The Confident Traveler Podcast

The team discusses the plight of a group of people who were stranded in Africa after being late to return to their cruise ship (1:56), and talk about the difficulties for Carnival Cruise Line in having to move its operations from Baltimore after the collapse of the Frances Scott Key Bridge (11:08).  Then Andrea tells us all about her recent sailing on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas (18:10). Music by purple-planet.com

Our crew introduces a new contributor as we discuss big fun in the Big Easy.  Chuck welcomes the whole family to the episode (1:16) and then they discuss their stay in New Orleans (2:18) and their most recent cruise on the Disney Magic (31:46)!

The team re-connects after the holiday hiatus, then discusses news stories about a shake-up at JetBlue and a huge disappoint for travelers who had hoped for a unique cruising experience.  Finally, we discuss a Royal Caribbean cruise that is sailing around the world right now.

With Major League Baseball's World Series only two days away, we hope you'll enjoy this encore presentation of Chuck's favorite baseball stadiums and some great sports cities to visit.

Kristin shares her recent experience in Alaska.  She spent 4 days traveling by train and bus, including 2 nights in Denali National Park.  Then she tells us about her 7 night sailing on the Sapphire Princess cruise ship and her ports of call in Alaska's "Inside Passage".

Andrea rejoins the show (1:30) to discuss the elimination of Covid rules for cruises in Australia (6:18), new cruise ship restrictions in Barcelona (12:33), and clueless tourists in Rome (18:46).  Then Andrea tells us about her latest trip to Central Florida, through the eyes of her 5-year-old son (25:25). Music by purple-planet.com

Chuck discusses 3 news stories about travel to Europe, including new visa requirements for vacation travel to the EU (5:02), limits on visitors to a famous Greek landmark (9:23), and a very disturbing port of call for one cruise ship (16:00).  Then he shares some ideas on travel destinations for celebrating a special anniversary (21:21). Music by purple-planet.com

Chuck welcomes Molly back this Disney-themed episode (1:20) and they talk about a big change coming to WDW's park reservation system (6:10).  Then, they review 2 quick service restaurants and several table service restaurants on Disney property (11:10). They wrap up the show by giving their impressions of "Epcot Forever", Epcot's returning night-time show (59:43). Music by purple-planet.com

Chuck and Kristin do some catching up (1:16) and then talk about expectations for travel over the July 4th holiday (8:12). Then we explore unique evening festivals coming to several national parks (16:26) and discuss a new law that Kristin predicted six months ago (28:45)! Finally, we offer suggestions for how to spend a long weekend in Nashville, TN (33:18)!   Music by purple-planet.com

Chuck is joined by a returning guest as they discuss the most recent sailing hosted by Pioneer Valley Cruise Planners.  They talk about the Celebrity Summit, its itinerary, entertainment, food, and service over a 9-night cruise to Bermuda.

Chuck opens the show by discussing a couple of fun promotions (1:53). He's joined by Kristin to talk about a new way to get banned by a cruise line (6:04), new limits for cruise ships in the port of Juneau (11:58), and a new documentary series about expeditions to Antarctica (19:53). Finally, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing, they share their experiences of the event from a traveler's perspective (29:08)   Music by purple-planet.com

Chuck is joined by Molly Elias to talk about two news stories about crowd levels and a new attraction set to open at Walt Disney World.  Then Molly tells us all about her recent Disney Cruise that featured a Marvel Day at Sea, featuring character  interactions and activities based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Music by purple-planet.com

Chuck and Kristin follow up on news stories from previous episodes about sustainable travel (6:01), and a landmark legal case regarding travel to Cuba (15:52). Then we discuss the impact Emeril Lagasse might have as Carnival Cruise Line's new Chief Culinary Officer (26:15) as well as some other celebrity chefs working within the cruise industry (31:14).  Finally, we talk about Kristin's exciting plans for an upcoming trip to Alaska (46:05)!   Music by purple-planet.com.

The team catches up with each other by sharing their holiday experiences (1:25), then updates a recent news story about Frontier Airlines (11:44).  Then they offer some insight into Southwest Airline's breakdown after the winter storms across the country (19:15).  Finally, they give their predictions about what might be trending in the world of travel in the coming year (31:24). Music by purple-planet.com

Chuck and Andrea catch up on what they did over the Thanksgiving holiday (1:14), including what it was like to fly over the holiday (11:32). Then they discuss Frontier Airline's decision to eliminate phone access for Customer Service (18:14) and a Thanksgiving miracle at sea (24:36). They finish the news segment with a discussion of Bob Iger's return to Disney after the firing of Bob Chapek (30:19). They end the show by recommending some pet-friendly resorts for people who want to travel with their fur family (38:35). Music by purple-planet.com

The team catches up by sharing how much Trick or Treat traffic they got (1:15). Then Andrea talks about a new Hosted Cruise promotion (3:37). News stories include one cruise line that is dropping vaccination requirements (9:08) and two fun stories about air travel (16:23). Finally, Kristin takes us through her visits to Sedona, AZ (26:28) and the Grand Canyon (37:11). Music by purple-planet.com

Chuck provides information about a great promotion for a Celebrity cruise to Bermuda (2:13) and then is joined by a returning guest to give details about Christmas programs at Disney (4:00), great news for Disney+ subscribers (8:27), and news about Disney Cruise Line's next new ship, due to arrive in 2024 (11:01).  Then we get a complete review of Secrets Royal Beach resort in the Dominican Republic (14:50) and what it was like to honeymoon through Hurricane Fiona. Music by purple-planet.com

Chuck opens the show by giving details about an exciting new ALASKAN promotion! (2:34)  Then the team discusses the evolving rules regarding vaccination and testing requirements for US cruises (8:02) and how severe weather has recently impacted cruise itineraries (16:00).  Then Kristin offers some suggestions for amazing Autumn travel destinations outside of New England (23:45).

Chuck opens the show with a reminder about a great promotion for a Celebrity cruise (1:58) and talks about two news stories involving Norwegian Cruise Line's newest ship (4:29) and Carnival Cruise Line's attempt to curb bad behavior (8:52). Then, with baseball playoffs on the horizon, Chuck lists his five favorite ballparks (14:54) and his favorite Major League cities (33:42). Music by purple-planet.com

Chuck welcomes his daughter Molly back to the show (1:21) to review several restaurants.  Then they discuss their impressions of Epcot's two newest attractions (43:25), Remy's Ratatouille Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.  Then they finish up by talking about Epcot's nighttime show, Harmonious, after seeing it for the first time (59:51).