Ireland is one of the most popular destinations in Europe for Americans. There are several reasons this could be true… flights are fairly short between the East Coast of the US and Ireland, flights tend to be fairly inexpensive between the East Coast and an amazingly high percentage of Americans can claim some sort of Irish roots in their family tree. (You can look up the science on that data, we know it’s true).
Recently, Elizabeth, who has absolutely zero trace of Irish ancestry went back to Ireland for her second time ever, this time exploring the Northern reaches of the island, including Northern Ireland and the northern area of the Republic of Ireland.
Instead of exploring on her own, she opted to take an escorted tour with CIE. As a solo traveler, this is a very popular way to go, so she wanted to see first hand what it’s like. So tonight we will hear about her itinerary and her experiences on this Mystical Journey!
Elizabeth – George – Lindsay – Donna
Filed under:
CIE Tours,
Ireland
Azamara Cruises known for it’s port intensive itineraries- offering longer port stays, overnights, and accessing unique ports that often appeal to the Culturally Curious Traveler. The smaller premium line, offers a luxury immersive experience with the perfect blend of authentic experience and indulgent luxury- enticing both avid cruisers as well as land lovers. Recently, Lindsay answered Azamara’s siren call and boarded the Azamara Pursuit for a 10 Night Northern Cities Voyage – for research purposes of course and she is here to spill all of the details- the good, the bad, and the AzaMazing.
Elizabeth – George – Lindsay
Filed under:
azamara,
europe,
river cruising
It has been ten years since Disney Cruise Line last introduced a new ship. That was the Disney Fantasy and that brought Disney’s fleet up to four ships. This summer after much ado and a few delays. Disney’s fifth ship, The Disney Wish. started welcoming guests on board. Different from her four older sisters in MANY ways, we were excited to see what she held in store. And Elizabeth was recently invited on board for a three night sailing to explore, learn, and come back and share the good, the bad, and the not quite so pretty about this ship.
Elizabeth – George – Lindsay
Filed under:
Cruising,
Disney cruise line,
Disney Wish
Italy is, without question, one of the top destinations in Europe for North Americans. However, the classic trip to Italy usually consists of Rome, Florence and Venice. Then the second classic trip usually involves the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento area. However, the Piemonte region of Italy should not be overlooked when you are planning a visit. With Turin at its heart, this charming area of northwestern Italy offers big city excitement and small village charm with no shortage of lakes, mountains, wine, and even rice paddies! Elizabeth had the opportunity to visit all corners of this area recently and we want to hear all about it!
Elizabeth – George – Sandy – Lindsay – Donna
Filed under:
europe,
Italy
Barcelona is one of the most unique cities in the European continent. From its Medieval roots to post-modern architectural buildings, the skyline of Barcelona is unlike anywhere else. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it is a regular pre-cruise or post-cruise stop for many Mediterranean itineraries. Come find out what all is there as you come along with Lindsay.
Elizabeth – George – Sandy – Lindsay – Donna
Filed under:
barcelona,
europe,
Spain
We hoped that we would be passed this by now, but Covid is still rearing its ugly head. Luckily people are not getting as sick, but you’re still going to have to quarantine if you test positive. So what happens when you test positive on vacation? Well, not so luckily, Sandy got first-hand experience with that in March when she was in Budapest. She’s ready to share her tips so you can learn from her mistakes.
Elizabeth – George – Sandy – Donna – Lindsay
Filed under:
covid-19,
travel
Elizabeth – George – Sandy – Donna
This week we’re continuing the “Great Cruise Comeback” with Norwegian’s Breakaway. The first in its class, this ship set sail in 2013 and was based out of NYC (which was the inspiration for its hull art by Peter Max). Now she’s sailing from Miami and Sandy and her family finally got to take the cruise that they’ve been rescheduling since 2020.
Filed under:
Cruising,
norwegian breakaway,
Norwegian Cruise Lines
In case you’re wondering, 400 episodes of a weekly podcast equals 7 years and 9 months! We have covered a lot of topics over the years, and thought it would be fun to think back on the ones that have stuck with us. Links will be in the show notes so they’ll be easy to find!
Elizabeth – George – Sandy – Donna
Sandy’s List
Favorite Guest
Everest with Ron Wahula (episode 32)
Kilimanjaro with Cris DeSouza (episode 306)
Honorable Mentions
Devin Singly (episode 296)
Kevin Matijevich (episode 241).
What surprised me
Trek Travel (episode 339)
Favorite relived memory
Fairbanks (episode 236).
Honorable Mentions
So You Want To Be A Travel Agent (episode 269)
What Travel Means to Us (episode 1)
George’s List
Favorite Guest
Carolin Belcher with German National Tourist Office (episode 344 and episode 358)
Favorite relived memory
Alaska on Ovation of the Seas (episode 246)
Bucket list
Christmas Market River Cruise (episode 272)
What surprised me
Emerald Waterways (episode 397) (episode 397)
Donna’sList
Favorite Guest
Carolin Belcher Fairy Tale Travel
Favorite relived memory
Bali (episode 224)
Bucket list
China in 2024
What surprised me
I love the travel mistakes that we make, especially me – Mistakes We’ve Made (episode 172)
Elizabeth’sList
Favorite Guest
Airfare Secrets with Robbi Hamida (episode #189)
This is Your Pilot Speaking (Episode 136 Part 1 & Part 2)
Other Episodes Mentioned
Can’t Travel Without / Bring it or leave it game show style? #385
Travel Shaming 2 ( episode 311)
Vacation Shaming (episode 73)
Filed under:
travel
The Allure of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class ships. Amongst some of the largest cruise ships on the planet, she holds a whopping 5000+ passengers. Right now, she is cruising out of Ft Lauderdale, but she will be making her way to Galveston, Texas in 2023. One of our own got to check out the Spring Break crowds onboard. We would like to welcome back Nitra to the podcast.
Elizabeth – George – Sandy – Donna
Filed under:
allure of the seas,
Cruising,
Nitra,
Royal Caribbean
Disney is always keeping us on our toes with new technology, and Genie Plus is no different! You might remember the old Fast Pass system which has been replaced with Lightning Lane. Genie Plus is part of that new system, and there is quite a bit to cover.
Elizabeth – George – Sandy – Donna
Filed under:
walt disney world
