This week The Joy of Cruising Podcast is delighted to welcome Scott Sanders, creator of The Disney Cruise Line Blog. My first involvement with Scott was when I featured him in The Joy of Cruising in a section called “Cruise Bloggers: The Reader’s Choice” comprised of finalists and winners in the 10best Readers’ Choice Best Cruise Blogger, sponsored by USA Today. Scott won for The Disney Cruise Line Blog. Since 2012, The Disney Cruise Line Blog and accompanying podcast has been an unofficial source of Disney Cruise Line news and information and a place where fans can share Disney cruise experiences. 

I have told the various individuals I’ve featured in The Joy of Cruising books that we are forever connected. Many years from now a reader will pick up a book written by me and featuring them. Well, Scott and I share a special bond. In addition to The Joy of Cruising feature, Scott’s photo of Disney Magic against the midnight sun in Reykjavik, Iceland is on the cover of my new book The Joy of Cruising Again! When I included the photo and its backstory in The Joy of Cruising five years ago, I told Scott it was the most stunning cruise ship photo I had seen. Little did I know it would become an indelible part of my writing journey years later.

​Scott lives with his wife Emily, and daughter Isabelle in Celebration, Florida, known as “the community Disney built.” Celebration is five miles from Disney World and was originally developed by the Walt Disney company. Scott and Emily were married in a Disney wedding at Walt Disney World Resort. Half of their honeymoon was at Disney World, and the other half on Disney Wonder. He was destined to create The Disney Cruise Line Blog!

www.thejoyofcruising.com 

This week The Joy of Cruising Podcast  is delighted to welcome Matt Hochberg, creator of the Royal Caribbean Blog. My first direct involvement with Matt was when I featured him in The Joy of Cruising in a section called “Cruise Bloggers: The Readers’ Choice” comprised of finalists and winners in the 10best Readers’ Choice Best Cruise Blogger, sponsored by USA Today. Matt won for the Royal Caribbean Blog. Royal Caribbean Blog originated in 2010 and the accompanying podcast is now up to 500 episodes, and today is indisputably the leading unofficial source for all things Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. To say Matt dominates his space is an understatement. The Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube channel is the second most popular cruise channel in the world, with 235,000 subscribers, its blog is the third most visited in the world and the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is a consensus top three in the world—all the more amazing when you consider Royal Caribbean Blog exclusively covers a single cruise line.
How popular, and influential is Matt’s brand: search “Royal Caribbean” and one of the top results—the first result after Royal Caribbean Cruise Line will be Matt’s blog. He has become almost synonymous with the cruise line!
I mentioned my first direct involvement with Matt was his inclusion in The Joy of Cruising. However, I became really familiar with Matt well prior to that. After sailing my first cruise ever on Royal Caribbean Sovereign of the Seas--the world’s largest ship in 1988, I  got hooked and sailed many cruises in the ensuing years, but I didn’t return to Royal for 30 years. Then I booked Anthem of the Seas in 2018 (which turned out to be the genesis of The Joy of Cruising series). Matt’s podcast was the first stop for my research!

​www.thejoyofcruisingpodcast.com

On this Monday Bonus Episode of The Joy of Cruising Podcast I am delighted to welcome The Jenn Danielle, whom I could refer to as a social media star, leading solo travel content creator, influencer, brand ambassador, or vlogger! I’ll refer to her as Jennifer, and ask her to share her insight into a topic of immense curiosity to passionate cruisers like our listeners: critically acclaimed, rapidly growing, and yet a mystery to most cruisers—cruising on Virgin Voyages. In the three books comprising The Joy of Cruising Trilogy, I have had little content regarding Virgin Voyages. When the 1st book The Joy of Cruising was published early 2019, cruisers hadn’t heard of the line yet. The new release The Joy of Cruising Again, was started when the cruise world was in a state of suspended animation, although I said this in the introductory section: I’m intrigued by Virgin Voyages; the upstart cruise line jettisoned two cruising institutions—buffets and, wait for it…kids! I got into travel at all-inclusive resorts where buffets were the “entry drug” that led me to try cruising. At first, I was put off by the prospect of no buffets. After COVID-19, buffets are no longer as significant a part of the cruise experience for me. Virgin’s no kids policy also gave me pause. Before the pandemic, I almost always cruised with my granddaughter. And as a young adult I grew up in cruising by taking my young daughters with me. So, it’s definitely a new passenger experience for me. Later in the book after cruising had restarted, I featured UK cruise writer legend Dave Monk (Shipmonk) whose photo at the naming of Scarlet Lady showing Richard Branson dancing on the table to Rihanna, was front page in UK. By the way, Shipmonk will be my guest on The Joy of Cruising Podcast in August.
Now, Virgin Voyages, whose Scarlet Lady was named Best New Cruise Ship in 2021 at the Cruise Critic Awards, dominated the Ocean Cruising category of the 2022 Cruise Critics Editors Picks Award (Best Dining; Best Nightlife; Best for LGBQT+ Travelers). We are booked on Scarlet Lady in Spring 2024, interest in the unique cruise line is sky high, and there’s no one better to share her perspective on Virgin Voyages  than The Jenn Danielle!

​www.thejoyofcruisingpodcast.com

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Image via Freepik
 
Going on a Cruise? Hire a Good Pet Sitter!
 
Are you heading out on a cruise but worried about leaving your pet behind? It’s essential to make arrangements for someone to look after them while you’re away. 
 
Many pet owners prefer pet sitters, but finding the right candidate can be difficult. Below, The Joy of Cruising shares some practical tips on setting up a pet sitter in your home so that you can ensure your furry friend is in good hands!  
 
Establish an emergency vet plan.
 
Before leaving your pet in the care of someone else, it’s crucial to set up an emergency plan. Let your sitter know of any emergency veterinary services if your pet falls ill or gets injured, and leave them with your vet's number and any other necessary details should an emergency arise.
 
Also, be sure to educate the sitter on the signs of parvovirus, a potentially deadly disease that affects dogs and puppies. Parvovirus typically happens to puppies under six months old. Since they’re not fully vaccinated, the virus can cause poor appetite, vomiting, fever, and more severe issues.
 
Stock up on pet food.
 
Make sure you’ve stocked up on ample pet food before your departure date. Talk to your sitter and let them know where the pet food is stored and the specific measures they should take when feeding your furry family member. If you have any particular feeding instructions, your sitter needs to understand and follow them!
 
If you’re open to trying a new food for your pet, consider air-dried dog food (click for more information). This type of food is cooked slowly and dried, which helps keep more nutrients and flavor than wet food. It’s also protein-rich and has fewer carbs!
 
Digitize your pet's medical files.
 
In the event of an emergency, you want your pet sitter to have easy access to your pet’s medical history. Create and share the records digitally with your sitter to keep them informed on your pet’s various medical conditions, medication routine, and instances when the vet can prescribe a new medication.
 
Keep in mind that PDFs are often the easiest format to work with. You can convert other formats into PDFs with an online tool and then compress, modify, or re-order your pages as needed.
 
Find potential pet sitters.
 
Finding a group of pet sitter candidates can be difficult, especially if you’ve never done it before. Friends and family are the best sources, but if they aren’t available, look for a sitter on a professional pet care website or social media account. It’s crucial to find a sitter who fits your schedule needs and, of course, and you want them to engage well with your pet!
 
Choose the right candidate.
 
Once you have a few candidates, there are a few things to consider to narrow down your options and make your final decision. Book a meeting between your pet and potential candidates to determine how your pet reacts. 
 
Is it negative, positive, or indifferent? Also, make sure their availability fits your schedule, and check for other critical qualities (e.g., professionalism, experience with pets, good reviews).
 
Communicate with the sitter.
 
Keeping in touch with your pet sitter is essential, and thanks to technology, distance should not be a hurdle. Schedule daily updates or video conferences to check in on your pet and go over any details that may have been missed before you left. Further, provide your sitter with clear transparency about any updates on your trip so they can plan accordingly.
 
Conclusion
 
If you’re going on a cruise and leaving your furry friend behind, it’s vital to find the right pet sitter and give them what they need. The tips above can help ensure your pet stays safe while you’re on your cruise and that they get all the attention they could hope for. Remember to closely vet any potential pet sitter so that you can enjoy a stress-free cruise, knowing your pet is in the best care possible!
 
 
If you enjoyed this article, you can find more engaging content on TheJoyofCruising.net!

​This week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast I am delighted to welcome Donald and Heidi Bucolo, the creators of the popular and highly influential Eat Sleep Cruise, an award-winning blog. Eat Sleep Cruise was selected by Porthole Cruise Magazine to its list of the top 10 Cruise Influencers of 2019. Eat Sleep Cruise has been quoted regularly in places like Forbes, CNBC, AARP  magazine, and Porthole Cruise Magazine. Eat Sleep Cruise was featured in my second book Cruising Interrupted  amzn.to/3seFU8y in a section called Bloggers: Cruise Community Champions. Eat Sleep Cruise brings a very comprehensive and diverse perspective to the cruise conversation. Don and Heidi have sailed all the major mega-ships; they tend to try out every major new ship that is launched; and, they also have also sailed on more intimate vessels to unique destinations like the high-end Viking Ocean Cruises, and Windstar Cruises. They have sailed throughout the Caribbean and Bahamas, Alaska, Hawaii, Cuba, Bermuda, Ireland, Iceland, and Northern Europe and have experienced bucket list excursions like helicopter tours in both Alaska and Hawaii;  a glacier walk in Alaska, exploring Chacchoben Mayan Ruins in Costa Maya, Mexico;  a stop in St. Petersburg, Russia where they visited the Hermitage Museum and attended the Russian Ballet; Berlin where Heidi and Don saw the Berlin Cathedral, the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, and visited the remnants of the Berlin Wall; the Game of Thrones tour on a visit to Northern Ireland. And, they have visited some of the world’s best beaches including Horseshoe Bay Beach in Bermuda, Eagle Beach in Aruba, Waikiki Beach in Oahu, White Bay Beach in Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands, and the Baths at Virgin Gorda. I could go on and on, but i just wanted to provide you a sense for what you can learn about by visiting the Eat Sleep Cruise blog and YouTube channel.
​www.thejoyofcruisingpodcast.com