Inside Travel Talk
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Inside Travel Talk
A Travel Journey: Hawaiian Hideaways and an MSC Cruise Experience
Discover the secrets behind spine-chilling travel destinations and the future of air travel convenience in our latest Inside Travel Talk episode! With Halloween's eerie charm still in the air, we've curated a list of must-visit spooky spots for thrill-seekers. Plus, learn how Delta Airlines is revolutionizing travel with digital IDs, making your airport experience faster and more efficient. We'll also break down how this new feature stacks up against TSA PreCheck and Clear, ensuring you have the smoothest journey possible.
Ever dreamt of a Hawaiian escape? We're spilling the beans on the hottest hotel picks across the islands, including the freshly revamped Outrigger Waikiki Paradise Hotel. Stay ahead of the game with insider tips on navigating airline policies and scoring incredible travel deals, like a jaw-dropping $899 package to Hawaii. Also, get the lowdown on Disney's game-changing Lightning Lane Premier Pass, promising a queue-free theme park adventure for those willing to splash out.
Finally, we chat with Laura Okanowski from MSC Cruises about the unparalleled luxury of the Yacht Club experience. Hear firsthand accounts of her family's unforgettable escapade aboard the Seascape, complete with personal butlers and exclusive amenities. Despite a slight change in plans thanks to Hurricane Milton, the journey was one for the books. Don't miss the inside scoop on upcoming cruise deals, including Black Friday previews that could just be the ticket to your next oceanic adventure!
Welcome to the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show. On today's show we are going to be talking about where to stay in Hawaii, America's 250th birthday cruise and an interview with MSC Cruises' Laura Okonowski. So let's start the show. The Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show presented by BluePlanetVacationscom 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 InsideTravelTalkcom. And now here are your hosts, patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo.
Patrick Wiscombe:It is time for another Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show for Saturday, November 2nd and Sunday, November 3rd. Hello there, my name is Patrick Wiscombe and, if you are brand new to the show, first of all thank you for just listening. The entire purpose of the show is to help you plan and book your next vacation and create memories for you, your family, your friends, and go to the places and the parts of the world where you want to travel. You can get the podcast at InsideTravelTalk. com or wherever you get your podcasts. We are on all of the major podcast platforms and, if you're in the Salt Lake City area, we're also on the air every Saturday and Sunday mornings at 11 o'clock Mountain Time, right here on 860 KKAT, and we are presented by BluePlanetVacations. com, and Mark Faldmo, the owner of the company, is part of the show and he joins me now.
Patrick Wiscombe:It's good to see you. As always, it's good to be here. Now, it's good to see you. As always, it's good to be here. We have the travel news of the week and we've also got right here in this segment, the destination of the week, and we're going to highlight some spooky destinations to add to your paranormal bucket list.
Mark Faldmo:We just finished Halloween, so I thought we'd throw some of those in, so if people want to start planning for next year, how many Snickers have you consumed here in the last 48 hours? Well, I'm actually going through and looking for Crunch bars. Is that your favorite candy bar? That is oh yeah, or Almond Joy. Almond Joy and Crunch.
Patrick Wiscombe:I think I'm done for the rest of the year. Yeah, let's get to the Travel Deuce headlines. Delta Airlines is adding digital ID to another US airport. What airport is it?
Mark Faldmo:It is Salt Lake City. So for us here in the Salt Lake City market, this is good news. They're adding Salt Lake City, and soon they will be adding Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington DC, so that will bring the number of airports to seven where the digital ID is available.
Patrick Wiscombe:Okay, let me go. Digital ID 101. Here let's talk about digital ID and what the benefits are.
Mark Faldmo:Digital ID allows you to check your bags and move through security without showing a boarding pass or physical ID. And at the security line there's a whole separate line. So you'll have the pre-check line, the clear line, the digital ID line and then the general line and then the clear line, yep. And so Delta says the option makes checking bags 75% faster and 60% faster going through the security line experience.
Patrick Wiscombe:Okay, so you said something there that caught my attention. So there's the TSA pre-check line, which I have, you have. There's now the clear line, there is the digital ID line and then there's just the general screening line. Did I get all that right? That's correct, okay. So let's start with Clear. What is the Clear line?
Mark Faldmo:Clear is a program similar to TSA PreCheck. It's a little bit more exclusive and that has biometrics. You go scan fingerprints, scan your eye and then, once you do that, it jumps you to the front of the TSA Precheck line, if there is a line.
Patrick Wiscombe:So TSA is now second in order of its exclusivity. TSA pre-check Clear is more exclusive.
Mark Faldmo:Clear is also an additional paid program similar to TSA pre-check.
Patrick Wiscombe:Okay, and then the digital ID line, which is what we're talking about here. I'm assuming that that's going to be near the TSA pre-check, the clear line, and then digital ID.
Mark Faldmo:That is Yep and there is no cost for digital ID. You do have to meet some requirements but there's no cost to that program.
Patrick Wiscombe:Okay. And then of course, just the general screening line to go past TSA security. Just the general, that's correct, okay.
Mark Faldmo:All right screening line to go past TSA security. Just the general, that's correct. Okay, all right, yeah, and I've used the digital ID a few times and it's nice. You basically walk to the front of the TSA pre-check line in one separate line. There's a scanner there scans your face and you walk through, so you don't have to scan any documents or anything. It is a pretty slick and fast process.
Patrick Wiscombe:Okay, so since you and I both have global entry, and I'm showing that to you as we're here in the studio, this is not a clear card. This is just TSA pre-check and digital and digital ID, or is that different?
Mark Faldmo:It's different, but in order to get a digital ID, you have to have global entry or TSA pre-check. Okay, so I could do this then. Yeah, yeah, you just go to your and this is a program only for Delta flyers go to your account on Delta and you opt into the digital ID.
Ad Voice:Okay.
Mark Faldmo:You do have to have your global entry or TSA pre-check associated to the account and then you just opt in for it and on your boarding pass it will say digital ID on it, where normally it said TSA pre-check.
Patrick Wiscombe:So, given the choice, what do you like to do? Digital ID or TSA pre-check?
Mark Faldmo:Well, digital ID, if it's available. It jumps you in front of the TSA pre-check Okay.
Patrick Wiscombe:Delta has unveiled an all new look for their cabins, featuring new seat coverings and fresh mood lighting.
Mark Faldmo:Delta is doing a cabin refresh. We talked about Southwest a few months ago. That did the new cabin refresh with new seat, look and feel. Delta is doing the same thing. They're adding mood lighting. They're going to roll this out a little bit slower it's going to go throughout 2025, but they are going to start with their long haul routes and Airbus A350s in early 2025 will be the first to go through that.
Patrick Wiscombe:So when you and I went to Florida, we were on the. What was the Airbus A321? Was that one of their refresh?
Mark Faldmo:That is, that'll be similar domestic first class. You know that we did, although they're upgrading even that experience that we were in.
Patrick Wiscombe:So yeah, well, that was pretty good to start with. You and I both agree that this is long overdue. American Airlines is targeting what they're calling group jumpers with a new boarding system. Explain to listeners what a group jumper is.
Mark Faldmo:Yeah, so a group jumper is someone that tries to board before their zone is called, and I actually wish all airlines would do this. One thing they're trying to get rid of is how people just swarm the gate to board, yep, and so what this new system will do is if someone that's in zone five tries to board in zone three, it'll just ding and it won't allow them to board. They'll be asked to step aside and board with their proper group. So I don't know why this hasn't been done earlier. Is the technology has certainly been there. I actually kind of wish it would be a big gong sound so that, so that everybody sees that someone's trying to jump their group, that would be so funny.
Patrick Wiscombe:If you hear this, gong Steve Smith, you're in violation yep, shame him so.
Mark Faldmo:So right now they're testing it out in Albuquerque and Tucson. So if you're flying on American out of those cities, make sure and board with your boarding zone.
Patrick Wiscombe:Let's get to the destination of the week Since Halloween was two days ago. Let's talk about some spooky destinations that our listeners can add to their paranormal bucket list.
Mark Faldmo:We occasionally get that call and say I want to do something for Halloween. That's kind of spooky, stay at a haunted hotel or something like that. So this is a list to start planning your next year vacation if you're looking for something like that. The first stop on the list is on Oahu. It's Moana Falls. I have been to Moana Falls in the daytime, but locals say at nighttime is when you get people see ghosts. They're called the night marchers, where it's Hawaiian warriors marching through the forest at Moana Falls. The next place is also on Oahu, so I guess you could plan a trip to Oahu if you wanted. That it's Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.
Mark Faldmo:In 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor, almost all of the hangars were damaged or destroyed, except for two, hangar 37 and Hangar 79. They survived and those are now the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, which say the place is crawling with ghosts. According to people Paranormal hunters I guess you would call them it is in Pearl Harbor by the airfield. The next place on the list is the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles. I guess it's haunted. I've not heard that before. They say there are several ghosts.
Patrick Wiscombe:The ghost of Harvey Weinstein. Yes, they say, there are several ghosts. The ghost of Harvey Weinstein?
Mark Faldmo:Yes, the next one I find that's interesting is the Chicago River.
Patrick Wiscombe:Yeah, okay, I can buy that actually.
Mark Faldmo:Downtown Chicago is absolutely spectacular, but that river's pretty gross, yeah. So that's one of the haunted places. Another one is the Queen Mary in Long Beach.
Patrick Wiscombe:Yeah, I've been on the Queen Mary. That was old, it was just. I know it's been restored-ish, but it was. It did give me kind of a creepy vibe and I wasn't even looking for it the last one that we'll talk about is the Biltmore Hotel in Miami in Coral Gables area.
Mark Faldmo:I have stayed at this hotel a few times, thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't know it was haunted, but apparently it was a mob hotel and so there were several ghosts created in the hotel during its mob days and also in the 1940s it was for World War II it was changed into a military hospital, so it was a hospital at one point. But it is a wonderful vintage old hotel there in Coral Gables in Miami, but some say it's haunted.
Patrick Wiscombe:It's hard to say this. I think Miami's a little underrated. It is spectacular right now.
Mark Faldmo:I always enjoy Miami. You know, when I Go to that area for a cruise, I always try and go in a day or two early. You did the things with me that I like to do Go to Shark Valley and drive part of the Keys or even all the way down to Key West, time permitting, but there's a lot to do in the area. South Beach Miami is very interesting.
Patrick Wiscombe:It's beautiful. It was genuinely a beautiful place. It makes me wonder how many Airbnbs they have down there, because I bet they're just filled all the time. Yes, I can't recommend enough going to Miami, Miami Beach. I'm not a big Halloween person myself, but I do like it for kids. I love when they come to my door and get to pass out candy. If you can get to Miami, call Mark, he knows Miami back and forth. Book your vacation through Mark. Call him in his office. He's open Monday through Friday 888-718-7717. 888-718-7717 is his office number. Open Monday through Friday, just regular business hours. When we come back we've got the hot travel deal of the week, always in segment number two. And are we going to Hawaii? This week we are going to Hawaii. Yep, awesome, you can go to Pearl Harbor and go see the hangars. Yeah, that is next when the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show continues alongside Mark Faldmo by good friend. My name is Patrick Wiscombe. We will be right back.
Show Voice: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. We'll be right back throughout the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Central.
Ad Voice:America To book your unique Star Clipper sailing adventure. Contact Blue Planet Vacations at 888-718-7717 or blueplanetvacationscom.
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 inside of the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show. Hello there, I'm Patrick Wiscombe. Thank you for making this part of your Saturday and Sunday mornings. Here in the 11 o'clock hour we are presented by blue planet vacations. com. Mark Faldmo is owner of blue planet vacations. com and he joins me as he does every single week right here on eight, 60 KKAT and radio stations around the country and you can also get the podcast on insidetraveltalk. com and you can also just go to blueplanetvacations. com to get the podcast coming up. In this segment we always have the hot travel deal of the week. We are headed to Hawaii this segment and we're going to talk about mark's picks, if he has his choice to go to any of the Hawaiian islands, where he would stay, the hotels that he's stayed at and that he recommends. That's coming up here in just a few minutes. But let's get to the Travel Dews headlines. I saw that Outrigger is unveiling a reimagined and rebranded Waikiki or, as Siri says, Waikiki Hotel. What are the details?
Mark Faldmo:Outrigger is rebranding what was formerly known as Ohana Waikiki East Hotel to a new brand called the Outrigger Waikiki Paradise Hotel. Waikiki East Hotel was one of the hotels that I used to use a lot. It's a pretty good location. It's near the Sheraton Princess Kealani, which we've talked about a lot. On this, they've completely gutted out the hotel, reimagined and rebranded this hotel in Waikiki, so it has all new bedding, all new fixtures, everything. That's another option of place to stay when you're looking for a Wahoo in Waikiki in particular.
Patrick Wiscombe:I love Waikiki, or Waikiki as Siri says. I saw that a jury awarded American Airlines $9.4 million against hidden city ticketer called skip lagged, and explain to people how this whole thing works.
Mark Faldmo:This is one of the reasons why to use a travel agent, because we have some of these tricks and tips that we can use to help you get better airfare. A lot of those with the invention of some of the technology that's out there have gone out the window and in terms and conditions they've been written out that you can't do this. One of those is hidden city ticketing. So what hidden city ticketing is? Say you want to go between Salt Lake and Denver and it's $200. You might be able to get a ticket Salt Lake City to Omaha, Nebraska, for $150, connecting through Denver, and you just get off in Denver and you do the same thing on the way home. So to get back home you go Denver, say to Las Vegas, but connect through Salt Lake, get a cheaper fare that way.
Mark Faldmo:But for several years that practice has been written into terms and conditions that passengers won't participate in that and that ticketing agents so travel agents we can't participate in that anymore. Years ago when this first came out, there were several people that airlines just banned and took away all their frequent flyer miles because they got caught doing that During COVID. This trend called skip lagging came and there was a whole company created, which was called Skip Lagged and that's who the jury awarded the American settlement from was this company called Skiplag, which helped people to do that? They didn't physically book the tickets, but they showed people how to do that.
Mark Faldmo:As a consulting fee, basically as a consulting fee, and so they were showing people how to break the rules of the airlines.
Patrick Wiscombe:I saw that Disney is going to launch a new reservation-free ride pass for up to $449 per person.
Mark Faldmo:This is an enhancement to their Lightning Lane. This is called the Lightning Lane Premier Pass and it allows you to access the Lightning Lane without a reservation.
Patrick Wiscombe:I would do that. I know it's expensive, but I love Disneyland, except for the lines Pro tip. If you go to Disneyland after the new year, like the week after the new year, that's a great time to go. That is. Yeah. Let's get to the hot travel deal of the week, always in segment two of the show, and we're going to Hawaii. There was a caller, what was her name? Was it Susan?
Patrick Wiscombe:I think it was yeah she wants to go to Hawaii but is having a hard time deciding which island to go to and where to stay. She's asking you what are your favorite hotels on each of the Hawaiian islands?
Mark Faldmo:This is kind of a two-part question. One is which island and then the other is my favorite hotels. So we probably don't have time to do all of that, so I decided to focus on my favorite hotels on each island. First of all, let's start with the pricing. Right now to Hawaii. Prices start at $8.99 per person. This is for early January, January 9th departure, including airfare from Salt Lake City Five Nights Hotel. You can get all the details to all the islands just by visiting blueplanetvacations. com, which is our new website for full deals. Just click on the Hawaii deal and it'll give you all of this pricing.
Patrick Wiscombe:By the way, $899, five days in Hawaii. That's phenomenal. The airfare alone is worth that. What should she consider?
Mark Faldmo:First consideration is budget. The second is experience. Depending on the hotels, hotels run in all different prices and experiences. So what I've done is I've picked three hotels on each of the islands. All these hotels I've stayed at several times. They all have good experiences, but they do range in budget, and so you know, I've kind of picked a lower priced hotel, medium priced hotel and a higher priced hotel. Let's start in Oahu For the lower priced hotel. The one I would recommend is the Sheraton Princess Kehlani. It's across the street from the beach but it has good prices. The next one is probably my favorite pick on the island, which is the Courtyard North Shore, and I like this one just because of the location.
Patrick Wiscombe:You're about an hour drive from the airport to this location.
Mark Faldmo:Yeah, about an hour drive, but it is the only hotel in the area. It's basically in the parking lot of the Polynesian Cultural Center, which is a great attraction. You can walk across the street to the beach, has a great beach and it's just a good point to explore the north side of the island.
Patrick Wiscombe:And much less hustle and bustle. It is way different than Oahu and Waikiki. It is yeah Beautiful location.
Mark Faldmo:And then, kind of for the higher end hotel, it's the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Oh yeah, that's where I stayed.
Patrick Wiscombe:So those are my picks on Oahu. Do you want to go to Maui or Kauai next let's go to Kauai.
Mark Faldmo:Okay, Kauai is probably the least visited island. I like it because it's a little bit more laid back yes, there, you know, not not as much going on.
Mark Faldmo:There's still a lot to see and my pick of hotel there for the lower priced hotels is the outrigger kawaii beach. This has a great beach, really good location kind of for the medium hotel, Sheraton, Kauai, coconut Beach, which is right on the Coconut Coast. It's by a shopping center, just a really good area to stay. And then my favorite hotel on the island is the Hyatt Regency Poi Pu Beach. My father, who's traveled to Hawaii a lot more than me, says this is his favorite hotel in all of the Hawaiian islands.
Patrick Wiscombe:That's saying a lot, because there's some good ones there is, yeah.
Mark Faldmo:What about Maui? So in Maui, the Royal Lahaina Hotel is a good one, right on Kaanapali Beach. The next hotel is right next door to it, which is the Outrigger Kaanapali Beach Hotel. Those are two great located hotels. And then, if you really want an experience, go to the Grand Wailea, right on the water. It's associated with several golf courses in the area. It is quite the experience to stay at the Grand Wailea.
Patrick Wiscombe:Well, that only leaves the big island left.
Mark Faldmo:Which is personally my favorite island to visit. And then hotels there. My kind of lead-in hotel is the Royal Kona Resort. I like this one because it's right in the town of Kilauea Kona. There You're right by all the shopping and restaurants. It's just a great location for a vacation. And then the Hilton Waikoloa Village would be the next hotel on the big island, the medium option, the medium option, and it's had some really good prices lately.
Mark Faldmo:And then again for the high end option, the Mauna Kea Beach Resort has its own golf course on Haupuna Beach, which is the best beach probably in all of Hawaii. There. I remember Heather and I got a day room there just waiting for a flight one day and she walked into the room and was just amazed with the view of the beach and the water and it was such a nice hotel there, the the Mauna Kia beach resort you just can't go wrong with Hawaii.
Patrick Wiscombe:it's the one vacation that everyone just goes. Yeah, okay, let's go. Prices to Hawaii start at $899 per person for a January 9th departure. That includes the airfare from Salt Lake and Five Nights Hotel. It is featured on blueplanetvacations. com right now or you can call Mark in his office, starting on Monday, the phone number 888-718-7717. 888-718-7717. When we come back, it is the infamous Just Cruising segment. We've got the cruise news of the week and we are going to talk about celebrating America's birthday on a Holland American cruise. That is next when the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show continues. My name is Patrick Wiscombe, he is Mark Faldmo. We will be right back.
Show Voice: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. 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.
Ad Voice:This segment of Inside Travel Talk is sponsored by El Dorado Spa Resorts. Escape to Cancun's Riviera Maya with authentic all-inclusive luxury at an El Dorado spa resort. To book your romantic beach getaway, contact Blue Planet Vacations at 888-718-7717 or blueplanetvacations. com.
Patrick Wiscombe:Let me welcome you back to the Inside Travel Talk podcast, a radio show Coming up here. In the next 30 minutes we are talking MSC cruises and they are slashing prices because they want you on their ships, and we've also got the cruise news of the week and then we're going to talk about what to expect if you book at MSC Cruise and you go in their yacht club. Let's get back to the show. 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:All aboard for segment number three of the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show. This is the infamous Just Cruising segment. This is the infamous Just Cruising segment. We've got some great and I do mean great deals if you want to go sail with MSC Cruises. Laura Okonowski is going to join me here in just a second to talk about those promotions that are coming up for Black Friday. This is the perfect gift for Christmas. Let me bring back in Mark Faldmo, the owner of BluePlanetVacations. com. That are coming up for Black Friday this is the perfect gift for Christmas. Let me bring back in Mark Faldmo, the owner of blueplanetvacations. com, and we've got some cruise news of the week that we need to share with listeners. Since this is going to be an MSC segment, let's start with MSC Cruises launching their first Alaska cruises in 2026.
Mark Faldmo:So this is exciting news. MSC has really been expanding in North America and they just announced, starting on May 11th, they are going to do an Alaska cruise round trip from Seattle. So this will be seven day cruises visiting Ketchikan, icy Strait, Tracy arm, Juneau and Victoria.
Patrick Wiscombe:It is time for the cruise deal of the week, which is always in segment number three of the show, and we have a Happy Birthday USA, which is a special 250th anniversary cruise on Holland America. I'm going to assume that this is selling fast and that they just have to call you for this one.
Mark Faldmo:Call me for dates and prices, but this is a special sailing July 4th 2026. Starts and ends in Boston. It leaves Boston late so you can watch the fireworks in Boston Harbor while you're on the ship, and then it takes off. I think this is a great itinerary. It visits Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and then it spends two full days and an overnight in New York City, and then it does have to get its international port in. So it goes to St John, new Brunswick in Canada and ends back in Boston on July 11th. How many days is this? It's a seven night cruise. It was starting. Last I checked, the insides were somewhere around 1200, but everything is selling so fast on this that if you want to get this call and we can actually get the prices and availability for you.
Patrick Wiscombe:Let's transition away from the Happy Birthday America cruise on Holland America and let me bring in Laura Okonowski. She is the business development manager for MSC Cruises. She was just on MSC's seashore a few weeks ago and we wanted to invite her on the show to talk about her experience. Did you go? Thermal suite, of course, oh, Laura, that is special, that's fun too.
Laura Okanowski:It was fun. So we went on the first sea day, which I think everybody and their brother goes on the first sea day.
Patrick Wiscombe:Yeah, that's true.
Laura Okanowski:Right. So it was a little bit busy on our first sea day, but we got to see the entire landscape of everything. We, you know, hopped and jumped into all the different rooms. There's the snow room, yeah, I love that one.
Laura Okanowski:The salt room there are all those really fun showers cold shower, hot shower with all the different scents that go along with it the eucalyptus and mint so they're very invigorating. Right there's the dry sauna, the hot, wet steam sauna. There's all different types of things, the whirlpool, the mosaic chairs to lay out on and relax For the listening audience. The thermal sues is an area of the spa where guests who have our ARIA experience as well as Yacht Club are welcomed there any time when it's open for the duration of the cruise. So if it's a seven-day cruise, you're able to go seven days. Right, wear your swimsuit, it's co-ed. You can expect that no children will be there because it's for adults only, which is quite nice, and you just make your way around all of these different relaxation chambers and rooms. So it really is just a great way to get your blood flowing, invigorate your body, relax. If there's any guests who have long flights before embarking on a ship, you might feel oh, my back's a little sore or maybe I need to get the circulation going. A visit to the thermal suites will certainly help that.
Laura Okanowski:And so by yeah, third day we were a little bit more strategic. We would go late afternoon, about four to five, and typically five is when people might be back in their staterooms changing for dinner or having an early cocktail before dinner. So we found less busy. Here's my little pro tip Found it less busy during that time and also less busy in the last hour of the opening hours. So if they say they're open till nine o'clock, try to go from eight to nine and it will be less busy. Why? Because people are at dinner, they're at the shows, they're at the shows, they're at the casino, they're already into the nighttime groove. That, I found, was a great time to go as well at the end of the day and you know what that does that sets you up for the most amazing relaxation and sleep.
Patrick Wiscombe:What promotions do you have for listeners?
Laura Okanowski:Well, can you even believe it? We are approaching Thanksgiving. You know we're still here in October, but we are approaching Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales, and MSC, of course, doesn't disappoint with different specials that we have. So what we are going to be offering is, of course, something to our listening audience, and that is I'm just pulling it up here, so I have all the details in front of me. It will begin on the 12th of November, so we're getting out of the gate early. It's a Black Friday preview sale we're calling it, we want to get a jumpstart on things and it will offer up to a 35% off savings on almost every voyage in our itinerary landscape. So you'll find itineraries for the Caribbean, for the Med, you'll find itineraries for domestic departures leaving out of Port Canaveral, Brooklyn, Miami. You might even find some of our new opportunities leaving out of Galveston.
Laura Okanowski:Now, Galveston is going to be a new port for us starting fall of next year. So, if you know, some of our listeners are in the drive market to drive to Texas, to Galveston in particular. We are currently building our own parking structure, five-tier parking structure, and our own terminal and pier for MSC Cruises to leave out of Galveston. So a lot of fun things on the horizon.
Laura Okanowski:But getting back to this particular sale and savings, so I understand that drinks and Wi-Fi are going to be included in this as complimentary and some onboard credits as well. So the onboard credit, it's up to $400 onboard credit and that's determined by the type of stateroom a guest is purchasing and also the number of days that the cruise will be traveling for. And that is also, Patrick, how they determine the up to portion of 35% off. So I just like to explain that because sometimes people think, oh, 35% off and a $400 onboard credit out of the gate for everybody. No, it depends on those two pieces of criteria how long are you traveling for, what is the destination? So that is the promo Black Friday and Cyber Monday. So I am being told that it will begin, as mentioned, November 12th and run through and up until close of business on the 25th of November.
Patrick Wiscombe:The pricing on MSC Cruises is aggressive. They want people on those ships.
Laura Okanowski:Yes, you've noticed.
Patrick Wiscombe:Yes, In some cases I won't say it's half, but sometimes it's significant savings.
Laura Okanowski:Absolutely Now. Reason for this is MSC Cruises is not your average household name as of yet. We really are striving for it to become that. There are some other cruise lines out there that are more commonly seen in television commercials, more common ads, you know, displayed on billboards or maybe in magazines and periodicals. MSC has really been growing to that and with the movement out of Galveston starting fall of next year and you know some, maybe some other potential opportunities in future, we really are making our mark on North America and and really getting ourselves in front of the North American market of cruisers and first time cruisers.
Laura Okanowski:I really invite all of your listeners to do their homework. If you have a favorite brand, compare it with MSC, compare it with the price of that favorite brand and then our balcony stateroom. Or compare it with that special ship-within-a-ship VIP experience of a suite on another cruise line, with that of the Yacht Club on MSC. Almost in every opportunity our prices and rates will beat that competition. So strike while the iron is hot. I always like to say we never know how long this best pricing is going to last for, but it's worth giving yourselves that comparison and being an informed consumer. Now our travel provider friends, of course, informed consumer, now our travel provider friends of course do an amazing job of helping with that and breaking it all down. But MSC is something to take a look at, I would say. If you're planning to cruise within the next two years, our itineraries right now are spanning into 2026, if you can believe it. So get to planning and lock in that best pricing to planning and lock in that best pricing.
Patrick Wiscombe:It really is worth going on MSC cruises. Nikki and I were there in June. We went from June 20th to June 30th on MSC seashore. It really was a spectacular cruise. Book the vacation through Mark. Just call his office, 888-718-7717, 888-718-7717. And I'm just going to add a personal plug that Mark doesn't know. I'm going to say here BluePlanetVacations. com has one of the best cruise booking engines I have ever come across. It is so easy to read, it's easy to get to the place that you want to go to and you just book it through him. He takes care of all of the headache and he can advise you. Let me give you the number one more time 888-718-7717. And you can also go to blueplanetvacations. com. When we come back, we're going to continue our conversation with MSC Cruises' Laura Okonowski and we've got the final segment of travel news that you need to be aware of. That is next when the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show continues. Alongside Mark Faldmo, I am his humble sidekick, Patrick Wiscombe. We 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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Patrick Wiscombe:Welcome back inside the final segment of this week's Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio show. My name is Patrick Wiscombe, alongside Mark Faldmo, and as we start this final segment, let me just plug the website. If you've heard something that you would like to book during the show, go to blueplanetvacations. com or you can just call Mark in his office, Monday through Friday, normal business hours. Speaking of that, did you hear the text that just came in? I heard a ding. We really do get text during the show, anyway, 888-718-7717, 888-718-7717. And, as I mentioned, blueplanetvacations. com, we're going to continue our conversation with Laura Okonowski of MSC Cruises. At the very start of the show. You know how we were talking about Delta reimagining their cabins. Yes, well, I just got an email from Delta just now that says something new is on the horizon, introducing a completely reimagined onboard design. They are really making some changes and they're beautiful changes.
Mark Faldmo:This is a good upgrade. I saw an email a few days ago from Delta, but that's interesting that we talked about it and then you got an email right away.
Patrick Wiscombe:Let's get to the final travel news headlines for this week. How many times have you flown to New York City's LaGuardia Airport? Probably five or six, yeah, okay, I've done it two or three times. I got to be honest. The old LaGuardia was just a dump, yeah, but it's now ranked one of the best airports.
Mark Faldmo:The former president and the current president both basically called LaGuardia Airport a third world airport.
Patrick Wiscombe:Yeah, I remember when he did that too.
Mark Faldmo:They've spent years rebuilding a new terminal, rebuilding the whole airport, and now in a recent poll it was ranked as the top airport in the US. So I haven't been to any of the new parts of it, but I'm looking forward to it.
Patrick Wiscombe:Let's get back to the interview with MSC Cruises' Laura Okonowski. In the previous segment we were talking about the Black Friday specials to go cruise on MSC Cruises, but recently she was part of the Yacht Club and it had been a while since I had seen Laura or that we had spoken, and this is how the interview went. It's good to have you back. It's been what July since we last spoke.
Laura Okanowski:Yeah, it's been a few months, Patrick, so we are getting into the fall winter season at MSC with a lot of exciting things happening in 2025 that I'm bursting at the seams to talk to you about.
Patrick Wiscombe:Let me take you back. A few short weeks ago you were on MSC's seashore. You went with your family. Tell me how it went and where you went.
Laura Okanowski:We began our journey out of Miami on the MSC Seascape Beautiful ship.
Patrick Wiscombe:Yeah, it is.
Laura Okanowski:She was launched in 2022. So she's equipped with all the latest and greatest bells and whistles Just a stunningly beautiful ship. She has these amazing Swarovski crystal staircases throughout where people line up to take photo opportunities, and the ship is just abuzz with music and people and laughter. And you have to like people to go on the ships of MSC because there are people on board. Our ships usually have anywhere from 5,000 to 6,000 guests on our C-class ship, so that would be seashore out of Port Canaveral or seascape out of Miami, and there were probably 5,000 plus individuals on board.
Laura Okanowski:My family, though, was very blessed to be able to be booked in the Yacht Club a small ship experience but then you still have all the exterior amazing things to go do on a big ship, like water slides and arcades and all different types of entertainment venues in the evening and a casino, and you know all the things. But I have to tell you, Patrick, that the hype and the buzz it is true about yacht club Now working for the company, I had always suspected it was true and accurate, but until you actually experience something yourself, personally, right, you just don't really know for sure. It's amazing. Yacht Club, oh my gosh.
Laura Okanowski:For those who want attention to detail, who likes all sweet, appointed accommodations, who don't mind having a butler. Part the Red Seas for you when you're trying to make your way through navigate a large crowd of people. You know this butler every evening would take us to the 7.30 show or the 9.30 show, lead us from deck 18 down to deck 7, where the show was taking place, and typically guests would have to show their MSC for me app to show that they have their entertainment ticket and then be checked into the theater show lounge. Well, when you're led by the butler from Yacht Club literally the C's part you don't have to show a ticket. He or she leads you to your stanchion sitting area that's been pre-reserved for only Yacht Club guests.
Patrick Wiscombe:And let's talk about the embarkation and disembarkation process. You have benefits for that. You just go right to the front of the line.
Laura Okanowski:Absolutely Seamless, and upon check-in at the terminal, you will be equipped with a special Yacht Club bracelet, and the bracelet acts as your pass, not only to your stateroom, but you can charge things to it. It actually, I learned, is also a GPS piece, so the butler knows where you are. So this is how the ninjas of the state rooms and suites right, Because the butler and the room attendant will swoop in when maybe you're gone to the pool or you're gone for breakfast. They come in, pull everything together in your suite and then poof, magically you know it's put back together in your stateroom.
Patrick Wiscombe:It really is just kind of fun to have someone cater to you for a week. It's kind of weird, especially if you're not used to it.
Laura Okanowski:I can get used to it very easily and my family was getting used to it as well. Fun fact, you know, traveling with my 12 year old son and my husband to see an experience through the eyes of your child is a really cool thing as well. So, as a 12-year-old who is trying to exercise his independence and wants to do his own things, you know he found himself calling room service and ordering, you know full large pepperoni pizzas to the suite by the way the pizza is truly, I mean genuinely good, truly I mean genuinely good.
Laura Okanowski:It is very, very good, and a little note about me is I do have to eat gluten-free. It's by necessity, not by preference, and I shared this with them on board, as everyone should share if they have certain eating protocol preferences or needs. They shared this information with the chef, the head chef, and we had been mentioning about how the pizza was so amazing and lovely and, oh, I wish there was a gluten-free variety option. Well, guess what, Patrick? It showed up. It showed up and it was so delicious and good that my husband, who doesn't have to eat gluten-free, was asking well, how do I get one of those?
Patrick Wiscombe:The gluten-free option is available to everyone, not everyone just in Yacht Club, correct.
Laura Okanowski:The gluten-free option is available to everyone, not everyone, just in Yacht Club, correct? Well, they do have a pre-made crust that they can.
Patrick Wiscombe:Oh, that's right.
Laura Okanowski:They get the crust sent in, but in Yacht Club the chef actually handmade the dough and I have to tell you that the time frame that I've been with the company, the menu has certainly expanded. It has the menu has certainly expanded. It has, yes, and there are a lot of delicious, tasty items, from desserts to you know, entrees to, you know, everything under the sun.
Patrick Wiscombe:Did you go to Ocean Key, your private island, while you were down there?
Laura Okanowski:Well, we would have had Hurricane not been on our tail.
Patrick Wiscombe:Which hurricane was on your tail?
Laura Okanowski:Milton. Oh, so you couldn't go. Yeah, we were traveling October 5th to the 12th, and sadly, you know, hurricane Milton came roaring his ugly head right behind Hurricane Helene. So we were quite lucky that the ship departed Miami without any situation. Everything was fine and good. We had a beautiful day at sea, beautiful sunny skies. We even went to our first stop, which was Falmouth, Jamaica. Now, the next day, though, we were supposed to embark by tender to Grand Cayman. At 7 o'clock am, the captain came over the loudspeaker and announced that the port of Grand Cayman was closed because of the impeding Hurricane Milton that was beginning to rear its ugly head. So I'd seen reports that it had quickly moved from a Cat 3 to a cap five, and, you know, the waters were getting a little bit more turbulent. Two hours after the captain made that announcement, the white caps forming, you know on the way.
Laura Okanowski:Yeah, so the captain did an amazing job of keeping the ship and guests out of harm's way. Of course we had turned that Grand Cayman Day into a sea day and then they changed the itinerary up. So the next stop was Roatan, Honduras, which was not on the regular itinerary schedule. That was then followed by a stop in Cozumel, which was on the schedule, but just a different day, Another day at sea, and unfortunately Ocean Key was not going to materialize for us. And yeah, by that time in the week the bands, even though it was making its way through Florida and it was calming down as far as the categories, it still was causing the waters to be too turbulent for us to be able to navigate and dock anchor right there on the island.
Patrick Wiscombe:So that's amazing, that that's literally hundreds of miles away and yet it's still affecting you.
Laura Okanowski:Correct, and so you know. I want to raise a very important point I think about traveling by cruise ship, especially during hurricane season, is we have to remember that Mother Nature is in charge. Right, and we have to remember that it is the ship's goal and the captain's goal to make sure that all of us are meeting every safety guideline and keeping us out of harm's way. Mother Nature is in charge in these situations and we really have to. I believe I tell my family every time we go anywhere, we have to pack our patients because we don't know what's going to be in store.
Laura Okanowski:But I have to tell you that, even though our itinerary got changed, we still had the most beautiful, amazing time, because you know what, when you're with loved ones and you're in a safe place, you make the most of your situation. Right. I have to tell you, truth be told, I will take a sea day so I can enjoy the ship's amenities almost any day, because you really get to kick back, relax, enjoy the service aspects and elements of what you were going away on vacation for. And, yes, it's always nice to see different places and have excursions, but you know to explore the ship and just not be in a hurry to get anywhere. That was lovely for us as a family, so we really took our time and just kind of savored the moments together.
Patrick Wiscombe:That was an interview that I was able to do a little bit earlier this week with MSC's Laura Okonowski. In the previous segment we talked about the Black Friday specials, and you can book those with Mark on his website, blueplanetvacations. com.
Mark Faldmo:One thing on that Black Friday sale, I just want to mention that those do start November 12th, as Laura mentioned, so those aren't quite ready yet. We're just getting you ready to jump on the deals when they become available.
Patrick Wiscombe:MSC Cruises was a great experience, especially if you can get to Ocean Key, which is their private island. Just a whole lot of fun. So that's coming up on November 12th If you want to book any of the vacations that we have talked about. Hawaii We've also talked about the spooky destinations that you may want to put on your paranormal bucket list. And happy birthday to the United States. The special 250th anniversary cruise on Holland America. You just have to call Mark for that one. Call him in his office if you would please. Anniversary cruise on Holland America you just have to call Mark for that one. Call him in his office if you would please. 888-718-7717. 888-718-7717. And you can also go to blueplanetvacations. com.
Patrick Wiscombe:You can listen to this show again tomorrow morning, Sunday, at 11 am, right here on 860 KKAT If you want or need to listen to the show again. You can download and subscribe to the podcast version of the show on InsideTravelTalk. com. We're on all of the major podcast platforms and while you're at it, may I ask you to subscribe and leave us a five-star review, Because it really does help us get traction with the podcast platforms. So thank you. Well, now it's your turn to get out and explore the world while you can, because you never know what curveballs life is going to throw at you, and you know what I'm talking about. Today is a good day for a good day. Live your life intentionally, live your life deliberately and remember what you're not changing, you are choosing. Thanks for listening. Everyone, have a great week. We'll talk to you next Saturday and Sunday mornings.
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. Have a great week.