Insider Traveler

Insider Traveler Jo Giraudo: Owner, CEO, Accredited Cruise Counsellor; Travel Critic, Advocate for Traveler's Rights. Information Overload leads to bad trip decisions.

You need an Insider to help you make the best use of your Business or Personal travel budget. Through contacts and inside connections, we can help with all your travel decisions. Cruising is our specialty - from intimate river boats to 5,000 passenger mega ships. Need to narrow down your trip options, discuss the merits of travel insurance or book the best price possible - we are here to help. No

, travel agents are not a thing of the past - and please don't wait until you are in a jam to find out why.

06/17/2026

Great tips!

This seems to be the wave of the future. I support redirecting the 4000+ passenger mega ships away from the world's clas...
05/20/2026

This seems to be the wave of the future. I support redirecting the 4000+ passenger mega ships away from the world's classic cities.

1.7 million cruise passengers stopped over in Barcelona last year. The city's mayor just said he wants that number to reach zero.

The tax on stopover cruise visitors is doubling from €4 to €8 per person, and he's fast-tracking it to take effect this year instead of the four-year timeline the council originally agreed to. He's also asked the regional government to remove the €8 cap entirely so Barcelona can raise it further. The city is cutting cruise terminals from seven to five by 2030, and tourist apartments are being eliminated by 2028.

Here's the key distinction if you have a cruise booked that stops in Barcelona: this targets ships that dock for a few hours and leave. Cruises that start or end in Barcelona are not affected. The mayor specifically said home-port cruises are the model the city wants to keep.

If Barcelona is a port call on your itinerary, check with your cruise line on whether that stop is changing. If your cruise departs from Barcelona, you're fine.
📰 Sources: Fox News

Camera detectors are small and unexpensive.
05/11/2026

Camera detectors are small and unexpensive.

I scrolled past the cable channels on the TV remote and saw live feeds of every room of the place I was staying in. The host’s excuse? “I forgot.” Here’s how to sweep your next rental in two minutes.

04/19/2026

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is expanding its use of biometric technology to move passengers through security lines more quickly.

Want to experience a brand new ship? Check out these new ships being delivered in 2026 and beyond -
03/15/2026

Want to experience a brand new ship? Check out these new ships being delivered in 2026 and beyond -

The luxury cruise ship orderbook shows more than three dozen new vessel introductions coming from now through 2037. Highlights include the entries of Four Seasons and Orient Express, and Explora Journeys rounding out its fleet to six ships by 2028. For a complete overview of the market, see the new....

03/13/2026
Jo,We made it back from our awesome Norway cruise! I wanted to share some of our pictures from our trip. We even got to ...
12/04/2025

Jo,
We made it back from our awesome Norway cruise!
I wanted to share some of our pictures from our trip. We even got to experience Norway’s National Holiday- their Constitution Day (like America’s 4th of July). The weather was perfect the entire trip. THANK YOU!!

My clients having a blast on their Viking Nile Cruise!!
11/20/2025

My clients having a blast on their Viking Nile Cruise!!

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