The Podcastaways

The Golden Crew has company this week — Amanda and Josh Barmore join us to officially unveil FRGC5! We're sailing Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas in September 2027 to Perfect Day at CocoCay, the brand-new Cabo Rojo in the Dominican Republic, Aruba, and Curaçao. Yes, we're taking Jen back to the desert. Along the way: Amanda and Josh explain how MSC Yacht Club turned them into peop...

The Golden Crew is back and dangerously patriotic for a Fourth of July special. Trevor, Tom, and Jenn open with holiday plans that range from "community band concert, then maybe the casino" to "stay home and make sure the neighbors don't burn the house down," before digging into what Carnival's got cooking for America's birthday: seven ships meeting up near Celebrat...

Trevor and Jenn hold down the fort solo this week — and yes, we noticed it's quiet. #WheresThomas? He's off visiting family, reporting in dutifully from each Buc-ee's along the way (a sacred roadside service to one's country, apparently). We get into the Great Buc-ee's Sameness, the FGGC road trip that "disintegrated into madness," and why no two Golden Crew members s...

This week the Golden Crew assembles to pay tribute to a legend: after nearly 40 years with Carnival, John Heald is stepping back from full-time Facebook duty, and we are Very Emotionally Normal about it. We honor the man the only way we know how — by spending 45 minutes on summer camp, a cult tangent, the new Carnival loyalty cards (now in portrait mode , truly groundbreaking), and a SpeakPipe fro...

The Golden Crew is back from a short hiatus — read: Tom turned 50 and somehow scored a birthday video from Mick Foley himself (all thanks to Jenn, naturally). We kick things off with a brand-new game Madison cooked up: A Free Cruise, But… Trevor, Tom, and Jenn each get their fate dealt, and before it's over Jenn has adopted an emotional-support seagull named Patricia and Tom is doing the nine-...

Two weeks away and the Golden Crew comes back swinging — through some technical chaos that briefly ejected Tom from his own show (we're fine, he's fine, the audio's mostly fine). 🚢 On this episode: Mexico shuts the door on Royal Caribbean's "Perfect Day Mexico" in Costa Maya, and Trevor delivers a Spanish-language performance so cursed it should've been the lawsuit....

The Golden Crew is BACK after a week off (sorry Tom, your mom's move was worth it) and we are loaded down with cruise news, speakpipe love, and one very questionable tattoo conversation. First up — Tom's mom has officially landed in Tulsa, which means Tom is now headed to Dallas because apparently you CAN have too much of a good thing. He's got 60 days, a two-bedroom apartment, and pre...

Five years and 200+ episodes in, Trevor, Tom, and Jen pull up the very first episode of the show and put their original cruise tips on trial. Which ones still hold up? Which ones aged like milk? Spoiler: "turn your phone on airplane mode" is still solid advice, and yes, you should still skip the $30 souvenir drink cup. Along the way: a heads-up that Chichén Itzá is no longer allowing bac...

The Golden Crew is fully reunited — and Tim from the future is calling the shots. Trevor, Tom (aka "Babyface," a nickname he did NOT approve), and Jenn are back together after last week's two-person experiment, and the gang wastes no time getting into it. On deck this week 🚢: 🍗 Chicken, Waffles & Waves — John Heald dropped the brand new lunch menu being tested on the Liberty, C...

Tom ditched us. Baby face Kennedy shaved, got a life, and left Trevor and Jenn to hold down the fort — and honestly? They managed just fine. This week the dynamic duo digs into Royal Caribbean reshuffling ships in Galveston, the Carnival Spirit's mysterious "unexpected modification" that cost passengers a trip to Bimini, and the big menu news Tom tipped them off about before ghosting...

This week, Trevor, Tom, and Jenn have officially signed with Margaritaville at Sea... or have they? The Golden Crew is back with the most confidently wrong cruise advice ever recorded. From bringing bags of oranges to fight scurvy, to wearing a full tuxedo on the water slide, to paying for onboard shopping with homemade "Carnival Fun Bucks" — this episode is absolutely NOT a guide to cru...

The Golden Crew is back and somehow the biggest cruise industry debate this week isn't about loyalty programs or port fees — it's fried chicken. Tom decided to slide into John Heald's DMs with some constructive criticism about Carnival's fried chicken and biscuits, and John's response was... diplomatic. His dog Quantum, however, was not having a great day either, and we have re...

The Golden Crew is back and absolutely unhinged as ever. First, big congrats to Tom — his brass band took home a win this weekend, which means Trevor and Jenn have exactly zero excuses next time they lose anything. We kick off the news with some ACTUAL good news: the Carnival Jubilee scored a perfect 100 on its CDC health inspection — that's a first since its 2023 launch, and our home port of...

he Golden Crew is back, and this week Trevor runs through a comprehensive list of the most bizarre rules and banned items across cruise lines — from Samsung Galaxy Note 7s still being on Disney's no-go list to non-collapsible lightsabers being classified as weapons. Plus, Carnival bans upside-down pineapple behavior, Tom barely survives Oklahoma tornado season, the crew debates Carnival's new brun...

The Golden Crew is back, and this week Trevor is NOT dead — despite his best efforts to convince everyone otherwise. After a dramatic week of faking strep throat, sending blinking GIFs, and getting his wife Megan to photograph the inside of his throat for a very skeptical Teladoc doctor, Trevor has somehow survived to podcast another day. On the cruise news front, we've got a big week! The Car...

This week on The Podcastaways , Trevor, Tom, and Jen take a break from cruise news for a very important investigation: did Tom’s mirror move… or are we living in Bizarro Land? Then we’re joined by Kira Jackson (aka @KiraKiraWonders ) for a fantastic behind-the-scenes interview about life working on Princess Cruises . Kira shares what it was like having a niche acting role as a live “character perf...

Galveston is back in the spotlight, and we are updating the full port-day playbook. Trevor, Jenn, and Thomas rank Galveston against their other favorite homeports, then get practical with where to stay (Texas City vs Seawall, plus a few “bougie” picks), where to eat (from pho to seafood to that reliable Waffle House energy), and what to do if you have extra time before sail day. We also hit the re...

Jen’s “stuck in traffic”… sure. So Trevor and Tom take the helm for a cruise-news joyride that somehow includes the Winter Olympics, the Three Stooges, and at least one emotional-support turtle. Today we hit the big headlines: • Carnival apologizes after fleetwide IT issues slowed embarkation/debarkation and impacted multiple ships (and yes—navigation/safety systems were part of the disruption): h...

This week on Carnival Cruising Podcastaways , Trevor, Jenn, and Thomas are back together and, thankfully, all survived another week without medical emergencies (hydration saves lives). The crew dives into Carnival’s latest price increases, including changes to Bottomless Bubbles and gratuities, and debates whether four sodas a day is a lifestyle choice or a cry for help. Things escalate when they...

Trevor is out, but the show rolls on as Tom and Jenn take the helm for a wide-ranging cruise chat packed with news, debates, and classic Podcastaways chaos. This week, we dive into Carnival Sunshine’s upcoming Africa itineraries , including historic first-ever ports like Morocco and Tanzania , plus a transatlantic sailing that has us seriously tempted. We also tackle one of cruising’s most hotly d...

Jennnn is back from a Hawaii sailing, and she comes bearing stories. From driving to the port for the first time and packing like an absolute pirate, to late-night embarkation drama in San Francisco and sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge, this episode is packed with real cruise talk and classic Podcastaways chaos. We dive into Princess Cruises boarding efficiency, sea days that blur together, is...

It’s just Trevor and Mr. Kennedy this week as the crew tackles a packed episode of Carnival cruise news, myths, and strong opinions. We break down Carnival’s expanded adults-only sailings for 2026, including which ships we’d actually choose and whether these casino-focused cruises are worth the hype. We also clear the air on one of cruising’s biggest fantasies: the so-called “free upgrade fairy” a...

It’s a brand-new year and a brand-new episode of The Podcastaways —and we’re kicking off 2026 by laying down the unwritten rules of cruise etiquette that everyone should know… but many clearly don’t. Trevor and Thomas dive into the dos and don’ts of life at sea, from chair hogging and elevator chaos to teen curfews, adults-only areas, buffet behavior, and why ship time is not a suggestion . We als...

The Golden Crew is down to its core trio this week — Trevor, Tom, and Jenn — and we’re officially looking ahead. 👀 Before we break for Christmas (yes, no show next week 🎄), we dive headfirst into everything cruise lines are rolling out in 2026 , and there is a LOT to unpack. We talk about Carnival completely rewriting the loyalty rulebook, massive private island upgrades, next-gen mega ships, ne...

This week, Trevor, Tom, and Jenn take a more serious turn as they discuss a tragic death aboard a Royal Caribbean ship—and the uncomfortable questions surrounding alcohol service at sea. We break down what happens when drink limits don’t exist, how overserving can spiral into real danger, and if cruise lines need clearer policies and stronger accountability. From Royal’s non‑limit approach to how...