The Golden Crew is back, and this week Trevor is NOT dead — despite his best efforts to convince everyone otherwise. After a dramatic week of faking strep throat, sending blinking GIFs, and getting his wife Megan to photograph the inside of his throat for a very skeptical Teladoc doctor, Trevor has somehow survived to podcast another day.

On the cruise news front, we've got a big week! The Carnival Sunshine went full blackout — losing power, propulsion, AND sanitation at 2 AM while returning to Norfolk. Tugboats, delayed embarkation, and a $25 onboard credit were involved. We break it all down. Then we talk about the Carnival Conquest's fresh glow-up out of dry dock, including the new Heroes Tribute Bar honoring our military veterans and active duty service members — and yes, the arcade came up too.

We also touch on Puerto Vallarta's temporary removal from Carnival's Mexican Riviera routes (Jen is on the Costco update desk, so stay tuned to the Facebook group), and the 2026 Cruiseline.com Member Choice Awards — spoiler: Royal Caribbean swept basically everything and the crew has thoughts.

And finally... waffle cones. We somehow end up in a deeply committed conversation about soft serve, cruise hacks, and things we probably should not describe in a family-friendly podcast description. You'll just have to listen.

🚢 Join the conversation! Find us in the Podcastaways Facebook Group for Costco updates, waffle cone debates, and a countdown to the Family Reunion Group Cruise — only 195 days away!

Anything that happens on the ship stays on YouTube. Bye!

Speakpipe.com/CarnivalCruisingPodcastaways to leave us a voicemail.

Cruise With us on FRGC 4, September 2026 - Contact Amanda Barmore with Have Luggage Will Travel https://flow.page/haveluggagewilltravel

This week on The Podcastaways, Trevor, Tom, and Jen take a break from cruise news for a very important investigation: did Tom’s mirror move… or are we living in Bizarro Land?

Then we’re joined by Kira Jackson (aka @KiraKiraWonders) for a fantastic behind-the-scenes interview about life working on Princess Cruises. Kira shares what it was like having a niche acting role as a live “character performer” who hosted bingo in character, why longer cruises feel totally different than shorter ones, how crew culture impacts guest experience, and what passengers do that makes crew quietly panic (spoiler: kids on railings).

We also get into cruise classics like favorite ports (hello, Jeju), ship size debates, crew gifts (yes… the ducks), ship internet reality, and we settle the only question that truly matters: Is a hot dog a sandwich?

Follow Kira: Instagram / TikTok / YouTube: @KiraKiraWonders

https://www.instagram.com/kirakirawanders/

Speakpipe.com/CarnivalCruisingPodcastaways to leave us a voicemail.

Cruise With us on FRGC 4, September 2026 - Contact Amanda Barmore with Have Luggage Will Travel https://flow.page/haveluggagewilltravel

Galveston is back in the spotlight, and we are updating the full port-day playbook. Trevor, Jenn, and Thomas rank Galveston against their other favorite homeports, then get practical with where to stay (Texas City vs Seawall, plus a few “bougie” picks), where to eat (from pho to seafood to that reliable Waffle House energy), and what to do if you have extra time before sail day.

We also hit the real-life lessons: why you should double-check which terminal you’re walking to, what to watch for with parking and car safety, and the best ways to get from the airport to the island without turning embarkation day into a stress marathon. Then we wrap with a listener audio moment that spirals into cruise buffet truth-telling and a little breakfast dessert drama.

If you cruise out of Galveston, this episode is your shortcut to a smoother trip.

Speakpipe.com/CarnivalCruisingPodcastaways to leave us a voicemail.
FRGC 4.0 and 5.0 https://flow.page/haveluggagewilltravel