07.09.25 Cruise Industry Update / Affordable Housing Solutions Are Out There

Summary

The Clark Howard Podcast: Episode Summary – "Cruise Industry Update & Affordable Housing Solutions"

Release Date: July 9, 2025

In this engaging episode of The Clark Howard Podcast, host Clark Howard delves into two pivotal topics affecting consumers today: the evolving cruise industry and innovative solutions for affordable housing. Alongside answering listener questions, Clark provides valuable insights and practical advice aimed at empowering listeners to make informed financial decisions.

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1. Cruise Industry Update: Navigating Post-Pandemic Waters

Clark begins the episode by addressing recent developments in the cruise industry. Earlier in the year, he highlighted the persistent high rates within the sector. However, the landscape has since shifted, revealing a softening in demand.

Clark Howard [00:39]: "After I told you earlier this year that cruise rates were staying stubbornly high, I've got an update for you."

Despite previously stable bookings, Clark observes that cruise lines are now experiencing a decline in price resistance. This change presents both challenges and opportunities for consumers. Every cruise cabin represents a discretionary expense, and as demand wanes, prices for cabins across various categories and dates are beginning to adjust accordingly.

Key Takeaways:

• Flexibility is Key: Travelers with future cruise bookings have the opportunity to reshop their reservations. By remaining flexible with dates and cabin choices, they can potentially secure better deals or even upgrades.

  Clark Howard [02:30]: "Think about this like being a free agent and reshop your cruise and see if... you can now turn this softening that's happening to an advantage for your wallet."

• Proactive Savings: Instead of committing once and ignoring potential savings, Clark encourages listeners to continuously evaluate their bookings to maximize financial benefits.

  Clark Howard [04:00]: "Don't treat your wallet like it's in poured concrete. I want you to shop it."

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2. Listener Questions: Navigating Cruises and Beyond

Clark seamlessly transitions into a segment addressing listener inquiries, offering personalized advice on various topics.

a. Utilizing Third-Party Shore Excursions

Listener: Liz from New York inquires about using reputable third-party excursion providers like Viator and Shore Excursion Group for her upcoming Disney cruise.

Liz [06:09]: "When I travel I I find that many of the cruise websites are confusing and finding the excursions in advance to look at is difficult."

Clark's Advice:

• Early Booking: To avoid missing out on preferred excursions, book third-party tours early in the day, allowing ample time before the ship departs.

  Clark Howard [06:09]: "If you book the earliest ones in the day so that there's plenty of time built in as cushion when it's all aboard for the ship departing a port."

• Research and Reviews: Investing time in reading reviews on platforms like TripAdvisor and Cruise Critic can ensure the chosen excursions meet quality and reliability standards.

b. Finding Cheaper Flights from Coastal Hubs

Listener: Wes from Missouri seeks clarification on whether booking flights through coastal cities can yield better international fares compared to flying directly from his local airport, MCI (Kansas City International).

Wes [08:11]: "Does it make a difference in price if I look for a flight in Google Flights from MCI to a foreign destination where MCI does not fly to directly versus flights from MCI to insert Clark's coastal city, then onto the foreign city?"

Clark's Response:

• Focus on Major Gateways: Clark advises concentrating on major international gateways like New York and Chicago, which often offer more competitive fares due to higher traffic and competition.

  Clark Howard [10:30]: "Fares from Kansas City to either, particularly New York, very affordable."

• Strategic Planning: By combining a domestic flight to a major hub with an international connection, travelers can capitalize on lower overall fares.

• Benefit from Local Advantages: Larger cities not only provide cheaper fares but also safer connection times and more flight options.

  Clark Howard [11:45]: "You want to look at it in parts... from the west coast on to the destinations I talked about."

c. Managing International ATM and Banking Issues

Listener: Bill from Delaware experiences difficulties with his bank-issued ATM debit card while traveling overseas and considers opening a Capital One 360 checking account as a solution.

Bill [13:00]: "When I travel overseas, my ATM card doesn't work. What should I do?"

Clark's Guidance:

• Backup ATM Cards: Having a second ATM card can prevent disruptions caused by card failures.

  Clark Howard [13:21]: "Have a second ATM card just so you don't have to worry about a potential 'what if.'"

• No-Fee Accounts: Clark endorses accounts like Capital One 360 that offer no foreign transaction fees, enhancing accessibility abroad.

• Digital Payments Rise: Emphasizing the shift towards digital payments, Clark notes that cash usage abroad is decreasing, making reliable debit and credit cards more crucial.

  Clark Howard [14:30]: "Most places that you travel in the world used to say developed world. Now more and more places just in the world."

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3. Affordable Housing Solutions: Modular Construction Takes the Stage

One of the episode's focal points is the pressing issue of affordable housing in the United States. Clark expresses his frustration with the country's inability to build housing efficiently and affordably, despite available technologies.

Clark Howard [17:56]: "We can build more housing efficiently. We can build it more affordably."

Innovative Approach: Modular Construction

• Case Study: Clark highlights a groundbreaking apartment complex in Brooklyn, completed in just 22 months—a stark contrast to the typical five-year timeline in New York.

  Clark Howard [19:00]: "In Brooklyn, an apartment complex was built in 22 months... They built it the way a lot of hotels are being built now."

• Factory-Fabricated Components: By constructing building components in a controlled factory environment and assembling them on-site, costs were reduced by approximately one-third, and construction time was similarly decreased.

• Energy Efficiency: The modular units adhere to passive housing standards, achieving near net-zero energy consumption, which significantly lowers utility bills for residents.

  Clark Howard [20:25]: "They specifically built them the modular units to make it what's known as passive housing... so that people's rent is pretty much all they need to worry about."

Clark's Vision:

• Scalability: If such efficient methods can succeed in challenging markets like New York and Boston, Clark believes they can be replicated nationwide.

• Cultural Shift Needed: Emphasizing the need for imagination and willingness to adopt modern building techniques, Clark urges the U.S. to embrace innovations like 3D-printed homes and modular high-rises to bridge the housing gap.

  Clark Howard [21:25]: "Why are we not doing more things like 3D printed homes and modular construction of individual homes and high rises?"

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4. Listener Questions: Solar Panels, Prepaid Cards, and Car Parts Shortages

a. Timing Solar Panel Installations

Listener: Shirley from California considers adding solar panels to her recently remodeled guest house but is concerned about potential changes in rebates and incentives.

Shirley [22:32]: "Should I install solar now or wait due to possible changes in rebates?"

Clark's Advice:

• Act Quickly: With existing incentives possibly diminishing, Clark recommends moving forward with solar installations sooner rather than later to maximize financial benefits.

  Clark Howard [23:06]: "There's a certain rush to beat the incentives going away... It requires some shopping around."

• California's Advantage: Given California's ample sunlight and high electricity costs, investing in solar panels offers a favorable return on investment, especially when combined with available tax credits.

b. Alternatives to Bluebird Prepaid Card

Listener: Terry from Ohio expresses concern over American Express discontinuing the Bluebird prepaid card and seeks alternatives.

Terry [24:19]: "Amex is canceling the Bluebird prepaid card in 2026. Do you know of another prepaid card similar or better?"

Clark's Response:

• Ongoing Search: Clark acknowledges the gap left by Bluebird and mentions ongoing efforts to identify suitable alternatives, potentially within the fintech sector.

  Clark Howard [24:29]: "My guess is it's going to be some kind of fintechy kind of thing."

• Future Solutions: Listeners can expect recommendations in upcoming episodes as the search for effective prepaid card alternatives continues.

c. Mitigating Car Parts Shortages

Listener: Kyle from Pennsylvania shares his ordeal with a Volkswagen Golf damaged by a deer collision, emphasizing the challenge of sourcing out-of-stock headlights.

Kyle [25:48]: "How does one mitigate this huge risk of losing your car indefinitely due to lack of parts?"

Clark's Guidance:

• Explore Modern Junkyards: Clark suggests utilizing modern junkyards with online inventories, allowing individuals to locate and purchase needed parts from previously damaged vehicles.

  Clark Howard [26:42]: "They're like modern junkyards that you can check inventory online... and you're able to inspect it and you're able to buy it right at the junkyard."

• Adaptability is Essential: Given the unpredictability of parts shortages, flexibility and proactive searching are crucial for resolving such issues.

  Clark Howard [26:42]: "You just have to flex as you can and do just what you did when the body shops... you fixed it."

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5. Conclusion: Empowering Financial Confidence

As the episode wraps up, Clark reinforces his commitment to providing listeners with actionable advice to enhance their financial well-being. He emphasizes personal empowerment through knowledge, confidence, and practical financial strategies.

Clark Howard [26:52]: "I don't want any of us to be spectators in our own lives. I want us to be the bosses of our own lives."

Clark encourages continued engagement and feedback from listeners, fostering a community dedicated to financial literacy and independence.

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Final Thoughts

This episode of The Clark Howard Podcast delivers a comprehensive exploration of both the cruise industry's changing dynamics and innovative solutions addressing America's affordable housing crisis. Through expert advice and real-life examples, Clark Howard equips listeners with the tools needed to navigate these complex issues effectively. Whether planning a vacation, seeking housing solutions, or managing everyday financial challenges, listeners are empowered to make informed decisions that align with their financial goals.

Transcript

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[Clark Howard]

It'S great to be with you here on the Clark Howard show, where our mission is to serve you with advice and information that empowers you to make better financial decisions in your life. On today's show, I'm going to talk about new developments with the cruise industry that will be friendly to your wallet. After I told you earlier this year that cruise rates were staying stubbornly high, I've got an update for you. Also, if you're a longtime listener or a viewer, you know how obsessed I am with us reducing the cost of housing construction in the United States. And people keep saying where, when, how? I'm going to give you one real life example for one of the most difficult places to build affordable housing in the United States. If it can work there, it can work anywhere in the US I'll share it with you later. So we in our family were not cruise passengers, but our now 19 year old son became obsessed with cruises when he was in kindergarten or first grade, whenever the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking was. And so now we've been on 25 cruises. So I understand them really well, understand the costs, how to save on them and all the rest. And I was really surprised earlier this year that cruise lines were reporting that their bookings were not declining at all. They were having no price resistance in the marketplace, even though other discretionary purchases in the travel industry and outside the travel industry were going into a slowdown. Well, it just seemed that it was a matter of time and now cruises are booking softer than they were before. And because every cruise cabin is a discretionary purchase, nobody has to go on a cruise. Every cabin on a cruise is filled by somebody who wanted to spend the money for it. So when that demand softens, the cruise lines will have certain dates that are that are weak, that have a lot of cabins available, different categories, and the prices then respond to the marketplace. So I've got a few things I want to tell you about this. First, if you already have an active cruise booking and it's for way in the future and you are in that time period where you can bail and you lose nothing or maybe 100 bucks or something like that. You should think about this like being a free agent and reshop your cruise and see if not just the specific ship, specific date you're booked on, how whatever flexibility you have, see if you can now turn this softening that's happening to an advantage for your wallet. And either you stay in the same category type of cabin and you got some money back in your pocket, maybe, maybe not. Or you use as an opportunity to get an upgrade for the same or similar money to a better quality cabin. Your choice. But this is a time that it's good to re shop that cruise booking. Most people once they booked one they're done with, they wash their hands of it. They're just excited that in so many months they're going to go on the cruise. But don't do that. Don't treat your wallet like it's in poured concrete. I want you to shop it. If you're thinking about going on a cruise, you've gone in the past maybe and thinking, hey, let me see what's out there. The more flexible you are date and line departure port destinations, the more money you're going to save, the more you approach it. From my key rule, you buy the deal and then figure out why you're going there. That's how you're going to save the most money with this softness. This is not a collapse in sale of cabins. It is a softening in demand that creates potential opportunity for your wallet. I'd love it if you have an existing booking, you shop around, you reshop it and you do save money or you don't save money. I'd love the feedback from you either way.

[Listener]

Okay, I have a cruise question. This came in from Liz in New York. I'd like to know your opinion on using excursions that are reputable but not associated with the cruise lines such as Viator and Shore Excursion Group. I'm going on a Disney cruise in August and I, unlike you, like everything taken care of and no big surprise experiences. When I travel I I find that many of the cruise websites are confusing and finding the excursions in advance to look at is difficult. Also in many cases I am in the last group allowed to book excursions. At that point the excursion I like is sold out. Thank you for watching out for us viewers from Orchard Park, New York, home of the Bills. Go Bills.

[Clark Howard]

Oh, I was so crushed. The Bills weren't in the last Super Bowl. I was just so hoping that they are. The Ravens would make it in the Super Bowl. I will. Every year hope springs eternal. And I don't understand the thing of playing in an outdoor stadium in Buffalo. I don't get it. I mean, I'm. I'm soft now. I want to be. I want to be in a temperature controlled dome. And I realize there's a home field advantage to bringing in people like me that are wimps to play in a game in December or January that cold. I don't get it. Now to your question. So you don't like surprise experiences. So you book a third party shore excursion and they don't get back to the ship in time. You are sitting there on the dock and that ship is gone without you. So when you book third party shore excursions, book the earliest ones in the day so that there's plenty of time built in as cushion when it's all aboard for the ship departing a port. But yes, you will save a lot of money going through various third parties. Spend time reading reviews of the various shore excursions from different people on various websites. Like there's cruise critics, the big one, but there are a lot of them. You'll find some stuff on TripAdvisor, but you'll do better on the cruise sites on the third party excursions. I didn't understand though your thing why you're always the last one allowed to pick a shore excursion. If you booked your cruise through a cruise agent, you can ask the agent who helped you what's the deal on the shore excursions? Why am I always getting closed out of those from the cruise line? But I think you're fine with the third parties. You save money and again first one out in the day, not when they leave in the afternoon and come back really close to when you're supposed to.

[Listener]

Sail back out west of Missouri says could I please ask for clarification regarding cheaper flights out of the US from airports in certain coastal cities. I frequently hear Clark talk about how to get the best price for flights to other countries from the US and he'll mention certain cities with the best prices. He encourages someone to look for flights out of those cities rather than from the city near where the person lives. I live near Kansas City. I like use Google flights to research prices. Does it make a difference in price if I look for a flight in Google Flights from MCI to a foreign destination where MCI does not fly to directly versus flights from MCI to insert Clark's coastal city, then onto the foreign city. Wouldn't one of the Google flights options take me through the cheaper coastal city airport anyway? As one of the options?

[Clark Howard]

Okay, great questions, Wes. And first of all, after I dissed you and your beloved Kansas City Chiefs by talking about I wish that Buffalo or Baltimore had been in the super bowl representing the afc, just because you've been there a lot and you got a lot of rings in Kansas City.

[Listener]

Wow. This is a Clark segment. Travel and football.

[Clark Howard]

Yeah.

[Listener]

So questions so far?

[Clark Howard]

So I changed planes recently in the new Kansas City airport. They did a really nice job with the rebuild, but I've never seen anything like it. Being from Loserville and professional sports, also known as Atlanta, and you walk through the Kansas City airport, every shop in there is selling Kansas City chief stuff. Not even during football season. I mean, it's like there's. Is there any room for food vendors? Because everything is Chiefs everywhere you go. I will. Maybe someday I'll live long enough for my beloved Falcons to have one of those rings like you've got in Kansas City. Now, let me explain. Let's go to the question. Yes. Well, I mean, I got two in a row that relate to football, right? I mean, I thought football's my life.

[Listener]

I thought your birthday already passed. I don't know, but I guess I gave you a second present, gave me.

[Clark Howard]

Birthday gifts here in July. Okay, well, training camps just around the corner. Krista, do you know that coastal cities. Yes, ma'.

[Sponsor Voice]

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[Clark Howard]

Okay, so Wes, what I mean is when you're using Google flights, you live in Kansas City. You try fares out of Kansas City. Kansas City is a very affordable market for domestic flights, not for international. So let's say you're checking fares out of. You've go into Europe, you're checking out of New York, Boston. Those are really the two you really want to concentrate on. And fares from Kansas City to either, particularly New York, very affordable. You're looking at buying two tickets. You're right. Google flights will show connections through particularly New York to Europe or from the west coast. La, San Francisco, Seattle to Asia, Australia, New Zealand, whatever. Japan. Yeah, all over Asia. So when you're searching, you want to look at it in parts. And the big part you're looking at is from especially New York. And by the way, it doesn't hurt. Not coastal, but it doesn't hurt to check fares international out of Chicago, which is much more in your region, because a lot of times Chicago has enough international competition that the fares will be a lot lower than they'll be from elsewhere in the Midwest. You check fares from the west coast on to the destinations I talked about. And then you see what does it cost for the domestic trip to get to that gateway. Now one burden of what I talk about is I like for you to spend a day sightseeing and wherever it is you're going to take that international flight from. Because if your flight is delayed out of Kansas City, you miss your connection. You lost your trip overseas. But recently I did a fair search and there were fares for summer from New York to Europe to many destinations. For looking in August at $300 something dollars, round trip to Europe. 300 something dollars, that's cheap to a bunch of places in Europe. You're not going to find that out of other cities in the US except in a fluke for flights to Europe. That's why the coastal city thing is so important.

[Listener]

All right, Bill is in Delaware. Sorry.

[Clark Howard]

So he's going to talk about the Eagles. Now, who won the Super Bowl?

[Listener]

The last time I traveled overseas, I had problems using my bank issued ATM debit card. It just didn't want to work. I was thinking about opening up a capital 1360 checking account and putting money into that so I can get their debit card and use that at worldwide locations. Does Clark have any advice on this?

[Clark Howard]

Yeah, Bill, thank you for the question. You really feel like I gave you a bum bit of advice when you say, well, Clark says to wait till I'm overseas and get whatever currency I need out of an ATM when I get there. And then your ATM card doesn't work. This has happened to me. I. I've had the privilege of traveling overseas well over a hundred times. Happened to me one time. One time. And what I had to do was it was a free call because I was able to call collect. That's what Charles Schwab allows you to do. I was able to call them collect and they got the card cleared and then I was able to use it, but a hassle for sure. And it took a while on the phone. And I have no idea what that call costs, Charles Schwab. But what you can do is do exactly what you're saying. Have a second ATM card just so you don't have to worry about a potential what if. And I like that idea. You open the Capital One account, you get the no fee account, you get the ATM card with it. They don't charge foreign currency junk fees. As I remember, I think I remember properly with Capital One. That is a good idea to have a backup system. Like that. And the good news now is that most places you go overseas, you may never need cash. Weirdly, my wife Elaine and I were in Italy in March and we were there 11 days. That's not weird. But what is weird is we never used a single euro of cash in 11 days. Every single place we went was tapped to pay, so a euro never left our pockets. I mean, that is a real shift because the first time I went to Italy was in the 1970s and there wasn't even the thought of a credit card and I had to use Italian lira. And you thought you were the richest person in the world then because you're walking around with millions of lira. The lira wasn't worth very much. But today, the need for cash is pretty much rare. Most places that you travel in the world used to say developed world. Now more and more places just in the world. Well, coming up ahead, I have certain obsessions, and I clearly have one about my frustration with the lack of affordability of housing in the United States. But we can build more housing efficiently. We can build it more affordably. And I want to give you an example from one of the most difficult places in America to build anything straight ahead.

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[Clark Howard]

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[Listener]

Very cool looking.

[Clark Howard]

It really is styling. And I'll see with my own eyes when I go see the complex because this is, this is something that I just don't get it. Why are we not doing more things like 3D printed homes and modular construction of individual homes and high rises? Why is it that the hotel industry gets to have all the fun and is doing all this modular building? Why? Because these hotel owners have to operate these places later and they want to build something that's as efficient for them as possible and they want have more occupied room nights instead of nights while the properties in development. I mean, they've got all the incentives to do this a modern way. And we're just not generally in the United States and we've got these millions of units of housing we're short. So one of those things we can fix, you can get from point A to point B. We're just not doing it.

[Listener]

All right. Well, Shirley in California says, I recently remodeled a guest house. I'm thinking of adding solar even though it won't be in constant use in the near future. I've read that the rebates incentives to install solar panels may be going away because the cost of the renovations wasn't cheap. I was planning on adding the panels in a few years, but with the possible changes in the laws, should I install them now? I live near Sacramento, so I'm guessing California might continue with some sort of incentives even if the federal government stops their rebates. Thanks for all your help over the years and you still host my favorite podcast of all time.

[Clark Howard]

Well, Shirley, thank you very much. And as you know, in the Sacramento area, the sun is very friendly on you. And so solar has a very good payback. There's a certain rush to beat the incentives going away going on in residential solar. And so I don't want you to overpay for having panels installed because suddenly there's this rush to get projects underway in time. So it requires some shopping around. But solar will have a nice payoff over time, particularly as long as you don't overpay for it, particularly with the tax credits that at this moment are still available and also with the level of sunshine you've got. And power is very expensive, as you know, in the state of California. So I think it does have a lot of. There's a lot of urgency and if you're going to do this to get it done quickly.

[Listener]

Terry in Ohio says Amex is canceling the Bluebird prepaid card in 2026. Do you know of another prepaid card similar or better than Bluebird?

[Clark Howard]

We're on the lookout for it. We haven't found it yet. Bluebird was a really creative product or is from American Express, and it was a very odd partnership that it was at first a joint venture with Walmart. And Bluebird allowed people to have the equivalent of a banking relationship in all in one and one card. And it never performed, apparently for Amex, like they hoped. I think it's just too off brand for them, having something for everyday people where American Express's emphasis is so much at the high end. So, Terry, we will keep looking and we will come up with what we feel are the best potential alternatives to Bluebird. My guess is it's going to be some kind of fintechy kind of thing, which we've talked about in the past, where everything will be done with an app on your phone and with a plastic card tied in. But we're going to see if we can come up with an answer for the Bluebird refugees.

[Listener]

Kyle in Pennsylvania says, I collided with a deer in my Volkswagen Golf.

[Clark Howard]

You ever had a deer?

[Listener]

Thank goodness, no.

[Clark Howard]

I've done it. I've hit two deer.

[Listener]

I bought the Golf New in 2019. One of the headlights needed to be replaced. I was informed by the collision shop that there were no headlights available anywhere new. Or after several months finding an available part myself and switching collision shops after the first one was unresponsive, I finally got the car repaired and back on the road. The vendor that I found only had the passenger side headlight that I needed and not the driver side. That was just pure luck. Had the other side of the car been hit, I would have been without a headlight today. Both headlights are now out of stock. How does one mitigate this huge risk of losing your car indefinitely due to lack of parts? Rental car insurance options max out at 30 days and my understanding is that car insurance companies will refuse to declare a total loss in this scenario, regardless of how long it drags on. What should one do?

[Clark Howard]

This has been a terrible problem, Kyle, that's been going on ever since the COVID induced shortages starting back in 20. I thought that the part shortages were, would go away as automotive production resumed its normal cycles back in the back half of 23 and the part supply has not restored to its prior levels. And I know that anecdotally what people are doing very heavily is they're going to these. They're like modern junkyards that you can check inventory online on vehicles they have in their junkyard. And right over the Internet, you're able to secure parts that you need that are hard to find from vehicles that are on the lots. There are places that in big metro areas are available where you can check inventory online. You actually go physically to the junkyard or they tell you where it is. You know, they're organized by row and aisle and all that. And you find the, the make, model in year that has the part you're looking for and you're able to inspect it and you're able to buy it right at the junkyard. I mean, it's one of the things that has happened where the marketplace, as best it can, is responding to these part shortages. The biggest change is that the cost of parts at junkyards is a lot higher than they used to be because of the shortage scenario. And so there is no way, you think how many parts are on a car? There's no way you can adapt to this in advance. Like, what would you do? Would you, would you come up with a list of 20 hard to buy parts on your vehicle and stock them? It would be crazy, right? So you just have to flex as you can and do just what you did when the body shops, like, ah, well, we can't get it. You searched around and you found the part and don't know where you found it, but the fact that you found it shows that you took a problem that other people had washed their hands of and you fixed it. And that's kind of what people are doing at these modern junkyards where they've got the inventories of vehicles they have on their facilities. So I want to thank you so much for joining us on today's podcast. It's such a privilege for me to get to do this, to do this YouTube show with you, do this podcast with you, to be with you, learning from you, and we all learn together. This is, this is a blast. I look forward so much to every single day when I get to be with you and share with you. Because I don't want any of us to be spectators in our own lives. I want us to be the bosses of our own lives. And you do that with knowledge and with confidence, where you stand up for yourself. And also practical things you do every day and over time so that you can live on less than what you make. So that you can save more money, you can spend less. And you know one thing I don't want? I don't want you ever getting ripped off. Have a wonderful day.