Cruise Expert Jason Leppert Talks New Ships, Wave Season and More on TravelPulse Radio

Following a brief hiatus, TravelPulse Radio returns with a jam-packed episode anchored by Tim Wood and Michael Schottey.

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This week, the co-hosts are joined by TravelPulse cruise expert Jason Leppert to discuss some of the cruise industry's hottest topics, including Regent Seven Seas Cruises' new Seven Seas Explorer.

"It's dubbed by the cruise line to be the most luxurious ship ever built and those are some pretty big shoes to fill but I have to say they pulled it off," said Leppert. "It's a pretty incredible ship. It's opulent. The Regent Suite alone blows my mind."

Other topics include the latest itineraries from Viking Ocean Cruises.

"The thing that's great about Viking at least in the upscale market is that they will have six brand new ships by 2019, all identical so you know exactly what you're getting," added Leppert.

"They're going to expand well beyond the Mediterranean and the Baltic, which has been their mainstay up until this point. They've already done the Caribbean. By the end of this year they're going to be doing their very first world cruise on the Viking Sun."

"Eventually they're going to be a major contender to consider internationally," said Leppert.

Leppert also explains why Norwegian Cruise Line's decision to begin allowing passengers to bid on cabin upgrades next month is a win-win.

READ MORE: Should the East Coast Share Some New Cruise Ship Love with the West Coast?

"If you bid and no one else is in the running for it, you might actually get a pretty decent upgrade for lesser money than you would have expected. I think it's a win-win," said Leppert. "The cruise line gets something for it, the passengers certainly get something for it and even your travel agent will get commission on it. It's awesome."

And with wave season in full swing, Leppert also breaks down what travelers need to know and how they can take advantage before dishing on the Carnival Corporation's new Ocean Medallion technology and highlighting the best places to cruise this upcoming spring.

You can listen to the entire interview with Leppert (starting at the 53:50 mark) and Episode 15 of TravelPulse Radio in its entirety below.

Click here to listen to past episodes of TravelPulse Radio.

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