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Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Cheryl Cooper, creator of the SIG the Solo Cruiser YouTube channel, Instagram, and website. As frequent listeners know, I watch cruise YouTube videos incessantly as I work on the podcast seemingly every waking hour. Cheryl has carved out a solid niche as a specialist in solo cruising with high quality content and reviews from a solo cruising perspective of a diverse array of cruise lines and cruise ships—many that I have sailed or plan to sail. Accordingly, her channel is on repeat in my podcast studio. While I have never done a solo cruise, I can confidently state that if I were considering a solo cruise, SIG the Solo Cruiser platforms would be my first stop when starting my research process. 


From SIG the Solo Cruiser: Welcome to my world of solo cruise travel! With over 50 cruises 43 solo cruises across 11 different cruise lines under my belt, l am here to share my tips, tricks, and personal experiences to help you confidently navigate the world of solo cruise travel. On this channel, you'll see my solo cruise experience and find advice and tips on solo cruising and cruising solo as an introvert. My goal is to empower you to make the best decisions for your solo travel adventures, whether it's your first trip or your next unforgettable journey. Also, as a travel agent, I'm here to guide you through every step of the process-from choosing the perfect cruise to booking and customizing your experience.
 
We are friends/followers on social media, and Cheryl even has being an introvert as part of her brand (many of you have heard me refer to myself as an off-the-charts introvert.) So, I have long planned to invite Cheryl on The Joy of Cruising Podcast. Then she posted her latest set of solo travel videos, and they were about her recent solo cruise experience on Explora Journeys. Well as this episode airs, I am onboard my first luxury cruise experience on Explora I! So, I decided to “jump the line” and welcome Cheryl on The Joy of Cruising Podcast now, and I am so pleased she was agreeable.
​
Find SIG the Solo Cruiser online
YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@SIGtheSoloCruiser
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@sigcruiser
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sigthesolocruiser/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/groups/sigthesolocruiser
Email: [email protected]

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Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Emma & Jack, creators of the YouTube channel, Live A Little. As frequent listeners know, I enjoy watching cruise YouTube videos and from time to time I get introduced to The Joy of Cruising Podcast guests. That’s kind of how I met Emma & Jack. I say kind of because normally I just watch videos and then perhaps transfixed by someones video style, or sense of humor, comprehensiveness of their video. In Live A Little case it was a little different. I was recording an episode with Colleen McDaniel, Editor-in-Chief of Cruise Critic and we got to talking about Explora Journeys, a newcomer in the luxury sector and a big winner in the recent Cruise Critic Awards. By the end of the interview, Colleen had influence me to move a luxury cruise to the top of my bucket list. I searched Explora Journeys and proceed to binge on dozens of YouTube videos and in the process happened upon Live A Little. After binging on Explora Journeys, I binged on Live A Little videos and they have a wonderful cruising life and a fun, informative video style and I am glad they agreed to come on The Joy of Cruising Podcast.
The Lindsays are a family of 3 based out of Colorado and created Live A Little during Covid after being able to find many YouTube channels that traveled the way they did.  So, they gave it a go on a cruise to Alaska and the rest is history—they caught my eye! Their focus is a lot of content around suite level cruises, but their larger goal is to highlight destinations and the overall experience. 
Lindsay & Jack note, “We have a passion for exploring this world one adventure at a time. Whether it's cruising the high seas, discovering gems on a road trip, or exploring iconic destinations, our goal is simple: to inspire you to get out and 'live a little' and make the most out of every journey. We don't want to look back on our life and wish we had done something. So we live by the motto just get out and live a little and see this amazing world while you can. We know travel isn't just about crossing places off a list—it's about creating memories, trying new things, and experiencing.

Listen at www.thejoyofcruisingpodcast.com or Home

Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don’t want to pay their carriers’ high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky:  https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruising

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Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Peta-Gaye and Allan, creators of the My Cruising Family YouTube channel, Instagram, and blog. As frequent listeners know, I enjoy watching cruise YouTube videos and from time to time I get introduced to The Joy of Cruising Podcast guests. That’s how I met My Cruising Family (with their fun, mostly family-oriented videos often accompanied by a Jamaican beat.) I also occasionally interact with them on social media and decided it was time to finally reach out to them when they made a post about attending this year’s Maxwell Cruise, held during Valentines Day week. We attended R&B superstar Maxwell’s debut music cruise last year and thought it was great but had to miss this year. So, I invited them to come on the show and reflect on the cruise, and more importantly introduce them to the global cruise community as another outstanding cruise content creator. It is always fun to meet new cruise friends I am glad they agreed to come on The Joy of Cruising Podcast to talk about their various cruise platforms.

​
From MyCruisingFamily.com My name is Peta-Gaye. I am a Jamaican-born wife and mother who lives and works in the United States, and has traveled to 28 countries across 5 continents, thus far. I'm wife to Allan, and mom to our two boys, AJ and LJ. As a Christian and a foodie, I love to not only share my love for travel, but also my faith and food! We love to travel together as a family, to see new places, try new activities, and eat good food! We often travel with my mom also, and I enjoy having "me time" and "couple's time" while grandma manages the boys! 

Find My Cruising Family online:
YouTube: @mycruisingfamily 
TikTok: @mycruisingfamily 
Instagram: @mycruisingfam 
Facebook: @mycruisingfam 
Email: [email protected] 

Listen at www.thejoyofcruisingpodcast.com or Home
​
Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don’t want to pay their carriers’ high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky:  https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruising

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Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and welcome to The Joy of Cruising Podcast, and in this special episode we meet members of the World-Renowned London Community Gospel Choir (LCGC) and discuss their participation in this summer’s Caribbean Gospel Choir Workshop Cruise on the stunning new MSC World America. I am delighted to welcome the founder of LCGC, Bazil Meade; Kaylin Cain, who is coordinating the Caribbean Gospel Choir Workshop Cruise, and long-time member of LCGC, Jenny La Touche.
LCGC is one of the most energetic and inspiring forces in the UK’s music scene, made up of an eclectic mix of people from diverse backgrounds, embodying their message of God’s love, peace and unity in a refreshing and invigorating style of Gospel. With a tight-knit ensemble of talented vocalists, they share joy, and feel-good music with all their audiences. They are proud to represent the metropolitan community of London, coming together as a tight-knit ensemble of talented vocalists, sharing joy, and feel-good music with their audiences.
They have worked with over 100 artists around the world in their 40 plus years and were the first Community Gospel Choir in Europe. They have sung live and recorded with various artists around the world including Elton John, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey. This is their first time performing and holding workshops in the Caribbean on an amazing cruise ship!
Caribbean Gospel Choir Workshop Cruise: For The Love Of Music Events Limited will present this Caribbean cruise which begins on August the 30th when you set sail from Miami aboard the new Luxury Cruise Ship, MSC World America.
7-night cruise features:
·      Full board dining including Premium Drinks Package
·      Pre-paid gratuities, all taxes and supplements
·      Workshops led by specialist workshop leaders

​This page will be updated shortly with booking details through https:www.thejoyofvacation.com

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Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don’t want to pay their carriers’ high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky:  https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruising
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Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast. Join me and guest Peter Knego, a maritime historian, cruise journalist and creator of the YouTube channel MidShipCinema, who is currently working on a comprehensive video about the fascinating career and sad end of the first Pacific Princess, Princess Cruises much loved ship that was the “star” of the Love Boat television series that changed the face of cruising forever. With 2025 as the 60th anniversary year of Princess Cruises now unfolding, Peter will share what was pioneering and special about the Pacific Princess and discuss how that ship captured the imagination of millions of future cruisers.  He will also share what became of this once revered ship in her post Princess days.
I am delighted to welcome back Peter, who has one of the most unique and multifaceted seafaring stories I have ever heard. His home is virtually entirely comprised of cruise ship artifacts. Every part of his home is made up of panels, artwork, and furniture including bars, from scrapped ships. During his first visit with us, Ep. 56 Peter Knego we focused mainly on the collector aspect of Peter’s persona, and he took us on a virtual tour of his house and backyard comprised of original artwork and artifacts including some from the Love Boat. 
You can learn a great deal about Peter the collector, and his passion for older ships from his website, midshipcentury.com,and YouTube channel, Peter Knego's MidShipCinema, described as “unique, exclusive and personally captured video of the world's great ocean liners and cruise ships...past & present.” This excerpt from midshipcentury.com captures his reason for being, his raison d'être: “… today's mega cruise ships, offer a myriad of amenities to make the passenger forget he or she is even at sea. But unlike ocean liners, these boxy monoliths are fitted out like modern hotels with store-bought furnishings and fire-resistant materials. The era of the individual ship representing the best of its nation's artisans and craftsmen ended in the mid-1960’s. Seizing the one-time-only opportunity to save these items from obscurity or destruction, Knego not only bought items for his collection, but to share with those with a similar love for ocean liners or a penchant for the sleek stylings of the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s. Rich, rare, tropical hardwood veneers, heavy nickel plated fixtures, a serving of "high style Italian chic" from Gio Ponti's collaborators, and much more!
Listen at www.thejoyofcruisingpodcast.com or Home

Relying on ship wifi is slow, unsecure, sometimes not available & at foreign ports travelers don’t want to pay their carriers’ high fees. Save $ with GigSky! Get a data package usable on the ship & in ports. Link to GigSky:  https://gigsky.pxf.io/nloxor. For a 10% discount use code: joyofcruising

​Supportthejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new
Support Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth
Contact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html
Book Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/
US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)
The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising
Cruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted
The Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain

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