July 30, 2026. For some cruise lines it's all about the money. Celebrity raises their gratuities!

• Low water on the Danube leaves a Viking river ship stranded on a sandbar. Time to call in the motorcoaches!
• A 44-year-old man was arrested on a Carnival cruise after allegedly assaulting children. Just another alcohol-fueled three-day cruise gone off the rails.
• If someone dies on a cruise ship, is an investigation and autopsy always required? The answer may surprise you.
• Day two on Wegovy... and still no side effects. Either I'm getting lucky, or the plot twist is coming later today.

THE DAILY CRUISE AND TRAVEL NEWS “PODCAST” WITH TOM DRAKE

For nearly 30 years, comedian Tom Drake has gone where most people only dream of vacationing—performing stand-up aboard cruise ships around the world, crossing countless oceans, visiting faraway ports, enduring crowded airports, and witnessing nearly every kind of travel triumph and disaster imaginable.

After that much time at sea, Tom has seen everything, done everything, and—at least according to Tom—now knows everything.

That’s why he has earned the title “Guru of the Seas.”

Every Monday through Friday, The Daily Cruise and Travel News “Podcast” with Tom Drake delivers the biggest stories making waves across the cruise and travel industries. Tom breaks down the day’s headlines, explains what they really mean for travelers, and shares the frank, funny, and completely unfiltered opinions you will not find in a cruise line press release.

New ships. Changing policies. Airline meltdowns. Port problems. Passenger behavior. Travel trends. Strange stories from the high seas. If it affects the way people cruise, fly, or attempt to get from one place to another, Tom is talking about it.

This is not a polished commercial for the travel industry. It is an honest look behind the curtain from someone who has spent decades working inside it—with a microphone in his hand, a comedian’s eye for the absurd, and very little interest in sugarcoating the truth.

Whether you are a seasoned cruiser, planning your first voyage, frustrated with air travel, or simply enjoy sharp commentary and a good laugh, climb aboard.

The Daily Cruise and Travel News “Podcast” with Tom Drake—weekdays wherever people “pod their cast.”