The Joy of Cruising Podcast

Send us a Text Message. I am delighted to welcome this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, a special guest, Damon Williams, a legendary comedian, actor, host, writer, and producer. He is a native of Chicago who has become a household name in the entertainment industry for over 30 years. Williams' journey to stardom began as a young entrepreneur, owning a Subway sandwich shop in the early '90s. However, he caught the comedy bug, and since then, he hasn't looked back. Over the years, Williams has worked with some of the most iconic stars in show business, too many to mention. He has performed stand-up comedy on several networks, including numerous television appearances. Williams' reputation as a highly sought-after comedian led to him earning the opening spot on the legendary Kings of Comedy Tour. I first got to see Damon live in 2018 when we sailed on Celebrity Equinox for Festival at Sea, the 35-year-old perennially sold-outAfrican-American Cultural Cruise. I wrote about Festival at Sea in The Joy of Cruising http://amzn.to/2EAMddF. This is what I wrote about Damon: “The nationally known comedians on the cruise included Damon Williams, featured performer and cruise host from the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show; Damon has been a featured performer and host on Festival at Sea since 2006…” I recently learned that we will experience Damon live again in a few months. We are booked on the Soulful Epicurean French River Cruise on AmaKristina with Friends of Festival at Sea, a luxury cruise affiliate of Festival at Sea. For the full-ship charter, Friends of Festival at Sea will bring its own Comedian Host, Damon, as well as featured Friends of Festival at Sea jazz instrumentalist, dance instructor, and resident DJ. By the way, The Joy of Cruising Podcast hosted Patricia Yarbrough, Founder of Festival at Sea in August, Podcast Episode Today we are delighted to welcome Damon Williams to The Joy of Cruising Podcast. Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon

Send us a Text Message. This week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast we want to share our reflections on our recent cruise—a transatlantic on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady—Miami to the Med. Not a review, YouTube can do a much better job than us, but just our random reflections. The cruise starts with 8 sea days, so we will be trying so much of the award-winning food we have heard so much about. This cruise was special in a couple of ways. As you know from a podcast we did a couple of months ago, we are on a quest in 24/25 to check some items off of our overflowing bucket list. This cruise allowed us to check a couple items off the bucket list, namely, it was our 1st transatlantic, and our 1st time experiencing Virgin Voyages. Enjoy! Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon

Send us a Text Message. I am delighted to welcome back to The Joy of Cruising Podcast Paul & Carole, creators of Paul & Carole Love To Travel. I go aways back with Paul & Carole whom I consider friends though I have never properly met then. But I kind of felt like I met them in our first interaction when I featured them in my first cruise book, The Joy of Cruisinghttp://amzn.to/2EAMddF and they took the readers on a Havana, Cuba bar crawl and it was like I experienced it vicariously through them. Every time I saw a photo of them subsequently, they seemed to be having fun and it reminded me of that first feature, Cuba Cruising. So, I invited them to do a more extensive feature in my second cruise book Cruising Interrupted http://amzn.to/3seFU8y. And last summer it was my pleasure to host Paul & Carole Love To Travelon The Joy of Cruising Podcast Podcast Episode. Paul & Carole Love To Travel has its own blog, great You Tube channel, IG and more. I wanted to catch up with Paul & Carole as soon as I learned from their channel of their AmaWaterways river cruise. Chery and I go on our first river cruise this summer on AmaWaterways AmaKristina, so I wanted Paul & Carole to share all about AmaWaterways AmaDara with the listeners. In addition, following the river cruise, they had a dream trip to Japan that I am sure contains some fascinating anecdotes. Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon

Send us a Text Message. We love stand-up comedy here at The Joy of Cruising Podcast, and no one does it better on the ocean than Carnival Cruise Lines. I am delighted to welcome this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Spike Davis, a Carnival favorite comedian, host, and writer. He is a native of Louisville, Kentucky, now residing in Atlanta—when not on the ocean. Perhaps after looking at his Carnival Cruise Tour Dates at https://www.spikedavis.com, I should restate that as: when not residing on the ocean Spike rests his head in Atlanta. He performs on ships a lot! Spike’s not new to this. For the past decade, Spike has been a crowd favorite on Carnival, earning his spot as one of the most sought-after comedians on the high seas. That’s not all Spike does. Spike has been on the comedy scene 30 years and has shared stages with legends like Steve Harvey, Jamie Foxx, Rickey Smiley, Mike Epps and D.L. Hughley. He's graced national TV on Dry Bar Comedy Show, Comics Unleashed, HBO, Showtime, Comedy Central, and BET. His clever and entertaining sets, infused with humor and poignant messages of hope and inclusion, make Spike a comedic force to be reckoned with. From coast to coast and cruising the shining seas, Spike leaves audiences laughing and pondering in equal measure. Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon

Send us a Text Message. This week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Lisa Mclean, Le Boat, Marketing Manager for North American. Le Boat is the market leader in providing luxury houseboat vacations on the beautiful rivers, lakes and canals of Europe and Canada. They have the world’s largest fleet of luxury houseboats and the widest choice of fabulous boating destinations to choose from. Le Boat has been at this a long time—over 50 years’ experience on the water. Here’s the part that fascinated me when I first heard of Le Boat from a previous guest on The Joy of Cruising Podcast: You don’t need a license or prior experience to be the p of your own houseboat. As Lisa will explain, Le Boat conducts a pre-departure briefing with you, explaining safety, controls and maneuvering the boat, how onboard features of the boat work, and even take you for a test drive. I first heard about Le Boat from Judy Cohen, Traveling Judi when she was on the show in December https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/14100013. I featured Judi in Cruising Interrupted amzn.to/3seFU8y, and while she is one of the most prolific world travelers I know, Judi enthralled me talking about her return to cruising—during the Covid lockdown—in Canada where she lives, and one of several places in the world, Le Boat operates. “You captain your own boat! When we arrive there—we don’t have a boating license—they gave us 2 hours of training…and away you go. You maneuver through the locks and stop at the various ports.” At this point I loud exclaimed. “Get out, that sounds amazing!” Judi went on to talk about how they brought their whole family, including their dog for a 4-night cruise. They cooked their own food. Judi said, “The kitchen is nicer than the one I have at home!” Read more at https://travelingjudi.com I am anxious to speak with Lisa, and to have the listeners of The Joy of Cruising Podcast get the inside scoop on this unique way to cruise with family and friends. Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon

Send us a Text Message. This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Lucy, creator of the Cruising As Crew, website, YouTube channel, and Instagram platform. Lucy has worked for P & O and Virgin Voyage in the shops, and for Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Lines as a shopping ambassador. I will be sure to ask Lucy to elaborate on and differentiate between those positions. Lucy’s passion, the mission of her website and channel is to facilitate the entry of others into working on cruise ships. Her tagline is: “Helping People Land Their Dream Job On Cruise Ships.” After qualifying as a beauty therapist/masseuse at 19, Lucy got a job with Steiner International, a leading recruiting agency for cruise ship spa departments, which Lucy calls “hard work but the best thing I’ve ever done,” Lucy’s cruise ship work includes: The Onboard Spa 2015- 2017 on Royal Caribbean, Harding Retail 2018- 2022 on P&O and Virgin Voyages, and in 2022 she became a shopping ambassador and worked on Disney Wish and Royal Caribbean Harmony OTS. Lucy’s motivation to create Cruising As Crew was because before I she started working on cruise ships, she would scour the web for information on ‘life onboard’ and couldn’t find much, so she thought she would put together something that she wishes she could have read. I wrote about cruise ship crew, staff, and officers in my latest book The Joy of Cruising Again in a section called “Ship Life,” and from when I first started cruising have been intrigued with what it would be like to work on a cruise ship. It is my pleasure to chat with Lucy to gain some additional insight into that and to share her story with the listeners of The Joy of Cruising Podcast. Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon

Send us a Text Message. I am delighted to welcome back to The Joy of Cruising Podcast Ilana of Life Well Cruised. Ilana is one of my first friends in the cruising blogosphere, having been featured in my second cruise book, Cruising Interrupted http://amzn.to/3seFU8y, and she has been a social media friend since my first book (which Ilana would have been in if not for an email issue!) Life Well Cruised was the second episode of The Joy of Cruising Podcast over a year ago and amazingly, her episode remains in the top five to this day Episode 2, Life Well Cruised. Life Well Cruised is a well-read blog, one of the top cruise You Tube channels in the world, IG and more. In fact, across all platforms Ilana has a fervent followership and Life Well Cruised is one of the mostly followed and influential cruise brands in the world. It's been over a year, so I wanted to catch up with Ilana, get her reflections on her recent Sun Princess cruise, compare our recent MSC experiences, and get an update of her cruising plans in this red-hot cruising market. Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon

Send us a Text Message. This week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Tom and Dom, a couple from UK and creators of the Tom and Dom Travel blog, YouTube channel, Instagram platform, and Facebook group. Tom and Dom have only been cruising since right after the pandemic, sailing MSC Virtuosa on a short cruise to nowhere—referred to UK as a staycation as UK phased in cruises after the lockdown. Only three years and many cruises later Tom and Dom are now sailing exotic itineraries to Greenland! Also, in that short time they have appeared in BBC Radio Wales, BBC NEWS, The Times, The Sun, Daily Mirror, OUT Traveler, and Business Insider. They are a CLIA Choose Cruise member 2023. I consider Cruise Bloggers, Vloggers, and Content Creators as Cruise Community Champions and have featured them throughout The Joy of Cruising Trilogy and on The Joy of Cruising Podcast. Passionate cruisers like Tom and Domepitomize the joy of cruising; they are so passionate about cruising that they want to share it with the world! Cruise Bloggers, Vloggers, and Content Creators champion the cause of cruising and at the same time they are champions to cruise fans by providing them with free, useful information, reviews, videos, photos, and cruise tips to cruisers planning a voyage, and prospective cruisers considering their first cruise. I have interacted with Tom and Dom occasionally on cruise social media, and it is now my pleasure to chat with them, and to share their story with the listeners of The Joy of Cruising Podcast. Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon

Send us a Text Message. I am delighted to welcome back to The Joy of Cruising Podcast Sheri of the Cruise Tips TV. Sheri is a special friend to me, having been featured in my first two cruise books, The Joy of Cruising http://amzn.to/2EAMddF and Cruising Interrupted http://amzn.to/3seFU8y, and then being my first choice for the initial episode of The Joy of Cruising Podcast which she graciously accepted https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/12197161. Cruise Tips TV has its own podcast, Cruise Tips TV Unplugged, as well as blog, You Tube channel, IG and more. In fact, across all platforms Sheri and Cruise Tips TV is one of the mostly followed and influential cruise brands in the world. It's been over a year, so I wanted to catch up with Sheri, get her thoughts on her recent Sun Princess cruise, and share with the cruise community the recent major change in Sheri’s cruising career. Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon

Send us a Text Message. I am delighted to welcome this week to The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Justin Sorrell aka MrBucketlist. Justin is a video creator and influencer and the creator of the MrBucketlist YouTube channel where 16k subscribers get to follow his adventures on the seas usually on the newest ships, like the largest ship in the world that launched just last month, Icon of the Seas. Justin recently cruised the launch and did a little bit of everything so I can’t wait to hear the details. He cruises exclusively solo, which is relatively atypical for men, and has done 19 Solo Cruises—3 of which involved leading MrBucketlist group cruises. As suggested by Justin’s brand name, cruising is only one aspect of his adventure seeking lifestyle. He has checked off over 150 items on his bucket list in numerous forms. Justin is a confirmed thrill seeker having visited over 80 Theme Parks; 49 of 50 States—and that will soon be 50/50 as he just booked a Hawaii cruise for this Spring; and 5/7 Continents. And then there was this statement on the MrBucketlist homepage, and Justin became a new travel role model of mine: “I vacation every 2 weeks!” Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon

Send us a Text Message. This week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Linzi and Mark, a couple from UK and creators of the Suite Natured blog, YouTube channel, Instagram platform, and Facebook group. They are a CLIA Choose Cruise member 2024. Linzi and Mark state on their website: Based in Northern England, getting to the cruise port is always an adventure, so we usually travel the day before embarkation to avoid any cruise day hiccups. But even though we live in the rugged Yorkshire countryside, and miles from the South coast, it does not stop us loving a cruise vacation. We also enjoy planning a cruise holiday and hope you do too… because that is why we started our channel. We make videos that we would want to see ourselves, when finding out about a cruise line, and what things we can discover before we can even step foot on the ship. I consider Cruise Bloggers, Vloggers, and Content Creators as Cruise Community Champions and have featured them throughout The Joy of Cruising Trilogy and on The Joy of Cruising Podcast. Passionate cruisers like Linzi and Markepitomize the joy of cruising; they are so passionate about cruising that they want to share it with the world! Plus, I have a special affinity with UK content creators. Such a passionate cruise community and the first person to agree to be in my first book, The Joy of Cruising http://amzn.to/2EAMddF, was a UK cruise personality. In the February issue of UK’s Sail Away Magazine, Suite Natured authored a feature titled “Myths & Facts of Taking a Transatlantic Crossing,” and they mentioned it on their FB Gp. The timing of coming across that post couldn’t have been any better. I was in the process of creating a podcast discussing our upcoming cruise, one of which is our first transatlantic —Bucket List Cruises 2024-2025 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/14366745. I reached out to Suite Natured, and it is now my pleasure to chat with Linzi and Mark about transatlantics, and to share the story of Suite Natured with the listeners of The Joy of Cruising Podcast. It's a fun conservation and ends with a hilarious anecdote. (I told Mar and Linzi they will be sure to be included in my second annual end-of-the-year episode oh the year's "most memorable, funniest, and most embarrassing stories!" Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon

Send us a Text Message. I am delighted to welcome this week to The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Walter Biscardi, Founder of Where’s Walter Travel. Sometimes I mention passionate cruisers I interview who moved me to add a destination or experience or vessel to my ever-expanding bucket list, or to book one already on my bucket list. Walter was one such passionate cruiser who moved me to booking a cruise on Virgin Voyages. Here’s the thing; I hadn’t interviewed him. I met Walter on YouTube where I incessantly watch cruise videos, even with the sound down when I am recording or editing a podcast episode or just listening to music. I happened upon a video where Walter was reviewing every food venue on Virgin Voyages, which was on my bucket list. Walter seemed so genuine and impressed by the food. Most importantly, he was persuasive. Shortly after viewing that video we booked Scarlet Lady for our first cruise on Virgin Voyages next month! Since viewing Walter’s Virgin Voyages video, we’ve become not just friends and followers of each other on social media, but collaborators. Where’s Walter Travel is The Joy of Cruising Podcast’s Travel Agent Partner. So, shameless plug, you can now book your cruises through The Joy of Cruising Podcast www.thejoyofcruising.net! Walter is relatively new to the travel business; yet, I wanted him as a guest on The Joy of Cruising Podcast based on the difference he has made in the 15 months or so he has been involved in cruising. Walter’s appeal is mainly as a cruise content creator who I have found that I can relate to mainly because of his relevant and incisive commentary, outstanding production quality, and frankly, his ‘everyman’ persona depicted on his videos. As we became friends, I learned of hisbackground prior to becoming a Travel Agent: over 30 years in film, television, and marketing. Walter owned creative agencies in Atlanta for 20 years. Heard of the Food Networks’ Good Eats with Alton Brown? Walter was fortunate to be a part of Peabody Awards for the show. Wow. Walter started Where's Walter TikTok in December 2021. He wanted to offer honest information about cruising so folks could make an informed decision on whether to take a cruise, noting, “There was so much bad and incorrect information out there as cruising restarted.” By April 2022 his audience started asking him to become a Travel Agent. In October 2022, Where's Walter Travel was launched and realized virtually immediate success. Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon

Send us a Text Message. I am delighted to welcome back this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast Ben & David of the massively successful Cruise With Ben & David. Their 248k followers on YouTube puts Cruise With Ben & David as one of the top cruise channels in the world. Along with Cruise Mummy, Cruise With Ben & David are the only two-time winners of the UK Wave Award in the cruise influencer category. Among cruise content creators/influencers they just may be the most influential cruise brand in the world. As an example, just weeks ago Cruise With Ben & David dominated cruise news and the cruise blogosphere/vlogosphere regarding an interaction they had with a major cruise line. Surprisingly, however that’s not why I invited them back on. Well before that incident, I was browsing their channel and was shocked to find that Ben & David went back to MSC cruise line—on MSC World Europa—after a “falling out” they had with MSC several years ago, which we discussed when they were last on The Joy of Cruising Podcast. This first of what was to be several MSC World Europa videos was quite positive. So, I reached out to them to come back on to discuss their return to MSC, as well as get their reflections on Icon of the Seas, and just catch up on what they have been up to. Shortly after Ben & David agreed to come back on cruise news blew up. Part of the reason for Ben & David’s influence is their credibility with the people who watch their channel. They pay for all their cruises, which enables them to provide their unfiltered—and very candid—reflections and opinions about the broad diversity of cruises they take. If a ship is among the world’s top ships, Ben & David have likely sailed on it. They pepper their videos with hilarious interchange between the two. And they feature highly polished video and production quality. Cruise With Ben & David has been featured in some of the top publications and news outlets globally, such as The Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USAToday and The Mail on Sunday. And, they have made a memorable appearance on the BBC's "The One Show". Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon

Send us a Text Message. This week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Colin Stewart and Nick Jackson, co-creators of the new brand Cruise with Colin and Nick, comprised of a YouTube channel, Instagram platform, and Facebook Group. As some of you know, Cruising’s Young and Restless has been a recurring section in The Joy of Cruising books taking a look at passionate cruisers of today who will be cruise community leaders of tomorrow. Some of you may know and follow Nick, aka #FutureCruiseDirector. I featured Nick in my latest book, The Joy of Cruising Again http://amzn.to/3lAfyON, and he was on the podcast in September, Travel With Nick, Cruising’s Young and Restless for his own YouTube channel. When interviewing Nick for The Joy of Cruising Again he mentioned that he and another aspiring cruise director, Colin, were partnering to launch Cruise with Colin and Nick, a YouTube channel that chronicles their journey toward a mutual goal. I introduced you to Nick a few months back, a high school student, track star, and a part-time employee at the Carnival pier at the Port of Galveston but I will ask him to reintroduce himself. This is my first-time meeting Colin, although we have interacted on social media, and I mentioned him in Nick’s feature. Colin is a college student at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, and it’s good to get to know more about him. It is my pleasure to chat with Colin and Nick and learn what they are doing together—and separately to further their aim to be a Cruise Director, and to share their story with the listeners of The Joy of Cruising Podcast. Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon

Send us a Text Message. This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Lois, creator of the UK based Lois: No Cruise Control blog, YouTube channel, and Instagram platform. Lois is a highly regarded cruise influencer—39th in the world according to Feedspot. Although she has been cruising for 14 years, she has sailed dozens of cruises. On her website, Lois introduces herself, “Hello! I am a Specialist Nurse and a Cruise content creator, living in London, UK. When I am not posting Cruise photography to Instagram, filming YouTube vlogs or writing about my Cruise adventures here, you will find me supporting amazing families and saving strangers' lives by Organ Donation!” I consider Cruise Bloggers, Vloggers, and Content Creators as Cruise Community Champions and have featured them throughout The Joy of Cruising Trilogy and on The Joy of Cruising Podcast. Passionate cruisers like Lois epitomize the joy of cruising; they are so passionate about cruising that they want to share it with the world! Cruise Bloggers, Vloggers, and Content Creators champion the cause of cruising and at the same time they are champions to cruise fans by providing them with free, useful information, reviews, videos, photos, and cruise tips to cruisers planning a voyage, and prospective cruisers considering their first cruise. Lois has an extensive and incredibly diverse cruising background, yet she started out with an amazing 22 straight cruises on a single cruise line. Looking forward to asking her about that. Lois and I have interacted over the years on cruise social media, and it is now my pleasure to chat with Lois, and to share her story with the listeners of The Joy of Cruising Podcast. Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon

Send us a Text Message. This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Holly Crabtree, creator of the UK-based Hollydaysatsea, YouTube channel, Instagram platform, and Facebook group. Holly is visiting The Joy of Cruising Podcast today to discuss mainly her recent cruise on the inaugural sailing of the highly anticipated Princess Cruises Sun Princess—which you might have heard me refer to as perhaps my future favorite ship. I am so smitten by this new ship—which I am not booked on until April 2025—that I arranged for a cruising content creator to come on the podcast and further pique my interest. (Also of course, to share with the listeners all the bells and whistles on the shiny new gigantic sea playground.) The originally scheduled inaugural cruise was cancelled. So, I got another content creator who was on the follow-up cruise. It too was cancelled. The third time was a charm, and I am thankful my friend and cruise influencer Holly was scheduled to be on the Sun Princess and we are glad to have her on The Joy of Cruising Podcast. Holly is a multi-award-winning cruise expert who says she is “More passionate about cruising than ever before and am excited to share my experience, tips and tricks, and the mistakes you can avoid.” Holly sold cruises for over 35 and decided to share all the insight she has learned with the cruise community on her various platforms. She points out on her channel, “Throw in a little Yorkshire humour, the odd cocktail-making class with some fabulous cruise cocktail recipes and of course my favourite cruise wine recommendations. So come and join me on this amazing and fun adventure as I cruise around the world sharing all I know to make your cruise experience fabulous.” I am so glad Holly is here to share her story with the listeners of The Joy of Cruising Podcast. Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon

Send us a Text Message. This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome RacQuelle and Ron, creators of the fast-growing MH Family Adventures, YouTube channel, Instagram platform, and Facebook Group. MH Family Adventures is a growing YouTube cruise channel with 15k subscribers, and 55k followers across their various social media platforms. Feedspot lists MH Family Adventures as #40 on their recent list of the world’s top 90 cruise influencers. RacQuelle has cruised at a torrid pace since 2019—44 cruises and preparing to go on her 45th as a volunteer with Autism on the Seas (the special needs community is near and dear to RacQuelle and Ron). RacQuelle Major-Holland is a Cruise Content Creator/Travel Influencer & Travel Agency Owner. She spent 19 years as an educator—uh that’s Dr. Major-Holland—before stepping out on faith to establish with Ron, Major Adventures Travelwhich focuses exclusively on cruise travel. RacQuelle’s first cruise was just in 2019 and now she has dozens of cruises behind her on a diverse selection of cruise ships. Ron is a workaholic and with the family traveling as much as they do, it has really forced him to learn balance (something he didn't have before, and RacQuelle feels is extremely important in life). Ron has worked in accounting for the last 25 years and has served as a business consultant for small to medium sized businesses. As the name implies MH Family Adventures is truly a family affair. RacQuelle and Ron’s 3 children, Andrew, Dice, and Jo are seemingly in every video and photo although RacQuelle travels a fair bit solo or with relatives as the kids have school schedules and Ron has to work and watch the kids. And on several videos, I've seen where RacQuelle cruises with each of the children, one at a time. I consider Cruise Bloggers, Vloggers, and Content Creators as Cruise Community Champions and have featured them throughout The Joy of Cruising Trilogy and on The Joy of Cruising Podcast. Passionate cruisers like MH Family Adventures epitomize the joy of cruising; they are so passionate about cruising that they want to share it with the world! It is my pleasure to chat with RacQuelle & Ron, and to share their story with the listeners of The Joy of Cruising Podcast. Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon

Send us a Text Message. Hello, passionate cruisers! I am delighted to welcome this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Venus Anderson, I was browsing Melanin At Sea, one of the most influential Facebook affinity groups comprised of 96,000-member, created by friends of the show and global cruise personalities A Rich and Jazzy Life. Venus happens to be the administrator of Melanin At Sea (and sister and sister-n-law of the founders, Richand Jazzy.) Following the holidays Venus posted: “We recently returned from our 19-day trip to Sydney, Australia. After planning this trip for about 16 months, we braved the 22 hours in flights from JFK to SYD with ease. Thankfully no hiccups or delays. We had the opportunity to stay in Honolulu, Hawaii for 36 hours and in Sydney for one whole day before boarding the cruise. We took an 8-day cruise on the Carnival Splendor to Noumea and Lifou, New Caledonia.” This sounded like a dream trip to me; I have interviewed well over 100 passionate cruises and many, even seasoned world travelers still have Australia on their bucket list. As I am wont to do, I reached out to Venus and invited her to the podcast so that I and the listeners could experience hertrip vicariously through Venus. I am so glad she agreed to join The Joy of Cruising Podcast. Venus’ adventure took place from mid-December 2023, through Christmas and New Year’s. Accompanied by her daughter, 13-year-old Autumn, and her cousin, her cousin’s husband and their son, the group flew from JFK in New York to Honolulu, Hawaii, where they got to spend a couple of days. Afterwards, they flew to Sydney, Australia and boarded the Carnival Splendor December 18 for an 8-day Christmas cruise with 2 stops—Lifou, and Noumea, 2 French territories in New Caledonia. After the cruise they spent 6 additional nights in Sydney and rung in the New Year there. Before flying to New York. Surprise, Venus plans to go back again someday! I asked Venus what inspired her to put together such a grand trip. Many veteran world travelers still have Sydney, Australia on their bucket list. One influence on her to see the world was a quite poignant interaction and left a lasting impression on Venus. Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon

Send us a Text Message. This week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Mike Jason, President, StarVista LIVE, one of the world’s largest producers of music-themed cruises. StarVista LIVE offers a diverse collection of eight theme cruises covering a cross-section of music genres all generally aimed at 55-plus cruisers. StarVista LIVE’s flagship cruise is the Malt Shop Memories Cruise which features the music of the 50s and 60s, and artists have included the likes of the Beach Boys, Frankie Valli and Dion. Other theme cruises are the Soul Train Cruise which has starred artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Smokey Robinson, and Kool and the Gang; The Country Music Cruise which has featured Vince Gill, Kenny Rogers and Alabama; ‘70s Rock & Romance Cruise with the likes of Peter Frampton, and America; Ultimate Disco Cruise which has featured Gloria Gaynor, and KC and The Sunshine Band; Flower Power Cruise featuring Three Dog Night, and Blood Sweat & Tear; Sandy Beaches Cruise headlined and curated by Delbert McClinton; and, their newest event, The Big Easy Cruise, featuring New Orleans jazz, funk, and R&B and just premiered in November. Mike is one of the few passionate cruisers I wrote about in two books of The Joy of Cruising Trilogy. Mike and StarVista LIVE was in my first cruising book, The Joy of Cruising, in Malt Shop Memories in a section called “Theme Cruising: Two Passions in One.” In my new release, The Joy of Cruising Again, I decided to circle back to Mike to cover how StarVista LIVE fared with the pandemic. The pandemic’s effect on the cruise lines was major but the impact on operators of theme cruises is about as significant a crisis as they are likely to face. Every consequence of COVID-19 on the cruise lines is exacerbated for a company dependent on full-ship charters, particularly a music-oriented theme cruise company. Not only are they dependent on what the cruise lines do (who are dependent on the Center for Disease Control), but they had two sets of stakeholders they had to maintain ongoing relations with during the cruising shutdown—guests, who in theme cruising are very likely repeaters, and performers, also likely to have an ongoing relationship with StarVista LIVE. Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon

Send us a Text Message. Hello passionate cruisers, this is Paul. And this is Cheryl. This week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast we want to briefly share our reflections about our most recent cruise. This one was a short R&B music cruise to the Bahamas on the Norwegian Pearl. The cruise starred R&B superstar Maxwell and was called the “Urban Hang Suite Cruise.” Urban Hang Suite is the name of Maxwell’s iconic first album. This was not part of a series of cruises—it was the first Maxwell Urban Hang Suite Cruise but I am confident it will not be the last. Maxwell is a global R&B superstar who takes his time releasing new music. The cruise was named after his first album which was released almost 30 years ago, indicative of the staying power of his brand, and his fans are every bit as fervent. Other headliners were Ledisi, Robert Glasper, Sabrina Claudio, Leela James, Musiq Soulchild, Gallant, and comedian A-Train. Text me! Support the Show. Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html Book Cruises https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain Intl Orders via Amazon