I've watched many of these video interviews with Mario over the last couple days. Alanna's interviewing is first rate! Mario's thoughts and experiences are legitimate, thoughtful, and helpful, and presented in an engaging way. This is really good stuff for those interested in getting the most out of their cruising time and dollars! Thank you for making this available!
I appreciate the tip on green apples, soda crackers and carbonated beverage. Thanks Mario! Also, he simply crackers me up! 75 ft waves!!! WOW !!! and he went up to the crown room to watch them and get the full effect! Crazy man! lol lol He just made me laugh.
Mario is correct about misconception #5 I love to go to places when no one wants to go there because you get the cheapest hotel rates and no one else being around, the place is all yours. Great, advise I shall plan my Caribbean cruise in hurricane season. 👍🏼
Wow, Hope all the art work stayed put and didn't fly off the walls! I'm not sure I would have the same excitement you did though either, I think I would be nervous!
@@CruisetheWorldAtoZ The artwork was going crazy. They ended up canceling the rest of the auction and told us to go back to our staterooms. The boat was rocking so severely that we were running into the walls. I kind of enjoyed it (mixed in with a fair dose of fear) , but my husband got really seasick. Looking back so many years later, it's a fun story.
“Feeling confined” was the one of main reasons my husband used when he did not want to cruise. I booked Mediterranean cruise in 2004 thinking if he absolutely hates the cruise he at least would love ports. He loved it and became addicted! We have 42 regular and longer cruises with 8 lines since then and I don’t see this ending, in fact I cannot go to places I like, because they are not accessible by cruise ships ))) . Oh.. by the way only once we were on tail end of Norovirus. We washed and sanitized hands a lot and crew did amazing job cleaning everything.
Oh wow Nat! That is great that your husband turned out to loving it! You will have to pry him away so you can visit some of those of places you want to see! Thank goodness all was well with the Norovirus!
its a floating 5 star resort i just finished my 19 cruise on MSC Seaside over 5000 people on board no lines at the buffet at all because they have divided up the food stations the longest i waited was 2 people in front of me 28 million people cruised in 2018 and half left just 3 ports in floirda Miami, fort Lauderdale and cape canivreal
Love watching you and Super Mario! I never had gotten sick until we went on the original "Love Boat" Princess Lines, in the Caribbean. We had 25+' waves on that trip. It happened to be lobster night, and my girlfriend and I had soda crackers and 7-up! Our husband's had their lobster dinner! The original Love Boat only had 800 passengers at that time. Now I look at the huge ships that are in service now! Happy sailing Alana and Super Mario!😉🚢
I just went on an Alaska Cruise with 6 other people that had never cruised and they all had misconceptions #1. They ship will be crowded and tight. Everyone was pleased as how spacious the ship really is.
Mario, thanks for confirming my own observations and experiences: cruise-ships are the safest place to be during hurricane-season . . . and the roughness of seas is far worse in the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea, and the Pacific Ocean, than in the Caribbean, where bargains and great weather abound year-round.
Our trip to New Zealand and Australia had very rough seas. They emptied the swimming pool twice, once was Christmas Eve, 2018...But we had a great time, the Christmas Party was incredible. I told my sea sick friends: Just jump when the wave hits.
We had mytime dining...after a couple of days we learned to make a reservation.....also it was just the two of us and we said we were willing to sit with other passengers! That is how you get to meet some interesting people!
My wife and I are RCCL regulars. Can you please talk a little about crew members that you interact with daily. From the cabin steward, the waiters, the bar tenders, etc. We have found them to be friendliest of people. They are always attentive and quick to smile when greeting you or passing you in the hall. My hat's off to them. It's tough to be treated like a king for a week.
Safety; I agree, on the whole, it is a safe environment. However, due diligence is required. We were burgled on a cruise, losing cash. That ship had no safes. We thought we had adequately secreted the cash away. It happened when were at dinner one evening. Insist on a safe. Even then, we were assured, there were professional thieves who book cruises and make a good living over and above the fare they pay for a base cabin. Pay attention. Lock up all valuables - even if it must be with the purser. Most cruise lines don't guarantee, even then.
Wow sorry to hear of that misfortune. It must have been years ago when that happened? I've never been on a cruise or heard of the rooms not having safes.
I wonder if Mario saw the Symphony was in after it hit a hurricane, there was ext ream damage and people got hurt. On land you can hunker in the basement.
@@ginac9274 MOST places that have hurricanes don't have basements. Definitely zero basements in Texas and Louisiana, unless it's a big office building I suppose... ❤️
Alanna--On a prior interview episode with Mario, he said that the top level of the Royal Caribbean loyalty program included the perk of free WiFi, but I didn't see that listed on the RC website describing the loyalty program. Is that a special perk just for Mario as a very long-time resident on the ships, or is it a benefit for everyone who reaches the top level of the loyalty program?
Professor Dr, great question! As Mario explains, "That is correct, however, under the "Onboard Rewards" icon in the Pinnacle Benefits section you will see the second item that says "Onboard offers pre-loaded to your SeaPass card. Refer to your welcome letter for details" ... so in the letter it will state complimentary WIFI for the duration of the cruise. "
@@CruisetheWorldAtoZ Hi again Alanna--THANK YOU very much for your quick informative reply! As a retired university professor emeritus, my wife and I are considering spending 5 consecutive months each year or perhaps even 11 months a year on a ship like Mario does. So we've been keenly interested in your ongoing series of fantastic interviews with Mario. Learning about these loyalty programs, I'm comparing long-term loyalty benefits of various cruise lines. I'm guessing that Royal Caribbean's reputation for the fastest Internet speed was a factor Mario considered in selecting a cruise line because of his type of financial consulting work that requires Internet. And the free WiFi at his top Pinnacle level is perfect for his work too! My past experience has been on Norwegian Cruise Line and Cunard, and trans-Atlantic cruises too. Your videos have given us the idea to try Royal Caribbean next! So I very much appreciate your excellent, interesting, & informative videos! Keep up the great work!
@Professor Dr thank you so much for the kind words. I'm thrilled that you are enjoying the series and it is helping you plan your exciting journey! Glad to hear you are experimenting with different cruise lines as well to see what is the best fit for you are your wife. Best of luck with the research phase that is so much fun!
I'm totally the most indecisive person ever if you give me too many options it's no bueno. The one thing I can make a decision about it when I want to eat lol 😉😂
We have found that my time dining gives quicker turn-around from being seated to finishing desert than the traditional early / late seating. In traditional, the wait staff does not start the serving process until all the tables their team is serving are filled. Get one table in your bunch that is always 15 or 20 minutes late and your dinner will be delayed by that much as you start your salad as others are finishing their meal. That being said, you can meet some interesting folks in traditional dining.
@@pandorad3427 it's just a sensory response to certain sounds that are enjoyable. It can be different for everyone. For instance, I enjoy the sound of the necklace in the mic but at the same time you find it distracting. So maybe you might enjoy the sound of hail on a roof (just a made up example) but I find it irritating. Some people get REALLY into it and make videos scratching and crinkling different things into a microphone etc. It's sort of interesting!!! I hope you have a nice day ❤️
@@joem2130 Thank you so much for that fab explanation ! I so agree about certain sounds ! Your interviews are wonderful !!! Thanks for them, and - this gals say's, "more unique videos please" ! Stay safe - Have fun !
The majority of all misconceptions in this world come from the news media and the internet. Unfortunately, It's 24 hours of misconceptions. My advice to anyone contemplating on doing a cruise, visiting a foreign land or anything else, just go do it and above all turn off the news channels....all of them!
@@CruisetheWorldAtoZ I haven't watched television in years. Like many many years. But, using the internet for researching a trip (which I do daily) is different than reading social media garbage that is senseless. TH-cam is the only social media forum I use, and mainly for travel information along with amazon Kindle travel books☺. I agree, the internet is excellent for researching on legitimate websites.
Mario, is Royal Caribbean's top cruiser. He has been living on cruise ships for over 20 years. I have many interview segments under the"interview playlist" on my channel if you want to check out more.
Are you curious about where Mario is during COVID and the pause on cruising? Find out here th-cam.com/video/6878WScWG0Y/w-d-xo.html
Your interviews with Mr. Mario are always DYNAMIC! And, congrats on your Cruisy Award!
Aw thank you so much June! We really enjoyed putting the series together!
70 foot waves...i couldnt even imagine that! Damnnn man
I've watched many of these video interviews with Mario over the last couple days. Alanna's interviewing is first rate! Mario's thoughts and experiences are legitimate, thoughtful, and helpful, and presented in an engaging way. This is really good stuff for those interested in getting the most out of their cruising time and dollars! Thank you for making this available!
I appreciate the tip on green apples, soda crackers and carbonated beverage. Thanks Mario! Also, he simply crackers me up! 75 ft waves!!! WOW !!! and he went up to the crown room to watch them and get the full effect! Crazy man! lol lol He just made me laugh.
Totally Mary, we love hearing his stories! He has so many fun memories to share!
Mario is correct about misconception #5 I love to go to places when no one wants to go there because you get the cheapest hotel rates and no one else being around, the place is all yours. Great, advise I shall plan my Caribbean cruise in hurricane season. 👍🏼
Haha, I love it! You will have a blast!
Towards the end of hurricane season is best. Beginning of November.
Agreed about the long lines. RCCL & NCL has gotten waaayyyy better with the expansion of floating cities & plenty of places to eat.
Yes, NCL is particular I found there to be so many options!
We had 40 foot waves on a western Caribbean cruise once. That was pretty exciting. We were at the art auction when it started.
Wow, Hope all the art work stayed put and didn't fly off the walls! I'm not sure I would have the same excitement you did though either, I think I would be nervous!
@@CruisetheWorldAtoZ The artwork was going crazy. They ended up canceling the rest of the auction and told us to go back to our staterooms. The boat was rocking so severely that we were running into the walls. I kind of enjoyed it (mixed in with a fair dose of fear) , but my husband got really seasick. Looking back so many years later, it's a fun story.
“Feeling confined” was the one of main reasons my husband used when he did not want to cruise. I booked Mediterranean cruise in
2004 thinking if he absolutely hates the cruise he at least would love ports. He loved it and became addicted! We have 42 regular and longer cruises with 8 lines since then and I don’t see this ending, in fact I cannot go to places I like, because they are not accessible by cruise ships ))) . Oh.. by the way only once we were on tail end of Norovirus. We washed and sanitized hands a lot and crew did amazing job cleaning everything.
Oh wow Nat! That is great that your husband turned out to loving it! You will have to pry him away so you can visit some of those of places you want to see! Thank goodness all was well with the Norovirus!
its a floating 5 star resort i just finished my 19 cruise on MSC Seaside over 5000 people on board no lines at the buffet at all because they have divided up the food stations the longest i waited was 2 people in front of me 28 million people cruised in 2018 and half left just 3 ports in floirda Miami, fort Lauderdale and cape canivreal
Love watching you and Super Mario! I never had gotten sick until we went on the original "Love Boat" Princess Lines, in the Caribbean. We had 25+' waves on that trip. It happened to be lobster night, and my girlfriend and I had soda crackers and 7-up! Our husband's had their lobster dinner! The original Love Boat only had 800 passengers at that time. Now I look at the huge ships that are in service now! Happy sailing Alana and Super Mario!😉🚢
Lana wow, glad you knew about crackers and 7-up! Hopefully you will have smooth sailing on your next cruise and can enjoy your lobster! haha
I just went on an Alaska Cruise with 6 other people that had never cruised and they all had misconceptions #1. They ship will be crowded and tight. Everyone was pleased as how spacious the ship really is.
That is so great that you got to witness first hand their misconceptions being debunked! Wow another Alaska cruise Ed that's amazing!
Mario, thanks for confirming my own observations and experiences: cruise-ships are the safest place to be during hurricane-season . . . and the roughness of seas is far worse in the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea, and the Pacific Ocean, than in the Caribbean, where bargains and great weather abound year-round.
Thanks for sharing Brent! great benefits to Caribbean cruising!
the customer service desk tends to be the longest lines in my experience.
Totally, especially on the last night! You won't find me anywhere near there!
Great advice. Completely agree.
Glad you enjoyed!
Our trip to New Zealand and Australia had very rough seas. They emptied the swimming pool twice, once was Christmas Eve, 2018...But we had a great time, the Christmas Party was incredible. I told my sea sick friends: Just jump when the wave hits.
Fun to watch these, thanks!
So glad you enjoyed hear the list!
I hope Mario is able to return to his home (cruising) soon, if he hasn't already.
I keep picturing Mario at the top of the ship challenging God to a showdown, telling him "You'll Never Sink This Boat" like Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump!
Haha this made me laugh out loud.. Lt. Dan was the best! 😂
@@CruisetheWorldAtoZ Yeah he is!
Such an interesting gentleman! Thank's Super Mario! Thanks Alanna and Rafael!
Sheila, thanks for your support! We are thrilled to share the series with you!
We had mytime dining...after a couple of days we learned to make a reservation.....also it was just the two of us and we said we were willing to sit with other passengers! That is how you get to meet some interesting people!
Connie, I agree! If I have my time dinning I usually like to make a reservation because I have no patience to wait in line when I hungry haha!
The cheapest time of year to book a cruise for is the 1st 2 weeks of December and this is on every cruise line
My wife and I are RCCL regulars. Can you please talk a little about crew members that you interact with daily. From the cabin steward, the waiters, the bar tenders, etc. We have found them to be friendliest of people. They are always attentive and quick to smile when greeting you or passing you in the hall. My hat's off to them. It's tough to be treated like a king for a week.
Will you have any more videos with Super Mario? I miss these vids!
I would love to continue to series with Mario! What would you like to see that we haven't already covered?
Thank you
You are so wlecome D!
Mario is a very nice gentleman.
He's the nicest!
Safety; I agree, on the whole, it is a safe environment. However, due diligence is required. We were burgled on a cruise, losing cash. That ship had no safes. We thought we had adequately secreted the cash away. It happened when were at dinner one evening. Insist on a safe. Even then, we were assured, there were professional thieves who book cruises and make a good living over and above the fare they pay for a base cabin. Pay attention. Lock up all valuables - even if it must be with the purser. Most cruise lines don't guarantee, even then.
Wow sorry to hear of that misfortune. It must have been years ago when that happened? I've never been on a cruise or heard of the rooms not having safes.
The most dangerous part of your cruise is the drive to the port.
I believe it! It is like the statistic that most car accidents happen when you are very close to your house.
Once again Super M is spot on. Cheers
For sure, Mario knows his stuff! 😀
I wonder if Mario saw the Symphony was in after it hit a hurricane, there was ext ream damage and people got hurt. On land you can hunker in the basement.
Richard, I'm sure he heard about, but I'm not sure when that happened though myself.
Not everywhere where a hurricane hits has basements. Can't have basements in Florida, where a large portion of hurricanes hit/affect
@@ginac9274 MOST places that have hurricanes don't have basements. Definitely zero basements in Texas and Louisiana, unless it's a big office building I suppose... ❤️
Another great Super Mario video 👍🏻🛳
woohoo Thanks for the support Billy!
I agree with Mario on all 5 love it!!!!!!! 😎😎😎
Yay for debunking misconceptions!
Love Mario!
He is the best!
Good lord. I would have died with 70 ft waves. 😡
So I guess no my-time dinning for me!😂😂😂
Me neither! But I also like the predictability!
I always have the anytime dining on Princess and just book a time for each night. I have never queued up more than 5 minutes.
I've been thinking about Mario and what his opinions are on
what is going on now.
We have been talking to him.. We plan on doing a follow up as soon as cruising resumes..
@@CruisetheWorldAtoZ yayyyyy
Been 3 cruises Royol.
Telling you to wash your hands before it was cool. (Posted during 2020 quarantine)
Keep in mind this was recorded in 2019..
Alanna Zingano yep! You guys mention hygiene tips to stop the spread of norovirus and I though it was funny because were doing the same things now!
Yes.. And looking back at other videos in how much some lines were promoting safety..
Have pirates ever been a concern?
I'd like to meet him.
You totally can if you sail on the Navigator of the Seas before the fall!
TH-cam COMMENTATOR- Mr. Hahn I did! On Freedom of the Seas in March 2018. Mario is really really nice guy.
@@CruisetheWorldAtoZ
Will he be on navigator of the seas in Dec 2019?
Will Mario be allowed to stay on his cruise ship during the covid-19 pandemic ???
Michael, Mario keeps an apartment in Miami as his home base.
We had 40ft waves and that was fun. Lol. We were the only ones at dinner that night. Hahahhahaha
Oh wow, I wonder what the waiters were thinking...haha
Now that the cruises are not sailing, where is Super Mario?
He does have a home base in Miami, and He is doing very well.
@@CruisetheWorldAtoZ So glad to hear that. He is a wonderful person and it's nice to hear that he is safe and sound.
Alanna--On a prior interview episode with Mario, he said that the top level of the Royal Caribbean loyalty program included the perk of free WiFi, but I didn't see that listed on the RC website describing the loyalty program. Is that a special perk just for Mario as a very long-time resident on the ships, or is it a benefit for everyone who reaches the top level of the loyalty program?
Professor Dr, great question! As Mario explains, "That is correct, however, under the "Onboard Rewards" icon in the Pinnacle Benefits section you will see the second item that says "Onboard offers pre-loaded to your SeaPass card. Refer to your welcome letter for details" ... so in the letter it will state complimentary WIFI for the duration of the cruise. "
@@CruisetheWorldAtoZ Hi again Alanna--THANK YOU very much for your quick informative reply! As a retired university professor emeritus, my wife and I are considering spending 5 consecutive months each year or perhaps even 11 months a year on a ship like Mario does. So we've been keenly interested in your ongoing series of fantastic interviews with Mario. Learning about these loyalty programs, I'm comparing long-term loyalty benefits of various cruise lines. I'm guessing that Royal Caribbean's reputation for the fastest Internet speed was a factor Mario considered in selecting a cruise line because of his type of financial consulting work that requires Internet. And the free WiFi at his top Pinnacle level is perfect for his work too! My past experience has been on Norwegian Cruise Line and Cunard, and trans-Atlantic cruises too. Your videos have given us the idea to try Royal Caribbean next! So I very much appreciate your excellent, interesting, & informative videos! Keep up the great work!
@Professor Dr thank you so much for the kind words. I'm thrilled that you are enjoying the series and it is helping you plan your exciting journey! Glad to hear you are experimenting with different cruise lines as well to see what is the best fit for you are your wife. Best of luck with the research phase that is so much fun!
More great info, thanks. Received the package (e-mail thanks again)
Yay, so glad you received it! Thanks for your support!
How to smuggle alcoholic spirits on board ship? The drinks on the ships are a complete *rip off*
Since he is a Pinnacle member he gets complimentary drinks!
My time is for indecisive people
I'm totally the most indecisive person ever if you give me too many options it's no bueno. The one thing I can make a decision about it when I want to eat lol 😉😂
We have found that my time dining gives quicker turn-around from being seated to finishing desert than the traditional early / late seating. In traditional, the wait staff does not start the serving process until all the tables their team is serving are filled. Get one table in your bunch that is always 15 or 20 minutes late and your dinner will be delayed by that much as you start your salad as others are finishing their meal. That being said, you can meet some interesting folks in traditional dining.
Great interview.... but what a shame about the microphone-clip scraping on Mario's necklace for the entire interview.
It was ASMR for me! ❤️
@@joem2130 Hi ! :) What is "ASMR" please ? lol
@@pandorad3427 it's just a sensory response to certain sounds that are enjoyable. It can be different for everyone. For instance, I enjoy the sound of the necklace in the mic but at the same time you find it distracting. So maybe you might enjoy the sound of hail on a roof (just a made up example) but I find it irritating. Some people get REALLY into it and make videos scratching and crinkling different things into a microphone etc. It's sort of interesting!!! I hope you have a nice day ❤️
@@joem2130 Thank you so much for that fab explanation ! I so agree about certain sounds ! Your interviews are wonderful !!! Thanks for them, and - this gals say's, "more unique videos please" ! Stay safe - Have fun !
The majority of all misconceptions in this world come from the news media and the internet. Unfortunately, It's 24 hours of misconceptions.
My advice to anyone contemplating on doing a cruise, visiting a foreign land or anything else, just go do it and above all turn off the news channels....all of them!
Haha that very true. I think turning off all news are researching of an upcoming trip might be harder than one would think though!
@@CruisetheWorldAtoZ I haven't watched television in years. Like many many years. But, using the internet for researching a trip (which I do daily) is different than reading social media garbage that is senseless. TH-cam is the only social media forum I use, and mainly for travel information along with amazon Kindle travel books☺. I agree, the internet is excellent for researching on legitimate websites.
Four people haven’t cruised
I wonder what he did about coronavirus
He is abroad with friends.
@@CruisetheWorldAtoZ oh cool glad he's OK. I'm hoping to start a 122 nights cruise next year to see if I could live aboard
Sorry but who is he? He is spot on with these ideas.
Mario, is Royal Caribbean's top cruiser. He has been living on cruise ships for over 20 years. I have many interview segments under the"interview playlist" on my channel if you want to check out more.
First comment
Well done! 😀
Thank you