Navigating Your First Cruise Experience
Stacking Adventures: Every Traveler Has a Story
Release Date: 06/10/2025
What Actually Works in London (Holiday Week w/ the Everyday Bucket List podcast!)
Stacking Adventures: Every Traveler Has a Story
Planning a trip to London and wondering what's actually worth your time versus what's just tourist theater? Karen Cordaway from the Everyday Bucket List podcast and her husband Rich are guest hosting this episode to share what they've learned from their own London adventures. This originally aired as an episode of their podcast, in fact, Everyday Bucket List! Karen and Rich have done the research, made the mistakes, and figured out what works. They can tell you what lives up to the hype, what you can skip entirely, and the hidden spots most visitors never discover because they're too...
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Where to Go for the Holidays: Christmas Markets, Beaches, or Somewhere In Between?
Stacking Adventures: Every Traveler Has a Story
The first Christmas song of the season hits, and suddenly Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy are deep into holiday travel daydreaming mode. Some people want snow, twinkling lights, and mulled wine at a European Christmas market. Others want to flee the cold entirely and spend December with their toes in warm sand. Both are valid, and this episode celebrates them equally. Crystal and Joe map out their top five dream holiday escapes, from sparkling European markets to sun-drenched beaches that make you question why anyone owns a winter coat. They reflect on destinations that nail the holiday...
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Third Trip to Barbados: What Crystal Learned About Doing It Right
Stacking Adventures: Every Traveler Has a Story
Some people go to Barbados and never leave their resort. They come home with a tan and some poolside photos, having experienced about 10% of what the island actually offers. Crystal Hammond just wrapped her third trip to Barbados with the same group of friends, and she's here to tell you what you're missing if you think paradise begins and ends at the swim-up bar. Don't get her wrong—the resorts are fantastic, and there's real value in a good all-inclusive. But Barbados has layers most tourists never discover, from local rum shops to muddy ATV adventures to beaches where you're more likely...
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Is a River Cruise Actually Worth It? (We Asked People Who Just Did One)
Stacking Adventures: Every Traveler Has a Story
River cruises look amazing in the brochures, but are they actually worth the money? Or do you end up trapped on a floating hotel with mediocre food and tours you could've Googled yourself? Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy sit down with Nathan and Kathrin, two experienced travelers who just finished a Viking River Cruise through France's Rhône Valley. They're here to give you the real story about what worked, what surprised them, and whether this style of travel lives up to the hype (spoiler alert: mostly yes, with some important caveats). From the towering Papal Palace in Avignon to the...
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The Travel Hacks Money Experts Actually Use
Stacking Adventures: Every Traveler Has a Story
Want to know how to travel smarter? Ask people who obsess over every dollar and still manage to see the world. Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy just got back from FinCon in Portland, where they collected travel wisdom from some of the sharpest money minds and most experienced travelers they know. These aren't Instagram travel influencers with brand deals—these are people who've figured out how to maximize every trip, extract value from corporate travel, and turn credit card points into actual adventures. From Lacey Langford's wallet-friendly strategies to Steve Stewart's genius networking...
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The Music Museums Worth Planning Your Road Trip Around
Stacking Adventures: Every Traveler Has a Story
Here's what most music lovers get wrong about road trips: they hit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and call it done, missing dozens of museums where music history is still alive, personal, and unexpected. Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy sit down with Josephine Matyas and Craig Jones, co-authors of The Music Lovers' Guide to North America, who've spent decades visiting music museums across the continent—from world-famous institutions to tiny storefronts kept alive by passionate locals. They've got the insider stories about what makes each one special, which ones are worth the detour, and...
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Maximize Your Travel Points: Expert Tips & Tricks
Stacking Adventures: Every Traveler Has a Story
Ready to turn your everyday spending into first-class experiences? In this episode of Stacking Adventures, Crystal Hammond, Joe Saul-Sehy, and Cindy Zuniga-Sanchez dig into the art (and a little science) of mastering travel points. Whether you’re a seasoned jet-setter or just starting to explore the rewards world, this episode will help you stack your points like a pro—and actually use them for those dream vacations. From strategic credit card pairing to maximizing transfer bonuses, the trio dives into how to make every dollar work double-time. You’ll learn how to build flexible reward...
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Haunted Alexandria: A Ghost Tour That's Actually Worth Your Time (And Money)
Stacking Adventures: Every Traveler Has a Story
Ever wondered if ghost tours are actually fun, or just touristy gimmicks that sound better on Instagram than in real life? Crystal Hammond just got back from a ghost tour through Alexandria, Virginia with , and she's got answers. Spoiler: this one's worth the price of admission—especially if you like your history served with a side of haunted pub crawl. From the allegedly haunted Gatsby Hotel to the centuries-old Carlisle House, Crystal walks you through cobblestone streets, colonial architecture, and the kind of local stories that make you wonder if that cold breeze was just October air......
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How They Road-Tripped for 26 Days Without Going Broke
Stacking Adventures: Every Traveler Has a Story
What if the trip you've been dreaming about doesn't have to wait until retirement—or cost a fortune? Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy sit down with road-trippers Miranda and Jason, who just wrapped a 26-day adventure from Idaho to Oregon. Hot springs. Star-filled skies. A night in a giant flowerpot Airbnb (yes, really). And the best part? They didn't come home broke. Miranda and Jason break down exactly how they made it work: credit card points, camping hacks, and the art of saying "yes" to spontaneity without blowing the budget. Because here's the thing—adventure doesn't require endless...
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Money Geeks Share GREAT Travel Tips (LIVE From FinCon!)
Stacking Adventures: Every Traveler Has a Story
Imagine if you went to a place where people knew how to save money AND also to have fun? How about if those same people LOVED dishing out advice? Crystal and Joe attended FinCon, a financial media creator's conference in Portland, Oregon, and Crystal shoved her microphone in the faces of some of the TOP money people at the event. Luckily, they all loved it AND shared some incredible gems. From reward stacking to where to stay in the hotel, and from visas to food, we cover everything so that you're ready for your next adventure. Find our Gear of the Day at stackingadventures.com/GOTD Join the...
info_outlineThink cruises are just buffets and bingo? Think again. In this episode, hosts Joe Saul-Sehy and Crystal Hammond hoist the anchor on all your cruising questions with travel agent Donna Pelletier (we call her the cruise director!)—who's seen it all from the Lido Deck to the lifeboats. Whether you’re a seasoned cruiser or still Googling “Do cruise ships have brakes?”, we’ve got you covered.
🛳️ Donna walks us through choosing the right cruise line and ship size (spoiler: not all floating cities are created equal).
🎟️ Learn the tricks to booking like a pro, from early bird perks to when upgrades are actually worth it.
🍹 We talk gratuities, drink packages, and what “all-inclusive” really means once you’re onboard.
🧳 Never lose your luggage again—thanks to packing strategies and must-have travel tech like AirTags.
🚢 Plus, tips on motion sickness, trip insurance, and excursions that don’t feel like cattle drives.
From insider tips to hilarious missteps (ours, mostly), this episode is your passport to smarter, smoother cruising.