Inside Travel Talk
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Inside Travel Talk
Epic Escapes: Train Adventures, German Castles and Cruises Bargains
Curious about the latest travel trends and deals? Get ready for an exciting journey through the world of travel with Inside Travel Talk. Discover the transformations taking place at Southwest Airlines and Delta as we discuss potential updates to Southwest's free baggage policy and Delta's new offering of complimentary Wi-Fi on international flights. Mark Faldmo takes us on a scenic adventure aboard the Rocky Mountaineer train from Denver to Moab, with a picturesque stopover in Glenwood Springs. We also give a sneak peek into our upcoming conversation with Laura Okunowski from MSC Cruises, who teases an unbeatable Labor Day cruise deal you won't want to miss.
What's happening in the travel industry today? We bring you up to speed with the newly approved merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, promising better connectivity to the Hawaiian Islands. Plus, learn about Globus' new small group discovery tours designed for a more intimate and immersive travel experience. We'll answer a listener's question about the best castles to visit in Germany, with a special spotlight on the fairy tale-like Neuschwanstein Castle and the charming horse-drawn carriage rides that can take you there.
Ready to set sail? We dive into the cruise industry's latest updates, including Norwegian Cruise Line's enhanced European itineraries and Royal Caribbean's expansion of its Icon-class ships. Special guest Laura Okunowski from MSC Cruises joins us to share details about an enticing Labor Day sale and her favorite cruising destinations. Take a virtual tour of MSC's private island, Ocean Key, and learn about its exciting transformation into a paradise filled with activities and amenities. We wrap up with a mix of travel news, celebrating 40 years of Miami Vice and discussing the impact of recent events on tourism in Africa, Mexico, and Hawaii. Tune in for a comprehensive and engaging travel discussion!
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 blue planet vacations. 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:He is back. He is back from the Red Rocks. The Rocky Mountaineer train ride, Mark Faldmo. He went from Denver to Moab. When did you get?
Mark Fladmo:back. Mark, I got back on.
Patrick Wiscombe:Wednesday Okay, so you've been home just a few days. I know that we're going to talk about your experience going from Denver to Moab, or at least I think we're going to talk about that. We are, yeah, and we're also going to talk about the best cast are. Yeah, and we're also going to talk about the best castles to go see while you're over in Germany. And a little bit earlier this week I sat down with Laura of MSC Cruises to talk about their Labor Day sale and, if I may just give our listeners a preview, this might be the best cruise deal of the week that we have ever talked about on the show. So if you've ever wanted to go on a cruise or if you just want to make a repeat appearance on a cruise, do not miss the Just Cruising segment. This is the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show. My name is Patrick Wiscombe. Mark Faldmo joins me from his studio at his office. Should we start with the travel news of the week?
Mark Fladmo:Let's start with the travel news and then we'll go on to the review of Rocky Mountaineer Southwest is considering a change possibly to its free baggage policy.
Patrick Wiscombe:Do you think that's really going to move forward?
Mark Fladmo:We talked a few weeks ago about. They changed their open seating policy and will now have assigned seats. Now there's some news leaking that a survey was sent out to the top customers posing hypothetical options about what they'd prefer if they charged for fees. Oh boy, if they charge for bag fees for lower fares we all know they do say, charge for bag fees, but then we'll give lower fares. They won't lower the fares, they'll just charge for bags. Yeah, right now Southwest is under attack from an activist investor, which personally I don't like. I think Southwest has always been different and that's what's made them good. Yeah, on purpose. And this investor wants to make them more, like the other airlines. So I hope they don't charge for bags. We'll see what happens and when that breaks we'll let you know. This could get interesting.
Patrick Wiscombe:very, very quickly it could. Yeah, Delta is launching free Wi-Fi on international flights. I always thought that it was there anyway.
Mark Fladmo:The free Wi-Fi is on domestic flights. Okay, they added that at the beginning of 2023, and they have just started international Wi-Fi to some European destinations. Then in October they're going to roll it out to South America and Hawaii. Later on in 2024, in the first part of 2025, they'll add it to Africa and Trans-Pacific routes. For now it's just going to be free Wi-Fi, but later on it will work like the domestic Wi-Fi works, where you have to log into your SkyMiles account in order to get the free Wi-Fi.
Patrick Wiscombe:I know that you invited me to the Rocky Mountaineer train ride which goes from the Denver the Rockies to Moab, which is the Red Rocks. It's called Rockies to the Red Rocks. I haven't talked to you since you've been back. How was it?
Mark Fladmo:It was amazing. I love trains. I was very excited to go on this train ride. There are several ways you can explore the world. I guess you can do it by car, you can do it by train, you can do it by bus, you can do it by boat. I told a few people I was going on this and say, oh, I've driven, that I would rather just do it by car. I say this is a whole different experience. When you're in a car you're worried about the traffic, the car ahead of you, the car behind you. You don't often get to enjoy as much of the scenery and the one thing you don't get is the commentary. If you do this by train or bus, you get very good commentary.
Mark Fladmo:The train was amazing and what I really liked about the train is train tracks have a max grade of 2%. Where the road can go 7, 8, 10%, the train kind of winds around. Train tracks often follow rivers because they don't get usually much beyond that 2%, so the train will wind around the mountain or go through the mountain in the form of a tunnel, which was fascinating to see. My favorite part of this was definitely the storytelling and learning about the area. This is in our backyard, Patrick, where we're at, and there's a lot of things. I learned that I didn't know. The place that the train overnights in is Glenwood Springs, so you don't sleep on the train. They actually put you in a hotel.
Patrick Wiscombe:Reasonable accommodations.
Mark Fladmo:It was a very nice accommodation where we stayed. We basically just walked across the train tracks to the hotel there in Glenwood Springs and Heather and I said we want to come back to Glenwood Springs. It was fascinating. It's a hallmark mountain town I'm just picturesque, very nice. And then the canyon leading up as we approached Glenwood Springs, called the Glenwood Canyon, probably the most spectacular canyon I've ever driven through or ridden through. It's straight up and down. It's a good thing that you have domed cars because you need to look straight up. And an interesting fact, there was a sightseeing train out of Glenwood Springs and that's where the domed rail car was invented was to go through that canyon in Glenwood Springs.
Patrick Wiscombe:Did you just fly from Salt Lake over to Denver, or did you drive? No, I guess you flew.
Mark Fladmo:Denver Yep, yep. Flew Salt Lake to Denver, then got on the train and then flew home from Moab.
Patrick Wiscombe:So did you have to rent a car, or was there a transfer from the airport to get to Glenwood Springs?
Mark Fladmo:Well, Glenwood Springs was part of the train, so the train stopped there, so that's where we overnight.
Patrick Wiscombe:Oh, okay, got it. Tell me about some of the fun things you experienced while on the train.
Mark Fladmo:Doc Holliday is buried in Glenwood Springs. You know, he had tuberculosis, I believe, and he thought the hot springs would do him good, so he went there and it actually made it worse and he passed away within 30 days of arriving to Glenwood Springs. So he's buried there.
Ad Voice:That's not another interesting thing.
Mark Fladmo:It's not, but it's interesting, interesting history. You know, Doc Holliday, I was in Tombstone a few months ago, so that kind of brings that story full circle. There, just outside of Glenwood Springs, that was the last train robbery of the Rio Grande Railroad. Kid Curry from Butch Cassidy was part of that. Kid Curry is also buried in Glenwood Springs because they had a gun shootout which he did not make it through and so there were no more train robberies after that. And then going through the ghost town of Cisco, the Johnny Cash song sung about the filling station at Cisco.
Mark Fladmo:Cisco is a ghost town now because it was a filling station at cisco. Cisco is a ghost town now because it was a filling station for when they had the steam trains, that's where water was loaded into the train. When diesel engines came to be, the town started dying. And then when the freeway was built, which is actually about 20 miles away, nobody had the need to come to that small town of cisco. And then also the scenery. The scenery along the route is beautiful when you get down into those red rock canyons. If you've ever been to arches, there are places on the Colorado river that are just like going through arches and the only way to see it is to run the river or to take a train ride so absolutely worth it then.
Mark Fladmo:Very much worth it. Can they book that through you? They can I. I can sell the Rocky Mountaineer both their Canadian routes or the Red Rocks to Rockies.
Patrick Wiscombe:You didn't pay for extra comfort or anything, you just took the standard fare Is that right.
Mark Fladmo:Yeah, there's only one I guess you would say class of service on this train. They call it their Gold Leaf, so it's all first class travel.
Patrick Wiscombe:All right, we need to take a break here. When we come back, we're going to talk about the hot travel deal of the week. That is, regardless of the destination. But in this particular case, if you've always wanted to go to Germany, we're going to talk about castles and where to see the best castles in Germany. But if you are interested in the Rocky Mountaineer train ride, it's not just Denver to the Red Rocks, they have them all over the country. Mark and I have been toying with the idea of actually doing the podcast six days up in Canada, going from the Canadian Rockies over to is it Vancouver? Is that where we would go and then hop on the cruise ship, correct? Yes, we're going to talk about how to book your Rocky Mountaineer train ride. Mark can give you all the details. If you're interested in doing that just for an adventure, call him in his office 888-718-7717 888-718-7717. Thank you so much for allowing us to be part of your Saturday morning. The hot travel deal of the week is next.
Show Voice: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.
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Show Voice:Now back to the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show 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, www. insidetraveltalk. com. Here's.
Patrick Wiscombe:Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo Broadcasting from the Wiscombe-Faldmo Radio Studios in Salt Lake City. You are listening to the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show. Alongside Mark Faldmo, my name is Patrick Wiscombe Coming up in this segment, segment number two of the show. We've got the hot travel deal of the week and just want to remind listeners, if you're in the Salt Lake City area, we have just been picked up by radio station KKAT 860 AM here in Salt Lake City and you can hear the show every Saturday morning at 11 o'clock here in Salt Lake City and then we also have another show on Sunday morning at 11. So if you don't catch it on Saturday, you can hear us again on Sunday. So if you don't catch it on Saturday, you can hear us again on Sunday, and if you just missed both airings of the show, you can go to InsideTravelTalk. com and pick up the podcast on the website.
Patrick Wiscombe:We are on all of the major podcast platforms Coming up in this segment of the show. As I mentioned, we've got the hot travel deal of the week, regardless of the destination. It just so happens that we're going to Germany for this one. But before we get to Germany, let's talk about the travel news of the week. There was a story that I saw a little bit earlier this week that Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines has received Department of Justice review clearance. Basically, they're clear to merge.
Mark Fladmo:They announced this just when the DOJ blocked JetBlue's bid to merge with Spirit, and so there was some fear that the Department of Justice would not allow them to merge. But they did just get over a big hurdle with the Department of Justice, and so this will bring really good connectivity to the Hawaiian Islands. They think it will add lots of extra non-stops from various destinations to the Hawaiian Islands. To us here in Salt Lake we did just get a non-stop flight on Hawaiian Airlines to Honolulu, so that opens that up for us.
Patrick Wiscombe:Globus is introducing small group discovery tours Globus is a poor company.
Mark Fladmo:They do bus tours. So you know kind of like we were talking about in the first segment. I personally love doing bus tours because I love the commentary, love the little unique stops, unique things that are added in, that a lot of people if you tried to do trips on your own you wouldn't get or you would skip over and pass. Globus is bus tours. They started in Europe but now they're all over the world. They have North America, Africa, Australia, new Zealand, south America and Asia, so they do tours all over the world.
Mark Fladmo:Their tours typically have been a full bus, so 50 to 55 people, and now they have just started these small group tours. So a lot of the tours they offer. You can have the choice to go on a small group tour which is 15 to 18 guests, okay. A little more intimate, yeah, and with groups that size there's a lot more places that you'll be able to access. Some places might have a limit, up to 20 guests. Some tour companies get around by dividing you up into three smaller groups to get in, but sometimes that's not possible. So there are lots of places on these that will be expanded that you can experience, do and see.
Patrick Wiscombe:A little bit earlier this week. We got a text from who was it? Was it George? Yeah, it was George George, and he got a text from who was it? Was it george?
Mark Fladmo:yeah, it was George, George and he sent.
Patrick Wiscombe:He sent a text. By the way, you can call and text the show while we're on the air. The text number is area code 801-649-3700 801-649-3700. He sent in a text a little bit earlier saying he wants to know where and how to see the best castles in Germany, and that's where the hot travel deal of the week idea came from. So let's address his question.
Mark Fladmo:Germany is full of castles, and I think the Munich area has one of the best castles, which is Neuschwanstein. That is the castle that Walt Disney tailored the castle off of at Disneyland and Disney World.
Patrick Wiscombe:So that was the inspiration.
Mark Fladmo:It is just a fairy tale castle. There's another castle in the area that's, I think, just as interesting and neat. Those are my favorite castles to go see. Neuschwanstein is set up on a hill, so you either take a carriage up or you walk up and then you can go in, and then there's a tour that goes through the different levels and shows you the different rooms.
Patrick Wiscombe:I think it'd be fun to take a carriage Back in the 1800s. That's nothing special, but since we have cars and other modes of transportation, I think taking a carriage would be kind of fun.
Mark Fladmo:I've done it both ways and I definitely like the carriage or there's a bus that takes you partway up. I can walk down, but walking up is a bit hard. I really enjoy the Munich area. We did mention Neuschwanstein. The other thing I really like is the Marienplatz, which is the main square there in Frankfurt. It has lots of historic buildings. It's kind of the classic German town square that you would think of. There's the Glockenspiel, which is kind of like a cuckoo clock. When it's noon, a whole building has all these displays that come out and people dancing. It's a pretty interesting show there at the Glockenspiel. That's also where BMW is headquartered. The BMW Museum is pretty interesting.
Patrick Wiscombe:Yeah, I'd like to go see that In Munich.
Mark Fladmo:Out of Munich is the Dachau, the concentration camp that you can go visit and see that part of history. Great place to eat is the Hofbrauhaus Really good pretzels there. It's known for their beer. We usually take groups there because they have really good group dining. You get a typical Bavarian dinner there, but their pretzels are huge. They're like 12 inches and so pretty interesting. That's kind of where I would go to see the castles. But there is lots of other castles around Germany and a really good way to do that is to take a bus tour around Germany, and Globus has a great one.
Mark Fladmo:It starts and ends in Frankfurt and some of the highlights of this are just out of Frankfurt. They have a half day cruise on the Rhine River. This section of river is known for its castles. There's just castles on every side of the river. As you go past. They're all pretty much abandoned, but it's very interesting to see those castles.
Mark Fladmo:It goes to Cologne, which is one of my favorites. The Cathedral in Cologne is amazing and then it trains over to Berlin, goes down to Dresden, Nuremberg, goes to Rotenberg, which is another kind of fascinating medieval town. Then it goes to Munich, which is where you would get the castle experience that we talked about Right. It drives through Oberammergau, which is a picturesque mountain town, then goes to Fusen, has a stay in the Black Forest area, goes to Heidelberg Heidelberg is another Heidelberg castle, and the town square of Heidelberg is very picturesque I love Heidelberg and then it ends in Frankfurt, and so that's a great way to see Germany and to see the castles. Right now, Globus has saved up to $1,000 on select Europe tours if you book by September 9th.
Patrick Wiscombe:Okay, so we have what? A couple weeks then.
Mark Fladmo:A couple of weeks to book that. And this itinerary does have the option of those small group tours or the regular full bus tours. The regular bus tours start at $34.99 per person. The small group tours are a little bit more expensive because it's a little bit more intimate of an experience, but they do have the save $1,000 on both of those, the regular tour or the small group tours.
Patrick Wiscombe:That's a good deal. Save a thousand bucks per person. How long are these tours? Is this one week, 10 days, two weeks so?
Mark Fladmo:this particular tour is a 12 night tour. If you're just going to Munich, five or six days is fine there and you can take day tours out to several different places, but this tour itself is 12 days, have you?
Patrick Wiscombe:ever been to Berlin. I have been to Berlin.
Mark Fladmo:What was your Very interesting?
Patrick Wiscombe:Yes, no. Or should people just stick with Munich and stick with this type of a place?
Mark Fladmo:I would definitely make Berlin a visit. It's very interesting. They have where the Berlin Wall was, yeah, so there's a memorial that runs through the city. I was there about six years ago, last, maybe seven years ago, and it was very interesting because you still can see the difference between East and West Berlin, so the buildings are different.
Mark Fladmo:Fun thing to do there is to go to Checkpoint Charlie or do a Trabi tour, which was the East German car, so you can get in these old or kind of junker cars, I would say, and drive around and see the city. You know this tour that we talked about, that's the 12 days. That's probably enough to see that and if you're just going to go stay in certain cities, you could probably do a two or three city thing in about that time as well. But again, I like doing it on the bus tour because you have all these little stops along the way, you have all the commentary, all the history. You get a lot more out of it on the bus tour than doing it yourself and I've done Germany both ways and I prefer the bus tour.
Patrick Wiscombe:We're going to take a break here. If you are interested in taking advantage of the Globus tour save up to $1,000 on the Europe tour you have to book by September 9th. So you basically have a couple of weeks maybe a little bit less than that to get a book. Call Mark in his office, 888-718-7717, 888-718-7717. When we come back, it is the infamous and I do mean infamous cruise deal of the week. I spent a little bit of time with Laura Okonowski with MSC Cruises talking about their Labor Day sale. If you've always wanted to go on a cruise and you've always wanted to go to the Bahamas, anywhere that MSC goes, they have a Labor Day sale that you've got wanted to go to the Bahamas, anywhere that MSC goes, they have a Labor Day sale that you've got to jump on. This is the best promotion that we've ever done on the show. It's not even close. That is next, when the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show continues. My name is Patrick Wiscombe, he is Mark Faldmo. He and I will be right back news.
Show Voice:My name is Patrick Wiscombe, he is Mark Faldmo. He and I will be right back. 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. Travel advisors call or text the show now 801-649-3700. That's 801-649-3700. And check out the podcast at InsideTravelTalk. com. We'll be right back.
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Patrick Wiscombe: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: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.
Patrick Wiscombe:Thank you so much for tuning into the Inside Travel Talk podcast, a radio show. My name is Patrick Wiscombe, alongside Mark Faldmo. You are listening to the August 31st edition of 2024 edition of the show. August 31st edition of 2024 edition of the show. Just to recap some of the things that we've already talked about in segment one, mark got back from the Rocky Mountaineer Rockies to the Red Rocks. It sounds absolutely spectacular. If you like trains, you're going to want to do that. Segment number two we talked about the $1,000 off per person on Select Europe tours, but you have to book by September 9th. Just call Mark in his office Coming up in this segment it is the Just Cruising segment, and I had the great privilege of talking to Laura Okonowski, who is the business development manager for MSC Cruises, and I'm not joking when I say this If you've always wanted to go on a cruise, I don't think we've promoted anything on the show quite like this before. They have cruises around the world, but we're talking stuff that starts at a couple hundred bucks per person.
Patrick Wiscombe:So that's coming up in this segment. We'll talk to Laura, but before we talk to her, let's get to the cruise news of the week. There was a story that NCL is going to sail more port intensive Europe cruises starting in 2026. So it sounds like they're just loading up place after place after place, if I'm understanding the story right In.
Mark Fladmo:Europe. People don't necessarily like the days at sea like they do in other itineraries. Norwegian is trying to capitalize on that by adding new ports and then offering overnight stays in Europe. So for 2026, NCL is adding new ports of call, including Portree, which is in Scotland, Leravik, which is in Norway, and Palamos, which is in Spain, and then they have 22 different overnights. So 22 itineraries that have overnights in European cities. Wow, I like sea days. I do like sea days, although sometimes in Europe there's just so much to see that it's good to be in a different port every night. But I do like them broken up by a day or two of days at sea.
Patrick Wiscombe:Yeah, In some cases that is a rest day. I thought this was interesting that it looks like it will be an icon times six for Royal Caribbean. I thought this was interesting that it looks like it will be an icon times six for Royal Caribbean. I thought that was such an interesting kind of teaser headline.
Mark Fladmo:Yeah, so the Icon of the Seas just came out earlier this year and they have two other icon class ships ordered. The next one will be the Star of the Seas, which will be delivered in 2025, and a yet-to-be-named ship will come out in 2026. However, Royal Caribbean did just announce new agreement with a shipyard in Finland to build a fourth icon-class ship with an option for two more. Holy cow, so that would make six in that category. You know, the Icon of the Seas is, you know, one of the most amazing ships out there. It holds 7,600 guests, 2,500 crew.
Mark Fladmo:That's 10,000 people, and everything that are on those yes, wow. So now you know that's what a lot of people are clamoring for is everything that that ship offers. As I've said many times on this show, personally I like the smaller ships, but these bigger ships are also quite amazing.
Patrick Wiscombe:When you and I were in Miami. When was that? Was that in April, I think it was?
Mark Fladmo:In April.
Patrick Wiscombe:Yeah, you and I were in Florida, Miami specifically, and it just so happens that we saw Icon of the Seas in Miami in port. I was like, oh my goodness, that ship is just enormous. You can't even fathom how big it is. It kind of takes your breath away. It's that kind of big it did. Yeah, all right, let's get to the cruise deal of the week. Get to the cruise deal of the week.
Patrick Wiscombe:A little bit earlier this week I was able to sit down with Laura Okonowski of MSC Cruises to talk about the MSC Cruises Labor Day sale. I will just simply say, before we even start this interview that I recorded earlier this week, I'll just say get your credit card ready, gather everyone around the radio or the podcast, or share this or airplay it so they can hear it, and then just call Mark. Let me just give out the phone number now because you're going to do it 888-718-7717, 888-718-7717. And let me introduce to our listeners Laura Okonowski of MSC Cruises, one of the greatest business development managers on planet Earth. Laura Okonowski of MSC Cruises is part of the show this morning. How are you this morning?
Laura Okonowski:Good morning, Patrick. I am well, and thank you so much for that accolade. Wow, I need you as president of my fan club, for sure.
Patrick Wiscombe:Well, I am Mark and I wanted to have you on the show to talk about the MSC Cruises promotion for Labor Day. Let's just start there.
Laura Okonowski:Well, currently, Patrick, we have the Labor Day sale underway. So it began on August 22nd and it'll run through the week of Labor Day week. So Labor Day holiday is coming up, but it's a great time to book for future MSC cruises. And what this Labor Day sale is going to offer is prices starting as low as $229 per person to travel as low as $229 per person to travel, plus kids sail free. Now, it's not on every single voyage, but it is on many and spanning over several different destinations, including the Caribbean, the Bahamas, the Mediterranean, northern Europe and even the Far East, so there's a lot to take in.
Patrick Wiscombe:Oh yes, when you jump on a cruise, what is your favorite destination?
Laura Okonowski:Well, you know, I'm originally from Ontario, Canada, so growing up in the cold weather, I have to say that anything warm and beachy with sunshine is usually my fave. So when I'm jumping on a ship, if it's Miravellia out of Brooklyn, you know that's a great opportunity to go over to Bermuda.
Laura Okonowski:I just love the beaches of Bermuda. They are that light pink shade. Everything is very manicured. It's an English speaking island. It's very, very clean, very inviting, very welcoming. They do a great job with hospitality and tourism in Bermuda and traveling there by cruise ship is a lot more inviting than staying on land in one of their hotels. So you know, cruising just provides such a wonderful value opportunity. That would be probably my go-to. Additionally, anything leaving maybe out of Port Canaveral Now this will usually yeah, this will have a visit to our private island that you went to.
Laura Okonowski:Ocean Key is our very own private island, owned and operated by MSC Cruises, and we don't drop anchor and have guests tender onto the island. What we do is we have a dock right at the island, so we pull up and you are island to dock to ship very easily or ship to dock to island. So it's great for all guests, even guests who maybe have some mobility challenges, because that ship will be tied up nice and tight to the dock so that guests can just simply leave via the gangway and onto our private island for a lovely beach day. Ocean.
Patrick Wiscombe:Key. I can't oversell it. It is one of the most spectacular views you will ever have. So Nikki and I spent the entire day there. So Nikki had surgery and I did the wave runners with the guys at the dock and we took off for an hour in the ocean and I was thinking at the time, there's no way, an hour's long enough, there's no way. After 20 minutes I was completely exhausted. Wave running in the ocean it is way different than a lake.
Laura Okonowski:I have. It's very intensive. You get quite a workout because those waves are crashing up against your watercraft, right you have to steer it and hold on.
Laura Okonowski:Yeah, I take it at a very slow notch when I'm traveling by jet ski. But you know this island I don't know if you realize. I think maybe we talked about it previously, Patrick, at a different opportunity but this used to be a former industrial site and when it was purchased by MSC Cruises it took three years to clean up all of the scrap metal and everything that was around there, and now it is just such a beautiful white sand experience with catamaraning. You mentioned the jet skiing, there's kayaking, there's evening stargazing and globe paddle boarding at night. I mean, it offers so many things by day and by night, and that's what's so cool about an itinerary that goes to our private island is there are many that will remain docked overnight. So the ship might arrive around 12 noon on day one, but it won't leave until next day, maybe about 10 or 11 following. So you're there for a really good chunk of time to enjoy it.
Patrick Wiscombe:The pavilions that are all around the island that you can rent, that you can go in to seek protection from the sun, and there's just umbrellas and beach chairs everywhere and it is honestly one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen in my life. I didn't know that there were that many shades of blue that an ocean could have. Visually, I was blown away at how beautiful the island was, both on the island and in the water, and sitting on the island and in the water and sitting on the island looking at the water.
Laura Okonowski:You're right, it is quite stunning. There's a beautiful marine reserve snorkel area as well. I'm not sure Did you go snorkeling when you?
Patrick Wiscombe:were on the island Because that's a really fun opportunity. No, we didn't. We just kind of hung out in the middle of the lagoon and Nikki and I just sat in the water for literally like two hours. We just sat and talked. It was magical. It was really that kind of relaxing.
Laura Okonowski:Yeah, it really is one of our highest rated destinations when you consider all the places that we go to in the world that MSD Cruises can take a guest to, and this comes back time and time again as one of our number one highest rated enjoyment destinations. There's also the Ocean Key Lighthouse, which guests can climb. It's 165 steps from bottom to top. Did you do that?
Patrick Wiscombe:No, we didn't do it, but we did go to the lighthouse bar to get some virgin piña coladas.
Mark Fladmo:There you go.
Patrick Wiscombe:We just sat there because Nikki and I we walked the entire island, so we were kind of thirsty. So you know, we pull up and hey, we'll have two pina coladas, a couple Diet Cokes. We didn't realize how thirsty we were.
Laura Okonowski:Yeah, you have to be careful. You're in the sun all day, but given those shaded areas and the various cabanas throughout, there is a lot of places and spaces for guests to maybe just you know relax for an hour to read a book. We'll also serve lunch on the island, and what we do is we employ Bahamian staff to work on behalf of MSC Cruises, so we always have people at the ready when our ship arrives.
Patrick Wiscombe:What are some of the future plans for Ocean Key, the island?
Laura Okonowski:There have been some expansions that have been underway already Now. That was to include a lagoon area, more or less like an additional water park space for children, for kids, so that it's in a shallow area.
Patrick Wiscombe:Okay.
Laura Okonowski:Yeah, that's probably what you witnessed. Yeah, the kids really do enjoy it. It is a perfect beach day for the entire family, you know, with food being served, with music, with having a Luna Libre beach party in the evening. What they'll do is they'll set up these bonfires, people will cook s'mores, and there's that evening light show, too, that gets shown from the lighthouse. It's an LED light show that will take place in the evenings, so it really just is one of our most, I think, beloved features of MSC Cruises and the fact that we own it ourselves. We don't have other ships arriving there. It really is just a Bahamian paradise, truly.
Patrick Wiscombe:It really was. So that's just part one of the interview that I did a little bit earlier this week with Laura. We're gonna have part two of the interview during next week's show, but I'll just simply say mark, you've been to ocean key before we go to break. You've been to ocean key, I've been to ocean key.
Mark Fladmo:It is beyond description beautiful it is, yeah, I think, one of the great private islands out there. You know there are lots of them that cruise lines are doing, but I think they've done a fabulous job with Ocean Key.
Patrick Wiscombe:It is an island. It's kind of a big island, but it is an island and it is. It really is truly spectacular. And, as we go to break here, warm up the credit card, because you're going to want to go, especially with the promotions that MSC Cruises is offering right now. So this is the Labor Day sale. It will extend a little bit later, I'll just tell you, than Labor Day, but you do need to get on it. Call Mark in his office during the break, even if it's just to say hey, listen, we're interested in this so we can hold a spot for you. Call him at 888-718-7717. 888-718-7717.
Patrick Wiscombe:When we come back, we've got Mark's travel tips. We'll wrap up the show. We'll recap all of the offers that we've made and we've got Mark's travel tips. We'll wrap up the show. We'll recap all of the offers that we've made and we've got some more travel news of the week. That is next. Final segment of this week's Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show is coming up. Thank you so much for allowing us to be part of your Saturday morning. Mark and I will be right back.
Show Voice:Explore your world. You're listening to the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show with Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo. Call or text the show now 801-649-3700. That's 801-649-3700. And check out the podcast at InsideTravelTalk. com. We'll be right back.
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Show Voice: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.
Patrick Wiscombe:What a delightful Saturday morning Coming up in this final segment of the show, the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show. We're celebrating Miami Vice. Not really sure why, but we are Not really sure why, but we are. We're going to talk about a news story where a missing pair of scissors caused some real chaos at an airport. Here's a newsflash Africa is not a country.
Mark Fladmo:Yeah, we'll explain. There's an interesting item about that, yeah.
Patrick Wiscombe:We'll talk about that coming up here in this segment. If you need to get ahold of Mark to book any of the vacations that we've talked about already 888-718-7717, 888-718-7717. Let's get to the travel news of the week for this final segment. Let's get to the travel news of the week for this final segment Miami. The actual city of Miami, where Mark and I were about three months ago, is celebrating 40 years of Miami Vice. When you and I were down there, I never understood the pastel colors and I realized that that was kind of an 80s thing. But after being down there and seeing some of the sunsets and the blues and kind of the pastel colors, I'm like, okay, I get it, and now I understand why everything was pastel.
Mark Fladmo:Yeah, it's a great destination that South Florida I love to visit. Now they are celebrating Miami Vice, which is one of the TV shows that really changed the image and transformed the city of Miami and Miami Beach. Thursday, September 12th through September 15th, they're having a Miami Vice Festival and they are proclaiming Thursday, September 16th as Miami Vice Day. During these few days there'll be opportunities to meet the cast. There'll be bus tours and walking tours of filming locations, panel discussions. One thing I think would be interesting is they have an event called Brunch with Bad Guys and then there is a Miami Vice Museum that you can go see. That has all sorts of memorabilia about the show Miami Vice.
Patrick Wiscombe:I don't think I ever saw one episode of the show but it was a big deal.
Mark Fladmo:I watched it not regularly, but I did watch it.
Patrick Wiscombe:There was a missing pair of scissors that caused dozens of flight cancellations at one airport. What happened there? So?
Mark Fladmo:this was an airport in Japan. One of the restaurants near the boarding gates reported a missing pair of scissors, so they suspended all security checks and made everyone exit the terminal and re-go through security screening. Oh boy, so it caused quite a stir. Oh yeah, I have seen scissors on the other side of security, but a lot of restaurants don't give you full silverware. There it's usually plasticware that you get, and so pretty interesting that it caused such a stir at the airport.
Patrick Wiscombe:The strangest thing that I've seen at TSA someone brought a hatchet through TSA.
Mark Fladmo:There's some interesting things. If you go to the TSA website, there's an area of stuff that they've confiscated. There's interesting things that people have tried to get through security. Oh yeah, Now, most of them, people aren't even thinking when they go through security.
Patrick Wiscombe:There was a tourism official that was sounding off over coverage of a localized monkeypox outbreak and part of the story was that Africa is not a country. That's an interesting way to start a news story.
Mark Fladmo:You know this comes down to geography. I have found a lot of times a kind of struggle with this and the views that some people have. So this official is correct Africa is not a country. They've seen cancellations from South Africa, Kenya, Victoria Falls, all over Africa, and this is a very localized outbreak. So it would be like canceling your trip to New York because something happened in Los Angeles. It's literally that distance or further away, but a lot of people do hear Africa, Africa and so they avoid Africa.
Mark Fladmo:Mexico and Hawaii have been struggling with a similar thing. People have the perception of what's happening on the border is happening all over Mexico. A lot of the tourist destinations Puerto Vallarta, Cancun have seen hits just because of some of the news stories about things happening on the US-Mexico border. More recently, Hawaii has had the issue. The fire in Maui has caused all of the Hawaiian Islands' tourism to drop. That is a challenge of some of the geography-challenged people and news. You can go to the big island of Hawaii or go to Kauai and it wasn't anywhere near the fires of Maui, but people have just quit going to Hawaii because of the fire which was on one part of an Island. Even that whole other Island wasn't affected on Maui, so that was an unbelievably fast show.
Patrick Wiscombe:If you need to book it, flew by. If you need to book any of the trips that we've discussed, mark was on the Rocky Mountaineer. Call him in his office, 888-718-7717, 888-718-7717. We talked about saving $1,000 per person with Globus on select Europe tours, but you have to book by September 9th, and this one you absolutely have to do as well. If you've thought about taking a cruise, take advantage of MSC Cruises Labor Day sale. Call Mark for those prices and the destinations. Truly, a spectacular experience awaits. Get whoever you can to go with you. Call Mark as soon as we get off the air 888-718-7717. May I ask everyone who is listening to us to go to insidetraveltalk. com, subscribe to the podcast. If you're not hearing us live right now, or if you just want to rehear a segment of the show, go to insidetraveltalk. com. Thank you so much for allowing us to be part of your day. Thank you for inviting us into your ears. Live your life intentionally. Live your life deliberately. Today is a good day for a good day. Have a great week, everyone. Talk to you next Saturday.
Show Voice: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. Thanks for listening.
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