¶ Cook Islands 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 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 .
It is time for another episode of 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 Saturday , especially since we get to talk travel . Mark , it's good to see you . Good to be here . Got a good show planned ? We do .
Let me tell listeners what to expect here in this opening segment , not even later in the show , we're going to be talking about kayaking in Death Valley National Park , not one of the places that you typically associate kayaking . Are you an eclipse guy ?
I am . I think it's an interesting phenomenon to experience .
Yeah , we'll talk about the eclipse coming up here on April 8 . It's one thing to see it from the ground , but it's quite another to see it in the air . We'll detail that here . In just a second We'll tell you which airlines are increasing the cost of their baggage fees . Segment number one you can count on it Like clockwork .
We've got the hot travel deal of the week and we're going kind of exotic . You found a killer deal to the Cook Islands . If you don't know where the Cook Islands are , that's all right . So those are the stories that we'll talk about here in this first segment . But let's start in Death Valley .
When I think of great kayaking , I don't think of Death Valley National Park .
When I think of anything water related , I don't think of Death Valley .
Have you ever been there ?
I've not .
You can now kayak in Death Valley National Park . Why , you ask ? Well , because of the recent rains here in the Southwest , there's so much water that's come down . I think in LA it was like over 12 inches just in the month of February alone . They're still getting pounded . Right now they are .
There's so much water at the park that you can have kayak in the temporary lake that is formed in the saltwater basin .
That's amazing , that is . A dry lake bed been dry for however long , now has water in it .
My son Nathan and his wife Kenzie . They were in Death Valley not really too long ago and there was water there and they had some pretty amazing pictures with the water . Delta Airlines is giving flyers the opportunity to see the April 8th solar eclipse from 30,000 feet in the air with a new flight from Austin , Texas , to Detroit , Michigan .
Delta Flight 1218 leaves at 12:15 Central Time , so Dallas time , and lands in Detroit at 4.20 PM local time . Is Detroit Eastern ? I think they're Eastern . Yeah , I think you're right . Which means the plane will be in the air in the eclipse's path , specifically during the viewable minutes of the eclipse . By the way , it's only like four and a half minutes .
I remember the last eclipse and it was like someone flipped a light switch .
Yeah , it was kind of weird .
It was very interesting . Yeah , like a slow dimming light switch .
Yes , the plane has extra large windows , so even if travelers are not able to get a seat on flight 1218 out of Austin , several other Delta flights operating around the same time will give them an opportunity to see the eclipse from the air . And I think you had some details on what those flights were .
Yeah , those other flights are Los Angeles to Dallas , fort Worth , the flight that leaves at 8:40 in the morning , and then also another flight that leaves to San Antonio at about the same time from Los Angeles . And there are two flights out of Salt Lake City , flight to Austin and the flight to San Antonio .
But both all four of those are in the air during the eclipse time and go right through the path of the eclipse .
What an interesting place to observe the eclipse , though .
It is . Yeah , it would be interesting Again . Like I was saying earlier , that's why I always book a window seat in case there's an unplanned eclipse , so you can see it .
Yeah , but it feels like Delta is really leaning into this going . Hey , we have special seats available , and it wouldn't surprise me if they announced multiple flights .
Yes , Just to go . Hey , come see it from the air . No other airlines done it , and it's a good way to get their name in the press . Yeah , actually , so it's a , I think , a great marketing tactic actually to get their name out there .
American Airlines has announced that the cost of checking a bag for domestic flights is increasing to $35 if you purchase it online , or $40 , if purchased at the airport at the counter . A second bag is going to be $45 , regardless of whether it's purchased online or at the counter .
So American Airlines has at it again . They were the first airline to add baggage fees . That was years ago . That was years ago . The American always seems to be the airline that does unfriendly customer actions . They have lots of little things like this that help their business but aren't really customer focused , or customer friendly is how I would put it .
If you had to rank size of airlines and I'm just talking about here in the US , who is the biggest ? Is ?
I believe Delta is the number one , then United , then American .
OK , it's my perception that American Airlines seems to be fading a little bit . They're not out there like they used to be , typically they have older airplanes .
Although they have announced revamp of their fleet , they've made some pretty big airplane purchases . American used to be number one in hospitality customer service . I mean , this is probably 20 years ago and since then they've just faded , and a lot of it actually started when they started these types of fees .
The bad thing is , once one airline does it , most airlines are going to follow . They let the first airline take the bullets , yes , and then everyone else will eventually come around .
The one thing that's interesting about this is American is kind of operating this like the budget carriers or if you do it online you get a slight discount , then if you do it at the airport , oh really yeah .
That's one reason why , even though I'm a pretty loyal Delta frequent flyer almost a 3 million miler with Delta whenever I can I try and support Southwest . has no baggage fees . They've always resisted baggage fees , which I admire that they've kept out as part of one of their core business propositions .
I guess one part of this story that's also a positive is overweight bags . They used to charge 100 to 200 depending on the weight . Now they're giving you three extra pounds . So if your bag is between 50 and 53 , they'll only charge you $30 instead of $100 . Oh , really but 54 and above goes back up to that 100 to $200 depending on weight and size .
So you're either in the window or you're not . Yes , delta Airlines announced a new nonstop route from Salt Lake City to Honolulu . This is just breaking a little bit earlier this week . The new seasonal route takes effect November 6th 2024 , and will continue until March 29th of each year , so this is basically a seasonal route that means during the peak season .
Salt Lake City , where we're from , is going to have three non-stops to Honolulu now , two on Delta and one on Hawaiian Airlines . I think Delta kind of did this in hopes to squeeze Hawaiian Airlines out of the market , out of Salt Lake , out of Salt Lake .
I do hope that Hawaiian Airlines can weather that storm and that pressure , because that Hawaiian Airlines flight makes it easier to fly to Hawaii , for one thing , and also makes a lot of the South Pacific more accessible . Hawaiian Airlines flies to the Cook Islands , which we're going to talk about in just a minute , to American Samoa .
They also fly to Japan , australia , new Zealand , lots of other places in the South Pacific . So it opens up that whole region to us here in Salt Lake and with only one connection . You just fly Salt Lake to Honolulu and then you go on your way to those other places .
For instance , to get to Cook Islands before you would probably have to go Salt Lake to LA and then LA to either Fiji or Sydney or Auckland and then fly back to the Cook Islands .
I'm going to go Geography 101 . No , I'm not going 101 . I'm going to go Remedial . I don't even know where . The Cook Islands are .
Where are they ? The Cook Islands are about 3,000 miles , almost straight south of Hawaii . Oh wait , they're that far south . They are , yeah , Salt Lake to Honolulu is about 3,000 miles , Salt Lake to the Cook Islands another 3,000 miles roughly . So it's about halfway , About halfway yeah , you are pro-Hawaiian Airlines .
In fact , you said in an earlier show that Hawaiian Islands is your favorite airline . And , by the way , if memory serves , I think , alaska Airlines . Just either they're merging or they just got bought out by Alaska Airlines .
Yeah , alaska Airlines purchased Hawaiian and that's still going through the regulatory process . But hopefully that goes through and then that again opens up a lot more of Hawaii to a lot more destinations .
All right . What's the hot travel deal of the week ? We've got about two minutes left .
Well , we're going to go to the Cook Islands . We're going to use that flight on Hawaiian Airlines , so this is interesting . They only fly once a week to the Cook Islands , so it ends up being an eight night package in the Cook Islands , which is a little bit longer than what we've talked about before . Yeah , normally they're five .
Yeah , normally five nights , but this is eight nights . I just looked and this price is good pretty much any Sunday in September of 2024 . So it includes airfare and eight nights hotel at the Pacific Resort in Rarotonga , Cook Islands , and that's a four stars . The price starts at $21 89 per person from Salt Lake City or $1,929 from Los Angeles .
So if you can get to LA , take that option . Yeah , but it's really not that much more .
It's not you probably can't get to LA for that difference . Yeah okay , yeah , that's about $150 , a little bit less than that . Yeah , again , radio math , don't quote me on radio math and that particular hotel is offering fifth night free , free breakfast and a $50 food and beverage credit .
Let's recap the price again . So $21 89 per person from Salt Lake City to Rarotonga and $1,929 per person from Los Angeles and where they staying in .
and that's at the four star Pacific Resort Now , which is right on the beach . You know Cook Islands is nice because it's kind of uncrowded Polynesia , you know , kind of really laid back and you like that Well .
I'd like that too .
I've just never been there .
Yeah , is this on our to-do list with our wives ? This should be . We'll take a break here when we come back . We've got our just cruising segment always in segment number two , gonna be talking about star clippers . We'll also be talking about American Queen voyages not good news on that particular front .
That is next when the inside travel talk podcast and radio show continues . Thank you so much for allowing us to be part of your Saturday . We will be right back .
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 .
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¶ Cruising News and Star Clippers Sales
Now back to the inside travel talk podcast and radio show presented by blue planet vacations . 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 inside travel talk . com . Here's Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo .
Welcome back to the inside travel talk podcast and radio show . My name is Patrick Wiscombe . Mark Faldmo sits to my right and as you're running back into the studio , we'll do this next segment . How about , if we do that ? I just received .
We just received a text at the number 801 649 3700 is how you get a hold of the show not only on the weekends , on Saturday , but Throughout the week . If you have travel related questions , those calls go directly to mark this particular listeners .
They wanted to get more information about the Cook Islands that they said that it's always been a destination that they've been Interested in . We'll address that in the next segment . You okay with that ? That sounds great coming up in this segment . Though segment two of the show is always , always , always the just cruising segment .
It is nothing but cruising news , nothing but deals about cruising . But let's get to the cruising news of the week River cruise line , American Queen Voyages , not to be mistaken with what was the other American cruise line , all right , so this one's , American Queen voyages has shut down , canceling all future cruises and instructing future guests to apply for refunds .
If any of our listeners have upcoming sailings not necessarily booked through us , but any upcoming sailings . Guests are now instructed to request a refund online by filling out a claim form , which is kind of sad that they're going out of business .
American Queen has two grand paddle-wield ships that do the Mississippi . This particular company , American Queen voyages , is not associated with the American cruise line who also does the Mississippi , and they have some paddle-wielders as well . We've talked about American Cruise Line before .
They have the ocean cats , the kind of smaller , that kind of , do coastal cruises on the west coast or on the east coast of the US . So you know they are a different cruise line , so don't confuse the two .
That's why I was like wait , isn't there another company ?
That's why I want to make that clear very similar names and they sell to very similar destinations . Star clippers , which is one of your most Favorite cruise lines .
Star Clippers comm is the the web address . Unfortunately , this is a deal that I can't take star clippers which , by the way , we're gonna talk with Beth Lindsley L Wood with Star Clippers .
Just a short time before we came on the air , we were talking about star clippers and we were talking specifically about you and your experience , so let's get to that here in just a second . Star clippers , unveils , grandkids sale free and Grandparents get 10% off .
You'll often see Discounts for kids , you know , but now they're taking that further with grandparents get 10% off , and I think star cruises is a great experience for young children . You know a sailing vessel every time they raise the sales . It's an experience .
You can climb up to the crow's nest and experience that and you get to stop at Smaller islands that big cruise ships can't get into so you get a much more unique and individualized experience on star clippers .
Let me Introduce to our listeners Beth Linsley L Wood with star clippers . Thank you so much for coming on the show . How are you ? I've been really excited to talk to you . Love that . Marcus brought this up to me a few times that when he sailed on star clippers he could not say enough good things about his experience .
Nothing gladdened my heart more , patrick and I don't know if I shared this with you , but nothing gladdened my heart more than when Mark sailed with us and I found out that he through my boss , terry , that he was loving it so much and that he was posting while he was on board , he was posting on social media , etc . You know , I was just like yes .
How did you get started with star clippers ? I ?
Signed with the company and never stepped on board the ship . They put me on board the ship eight weeks later and about the second or third day on board I stopped myself and I was thinking I've got to figure out why I love this so much .
And I was thunderstruck when I realized that I was relaxed and I have never relaxed , even on personal vacations or whatever .
So when people say , oh yeah , I'm relaxing , have a good time , they don't know it until they really get on board , understand what no lines , no crowds , very few decisions , all those stress points of a typical vacation literally just peel away . It's astounding .
You met Nikki , my wife right .
I did , you did Okay .
I thought you did . We were literally just talking about this . It's our 30 Wedding anniversary .
Patrick , you should know that 32nd wedding anniversary .
I said , love , we have to go do this . And I showed her the website . She goes oh , that is different . I said , yeah , that's why we're gonna go do it . I am gonna book it mark Okay when would you book and when would you sail ?
Well , putting in perspective , we are open for sale through October of 2025 , which includes the entire Mediterranean season , and if you don't jump on it now , you're not gonna get the ship , the sale date and the cabin category and the availability that you want , because as soon as our bro's new brochure comes out , give us another week or two , maybe three , max
Spuff will start flying off the shelf , but Roy will always sell first and her deluxe accommodations will always sell first , so there's stuff that's already moved on . Some of the best sale dates , right , is the Royal the ship . The Royal Clipper is the the okay , flagship of the fleet , okay , okay . But back to your original question .
I Always say travel when you want to travel . I say go when you want to go and are able to go , because there's different parts of the season and don't try to outguess the weather . So I really do mean that the seasonality , though , is such that more people are starting to book shoulder season , tending to a for the crowds and or B , perhaps not as hot .
When we launch the new brochure , and another One to three weeks , wherever that is , we're also gonna open for sale through March of 26 , oh , wow . So not only do we have December 24 through March of 25 open . We're gonna be opening December 25 through March of 26 and , as Beyonce would say , if you see it , you like it , put the ring on it .
Okay , yep , that's the response that I wanted , but if they people get it when I say that and I really , really mean that , because two ships , only a baby , three Staterooms and one ship has 114 and we have a lot of repeat guests that know that .
What is your favorite thing about Star Clippers ? Like the first thing that comes to mind .
Family . I step on board . They know me , they are my family . I feel like I'm home . There's nothing odd or anything that I feel . You know . It's like I'm here , I'm home , this is where I want to be . My husband felt that way . He sailed the first time with me in October of 22 , and that was the multi-coast in Sicily . Yeah .
So it really connects with people .
I went on board knowing very , very , very little . You know , I knew when to show up , but I just knew I had cruised before . I know how to get myself to the port , I know how to open a house account , I know cruising . What I didn't know was experience of sailing and just feeling .
And again , that's why I had to stop myself second or third day in , because people are easy to get to know and to talk to . There are no lines , crowds , the stress points are gone .
It is the coolest feeling to be out on deck , whether you're there with others and you're in your own little world , or you're out early in the morning , for example , where you're essentially alone and the sails are flapping , whether it's one sail , three sails , four sails , whatever , and the serenity that surrounds you between the sky and the sea and just being
there is phenomenal . And I don't know how else to say it , patrick , except that I did not know I needed sails , sails . Everybody needs sails . Wow , it's very , very freeing . And that's again , it's very part and parcel to the casual , relaxed atmosphere we have on board , which is exactly what people appreciate . We're not out there hawking anything .
If you want a cocktail , if you want a mocktail . Just go to the tropical bar . There's nobody on deck that's going to come around , but we do announce what's maybe midday from the captain or if something really exciting is going on . The cruise director will get on . We're essentially announcement free . Unbeknownst to me , dinner , I knew , was from 7.30 to 10 .
And I was by myself and it was the very first night on board and I thought I'm just not going to be one of those people that shows up exactly at 7.30 . I'll just come down . A little before eight o'clock the entire dining room was already filled . It was astounding to me and what I learned was the dining rooms hold the entire complement of the ship .
People come in after having an amazing day , whether it's first day on board or whether it's into the sailing , where you've been at the beach or you've been on a short excursion , or you've been out doing your own thing and port , there's no one rushing you . It's a great meal . We have Michelin train chefs and people relax and they regale their day .
And what I found out on that sailing 50% of our guests were repeat . So med is our most popular and that's why all three ships are there for a very , very long season is it's certainly the most popular for us . And then we move the ships according to the weather .
When you say med , you mean Mediterranean , mediterranean .
People are lovely . It's like minded people that are curious , people that want to see the world . It's people that don't want the crowds , they don't even know we're out there .
So that's why we work extra hard in terms of introducing the brand , so they know and understand that there's a different journey out there than what you see in all the ads , which is generally big ship .
But so many cruisers move from , you know , when their first cruise experience was generally on a broad market brand through the years into a smaller ship experience , whether it's all inclusive , six star , six star plus or whether it's a premium brand like ourselves . But they come to learn and understand . You know what . I don't need all the bells and whistles .
I don't need to be entertained 24 , seven . I want to do and have and whatever . So we're not inclusive on purpose and that means if you want a short excursion , purchase it on board . If you want a spot treatment or massage , you sign up for it on board . We keep pricing for beverages , so we don't even offer Beverage packages .
You know not everybody drinks , not everybody wants $75 a day to have to pay for all these things . I mean you don't turn 24-7 , most people don't .
I spend quite a bit of time on introducing the smooth sailing concept because I Insider tips suggest refer to us as sailing or authentic sailing or Unique sailing adventures , something with sailing , not a typical cruise . If you and I say cruise , it goes completely the other direction .
They're gonna have a perception of what we should look like , what we should offer , what my cabin looks like . It just is in the wrong direction . So when you say sailing , what happens is then you get .
This is all they can think of is that catamaran ride that they took in the Caribbean or that sailboat or Boating experience that they had in Catalina Island or San Francisco Bay .
So I do spend time both on the consumer and the advisor side speaking to the largesse of the ships , how they're built , how they actually move through the water and Just simply the fact that we're small enough that we don't have to . We can hug coastlines , we can just drop anchor . We don't have to be in a big port , we don't have to .
We don't have a casino on board , so we don't have to be in international waters . So I spend quite a bit of time comforting them and and kind of just overcoming some of that fear of Wow .
But when you Introduce a ship that's either a football field long , end zone to end zone or a football field in a half long , all of a sudden the perception starts to change and when you describe the movement because it's built like a sailboat , it's not a cruise ship with a shallow hull that sits on top of the water . A sailboat has a draft .
So we're 18 and a half feet down in the water , held by the keel . So the movement is more like sitting in a rocking chair , where you sit down and then we're cutting through and moving forward through the water , which means that Again , it's the soothing forward and backward word type of movement . It's not the side-by-side that they think about .
I didn't think about that . It comes up , so right away so through the water rather than bobbing on top of the water . Mm-hmm , mark is pointing to the clock , telling me that we have to go to break , and we really do have to go to break . My thanks to Beth Lindsay Ellwood . Star clippers .
You can book a star clippers vacation through mark , but you can also check out their website , star clipperscom . Star clipperscom To find out where you want to go when we come back . Heads are starting to roll at Boeing because of the 737 max program .
We'll give you some details on that and if you're a fan of global entry , we've got an update on how you can get your global entry appointment . This is good news for everyone . Thank you so much for being part of the inside travel talk podcast , a radio show . We will be right back .
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 .
For over 30 years , star clippers has offered unique , authentic tall ship sailing experiences , featuring creative itineraries throughout the Mediterranean , Caribbean and Central America . Itineraries are handcrafted based on wind patterns to enable these Majestic ships to take advantage of the power of the wind .
To book you a unique Star Clipper sailing adventure , contact Blue Planet Vacations at 888-718-7717
¶ More on the Cook Islands
or blueplanetvacations . com .
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 .
We have some of the most polite listeners in radio . While we were at the break , you know the text that we got in segment two asking about the Cook Islands . Hey , can you tell us more about the Cook Islands ? Her name is Tina Tina , but she sent a follow-up text while we were in the middle of segment two .
Uh-huh , very kind of her Yep , that's great .
So , tina , we are gonna answer your question about Cook Islands Coming up in this segment , but before we get there , got some more travel news that we need to talk about . I want to say it was about three weeks ago , mark , that we were talking about the Alaska Airlines flight where the plug door just fell off . It's been in the news quite a bit , it has .
Yeah , heads are starting to roll , not literally , but figuratively .
People are starting to get fired at Boeing now and Honestly , I don't like when people get fired , but when planes and doors and safety kind of have been iffy and I think that's putting it nicely , I think heads have to roll here a little bit , yeah they do and I I actually think this person was put in after the last issue with the 737 max about two years
ago .
So there's some issues with vendors that supply parts for the plane and Also just some quality control at the plant . So hopefully they'll get that resolved because the 737 max is a great jet If it stays in the air .
Yeah , boeing announced that its head of the 737 max program is leaving the company , effective immediately . Boeing said Ed Clark , who has overseen max production since 2021 , he's out , he's gone . The max family of planes , as you know , has been under intense scrutiny for years .
What was the previous problem two or three years ago , where it was the aviation controls , like things weren't working the way that they should ?
have . Yeah , the electronic control system had an issue .
Yeah , and then and now , plug doors are just falling off mid-flight . They're lucky that no one died . Yes , and Alaska CEO I can't think of his name right now . He was furious at Boeing and he should be .
Well , I would be too , after paying that much for an airplane and to have it disrupt . Well , and United , who has a lot of those as well , had huge disruptions during this .
Here's some good news . There's a new way to complete your global entry interview if you're traveling through Washington-Dolles International Airport . Global entry interviews which you've mentioned to me privately and I think you've also done it on the air can be hard to get . Applicants with conditional approval routinely have to wait for months before finalizing the process .
Customs and Border Protection , which runs the expediting program , has long allowed international travelers to complete their interviews on arrival at select airports which you've mentioned .
But starting this past I want to say it was about 10 , maybe maybe two weeks ago , february 12th Dulles became the first airport to offer pre-departure interviews , which I thought was actually very interesting .
Yeah , I hope they roll this out to other airports . I am actually just in the process now of renewing my global entry . It expires in December and I probably will not be able to get an interview even in that time . So , hopefully I have another international trip where I can do it upon arrival , but it would be nice to do this .
Can you do it in Salt Lake Before departure ?
Salt Lake International . You can do the renewal and arrival in Salt Lake , so we'll have to come back from .
Cancun for that one . Yes , yep , we'll explain what global entry is . And then let's do the TSA scam story that Listers need to be aware of .
So global entry is a program where you can basically skip the customs line when you come back from international destination to the US . You basically walk up to a kiosk , walk at it and it motions you through and then you're done . You don't have to stand in line , show your passport , you don't have to do any of that . You basically walk through .
There is an customs and immigration officer there that proves you through , but you don't have to talk to him . He just says you're good , go . Basically you want to see it green ? Yep . And then that also gives you TSA pre-check . Oh , so it's both . You get both with global entry .
Worth it .
It is well worth it . I've had it for 10 years now , ever since the program launched , and so I'll be going into my third renewal of the program now .
So every five years ? Yes , okay , yep , you saw a story about a TSA pre-check and there's a website I think it's at TSA . gov . Yep , tsa . gov/precheck .
So what was the scam part of this story ? There are companies popping up saying they can help you expedite to get your pre-check done and you basically pay them the money . They disappear . TSA is warning if you want to get pre-check , only go through authorized vendors , which can be found at TSA . gov/ precheck .
I'm going to it right here .
There are a few vendors that are approved to do that , but they are all located on that website . There are enrollment centers in some downtown metropolitan areas , different areas , but you have to make sure and do it through a preferred vendor or an authorized vendor . So again , start that process . If you want just the TSA pre-check at TSA . gov/ pre-check .
How long does it take to get approved ? Generally speaking , on TSA pre-check , it's pretty quick .
You do your application and it comes through pretty quick . They do a background check on you with both global entry and TSA pre-check . Let's get to .
Tina's text . She sent a text about the Cook Islands . 801-649-3700 is the travel number and the on-air number 801-649-3700, . That's how you book travel and ask us questions , not only during the week but while we're on the air . Tina , you had questions about the Cook Islands and what it's like and some of the things to do while you're on the Cook Islands .
The Cook Islands , Rarotonga . The main destination that you'd go to it's an island about 20 miles in circumference Is that all . Yeah , it's small , so it has amazing natural beauty . The lagoon there is probably one of the tops in the world . Well , that's hard to say , because all of those little islands in the South Pacific have amazing white sand beaches .
With the aqua-colored , aqua blue water . It is spectacular .
So you do get that in the Cook Islands . I had someone explain the Cook Islands to me as it's like Mayberry in the South Pacific . So easy , laid , back Layed back Nice , nice , small , it's not crowded . You'll get in other places , like Hawaii , for instance , or even in some places in Tahiti . It's laid back and easy .
The person that I was talking to said yeah , I loved it . We just walk to the market every day . It's an easy walk , or there's a bus that goes around the island . You can pick it up if you miss . It Comes back around going the other direction in an hour Again , really laid back . Things to do in the Cook Islands .
There's obviously all the water , sport , water activities so snorkeling , scuba diving , swim with the sea turtles . There's natural beauty . There's caves that you can hike into , caves that you can swim in , hiking trails lots of that kind of outdoorsy type stuff Sit on a beach , read a book , sit on a beach , enjoy the beach , lots of things .
And then they have what's called island nights . We would say a luau in Hawaii .
Right .
So it's where you have local dancers , local food and kind of a little show put on at Island Night in the Cook Islands .
Alright , let's go over that offer to the Cook Islands , just in case someone's joining us right now . We're going to start with the geography lesson Cook Islands . So we're taking Salt Lake City to Hawaii Honolulu . That's about halfway to the Cook Islands .
It's about 3,000 miles , salt Lake to Honolulu and then you still have another 3,000 miles to go from Honolulu down to the Cook Islands . Is that a good way ? To explain it and it's directly , almost directly south .
Almost directly south , a little bit to the west , but pretty much directly south .
What did we have ?
for that again . So from Salt Lake City , that eight night package is $2,1 89 per person , includes airfare and hotel . From Los Angeles , that package is $1,929 per person . That is at the Pacific Resort , which is a four star , and it offers fifth night free , free breakfast and a $50 food and beverage credit .
You know one thing I didn't talk about when we were , you know , talking about the Hawaiian Airlines and how they can make this package work . You can stop over in Hawaii at no cost for the airfare portion . So basically just the cost of a hotel . You could stay for two or three nights in Hawaii on your way home or on your way there .
So you might as well just turn this into a Hawaiian vacation as well .
Yes , I mean you could just stay there , yeah , and you can break it . That's a nice way to break up that flight . You know , it's about two , six and a half hour flights .
You mentioned that you would actually fly Hawaiian Airlines because , number one , it's one of your favorite airlines . But it actually makes geographical sense to just fly them because then they service that part of the world you know Australia , new Zealand , pacific Rim .
American Samoa , Guam , all those Islands in the Pacific Rim .
When does Hawaiian Airlines ?
when are they showing up again ? I believe that starts in May of this year .
Oh , wow , okay , so coming up .
Hawaiian also flies from several destinations in California and a few places on the East Coast as well .
Okay , Well , no wonder you were talking about that . I didn't understand fully appreciate what you were saying about Hawaiian Airlines moving into Salt Lake and hope that they can weather Delta Airlines adding more routes from Salt Lake to Hawaii . That makes more sense . Okay , all right , now I understand why you were so passionate about it . Yeah , when we come back .
Final segment of the show . Are you a Christina Aguilera fan ? Not really you are beautiful . Oh , it's the wrong person . Yeah , she does have that beautiful song . Anyway , we're going to talk about Christina Aguilera in Las Vegas . We've got some caution travel tips .
This is not only just a little bit funny but a little bit frightening at the same time , and we're also going to talk about how much you can smile in your passport photo . Are there some guidelines ? There are . We'll talk about those next when the inside travel talk podcast and radio show continues . Alongside Mark Faldmo , my name is Patrick Wiscombe .
We will be right back .
They 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 blue planet vacationscom . America's best travel advisors , patrick and Mark , will be back after these messages .
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Now back to the inside travel talk podcast and radio show presented by blueplanetvacations . com . America's Best Travel Advisors . Hit us up right now 801-649-3700 , 801-649-3700 and check out the podcast at inside travel talk . com . Here's Patrick and Mark .
We got another text from Tina saying that your input on the Cook Islands very helpful , thank you . In case you're wondering how to get a hold of the show during the week and when we're on the air , 801-649-3700 is how you get a hold of the show and , mark , during the week .
801-649-3700 is how you get a hold of Blue Planet Vacations Coming up in this final segment of the show . We are talking about Christina Aguilera . What does that got to do with travel ? It has to do with Las Vegas . And then we've got the question of the week . Can you smile in your passport photo , mark ? The answer is yes but no .
You are correct , mark , but travelers need to close their mouths and make sure their eyes are open , according to the US State Department's website .
Yeah , and they recommend that you don't show any teeth .
Yes .
They can smile . Don't show teeth and make sure your eyes are open .
Your photo could make the cut , even if your teeth are showing to a point . So our recommendation just kind of don't smile , just look like a mugshot . Basically , yes , if your smile is stretched and your eyes are squinting the way they might be after you tell a funny joke , you've gone too far .
Yes , yep , a natural , relaxed smile is more likely to be accepted in the experience , but you absolutely cannot distort your face there . Those are the official guidelines . I don't know what it is about passengers wanting to open doors .
I mean , it's one thing if they just fall off your airplane , but passengers on an American flight bound for Chicago this past Tuesday restrained a passenger who attempted to open the plane door In flight . The flight returned to Albuquerque after September 11th . People will get up and just beat the crap out of you now . Yes , and that's a good thing .
The six passengers wrestled him out near the door and took him down , then duct tape the passenger , his feet you should see the the pictures online and use zip ties to restrain him . He was arrested and taken off the plane .
Good old duct tape . Duct tape fixes everything . It really does . I don't know if you saw that meme about here's our latest Boeing airplane all fixed and it had duct tape all over everything anyway . So they have it on board to help with whatever needs they may have .
Is that how they secured the door that ?
probably .
Christina Aguilera has a new Las Vegas show and is inviting guests for a two night stay at a Luxe Air B&B house off the strip . Guests will get to meet the singer and see her perform . You can book the vacation on Airbnb's website and the event is scheduled to take place February 29th through March 2nd in Las Vegas .
You had a couple of cautious travel tips that were both funny and kind of terrifying at the same time .
I guess they're not really funny , but it's just cautious to know the cultures where you're traveling to . There's a story out recently about a college student that was just connecting through Dubai and just a friendly gesture he touched the shoulder of one of the immigration officers and in that culture touching without consent is illegal .
He got put in jail for a year .
Wait just for in a friendly gesture .
Yes , just touching the shoulder of one of the immigration officers . When you're traveling abroad , just look at cultures and see some of the things like this that are out there . I remember years ago I probably was in high school there's that high school kid that spit out this chewing gum in Singapore .
Oh yeah , In jail for like two years and they let him out with like 50 lashings or something like that . Wow , you know . So there's just different cultural things , different customs that you should know about when to research when you're traveling to different countries .
Okay , there are some things like in Canada , for instance , you can't cross the border if you've had a DUI .
So if you've , been convicted .
Convicted of a DUI . You cannot go to Canada , correct . And so you know . We've had people taking Alaska cruise stops in Canada . They get denied boarding of the cruise ship Because they've because they got off . Well , they just can't board the cruise ship .
Oh , wow .
So so they can't even get in , get into Canada . So there are some you know , local laws and customs that you should research , depending on what country you're going to . Are we done ?
I feel like it's a half day . So you and I work pretty hard during the week . We go anywhere between 12 and 16 hours a day . This feels like a day off that we're actually done yeah this is great If you want to book any of the vacations that we talked about the Cook Islands , tina Colmar , 801-649-3700 . 801-649-3700 and Star Clippers .
My thanks to Beth Linsley-Elwood with Star Clippers . Thank you for coming on . You can book that vacation through Mark as well . In fact , I was asking her when we were talking before the show . When we were talking to her , I'm like can I just book this vacation directly through you , meaning to Beth , and she goes no , you have to go through Mark .
Yeah , well , I've booked you for everything that I've done so far . Yeah , you have . I just didn't know if you could go direct and the answers no . Yeah , all right . 801-649-3700 . Have a terrific week . We'll see 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 BlueP lanet Vacations . com . Book your adventure right now . Call 888-718-7717 . That's 888-718-7717 . Thanks for listening . Have a great week .
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