Send us a text Hello, passionate cruisers! I am delighted to welcome this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Chef Bri Bullard, creator of Authentique Delights. I learned of Chef Bri when I hosted Nikki and Tommie Jones of Jones Getaways podcast a couple months ago Ep 123. The Jones’ had traveled on AmaWaterways Soulful Epicurean French River Cruise on AmaKristina in June, a bucket list cruise Cheryl and I were booked for a few months later. Tommie mentioned in a way that I can just describe as “mouth-watering,” Chef Bri’s presence and culinary role on that journey. Yes, as you can hear me vow on the podcast, I did follow-up with AmaWaterways to inquire whether Chef Bri was going to be on our voyage. She wasn’t but her presence was felt, which I will explain shortly. Jazzmine Douse, AmaWaterways Senior Director, National Accounts, said, “This past June, we invited Chef Bri her company is Authentique Delight, and she came on as a featured chef in June and she was able to prepare a menu for us as we celebrated Juneteenth onboard the Soulful Experiences. So, we are always looking to continually involve these experiences and add aspects to it, do some trial and error, and this Juneteenth concept is one we want to incorporate in the future Soulful Experiences and it’s our hope to be able to feature Black chefs on each one of these experiences, but it is a work in progress. At least for now we established a fantastic itinerary with Chef Bri, she did a fantastic job and there was so much great feedback onboard from the meals she prepared and just talking about freedom and celebration of our heritage and it was truly amazing.” Chef Bri Bullard was born and raised in the Bahamas and has been passionate about cooking since the age of eight. Growing up surrounded by the bounties of the ocean, she developed a deep love for seafood, which has become a hallmark of her culinary creations. Her early interest in cooking was matched by her diverse skills, including certification as a welder, demonstrating her versatility and dedication. Chef Bri’s exceptional talent has garnered her widespread recognition. She has been featured on CHCH News (Hamilton Ontario), highlighted in The Tribune (the Bahamas' national newspaper), and acclaimed in Cruise Critic. Her reputation as a world-renowned celebrity chef is well-deserved, having cooked for elites across France, the USA, Canada, and the Caribbean. Known for her unique approach to cuisine, Chef Bri aims to create edible art through her dishes, seamlessly blending elegance with bold flavors. Her motto, “Fancy Meets Flavor, Quality Fresh Flavor Always,” reflects her commitment to high standards in both presentation and taste. Currently, Chef Bri is channeling her expertise into several exciting projects. She is working on a cookbook, offering cooking lessons, and developing a line of specialty seafood sauces. Her endeavors continue to inspire and delight food enthusiasts around the globe. Chef Bri is the 3rd chef we have had the pleasure of hosting on The Joy of Cruising Podcast and I appreciate greatly that she has decided to join us. Listen at www.thejoyofcruisingpodcast.com or Home 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 https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise 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 Intl Orders via Amazon 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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This week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Sarah Dandashy, Ask A Concierge. From time-to-time I have been fortunate enough to host a travel icon who—though they have experienced bucket list cruises—transcend cruising. These individuals are so influential in travel that I want them to share their story and perspectives, with the listeners. At the same time, of course, many of us cruise enthusiasts would love to sail virtually on some of Sarah’s wonderful voyages. Sarah is recognized as one of the leading concierges in the world. People seek her out for her travel tips, advice, and knowledge of trends from the “frontlines of travel.” Award-winning, she was named “best young concierge” by Les Clefs d’or International, making her the Miss Universe equivalent of the concierge profession. Sarah has worked at some of the most prestigious hotels, including London West Hollywood, Four Seasons Washington DC, L’ermitage Beverly Hills, and the Peninsula Beverly Hills. A graduate of Georgetown's School of Foreign Service, Sarah has lived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; London, Atlanta, Washington, DC; New York City; and Los Angeles. She has traveled throughout Europe, the Middle East, and the US. Conversational in French and basic knowledge of Arabic, Sarah can navigate the streets of Paris, and bust out some solid dance moves she learned on the streets of Hotlanta. Clearly, she is no ordinary travel influencer. Sarah is a television travel expert, best-selling author, and dynamic keynote speaker. With over 18 years of experience in hospitality, Sarah's career took off as a luxury hotel concierge, where she earned numerous accolades and laid the foundation for her widely recognized brand, "Ask A Concierge." With a following of over 250,000 across social media platforms, she offers a wealth of travel insights, practical advice, and the latest industry trends, drawing from her rich experience at the travel forefront. Transitioning from her role as an award-winning concierge, Sarah now travels the world, collaborating with leading industry brands. She has become a go-to travel authority on major news networks like ABC, CBS, and FOX, frequently discussing current travel dynamics. Her expertise has also been highlighted in renowned publications, including the New York Times, Nerdwallet, Business Insider, USNews, Reader's Digest, and Thrillist. As the author of the #1 best selling book, "Hospitality from Within," Sarah also brings her insights to various platforms. She hosts "The Creators" podcast for Visit West Hollywood and co-hosts Good Morning, Hospitality on LinkedIn live. Whether you're seeking practical travel tips or insights into the latest trends, Sarah's work continues to inspire travelers worldwide. Listen at www.thejoyofcruisingpodcast.com or Home 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 https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise 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 Intl Orders via Amazon AmaWaterways Soulful Epicurean French River Cruise On AmaKristina, The Joy of Cruising Podcast, 9/169/14/2024 As an author of cruising books, each of them anthologies featuring fascinating cruise personalities and their backstories, and then continuing that same premise in the form of a podcast, I have learned of a large variety of vessels, destinations and experiences that I barely knew existed before I started capturing these stories. Accordingly, as The Joy of Cruising Podcast listeners know, my cruising bucket list runneth over. Recently we’ve tried to check off some of these bucket list items. In August, Cheryl and I got the opportunity to check our first river cruise off the list—a 7-day AmaWaterways sailing in France on the Rhône River on the AmaKristina culminating with a 3-day excursion to Paris.
The itinerary of the cruise we sailed, 2024 Colors of Provence, Special Friends Soulful Epicurean Experience Aboard the Chartered AmaKristina was:
I wrote about Patricia and Festival at Sea in my 1st cruising book, The Joy of Cruising amzn.to/3lAfyON, and hosted her on The Joy of Cruising Podcast Ep 39. Experiencing a Festival at Sea cruise is an inspiration. When I researched Patricia I learned about its affiliated Friends of Festival at Sea brand which sails the likes of Regent Seven Seas and Viking to exotic location like Africa, Singapore, and Paris, and doing a Friends of Festival at Sea vacation has been on my bucket list for years. As AmaWaterways is consistently rated among the world’s top river cruise lines it would have been an easy choice for our first river cruise journey. What made the choice of AmaWaterways that much easier was the introduction in Spring 2024 of its “Soulful” series of cruises. To diversify its customer base—which included a negligible percentage of people of color—AmaWaterways decided to take select itineraries and add components that would appeal to cruisers from or are interested in the Black and African diaspora. What made it a “no-brainer” was it a full ship charter by Friends of Festival at Sea, and they bring their own party including DJ, Saxophonist, dance instructor, and comedian, Damon Williams who also has been on the podcast Ep 101. I should have known Damon would make stars out of friends we were traveling with! Listen at www.thejoyofcruisingpodcast.com or Home 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 https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise 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 Intl Orders via Amazon Hello passionate cruisers! This is Paul. I am delighted to welcome this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Niamh McAnally, a multifaceted cruise personality, that quite frankly would have made a fine guest just to talk about one aspect of her impressive background. We could focus on her status as a best selling author, for Flares Up: A Story Bigger Than The Atlantic, which was conceived in Antigua when she witnessed Paul Hopkins and Phil Pugh cross the finish line after rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic; and the September release of her memoir, Following Sunshine: A Voyage Around The Mind, Around The World, Around The Heart, with a cover inscription by Liam Neeson, “Truly brave, enriching memoir that will take you on a global adventure."
Or we could talk about the adventure that inspired many of her stories about travels on land and at sea, including her memoir. In 2016 she helped a solo sailor crew his boat from Florida to the Bahamas. It was only supposed to last a month. Niamh soon realized she had not only found the life she loved but also the love of her life. She and Captain Gary have sailed as far north as Maine in the USA and to Bonaire off the northern coast of South America. With toes in the sand in Antigua, Captain and Crew became Husband and Wife! Finally, we could focus on Niamh’s ongoing experience as a guest speaker on one of the top cruise lines, Celebrity Cruises! Niamh McAnally is an Irish-born bestselling author, keynote & corporate speaker, former TV director, and youngest daughter of the late BAFTA award-winning actor, Ray McAnally, and actor, Ronnie Masterson. Niamh has traveled all over the world and lived and worked as a volunteer in many island nations in the Caribbean and the South Pacific. Listen at www.thejoyofcruisingpodcast.com or Home 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 https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise 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 Intl Orders via Amazon Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome San Diego’s Bob and Holly, creators in 2020 of Innocents Abroad, YouTube channel, Facebook group and page, and Instagram platform. Their goal is to grow appreciation for discovery, diversity and conversation about travel, with a concentrated focus on cruising. Bob and Holly note that, “Engaging with other cultures is no small thing to us—breaking down cultural barriers is what drives our travel…” To underscore that, their catchphrase, which I love is--an optimistic outlook of humanity through travel and exposure to other cultures.
Quite the way with words, Bob and Holly. Some of our literature-minded listeners recognize that their brand, Innocents Abroad, recalls someone else with quite the way with words, Mark Twain. It is a homage to Bob’s favorite writer—the channel was named for Mark Twain’s outlook on equality. In his 1869 book, The Innocents Abroad, Twain wrote, "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." (This was also the epigraph set at the opening of my second cruising book, Cruising Interrupted amzn.to/3seFU8y.) On their channel Innocents Abroad is serious about their craft. Their style is visual storytelling; cinematography of very high quality, combined with choregraphed audio, and historical facts. How a film looks and sounds is very important to them. Journalistic integrity is of utmost importance to them. They emphasize that every cruise and land trip has been and will be out of their own pocket without exception. (They wouldn’t even accept free WIFI to facilitate their vlogging about their travels.) Bob and Holly have an amazing cruise background. 61 cruises to-date including very high-end cruise lines, with plenty more booked. In fact, what motivated me to reach out to Innocents Abroad—Bob and I are friends and followers on social media—he posted that he and Holly were on a 120-day (!) grand tour of cruising in Europe and a wee bit in the Caribbean. They just arrived home, and I am delighted to bring Bob and Holly to the listeners. Listen at www.thejoyofcruisingpodcast.com Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast 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 https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise 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 Intl Orders via Amazon Hello, passionate cruisers! I am delighted to welcome this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, John Perri, creator of the John the Wanderer blog, Facebook Page and Instagram. John is a consummate cruise aficionado. He notes “There is something about being on the ocean that is such an awesome experience. Plus having all the food and entertainment included and in one place makes for an awesome vacation. You can’t go wrong with going on a cruise.” Since childhood, he has loved anything to do with travel, and would get cruise brochures and plan trips for his family. To his parent’s amazement he would research destinations and pick the right room on the ship as well as what to do while the family visited the ports. Fast forward to today, John works as a travel advisor and still loves planning trips and hopping on an ship and being whisked off to a tropical destination. I teasingly use the analogy of Superman when discussing John. Most of the time he is a mild-mannered travel agent where he can help his clients plan an amazing cruise or land vacation and experience all the fun that he does when he travels, but at other times he becomes John the Wanderer, the super cruiser. For instance, when I first reached out to John we couldn’t schedule a conversation because he was headed to the inaugural cruise for the new Margaritaville at Sea Islander, noting almost apologetically, “I’m not a parrot head or anything, I normally do more luxury cruises like Celebrity, Explora Journeys.” I told him that’s ok—I want to talk about those other lines too. But he would be the 1st to give listeners a report on the Islander. Shortly after Islander, John was also going on Celebrity Beyond a week later for the President’s Cruise, so I definitely wanted to wait so we could have our conversation until after he returned. Then I found out he was about to sail the new Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas, the world’s second largest ship. So we deferred our conversation again because I had to hear about that. No wonder he is known as John the Wanderer. Limited time offer John mentioned in the podcast: Celebrity Cruises: $150 Onboard Credit for any 6 night or longer Balcony or higher cabin for any sailing in 2024. Royal Caribbean: Onboard credit offer up to $150 (Varies depending on the type of room) Contact me: [email protected] Listen at www.thejoyofcruisingpodcast.com or Home 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 https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise 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 Intl Orders via Amazon Many cruisers demand connectivity at all times. Relying on ship WiFi is slow, unsecure and often not readily available; and at foreign ports core travelers don’t want to pay their carriers’ high roaming fees that range up to $16 per day in some countries. Gig Sky provides a much more economical solution that, over the course of their vacation, will save them a significant amount of money.
GigSky provide unparalleled access across the globe: In addition to providing service in over 190 countries, GigSky users are able to use our product while at sea (on over 200 different cruise ships), offshore (throughout the Gulf of Mexico and North Sea) and inflight (on over 20 different airlines). GigSky uses eSIM technology; Launched in 2018 by Apple, eSIMs (embedded-SIMs) act exactly the same as traditional SIM cards, but without the need to fiddle with inserting or removing them. Eligible Cruise Lines: https://gigsky.pxf.io/9g1ZPY Eligible Flights: https://gigsky.pxf.io/anJzmq Virtually ALL devices sold in the past 5 years are eSIM enabled and either only have eSIM ports or are considered dual SIM, meaning they have both physical and eSIM capabilities. Verify your compatibility here: https://www.gigsky.com/enterprise-device-compatibility Interested? GigSky offers fixed data plans ranging from 500MB to 50GB; unlimited plans in 7 and 15 day intervals, and even a FREE 100 MB plan, no credit card required, for those who want to test it out. Here is my link to GigSky: https://gigsky.pxf.io/nLOXOR Use this code for 10% discount: JOYOFCRUISING Hello, passionate cruisers! I am delighted to welcome this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, Nikki and Tommie Jones. As regular listeners and readers of any of The Joy of Cruising books know, among passionate cruise celebrities, musicians, performers, CEOs, or global cruise personalities, we feature “ordinary” cruisers with extraordinary cruise stories. If this podcast was video, you would see me put air quotes around “ordinary” because there is nothing ordinary about Nikki and Tommie, as you will learn. But what I mean is like I have done from time-to-time, I encountered Nikki and Tommie by happenstance in one of the many social media cruising groups I am a part of. And as I am wont to do when I see a cruiser sharing reflections, photos, and videos about some bucket list cruise they experienced, I reached out to them and invited them on the podcast to share with the cruise community. I had extra motivation to request the Jones’ to be on the show—I “met” them on an AmaWaterways FB group—and this bucket list cruise they experienced—the Soulful Epicurean French River Cruise on AmaKristina is at the top of my bucket list and booked! When this podcast episode releases, Cheryl and I will be enroute to France. Nikki and Tommie are passionate cruisers who are happily married and headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. They are retired U.S. Army Veterans with more than 50 years of combined active-duty service. Nikki served for 20 years, and Tommie served for 30 years. ‘Thank you for your service! They are the owners of Jones Getaways by Dream Vacations. With more than 5 years as Certified Travel Advisors, travel is their life, and their goal is to help people experience the amazing of the world through travel. Listen at www.thejoyofcruisingpodcast.com or Home 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 https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise 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 Intl Orders via Amazon Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome UK’s Harry Cotterill, cruise blogger, maritime artist, and creator Cruise Cotterill. The Cruise Cotterill brand was launched in 2015 and since then Harry's talent for producing one-of-a-kind drawings of the world's cruise ships and other craft has become increasingly talked about around the world. Cruise Cotterill is nominated for cruise awards year after year; he has been shortlisted for the UK Wave Award and was again nominated in 2024.
To date, Harry's artwork has been presented onboard no less than 100 different ships! He has been commissioned to produce his highly detailed one-of-kind drawings by clients all over the world, as well as cruise lines including Azamara Cruises and Ambassador Cruise Line. His artwork has become so popular he currently has clients securing commissions many months in advance. As a teen, so impressed were his fans and followers that they got together and paid for young Harry's first cruise! Harry first started drawing ships while he was still in school, where he studied art. His artistic skills only improved over time as he continued to draw. As a teenager, Harry had the ambition to become a naval architect and design his own ships. In May 2009, Harry had his first large-scale drawing presented on board Holland America Line's Eurodam at Harwich International Port. This was to be the first of many more presentations to come. After excelling at college, Harry decided to pursue his passion and aim of setting up his own business, Cruise Cotterill. Listen at www.thejoyofcruisingpodcast.com or Home 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 https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise 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 Intl Orders via Amazon This week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome Tristan Roebuck-Trull, Justin Roebuck-Trull, and their son young Josh, a couple from UK and creators of Cruise Buoys, rapidly growing YouTube channel, Instagram platform, blog, and Facebook group. At https://cruisebuoys.com/: We’re Justin, Tristan, and Josh – the faces behind Cruise Buoys, your new best friends in the vast ocean of cruise travel. Our love story with cruising kicked off in 2019, aboard the majestic P&O Britannia, cruising through the breath-taking Norwegian Fjords. That was it. We were hooked! Fast forward to now, we’ve danced on the decks of MSC Bellissima during a summer dream cruise and have collected memories from P&O, MSC, Costa, Marella, Celebrity Cruises, Virgin Voyages, Cunard, and Princess cruises. And guess what? Our adventure radar is beeping with excitement for our upcoming sails with Royal Caribbean, NCL, and Viking. Oh, and did we mention our mini adventure on Ambassador? Eight hours onboard, but a story for the ages! Why We’re Obsessed with Cruising? It’s simple. Cruising gives us that delicious taste of freedom and exploration we all crave, mixed with a sprinkle of luxury and a whole lot of fun. It’s about waking up to a new horizon every day, indulging in endless culinary delights, and making every moment count. Through our YouTube and Instagram channels, we’re not just sharing our journeys; we’re bringing you into our circle, our family. We’re here to spill the beans on how to make the most out of your cruise, all while keeping it real and fun. I consider Cruise Bloggers, Vloggers, and Content Creators as Cruise Community Champions and have featured them throughout The Joy of Cruising books and on The Joy of Cruising Podcast. Passionate cruisers like Tristan and Justin epitomize the joy of cruising; they are so passionate about cruising that they want to share it with the world! Plus, I have a special affinity with UK content creators—such a passionate cruise community, and the first person to agree to be featured in my first cruising book, The Joy of Cruising http://amzn.to/2EAMddF, was a UK cruise personality. I have not previously interacted with Cruise Buoys other than as friends and followers on social media. They have fun videos and have sailed a large diversity of cruise lines in their short time as cruise content creators. So, I am looking forward to getting to know someone who clearly embodies the joy of cruising, and enlarging my circle of cruising community friends, and it is now my pleasure to chat with Justin and Tristan, and to share the story of Cruise Buoys with the listeners of The Joy of Cruising Podcast. Listen at www.thejoyofcruisingpodcast.com or Home 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 https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingPodcast-BookACruise 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 Intl Orders via Amazon |
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