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Cruise Radio
Doug Parker
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Doug Parker gives weekly cruise news, ship reviews, money saving tips, answers your travel questions, and helps you make the most of your cruise vacation.
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678 Norwegian Joy Western Caribbean Review | Norwegian Cruise Line
4d ago
26 mins
678 Norwegian Joy Western Caribbean Review | Norwegian Cruise Line
Brad chats with us about his recent five-night western Caribbean cruise aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s ship Norwegian Joy. He goes over how well guests were following COVID protocols, what dining was like, and detailed his experience with entertainment throughout the sailing. -- Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
4d ago
26 mins
677 MSC Seashore 2021 Yacht Club Review | MSC Cruises
Chad chats with us about his recent sailing aboard MSC Cruises' new ship MSC Seashore. He discusses his stay in the vessel's ship-within-a-ship complex The Yacht Club, as well as his experience with other dining, activities, and entertainment around the ship. --- Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
Jan 6 2022
24 mins
676 Celebrity Apex 2021 Review | Celebrity Cruises
Sheldon chats with us about his experience on Celebrity Apex's third cruise ever — a six-night Greek Isles voyage out of Athens. He goes over his first impressions of the brand-new ship, his cabin with infinite veranda, the dining, entertainment, and how the extremely low capacity on board affected the sailing. Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
Dec 30 2021
27 mins
675 Carnival Mardi Gras Full 2021 Review | Carnival Cruise Line
Richard just returned from a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on Carnival Cruise Line's newest megaship Mardi Gras. This was his first cruise and two years, and he treated himself to an aft excel suite balcony. We get a comprehensive review of the ship, ports of call, and what he thoughts of BOLT the first roller coaster at sea. --- Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
Dec 22 2021
47 mins
674 Allure of the Seas 2021 Review | Royal Caribbean
Kevin and his family just returned from a seven-night Western Caribbean cruise on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas. We get a full review of the ship, itinerary, and the new protocols that Royal has during the cruise industry restart on its largest ships. --- Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
Dec 16 2021
23 mins
673 Norwegian Jade Review 2021 + Listener Q | Norwegian Cruise Line
Staff writer Richard Simms checks in with us from Carnival Cruise Line's newest ship Mardi Gras. He is on a seven-night cruise and gives us his first impressions and how he's enjoying his Excel suite (that includes access to Loft 19). Walter just returned from a seven-night cruise aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Jade from Athens, Greece. This was a Greek Isles cruise with vaccinated guests only. On top of sailing in the Mediterranean this summer, he also booked a Haven Suite. We talk about his experience and just how it was. Listener Q: Matt from Royal Caribbean Blog answers a listener question on getting a child tested for a Christmas sailing with a lot of the pharmacies being closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. --- Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
Dec 9 2021
41 mins
672 Cruise News + Listener Questions Answered
This week Richard Simms gets us caught up on this week's cruise news. Another Carnival Cruise Line ship has issues John Heald gets dumps a bunch of cruise line news Celebrity Cruises' changes its vaccination policy Norwegian Cruise Line resumes sailing from the Gulf Coast Virgin Voyages donates 100s of cabins on Scarlet LadyNCL cancels sailings from South Africa Listener Question: 1. We have a Carnival cruise booked out of Port Canaveral for late December. We're trying to arrange testing before we go, but are thinking about making a reservation for pier-side testing as a backup. Is there any reason we shouldn't do this? 2. I heard you can stay overnight on Ocean Cay. Is that true? --- Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
Dec 2 2021
32 mins
671 Norwegian Escape 2021 Review + Cruise News | Norwegian Cruise Line
Brian and Deb just returned from the first sailing that Norwegian Cruise Line did from Port Canaveral. This was a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise that included St. Thomas, Tortolla, and Norwegian's private island Great Stirrup Cay. Richard Simms has cruise news: One of the big guys at Royal Caribbean is stepping down after 33 years World's largest cruise ship hits milestoneCarnival Vista will move ports in 2023 A milestone out in Los Angeles this past weekend. Carnival is doing it again This restart is ramping up quickly, what are the latest ships back in service? Listener Question: Can I buy a mask on a cruise? Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
Nov 24 2021
48 mins
670 First Time on Royal Caribbean, Oasis of the Seas
Mark just returned from a seven-night cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas. This was a cruise that went down to the Bahamas with a brief stop in Florida. Departing out of the New York City metro area, Mark shares his thoughts, his first impressions, and what it was like being a first-time cruiser on Royal Caribbean. Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
Nov 18 2021
32 mins
669 Aboard Holland America's News Cruise Ship | Holland America Line
We catch up with Holland America Line's President about the brand new ms Rotterdam and speak with Seth Wayne, Holland America Line's brand ambassador. Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
Nov 11 2021
23 mins
668 Cruise News + How COVID-19 Has Changed Travel Insurance Policies
Travel insurance policies have changed over the cruise industry shutdown. In some areas larger than others, especially when it comes to a test yielding a positive test result. Dan Skilken, President of TripInsurance.com joins us to break down what has changed, and what hasn't over the course of the pandemic. Richard has cruise news: A recording-breaking passenger day in Nassau, Bahamas Celebrity Apex is christened in Port Everglades, Florida Royal Caribbean updates Ultimate World Cruise sales Two cruise lines have earnings calls and it looks good moving forward Cruise line enters Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade You can cruise with Chef Emeril this Thanksgiving Listener Question: We do not have a smartphone, do we have to use the Ocean Medallion token on Princess Cruises? Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
Nov 4 2021
32 mins
667 Mardi Gras Western Caribbean Review 2021 + News |Carnival Cruise Line
A review of Carnival Cruise Line's newest mega-ship Mardi Gras. This was a seven-night Western Caribbean sailing from Port Canaveral. This is a special interview because our guest is legally blind and his wife is blind. We go into detail about Carnival's special needs department and how the line accommodates ADA requests. Richard Simms has cruise news: The CDC has extended and modified the Conditional Sailing Order Carnival Cruise Line's newest ship Mardi Gras was officially christened Carnival Radiance is officially in North AmericaVirgin Voyages Scarlet Lady comes to the aid of distressed boaters off the coast of Florida A former cruise ship is now the largest floating nightclub Listener Question: I read in one of your articles that on Mardi Gras, you can use the Hub App to order food and have it delivered anywhere on the ship. I always get hungry halfway through a show... can I have a snack delivered to the theater? Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
Oct 28 2021
39 mins
663 Majestic Princess Review 2021 + Cruise News | Princess Cruises
A review of Princess Cruises Majestic Princess. This ship was built for Asia and has been sailing in the region since 2017, until the pandemic. In the summer of 2021, Majestic Princess start sailing Alaska, and then was repositioned to Los Angeles. Next summer, the ship will head back to Alaska offering seven-night voyages to the last frontier. Richard Simms has cruise news on: The verdict from the MSC Cruise collision with a riverboat in 2019 in Venice Royal Caribbean launches first world cruise, how much does it cost? Celebrity Cruises goes heavy on Europe in 2023 A former Carnival Cruise Line ship heads to the scrapyardCruise lines prepare for the international travel ban to be lifted on November 8. Listener Q: Does the Royal Caribbean Ultimate Dining Package work for all the venues onboard, even the a la carte. Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
Oct 21 2021
39 mins
662 Norwegian Encore 2021 Review + News | Norwegian Cruise Line
A review of Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Encore. This ship was launched in 2019 and only sailed a couple of months before the cruise industry shutdown. William and his family sailed this seven-night cruise to Southeast Alaska from Seattle. Richard has cruise news on: Grand Turk could see cruise ships by the end of 2021 More Carnival Corporation cruise ships returned to service over the weekend San Francisco reopened to cruise ships this week Nearly 250,000 guests have sailed Carnival Cruise Line over the past three months Another cruise line adds a second world cruise Listener Questions: If you've got a minute could you tell me if the Covid home test for Royal Caribbean can be done anytime during the day/night. We are heading to Miami 2 days before sailing and need to be at the airport by 9:00 a.m. Thursday (sailing Saturday). Would be nice if we could use the test kit around 7 a.m. — Carol We are sailing Mardi Gras and have a question about Carnival Kitchen. How much does it cost, what is involved, and how do we make reservations for it? Is this like a chef's table experience? Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
Oct 14 2021
36 mins
661 Freedom of the Seas Review 2021 + Cruise News | Royal Caribbean
A review of Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas. This was a four night cruise to Perfect Day at CocoCay and Nassau, Bahamas from Miami, Florida. Richard Simms has cruise news. Listener Q: What is the best cruise to take to see if I even like cruising? Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
Oct 7 2021
40 mins
660 Cruise News + First Thoughts of Scarlet Lady | Virgin Voyages
On this episode with talk with Tom McAlpin, CEO and President of Virgin Voyages. Virgin's newest ship Scarlet Lady is finally home in PortMiami where she is about to start sailing revenue cruises on October 6. Sheri Griffiths from CruiseTipsTV stops by to give her first impressions of Scarlet Lady. Richard Simms has cruise news: The State of the Industry address at SeaTrade Cruise GlobalRoyal Caribbean will start allowing pre-cruise testing at pier for a fee Norwegian Breakaway is sailing again out of New York CityVirgin Voyages gears up for Caribbean sailings from PortMiami A cruise line teams up with a submarine company Listener Q: What is the best way to use my onboard credit? Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
Sep 30 2021
26 mins
659 Celebrity Millennium 2021 Alaska Cruise Review + News | Celebrity Cruises
Kirk just returned from a seven-night Alaska cruise on Celebrity Millennium from Seattle, Washington. We get a full review of sailing Alaska in 2021 and if cruising to the last frontier is different. Richard Simms has cruise news: Carnival backtracks on pierside pre-cruise testingRoyal Caribbean pulls a cruise ship from China, moves to the USProposed Alaska bill would stop mandatory Canadian port callsMSC Cruises returns to Divina from Port CanaveralA beer company is teaming up with cruise lines to help train staff in a new era of bars Listener Question: What is the feedback from cruise passengers taking the at-home COVID-19 test? — Anne Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
Sep 23 2021
35 mins
658 MSC Meraviglia Review 2021 + Cruise News | MSC Cruises
Carter and his wife recently returned from a cruise aboard one of MSC’s newer ships, MSC Meraviglia. In this interview, they talk to us about the boarding process, dining, entertainment, and how MSC has adjusted things since COVID. They also detail their experience on MSC’s private island in the Bahamas, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. Richard Simms has cruise news: Virgin Voyages's Scarlet Lady is back in the USACarnival Cruise Line revamps its Have Fun. Be Safe. policies for the casino One-third of Norwegian Cruise Line's ships are sailing again Carnival gives more testing options Royal Caribbean updates sailing protocols on all cruises through October 15. Listener Question: What is the best option for taking my pre-cruise COVID test before embarking from Port Canaveral, Florida on a seven-night cruise? — Mark Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
Sep 16 2021
44 mins
657 Disney Dream 2021 Review | Disney Cruise Line
In August, Daniel and his eight-year-old daughter took a four-night cruise aboard Disney Dream — their first cruise in 20 months. He joins us on the show to discuss how embarkation differed from the last time he sailed, the dining experience, the entertainment quality, and the sailing’s double-dip at Disney’s private island Castaway Cay. Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
Sep 9 2021
25 mins
656 Norwegian Gem Review 2021 | Norwegian Cruise Line
In the episode, we interview Kerry about his seven-night Western Caribbean cruise aboard Norwegian Gem. This was the first Norwegian Cruise Line ship to depart Florida since the shutdown in March 2020. Kerry also discusses what life was like on board during the seven-night voyage and the kind of health protocols the company has in place. We also learn what it was like being in the Caribbean while a hurricane is spinning around. Thoughts or questions? doug@cruiseradio.net Want daily cruise news? Subscribe to the Cruise Radio News podcast feed. Get in-depth cruise news and industry insight at www.cruiseradio.net.
Sep 2 2021
27 mins
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