The Travel Show: Cancun All Inclusive; Puerto Vallarta All Inclusive

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Very good morning, and welcome to the Travel Show.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
We've got a star studded lineup for you today.

Speaker 1 (00:09):
We'll be talking about the Utah Travel Expo destinations that
I call one or done are Can I not wait
to ever get back there. The senior vice president of
Princess Cruises will be joining us on the line. We
have military first responder and teacher cruise and travel discounts.

(00:29):
We're going to be talking about Christmas fun facts and traditions.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
And then in the second.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Hour, the regional director of sales for Crystal Cruises, Oh,
that's my ultimate deluxe cruise line, will be joining us
on the line. We'll be headed to Hawaii and Mexico
and of course Parking Jet twenty percent discounts. Well, hey,
very good December thirteenth to all of you. It's exciting

(00:57):
to be here.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
You know. I'm loving this weather.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
But on the other hand, I kind of like to
have a glass of water in July.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
So I love the weather.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
It reminds me of Fresno in the winter time during
our three years that Cathy and I lived there as
a man of the cloth, and wonderful memories down there.
But I hope the snow comes well. The Utah Travel
exposed next month. It is the biggest, the best, the original,

(01:28):
now in its thirtieth year travel show, bringing together over
one hundred travel vendors airlines, cruise lines, safari companies, resorts, hotels,
tour companies, all things travel now. The dates are Wednesday,
January twenty first at the Hilton Garden Inn in Saint

(01:51):
George in the Salt Lake area, where we'll have over
one hundred travel vendors. This past year we had one
hundred and seven and I think we're going to bring
that this year or next well, I guess it's next year.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
In January.

Speaker 1 (02:06):
It's Friday and Saturday, January twenty third and twenty fourth
at the Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy. Now here's
how you get information addresses the opening hours, closing hours.
Go to Utah Travelexpo dot com. That's Utah Travelexpo dot com.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
And then on the homepage.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
Scroll down to where it talks about the travel show.
And it's on the homepage thirty years. It'll see get
tickets for Saint George, get tickets for Salt Lake. Now
there's no cost for the Saint George tickets In fact,
you can just show up if you want, but there

(02:51):
is a cost three dollars for adults, discounts for seniors
and military and things like that.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
For Salt Lake.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
However, as a travel show listener, I'm going to cover
the cost of your ticket free ticks now has to
be done before the show, and of course we got
about a month or so for that. So here's what
you do. You'd simply click on get tickets Salt Lake
City January twenty third and twenty fourth, and then you

(03:19):
put how many tickets you want. There's adult entry. Kids
seventeen and under are always free, Veterans are free, Seniors
adults it's three bucks all right for an adult. So
click on the number of tickets you want. Then down

(03:40):
below the ticket order in the left hand corner, it
says have a discount code. Simply enter in free fr
ee and then it's critical click on apply the code,
then buy tickets and your tickets have no cost. I'm
covering the cost tickets. Yes, you can thank me. When

(04:01):
you see there, everyone will be in their Morris Columbus
shirts except me. I'm the lone outlier. I'll be in
one of my favorite Aloha shirts. And I do hope.
You know it's so much fun because I meet so
many of you there at the travel Expo. Now, at
a similar gathering some years ago, I had a man

(04:24):
come up to me. I was in my trademark Aloha shirt,
and I guess he hadn't seen me. I'm on KUTV
every week on the New News as their travel reporter
and every other week on Fresh Living. But this guy
comes up to me and says, because he sees me there,
and he says, oh, Larry, I've always wanted to meet you.

(04:47):
Love your radio show, greatest show on the air, and
blah blah, all these great ego strokes. And I thank him,
but then he says, but I got to tell you something, Larry,
you don't look anything like I thought you would. Now
that took me by surprise. What's the natural response? Well,

(05:08):
what did you think?

Speaker 3 (05:09):
I like?

Speaker 1 (05:10):
This is a direct quote word for word with the
inflection that he used. He said, well, your voice is
younger and thinner. Now how do I answer? I said, Well,
thank you for being here, so you don't want to
miss that Utah Travel Expo dot com. I'm covering the

(05:32):
cost of your and by the way, make as many
tickets as you want for your friends or family. I'm
going to be in debt over this thing. Utah Travel
Expo dot com. Get tickets Salt Lake City, click on
the number, enter the discount code which is free. Click
on apply code. You have to do that to get

(05:53):
the discount. Then buy tickets. Lots and lots of fun. Anyway,
have you heard about jet jet bridge? Jesus, no, I'm
not being sacrilegious. The jet bridge is that a jetway
between the terminal airport terminal and the plane you'll walk through. Well,

(06:16):
Southwest Airlines is having a problem with so many of
their customers. They just had to take a delay on
a flight from Las Vegas to santase on Thursday because
of the sheer number of passengers and wheelchairs. Now, this
is not a diss to people who legitimately need a wheelchair.

(06:38):
We should accommodate them. But you know they don't have
reserve seats. That's going to change early next year. But
its first come, first serve. Customers asking for wheelchair assistants
get better seats for free because you can actually in
your boarding order ABC and D you can buy a

(06:58):
preferred position in the line and then it's just, you know,
a free for all, open seating. Well, if you're in
a wheelchair, you get to the very front of the line,
you go on first. And then they're finding that most
of them, not all, but most of them walk off
the plane. They found Jesus on the flight, and they

(07:20):
walk all the way out of the terminal at the
other end. They don't need a wheelchair. They're just cracking
the code. So here's a couple of examples. A recent
flight to Puerto Rico out of Baltimore, there were fifty
five preboards, twenty five of which were wheelchairs. People preboard

(07:44):
for whatever reason, maybe young kids may be elderly, they
should be a commodator. Twenty five in wheelchairs. All but
one walked off the plane. Twenty four of the twenty
five I've you know, thank you lord, I've been healed
on my way to Puerto Rico. I mean, come on

(08:09):
another one. On a flight to Miami, there were thirty wheelchairs.
Twenty eight walked off the plane. Well, I don't need it,
I'm feeling better. Well, these people are scammers, and shame
on you, because there are people who are legitimately need
assistance boarding the flight. Assistance with a wheelchair, and we

(08:31):
want to accommodate them. But you scammers, you gotta go
hang your head.

Speaker 2 (08:36):
You know.

Speaker 1 (08:37):
One of the most abused boarding groups is anyone who
needs a little extra time and assistance. There are people
legitimately who do on crutches, a wheelchair, just not feeling well,
young children, everything like that. But I see so many

(09:00):
people and maybe I'm being judgmental here that simply walk
on the plane, usually with two or three carry on badge,
usually with shopping badge. Why are they saying, well, I
need extra time because I want the overhead and they're
you know, the rules are generally one that fits in
the overhead or underneath the seat, and then a carry

(09:24):
on you know, that's your carry on, and then a
personal item two items like a purse, maybe a laptop bag,
and a carry on that fits overhead.

Speaker 2 (09:33):
Well.

Speaker 1 (09:34):
Anyway, next year, early next year, Southwest Airlines is going
to assign seats and so we won't have any more
jet bread Jesus occurrence. You know the other thing the
wheelchairs cost Southwest and other airlines at most airports, it's
about thirty dollars per person. So you had thirty wheelchairs

(10:00):
on that Miami Miami flight. That one flight cost him
nine hundred dollars to take people up there. Well, when
we come back here in the next segment, we are
going to talk about is your destination a one and
done or I can't wait to get back And We're

(10:22):
going to be heading to Alaska, and I want to
invite you to join me in Alaska. Every year I
do a radio listener Alaska trip. We do our own
excursions with Charter how.

Speaker 2 (10:35):
The real one. Anyway, it's gonna be a lot of fun.
So I'll be right back.

Speaker 1 (10:53):
Thank you for joining me on this falling December morning. Yeah,
when is the snow gonna come? I'm Larry Gelwiz the
get Away Google. The Travel show is sponsored by Morris
Columbus Travel, where you call these travel.

Speaker 2 (11:07):
More and pay less.

Speaker 1 (11:09):
Do give them a call and talk to any of
the travel experts at Morris Columbus. They've got years of
experience and you'll find them talking from experience rather than well,
let me google this and see what I can tell you.
If you have the number of your favorite Morris Columbus

(11:30):
travel advisor, just call that direct. But if you don't
have one yet, call this toll free number eight hundred
triple nine forty six forty six. That's eight hundred triple
nine forty six forty six. Check out their website at
Morriscolumbus dot com Morriscolumbus dot com. Okay, you know that

(11:51):
I love to travel. I am a hopeless, hopeless travel junkie.
When I was a kid, about like ten years old,
I would go with my grandparents to their travel agency
there in San Francisco and.

Speaker 2 (12:07):
Can I take some tour brochures?

Speaker 1 (12:10):
And they would always let me take them, and that's
I would just scour them. Well, I've been to one
hundred and seventeen countries, got some new ones coming up.
And I divide my travel experiences in really two broad categories.
I call it one and done, Glad I went, don't

(12:31):
ever have to go back someplace like Cleveland, you know.
And then I the other category is I can't wait
to go again, and that would be something well, obviously Thailand.
I'll be in Thailand and Cambodia with a group of
travel show listeners in January. I'll come back for the

(12:54):
Travel Expo, be here about a week. Then I fly
back to Thailand with a group of Travel show listeners.
And then when I finish in Thailand, I'll fly from
Bangkok to Sydney as in Australia and we've got a
two week cruise with travel show listeners and we'll sail

(13:14):
Australia and New Zealand, spend a few extra days with
dear friends there in Auckland, and then fly home. Do
I have the life or do I have the life?
Great stuff?

Speaker 2 (13:25):
Anyway.

Speaker 1 (13:26):
Some of my other can't wait to go back would
be river cruising. Next year. I have two river cruises.
We'll talk about them later in the show. One is
in November. Let's see, well, we have an option to Thailand.
It's Cambodia and Vietnam on the Maykon. This is one

(13:46):
of my favorites. And then the Christmas markets of Europe
on the Rhine in December. Another favorite of mine is Alaska.
I absolutely love Alaska. I go every year, sometimes twice
a year with radio show listeners.

Speaker 2 (14:04):
It's so much fun to be with you.

Speaker 1 (14:06):
We have our own private activities, on board activities, private
shore excursions. For example, in Alaska, we charter our own
whale watching boat. It's private. We go where we want.
We can go replace other people on the commercial ones
can't do. And then of course we visit Mendenhall Glacier.
We have a stop in ketch Can.

Speaker 2 (14:27):
Now.

Speaker 1 (14:27):
I love Ketchi Can, I really do. There's so much
to see and do here, and you know it has
great totem parks. There's two big totem parks, the best,
I think in North America. One is Sackman Village. It
offers the largest collection of standing totems in the world

(14:49):
and you can enjoy a short walk through the neighboring
rainforest and visit the clanhouse. At the other end of
town is Potlatch Totem Park, with a huge collection of
totems and a very impressive one of the best clan
houses that you'll ever see, a carving shed, a museum.

(15:09):
I love them both, but I really really like Potlatch.
It seems less commercial and touristy sack On cruise days
and that's every day in the spring and summer, it
is packed. Everybody goes to Sacman. I'm glad they don't
because I go to Potlatch. Another favorite Ketchi Can out

(15:30):
of Ketchi Can visit is Misty Fjord, either by tour boat,
tour boat or float plane. It's a national monument. I
see blue lakes, snowcapped mountains, waterfalls, glacier valleys. You know,
Misty Fjords really is a fjord lands. I'm telling you, folks, honestly,
I'm looking for trolls and elves and ferries. One of

(15:53):
the things you do have to do during your time
in Ketchi Can is walked down historic Creek Street. Now
in the gold Rush days, it is where the miners,
how do I put this on radio? Would go for
evening entertainment? Denny, did I do that?

Speaker 2 (16:10):
Okay?

Speaker 1 (16:11):
He's nodding his head. He's our crack producer, not our
producer on crack. Anyway, it's an antique boardwalk. Now it's
restaurants and shops and boutiques.

Speaker 2 (16:23):
It's a lot of fun.

Speaker 1 (16:25):
They have one of the old brothels, Dolly's house, that
you can go and visit, and that's kind of fun.
It's very appropriate. It's even Dolly's house his family. Friendly
might want to have that birds and bees talks with
your ten and eleven year olds before you do that. Anyway,

(16:45):
it's in the Lumberjack Show. There's so many things to
see and do in Alaska. Well, I mentioned, by the way,
there's some great deals for twenty twenty six. With all
the cruise lines are often deals. Let me tell you
about one of the best. If I told you you
could go in July, in the peak of peak of
peak of peak season to Alaska with me the getaway guru,

(17:10):
with our private onboard activities, our private shore excursions. If
I told you you could go for eight hundred and
forty four dollars, would you do it? I bet you would.
That's an inside lead cabin, always more for ocean view
or balcony.

Speaker 2 (17:27):
Now the actual price.

Speaker 1 (17:30):
Is eleven seventy four, but this is the first year
that cruise lines are including all the port texas, all
the port fees into the price, and so the base
price there is eight forty four three hundred and thirty
dollars in tax. What a deal on Princess will be

(17:51):
on the star Princess love him to death of eleven
seventy four. Now, if the finances work, guys, go for
a balcony. You That whole outside wall is sliding glass doors.
It's a picture window. It will be gorgeous weather. The
dates for my radio listener group is July twelve to nineteen.

(18:13):
We've already got a large number of people on board.
I hope that you'll join me now when we come back.

Speaker 2 (18:19):
Ar Me talking to Carbon World Jane Save the vice.

Speaker 4 (18:23):
President Princess right here on the Travel Show.

Speaker 1 (18:45):
Welcome back to the Travel Show. I'm Mary Gelwicks to
get Away and Uru. Thank you for joining us every
weekend on this ferry station.

Speaker 2 (18:53):
At the very time.

Speaker 1 (18:54):
Now, I gotta say you, but I've been so excited
for today's show. We have an all star in our lineup.
I'd like to welcome to the show. Carmen Roji, Senior
vice president of Sales and Trade Marketing with the love
Boat Princess Cruises.

Speaker 2 (19:13):
Carmen, welcome to the show.

Speaker 3 (19:16):
Well, thank you, Larry. And by the way, mister Getaway Guru,
you I think I'm gonna have to hire you, sir,
because you know more about Alaska than anybody I know
on my team. I'll tell you that that popular entry.
I have to join you on Star Princess.

Speaker 2 (19:31):
I hope I hope that you will. You know, it's
kind of funny. I don't think I don't.

Speaker 1 (19:35):
Know when you called in, but I started that segment
by saying, you know, I've been to one hundred and
seventeen countries, most of them many times over, and I
divide them in two broad categories. One is one and done, don't.

Speaker 2 (19:51):
Ever have to go back?

Speaker 1 (19:53):
And then I seriously, the day I get back from Alaska, Carmen,
I am giddy about Okay, when's my next trip to Alaska?
It is sensory overload. Well, thank you for joining us
with your very busy schedule with Princess. I want to
ask you a couple of questions. First of all, Princess Cruises,
where do you sail?

Speaker 3 (20:14):
Wow? Where don't we sail the world? All seven continents,
three hundred plus destinations? You know, Larry, I got to
tell you one of the things you said about Alaska.
And I just returned from New York City where Princess
won for the twenty second time. It's a record the
Reader's Choice Awards by Travel Weekly, which is voted on,
obviously by Duskin Travel Partners alike twenty two times. We

(20:39):
hold the record because our Alaska experience. You said it
is not a one and done you can go to Alaska.
You said you've been to one hundred and seventeen countries.
Let's say you've been to last one hundred and seventeen times,
I can guarantee you every time you go to Alaska,
that great Land is a different experience. It is just
a different experience. It is just I like to say,

(21:01):
you know the reason why Princess is so incredibly we
double down on Alaska. And I was in New York
City and one of our colleagues that lives in Juno,
Mary Jakel, who is one of the ones that curates
our incredible product delivery right with cruise stores and the
cruise experiences there. She was my guest to accept this
award because the look she does year round off season.

(21:23):
So we got we were into New York City, we
won the award. She was up there and having heard
there and because you know, here's what people don't understand.
We're doubling down next year. We have eight ships in
Alaska during season. That is the highest number we have
ever had in our sixty years. So because we do
not just listen, there's no bad cruise right, cruises are amazing.

(21:45):
I've been doing this for forty four years. It's my passion.
We're in the happiness business kind of like do the
getaway guru. I'm just the happiness guru, and I got
to tell you the reality of what makes us Princess different,
what differentiates the love votes, right besides love. Look, we
don't just visit Alaska, Okay, we live Alaska invested in

(22:07):
the DNA and the fabric of the communities that we serve.
It is a year round. We don't just visit. We're not,
don't want and done. And that's what makes it so unique.
When you're part of the fabric of the culture. It's
not just destination immersion, it's cultural immersion. It's being part
of the community. It's being someone like Mary Jakel that
lives in Juno, that's constantly checking the lodges, that has

(22:27):
a relationship with the communities. You cannot duplicate that if
you're anybody else.

Speaker 2 (22:33):
You guys, I'm humble. Sorry.

Speaker 1 (22:37):
I was just going to say, you guys own Alaska,
and I mean that in every positive way.

Speaker 2 (22:45):
So let's talk about Alaska.

Speaker 1 (22:46):
You have the Star Princess, which I want you to
tell me why you love that ship, Discovery Voids of
the Glaciers, the Sanctuary collection. Tell us what's going on
with Princess in the life.

Speaker 3 (23:01):
So I got to tell you having put Star Princess,
by the way, a purpose built ship. We just took
delivery of her October fourth. I was on her when
she sailed across the Pond and came over to Port Lauderdale,
and she sails now she's doing the Caribbean. But when
she heads over in April through the Panama Canal up
to Seattle to do Alaska. It was our way of saying,

(23:22):
we built this purpose built ship. She is one of
two Spear class ships. I call them the next generation
love boats because really, between Sun Princess, her sister ship
that we brought in last year, and the Star Princess
that just joined us, they're just revolutionary. They're absolutely, absolutely
perfect for what we call this Alaska area. So if

(23:43):
you could just imagine all of the reimagined state rooms,
public spaces, the dining experiences. We're talking about forty three
hundred deaths, twenty one decks, two one hundred and fifty
seven statements, including eighty of them which are sweet. Right,
we have new cold balconies, Cabana Mini sweep, and then
the Sanctuary collection I'll touch upon in a second. But
when I think of the arena, the dome, over thirty bars, lounges,

(24:06):
dining venues at five pools. I mean, we're just taking
these two ships and Star being in Alaska. Ironically, I
am going two weeks from today, not that I'm counting,
but I am my own family reunion that Roy's family
reunion is on Star Princess December twenty seventh, thirty of us.
You could just imagine it's going to be amazing. The

(24:27):
Miami Beverly Hillbillies are on their way to Star Princess
thirty of us. We're so excited, and the ship is magnificent, Larry,
and for Alaska, this is just an incredible experience. And
when we talk about the Sanctuary Collection, why is that different?
So Centurary Collection is only on Sun and Star Princess, right,
this is what a cruise lines scholarship within a ship category.

(24:49):
It's a luxury subset, you know, if you think up
leveling up the voyage experience, right, Centurary Collection is really
the most exclusive way to do it. And it's only
on Sun and Stars. So it's a ship within a
ship concept. So if you think about it's filled with
what we would call like the spoke amenities and benefits.
It includes the Top Tech Sanctuary Club. Now the Centuary

(25:11):
Club is reserved for adults age sixteen plus. So the
way we're doing differently our Sanctuary Collection. Other cruisions have
these concepts, but we actually do all our sweet minute
suites that we even take it to the level of
balcony because that way, if you're doing a MultiGen and
we do a lot of MultiGen groups, you can even
have a balcony entry Sanctuary Collection statement versus only doing sweep.

(25:35):
Then of course it gives you the Top Tech Sanctuary Club.
It gives you dining in the Sanctuary Restaurant, which, by
the way, no reservations required. This is reserved exclusively for
Centuary Collection guests. Exclusive dining room, features chefs, menus every
day that it's just absolutely gorgeous. And of course the
Princess Premiere Packages, which is our top tier cruise package,
which includes unlimited drinks, unlimited specialty, all of crew appreciation

(25:59):
which is what people call well gratuities, and of course
I'm a gallion that max. And then lastly it has
a private Signature Suite lounge, which is a beautiful I
was lucky enough when I was on the ship that
they gave me a tour of it because I wasn't
in a century room, unfortunately, I wish I was. It's
just a posh retreat and it's just for sweet guests

(26:19):
to relax, whether by day, by night, full bar treat
and then those ocean views. Larry, it's a dream come true.
I gotta tell you.

Speaker 1 (26:28):
I'm looking forward to it because I mentioned in an
email to you. In fact, you heard me on the
last segment. I have my annual only on Princess by
the way, my annual Alaska cruise for radio show listeners
on the Star Princess A News. I can't wait to

(26:49):
experience it and for our listeners again that's January twelve
to nineteen.

Speaker 2 (26:54):
Now, let me ask you about this.

Speaker 1 (26:55):
You have a promotion, the Wave Offer through February sixteenth
that saves a ton of money, and even third and
fourth guests on Select Voyage is going free. Tell us
about this promotion that they could book with Morris Columbus Travel.

Speaker 3 (27:14):
So I got to tell you, Larry, so everybody talks
about Wave. It's amazing. I think Wave traditionally used to
start in January, and that's not the case anymore. Like
we started in Thanksgiving, like right the week of Thanksgiving
we had with the Friday Black Friday sales and Cyber
Monday sales and those continue. So these Wave offers continue

(27:34):
because it's not just the savings. It also has shipboard credits,
third and fourth guest free and that is actually kicked
off and we're beyond excited because it'll go through. Especially
Wave goes through the end of March. This particular offer
goes through February. That on your group July twelfth. I
mean you have special group amenities that are pretty spectacular
because that, like I'm telling you, I want to go

(27:55):
for my birthday and I want to join your group
because when you've brought it, when you said that, Bryce Larry,
trust me, if anybody were to look online, the savings
that your group has for that way brook with you,
because your getaway is going to be far superior. So
they want to do a lasta what a way to
do it. But we've offer actually kicks off. It already
has and we're through end of February at this point,

(28:16):
so fub twenty eight so as a cert and fourth
guest free, which is fantastic. And then again the savings
up to forty percent off, and we just continue to
do all the amenities and and really want people to understand,
you know, this cruise industry of ours is just all
these new ships coming online and having son in sta
in our has just raised the bar. This is our

(28:37):
sixtieth anniversary. We're celebrating our sixtieth anniversary a Princess Wow.
We're so it's this month. We just kicked it off,
so it's a year long celebration. So you'll see that
when you're in Alaska, when you're on any particular Princess voyage,
we see it.

Speaker 1 (28:54):
And we're speaking with Carmen Rogie, senior vice president with
Princess Cruises with sales and Trademark, and Carmen, we've got
about two minutes left and I got some rapid fire
questions for you.

Speaker 3 (29:08):
Go for it. I'm yours, Larry.

Speaker 1 (29:10):
Thank you for a first time cruiser looking over the
Princess online or brochure? First time? What cruise itinerary would
you recommend?

Speaker 3 (29:21):
So interesting you should say that because most people would
think Caribbean, right, everybody thinks the Caribbean. It's beautiful. We
had to ship out of San Juan, weld or Canadro.
You name it, I will tell you, and this is
beIN Ashaki. We carry more first time cruisers in Alaska
than any other cruise brand because they never cruised before.
But Princess is synonymous with Alaska, so I have used

(29:43):
to always say Caribbean. But there are folks that think
of the Caribbean as land based, so they might not
think of a cruise more first time cruisers in Alaska
than another cruise brand. Okay, that was a shocker to me.

Speaker 2 (29:55):
That was a shaker to me.

Speaker 1 (29:56):
Also, do you have a personal favorite cruise itinerary?

Speaker 3 (30:03):
Oh that's a great question.

Speaker 1 (30:05):
I mean everybody, everybody's answer is going to be different.
There's no right or wrong to this. But does Carmen
have a personal face? Okay, very good. Now let's talk
about something really important.

Speaker 2 (30:18):
Pizza.

Speaker 1 (30:20):
You know, Dana mcco works with you, and we just
love her to death by the way I always tell her,
and of course Brett Gove that we is with you.
But I got to tell you, folks, this is true.
You've heard me say this for years. I've been on
the radio now thirty five years. Princess Cruise has flat

(30:42):
out has the best pizza anywhere. So one last question
we have about thirty seconds. There's a lot of good
cruise choices out there.

Speaker 3 (30:54):
Why Princess, Because why Princess? That's a great question and
very very simple. Because Princess. When we say love, it's
love of everything. It's about lively journey voyagers that want
to experience life and have sixty years of what we
call legacy and cruising that will ensure you're gonna have

(31:14):
an experience like none other when you are boarding a
cruise on Princess any one of our seventeen shifts. You
are in the break of the brand.

Speaker 1 (31:22):
Larry the Barman Roji, Senior Vice President, Princess kuz I
got teddy, Carmen. This was one of the funnest interviews ever.
I hope you'll come back and thank you very much. Alome,
Welcome back to the Travel Show.

Speaker 2 (31:39):
I'm Larry Kelvins to get Away Boomer.

Speaker 1 (31:42):
The Travel Show has spun, so buy Morris Columbus Travel, Always,
travel More and kay less. Check out their website Morris
Columbus dot com.

Speaker 2 (31:52):
That's Morris Columbus dot com.

Speaker 1 (31:55):
Wasn't that a fun interview with Carmen Rogi, Senior Vice
president of Princess cruises. I mean, her bubbly personality was
coming right through the radio, wasn't it. She is a
delightful person and yeah, she just a lot of fun.
And I want to emphasize again, I mean, Princess goes
everywhere in the world, but we kind of got focused

(32:18):
on Alaska, and I want to remind you that right
now is the time to book your Alaska cruise. Keep
in mind for airfares, cruises, hotel rates, tours, everything are
subject to change and availability at the time of booking.
So what I've given you today is kind of valid today.

(32:42):
It may be different tomorrow or Monday or Tuesday. You
simply don't want to wait. So again, if in the
peak of peak season, if I said come with me
July twelve to nineteen on a brand new ship, I
mean it's got all the whistles and bells on it
for eight hundred and forty four dollars and you'd go crazy. Well,

(33:07):
this starting this year, and I think it is a
great thing. The cruise lines are including all applicable and
mandatory taxes and fees.

Speaker 2 (33:20):
In the price.

Speaker 1 (33:22):
Last year it was the cruise place plus tax, the
airline ticket plus tax, all of these. So last year
I would have quoted you eight forty four and you
would have gone nutso, But there weren't eight forty fours
last year. It was you know, for a lead cabin,
which is an interior cabin, you're looking a thousand bucks

(33:45):
or more eleven hundred bucks for July, which is peak season.
Well this year people say, gee, it's gone up a
little bit. It's eleven seventy four. Say no, that includes
three hundred and thirty dollars of taxes. So if you
want to compare it to past years, think eight forty
four and other.

Speaker 2 (34:03):
These prices won't lie.

Speaker 1 (34:04):
You're gonna pay a little bit more for an ocean
view or a balcony if the finances work, Guys go
for a balcony cabinet. It enhances the experience, but the
lead price come with me. Private shore excursions, private onboard
activities starts at eleven seventy four per person double occupancy. Okay,

(34:27):
you know a great airline, Maybe you haven't thought about
flying as Turkish Airlines, where if you're flying anywhere in
the Middle East, Africa, even Asia, you can fly on
Turkish with a change in Istanbul. By the way, Istanbul
is a great city, the AGAs Sophia, the Blue Mosque,

(34:47):
and goes on and on.

Speaker 2 (34:49):
If you fly.

Speaker 1 (34:51):
Turkish airlines with a connection, not that you're getting off
the plane and staying, not that istan Bull is your
final destination. But if you're flying on somewhere in economy
class or coach class, they'll give you two free nights
for a stopover. If you're in business class, three free

(35:12):
nights hotel, nice hotels, and you can add Istanbul.

Speaker 2 (35:17):
I really enjoy that area.

Speaker 1 (35:19):
I want to remind you we're still getting a lot
of questions about the Tahiti to Hawaii cruise that I'll
be personally hosting with Norwegian Cruise Line that has the
free airfare offer. This is a legit free airfare it run.
The first person pays a discounted airfare. You know, I

(35:42):
see so many of these promotions where they jack up
the first price, say well, you get the second one free.
Not here, the first person in airfare from the USA
to papy At for me, Salt Lake City to papi At,
Tahiti at home from Honolulu.

Speaker 2 (36:00):
Is at a discount rate.

Speaker 1 (36:01):
The second person goes absolutely free, including all taxes and fees.
Now That is an incredible deal because airfares, if you
will go out and buy it, are run in about
two thousand bucks. If you want flight, say Delta Airlines
or something. And here my price is about seventeen hundred
dollars for my airfare.

Speaker 2 (36:23):
Kathy goes absolutely free.

Speaker 1 (36:25):
That gives us an effective airfare Salt Lake to Tahiti
home from Honolulu for about eight hundred and fifty bucks each.
Because we're amortizing that and the itinerary. We're going to
sail Tahiti, Moorea right Yeta Bora, Bora, the Society Islands,
French Polynesia, cruising through the Tuamotu Archipelago and then out

(36:48):
into the vast reaches of the South Pacific, crossing the
equator and exploring the islands of Hawaii.

Speaker 2 (36:56):
Love to have you come with me.

Speaker 1 (36:57):
Those cruise dates are May fifteen to twenty seven, and
if you want, you can you know, at no extra
charge for airfare.

Speaker 2 (37:07):
You can stay a couple.

Speaker 1 (37:08):
Of days there in Honolulu or Hawaii and come back
at a later date up to two days after that.

Speaker 2 (37:15):
But give Morris Columbus a call for that.

Speaker 1 (37:19):
Want to remind you, if you're a teacher, a first responder,
you got special discounts and military. For example, I'll just
give you Norwegian's teacher discount is five percent off all
cruise fares on top of any other discount it's not

(37:42):
in place, up on top of and a fifty dollars
on board credit of money to spend. But give Columbus
a call, Morris Columbus a call and ask about first
Responder military and school teacher discounts and what cruise lines.

Speaker 2 (38:01):
Are off of that put about when we come back.

Speaker 1 (38:04):
We're headed to Christmas with fun traditions and fun facts
and the perfect Christmas gift show. I'm Larry Gelwick's your
humble host, humility character trade I've never been accused of.

Speaker 2 (38:23):
It's such a pleasure to be with you. You know,
I do get giddy, I actually.

Speaker 1 (38:27):
Do getting ready for the show, driving down from my
home to the studio and sharing these two hours with you.

Speaker 2 (38:36):
Thank you for joining us.

Speaker 1 (38:37):
You know, I never take that for granted, and probably
I don't know, five or six times a week I'll
be somewhere in a store or restaurant or whatever and
people say I recognize that voice, or if you've seen
me on KUTV. There's to get away and you come
up and say hi. You know, this was funny. Couple

(39:00):
weeks ago, I was in Vietnam with a wonderful group
of Travel Show listeners. We did the Loy Kratong Festival
in Thailand and visited Thailand and Vietnam Hollong Bay. We
had our own boat, live aboard deluxe liverboard boat for
our group. And I met a guy in Hanoi. He

(39:21):
was an American traveling not with our group, and he says,
you're Larry Gelwick's you're the getaway Guru, and I said yes.

Speaker 2 (39:30):
We had a wonderful chat.

Speaker 1 (39:31):
So if you ever see me in public, please please
please always say hello and we'll have a brief chat.
And I want to hear about you. Well, it's Christmas season.
As I do every year, I like to talk about
the holidays. We'll be talking about Christmas this week and
next week in fact, a very special holiday edition of

(39:55):
the Travel Show.

Speaker 2 (39:56):
We'll be talking about Christmas.

Speaker 1 (39:57):
We're talking about Hanukkah and other holiday t traditions and
celebrations and give you some of the background on that.
But I want to talk about Christmas. Don't you just
love Christmas? You know it conjures up so many memories
from our childhood. I think back to my grandparents and
parents who are long gone, and I hope they're smiling

(40:22):
down on our family as we have continued Gelwick's family
and Mercer family that was my mother's maiden name traditions.
Next week, I want to tell you about some very touching,
le even bring a tear to your eye, traditions that
have been handed down in the family that I've taught
my kids and they've taught their kids. That we celebrate.

(40:45):
But let's talk about Christmas. Now here's a little bit
of a shocker. I don't want to burst anyone's bubble
on this. I told you over Thanksgiving that jingle Bells,
one of the favorite Christmas songs, was not written as
a Christmas song. It was penned by James Lord Pierpoint

(41:06):
in eighteen fifty seven under the title the One Horse
Open Sleigh. And of course that's in the lyrics of
the song, isn't it Well. He composed it for a
Sunday school class in Savannah, Georgia's Georgia, You ready for
this now? To sing a Thanksgiving? You know, with the winter,

(41:31):
I don't know how much snow they have in Georgia.
But he wrote it as a Thanksgiving song, you know,
a jingle bells on the sleighs and all that. It's
a perfect Christmas song. But no, it was not written
as a Thanksgiving song. I told you that last month.
I'm going to shock your world too because one of
the favorite, one of my favorite Christmas hymns was written

(41:56):
by Isaac Watts in seven teen nineteen, not as a
Christmas hymn. It was written for an Easter service, Joy
to the World. There's nothing in there about the birth
of Christ, but it's talking about with some reference to
his coming, but the emphasis is on his second coming,

(42:22):
which I hope is soon. But it's an Easter song.
Wouldn't that be fun in your church congregation at Easter
if you're in any position to make decisions, sing Joy
to the World at Easter time and jingle bells Thanksgiving time?

(42:44):
Did you know that I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas
is the best selling Christmas.

Speaker 2 (42:49):
Song of all time.

Speaker 1 (42:52):
And as far as the name Christmas, we have that
it's a federal holiday. I've never understood this, this church
and state business. You know, it doesn't appear in the
Constitution or Bill of rights. But it isn't important to
you know, keep politics politics and religion religion, and let

(43:13):
our moral values dictate all our laws and decisions. I
said moral values, not denominational beliefs. But when people get well,
you can't call it Christmas break, you can't call it
Christmas vacation. Why not because the legal name of the

(43:34):
holiday is Christmas Day, not Happy Holiday's Day. Okay, I'll
get off my soapbox right now. Anyway, there's two islands,
one in the Pacific Ocean, one in the Indian Ocean.
Yet the name of it is Christmas Island. And I've
been to the one in the Pacific, I haven't been
to the one. I've been in the Indian Ocean a

(43:55):
number of times, but not to Christmas Islands. Let's talk
about Santa Claus. Well, the tradition of Santa Claus originates
from a fourth century Greek priest and bishop in present
day Turkey. From the fourth century. He came from a

(44:16):
very wealthy family. He obtained sainthood and his name Saint Nicholas.
He was known for giving gifts and kindness, particularly to children,
to mariners, and to people in distress. Now the Dutch
name Centaclaus morphed into Santa Claus. Dutch settlers brought the

(44:38):
tradition here to the Americas, to the city of New Amsterdam,
which is now New York City. It was in seventeen
seventy three that a New York newspaper reported that Dutch
families had gathered to honor the anniversary of Sticholas. Then

(45:00):
you have other European figures like the Norse scott Odin,
who was described as a long beard and writing in
a sleigh through the skies, and folklore legends like Father Christmas.
Now we all know of Father Christmas blended into Saint Nicholas.
Eighteen twenty two, an episcopal bishop Clement Clark Moore wrote

(45:27):
a Christmas poem for his three daughters entitled A Visit
from Saint Nicholas. We now know that as twas the
night before Christmas, and all through the house now a
creature was stirring, not even the Getaway Guru. Now this
poem described sat. In the poem, it described Saint Nicholas

(45:51):
or Saint Nick as a quote right jolly old self,
somewhat portly like the getaway Guru, with supernatural abilities to
actually ascend up and down in a chimney with a
mere nod of his head.

Speaker 2 (46:08):
Well that was eighteen twenty two.

Speaker 1 (46:11):
In eighteen eighty one, a cartoonist Thomas Nast drew on
Moore's poem Twas the Night Before Christmas to create the
first lightness the etching, a drawing that matches our image
of Santa Claus. Now, his cartoon appeared in Harper's Weekly

(46:32):
and depicted Santa Claus as rotund, the cheerful man with
a bag full of toys for the lucky children. It
was Thomas Nast who gave San to his bright red
suit trimmed with white fur, a north Pole workshop els
and Missus Claus.

Speaker 2 (46:51):
But you know what really cemented it.

Speaker 1 (46:54):
In the nineteenth century, the turn of the twentieth century
when Coca col You can see those vintage images of
Santa Claus. When Coca Cola started using his image to
promote their soft drink.

Speaker 2 (47:11):
Well, now here's a good one.

Speaker 1 (47:14):
In eighteen twenty two, the Clement Moore's poem A Visit
from Sat Saint Nicholas, which we now know as Twas
the Night before Christmas. He named eight reindeer, but wait,
there are nine reindeer.

Speaker 2 (47:31):
Catch Catch.

Speaker 1 (47:32):
This he named Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, and vixen comment Cupid,
listen carefully, Dunder and Blixam with an M. Well, those
were later changed. Dunder became Donner, Blixam became Blixen with

(47:53):
an N.

Speaker 3 (47:54):
Well.

Speaker 1 (47:54):
Rudolph appeared in nineteen thirty nine, added in a story
by Robert May Rudolph the red Nose reindeer. Well, lots
of fun things. We'll talk next week, maybe later in
this show about Christmas trees. Why we have Christmas trees
dating back to the fifteen hundreds, and it.

Speaker 2 (48:16):
Was the tradition. Can you believe this?

Speaker 1 (48:18):
You haul an evergreen into your house and put what
on it? Lighted candles? Now, I can't think of anything
more dangerous. It was actually Martin Luther the sixteenth century,
a theologian that is credited. He said that he was
walking home one night. It was snow covered trees, snow

(48:38):
on the ground. The stars were glistening, twinkling and reflecting
off the snow. He came up with the idea of candles,
lighted candles on the Christmas tree. When we come back,
we're going to be talking about crystal cruises. There on
the Travel Show. Welcome back to the Travel Show. I'm

(49:05):
Larry Gelwicks to get Away Guru. Do check out the
Morris Columbus Travel website.

Speaker 2 (49:10):
Morris Coolumbus dot com.

Speaker 1 (49:12):
That's Morris Columbus dot com. And I've told you about
the Utah Travel Expo next month Wednesday, January twenty first
at the Hilton Garden Inn in Saint George and Friday
and Saturday in the Salt Lake area January twenty third
and twenty fourth at the Mountain America expos Center and Sandy.

(49:33):
We'll be talking about that every show from now. In fact,
I'll be broadcasting live you. Yes, I will be in
my Aloha shirt. You can come up and uh. I
hope you'll come up and say hello to me.

Speaker 2 (49:46):
Hey.

Speaker 1 (49:46):
A couple of shout outs to Brent Jensen, president of
Morris Columbus Travel. The old man is having a birthday Tuesday.

Speaker 2 (49:55):
We love you, Brent. What a great leader he is
for our company. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (50:00):
I want to don my hat to coach with Kyle Whittingham,
who announced that he's stepping down as head coach and
the heir apparent, as I understand it is Morgan Scaley.

Speaker 2 (50:13):
You know Morgan. I know quite well.

Speaker 1 (50:15):
He played rugby all four years in high school, was
the team captain. And I tell you, I don't know
of a player he's in that elite group that had
such fire in the belly, such leadership. He would drag
his teammates over the finish line and raise them up

(50:37):
to do their best. He's going to be a great coach.
But I want to take my hat off to coach.
Would have had a chance over the years to talk
to him. A number of times. His son, one of
his sons, played rugby for me, and Coach Wit would
come out to the games to see us play, to
see his sons play. But what a great man. What

(50:59):
is it twenty one years? What a great man. And
I just appreciate it, you know. I got to tell you.
People ask me, are you a Ute or a Cougar?
You know BYU or Utah. I respond that I am
a ute ger. I love both schools, the Utes and
the Cougars. I attended by you, played the three years

(51:21):
of rugby on the varsity there, had a great experience there.
My wife and my kids have attended the U. We
have season tickets up at Rice Echols. I never got
into this hate hate hate. Of course you're cheer for
your team, of course you love the ball games. But
I never got into this hate hate hate the other team.

Speaker 2 (51:42):
You know, I just didn't.

Speaker 1 (51:44):
So anyway, hats off to you, coach with we love you.

Speaker 2 (51:49):
You've been great.

Speaker 1 (51:50):
Okay, let's talk about some really fun fun things.

Speaker 2 (51:55):
Oh, by the way, did.

Speaker 1 (51:56):
I mention free travel awards at the Utah Travel X
Free airline tickets, free hotels stays, free resorts, free cruises.
There is a treasure chest of free travel awards going
to be given away at the Utah Travel Expo next month. Now,
somebody's gonna win them, and it may as well be you.

(52:19):
You don't have to be present to win, but you
do have to show up at the expo and simply
registered to win. And I keep wondering, if I draw
my own name for those free cruises, is anyone going
to get What do you think, Denny? He's going, Yeah,
you'll probably get busted, So you want that's going to

(52:41):
be a lot of fun. You know, I love cruising.
I love ocean cruising. I love river cruising. There's something
special about a river cruise, isn't there? You've got anywhere
depending on the ship, anywhere from eighty to one hundred
and eighty people on board.

Speaker 2 (52:59):
And I say, if you get.

Speaker 1 (53:01):
Like on the Nile River, and I've done radio listener
groups on the Nile with Alma water As, you have
eighty or ninety people, we're doing the Maykong. You know,
I've only got six cabins left on my November twenty
twenty six Maekong River cruise. And what we do with
Almah Waterways for the groups that I host is we

(53:22):
actually charter part of the ship. We actually take what's
called inventory risk, where we buy the cabins and if
we don't sell them, we still buy them, but we
manage the inventory so very very well. I mentioned that
Maykong cruise that is one of my favorites. It really

(53:44):
is from Anchor Watt one of the great wonders of
the world through Cambodia. This is the backwaters of Cambodia
and Thailand, and you know, the discounts run into the
thousands of dollars. Another one that I'm so excited about

(54:06):
selling very well too is Adventures on the River sin
Paris and Normandy June seventeen to twenty four, twenty twenty seven.
Now the Maykong is November nine to sixteen, twenty twenty six.
I'll talk more about that one later in the show,
but this one I am just thrilled about. On the

(54:28):
Amalira and I think it holds about one hundred and
fifty people. One hundred and sixty people. We bought half
the ship and we will sail round trip from Paris
next June, visiting Normandy, the d day landing beaches Han Fleur,
Rowenn Vernon, Les Andeles, Lejab. We're going to offer a

(54:49):
three day pre cruise package. Well, you see all of
Paris and Versailles, but this particular one is like stepping
back in time. You'll get to row In, which is
a medieval town. It's walking back in time. The magnificent
cathedral and the famous fourteenth century astronomical clock. What I

(55:11):
love is the place Do v Joe Marsha, which is
the old marketplace. Includes stained glass windows there at the
Saint Joan of Arc Church from the sixteenth century, on
the very spot where Joan of Arc was executed in

(55:33):
fourteen thirty one.

Speaker 2 (55:34):
It's charming medieval streets.

Speaker 1 (55:36):
Well, every stop we make has something special, but Normandy
and the beaches. I was there on the Omaha Beach.
You know there were five landing beaches on D Day.
The US had two, the Brits had two, and the
Canadians had one. And it is you still see the
bunkers there. It's a moving I'll be talking more about this,

(55:59):
but let me just give you an example. Now, the
France river cruises are more expensive than just about anything.
I want to tell you that the lead or entry cabin,
if you buy it on the same dates June seventeen
to twenty four, twenty twenty seven, if you buy it
directly from Almah or anybody else, fifty five seventy nine. Yeah,

(56:21):
five thousand, five hundred and seventy what's our price because
we bought it with inventory risks thirty six ninety nine.
That's the savings of about three eight hundred dollars per
couple more.

Speaker 2 (56:34):
When we come back here on the travel.

Speaker 1 (56:37):
Show, Welcome back to the Traveler Show. Thanks for having
so much fun in way every week here right here
on the Travelers. Yet I'm in my thirty fifth year.

Speaker 2 (57:02):
I'm grateful to you. Without you, there is.

Speaker 1 (57:04):
No show, and without you, there is no travel for
me either.

Speaker 2 (57:11):
You know, the perfect Christmas gift. I want you to
do this.

Speaker 1 (57:16):
I'm gonna ask you two questions and you got two
seconds to answer. It's top of mind awareness. I want
you to name a Christmas gift you got two years ago.

Speaker 2 (57:26):
One two. I can't do it, can you. Now?

Speaker 1 (57:30):
I'm going to ask you another question. You got two
seconds to answer, and I want you to think of
the destination, not all the details, just the place you
went as a child on a vacation with your family.
One two, Bam, it comes up. Why is it you

(57:50):
can reach back into your childhood and remember a travel
experience when we can't even remember what we got for
Christmas last year? Well, this does not diminish Christmas gifts.
A sweater, address, a basketball, a bicycle, a book, a tie,

(58:11):
a box of chocolates. By the way, I love Seas candies.
The California Brittle dark chocolate is my favorite. Thank you
very much. But travel is experiences that just generate. You know,
last week I was in Disneyland and I said to
my daughter Jenny, and we're there with Milo and Brooks,

(58:34):
two grandsons, and I said, why is there a different
feeling here in Disneyland than say, at Lagoon or Six Flags,
and those are great amusement parks, but their rides, primarily
Disneyland conjures up emotions and experiences for my childhood characters, movies, the.

Speaker 2 (58:57):
Mickey Mouse Club.

Speaker 1 (58:58):
Every week we watched the Walt Disney Show and all
these stories. I loved going on the Peter Pan right
that conjured back and experience. I got to go, oh,
I got a great photo. I'll put on lines if
I can figure out how to do it. So I
have this photo of me. I have one photo of
me in Disneyland in nineteen fifty eight, and it opened

(59:21):
in fifty five. I was eight years old, born in
nineteen fifty. I've got another photo of me shaking hands
with Goofy in nineteen sixty. I was ten years old,
and in the park they're the characters. We ran into Goofy.
I showed Goofy and his handler the nineteen sixty photios

(59:45):
and they flipped out, and I said, I'd like to
recreate the same pose, the same handshake, everything, the same
which they had come.

Speaker 2 (59:54):
I got this photo. My daughter Jenny took it of.

Speaker 3 (59:59):
Me.

Speaker 1 (59:59):
What last week just got home actually Monday night of
this week with me and Goofy. I'm going to have
professional photographers print those out. I'm going to frame it
and put it on the wall. Larry and Goofy Larry
is Goofy nineteen sixty age ten, Larry and Goofy twenty

(01:00:22):
twenty five. Because travel generates emotions, stirs up our inner self,
we reach back to all these fun times. So the
very perfect perfect Christmas gift is a Morris Columbus travel
gift card. And you can give that they can go

(01:00:42):
where they want and what the memories that you'll build
with that. So contact your favorite Morris Columbus Travel advisor
and get the details on the Morris Columbus gift card. Okay,
can I tell you a couple stories. I've been a story.

(01:01:02):
I love stories about Hawaii. I have been, and I
don't say this to brag, but it's not bragging if
it's true. I mean this literally, I've been to Hawaii
one hundred and seventy times. Now you may say, oh,
that's not possible. There were years and years where I
commuted there for work once or twice a week. I

(01:01:23):
mean you go twice a month, even in the year
got twenty four. And I have this love affair with Hawaii.
The shortest trip. I went over for a reception. I
arrived at five and got a taxi down to the
reception in Honolulu. It's one of those receptions with friends,
you have to be there. And then took the taxi

(01:01:45):
back and caught a ten o'clock flight back to Salt Lake.
And I remember taking off and looking out the window
at the lights of waiki Ki and said, Gaelicks, you're
an idiot. You've flown all the way into Hawaii and
you stayed five hours by meeting the next day, I
had to be back in Salt Lake. But my very

(01:02:06):
first trip to Hawaii, I was sixteen years old. That
was in nineteen sixty six. I was a surfer boy,
and you know, I had my hair it was about
halfway down my ear, which was radical at that time.

Speaker 3 (01:02:23):
You know.

Speaker 1 (01:02:25):
I had a woman I remember at church come up
to me kind of chew me out. She should have
kept her mouth shut, but she kind of chewed me
out and said that she was reaching into her purse
and grabbed out some money and said, Larry, go get
a haircut. And I said keep your money, no thanks,
and I walked away. Here's the deal. I had with

(01:02:46):
my parents because that was kind of radical. It was
the hippie movement. I was not a hippie. Some people
had hair halfway down the back men, but mine is
about halfway down my ear, which would be modest by
today's standards. But I said to my parents. They talked
to me about it, and I just said, listen, I'm
on the on a roll. I don't do drugs, I
don't drink alcohol. Let me just have my hair. And

(01:03:09):
they said deal. But anyway, so I went to Hawaii
for a week or so and I went surfing, and
I remember I was out on a board and I
looked over to my right and I see a shark,
the fin cutting that's coming straight for me, and I'm going,

(01:03:29):
oh my gosh. But I'm on the board, but I
haven't caught a wave yet, so I'm sitting out in
the water. As it got closer, it turned and it
was a dolphin. But I remember, I don't know if
I had to change my shorts or not, but it
was that was I love surfing. I used to cut
school and go down to Santa Cruz Steamer's Lane. I

(01:03:52):
was never a very good surfer, but I could get
up on the board and do it. You know, I
got a great photo of me sitting on the beach.
You know, that was those days, and we all had
these days. For me, it was sixteen. I looked really
good in a swimsuit. I had the surfer jam swimsuit,
you know, shirtless. They're playing the guitar. I was actually

(01:04:14):
taken guitar lessons. I was terrible at the guitar, so
I don't do that anymore. But I fell in love
with Hawaii. Now there's one other that's a very personal story.
I've never told this one before, but it just it
teaches a great lesson.

Speaker 2 (01:04:33):
Many of you know the name of Marion D. Hanks.

Speaker 1 (01:04:36):
He was a general authority for the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter day Saints. I knew Elder Hanks and
his wife Maxine, delightful people. They've actually been in our
home and they had a house in Hannah on the
island of Maui, which you absolutely positively have got to
take the drive down to Hannah. My wife and I

(01:05:00):
I counted ninety eight waterfalls. It was the day after
a rain went on one of our trips down this
sleepy little village.

Speaker 2 (01:05:08):
But it's magical. And so I had a.

Speaker 1 (01:05:12):
Group there on Maui out in Wailea, and I had
a car, and you know, I just wanted to do something,
so I decided to drive to Hana. I used to
do the travel for maryon d Hanks and Maxine. They'd
go to Hanna for five six months in the wintertime.
They had a house there and I'd never been to

(01:05:33):
the house, never seen the house, but they had.

Speaker 2 (01:05:35):
Told me, oh, you come.

Speaker 1 (01:05:37):
All they said was you come into town and it's
on the left on the road. Well that really nails
it down, doesn't it.

Speaker 2 (01:05:44):
So I was.

Speaker 1 (01:05:45):
Driving down and as I'm getting close to Hannah, I
just have a thought. There were no angels, no lightning,
no voices, no thunder, just a thought, an impression. You
gotta go see the Hanks here. It was the during
the winter months. But I don't know where they live.

(01:06:06):
I didn't have an address. And this was really before
cell phones, so I didn't even have a cell phone.

Speaker 2 (01:06:12):
It was a long time ago. And what am I
gonna do? And you know, you ask around. No, I
don't know the Hanks.

Speaker 1 (01:06:22):
And so I'm driving and there's just a thought, why
didn't you pull in to this house. There's a car
there in the driveway, and ask them if they know
Mary and d and Maxine Hanks. So I pulled into
this house knock on the door. That was kind of bold,

(01:06:42):
wasn't it, to ask if they knew where the Hanks lived?
And Maxine Hanks answers the door, no kidding, and she said, oh, Larry,
I'm so glad you're here. Come in, Duff, that's what
the family called Elder Hanks. Duff has fallen and can't
get up. So I walked into the bedroom. He was

(01:07:06):
there in pajama bottoms and his undergarment shirt and he
had fallen between the bed and the closet and hey,
they called some people they knew and nobody was home.
She tried, they couldn't. He couldn't get up. So I said, okay,
let me help it. So I positioned myself right behind him.

(01:07:27):
He's a big man too, and I grabbed him around
the chest area and I I gotta be careful. I
don't want to break any ribs here. And I said, Maxine,
you pull, I'm gonna lift. And I got behind him
and I said all right, three, two, one, lift and pull,

(01:07:49):
and we got elder Hanks up. He put on a
shirtause he just had his undergarment on. We walked and
sat down in the living room and Maxine said this
to me. When Duff fell, nobody was answering their phone.
We held hands and said a prayer that the Lord

(01:08:11):
would send someone. Two or three minutes later, you knocked
on the door as a very tender one to me
that you know particularly all the year, all the time,
but maybe at this time, when we have so much

(01:08:31):
and others are in need, maybe we just listened to
those impressions that come to our heart and to our mind.
I think this is the spirit that will help guide
us in serving others.

Speaker 2 (01:08:49):
It was a great experience for me.

Speaker 1 (01:08:51):
Again, no angels, no voices, no thunder, nothing like that,
but just an impression that I paid attention to and
was able to render service. I'm sorry, I'm getting choked
up here to someone in need, and I hope that's
a Christmas holiday spirit that you will take with you

(01:09:13):
when we come back. We will talk about some Hawaii
and Mexico air and hotel packages that are at some
great discounts, and yeah, a.

Speaker 2 (01:09:25):
Lot of fun, lovely all taste.

Speaker 1 (01:09:27):
They joined for the segment number eight of The Travel Show.
Welcome back to the Travel Show, and thank you again
for joining me every weekend at this time on this

(01:09:49):
very station where.

Speaker 2 (01:09:51):
We love travel, we hate.

Speaker 1 (01:09:52):
Drink, sleep and dream travel and the very many Christmas
and a happy holiday.

Speaker 2 (01:09:58):
Happy on account all that to you.

Speaker 1 (01:10:01):
Hey, if you're using the Salt Lake Airport, I recommend
parking jet. If you go to Morriscolumbus dot com, there's
a twenty percent discount coupon there. Just click on the homepage,
click on resources, click on the parking discount. Save you
a lot of money. Twenty percent discount. You know, if
you want to save some more money, give that as

(01:10:24):
your Christmas gift instead by presents. Give everyone parking discount
for that. We were talking about Hawaii and my love
of Hawaii. I love Mexico too, the all inclusive resorts.
So let's talk about some current specials. Keep in mind
that all rates and promotions and discounts are subject to

(01:10:47):
change and availability at the time of booking, but this
is what they are today, so we'll focus. Let's go
to Honolulu. I love Honolulu. You've heard me call it
the Tiawan of the Pacific. But I say that with
dear affection. I really enjoy Honolulu and Waikiki Beach. I
was looking at six days, five nights. You can certainly

(01:11:09):
add more time on it, but here's one February nineteen
to twenty four. Four star is considered first costs great hotel.
Five star is uber deluxe. And that's the differentiation. The
Outrigger Waikiki Paradise Hotel four star in February, including air,

(01:11:30):
hotel and taxes for Hawaii, the Evil Resort fees have
to be paid in person nine hundred and fifty bucks.
That's air hotel, six days there at the Hotel Outrigger
Waikiki Paradise. If you want a deluxe property, how about
the five star Hilton Hawaiian Village fourteen oh seven per person.

(01:11:53):
All of these are per person, double occupancy. Let's go
south of the border to can kun. I was looking
at March fifth to the tenth.

Speaker 2 (01:12:01):
Again.

Speaker 1 (01:12:02):
You can change your dates for whatever you want. At
the four star Occidental twenty two, I mean shut the
front door. That's airfare, that's round trip transfers between the
airport and the resort. Your resort, your meals, your drinks,

(01:12:23):
most activities, all your taxes, No resort fees are added
on even your tips and gratuities. In one very affordable
price for a five star Uber Deluxe. How about the
Dreams Sands Cancun resort that is only one hundred and
sixty dollars more. Go for the five star Deluxe at

(01:12:44):
eleven eighty two and heading to Porto Yarta. I think
that is my favorite resort in Mexico. I love them all, Cabo, Mazitlan, Cancun,
all of these areas, but I do love Porto Ayarta.

Speaker 2 (01:13:03):
It has such a colonial feel to it.

Speaker 1 (01:13:06):
I looked at February twenty six to March third at
the first class four star Crystal Puerto Ayarta. And by
the way, Crystal spelled with a K is a fabulous
hotel chain in Mexico.

Speaker 2 (01:13:19):
Are you ready for this?

Speaker 1 (01:13:21):
Six days almost a week and you can certainly add
days on nine hundred and sixty dollars nine to sixty
for I'll call it a week at six days in
Mexico all inclusive. And then at the five star uber
de Luxe the Reu Riu Varta just twelve oh five. Well,

(01:13:45):
I mean those are really absolutely fabulous deals. I mentioned
before that one of my favorite cruises was the Riches
of the Maykong November ninth to the sixty. We have
six cabins left. We bought half the ship rate start

(01:14:05):
subject to availability, and only twenty nine to ninety nine.
But you got to pay your port taxes on that.
It's a couple hundred bucks or so. But I will
be with you, and we have a pre cruise anchor
Watt option and a post cruise Saigon. But this is
the kind of the backwater, the rural Southeast Asia. You

(01:14:28):
can also visit Thailand if you want to before, but
I hope that you'll give some serious thought. I'd love
to have you with me. I don't know when I'll
be necessarily doing this one again. I know I won't
in twenty twenty seven because I've already booked up. One
of my favorite places is ten Child, Vietnam, and it's

(01:14:49):
unspoiled by tourism and silk making or a tan making.
We have a special ceremony at a temple with the
Buddhist priest or us where they will render us a blessing.
Everything about it is wonderful again. The cruise dates c

(01:15:11):
n Reap, Cambodia to Saigon, Vietnam. San Reap is the
town of Anchor Watt November nine to sixty. The other
one I've mentioned, I call it the Spring Break Escape Cruise.
That is April six to ten to five day, four
night cruise. It is for most of Utah over school break,

(01:15:35):
not all districts, but most of them. A Monday through Friday,
a super deal. La Katalena Island to stop in Mexico.
Passports are not required, although recommended back to LA five days.
Let's put four in a room like you're gonna take
some kids, adults or kids. Three hundred and ninety six
dollars including all taxes and fees three ninety six for

(01:15:58):
an interior cabin with four people in it.

Speaker 2 (01:16:02):
It's just think about that.

Speaker 1 (01:16:03):
We gave that to our family Christmas of twenty twenty four.

Speaker 2 (01:16:09):
There Christmas, we'll have the whole family there.

Speaker 1 (01:16:11):
Well, talk to you next week on a very special
edition of the Travel Sho'll focused on the holidays and Christmas.

Speaker 2 (01:16:19):
Bloody guys about