Join Captain Dan and First Mate Steph aboard the magnificent MSC World America for a long-awaited chat with a truly inspiring guest: Richard! After a busy week navigating the seas and the ship's activities, we finally found the perfect moment to sit down and discuss his incredible journey.

On this episode of Tales from the Ship, we welcome Smiley Abrams, founder of the Andy Abrams Foundation in Mississippi. Recorded aboard the MSC World America, Smiley shares his infectious enthusiasm for “bad” movies, why they matter more than you think, and how his personal mission extends far beyond the screen.

Listeners will hear:

• 🌍 The story behind the Andy Abrams Foundation, created to honor his father’s legacy and empower minority leaders in Mississippi through entrepreneurship, discipleship, scholarships, and community development.
• 💡 Smiley’s philosophy on finding purpose in unexpected places and building a life mission that blends humor, heart, and impact.

This episode is equal parts fun and inspiring — a reminder that passion projects and purposeful work can coexist beautifully.

In this week’s episode, we dive into a whirlwind of cruise updates—from Norwegian’s unusual hotel check-in for NCL Dawn passengers to the debut of an Elton John tribute show aboard NCL Luna. Carnival makes headlines with a tragic FBI investigation, a lifeboat mishap in Cozumel, and a quiet tweak to its drink package rules. Plus, loyalty program changes are pushed back to September 2026. Royal Caribbean responds to safety concerns by closing waterslides for repairs, MSC places a massive ship order for 2030 and beyond, and Disney faces heartbreak as a passenger goes overboard on the Wonder. And don’t miss this week’s travel tip: check your cruise line’s policy on hair tools—many are banned onboard but returned post-cruise.