Jenn is away, which means Trevor and Thomas have been left unsupervised. Naturally, a conversation about cruise bargains ends with a hypothetical spider rescue mission.

This week, we break down Margaritaville at Sea’s annual cruise pass and its fine print—then ask the big question: would you pay $4,000 for a similar pass from Carnival? It’s our imaginary offer, but the debate is very real.

We also talk Panama Canal sailings, bucket list destinations, and the questionable decisions we’ve made trying to cruise on a budget. Think cheap Galveston motels, exhausting overnight drives, and an alligator sighting Trevor still can’t confirm.

Meanwhile, listener Tim checks in from Tokyo DisneySea, explains why traveling with suitcases has him craving a cruise, and introduces Trevor to an entirely new reason to fear Australia. Steven gets another birthday shout-out, and absent Jenn gets exactly as much sympathy as you’d expect.

Would you buy an annual Carnival cruise pass? Tell us what price—and what restrictions—you could live with!

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🚢 FRGC 4, September 2026, is in the books! Cruise with us on our next adventure—contact Amanda Barmore with Have Luggage Will Travel.

Remember: anything that happens on the ship stays on YouTube.

Title: Sake Happens: The FRGC 4 Afterparty!

Description:

An oversized bottle of sake, a Family Feud team name that needed censoring, and a search party for Trevor. Yep—we’re back from FRGC 4, and the stories deserve their own afterparty!

Trevor, Thomas, and Jenn reunite to unpack eight days of Carnival cruising chaos, including Celebration Key cabanas, exploring Half Moon Cay, and a spa elevator shortcut Trevor probably should’ve kept secret. Thomas shares his Family Feud experience and his verdict on the Zero Proof package, while Trevor explains how teppanyaki dinner became a slightly blurry adventure.

Plus: honest food reviews, glittery mocktails, missing door magnets, sea turtles, and the adventures of “Flat Jenn”—because leaving the real Jenn at home didn’t mean she could escape our nonsense.

We also talk FRGC 5 and a pricing mix-up that made the next group cruise look twice as expensive. Contact Amanda for the details before selling a kidney!

And before we forget: Happy birthday, Steven!

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🚢 Cruise With us on FRGC 4, September 2026 - Contact Amanda Barmore with Have Luggage Will Travel https://flow.page/haveluggagewilltravel
FRGC 4 is now in the books—contact Amanda about joining the next adventure on FRGC 5!

Remember: anything that happens on the ship stays on YouTube.

Trevor has declared this a spider-free episode. It does not stay a spider-free episode.

Carnival Tropicale opened for booking this week — the last Excel-class ship, arriving in Galveston in 2028, which gives Galveston two Excel ships and gives Carnival a reason to finally do something different. Tropicale drops BOLT entirely in favor of Sun Station Point, a new zone anchored by Carnival WaterWorks Ultra, a multi-level water park. (The first Ace-class ship, Carnival Destiny, comes after.) Meanwhile Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas debuted a dramatic new cascading waterfall down the midship stairs on deck five, which was in fact a burst pipe in the men's room, and which they fixed quickly and quietly.

Less funny for the people involved: Royal Caribbean cancelled a Serenade of the Seas Alaska sailing after guests had been aboard in Vancouver for three days without ever leaving port — full refund, 100% future cruise credit, and up to $400 in airfare. And Norwegian Aura, NCL's largest ship ever, caught fire during construction in Italy. More smoke than blaze, but the crew runs the depressing roll call of ships that have burned before her.

Also: a man ran a marathon every single day of his Princess cruise — seven marathons, 186 miles, six hours for the Rome one because he kept stopping for photos — which the crew agrees is a crime against the entire concept of cruising. A viral video of a woman who paid $1,100 for her half of a $500 cruise, and the roommate who has now been located. Tim calls in from Australia with the real story on why Carnival Encounter can't get into Cairns, an open invitation for Trevor (and pointedly not the other two), and a Japan trip before his own sailing. Bobby writes in to ask what the warning label on Trevor's life would say. And Jen quietly passes two years on the show, making her the longest-running third wheel in cruising podcast history.

Next week's episode comes to you raw, unedited, and possibly unhinged — the boys are on the Jubilee.

8 days to the Jubilee. 109 days to Jen's next cruise. 358 days to FRGC5 aboard Allure of the Seas.

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🛳️ FRGC5 — Yes, YOU are family. Cults can have families too! → cruisepodcastaways.com/frgc5
📞 Book with Amanda Barmore / Have Luggage Will Travel: booking@hlwtravel.com | (318) 237-0998 | facebook.com/HaveLuggage.WillTravel.LLC

Anything you do or say on a ship will remain forever.