Greetings!

I hope you're having a relaxing weekend or an adventurous one, whichever floats your boat! Speaking of boats ... My family and I are getting ready to go on our first-ever family cruise and our first trip to Europe as a family of four. We've been stocking up on things we need (check out these 12 essential items that'll make your summer travels easier), and you'll find that many of this week's tips are related to getting ready for our trip. They include the must-have gadget for cruising, passport and travel insurance advice, and five important things to do before an international trip. Scroll down to read them all and be sure to see my interview with The Cruise Guy, who has been on over 300 cruises!
And if you're staying stateside this summer, here's our just-published review of what is arguably Santa Barbara's best hotel.

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In this issue:

✈️ Today's Travel Outlook

As of 10:19am PST, there have been 110 canceled flights to, from or within the United States and 1,959 delayed. Here's a link to the up-to-date stats and a live look at the FAA's National Airspace System Status. Here's what to do during weather delays and flight cancellations.

🛂 Monday

What You Need To Know About Renewing or Getting an Emergency Passport in the U.S.
I recently interviewed David J. Alwadish, who is the CEO of ⁠ItsEasy.com⁠ and arguably founded the passport expediting business decades ago. I asked David a lot of passport-related questions, including where people can get one in an emergency. You can watch, listen to or read his tips here.

🚢 Tuesday

Going on a Cruise? Be Sure to Bring This
We are going on our first family cruise soon and we’re beyond excited. I’ve been on over two dozen cruises but I haven’t been on one since the pandemic began and I haven’t done a cruise with my two kids, who are three and six years old … so I’m feeling like a bit of a newbie as we prepare for our adventure. There are lots of things to consider when cruising but you should definitely know about this banned item and what to use instead. Read the story here.

🔋 Wednesday

What Every Savvy Traveler Packs When They Travel and Why It’s Not Great to Check Lithium-ion Batteries
On our flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu last year, the bottom cover of my HP laptop, which had already been acting up, popped out of one of its base screws. A few minutes later, the same thing happened to the other side so it looked like my computer had a mouth. After calling into The Tech Guy show to do an interview and mentioning this, I learned a valuable lesson. Here's what you need to know.

⚠️ Thursday

The Travel Insurance Coverage That Goes Above and Beyond
We’re doing our research and getting ready for our big trip since we haven’t been across the pond since before the pandemic, and never as a family of four (our daughter is three years old). I thought you would appreciate some of the things we’re doing to get ready, including this big thing I just checked off my to-do list. Read the story.

💳 Saturday

5 Important Things to Do Before Your International Trip to Make Sure Your Credit Card Doesn’t Get Declined and You Don’t Get Ripped Off
We're heading to Europe for the first time in a while. In today's post, I've outlined 5 important things related to my credit cards and bank that I've done to make sure our trip goes smoothly. These tips can help you as you plan your travels, too. Read the story.

📺 Travel Video of the Week

All of Your 2023 Cruise Questions Answered by an Expert Who Has Been on 310 Cruises
Stewart Chiron, aka The Cruise Guy, has been on 310 cruises, including two in the last month. Stewart was kind enough to answer every question I threw at him, from how cruising has changed since the pandemic to his best cruise tips. Watch the video here.

⚡ Travel Product of the Week

🌎 12 Things to Know in Travel Today

1 I-95 bridge collapse in Philadelphia leads to road closures
2 Marlon Wayans cited for disturbing the peace after issue with United Airlines
3 ‘That’s ridiculous’ No public bathrooms at any rail stations
4 GPS error leads to CA man's arrest at Canadian border with 400 pounds of ...
5 Delta JFK-LAX flight makes emergency landing moments before plane’s slide deploys
6 'They're 100% not human': Vegas police investigate reports of extraterrestrial sightings
7 El Niño has officially arrived, signaling a warmer world and possibly a wetter SoCal
8 Delta's CEO says ‘revenge travel’ is taking over America and even he's shocked
9 He ran out of countries to visit, so he created his own
10 ‘Unbelievably excited’ - wheelchair users react to new Delta airplane seat design
11 Duck, duck, cruise: What to know about rubber ducks on cruise ships
12 Yesterday's TSA checkpoint numbers

✅ Currency Exchange ✅ Calendar Countdown

✈️ Miles and Points

📺 Travel Video of the Week

10 Things You Never Knew About Italy
It’s been a while since I recorded a podcast but my dad was really sick and my head just wasn’t in it. I know he would want me to keep going so I’m back. In honor of my dad’s Italian heritage, we’re going to talk about one of our favorite countries, Italy! Who better to interview than my good friend Sebastian Harrison, who splits his time between Italy and Los Angeles. You can either read the tips, watch the interview or listen to the podcast, all of which you can find here.