December 21, 2024 • 52 mins
Step into a world of travel wonders and insider secrets as we explore how Alaska Airlines is expanding your horizons with new routes to Tokyo and Seoul, courtesy of their merger with Hawaiian Airlines. Discover just how these new connections can enhance your Asian adventures. We also delve into the heart of Puerto Vallarta through an engaging interview with David Charez, sales manager for Buenaventura Hotels, who passionately reveals why this vibrant destination offers the perfect blend of oceanic thrills, mountain escapades, and rich cultural experiences.
Next, we whisk you away to the tranquil setting of Villa Premier's Serena Spa, newly renovated and ready to offer you the ultimate relaxation retreat. Our discussion with David Charez underscores the transformative power of a good spa experience during your travels. We also reveal travel gems, including exciting deals to Cancun and an exclusive peek into the Kennedy Space Center's upcoming interactive experience. Cancun's offerings don't stop there; Lomas Hospitality is setting new standards with inclusive experiences at El Dorado Resorts and Generations Riviera Maya, promising a feast for the senses with diverse activities and exquisite dining options.
As the festive season draws near, unlock the secrets of navigating European Christmas market cruises with expert tips on timing, travel insurance, and must-see markets from Berlin to the Rhine. Finally, arm yourself with savvy strategies to avoid common travel scams. We share practical advice on steering clear of deceptive taxi tactics, fake ticket traps, and the hazards of accepting seemingly "free" gifts. Whether you're planning a family-friendly escape to Puerto Vallarta's Buena Ventura Grand Hotel or dreaming of a luxurious Cancun retreat, this episode equips you with the knowledge to travel with confidence and flair.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Mark Faldmo (00:00):
Welcome to the Inside Travel Talk podcast and
radio show.
On today's show we're going totalk about Puerto Vallarta quite
extensively Europe Christmasmarkets and travel scams to
avoid.
Let's start the show.
Patrick Wiscombe (00:12):
The Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio
show presented byBluePlanetVacations.
com contains travel deals,promotions and offers that may
be time-sensitive.
All offers and information wereaccurate when the show aired.
Travel deals and offers changeconstantly and are capacity
controlled and subject to changewithout notice.
Show Voice (00:38):
Explore your world.
It's the Inside Travel Talkpodcast and radio show presented
by BluePlanetVacations.
com.
Call or text the show now801-649-3700, 801-649-3700.
And check out the podcast atInsideTravelTalk.
com.
And now here are your hosts,Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo
(01:02):
.
Mark Faldmo (01:04):
Welcome to the Inside Travel Talk podcast and
radio show.
My name is Mark Faldmo.
Welcome to the Inside TravelTalk podcast and radio show.
My name is Mark Faldmo.
You'll notice a littledifference this week.
We'll excuse Patrick from theshow today.
Thank you for taking your timeto listen to the show today.
The entire purpose of this showis to help you plan and book
your next vacation and help youget out there and explore your
world, and we're presented byBlue Planet Vacations.
(01:27):
In this first segment we'lltalk about some travel news and
then we'll get into an interviewthat I had a few weeks ago with
David Charez, who is the salesrep for Buena Ventura Hotels in
Puerto Vallarta.
We'll get to that interview injust a moment, but first let's
talk about some of the travelnews of the week.
The first bit of news thatwe'll talk about is Alaska
Airlines expanding Asia flights.
(01:49):
Patrick and I have talked aboutthe merger with Alaska Airlines
and Hawaiian Airlines a coupleof times on the show and now
there's some exciting newscoming out of this.
As they are starting to combinetheir networks, Alaska Airlines
will take some of the largerplanes from Alaska Airlines and
move them to Seattle and startflying to Asia, and the
(02:11):
inaugural flight will be on May12th to Tokyo's Narita Airport.
This is really good news fortravelers to Asia, as it will
open up the whole AlaskaAirlines network to the
destinations that they fly, andthey will soon start flying to
Seoul's Incheon Airport in Seoul, South Korea.
(02:31):
Our next bit of news isSouthwest Airlines is changing
the way they do drink service.
So earlier this month, ifyou've flown on Southwest,
you'll notice that they'restarting to prepare the cabin
for landing earlier.
They used to prepare the cabinat 10,000 feet.
(02:52):
Now they're going to startpreparing the cabin for landing
at 18,000 feet, which meansbeverage service could end
earlier.
You'll need to get your lapstop stowed earlier and your
tray tables up.
This could mean that on some ofthe shorter flights there may
not be time for drink service.
Now, as I mentioned, a fewweeks ago, I was in Puerto
Vallarta and I was able to getan interview with David Charez,
the sales manager for BuenaVentura Hotels, one of my
(03:17):
favorite resort chains in PuertoVallarta.
Here's the interview David,it's nice to have you on.
David Chariez (03:22):
Thank you so much for having me, mark.
Thank you for joining us here.
It's always nice to enjoy thebeautiful, perfect weather that
we have, and it is perfect,indeed it is, it has been
perfect.
Mark Faldmo (03:33):
I've noticed it's not been too hot, not been too
humid.
There's been a nice breeze.
Couldn't ask for anything more.
David Chariez (03:39):
Well, we do our best.
We do our best when we havespecial guests in-house, so it's
nice to provide this for you.
Mark Faldmo (03:45):
Thanks for ordering up the weather for me.
So first off, I want to startoff and ask you why Puerto
Vallarta?
David Chariez (03:53):
So I've had the privilege of working at three
wonderful destinations in MexicoCancun, Los Cabos and Puerto
Vallarta and all three arebeautiful destinations indeed
and they all have their uniqueattributes.
But I have to be very honestwith you.
When I arrived to PuertoVallarta, working for this
company, Buenaventura Hotels Icelebrate my 18th year in
(04:14):
September so when I arrived toPuerto Vallarta, it is a
destination that just absolutelycaptivated me, enamored me.
It's one of those destinationsthat's just so complete.
You know, we were a city beforewe were a tourist destination.
So you know, you have multiplegenerations of people born and
raised here, and it does make abig difference.
(04:34):
So the people are absolutelyamazing here and I'm sure you
can attest to that as well.
The other thing, of course, iswhy would you go to a beach
destination?
Well, for the beaches, ofcourse, and you know we do have
a ton of pristine beaches, allsafe, swimmable beaches, which
is really important.
And then, of course, you havethe Sierra Madre mountain range,
which is the backdrop to thisbeautiful colonial seaside town.
(04:56):
So, in essence, I always liketo say you know, we really do
offer a complete vacationexperience in Puerto Vallarta,
as you have, you know,everything that involves the
ocean, everything that involvesthe mountain terrain, including
zip line.
You know some beautiful riversand other.
You know adventure activitiessuch as that.
And then, of course, thecolonial part.
You know you really.
It's a place where you canreally immerse yourself within
(05:18):
the culture of Mexico, and thisis a perfect example of
everything that Mexico has tooffer.
Mark Faldmo (05:24):
Puerto Vallarta probably is my favorite spot in
Mexico for those reasons.
I love the colonial aspect ofit.
I love the beaches.
We're sitting out here at theSky Bar at the Buenaventura
Grand Hotel watching people playin the beach.
It's wonderful.
David Chariez (05:40):
It's hard to be up here, isn't it?
Mark Faldmo (05:41):
It is, it's hard to be here working, watching
everybody have fun.
David Chariez (05:45):
Exactly, but sometimes we have to work yeah
sometimes we do have to work.
Mark Faldmo (05:49):
So what better place to work than this, though?
Absolutely, absolutely.
So now let's switch to thehotels, the Villa Premier
Boutique Hotel, which is wherewe've been staying.
Can you explain that hotel alittle bit to us?
David Chariez (06:12):
So this is.
You know, when I startedworking for the company, this
was actually like my pet project.
It was the main focus of my jobas it opened in 1999.
We celebrate 25 years this year, so it's a rather a fairly
newer hotel in the destination,because this is a destination
that does have some hotels over50 years old and stuff.
So it is one of the newer ones.
It's a boutique hotel.
There's only 83 rooms andsuites here, so it's a very
(06:32):
intimate hotel.
It is adults only, whichsometimes is great to escape
everything, including the kids.
So this does afford you thatopportunity and it's a hotel.
It's the only one in our companythat offers both European plan
and all inclusive.
So we're in European planhotels and you know for those
that don't know, ep means nomeals or anything is included.
(06:54):
Basically it's just room.
However, we also offer aninclusive option at this hotel
and most people do like that,because it means you have
everything included Three a lacarte restaurants to choose from
.
There's no buffet dining there.
We have phenomenal mixologycocktails and that's all
included, and also 24-hour roomservice.
(07:15):
We have a phenomenal menu thatdoes include some very tasty and
delicious hot items.
In the overnight menu we dohave a chef on site 24 hours a
day.
Items in the overnight menu wedo have a chef on site 24 hours
a day.
So you know, there's really notmuch that this hotel won't do
to, you know, completely satisfythe needs of all of its guests
For being that small of a hotelyou know 83 rooms I think it's
the perfect size.
Mark Faldmo (07:36):
It really is, and no matter how you know you're
here and with your, you know,staying here.
David Chariez (07:39):
You know you're here and with your, you know,
staying here.
We're actually at 90, 96%occupancy, so we're pretty much
full, and yet you don't feelthat, do you when you're there.
Mark Faldmo (07:53):
You don't feel it.
I think again.
You know to have a chef on site24 hours for that room service
is quite amazing for that size.
The food at the hotel I can sayof all the destinations I've
traveled to, to all theall-inclusives, I think the
Villa Premier has the best food.
David Chariez (08:09):
Thank you, thank you, we really do.
Um, you know, the company doesso much when it comes to the
gastronomy.
Uh, at all three of our resortswe have been known over the
years, company-wide withgastronomy.
And, uh, you know, for VillaPremier, since it's our flagship
hotel, it's our signature hotel, it's a hotel where, because of
the gastronomy we are featuredin, you know, gastronomy
(08:35):
Festival, gourmet Festival, acouple of other independent
activities that they do.
One is Vallarta NayaritGastronomica, which is an event
that encompasses, you know, thebest chefs in Puerto Vallarta
and our sister city, RivieraNayarit, which is next door, as
well.
So we do a heavy investment inthat and I'm glad, it's great to
hear your comments because it'swhy we do it and the food there
is just absolutely phenomenal.
Mark Faldmo (08:57):
And, like a lot of hotels in Puerto Vallarta, you
have great views of the beachand sunsets.
But I think at least this trip,the two nights we've been here,
the two sunsets have beenamazing, and it's probably
because of where we're staying.
David Chariez (09:11):
Yes, you know, the Villa Premier.
Every single room is oceanfrontand it's a small boutique hotel
.
Yet if you look at the size ofit, you think it's a lot bigger
than what it actually is,because there's plenty of suites
and you know, the big thingright now, of course, is
availability to those suites.
They're just so perfect andyou're experiencing one of our.
(09:31):
My personal favorite is thePremier Suite, which is our 783
square feet of just amazingspace and a beautiful balcony.
But all of the rooms have abalcony and all of the rooms
face the ocean.
One thing that I do like andyou'll appreciate this too a lot
of hotels don't have screendoors on their balconies.
We do, and you could sleep withthat door open and just hear
(09:51):
the waves all night long, and itreally is soothing and relaxing
.
Mark Faldmo (09:56):
Yep, and that's one thing I like about that,
because I do like to listen tothe ocean at night.
Again, perfect setting, andwe'll talk about this when we
talk about the Buena Ventura,since the hotels are next door.
But what about the location ofthis?
David Chariez (10:09):
So we are technically the first hotel in
the downtown zone.
If you're headed from theairport towards downtown Puerto
Vallarta.
We're only about a 15, 20minute drive from the Puerto
Vallarta International Airportand we are literally at the
doorstep to the cobblestonestreets, where you exit Villa
Premier onto the main, at thedoorstep to the Cobblestone
Streets, where you exit VillaPremier onto the main street.
That's where the CobblestoneStreets start.
(10:29):
You make a quick right and fourblocks into that you're at the
base of the Malecon, theentrance to it, and that's where
all the nightlife, the shoppinggalleries, just a lot of
phenomenal people watching, andyou're literally in the culture.
You're in the culture, you'reimmersing yourself in the
(10:50):
culture.
So, location, location,location is what everyone deems
to be the most important thingand this, being a beachfront
hotel in the closest area to thedowntown area, to the downtown
zone, I think, makes this aphenomenal choice for any guest
wanting to be in Puerto Vallarta.
Mark Faldmo (11:01):
It is.
I like being that close to thedowntown area.
And, David, why don't you tellme a little bit about the spa at
the Villa?
Premier?
Relaxation is an important partof a trip and a spa is a
critical component for that.
David Chariez (11:14):
Thank you, mark.
Well, you had the privilege ofseeing it.
I'm glad I got the opportunityto show it to you.
You know, it's the newest thingat the Villa Premier.
We just completely redid thespa.
I mean, when I saw this, youknow the spa, we renamed it too.
It's called Serena and it'sit's so Zen-like, it's so
relaxing, it's so, it's so pure.
(11:36):
Honestly, I mean, when we walk,we're walking through it, you
know the, the aromas in there isjust absolutely, just just just
being in there, I felt sorelaxed and you just feel so
relaxed.
There we have four treatmentrooms.
You know we specialize.
We have full beauty salon andwe use organic based products.
You know the sauna steam room.
It's a it's a small spa andstandards to some very large
(11:59):
hotels, but it is so perfectly,you know, it's just so perfect,
so zen-like, so relaxing that,honestly, you cannot miss an
opportunity to come and checkout the spa.
Mark Faldmo (12:09):
Yeah, I was going to say a spa facility like that
at a hotel that size.
You've done a great job, thankyou.
It's a large spa for the numberof rooms that you have, so it's
quite an amazing spa.
David Chariez (12:22):
Thank you, Thank you, I really really appreciate
that and, yes, absolutely, Onyour visit to Villa Premier, you
definitely check out the spot.
It's amazing and you know thetreatments and everything that
we offer there workshops,everything.
It's just absolutely amazing.
So thank you.
Mark Faldmo (12:37):
Well, that wraps up our segment here.
We'll be back with David injust a minute to talk about the
other hotel, the Buena VenturaGrand.
We'll be right back after this.
Show Voice (12:47):
Taking you to destinations around the world.
The Inside Travel Talk podcastand radio show is presented by
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com, America's best traveladvisors.
Call or text the show now801-649-3700.
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(13:08):
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(14:09):
Here's Patrick Wiscombe andMark.
Mark Faldmo (14:16):
Faldmo, welcome back to the Inside Travel Talk
podcast and radio show.
We're glad you're with us today.
This is segment two, where wehighlight the hot travel deal of
the week.
This week we're going to Cancun.
There's some great deals onfive-star hotels.
We'll also finish out theinterview with David Charez from
Buena Ventura Hotels.
(14:37):
But first let's talk about someof the exciting travel news
that's out there and we're firstgoing to go to Orlando, Florida
area, going to the KennedySpace Center.
Kennedy Space Center is one ofmy favorite places to visit when
I'm in Orlando, either beforeor after a cruise or when
visiting other Orlando themeparks.
Kennedy Space Center is a placeI think that everyone should
(15:00):
visit.
They've announced a newinteractive visitor experience,
so if you're into space androckets, this is a new
experience just for you.
They've reimagined the historicLaunch Complex 39.
This is slated to open in 2025.
They've added some interestingexhibits here.
(15:20):
They have the Earth InformationCenter, which is a data hub
featuring a theater show, ahyper wall display, an
interactive exhibit gallery, aninteractive rocket building area
where guests can design andvirtually launch rockets,
experiencing spaceflight from alaunch site within the Kennedy
Space Center's working spaceport.
(15:42):
It will also be used as alaunch viewing area for real
rockets when rockets arelaunched from Kennedy Space
Center, and then it also hasseveral interactive exhibits,
including a test fire simulationwhere guests can stand under a
full-scale rocket engine as itsimulates a static fire test,
along with a shaded area andoutdoor dining.
(16:05):
You know, Kennedy Space Centeris, you know, kind of one of
those vacation spots where youcan add science into your
vacation.
I've always been intrigued whenvisiting Kennedy Space Center,
especially walking around theRocket Garden, to see some of
the real astronauts that arethere, and you know so.
This is just another example ofsome of the immersive things
(16:28):
that Kennedy Space Center does,and our next story is one that
we've covered a little bit.
It's Lomas Hospitality's moreinclusive experience in Cancun,
Mexico.
The hotels of Lomas include theEl Dorado Resorts, which is El
Dorado Seaside Palms, el DoradoSeaside Suites, el Dorado Royale
(16:50):
, El Dorado Maroma Beach and ElDorado Casita Suites, which are
all adult-only hotels, and thentheir family hotel is the
Generations Riviera Maya theGenerations Riviera Maya.
This more inclusive, as we'vetalked about before, includes
Maroma Beach, which is a beachclub experience.
(17:14):
You can have brunch at arestaurant that includes 20 food
stations and all of your drinksyou can sail over the Great
Mayan Reef with snorkeling Again, one of the best reefs in the
world to snorkel or enjoyactivities like jet skiing,
catamaran rides and, of course,the snorkeling that we talked
about or you can just relax onthe beach.
It also includes, if you'restaying at any of their
properties, you can eat anddrink and experience.
(17:37):
The Aquanick Resort, which isthe largest water park in the
Riviera Maya, includes anecotourism ranch with a cenote
and swimming experience whereyou can interact with horses and
rescued animals from the area.
And this is the exciting partThey've recently added Ak tun
chen, which is a cenote and anunderground cave expedition, so
(18:02):
that's a really excitingaddition.
This is an attraction that,again, normally costs quite a
bit to do, and this is includedwith your stay at any of the
Lomas Hospitality Resorts, theEl Dorado properties or the
Generations.
And now let's get back to theinterview with David Charez from
Buena Ventura Resorts and hearwhat he has to say about the
(18:27):
Buena Ventura Grand Hotel.
Let's get back to David, sincewe're here in sunny, beautiful
Puerto Vallarta, the day justkeeps getting better since we
last talked.
It does it really?
David Chariez (18:38):
does.
Mark Faldmo (18:38):
Nice breeze and you know just a great place to be
right now.
Now, Buena Ventura Hotels.
You know we talked about theVilla Premier in the last
segment.
Right next door is the BuenaVentura Grand Hotel.
Tell us a little bit about thathotel.
David Chariez (18:53):
Well, for starters, any guest of the Villa
Premier is welcome at the BuenaVentura Grand next door.
The Buena Ventura Grand is oneof the original hotels in the
destination.
We have been for 42 years.
It's an amazing place.
Same great location.
Here we are a family-friendlyhotel.
I say family-friendly as adistinction to a family hotel,
(19:15):
because we're a great hotel thatdoes welcome all families, of
course.
But it's a great property forsingles.
It's a great property forcouples.
We have a nice inventory of 231rooms, so we do have plenty of
great property for singles.
It's a great property forcouples.
We have a nice inventory of 231rooms, so we do have plenty of
great options for that as well.
This hotel underwent a completetransformation in honor of our
40th anniversary.
We completely reimagined thehotel, redid absolutely
(19:38):
everything, so gutting everylast piece of tile, every toilet
, everything, completely, allthe rooms were completely gutted
.
You did have the opportunity totour this with me yesterday, so
you did see that and you knowonce the hotel, once that
transformation was complete.
Honestly, I think this is oneof the most complete hotels in
the destination.
A very nice compliment, youknow, to the Villa Premier as
(19:58):
well, but also to the commitmentof Buena Ventura Hotels, which,
you know we're a company thatyou know, just specializes in
hospitality.
So you know, the family thatowns the company is a family
that really does not only investin the product that they have
but, you know, also within thecommunity, and we have a lot of
employees like, including myself.
(20:18):
I said I celebrated 18 years.
Believe it or not, I'm actuallyprobably one of the persons
who's been here probably theleast amount of time.
At our 40th anniversary party,we actually had many employees
that had started with the hotelthe day that it opened and they
brought back a lot of the onesthat have now retired to come
celebrate in that monumentaloccasion.
But the hotel is an amazinglocation, right in the downtown
(20:41):
area.
With our new, new, completelyreimagined product, the food and
beverage offerings werecompletely brought up to a
different level.
We invested heavily in that aswell and all the public areas.
So this is a great, great hoteloffering phenomenal cuisine,
phenomenal options forentertainment also, and then we
have a great little outdoor spahere at the Buena Ventura grand
(21:05):
as well.
So it is completely amazinghotel.
And again, location, location,location, mark.
You saw, you know, walking outfrom this hotel, literally you
make a right and again fourblocks from everything.
I also like to say, for thepeople who like to maybe go out
to nightclubs a little, we arewhat you would consider
stumbling distance from the barsas well I've noticed that
because I have been to thishotel before the renovation.
Mark Faldmo (21:26):
I noticed not that the rooms were bad before they
were still good, but this is astep up from what it was before.
Done a great job with that.
That also says something aboutthe hotel.
When you have employees thathave been here for 40 years,
been with the hotel since thebeginning, it is a very
employee-friendly company towork for.
That's one thing I'veappreciated about Buena Ventura
(21:47):
Hotels.
David Chariez (21:48):
And you know it's interesting because I, you know
, I live in the United Statesand I do cover both the United
States, Canada and abroadrepresenting the hotel.
But when I come down here, youknow all of the staff at, you,
know all three of our hotels.
They're just truly amazing.
I get along with absolutelyeveryone, so I've become quite
close to everyone here and Ijust enjoy spending time with my
(22:12):
colleagues.
But we all do what we do andthat is to serve our guests and
we do it very well together, yepand you certainly do that.
Mark Faldmo (22:20):
Now it's time for the hot travel deal of the week.
This was a little bit hard forme to decide today what to talk
about, because we've had thegreat discussions with David and
Puerto Vallarta, but I'vedecided to go to Cancun.
I have just seen so many dealsto Cancun Right now.
This deal is for a February21st departure, five nights
(22:44):
hotel and round-trip airfarefrom Salt Lake City.
It includes all taxes and feesand your transfers to and from
the airport.
The reason why I chose this isbecause I've just seen
tremendous deals on five-starhotels, so every deal we're
going to talk about is at afive-star resort.
These are only about $50 to $75more than the three and a half
(23:07):
to four star resorts, so theseare some great deals.
Again, February 21st 2025 for afive night package with airfare
.
The first hotel is the ParkRoyale Beach, Cancun.
This is a five star resort inthe hotel zone of Cancun and it
starts at $1199 per person.
The next resort is theCatalonia Yucatan Beach
(23:31):
five-star resort from $1339.
And then we'll go to two of myfavorite hotels in the area the
Hyatt Ziva Riviera, Cancun.
This is a relatively new hotelthat was just completely
rebranded and renovated to theHyatt Ziva brand Five-star hotel
(23:52):
from $1699 per person, and thenthe El Dorado Seaside Palms.
So this will incorporate themore inclusive experience that
we talked about a little bitearlier in this segment.
So the El Dorado Seaside Palmsfive-star resort $1879 per
person.
If you're looking to go toCancun, I think now is the time
(24:15):
to book when the three andfour-star hotels have seen
prices, about where we've seenthem, but the prices of the
five-star hotels have reallycome down over the past few
weeks.
Well, that'll do it for thissegment of the Inside Travel
Talk podcast and radio show.
We'll be back in just a moment.
Show Voice (24:39):
Explore your world.
You're listening to the InsideTravel Talk podcast and radio
show with Patrick Wiscombe andMark Faldmo.
Call or text the show now801-649-3700.
That's 801-649-3700.
And check out the podcast atInsideTravelTalk.
com.
We'll be right back.
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Mark Faldmo (25:29):
Welcome back to the Inside Travel Talk podcast and
radio show Coming up.
On the next 30 minutes we'll betalking about Christmas markets
, cruises, travel protection andtravel scams to avoid.
Let's start the show.
Patrick Wiscombe (25:41):
The Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio
show presented byBluePlanetVacations.
com contains travel deals,promotions and offers that may
be time sensitive.
All offers and information wereaccurate when the show aired.
Travel deals and offers changeconstantly and are capacity
controlled and subject to changewithout notice.
Show Voice (26:09):
This is the Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio
show presented byBluePlanetVacations.
com, America's best traveladvisors.
Call or text the show right now801-649-3700.
801-649-3700, 801-649-3700.
(26:31):
And now here are your hostsPatrick Wiscombe and Mark.
Welcome back to segment threeof the Inside Travel Talk
podcast and radio show.
This is the Just Cruisingsegment, where we're going to
talk cruises and also get thecruise deal of the week.
Earlier this week I had aclient call me and said he
(26:52):
wanted to book his airfare forhis cruise using frequent flyer
miles.
He said he was going to book aflight that arrived three hours
prior to sailing because he readon the cruise line's website
that you needed to just be onboard two hours prior to sailing
.
Earlier this week I did havethe chance to talk with Patrick
about the suggested arrivaltimes for cruises and what will
(27:16):
work and what you should do whenbooking your airfare for a
cruise.
Patrick Wiscombe (27:20):
Let's get to Mark's travel tips, which we're
going to talk about all aboardtimes, whether that be well.
I guess that would be crewspecific all aboard, but I guess
it will extend that to flightstuff.
What are some general rulesthat everyone should just know?
Mark Faldmo (27:35):
So this goes back to the cruise story with the
stranded passengers in Africamissing the boat.
So we're going to talk aboutthree times that cruisers need
to be aware of.
One is the first day of thecruise, when to get on the ship.
Yeah, now, this varies by portand country.
There are some different rules,but generally, a cruise line
(27:58):
wants you on board no later thantwo hours prior to sailing.
Meaning embarkation day.
Embarkation day If your cruiseleaves at 5 pm, you should
arrive to your destination bynoon, or go in the day before,
just to be safe, yeah.
And then at the end of thecruise you shouldn't book a
flight before 1 pm.
(28:19):
The cruise line will say noon.
I say 1 pm because sometimesI've been on a ship in Los
Angeles once where the port wasfogged in.
Ad Voice (28:29):
Oh really.
Mark Faldmo (28:29):
We didn't get in until 11.
Patrick Wiscombe (28:31):
So by the time everyone cleared customs and
all of that, the noon flightswere long and done so add just
at least another hour towhatever they take Another hour
to that.
Mark Faldmo (28:42):
Okay, so that's embarkation day and
disembarkation day, and thenthere is some confusion on ports
because there's a posted timewhen the ship leaves Right, say
at 6 pm, but then there's alsoan all aboard time which is
usually 30 to 45 minutes.
Before the departure time thecruise line has some safety and
(29:04):
immigration checks they need togo through.
So that's why they need that 30to 45 minute leeway of the all
aboard time.
So when you're on a cruise,make sure in every port that you
know the all aboard time andit's posted right there when you
go out.
They announce it.
Patrick Wiscombe (29:19):
It's in the daily planner, it's everywhere,
but just make sure you know thatall aboard time I genuinely
feel bad for anyone who missesthe ship, but it's kind of hard
to feel bad for you when theyliterally tell you every single
day when you have to be back onthe ship yes, sorry, not really.
Mark Faldmo (29:39):
another thing to add to that is make sure you
have travel insurance in casesomething does happen.
Oh yeah, it would have to befor a covered reason.
Is that a covered?
Patrick Wiscombe (29:48):
reason, like if you miss the boat.
Mark Faldmo (29:49):
Well, if on the arrival and departure day if the
ship's late or in there istravel delay.
In most insurance policies thatprobably would cover missing the
ship in port, but that would beinsurance company specific.
So make sure when looking atyour flights that you give
yourself plenty of time to getto the port to account for any
(30:10):
delays by the airline.
I always recommend flying in aday before the cruise so that
you don't risk missing the boat.
And now earlier this week wehad a text from a listener,
Melissa.
She wants to go on a Christmasmarkets cruise next year and
she's wondering if it's tooearly to book now.
We'll answer that and we'llspend the rest of the segment
(30:31):
talking about European Christmasmarkets.
To answer one of Melissa'squestions, if it's too early to
book, I would say if you want togo next year, book it now.
We did some stories a little bitearlier this month where some
of the cruise lines, like VikingRiver Cruise Lines, is more
than 70% full for 2025.
(30:52):
These specialty cruises sellout quite a bit.
We'll talk in just a minuteabout Christmas markets, but
first I thought it might beinteresting to see which cities
in Europe have the mostChristmas markets.
I did find a list online onlineand it's pretty interesting
Berlin, Germany has the most,with 42 different Christmas
(31:12):
markets that start in lateNovember.
The next city is Rome, Italy,that has 25 Christmas markets,
and those start in earlyDecember.
And then Paris, France, has 11Christmas markets which start in
early December.
And then Paris, France, has 11Christmas markets which start in
late November.
Warsaw, Poland, has nineChristmas markets which start in
late November, and thenBucharest, Romania, has eight
(31:35):
Christmas markets that alsostarts in early December.
Also on this list was Vienna,Austria, with six Christmas
markets, and I think aninteresting location is the
country of Andorra, which is oneof the smaller countries in
Europe, which is on the Franceand Spain border.
Despite how small the countryis, it still has five Christmas
(31:57):
markets.
So those are the cities withthe most Christmas markets in
Europe.
Now, moving on, earlier thisweek I did have a chance to talk
with Patrick about Christmasmarket cruising and some
particulars.
Let's listen to what werecorded earlier this week and
then I'll go into some of thetravel deals we're going to go
to the Christmas markets.
Patrick Wiscombe (32:18):
Let's tell listeners what a Christmas
market cruise is.
Mark Faldmo (32:22):
In Europe.
A lot of the small villages,towns and larger cities all have
Christmas markets that they setup in their main square.
They're small kiosks,restaurants, Christmas displays,
everything about Christmas inthese Christmas markets.
So these cruises focus on that.
Stop in the best Christmasmarkets in Europe and you get to
(32:43):
experience that in each stop Inwhat cities and countries?
There are different rivers youcan do it on.
You can do the Rhine and theDanube, which are the two most
popular.
I guess I should say the UpperDanube, and then you can also do
the Rhône in France and theLower Danube.
Best Christmas market probablyin all of Europe is on the upper
(33:07):
Danube, which is Nuremberg.
Nuremberg is called theChristkindlmarkt, which is the
largest and oldest Christmasmarket in Germany.
The other stop you either startor end in Budapest, which there
they have a lot of handmadeworks that is in their Christmas
market.
Patrick Wiscombe (33:20):
That'd be cool .
Mark Faldmo (33:20):
All handmade toys and trinkets and different
things.
And then also Austria, Vienna.
I've never been there inChristmas time, but Vienna I can
see being a magical city atChristmas.
You have been to Vienna, I havebeen to Vienna.
Patrick Wiscombe (33:35):
Let's talk about the Rhine.
Mark Faldmo (33:36):
River, so the Rhine River Christmas market that
includes France, Germany,Netherlands and Switzerland.
Are these seven-day cruises?
Patrick Wiscombe (33:48):
These are seven-night cruises, so you go
from country to country, butthere's ports in each one of
those countries that you go.
Mark Faldmo (33:55):
Experience Christmas in those locations, so
there's one or two ports everyday, some days you're there all
day.
Sometimes you're just therehalf a day.
Patrick Wiscombe (34:04):
And so you move on to the next one.
So you move on to the next one.
Oh see, I've never even heardof this before.
Mark Faldmo (34:10):
A river cruise period is a great way to see
Europe.
Patrick Wiscombe (34:13):
And Ama Waterways.
They do a great job, just byreputation.
I've never been on them, buttheir reputation is stellar.
Mark Faldmo (34:20):
Yeah, they're my favorite.
I've sailed on them severaltimes.
Patrick Wiscombe (34:23):
We've got the Rhine River, we've got the Upper
Danube, and then we've got what?
Mark Faldmo (34:28):
Then there's the Lower Danube and the Rhône.
On that, going back to theRhine River, that one has two
spots that I think arefascinating.
In Cologne it's a big Gothiccathedral, the Christmas market
is set up right in front of that, and then also in Heidelberg.
I think Heidelberg probablywould be the best city in Europe
(34:50):
, so that would be your favorite, that would, that would be my
favorite.
I love Heidelberg.
And then also on this one, inone of the cities they have the
world's largest advent calendar.
So you know, you just get alittle special Christmas things
like that on these.
And then the Rhone is in France, so you get a lot of cities in
(35:10):
France along that one.
And then the lower Danube,which I think is interesting,
would be hungry to Romania, andyou'd go to Slovakia, go to
Serbia, oh wow, and you'd go toBulgaria on that so that feels
like a unique experience.
That is yeah, I've done that,not at Christmas time, but
(35:30):
that's probably my favoriteriver cruise I've done.
Is that lower Danube?
Just because it's so differentculturally and everything like
that?
Be interested to see how theydo Christmas, Because they are
all formerly behind in the EastBlock, Behind the Iron Curtain,
and weren't allowed to do that.
It'd be interesting to see howthose Christmas markets are Now.
(35:53):
Let's talk about some of thetravel deals that are out there
for Europe Christmas markets.
Right now, AmaWaterways, whichis my favorite cruise line, has
holiday triple savings sale.
This expires December 31st, soyou have about 10 days to book
this.
This offer is also combinablewith their $8.99 fixed airfare
(36:18):
rate to Europe and withAmaWaterways seven-night river
cruises you can save up to$2,000 per stateroom plus get a
complimentary stateroom upgrade,plus get up to $100 onboard
credit to spend onboard forthings like spa and other things
that they offer.
If you move that to a 14-dayriver cruise, it saves up to
(36:40):
$4,000 per stateroom pluscomplimentary stateroom upgrade
and $200 to spend on board.
So this is a great offer.
This expires December 31st ofthis year and it is for
Christmas market cruisesstarting November of next year
through December.
So if you're interested in aChristmas market cruise, this is
(37:01):
definitely the way to go.
Now I just want to highlight twocruises with AmaWaterways.
There are two seven-nightcruises and these are part of
that.
Save up to $2,000 per stateroom.
The first cruise is Amsterdamto Basel.
This is on the Rhine River andit has some of the best
(37:21):
Christmas markets.
I think Cologne, Germany and,as I mentioned earlier with
Patrick Heidelberg, I thinkthose have two of some of the
best Christmas markets in Europeand the Rhine River is always a
great river to cruise on and in2025, there's some pretty good
rates in early November andlater in December on this
(37:50):
November and later in Decemberon this.
So cruise rates start at $2839per person, and that is with the
$2,000 off per cabin, oressentially that's $1,000 per
person.
The other cruise I'd like tohighlight is the Gems of
Southeast Europe.
This is the lower Danube and itdoes hit Bucharest, which is
one of the cities we mentionedthat has the most Christmas
markets in Europe.
(38:10):
So this sells from Budapest toBucharest.
Essentially, Visit Croatia,Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania on
this.
I think this is a fascinatingitinerary and this itinerary
does not have as many departuresas the Rhine or the upper
Danube, but for next year, in2025, November 24th, the sailing
(38:31):
date starts at $26 39 perperson.
That's the cruise deal of theweek.
Thanks for listening and we'llbe back right after this short
break they've literally traveledmillions of miles to answer
your travel-related questions.
Show Voice (38:49):
Yeah, they really have.
You're listening to the InsideTravel Talk podcast and radio
show presented byBluePlanetVacations.
com.
America's best travel advisors,Patrick and Mark, will be back
after these messages.
Patrick and Mark will be backafter these messages, getaway.
(39:34):
Contact Blue Planet Vacationsat 888-718-7717 or
blueplanetvacations.
com.
They'll help you plan and bookyour next vacation.
Yeah, really, you're listeningto the Inside Travel Talk
podcast and radio show presentedby BluePlanetVacations.
com, America's best traveladvisors.
Call or text the show now801-649-3700, 801-649-3700.
(39:58):
And now here's Patrick WiscombeInside Travel Talk podcast and
radio show.
Mark Faldmo (40:20):
We're glad you could join us this week.
Before we get started into someof the travel news, I just
wanted to mention that this showis brought to you by
BluePlanetVacations.
com and if you want to learnabout some of the hot travel
deals that are out there atBluePlanetVacations.
com, you can sign up for our hottravel deal update.
We send those every 7 to 10days or whenever a good travel
deal breaks.
So go to BluePlanetVacations.
(40:41):
com and see some of the besttravel deals out there.
Now, before we get on to some ofthe conversations Patrick and I
had earlier in this week, Ijust wanted to bring up as we're
closing the new year andlooking into 2025, some of the
biggest changes that travelerswill experience in 2025.
(41:08):
And the main one is on May 7,2025, the REAL ID Act will
launch, and this means if youdon't have a REAL ID compliant
driver's license or a passport,you will not be able to get
through TSA, so you'll want tocheck with your state to make
sure that you have a REAL IDcompliant driver's license
Generally, it is noted with ayellow star or some type of
symbol in one of the corners ofyour driver's license and a few
(41:30):
other items that will come intoeffect in 2025.
We talked about this, I think,about two weeks ago're traveling
to the United Kingdom on orafter January 8th of 2025, you
will need to fill out anelectronic authorization online
(41:53):
before you travel and getauthorization to enter into the
United Kingdom.
And, on a similar note, theEuropean Union's entry and exit
system is coming sometime in2025.
They still haven't set an exactdate for that, but it's similar
to that United Kingdom ETA,where you'll have to fill out a
form online, pay a little bit ofmoney and get pre-approved to
(42:18):
enter the European Union.
And now we'll get on to some ofthe travel tips that I talked
earlier this week with Patrickabout.
We're going to talk about sometravel scams to avoid and also
the value of travel protection.
Patrick Wiscombe (42:30):
Let's get to the seven crafty cruise tricks.
Do not fall for these.
And let's go over the first one, which I think has to do with
taxi rides.
Mark Faldmo (42:40):
This is geared towards cruisers, but this is
also good advice for anywhere inthe world.
All of these happen all thetime, especially to tourists.
Tourists are a good target forscammers.
Always set your fare with thedriver before you get in.
Yeah, don't do it in the middleof the ride.
Don't do it in the middle orwhen you get out, or you'll be
surprised.
(43:00):
Oh yeah, a common trick thattaxi drivers will use is they'll
give you this is the rate$10.00, and then you'll get
there and they'll say, oh, Itold you $10, but that was per
person, so now you owe me 20.
So make sure you set it for thewhole party and to where you're
going, and then make sure youhave bills to cover that Not too
(43:23):
large of a bill, because theywill always say they don't have
change and then you're stuckpaying them a lot more.
Patrick Wiscombe (43:30):
What was the other trick that they try and
pull taxi drivers A?
Mark Faldmo (43:32):
lot of times people will say can you take me to the
beach and then come pick me upat this time?
Yeah, and I'll say yes, andthey'll have you pay for that
return trip up front.
Never pay for the return tripup front.
Tell them you'll pay for whenthey take you there and then
you'll pay when they take youback.
Patrick Wiscombe (43:51):
Yeah, because otherwise they won't return.
Yep, see you later.
Say goodbye to your money rightthere.
Mark Faldmo (43:55):
Yeah, a common thing for a lot of people to do
is to just hire a taxi to takethem sightseeing.
You know they don't want totake the excursions the ship
offers.
Taxi drivers are really good atthis.
I've actually been on some verygood tours by taxi drivers.
Oh, you have, but do someresearch and know where you want
to go, meaning you choose thedestination, you choose the
(44:17):
destinations and how long youwant to go there.
Otherwise, they're going to takeyou to their brother's shop, to
their sister's shop, everywherewhere they get a kickback, and
you're going to spend most ofyour time shopping and not
actually doing the sightseeingthat you want to do.
So make sure you detail whatyou want to do, what you want to
see, and if you don't want toshop, you need to tell them up
(44:39):
front I don't want to shop.
And the next one is fake ticketscams.
Okay, what is that?
There are some places that youneed to buy tickets to in
advance and some taxi driverswill say oh, I know someone I
have, and then I can get you aticket.
Patrick Wiscombe (44:57):
Oh boy.
Mark Faldmo (44:58):
You'll pay them for the ticket.
They'll drop you off.
It looks like a legitimateticket, but when you get there
they'll say it's a fake ticket.
Patrick Wiscombe (45:04):
Oh boy.
Mark Faldmo (45:05):
So only buy tickets from legitimate sources, don't
buy them from a taxi driver.
Now, the next one this is onethat really bugs me is don't
take the free gifts.
You know a lot of vendors willcome up and say it's free, it's
free, it's free Because thenthey just keep hounding you for
more and more, and a lot oftimes it's part of a pickpocket
(45:29):
scam where they're watchingwhere money comes from, how you
act, and they will pickpocketyou to do that and then also,
along those lines ofpickpocketing, keep your small
bills and coins that you'regoing to use for street vendors
and stuff in a separate areafrom your main money, because
those pickpockets watch touristswhere their money comes from.
Patrick Wiscombe (45:48):
Yeah, you're being watched.
Mark Faldmo (45:50):
And then they will get pickpocketed for a few
dollars.
That's probably fine.
You don't want to be, but youdon't want everything taken.
Patrick Wiscombe (45:56):
You had an interesting story that actually
happened to you.
Mark Faldmo (46:00):
A common thing is someone will spill ice cream,
gelato, a drink or something onyou.
If anyone spills something onyou, do not let them help you,
because it's a pickpocket scam.
Oh my goodness, because the onething that pickpocket needs is
touch to distract you oh yeah,and so my thing was I was at the
(46:20):
arc de triomphe in Paris.
My guy came up and said hey,you're American, do you know
judo?
Like that's a strange thing toask.
And then he was doing thesejudo moves on me and all of my
pockets were emptied.
Luckily it was just a map ofthe Paris subway system, so I
had a hard time getting back tomy hotel.
But that's pick pocketersneed is a lot of times, that
(46:45):
slight distraction in all of mylife I have never hey.
Patrick Wiscombe (46:49):
do you know judo?
Yeah, I'm sorry that happened,but that's kind of funny.
Mark Faldmo (46:54):
It was funny, yeah, and you know.
Another common thing is you'llgo, we'll say the Colosseum in
Rome.
There are lots of peopledressed as Roman soldiers to go
take your picture with them.
Don't take your picture withthem.
A lot of times they arepickpocket scams as well, or
pick pocketers are watching thepeople with that um, if you do
(47:17):
want to do that, set your pricewith the person beforehand,
because a lot of times you'lltry and give them five dollars
or whatever and they say, no,it's 10, 15, 20, and then you'll
have a miserable situationthere.
You know that they won't letyou go, yeah, and then never
give your phone to someone totake a picture and unlock it.
Or if someone comes and saysyou took my picture, you can't,
(47:42):
and they want you to unlock yourphone to see that what they're
trying to do is get you tounlock your phone and then
they're going to grab it and runaway with your unlocked phone
and get all of your stuff, whichis quite popular.
Patrick Wiscombe (48:00):
It happens a lot more than you would think.
Having you articulate it likethat is justification for me
just going.
No, no, thank you for asking.
Mark Faldmo (48:04):
Just get away, buzz off and then, well, there's
kind of two things that we'll do.
If you're buying something andthey're going to take it in the
back to wrap it up for you, makesure you check up before you
come back.
I've heard stories of wherepeople will have an expensive
handbag and they'll take it backto wrap it up, and then when
(48:24):
they get back to the ship or totheir hotel, it is a totally
different product and thenthey're out of luck.
Patrick Wiscombe (48:30):
And then they can't come back because the
cruise ship is going to take off, yeah.
Mark Faldmo (48:33):
And then the last thing is know the exchange rate.
Well, how would you know that?
There are apps?
There's one called XE CurrencyConverter where you can just
quickly put that in so you knowabout what you should pay.
It won't always equal thatbecause there are some different
(48:57):
fees and stuff, stuff, butyou'll know about what you'll
pay.
There's been vendors that sayyeah, it comes out to about 200
us dollars and then when you getback, if you're not savvy and
don't know the exchange ratepeople had five- six hundred
dollar charges when they thoughtit was two hundred dollars, so
know the exchange rate let'stalk about travel insurance,
travel protections.
That doesn't sound interestinguntil you figure out what it can
save you from right.
Patrick Wiscombe (49:16):
You know, most people are like we're going on
vacation.
I've done that.
I'm like I'm not paying forthat.
I've never had to use it, but Idid get it, just in case
something went sideways well,you never purchase insurance
hoping to use this good point.
Mark Faldmo (49:30):
So that's something .
And travel insurance is, Ithink, a very good investment to
protect your trip.
It protects for health reasonswhile you're there oh, on
vacation.
Patrick Wiscombe (49:42):
So it's basically insurance, not only
for the trip, but it to protectyou physically, physically, oh,
I didn't know that so you'll.
Mark Faldmo (49:51):
let's talk about the pre-trip things first.
So the pre-trip things are, youknow, like flight cancellations
, lost baggage, baggage delays,everything that can happen while
you're flying, while you'regetting to your destination,
right.
Many also allow you to cancelfor a covered reason, which is
long a doctor says that or ifyou have a death in the family,
(50:12):
that's a covered reason andcan't go.
So there are a lot ofunforeseen things that can
happen before and kind of whilestarting the trip.
And then it also covers youwhile you're traveling.
There's health provisions.
A lot of people say, well, myhealth insurance will cover it.
A lot of insurance does notcover when you're outside of the
USA.
(50:33):
And many countries there areseveral countries that actually
require you show proof ofinsurance, of health insurance
while traveling, so you do needto buy some type of health
insurance to travel to certaincountries, because they will not
treat you at hospitals andthey'll probably treat you but
make you pay a lot.
(50:54):
So, you know, and I've hadclients before that have had to
be medevaced home from Australia.
Oh boy, had people that havehad to leave trips early and
come home, and had they not hadtravel insurance, travel
protection, it would have beenvery costly to do that.
So, look at all the specifics.
(51:15):
You'll need to go to a specifictravel company and get their
specifics.
Yeah, the policy Most travelagents you know I recommend.
Travelx is the travel insuranceprovider that I recommend, but
there are several out there thatare really good and to get the
specifics I can recommend you tothe place where to get all
those specifics and call if youhave any questions on the
(51:37):
policies.
Patrick Wiscombe (51:37):
Call Mark if you have questions 801-649-3700.
Mark Faldmo (51:43):
Well, that's it for this week's show.
We're glad you could join us.
Patrick should be back with usnext week.
We look forward to having himback on the show.
We're here every week.
You can catch a rebroadcast ofthe show at InsideTravelTalk.
com or on BluePlanetVacations.
com.
And we will see you next week.
Have a good week.
Show Voice (52:07):
That's it.
That's the end of the showYou've been listening to the
Inside Travel Talk podcast andradio show with Patrick Wiscombe
and Mark Faldmo, presented byBluePlanetVacations.
com.
Book your adventure right now.
Call 888-718-7717.
That's 888-718-7717.
(52:28):
Thanks for listening.
Have a great week.
Welcome to the Inside Travel Talk podcast and
radio show.
On today's show we're going totalk about Puerto Vallarta quite
extensively Europe Christmasmarkets and travel scams to
avoid.
Let's start the show.
Patrick Wiscombe (00:12):
The Inside Travel Talk podcast and radio
show presented byBluePlanetVacations.
com contains travel deals,promotions and offers that may
be time-sensitive.
All offers and information wereaccurate when the show aired.
Travel deals and offers changeconstantly and are capacity
controlled and subject to changewithout notice.
Show Voice (00:38):
Explore your world.
It's the Inside Travel Talkpodcast and radio show presented
by BluePlanetVacations.
com.
Call or text the show now801-649-3700, 801-649-3700.
And check out the podcast atInsideTravelTalk.
com.
And now here are your hosts,Patrick Wiscombe and Mark Faldmo
(01:02):
.
Mark Faldmo (01:04):
Welcome to the Inside Travel Talk podcast and
radio show.
My name is Mark Faldmo.
Welcome to the Inside TravelTalk podcast and radio show.
My name is Mark Faldmo.
You'll notice a littledifference this week.
We'll excuse Patrick from theshow today.
Thank you for taking your timeto listen to the show today.
The entire purpose of this showis to help you plan and book
your next vacation and help youget out there and explore your
world, and we're presented byBlue Planet Vacations.
(01:27):
In this first segment we'lltalk about some travel news and
then we'll get into an interviewthat I had a few weeks ago with
David Charez, who is the salesrep for Buena Ventura Hotels in
Puerto Vallarta.
We'll get to that interview injust a moment, but first let's
talk about some of the travelnews of the week.
The first bit of news thatwe'll talk about is Alaska
Airlines expanding Asia flights.
(01:49):
Patrick and I have talked aboutthe merger with Alaska Airlines
and Hawaiian Airlines a coupleof times on the show and now
there's some exciting newscoming out of this.
As they are starting to combinetheir networks, Alaska Airlines
will take some of the largerplanes from Alaska Airlines and
move them to Seattle and startflying to Asia, and the
(02:11):
inaugural flight will be on May12th to Tokyo's Narita Airport.
This is really good news fortravelers to Asia, as it will
open up the whole AlaskaAirlines network to the
destinations that they fly, andthey will soon start flying to
Seoul's Incheon Airport in Seoul, South Korea.
(02:31):
Our next bit of news isSouthwest Airlines is changing
the way they do drink service.
So earlier this month, ifyou've flown on Southwest,
you'll notice that they'restarting to prepare the cabin
for landing earlier.
They used to prepare the cabinat 10,000 feet.
(02:52):
Now they're going to startpreparing the cabin for landing
at 18,000 feet, which meansbeverage service could end
earlier.
You'll need to get your lapstop stowed earlier and your
tray tables up.
This could mean that on some ofthe shorter flights there may
not be time for drink service.
Now, as I mentioned, a fewweeks ago, I was in Puerto
Vallarta and I was able to getan interview with David Charez,
the sales manager for BuenaVentura Hotels, one of my
(03:17):
favorite resort chains in PuertoVallarta.
Here's the interview David,it's nice to have you on.
David Chariez (03:22):
Thank you so much for having me, mark.
Thank you for joining us here.
It's always nice to enjoy thebeautiful, perfect weather that
we have, and it is perfect,indeed it is, it has been
perfect.
Mark Faldmo (03:33):
I've noticed it's not been too hot, not been too
humid.
There's been a nice breeze.
Couldn't ask for anything more.
David Chariez (03:39):
Well, we do our best.
We do our best when we havespecial guests in-house, so it's
nice to provide this for you.
Mark Faldmo (03:45):
Thanks for ordering up the weather for me.
So first off, I want to startoff and ask you why Puerto
Vallarta?
David Chariez (03:53):
So I've had the privilege of working at three
wonderful destinations in MexicoCancun, Los Cabos and Puerto
Vallarta and all three arebeautiful destinations indeed
and they all have their uniqueattributes.
But I have to be very honestwith you.
When I arrived to PuertoVallarta, working for this
company, Buenaventura Hotels Icelebrate my 18th year in
(04:14):
September so when I arrived toPuerto Vallarta, it is a
destination that just absolutelycaptivated me, enamored me.
It's one of those destinationsthat's just so complete.
You know, we were a city beforewe were a tourist destination.
So you know, you have multiplegenerations of people born and
raised here, and it does make abig difference.
(04:34):
So the people are absolutelyamazing here and I'm sure you
can attest to that as well.
The other thing, of course, iswhy would you go to a beach
destination?
Well, for the beaches, ofcourse, and you know we do have
a ton of pristine beaches, allsafe, swimmable beaches, which
is really important.
And then, of course, you havethe Sierra Madre mountain range,
which is the backdrop to thisbeautiful colonial seaside town.
(04:56):
So, in essence, I always liketo say you know, we really do
offer a complete vacationexperience in Puerto Vallarta,
as you have, you know,everything that involves the
ocean, everything that involvesthe mountain terrain, including
zip line.
You know some beautiful riversand other.
You know adventure activitiessuch as that.
And then, of course, thecolonial part.
You know you really.
It's a place where you canreally immerse yourself within
(05:18):
the culture of Mexico, and thisis a perfect example of
everything that Mexico has tooffer.
Mark Faldmo (05:24):
Puerto Vallarta probably is my favorite spot in
Mexico for those reasons.
I love the colonial aspect ofit.
I love the beaches.
We're sitting out here at theSky Bar at the Buenaventura
Grand Hotel watching people playin the beach.
It's wonderful.
David Chariez (05:40):
It's hard to be up here, isn't it?
Mark Faldmo (05:41):
It is, it's hard to be here working, watching
everybody have fun.
David Chariez (05:45):
Exactly, but sometimes we have to work yeah
sometimes we do have to work.
Mark Faldmo (05:49):
So what better place to work than this, though?
Absolutely, absolutely.
So now let's switch to thehotels, the Villa Premier
Boutique Hotel, which is wherewe've been staying.
Can you explain that hotel alittle bit to us?
David Chariez (06:12):
So this is.
You know, when I startedworking for the company, this
was actually like my pet project.
It was the main focus of my jobas it opened in 1999.
We celebrate 25 years this year, so it's a rather a fairly
newer hotel in the destination,because this is a destination
that does have some hotels over50 years old and stuff.
So it is one of the newer ones.
It's a boutique hotel.
There's only 83 rooms andsuites here, so it's a very
(06:32):
intimate hotel.
It is adults only, whichsometimes is great to escape
everything, including the kids.
So this does afford you thatopportunity and it's a hotel.
It's the only one in our companythat offers both European plan
and all inclusive.
So we're in European planhotels and you know for those
that don't know, ep means nomeals or anything is included.
(06:54):
Basically it's just room.
However, we also offer aninclusive option at this hotel
and most people do like that,because it means you have
everything included Three a lacarte restaurants to choose from
.
There's no buffet dining there.
We have phenomenal mixologycocktails and that's all
included, and also 24-hour roomservice.
(07:15):
We have a phenomenal menu thatdoes include some very tasty and
delicious hot items.
In the overnight menu we dohave a chef on site 24 hours a
day.
Items in the overnight menu wedo have a chef on site 24 hours
a day.
So you know, there's really notmuch that this hotel won't do
to, you know, completely satisfythe needs of all of its guests
For being that small of a hotelyou know 83 rooms I think it's
the perfect size.
Mark Faldmo (07:36):
It really is, and no matter how you know you're
here and with your, you know,staying here.
David Chariez (07:39):
You know you're here and with your, you know,
staying here.
We're actually at 90, 96%occupancy, so we're pretty much
full, and yet you don't feelthat, do you when you're there.
Mark Faldmo (07:53):
You don't feel it.
I think again.
You know to have a chef on site24 hours for that room service
is quite amazing for that size.
The food at the hotel I can sayof all the destinations I've
traveled to, to all theall-inclusives, I think the
Villa Premier has the best food.
David Chariez (08:09):
Thank you, thank you, we really do.
Um, you know, the company doesso much when it comes to the
gastronomy.
Uh, at all three of our resortswe have been known over the
years, company-wide withgastronomy.
And, uh, you know, for VillaPremier, since it's our flagship
hotel, it's our signature hotel, it's a hotel where, because of
the gastronomy we are featuredin, you know, gastronomy
(08:35):
Festival, gourmet Festival, acouple of other independent
activities that they do.
One is Vallarta NayaritGastronomica, which is an event
that encompasses, you know, thebest chefs in Puerto Vallarta
and our sister city, RivieraNayarit, which is next door, as
well.
So we do a heavy investment inthat and I'm glad, it's great to
hear your comments because it'swhy we do it and the food there
is just absolutely phenomenal.
Mark Faldmo (08:57):
And, like a lot of hotels in Puerto Vallarta, you
have great views of the beachand sunsets.
But I think at least this trip,the two nights we've been here,
the two sunsets have beenamazing, and it's probably
because of where we're staying.
David Chariez (09:11):
Yes, you know, the Villa Premier.
Every single room is oceanfrontand it's a small boutique hotel
.
Yet if you look at the size ofit, you think it's a lot bigger
than what it actually is,because there's plenty of suites
and you know, the big thingright now, of course, is
availability to those suites.
They're just so perfect andyou're experiencing one of our.
(09:31):
My personal favorite is thePremier Suite, which is our 783
square feet of just amazingspace and a beautiful balcony.
But all of the rooms have abalcony and all of the rooms
face the ocean.
One thing that I do like andyou'll appreciate this too a lot
of hotels don't have screendoors on their balconies.
We do, and you could sleep withthat door open and just hear
(09:51):
the waves all night long, and itreally is soothing and relaxing
.
Mark Faldmo (09:56):
Yep, and that's one thing I like about that,
because I do like to listen tothe ocean at night.
Again, perfect setting, andwe'll talk about this when we
talk about the Buena Ventura,since the hotels are next door.
But what about the location ofthis?
David Chariez (10:09):
So we are technically the first hotel in
the downtown zone.
If you're headed from theairport towards downtown Puerto
Vallarta.
We're only about a 15, 20minute drive from the Puerto
Vallarta International Airportand we are literally at the
doorstep to the cobblestonestreets, where you exit Villa
Premier onto the main, at thedoorstep to the Cobblestone
Streets, where you exit VillaPremier onto the main street.
That's where the CobblestoneStreets start.
(10:29):
You make a quick right and fourblocks into that you're at the
base of the Malecon, theentrance to it, and that's where
all the nightlife, the shoppinggalleries, just a lot of
phenomenal people watching, andyou're literally in the culture.
You're in the culture, you'reimmersing yourself in the
(10:50):
culture.
So, location, location,location is what everyone deems
to be the most important thingand this, being a beachfront
hotel in the closest area to thedowntown area, to the downtown
zone, I think, makes this aphenomenal choice for any guest
wanting to be in Puerto Vallarta.
Mark Faldmo (11:01):
It is.
I like being that close to thedowntown area.
And, David, why don't you tellme a little bit about the spa at
the Villa?
Premier?
Relaxation is an important partof a trip and a spa is a
critical component for that.
David Chariez (11:14):
Thank you, mark.
Well, you had the privilege ofseeing it.
I'm glad I got the opportunityto show it to you.
You know, it's the newest thingat the Villa Premier.
We just completely redid thespa.
I mean, when I saw this, youknow the spa, we renamed it too.
It's called Serena and it'sit's so Zen-like, it's so
relaxing, it's so, it's so pure.
(11:36):
Honestly, I mean, when we walk,we're walking through it, you
know the, the aromas in there isjust absolutely, just just just
being in there, I felt sorelaxed and you just feel so
relaxed.
There we have four treatmentrooms.
You know we specialize.
We have full beauty salon andwe use organic based products.
You know the sauna steam room.
It's a it's a small spa andstandards to some very large
(11:59):
hotels, but it is so perfectly,you know, it's just so perfect,
so zen-like, so relaxing that,honestly, you cannot miss an
opportunity to come and checkout the spa.
Mark Faldmo (12:09):
Yeah, I was going to say a spa facility like that
at a hotel that size.
You've done a great job, thankyou.
It's a large spa for the numberof rooms that you have, so it's
quite an amazing spa.
David Chariez (12:22):
Thank you, Thank you, I really really appreciate
that and, yes, absolutely, Onyour visit to Villa Premier, you
definitely check out the spot.
It's amazing and you know thetreatments and everything that
we offer there workshops,everything.
It's just absolutely amazing.
So thank you.
Mark Faldmo (12:37):
Well, that wraps up our segment here.
We'll be back with David injust a minute to talk about the
other hotel, the Buena VenturaGrand.
We'll be right back after this.
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Taking you to destinations around the world.
The Inside Travel Talk podcastand radio show is presented by
BluePlanetVacations.
com, America's best traveladvisors.
Call or text the show now801-649-3700.
801-649-3700.
Thanks for listening.
(13:08):
We'll be right back.
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(13:47):
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Now back to the Inside Travel Talk podcast and
radio show Presented byblueplanetvacations.
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com.
(14:09):
Here's Patrick Wiscombe andMark.
Mark Faldmo (14:16):
Faldmo, welcome back to the Inside Travel Talk
podcast and radio show.
We're glad you're with us today.
This is segment two, where wehighlight the hot travel deal of
the week.
This week we're going to Cancun.
There's some great deals onfive-star hotels.
We'll also finish out theinterview with David Charez from
Buena Ventura Hotels.
(14:37):
But first let's talk about someof the exciting travel news
that's out there and we're firstgoing to go to Orlando, Florida
area, going to the KennedySpace Center.
Kennedy Space Center is one ofmy favorite places to visit when
I'm in Orlando, either beforeor after a cruise or when
visiting other Orlando themeparks.
Kennedy Space Center is a placeI think that everyone should
(15:00):
visit.
They've announced a newinteractive visitor experience,
so if you're into space androckets, this is a new
experience just for you.
They've reimagined the historicLaunch Complex 39.
This is slated to open in 2025.
They've added some interestingexhibits here.
(15:20):
They have the Earth InformationCenter, which is a data hub
featuring a theater show, ahyper wall display, an
interactive exhibit gallery, aninteractive rocket building area
where guests can design andvirtually launch rockets,
experiencing spaceflight from alaunch site within the Kennedy
Space Center's working spaceport.
(15:42):
It will also be used as alaunch viewing area for real
rockets when rockets arelaunched from Kennedy Space
Center, and then it also hasseveral interactive exhibits,
including a test fire simulationwhere guests can stand under a
full-scale rocket engine as itsimulates a static fire test,
along with a shaded area andoutdoor dining.
(16:05):
You know, Kennedy Space Centeris, you know, kind of one of
those vacation spots where youcan add science into your
vacation.
I've always been intrigued whenvisiting Kennedy Space Center,
especially walking around theRocket Garden, to see some of
the real astronauts that arethere, and you know so.
This is just another example ofsome of the immersive things
(16:28):
that Kennedy Space Center does,and our next story is one that
we've covered a little bit.
It's Lomas Hospitality's moreinclusive experience in Cancun,
Mexico.
The hotels of Lomas include theEl Dorado Resorts, which is El
Dorado Seaside Palms, el DoradoSeaside Suites, el Dorado Royale
(16:50):
, El Dorado Maroma Beach and ElDorado Casita Suites, which are
all adult-only hotels, and thentheir family hotel is the
Generations Riviera Maya theGenerations Riviera Maya.
This more inclusive, as we'vetalked about before, includes
Maroma Beach, which is a beachclub experience.
(17:14):
You can have brunch at arestaurant that includes 20 food
stations and all of your drinksyou can sail over the Great
Mayan Reef with snorkeling Again, one of the best reefs in the
world to snorkel or enjoyactivities like jet skiing,
catamaran rides and, of course,the snorkeling that we talked
about or you can just relax onthe beach.
It also includes, if you'restaying at any of their
properties, you can eat anddrink and experience.
(17:37):
The Aquanick Resort, which isthe largest water park in the
Riviera Maya, includes anecotourism ranch with a cenote
and swimming experience whereyou can interact with horses and
rescued animals from the area.
And this is the exciting partThey've recently added Ak tun
chen, which is a cenote and anunderground cave expedition, so
(18:02):
that's a really excitingaddition.
This is an attraction that,again, normally costs quite a
bit to do, and this is includedwith your stay at any of the
Lomas Hospitality Resorts, theEl Dorado properties or the
Generations.
And now let's get back to theinterview with David Charez from
Buena Ventura Resorts and hearwhat he has to say about the
(18:27):
Buena Ventura Grand Hotel.
Let's get back to David, sincewe're here in sunny, beautiful
Puerto Vallarta, the day justkeeps getting better since we
last talked.
It does it really?
David Chariez (18:38):
does.
Mark Faldmo (18:38):
Nice breeze and you know just a great place to be
right now.
Now, Buena Ventura Hotels.
You know we talked about theVilla Premier in the last
segment.
Right next door is the BuenaVentura Grand Hotel.
Tell us a little bit about thathotel.
David Chariez (18:53):
Well, for starters, any guest of the Villa
Premier is welcome at the BuenaVentura Grand next door.
The Buena Ventura Grand is oneof the original hotels in the
destination.
We have been for 42 years.
It's an amazing place.
Same great location.
Here we are a family-friendlyhotel.
I say family-friendly as adistinction to a family hotel,
(19:15):
because we're a great hotel thatdoes welcome all families, of
course.
But it's a great property forsingles.
It's a great property forcouples.
We have a nice inventory of 231rooms, so we do have plenty of
great property for singles.
It's a great property forcouples.
We have a nice inventory of 231rooms, so we do have plenty of
great options for that as well.
This hotel underwent a completetransformation in honor of our
40th anniversary.
We completely reimagined thehotel, redid absolutely
(19:38):
everything, so gutting everylast piece of tile, every toilet
, everything, completely, allthe rooms were completely gutted
.
You did have the opportunity totour this with me yesterday, so
you did see that and you knowonce the hotel, once that
transformation was complete.
Honestly, I think this is oneof the most complete hotels in
the destination.
A very nice compliment, youknow, to the Villa Premier as
(19:58):
well, but also to the commitmentof Buena Ventura Hotels, which,
you know we're a company thatyou know, just specializes in
hospitality.
So you know, the family thatowns the company is a family
that really does not only investin the product that they have
but, you know, also within thecommunity, and we have a lot of
employees like, including myself.
(20:18):
I said I celebrated 18 years.
Believe it or not, I'm actuallyprobably one of the persons
who's been here probably theleast amount of time.
At our 40th anniversary party,we actually had many employees
that had started with the hotelthe day that it opened and they
brought back a lot of the onesthat have now retired to come
celebrate in that monumentaloccasion.
But the hotel is an amazinglocation, right in the downtown
(20:41):
area.
With our new, new, completelyreimagined product, the food and
beverage offerings werecompletely brought up to a
different level.
We invested heavily in that aswell and all the public areas.
So this is a great, great hoteloffering phenomenal cuisine,
phenomenal options forentertainment also, and then we
have a great little outdoor spahere at the Buena Ventura grand
(21:05):
as well.
So it is completely amazinghotel.
And again, location, location,location, mark.
You saw, you know, walking outfrom this hotel, literally you
make a right and again fourblocks from everything.
I also like to say, for thepeople who like to maybe go out
to nightclubs a little, we arewhat you would consider
stumbling distance from the barsas well I've noticed that
because I have been to thishotel before the renovation.
Mark Faldmo (21:26):
I noticed not that the rooms were bad before they
were still good, but this is astep up from what it was before.
Done a great job with that.
That also says something aboutthe hotel.
When you have employees thathave been here for 40 years,
been with the hotel since thebeginning, it is a very
employee-friendly company towork for.
That's one thing I'veappreciated about Buena Ventura
(21:47):
Hotels.
David Chariez (21:48):
And you know it's interesting because I, you know
, I live in the United Statesand I do cover both the United
States, Canada and abroadrepresenting the hotel.
But when I come down here, youknow all of the staff at, you,
know all three of our hotels.
They're just truly amazing.
I get along with absolutelyeveryone, so I've become quite
close to everyone here and Ijust enjoy spending time with my
(22:12):
colleagues.
But we all do what we do andthat is to serve our guests and
we do it very well together, yepand you certainly do that.
Mark Faldmo (22:20):
Now it's time for the hot travel deal of the week.
This was a little bit hard forme to decide today what to talk
about, because we've had thegreat discussions with David and
Puerto Vallarta, but I'vedecided to go to Cancun.
I have just seen so many dealsto Cancun Right now.
This deal is for a February21st departure, five nights
(22:44):
hotel and round-trip airfarefrom Salt Lake City.
It includes all taxes and feesand your transfers to and from
the airport.
The reason why I chose this isbecause I've just seen
tremendous deals on five-starhotels, so every deal we're
going to talk about is at afive-star resort.
These are only about $50 to $75more than the three and a half
(23:07):
to four star resorts, so theseare some great deals.
Again, February 21st 2025 for afive night package with airfare
.
The first hotel is the ParkRoyale Beach, Cancun.
This is a five star resort inthe hotel zone of Cancun and it
starts at $1199 per person.
The next resort is theCatalonia Yucatan Beach
(23:31):
five-star resort from $1339.
And then we'll go to two of myfavorite hotels in the area the
Hyatt Ziva Riviera, Cancun.
This is a relatively new hotelthat was just completely
rebranded and renovated to theHyatt Ziva brand Five-star hotel
(23:52):
from $1699 per person, and thenthe El Dorado Seaside Palms.
So this will incorporate themore inclusive experience that
we talked about a little bitearlier in this segment.
So the El Dorado Seaside Palmsfive-star resort $1879 per
person.
If you're looking to go toCancun, I think now is the time
(24:15):
to book when the three andfour-star hotels have seen
prices, about where we've seenthem, but the prices of the
five-star hotels have reallycome down over the past few
weeks.
Well, that'll do it for thissegment of the Inside Travel
Talk podcast and radio show.
We'll be back in just a moment.
Show Voice (24:39):
Explore your world.
You're listening to the InsideTravel Talk podcast and radio
show with Patrick Wiscombe andMark Faldmo.
Call or text the show now801-649-3700.
That's 801-649-3700.
And check out the podcast atInsideTravelTalk.
com.
We'll be right back.
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Mark Faldmo (25:29):
Welcome back to the Inside Travel Talk podcast and
radio show Coming up.
On the next 30 minutes we'll betalking about Christmas markets
, cruises, travel protection andtravel scams to avoid.
Let's start the show.
Patrick Wiscombe (25:41):
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show presented byBluePlanetVacations.
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(26:31):
And now here are your hostsPatrick Wiscombe and Mark.
Welcome back to segment threeof the Inside Travel Talk
podcast and radio show.
This is the Just Cruisingsegment, where we're going to
talk cruises and also get thecruise deal of the week.
Earlier this week I had aclient call me and said he
(26:52):
wanted to book his airfare forhis cruise using frequent flyer
miles.
He said he was going to book aflight that arrived three hours
prior to sailing because he readon the cruise line's website
that you needed to just be onboard two hours prior to sailing
.
Earlier this week I did havethe chance to talk with Patrick
about the suggested arrivaltimes for cruises and what will
(27:16):
work and what you should do whenbooking your airfare for a
cruise.
Patrick Wiscombe (27:20):
Let's get to Mark's travel tips, which we're
going to talk about all aboardtimes, whether that be well.
I guess that would be crewspecific all aboard, but I guess
it will extend that to flightstuff.
What are some general rulesthat everyone should just know?
Mark Faldmo (27:35):
So this goes back to the cruise story with the
stranded passengers in Africamissing the boat.
So we're going to talk aboutthree times that cruisers need
to be aware of.
One is the first day of thecruise, when to get on the ship.
Yeah, now, this varies by portand country.
There are some different rules,but generally, a cruise line
(27:58):
wants you on board no later thantwo hours prior to sailing.
Meaning embarkation day.
Embarkation day If your cruiseleaves at 5 pm, you should
arrive to your destination bynoon, or go in the day before,
just to be safe, yeah.
And then at the end of thecruise you shouldn't book a
flight before 1 pm.
(28:19):
The cruise line will say noon.
I say 1 pm because sometimesI've been on a ship in Los
Angeles once where the port wasfogged in.
Ad Voice (28:29):
Oh really.
Mark Faldmo (28:29):
We didn't get in until 11.
Patrick Wiscombe (28:31):
So by the time everyone cleared customs and
all of that, the noon flightswere long and done so add just
at least another hour towhatever they take Another hour
to that.
Mark Faldmo (28:42):
Okay, so that's embarkation day and
disembarkation day, and thenthere is some confusion on ports
because there's a posted timewhen the ship leaves Right, say
at 6 pm, but then there's alsoan all aboard time which is
usually 30 to 45 minutes.
Before the departure time thecruise line has some safety and
(29:04):
immigration checks they need togo through.
So that's why they need that 30to 45 minute leeway of the all
aboard time.
So when you're on a cruise,make sure in every port that you
know the all aboard time andit's posted right there when you
go out.
They announce it.
Patrick Wiscombe (29:19):
It's in the daily planner, it's everywhere,
but just make sure you know thatall aboard time I genuinely
feel bad for anyone who missesthe ship, but it's kind of hard
to feel bad for you when theyliterally tell you every single
day when you have to be back onthe ship yes, sorry, not really.
Mark Faldmo (29:39):
another thing to add to that is make sure you
have travel insurance in casesomething does happen.
Oh yeah, it would have to befor a covered reason.
Is that a covered?
Patrick Wiscombe (29:48):
reason, like if you miss the boat.
Mark Faldmo (29:49):
Well, if on the arrival and departure day if the
ship's late or in there istravel delay.
In most insurance policies thatprobably would cover missing the
ship in port, but that would beinsurance company specific.
So make sure when looking atyour flights that you give
yourself plenty of time to getto the port to account for any
(30:10):
delays by the airline.
I always recommend flying in aday before the cruise so that
you don't risk missing the boat.
And now earlier this week wehad a text from a listener,
Melissa.
She wants to go on a Christmasmarkets cruise next year and
she's wondering if it's tooearly to book now.
We'll answer that and we'llspend the rest of the segment
(30:31):
talking about European Christmasmarkets.
To answer one of Melissa'squestions, if it's too early to
book, I would say if you want togo next year, book it now.
We did some stories a little bitearlier this month where some
of the cruise lines, like VikingRiver Cruise Lines, is more
than 70% full for 2025.
(30:52):
These specialty cruises sellout quite a bit.
We'll talk in just a minuteabout Christmas markets, but
first I thought it might beinteresting to see which cities
in Europe have the mostChristmas markets.
I did find a list online onlineand it's pretty interesting
Berlin, Germany has the most,with 42 different Christmas
(31:12):
markets that start in lateNovember.
The next city is Rome, Italy,that has 25 Christmas markets,
and those start in earlyDecember.
And then Paris, France, has 11Christmas markets which start in
early December.
And then Paris, France, has 11Christmas markets which start in
late November.
Warsaw, Poland, has nineChristmas markets which start in
late November, and thenBucharest, Romania, has eight
(31:35):
Christmas markets that alsostarts in early December.
Also on this list was Vienna,Austria, with six Christmas
markets, and I think aninteresting location is the
country of Andorra, which is oneof the smaller countries in
Europe, which is on the Franceand Spain border.
Despite how small the countryis, it still has five Christmas
(31:57):
markets.
So those are the cities withthe most Christmas markets in
Europe.
Now, moving on, earlier thisweek I did have a chance to talk
with Patrick about Christmasmarket cruising and some
particulars.
Let's listen to what werecorded earlier this week and
then I'll go into some of thetravel deals we're going to go
to the Christmas markets.
Patrick Wiscombe (32:18):
Let's tell listeners what a Christmas
market cruise is.
Mark Faldmo (32:22):
In Europe.
A lot of the small villages,towns and larger cities all have
Christmas markets that they setup in their main square.
They're small kiosks,restaurants, Christmas displays,
everything about Christmas inthese Christmas markets.
So these cruises focus on that.
Stop in the best Christmasmarkets in Europe and you get to
(32:43):
experience that in each stop Inwhat cities and countries?
There are different rivers youcan do it on.
You can do the Rhine and theDanube, which are the two most
popular.
I guess I should say the UpperDanube, and then you can also do
the Rhône in France and theLower Danube.
Best Christmas market probablyin all of Europe is on the upper
(33:07):
Danube, which is Nuremberg.
Nuremberg is called theChristkindlmarkt, which is the
largest and oldest Christmasmarket in Germany.
The other stop you either startor end in Budapest, which there
they have a lot of handmadeworks that is in their Christmas
market.
Patrick Wiscombe (33:20):
That'd be cool .
Mark Faldmo (33:20):
All handmade toys and trinkets and different
things.
And then also Austria, Vienna.
I've never been there inChristmas time, but Vienna I can
see being a magical city atChristmas.
You have been to Vienna, I havebeen to Vienna.
Patrick Wiscombe (33:35):
Let's talk about the Rhine.
Mark Faldmo (33:36):
River, so the Rhine River Christmas market that
includes France, Germany,Netherlands and Switzerland.
Are these seven-day cruises?
Patrick Wiscombe (33:48):
These are seven-night cruises, so you go
from country to country, butthere's ports in each one of
those countries that you go.
Mark Faldmo (33:55):
Experience Christmas in those locations, so
there's one or two ports everyday, some days you're there all
day.
Sometimes you're just therehalf a day.
Patrick Wiscombe (34:04):
And so you move on to the next one.
So you move on to the next one.
Oh see, I've never even heardof this before.
Mark Faldmo (34:10):
A river cruise period is a great way to see
Europe.
Patrick Wiscombe (34:13):
And Ama Waterways.
They do a great job, just byreputation.
I've never been on them, buttheir reputation is stellar.
Mark Faldmo (34:20):
Yeah, they're my favorite.
I've sailed on them severaltimes.
Patrick Wiscombe (34:23):
We've got the Rhine River, we've got the Upper
Danube, and then we've got what?
Mark Faldmo (34:28):
Then there's the Lower Danube and the Rhône.
On that, going back to theRhine River, that one has two
spots that I think arefascinating.
In Cologne it's a big Gothiccathedral, the Christmas market
is set up right in front of that, and then also in Heidelberg.
I think Heidelberg probablywould be the best city in Europe
(34:50):
, so that would be your favorite, that would, that would be my
favorite.
I love Heidelberg.
And then also on this one, inone of the cities they have the
world's largest advent calendar.
So you know, you just get alittle special Christmas things
like that on these.
And then the Rhone is in France, so you get a lot of cities in
(35:10):
France along that one.
And then the lower Danube,which I think is interesting,
would be hungry to Romania, andyou'd go to Slovakia, go to
Serbia, oh wow, and you'd go toBulgaria on that so that feels
like a unique experience.
That is yeah, I've done that,not at Christmas time, but
(35:30):
that's probably my favoriteriver cruise I've done.
Is that lower Danube?
Just because it's so differentculturally and everything like
that?
Be interested to see how theydo Christmas, Because they are
all formerly behind in the EastBlock, Behind the Iron Curtain,
and weren't allowed to do that.
It'd be interesting to see howthose Christmas markets are Now.
(35:53):
Let's talk about some of thetravel deals that are out there
for Europe Christmas markets.
Right now, AmaWaterways, whichis my favorite cruise line, has
holiday triple savings sale.
This expires December 31st, soyou have about 10 days to book
this.
This offer is also combinablewith their $8.99 fixed airfare
(36:18):
rate to Europe and withAmaWaterways seven-night river
cruises you can save up to$2,000 per stateroom plus get a
complimentary stateroom upgrade,plus get up to $100 onboard
credit to spend onboard forthings like spa and other things
that they offer.
If you move that to a 14-dayriver cruise, it saves up to
(36:40):
$4,000 per stateroom pluscomplimentary stateroom upgrade
and $200 to spend on board.
So this is a great offer.
This expires December 31st ofthis year and it is for
Christmas market cruisesstarting November of next year
through December.
So if you're interested in aChristmas market cruise, this is
(37:01):
definitely the way to go.
Now I just want to highlight twocruises with AmaWaterways.
There are two seven-nightcruises and these are part of
that.
Save up to $2,000 per stateroom.
The first cruise is Amsterdamto Basel.
This is on the Rhine River andit has some of the best
(37:21):
Christmas markets.
I think Cologne, Germany and,as I mentioned earlier with
Patrick Heidelberg, I thinkthose have two of some of the
best Christmas markets in Europeand the Rhine River is always a
great river to cruise on and in2025, there's some pretty good
rates in early November andlater in December on this
(37:50):
November and later in Decemberon this.
So cruise rates start at $2839per person, and that is with the
$2,000 off per cabin, oressentially that's $1,000 per
person.
The other cruise I'd like tohighlight is the Gems of
Southeast Europe.
This is the lower Danube and itdoes hit Bucharest, which is
one of the cities we mentionedthat has the most Christmas
markets in Europe.
(38:10):
So this sells from Budapest toBucharest.
Essentially, Visit Croatia,Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania on
this.
I think this is a fascinatingitinerary and this itinerary
does not have as many departuresas the Rhine or the upper
Danube, but for next year, in2025, November 24th, the sailing
(38:31):
date starts at $26 39 perperson.
That's the cruise deal of theweek.
Thanks for listening and we'llbe back right after this short
break they've literally traveledmillions of miles to answer
your travel-related questions.
Show Voice (38:49):
Yeah, they really have.
You're listening to the InsideTravel Talk podcast and radio
show presented byBluePlanetVacations.
com.
America's best travel advisors,Patrick and Mark, will be back
after these messages.
Patrick and Mark will be backafter these messages, getaway.
(39:34):
Contact Blue Planet Vacationsat 888-718-7717 or
blueplanetvacations.
com.
They'll help you plan and bookyour next vacation.
Yeah, really, you're listeningto the Inside Travel Talk
podcast and radio show presentedby BluePlanetVacations.
com, America's best traveladvisors.
Call or text the show now801-649-3700, 801-649-3700.
(39:58):
And now here's Patrick WiscombeInside Travel Talk podcast and
radio show.
Mark Faldmo (40:20):
We're glad you could join us this week.
Before we get started into someof the travel news, I just
wanted to mention that this showis brought to you by
BluePlanetVacations.
com and if you want to learnabout some of the hot travel
deals that are out there atBluePlanetVacations.
com, you can sign up for our hottravel deal update.
We send those every 7 to 10days or whenever a good travel
deal breaks.
So go to BluePlanetVacations.
(40:41):
com and see some of the besttravel deals out there.
Now, before we get on to some ofthe conversations Patrick and I
had earlier in this week, Ijust wanted to bring up as we're
closing the new year andlooking into 2025, some of the
biggest changes that travelerswill experience in 2025.
(41:08):
And the main one is on May 7,2025, the REAL ID Act will
launch, and this means if youdon't have a REAL ID compliant
driver's license or a passport,you will not be able to get
through TSA, so you'll want tocheck with your state to make
sure that you have a REAL IDcompliant driver's license
Generally, it is noted with ayellow star or some type of
symbol in one of the corners ofyour driver's license and a few
(41:30):
other items that will come intoeffect in 2025.
We talked about this, I think,about two weeks ago're traveling
to the United Kingdom on orafter January 8th of 2025, you
will need to fill out anelectronic authorization online
(41:53):
before you travel and getauthorization to enter into the
United Kingdom.
And, on a similar note, theEuropean Union's entry and exit
system is coming sometime in2025.
They still haven't set an exactdate for that, but it's similar
to that United Kingdom ETA,where you'll have to fill out a
form online, pay a little bit ofmoney and get pre-approved to
(42:18):
enter the European Union.
And now we'll get on to some ofthe travel tips that I talked
earlier this week with Patrickabout.
We're going to talk about sometravel scams to avoid and also
the value of travel protection.
Patrick Wiscombe (42:30):
Let's get to the seven crafty cruise tricks.
Do not fall for these.
And let's go over the first one, which I think has to do with
taxi rides.
Mark Faldmo (42:40):
This is geared towards cruisers, but this is
also good advice for anywhere inthe world.
All of these happen all thetime, especially to tourists.
Tourists are a good target forscammers.
Always set your fare with thedriver before you get in.
Yeah, don't do it in the middleof the ride.
Don't do it in the middle orwhen you get out, or you'll be
surprised.
(43:00):
Oh yeah, a common trick thattaxi drivers will use is they'll
give you this is the rate$10.00, and then you'll get
there and they'll say, oh, Itold you $10, but that was per
person, so now you owe me 20.
So make sure you set it for thewhole party and to where you're
going, and then make sure youhave bills to cover that Not too
(43:23):
large of a bill, because theywill always say they don't have
change and then you're stuckpaying them a lot more.
Patrick Wiscombe (43:30):
What was the other trick that they try and
pull taxi drivers A?
Mark Faldmo (43:32):
lot of times people will say can you take me to the
beach and then come pick me upat this time?
Yeah, and I'll say yes, andthey'll have you pay for that
return trip up front.
Never pay for the return tripup front.
Tell them you'll pay for whenthey take you there and then
you'll pay when they take youback.
Patrick Wiscombe (43:51):
Yeah, because otherwise they won't return.
Yep, see you later.
Say goodbye to your money rightthere.
Mark Faldmo (43:55):
Yeah, a common thing for a lot of people to do
is to just hire a taxi to takethem sightseeing.
You know they don't want totake the excursions the ship
offers.
Taxi drivers are really good atthis.
I've actually been on some verygood tours by taxi drivers.
Oh, you have, but do someresearch and know where you want
to go, meaning you choose thedestination, you choose the
(44:17):
destinations and how long youwant to go there.
Otherwise, they're going to takeyou to their brother's shop, to
their sister's shop, everywherewhere they get a kickback, and
you're going to spend most ofyour time shopping and not
actually doing the sightseeingthat you want to do.
So make sure you detail whatyou want to do, what you want to
see, and if you don't want toshop, you need to tell them up
(44:39):
front I don't want to shop.
And the next one is fake ticketscams.
Okay, what is that?
There are some places that youneed to buy tickets to in
advance and some taxi driverswill say oh, I know someone I
have, and then I can get you aticket.
Patrick Wiscombe (44:57):
Oh boy.
Mark Faldmo (44:58):
You'll pay them for the ticket.
They'll drop you off.
It looks like a legitimateticket, but when you get there
they'll say it's a fake ticket.
Patrick Wiscombe (45:04):
Oh boy.
Mark Faldmo (45:05):
So only buy tickets from legitimate sources, don't
buy them from a taxi driver.
Now, the next one this is onethat really bugs me is don't
take the free gifts.
You know a lot of vendors willcome up and say it's free, it's
free, it's free Because thenthey just keep hounding you for
more and more, and a lot oftimes it's part of a pickpocket
(45:29):
scam where they're watchingwhere money comes from, how you
act, and they will pickpocketyou to do that and then also,
along those lines ofpickpocketing, keep your small
bills and coins that you'regoing to use for street vendors
and stuff in a separate areafrom your main money, because
those pickpockets watch touristswhere their money comes from.
Patrick Wiscombe (45:48):
Yeah, you're being watched.
Mark Faldmo (45:50):
And then they will get pickpocketed for a few
dollars.
That's probably fine.
You don't want to be, but youdon't want everything taken.
Patrick Wiscombe (45:56):
You had an interesting story that actually
happened to you.
Mark Faldmo (46:00):
A common thing is someone will spill ice cream,
gelato, a drink or something onyou.
If anyone spills something onyou, do not let them help you,
because it's a pickpocket scam.
Oh my goodness, because the onething that pickpocket needs is
touch to distract you oh yeah,and so my thing was I was at the
(46:20):
arc de triomphe in Paris.
My guy came up and said hey,you're American, do you know
judo?
Like that's a strange thing toask.
And then he was doing thesejudo moves on me and all of my
pockets were emptied.
Luckily it was just a map ofthe Paris subway system, so I
had a hard time getting back tomy hotel.
But that's pick pocketersneed is a lot of times, that
(46:45):
slight distraction in all of mylife I have never hey.
Patrick Wiscombe (46:49):
do you know judo?
Yeah, I'm sorry that happened,but that's kind of funny.
Mark Faldmo (46:54):
It was funny, yeah, and you know.
Another common thing is you'llgo, we'll say the Colosseum in
Rome.
There are lots of peopledressed as Roman soldiers to go
take your picture with them.
Don't take your picture withthem.
A lot of times they arepickpocket scams as well, or
pick pocketers are watching thepeople with that um, if you do
(47:17):
want to do that, set your pricewith the person beforehand,
because a lot of times you'lltry and give them five dollars
or whatever and they say, no,it's 10, 15, 20, and then you'll
have a miserable situationthere.
You know that they won't letyou go, yeah, and then never
give your phone to someone totake a picture and unlock it.
Or if someone comes and saysyou took my picture, you can't,
(47:42):
and they want you to unlock yourphone to see that what they're
trying to do is get you tounlock your phone and then
they're going to grab it and runaway with your unlocked phone
and get all of your stuff, whichis quite popular.
Patrick Wiscombe (48:00):
It happens a lot more than you would think.
Having you articulate it likethat is justification for me
just going.
No, no, thank you for asking.
Mark Faldmo (48:04):
Just get away, buzz off and then, well, there's
kind of two things that we'll do.
If you're buying something andthey're going to take it in the
back to wrap it up for you, makesure you check up before you
come back.
I've heard stories of wherepeople will have an expensive
handbag and they'll take it backto wrap it up, and then when
(48:24):
they get back to the ship or totheir hotel, it is a totally
different product and thenthey're out of luck.
Patrick Wiscombe (48:30):
And then they can't come back because the
cruise ship is going to take off, yeah.
Mark Faldmo (48:33):
And then the last thing is know the exchange rate.
Well, how would you know that?
There are apps?
There's one called XE CurrencyConverter where you can just
quickly put that in so you knowabout what you should pay.
It won't always equal thatbecause there are some different
(48:57):
fees and stuff, stuff, butyou'll know about what you'll
pay.
There's been vendors that sayyeah, it comes out to about 200
us dollars and then when you getback, if you're not savvy and
don't know the exchange ratepeople had five- six hundred
dollar charges when they thoughtit was two hundred dollars, so
know the exchange rate let'stalk about travel insurance,
travel protections.
That doesn't sound interestinguntil you figure out what it can
save you from right.
Patrick Wiscombe (49:16):
You know, most people are like we're going on
vacation.
I've done that.
I'm like I'm not paying forthat.
I've never had to use it, but Idid get it, just in case
something went sideways well,you never purchase insurance
hoping to use this good point.
Mark Faldmo (49:30):
So that's something .
And travel insurance is, Ithink, a very good investment to
protect your trip.
It protects for health reasonswhile you're there oh, on
vacation.
Patrick Wiscombe (49:42):
So it's basically insurance, not only
for the trip, but it to protectyou physically, physically, oh,
I didn't know that so you'll.
Mark Faldmo (49:51):
let's talk about the pre-trip things first.
So the pre-trip things are, youknow, like flight cancellations
, lost baggage, baggage delays,everything that can happen while
you're flying, while you'regetting to your destination,
right.
Many also allow you to cancelfor a covered reason, which is
long a doctor says that or ifyou have a death in the family,
(50:12):
that's a covered reason andcan't go.
So there are a lot ofunforeseen things that can
happen before and kind of whilestarting the trip.
And then it also covers youwhile you're traveling.
There's health provisions.
A lot of people say, well, myhealth insurance will cover it.
A lot of insurance does notcover when you're outside of the
USA.
(50:33):
And many countries there areseveral countries that actually
require you show proof ofinsurance, of health insurance
while traveling, so you do needto buy some type of health
insurance to travel to certaincountries, because they will not
treat you at hospitals andthey'll probably treat you but
make you pay a lot.
(50:54):
So, you know, and I've hadclients before that have had to
be medevaced home from Australia.
Oh boy, had people that havehad to leave trips early and
come home, and had they not hadtravel insurance, travel
protection, it would have beenvery costly to do that.
So, look at all the specifics.
(51:15):
You'll need to go to a specifictravel company and get their
specifics.
Yeah, the policy Most travelagents you know I recommend.
Travelx is the travel insuranceprovider that I recommend, but
there are several out there thatare really good and to get the
specifics I can recommend you tothe place where to get all
those specifics and call if youhave any questions on the
(51:37):
policies.
Patrick Wiscombe (51:37):
Call Mark if you have questions 801-649-3700.
Mark Faldmo (51:43):
Well, that's it for this week's show.
We're glad you could join us.
Patrick should be back with usnext week.
We look forward to having himback on the show.
We're here every week.
You can catch a rebroadcast ofthe show at InsideTravelTalk.
com or on BluePlanetVacations.
com.
And we will see you next week.
Have a good week.
Show Voice (52:07):
That's it.
That's the end of the showYou've been listening to the
Inside Travel Talk podcast andradio show with Patrick Wiscombe
and Mark Faldmo, presented byBluePlanetVacations.
com.
Book your adventure right now.
Call 888-718-7717.
That's 888-718-7717.
(52:28):
Thanks for listening.
Have a great week.
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