The Confident Traveler Podcast

A podcast to inform and empower our listeners who travel by sharing our own travel experiences and knowledge.

Giving Thanks 11/27/2024

Giving Thanks Chuck discusses a couple of news stories involving the airline industry (1:34) and then shares some of the travel experiences for which he is most thankful for during this holiday season (9:18). Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! Music by purple-planet.com /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/34182020

Another New Experience on Disney Cruise Line 10/03/2024

Another New Experience on Disney Cruise Line Follow along as Molly re-joins the show to tell us about this year's Food and Wine Festival at Epcot (2:20) and then share her experiences during her first visit to Disney Cruise Line's new private destination, Lighthouse Point (27:30). /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/33308832

The Best Tourist Attractions in the World 08/22/2024

The Best Tourist Attractions in the World Chuck lets everyone know where he's been all summer (1:24), then discusses some news stories about Amtrak's Auto Train (3:55), Frontier Airlines (6:50), and changes to the tourism page of one state's official website (10:25). Then we discuss the top tourist attractions, as voted by recent travelers (17:40). How many have you visited? /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/32702642

Through the Panama Canal 06/26/2024

Through the Panama Canal Chuck is joined by Kathryn to discuss their cruise through the Panama Canal on Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas. Hear about the process of passing through the locks and Gutan Lake. They'll also discuss food and entertainment, as well as their ports of call in Colombia, Panama, Mexico, and Guatemala. Music by purple-planet.com /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/31890832

ABC's of Aruba 06/10/2024

ABC's of Aruba The team discusses news about cruise dress codes (1:51), current problems with Danube river cruises (9:05), and a new agreement to deal with over-tourism is Alaska (13:00). Then, Kristin talks about her visit to the first of the ABC islands -- Aruba (19:51). /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/31677697

Disney Dining Outside the Parks (and a Wish!) 04/21/2024

Disney Dining Outside the Parks (and a Wish!) Chuck is joined by Molly to review a few restaurants outside of the Disney Parks, including 'Ohana (2:29), Splitsville (21:32), Contempo Cafe (29:41), and Ale and Compass (33:03). Then Chuck shares his thoughts after touring Disney Cruise Line's most recent ship -- the Disney Wish (45:17). They close the show by talking about how to spend less money to get the Disney merchandise you love (62:47). Music by www.purple-planet.com /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/30719243

Andrea's School Break Getaway 04/07/2024

Andrea's School Break Getaway The team discusses the plight of a group of people who were stranded in Africa after being late to return to their cruise ship (1:56), and talk about the difficulties for Carnival Cruise Line in having to move its operations from Baltimore after the collapse of the Frances Scott Key Bridge (11:08). Then Andrea tells us all about her recent sailing on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas (18:10). Music by purple-planet.com /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/30715713

Magic in the Big Easy 03/03/2024

Magic in the Big Easy Our crew introduces a new contributor as we discuss big fun in the Big Easy. Chuck welcomes the whole family to the episode (1:16) and then they discuss their stay in New Orleans (2:18) and their most recent cruise on the Disney Magic (31:46)! /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/30209178

The Good and Bad of Cruising Around the World 01/19/2024

The Good and Bad of Cruising Around the World The team re-connects after the holiday hiatus, then discusses news stories about a shake-up at JetBlue and a huge disappoint for travelers who had hoped for a unique cruising experience. Finally, we discuss a Royal Caribbean cruise that is sailing around the world right now. /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/29568553

Take Me Out to the Ballgame -- ENCORE 10/25/2023

Take Me Out to the Ballgame -- ENCORE With Major League Baseball's World Series only two days away, we hope you'll enjoy this encore presentation of Chuck's favorite baseball stadiums and some great sports cities to visit. /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/28425782

Alaska By Land and Sea (a.k.a. We Got SO Lucky!) 09/25/2023

Alaska By Land and Sea (a.k.a. We Got SO Lucky!) Kristin shares her recent experience in Alaska. She spent 4 days traveling by train and bus, including 2 nights in Denali National Park. Then she tells us about her 7 night sailing on the Sapphire Princess cruise ship and her ports of call in Alaska's "Inside Passage". /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/28128542

Adventures With a 5-Year-Old 09/13/2023

Adventures With a 5-Year-Old Andrea rejoins the show (1:30) to discuss the elimination of Covid rules for cruises in Australia (6:18), new cruise ship restrictions in Barcelona (12:33), and clueless tourists in Rome (18:46). Then Andrea tells us about her latest trip to Central Florida, through the eyes of her 5-year-old son (25:25). Music by purple-planet.com /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/28020483

Happy Anniversary! 08/24/2023

Happy Anniversary! Chuck discusses 3 news stories about travel to Europe, including new visa requirements for vacation travel to the EU (5:02), limits on visitors to a famous Greek landmark (9:23), and a very disturbing port of call for one cruise ship (16:00). Then he shares some ideas on travel destinations for celebrating a special anniversary (21:21). Music by purple-planet.com /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/27836385

Hoop-Dee-Doing Some Dining Reviews 07/23/2023

Hoop-Dee-Doing Some Dining Reviews Chuck welcomes Molly back this Disney-themed episode (1:20) and they talk about a big change coming to WDW's park reservation system (6:10). Then, they review 2 quick service restaurants and several table service restaurants on Disney property (11:10). They wrap up the show by giving their impressions of "Epcot Forever", Epcot's returning night-time show (59:43). Music by purple-planet.com /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/27541818

A Musical Adventure 07/03/2023

A Musical Adventure Chuck and Kristin do some catching up (1:16) and then talk about expectations for travel over the July 4th holiday (8:12). Then we explore unique evening festivals coming to several national parks (16:26) and discuss a new law that Kristin predicted six months ago (28:45)! Finally, we offer suggestions for how to spend a long weekend in Nashville, TN (33:18)! Music by purple-planet.com /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/27359460

Sailing Like a Celebrity 05/26/2023

Sailing Like a Celebrity Chuck is joined by a returning guest as they discuss the most recent sailing hosted by Pioneer Valley Cruise Planners. They talk about the Celebrity Summit, its itinerary, entertainment, food, and service over a 9-night cruise to Bermuda. /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/26957643

A Marathon Episode 04/26/2023

A Marathon Episode Chuck opens the show by discussing a couple of fun promotions (1:53). He's joined by Kristin to talk about a new way to get banned by a cruise line (6:04), new limits for cruise ships in the port of Juneau (11:58), and a new documentary series about expeditions to Antarctica (19:53). Finally, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing, they share their experiences of the event from a traveler's perspective (29:08) Music by purple-planet.com /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/26655999

A Marvel-ous Day at Sea 02/22/2023

A Marvel-ous Day at Sea Chuck is joined by Molly Elias to talk about two news stories about crowd levels and a new attraction set to open at Walt Disney World. Then Molly tells us all about her recent Disney Cruise that featured a Marvel Day at Sea, featuring character interactions and activities based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Music by purple-planet.com /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/25959648

High Cuisine on the High Seas 02/08/2023

High Cuisine on the High Seas Chuck and Kristin follow up on news stories from previous episodes about sustainable travel (6:01), and a landmark legal case regarding travel to Cuba (15:52). Then we discuss the impact Emeril Lagasse might have as Carnival Cruise Line's new Chief Culinary Officer (26:15) as well as some other celebrity chefs working within the cruise industry (31:14). Finally, we talk about Kristin's exciting plans for an upcoming trip to Alaska (46:05)! Music by purple-planet.com. /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/25871169

Coming Soon in 2023 12/31/2022

Coming Soon in 2023 The team catches up with each other by sharing their holiday experiences (1:25), then updates a recent news story about Frontier Airlines (11:44). Then they offer some insight into Southwest Airline's breakdown after the winter storms across the country (19:15). Finally, they give their predictions about what might be trending in the world of travel in the coming year (31:24). Music by purple-planet.com /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/25471740

Fun With the Fur Family 12/05/2022

Fun With the Fur Family Chuck and Andrea catch up on what they did over the Thanksgiving holiday (1:14), including what it was like to fly over the holiday (11:32). Then they discuss Frontier Airline's decision to eliminate phone access for Customer Service (18:14) and a Thanksgiving miracle at sea (24:36). They finish the news segment with a discussion of Bob Iger's return to Disney after the firing of Bob Chapek (30:19). They end the show by recommending some pet-friendly resorts for people who want to travel with their fur family (38:35). Music by purple-planet.com /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/25229271

A Grand Adventure 11/02/2022

A Grand Adventure The team catches up by sharing how much Trick or Treat traffic they got (1:15). Then Andrea talks about a new Hosted Cruise promotion (3:37). News stories include one cruise line that is dropping vaccination requirements (9:08) and two fun stories about air travel (16:23). Finally, Kristin takes us through her visits to Sedona, AZ (26:28) and the Grand Canyon (37:11). Music by purple-planet.com /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/24883620

Honeymoon Hurricane 10/08/2022

Honeymoon Hurricane Chuck provides information about a great promotion for a Celebrity cruise to Bermuda (2:13) and then is joined by a returning guest to give details about Christmas programs at Disney (4:00), great news for Disney+ subscribers (8:27), and news about Disney Cruise Line's next new ship, due to arrive in 2024 (11:01). Then we get a complete review of Secrets Royal Beach resort in the Dominican Republic (14:50) and what it was like to honeymoon through Hurricane Fiona. Music by purple-planet.com /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/24625248

Fall Isn't Just for New Englanders! 09/14/2022

Fall Isn't Just for New Englanders! Chuck opens the show by giving details about an exciting new ALASKAN promotion! (2:34) Then the team discusses the evolving rules regarding vaccination and testing requirements for US cruises (8:02) and how severe weather has recently impacted cruise itineraries (16:00). Then Kristin offers some suggestions for amazing Autumn travel destinations outside of New England (23:45). /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/24372954

Take Me Out to the Ballgame 08/29/2022

Take Me Out to the Ballgame Chuck opens the show with a reminder about a great promotion for a Celebrity cruise (1:58) and talks about two news stories involving Norwegian Cruise Line's newest ship (4:29) and Carnival Cruise Line's attempt to curb bad behavior (8:52). Then, with baseball playoffs on the horizon, Chuck lists his five favorite ballparks (14:54) and his favorite Major League cities (33:42). Music by purple-planet.com /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/24192213

Food and Firsts at Disney 08/08/2022

Food and Firsts at Disney Chuck welcomes his daughter Molly back to the show (1:21) to review several restaurants. Then they discuss their impressions of Epcot's two newest attractions (43:25), Remy's Ratatouille Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Then they finish up by talking about Epcot's nighttime show, Harmonious, after seeing it for the first time (59:51). /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/23994642

Want In On the Bet?? 07/31/2022

Want In On the Bet?? In this episode, Chuck shares details about a new promotion being offered (2:26). Then the team discusses new protests in Swedish cruise ports (6:45), a tourist's near-tragedy at Mt. Vesuvius (15:47), great news for single travelers (23:41), bad news for river cruisers (28:09), and Kristin wants to take bets on some HUGE changes to CDC requirements for US cruises (34:12). Music by purple-planet.com /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/23910621

If Money Were No Object. . . 06/29/2022

If Money Were No Object. . . The team discusses the city of Charleston's decision to no longer allow Carnival to home-port its ships there (1:58), as well as Carnival's new policy of not requiring documentation to verify passengers who claim to have a medical exemption from getting the Covid vaccine (13:59). Then we outline some of growing challenges that air travelers will face this summer (18:35), and share some breaking news about Disney's involvement in a rail system from Orlando's airport (27:49). Finally, we talk where we might travel if money were no object (33:54), including Antarctica, Scandinavia (42:14), and a cruise around the world (49:54)! Music by purple-planet.com /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/23581196

Utah's National Treasures 06/04/2022

Utah's National Treasures Chuck catches up with Kristin (1:16) before diving into an encouraging story about efforts to make Panama City Beach in Florida more accessible to people with limited mobility (3:04) and some unfortunate news for Carnival Cruises (9:56). Then Kristin takes us through her journey from California to Colorado (19:18), with stops in Capitol Reef (23:52), Bryce Canyon (35:12), and Arches (42:56) Nat'l Parks, followed by a couple Honorable Mentions (50:55). And please stay to the end to meet Sashi, the newest member of Kristin's traveling party (55:52). Music by purple-planet.com /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/23327246

A Dream Cruise Vacation 05/11/2022

A Dream Cruise Vacation Chuck is joined by his travel companions, Kathryn and Molly, to discuss their recent cruise on the Disney Dream. They talk about the ship, the food, the entertainment, the health and safety measures, and more. (Will they sing a number from Beauty and the Beast? Listen to find out!) Music by purple-planet.com /episode/index/show/theconfidenttraveler/id/23072528

The Confident Traveler Podcast

TOPICS