Royal Caribbean is no longer thinking like “just a cruise line,” and that’s the headline that made us stop and say, wait, what. With Royal Caribbean Group set to acquire a 50% stake in Sandals Resorts, we dig into what this could mean for travelers who love Caribbean cruising, all-inclusive resorts, and simple vacation planning that connects the two. We talk through the real opportunities like easier cruise-plus-resort combos and possible loyalty crossovers, along with the risks when two big brands try to blend without losing what made them special in the first place.
From there, we move into the week’s most useful travel updates you can act on right now. Alaska Airlines rolls out a “choose how you earn” option that lets you pick miles by distance, dollars spent, or flight segments, which is a big deal depending on how you actually travel. We also flag a luggage tag barcode scam that can start with something tossed in an airport trash can, plus the simple step that helps protect your personal information.
Then we get practical and deal-focused: Venice considers raising day-tripper entry fees as overtourism pressure grows, and we share why the city shines most when you stay overnight. We answer a listener question about getting to New Orleans early before a cruise, with a short list of what’s worth your time. We also share a Europe vacation promotion you can stack for meaningful savings, and we wrap with cruise lovers’ favorites: HX expedition cruising updates, a surprise move into river cruising, and two 16-day Panama Canal cruises that deliver a full transit at prices that are hard to ignore.
If you enjoy travel news, cruise deals, and smart planning advice, subscribe, share this with a travel buddy, and leave us a review so more people can find the show.
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Thank you for taking the time to listen to the show. There are literally thousands of podcasts from which you can choose, yet you listened to this show.
The entire purpose of this podcast is to help people plan and book their next vacation or give listeners ideas of where they might consider going on vacation next. Our goal is to help our listeners live their lives deliberately and intentionally. You only get one shot at life so you might as well make it count. Make memories with those that matter most to you.
TAKE ACTION: Quit talking about going on vacation, just do it. If you want more information about any of the destinations we discussed during the show, or have your own custom vacation in mind, I can help you. Please call, text, or email me.
Here's my contact information:
Patrick Wiscombe
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Email: patrick.wiscombe@gmail.com
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