Hey there! Sorry that our work and words didn't resonate with you. But I do want to point out that the entire first half of the video is positive stuff about NCL Sky. ;) You can check out our older, smaller ship reviews if you think we have a bias toward mega-ships as that's certainly not the case. From the beginning of this channel, we've always led with the positive. However, we've promised our followers we'd be forever honest. Some of the things that don't resonate with us may not be a concern for other cruisers - our goal is never to dissuade someone from going on a ship or a cruise line, but rather, help them understand each component of our experience so they can make an informed choice. We help people book dream vacations - if we sugarcoat or are not completely honest with someone, it only does a disservice to making sure they can make the best and most informed decision. As mentioned, feel free to check out any of our older, smaller ship reviews. Like NCL Sky, you'll see there's a lot we love, but some things that we didn't love, and even a few that we hated. -Mark

The price increases are definitely a bummer. We modeled out a couple of our reservations and each one is about $200 more due to the increased beverage package charge and dining package charge. Thankfully, we booked them prior to October 1, so we're grandfathered in with the current pricing and program while getting access to More at Sea! So, for those that are already booked, it's a win. For new bookings, More is going to cost you more.

It's so true, Brian! A good travel advisor does all the research and legwork ahead of time so that there aren't surprises when these types of changes strike. It's been interesting reading the NCL groups today. Multiple comments from cruisers like, "My travel advisor is so frustrated, he had no idea what these changes meant and will call me back once he can get through to someone at Norwegian." While no TA can know every change or detail, one that's passionate about cruising and follows the industry (obsesses?) will likely have more insider information up front. :) -Mark

Thanks for watching! What do you think about all these changes?? -Mark

@@thiscruiselife I love NCL as long as they don’t change the menu binder, I only get the the soda package on any cruise line, I love the MDR like Hudson and the Commodore

Thanks for watching and getting hungry with us! It really was so so good! We definitely gained weight after Carnival Firenze! :) -Mark

That is PERFECT actually! We always say that there is a cruise line and cruise ship for everyone out there. We try to be detailed in our reviews so that our followers can determine what is most important to them and whether or not it might be a good fit. I'm soooo glad you took that away; it actually makes me feel better as I felt a little guilty about the harsh grade as we love to cruise. We just probably wouldn't do that same ship again. In fact, we've already rebooked a couple newer NCL ships in 2025 so Rocky can get a new first (second?) impression. :) Thanks for watching and for sharing. -Mark

You just made my entire day!!! :) You can get your own lanyard on our website! You can buy them individually, but I'll let you in on a secret... because we include the cost of shipping on all orders, it's actually a better deal to buy a pair or even a bundle with stickers. Here's the link to the website: www.thiscruiselife.com/bundle/ Thanks for watching and for the support. 💙 -Mark

Thank you so much for watching; I hope the video brought you back to your vacation even just a little bit. I love watching videos about ships I've sailed as they always make me smile. Glad to hear that you didn't have any negative experiences on your sailing. Truly, the Conquest-class is one of my favorite classes of ships across all the brands. Now that you know all the tips, tricks, and secret spaces, you'll have to book another one either on the Conquest or one of her sisters. :) Thanks, again, for watching and sharing your own experience! -Mark

Thanks for watching - and sharing your own perspective. For me, personally, it was a frustrating experience overall. I get that not everyone needs the internet, so we try not to dock too much for that (though we do recognize/reward those ships that have it figured out). While I loved the Indian food, the buffet was such a fight - whether breakfast, lunch, or dinner - that it got to the point where we didn't even want to try to get into the Garden Café. Instead, we'd cut through La Cucina if we needed to get to the back of the ship and we'd just grab some of that food or we'd eat Lunch in La Cucina and then dinner in the dining room or at The Local. This area of the ship and experience was a complaint we heard from several other cruisers as well. In terms of the entertainment, none of it was bad. It just lacked the variety we're used to cruising. Other older, smaller ships have engaging stage shows, multiple comedians, magicians that perform magic, silent discos, and more. For the price point, we expected more and that had an impact on my rating. The final meal at Cagney's was a disaster and certainly had an impact on my overall feeling about the experience. But, you're right, there was a lot that we enjoyed about our time. The room was awesome, the ship design is fantastic for a 25-year-old ship, the fellow cruisers we met were amazing, most of the service was great. And while my score was low, likely other cruisers will have a different experience. It's part of why we're so detailed in our reviews; we hope that others will make note of the things that matter to them and skip what doesn't. Sorry! That ended up way longer of a response than I intended. We LOVE talking about this stuff (obviously! lol) and could go on for another couple paragraphs. ;) Thank you, again, for watching - and for sharing your own perspective. Definitely appreciate input like this as we continue to share our love of cruising and details of the ships we experience! -Mark

@thiscruiselife thanks for taking the time for a long answer. Details make all the difference. I had suspected that price and value for the $ was a factor. I've never been on NCL. I've had 3 on Princess (one with my husband and 2 solo) and one solo on P coming up. Wished my husband loved travel but he really doesn't. I have stuck with Princess because I enjoy so much of what they offer, find the value for the $ excellent, and find that the more I go with them the better I can structure my time around what I know I like and what I've found I dislike or even hate.

As of right now, 2026 is wide open! We always try to get on a ship for the Superbowl and it looks like that will happen during your birthday cruise as well, so that's great news!

@@BarbaraDaw-l2k you’re quite welcome!

Just think... a couple days closer to your Birthday Cruise! :) We are so excited to hear all about the Bestie + Birthday Cruise and how the Carnival Firenze team treats you. Make sure to get a birthday song or two. ;) Thank you for protecting your travel - and supporting our work with the Travel at the same time. That means a lot. We try to let everyone know: it's the same services and products that you'd buy anyway while supporting us. And it doesn't cost anything additional. Truly, thank you!! Glad to hear the videos have been helping you get ready for Firenze. Please do keep us posted on how it goes. And we'll keep our fingers crossed that you'll be able to join us next September. But, not to worry, it's a small cruise world out there, I'm certain there will be an opportunity at some point! Thanks again for catching up post the live! -Mark

Thank you for always watching! :) And, yes, while this one was a bust, we’re going to try again on NCL to hopefully give Rocky a better first impression. Agree: tacky is a great word to describe the corkage fee. Once they found out we paid for their drinks on board, then it was fine for us to bring our own booze. They’re probably like, “Sure! Drink your own booze instead of ours that you paid for!” 😂 Thanks for the comment. -Mark

Thanks for watching - and sharing your experience. I can’t imagine how different the ship had to look pre-refurbishment considering just how much of the ship they clearly retrofit! Agree with your comment about not feeling the need to rush back to Norwegian. With that said, we’ve booked a much newer ship for Rocky to experience next year to get a new first (second) impression. Fingers crossed the newer ship better delivers on the experience! Thanks, again, for watching and sharing your similar experience! -Mark

Hey there! We strongly recommend you watch our full Carnival Firenze ship tour (kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJDPdZaQqM2kgdk) if you haven't already. The Lido Marketplace buffet is located on deck 10. There's food available for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late night. You'll want to pay attention to the Carnival Hub App for hours of operation as that could change based your itinerary.

Not a dumb question at all! Fortunately most of the ones we've encountered on the ships don't have actual locks on them. If the weather is too rough to allow passengers, the cruise line will place signs on the doors to discourage passengers from passing through them.

You're very welcome! Thank YOU for watching!

We really enjoyed the Espresso Martini options available at Frizzante Bar. We've never seen so many different espresso options. If you're looking for Campari, though, you'll want to spend some time at Amari Bar - Campari and Aperol aren't our favorite flavors, but that's just us. Hope you have an amazing cruise!

Very true. We think most of the other interior cabins on deck 8 would be quiet sleeps, just got to find one that doesn't have the 4-person capacity. haha.

@@teehawk75 you’re quite welcome! Make sure you also watch our full review of our sailing from April 2024. We’re also looking at getting back onto Meraviglia in January. Haven’t decided which itinerary yet. Thank you so much for watching and commenting!

@@scratchadams haha. It wasn’t intentional, but I can definitely appreciate that perspective given how we presented the material. Hopefully it was at least enjoyable! 🤣

@@BudMilligan8 so are we!

We will be sharing it all! I'm not sure what wifi/cell service will look like, but if we can, we'll likely even try to do a live stream from Celebration Key!! :)

Great call! Hope you enjoy your dining experiences at JWB Prime Steakhouse and the Islander Restaurant. Both offer wonderful menus!

We haven't heard an official word about Cheers! working at the destination, but based on some of the information we've heard about how Pearl Cove Beach Club will operate, we don't think the drinks will be part of the Cheers! package. We're keeping a close eye on these details!

Agreed. It's very interesting to see this option roll out. We'll be curious to see how things evolve, if at all, at the destination. This isn't how things operate at Princess Cays or Half Moon Cay.

Wow! Thanks for sharing that itinerary with us. That is a fantastic price! We might even consider it for ourselves. ❤

@@thiscruiselife yeah! It looks so good and seems like a good class of ship to have so many sea days. Let me know if you book. You can teach us how to Carnival ❤️

@@lindsaymishaw4341 Haha. Will do! We've sailed on the Carnival Horizon before and absolutely loved it. Just gotta look over our schedule.

It was so great to meet you! It seems like the cruise absolutely got away from all of us; we never know how it happens. LOL - we board one morning and then suddenly Cam's voice is in our stateroom telling us to get out! ;) Agree with your point about costs... As we've seen the cruise fares increase (sometimes dramatically), you'd think we'd start seeing some better amenities and inclusions. It doesn't sound like that'll be the case with Celebration Key, though. Carnival appears to be finding ways to monetize most parts of the experience. Plus, the rollout of one complimentary meal scares me. I've been worried about Carnival taking this approach with Blue Iguana, Guy's Burger, etc. If they find success with the approach on Celebration Key, and folks then purchase a second meal, etc. - they could see this as a model to use in other spaces (we've already seen it on the Excel-class at Chibang and Cucina where they charge a "modest" $8 fee for your second meal). We continue to be fascinated by all the changes coming to the cruise industry! It's a small cruise world out there, so I look forward to our paths crossing again - and this time, we're getting drinks!! :) -Mark

@@Defaultuser658 glad to hear you had an awesome steward!! :) And we’ve learned that we much prefer when the beds come down from the ceiling. The configuration we stayed in, those retrofit stands take up soooo much floor space! Thanks for watching. Hope you had an amazing cruise! -mark

Hey there! Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts. :) Believe it or not, Fincantieri has built and delivered more than 75 ships for Carnival Corporation over the years! So the two companies have a very long history together. The propulsion issues that they continue to encounter seem to be specific/unique only to these 3 ships. What's really interesting: Fincantieri built two additional Vista sister ships for Costa Cruises (now Carnival Venezia and Carnival Firenze), and those ships haven't reported any of the same issues. While we don't know why the 3 Carnival Vista-class ships are impacted and others are not, I have a feeling Carnival and Fincantieri are well aware which is why we've not seen these issues since (thankfully!) Sorry for the long reply, but I've been geeking out over this for years now and the entire history is fascinating to me. I might be the only one... lol ;) Thanks again for watching and commenting! -Mark

It's interesting. When Christine Duffy first introduced the Terrazza concept during the launch webcast for Carnival Venezia, she shared that the space would be open to all guests in the evening, just like the Havana area on the Vista-class. While the Havana area was initially open to all guests in the evenings, this changed long before the Venezia launch. Her statement made us wonder: did Carnival even realize that change was made as they got ready to launch Venezia and Firenze? lol ;) The dedicated page for the Firenze Terrazza Staterooms and Experience on Carnival's website was updated in July and it now clearly now states, "Exclusive daytime and nighttime access to the Terrazza Moda outdoor deck area." This sure does seem to indicate that, like her sisters in the Vista-class, the space is reserved. Guess we'll just have to book another cruise to find out!! ;) -Mark

Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. When it comes to tipping, we can't give you exact numbers as it will vary from sailing length and quality of service. As part of your cruise booking, gratuities are a standard part of your sailing and it's truly up to you whether you choose to tip above that. We've heard of passengers who have provided a gratuity of anywhere from $5 to $20 per day to their butler. It really is up to you. Keep an eye on all of the little "extras" they do for you over the course of your sailing and hopefully you'll be able to determine the appropriate extra tip to provide them, if necessary. Hope you have an amazing cruise!

@thiscruiselife thankyou for responding. I guess what I was really trying to ask was , how do you physically tip them? Is cash acceptable, or is it done via an app or part of the final bill? I apologize, we have never cruised before so this is all new to us.

@@TravelsChases We've talked to a lot of crew members over many sailings and the answer is always the same: Cash is king!! :) While we've seen some folks recommend tipping $2 bills to be unique, we've heard from some crew members that it's difficult to use that denomination everywhere in the world, so we recommend sticking with standard bills when tipping ($1s, $5s, $10s, $20s). If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to reach out here or via email!! -Mark

@@TravelsChases Oh! Additional gratuities are usually paid with Cash. You can speak with the Concierge desk and ask them for an envelope or two towards the end of the cruise.

We absolutely love being on the water. Sailing Alaska is generally a smoother experience versus the Caribbean as the ships sail into more narrow passages which will usually break up any waves. There are days where the ships don't dock (called sea days) and if there's rough weather, it's not unusual for the Captain of the vessel to slow the cruising speed down from a safety perspective. That just means that at night, when most passengers are asleep, they'll need to pick up the pace. We absolutely love sleeping on a cruise ship as the gentle movement of the ship rocks us to sleep. Something to consider when choosing a cruise for yourself; the larger the cruise ship is, the less it will be impacted by rough waters due to the surface area and general size. For your first cruise, you may want to stick to the larger ships out there. An Alaska itinerary may ruin you from an expectations perspective, though. Alaska scenery is vastly different from the Caribbean or Mexico. Either way, we believe there's a cruise experience out there for everyone and hope that you'll find on that speaks to you!

@@thiscruiselife thank you for your response! Your explanation is very clear and helpful. The family is planning Canada and Alaska cruise/celebrity solstice for 7 days, with our kids. We have never ever done a cruise trip, but our relatives have recommended so we are trying to plan this. I have sea-phobia so I was trying to avoid the Alaska cruise. Your review and reply are encouraging!

@@avantikasarkar7373 we're just doing what we love! And to that point, if you need help planning your vacation out, I would be happy to offer my services as your travel agent. It comes at no extra cost, and you get our expertise when securing your plans! Feel free to send me an email and I'll get started on pulling options for you: [email protected]

Carnival tends to be really good about making things right. We've been very fortunate over the years. Rocky once lost his bags in the airport and they did the leg work to track them down and courier them to the ship - all on their dime. That moment solidified a lot of loyalty from us! -mark

Staying connected is part of our business so we can bring the information to our viewers. We understand that having the WiFi isn't for everyone, and miss those days when we sailed without it, too!

@@edanzore haha! When in TX! ;) Hope you enjoyed the full review. Have you booked Jubilee??

You're welcome! Always coming forward with the truth, no matter how much it may hurt.

It's the same size as the other interior cabins, the only difference is those upper pullmans look more like furniture than a built-in unit. Strange design, really.

Yeah, it was definitely a small space. We were definitely not happy with how dirty the cabin was. Hopefully the passengers after us appreciate the cleaning we did for them. 🤣

That's fantastic! On our recent cruise on board the Norwegian Sky, our cabin steward was much better than on the Encore. We had several great interactions with him and he greeted us by name whenever he'd see us.

We have not been on Holland America Line yet, but are looking at options for the balance of this year as well as into 2025!

You're welcome! It sure was a tight squeeze in there!