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A genuinely useful and warm-hearted conversation with disability-travel creator Aspen Sage and service dog JoJo — equal parts practical accessibility guide and reminder that the ship is for everyone, with a little celiac dessert diplomacy on the side.
What they covered
Topics on deck
Wheelchair-accessible cruising
Booking accessible cabins
Flying with mobility aids
Service dogs at sea
Tender ports & accessible excursions
Gluten-free cruise food
Cruise-line comparisons
Advocacy & independence
Don’t miss
Moments worth the wait
- Aspen's introduction — The guest sets the stage with warmth and clarity about who she is and what she does.
“So my name is Aspen. I'm a T9 paraplegic. I'm paralyzed from the waist down due to a medication injury in 2021. I do full-time content creation on accessible living, accessible travel.”
- The real travel hurdle — It turns out the hardest part isn't the ship at all — it's getting there.
“airlines are constantly damaging mobility aids, which makes people not want to fly, which limits so much travel.”
- Book those cabins early — Aspen's biggest planning tip for accessible staterooms.
“I try to at least book six months in advance sometimes up to two years, just because those accessible rooms are really hard to come by.”
- Tender-port myth, busted — A widely believed limitation that simply isn't true, with Half Moon Cay and Cabo as proof.
“a lot of people think that if a port is a tender port, that wheelchair users can't get off. That's not true.”
- A moment of connection — Tom opens up about his own recovery, and Aspen meets it with grace.
“I've been called pigheaded for the past four months because I refuse to let people help me because I had a stroke four months ago.”
- Dessert diplomacy — The gluten-free chocolate melting cake earns a ringing endorsement.
“It's actually better than the regular one if you try it.”
- The question that broke the format — The show's signature guest question meets an obstacle it can't clear.
“So we have to retire this question. I don't know where we go with it after this.”
In the guest chair
Special guest
🎤
Aspen Sage — accessibility & disability-travel creator — the full-time content creator behind “Accessibility with Aspen Sage,” a 25-year-old T9 paraplegic who has traveled the world since 2021 alongside her certified service dog, Ms. JoJo. Certifying as a travel agent and posting across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and now YouTube, Aspen brings hard-won, real-world know-how on accessible cabins, flying with mobility aids, tender ports, and service-dog logistics — plus an openness (nearly three years sober) that turns a how-to into a heart-to-heart. Her throughline: the ship is for everyone, and asking for help is a strength.
Golden nuggets
Running bits & lore born here
- “Is a hot dog a sandwich?” retired — The show's traditional guest ritual finally meets its match: Aspen doesn't eat bread, so the question gets honorably shelved on a technicality.
- The “five listeners” bit — The long-running self-deprecating gag returns — “that's just been the ongoing joke for the past four seasons.”
- FRGC on the Spirit — The group cruise keeps building, with the Carnival Spirit sailing name-checked again.
- Breakfast-burrito countdown — Tom's ever-present clock ticks down to “361 hours.”
- The sign-off — The warm close carries the episode's whole spirit: “you are unique, you are special, and you are loved.”