Staff writer Richard Simms reviews an eight-night Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady cruise from Brooklyn, New York, to Canada and New England. We cover his Central Sea Terrace cabin, recent ship updates, dining, entertainment, nightlife, the casino, and what it's like to sai…A Valiant Lady 2026 review.
Staff writer Richard Simms reviews an eight-night Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady cruise from Brooklyn, New York, to Canada and New England. We cover his Central Sea Terrace cabin, recent ship updates, dining, entertainment, nightlife, the casino, and what it's like to sail with Virgin Voyages on a cooler-weather itinerary.
Richard shares his experiences at the ship's included specialty restaurants, including the new Indian restaurant, Ariya, Pink Agave, Extra Virgin, and The Wake. We also discuss Scarlet Night, onboard shows, the adults-only atmosphere, and how Virgin Voyages compares with traditional cruise lines.
The itinerary includes Boston, Portland, Saint John, and Halifax, with stops for local seafood, sightseeing, and a maple syrup excursion. Plus, Richard shares how Valiant Lady handled a nor'easter that delayed the ship's return to New York, his tips for first-time Virgin Voyages cruisers, and whether the experience was worth the price.
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About Cruise Radio: Cruise Radio has been delivering cruise news, ship reviews, and money-saving tips weekly since 2009.more
Why have more people been to outer space than to every country in the world?
Ric Gazarian grew up in Boston and spent years in financial services before a 2008 layoff sent him on a year-long trip and into a remote real estate business that has funded his travels ever since. He has now visited aroun…Why have more people been to outer space than to every country in the world?
Ric Gazarian grew up in Boston and spent years in financial services before a 2008 layoff sent him on a year-long trip and into a remote real estate business that has funded his travels ever since. He has now visited around 190 countries on his quest to reach all 193 UN member states. Ric hosts the Counting Countries podcast, organizes the Extraordinary Travel Festival, and has turned his tuk-tuk and rickshaw road trips through Cambodia and India into films.
In this conversation, Ric and I talk about what traveling to every country in the world really involves, less crowded destinations worth visiting, unorthodox road trips by tuk-tuk and rickshaw, and how to get comfortable traveling to less visited places.
Only around 500 people have ever been to every country on Earth, and Ric spends a lot of his time with them. That gives him a rare view of where the world's most traveled people actually go, and which places deserve far more visitors than they get. It's also a reminder that the best travel stories rarely come from the smoothest trips. If you've been craving something a little less mainstream for your next adventure, Ric makes a strong case for stepping a bit further outside your comfort zone.
If you built a road trip around something you've never tried before, what would it be? I'd love to hear your ideas, and I hope you'll share by sending me an audio message.
Tune In To Learn
What keeps Ric going on his quest to visit all 193 UN countries, and why some people give up along the way
How the most traveled people in the world debate what actually counts as a visit
How one book about a priest in the slums of Bangkok changed the course of Ric's life
What Thailand's visa crackdown means for digital nomads and long-term visitors
Where to find a Thai island with no 7-Eleven and barely a working ATM
Why Ric calls Uzbekistan his favorite country in Central Asia, and the Tajikistan road trip he ranks as the best of his life
How a $1,000 tuk-tuk that keeps breaking down can beat a luxury road trip
Advice for getting comfortable with less visited countries, plus the safety systems Ric relies on
Advice for leaving a career behind to take a year-long trip
Which country surprised Ric most after he expected the worst
Resources
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Mercy Centre
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Every Passport Stamp Facebook Group
Want More
Visiting Every Country in the World…TWICE! With Gunnar Garfors
Finding a Quest That Can Change Your Life: An Interview With Chris Guillebeau
Independent Travel Gold With Graham Hughes
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This week on Cruise Radio, Hank reviews a seven-night Holland America Zuiderdam cruise from Boston to Quebec City. We cover his aft-facing veranda cabin, dining, specialty restaurants, entertainment, sea days, and what it's like sailing on the 24-year-old Holland America ship.
Hank shares his exper…This week on Cruise Radio, Hank reviews a seven-night Holland America Zuiderdam cruise from Boston to Quebec City. We cover his aft-facing veranda cabin, dining, specialty restaurants, entertainment, sea days, and what it's like sailing on the 24-year-old Holland America ship.
Hank shares his experiences in Portland, Halifax, Sydney, and Charlottetown, including the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, a falconry excursion on Prince Edward Island, and local food along the way. We also discuss sailing the St. Lawrence River, disembarking in Quebec City, and spending extra time exploring the historic city.
Plus, Hank shares his thoughts on Holland America's Have It All package, the overall value of the cruise, and whether he would sail Zuiderdam again.
Cruise line protection is designed to help if you can't take your cruise. Third-party travel insurance helps protect you during the trip. Including medical care, delays, and unexpected issues.
Compare plans and save up to 30% at TripInsurance.com.
About Cruise Radio: Cruise Radio has been delivering cruise news, ship reviews, and money-saving tips weekly since 2009.more
Joe takes Crystal (and you) through a whirlwind stretch of a bigger East Coast trip: Boston to Newport to New York City, three nights near Times Square, a Michelin-rated pizza spot that fries its crust before baking it, a Brooklyn dinner with a Manhattan skyline view worth the splurge, and a crash c…Joe takes Crystal (and you) through a whirlwind stretch of a bigger East Coast trip: Boston to Newport to New York City, three nights near Times Square, a Michelin-rated pizza spot that fries its crust before baking it, a Brooklyn dinner with a Manhattan skyline view worth the splurge, and a crash course in seeing The Metropolitan Museum of Art without getting hopelessly lost in it. Plus: an all-time hotel front desk story, a lesson on Amtrak seating strategy, and the case for finally doing the museums you've skipped on every previous New York trip.
What You'll Walk Away With
• Why booking an assigned Amtrak seat is worth the extra step, especially on a busy route like Boston to New York
• A real, specific pizza recommendation (Don Antonio) for a fried-then-baked Italian-style crust that's genuinely different from classic New York style
• Why The River Café is worth the splurge and the dress code, especially for a sunset reservation facing the Manhattan skyline
• The single best strategy for tackling The Metropolitan Museum of Art: a docent-led highlights tour first, then free time on your own
• A candid, mixed review of the Frick Collection and the Whitney Museum of American Art, including when each one is (and isn't) worth your limited time
• Why skipping the wine at a Broadway theater is one of the easiest money- and disappointment-savers of the whole trip
• A great tip for finding a genuinely excellent independent board game store in Manhattan, for anyone who loves games as much as Joe does Why This Trip Is Worth Planning
New York rewards people who slow down enough to actually do the things they've always meant to get around to, the museum, the splurge dinner, the neighborhood pizza place with no line. This trip report is proof that even after "a million visits," there's still a version of the city you haven't seen yet, and a little planning (booking assigned train seats, reserving a docent tour, checking a museum's pay-what-you-wish day) makes all the difference between a rushed checklist and an actual, memorable few days.
Resources Mentioned
• The Time Hotel New York — boutique hotel near Times Square, booked with Hyatt points
• Don Antonio — Michelin-rated pizza restaurant known for its fried-then-baked crust
• The River Café — waterfront fine dining under the Brooklyn Bridge in DUMBO
• The Frick Collection — the former Henry Clay Frick mansion, now an art museum near Central Park
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art — recommend booking a guided highlights tour
• Whitney Museum of American Art — contemporary American art on the waterfront
• The Compleat Strategist — iconic NYC board game and tabletop gaming store, open since 1975more
Brilliance of the Seas transatlantic cruise review.
Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas takes center stage this week as John shares his 23-night back-to-back cruise from Barcelona to Boston.
The cruise combined an eight-night Western Europe sailing with a 15-night transatlantic cruise featuri…Brilliance of the Seas transatlantic cruise review.
Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas takes center stage this week as John shares his 23-night back-to-back cruise from Barcelona to Boston.
The cruise combined an eight-night Western Europe sailing with a 15-night transatlantic cruise featuring Iceland, Greenland, Scotland, Portugal, Spain, and Atlantic Canadian maritimes. He discusses the ship's classic Radiance-class design, oceanview cabin, dining, entertainment, rough seas, and why Brilliance remains a favorite despite being more than 20 years old.
Plus, hear what it's like to visit the Blue Lagoon, chase the Northern Lights, explore Greenland's remote villages, and whether a transatlantic cruise is worth adding to your bucket list.
Cruise line protection is designed to help if you can't take your cruise. Third-party travel insurance helps protect you during the trip. Including medical care, delays, and unexpected issues.
Compare plans and save up to 30% at TripInsurance.com.
About Cruise Radio: Cruise Radio has been delivering cruise news, ship reviews, and money-saving tips weekly since 2009.more
Liz Long didn’t set out to become a full-time traveler. After graduating college and starting a publishing career in Boston, she found herself burned out, anxious, and questioning the version of success she had been chasing. What started with pet sitting and budget travel eventually turned into a li…Liz Long didn’t set out to become a full-time traveler. After graduating college and starting a publishing career in Boston, she found herself burned out, anxious, and questioning the version of success she had been chasing. What started with pet sitting and budget travel eventually turned into a lifestyle built around freedom, wellness, meaningful relationships, and intentional living. Since then, Liz has traveled across more than 25 countries while finding creative ways to make long-term travel financially sustainable. In this episode, we talk about the realities of solo travel, loneliness, money, community, wellness, and what it actually takes to build a life you genuinely love instead of waiting for “someday.”
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/globetrotters-podcast--5023679/support.more
A review of Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas.
Staff writer Richard Simms cover major cruise industry news, including Carnival's $300,000 negligence verdict for over-serving alcohol, Norwegian Cruise Line's $2 million COVID-era settlement, and a tragic murder aboard Carnival Horizon.
Updates i…A review of Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas.
Staff writer Richard Simms cover major cruise industry news, including Carnival's $300,000 negligence verdict for over-serving alcohol, Norwegian Cruise Line's $2 million COVID-era settlement, and a tragic murder aboard Carnival Horizon.
Updates include MSC Cruises raising gratuities and Holland America's $500 million fleet refurbishment featuring solo cabins.
Guest Rob reviews Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas on a nine-night Canada and New England itinerary, highlighting excellent dining, impressive entertainment, and memorable port calls in Boston, Sydney, Halifax, and Saint John.
Sponsor
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Third-party travel insurance helps protect you during the trip. Including medical care, delays, and unexpected issues.
Compare plans and save up to 30% at TripInsurance.com.
This Week on Drop A Pin we are coming to you from a hotel room in Istanbul with one of the baldstoolies, Jeremy Phelps, who you will see in Baldstool Season 2. Jeremy is from Boston so he is here to give us his thoughts on Istanbul and Cappadocia, and to overall give a sense of what's to come in Bal…This Week on Drop A Pin we are coming to you from a hotel room in Istanbul with one of the baldstoolies, Jeremy Phelps, who you will see in Baldstool Season 2. Jeremy is from Boston so he is here to give us his thoughts on Istanbul and Cappadocia, and to overall give a sense of what's to come in Baldstool Season 2.
Timestamps:
(00:00:00) - Show Start
(00:15:17) - Cappadocia
(00:30:19) - A Word From Our Sponsors
(00:38:03) - Istanbul Facts
(00:54:14) - Baldstool Season 2
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America is turning 250 years old, and the nation is marking the milestone by revisiting overlooked stories, opening archives, and gearing up for a year packed full of celebrations. Washington's personal copy of the U.S. Constitution will emerge from the vaults, while in Boston Harbor, an internation…America is turning 250 years old, and the nation is marking the milestone by revisiting overlooked stories, opening archives, and gearing up for a year packed full of celebrations. Washington's personal copy of the U.S. Constitution will emerge from the vaults, while in Boston Harbor, an international fleet of tall ships will arrive with billowing sails—just as they did when a revolution was born.
In this episode, host Angie Orth welcomes travel experts Erin Gifford and Barbara Noe Kennedy to break down the biggest milestone celebration of our lifetime. Erin has written the guide "Explore America: 250 Places to Go in 2026," while Barbara has covered the most compelling events and untold stories emerging across the country. Together, they reveal where to find the best celebrations nationwide.
You'll discover the National Archives' new exhibits, explore the untold history of Williamsburg's First Baptist Church, and find out how to avoid crowds during America's year-long birthday festivities. This episode is your complete guide to celebrating a quarter-millennium of American history.
What You’ll Learn:
2:17 Why this milestone matters in America's story
9:31 Philadelphia's two-week festival, featuringfree concerts and unique events
15:50 Unexpected stops beyond the usual suspects
20:03 The international armada of tall ships touring the Atlantic coast
26:26 What you’ll take away from this once-in-a-lifetime celebration
Send a text So you’ve signed up for flight alerts and picked your favorite airport. You snagged a deal for a favorite city, but now it’s still the only top deal you can find. In this series, we take you to hidden gems outside of those major destinations to help you make the most of every flight deal…Send a text So you’ve signed up for flight alerts and picked your favorite airport. You snagged a deal for a favorite city, but now it’s still the only top deal you can find. In this series, we take you to hidden gems outside of those major destinations to help you make the most of every flight deal, even when it’s always for the same airport. In this episode, we talk about: Hidden gems in the greater Boston area and beyond for weekend getawaysHow to hit 3+ states in one 4 day weekend if you'...more
Skip the tourist traps and discover Michelin's pay-to-play scandal, why you should NEVER drink airplane coffee, and MasterCard's surprising #1 summer destination for 2025. Travel experts Mike Putman and James Ferrara reveal Boston's best non-chain restaurants, NYC theater district hidden gems, and i…Skip the tourist traps and discover Michelin's pay-to-play scandal, why you should NEVER drink airplane coffee, and MasterCard's surprising #1 summer destination for 2025. Travel experts Mike Putman and James Ferrara reveal Boston's best non-chain restaurants, NYC theater district hidden gems, and insider tricks for finding authentic local dining anywhere you travel. Plus, enter to WIN a FREE 7-night Alaska cruise in a balcony cabin at notouristallowed.com before June ends!
Links
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On this episode of Out Of Office: A Travel Podcast, Ryan offers an overview of Berlin's museums, highlighting a few of his favorites, from the story of Hitler's rise and fall in an underground bunker to contemporary art in an old train station. Plus, Kiernan talks about Boston.
Miles Howard, former worker at the White Mountains Appalachian Mountain Community huts, discussed his recent Boston Globe piece on the challenges facing these backcountry delights. Then New York Times writer Caren Osten Gerszberg talked about vacations created by experts to help "reki…Episode Notes
Miles Howard, former worker at the White Mountains Appalachian Mountain Community huts, discussed his recent Boston Globe piece on the challenges facing these backcountry delights. Then New York Times writer Caren Osten Gerszberg talked about vacations created by experts to help "rekindle the spark".more
On this episode of Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, the boys embrace Spooktober by sharing their favorite graveyards. Plus, there's an update on friend of the pod Rick Steves' health and some Boston travel tips from Kiernan.
Things We Talked About In This Week's Episode:
UPDATE RICK STEVES HEALTH…On this episode of Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, the boys embrace Spooktober by sharing their favorite graveyards. Plus, there's an update on friend of the pod Rick Steves' health and some Boston travel tips from Kiernan.
In this episode, Ryan chats with Rory, a travel agent, about why people still use agents in 2024 and what it's like booking tickets for Andrew Scott. Plus, Kiernan talks about his new job as a Boston tour guide.
Things We Talked About In This Week's Episode:
Last Stop
Ryan:
https://www.businessi…In this episode, Ryan chats with Rory, a travel agent, about why people still use agents in 2024 and what it's like booking tickets for Andrew Scott. Plus, Kiernan talks about his new job as a Boston tour guide.
Wondering what to do and where to eat to support local Black-owned businesses in Boston?
Boston is a vibrant hub for Black culture. Discover Boston's Black history, from the courageous individuals who fought to abolish slavery to the thriving Black-owned businesses and visionaries shaping the city …Wondering what to do and where to eat to support local Black-owned businesses in Boston?
Boston is a vibrant hub for Black culture. Discover Boston's Black history, from the courageous individuals who fought to abolish slavery to the thriving Black-owned businesses and visionaries shaping the city today.
Follow this Boston travel guide for the top things to do in Boston, focusing on Black history, heritage, food, and culture.
Read blog post: https://thoughtcard.com/black-owned-businesses-boston/
This episode was created in partnership with Meet Boston, our episode sponsor.
🎧 Binge my African American Heritage Series
Black History & Culture Series
• Part IV: Vermont African American Heritage Trail - Episode 185
• Part III: Celebrate Black Culture in Boston - Episode 177
• Part II: Harriet Tubman's Life and Legacy in Auburn, NY - Episode 161
• Part I: Columbia Reconstruction Era and the African American Experience Post-Civil War in South Carolina - Episode 158
Book Your Trip To Boston Today!
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Want more cheap flights, points and miles, and money-saving strategies? Below are all my best episodes neatly organized in Spotify playlists.
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Alternative Travel Careers is an audio series highlighting various careers in the travel industry, from travel agents to travel writers, bloggers, and podcasters. Discover different opportunities in travel and hear success stories from top travel leaders and entrepreneurs.
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This week Ryan welcomes his favorite author Kiernan Schmitt to talk about Kiernan's new guidebook "Secret Boston: An Unusual Guide." The book is a part of Jonglez Publishing's "Secret" series, which specializes in historical oddities and way off-the-beaten-path sites fit for locals and enterprising …This week Ryan welcomes his favorite author Kiernan Schmitt to talk about Kiernan's new guidebook "Secret Boston: An Unusual Guide." The book is a part of Jonglez Publishing's "Secret" series, which specializes in historical oddities and way off-the-beaten-path sites fit for locals and enterprising tourists both!
On this episode of "Out Of Office: A Travel Podcast," Ryan chats with "Jade," a flight attendant for a US airline, about the high-flying lifestyle and her biggest traveler pet peeves. Recorded in-person in Boston, Ryan also complains about the Logan Airport Uber Pickup experience.
Things we talk ab…On this episode of "Out Of Office: A Travel Podcast," Ryan chats with "Jade," a flight attendant for a US airline, about the high-flying lifestyle and her biggest traveler pet peeves. Recorded in-person in Boston, Ryan also complains about the Logan Airport Uber Pickup experience.
Things we talk about in this week's episode:
Michelin in Mexico:
https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/tags/Mexico
