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Southwest Airlines with airport lounges? That headline stopped us in our tracks, because it signals a real shift in how Southwest wants to compete and how travelers might plan airport time, starting with a lounge planned for Honolulu. We also talk through a practical route update for Hawaii fans: Southwest flying from Las Vegas to Hilo, which makes the Big Island easier to reach if you’d rather land closer to waterfalls, rainforests, and Volcanoes National Park.

Then we jump to Europe, where Rome is experimenting with a two-euro fee to get close to the Trevi Fountain during peak hours. It’s a small price, but it raises a big travel question: how do you keep iconic places enjoyable when the crowds never stop? We share the simple planning mindset that helps, including when to visit so you can still get that “I can’t believe I’m here” moment.

A listener text takes us to Norway, one of our favorite destinations for fjords, towering cliffs, and waterfall-packed cruises. We break down the best time to go for fjords and long daylight, the best season for northern lights, and what to do in Oslo, including an easy “Norway in a Nutshell” route. Finally, the cruise headlines: Great Stirrup Key’s new pier, French Riviera cruise limits, and long Alaska cruises from 10 to 16 days, including an Alaska and Hawaii itinerary. If you like travel deals, cruise news, and real-world trip planning, subscribe, share this with a travel buddy, and leave us a review.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to the show. There are literally thousands of podcasts from which you can choose, yet you listened to my show.

The entire purpose of this podcast is to help people plan and book their next vacation or simply give listeners ideas of where they might consider going on vacation next. Our goal is to help our listeners live their lives deliberately and intentionally. You only get one shot at life so you might as well make it count. Make memories with those that matter most to you.

TAKE ACTION: Quit talking about going on vacation, just do it. If you want more information about any of the destinations we discussed during the show, or have your own custom vacation in mind, I can help you. Please call, text, or email me.

Here's my contact information:

Patrick Wiscombe

Cell/Text: (801) 874-7717

Email: patrick.wiscombe@gmail.com

Podcast: https://thevacationnerd.buzzsprout.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheVacationNerd