On the Sunday, May 30th, Memorial Weekend edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, cruise ships are getting approval to begin the process of sailing again, and a Sacramento flyer will never board a Southwest plane again after attacking a flight attendant. Vaccine passports are becoming a reality in many international countries. Want to travel? You may need one, like it or not. We'll give you an update in our Smarter Traveler segment. Plus, Airbnb is getting a LOT of pushback on the number of fees owners are adding to rentals. What do they plan to do about it? Ed Perkins is a travel writer and journalist who has been reporting on travel for nearly half a century. He regularly fills us in with his wisdom on travel issues. We'll ask him about those pesky vaccine passports, about when reduced hotel service might come back and get his input on the restart of the cruise industry. Cruise ships are really in the news. Our own expert, Gwen Duncan, stops in to tell us where the deals are and what you need to know to get them. Hints: sign up for updates from cruise lines and get a good travel advisor.
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On the Sunday, April 18th, 2021 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, reopening continues at museums, hotels and attractions, especially theme parks. Southwest has announced new service to two Pacific Northwest cities, Eugene, Oregon, and Bellingham, Washington. While you would have to connect to those destinations (no non-stops from Sacramento), it’s important to note that Bellingham is very close to the Canadian border (when it reopens) and is also the jumping off spot for the Alaska Ferry. California could be headed for a big fire season this year. Recently, a tour operator friend of Mark’s, Shebby Lee, had to flee her home in the Black Hills on a moment’s notice. Her experience might help you prepare for a similar occurrence in your neighborhood. Shebby also offers one heck of a Lewis and Clark tour you might want to participate in this year or in the future. Gwen Duncan of Cordially Yours Travel joins Mark to debate the return of cruise ships to the high seas. Gwen says the ships have done a lot to improve traveler safety on board against Covid. Mark says he’s not sure you can trust cruise lines, who haven’t always proven to be the best environmental partners, among other sins, and how can a cruise possibly be safe during Covid? 50 years ago, a vocal duo named Brewer and Shipley wrote and sang a controversial song, ‘One Toke Over the Line.' It was about smoking too much funny tobacco. The song was WAYYY before it’s time. Next week, April 20 (4-20) comes to calendars. 4-20 is a longtime part of marijuana culture. Tom sits down with one of the duo and gets the story behind the song. It really is a great interview. Especially the part about the song being played on the Lawrence Welk Show.
On the Sunday, March 21st, 2021 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Disneyland is reopening at 15% of capacity and only Californians are allowed to buy tickets; and the pandemic is causing airlines to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in NBA, NFL and MLB sports sponsorships. Will that impact player salaries soon? Did you hear the one about the airline passenger who tried to bite his seat mate's ear off? In our Smarter Traveler segment, Mark talks about the increase in travel and just people moving around in general. Are travelers jumping the gun? Yes and no is the not so simple answer. The second half of the program features a Travel Round Table with guests Gwen Duncan of Cordially Yours Travel, and Clayton Whiteheaad, Vice-President of Sports Leisure Vacations. So where does travel go from here, and how do we do it safely? Who will be among the first "back in the pool?" A couple of travel pros join us to discuss the restarting of travel here and around the world.
On the Sunday, December 13th, 2020 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, the new defense bill passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives this week contains a signature item from Sacramento Congresswoman Doris Matsui, the Cruise Passenger Protection Act, which was placed inside the bill. The defense spending bill could still be vetoed by President Trump. The Cruise Passenger Protection Act was originally introduced by Congresswoman Matsui in April of 2017. It would mandate a doctor on every cruise ship, and video cameras in public areas. Our Smarter Traveler segment featured two items. There is a new web site matching people who want one-way car rentals. Those can be expensive, but this is a way of reducing the cost. So far, it's only in Canada, but it's coming to the US soon. What do you do when you sit down on the airplane on your holiday trip and your seat mate isn't wearing a mask or isn't wearing it properly? What's the etiquette/protocol in that situation? The Trans-Siberian Orchestra has taken their annual holiday show online this year. Tom has an update on how you can get virtual tickets to this year's show. Is it ethical to sell travel during the pandemic? We asked Chris Elliott and he answered us. Then we asked Gwen Duncan, The Travel Guys Travel Advisor, about that issue and others weighing on her and her staff.