Inside Travel Talk
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Inside Travel Talk
Wanderlust Awakened: Cuban Dreams, Nairobi Safaris, and Asian Cruise Adventures
Ever wondered what it's like to miss out on a dream destination? Join Mark Faldmo as he reminisces about his long-lost chance to visit Cuba and rekindles that travel itch with co-host Patrick Wiscombe. Packed with the latest travel news, this episode covers everything from a major lawsuit by U.S. airlines challenging new fee disclosure rules to a mesmerizing recount of Mark's African safari in Nairobi. Discover why these high-end adventures are worth every penny and get inspired to plan your own wild getaway.
But that's not all! We break down the latest changes in cruise line advertising policies by Carnival and Royal Caribbean, making fare transparency more straightforward than ever. Plus, get the scoop on Norwegian Cruise Line's thrilling new itineraries in Asia and the South Pacific, featuring unforgettable voyages from Taiwan to Singapore and Fiji to Tahiti. Both cruises promise top-notch experiences aboard the newly refurbished Norwegian Spirit and Norwegian Sun ships. Tune in and let Inside Travel Talk be your go-to source for travel inspiration and practical advice for your next great adventure!
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.
Show Voice: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:It is another Saturday morning. Welcome to the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show. Hi there, I'm Patrick Wiscombe, alongside Mark Faldmo he will join me here in just a moment Coming up on this edition of the show. One of the things that I've always wanted to do in my life probably because it was always forbidden was going to Cuba. Mark, I don't know if you've been to Cuba.
Mark Faldmo:I have not been to Cuba. I had an opportunity, a great opportunity, two years ago and I passed it up, which I regret.
Patrick Wiscombe:Well, we're going to talk about traveling to Cuba, and we've also got the Just Cruising segment. We're going to talk about cruising to Asia, mark. Let's get to the travel news of the week. Cruising to Asia, mark. Let's get to the travel news of the week. I saw this story that US airlines are actually going after they're suing the Biden administration over a fee disclosure rule. What?
Mark Faldmo:are some of the details on that. It requires airlines to put the cost of baggage fees and change and cancellation fees on the first page of shopping. The airlines so American, delta, united, three other airlines plus the trade group Airlines for America are suing because they say the airlines have not demonstrated that consumers can't already easily find that. It's usually on a link, like it says baggage fees not included and there's a link to their baggage fee page which shows all of that. But what the airlines say is this is just going to confuse customers with too much information. So the rule is all those fees have to be on the first page so it displayed with the price. Airlines have always fought against these fee disclosure things. Although I think now most people are aware bags are extra and there's change of cancellation fees. I don't necessarily think those need to be on the first page, but I'm also not against it.
Patrick Wiscombe:For the people who don't travel very often. It might be good to see this up front. Yes, two or three weeks ago we were talking about African safaris You've been on, was it one? I've been on one safari. Yeah, there was a story a little bit earlier this week that, despite rising prices, the demand for African safaris is actually getting stronger. And do we still have that promotion where it was $400 off?
Mark Faldmo:$400 off any safari. Was that per person? Yeah, $400 off per person off of any safari, which is a great deal. Helps save a little bit on the safaris, which are traditionally a fairly expensive travel vacation. The average cost of a safari now is about $6,500 per person.
Patrick Wiscombe:Take me back to the moment when you started the safari. You were in the middle of the safari and then, when you got to the end of the safari, what were your thoughts? I'm going to assume that you said I've got to do this again.
Mark Faldmo:Yes, I did. My first memory is we flew into Nairobi and then we stayed overnight there and then we got in our safari vehicles and drove about three, three and a half hours to the first game reserve and we pulled off the road and immediately there were giraffes everywhere. It was like just a wow moment. We were driving on this dirt road back to the lodge we were staying at and we were driving through herds of giraffes Just an amazing experience. That's one of the reasons why interest in safaris has increased so much is that unique, experiential, exploration type vacation. That's what people are looking for now. This article does say a lot of these are booked within six months, which I can't fathom, because I think a safari is something you should plan in advance. But it says a lot of people are just like now's our time to do it, we're going to do it, we want that experience, and they're not waiting for good prices, they are just doing it.
Patrick Wiscombe:Almost like an impulse buy then A little bit. Yes, it is.
Mark Faldmo:I think a safari is well worth the cost. I think I related this experience. Woke up early in the morning for our early game drive. We drove to a river and basically ate breakfast with the hippos. Hippos were in the river and we were there up on a ledge watching the hippos eating breakfast. Lots of unique experiences on the safari.
Patrick Wiscombe:It's one of those things that when you see the sticker price $6,500 on average I'm not saying that's cheap. What I'm saying is $6,500. And then you have an experience like that and you go oh it's worth it.
Mark Faldmo:One thing you have to think about on safaris they are kind of like a group tour, although you can go off on your own, but the whole time you're in a vehicle with a guide and four to six other people, so it's not like a bus tour. You're in smaller vehicles. You're in smaller, more unique lodges, which most of the lodges have really upped their game. That's probably part of the cost of the increase of safaris is most are now four or most five-star lodges, so they're really high-end lodges. There are some lodges there in the Serengeti that go $2,200 to $3,000 per night, some of the really nice ones. Again, it's just a great vacation.
Patrick Wiscombe:You've been to Cuba once. No, no, no, excuse me, I'm sorry you passed on the opportunity. My first question is can Americans go to Cuba?
Mark Faldmo:Yes, so under the Obama administration they rescinded some of the restrictions on travel to Cuba. The Trump administration tightened those up, but you still can travel to Cuba. Under Obama administration there were cruises that went there, all sorts of opportunities to go there. Cruises don't go there now because it's too hard to fulfill the requirements. Activity, professional research, educational activities, religious activities, public performances like athletic events, competitions, support of the cuban people, humanitarian projects and there's a few other things that are more government related. So you have to fill out a declaration form to declare that you're going for one of those reasons I.
Patrick Wiscombe:I think you and I, since we're on the air, we could probably get a media pass.
Mark Faldmo:Possibly.
Patrick Wiscombe:Yeah, it might be a little bit of a stretch, but I think we can do it.
Mark Faldmo:We probably would go with support of the Cuban people. That's what most travelers do. I would recommend going with on a tour to Cuba, going on something with a company that does it a lot and can help you do all of this stuff. You can do it on your own with this, but you are required to keep a daily journal of what you did oh boy, all of your receipts and keep it, I think a period of 10 years. The government can come ask you for up to 10 years for that journal and receipts to make sure you're in compliance with the law of traveling to Cuba. So if you go with a company and that's going to be our hot travel deal is Globus Vacations does Cuba and they do Cuba well.
Mark Faldmo:In fact, one of my colleagues just got back from Cuba with Globus and said it was an amazing trip. So they travel under the support for the Cuban people and then they help everything just to make sure you're in compliance. You do have to fly to Miami and then there are flights from Miami to Cuba. There used to be flights from all over, but Miami and one other two airports are available for flights to Cuba. So for the hot travel deal of two airports are available for flights to Cuba.
Patrick Wiscombe:So for the hot travel deal of the week, let's go to Cuba.
Mark Faldmo:So with Globus they have a 10-day tour that does this. So you spend two nights in Havana, which is on the northwest area of Cuba, and then you head east east, spend two nights in another city and then further east, spend two more nights and then you travel back for the last two nights in Havana. So it's a 10-day tour and those tours start at $ 47.59 per person and there usually are some discounts, different things that Globus will throw in there, but their lead price is $4759 for the 10-day tour of Cuba and that's for fall dates. The prices increase as you get more into the winter. It's a culturally rich experience to travel to Cuba. I was just at dinner last night with my friend talking about that. My colleague and she really enjoyed it.
Patrick Wiscombe:Some of it is just frozen in time, and I think that would be fascinating to see.
Mark Faldmo:Yeah, a lot of Cuba is frozen in time. You know they do drive those old 50s and 60s vehicles. Like you said earlier, it is kind of the forbidden Caribbean island. You know it's hard to get there and as Americans we haven't been able to travel there for quite some time. Hopefully it's a place that becomes a little bit more accessible. Generally, the government wants to put on a good face for tourists. Cuba definitely a place to put on your bucket list if it isn't there.
Patrick Wiscombe:As we go to break here. Just tell an American that they can't do something. Just tell Patrick he can't do something.
Mark Faldmo:I'll find a way to do it.
Patrick Wiscombe:Don't tell me what to do. All right, if you want to go to Cuba, call Mark in his office. He's available even during the show. You'll get voicemail, obviously, but call him at 888-718-7717, 888-718-7717. And you can also reach him on blueplanetvacations. com. When we come back, it is segment number two of the show, the Just Cruising segment. We're going to be headed to Asia and we've got a killer, killer deal for Asia. You're going to want to stick around for these prices. If you've ever wanted to cruise to Asia, the Just Cruising segment is next. Thank you so much for allowing us to be part of your Saturday morning.
Show Voice:Mark and I will be right back. We'll be right back. Call or text the show now 801-649-3700. That's 801-649-3700.
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Show Voice: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. We hope you're having a great Saturday morning. My name is Patrick Wiscombe, alongside Mark Faldmo, owner of BluePlanetVacations. com, coming up in this segment. It is the Just Cruising segment. It's only about cruising. We've got some travel news regarding, uh, carnival and R royal Caribbean. They're changing their advertising policy. We'll get to that story here in just a second. But the cruise deal of the week is are we going to taiwan? On this one? I think we are no, no, no, I'm sorry. We're going to singapore on this one yeah, we're actually.
Mark Faldmo:There's going to be two. We're going to talk about Asia and South Pacific cruises.
Patrick Wiscombe:Please tell me. One of them has to do with Tahiti or Fiji or something.
Mark Faldmo:Yeah, one of them has something to do with both of them. Oh really, Awesome.
Patrick Wiscombe:Okay, that's coming up here in just a few minutes in this segment, but before we get there, let's talk about the cruise news of the week. I saw this story that Carnival and Royal Caribbean are changing their advertising policy. What do we know about that Kind?
Mark Faldmo:of like our last segment. We talked about government regulation. California passed an advertising law or rule. It's not directed at the cruise lines, but Carnival and Royal Caribbean changed their policy based on this law. I have not seen any other cruise lines that have taken this up, but I wish they all would. As soon as I explain it, I have a little story about this. If a cruise line is sailing out of California, they have to display their fares to include all taxes and fees. Currently right now you'll have a fare $899 plus taxes and fees. And that's all it will say. The taxes and fees could be $100. They could be $300, you know, just depending on what that is. So now how the cruise lines have to display their prices are total cruise fare that includes all taxes and fees anything they' anything're going to see total cruise price $849. And then below that it's going to say cruise fare $799 and government taxes and fees $50. So there's going to be kind of sub items that break out what the taxes?
Mark Faldmo:and fees are Okay, but that first thing you see is going to be the total cruise price. That includes all taxes and fees.
Patrick Wiscombe:And now it's just a little less ambiguous. This is a good thing, then really it is.
Mark Faldmo:I think it's a good thing. I hope other cruise lines adopt this. Carnival Corporation, which is Princess Holland America, carnival, costa all adopted this three or four weeks ago. Royal Caribbean was a few days ago, but I hope other cruise lines follow this. It'll just make it easy.
Patrick Wiscombe:More transparency is good. One more quick travel news item which will lead into our cruise deal of the week. NCL, or Norwegian Cruise Lines, has new itineraries in Asia and in the South Pacific. What details do we have on that right now?
Mark Faldmo:Norwegian between September 2024 and March of 2026, has launched over 30 new port-intensive cruises across Asia and Europe and the South Pacific, which includes Australia and New Zealand, and so now they'll have 85 voyages total between that timeframe. So the 85 different choices in Asia and the South Pacific, and then 30 of those are kind of a little bit more port intensive cruises. They're going to have three ships in that region, which they've typically only had one. These are some of their smaller ships the Norwegian Spirit, Norwegian Sun and the Norwegian Sky. Those are all about 2,000 passenger ships, roughly more or less. So they're on the smaller side. They do offer over 30 overnight calls and they have five brand new destinations throughout Australia and Japan that they haven't visited before.
Mark Faldmo:This really is opening up that area of the world to better cruising. I think this first itinerary that we're going to talk about would be one that would fit you perfectly. What is the itinerary? So this first itinerary is a 10-day Southeast Asia cruise. Goes from Taiwan to Singapore. It has a visit in Hong Kong. It has a visit in Nha Trang in Vietnam, a visit in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
Patrick Wiscombe:I would do that just for Ho Chi Minh City.
Mark Faldmo:And then and this is the one I like the Lam Chek Bang, which is in Thailand, and then it stops in an island called Ongpo Khao Sumi and then ends in Singapore.
Patrick Wiscombe:So this isn't Taiwan to Taiwan, this is Taiwan to Singapore.
Mark Faldmo:Taiwan to Singapore.
Patrick Wiscombe:And how many days is it?
Mark Faldmo:So that's a 10-day cruise.
Patrick Wiscombe:Okay.
Mark Faldmo:And that is on the Norwegian Spirit, which I think is probably my second or third favorite cruise ship. I love that ship. During COVID, they took it and did multi, multi-million dollar renovation of it and it is brought up to. You know, Norwegian also owns Oceana and Seabourn, which are luxury. They brought a lot of the ship up to that standard. As far as the interior, the best part of this is the price. This is for a Monday, February 10th 2025. Departure Starts at $999 per person plus taxes and fees, and the balcony cabin starts at $2199 per person.
Patrick Wiscombe:What an adventure. So $999. And then the balcony price again was what? $2179. Okay, totally worth it, absolutely Worth it. As you were sharing that information, I was looking up the Norwegian Spirit. It was a ship that was originally built in 1998. And, as you mentioned, during COVID they basically redid the entire ship, so it was last refurbished in 2022. So essentially, it's a brand new ship again and they say that it holds about 2,032 passengers.
Mark Faldmo:That renovation. Unlike a lot of renovations, it was a complete redo.
Patrick Wiscombe:Oh so it was a gut job, Wow so it was a gut job.
Mark Faldmo:And complete redo it was a gut job, wow so it was a gut job and complete redo.
Patrick Wiscombe:What was the other cruise, the Fiji to Tahiti?
Mark Faldmo:cruise. This is one that would fascinate me. This is on the Norwegian sun. First of all, it's a 14-day cruise from Fiji to Tahiti. It leaves from Fiji, goes to Dravuni Island, which is also part of Fiji, goes to Suva in Fiji Looks like it overnights in Suva and then some of these other ports are what fascinates me. It goes to Apia, Samoa, Pago Pago in Samoa, crosses the international dateline and then it goes to an island called Atutaki, which is in the Cook Islands. It goes to Rorotonga, which is in the Cook Islands, and then heads over to the Society Islands, bora Bora, Raiatea, Moorea and ends in Papette. So again, a 14-day cruise starts at $1563 per person plus taxes and fees. For an inside cabin or a balcony it's $4,033 per person plus taxes and fees. For an inside cabin or a balcony is $4,033 per person plus taxes and fees. A lot of those islands that visits are harder to get to.
Mark Faldmo:So, you know just it makes for a good way to get to a remote part of the world Fiji relatively easy to get to Tahiti easy to get to. Anything in between is a lot harder to get to. Let's do the pricing on Taiwan to Singapore one more time. Easy to get to, anything in between is a lot harder to get to.
Patrick Wiscombe:Let's do the pricing on Taiwan to Singapore one more time. The inside cabin for $999. The balcony was how much again?
Mark Faldmo:The balcony was $2199.
Patrick Wiscombe:Okay, and then let's recap Fiji to Tahiti. It was a 14-day cruise, oh which, by the way, I want to follow up on that how many port days and how many sea days between Fiji and Tahiti?
Mark Faldmo:So there, are only three sea days in 14 days.
Patrick Wiscombe:That means you get to go see these islands in depth. Yes, oh see, that's special. I was expecting you to say way more sea days than three. So to book that vacation, just call Mark in the studio. By the way, we got to the end of the show very quickly today. We did. That was a fast show. Call Mark in his office, 888-718-7717, 888-718-7717. And if you're driving or if you're working, if you're running on the treadmill can't write it down just go to blueplanetvacations. com. Blueplanetvacations. com. What are you doing for the rest of the day? Anything fun, just go to yard work. I'm sure don't you have a plane to catch or something I do have a plane to catch a little bit later, but I think I've got to get a little bit of yard work in before that.
Patrick Wiscombe:I was kidding. You really do have a plane to catch.
Mark Faldmo:I do have a plane to catch.
Patrick Wiscombe:I'm going to Washington DC All right, we'll talk about his adventures in DC next week. Thank you so much for allowing us to be part of your Saturday morning. Go make it a great day. Go get out, explore the world and, if you would, if you want us to be your traveling companion, go to insidetraveltalkcom to subscribe to the podcast and leave us a review. We're on all the major podcast platforms. Have a terrific Saturday. We'll talk to you next week.
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