The Daily Cruise and Travel News ”Podcast” with Tom Drake

Disney Crew Drama: Female Crewmember Claims a Coworker Poisoned Her! Aman's New Cruise Ship Is Expensive, But Its Intimate Size Could Make It Worth It Would You Pay Extra for Front-Row Seats at a Cruise Ship Production Show? JetBlue's New Fare Structure Is So Complicated, It Looks Like Someone Skipped the Decaf

Squaremouth, a travel insurance company, tells people Venezuela is not safe. Duh! Traveling and Leisure tells readers that Santorini is one of the prettiest islands in Greece. Duh again! In case you live under a rock, steel-toe boots will probably get you pulled aside by TSA! The water level is so low in the Danube that German riverboats can see the old German riverboats!

Explora Journeys continues to be one of the few cruise lines investing heavily in protecting the planet... even if most cruisers are still more concerned about protecting their spot at the buffet. A Lindblad Expeditions ship in Alaska has been hit with its fourth norovirus outbreak. At this point, the virus should qualify for loyalty status. According to travel experts, women-only vacations are more popular than ever. Apparently, "girls' trips" have become a lot more appealing than waiting for someone to decide where to eat. Viking Ocean Cruises has ordered two more ships, bringing its fleet to 18. That's a lot of Scandinavian design... and enough IKEA-style décor to make you look for the little Allen wrench.

Guests aboard Four Seasons Yachts pay thousands per day and only get free breakfast. Hampton Inn? Soon, US airlines can fly to Lebanon, but why would they? Holland America will offer balcony solo rooms, but will they really be at solo prices? Wash your hands, please. Several cases of neurovirus on MSC Poesia forces additional cleaning!

The Houthis are back, now threatening to blockade Saudi Arabia. Just when you thought those idiots had finally taken a vacation. Holland America oversold an Alaska cruise and is now asking booked passengers not to show up. That's one way to improve the buffet lines. Emirates says it has solved the biggest problem in economy class with a new headrest. Nice try. Wake me up when they invent six more inches of legroom. JetBlue beat Frontier for Spirit's LaGuardia slots. If you're waiting for lower fares, don't. The only thing taking off is the price.        

 An overturned lifeboat in Alaska turns out to be much to do about floating. It was abandoned! Travel and Leisure's top three cruise lines for food all have some connection to Apollo! Are women-only tours going to be more popular in 2027?  Should men be offended? An airport in Rhode Island is named the top airport in America! Who cares?

Congress is considering a law to ban phone conversations on airplanes. For once, Washington and the Guru actually agree on something. Disney Cruise Line has appointed its first female captain, a former lawyer. If there's ever a passenger dispute, she can overrule it and bill by the hour. Barcelona's new tourism commissioner has a simple message: "Not one more tourist!" Apparently, even the tourists are getting tired of the tourists. Carnival says it's reusing old ship names because it can't think of any new ones. 

Are these new yacht cruise lines doing as well as the media would like you to believe? Another Norovirus outbreak on the National Geographic Sea Bird! Wash your hands! Government officials in Turks and Caicos push back against US State Department warnings!  Have you ever been called a mermaid by a flight attendant? Probably. But not to your face.

United will be adding new economy seats to make passengers feel more human. Royal Caribbean will be dropping calls in Haiti until the summer of 2027! Some luxury hotels are now treating pets better than the guests! Did you know that, on average, most cruise ship workers work more than twice as much per month as US workers on land?  

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection thinks they have found the answer to selling more cruises... designer pajamas! The Guru says Holland America has a winner as the Zuiderdam gets a major makeover! The FAA is betting $875 million on artificial intelligence to predict flight delays before they happen! Ring in the New Year aboard Crystal Symphony with Best at Sea Tours. The holiday gift you'll never forget!  

You're up early

The FBI tells people that if you witness a crime aboard a cruise ship, please report it. Luxury travel agencies say that the place to be in Europe this summer is Slovenia! The new downtown cruise terminal in Juneau will be much smaller due to higher labor and materials costs! That should be the whiners! Patti Lupone is outraged that the countries of Egypt in Turkey have banned the gay charter she is performing on!

 Hilton Honors and Explora Journeys have joined forces, and your stay at the Homewood Suites will help you get a deal on a cruise! Carnival's new build, called the ACE class, will carry 8000 brawlers! Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings' request to stall the court case with Frank Del Rio is denied! Royal Caribbean announces the Wow band. A new better way to track your mutant children on the ship.

No surprise here. JetBlue begins flying the old Spirit Airlines routes. Don't expect discount prices. The Guru plans to visit every historic bar in the Northeast this fall. The Mexican government changes its mind and will not allow cruise ships into the Loreto National Park. There has been no outcry from the cruise industry about the discrimination of gays by the countries of Egypt and Turkey. No surprise there either.  

Crystal has once again been recognized as the world's top midsize-ship ocean cruise line in the 2026 Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards, finishing ahead of luxury competitors including Viking, Silversea, and Explora Journeys. Delta will now sell you first-class seats at low prices if you don't want the perks. It looks like Las Vegas has decided that it is a playground for the rich!

The Guru goes in search of America's oldest bars. It's historical research... one drink at a time! United Airlines sold window seats without windows. A judge says passengers deserve to see this one through! Rome's brand-new cruise port has been stopped by the courts. Apparently, even in Italy, paperwork can sink a ship. Iran is back in the headlines after another attack in the Strait of Hormuz. Some governments treat ceasefires like free trial subscriptions.

Carnival guest sues the cruise line because her ATV overturned with her six-year-old daughter on board!  Only in America. I'm ready. A British cruise ship is given the prime viewing location in the center of the Hudson River for the July 4th Celebration! Rubber Duck Hunting is now an activity on board some Royal Caribbean ships! The Turkish government says gay people are “known for behaviors incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values!

Ama Waterways' new ship will have a jukebox. Now that's entertainment. The hotel industry hired 70,000 workers in May, so no one got hired in June! Airline stocks are rising as fuel prices go down. Let's see what happens to the prices! Charleston will no longer welcome cruise ships. Does anybody care?

 Fred Olsen Cruise Line has produced a musical album that features old Brits humming! A Carnival restaurant manager saves an 11-month-old baby from choking to death. Well done! The Guru thinks that the new Royal Caribbean Discovery class will target guests who don't want Rugrats running around! Norovirus finds a home on the Ruby Princess and on Ocean Marina!

Four Seasons Yachts has announced that the next yacht they build will be smaller. That way, they might sell it out. The FAA has decided to waste time on whether to approve supersonic flights in America rather than fix the broken system! Travel and Leisure magazine says the best time to book some hotels is 10 to 14 days in advance. Risky. Many airlines in search of new business are offering stop-over flights!

Avis continues to live up to its new slogan. Instead of we try harder. It's we don't try it all. US Airlines lose $6 billion a year because they lose your luggage. Serves them right!  Sun Princess did the right thing by dropping Corfu on the day 17,000 people will be there.  The Guru was shocked to learn that many Australians are hooked on amphetamine. He always thought it was Fosters.

The front desk clerk at the Trump International Resort in Florida has been arrested for fraud and misuse of a communication device. The girl is concerned about that last charge. The New York Times is reporting that airline lounges are too crowded, and now they want you to just grab something and go. Just when Lynn said Carnival Corporation took a little hit from the Iran war, but they will be fine! The Guru is leaving Nashville after a fast and furious few days!

MSC pulls the plug on sailing from New York City. Captain reverse your engines. Whale activists in  Alaska are telling Royal Caribbean to slow down after it whacked a whale. One Casino in Las Vegas is asking guests to act even more childish than usual. 65,000 people, including the Guru will watch Alan Jackson's final concert tonight at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.  

The Canadian Coast Guard travels more than 500 miles to rescue three people from a disabled trimaran in the middle of the Pacific. Now that's going above and beyond! Carnival is expanding its meal donation program in the Dominican Republic, delivering even more food to those in need. Credit where it's due. Well done, Carnival! The FBI's Houston office is reminding cruise passengers to report any crime they witness onboard. While they're at it... could someone please report Carnival's macaroni and cheese? And another cruise line has decided to go adults only. That's right. Another ship has officially banned the Rugrats!

The Guru says some cruise lines have a lot of nerve. They gladly take your money, then turn around and change the entire itinerary after you’ve already booked. Another world-class Carnival brawl! This time, the action wasn’t onboard. It broke out in Miami after the cruise was over. The Guru is in Nashville for Alan Jackson’s final concert. And yes, there will be a full report. Sadly, cruise ships striking whales is not all that unusual. This time, it was a Royal Caribbean ship involved.

Bus drivers go on strike in Santorini, shutting down the island. Cruises are all canceled. Superstar Vanessa Williams will perform on Crystal this fall! Azamara rolls out a new ad campaign. The Guru is not that impressed. Europe is overheating and shutting down everything.   

A cell phone bursts into flames in the middle of a British Airways flight. Just what every passenger wants at 35,000 feet, a lithium-ion bonfire. Carnival Cruise Line and Emeril Lagasse say they’re taking onboard dining to the next level. On Carnival, that probably means Deck 12. Get ready for another overpriced wannabe cruise line. This one floating in under the Mercedes-Maybach name. Because apparently the world was crying out for a luxury yacht with a hood ornament. Cunard delayed boarding on Queen Anne so the crew could give the ship a little extra scrub-down. Nothing says “welcome aboard” like guests waiting at the terminal while the vessel gets a rinse cycle.  

Carnival Cruise Line is toasting America’s 250th birthday with a bourbon from a 45-year-old brand owned by a company based in Britain. Nothing says American independence quite like a British-owned whiskey. Oops, they did it again. Royal Caribbean sold more cabins than it has beds on another Alaska cruise and is now asking some guests to admire the glaciers from their living rooms. The fireworks won't be limited to the National Mall. Reagan National Airport will be closed for most of July 4 as Washington clears the skies for America's birthday celebration.

 Holland America is bringing back the farewell dinner celebration. The Guru loves this idea. JetBlue is cutting back operations in the Newark area and taking them to the Sunshine State. Joining the Exodus. The rental car industry is predicting great things for driverless cars. Good luck on that idea! What's your hands people? Norovirus visits the Ruby Princess  

Delta Air Lines receives an all-clear from the Department of Transportation regarding the timing of its software system's collapse. The bloated bureaucrats from the European Union stick their nose into airlines' business where it doesn't belong. One listener tells the Guru to come to Chicago in the summer. We love it! The Guru is onboard Crystal Symphony now learning how to use his putter effectively  

Azamara's new Overland Experiences are just dressed-up shore excursions! The five knucklehead Colorado cruisers buy their way out of jail in the Bahamas! American Express buys the fork and sticks one in the back of the Guru! The Guru is onboard the amazing Crystal Symphony. Join him next year for a reposition on this ship!

If you're looking for something to do in July, the Guru has some options! Norway is deciding whether to build a tunnel for cruise ships. Why not? They have plenty of money. Another brawl among cruise ship guests breaks out in the Bahamas. This time on Royal Caribbean. Reese tells everybody why Crystal is worth it!!

 Don't stub your toe in Cinque Terre. It could cost you 2900 smackers! Santorini officials are rerouting 70% of the cruise guests thanks to the earthquake! The cruise ship Gemini is under arrest in Greece!  Only one more podcast from the beautiful island of Kushiro. the guru is overcome with emotion!!

Where are you now, Bud Darr? Seward opens their new railroad cruise terminal. The guru will see that in 10 days!! Pinch me. Belgian police arrest a river cruise captain during a DUI stop. Watch out for that Belgian beer! Caesars open the new Vanderpump hotel in Vegas. Vegas Hotel operators are now bragging about a mural on the wall at a red phone booth. That city is over.  

Three flights and 24 hours later, the Guru is bowing like crazy! Five US cruise guests get locked up in the Bahamas. Leave them there! Viking bails out on China but keeps its Chinese guests.  Visiting Japan soon? Learn some Japanese!  

A powerful earthquake near Cuba shakes up some cruisers. Lim Kok Thay's Dream Cruise celebrates a 10-year anniversary that includes the years he bankrupted the company! High fuel prices mean airlines will make less obscene profits! Best at Sea Tours is now offering an incentive on non-hosted cruises.

Viking is now offering Zeppelin rides on the river cruises. The Guru will pass on that. What a surprise! Another cruise ship guest is suing the cruise line because they couldn't pay attention to where they were walking! Global Ports Holding adds another Spanish port to its portfolio!  The sagag of Del Rio will pronably be in the news weekly!

 Some dreamers are still hoping to build Freedom City. A 1-mile-long ship capable of carrying 80,000 people. Not a dream. A nightmare. Some crazy Greeks picketed the arrival of an Israeli cruise ship in support of Palestine.  John Heald, Carnival's Global Ambassador, has had enough of that Facebook stuff! Are overpriced hotels, and in-house historians the latest fad for the rich?

 NCL cancels three months of cruises on Norwegian Viva with no explanation! Santorini officials have decided that 70% of cruise ship guests will not be allowed to use the easy access to the island. International airfares are going down because the Guru thinks no one wants to go to Europe! Rooms are going fast for the funniest cruise you will ever sail!  

 Protesters shut down the roads around Costa Maya, preventing cruises from seeing ruins! Hotel bosses meet in New York to tell each other it's not as bad as they thought it was, and it's probably as good as the Guru said it was! The new Viking Mira is slightly larger than Crystal Symphony and will carry 400 more guests. Is owning NCL Holdings stock a good bet?

 Hilton will roll out a new brand rather than improve the quality of the brands they already have! Carnival Corporation admits that over 6 million people had their private information released in a breach. A juvenile delinquent on a United plane forced the aircraft to return because his Bluetooth description was bomb!  

An Alcatraz ferry in San Francisco slams into the pier. No injuries reported; lawsuits to follow. The owner of Morton's Steakhouse buys up half of Vegas! The captain of the Silver Whisper rescues a stranded sailor and the rich people applaud! Book any Crystal Cruise now with Best at Sea Tours and receive an additional $250 and on board credit. New bookings only.

High school graduations down south remind you that we live in the greatest country in the world! Lunch at the Cheesecake Factory in Clayton, North Carolina, reminds us why the cruise industry is so sucessful and so much better than anything offered on land. Alamo rental car and Embassy Suites in Raleigh, North Carolina got it done for the guru. Great job!! Princess send three ships that they can't fill in North America to Singapore!    

Storylines-the wannabe Residence cruise company says it has money now! A Greek cement truck collides with a tour bus. Guests are late to the ship, and someone's new sidewalk doesn't get finished! In search of more revenue, Marriott is partnering with Resort Pass to fill its hotels with guests who are not staying there! What is cruisecompete.com?

Security at Avalon Airport shut down the airport because of one guy's laser hair remover! The cruise port in Boston tells visitors it will operate out of a tent for two years while it attempts to renovate. Almost an improvement. After hearing what guests who were on the antivirus ship went through, cruisers with norovirus should feel like they won the lottery. The Guru is considering sailing on the Oceania Club Reunion cruise in November!

Carnival brand ambassador Heald says it's silly if guests complain about material in an R-rated comedy show. He's right. The GoldBelt Tram in Juneau is undergoing a bureaucratic proctology exam after the accident. It won't be opening anytime soon. Some cruise lines are restricting guests from putting anything on the doors for safety and overall appearance. It's trashy. Crystal Cruises announces that their new ship will have crew recreation areas to make the crew feel like guests.

Carnival is being sued by a guest who burned his feet on a hot deck. He's asking for $5 million. 500,000 per toe. Sounds like a reach! Costa will find you $70 if you leave the dirty plate in the hallway. That's more than they pay the room steward for the day.  Based on current cruise line sales, no one is giving up cruising because of Hantivirus!    

Carnival Cruise Line put the wrong person on the no-sail list and was not very helpful. Incorrect in the error! The Guru loves this. Carnival will place an emblem on every bow to celebrate 250 years of America the Beautiful! Brand USA is building a program specifically to attract Canadians back to the US! The Guru is not sure it is needed. The US Supreme Court rules against the cruise lines in the Havana Docks case costing the cruise lines millions!  

Will TSA Plus replace TSA Minus? The CEO of the Hantavirus ship says, "Don't worry, we're financially resilient." Thanks for that. The head of the US travel association, Geoff "with a G" Freeman, is still complaining about the US government!! One Carnival guest is upset because he didn't have a digital clock in his room? No jokes about whether he can tell time!

Aurora Expeditions will now take only women to the coldest part of the world! Good idea? The Mexican government says no to Royal Caribbean's expansion of Costa Maya. They prefer the ruins. Airlines and hotels got together to gather enough signatures in Los Angeles to prevent the city council from implementing the $ 30-an-hour wage. Strong-Arm Hollywood style.