All About Road Scholar Afloat: A Unique Cruise Travel Program

Curious about Road Scholar travel programs, but not sure if it's right for you? This episode gives you everything you need to know about the cruise trips (called “Afloat” programs) with Road Scholar, a prestigious non-profit travel company.

We hear directly from Zoe Fox-Mailer, Director of Programming at Road Scholar, on exactly how the Adventure Afloat program works — how trips are structured, what a typical day looks like, how the floating campus model creates a real learning experience without feeling like a classroom, and how solo travelers are set up to actually connect with people. 

If you've ever wondered what separates a Road Scholar cruise from just booking any small ship sailing, this conversation answers that.

Then Wendy Baldwin — a Road Scholar veteran with 22+ programs completed — shares what it's actually like to be on these trips as a solo traveler. She's cruised to Holland, Greenland, Scotland, Antarctica, and Norway with Road Scholar, and she's headed to Patagonia next! 

More importantly, she was skeptical of group travel before her first program. If you are too, you'll want to hear what changed her mind.

By the end of this episode, you'll know whether Road Scholar is the right fit for the way you want to travel.

Check out the Road Scholar Facebook groups:

https://sometimessailing.com/RS-FB

Transcript

Dan (00:01)

Today we have a very exciting episode about Road Scholar.

We have two guests on to share their point of view, share some stories and share their experience with Road Scholar and the trips through the Afloat Program.

Mikkel (00:15)

Yes, and their Afloat Program is on the waterways around the world. So river cruise or expedition cruise or other ocean cruise. So first up, have Zoe Fox-Mailer, and she works on the programming for Road Scholar. And you'll see if you're watching on YouTube, we are @sometimes-sailing on YouTube, you will visually see that she is reporting live from a cruise ship during this episode. 

And she's going to share what the program is. She's going to share a little bit of info about what to expect in terms of groups on board and how the Road Scholar program, if you are on it, gets divided into smaller groups for more personalized education, right? So like really that attention with the lecturer or naturalist or photographer guide or what have you.

And she also shared who the program is good for. After Zoe was on, we had the joy and pleasure of interviewing Wendy Baldwin.

Dan (01:17)

She's truly a Road Scholar superstar.

Mikkel (01:19)

Yeah, that's a great way to put it. She shares what initially attracted her to Road Scholar and her journey into being an avid, not only avid cruiser with Road Scholar specifically, but also with the land program. She shares a little bit about that,

including the incredible bucket list destinations that she has gone to with Road Scholar. You do not want to miss that. That is in the second half of this episode. And additionally, I really loved and appreciated that she shared her experience as a solo traveler with Road Scholar. She's done every trip as a solo traveler, but truly sounds like she's never been alone, if you know what I mean, right?

Dan (02:02)

Right.

Mikkel (02:04)

So if you are curious about Road Scholar, this ⁓ 501(c)(3) non-profit that really aims to help educate people about the world and travel the world in a beneficial way for everybody involved, then you are in for a real treat. So without further ado, here is our time with Zoe and Wendy.

Mikkel (02:30)

We are so grateful that Zoe Fox-Mailer, of Road Scholar, is with us today. She is the Director of Programming. Welcome to Small Ship Cruise Talk, and please feel free to introduce yourself.

Zoe Fox-Mailer (02:43)

Well hi there, thank you for having me. I'm Zoe Fox-Mailer, and I work at Road Scholar looking after our Adventure Afloat programming. So very nice to be here and I'm actually speaking to you today from Scotland on one of our full ship charters Floating Campus programs. So yeah, live from Scotland.

Mikkel (03:03)

I love it. And exactly what ship are you on? Because I'm sure, ourselves included, all the cruise nerds want to know what vessel you're on.

Zoe Fox-Mailer (03:12)

So I'm on Ocean Victory at the moment. So I'm right at the top of the ship sitting in the observation lounge overlooking Oban at the moment. So very nice. You can probably see it a little bit behind me.

Mikkel (03:22)

Sounds terrible. 

Dan (03:22)

Mikkel (03:26)

It's beautiful. If you're watching us on YouTube, you can see behind Zoe right now. And if you are not, we are @sometimes-sailing, so all the audio versions are always with video on YouTube. I'm going to kick it off to Dan, and we will get into the nitty-gritty of Road Scholar and the Afloat program.

Dan (03:45)

Welcome Zoe. my first question really is what is Road Scholar? I know I've heard of it but can you kind of give us just an overview of what that is and then how it translates onto vessels?

Zoe Fox-Mailer (03:56)

Yeah sure, so Road Scholar is a non-profit organization based out of Boston, focusing on educational travel and experiences primarily for the over 50 market and kind of creating educational experiences on land programs worldwide but also on cruise programs and so I look after the Afloat programs which are cruise programs.

And, yes, so we have a range of different cruise programs around the world, so very exciting.

Dan (04:27)

It seems like a natural fit because the ships are traveling to these interesting ports or interesting countries. What can you expect if you're involved in the float program?

Zoe Fox-Mailer (04:38)

So with our

we kind of charter vessels and then really create a kind of educational cruise. So we kind of create a, almost like a floating campus at sea. So our approach is very much to have your kind of typical cruise voyage, but add a really elevated educational experience on board. So we have lots of different lectures, experiences, basically a classroom at sea.

Kind of what a Road Scholar Afloat program really is.

Dan (05:09)

I love how you said like a campus, a floating campus, right? And with that, it also sounds very immersive. Are you kind of like a cohort almost? Like just, just traveling?

Mikkel (05:17)

I'm like, do you get a degree?

Zoe Fox-Mailer (05:19)

Almost, almost. It really is like being at a university at sea. It really is like that. Yeah, we do a lot of hands-on learning. So a typical day would very much be maybe a morning photography class on deck, then heading into maybe a morning lecture.

Zoe Fox-Mailer (05:37)

We might arrive in port and we head out on what we call field trips, which is kind of your typical excursion but with a Road Scholar spin on it we have local experts joining us and kind of bringing the ports alive with lots of educational cultures and customs. So yeah, it really is a university kind of floating campus and that's really been one of our initiatives over the last few years is to kind of develop these university classroom experiences at sea.

Mikkel (06:02)

I have a follow-up question to that. How big are the groups that you're bringing with you? So it sounds like the classroom environment lends itself to be a little smaller. So how big are the groups?

Zoe Fox-Mailer (06:14)

The group sizes vary quite a bit for Afloat programming. So sometimes we will work with a cruise line and just have one group of Road Scholar participants on board an existing And so that tends to be maybe a slightly smaller group. So 20, 25, up to about 30, 35 maximum group size on board a

with non-road scholar participants as well. But my favorite is when we charter the whole vessel and create these floating campus voyages that are entirely road scholar.

focused and then we would have maybe a maximum group of 140 Road Scholar participants but we would break them down into smaller groups so again only about a maximum 30-35 you know a real

group.

Mikkel (07:02)

And a follow up question, how long are the typical cruises people are doing? they seven days, 14, 21?

Zoe Fox-Mailer (07:10)

Rose-Golla cruises are usually about seven nights, and sometimes we'll do a pre and post-cruise package as well, so maybe they stay in a hotel to see the city a little bit longer before they board and after they get off the ship. Typically, the cruise portion is about seven nights.

Mikkel (07:27)

And is the pre and post an optional add-on or is it automatically included?

Zoe Fox-Mailer (07:32)

With Road Scholar programming, it's automatically included. So we would look at the voyage we're designing and then normally have one or two nights either end of the cruise so we really get that immersive feeling again, and they're not just flying in straight on the cruise. We like to make the starting and ending points a bit of a focus as well.

Mikkel (07:53)

That's so cool, because I thought you were going to say, “No, it's optional.” But I love that it's included. So people don't even have to think, do I want to include it or not? And when they're in those groups that are broken down to smaller groups, so like you were saying, maybe 30 people, is it always the same group, like an elementary class? Or do they get to like, I mean, because I guess I'm thinking like, well, what if I don't like my group of 30? Am I going to get a chance to kind of like switch the class I'm in?

Dan (07:58)

Yeah.

You

Zoe Fox-Mailer (08:21)

So one of the most important things for a Road Scholar program is the sense of kind of group cohesion and kind of really getting to know your fellow and curious minds and lots of discussions. So we have group leaders. So we basically break down the crews into maybe five or six different color groups with a dedicated group leader. So you always have that really intimate experience with your group leader. 

That's not to say there's not time to kind of mix and mingle with other in other groups because we tend to have evenings where everyone can dine together and open seating and the lectures and the activities that we have out on deck, you know, it's open for everyone. 

So really there's a chance to travel every day when you're out on your excursion, you're with your color group, so with your kind of little smaller you like, but then as you come together in the evening and some of the on board events, then it's an absolute chance to meet with lots of different members of other color groups. So it's a kind of mixture of both really.

Mikkel (09:24)

And it sounds like every color group gets the same excursions and the same experience, just a different group leader. Is that correct?

Zoe Fox-Mailer (09:33)

We try and make all of the experiences very similar. The only difference is on our full ship floating campus programs we will have a choice of activity level. So we have the ability to make sure that people who need a little extra help or they don't want to do so much walking out on the excursions, they get the chance to do that.

Dan (09:45)

Yeah. Mm-hmm.

We talked about those groups and kind of your cohort and your color cohort. can you give us an idea of who Road Scholar float programs are for? You talked about 50 plus, but can you give us a little bit more information?

Zoe Fox-Mailer (10:08)

Yeah, I'd say a Road Scholar program and specifically an Afloat program, is for an adventurous, curious, open-minded individual that really wants to immerse themselves fully in the area. This person is not just interested in sitting on board and sipping cocktails and enjoying of the cruise facilities. They're also really interested in heading out, really understanding the local culture, the customs,

to

understand the places that we're navigating through. it really is, I think you use the word immersive, and I think that's a really good way of summarizing what we do on these programs because we sometimes bring local performers on board, specific to the region. So yeah, it's someone who really is curious about the places that they're visiting.

Dan (10:59)

We get asked a lot about solo travelers. Is this program good for them as well?

Zoe Fox-Mailer (11:04)

think this program is great for solo travelers because with the color grouping systems it really gets a chance to know your fellow travelers. On a floating campus program we always do a solo get-together at the beginning of the cruise so they can actually meet solo travelers. You can your moments by yourself to stand on deck and take it all in. But there's always something to do, some activity and there's just so much like-mindedness going on a Road Scholar program.

Education is our focus, absolutely, but the discussions really allow a lot of mingling and interacting with lots of different people. So I'd say it's a perfect way for solo travelers to get involved and meet people and have fantastic conversations at sea.

Mikkel (11:49)

You obviously have a beautiful accent from the UK. If I had to guess. Tell me if I'm wrong. Is it a lot of North Americans? Is it a lot of Europeans? Who can I expect, geographically speaking, if I'm on board?

Zoe Fox-Mailer (12:04)

Yeah, so Road Scholar participants are typically from North America. A lot of our Afloat programs are in Europe. So I live in the UK, in the south of the UK, hence my accent. So it's very easy for me to kind of fly here and there to join programs and oversee a program.

Dan (12:21)

It sounds like there's a lot of options there's a lot of different choices as far as vessel size and locations as well.

Zoe Fox-Mailer (12:28)

Yes, we really kind of research the destinations that would extremely suit our type of participants. We have to kind of consider the other cultural elements that we want to include in our programming. So like to go to places where there's a lot of additional education that we can add to it. So we try and make it, as I said earlier, a very elevated experience. So there's some regions that really lend itself that.

Working for example with an expedition ship as our floating campus we would naturally go to places where we can do a little bit more adventurous activities. We use the zodiac boats to go in and see these like beautiful little you know places and go exploring and so that really kind of works well with an expedition-style vessel so we would naturally go to places like Scotland.

So that's where we would kind of

there. then when we do our more kind of your kind of classic golden age type style cruising, then we would use more traditional vessels, maybe sailing vessels and kind of work within the Mediterranean regions. So it does entirely depend on the kind of vessel we link it with the destination to get the most out of it.

Dan (13:43)

I'd love it. It's like really you choose your own educational adventure.

Zoe Fox-Mailer (13:47)

Absolutely, it really is an educational adventure, I think that's the best way to describe it. we kind of bring education and adventure together which is so lovely because you may not always think of the two kind of sitting in lectures a of a ship classroom but still managing to have daily adventures as well. So yes, we definitely have adventures all over the globe with our Floating Campus programs.

Mikkel (14:10)

Yeah, Wendy, who is also on this episode, has been everywhere from Scandinavia to Antarctica with Road Scholar Afloat program. So there really is a variety. And we also saw a Sea Cloud sailing ship that you have chartered for the program to Albatross Expeditions for the program. So they always seem like they're top-of-the-line and really vetted for the type of traveler you guys are attracting.

Zoe Fox-Mailer (14:37)

Absolutely, we research suitable vessels for suitable areas basically to try and get the most out of our programming. So we work with a variety of partners and it works very, well.

Mikkel (14:46)

And they're small ships, which of course we love. 

Dan (14:48)

Hahaha

Zoe Fox-Mailer (14:51)

small ships is our niche, is our focus. We don't really work with really large vessels. There are a few vessels that are larger for some of our specialist programs. So we will work with CUNARD for example, on some of our themed transatlantic voyages which are really popular with our participants. So we will take a transatlantic crossing, add a lot of education that tends to be a themed subject, almost like you have a course to learn.

And then you do a little bit of land arrangements when you get off in the UK, when you've gone from New York to Southampton. So we have some really specialized programming, but generally our ships are much smaller vessels.

Mikkel (15:34)

I like that it’s on Cunard because it's such a big ship, but it's so classic that it is one of the cruise lines that people specifically want to sail for that nostalgia and classic ocean liner kind of experience. But being with Road Scholar could make it feel like you have that built-in community and warmth of like-minded travelers around you and kind of make a mansion seem like a nice little cottage kind of thing.

Dan (16:00)

Hahaha.

Zoe Fox-Mailer (16:02)

Absolutely. It's a perfect way of describing it because it's almost like a rite of passage, that transatlantic voyage, and we take that kind of classic which it is, and traveling on those ships it's a bucket list cruise. But then we add our Road Scholar spin. So we have a dedicated course director teaching them a subject, whether it's theatre. So when they get to London, they go round the theatres or whether it's a subject like spies and secrets or Winston Churchill. We have these kind of very dedicated themes. They spend the crossing learning about these themes and then they often see sites or places that linked with what they've learned on the crossing, which works really, really well.

Dan (16:25)

Hmm.

Mikkel (16:45)

And if you and I went on Cunard for the spies theme sailing, you could ask to be called Bond the whole time. James Bond. Yeah.

Dan (16:52)

I could, yeah. That would be obnoxious but wonderful.

Zoe Fox-Mailer (16:59)

We have many people getting off the cruise after a transatlantic crossing and the gala dinners they've become James Bond on that voyage, especially when they're learning all about the spies and secrets for sure.

Mikkel (17:07)

Hahaha!

The last question that I have and Dan, chime in if you have anything you want to ask to wrap up our awesome time with you Zoe is what's the one thing that you wish people knew or understood about Road Scholar of Float programs?

Zoe Fox-Mailer (17:30)

The one thing I wish people understood about Rose-Goller float programs, I guess what I like people to understand is just how adventurous it can be and how much fun they will have on these voyages because yes, you know, there's lots of learning to be had but we try and make this learning happen in such a fun, organic way, you know, whether it's just an informal conversation up on the deck with someone who's, you know, into bird watching or whatever it is.

That it's not a sit-down in the classroom, and gone are the days of learning in those kind of stuffy environments. It's not that. want everyone to come on a Rose Collar program and know that bring your sense of fun and adventure because there is so much to be had on these Afloat programs.

Dan (18:19)

Excellent. Well, thank you so much, Zoe, for sharing your knowledge but also sharing your first-hand experience. I know for me, I got a crash course in Road Scholar and the Flow program. So thanks again.

Mikkel (18:27)

In the best way. 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise.

Zoe Fox-Mailer (18:35)

Thank you very much. Thank you for having me.

Mikkel (18:37)

Zoe, works internally with Road Scholar. But Dan and I are so grateful to have a very special guest, Wendy Baldwin, who is an avid, Road Scholar guest on Afloat program.

And on land, and some online lectures as well. So today we are focused on the Afloat program. So Wendy, welcome and please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Wendy Baldwin (18:53)

Hi, I'm Wendy Baldwin. started taking Road Scholar trips in 2019 and somewhere during that time and I'm about to have my 70th birthday in a couple of weeks. Yay. Yeah. ⁓

Mikkel (19:19)

Happy birthday milestone.

Wendy Baldwin (19:23)

And one thing that makes me feel really great about turning 70, is the many wonderful people I've met on Road Scholar programs who are active and in their 70s or older and inspiration that you're not just getting older, you're getting better.

Wendy Baldwin (19:48)

And I live in Indianapolis, Indiana, or actually a northern suburb of Indianapolis, so.

Mikkel (19:55)

I love it. Well, happy early birthday. I truly believe that aging is a privilege. So we are grateful for every day. So I love that inspiration from you as well. And the kind words for anyone older than you who leads the way. So that's great. And I do love that all of these small ship cruises or programs that are specifically targeted towards a demographic that's retired, perhaps.

Mikkel (20:20)

It really does inspire people that traveling is possible and doesn't matter what age, you know, and I'm glad that you're inspiring people today on Small Ship Cruise Talk.

Dan (20:31)

So, Wendy, tell us, how did you first discover Road Scholar? And what was the thing that you say, I need to book this?

Wendy Baldwin (20:39)

Well, actually, it was my mother who discovered Elderhostel in the 1970s. Elderhostel {was​​} the, actually the official company name of Road Scholar. And so, my mother was in the 1970s, she was newly divorced and she wanted to travel didn't know if that was going to be possible and learned about Elderhostel and started taking some trips. 

And she traveled all over the world with Elderhostel the 70s, 80s and 90s until her health got her to a point that she couldn't do it anymore. I remember thinking, I think after she came back from a trip to China, that I've gone like, okay, note to self: You need to remember this because you're going to want to do this when you reach a certain age. 

And so time passed. My mother passed away about 15 years ago. Life was busy. I actually worked for a travel company, and so I was traveling on my own a lot.

And then, you know, I kind of thought, yeah, remember about Elderhostel and going online, I learned that they're now Road Scholar because they rebranded themselves, and I think far more appropriately to today's world. And because it's really very appropriately named for

Wendy Baldwin (22:02)

what we're experiencing today. And so I was looking over the programs and thought, okay, you know, I've done a lot of traveling on my own, mostly. I should have said earlier, I'm a single person. And so I've done a lot of traveling on my own. And I you know, what adventures out there that I'm not comfortable doing on my own or trying to do the arrangements on my own.

So I thought, well, I'll give it a try. And so in 2019, I took my first Road Scholar trip to Nova Scotia. And yes, and because I tend to

Mikkel (22:39)

Nova Scotia! Good one!

Dan (22:42)

Yeah.

Wendy Baldwin (22:47)

like places that are kind of more off, I'm going to apologize to Nova Scotians, but more off the beaten path and not the places that everybody else is headed to. Actually, probably the Nova Scotians like that. But it was a great trip. And I thought, “Hey, this is…this is for me.” So I promptly came home from that trip and started booking programs throughout 2020. Went on a program in February of 2020.

It was also incredible and the pandemic hit. so that's, that's, yeah. Put it all on pause.

Mikkel (23:22)

Mm-hmm, yes.

I understand. And I don't know if you utilized their Facebook group back then, but one of the things that I really appreciate is the strength of their Facebook community to find other solo travelers or just ask questions and find out more info about Road Scholar.

Wendy Baldwin (23:47)

Yeah, intriguingly, I personally am not a Facebook user and I'm not a huge social media user at all. But someone had told me about Facebook groups and I thought, well, okay, I'll look at that. So, I enjoy looking regularly that people are making about other programs, and then also questions people are asking about programs I've been on or that I can participate and share some of my experiences that way.

Mikkel (24:19)

That’s a really nice way to build community and pay it forward, right?

Wendy Baldwin (24:22)

Yeah, absolutely.

Dan (24:22)

=Yeah.

So we are talking about small ships and the whole reason you're here is because you've been on a couple of float program ships, can you tell us about your adventures floating with Road Scholar?

Mikkel (24:36)

Yeah.

Wendy Baldwin (24:37)

Yeah, sure. 

And you know, the irony for me was wasn't intentionally booking small ship programs or Afloat programs. When I'm choosing a program, I'm kind of looking at where is it going and what's happening, what's the itinerary all about? And for a lot of it, you know, it was kind of an, by the way, it's on a ship. And so for me, it was more about the destinations and the experiences. 

And so my first program actually - I don't have a lot of bucket list things, but one of my bucket lists was seeing Holland during tulip time and that was one of the programs I had booked for 2020, got canceled, and then I booked it for 2021. Got canceled. COVID was still out there. And so, I finally went on that program in 2022,

Dan (25:23)

no.

Wendy Baldwin (25:37)

And it comprised of being on a riverboat for part of the program and then the rest of the time we were in a hotel in Amsterdam. And the thing is is that, okay, I live in Indiana, so most of my life and I'm not around a lot of water, but I love being on the water. So the riverboat through the canals of of Holland was a wonderful experience and it kind of got you from one place to the next. 

And seeing things from, you know, on board the riverboat, that was a really - it was a nice experience. So that got me started. And then during the pandemic, I was doing a lot of dreaming and exploring the Road Scholar website as to, you know, what was out there.

And I came across a program to, or actually a couple programs to Antarctica. And like I said, I kind of like things that are different. I thought, “I could go to Antarctica. I could go to Antarctica?!” And, I thought, hmmm…well, I don't know. That's maybe…I don't know. Am I an Antarctica person?

Mikkel (26:32)

Remote. Hehehehehe.

Wendy Baldwin (26:52)

And how will I do on the expedition ships? Because that was, going…and we have to get into Zodiacs and go all over the place. I don't know. And so what happened was I was on a land trip in Newfoundland, and the program leader recommended a program that was on an expedition ship that went

Mikkel (26:58)

Mm-hmm.

Dan (26:58)

Yeah.

Wendy Baldwin (27:17)

to Greenland and Labrador, coastal Labrador. And she says, “Wendy, I think you'll really like it.” And so I thought, well, OK. So I booked that. And that was September of 2023. And, so, the expedition ship experience. And wow, I loved it! I absolutely loved it. I loved getting on the Zodiacs. And you can really do some things that are just far more unique and different you land in a port and get off with tons of other people. It's such a smaller, more personal, unique situation and was just a terrific experience. People in my group were going like, “Well, Wendy, if you like this, you've got to do Antarctica.”

And, so, came home, booked Antarctica. 

Mikkel (28:10)

Nice!

Wendy Baldwin (28:11)

But it was for the upcoming season, so had to wait over a year for that. So in the meantime, what else was out there? So then there was a brand new program that Road Scholar was offering that went to the Northern Islands of Scotland.

Mikkel (28:17)

Yup.

Dan (28:18)

You

Wendy Baldwin (28:30)

on an expedition ship and this one was one of their floating campuses as they call them, where Road Scholar had booked the entire ship. And so it was all Road Scholar and all of the programming was Road Scholar-based. And that was in May of 2024, I had always wanted to see the Shetlands and the Orkneys and the Outer Hebrides and it was a terrific experience too. So then the next year was Antarctica and I had ended up actually booking the longer program that was Antarctica and the South Atlantic.

Dan (29:07)

Hahaha.

Wendy Baldwin (29:16)

So we went to the South Georgia Island, where there's all those those King Penguins. Oh my goodness, it was so…it was just such a privilege be interacting with with all these wonderful, wonderful King Penguins, South Georgia Island. And then we also went to the Falklands, which was surprise kind of.

Mikkel (29:18)

you

Yeah.

Wendy Baldwin (29:37)

experience with the different wildlife that's available to see in the Falklands. First of all, just the Falklands in general, where the capital city is, I believe, is like 2,000 people. So it's a very small, rural kind of feeling environment.

And then made stops specifically to see the Rockhopper Penguins. See, on this trip we were able to see six of the seven Antarctica penguins types. And the seventh type being the Emperor, the penguin that lives on the continent, is not..uh…for “normal people,” if you're not a researcher, you can't really experience the Emperors. 

But anyway, we went in the Falklands. There was a Rockhopper Penguin community that was living in conjunction with the Black-Browed Albatross that, I mean literally, we got like, you know feet within of their nests and just being able to stand there and, you know, watch their behaviors…it was special.

Mikkel (30:43)

love this.

Dan and I talk about bucket list birds. And you hit quite a few. We haven't recorded an episode about it, but it is on our future episode list of desired topics. So I love seeing six of the seven flightless birds penguins is not bad. I mean, that's amazing.

Dan (30:48)

You're right.

Wendy Baldwin (31:02)

Yeah. Yeah.

No, that was, mean, yeah. It was wonderful. And, you know, I was really glad for that experience.

Dan (31:07)

Hahaha.

Mikkel (31:07)

Yeah.

Wendy Baldwin (31:15)

Looking at 2026, this year, another trip that I had been wondering about and intrigued with for a bit of time, and I said no, you know, do it. Let’s do it. And that was coastal Norway on the Hurtigruten ship line. Since 1893 the Hurtigruten ship line has been calling on 30 or more communities along

Wendy Baldwin (31:42)

the western and northern coast of Norway. They were a lifeline for these communities for many years, but now I think they said 95% of their business is tourism. And so it was kind of like an expedition ship, but a little bit bigger because expedition ships generally have like 150 passengers.

This is 500 passengers, 25 of which were Road Scholars. And so we went along coastal Norway over to the town that borders Russia. So we got to go to the Russian border, which…

Mikkel (32:20)

Oh, in Kirkenes! 

Wendy Baldwin (32:21)

In Kirkines. Yes, absolutely, yep.

Mikkel (32:25)

Yeah, we're going there for the first time in August, so we might have to offline about some additional tips you have.

Dan (32:29)

Yeah.

Wendy Baldwin (32:30)

Yeah, so well, you know, the thing that kind of was holding me back originally on booking this program was, you know, it's in the wintertime, and why are you doing Coastal Norway in the wintertime? Well, the answer is, the theme of the program was Astronomy Above the Arctic Circle. And so we had an excellent Road Scholar instructor

Mikkel (32:37)

I was going to ask you because, right, it's May and you…

Wendy Baldwin (32:51)

who gave us really great lectures that were easy for non-scientific people to understand and to appreciate sailing, in the Arctic Circle for six days or more. And, of course, the Northern Lights. The hunt for the Northern Lights.

Dan (33:06)

Right, of course.

Mikkel (33:07)

Did you find them? Caveat.

Wendy Baldwin (33:10)

You know, the thing that I hadn't realized was that within the Arctic Circle, you are almost always guaranteed that there's northern light activity happening. But to be able to see them, you are dependent on the weather and, of course, darkness. So that's why you go in the wintertime: weather and the skies have to be clear.

Mikkel (33:27)

Great.

Wendy Baldwin (33:33)

So there was like, for instance, one day where we'd had a nice, clear day, and then the fog moved in that night. So no Northern Lights. But there were two nights that were clear and there was some Northern Light activity going on that we could see. ⁓ so was great. I had actually seen Northern Lights on my Greenland Labrador experience. So wasn't.

Mikkel (33:40)

Hmm, yeah.

That makes me happy.

Wendy Baldwin (33:58)

quite as desperate as other people.

Mikkel (34:01)

Right,

right, right, right. But yeah, mean, no matter how many times you see them, it's always great to see them again, because it's going to be limited probably in your lifetime unless you live in one of these areas. But I understand the relief that you had seen them before. So I certainly understand that.

Wendy Baldwin (34:13)

Yes. Yeah. And

each experience, they're different. mean, and that's the thing. I think people just expect that there are always going to be this explosion, this profusion of light, an explosion of light. no, each experience is a little bit different.

Mikkel (34:19)

Riot.

We had a very wise Northern Lights tour guide when we were on a land trip in Tromso who grew up there. And he said, " You're not chasing the lights, you're chasing good weather,” to your point. Yeah. Yeah. OK. So in summation, in review, you did Holland in 2022 for the Adventures of Float program. You did Greenland / Labrador in 2023. You did Scotland in 2024.

Wendy Baldwin (34:42)

Yes. Yes. Absolutely. Yes.

Mikkel (35:02)

Antarctica in 2025, Norway in 2026. What's on for 2027?

Wendy Baldwin (35:10)

Patagonia. So, no, it's no, I mean…

Dan (35:12)

Nice!

Mikkel (35:12)

Gosh, wow, I feel like we're like Wheel of Fortune. Yes, you're picking your prize, though.

Wendy Baldwin (35:19)

So, I have this list of programs that I want to do and so as the next year's dates start appearing on the Road Scholar website, I book early. And because especially I'm traveling as a solo, and oftentimes the solo openings fill very quickly, and so I kind of have the list, I kind of fit them into certain time slots.

And so Patagonia is next February, I believe. instead of departing for Antarctica from Ushuaia, I'll be going the other way from Ushuaia, and up the Chilean would happily go back to Antarctica. But n o, I gotta do these other things first.

Mikkel (35:58)

Yeah.

Dan (35:59)

All

right.

Mikkel (35:59)

And Patagonia, you'll escape the cold for a little in Indiana. You'll be in the southern hemisphere. So for anyone listening, keep in mind that the seasons are a bit flipped. Patagonia is also on our bucket list. So you've certainly turned into quite the expedition explorer.

Wendy Baldwin (36:04)

Yeah.

Yes, yes, i now got hooked on it and it's just, it's nice to have the opportunity to do these things. I mean, I know they're out there, you know, but all the hunting and pecking around and, you know, trying to find what's the right one and blah… It's just with Road Scholar, it's so easy because the programs are there, all the planning is done for you, and you just look at it and go like, “Yeah. No. I like that itinerary, book it.”

Mikkel (36:46)

And do you sign up for emails for a waitlist for when these are opening? It's really just manual for anyone listening who's thinking to themselves, I need to get on board for this because they might sell out. How do you manage that?

Wendy Baldwin (36:55)

Yeah. Yeah. 

So, so, I learned a while ago for me, traveling as a I plan ahead and, I can plan ahead people, I know that's not.

easy for them to do or they hear about something and they want to do it but it's booked. And so they do have the waitlist, and I've heard it's not a guarantee that you're going to get it, but apparently a lot of people able to from the waitlist.

Mikkel (37:29)

So it sounds like just to clarify, you just keep your eyes on the website for your wish list. But there is a wait list that people can sign up for and kind of. Okay, great. So I think you already answered why do you choose Road Scholar, Adventures Afloat over other options, because you had said it's just so easy.

Wendy Baldwin (37:36)

You can do that. Well, it’s really easy. It takes out the hunting and pecking around, and you know, which company, which cruise company do I use? The other thing that I really, really value is you're part of a group. Especially as a solo person, I'm going to just use the Greenland Labrador program again. That was a case where it was 2025 Road Scholar people 130 people and I could book directly with that company, but I'd be on my own. And so mealtime, know and I and I met a lot of the other people. And I enjoyed that it was fun and interesting.

Mikkel (38:17)

Hmm.

Wendy Baldwin (38:25)

But at the end of the day, I still had my group that I could eat with and my group that I could hang out with. And, so, it just gives you that, especially as a solo, it gives you a little extra security.

Dan (38:29)

Right, right.

Mikkel (38:29)

Right.

Wendy Baldwin (38:43)

Plus Road Scholar when it's an Afloat campus situation like the Scotland trip was, it's a case where it's a Road Scholar group amongst a larger population, they will often do additional activities that are specific for the Road Scholar, some additional lectures or special meals or some other kind of special things that are added in just for the Road Scholar people. And so why wouldn't I use Road Scholar? value added really take out, the hassle of having to hunt and plan on your own.

Dan (39:13)

Right, Yeah.

Mikkel (39:13)

Right. Yeah.

Do they have any kind of loyalty program?

Wendy Baldwin (39:26)

Not that I'm aware of. No, I think, I think, you know, some people have said, because I just came back actually from my 22nd program. It was a land program and I was one of three people who had done a lot of programs. 

I've met people who've done far more than 20 programs. And I think you're kind of recognized within your group as being an expert somewhat. And the reward is… The reward’s built in that you're doing the, you're having these experiences and so, you know, what additional reward do I need?

Mikkel (39:27)

Okay, that's a fair, the answer can be no, but I, you know, I'm a curious person and I'm sure people listening are wondering the same thing.

Dan (39:28)

Hahaha

Mikkel (40:21)

That’s fair. If someone was on the fence, someone's listening and they're thinking maybe it's for me but I'm not quite ready to take the a big investment, emotionally maybe I'm not there yet, what would you say to that person?

Wendy Baldwin (40:33)

So that's how I was before I took my first program because I had done a lot of traveling on my own and I quite honestly was going like, gee, I don't know if group travels for me. I can get a little bit bossy sometimes. Will I want to take over and organize and do things…” And, you know, whatever?

Mikkel (40:48)

OK, know thyself.

Wendy Baldwin (40:55)

So I was unclear whether it would fit my style of travel and my personality. So the word of advice is try it.

And maybe your first program you don't need to go to Antarctica. But there's so many domestic programs, there are so many programs and with so many interests and activities. So do something that yeah, it's gonna stretch you a little bit but not, you know, completely out of your comfort zone. And just try it and see if it works. Almost always, there are first-timers, and generally at the end of the programs they're going like, yep, this is for me.

Mikkel (41:37)

I love it. Well, thank you so much.

Wendy Baldwin (41:39)

You're welcome.

Dan (41:40)

Yeah, thank you, Wendy, for sharing your views, experiences, and getting us even more excited about the Road Scholar Program.

Mikkel (41:48)

And if you are listening and we haven't answered your questions or you're like, “Oh my gosh, I need to know more from Wendy,” just contact us and let us know you loved it. 

You want to know more? We're happy to find out the answers for you. Wendy, you're an amazing resource. We are going to link up the Facebook group that we talked about in the show notes. It's not our Facebook group. It's a Road Scholar Facebook group. And we just can't thank you enough. We're so excited for your past travel experiences, and just living on in your memories and the future for you as well.

Wendy Baldwin (42:17)

Well, I mean, that's been one of the things is, you know, the travel is wonderful, but it's even more wonderful to be able to share the experiences and encourage others. I get a lot of joy out of it. So I want others to be able to have that same experience and joy, too. So thank you for inviting me to participate.

Mikkel (42:38)

Yeah, 1000%. That's why we do what we do, too. So we understand that sentiment. Until next time.

Dan (42:44)

Keep cruising.