The Vacation Nerd with Patrick Wiscombe
Everybody likes to go on vacation. I’ve never found an exception to that statement. Going on vacation recharges the mind and soul and yet it’s the one activity humans put off year after year because life gets in the way. The entire purpose of this podcast is to help you get out and see the world. We do that by helping you plan and book your next vacation or give you ideas where you should consider going next. Plus, we give you the travel news that actually matters and general news that's simply entertaining.
Time is going to pass anyway, so you might as well do the things you love and inspire you. This show is all about living life deliberately and intentionally. You only get one shot at this life so make it count. Make memories with those that matter most to you.
I hope you enjoy listening. If you do, please subscribe to the show and leave a review. Thanks for listening.
TAKE ACTION: Quit talking about going on vacation, just do it. If you want more information about any of the destinations we discuss during the show, or have your own custom vacation in mind, I can help you. Please call, text, or email me.
Here's how to get a hold of me:
Patrick Wiscombe
Cell/Text: (801) 874-7717
Email: patrick.wiscombe@gmail.com
The Vacation Nerd (Audio Podcast): https://www.thevacationnerd.co
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheVacationNerd
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patrick.wiscombe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patrick.wiscombe/
Episodes
92 episodes
Episode 212: Are Those Your Kids? Prove It!
Fiji isn’t just a beach destination, it’s a choose-your-own-adventure spread across 300+ islands and we’re bringing you a real, on-the-ground trip report straight from the South Pacific. Mark checks in from Fiji while Patrick holds down the stu...
Episode 211: 25 is the New 21
Mark is broadcasting from a quiet booth at the Delta Sky Club in LAX, minutes before hopping terminals for a Fiji Airways flight, so we keep this travel podcast tight, practical, and packed with value. If you like a weekly travel briefing that ...
Episode 210: The Private Island Got a Private Island
Tahiti is a dream trip until you look at the flight map and realize how far it really is. We dig into a surprisingly practical workaround: a 35-day Holland America cruise sailing round trip from San Diego that strings together Hawaii, rare Sout...
Episode 209: Vacation with Vlad the Impaler
Kilauea looks dramatic on social media, but what matters to travelers is what happens on the ground, and right now that includes real closures inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. We talk through what’s being shut down, why park officials tak...
Episode 208: Teepee Sleeping
A single policy change can completely reshape a family cruise plan and we start there with Carnival’s tighter cabin rules for minors. If you’ve ever tried to book adjoining rooms, split parents between cabins, or keep teens close but not too cl...
Episode 207: The Pouch Potato
A destination can feel like a total reset without being complicated and that’s why we’re excited about the U.S. Virgin Islands right now. They just set a new tourism record, and we break down how to actually plan the trip: fly into St Thomas or...
Episode 206: A 12 Burger Sailing
One cruise headline can tell you where the entire travel market is going, and we connect several of them in a way that helps you plan smarter. Disney Cruise Line is doubling its presence in Alaska, and we talk through what that means for famili...
Episode 205: Sean Connery Not Included
Leaf-peeping from a cruise ship sounds dreamy until you try to pin down the exact week the colors explode. We get practical about it, sharing what we’ve seen year over year on Canada and New England cruises and how to choose dates when “peak fo...
Episode 204: From White Desert to White Desert
Luxury camping in Antarctica. A brand-new river cruise brand entering the chat. A Mexican cruise port that wants to go from “stopover” to “homeport.” If you’ve felt like cruising is changing fast, you’re not imagining it, and we break down what...
Episode 203: Beware the Vacation Timeshare Sharks
Airlines are getting creative with pricing, and travelers are the ones who feel it first. We dig into United’s move toward “premium basic” first class fares and what that actually means for your seat assignment, baggage, lounge access, and your...
Episode 202: That Fresh Cruise Ship Smell
Royal Caribbean is quietly reshaping West Coast cruising, and the ripple effects are big if you love drive-to departures. We break down the news that Serenade of the Seas will homeport in San Diego for the 2026 and 2027 winter season, what thre...
Episode 201: An Entire Head of Tasty Cauliflower
If you’ve ever looked at a cruise price and thought, “That can’t be the real total,” we’re with you. We kick things off with the travel headlines that shape how we plan trips right now: Florida hitting an all-time tourism record, Santorini deal...
Episode 200: The Rock Lickers
Royal Caribbean is no longer thinking like “just a cruise line,” and that’s the headline that made us stop and say, wait, what. With Royal Caribbean Group set to acquire a 50% stake in Sandals Resorts, we dig into what this could mean for trave...
Episode 199: Vacation Deficiency Syndrome
A new Royal Caribbean ship hits the market, and the real question is whether you’re early enough to catch the best price. We break down what we know about Legend of the Seas, including the first passenger sailing in 2026, the Western Mediterran...
Episode 198: Hairy Wookiee Cookies
A million visitors just picked Fiji, and the timing matters more than most people realize. We walk through what’s behind Fiji’s record-breaking tourism year, why new Fiji Airways routes are making the South Pacific easier to reach, and how to c...
Episode 197: Three Billion Dollar Regrets
Cruise plans can change fast, and this rundown proves it. We start with a headline that made a lot of Mediterranean cruisers nervous: Nice flirting with a strict cruise ship limit, then reversing course after the real-world math of lost tourism...
Episode 196: No Sitting. No Loitering. Toss Your Coin. Move Along
Episode 196 is all about skipping the obvious and chasing the trips that feel a little more memorable. Instead of defaulting to London and Paris, Patrick and Mark build a European adventure through Budapest, Vienna, and Prague—three cities conn...
Episode 195: Fine. We'll Just Buy the Shipyard
Episode 195 kicks off with a little rock-and-roll hangover as Patrick and Mark broadcast from Salt Lake City with Mötley Crüe still ringing in Mark’s ears—literally. From there, the show settles into what The Vacation Nerd does best: f...
Episode 194: Borscht Anyone?
Cruise travel is getting rewritten in real time and the clues are hiding in the headlines. We’re coming to you on the road and diving into what matters most for your next vacation: where cruise ships can dock, which itineraries may return, and ...
Episode 193: The Beefy Rome Bouncers
Want a Europe itinerary that feels classic but not overdone? We build a simple, high-impact 7 to 9 day plan through Budapest, Vienna, and Prague, the kind of Central Europe route that gives you castle views, river walks, grand palaces, and a re...
Episode 192: Arrive 15 Minutes Before Your Flight 😳
Your next trip can get better or more expensive based on tiny details most travelers miss, so we’re zooming in on what’s changing right now across cruising and flying. We start with cruise news you can actually use: MSC World America’s upcoming...
Episode 191: TikTok's Worst Travel Advice
Southwest built a reputation on one simple promise: “bags fly free.” Now that promise is changing, and we unpack what it means for real travelers, real budgets, and anyone who picked Southwest specifically to avoid the baggage-fee game. We walk...
Episode 190: The Morons? No, the Moorings
A brand new ship leaves the shipyard and suddenly your next cruise choice looks different. We dig into Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Aqua delivery, the Norwegian Luna already floating out for its Spring 2026 arrival, and the onboard details...
Episode 189: The Seagull Chose Violence
Southwest built a brand on “two free checked bags,” so when that promise changes, it is more than a policy tweak. We walk through what Southwest’s new checked bag rules mean for flights booked after May 28, who still qualifies for free bags, an...
Episode 188: Cruise Like a Pirate, Sleep Like a Tourist
A hurricane hits Kauai and suddenly the most important travel skill is not picking the perfect resort, it’s knowing how to pivot without losing your money or your sanity. We talk through what Hawaii tourism officials are asking travelers to do ...