The Never-Ending Cruise Just Ended (and Other Travel News This Week)

Mark Murphy of TravelTube.com covers this week’s biggest travel stories: a lifetime cruise that ran out of fuel money, why holiday airfare is climbing, where to get a European feel without crossing the Atlantic, and the first adults-only flight.

In this episode:

🚢 The “endless” cruise is over. Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey, the ship people sold their homes to live on full-time, halted service in Cambodia less than two years after launch. Mark explains how fuel costs per cabin roughly tripled, and what residents should check about their contracts. His takeaway: before buying into any long-term travel product, look hard at how well the company is capitalized.

✈️ Holiday airfare is up 21–30%. On a $450 domestic ticket, that’s about $135 more. Mark breaks down three drivers: jet fuel prices, limited competition among the major carriers, and peak-season demand. He also shares money-saving tips: fly on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day, travel between Thanksgiving and mid-December, and consider low-fare airports like Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.

🌎 Alternatives to Europe. If you’re rethinking Europe trips, Mark suggests a combined Montreal and Quebec City trip, where the exchange rate gives Americans a big discount, or Buenos Aires for a European atmosphere with almost no jet lag.

👶 The first adults-only flight. A child-free charter from New York to Florida, paired with an adults-only Virgin Voyages sailing, sold out in about three days at $2,750 per couple. Don’t expect child-free flights on regular routes, though.

📩 Sign up for the newsletter at TravelTube.com and follow the podcast on your favorite app.