The Wander with Milford Podcast

A tanker capsized a docked river cruise ship in New Orleans, the Rhine finally got its rain, and Avalon just made its Black Friday offer a lot more inclusive. Here's what all of it means if you're booking a river cruise.

In this Wander With Milford river cruise update, Milford explains what happened when the tanker Atlantic Asphalt struck American Cruise Lines' American Heritage on November 13, what's still unknown about future sailings, and what booked guests should do now, plus how Europe's rivers rebounded this week and what that means for Christmas market cruises.

You'll also hear about Avalon's new Black Friday Sales Event with free prepaid gratuities and free air, how it changes the comparison with Scenic, Emerald and Uniworld, the deadlines for AmaWaterways, Scenic/Emerald, Viking and American Cruise Lines offers, Uniworld's three new ships for 2028, and ACL's first Arkansas River cruise.

This week's updates include:

• New Orleans, Nov 13: tanker Atlantic Asphalt struck the docked American Heritage around 12:30 PM local time; the riverboat capsized, everyone was accounted for, and 32 people were hospitalized, none critical; Coast Guard and NTSB investigating; ACL hasn't yet announced changes to future American Heritage sailings
• Water check: Kaub hit a 5 cm low on Nov 7, reached 73 cm Friday night and read 70 cm around 7 AM ET Saturday (low-water mark 77 cm); BfG sees Kaub back above that mark by about Nov 18; Cologne 104, Kienstock 223
• Riviera cancelled four November river departures and is reviewing Christmas market sailings; VIVA RUBY's Nov 12 departure cancelled; Avalon outlined ship swaps, hotels and full refunds for low water
• Avalon Black Friday (Nov 7–Dec 12): free prepaid gratuities and free air on select 2027 Europe river cruises, plus $2,000 off per couple on Panorama or Royal Suite upgrades
• Deadlines: American Cruise Lines up to 20% off ends Nov 15; AmaWaterways past guests through Nov 18, public Nov 19–Dec 3; Viking lowest fares through Nov 27; Scenic/Emerald up to 40% off through Nov 29; Uniworld Journey Together opens Nov 17
• New: Uniworld's S.S. Helen, S.S. Clara and Mekong Mystique for 2028 plus eight new itineraries; ACL's first Arkansas River cruise sailed Nov 8 (both 2026 dates sold out)

Before a deal deadline pushes you into booking, Wander With Milford helps you compare the real price, restrictions and overall value. Book your next river cruise at wanderwithmilford.com.

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is down to its last two nights, Disney World has no water park open today because of the cold, and Universal's holidays begin tomorrow with Epic Universe's very first holiday season.

In this Wander With Milford theme park update, Milford explains which Christmas party nights are still on sale, how Disney's new nonrefundable hotel rates work and who they make sense for, and what the new 2027 military tickets and passes from Disney and Universal include, blockout dates and all.

You'll also hear about the Blizzard Beach weather closure, Tiana's Bayou Adventure and Carousel of Progress timing, the Tropical Americas permit extension, Universal and SeaWorld holiday events, EPCOT's Festival of the Holidays, early park closings this weekend and the forecast.

This week's updates include:

• Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party: December 13 sold out November 12; only December 15 ($224) and December 17 ($229) left, plus tax
• Disney nonrefundable hotel rates: from $99 a night at All-Star Sports, four resorts, most nights December 13 to 24 and most Sunday to Thursday nights January 3 to February 25, 2027; no cancellations or changes
• Disney 2027 Military Salute tickets: Celebrates America ticket $549 with Park Hopper, 4-day from $429, valid January 1 to December 21, 2027; military hotel discounts up to 30%
• Universal 2027 Military Freedom Pass on sale November 12: $235 adult, $230 child, valid through December 23, 2027; Epic Universe not included
• LEGOLAND Florida holiday hotel offer with kids' tickets from $39 ends November 17
• Blizzard Beach closed November 13 and 14 for the cold, reopening November 15; Typhoon Lagoon in seasonal refurbishment
• Tiana's Bayou Adventure scheduled to reopen December 18; Carousel of Progress hinted for May 2027 (Disney says late spring)
• Tropical Americas construction permit extended to November 2027
• Universal: Jurassic Park River Adventure closed until mid-December; Monsters Unchained closed December 11 to 15; Volcano Bay closed until on or before April 1, 2027
• Holidays at Universal Orlando November 14 to January 3, including Epic Universe's first holiday decor; SeaWorld's Christmas Celebration with Miracles back for the first time since 2019
• EPCOT Festival of the Holidays November 27 to December 30; Magic Kingdom closes at 6 PM November 13 and 15, Hollywood Studios at 7 PM November 14
• Weather: coldest air since St. Patrick's Day, Saturday high near 65 with 40s mornings; National Hurricane Center expects no tropical development over the next 7 days

Before a deal deadline pushes you into booking, Wander With Milford helps you compare the real price, restrictions and overall value. Book your next Orlando vacation at wanderwithmilford.com.

Which cruise sales end today, and did your itinerary just change? This Thursday cruise update starts with four deals that hit their deadline today and the ones that give you more time.

In this Wander With Milford cruise update, Milford explains how Royal Caribbean's returning Beat the Clock savings stack with its December offers, what Carnival's up to 55% off flash sale means for the first two guests, why MSC's kids-sail-free fares matter for families, and when it makes sense to wait instead.

You'll also hear about Legend of the Seas' Veterans Day naming in Fort Lauderdale, Royal Caribbean's new Big Party Package, MSC's record four ships in Miami and the latest on MSC Poesia, the 2027 Hallmark Christmas Cruise opening for booking, a Spanish strike that cost MSC Seaview two ports, schedule changes for Norwegian Spirit, MSC World America and Norwegian Dawn, the MSC Seascape case out of Galveston, and the National Hurricane Center's seven-day outlook.

This week's updates include:

• Royal Caribbean Beat the Clock ends November 12 (sailings from November 11): $225/$300/$950 off inside-oceanview/balcony/suite on 6+ nights; Cyber Bonus onboard credit runs to November 16; 60% off the second guest and free 3rd/4th guests run to December 7
• Carnival's Early Access Cyber Flash Sale ends November 12: up to 55% off for the first and second guests on certain sailings through winter 2027; Early Saver Bonus runs to November 14 and a $500 onboard credit bundle to November 16
• MSC's Black Friday Flash Sale ends November 12: MSC Seaside's 4-night Miami to Nassau and Ocean Cay cruise from $155 per person with taxes and fees; kids 17 and under sail free as 3rd/4th guests on certain sailings
• Princess Balcony Bonus ends November 12: up to 50% off certain balcony cabins, up to $100 onboard credit per room and 50% off the standard deposit; Blue Friday runs to December 7
• Virgin Voyages' Black Friday Preview runs to November 19; Celebrity's last-minute Exciting Deals run to November 16
• Legend of the Seas was named at Port Everglades on November 11 by godmother retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Lori Robinson
• Royal Caribbean's new Big Party Package bundles drinks, internet and a beach club day, from about $88 per person per day on a 7-night Icon of the Seas cruise
• MSC has a record four ships at PortMiami this winter; no public Coast Guard clearance for MSC Poesia had been announced as of this morning
• Booking for the 2027 Hallmark Christmas Cruise on Celebrity Reflection opens November 12 at 11 a.m. ET; inside cabins from $1,690 per person, payments non-refundable
• A Spanish strike cost MSC Seaview Ibiza on November 11 and Tarragona on November 12; the ship added Cagliari and is calling at Barcelona instead
• Norwegian Spirit's November 17 sailing drops Dravuni, Fiji for an overnight in Lautoka; four other calls are shortened
• MSC World America leaves Miami at 4:30 p.m. on November 14 (doors close 3:30 p.m.); Norwegian Dawn leaves Jacksonville at 5 p.m. on November 15 after a Coast Guard inspection
• The National Hurricane Center's 7 a.m. ET November 12 outlook expects no Atlantic, Caribbean or Gulf tropical cyclone formation in the next 7 days

When four sales end on the same day, Wander With Milford helps you compare the real price, restrictions and overall value before you book. Book your next cruise at wanderwithmilford.com.

On Monday, November 9, the Supreme Court paused a lower-court order that had stopped border-barrier and road construction in the Big Bend region of Texas, so the work can resume while the lawsuit continues. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says updated plans for Big Bend National Park are coming soon. There's no public schedule yet for when or where crews restart, and no new visitor closures have been announced because of the ruling.

In this Wander With Milford national parks roundup for Veterans Day, Milford covers what the Big Bend ruling means for your trip, Kīlauea's latest lava fountains, the road to Hatteras, storm and construction closures from Washington to the Mojave, and a Thanksgiving-week planner.

This week's updates include:

• Big Bend: Supreme Court stay lets border construction resume while the case continues (not a final ruling); CBP says its 30-foot wall would not cut through the national park, but patrol roads and about 17 miles of vehicle barriers would; check park alerts before you go
• Kīlauea: episode 56 fountaining ran 12:10–6:01 p.m. HST on November 5, reaching about 660 feet from the north vent; alert level back to ADVISORY; USGS says the next episode is likely more than a week away; Hilina Pali Road closed to vehicles Monday–Thursday, 6 a.m.–4:30 p.m., through November 27
• Hatteras: N.C. 12 stays one lane with signals near the Pea Island Visitor Center while about 1,100 sandbags go in (about four weeks), then the second lane gets paved
• Olympic: atmospheric rivers closed roads and campgrounds at the Hoh, Sol Duc, Mora, Queets, North Fork and Graves Creek
• Southwest storm follow-ups: most of Saguaro's Bajada Loop Drive still closed (east district open); Chaco's north road impassable and south road rough; Canyonlands' Mineral Bottom and west White Rim Road muddy; Bryce's Wall Street and Bryce Connector Trail closed
• Mojave National Preserve: road rebuilding starts November 16; South Kelbaker Road and Kelso Dunes close during the first phase
• Alcatraz: closed for ferry-dock repairs expected to be complete by November 18
• Thanksgiving planner: Veterans Day fee-free entry today for U.S. citizens and residents; Grand Canyon South Rim stays from November 20 "proceeding as planned," with NPS water dates still tentative and Phantom Ranch closed through at least January 31, 2027; Gettysburg's free Lincoln recreation November 18–19; free entry at Colorado state parks on Black Friday, November 27; Cedar Creek Lodge 30% off with code CYBER, booking November 18–December 2; Capitol Reef visitor center closes 1 p.m. November 25 and on Thanksgiving

Planning a Thanksgiving-week getaway to the Grand Canyon, a winter road trip to Big Bend, or a shot at Kīlauea's next fountain? Wander With Milford helps you line up the route, the lodging and a solid plan B. Book your next adventure at wanderwithmilford.com.

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is down to its final three nights, Disney just named a new Indiana Jones playground for Hollywood Studios, and a strong cold front is bringing jacket weather to Orlando this weekend.

In this Wander With Milford theme park update, Milford explains which Christmas party and Jollywood Nights dates are still open, the early Black Friday ticket deals and a LEGOLAND hotel offer with a November 17 deadline, and what the new Epic Jr. Stunt Spectacular playground and the SEAQuest delay mean for your plans.

You'll also hear about Universal's holiday kickoff, the daytime Christmas parade at Magic Kingdom during ABC filming, extended Thanksgiving week hours, ride closures at Epic Universe and Islands of Adventure, and the weekend forecast.

This week's updates include:

• Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party: 22 of 25 nights sold out; only December 13 and 15 ($224) and December 17 ($229) left, plus tax
• Disney Jollywood Nights opened November 7; November 16 and December 5 sold out; November 21 (about $189) and November 23 (about $194) still listed
• Early Black Friday deals: Undercover Tourist adult Disney World tickets at child prices, valid through December 31, 2027; Get Away Today early sale through November 17
• LEGOLAND Florida hotel holiday offer: kids' tickets from $39 with a hotel stay, stays from $162 per person per night, ends November 17
• Epic Jr. Stunt Spectacular, an outdoor Indiana Jones playground at Hollywood Studios, opens in the coming months
• SeaWorld Orlando's SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep moves from 2026 to 2027, no date yet
• Universal closures: Fyre Drill back November 11; Monsters Unchained closed December 11 to 15; Jurassic Park River Adventure reopens December 17; Volcano Bay closed until on or before April 1, 2027; Skull Island running a modified ending
• Magic Kingdom: no Festival of Fantasy November 10 and 11; Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade at 2 PM both days; Tiana's Bayou Adventure planned back around December 18
• Holiday calendar: Tree of Life Awakenings Holiday Edition and Santa at Hollywood Studios start November 13; Holidays at Universal Orlando November 14 to January 3; LEGOLAND tree lighting November 20 and Christmas Bricktacular from November 21
• Thanksgiving week: longer hours November 22 to 28 at Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom; Magic Kingdom 8 AM to 11 PM on Thanksgiving Day
• Weather: cold front late Thursday; Friday and Saturday lows in the mid to upper 40s with wind chills near 40 to 45; National Hurricane Center expects no tropical development over the next 7 days

Before a deal deadline pushes you into booking, Wander With Milford helps you compare the real price, restrictions and overall value. Book your next Orlando vacation at wanderwithmilford.com.