I Just Finished My First Norwegian Cruise 🚢 Let’s Chat About It LIVE
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 พ.ค. 2023
- I just completed my first Norwegian Cruise Line cruise! Join me live to talk about the things I loved and hated about NCL.
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#solocruise #cruising #cruiseship
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I think you're right on NCL solo. I think what hapoened is they went first and everyone else caught up. A lot of other lines followed with any time dining as well.
Yeah, I really liked it.
I've done 36 cruises , 25 on Carnival the rest on Royal, Holland, MSC. Listening to your posts I will try Norwegian and Princess ASAP.. Great Videos Young Man. Thank You for your service.
Thanks! 🙏
I hope you start to feel better soon. Missed seeing your videos. That is so cool how they treat military members. I love that.
It really is! :) Thanks!
I was on an older NCL cruise in 2018. They also had a solo program but they assigned a young girl to run the program. All she told us to do was to talk to other solo cruisers. 😂 Apparently, the cruise lines didn’t really have any plans for us.
Interesting
I camp in my tesla now…1:08:44
Hello Kevin '' sorry to hear of the virus and delays in plans good to see you i hope all is well looking forward to update video thank you Sir.big hugs
Thanks 👍
I was on Royal Caribbean about a month ago and they have also gone to once a day cleaning. Like you, I don't need more than that, just trash emptied and fresh towels if the towels are wet, however, coming at a different time each day is inconvenient. When I saw my cabin steward she thanked me for keeping the room so clean. Then she didn't come at all one day!
That's awesome! :)
Fair and honest assessment. As an NCL fan, I was apprehensively awaiting your review because I knew the internet would be a huge negative and a reason why we probably wouldn't get a live stream. It's really only through you and some other channels I watch that I'm aware how well other lines execute it. I'm glad to hear your thoughts on the food, particularly the buffet. Norwegian really began setting themselves apart on Breakaway class, and the Encore (Breakaway-plus) is my favorite yet. I'm looking forward to seeing what's new on the Viva this fall.
Yeah, I really liked NCL. I will definitely cruise them again and am excited to try some of their newer ships.
We’re sailing on the Viva at the beginning of October and the Breakaway mid October in Europe.
Both in The Haven.
Can’t wait to see both ships especially the new Viva.
I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise, your assessment sounds very fair. It is nice to hear about the veteran benefits. Thanks.
Yeah, it was pretty cool.
Great to see you back. Missed your videos the past couple weeks.
Thanks, Lorie! :)
Great live . I’ve heard and watched videos on MSC, doesn’t sound like a good time. Great info on solo program on NCL.
Hope you are feeling better. It could be time to chill for a month or two. Your body is telling you something. Take it from a multi country traveler.
Thanks again, enjoy your updates
Thanks, George.
I had so may questions on your NCL cruise! Logged in for live stream and forgot I had a birthday party to go to. I am glad you had a great time! NCL was my 1st solo/single cruise 30+ years ago!
No problem. I'll do another live soon.
Glad to see you! We were a bit worried. Didn’t even see you pop into Allison’s live. Glad you are well.
Im just about back to 100%
We were on Harmony of the Seas in April. They have gone to one cleaning per day. Our steward asked us if we preferred a timeframe in the morning, or the late afternoon for our cleaning - I liked that. We had it so she cleaned when we went to dinner. It worked out just fine. Anyway, not just NCL for one per day/ RCCL doing it too - at least on the ship we sailed.
Thanks for the info Julie.
Thanks for the review of NCLH. As a share holder, it was nice to hear they are towards the top of your list of brands you like. Enjoy crossing the Atlantic! Fair winds and following seas MC. Maybe I’ll see you in the mess sometime. Oh, and my vote for future travel after your year of cruising would be a hybrid approach of Tesla Model Y ( Mr. Money Mustache recently wrote a great blog on ownership) camping, Thailand, and Cruising. To me, this would prevent burnout, add variety and grow the subscriber base.
I'll check it out. It's funny...ive lived in a van, Thailand and on cruise ships the last 3 years. Id like to blend the 3.
best think i know is to bring a walkie talkie to talk to family and friends
great idea
Hello Kevin! Nice video on your NCL Getaway experience. It was great to meet you at the solo group and at the dinner table in the Tropicana Dining Room. I would really encourage you to cruise the NCL Bliss sometime. It's amazing! Much more organized solo traveler program - I cruised it in March, 2022 down the Mexican Riviera. Happy cruising!
It was great meeting you as well Terry. I will definitely try the Bliss.
Glad to see you back, Kevin. Was beginning to think your virus returned.
As always, love your honest reviews.
Thanks, Sandra.
Can’t wait till you go on your Northern Lights and Iceland cruise. Please film a lot on it. It is a cruise I am personally interested in so will be watching. Really enjoying your cruise information. Thanks for the great info!
Will do Peri! :)
When is that cruise? I really want to take my elderly mother on a cruise to see the Northern Lights. We’ve tried and have still never seen them.
Awwh, I really did not mean to miss this one! How is everything going for you now? I'll find out some more while I check out today's video!Alright, take care!🤗🌺
I am doing well. Thanks, Maxine.
Hi Kevin I missed you're livestream glad to see you back my friend
Thanks, Calvin.
4 NCL cruises, we don't want the steward in our room at all let alone every day. We leave the do not disturb sign on all week. Disembarking is horrible, as is embarking. Ship was horribly hot, even the older couples were complaining about how hot they keep the ship.
oh wow...that sucks
Gosh, I never dreamed that streaming internet on a cruise ship would cost $900 a month.
Not to mention, only 8 bottles of drinking water a day would cost an additional $750 a month (24 bottles X $75 X 10 days).
yeah
You can’t even take a FRS walkie-talkie talkie on the ship. They certainly would never allow you to take a star link dish onboard.
Many ship have starlink installed now.
I went on MSC Merivillia in March and yes it is not cleaned properly. Very little staff to keep things clean. My Ice tongs in my cabin fell on the floor so I thought the Stewart would replace them. I doubted they were replaced so I put a small streak of lipstick on the tongs and dropped them on the floor again. When I returned to my cabin guess what they were the same tongs I dropped twice back in my-ice bucket. I asked for distilled water for my C-pap and was given an open gal of distilled water half empty. That is only a few things out of many that were not done properly. I love NCL they are the best. Enjoy your cruising
Yeah, NCL has some work to do.
I just came of an older NCL ship, the stateroom steward said he does 22 rooms now. I saw the stewards busy the whole day, however they did not meet previous standards. I cleaned some stuff myself, which I always do. I found the Solo meetings not great this time around, the venue was a winebar and to small and crowded and one gripe is the early dinner timeslot. I never use their solocabins and book a regular room. I agree the Sololounge should be accessible to all solo travellers, during covid we could since people and staff let us. I would love if NCL would start using the virtual que option for venues etc. For the dining venues, they have pagers so that you don't have to keep standing inline. Thanks for your opinions.
Yeah, those are good points and close to my own experience.
Yeah Princess is more traditional cruising and NCL is more resort cruising.
agree
I just returned from a 12 night cruise from Amsterdam to Iceland and Scotland. I loved the ports and the cruising, but I really didn't care for the excursions. They did not give much time at the stops and I felt herded. I was on a Royal Caribbean and an older ship the Jewel of the Sea. I really enjoyed the rock climbing wall, the gym and the outdoor spaces where I could walk. I really loved my cabin which was on deck 2 and mid ship. Food was definitely a challenge, because I have a gluten sensitivity and unless you are eating in the dinning room, it is really hard not to get gluten exposure because they even have gluten in the granola... oh and the soy sauce. I lost over a pound and a half that I did not have it to lose. My aunt and cousin had a balcony on an upper deck and they were annoyed by the over attentive room steward. They enjoyed the balcony space though. My aunt and cousin said Princess CL is their favourite. The day we disembarked from the ship there was no coffee ready at 6:00am, and I ended up setting up the coffee but the crew member in charge showed up before I got the pot running, so disaster avoided likely, but now I know how to run the new generation of commercial coffee makers. I would do the Ring of Fire excursion out of Reykjavik, Iceland again and the Folk, Fiona and Flora excursion out of Akureyri, Iceland. I would just do the town or a train at Inverness Scotland. Don't expect to find your plaid in the store in Scotland unless it is a major clan. I found MacIntosh Clan and Stewart, but no Nairn, Hall, or Wallace witch are all septs of major clan's. Thank you again for taking us along on your journey. Safe travels.
Very cool...thanks for the tips. I really like those lower decks on the older royal caribbean ships...I was on deck 2 as well
Thanks so much. Also, the Bright Line train now connects Orlando, Ft Lauderdale and Miami. Have you taken this to connect ports in your travels?
I need to try that train. I haven't yet.
On the Breakaway we had to show up early to shows. You are right about people leaving after a few minutes.
Our room Stewart did our room around 4:00 pm
Yeah, I loved all the venues but it made them small
@@30AndAWakeUp Howl at the Moon was small and pillars running down the middle and in the way.
Hi Kevin!
Glad you had a great time on NCL! I've been on 2 cruises so far: 1st NCL Carribean (11 days), 2nd Holland America Alaska (8/9) days. In my limited experience I agree with all your positives re NCL and most of your negatives too, although back then I think they did 2 cleanings a day, and like you, I just kept the DND indicator up all of the time, especially after they had been thru in the AM -- amazingly that didn't always keep them away while I was out -- perhaps I missed a day and they ended up going in later in the day?
My only real dislike with NCL was I found it a little too "busy" too often, which kinda wears on me cuz I need more downtime to just be still than maybe most people do. I did have an outside cabin to myself tho, which was really sweet.
BTW, what hotel is that again? Couldn't catch the name, but for $67/ night I might want to stop in there when I head out on my epic road trip. Sounds unusually cheap, or am I mistaken?
Also, FYI, unvaxxed Canadians (or others) cannot enter the US by air, but are able to drive across at a land border as I understand it. Kind of silly at this point at least?
Cheers!....still in North Vancouver(for now)
Hi Adrian. The hotel is called Spot X by Red International. It's clean and quiet. Also right across the street from an outlet mall which is really convenient.
Watching on replay! I love NCL. I'm a week back from Alaska on NCL Bliss. If you haven't been, it's awesome! (Though pick an itinerary with Glacier Bay if you haven't been.) Are you going on Prima? Hubs and I are scheduled for our anniversary in August. Hoya Saxa! (GULC 93)
wow...sooo cool...GULC 18 here...I went older! :) Im definitely doing an Alaskan cruise this year.
LOL opened and closed the water bottle 5 or 6 times before finally taking a drink at the beginning of the video🤪
Yeah, i can be a little neurotic at times!
@@30AndAWakeUp I would have said distracted😴
That's NCL for you. Solos feel they are being treated unfairly by having to pay a lot more than people double booking. So NCL creates a category of cabins that are smaller and they sell it for more than the normal inside cabin for them. One of the many, many, many reasons I will never set a foot on a NCL ship.
ive found that MSC and Princess are the most affordable for solos
You’d like Celebrity.
They are the best of the mass market cruise lines, in my opinion.
My worst experience was on Holland America.
I need to try Celeb for sure.
Cool veteran's touch!
For sure.
Why Not Carnival? On my last Carnival Cruise there were over 1000 Veterans at the Veterans Appreciation Meeting. Carnival Celebration. Sorry Dude, Carnival has the FUN SHIPs, HANDS DOWN!!!
i’ve been on carnival once…i like the line
Glad to hear you’ve recovered from norovirus. I really like your edited episodes. You’re a good story teller. Your content is concise, focused and entertaining. Your live feeds? Not so much. In fact, pretty much the opposite. Sorry friend. I tried to watch a whole live feed episode but don’t have an hour plus time. You kind of ramble and repeat yourself. You’ve got a great YT vibe and energy and I keep coming back but I’m skipping live feeds.
Understand for sure. I might try to edit the live streams to make them more concise. Thanks for the feedback, David.
Please do not edit your live streams!!! Love them. I find them a very relaxing watch, and never am able to watch them “live”.
Hey, Kevin! @goinggreenmom said u had some issues w/TROLLS during this chat... I am so freaking sorry to hear that. I may not be an official mod...but I will do my best to make your next live and I can still let these people know what's what! Safe and blessed travels. LUCRETIA
Thanks Lucretia! :) I hope you are doing well.
Sorry I missed it!!
No problem!
I am currently cruising Celebrity Equinox. Can’t wait to hear about what you thought of NCL after Princess.
Interesting. You've been on Princess but not Carnival. I find Carnival is super fun. Something always to do. I did not like NCL at all. But maybe it was the ships I've been on on NCL. You should try the new ships on Carnival. I did 6 cruises this past winter on Carnival.
LOL, you are just mentioning Carnival in the stream!
I definitely want to try one of the newer Carnival ships. Ive heard great things.
Kevin I've been looking at cruises for the first time after watching your videos. Do you let the cruise line choose your inside room and deck? Or do you pay extra to choose the location? Or at least the one I looked at charges $20 extra for every choice. Maybe include your strategy in an upcoming video? And if you don't really care, maybe you can give some pros and cons to being on certain decks? I really appreciate all you're doing to inform us especially the newbies. Looking forward to the next region...
Ok I'm listening to a Live replay and hearing you address some of this. Don't usually listen to the Lives, glad I did 😊
Glenda, I have a feeling Kevin's view may differ, but here's what I've learned from years of cruising. Choosing your cabin, though a little more pricey, is the way to go. It's rare you'll get a better (or sometimes even decent) location with them choosing or it would already be spoken for. Of course, exceptions exist... but don't count on it.
Past that... here are general rules: Always refer to deck plans when searching for the right cabin. In general, you want to make sure that your room is surrounded by other state rooms; above, below, on either side and across the hall. You should avoid any cabins that are below or above restaurants, bars, lounges, pools, casinos, kids clubs, etc.. You should also avoid connecting rooms. Surprisingly, I have been a room that's back to back with the elevators... And I was shocked how quiet it was. This last fall I was in a cabin that was two cabins away from the atrium or center section of the ship (where they would have musical acts and you could hear them from all different levels). With our door closed, we could even hear the band at night, and I know the folks next door (who had the higher priced room I really wanted would not have been able to avoid listening to them play until past midnight every night.
In regards to the stabilization of the ship, which might be a factor in avoiding sea sickness... The general rule is the more centered and the lower the room is located, the better it is for staying stable on rocky seas.
@mckenna8663 excellent tips! Thank you very much 🥰
@@desertbluecatnm Regarding that stabilization... I should add that that's the text book answer. Honestly, it takes quite a bit to start feeling the motion for most. If I ever do, I will head back to the cabin and nap it off while dreaming I'm being gently rocked to sleep. 😌
I usually let the cruise line choose but many times you can choose for no extra money so always look
If you think Norwegian is fun wait until you try Carnival. Their comedy shows and live music is better than any of the other lines. I highly recommend the Mardi Gras or Celebration.
I have heard that. And I have heard Mardi Gras is awesome. I will definitely try.
I’m binge watching your videos. But which one explains how to book and how far out you have to book? I’m curious how far out do you have to book? Because it seems like you are going on one to another???
If you check out my video on how to book cheap cruises I talk about it. I use the website CruisePlum to find cruises and then I book directly through the cruise line’s website. I have another video coming out tomorrow on how to save money on cruises and I talk about a lot of that stuff. As far as when to book, I don’t really have a rule for that. I know some people book a long way out but I usually book a few months out.
Your Princess and NCL pricing comments are ibreresting . I agree its all about the per night fee but in the UK it always seems Princess is more expensive than NCL.
Maybe they price difderently on the UK website.
Yeah, in the US a solo can sail a lot on Princess for a 100 dollars or less a day
What is the cleanest ship that you have been on? I do like the formal and traditional cruising. I do like the look of the NCL prima, but just feel the NCL may not be for me.
Princess ships for sure. They clean the crap out of those things!
Have you ever felt really crappy after getting back on terra firma (land)? Having some difficulty feeling well after Alaska cruise. Catching up on sleep.
yeah for sure
Love ID Me. After you get verified it makes it so much easier to get verified going forward.
yeah, it is great!
Yet, after 13 Outbreaks this year on Cruise Ships none of them has been on any MSC Ship. They stumbled and have since cleaned things up, go figure. As a veteran like myself, you should know that we are all far from perfect. Our failures always make us better. Thank you for your service.
Absolutely, that's why I said repeatedly that I don't judge MSC by one ship or one cruise. Thanks for your service as well.
FYI.... with MSC one doesn't keep one's status unless one cruises with them at least once every 3 years. If not, one goes to "0", with no status whatsoever.
Ahh ok. That's good to know.
Doesn’t MSC recognize your status on other cruise lines, so it wouldn’t matter what your MSC status is?
Went on msc merivilia. It was filthy. I left from BK april 29th big group of ppl that would eat the buffet food and😢then put it back. Terrible
Yeah, MSC has some work to do.
Have you travelled on any Holland America cruises? If so, how do you like them compared to
Royal Caribbean and NCL?
Not yet but I will in the future.
Is your fire and ice cruise one cruise or multiple strung together as I can't find it and Id love to do sometbing like that?
It was booked as a 33 day cruise but it could have been booked as two separate cruises.
Do you think the drink package in tandem with the total price per day is worth the money?
No but I dont drink much
No, you was dancing great. You know I made it better…lmao. Shout out from your short PR friend Anita
Hi Anita!!!!!! Thanks for watching :)
I really enjoyed meeting you, you made me laugh. 😂
Come with us on the 23rd of July.
I'll be in Europe!
@@30AndAWakeUp I see. Enjoy yourself. Thanks for the update too.
Kevin, How did you cancel your MSC cruise last minute?
They gave me a partial refund which was enough to cover my hotel.
Ncl doesn't have anything going on in the day especially on port days. I've been on 8 ncl ships
fair point for sure
Do they have dance hosts? I never have any guys to dance with! It’s so frustrating and makes me feel lonely.
i dont think so...but there were tons of guys out there dancing including yours truly! I would have danced with ya ;)
What was the Name of the Navy Ship? I was USS Harry E Yarnell, USS IOWA, USS NEW JERSEY, USS Kennedy
USS LASALLE, USS MOUNT WHITNEY, USS REUBEN JAMES, USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, USS RONALD REAGAN
@@30AndAWakeUp 2ND FLEET FLAGSHIP I KNOW IT WELL
Ok, I didn’t get to hear much, I was driving through the mountains and my service kept dropping out. But my main takeaway is that you REALLY can’t help yourself when it comes to dropping little hints about your location. Ya know. Where you are unconscious and unprotected for 8 hours a night. It’s like you’re running some kind of scavenger hunt for stalkers. JUST DECIPHER THE VERY OBVIOUS CLUES! 😂😂😂😂
I know..I need to shut the hell up :)
@@30AndAWakeUp 🤣🤣🤣
Many cruise lines are going to one cleaning a day.
Yeah, seems that is the trend.
❤
Thanks for watching, Karen.
Was there a big penalty to cancel that MSC cruise.
yeah! but i got enough of a refund to cover my hotel.
Have you sailed on Holland America Rotterdam? What do you think?
I haven’t but I want to!
Are you ever going back to van life
yes
What rank were you when you retired from the Navy?
E9 - Command Master Chief
You started the video stating that you canceled with MSC because their health rating was bad.... where did you find this rating? didn't you loose the money you had reserved with? About the room stewart doing one's room only once a day, Royal Caribbean is doing the same, BUT THE problem with "mine" was that for whatever reason, his time to do mine was about 5:30pm which was exactly the time, the ONLY time that I would be in my room getting ready for the evening, so inevitably he would knock the door when I was in the shower, or getting dressed, so I would hcream that "not now, come back in 15 min." (My door at first did not have a "do not disturb" outside magnet, which in the next one, I'll make certain that I put up.
So it was all over the news. Im not sure where I would find it otherwise. I'll have to research that.
@@30AndAWakeUp I'll be doing the Celebrity Summit from NJ coming up May 25, 2023. So I looked at the CDC ratings and this ship is ALREADY listed as having had the norovirus (about 5 days before it's end)! Me having been in the Enchantment of the Seas March 11 (also listed as having had the norovirus) I'm quite leery
and definitely will put on a mask and wash my hands more than ever!
Can you make your request send to the Norwegian mgnt ? You have good points & ideas from a frequent cruiser is good to voice out ideas/opinions Thanks Kevin👍🛳⚓🌍
Sure :)