Cruise News Roundup | Aired October 31, 2026| Episode 80
Prefer listening instead of reading? Enjoy the full episode of The Cruise Therapy Podcast, hosted by G-Free, your Cruise Therapist.
No haunted cabins. No ghost ships. And hopefully nobody dressed as a cruise bill—because that is terrifying enough. 👻💳
Welcome aboard the spookiest Boarding Call of the year!
I’m GFree, Your Cruise Therapist, and today’s cruise and travel headlines are serving up a little bit of trick, treat, and travel drama.
Carnival has an important warning for guests traveling with mobility scooters; the FTC wants answers about how airlines may be using customer data when pricing tickets; celebrity chefs are preparing to take over Norwegian Jewel; and somehow—before Halloween has even packed up its broomstick—Santa is already mixing margaritas at sea.
Crewmates and Cruise Addicts, grab your boarding pass, grab your broomstick, and grab a drink from the bar.
It’s time for Your Daily Boarding Call. 🧙🏾♀️🚢🍹
🛴 Carnival’s Scooter Warning: Measure Before You Sail
Cruise family, this Halloween warning is no trick and definitely no treat.
Carnival is reminding guests traveling with mobility scooters that their devices must fit completely inside their staterooms.
That means:
- Not in the hallway
- Not outside the cabin door
- Not parked nearby “just until morning”
According to the transcript, guests booked on the Carnival Radiance November 8 Hawaii sailing from Long Beach received reminders about the rule. Scooters wider than 21 inches require a fully accessible cabin, and Carnival says it may measure devices during check-in.
And this is the part travelers really need to hear:
If a scooter doesn’t meet the requirements and a smaller device cannot be arranged, a guest could be denied boarding without compensation.
Carnival is not describing this as a new policy. The cruise line is reminding travelers of an existing safety requirement before they arrive at the terminal.
Cruise family, this is one Halloween surprise we definitely do not want at embarkation.
Because hearing:
“You can board…but your scooter can’t.”
That is an actual cruise nightmare. 😱
👻 Is Your Airfare Haunted by Your Browsing History?
You know that feeling when you search for a flight three times and suddenly think:
“Why does this ticket feel like it knows I NEED to travel?”
Well, apparently the FTC wants answers too.
According to the transcript, the Federal Trade Commission ordered nine major companies—including Delta, JetBlue, and United—to explain how they may use personal data when setting prices.
The questions include whether information such as:
- Browser behavior
- Loyalty-program data
- Personal customer information
- Other consumer data
could potentially influence what an individual traveler is charged.
The transcript notes that Delta and JetBlue say they do not use personal information or browsing history to set individualized ticket prices.
The larger issue is transparency:
What information is being collected?
How is it being used?
And do travelers know when it happens?
Now THAT is one digital ghost I would like to see clearly before it starts following me around the internet. 👻✈️
🍰 Forget Trick-or-Treating — Celebrity Chefs Are Taking Over Norwegian Jewel
Now let’s get to something much tastier.
Cruise family, forget walking door to door asking for candy.
I’m going cabin to cabin asking for appetizers. 😂
Celebrity chef Rachel Ray is scheduled to join Sixthman’s Chefs Making Waves 2027 sailing aboard Norwegian Jewel.
According to the transcript, the culinary cruise sails April 20–24, 2027, from Miami to Puerto Plata.
And she won’t be the only familiar face onboard.
The lineup mentioned in the transcript includes:
- Carla Hall
- Michael Simon
- Kardea Brown
- Duff Goldman
- Marcus Samuelsson
- And more
Guests can expect experiences such as:
- Chef demonstrations
- Culinary conversations
- Live show tapings
- Food experiences
- Dance parties
Cruise family…
Forget:
“Trick or treat?”
I’ll be walking around Norwegian Jewel asking:
“Appetizer or entrée?” 🍽️😂
And if Duff Goldman shows up carrying cake?
I’m not asking questions.
I’m just holding out a plate.
🎅 Halloween Isn’t Even Over… and Santa Is Already at Margaritaville
Move over pumpkins.
Apparently Santa said:
“I’ll take it from here.” 🎅🍹
Margaritaville at Sea is bringing back Very Merry Margaritaville from November 30 through December 31 aboard Paradise and Islander.
Guests can expect holiday activities including:
- Ugly sweater contests
- Holiday trivia
- Ornament making with Mrs. Claus
- Santa photos
- Holiday movies
- Festive entertainment
And, because this is Margaritaville, the holidays also come with seasonal cocktails.
The transcript mentions:
🍹 Mistletoe Margaritas
🥥 Candy Cane Coladas
Cruise family, tonight we’re carving pumpkins.
Next month?
Santa is drinking margaritas in the Caribbean.
Travel moves FAST. 😂
Personally, if Santa wants a Mistletoe Margarita, I say let that man enjoy it.
December is busy.
🎃 Travel Tip of the Day: Avoid a Scary Embarkation Surprise
Today’s Carnival scooter story gives us the perfect Halloween travel reminder:
Never wait until embarkation day to learn whether your mobility equipment meets the cruise line’s requirements.
Before sailing:
- Measure your mobility scooter
- Confirm your cabin type
- Complete required accessibility or mobility forms
- Verify battery requirements
- Confirm storage rules
- Ask about accessible accommodations
- If renting equipment, give the rental company your cruise line and ship information
Cruise family, the terminal should be where vacation begins.
Not where somebody suddenly says:
“Surprise!”
The only Halloween surprise we want is extra candy. 🍫🎃
👻 Cruise Family, I Want to Hear From You!
Today’s Boarding Call gave us plenty to talk about.
Carnival cruisers: Do you think measuring scooters at check-in is a reasonable safety policy?
Air travelers: Would you be uncomfortable if an airline used your browsing activity or loyalty information to personalize airfare?
Foodies: If you sailed on Chefs Making Waves, which chef would you want to meet first?
And Margaritaville cruisers:
Are you ordering the:
🍹 Mistletoe Margarita
or
🥥 Candy Cane Colada?
Drop your answers in the comments because I really want to hear from you.
Since Halloween is here…
May your candy bowl stay full.
May your cruise fare stay low.
And may the only ghost you encounter be the person who suddenly disappears when it’s time to pay for the group cruise. 👻😂
🚢 Ready for Your Next Dose of Cruise Therapy?
Whether you’re dreaming about a Caribbean cruise, planning a group vacation, researching accessible cruising, or looking for your next food-and-fun getaway, Atlanta Travel Associates can help with the planning.
From cruises and hotels to airfare, transfers, group travel, and pre- or post-cruise stays, we can help coordinate the details.
✨ Ready to start planning?
👉 Start planning HERE: Guest Information Form
Your next vacation may be just a few clicks away. 🌴🚢
🧪 Until Our Next Cruise Therapy Session…
Again, I’m GFree, Your Cruise Therapist.
Follow the Cruise Therapy Podcast on Facebook for more cruise news, travel alerts, destination trends, and—of course—Cruise Therapy.
Until our next therapy session:
Keep calm.
Keep cruising.
Keep listening.
And I’ll “SEA” you aboard Harmony of the Seas.
Meet me at Wonderland for dinner, where the menu is creative, the presentation is wild, and I’m fully prepared to eat something that I have to question first. 😂
And on Halloween weekend…
If the waiter brings something to the table that starts smoking…
I’m just going to assume that’s part of the experience. 🧪💨🎃
What are you having?
Thanks for listening.
BYEEEE!
