¶ All-Inclusive Resorts Tips and Travel Deals
The Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show presented by BluePlanetVacations . com contains travel deals , promotions and offers that may be time-sensitive . All offers and information were accurate when the show aired . Travel deals and offers change constantly and are capacity-controlled and subject to change without notice explore your world .
it's the inside travel talk podcast and radio show presented by blue planet vacations dot com . Call or text the show now 801-649-3700 , 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 .
It is another edition of the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show . Hello there , my name is Patrick Wiscombe . Mark Faldmo is tired . He's dragging himself into the studio like a warrior . You are just getting back from Las Vegas , literally this morning .
What time I got back at 1.30 am , so my flight was quite delayed getting home and we're on the air at 10 , so you had a little bit of rest , but not a long flight . But it was well . It's 1 , 30 in the morning .
I was in the airport for about six hours , so that can drag on you , oh yeah yeah , did you stay in the delta club while you were down there ?
no , I was flying on Southwest .
So do they have a club ? They don't . Oh , I just sat in the regular waiting area like everybody else . Why were you down there ? It was our for a meeting , okay , so just business stuff , yeah training and meetings coming up on this edition of the show .
We've got beach club destinations that are all the rage right now . We'll give you some of the details on that . One of your favorite things , mark , is Europe . River cruising is starting to expand and regent is a cruise line . In case you didn't know , they've announced a world cruise .
Little bit spendy , we'll get to those stories coming up in this edition of the show , but this is a world first for the show . We've never done this before . I want to get a little Zen-like . I want to offer travel news inspiration .
Okay , in an effort to boost the spirit of our Inside Travel Talk radio listeners at 10 am in the morning , may I offer some inspiring words In light of the Boeing CEO stepping down this past week . Boeing has taught us that when one door closes , another will blow off the plane .
Yeah , very inspiring .
Thank you , all right , as I mentioned , you just got back from Las Vegas this morning . Were you able to do the TSA self-screening security check while you were down there ?
Unfortunately , I was not . I was at the wrong terminal . It's in Terminal 3 . I was in Terminal 1 . Oh , okay , and it only runs for about three hours a day while they're testing it , so you have to be there at the right time in order to try that out .
I was curious to see how that went . So me too . Segment one of the show is always the hot travel deal of the week , and we're going to be talking about all inclusive resorts and this will lead into the hot travel deal of the week , but we wanted to talk about eight mistakes that everyone makes when visiting an all-inclusive resort .
Let's start with number one not knowing what you're getting when you actually book the trip and that you actually recommend using a travel advisor .
This is one reason why you should use a travel advisor . Not all all-inclusives are created the same . There's adults only there's family . Some have great beaches and bad pools , some have bad pools and great beaches , and a travel advisor who's done this and sold this knows most of these resorts . Not knowing what you're getting is a big mistake .
Some people will just purely choose by price and then be disappointed , or they'll pay a lot and be disappointed because some amenity that they wanted is not as expected .
Oh wow , basically , use a travel advisor . By the way , have you ever seen a bad beach and a bad pool ? Yes , oh , yeah , okay . Number two overlooking VIP and concierge level rooms . What does that mean ?
Well , a lot of the all-inclusive hotels do have the upgraded VIP or concierge level rooms . Now , while that might not be for everyone , a lot of times the price is not that much more and you get a lot more amenities with it .
So it is worth looking up those and , especially if you want to view a lot of those VIP and concierge level rooms , have better views .
You did that for me in Hawaii . It wasn't all-inclusive at the Hilton Hawaiian Village . If you want to view a lot of those VIP and concierge level rooms , have better views , you did that for me in Hawaii . It wasn't all inclusive at the Hilton Hawaiian Village , at least when we went .
We talked about that last week , but that wasn't part of our package that you upgraded us because you knew the property and that was a huge benefit for Nikki and I . Yeah , number three not making dinner reservations , first thing you told me to do when we were doing this last trip to Hawaii . You said make sure that you get your dinner reservations .
Yeah , so , and especially at an all-inclusive , a lot of hotels will offer reservations but say they're not necessary .
7.30 PM is the prime time to dine , when everybody wants to dine , and if you don't make a reservation , you're either going to be eating at nine o'clock , just before it closes , or not eating at all , or eating at five , 30 or six when their restaurants first open .
You mean the senior citizen hour ? Yep so and I'm not demeaning our senior citizen friends , but um , you guys eat early Yep .
So yeah , just be aware that you can make reservations at a lot of those places and you will want to make them .
You can always change them , but you'll want to get a plan set to make them I'm guilty of this next one filling your plate at the buffet before browsing the entire buffet to see all of your food choices .
Yeah , I always take a walk around everything and just make sure , but there's usually lots of options and sometimes you don't get what you want , because you start at the beginning and then you're full .
Number five not tipping .
Now a lot of resorts say they're not tipping , but it's still good practice . It does give you better service . In the long run You'll have a waiter that recognizes you , that gives you service , even though tipping is not necessarily expected . I usually give them a little something , unless the hotel specifically says no tipping .
Don't do it , let's do some tipping etiquette . There's something going on here in Utah . I only want to spend 10 seconds on it Tipping for everything , even though you do all the work for it . How much do you tip on a bill ?
I'm usually about 10 to 15% yeah .
Okay , all right , I'm somewhere between 10 and 20 . It really depends on how great the person was .
If I get someone that flips one of those machines over to me to ask me to tip , I try and take money out . You give me a dollar for doing this . You give me a dollar for doing this .
Listen , I did all the work here to come here . Yeah , that drives me nuts . Tip number six not taking advantage of sister property amenities .
A lot of hotels have sister properties , which means you can enjoy the amenities at all of them . You can go eat at them , you can enjoy the activities at other properties , and some of them are just right next door . So you really want to . If there are sister properties , take advantage of those .
Number seven not using non-motorized water sports . I said there were eight , there's actually seven .
Seven . Yeah , that's one of the things with all- inclusives is they usually all include non-motorized water sports , so like snorkel masks , paddle boards , boogie boards , things like that . A lot of people don't take advantage of them , but that's a nice little perk that you can take advantage of .
Okay , so those are the seven tips that we have if you're going to an all-inclusive resort , but that also leads into our hot travel deal of the week . And where are we going this week ?
So we're going to Cancun . This is five nights hotel , round trip airfare and transfers between the airport and hotel .
June 5th for five nights is the dates I looked at , but you know , generally midweek in June you're going to be somewhere near this Four star Catalonia Yucatan Beach Hotel starts at $1199 per person from Salt Lake City and $969 per person from Los Angeles .
So $1199 from Salt Lake , $ 9 $9.69 from LAX , from Los Angeles .
Okay , Hyatt Ziva Riviera , Cancun . This is a newly renovated hotel , just recently changed to the Hyatt Ziva brand . Five-star hotel Starts at $1439 from Salt Lake City and $1289 from Los Angeles . And then we have one more , which is my favorite hotel El Dorado Seaside Suites , which is a five-star hotel .
This is a hotel that has on every level has a plunge pool on every level .
Oh , you got to do the plunge pool . Yes , I have not been there , but wow Even on the fifth floor .
You can walk out , get into your kind of infinity plunge pool and enjoy the view . How much is that one ? It starts at $1739 per person from Salt Lake City and $1509 per person from Los Angeles .
You know , what's amazing about this is that it includes the airfare and the transfers .
That's huge , yeah , and then it's about time for us to take a break , but when we get back , there is an amenity at the El Dorado that I do want to talk about , so we can talk about that when we come back , okay we'll take a break here .
We'll continue with the hot travel deal of the week and in segment two we're also going to get to the just cruising segment , which obviously includes the uh all of the cruise news , and with man there's a ton of cruise news that we need to get to this week . That is next when the inside travel talk podcast and radio show continues .
If you want to book any of those vacations with mark , just call his office directly . You'll end up talking to Mark anyway . 888-718-7717 . 888-718-7717 . More of the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show with Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo . We will be right back Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo .
We will be right back , 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 .
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 . Our oceanfront resorts are exclusively for adults and have been voted among the most romantic resorts in Mexico and the world .
El Dorado resorts are perfect for anniversaries , honeymoons or to get away with your significant other .
El Dorado Spa Resorts feature seven all-inclusive oceanfront resorts along the Riviera Maya , where the culinary excellence is a fundamental part of the experience and each resort offers unique accommodations where you can choose from swim-up suites , rooms with private plunge or infinity pools , or beautiful overwater bungalows .
El Dorado Resorts features a world-class spa where you can relax and rejuvenate with exceptional spa treatments . To book your romantic beach getaway at an El Dorado Spa Resort , contact Blue Planet Vacations at 888-718-7717 or blueplanetvacations . com
¶ Alaska Cruise Deals and News
now back to the inside travel talk podcast and radio show presented by blue planet vacations dot 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 .
Welcome back to the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show . Thank you for allowing us to be part of your Saturday morning , if you're listening to us live at 10 o'clock in the morning or if you're podcasting us later . Thank you for subscribing to the show Coming up .
In this segment of the show we're going to continue briefly talking about the Eldorado Resorts . There is an all-inclusive option We'll get to that here in just a second and we also have the cruise news of the week and , of course , in this segment we always have the cruise deal of the week .
Mark , during the break you were trying to get all of the information you could about the Alaska cruises and it is getting a little late . If you want to go to Alaska this summer , you really need to get on it at this point .
Yes , you do . Alaska is always popular and it's been more popular this year than ever .
We cannot oversell or undersell how great Alaska is really . In the first segment , the hot travel deal of the week , we were talking about El Dorado Resorts there's an all-inclusive option . That's new .
They've always been all-inclusive , but they've changed their concept to more inclusive . So what the more inclusive includes is transfers from the airport , transfers to their beach activity center and transfers back to the airport , and it also includes activities .
So it includes Aquanick , which is something that the owners own , so the largest water park in the Riviera Maya area , which also includes drinks and food at the kiosk . It includes their Marmora Beach activity park . What's that you say ? Marmora ? Marmora Beach , okay , which is one of the top 10 beaches in the world and probably the best beach in Mexico .
So they have an activity center there that includes a whole bunch of things , and a lot of that is included in their more inclusive option . And then it also includes their eco tourism ranch , so they have a ranch that has just some different activities horseback riding , different things , like that which is included in your stays at any of the Eldorado hotels .
Let's get to some of the cruise news of the week . Regent is going to set sail in January 2027 on a world cruise on the Seven Seas Splendor . The 746 passenger Splendor will depart Miami January 11 , 2027 . It's a 140-night voyage and Regent is calling the voyage the most expensive world cruise .
Fares start at a paltry $91,499 per guest and if you want to really upgrade the experience , veranda suites are priced at $840,000 per guest . And if you want to really upgrade the experience , veranda suites are priced at $840,000 per guest . And you're going to set your calendars because they're going to go on sale on April 10th .
I've sold on them to Alaska . Amazing food , amazing experience , attention to detail . They are very , very high end . That cruise will probably sell out in a matter of weeks even at those prices . Wow .
Let's get to the cruise deal of the week , which is we're going to Alaska . And where do you want to start here ? Which cruise line ?
Yeah well , we're going to talk about two different Alaska experiences . So we've talked about the different types of Alaska cruises , where you can do northbound , southbound , round trip , Seattle or cruise tours . So we're going to talk about that and that's in a category I would call ocean cruising . And then we're going to talk about adventure experience cruising .
We'll give prices on the two different ways to do Alaska . Okay , ocean cruising and then adventure Adventure .
Ooh man .
Or experience experiential cruising .
I think I'd be okay with either , but I'd probably go experience .
Experiences on this and they are two different experiences , both a great way to see Alaska . So first we'll pull out an ocean cruise , and this is on the cruise lines that most people know Holland America , Princess , Norwegian , Royal Caribbean . So that would be ocean cruising Larger ships , 2,000 plus passengers .
This is a southbound cruise , so it goes from Whittier , which is in the Anchorage area , to Vancouver , north to south , starts at $364 per person plus taxes and fees , and a balcony cabin starts at $15.99 per person plus taxes and fees yeah , Unless it's just purely a financial move .
Get a balcony , especially for Alaska .
Especially for Alaska . Yeah , so that'll be our ocean going cruise . On that , we have some sound effects in the background .
I don't know if anyone can hear that it's my grandson , Casey .
That is a great way to see Alaska . On that , and , like you said , the balcony is the way to go , but that inside price that's $52 per person per day .
That's so good .
And that is June 2nd departure .
Okay , so coming up here in , let's see , April May , about what ? A little over 60 days , yeah .
About 65 days .
Yeah , all right , totally worth it . Anyone listening , I promise you , as soon as you get to Alaska , you're going to go . Yeah , okay , I'm glad we did this . Yes , it's one of those things , yeah .
So now let's go to the adventure experience cruising . This I want to hear . So this is on a cruise line called UnCruise , and it's UnCruise because they say they're not cruises . I mean , they don't operate like those big cruise ships . Their ships hold about 90 people , so they're small .
They're very small . They don't operate like those big cruise ships .
Their ships hold about 90 people . So they're small . They're very small , all right . They go round , trip Juno . So you have to get to Juno , all right . And they don't cover near the distance and that the big cruise lines do .
That's okay .
You know one of their selling points . A lot of cruise lines use the term inside passage . They sell that all at night or they don't do it at all , but they still call it an inside passage . On UnCruise you can experience the inside passage . You know . Last week we talked about that unique Holland America that stopped by one of the First Nation villages .
Yes , that's in the inside passage , usually a skip .
Yeah , you just go by it during the night and you never know .
Yeah , and so this , this UnCruise , is a great way to see Alaska . They take a deep dive , like , for instance , here . They're in glacier bay for two days , okay that is worth it .
Yeah , at least I think it would be .
We sailed in for about six hours yeah you're in and out two big ships at a time . But these smaller ships have a lot more leeway where they can go , what they can do and where they can stop .
Big ships can't stop anywhere so two days in glacier , wow , that alone is worth it , yeah and so they really take a deep dive into Alaska .
They have several different itineraries . This one that we're doing is called the Northern Passage with Glacier Bay and Sitka is the name of it , and it starts at about $4,700 per person .
Once you take that southbound that we did , and you add in all the taxes , add in all of your experiences , the extra food , drinks , all of that , this is still more , but it's not that far off of what you'd be paying for the balcony cabin on a big cruise ship , that's true . So it's just a way to get a really in-depth experience in Alaska .
I'm glad that they spend a couple days in Glacier Bay . That is special . That is truly a moving experience .
It is Another way to do Alaska and I think it's great .
If you've always wanted to book Alaska , if you've always wanted to go , quit thinking about it , Just do it . You never know what life is going to throw at you and I realize that I sound like the philosophical Homer right now . Quit putting stuff off . Live your life intentionally and deliberately .
Go have fun with your family , friend , whoever it is , Just go Quit talking about it . I guess I shouldn't be chastising the listeners . You call Mark . Call Mark Really . Call him during the break or during the week 888-718-7717 . 888-718-7717 . 888-718-7717 . When we come back , segment three we've got the destination spotlight .
We've got some additional travel news that you need to be aware of and coming up . We've also got Mark's travel tips that is coming up when the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show continues . My name is Patrick Wiscombe . His name is Mark Faldmo . We will be right back . Thanks for listening .
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 . 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 .
Inside Travel Talk is brought to you by Ama Waterways . From castles and capitals to vistas and villages , visit some of Europe's most remarkable sites and cities . The award-winning and family-owned river cruise line Ammo Waterways offers a wide variety of unforgettable itineraries along Europe's iconic rivers , perfectly suited to every traveler's interests .
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¶ Cruise News and Travel Updates
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The Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show presented by blueplanetvacation s . com contains travel deals , promotions and offers that may be time sensitive . All offers and information were accurate when the show aired . May be time sensitive . All offers and information were accurate when the show aired .
Travel deals and offers change constantly and are capacity controlled and subject to change without notice .
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 back to the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show . Alongside Mark Faldmo , my name is Patrick Wiscombe . Thank you for allowing us to be part of your Saturday morning . 10 am is when we're on the air and if you're podcasting us later , thank you for subscribing to the show . First and foremost , we have got a deal .
So if you're receiving this on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday , we've got a Viking cruise deal that literally ends at midnight March 31st . We'll get to that here in just a second . That's a good deal it is , and it ends tomorrow at midnight eastern , we just found out about it right now .
Yeah just when looking through one of these news stories to try and fill it in with the deal .
So yeah , yeah , we'll get to that here in just a second . But uh , some additional travel news of the week . So mark and I are headed on a ship . I told mark that I need to go on another cruise between now and when we actually go to the Bahamas in may 19th through the 26th . Do we still have room available ?
for that okay all right , we'll get to the details here in just a second . Mark and I are going on the MSC Maravia May 19th through the 26th . I forgot what the price is . It was very reasonable .
It was very good Call for a price . I don't have it in front of me .
Yeah , call them 888-718 7717 . Margaritaville at sea . That is the company and the ship . Is that the name of the ship ? That's the name of the company . Okay , Margaritaville at Sea , which is not related to Jimmy Buffett , because I don't think it is .
It's his corporation . It is under the Margaritaville brand . Yeah , I did not know that it's his corporation . Oh , is it really ? It is under the Margaritaville brand .
Yeah , I did not know that . Okay , I stand corrected . Margaritaville at sea will operate longer cruises starting in 2025 . So next year ? Right now , I think they just offer two and three night cruises , is that correct ? Okay , all right . Four and five night cruises will visit Key West , Cozumel and Progresso .
Progresso , yeah , the ship will offer six and seven night cruises starting in 2025 and will call on Belize , Jamaica , grand Cayman , key West , costa Maya which is one of your favorite places and Cozumel and Cozumel , yeah . So when are we going ? Was it May ? No , no , no , no , that was April .
Going in like three weeks . Yeah , Okay On this . So and we're just doing the two night one , so that will be fun to do .
But you know , Margaritaville is a relatively new cruise brand out there and they took over from what was called Bahama Paradise Cruises , which basically operated like a ferry from West Palm Beach to Grand Island or something yeah To Freeport . Freeport , yeah , in the Bahamas , and so now they're . I think they're offering a pretty exciting offering .
So you have these two and three nights that they've typically done , but they also have something where you can cruise and then stay a few days in Bahamas and then get back on the cruise and sail back and kind of do a cruise on land , and now they're offering these longer cruises . Progreso is the port that's closest to Chichen Itza in .
Mexico , so you can go to Chichen Itza on that . It's just right at that kind of northern tip of the Yucatan peninsula . And then these longer cruises , Belize , again one of my favorite ports . Maybe next week we can talk a little bit about Belize because there's some great activities to do there .
And then Jamaica , Grand Cayman, key West, Costa Maya , which I think we talked about last week or maybe the week before yeah , and then Cozumel as well . Awesome . So lots of new stuff coming from Margaritaville At sea . They sail on older ships . So you know their main ship that they have right now does not have balconies or many balconies .
There are some that they've converted to balconies , but it is the older ship , you mid-90s type cruise ship , that you're getting on . You're sailing to the Bahamas , which is literally two and a half hours away from the port . Yeah it's not that far , yeah .
So I'll be interested to experience that because , as we've talked about with Margaritaville's On Land , I love that experience . I think they've done a great job capturing that kind of essence of Jimmy Buffett and kind of laid back luxury is what they call their all inclusive , so Royal .
Caribbean has canceled two brilliance of the sea cruises out of Sydney , Australia , because of technical issues impacting the ship . Guests who booked and who might be listening right now on the March 30th cruise will receive a full refund , which is completely understandable . But Royal Caribbean see , this is when a bad experience goes . Okay , we get our money back .
But they're also going to give a 50% cruise credit toward any future sailing departing within one year , which is a great business move . The ship will reposition to Honolulu on April 12th before sailing to Vancouver in May to sail the Alaska itineraries . So good news .
I guess Cruise lines . In their terms of service it does say things like this happen and so itineraries can be changed or canceled . But when they do , generally they try and make it right and they work hard to do that .
Yep Viking will bring winter sailings to the Danube starting in 2025 . You were excited about this one . The new itinerary will start in January 2025 and will continue during the months of February and March of 2025 . And will continue during the months of February and March of 2025 .
The 10-day Treasures of the Danube will operate between Budapest , Budapest , Passau , Germany , with overnights in Budapest , Vienna and Passau , which is awesome .
I think that's great . Cruise lines typically end their season after doing the Christmas markets in December and then they start back up in March , April and you know kind of do the tulip time and things like that .
I think it's great that Viking is basically going to be sailing year round now although on a much , not as many , departures , but there will be an option for people to visit these places . You know , Budapest , amazing , Vienna , Vienna , beautiful , pass out have you been ? there . I've been to all of these places . Wow and I .
You love the Danube , I love the Danube . Budapest is probably one of my favorite places we uh highlighted that .
When was that about ?
I think , two weeks ago , maybe three weeks ago okay , which leads into our destination spotlight .
We literally found this during the commercial break and it literally ends tomorrow , Sunday March 31st , at midnight Eastern . So if you want to do it , call Mark right now . Obviously , you'll go to his voicemail and he'll have to call you back , since we're on the air right now . But call him , book it .
You've got to get it done before midnight Eastern on Sunday , march 31st . Let me just give out the number 888-718-7717 , 888-718-7717 . And let's share the offer .
And so this is free international airfare for select sailings departing from select US cities . So it's for the longer sailings , like Grand European Tour , which is a 14-day tour , some of their longer sailings but then it also includes a $25 deposit , so you can put it on hold for $25 per person .
So that's , more than reasonable .
That's a great option and again , I think river cruising is the best way to see Europe .
Man , that just sounds fantastic . I'm excited to go . Do that . Call Mark to book the vacation . 888-718-7717 . 888-718-7717 . Segment four , the last segment of the show , is coming up . We've got Mark's travel tips . We want to talk about seven crafty cruise port tricks . Man say that a few times . Seven crafty cruise port tricks .
Do not , do not , do not fall for these . We'll detail that next . Plus , we'll wrap up the travel news of the week that is next . Thank you so much for sticking around for the show . Thank you so much for listening and allowing us to be part of your Saturday . We will be right back . My name is Patrick Wiscombe . He's Mark Faldmo . Thank you for listening .
We'll be right back . My name is Patrick Wiscombe . He's Mark Faldmo . Thank you for listening . We'll be right back .
They've literally traveled millions of miles to answer your travel-related questions . Yeah , they really have . You're listening to the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show presented by BluePlanetVacations . com . America's best travel advisors , Patrick and Mark , will be back after these messages .
This segment of Inside Travel Talk is sponsored by Star Clippers . Imagine yourself on the deck of a timelessly elegant clipper ship a warm breeze blowing softly , as the captain and his crew unfurl the sails above you . You begin to tingle from head to toe as you sail into the sunset to tomorrow's next hidden cove .
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¶ Travel Tips and Scams to Avoid
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They'll help you plan and book your next vacation . Yeah , really , you're listening to the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show Presented by BluePlanetVacations . com , America's best travel advisors . Call or text the show now 801-649-3700 . 801-649-3700 . And now here's Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo .
Final segment of this week's Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show . Alongside Mark Faldmo , my name is Patrick Wiscombe , mark . This is the final segment of the show and we've got quite a bit of stuff we still need to get to segment of the show and we've got quite a bit of stuff we still need to get to .
So , uh , let's cruise , no pun intended , through the uh , last segment . Carnival cruise line has announced that it had moved carnival legends Baltimore operations to Norfolk , Virginia , following the collapse of the key bridge .
When carnival legend returns from its current voyage tomorrow , Sunday March 31st , the Vessel will dock in Virginia and passengers will be provided complimentary bus service back to Baltimore . Such a terrible , terrible tragedy , especially those who passed away . Have you seen the footage of that ? Not the freight ship , the container .
The freight ship , the container yeah , the container ship . That was just weird . I mean , they just drove right into that thing .
Yeah , lost power . I think is interesting , because I've always been told that all ships need to have a battery that has at least five or ten minutes of reserve power in case they lose power . So oh really , so I don't know and I'm not an expert .
I I did not stay the holiday in last night so I don't know how how that works , but I've been told that before that they need reserve power . But you know that not only affects the , the cruise lines , but all of the shipping in and out of that really busy port .
So it's a big deal that bridge came down with such ease . It was kind of creepy .
I've actually been on a cruise ship that's lost all power , oh dear . And so I was laying in bed and all of a sudden you hear and then , the lights flicker and everything goes dark . It was in the middle of the night it was off of in between Denmark and Sweden . And it's dark in the sea . Yeah , and what had happened is they got a bad batch of fuel .
That was one of the things that was discussed that it may have been bad fuel . I've never heard that before .
Yeah , and so on ours . It took them about 45 minutes to switch over to the other tank and pump and clear things out and then we got going . But it was interesting because it was in Europe . Yeah , all these different nationalities . I went out to the atrium and everyone's yelling in seven different languages . It was quite the mess .
But Royal Caribbean is introducing a new beach club destination in Cozumel , Mexico . It's set to open in 2026 , but they're also building another beach club in the Bahamas in 2025 .
These beach clubs are becoming more popular . We've talked about the private islands . Every cruise line has a private island , private destination they go to . These beach clubs are more in a destination like Nassau or Cozumel where you can still go out and experience things , but then also have a nice beach club right there to go .
experience , yeah , and it's only experience yeah , and it's only for those um people who are on the ship , on the cruise ship yeah , so which we're doing may 19th through the 26th , you and I are going to uh the Bahamas with our wives , and MSC has their own private island . They do , which I'm really excited to experience and I would for whatever reason .
I always think of an island , as you know . Just this little piece of sand that's 12 inches wide . This thing is massive .
It is . I'm excited to go .
It will be very interesting to experience we still have availability on that and they can call you if our listeners want to come with us , if they want to go .
Okay 888-718-7717 .
Let's get to the seven crafty cruise tricks . Do not fall for these . And let's go over the first one , which I think has to do with taxi rides .
This is geared towards cruisers , but this is also good advice for anywhere in the world . All of these happen all the time , especially to tourists . Tourists are a good target for scammers . Always set your fare with the driver before you get in . Yeah , don't do it in the middle of the ride .
Don't do it in the middle or when you get out , or you'll be surprised . Oh yeah , a common trick that taxi drivers will use is they'll give you this is the rate , $10 . And then you'll get there and they'll say oh , I told you $10 , but that was per person , so now you owe me 20 .
So make sure you set it for the whole party and to where you're going , and then make sure you have bills to cover that Not too large of a bill , because they will always say they don't have change and then you're stuck paying them a lot more .
What was the other trick that they try and pull taxi ?
drivers . A lot of times people will say can you take me to the beach and then come pick me up at this time ? Yeah , and I'll say yes , and they'll have you pay for that return trip up front . Never pay for the return trip up front . Tell them you'll pay for when they take you there and then you'll pay when they take you back .
Yeah , because otherwise they won't return . Yep , see you later . Say goodbye to your money right there , yeah .
A common thing for a lot of people to do is to just hire a taxi to take them sightseeing . You know they don't want to take the excursions the ship offers . Taxi drivers are really good at this . I've actually been on some very good tours by taxi drivers .
Oh , you have but do some research and know where you want to go , meaning you choose the destination , you choose the destinations and how long you want to go there .
Otherwise , they're going to take you to their brother's shop , to their sister's shop , everywhere where they get a kickback , and you're going to spend most of your time shopping and not actually doing the sightseeing that you want to do .
So make sure you detail what you want to do , what you want to see , and if you don't want to shop , you need to tell them up front I don't want to shop . And the next one is fake ticket scams . Okay , what is that ?
There are some places that you need to buy tickets to in advance and some taxi drivers will say oh , I know someone , I have an in , I can get you a ticket .
Oh boy .
You'll pay them for the ticket . They'll drop you off . It looks like a legitimate ticket , but when you get there they'll say it's a fake ticket , oh boy . So only buy tickets from legitimate sources , don't buy them from a taxi driver . Then the next one this is one that really bugs me is don't take the free gifts .
You know a lot of vendors will come up and say it's free , it's free , it's free Because then they just keep hounding you for more and more , and a lot of times it's part of a pickpocket scam where they're watching where money comes from , how you act , and they will pickpocket you to do that and then also , along those lines of pickpocketing , keep your small
bills and coins that you're going to use for street vendors and stuff in a separate area from your main money , because those pickpockets watch tourists where their money comes from . Yeah , you're being watched , and then they will get pickpocketed for a few dollars . That's probably fine . You don't want to be , but you don't want everything taken .
You had an interesting story that actually happened to you .
A common thing is someone will spill ice cream , gelato , a drink or something on you . If anyone spills something on you , do not let them help you , because it's a pickpocket scam .
Oh my goodness , because the one thing that pickpocket needs is touch to distract you oh yeah , and so my thing was I was at the Arc De Triomphe in Paris and a guy came up and said hey , you're American , do you know judo ? Like that's a strange thing to ask . And then he was doing these judo moves on me and all of my pockets were emptied .
Luckily it was just a map of the Paris subway system , so I had a hard time getting back to my hotel . But that's pick pocketers need is , a lot of times , that slight distraction in all of my life I have never hey .
do you know judo ? Yeah , I'm sorry that happened , but that's kind of funny .
It was funny , yeah , and you know . Another common thing is you'll go , we'll say the Colosseum in Rome . There are lots of people dressed as Roman soldiers to go take your picture with them . Don't take your picture with them . A lot of times they are pickpocket scams as well , or pick pocketers are watching the people with that .
Um , if you do want to do that , set your price with the person beforehand , because a lot of times you'll try and give them five dollars or whatever and they say , no , it's 10 , 15 , 20 , oh man , and then you'll have a miserable situation there .
You know that they won't let you go , yeah , and then never give your phone to someone to take a picture and unlock it .
Or if someone comes and says you can't , you took my picture , you can't , and they want you to unlock your phone , to see that what they're trying to do is get you to unlock your phone and then they're going to grab it and run away with your unlocked phone and get all of your stuff , which is quite popular , it happens a lot more than you would think having
you articulate it like that is justification for me just going .
No , no , thank you for asking .
Just get away , buzz off and then , well , there's kind of two things that we'll do . If you're buying something and they're going to take it in the back to wrap it up for you , make sure you check up before you come back .
I've heard stories of where people will have an expensive handbag and they'll take it back to wrap it up and then when they get back to the Shepard or their hotel it is a totally different product and then they're out of luck .
And then they can't come back because the cruise ship is going to take off , yeah .
And then the last thing is know the exchange rate . Well , how would you know that ? There are apps ? There's one called XE Currency Converter where you can just quickly put that in so you know about what you should pay . It won't always equal that because there's some different fees and stuff , but you'll know about what you'll pay .
There's been vendors that say , yeah , it comes out to about 200 US dollars and then when you get back , if you're not savvy and don't know the exchange rate people had five $600 charges- when they thought it was $200 . So know the exchange rate .
Next time I see you next week I'm going to ask if you know judo . Okay , Do you know judo ? Yeah , that is honestly that's . I'm not making fun of your pain , but that is one of the funniest things I've ever heard . I'm just glad they only got your map . Yeah , that could have been really bad .
I always wear a money belt . I wear a money necklace thing .
Oh do you . That is under your clothes , where they can't get to credit cards or cash , if you want a picture of . Mark when he goes on vacation . I'm just kidding . Thank you so much for allowing us to be part of your Saturday . Thank you so much for allowing us to be part of your Saturday .
You have been listening to the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show . Alongside Mark Faldmo , the judo master , I am Patrick Wiscombe . Thank you for subscribing to the podcast . If you have not , may I ask you to subscribe and leave us a four or five star review so we can continue getting traction with all of the podcast outlets . Have a terrific week .
We'll talk to you next Saturday . Oh and by the way , a reminder remember the offer . The Viking cruise offer ends tomorrow , Sunday , march 31st , midnight Eastern . If you want to take advantage of that offer or any of the offers , but specifically the Viking offer 888-718-7717 . 888-718-7717 . We are gone . We will talk to you next Saturday .
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 BluePlanetVacations . com . Book your adventure right now . Call 888-718-7717 . That's 888-718-7717 .
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