Todd Carlson 0:16

This is the Inside Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show, presented by BluePlanetVacations.com. America's best travel advisors. Call or text the show right now. 801-649-3700. 801-649-3700. And now, here are your hosts, Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo.

Welcome And What’s Ahead

Patrick Wiscombe 0:51

Ah, welcome to the Inside Travel Talk Podcast, the radio show. Hello there, I am Patrick Wiscombe, the Vacation Nerd. The entire purpose of this radio show and podcast is to help you plan and book your next vacation. Or we're just going to give you some ideas of where you should consider going on your next vacation. And this show is presented by BluePlanetVacations.com. Mark Foldbo is making his way into the studio. He's printing off the travel deal of the week, the cruise deal of the week. He has been a busy man for the last week. When did you get home? Did you get back on uh yesterday or Monday? Or Sunday?

Mark Faldmo 1:38

I got home on Sunday.

Patrick Wiscombe 1:41

Coming up on this episode, we will be talking about the U.S. State Department issuing a travel warning to all Americans traveling outside the United States. This is an important warning. It's not a scary warning, but we do need to let listeners know what's going on. And did you know that your choice of footwear could trigger additional screening at the airport? We'll give you the details. We'll talk about Mark's America 250 trip, vacationing in Cancun, the problems with European river cruising right now. The Rhine and the Danube are at record lows. We're going to tell you what river cruise companies are doing to help passengers. We've got the cruise deal of the week, which is the small ship Alaska cruising. And of course, we have the travel deal of the week here in this opening segment of the show. Did you fly out of uh Logan to come home? I did, yeah. Came home from Boston. Let's get right to the travel dues headlines.

State Department Worldwide Caution

Patrick Wiscombe 2:36

Let's start with probably the most important announcement of this week that the United States State Department issued a travel warning to all Americans that are abroad. You don't see this very often, or at least I haven't seen it.

Mark Faldmo 2:52

A few times seen a worldwide caution. This is mainly because of the tensions in the Middle East. This is advising Americans to exercise increased caution worldwide. Basically, it puts the whole world at a level two. There still are individual countries that are level one. The main thing that I wanted to remind people about is the STEP program, the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. It's a free service that the embassies and consulates put on. You can go to the State Department website and enroll. And if anything happens, they have your contact information, they know where you're at, help with any needs, can send out alerts if something's happening when you travel outside of the US to enroll in that STEP program. I do it on every trip abroad just so that they have that information.

Patrick Wiscombe 3:41

What's the uh web address? You just go to the State Department. Is it travel.state.gov and then something about the STEP.

Mark Faldmo 3:50

And then you can find STEP program. And on that, you can also find the State Department's travel advisory website, which will list country by country the warnings and levels. You can also find this in the resources page, blueplanetvacations.com.

TSA Shoe Rules And Airport Tips

Patrick Wiscombe 4:07

Here's some good news if you're headed to the airport. The TSA is no longer requiring travelers to remove their shoes. That's a really good thing. Not to mention you don't have to look at other people's feet.

unknown 4:19

Yeah.

Patrick Wiscombe 4:19

Or smell their feet, really. But these footwear choices could trigger extra screening. I usually just wear shoes, but I'm curious what other footwear as of this month.

Mark Faldmo 4:35

At most TSA checkpoints, there still are some that you may have to. But the one thing they are cautioning is watch what you wear. So still toad shoes. Oh steel. Yes. Still. Yeah. Still told shoes will still need to be taken off and going through the scanners. Um shoes with buckles, metal eyelets, zippers, you know, anything that's going to set off that metal detector.

Patrick Wiscombe 5:00

So Michael Jackson would have been a prime suspect.

Mark Faldmo 5:04

Correct. And some insoles with arch supports. So just anything that's going to set off the metal detector still needs to be removed. Ever since they started the TSA pre-check, I've been buying my shoes based on the fact if they can go through the metal detectors without setting it off. Really? So for years I've always had slip-on shoes, shoes with no metal in them, so that they can go through metal detectors. So you know now that's kind of a tip for everybody. Just have sensible shoes and they'll save you some time and a little bit of frustration at the TSA checkpoint.

Patrick Wiscombe 5:42

So Skechers, slip-ons, and there's some other slip-on company.

Mark Faldmo 5:46

Yeah, the one I use now is Kizicks.

Patrick Wiscombe 5:48

Oh, Kizicks. Yeah, that's what it is.

Mark Faldmo 5:50

How do you spell Kizicks? Is it K-I-Z-I-K-S or something? I believe so. Yeah. Kizicx.

Patrick Wiscombe 5:57

We

America 250 Highlights From Cleveland

Patrick Wiscombe 5:57

mentioned right at the start of the show that Mark is returning from the America 250 trip, and I wanted to talk to you about some of the things that you did on that trip.

Mark Faldmo 6:09

Yeah, this was a very interesting trip. We had a group of 46 people. Oh, it was that big. Yeah, we went from Cleveland to Boston. We had a retired professor from Utah State University, a history professor who loves baseball, loves sports, and loves American history. So I designed this trip for you know, there's a lot of his family, a lot of other family groups. There's a lot of my family on this trip. And we went from Cleveland to Boston. We started off with a baseball game in Cleveland and the NFL Hall of Fame. Canton. Yeah, in Canton. That was amazing. This professor knows everybody. So he called Phil Olson, Merlin Olson's brother, and we had a special tour just for the Hall of Famer Merlin Olson. So it was a really great tour.

Patrick Wiscombe 6:58

If you like NFL football, that is well done.

Mark Faldmo 7:01

That's a great museum. That is. That's a very good museum. We also went to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. We went to the National Basketball Hall of Fame, the Naismith Museum. You know, we did all of the Hall of Fames. One of the things on this trip that really stuck out to me was we did the Made of the Mist, Niagara Falls.

Todd Carlson 7:21

Oh, you did.

Mark Faldmo 7:22

I have been to Niagara Falls. I've seen it from the American side, seen it from the Canadian side, but I was amazed at the perspective that Made of the Mist gives you to get right up there into the falls. It was amazing. That's something I would highly suggest that everybody do. And then another thing that really surprised me, we did an Erie Canal cruise. You hear about that in your history books. It's not used to move freight or anything around these days. The railroads and then eventually the highway system kind of took away from the Erie Canal, but it's still operating. It operates on a lock system. The thing I didn't know is the Erie Canal rise is 570 feet through 35 different sets of locks. If you compare that to the Panama Canal, it's six sets of locks, three on each side, and the total rise is 85 feet. So the Erie Canal has a huge difference in the rise that it does. Another thing that's very interesting, you know, it's mostly used for yachts and people to do summer recreation thing. There's a thing on the Erie Canal that people do, it's called the round trip or the full circle. And you can go using part of the Erie Canal, but you can do a circle, Erie Canal to the Mississippi River, down through the Gulf Coast to Florida, up around back, and end at the same place in the Erie Canal and only go through 80 miles of open ocean. You can do the inland waterway, different canals, lakes, and rivers, and navigate that whole circle, the whole East Coast, Mississippi, do a whole circle. I didn't even know that was possible. Yeah, I didn't either. And they they explained that that that was interesting. And you did do that. We did the Erie Canal. Yeah, we went through one lock on the Erie Canal, which is if you've never done a lock system, I've done it on river cruises in Europe, done in the Panama Canal, and now on the Erie Canal. It's something we're seeing and experiencing. And then my two favorite parts, we've already kind of mentioned one. One was Fenway Park. Yeah. Going to see the Red Sox and the Green Monster. And then the favorite hotel that I've stayed at. And we've talked about this before, but it was the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Its pub was built, I think, in 1768, so it predates the American Revolution.

Speaker 1 9:50

Oh wow.

Mark Faldmo 9:51

The hotel is just an old classic hotel with antique furnishing, you know, antique beds, everything. It really fits the era good. And also in Stockbridge is the Norman Rockwell Museum, which is just an amazing museum of Norman Rockwell paintings.

Speaker 1 10:26

How many days was it total? We did it in eight nights and nine days. Okay, so you were moving a little bit.

Mark Faldmo 10:33

Yep. Fits perfect with the America 250, where we built in America's game baseball, all of the pro sports hall of fame. I didn't even talk about a lot of the American history things we did. We went to the JFK Museum in Boston, did all of the Boston, you know, the Freedom Trail, Minuteman Museum.

Patrick Wiscombe 10:50

Did you walk the whole thing? Freedom Trail's pretty long, if memory serves.

Mark Faldmo 10:55

We did walk the whole thing that day, because we also had to walk to the baseball game because the bus could only get us so close. So about 19,000 steps that day. You felt that one. A lot of well, I still feel it right now.

Patrick Wiscombe 11:12

So if you want to get in touch with the show, you can call or text your question. Paul sent it to 801 area

Costa Mujeres As A Cancun Base

Patrick Wiscombe 11:21

code 649-3700. That number again is 801-649-3700. Paul is asking about Cancun and specifically, I think it was Playa Muheres. And is this a good part of Cancun to visit? And the answer is yes.

Mark Faldmo 11:40

Yes, it is. Playa Muharis is a relatively new area. Um, it's been developed for about the last 12 years or so. Uh the first time I went there, there was only one hotel. And it's interesting because a lot of people know about Cancun's hotel zone. We talk all the time about Riviera Maya, but this is an area that is north of the downtown Cancun area, so north of the hotel zone. It's quieter than the hotel zone, it's also more luxurious. Most of the hotels in the area are five stars, and it's on a great beach and just great natural scenery. So it's about a 30 to 40 minute drive from the Cancun International Airport. It's a gated master planned community, so it kind of has a low density feel. There's not a lot of regular traffic there, just only hotel guests has some of the best beaches. The water is generally calmer than the hotel zone and the Riviera Maya, so it's great for swimming, paddleboarding, just relaxing, and it also a little bit protective, so it has less sargasm, which is the seaweed you especially get in the Riviera Maya at certain times of the year. So its location gives you a little bit better beach time.

Patrick Wiscombe 12:59

What are some of the things to do in that area?

Mark Faldmo 13:02

One thing, it is close to the ferry terminal, or you can go to Islamu Harris, so that's an easy day trip. I love Islamu Harris. You go, you can rent a golf cart, drive around the island, go to the beach at Playa Norte, which is always ranked among one of Mexico's best beaches. There's great shopping, great restaurants on Playa Mu Harris. It's just a little quaint island. There's not a lot of traffic. Everything is golf carts. So that's one thing you can do.

Patrick Wiscombe 13:33

Which is fun just by itself.

Mark Faldmo 13:35

Yes, it is. Yeah. Also in the Playa Mu Harris area, so not Islamu Harris, but Playa Mu Harris, where the hotels are, it's great for golf. It has an 18-hole Greg Norman designed course, and it's one of the few golf courses in Mexico that has oceanfront greens. Most of that oceanfront is reserved for hotels, but they've put a golf course right there. Also, if you're into sport fishing, yacht charters, sunset sailing, private boat excursions, it's probably one of the better places to do it from is Playa Muharris.

Patrick Wiscombe 14:10

What about snorkeling and diving?

Mark Faldmo 14:12

Yeah, there's lots of snorkeling in the area. It's close to the top of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, which is the second largest reef in the world. And that runs all through the Cancun and Rivera Maya, but you're close to the start of that, which has some really great snorkeling and diving. Also nearby is the underwater museum, which is very interesting for scuba divers. Someone's just put a bunch of statues and different things down in the water so you can scuba dive around these, I guess, underwater museum attractions. So a pretty interesting experience.

Patrick Wiscombe 14:50

Oh, yeah. I guess that will probably lead into the travel deal of the week if we're talking about Cancun. What promotions do we have for Paul and all of our listeners?

Mark Faldmo 14:59

So

Two Costa Mujeres Hotel Deals

Mark Faldmo 14:59

I chose two hotels, probably two of my favorite hotels in the Playa Muharris area. So these prices are for hotel only. So airfare is an addition is additional, two guests per room for just midweek in November and a five-night stay. This does include transfers from the airport to the hotel as well. So it's hotel and transfers. The one I would suggest is the Catalonia Grand Costa Mujaris, all suite and spa. So that price for five nights, a five-star hotel starts at $17.98 total for two.

Patrick Wiscombe 15:34

Oh, for two. So basically $900 a person, roughly.

Mark Faldmo 15:38

Yeah, $900 a person plus taxes and plus airfare.

Patrick Wiscombe 15:42

Oh, yeah.

Mark Faldmo 15:42

Thing I like about this is every room is a suite. They're spacious rooms with a private balcony or terrace. They also have family suites, an adult-only area. So they also have a unique area called Quinta Avenida, which is a promenade that features restaurants, cafes, bars, food trucks, and shops. So it's more like a village area. They have two large pools, including a large swim up pool and a family activity pool. The next hotel that I've chosen, the Playa Mujaris area, it's called the Ocean Allure Costa Mujaris, all-inclusive. This one is a five-star adult-only hotel, and it starts at 2206 per person. Again, for that midweek November. One thing that's unique about this is they have a lazy river and a wave pool. I don't think I've seen a hotel in the Cancun area that has a wave pool. And they have multiple swimming pools with swimming bars, six specialty restaurants, live entertainment each evening. They have a bowling alley, pickleball courts, tennis courts, virtual golf courses, fitness center, and like most all-inclusives, they include non-motorized water sports. Those are kind of the two hotels in the Play of Mu Harris that I would recommend. And I would definitely say this whole segment that yes, Play of Mu Harris is a great option if you're looking to go to Cancun. It's a little bit newer, hotels, a little bit more expensive because they're all five-star hotels, but it's a quiet, nice place to visit and some pretty good deals. If we go back to that Catalonia, like you said, $900 per person for five nights is a great offer for the area.

Patrick Wiscombe 17:25

And then uh $2,206 for the uh Ocean Allure Costa Mujeres. And what is that? About uh $1,100 plus taxes in airfare. Wow.

Mark Faldmo 17:37

Yeah, so that does include taxes, but it is plus airfare.

Patrick Wiscombe 17:42

Mark loves Cancun. How many times have you been there? It's been I don't know.

Mark Faldmo 17:48

Too many. 40 or so.

Patrick Wiscombe 17:50

Too many to count. Paul, take advantage of that offer. Or anyone listening. Call him in the office at 888-718-7717. 888-718-7717. And he will post all of this on BluePlanetVacations.com. When we come back, it is time for the Just Cruising segment, the segment of the show that has made us famous around the country and around the world. We'll be talking about Norwegian cruise line debuting some new amenities. And we'll also talk about Europe River Cruising. We're going to give you the current problem, but we're going to also give you the solution. So if you have something book, we got you covered. That's next. When the Inside Travel Talk Podcast radio show continues, alongside Mark Faldmo, my name is Patrick Wiscombe, the Vacation Nerd. We will be right back. Give us about 60 seconds.

Todd Carlson 18:48

Helping you get out and see the world. You're listening to the Inside Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show with Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo. Presented by Blue Planet Vacations.com. America's Best Travel Advisors. Book your vacation now. 888-718-7717. 888-718-7717. The show will continue after this.com. America's Best Travel Advisor. Call or text the show right now. 801-649-3700. 801-649-3700. And check out the podcast at InsightTravel Talk.com. Here's Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo.

Patrick Wiscombe 20:10

Welcome back to the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show. Hello there, I am Patrick Wiscombe, the Vacation

Just Cruising Segment Begins

Patrick Wiscombe 20:19

Nerd, alongside Mark Faldmo, owner of Blue PlanetVacations.com, coming up in this segment of the show, the world-famous just cruising segment. This is the segment of the show that has made us famous around the country and around the world. Today we are talking about Norwegian debuting some new amenities in venues on board. We'll tell you which ships. And if you are headed over to Europe for a river cruise, or if you're worried about low water levels, because news of the water levels has been present in the media. We're going to tell you what river cruise companies are doing to help you get in and around Europe, which by the way, Mark is a big, big fan of river cruising in Europe. Which, by the way, how many times do you think that you've sailed on Europe's rivers?

Mark Faldmo 21:12

Ten times. I've been on 10 river cruises. Awesome. I love it. Great way to see Europe.

Patrick Wiscombe 21:18

Let's get right to the cruise news headlines. Let's start with Norwegian cruise lines. They are debuting some new amenities and venues on board. Is it the Norwegian Jade

Norwegian Jade And Gem Upgrades

Patrick Wiscombe 21:29

and Gem?

Mark Faldmo 21:30

Yeah, it's on the two ships, Norwegian Jade and Norwegian Gem. These are some of the older ships in Norwegian Fleet. They're smaller. They're both actually some of my favorite ships. There are five ships that have a similar design to this. And I really like this size ship. It's by today's standard, it's probably a medium-sized ship. But one thing they're doing, and Patrick, you'll like these changes. They're tripling the number of hot tile loungers in the thermal suite. Awesome. And they are adding a bunch of new things to the spa. So this was mainly spa related. But one thing that I think is important is these older ships were not designed with the Vibe Beach Club, which is an adults only area that Norwegians famous for on the back of their ships. And so what they've done is they've converted the sun deck that people rarely went to anyway into the Vibe. Beach club. They've added hot tubs up there, a bar, and again, this is an adults-only area. I really like these ships because they can go places that some of the bigger ships can't go to, and they do a little bit more unique itineraries. For instance, the Jade this year is doing Alaska cruises departing from Vancouver. And it does a fairly typical Alaska cruise from Vancouver, but the gem in the Mediterranean is doing a Greek Isles route from Rome that visits south of France, Florence, Split, Dubrovnik, and various Greek Isles, depending on the itinerary. And then it shifts back for the winter season that will be sailing from Tampa. So you can get these new amenities on Caribbean cruises departing from Tampa on Norwegian.

Patrick Wiscombe 23:17

They've been one of the leaders in the cruise industry for a long, long time.

Mark Faldmo 23:21

They have. Between Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, kind of pushing the bar, modifying how cruises operate, how they work. But Norwegian has traditionally been the innovator in the cruise line industry.

Patrick Wiscombe 23:33

Let's talk about the current news going on in Europe right now. Near record low water levels are disrupting

Europe River Cruises And Low Water

Patrick Wiscombe 23:42

tourism. We're telling you what the problem is, but we're also telling you you don't need to panic. There is a solution around all of this. Let's talk about the let's talk about why this could be an issue or why it's at least been in the news.

Mark Faldmo 23:56

It's rare for a river cruise to cancel a cruise. Sometimes they have to, but a little bit of background on this. There is low water, particularly on the Danube right now, but cruise lines every year go through periods of low water and high water, which affect the cruises. If the water's too high, the ships can't fit under the bridge. When it's too low, obviously, because of the draft issues, they don't want to ground the ships. The unique thing about Europe, and we've talked about this before, is all of the major rivers are interconnected through canals and locks. The Rhine, Danube, Maine, all connected through a canal, allowing vessels to travel from the North Sea all the way to the Black Sea. Since it is all interconnected through canals and locks, some countries might hold back water or they might release more water depending on their needs. And so it's a really hard thing to manage. As this relates to river cruising, I think the river cruise lanes do a very good job. Most of the ships are identical. And so what they do is ship swap. It might be only about 20 to 40 miles are affected of the river. So they'll pull into a port where the ship can get to. They'll have you pack up, but then while you're out on an excursion that day, they'll move all of your luggage to the same cabin, but in a different ship at a different port. You'll do your activity and then you'll come back to the ship and you'll be in the same cabin in the same place, and you really won't notice the difference. They'll motor coach around the sections that are affected. Sometimes you might not get the river cruise that you planned on. I remember I went on, it was supposed to be Amsterdam to Switzerland, and there was low water. And so we basically did what would have been a two-up time cruise. Now we were doing this in the summer, but it kind of did areas around Belgium and the Netherlands, and then they went as far up as they could go to Cologne, and then we just had a long bus day where we had different stops that ended us the same day in Zurich where we were supposed to be. So it wasn't really the itinerary we were expecting, but it was still a great itinerary. Oh, yeah. So that's kind of worst case scenario. They do on occasion cancel cruises, but that is rare. So you just need to be aware how river cruise lines do that. A lot of these issues are out of the cruise line's control. I remember I was on the Danube once and they said we'll have to see if we can make it because Austria is not releasing the water that they should have released. And so this section of the Danube is going to be low. Luckily, we were able to make it. There was enough water to get through. But it's it's just something that can happen.

Patrick Wiscombe 26:49

If you have travel-related questions, you can call or text the show 801-649-3700. Jane called

Small Ship Alaska Under 100 Guests

Patrick Wiscombe 26:58

or sent a text and was asking about Alaska cruises. She said that she wants to go on a ship that has less than 100 guests. There are options, ships that and companies that serve people who want to go to Alaska with less than 100 guests. So what are the options?

Mark Faldmo 27:15

There are three cruise lines in particular that do Alaska really well with less than 100 guests on board. All three of them are very different. My favorite is Uncruise Adventures, and they have ships that carry between 22 and 86 guests.

Patrick Wiscombe 27:32

That was Captain Dan's company.

Mark Faldmo 27:36

Yeah, yeah. We we had him on probably what about 18 months ago, I think. Uh-huh. Talked about Uncruise. This is for an active traveler who wants the most immersive wilderness experience. Uncruise is probably the pioneer of small ship Alaska cruising. Their fleet ranges from holding 22 guests to 86 guests. Instead of visiting the main ports that the big cruise ships visit, they do have an itinerary of ports they'll stop at. But if there's whale activity somewhere, they'll go over to where the whale activity is. They'll go wherever the action is. Things that are included on cruise, kayaking, paddleboarding, guided hikes, and they do have a little skiff expeditions where they'll take you right up to the face of a glacier. For those that are really adventurous, they do polar plunges. And you know, because their ships are so small, they can anchor in secluded coves where large ships can't go. You often spend more time off the ship than on it. And it's a very casual atmosphere. Those looking for something completely different in Alaska would love uncruise adventures.

Patrick Wiscombe 28:47

So basically, you have a floating hotel that you go back to. You spend most of the time off the ship. I mean, obviously you can spend time on the ship as well. But if you're booking this type of adventure, you're probably going to be off and away someplace.

Mark Faldmo 29:01

Yeah. And then the next cruise line is Lindblad Expeditions or National Geographic Expeditions. Their ship that sells Alaska is 62 guests. And this is for travelers who want more of an expedition type cruise with a strong educational focus. You know, with that national geographic connection, you're getting really good naturalists. I know they have cruises that are focused all on wildlife photography. So you're getting really good educational focus. They have historians. I have a customer that takes their photography cruise every year, and she loves it. Comes back with great pictures, learns new things. Just a really good immersive Alaska experience.

Patrick Wiscombe 29:47

Is there a third option to go to Alaska on these small ships?

Mark Faldmo 29:51

There is. Yeah. American Cruise Lines would be the third option. Oh, really? Their ship holds 95 guests, I believe. And this is for travelers who want the smaller ship without giving up comfort. So their cabins are a little bit larger than the previous two companies that we mentioned. It's kind of more of a traditional cruise experience and then the previous two. Their ships have private balconies on many rooms where the other two ships do not have that. It focuses on scenic cruising with cultural enrichment. Those are the three cruise lines that I'd recommend if you're looking for a cruise with less than a hundred guests on board in Alaska.

Patrick Wiscombe 30:36

Let's just kind of summarize what Uncruise is, what Linblod, and American cruise line. Let's just summarize those quickly for her.

Mark Faldmo 30:44

Uncruise would be more active, adventure focused, wilderness first, and a casual atmosphere. Linblod would be expedition plus education with National Geographic experts on board every voyage. Great for photographers, wildlife, and science focused. American Cruise Line would be the most comfortable, more traditional, spacious accommodation, but still seeing Alaska at a relaxed pace.

Patrick Wiscombe 31:15

Regardless of which one you choose, you really can't go wrong with Alaska. You just can't. I think it's impossible to have a bad vacation going to Alaska.

Mark Faldmo 31:24

Yes. Even if it rains the whole time, that's a great experience.

Patrick Wiscombe 31:28

Yeah. Okay, so let's get to the cruise deal of the week that we always have in this segment of the show. The cruise deal of the week is what?

UnCruise Alaska Early Booking Savings

Mark Faldmo 31:38

Well, we're sticking with that small ship Alaska and letting our listeners know about Uncruise, Alaska Cruise Specials. They kind of have some early booking bonuses out there right now. So for 2027 Alaska cruises, depending on the voyage, it's save between 350 and $500 off per person on any of their voyages. So it's $500 off on April, May, and September of 2027 departures, and $350 off on June, July, and August 2027 departures. And these ships really book out early. Yeah, so they've already put out their 2028 early booking discount. And that one is saved 10% off every sailing when you book your 2028 Alaska cruise departure early. These do not include their Aleutian Island cruises, which there are very few of them. I think it's the most unique itinerary that they offer, but these are on their other Alaska cruises, not Aleutian Island departure.

Patrick Wiscombe 32:43

And Captain Dan of On Cruise Ad is a cool dude.

Mark Faldmo 32:47

Funny, I remember when we interviewed him, he was refurbishing one of their ships. And he was doing he's the one that started the company, and he was doing most of the refurbishment himself. He was working while we were interviewing him.

Patrick Wiscombe 33:01

Take advantage of that promotion. Call Mark in the office, get the conversation started. Can listeners put a deposit down on this one? They can.

Mark Faldmo 33:10

Yeah, you can put a deposit down on 2027 and 2028 departures.

Patrick Wiscombe 33:14

Call Mark in the office, get the conversation started. 888-718-7717-888-718-7717 is the office phone number. And you can also see all of this information on blueplanetvacations.com. Just a quick note before we take off, new episodes of this show are released every weekday or encore presentations on

Where To Listen And Final Sendoff

Patrick Wiscombe 33:44

my website, thevacation nerd.co. It's not.com, it's thevacationerd.co and weekly on insight travel talk.com. And this show is available on all podcast platforms. Just do a search for theVacation Nerd or Insight Travel Talk on your favorite podcast platform. Well, that's it. We're done. We've done our job, so now it's time for you to get out and see the world while you can because you never know what curveballs life is going to throw at you. Make sure you are living life with purpose and intention, and we genuinely appreciate you taking the time to listen to the show and joining us. Go out and make it a fantastic week, and we will talk to you again next weekend.

Todd Carlson 34:36

That's it. That's the end of the show. You've been listening to the Inside Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show with Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo. Presented by Blue Planet Vacations.com. Book your adventure right now. Call 888-718-7717. That's 888-718-7717. Thanks for listening. Have a great week.