The Confident Traveler Podcast

Chuck and Molly continue their conversation from our last episode, but bringing you reviews of two quick-service restaurants and two table-service restaurants.  And of course, we can't help throwing in some related Disney news. Music by purple-planet.com

Chuck is joined by Disney author Molly to discuss their experience at this year's Festival of the Arts at EPCOT, with some Disney news thrown in along the way!

Chuck provides details about a new promotion (1:42) then discusses a couple of unfortunate news stories from Africa (7:05) and England (16:33) that will have you thinking twice about booking your next trip on your own.  Then Chuck provides some thoughts on the top 5 honeymoon destinations for 2025 (22:45) to consider if you got engaged today!

The team discusses news about a major cruise line canceling dozens of sailings for several ships, an unpleasant reaction by some cruise passengers after getting bad news, and new non-stop flights from southern New England to the Caribbean.  Then we present several ideas for European destinations that offer fantastic Christmas Markets. Music by purple-planet.com

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

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).

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?

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

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).

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)...

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)....

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)!

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.

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.

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".

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

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

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

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

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.

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 ev...

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

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 p...

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-pl...

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...