list simply due to affordability; we have so many more affordable bucket list items; like going to the Panama Canal this fall. Then Explora Journeys surprisingly dominated the luxury category of the Cruise Critics Awards just a short time before I hosted Colleen Mc Daniel who happens to be the Editor-in-Chief of Cruise Critic. Not only did Colleen pique my interest by sharing her own experience on Explora Journeys but she turned me on to some Explora promotions—still going on—that had me researching as soon as the call ended with Colleen.That research confirmed Colleen's mention of attractive pricing, and it led me to several podcast guests who could talk about Explora Journeys including Kathy Lu, an executive with Explora Journeys, before we boarded in March. Support the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Shelton and Ke' creators of the YouTube channel, Your Favorite Couple. As frequent listeners know, I enjoy watching cruise YouTube videos and from time to time I get introduced to potential The Joy of Cruising Podcast guests. That's how I met Shelton and Ke'. I enjoyed their fun, informative video style and their diverse choices in terms of cruising and sensed similarities to our own cruise choices. They have cruised on a number of my favorite ships and several others that are on my cruising to-do list. So, I invited them to come on the show so we can compare notes on cruise ships we have experienced in common and to get their impressions on ships they have experienced that I have wondered about. It is always fun to meet new cruise friends I am glad they agreed to come on The Joy of Cruising Podcast to talk about their growing channel. Shelton and Ke' note, “We are a couple who loves traveling by land and sea. Come along as we share our adventures in cruising and other forms of travel, provide honest reviews, and showcase love. Our mission is to allow our marriage to be a display of God's love as we share what we love with the world, one trip at a time.” Find Your Favorite Couple onlineYouTube: https://youtube.com/@yourfavoritecouple?si=iBCfUghiKMe5Moc3TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@yfc.ke.shelton?_t=ZT-8vHeTzJfGxO&_r=1Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/yfc_ke_shelton?igsh=MWkzMzFsdDM3cnNicQ==Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1PBVygENSo/Email: yourfavoritecouple11@gmail.comSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast I am delighted to welcome back again to The Joy of Cruising Podcast Mikkel and Dan, creators of the Sometimes Sailing cruise website and Instagram. Mikkel and Dan are special friends, that I got to know when I wrote about Sometimes Sailing in my latest book release,  The Joy of Cruising Again http://amzn.to/3lAfyON where I wrote about their penchant for small ship cruising as well as “ship-within-a-ship” spaces, for instance, Celebrity Cruises The Retreat, Norwegian Haven, Princess Cruises Medallion Class, and MSC Yacht Club. With today's episode Mikkel and Dan, Sometimes Sailing, are the first The Joy of Cruising Podcast guests to appear on the podcast four times! I hosted Sometimes Sailing on The Joy of Cruising Podcast Episode 28 in 2023, and Episode 101, and then Episode 149 in 2024. ➡️ Mikkel and Dan have created a complimentary river cruise planning resource for our listeners. **Download their Essential River Cruise Budgeting Guide here.**Listen to Small Ship Cruise Talk wherever you tune into podcasts.They have a lot of AmaMagna content on their Instagram, @sometimessailingLearn more about their in-depth Viking Torgil Douro River review. Support the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textThis week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Cheryl Cooper, creator of the SIG the Solo Cruiser YouTube channel, Instagram, and website. As frequent listeners know, I watch cruise YouTube videos incessantly. Cheryl has carved out a solid niche as a specialist in solo cruising with high quality content and reviews from a solo cruising perspective of a diverse array of cruise lines and cruise ships—many I have sailed or plan to sail. Accordingly, her channel is on repeat. While I have never done a solo cruise, if I were considering a solo cruise, SIG the Solo Cruiser platforms would be my first stop when starting my research process. SIG the Solo Cruiser: Welcome to my world of solo cruise travel! With over 50 cruises, 43 solo across 11 cruise lines, l am here to share my tips, tricks, and personal experiences to help you confidently navigate the world of solo cruise travel. On this channel, you'll see my solo cruise experience and find advice and tips on solo cruising and cruising solo as an introvert. My goal is to empower you to make the best decisions for your solo travel adventures, whether it's your first trip or your next unforgettable journey. Also, as a travel agent, I'm here to guide you through every step of the process-from choosing the perfect cruise to booking and customizing your experience.I have long planned to invite Cheryl on. Then she posted her latest videos, and they were about her recent experience on Explora Journeys. As this episode airs, I am onboard my first luxury cruise on Explora I! I decided to “jump the line” and welcome Cheryl on The Joy of Cruising Podcast now, and am pleased she was agreeable.Find SIG the Solo Cruiser: YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@SIGtheSoloCruiserTikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@sigcruiserInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sigthesolocruiser/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/groups/sigthesolocruiserEmail: cheryl@sigcruiser.comSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. I am delighted to welcome back this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Prof Cruise. I first met Prof Cruise featured her in my 3rd cruising book, The Joy of Cruising Again amzn.to/3lAfyON, to The Joy of Cruising Podcast. Yes, Sarah really is a former university professor—but her passion for cruising not only contributed to her decision to move on from teaching, but also directly influenced her family's decision regarding where to live after she did so. You see, Prof Cruise absolutely loves Alaska; she seemingly travels there monthly. The US port of departure for trips is Seattle—yep, Prof Cruise and her family moved to Seattle and can see the port from their high-rise apartment's window! By the way, if you are a newbie cruiser to Alaska, you owe it to yourself to visit Profcruise.com I can't imagine a more knowledgeable Alaska cruise expert than Prof Cruise (when you are ready to book, visit us at Thejoyofvacation.com). Learn a lot more about Prof Cruise by checking out her earlier visit to The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Episode 12Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Emma & Jack, creators of the YouTube channel, Live A Little. As frequent listeners know, I enjoy watching cruise YouTube videos and from time to time I get introduced to The Joy of Cruising Podcast guests. That's kind of how I met Emma & Jack. I say kind of because normally I just watch videos and then perhaps transfixed by someones video style, or sense of humor, comprehensiveness of their video. In Live A Little case it was a little different. I was recording an episode with Colleen McDaniel, Editor-in-Chief of Cruise Critic and we got to talking about Explora Journeys, a newcomer in the luxury sector and a big winner in the recent Cruise Critic Awards. By the end of the interview, Colleen had influence me to move a luxury cruise to the top of my bucket list. I searched Explora Journeys and proceed to binge on dozens of YouTube videos and in the process happened upon Live A Little. After binging on Explora Journeys, I binged on Live A Little videos and they have a wonderful cruising life and a fun, informative video style and I am glad they agreed to come on The Joy of Cruising Podcast.The Lindsays are a family of 3 based out of Colorado and created Live A Little during Covid after being able to find many YouTube channels that traveled the way they did.  So, they gave it a go on a cruise to Alaska and the rest is history—they caught my eye! Their focus is a lot of content around suite level cruises, but their larger goal is to highlight destinations and the overall experience. Lindsay & Jack note, “We have a passion for exploring this world one adventure at a time. Whether it's cruising the high seas, discovering gems on a road trip, or exploring iconic destinations, our goal is simple: to inspire you to get out and 'live a little' and make the most out of every journey. We don't want to look back on our life and wish we had done something. So we live by the motto just get out and live a little and see this amazing world while you can. We know travel isn't just about crossing places off a list—it's about creating memories, trying new things, and experiencing Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Peta-Gaye and Allan, creators of the My Cruising Family YouTube channel, Instagram, and blog. As frequent listeners know, I enjoy watching cruise YouTube videos and from time to time I get introduced to The Joy of Cruising Podcast guests. That's how I met My Cruising Family (with their fun, mostly family-oriented videos often accompanied by a Jamaican beat.) I also occasionally interact with them on social media and decided it was time to finally reach out to them when they made a post about attending this year's Maxwell Cruise, held during Valentines Day week. We attended R&B superstar Maxwell's debut music cruise last year and thought it was great but had to miss this year. So, I invited them to come on the show and reflect on the cruise, and more importantly introduce them to the global cruise community as another outstanding cruise content creator. It is always fun to meet new cruise friends I am glad they agreed to come on The Joy of Cruising Podcast to talk about their various cruise platforms.From MyCruisingFamily.com My name is Peta-Gaye. I am a Jamaican-born wife and mother who lives and works in the United States, and has traveled to 28 countries across 5 continents, thus far. I'm wife to Allan, and mom to our two boys, AJ and LJ. As a Christian and a foodie, I love to not only share my love for travel, but also my faith and food! We love to travel together as a family, to see new places, try new activities, and eat good food! We often travel with my mom also, and I enjoy having "me time" and "couple's time" while grandma manages the boys! Find My Cruising Family online:YouTube: @mycruisingfamily TikTok: @mycruisingfamily Instagram: @mycruisingfam Facebook: @mycruisingfam Email: mycruisingfamily@gmail.com Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast I am delighted to welcome back Nancy and Dale Houchens. I learned about Nancy and Dale when I read articles about them in both USA Today and Miami Herald. The Houchens retired in 2015 to a life—planned well before their last day at work—of living on cruise ships. I wrote a feature about the Houchens, Living On Cruise Ships in my new book, The Joy of Cruising Again amzn.to/3lAfyON in a section called “Cruisers Like You and Me…Sort Of.”  I first featured Nancy and Dale on Episode 36 of The Joy of Cruising Podcast. It' been almost 2 years so I thought I would check back in on my friends to see how their almost full-time seafaring life is going.Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and welcome to The Joy of Cruising Podcast, and in this special episode we meet members of the World-Renowned London Community Gospel Choir (LCGC) and discuss their participation in this summer's Caribbean Gospel Choir Workshop Cruise on the stunning new MSC World America. I am delighted to welcome the founder of LCGC, Bazil Meade; Kaylin Cain, who is coordinating the Caribbean Gospel Choir Workshop Cruise, and long-time member of LCGC, Jenny La Touche.LCGC is one of the most energetic and inspiring forces in the UK's music scene, made up of an eclectic mix of people from diverse backgrounds, embodying their message of God's love, peace and unity in a refreshing and invigorating style of Gospel. With a tight-knit ensemble of talented vocalists, they share joy, and feel-good music with all their audiences. They are proud to represent the metropolitan community of London, coming together as a tight-knit ensemble of talented vocalists, sharing joy, and feel-good music with their audiences.They have worked with over 100 artists around the world in their 40 plus years and were the first Community Gospel Choir in Europe. They have sung live and recorded with various artists around the world including Elton John, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey. This is their first time performing and holding workshops in the Caribbean on an amazing cruise ship!Caribbean Gospel Choir Workshop Cruise: For The Love Of Music Events Limited will present this Caribbean cruise which begins on August the 30th when you set sail from Miami aboard the new Luxury Cruise Ship, MSC World America.7-night cruise features:·      Full board dining including Premium Drinks Package·      Pre-paid gratuities, all taxes and supplements·      Workshops led by specialist workshop leaders·      Performance and LCGC Concert onboard the ship which includes the Gospel Workshop Choir made up from guestsRelying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textThis week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast  join me and guest Peter Knego, a maritime historian, journalist and creator of YouTube's MidShipCinema, currently working on a video about the fascinating career and sad end of the Pacific Princess, Princess Cruises much loved ship that was the “star” of the Love Boat TV series that changed the face of cruising forever. With 2025 as the 60th anniversary year of Princess Cruises now unfolding, Peter will share what was and special about the Pacific Princess and discuss how that ship captured the imagination of millions of future cruisers.  He will also share what became of this once revered ship in her post Princess days. Peter has one of the most unique and multifaceted seafaring stories I have ever heard. His home is virtually entirely comprised of cruise ship artifacts—made up of panels, artwork, and furniture including bars, from scrapped ships. During his first visit, Ep. 56 Peter Knego we focused mainly on the collector aspect of Peter's persona, took a virtual tour of his house and backyard comprised of original artwork and artifacts including from the Love Boat. You can learn a great deal about Peter the collector, and his passion for older ships from his website, midshipcentury.com, and YouTube channel, Peter Knego's MidShipCinema, described as “unique, exclusive and personally captured video of the world's great ocean liners and cruise ships...past & present.” This excerpt from midshipcentury.com captures his reason for being, his raison d'être: “… today's mega cruise ships, offer a myriad of amenities to make the passenger forget he or she is even at sea. But unlike ocean liners, these boxy monoliths are fitted out like modern hotels with store-bought furnishings and fire-resistant materials. The era of the individual ship representRelying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingMade in Spain Whether you're an expat chasing the dream, a traveller inspired by European elegance...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textI am delighted to welcome this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Carol Riddick. We were introduced to Carol on The Soul Train Cruise, where she was one of performers ranging from Soul Train TV show stars like Shalimar, to contemporary favorites like Carol. We enjoyed it so much that we booked for 2026. If you listened to our reflections of the cruise a few weeks ago on Ep 165 The Soul Train Cruise I think it would be clear the person that ‘stole the show' for us was Carol Riddick. The thing is, unlike the dozens of old school performers on the cruise, we weren't familiar with Carol when we boarded! Carol Riddick, an artist who has graced stages across the globe winning fans and admirers alike with her extraordinary voice and presence. Highly regarded in the music community for her vocal dexterity, mesmerizing performances and genuinely warm personality, Carol is a unique entertainer whose evolution is ongoing. She has blessed the tracks of many distinguished artists and is featured on records by Anthony Hamilton, Musiq (Soulchild), Jill Scott, Will Downing, Norman Brown, Jeff Bradshaw, and a host of others. Most recently she can be heard on Eric Bellinger's 2022 Grammy nominated album on the track “Shine on the World”. After partnering with Axis Music Group, a former Philadelphia-based production company, Carol started an independent label “CriddickNotes” and creatively spearheaded the creation and release of her debut CD, “Moments Like This”. She also co-wrote, produced, and sang “Nuances”, the intro to Philly's WDAS FM 105.3's “Quiet Storm” program which can be heard weeknights and most recently tapped into her communications background as she hosted her own radio show titled “Love & Life with Carol Riddick” on WURD Radio, the only African-American owned talk radio station in Pennsylvania (and one of only three remaining in the country).  In addition to her recording efforts, Carol lends her impressive vocals to other artists, like Philadelphia's Queen, Patti LaBelle and Jazz great, Gerald Veasley, but most notably, her live performance with R&B crooner, Will Downing of the riveting duet “Nothing Has Ever Felt Like This,” is sure to tRelying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Bill, creator of Ritzy Travel Guide. As many listeners know, I am a serial viewer of YouTube cruise channels, watching them continuously while I work on my podcast and will even play them on mute when I listen to music. They are informative and sometimes introduce me to prospective podcast guests. That was the case with the Ritzy Travel Guide. Bill's seductive voice and accent first caught my attention, but more substantively Ritzy Travel Guide's great content made me a regular viewer.Bill and his wife first cruised in 1997 and have never looked back. They enjoy variety and spread their cruises amongst as many cruise lines as possible, rather than sticking to one or the other! Like me and Cheryl, they find them all so different and love aspects of each. They split their year roughly into three parts: 1. Europe; 2. North America, and 3. Asia. Bill notes, ‘You might say we are travel nomads! Love the culture and differences of each.'Ritzy Travel Guide's preference in ships is those under 3000 passengers. Bill emphatically points out they are not fans of mega-ships. ‘We prefer the more intimate, conversational style of small to medium ships. That being said we're adventurous, and also book the livelier ships, such as Virgin. We're also huge fans of the Celebrity Edge class of ships.' Two of my favorites—no wonder they caught my attention on YouTube.  Ritzy Travel Guide also does land-based vacations but have rarely featured them on their YouTube channel. That's about to change. Bill says, ‘Starting this year we will mix cruise and land content on our channel, to have a 'Grand Tour' feel to it.' Speaking of Grand Tour, around the time this episode airs they are embarking on an amazing journey: In February and March, they are doing a 6-week Asian trip, including jungle touring in Thailand, staying at a train-themed hotel in the deep jungle, feeding elephants breakfast from a tree-top canopy, staying in a bamboo eco resort on stilts over the water, and taking an overnight sleeper from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Take me with you! That's just the beginning—we'll let Bill tell you about their other plans.Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Nathalie Holiday, creator of Round Trip Nat, Travel Content Creator and World Cruiser.Nathalie notes, “I like to speak on the reality of travel. Nothing is ever perfect no matter what price point you are traveling at. Someone at a 4-Star accommodation can have the same issues as someone staying at a 2-star. I like inspiring people that don't think they have the finances to travel. There are so many options that can help you see at least one of your dream places before you leave this earth. I don't travel like the typical person. We used public transit, we don't book $350 pp excursions for the same thing you can see from the ship for free. I'll never forget my 1st Alaska cruise where a group went whale watching and spent an insane amount of money, but not one whale in sight. Only for all of us to be at the back of the ship and seeing a bunch of whales for free. I chose to travel WITH my kids instead of leaving them home. We are world schoolers. We were before it was a popular term to use, before it was trademarked and before it became doing online school and traveling once or twice a year. Our sons not only visit destinations, but they also immerse themselves in them. They study them, the culture, traditions, food, politics of the places we visit. They speak with locals, eat in their restaurants, cook in their kitchens and get a feel, although small, about the places we visit. My next endeavors…our family will be offering Outdoor Hospitality, farm to table cooking and self-sustainability classes where everyone is welcome. We will do farm stays, family educational enrichment weekends including farm to table cooking classes, family outdoor weekends and host lively private events for the grown folks that camp and look for a fun, safe and relaxed atmosphere.” At 10, a commercial showed her favorite band going to Disney World and on a cruise on Premier Cruise Line (later became Disney Cruises). This vacation of a lifetime on the first New Kids on The Block Cruise, is where her cruise addiction began! Fast forward to April 2024, her dream of visiting all 7 continents with her kids in tow became a reality as she stepped onto Africa to celebrate her 45th birthday in MorRelying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello passionate cruisers. This is Paul and I am joined by a special guest, my wife Cheryl, to share our thoughts on the Soul Train Cruise. Longtime listeners and readers of my books know of my fascination of theme cruises, especially my first cruising book, The Joy of Cruising http://amzn.to/2eamddf where I included a section on theme cruising and featured a chapter on my first theme cruise, Festival at Sea, the oldest African-American Cultural Cruise, and a chapter about StarVista Live, a company that does a series of theme cruises about various music genres including the Soul Train Cruise. The Soul Train Cruise was on my bucket list and we are glad to check it off. My attraction to theme cruises is simple; the passengers onboard are not only passionate about cruising but they are also passionate about the theme, the subject of the cruise. So every one has something in common that drew them to that cruise. Almost everyone is friendly, it is very low in drama, and very high in chill. Theme cruises feel like giant family reunions. Soul Train has a long legacy and it is only fitting that the host is Tony Cornelius, son of the Soul Train television host Don Cornelius. We loved it…but would we do it again? Check out our thoughts! Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. I am delighted to welcome back this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Stefanie Mullen, co-creator of the Sean and Stef blog and YouTube Channel. From the Sean and Stef website: ‘We are Sean & Stef, your favorite cruise travelers! We are professional filmmakers and have won 3 Emmy awards for our video work. We are positive filmmakers who focus on the joys of travel and all the fun that goes along with the journey. We travel the world exploring destinations, all while making video memories that last a lifetime. Our mission is to inspire and connect with people all around the world and show them the joys of traveling. We are personally and emotionally fulfilled by the amazing people we meet and hope to continue this great journey as far as the road will take us.' Sean & Stef is an iconic cruise brand. Sean was a talented artist, visual effects guru, and magical storyteller. Stef and I shared the sad, tragic story of Sean's passing in Sean & Stef Ep 76, and Stef covers it comprehensively on the Sean and Stef YouTube Channel. We also discussed our experience sailing the same cruise, along with friends of the show, Ben & David—a bucket list journey from Hawaii to Alaska. Great videos on Stef's channel. Today I welcome Stef back to catch up with her and also get the scoop on her recent cruise on Margaritaville at Sea Islander coming off its surprise win in the recent Cruise Critic 2024 Best in Cruise Awards for Cruisers' Choice Best Ocean Cruise LineRelying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textThis week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Kathy Lu of Explora Journeys. Let me preface my conversation with Kathy by pointing out that Explora Journeys was not even on my radar a few months ago. Then a series of events converged in a short amount of time. In November the Cruise Critic Awards came out and Explora Journeys was announced as respectively Best Cruise Line, Best Dining, and Best for Families in the luxury category. Mind you at the time of that announcement, a luxury cruise was on my bucket list—perhaps Regent Seven Seas, Crystal, Seabourne—Explora Journeys was not even in my thinking. Then I hosted Colleen McDaniel, Editor-in-Chief, Cruise Critic and asked her to reflect on cruising luxury cruise lines. Part of her response related to Explora Journeys, and I recall responding, “Wow, I have got some research to do.” That research led me to Kathy Lu.Kathy Lu is Explora Journeys' Business Relationship Lead, USA Southeast. Having spent 14 years at Crystal Cruises—first in Los Angeles, later in Miami—Kathy flourished in the brand's culture of excellence, in which respect for others was paramount and exceeding expectations was inherent within the team. From her beginnings as an administrative assistant, through promotions into a myriad of roles in strategic partnerships, international sales and marketing, and ultimately as Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast, Kathy has formed unique global perspectives and valuable insights into all facets of luxury tourism today. A playful and curious lover of travel who began cruising from a young age, Kathy has spent much of her life exploring the world. Her favorite destinations include Greece, Hungary, and Vietnam and her future-travels wish list includes iconic spots like South Africa, New Zealand, and especially Iceland; a broken ankle, occurring hours after stepping onto the land of fire and ice, cut her holiday short in 2021. Whether at home in Atlanta, in a fine restaurant, at a taco truck, or aboard a luxury ship, Kathy enjoys the foodie life and relishes opportunities to entertain. She loves contemporary art and Scotch whisky that is old enough to order its own drink. She's a friend to all canines, and she loves people, particularly her supportive family in Los Angeles. Kathy holds a bachelor's degree Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textRegular listeners of The Joy of Cruising Podcast know that I include in most conversations a section about the guest's most memorable, funniest, and/or most embarrassing cruise or port recollection. The answers have ranged from touching—for example marriage proposals; to poignant, like last year when Iris from Life of Iris—who expected to join a vibrant Holland American ship as a Communications Manager responsible for getting out the daily activities listing to cruisers, instead was sent to a ship designated exclusively to host Ukrainian women and children refugees fleeing a sudden outbreak of war in their homeland—to hilarious. Last year in celebration of The Joy of Cruising Podcast's first birthday, I did a retrospective of some of the best responses from guests I hosted during its first year— Episode 77. It was so fun to put together and I hoped you enjoyed listening then, so I decided to do it again.Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. I am delighted to welcome back this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Sam & Brian, hosts of the massively successful DCL Duo podcast. DCL Duo is a Disney Cruise Line-focused podcast, with occasional detours into general cruising and Disney topics including the Disney parks, Adventures By Disney, Run Disneyand Disney Vacation Club.  It is great to get back together with Sam and Brian, who are not just friends of mine but are podcast mentors as well. DCL Duo is featured in my newest book release, The Joy of Cruising Again amzn.to/3lAfyON in a section called The Communicators. I have been on their podcast a couple of times and have been fortunate to host them on The Joy of Cruising Podcast Episode 16.  Importantly, as discussed in that episode, I was in a funk and had a self-imposed writers block due to the pandemic declaration in the middle of the writing of my 2nd book. A note I received from DCL Duo—whom I did not know at the time—inviting me on their podcast due to their enjoyment of my 1st cruising book, The Joy of Cruising amzn.to/2EAMddF is what motivated me to restart writing.My only experience with Disney Cruise Line was a single cruise on Disney Dream. I took my grandkids on their first cruise, (there was never any consideration for another cruise line for my grandkid's first cruise!) Everything I have heard about the new Disney Treasure suggests it just might be the ship to draw me back to Disney Cruise Line. I figured there is no one who is a better ambassador for DCL than DCL Duo, so I am anxious to hear all about Disney Treasure!Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Chris Warren. As you know, I try to portray cruising in all its diversity: region of the world; age; celebrities as well as “ordinary” cruisers with extraordinary stories; and profession—cruise CEO's, Captains and crew, chefs, performers, travel writers, cruise influencers and content creators, etc. Here we are with over 160 episodes and have yet to host a professional travel photographer. Until today…Chris is a talented photographer born in Philadelphia, who has resided in South Florida for the past 30 years. Specializing in hospitality and ocean photography, Chris has been passionate about capturing stunning images since childhood. As a self-taught artist, he has developed a unique style that showcases his deep understanding of light and motion, bringing each photograph to life. Chris is multifaceted as he has two related but distinct photography careers—hospitality photography, and ocean photography, and also is an artist. These excepts from his 2 websites help get a feel for Chris' different vocations and avocations.www.cwarrentravel.com Christopher Warren, a hospitality photographer is a true artist with a passion for his craft and a fine art background that informs his work. He has built a reputation for himself in the industry and is frequently flown to resorts around the world to capture the essence of each property through his lens.www.cwarrengallery.com Chris was raised in the city but tamed by the ocean. He ran with the wolves on Wall Street for over 20 years before deciding to focus solely on combining his love of the ocean with his love for photography. Today, Chris' passion is pursuing the fine art of ocean photography in a way that captures the everchanging magic of color, textures and light in every wave that comes ashore.Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. I am delighted to welcome this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Laura Pedlar, and Craig Shaw of Cruise Lifestyle Blog. Those of you with my second cruising book, Cruising Interrupted amzn.to/3seFU8y, know that I featured Laura and Cruise Lifestyle in a section called “Bloggers: Cruise Community Champions.” Laura also came on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Ep 46 Cruise Lifestyle over a year ago and I'm glad to talk to her again, and to welcome Craig for the first time. I was reminded that it was time to invite Laura back to the podcast when I saw a social media post that she and Craig were on Celebrity Ascent. I tried to get them on the podcast in advance of my own cruise on Celebrity Ascent in November so they could get me excited about what I was in for, but I couldn't work out the dates. So now we'll just compare experiences, and also catch up on what's new with Laura, Craig, and Cruise Lifestyle.Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. I am delighted to welcome back this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Emma of the massively successful Emma Cruises. Emma is one of the most well-known cruise personalities in the world—and she is still in her 20's. I first met her in 2019 after Emma shocked the UK cruising community at age 23 by winning the UK Wave Award for Best Cruise Blogger for her irreverently named blog, “Cruising Isn't Just for Old People.” I was writing my first cruise book, The Joy of Cruising amzn.to/2EAMddF, so I reached out to Emma, and she became one of the features in the book. Emma progressed in the cruising world significantly over the ensuing years, so I decided to feature her in my 3rd cruising book, The Joy of Cruising Again amzn.to/3lAfyON, mainly to discuss her transition from a 23-year-old part-time blogger to a full-time cruising business owner and global cruise personality, Emma Cruises. After publishing that book, Emma was a guest on my new podcast Ep 13, and discussed her new charitable venture, selling plush toys based on her beloved cat, Hudson, to raise funds in support of Mercy Ships. We are so thankful Emma came back to The Joy of Cruising Podcast, to talk about the state of her charitable venture and the huge milestone it just reached. And, Emma discusses a new passion—recently becoming a part of a venture we featured on the podcast a few weeks ago—The Cruise Maps Ep 154. Finally, hear why I refer to Emma as the answer to a trivia question!Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. I am delighted to welcome this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Melissa Newman.Melissa Newman is a university professor who loves to cruise. For most of her life, she held two full-time jobs, serving as professor and also running a nonprofit organization. In 2022 she decided to stop letting work dominate her life and she exited the nonprofit sector and used her newly found free time to pursue one of her passions... Travel. And specifically, cruise travel. She now cruises monthly and creates content to share with others what she learns along the way, which is the perfect marriage of her job and hobby — teaching and cruising. Professor Melissa and I share two significant things in common—we both have been university professors, and are certified travel agents, so I am anxious to hear how those backgrounds mix to create challenges and opportunities.Melissa has some valuable insight to share  that we did not have time to delve into for potential and new travel agents, as well as ways to cruise free using casino incentives. Following is some key information that you can follow-up with on your own about both:Info on becoming a travel agent: https://www.profmelissa.com/travelagent How to Get FREE Casino Cruises (The Secrets) Curious about how to get free cruise offers through casino programs? In this video, I'll share the approach I use to get free casino cruises, and these are strategies anyone can use to (potentially) get casino offers. Video about casino offers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN1JkeEGHpcRelying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! I am delighted to welcome this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, a special guest, Magical Bones. We were introduced to Bones on our recent anniversary cruise to the A, B, and C Islands in the Southern Caribbean on Celebrity Ascent. Bones was a headliner that put on a show that was spellbinding, funny, and captivating as Bones broke into breakdancing! So, I enjoyed his performance but I was knocked off my feet as he shared his story of growing up Black in UK; getting into Bboying, and then into magic.Magical Bones is one of the most exciting talents to emerge from the Magic scene in recent years; he has been entertaining audiences globally for over a decade. Starting out his career as a professional hip-hop dancer, he was given the nickname ‘Bones' because of his hard-hitting dance style. An exceptionally skilled break-dancer and a gifted showman, Bones has worked with some of the biggest artists within the music industry such as Madonna, and Alicia Keys, and is the featured dancer in the music video of Mint Royals' No. 1 smash hit single, Singing In the Rain.Now focusing on his career as a magician, Bones' uniqueness resides in his ability to effectively fuse mind-blowing magic with street-dance culture, music & lifestyle. He is a one-off. 2020 saw Bones make the final of Britain's Got Talent with his audition logging over 10 million online views and the judges describing his act as the ‘best-presented magic act I've ever seen!' Among his other TV credits are the BAFTA awards (BBC1), Penn & Teller Fool Us (The CW), Around the World in 80 Tricks (Amazon), Pure Magic (BBC) and This Morning (ITV). In 2022 Bones was the 2nd placed winner for ITV's Christmas special The Ultimate Magician. On the live stage, Bones was selected as the headline magician for the hit West End magic show, IMPOSSIBLE, which played for two seasons at the Noel Coward Theatre before moving on to a hugely successful world tour in 2017. Bones' debut solo show Black Magic sold-out residencies at both London's Southbank Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and played to packed houses across UK. His second show Soulful Magic premiered at Fringe 2022 and went on to be a sell-out nationwide tour in the spring of 2023.Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. I am delighted to welcome this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Kim Anderson, global nomad, host, and creator of the Design Her Travel podcast. Design Her Travel inspires you to live the life of your dreams and incorporate more travel into your daily life. Each week you'll discover travel tips and tales from individuals doing just that. Whether you're dreaming of taking your first trip or an experienced globetrotter, each week—through guest interviews and solo episodes—you'll hear inspiring stories and discover proven travel methods that will motivate you to take that next step in designing your life. Kim is a global citizen who has lived, worked, and traveled to almost 40 countries. Many of her years were spent traveling the world by sea or exploring the world through solo adventures. Her purpose in life is to show people the world and be a living inspiration for their dreams. As creator and host of the Design Her Travel podcast, Kim currently showcases stories of people living extraordinary lives with travel as the centerpiece. Kim and Design Her Travel has been featured in Backpacker Magazine – Asia, Dockwalker Magazine, and on several podcasts. I have to say Design Her Travel and The Joy of Cruising Podcast  sharesome key characteristics—we are both about travel, started about the same time, have a similar number of episodes, and are both quite global with listeners in over 100 countries. There is one difference though; Design Her Travel is in the top 2.5% of podcasts in the world, making Kim my podcast role model!Design Her Travel WebsiteJoin the waitlist for the DHT Group Trip opening early 2025. Special earlybird discount available to the waitlist only!Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textThis week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Matthew Jones of The Cruise Maps. Based in UK, their ingenious, unique products based on maps of your cruise journey is far more than meets the eye. It all starts with your cruise shipʼs navigation system. While it was designed to help seafarers identify other ships and safely navigate the seas, it also enables The Cruise Maps to remotely follow the progress of every ship in the world in real time. A massive global network of satellite and land-based receivers are continuously sending signals them back to databases to store and analyze the global fleet's movements. This system is used for everything from managing traffic and tracking logistics, identifying illegal fishing and analyzing global trade. And now, for creating Cruise Maps! Imagine completing that cruise celebrating a milestone like a special birthday? The Cruise Maps can immortalize that special cruise with a unique, custom-made keepsake you won't find in souvenir shops or need to stuff in your luggage.The Cruise Maps story starts in 2007 when partners Matthew and Will were housemates at the University of Southampton, bonding over a shared love of travel, ships and the ocean. Will was a lifelong sailor and naval architect in training and Matthew was a Geography undergraduate with two seafaring parents, who met working on the Queen Elizabeth 2 in the 1980s. They found themselves, 16 years later in London, talking excitedly over breakfast about the possibilities of using satellite data in different ways—it wasn't really a huge surprise. That day in 2023, they teamed up to create the world's first personalized and entirely accurate print maps for cruise passengers. By using satellite ship tracking data, they managed to build a system that can take a passenger's basic cruise details and create the perfect map of where the ship actually wenRelying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSights N Sounds with Allen KigerInterviewing music and racing royalty.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome a special guest, Colleen McDaniel. Among the global cruise personalities, we are blessed to host, today, I am honored to welcome another one of those Googleable individuals (is that a word...yes) we occasionally have the honor to host. Colleen McDaniel is Editor-in-Chief of Cruise Critic. She considers cruising to be a true passion, having traveled the world by water – from Alaska, the Caribbean and Hawaii, to Europe's rivers, Antarctica and Africa – on ships of all shapes and sizes. I first “met” when I featured her husband John Roberts of In the Loop Travel in my book Cruising Interrupted  amzn.to/3seFU8y.When not cruising, Colleen loves running, biking, hiking or anything that keeps her moving. Living in Colorado makes it easy to get outside and stay active. She's also a fan of craft beer, and science fiction movies and TV. Trying craft beers in cruise ports all over the world has become a passion. She'll talk your ear off about hair bands from the '80s and anything related to "Doctor Who." A Wisconsin native, Colleen roots for the Green Bay Packers – she's a team owner. (As I am a football fan, I definitely want to ask her about that.)She's regularly quoted as a cruise expert in media outlets across the country, including The Associated Press, Good Morning America, TODAY, CNN, FOX Business, CNBC, The New York Times, Travel + Leisure and Skift.Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. I am delighted to welcome this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Brandee and Shannon Lake, a couple of special guests who were recently sailors, roommates on Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise on Serenade of the Seas. We want to get their reflections about the special cruise which left Miami December 10, 2023, and disembarked in Miami on September 10, 2024. Shortly after embarkation Ultimate World Cruise became a social media sensation, and for several passengers it became a social media obsession. One of the best known of those passengers was Brandee Lake, and The Joy of Cruising Podcast was fortunate to have her on the show earlier in the year Ep. 115 . In addition to being cabin mates for nine months, Brandee and Shannon host a podcast together, Brannon Files, and they did publish a couple of episodes from Serenade of the Seas. I enjoyed immensely when Brandee joined the podcast. It is now my pleasure to bring Brandee back to the show and welcome her sister Shannon and hear the highlights of their Ultimate World Cruise, learn about its aftermath—and its path forward, and talk to Brandee and Shannon about their cruising plans. Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textI am delighted to welcome this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Jon Saxx, saxophonist extraordinaire. I first experienced Jon on a cruise we attended prior to the shutdown—Festival at Sea. Jon was a ‘house musician' for Festival at Sea, the longest-running African-American cultural cruise. Created by African-American entrepreneur and owner of San Francisco's Blue World Travel Agency, Patricia Yarbrough, Festival at Sea has put on over 35 consecutive years of sold out full ship charters of its annual cruise. In addition to Festival at Sea, Patricia's affiliate brand, Friends of Festival at Sea puts on luxury cruises on high-end vessels to exotic locations every few years. Patricia was a guest on The Joy of Cruising Podcast and it is really worth a listen,  Ep 39. We recently had the opportunity to experience Jon again, this time up close and personal, when Friends of Festival at Sea put on an amazing itinerary River cruise in Southern France on AmaWaterways AmaKristina coupled with 3 days in Paris. Besides being a part of the evening entertainment on AmaKristina, Jon headlined a Gospel Brunch Event. It was during the Friends of Festival at Sea Gospel Brunch when Jon shared his personal testimony that I decided I had to bring this gentleman with the great story to the listeners of The Joy of Cruising Podcast.Jon Saxx was voted Best Local Jazz Artist in So Florida by Miami New Times in 2008 and has performed with jazz and R&B stars Najee, Montell Jordan, Howard Hewitt, and National Anthem Performances for the Miami Heat. Jon was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio earned a degree in Manuf Engineering. He was employed by Johnson & Johnson as a Med Device Engineer for 4 years. Jon's musical inspiration, Mr. Wright, his saxophone teacher, taught him to go beyond playing the music, to making the music a reality for himself and his audience! Witnessing Jon in his element, whether or not his eyes are hidden under one of his trademark hats, or 3-piece suits, you realize you're watching a man possessed by the spirit of jazz tRelying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textIn my effort to portray cruising in all its diversity, now for something completely different. This week The Joy of Cruising Podcast is delighted to welcome Cris Kostiuk, creator of Cris the Cruising Duck Man. Let me preface by saying that for the most part up until recently, I have been rather ambivalent toward the phenomenon of hiding and finding toy ducks on cruise ships. First of all, I assumed it would be a short-lived trend that would fade away. Wrong! Secondly, I kind of thought it was mainly for kids—and since I no longer have young children to cruise with I have “aged out” of the target clientele. Wrong again. Cruise ship ducks are very much a kids, and adults craze.The tide started to change for me in terms of paying a little more attention to cruise ship duck mania when I began to read about this duck trend in non-cruise media. Then I read a blog post by arguably the top cruise blogger/podcaster in the world, Matt Hochberg, of Royal Caribbean Blog that opened my eyes. In a blog whose title seemingly was directed at me, Hiding Ducks On A Cruise Ship Is A "Crazy" and Popular Trend - Whether You Like It Or Not https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2024/09/05/cruising-ducks-how-to-hide, Matt shared some information that put to rest any notion of cruise duck mania being a passing fad. For instance, there is a cruising ducks Facebook group that is approaching 300k members. And, Matt's blog mentioned today's guest.What moved me to a podcast about duck mania though were images of ducks that would regularly show up in my Facebook feed; these ducks were a far cry from dollar store ducks or ducks sold in bulk on Amazon. They were amazing. You see I was Facebook friends with Cris the Cruising Duck Man. So, I invited him on.After a catastrophic accident that Cris was fortunate to survive, Cris formed a new outlook on life and decided to start traveling more, including his 1st cruise. Of course, he got hooked. On his 2nd cruise, he took his kids and started learning about ducks. He got hooked on that too, to the point he purchased a 3-D printer (which ultimately became 6 3-D printers!) Cris takes multiple large suitcases of ducks every cruise & created a website cruisecave.com for selling his 3-D printed ducks. Cris says, ‘I love getting photos with people. I alRelying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textI am delighted to welcome back to The Joy of Cruising Podcast Mikkel and Dan, creators of the Sometimes Sailing cruise website and Instagram. Mikkel and Dan are special friends, and this is a special episode.  I got to know Mikkel and Dan when I wrote about Sometimes Sailing in my new release The Joy of Cruising Again http://amzn.to/3lAfyON where I wrote about their penchant for small ship cruising as well as “ship-within-a-ship” spaces, for instance, Celebrity Cruises The Retreat, Norwegian Haven, and Princess Cruises Medallion Class. I hosted Sometimes Sailing on The Joy of Cruising Podcast Episode 28 last year, and on Episode 101 earlier this year where I mentioned how Mikkel and Dan were instrumental in motivating me to pursue my bucket list aspiration to sail our first river cruise—AmaWaterways Soulful Epicurean French River Cruise on AmaKristina. What makes this episode special is that Mikkel and Dan, Sometimes Sailing are the first guests to appear on the podcast three times!  Mikkel and Dan have created a complimentary river cruise planning resource for our listeners. **Download their Essential River Cruise Budgeting Guide here.**Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I present to you something quite different than what you are used to hearing from me. It's a cruise news story—an absolutely amazing one. First, let me welcome to the show Cailyn. Joshua is an entrepreneur in Tulsa, Oklahoma who is a central figure in said cruise news story, and as a busy entrepreneur was not able to join us. I don't normally cover cruise news. I leave that up to others who are renown and much better than I am about covering that sort of thing. However, Cailyn and her family's story transcends cruise news. It was covered extensively worldwide by mainstream media. Besides, one topic I do like to bring to the cruising community are human interest stories—and the Gault's story is a human-interest tale on steroids. Let me summarize before I bring on Cailyn to give us the real deal: In July 2024, Cailyn and her family of 9 embarked on Norwegian Encore for a family reunion cruise to Alaska. In total, 16 relatives were on the trip at a total cost of $30,000. Joshua and his immediate family, wife Cailyn, six children, and his 78-year-old mother-in-law, Sharron, went on an excursion which I'm sure many of you who have cruised to Alaska recall fondly—a Lumberjack show in Ketchikan. Cailyn and family did the right thing in that they chose an excursion offered by the cruise line. (I always recommend on various Facebook cruise groups that's it's best to choose an excursion offered by the cruise line versus an independent excursion because cruise line excursions come with a promise to never leave the port without you…) Upon the end of the Lumberjack show, Cailyn and family went to board the shuttle bus back to the port but it was full and they were told to wait for the next one—which never came. After a panicked phone call, a van was dispatched to pick them up but by the time it got them back to the port, Joshua and family watch the Encore sail off—with passports, clothes and prescription medications onboard. Cailyn joins us to share the ordeal in their own words as well as talk about the aftermath.Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Melissa Davis, and have a conversation with her about how she grew from running Port Shopping Programs onboard cruise ships to providing Port Shopping information and running  to all cruisers as a private entrepreneur.After running shopping programs on Crystal Cruises, Regent, Oceania, Viking,  and Marella, and launching the first and only onshore shopping program on Viking River Cruises, Melissa decided to create an online recommended and guaranteed shopping program for all cruisers featuring Cruise Port Maps, and a long list of fabulous recommended and guaranteed retailers and brands in each port, and tried and tested attractions and best beaches. Melissa is the number one Online Port Shopping GuideAfter working with several amazing cruise lines and cruising a lot herself, Melissa was surprised to see not all Cruise lines provide accurate Port Maps when the ships arrive in port. She decided to put her Cruise Port Insider Secrets online so everyone could access it. Melissa's cruise ship career started as a Fitness Instructor for Steiner Transocean on the old Holland America Line Noordam. She couldn't wait for time off in port to explore the ports, and submerging herself in the culture and meeting wonderful people along the way. To this day she has artifacts, indigenous souvenirs and jewelry and art from these wonderful experiences. When a position came up as a Shopping Lecturer she jumped at the chance and for the next 7 years, she went to various cruise lines running lectures and helping cruise ship guests navigate the ports of call. Now Melissa has all these amazing Cruise Port Maps, and will tell you how to get yours free, as well as shop for wonderful products from each destination or snag a souvenir for a loved one back home.  Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, it is my pleasure to welcome back a special guest, Chef Rudi Sodamin, a culinary virtuoso of the seas. Chef Rudi is Princess Cruises' first Head of Culinary Arts effective January 2024. When I chatted with him back in December, Ep 71, we talked about his pending new role, along with his existing role as Master Chef for Holland America Line (HAL)—which I am particularly excited about as we cruise on HAL a couple times in 2025. Carnival Cruise Corporation—parent company of HAL, as well as Princess—was so impressed with Rubi's Sel de Mer, the French-inspired intimate brasserie that Chef Rudi led the launch of on select HAL ships, that they commissioned him to create Rudi's Seagrill for its new Excel-class ships—Mardi Gras, Celebration, and Jubilee.In 2023 Chef Rudi partnered with Princess Cruises, to create The Catch by Rudi on Enchanted Princess, Majestic Princess, Sky Princess, Discovery Princess, and recently-released Sun Princess—which I am particularly excited about as I will sail her new sister STAR Princess in 2025.  Since I last spoke with Chef Rudi, Princess Cruises announced it is joining with world renowned artist Romero Britto, known for his bold, colorful, and joyful style, and a global advocate for happiness, to create Love by Britto, the first artistically inspired dining experience celebrating the essence of "Love" aboard Sun Princess. According to Princess: Love and art converge with taste in an immersive culinary journey, showcasing a meticulously curated menu by culinary virtuoso Rudi Sodamin. With Sodamin's ingenious touch, Love by Britto transcends into a multisensory exploration, offering extraordinary dishes that embody profound passion, exquisite flavor, and boundless creativity. Love by Britto features a 7-course menu--a flute of Champagne upon arrival, lobster, caviar and truffles, and chocolate fondue.Says Chef Rudi, "Food is the international language of love; Love by Britto could not be more perfect for Princess, home Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. I am delighted to welcome back this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Heidi Sarna and Ted Scull's Quirky Cruise, which was featured in my second cruise book, Cruising Interrupted in a section called “Specialty Cruising: Fun and Quirky.” When I first interviewed Heidi and Ted I knew very little about small shipcruising, that is, a small ship designed to hold 300 or fewer passengers; some low double digits, even single digits! These small ships can range from spartan to ultra-luxury, and because of their size and design can access destinations that mainstream cruise ships cannot. Quirky Cruise is an online magazine that focuses exclusively on the important and growing sector of the cruise industry. Quirky Cruise's slogan is “Travel without the crowds.” Quirky Cruise is the source for reviews, news, and round-ups about unusual and small-ship cruises under 300 passengers, from river boats to canal barges, sailing ships, coastal cruisers, and expedition vessels. Heidi Sarna and Ted Scull created Quirky Cruise because they love small-ship cruising and want to share what they know and have experienced with others who also like traveling on small, intimate vessels.  Here is Heidi's previous appearance on The Joy of Cruising Podcast Ep 4 It is a pleasure to have Heidi back to talk about two very quirky cruises—from opposite sides of the world, one in driving distance from me here in North Carolina. Before I bring Heidi on, let me say Heidi has been involved in several ‘firsts' in my cruise career. I already mentioned she and Ted were the first toRelying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingGear & Beer: Outdoor Equipment & Beverage ReviewsThe greatest headlamp ever?Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. I am delighted to welcome this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, a special guest, Patrice Covington. We were introduced to Patrice on our recent anniversary cruise to the A, B, and C Islands in the Southern Caribbean on Celebrity Ascent. Patrice put on a show, I'm Your Whitney Tonight, a Whitney Houston Tribute.Patrice Covington is an Emmy award winning Broadway, television and film actress. She is an accomplished singer, actor, voice over artist, media personality and educator of the arts. As a broadway veteran, Patrice has graced the world's renowned, Broadway and toured the globe with all-star Broadway casts in several shows including The Book of Mormon, Motown The Musical, Ain't Misbehaving, Dreamgirls, and the Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award Winning revival of The Color Purple. As a vocalist, she has traveled the world providing background vocals for top billed performers including Jennifer Hudson, Christina Aguilera, and Stevie Wonder. Patrice has performed on stages nationwide with The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Virginia Symphony, the American Pops Orchestra, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. She also dazzles vacationers aboard cruises lines with her perfectly curated shows featuring music of the women she was influenced and inspired by. On television, Patrice is best known for her role as Erma Franklin in Natural Geographic anthology series, “Genius: Aretha,” a biopic about the legendary Aretha Franklin and Gracie in Amazon's TV series “A League of Their Own,” a reimagining of the hit 1992 film. She can also be seen in guest star roles on All Rise, Chicago PD, and new series Sincerely Love. Patrice acts opposite Nicole Kidman in the upcoming murder mystery series “The Perfect Couple” on Netflix and as the lead in the new made for TV movie, “For What It's Worth” on BET.Patrice is the owner and operator of The Galaxy Space, a Performing Arts Studio by Patrice Covington, offering private training and a part of faculty at The Governor's School for the Arts in Norfolk, VA. Patrice is a is a proud member of the illustrious Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. inspired by Matthew 5:14-16, her trademarked motto is "Don't be a star...be a galaxy.” A phrase meant to inspire and motivate humansRelying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello passionate cruisers, this is Paul. This week on The Joy Of Cruising Podcast Cheryl and I will share our reflections on our recent cruise—a 9-day sailing to the Southern Caribbean—A, B, C Islands aboard Celebrity Cruises newest ship, the latest in its Edge-class, the Ascent. A, B, C  is an acronym for Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. The full itinerary of Ascent was embarkation at FLL followed by a sea day; a stop at Cayman/Georgetown, a seaday, then Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire, then 2 sea days on the way back to Ft. Lauderdale. We've gone on longer cruises and enjoyed the extra time but after a while Cheryl is like “I need land” like she said on our 16-day transatlantic with 8 straight sea days. The cruise was 9-days, a sweet spot for us; 7-days is just not quite long enough. This cruise was special in several ways. It was a celebration of our anniversary which was 3-weeks prior in October. A cruise on Celebrity Ascent was a direct challenge to our as yet favorite cruise which was on Ascent's sister ship in Celebrity's Edge Class, the Celebrity Beyond two years prior. I often proudly mention in the same sentence that the CEO at Celebrity who launched the Edge Class—Lisa Lutoff Perlo, was a guest on the The Joy Of Cruising Podcast and she too selected Beyond as her personal favorite. Lisa launched the Celebrity Edge, Apex, and the Beyond before her move back to Royal Caribbean.Most significantly was the sentimental aspect of this trip. Aruba is where we celebrated our honeymoon, and this was our first return back in 32 years. Support the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. I am delighted to welcome back this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Roland and Emma, a couple I first met on a Facebook cruise group, and I immediately anointed them as my new travel role models. That cruise group happened to be the most influential on Facebook—the 106,000 member Melanin At Sea, created by friends of the show and global cruise personalities A Rich and Jazzy Life. Roland and Emma were the first guests to come on The Joy of Cruising Podcast not as global cruise personalities, but as “ordinary” cruisers to talk to the listeners about an extraordinary bucket list cruise. I had seen their great description and photos of the cruise, and I reached out to them and enjoyed reliving the cruise with them. Well, they did it again! This time Roland and Emma traveled via land and sea on an epic European adventure covering 61 days! So, when I called them my new cruise role models before that might have been hyperbole; now I want to know if they are looking to hire an administrative assistant! The Epic Euro trip started with:     -·      5 days in Airbnb London·      14-night cruise Sky Princess (from London), a back-to-back ·      14 Night Land of the Midnight Sun Cruise Sky Princess·      7-night Oasis of the Seas Spain/Italy·      3-city Spain AdventureRelying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textThis week on The Joy Of Cruising Podcast we want to revisit a show from earlier in the year February 12, Episode 79 The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Bucket List Cruises 2024-2025 where we discussed our plans to check some milestone cruises off our overflowing bucket list over the course of this year and next. This is a mini episode as we are on a cruise to the Southern Caribbean. It may be mini in length but this The Joy Of Cruising Podcast episode packs a major punch in terms of a couple of substantial updates that directly impact the bucket list cruise journey that we are still. Support the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. I am delighted to welcome back this week to The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Jamie Robins, creator of Travel Blog Jamie, a blog and YouTube channel. I first met Jamie over a year ago when I hosted each of the finalists for The Wave Awards who had not previously been on the show. The Wave Awards, UK cruise industry's premier award; included are award categories for cruise lines, ships, travel agencies, and most pertinent to this episode—Favorite Cruise Influencer. Travel Blog Jamie again made the short-list. Jamie is an educator by training—he has degrees in Spanish and French and a master's degree in linguistics— taught Spanish and French, in education leadership. Since that last year episode, Jamie stepped away from his education career of 25 years to pursue cruise vlogging as his primary career. Jamie got to sail Cunard's new Queen Anne, one of the most anticipated ships of '24, and we want to hear all about that; been to Bali; been interviewed by the BBC; started a role as a columnist, and more but we'll let him catch us up.Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingWellness Thru Reading Greetings and salutations book lovers. Welcome to Wellness Thru Reading. A podcast...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textI am delighted to welcome back this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, fun couple Scott & Tom, creators of Vitamin Sea UK. They were on a year ago and were a lot of fun and I can tell from IG they have sailed more fun cruises so we want to hear all about them. Vitamin Sea UK's credo is ‘Sailing the seven seas two Hawaiian shirts at a time. We're here to show that there's a cruise line for everyone, shattering the image of what some believe cruising is. We #ChooseCruise to embrace new cultures, new food, try new experiences and see what the world has to offer wherever the sea laps the shore.' I ‘met' Vitamin Sea UK on Instagram via my The Joy of Cruising Podcast account. Our mutual interest in cruising was obvious from the beginning. What made Vitamin Sea UK captivating is that they always seem to be fun, happy, and embracing the moment.  I'm sure you have heard some variation of ‘there is no such thing as a bad cruise.' Well, Scott and Tom seem like the poster boys representing that ethos. Indeed, they describe themselves ‘as a fun, happy couple that both have a passion for travel, adventures, and embracing new cultures.' They have full-time jobs but have been able to carve out time for themselves to cruise the world. I love to keep up with them on Instagram where through imagery they epitomize ‘the Joy of cruising,' and they certainly have gone on some great cruises since we spoke last year so let's hear all about it.Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textThe Joy of Cruising  is delighted to welcome sisters Juliet & Janice, creators of Cruise Sisters. The Cruise Sisters brand launched in 2015.  I am pleased to note that Juliet and Janice are our first guests from Germany. The Cruise Sisters love traveling, especially at sea, and have been cruising together since 2009. They  have been on over 65 cruises, and through their blog offer suggestions for different cruises, their top activities on sea days, insider tips for local highlights ashore and take us with them on their  travels virtually on Instagram.The Cruise Sisters are independent and stress that they only write about our their own impressions vowing to remain authentic and honest. They are not a partner of a travel agency and do not sell anything via affiliate links, stating, “We just want to help other travelers with our experiences when choosing their next cruise and, above all, encourage readers to try out a new cruise line. We try to stay as unbiased as possible.” Janice is Juliet's older sister. They point out, “Despite our age difference, there is nothing better for us than traveling together. We love traveling the world with our family, because cruising is such a nice way to spend time together and at the same time each individual can join in activities they like. We love to get to know the cultures, to try the typical food and to immerse ourselves completely in the world of cruising.”The Cruise Sisters have also published a travel guidebook to the Western Mediterranean in 2020, but it is only available in German. The book focuses on port cities in the western Mediterranean and reveals their favorite spots and insider tips. Barcelona, Genoa, Marseille, Naples, Nice, Palma and Valencia, for example, are perfect for exploring on your own during a day ashore. In addition to interesting facts Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingWellness Thru Reading Greetings and salutations book lovers. Welcome to Wellness Thru Reading. A podcast...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. I am delighted to welcome this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, John Shallo, the founder and editor of Cruise Addicts, a premier online community for cruise travelers. John's love for cruising began after his first cruise in 1989. He later established Cruise Addicts in 1999 to share his passion for cruise travel with others, and it has become an award-winning destination for self-professed Cruise Addicts looking for the latest cruise industry news, forums, ship reviews, and travel tips. You can find him on the web and social media, sharing his latest cruise ship review, video, travel tips, and port guides. He hopes to continue sharing his experiences and inspiring others to enjoy cruise travel to its fullest.Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don't want to pay their carriers' high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruisingSupport the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruiseUS Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon