THE VACATION NERD WITH PATRICK WISCOMBE — EPISODE 177, PART 1
Speaker-Labeled Transcript
TODD CARLSON: Explore your world. It’s the Inside Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show, presented by BluePlanetVacations.com. Call or text the show now: 801-649-3700. 801-649-3700. And check out the podcast at InsideTravelTalk.com. And now, here are your hosts, Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Welcome to the Inside Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show. My name is Patrick Wiscombe. Thank you so much for allowing us to be part of your weekend as we get to talk about travel.
If you are a longtime listener of the show, this show is only about travel. We want to help you plan and book your next vacation. Or, if you have no idea where to go, we want to give you some ideas of where you should consider vacationing next.
This show is presented by BluePlanetVacations.com. Just a very sincere thank you for taking the time to stop and listen.
Coming up on this show, we are talking about Avalon Waterways, a terrific river-cruising company, Jamaica, and how to book a great shore excursion.
Mark, this is going to sound kind of funny, but, dude, I’m tired. We’ve just spent four back-to-back-to-back-to-back cruises right in a row. It’s good to be home, but I’ve got to be honest: I kind of miss it already, and it’s only been a day.
MARK FALDMO: Yeah, only a day. You just got off the—what was it? The Norwegian Aqua?
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Yeah.
MARK FALDMO: Another brand-new ship that you were on.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Beautiful ship. I love the new-ship smell. Mark, it was genuinely—I’ll show you the video later—but it is a genuinely beautiful ship. I had a great experience. NCL, I’ve never had a bad experience. They do a great job.
MARK FALDMO: Yeah.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Food was good, too, in case anyone wants to know.
This week, we’re going to cut right to the destination highlight. I won’t say it’s a destination; it’s multiple destinations, but it’s using a terrific company called Avalon Waterways.
We’re bringing on TJ McAvoy. We’ve had him on the show before, and he’s making a triumphant return. It’s good to have you back on the show, and it’s good to see you, too.
TJ MCAVOY: Yeah, you too. Great to see you, Patrick. I always appreciate your time and having me on this great show.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Let’s talk about Avalon Waterways. Let’s just go Avalon Waterways 101. What is Avalon Waterways?
TJ MCAVOY: We’re river cruising. We like to think of ourselves as relaxed luxury. It’s got to be my favorite way to travel. Just think of a five-star floating hotel with everything you want: food, excursions—you name it.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: You have several competitors in the river-cruise market. What sets Avalon apart from your competitors?
TJ MCAVOY: Cabins are where it all starts. We have award-winning, 200-square-foot Panorama Suites. We win awards from all these publications—five years in a row, Best River Cruise Cabins from Cruise Critic. We’ve gotten Best River Cruise Line and Cabins through USA Today’s Readers’ Choice Awards this year, as well as previous years.
Definitely the cabins. The 200-square-foot suites are about 85% of our cabins. With the larger cabins, we have fewer people on our ships, so you’re looking at about 30 to 50 fewer people on the ships, which is great for the onboard experience.
MARK FALDMO: Oh, yeah.
TJ MCAVOY: That really separates us. We’re going to average about 150 passengers. Our competitors are going to have around 190, but that’s by design on our end: best cabins.
Another staple is choices. We offer choices. Excursions are really a big staple of ours because we have all the connections through also being part of Globus. We have the connections with all the local suppliers and vendors.
We give you two to three choices pretty much every time, at every port, for the excursions. The excursions are included.
Choices also go to the dining, which we call Panorama Bistro. We do barbecue lunches on the Sky Deck. We have various venues that way, and we give you various choices on the cuisine as well.
We can satisfy any dietary restriction except for kosher. We’re always going to have vegetarian or vegan options with every meal.
I think what also really separates us is the views. We really pride ourselves on the fact that no matter where you are on the ship, you can see both sides of the ship. You could be going down the Rhine and maybe you’re in the dining area, but the other side of the ship is where all the castles are. You can see 360-degree views, with floor-to-ceiling windows throughout the ship.
I’d say those three things: cabins, choices and views. For the number of people on the ship, that is also a huge difference.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Where does Avalon Waterways sail? I know you’re in Europe, but where else?
TJ MCAVOY: We have 16 ships in Europe. We also have our own ship on the Mekong, and that’s only 36 passengers. Our ships in Europe are either 128 passengers or 166.
We’re also on the Douro, which is also Europe. But you did ask where else we sail. We have A Taste of Egypt, so we have a cruise there. Also, the Galápagos Islands and the Amazon. All those destinations—we’re going to have Avalon.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: What do you recommend for first-time river cruisers?
TJ MCAVOY: Just to give you an idea, I started with Globus 22 years ago, and I think we’ve had Avalon going on 20 years.
Historically, this is pretty much across the board for the last 20 years: First-time cruisers either do the Rhine or the Danube, in either order. Those are typically going to be the first two that you do.
I love them both, but my first cruise was the Danube, which was Budapest to Nuremberg, and then you could extend in Prague. I would recommend a couple of nights in Prague, at least, on land. Do the seven-night cruise and do extra time in Prague.
If you’re doing the Rhine, spend extra time in Amsterdam. I’d say one of those two, and then whichever one you don’t pick first, you do that second.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Can you go back-to-back?
TJ MCAVOY: Yeah. The majority of our cruises are really going to be seven-night cruises, but if you have a 14-night cruise, we have one called Magnificent Europe.
It’s a back-to-back of our Romantic Rhine cruise and our Legendary Danube cruise, sold as one itinerary. That’s back-to-back.
We also have France. We have the Seine, which is northern France, and then the Rhône, which is going down to southern France. Those are each seven-night cruises. We build that as a 14-night cruise, as one cruise.
Now we’re on the Bordeaux, so you can do a back-to-back-to-back—a 21-night cruise. We already build those in for you, so it’s very, very seamless.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Give us your top three to five cruises where you just go, “Just do it. Do it. I recommend it to anybody.”
TJ MCAVOY: I’ve done the Danube about four times. The first one was by choice and the fourth one was by choice. The other two times, they had me hosting. I had to go work on a cruise and host some people. It was so rough—but amazing.
The Danube was fantastic, and then the Rhine. I really want to do the Rhine again because I did our Active & Discovery river cruise on the Rhine. I would love to do the Rhine again.
Also, what is getting very popular is the Lower Danube. That’s Budapest to Bucharest. The reason that intrigues me so much is I’ve become good friends with one of our cruise directors who has been with the Globus family for 40 years. He’s been a cruise director on Avalon since we started 20 years ago, and that’s his favorite river to cruise: the Lower Danube, Budapest to Bucharest, or reverse.
I also just spent time with a tour director while I was doing travel shows. He’s been on Avalon as well, and he said that was his favorite cruise.
I would say the Rhine, the Danube and then the Lower Danube.
MARK FALDMO: That’s my favorite river cruise as well. I’ve had the opportunity to do Budapest to Bucharest. It’s a fantastic itinerary.
My favorite part of that Lower Danube is sailing through what’s called the Iron Gates. There’s a big head carved into the mountain—not like Mount Rushmore—but it’s just a fantastic area of that part of the Danube.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: We’ve already talked about the cabins: 200 square feet, beautiful cabins. What makes the cabins great?
TJ MCAVOY: What’s really fantastic about our cabins is that we don’t have a separate balcony. Separate balconies that close off to the room are really worthless, honestly, because you can’t sit out there comfortably.
We bring all that living space back, so you truly have 200 square feet of living space. I like to think of it as, “Your cabin’s your balcony; your balcony’s your cabin.”
When that wall of glass opens up, you have seven feet. It truly is your balcony.
I recently went on a river cruise. We buddied up with some of the Kiwis—some New Zealand folks—and we would meet up, have snacks and hang out before dinner. It’s plenty of room. It really gives you so much more room.
Another big staple of our build is that we angle the wall between the bed and the bathroom. The bathrooms are by far the biggest I’ve seen on big-ship cruising and river cruising, because I’ve been on both numerous times.
The bathrooms, the beds facing out—you’re always looking at the view.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Hold on. The beds face, I guess, the window—the floor-to-ceiling window?
TJ MCAVOY: Yes, absolutely. We’re the only—yeah. Just picture this: You’re cruising down the Rhine. You’re in your balcony, and you’re also in your cabin. You’re lying down, watching all the castles and beautiful scenery go by. It’s fantastic.
MARK FALDMO: By far, it’s the best cabin layout of any cruise that I’ve been on. I love, as TJ just mentioned, being able to lie in bed and look out at the scenery as you cruise past it.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: That sounds delightful.
TJ MCAVOY: It’s truly unforgettable. As you go through life, there are certain things that are like pictures in your head that you’ll never forget. There are so many of those times cruising on Avalon—just lying there and watching the beautiful scenery go by.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Do you ever have a hard time getting up, going, “It’s so beautiful, I don’t even want to get up”?
TJ MCAVOY: Exactly. The great thing about river cruising, though, is the ships are small, so you could be up and get a snack within a few feet. But yes, that is true. I’ve gotten a little bit lazy and stayed in my room a little bit too long a few times, just enjoying that scenery.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: There is a perception in the industry that river cruising is for the old folks or the older folks. What about river cruising for multigenerational families? Grandparents, parents, kids—is there enough to do for kids on these types of cruises?
TJ MCAVOY: Younger kids are probably not going to have a great time. Older teenagers and multigenerational groups—I see that quite often.
I’ve done two of what we call our Active & Discovery cruises. We have our Classic cruises, and then our Active & Discovery cruises are more focused on active excursions or very immersive, off-the-beaten-path excursions.
You either have hiking, biking or canoeing, or you have painting classes, cooking classes and vineyard tours. You can visit a local farmer, where you enjoy a meal on their property. It’s very immersive.
We’re focusing more on those, and we’re on all the rivers with our Active & Discovery cruises. We’re getting a lot of multigenerational groups—older teenagers, parents and grandparents—on Active & Discovery.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Let’s talk about Christmas cruises.
TJ MCAVOY: Our Christmastime cruises sell out right away. If you’re looking to get on a Christmastime cruise, book those well in advance.
I’ve been with the company since we started Avalon. In the first few seasons, that was one of the last things to sell. But it’s getting more and more popular. Now our Christmas cruises are selling out very, very quickly.
The Christmas markets are amazing. It’s a great time to travel because you get to see all the beauty of the festive season, and it’s great for multigenerational families.
We already have everything open for 2026 as well. They’re so popular.
I just spoke with our president of Avalon Waterways, Pam Hoffee. I did an event with her, and we basically are going to move every ship that is done for the season over to the Christmas markets to create more Christmastime cruises.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Oh, huge.
TJ MCAVOY: Yeah, exactly. As we get closer to the Christmas markets, we’re going to open more and more sailings. That could sometimes be risky, but it’s never risky on the Christmas markets because we know they’re going to sell out.
They’re great for families, and people get more time off during that time. There’s no better way to travel during the holiday season than a Christmastime cruise.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: As we start to wrap up, what trends are you seeing in river cruising right now?
TJ MCAVOY: It’s been amazing over the last few years—the awareness.
When I started, I used to book all of our charters in our groups department, so I’ve been involved in Avalon from the beginning. Now, everywhere I go, people know about river cruising. People want to do river cruising. They want to experience river cruising.
Ten years ago, there wasn’t much awareness around it, but now everybody knows about it. Everybody wants to do it. We’re seeing a lot of first-time cruisers.
What I see a lot is they go on Avalon, fall in love with their first cruise, and then they just go from one river to another.
Once you go on your first Avalon cruise, there are probably four to five more in your future.
Active & Discovery has been great for multigenerational families because it’s more active and immersive. But we also have the must-see sites—the standard sightseeing city tours that all the cruise lines do.
The popularity is amazing. The river-cruise lines all do a great job, and we’re all selling really well. I would say it is the most popular type of travel right now, in my estimation.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: TJ McAvoy with Avalon Waterways, thank you so much for coming on.
Mark, how many times have you been on Avalon Waterways?
MARK FALDMO: I’ve been on Avalon Waterways twice, and it is fantastic—especially the rooms, as we talked about.
That’s probably my favorite part: the way the room is laid out. They have by far the largest bathrooms, and then your bed faces out to the river. You can just lie in bed and watch the scenery go by on your scenic-cruise days, if you want.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: When he was talking about the Christmas markets—and they’re already selling out, and they’re bringing all their ships over—you’ve been on a Christmas-market cruise. Just paint briefly what listeners will experience.
MARK FALDMO: Very festive cities. You pull into these small villages. They all have their little Christmas markets, or Christkindlmarkets, set up with booths, kiosks, food, hot chocolate and warm cider. It’s just a great experience to do the Christmas-market cruise.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: What an interesting way to see the world, just from a river.
Because we were able to talk to TJ McAvoy, he came up with an offer for our listeners exclusively on Avalon Waterways. What is that deal, and how much?
MARK FALDMO: This deal is for their longer cruises in 2026—14 days or longer. It is up to $6,000 off per cabin, or $3,000 per person.
This books pretty quickly. You have about 10 days to book it.
If you go to BluePlanetVacations.com, there is a page that shows a couple of the highlighted options. There are about 30 different departures that have this offer. I have three of them highlighted on Blue Planet Vacations, but you can call any of our agents to walk you through it and find the other cruises.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Take advantage of it because this is only for our listeners. You’ll only get this on this show—no one else.
Call Mark or his agents: 888-718-7717. 888-718-7717. As Mark already mentioned, BluePlanetVacations.com is where you can see that as well.
Coming up in the next segment, it is always the hot travel deal of the week. This week, we are going to answer one of our listeners’ questions. Jessica wants to go to Jamaica. She wants to know when the best time is to go and what to do.
That is next when the Inside Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show continues. Alongside Mark Faldmo, my name is Patrick Wiscombe. Thank you so much for allowing us to be part of your weekend. We will be back in just a few minutes.
TODD CARLSON: Taking you to destinations around the world, the Inside Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show is presented by BluePlanetVacations.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.
TODD CARLSON: This segment of Inside Travel Talk is sponsored by El Dorado Spa Resorts. Escape to Cancun’s Riviera Maya with authentic, all-inclusive luxury at an El Dorado Spa Resort.
To book your romantic beach getaway, contact Blue Planet Vacations at 888-718-7717 or BluePlanetVacations.com.
Now back to 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 check out the podcast at InsideTravelTalk.com. Here’s Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Welcome back to the Inside Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show. Hello there. I’m Patrick Wiscombe, alongside Mark Faldmo.
Coming up in this segment of the show, we are taking listener questions. This one is from Jessica, who is considering a trip to Jamaica, and she wants to know what to do there.
If you want to become part of the show and ask your travel-related question, you can text the show right now. Just do it—well, except if you’re driving: 801-649-3700. 801-649-3700.
Mark, I have a text from Patrick to Mark. I’m kidding, but I do have a question.
Nikki and I just got home. We’ve been on the road for basically the last four weeks—four cruises back-to-back-to-back-to-back. The question I have for you, and it was absolutely spectacular: Do you ever get tired when traveling?
MARK FALDMO: I don’t get tired when traveling.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: I love to travel. Sometimes it can wear on me. It was physical. Do you get physically tired traveling?
MARK FALDMO: Yes, physically tired. A lot of times when I’m traveling, it’s for meetings or things where I’m on a pretty strict schedule. It does wear on me, but I never get tired of traveling.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Oh, no. I agree. I can get tired from traveling, but not tired of traveling.
We got home late last night. It was about 2 a.m., and I was just excited to come in and talk about everything that we’d done on vacation.
But I’m finding that, as the adrenaline is starting to wear off, I’m starting to go, “All right, Patrick, bring the energy. Bring the energy for the radio show,” because Patrick is pooped right now.
Anyway, let’s get to the hot travel deal of the week. This is the text from Jessica. She says she is considering a trip to Jamaica and wants to know what there is to do there. She texted 801-649-3700.
What should Jessica do when going to Jamaica?
MARK FALDMO: There are lots of things to do in Jamaica. One thing I really like to do is climb Dunn’s River Falls.
There are a lot of people who say, “Oh, it’s too touristy. I wouldn’t do that.” But I really enjoy Dunn’s River Falls. It is so beautiful, and you hike up this waterfall. It’s a great experience.
The next thing is Seven Mile Beach. There are several hotels there, and this is over in the Negril area.
One thing there is Rick’s Café—the best place on the island to watch the sunset. They also have cliff divers and some interesting things there. It’s a great atmosphere, with that great, laid-back Jamaican atmosphere.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Again, the best sunsets. Is Dunn’s River Falls also in Negril?
MARK FALDMO: No. Dunn’s River Falls is in the Ocho Rios area.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Oh, Ocho Rios.
MARK FALDMO: To go back to the beginning, most people vacationing there would fly into Montego Bay.
Ocho Rios is about an hour from Montego Bay. Negril is about an hour from Montego Bay. Those are the three places you would stay: Montego Bay, Ocho Rios or Negril—or somewhere in between.
Do one of the Bob Marley tours. Go to the village of Nine Mile, where Bob Marley grew up.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: He really is a tourist attraction unto himself, isn’t he?
MARK FALDMO: Yes, he is.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Man, he is celebrated in Jamaica like nothing I’ve ever seen before.
MARK FALDMO: He is, and it’s a great history and a great part of Jamaica.
Another thing you can do is the Rose Hall Great House, which has an interesting story behind it. It’s a plantation house. You can go there in the evening and do haunted tours. The house is supposedly haunted, but it is a fun activity.
My all-time favorite thing in Jamaica is bamboo rafting. We’ve talked about this before. It’s just so relaxing. You sit on a bamboo raft and go down the river with a friendly guide who explains things to you.
Probably one of the most fun things to do is Mystic Mountain, which has the bobsled roller coaster that goes down the mountain.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Jamaican bobsled team.
MARK FALDMO: That’s an important cultural part of Jamaica.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: You have done that, right? I think you have.
MARK FALDMO: I have done that.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Yeah, I think you have.
MARK FALDMO: I have done that.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: I don’t know why I laugh. Bobsledding in Jamaica just blows my mind.
MARK FALDMO: It’s a fun thing to do.
James Bond tours, also. Do James Bond tours there. That’s where almost all of the James Bond books were written—in Jamaica.
You can go to GoldenEye, which is the home that Ian Fleming built, where he wrote most of those.
As you know, everything comes back to food for me. Go to Scotchies, which is a jerk-chicken place. Get their platter. It includes jerk chicken, smoked sausage, festival and Ting.
Ting is like Fresca. That’s a famous drink there.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Where is Scotchies? My son Brandon is going to be there in, I think, July of this year. He’s looking for some awesome jerk chicken. Where is Scotchies?
MARK FALDMO: There’s a Scotchies in Montego Bay and a Scotchies in Ocho Rios.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Anything in Falmouth, Jamaica? I think that’s where the cruise ship is going in. Anything you recommend?
MARK FALDMO: That’s fairly close to Ocho Rios.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Oh, okay.
MARK FALDMO: Also, the bamboo rafting that I like to do is very close to there. You can also do the Bob Marley tours from there—those two things in that area.
PATRICK WISCOMBE: Go to Jamaica. Such a great place.
Jessica, we will continue answering your question. We’re just up against a break right now.
To get your question on the radio or the podcast, call or text us: 801-649-3700. 801-649-3700.
As I mentioned, Jessica, we will answer your question and give you prices for how to get to Jamaica. That is next when the Inside Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show continues.
We’ve got the infamous Just Cruising segment coming up. Thank you so much for allowing us to be part of your weekend. We will be right back.
TODD CARLSON: You’re listening to the Inside Travel Talk Podcast and Radio Show with Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo, presented by BluePlanetVacations.com, America’s Best Travel Advisors. Call or text the show now: 801-649-3700. That’s 801-649-3700. And check out the podcast at InsideTravelTalk.com. We’ll be right back.
