The Golden Crew is BACK after a week off (sorry Tom, your mom's move was worth it) and we are loaded down with cruise news, speakpipe love, and one very questionable tattoo conversation.

First up — Tom's mom has officially landed in Tulsa, which means Tom is now headed to Dallas because apparently you CAN have too much of a good thing. He's got 60 days, a two-bedroom apartment, and presumably no noisy ceiling fan to sit under (yet).

Then we get into the heavy stuff. There's a real situation unfolding aboard the M/V Hondius near Cape Verde — three deaths, multiple severe illnesses, and a hantavirus outbreak that's sent even the responding doctor home sick. Trevor breaks down what we know so far (this is developing, so things may have changed by the time you hear this), and Tom reminds everyone that the Black Plague WAS, in fact, transmitted by mice. Educational AND terrifying. The Kennedy household hantavirus deterrent system (a cat) was also very vocal during this segment.

In happier-ish news, Carnival's VIFP terms of service are changing September 1st, and Trevor has STRONG feelings about the folks out there opting out as a protest. Spoiler: opt in. Trust us. Don't slam the door on Papa Carnival just because you're mad. Also, MSC, if you're listening, we are absolutely available.

Tom is officially considering a Margaritaville tattoo, and we need your help. Send your tattoo suggestions to our Facebook page — clean OR dirty, Madison doesn't care — and Madison (that's me, hi 👋) will whip up AI images of Tom rocking your suggested ink. Bonus points if anyone can finally convince Trevor to commit to that Harry Potter lightning bolt he's been threatening for years.

THREE speakpipes this week! Tim returns with more "Powerball numbers" (Trevor is still convinced he violated the temporal prime directive), Brando is BACK after a long absence with a 1992 Powerball number that'll definitely still work, and Catherine swung by for our 5-year anniversary love (and to gently confirm that no, Trevor, The Notebook is not a time travel movie). It's about letters. In a mailbox. Through normal mail.

We close out with the new Carnival dinner menu (pork chops 3 of 7 nights — Trevor is THRIVING), an appetizer-sized portion of ribs and mac and cheese spotted on John's FFS cruise that has us questioning what "appetizer" even means anymore, and the FRGC4 countdown clock ticking down to 135 days.

🎤 Got something to say? Leave us a speakpipe at speakpipe.com/carnivalcruisingpodcastaways — link in the description. Tattoo suggestions, cruise stories, conspiracy theories about Tim, we want it all.

Join us over on Facebook in The Podcastaways group, and remember — anything that happens on the ship stays on YouTube.

You are unique, you are special, and you are loved. ⚓

Five years and 200+ episodes in, Trevor, Tom, and Jen pull up the very first episode of the show and put their original cruise tips on trial. Which ones still hold up? Which ones aged like milk? Spoiler: "turn your phone on airplane mode" is still solid advice, and yes, you should still skip the $30 souvenir drink cup.

Along the way: a heads-up that Chichén Itzá is no longer allowing backpacks (effective April 21st), Tim drops this week's Powerball numbers from the future via Speakpipe and confirms Masala Tiger is still on the Splendor, and a tangent about turning Princess medallions into an Infinity Gauntlet that frankly deserves its own episode.

Whether you're a brand-new cruiser looking for the basics or a longtime listener who wants to laugh at how baby-faced Tom used to be, this one's for you.

📱 Leave us a voice message: speakpipe.com/carnivalcruisingpodcastaways👥 Join the silliness on Facebook — search "The Podcastaways

Remember: you're unique, you're special, and you are loved.

The Golden Crew is fully reunited — and Tim from the future is calling the shots.

Trevor, Tom (aka "Babyface," a nickname he did NOT approve), and Jenn are back together after last week's two-person experiment, and the gang wastes no time getting into it.

On deck this week 🚢:

🍗 Chicken, Waffles & Waves — John Heald dropped the brand new lunch menu being tested on the Liberty, Conquest, and Glory. Southern fried chicken, Korean-style tenders, slow-smoked pork butt, beef brisket… and a crew very nervous about Carnival's ability to fry a chicken. The debate is live.

🥶 Bermuda → New Brunswick — Virgin Voyages passengers packed their bikinis for tropical paradise and got rerouted to decidedly-not-bikini-weather Canada. A tale of weather, tears, and swimsuits that stayed in the suitcase.

🛳️ The Carnival Pride is back! — 22 days in Freeport dry dock, fresh carpets, updated casino, and a 10-night eastern Caribbean run. Plus a fun fact about the Pride + Miracle Baltimore team-up coming in fall 2027.

📞 Speakpipes from Tim — who apparently called us from the FUTURE (he got off his cruise on the 15th… which is the day we recorded). Tim, we need those Powerball numbers ASAP. Also: thermal suite review, sea turtles, piss soup warnings, and a Sea Day Brunch banana cream pie controversy that has Tom under investigation.

⚖️ 14 shots in 8.5 hours = $300,000 — Tom brings the big news: a passenger was awarded major damages after an over-service situation led to a serious fall. The crew debates personal responsibility, Carnival's appeal, and Trevor's two-drink nap threshold.

Plus: Trevor's California daydream, the ongoing saga of Megan and the debit card, tornado sirens as background music, and Trevor's rogue "lips that touch alcohol shall not touch mine" moment that took the show into genuinely uncharted territory.

📢 Leave us a Speakpipe! We played Tim's twice — you could be next: speakpipe.com/carnivalcruisingpodcastaways

👥 Join the crew on Facebook! Search "The Podcastaways" — that's where the chit-chat, silliness, and menu screenshots live (yes Tom, Brando called you out).

⏳ Trevor sets sail in 156 days. Jenn in 257 days. Tom is… somewhere. Probably eating French toast.

Cheers to more cruising nonsense. 🍹 Don't make it weird. — Madison