Welcome And Trip Ideas Ahead

Todd Carlson 0:16

Explore your world. It's the Inside Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show. Presented by Blue Planet Vacations.com. Call or text the show now. 801-649-3700. 801-649-3700. And check out the podcast at InsightTravelTalk.com. And now, here are your hosts, Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo.

Patrick Wiscombe 0:52

Helping humanity get out and see the world. This is the Inside Travel Talk Podcast, a radio show. Hello there. I am Patrick Wiscombe alongside Mark Faldmo. He will be here in just a moment. Coming up in today's show, we will be talking about a walking trail that connects the state of Washington all the way to Washington, D.C. Not really a bookable vacation, but we'll give you the details anyway. And we're going to tell you to go west, young man. And we'll be talking about a vacation in Monaco. And I'm not making this up, starting at $1,500. And that includes the airfare. And we'll talk about all the new cruise ships coming in 2026. If you are brand new to the show, the entire purpose of this radio show and podcast each weekend is to help you plan and book your next vacation or just give you ideas of where you may want to consider going on vacation next. And we are presented by Blue Planet Vacations.com. And a sincere thank you every Saturday and Sunday for taking the time to stop and listen.

A Logistically Wild Scandinavia Booking

Patrick Wiscombe 2:02

And Mark Faldmo, you have been busy. Man, you have been booking a ton of vacations.

Mark Faldmo 2:09

I have.

Patrick Wiscombe 2:18

What has been, from a logistical standpoint, the most challenging vacation that you've had to plan?

Mark Faldmo 2:26

Well, I did a pretty interesting Scandinavia trip. And I actually have that on the docket to talk about on a future show. But it was a multi-destination involving planes, trains, automobiles, and ferries all around Scandinavia.

No More Bag Recheck At DFW

Patrick Wiscombe 2:42

Let's get to the uh travel news headlines. American Airlines has eliminated or is eliminating baggage recheck for London to Dallas flights. This is amazing news. Explain to listeners why this is such a significant development. This is significant.

Mark Faldmo 3:00

Generally, when you're traveling internationally back to the US, you have to go down, go through customs immigration, get your bags, and recheck your bags. American Airlines is starting this pilot program. Right now, it's only on London Heathrow to Dallas Fort Worth Airport, where you actually clear customs at the arrival gate. Then just walk out into the airport like a domestic flight. So you don't have to go through the long walk to customs immigration, get your bags, recheck your bags, and then re-go through security. That would be a pain in the tuokus. Hopefully, American and other airlines will start to roll out programs like this at other U.S. airports.

The 3,700 Mile Rail Trail Dream

Patrick Wiscombe 3:42

There's a 3,700 mile trail that will connect Washington State to Washington, D.C. It doesn't sound like anything you can really book, but man, what an adventure to walk the entire U.S.

Mark Faldmo 3:55

It's called the Great American Rail Trail. So it's all built on an abandoned railroad lines. It's 3,700 miles that connects Washington, D.C. to Washington State and goes through 12 states. There's already 2,000 miles of this already open, offering walkers and cyclists, scenic and traffic freeway to see the country. I suppose there is a vacation to come out of it. If you like biking, you could bike across the U.S.

Patrick Wiscombe 4:25

That sounds like Patrick.

Mark Faldmo 4:27

Yes, that does. That's why I put it in. I know you like your bike.

Patrick Wiscombe 4:31

I'm 95 miles away from riding my bike 7,000 miles.

Mark Faldmo 4:35

Yeah, so you could have ridden that trail round trip Washington to Washington.

Alaska Airlines Expands After Avelo Exit

Mark Faldmo 4:42

Alaska Air is expanding right here on the West Coast. This was done in response to a news story that we actually didn't cover, but Avalo Airlines, which is one of the low-cost air carriers, completely pulled out of the West Coast. And Burbank was one of their big hubs. And so they're leaving Burbank. Alaska Airlines is coming in to fill that void. And also Breeze Airways, I heard, is also coming in to fill that void. But starting in October, Alaska Airlines is going to offer more flights between Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho, particularly filling that void from Burbank

How To Get To Monaco

Mark Faldmo 5:20

Airport.

Patrick Wiscombe 5:21

Always in this first segment of the show is the destination of the week. And we are talking about vacationing in Monaco, including airfare, starting at $1,500. We're going to give you the details right now, but you received a text earlier this week from Michael. And if you have travel-related questions, call or text the show, 801-649-3700-801-649-3700. Michael is asking, he wants to go on vacation in Monaco in Monte Carlo. And his question to you, and you I think you've already answered his questions, was how do you get there and what is there to do? And how much is it? First of all, answer his question.

Mark Faldmo 6:04

The easiest way to get to Monaco or Monte Carlo. Monaco is the country. Monte Carlo is the city, but it's all one place. The easiest way is to fly into Nice, France, which is about 20 miles away, about 45 minutes away by car. There also is a helicopter transfer between the airport in Nice and Monte Carlo. Or another way you could see that is to actually stay in Nice and just take day trips to Monaco. And that will save you a little bit of money. But those are the two ways you could really get to Monaco and really experience it.

Patrick Wiscombe 6:39

Have you ever been to Monaco?

Mark Faldmo 6:41

I have. Oh, you have been

Where To Stay And What To Do

Mark Faldmo 6:42

there. Just last night I saw the movie F1 for the first time. That is probably what Monaco is famous for the Monaco Grand Prix. And they just leave the track basically set up in the country. So all of the race rumble strips are just set up all over town. If you're driving on the track, you still have those red and white rumble strips. Yeah. So it's still there. I stayed when I was there at the Fairmont Monte Carlo Hotel, which is right on that sharp hairpin curve that's famous in the Monaco Grand Prix. It actually is right at their driveway for the Fairmont. Monaco kind of has two areas to stay. One is the Riviera, which is on the beach, and the other is kind of in the main town or marina. So the Fairmont Monte Carlo is on the water, but it's not in the the Riviera. It's closer to the main part of town. That's probably my favorite hotel to stay at there, but it is pretty pricey. Other hotels you could stay at. There's one called the Port Palace, which is in the marina, the Le Meridian Beach Plaza, which is in the Riviera, the beach area, or there's a hotel called the Riviera Marriott, which is in the Port Marina area. Those are kind of the you know four hotels that I would recommend staying at if you're going to stay in Monte Carlo. And in just a minute, we'll get to the pricing on that. One of Michael's questions was what are some of the things to do in Monaco? Probably the most popular thing to do is go to the Princess Palace, which is set up on a hill, great views, a lot of history of the monarchy there, uh, of the Grimaldi family, who first kind of settled that area in the year 1297. And they they've ruled it ever since. So, you know, there's you know a lot of history there. Another thing that I found really interesting when I was there was the oceanographic museum of Monaco. It's all about the ocean. That it actually, the curator of the museum was Jacques Cousteau for several years. There's got to be a casino there. That's the next thing. A lot of people, especially the James Bond fans. Oh, yeah. Um, yeah, the Monte Carlo Casino. The first time I went there, you had to wear a jacket and tie to get in. They they've since relaxed their dress code a little bit, but it is a really famous high-end casino. It's really fun just to sit outside and watch all the Ferraris and Lamborghinis pull up and watch the valets drive them away. If I had a car like that, I don't know if I'd trust it with the valet after watching Ferris Bueller. You read my mind. Yeah. It feels like they're gonna take your car. Yeah. And then kind of two last things that I really like uh in Monaco. One is if you're staying there to take the train to Nice, it actually follows the seashore. It's a scenic route, and you know, there's a lot of little villages, villas, different things like that to see. It's a fun thing to take round trip. And if you're staying in Nice, it's fun to take the train to Monaco as well to visit Monaco. And then also in that area, and we've talked about this before, but it's the city of Ez. It's easy, is the the name of it, and it is a hilltop town, just fascinating. It was first populated in the year 200 BC, and it was a a commune of some sort for uh some group of people, and then it's been under Greek and Roman control. It is a fascinating small village with narrow streets to walk through. It's actually in France, it's just across the border from Monaco. Um, but that's something definitely should visit if you're in that area. How did you spell Ez? Did you say Easy E? Yep, it's E Z E. My claim to fame there is there was a street vendor making candy coated almonds. They were so good, except I broke a tooth or lost the feeling eating one. And I had to go the whole rest of the cruise that I was on six days with broken tooth. Oh wow. It's definitely worth the visit.

Patrick Wiscombe 11:02

It feels like Monaco is one of those places that you can go to, but no one ever thinks about.

Mark Faldmo 11:07

Yes. Yeah. You know, it's just fun to go see that kind of culture that's there. Walk down through the marina in the evening with all the big yachts pulled up. It's just an amazing place to visit. And you know, as we'll talk about here in a minute, price-wise, at least getting there and

Monaco And Nice Package Prices

Mark Faldmo 11:39

staying there is not too bad of a price.

Patrick Wiscombe 11:43

So let's make that the hot travel deal of the week. Let's go to Nice slash Monte Carlo. What hotel options do we have for listeners this week?

Mark Faldmo 11:52

Yeah, so I've picked two, two in Nice and two in Monaco. And this is using that Delta Airlines vacations discount that we've talked about the last few weeks. That's 200. It's $200 off Europe vacations. You also get bonus sky miles when you use this. So the first two hotels are in Nice. One is the AC Hotel by Marriott, which is a four-star hotel across the street from the beach. It starts at $14.99 per person. This is for October dates. And you know, you get into October, the French Riviera, Southern France. You're still good weather, but a lot less crowds.

Patrick Wiscombe 12:31

And a little cooler, too.

Mark Faldmo 12:32

And a little cooler, yeah.

Patrick Wiscombe 12:34

So that's the $1,500 price that we were talking about, start of the show. Oh, and that includes Airfare, right? Yeah, that's Airfare and Five Nights Hotel.

Mark Faldmo 12:42

Yeah. That's very doable. That is, yeah. And then the next hotel is the Best Western Premier Plus, which is a four-star hotel in the city center, kind of near the train station. And that one starts at $15.89 per person. So that's uh, you know, within walking distance, a lot of shops and restaurants. You know, city center is a great place to be in most European cities. And then if we move to Monaco, the two that I chose, one was the Riviera Marriott, which is in the port area of Monaco. It's just down the hill from the uh Princess Palace. It starts at $16.89 per person. See, that's amazing as well. Yeah, that's a good price. And then the Le Meridian, which is in the Riviera, so the beach area starts at $19.89 per person. So, you know, all four of those hotels are great prices with your airfare from Salt Lake, Five Nights Hotel, if you want to see Southern Friends.

Patrick Wiscombe 13:43

Take advantage of the hot travel deal of the week. Go to a place that you've never even considered. Monte Carlo, Monaco, Nice. Starting at $1,500 per person. That includes the airfare. That is a phenomenal offer. Call Mark in his office. Just get the conversation started. 888-718-7717-888-718-7717. And he'll also put this on BluePlanetVacations.com. When we come back, it is time for the infamous Just Cruising segment, one of the most popular segments of the show. We've got the cruise deal of the week.

Break And Cruising Tease

Patrick Wiscombe 14:25

And we'll be talking about all of the ships coming to us in 2026. That is next. When the Inside Travel Talk Podcast or radio show continues, alongside Mark Faldmo, my name is Patrick Wiscombe. Thank you so much for listening. We will be right back.

Todd Carlson 14:44

Taking you to destinations around the world. The Inside Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show is presented by Blue Planet Vacations.com. America's Best Travel Advisors. Call or text the show now. 801-649-3700. 801-649-3700. Thanks for listening. We'll be right back. Now, back to the Insight Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show. Presented by Blue Planet Vacations.com. America's Best Travel Advisor. Call or text the show right now. 801-649-3700. 801-649-30700. And check out the podcast at InSytTravel Talk.com. Here's Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo.

Patrick Wiscombe 16:09

You are listening to the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show. Alongside Mark Faldmo, my name is Patrick Wiscombe.

Just Cruising Kicks Off

Patrick Wiscombe 16:17

Coming up in this segment of the show, this is the infamous just cruising segment. This is the segment of the show that we are known for around the country and around the world. It is about cruise deals, it is only about the cruise news. And if you've ever wanted to experience a cruise or you are ready to go experience another cruise, this is the segment of the show that you will be most interested in. But first, let's get to the cruise news headlines. Mark, shall we start in Colombia this time? Let's do. Yeah. Alright. So Alma Waterways is naming their brand new ship called the Alma Magdalena in what they're calling a historic ceremony in Colombia, South America.

Mark Faldmo 17:02

This is the company's venture into the Magdalena River in Colombia. The ship, the Ama Magdalena, carries 60 passengers.

Colombia River Cruising Goes Small

Mark Faldmo 17:10

It has a lot of the similar amenities of other river cruise boats. You said 60, as in 6-0? 6-0, 60 passengers. Oh wow. It's small, but they do exclusive jazz performance, bird watching expeditions, just some of those small villages and stuff along the river. Just really get you immersed into that culture.

Patrick Wiscombe 17:32

60 passengers. That's not a big boat or ship.

Mark Faldmo 17:36

It's not very large. It's a smaller river, but actually, this is sold so well. They are gonna bring on a second ship later on this year. So that they'll have two ships doing the Magdalena River in Colombia.

Patrick Wiscombe 17:50

How many times have you been in Colombia?

Mark Faldmo 17:52

Technically, I've been twice, but I don't really count it because it was on a cruise ship stop where we only had five hours.

Patrick Wiscombe 18:00

Okay, all right.

Mark Faldmo 18:00

But so I I have been there, been to Cartagena twice, and it was wonderful. I'd love to go spend a lot more time in Cartagena.

Patrick Wiscombe 18:08

Travelers are taking fewer vacations, but they're taking longer and more luxurious trips. That sounds like the month of April for Patrick and

Fewer Trips With More Luxury

Patrick Wiscombe 18:17

Nikki.

Mark Faldmo 18:18

Yes, yeah. So it is a trend that I've also been noticing. The trend coming out of COVID was just see everything you can. People were taking multiple trips per year, shorter trips, but just to check things off their bucket list or just to go places. Now people are turning to more, I would say, meaningful vacations. Yeah. Where they're longer, they're staying in a little bit nicer place, they're slowing down a little bit to really enjoy the destination they're at rather than trying to see everything. I think it's good for the travel industry.

Patrick Wiscombe 18:53

Let's talk about all the new cruise ships coming in 2026. There's gonna be a fair number.

Mark Faldmo 18:59

So there are 16 new ships coming

The Biggest New Ships Of 2026

Mark Faldmo 19:01

out in 2026. We're not gonna talk about all of them, but we'll talk about a few of them. WindStar Cruise Line, which is more of the smaller yacht type cruising, has their new ship, the Starseeker. They also have sailing ships, but this is one of their motored yachts, I guess you would say, has a Starseeker. It technically is December 28th of this year. It's made in passenger voyage, uh, will be in 2026. One that I find interesting, the four seasons. So of the four season hotels is venturing into cruising and yachting. They will have their ship come out and it's a smaller cruise ship that holds 190 passengers.

Patrick Wiscombe 19:42

Oh wow.

Mark Faldmo 19:43

One that I am very interested in is the Norwegian Luna, uh which comes out in March of 2026. We've talked a little bit about that one. That will hold just over 3,500 passengers.

Patrick Wiscombe 19:56

Nikki and I were on the newest ship, which was the Norwegian Aqua. That was in April, and this is their follow-up.

Mark Faldmo 20:03

March of 2026. Its maiden season will be the Caribbean from Miami. Here's another interesting one that I'm kind of interested in. Orient Express is coming out with a new cruise ship in June. So they're the train, the famous Orient Express. And they they also have a few hotels. So they're coming out with the 100-passenger yacht that will sail the Mediterranean and French and Italian Rivieras. Another one of the big ships, the Legend of the Seas from Royal Caribbean, will come out in August, and it will be the biggest one we're going to talk about today. It holds over 5,600 passengers.

Patrick Wiscombe 20:40

Is this bigger than Icon of the Seas? Or is it an Icon class ship, but it's a little smaller?

Mark Faldmo 20:45

It's an icon class ship, and it will be, I believe it is slightly smaller.

Patrick Wiscombe 20:51

That ship, icon of the seas, it is so large that it kind of breaks your head because you've never seen a ship that large.

Mark Faldmo 20:58

Yes.

Patrick Wiscombe 20:58

Yeah. Legend of the seas, so September 2026.

Mark Faldmo 21:02

Yeah. And then Explora, which we've talked about a few times on this show. Explora is there about a thousand passengers ships, but they are it's kind of a luxury line owned by MSc cruises. They have some fantastic itineraries, and the ship is amazing as well.

Patrick Wiscombe 21:20

Wait, is this Explorer 2 or Explorer 3?

Mark Faldmo 21:23

This is Explorer 3. Okay. Explorer 2 is just out now.

Patrick Wiscombe 21:29

Oh, that's right. That's right. Okay, so Explorer 3. And then of course the big, big one is from MSc. Did they finally determine a name?

Mark Faldmo 21:38

Yeah. I was wrong when we talked about the legend of the seas. MSC World Asia is larger. It's nearly 7,000 passengers. Whoa. And it comes out towards the end of the year, December 11th. And its maiden season will be in the Mediterranean.

Patrick Wiscombe 21:55

Now Nikki and I were on MSc World America. Beautiful, oh my goodness, beautiful ship in April. So MSC World Asia in the Mediterranean December 11th, 2026. Correct. Dude, that is some serious shippage. Yes. Not sure why I said shippage.

Mark Faldmo 22:16

So then there's a few others. Viking Ocean Cruise Lines has two ships coming out. American Cruise Lines has a ship coming out that will be, I believe, as one of the coastal cats. Both of Those hold about 125 passengers. Lots of new cruise ships, 16 in total, coming out in 2026.

Patrick Wiscombe 22:36

I've been asked this question, and I know you have too. When is the best time to book your cruise? And it is right when they announce these ships. And I'm assuming that they they

Cruise Deals On Brand New Ships

Patrick Wiscombe 22:47

are selling these now.

Mark Faldmo 22:49

They are, yeah. And in fact, that's going to be our cruise deal of the week. We're going to talk about three of the cruise ships.

Patrick Wiscombe 22:57

Where do you want to start on this one? Norwegian Luna, then?

Mark Faldmo 23:00

Yeah. Yeah. Let's start with the Norwegian Luna. So this one I was looking at an April 11th sailing. So it's had the ship about three weeks or so to get worked in to its schedule full of passengers. That starts at $9.29 per person for an inside cabin or $16.49 for a balcony. And for a brand new cruise ship, that's a pretty good price. Yeah. And and that one alternates eastern and western. This one in particular was the Eastern Caribbean, which went to Great Stir up K, Port of Plata, St. Thomas, and Tortola.

Patrick Wiscombe 23:35

That is a phenomenal price for a brand new ship, which, by the way, in just in case for comparison purposes, Icon of the Seas is still booking for basically double that. Sometimes triple that number.

Mark Faldmo 23:45

Yeah, well, and you know, along those lines, let's go into the Royal Caribbean Legend of the Seas. Yeah. September 6th of 2026 is the date that I chose. This is in the Mediterranean. Its ports are pretty good. It's Barcelona, Palma de Majorca, Marseille, La Spisa, Rome, Naples, and back to Barcelona. Whoa. So it's that typical Western Mediterranean. That's still pretty good though. It's a great itinerary and its pricing. And actually, this is one you might as well get a balcony. The inside cabins start at $17.29 per person, and a balcony starts at $19.85 per person. Oh, yeah. Get the balcony, especially at that price. Yeah. And then let's move on to the MSC World Asia, which will be in the western Mediterranean as well. So this was December 14th of 2026, and it's round trip Rome. Its ports are Messina in Sicily. One of my favorite ports is Valletta in Malta. Oh, yeah. Not a lot of cruise lines go to Malta anymore, but it's a fascinating port. Then it goes to Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa, Italy, and back to Rome. And that starts at 1337 for an inside. And again, you might as well go with a balcony because it's not that much more, starting at 1587 per person.

Patrick Wiscombe 25:09

That's for a brand new ship.

Mark Faldmo 25:11

Brand new ship.

Patrick Wiscombe 25:12

So that's World Asia. MSC World Asia. Take advantage of those offers. Absolutely phenomenal. Call Mark in his office. Just get the conversation started. There's no obligation. 888-718-7717-888-718-7717. And you can also get all of his contact information on BluePlanet Vacations.com. You can listen to this show again tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. right here on this radio station and around

How To Listen And Final Sendoff

Patrick Wiscombe 25:48

the country at 11 a.m. So whatever radio station you're listening to, 11 o'clock tomorrow. And you can stream, download, and subscribe to the podcast at inside traveltalk.com. And you can also just stream the show. If you're not a podcaster, just hit play. You can stream the show right on inside traveltalk.com. And we're on all of the major podcast platforms if you would like to subscribe. Well, our job is done. Now it's your turn to get out and explore the world while you can, because you never know what curveballs life is going to throw at you. Live your life deliberately, live your life intentionally. And thank you so much for listening. We will talk to you again next week.

Todd Carlson 26:31

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 PlanetVacations.com. Book your adventure right now. Call 888 718 7717. That's 888 718 7717. Thanks for listening. Have a great week.