A trip to Spain gets off to a much rougher start than planned when a delayed LEVEL flight from New York to Barcelona turns into an overnight airport stay, a cancellation, and nearly a full day of uncertainty about whether the trip will happen at all.

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We share the full story of getting stranded at JFK, what we learned about dealing with a canceled international flight, why being a “displaced passenger” matters, and how European passenger protections and travel insurance can change the equation when things go wrong.

Then, finally, Barcelona.

With our planned two-and-a-half days cut down to about a day and a half, we make the most of the time we have: Sagrada Família, a Gaudí walking tour, the Gothic Quarter, an excellent metro system, vermut straight from the barrel, Spanish wine, a memorable food tour, and plenty of reasons to come back.

Next time, we head north to Asturias for a very different side of Spain.

What happens when the port you booked a cruise for disappears from the itinerary?

Christopher and Ashleigh continue their Rhapsody of the Seas trip recap with a port-by-port journey through the Caribbean. After Dominica is unexpectedly replaced with La Romana, they explore a mix of familiar islands, new destinations, excellent private tours, disappointing cruise-port experiences, and places that completely changed their opinions.

In St. Thomas, they kayak through mangroves, learn about the dangerously poisonous manchineel tree, and confront the cost and limitations of getting around the island as a cruise passenger. Check out this excursion on Viator.

St. Croix becomes an unexpected highlight thanks to a visit to Prosperity Farm Distillery, where sugarcane is being grown and transformed into unusual locally made spirits. They also explain why cruise-line excursions are not always the safest, easiest, or best-value option they appear to be.

A private tour takes them around both sides of St. Maarten, from the planes at Maho Beach to Marigot, Grand Case, Orient Bay, local food, and handmade jewelry. For more information about this tour, check out Viator.

Then Antigua delivers one of the best tours of the trip, with sweeping overlooks, island history, an excellent guide, and perhaps the best rum punch Christopher has ever had. Book your tour of Antigua on Viator.

Their replacement port, La Romana, offers a very different experience: a heavily controlled cruise complex that leaves them wondering whether they can honestly say they have visited the Dominican Republic at all.

After the cruise, a major water outage forces them to cancel their stay in Old San Juan and improvise a return to Luquillo. Along the way, they accidentally take a coffee plantation tour entirely in Spanish, eat lechón in Guavate, rediscover a revitalized side of Luquillo, get caught in a beach downpour, and navigate a stressful Frontier Airlines trip home.

It is an honest look at what cruise travel can offer when the ports are the destination—and why flexibility, research, and realistic expectations matter just as much as the itinerary.

A cruise from San Juan offers something most departure ports cannot: the chance to turn embarkation into a Puerto Rico vacation of its own.

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Christopher and Ashleigh are back from their sixth trip to Puerto Rico in four years and their second cruise sailing from San Juan. Before boarding Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas, they spent several low-key days in Fajardo, working remotely, cooking at their condo, enjoying the ocean view, and returning to some favorite Puerto Rican food experiences.

They share why Fajardo works so well as a relaxed home base, along with stops at Monte Brisas Bakery for enormous local sandwiches and La Estación for Puerto Rican barbecue. Christopher also offers an unexpectedly detailed guide to grocery shopping in Puerto Rico, including why Ralph’s has become a favorite.

Then they board the 1997-built Rhapsody of the Seas for an honest look at the advantages and limitations of cruising on a smaller, older ship. They discuss the limited activities and entertainment, excellent service, plentiful live music, traditional dining, dated cabin features, and why choosing a cruise for its itinerary can require some compromises onboard.

In this episode:

• Why they enjoy sailing from San Juan • What it is like to spend a quieter week in Fajardo • Local food finds worth seeking out • The benefits and drawbacks of a small cruise ship • Their ocean-view cabin experience on Rhapsody of the Seas • Dining, entertainment, trivia, and live music onboard • An uncomfortable English-only rule in the Schooner Bar • Blustone Vineyard’s Ad Lib red wine

Listen for a practical, candid look at building a Puerto Rico stay around a cruise and deciding whether an older, smaller ship is the right tradeoff for the trip you want. Be sure to check back for the next episode, where they talk about the ports they visited!