The Daily Cruise and Travel News "Podcast" with Tom Drake
THE DAILY CRUISE AND TRAVEL NEWS “PODCAST” WITH TOM DRAKE For nearly 30 years, comedian Tom Drake has gone where most people only dream of vacationing—performing stand-up aboard cruise ships around the world, crossing countless oceans, visiting faraway ports, enduring crowded airports, and witnessing nearly every kind of travel triumph and disaster imaginable. After that much time at sea, Tom has seen everything, done everything, and—at least according to Tom—now knows everything. That’s why he has earned the title “Guru of the Seas.” Every Monday through Friday, The Daily Cruise and Travel News “Podcast” with Tom Drake delivers the biggest...
September 11. 2026 25 years. A day to remember!
What exactly is Explorations by Norwegian?
The Bomb Bozo who called in the Disney bomb scare is blaming Disney!
NCL and Carnival stocks dive because of high oil prices!
So, you want to be a travel agent? Is it worth it?
September 10, 2026 A Miami Judge throws Frank Del Rio's lawsuit overboard!
A&K is offering a trip to the world's largest salt flat! This is not on the Guru's bucket list!
NCL shut down half the services on the Norwegian Sky during its final voyage!
A 20-year-old moron from Chicago was indicted for calling in a bomb threat on a cruise ship!
Are people really flocking to the new Lake America? It's the same water, right?
Seotember 9, 2026. 13 airports are now allowing non-flyers past the gate. Why?
NCL is using influencers to promote its new-look private island. Maybe some of them could influence the stock price!
Azamara gift shops now have a rewards program! Is that important to cruisers?
A Delta flight descended 27,000 feet in 10 minutes when the cabin depressurized!
It's not too late to join Dottie and Tom on a fabulous New Year's Crystal Cruise.
September 8, 2026. Two more gun incidents at airport. When will these morons ever learn?
NCL bosses believe their new waterpark will sell cruises. Not so fast.
30 rounds of 45 ammunition in your backpack will get you noticed at the airport.
Are the musicians on a cruise ship really the reason you had a great cruise?
Where is the best place in the world to live? Is it really Zürich?
September 7, 2027. Duct tape became airborne handcuffs for one moron!
Canadian baggage handlers get arrested for sticking drugs in customers' suitcases! Sorry!
Norwegian's Pride of America has a complete toilet shutdown. Normally, it's the crew members who work slowly on that ship!
The Guru struggles to order food from a bartender with a nose ring! Should he seek help, or should they tell the bartender to take it off?
Happy Labor Day! Remember all the people who are working on this Labor Day!
September 4, 2026 Regent Seven Seas will have and Around the World Massage on their new ship!
Visit Sacramento and enjoy dinner with 800 people on a bridge!
Another moron from Minnesota gets arrested in Maine when he loses his lobster over a flight delay!
The latest addition to the United app is another insult to flyers everywhere!
Well, Caribbean cancels a final Alaska cruise just prior to sailing and sends everyone home. I hope they at least got a bag of ice.
September 3, 2026 Travel Industry whiners meet with Trump at the White House!
USA Today says there will be plenty of discounting in the cruise industry. The Guru disagrees!
A Miami man at a luxury resort tells the bartender he's the son of God. The son of God then gets a taser and the sedan cops.
A very tired man in Fort Lauderdale is arrested after deciding to spend the night inside a JetBlue airplane. The guru doubts he got a good night's sleep on a plane.
John Dottie and Tom from Best at Sea Tours on an amazing 14-day cruise from Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale i...
September 2, 2026 Full Moon? Another moron at the Miami airport jokingly tell tells officials he has a bomb!
JetBlue unveils its new domestic first class. Wise move?
Rich Carlton Yachts announces that sales are way up, but they are still losing a little money!
Crime only pays for a little while. Police arrest a man who ran up $ 1,200 in charges to other people's rooms at the St. Regis.
Money, Money, Money. Carnival's new loyalty program might be the template for the future in the cruise industry.
September 1, 2026 Announcing that you have a grenade in the airport we'll get you arrested!
The Captain of the Carnival Breeze bounces the ship off a pier in Cozumel. What's new?
John Heald tells Carnival guests not to sell their tuxedos yet!
Royal Caribbean decides to change the name of their perfect private island!
Riviera Travel decides not to sell you a river cruise since there's no river!
August 31, 2026 Hard Rock Casino Fort Lauderdale was disappointing in many ways!
Officials arrest a Russian woman accused of trying to smuggle live iguanas from Ecuador into Iceland!
American Airlines admits its airplanes haven’t been getting the cleaning and upkeep they should and now promises to clean up its act!
Princess joins Royal Caribbean in the “Oops, We Oversold the Ship” club and offers a surprisingly sweet deal to the disappointed passengers.
And Airbus tests a new long-range jet that stayed in the air for more than 24 hours because apparently 18-hour flights just aren’t long enough!
August 28, 2026 NCL opens their terminal in Philly. Only eight months late which is on time in Philly!
Galveston politicians put a hold on another terminal for raw Caribbean, but they welcome it. Margaritaville at Sea.
Oceania's new ship, Sonata, floats!
Are airport lounges really worth it? The Guru wonders.
Flight attendants to the rescue. When a laptop computer catches fire, they stuff it in a bag designed to put the fire out!
August 27, 2026 It does not look like Frank Del Rio will get his $8 million handshake payoff!
Royal Caribbean oversold another Alaska cruise and asked customers to wait one year to see the ice melt and the salmon die!
Azamara will have a 179-day world cruise in 2029.
Oceana will improve its enrichment program with someone teaching American mahjong.
The U.S. State Department confirms they are looking to deport as many as 200,000 people stuck in the system!
August 26, 2026 New York passes a whale awareness law. Shamu is safe!!
Dolly Parton drew millions of people to Tennessee every year with her tourism business.
Corporate speak, set to music, still sounds like corporate speak. Listen to the NCLH blues.
Thailand is about to get a boost in tourism and business, with 5,000 sailors visiting!
I guest on the Getaway takes a dive off the 10th deck. They suspect he was overserved!
August 25, 2026 One Carnival guest is upset because the cabin steward would not eat her homemade cookies!
JetBlue is opening a second private lounge in Boston. It's all about the money!
The TSA has decided to drop the controversial Gold Plus program. Score one for the unions!
Holland America is refocusing on fun and entertainment. The Guru applauds this.
Beware of scammers on the phone. They know more about you than you know about you!
August 24, 2026 Don't ask the Guru about Frontier Airlines this week!
Frank Del Rio’s attorneys are scrambling to find something..anything, to sue Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings over!
Selling old ship memorabilia is apparently big business. The Guru is kicking himself for not bringing more stuff home over the past 30 years. They never would’ve missed it!
It only took the Guru 18 hours to fly home from San Francisco. Not bad for Frontier! Apparently, walking was the only slower option.
And another listener confirms what the Guru has been saying: If you’re going to sail MSC, do yourself a favor, stay in the Ya...
August 21, 2026 United's boss is not worried about competition from any airline!
Authorities in Italy arrest the wrong man cruising on Costa. Now he wants payback!
If it's Friday, it must be Eureka. The Guru goes shopping for another magnet.
Viking has signed the papers for two more ships!
Join Dottie and Tom in 2027 for a fabulous Crystal reposition cruise from Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale!
August 20, 2026 Carnival Breeze barely passes CDC inspection!
What does it mean if a cruise ship fails a CDC inspection?
Two teens were awarded $550,000 after they were left hanging upside down for 30 minutes on an amusement ride!
Wellness is the word now on cruise ships! The other words are onboard revenue!
Best at Sea Tours offers premium hosted cruises!
August 19, 2026. Scammers abound. Someone set up a fake Wi-Fi system on a Delta flight!
A whole Lotta bragging going on. Virgin says they had a record sales day, and Viking says they had a record quarter!
American Airlines admits they got it wrong, and they're bringing back in-seat TVs. The biggest in the business.
Another report about hotel bookings says it will be better than the last report.
Rooms are selling fast from America's funniest cruise on the MS Tottenham. Contact Best at Sea Tours today.
August 18, 2026. An Ohio couple is fiinshing their cruise in a Brevard County jail!
Air lubrication systems will not only save fuel they will help save Whale lives.
The government of Greenland is telling cruise ships to stay away from some of its protected Fjords.
Google is spending $10 million to buy the private information held by Spirit Airlines?
Come and join Dottie and Tom on an amazing hosted Crystal Cruise!
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August 17, 2026 Live from Vancouver! Crystal here we come!!
Delta First Class just ain’t what it used to be!
Seattle-Tacoma Airport continues to confuse and disappoint travelers!
If you suffer a serious brain injury on a cruise ship, are you really only suing for $75,000?
Some experts say Thursday is the best day to book a cruise. The Guru says any day is a good day to book a cruise!
August 14, 2026 In Soain, Cunard had guests who wanted be in the dark!
Remember when cruise lines offered currency exchange because it was convenient for guests?
Six flight attendants on American Airlines got sick from the airline food before eating it!
Hall of Famer Derek Jeter is part of a new company that will build upscale condo hotels in college towns where the Hampton Inn is five-star.
Carnival Cruise Line will put your old sneakers to good use. The Guru likes this idea.
August 13, 2026. Cruise line bosses need to understand if you want to fill your ships then you need to deliver a great product!
Mexico is now charging cruise ship guests double the normal price, but it's still lower than what they were going to charge.
Panama Canal's auction program will eventually cost the consumer more. Another money grab!
NCL's new pricing strategy is nothing new. It's just another boss who thinks he knows better!
There are still two chairs available at the Vintage Room with Best at Sea Tours for New Year's Eve!
August 12, 2026 How can Azamara afford to keep giving away these amazing evenings?
A bird strike forces an American Airlines 737 to return to the airport quickly!
And an out-of-control mutant child forces Porter Airlines passengers to stay overnight when the plane doesn't leave and the airport closes. O' Canada.
The Guru says reason is right to reduce the capacity of the older ships. More space is the new catchword.
Rooms are selling fast for America's Funniest Cruise on Holland America. Book your room today.
August 11, 2026 Is Costa Rica really the best place to retire? Not for the Guru.
Marella Cruise's bosses are a bunch of sour pusses!
Another report states that hotel bookings are up, so why are the bosses always whining?
John Heald celebrates 39 years with Carnival Cruise Line, and they gave him a plaque. Could they afford it?
Calling all Pickleball players!! Join Dottie and Tom for an alumni cruise in October 2027. Book now!
August 10, 2026 How long before cruise lines crack down on kickbacks?
The famous path to Santorini’s donkeys has reopened. The donkeys are thrilled. Probably.
Two women stranded in an Alaska boat that ran out of gas have been rescued but not by Mark Zuckerberg’s yacht. Apparently, they didn’t answer the phone!
America’s Got Talent is heading to sea! Royal Caribbean is bringing the hit show aboard its newest ship, featuring four fast-paced, 15-minute acts.
And Spanish authorities have arrested a man accused of robbing hotel guests while they were at the breakfast buffet. While you were deciding between scrambled eggs and baco...
August 7, 2026. Does giving rebates for your travel service mean your services are worth less?
MSC is adding another private island. Money, money, money.
Allegiant Air is adding first-class seats. Money, money, money.
Port Miami is adding another short power outlet. Good job!! Helping to save the planet by Tuesday.
Check out the unbelievable value: cruising on Crystal from New York City in October 2027.
August 6, 2026 the new Boeing 777X is amazing. According to Boeing. The Guru will be happy if it just stays in the air!
The very popular Captain Kate has decided to retire as a Captain.
Travel and Leisure reports that you should hold onto your boarding pass. It's valuable. The Guru agrees.
Severe turbulence in Denver forces 22 flights to divert to Colorado Springs. Buckle your seatbelts, people!
Rooms are selling fast for America's funniest cruise! Don't wait!
August 5, 2026 Amtrak is thinking about splitting the company into three separate companies that won't be effective!
Virgin Voyages will be embracing their curry with their new restaurant on Valiant Lady!
Regent Seven Seas will join Oceania and teach their pastry chefs how to make pastries on board!
An alleged Italian drug kingpin is arrested before he can join the Allure of the Seas. As a guest, not a waiter.
The Cyclospora outbreak is forcing a lot of people to sit down and pay attention!!
August 4, 2026 - Are the Bahamas really unsafe?
Marriott's big boss announces that business is better than ever!
Are there really that many people who go on a cruise to lose weight and get healthy?
Margaritaville at Sea gave away 60,000 free cruises at Zac Brown concerts. That's one way to fill your ship.
A waterline breaks on Royal Caribbean and fills an inside cabin with water. No extra charge for that water.
August 3, 2026 Who is buying the Oceania Sirena? A few possibles!
Six Italian guys sharing two rooms on MSC hacked the public addresses to make fake announcements!
The San Francisco City attorney has the time to sue hotel booking companies because they don't arrest anybody!
NCL Boss Chidsey and the Guru think alike!
Regent Seven Seas ships will have more space per guest. Crystal is already there!
July 31, 2026 A wall collapse at Santorini shuts down the tram and the donkeys!
Norwegian Cruise Line is changing course, lowering prices earlier, with the hope of raising them later! Is MSC heading into the river cruise business? Looks like it's time for a whole new "river state of mind!" Oceania is saying goodbye to another R-Class ship. Sirena sails into retirement in 2028. Cruise with Best at Sea Tours, where you're not just another guest... you're family!
July 30, 2026. For some cruise lines it's all about the money. Celebrity raises their gratuities!
Low water on the Danube leaves a Viking river ship stranded on a sandbar. Time to call in the motorcoaches! A 44-year-old man was arrested on a Carnival cruise after allegedly assaulting children. Just another alcohol-fueled three-day cruise gone off the rails. If someone dies on a cruise ship, is an investigation and autopsy always required? The answer may surprise you. Day two on Wegovy... and still no side effects. Either I'm getting lucky, or the plot twist is coming later today.
July 28, 2026 Villa Vie is adding another ship to their fleet. Amazing!
Disney Crew Drama: Female Crewmember Claims a Coworker Poisoned Her! Aman's New Cruise Ship Is Expensive, But Its Intimate Size Could Make It Worth It Would You Pay Extra for Front-Row Seats at a Cruise Ship Production Show? JetBlue's New Fare Structure Is So Complicated, It Looks Like Someone Skipped the Decaf
Juky 27, 2026 German riverboat hits the pier head-on! Ouch!
Squaremouth, a travel insurance company, tells people Venezuela is not safe. Duh!
Traveling and Leisure tells readers that Santorini is one of the prettiest islands in Greece. Duh again!
In case you live under a rock, steel-toe boots will probably get you pulled aside by TSA!
The water level is so low in the Danube that German riverboats can see the old German riverboats!
July 24, 2026 Brand USA's new campaign will show young Canadians how to find the USA!
Explora Journeys continues to be one of the few cruise lines investing heavily in protecting the planet... even if most cruisers are still more concerned about protecting their spot at the buffet. A Lindblad Expeditions ship in Alaska has been hit with its fourth norovirus outbreak. At this point, the virus should qualify for loyalty status. According to travel experts, women-only vacations are more popular than ever. Apparently, "girls' trips" have become a lot more appealing than waiting for someone to decide where to eat. Viking Ocean Cruises has ordered two more ships, bringing its fleet to 18. That's a lot...
July 23, 2026 The Guru thinks the privatization of airport security could work!
Guests aboard Four Seasons Yachts pay thousands per day and only get free breakfast. Hampton Inn?
Soon, US airlines can fly to Lebanon, but why would they?
Holland America will offer balcony solo rooms, but will they really be at solo prices?
Wash your hands, please. Several cases of neurovirus on MSC Poesia forces additional cleaning!
July 22, 2026 the US state department issues a worldwide travel warning. Hide in the garage everybody!!
The Houthis are back, now threatening to blockade Saudi Arabia. Just when you thought those idiots had finally taken a vacation. Holland America oversold an Alaska cruise and is now asking booked passengers not to show up. That's one way to improve the buffet lines. Emirates says it has solved the biggest problem in economy class with a new headrest. Nice try. Wake me up when they invent six more inches of legroom. JetBlue beat Frontier for Spirit's LaGuardia slots. If you're waiting for lower fares, don't. The only thing taking off is the price.
July 21, 2026 Barcelona votes to stick it to the cruise industry with a new tax!
An overturned lifeboat in Alaska turns out to be much to do about floating. It was abandoned!
Travel and Leisure's top three cruise lines for food all have some connection to Apollo!
Are women-only tours going to be more popular in 2027? Should men be offended?
An airport in Rhode Island is named the top airport in America! Who cares?
July 20,2026 A Georgia man up on murder charges thought it would be fun to take a cruise. Brevard County sheriffs though otherwise!
Congress is considering a law to ban phone conversations on airplanes. For once, Washington and the Guru actually agree on something.
Disney Cruise Line has appointed its first female captain, a former lawyer. If there's ever a passenger dispute, she can overrule it and bill by the hour.
Barcelona's new tourism commissioner has a simple message: "Not one more tourist!" Apparently, even the tourists are getting tired of the tourists.
Carnival says it's reusing old ship names because it can't think of any new ones.
July 17, 2026 Still waiting to hear CLIA comment about discrimination of gay cruisers!
Are these new yacht cruise lines doing as well as the media would like you to believe?
Another Norovirus outbreak on the National Geographic Sea Bird! Wash your hands!
Government officials in Turks and Caicos push back against US State Department warnings!
Have you ever been called a mermaid by a flight attendant? Probably. But not to your face.
