Podcast Archives - Erica James Travel Agency

30Mar 2024 by EJtheTravelDiva

Episode 99: I’m Back from a Carnival Cruise

Podcast

Welcome to episode 99! Today, I’ll be talking about the cruise I recently took to the Bahamas – the first cruise I’ve taken since the pandemic started. It was also my first Baecation (I know!) This was a short 4-day cruise to the Bahamas, and I know I said I was never going to take another short Bahamas cruise, but my cousin, who has never been out of the country, was taking a cruise with his girlfriend, and I could not pass up the opportunity to be there for his first cruise. Let’s get into it: [04:16] Port Canavaral Our cruise left out of Port Canavaral, which isn’t the most convenient since it’s about an hour away from the nearest airport. If you’re flying into Orlando on the day, preferably take…

09Mar 2024 by EJtheTravelDiva

Episode 97: Have Curves, Will Travel

Podcast

Welcome to episode 97! Today, I’m joined by Alexis from Have Curves, Will Travel. She is a plus-size queer traveler breaking stereotypes, pushing boundaries, and encouraging others to travel regardless of their backgrounds. Let’s get into it: [04:09] Growing Up Travelling In 5th grade, Alexis first became interested in all the things that the world has to offer. In her early 20s, her curiosity led her to jobs in Alaska and Colorado, and she hasn’t looked back since.Having the strong support system that allowed her to leave home gave her the space to learn about herself. After a 2-year break from travel, working as a professional baker and chocolatier, she went to the Philippines on her first big international trip, which catapulted her into a travel career. [11:23] Travelling with a Family vs…

02Oct 2023 by EJtheTravelDiva

Episode 96: Unpacking Vacation Packages: What Some People Don’t Understand!

Podcast

Welcome to episode 96! Today, I’ll be talking about some of the travel misunderstandings that I’ve seen over the years with clients that haven’t travelled before. As a travel agent, people have asked me questions to things that I just assumed everybody knew. Turns out, that’s not the case, so this episode is to try to clarify some of those questions. Let’s get into it: [02:45] Travel dates. Some people don’t know that you can actually choose your departure and arrival dates. As long as you have a flight available, you have dates available. If you want to take a cruise, you can probably find one every single day. When it comes to travel dates, you are in control. You don’t need to book a vacation package if you’re…

25Sep 2023 by EJtheTravelDiva

Episode 95: Passport to Paradise: Chronicles of a Travel Agent’s Fam Trip

Podcast

Welcome to episode 95! Today, I’ll be getting into fam trips. These are familiarisation trips that us travel agents take to become familiar with destinations so that we know what we’re talking about when we recommend them to travellers. It’s not all fun, though. We’re not there to live it up in the destinations. We’re there to work. Let’s get into it: [03:12] It’s actually work. If you follow me on social media, you see me posting the best pictures of the destinations I visit, but you don’t see the behind-the-scenes. [03:39] It’s a full day of work. Tour companies and resorts want you to experience everything they have to offer in one day, so you start your day early and get back to your room late, and then you do that again the…

21Mar 2023 by EJtheTravelDiva

Episode 94: Support BLACK Periodt w/ Franny the Traveler

Podcast

In today’s episode, I will be talking to Princess Francois, aka Franny The Traveler, and we are getting into her new book, Support Black Periodt. By the end of this episode, you will have the tools, resources, and insights so that we can all support black businesses, intentionally. Let’s go: [02:49] Franny’s travel history. She is an educator, and spent 5 years teaching high school chemistry, 6 hears as a high school assistant principal, and is currently an executive director. It was only after a year of teaching that she started travelling. Growing up, her travels included taking the bus or the subway to different neighborhoods in New York. Her first flight was to Indianapolis to attend a National Science Teacher Conference. That same summer, she took her first international flight to…

02Jan 2023 by EJtheTravelDiva

Episode 93: My Client’s Experience at First All Inclusive

Podcast

In today’s episode, I will be talking to another one of my clients, Altie, and she is going to tell us about her experience staying at the Royalton White Sands Resort with her husband, two kids, and her brother-in-law and his wife. None of them have ever flown out of the US or stayed at an all-inclusive resort, and today we are going to get her opinions on all-inclusive resorts versus cruising, and some tips and tricks for when you want to book your all-inclusive resort vacation. Let’s go: [03:22] Altie’s travel history. Altie only started traveling after she had her kids, initially only for sports games. It was only much later that she went on her first real vacation cruise to the Bahamas. [06:13] Getting her first…

26Dec 2022 by EJtheTravelDiva

Episode 92: Why Are Yall So Mad While Traveling

Podcast

If you’ve been following travel news, you have heard about the increase in unruly passengers that have been causing delays, rerouting flights, and ruining everybody else’s plans and experiences. In today’s episode, I need to address those unruly passengers and get to the bottom of this. Let’s go: [03:12] Since 2020. These are the stats from the FAA: What started as 14 unruly passenger reports in 2019, it escalated to 183 in 2020. Then, in 2021, 1099 unruly reports were investigated. As of November 1, 2022, there have been 2178 reports. It more than doubled last year’s numbers and it’s not even the end of the year yet. [04:57] Why is this happening? I did some digging into this, and here are some of the reasons that people…

28Nov 2022 by EJtheTravelDiva

Episode 91: A Traveler’s Experience: First All-Inclusive Resort

Podcast

After two years of doing this podcast, I’m changing things up for this episode. In today’s episode, I will be talking to one of my clients, Pam, and she is going to tell us all about her experience staying at the RIU Reggae All-Inclusive Resort (which was also her first flight trip out of the US, as well as her first all-inclusive resort stay). Let’s go: [01:53] The RIU Reggae Resort. The RIU Reggae is an All-Inclusive, Adults-Only resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica. If you’re planning to go to RIU Reggae, prepare yourself for the greatest croissants. [04:21] Pam’s travel history. Growing up in Nashville, Pam’s parents didn’t take trips to anywhere except grandma’s house. At the age of 21, Pam took her first flight to visit her…

07Nov 2022 by EJtheTravelDiva

Episode 90: If Your Luggage is Lost/Delayed

Podcast

In episode 88, I talked about how you can minimize your chances of your luggage getting lost or delayed. In today’s episode, I will be talking about the things that you can do if your luggage either doesn’t arrive at your destination or arrives a few days later. This happened to one of us in our group when we travelled to Riu Baja California, and it is not the way you want to be starting your vacation. Let’s get into it: [02:35] Packing. When you’re packing for your vacation, you want to make sure you’ve packed enough into your carry-on luggage to comfortably get through 24 hours at your destination. Pack one outfit, essential toiletries, medications, and a swimsuit for those beach destinations. [03:59] Report the issue and fill out…

31Oct 2022 by EJtheTravelDiva

Episode 89: Riu Baja California

Podcast

Last month, I stayed at the Riu Baja California in Cabo San Lucas for 6 days, and this time I travelled for vacation and not as a travel agent. In this episode, I will be going through the experience I had so that you can have the information you may need to decide if you want to stay at this resort on your vacation. Let’s go: [01:40] Who is it for? The resort is adults-only (18+). I would say it’s for singles, couples, and groups looking to turn up and have a great time. The price point for this resort is also really good, if that’s something you’re considering. [02:17] The vibe. If you’re looking for a resort with a young, fun, chilled, and exciting vibe, and you want to have a…

Category: Podcast