Bankrupt - NCL America Cruises

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Cruise ships are a massive business worth billions of dollars around the world with multiple companies with massive fleets of ships. Out of all of them however, there is only one cruise ship that is registered to the United States. That being the Pride of America which began life by a completely different company, encouraged by the US Government. Them, along with Norwegian Cruise Line, both tried their hand at building out an all American fleet of cruise ships under a completely American company. Today I'm going to tell that little known story and how both those attempts at something special in the industry, failed spectacularly.
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BrightSunFilms 2022
Presented in 4K

[@hbshined]

Hi Jake, I've been an avid viewer of yours since 7th grade, and now as a college freshman, I can proudly say that because of your videos I've developed a fascination for business failures/crises, and I am now a PR major focusing in crisis communication. Thank you for continuing to educate and inspire me!!

[@NFS305]

That’s so cool! I’m going to look into crisis communication! I once thought about a peace and conflict resolution degree from university of Hawaii. Good program!

[@laneyhesse8102]

Awesome! Go you! Good luck, ❤❤🎉

[@BrightSunFilms]

I cannot understate how unbelievable that is to me. Thank you so much for following what I do and I am incredibly proud that these videos were able to insipid you. Best of luck to you in the future!

[@hbshined]

@@BrightSunFilms thank you jake!

[@alexlents4689]

I first subscribed in 2017, when I was in 8th grade and only just starting to watch KZbin, one of my first subscriptions, Now I’m a college freshman and I’ve never unsubscribed. Back then, your content was already solid, but it’s been so cool watching you grow in both success and talent since then (kinda like a dad watching his son grow up). Now your 100% free content is better than most stuff on TV, which you have to pay to see. Thank you, Jake, for so many years of great entertainment, and I can’t wait to see where you go from here!

[@planescaped]

I am surprised they started with 3 ships, instead of just using one and seeing how it went.

[@johnryman1366]

They were used from Cruisers goin out of biz

[@JulieWallis1963]

Ask for a refund on your business management degree…please.

[@Cpt_Boony_Hat]

I’m not sure if this translates to civilian shipping at all but Navy likes to have a rule of 3 rule one going one getting worked on and one getting ready to work

[@mountaineernews2]

Sick new intro I love it

[@TheDavis7029]

Reminds me of House of Cards

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

So I'm not going crazy and it was different! Loved it :)

[@luke9361]

Marry it

[@realswagmediagroup]

@@luke9361 😱😱😱

[@ProvidingSpam]

@@luke9361 nahhhh 💀

[@hilaryhowserkendrick552]

This is such a full circle moment for me. BSF has been one of my absolute favorite channels for years.. to see a whole video on a ship I worked on for years?! So wild.

[@JohnADpeters]

I just got off my contract POA 6 weeks ago.

[@joshuamiller2627]

I'm bout to work on the ship

[@joshuamiller2627]

​@@JohnADpeterswhat department are you in I'm going to be utility hotel and leaving for training soon then il be heading to the ship

[@linkspeaks]

I sailed on the Pride of Hawaii in summer of 2007, I guess within that short period it was in service in Hawaii under that name. One thing I never understood was why there was a huge model of the SS America and basically a whole room dedicated to it near the bridge. Thanks to this video, I get it now.

[@thelowfiassembleclub]

Oh I remember this trip! Christmas 2007 pride of Hawaii.. our Honolulu stop was the best from arriving and departing. I feel like I have weirdly lost apart of my love of cruises for some reason 😅 first and best but definitely will remember forever

[@urofseron]

We have had a lot of sex on the POA’s balconies over the years

[@doc2w534]

The Library on board still has the model of the SS America.

[@connie_360]

Pride of Aloha was the name in 2002 or so - was my first cruise ever. I think it is the Sun now. did not know about dalies and laid by the pool drinking blue drinks and hanging out by the lanai, did not know there was other food either.

[@Bearrrrrrrrr]

I took a cruise while it was "Pride of Hawaii" I think it was spring 06' or 07' maybe I never saw the model being from Colorado and spending 90% of my time both admiring the ocean and being terrified. If you were there with me, I was the camo jacket guy, holding tight to the opposite railing during the lava flow turn around. Waking up at dawn watching whales was a highlight on the activities deck

[@sunshine3914]

More proof so many Americans aren’t playing with a full deck. In 2000, I was seeking federal aid to purchase a 2-truck trucking business with proven income that I could comfortably payoff the $30k within 3 years. A federal business consultant told me to forget about my plans, & to write a plan that included purchasing all new equipment & ask for a loan of three million. Lil ol’ me owing someone $3M? No thank you!

[@yesterdayseyes]

There's stupid people all over the world. You're the perfect example.

[@blastermaster5039]

Damn...

[@jordanclark7675]

I work on the Pride of America. I was a waiter and I was on it Germany when it half sunk, I was on it when we sailed to New York and picked up Regis and Kelly and they had their show on it, I was on it when we went to the Panama Canal, and when we first got to Hawaii. I worked on the ship for 2 1/2 years.

[@messiah2895]

How much does lifeguard get.paid on this ship?

[@davidgeorge1294]

I sailed on the Independence. They failed to tell us at booking that the entire ship except for us 3 young people were in wheelchairs. AARP had booked nearly every cabin for a convention. No casino, no disco, no night club no night entertainment what so ever not even a single bar was open after 9pm. We were board out of our minds. Had to entertain ourselves wich got us into trouble that I won't go into here. Except for that it was a great cruise on one of the few ocean liners left sailing. Please remember the Indy and the Cony we're not cruise ships. They were in fact ocean liners built to cross the Atlantic ocean in all kinds of weather.

[@DavidNgo86]

Yes ocean liners converted to cruise ships

[@rongendron8705]

I crossed the Atlantic on the Independence in 2010 & had a good time! They should have told you that the the ship was booked by AARP. Did you get a bargain price? That ship was a 'biggy', but I don't think that it was technically an oceanliner! I sailed on the QE 2 & that's an oceanliner!

[@jaytee5692]

I got hired by NCL America back around 2004 as a chef. I ended up not going because of life circumstances, but I now regret not having had that chance as I think it would have been a fun temporary job.

[@ACoolKidsProduction]

I work in video and went to a stop on their nationwide touring presentation in 2011 and it was a little bit of a red flag that they had to scour the country for enough Americans to keep one ship staffed, which suggested high turnover. The following year I got a job as a Holland-America Line videographer and while there, someone in the know told me that NCLA had the lowest guest-satisfaction ratings on attitudes of the crew, as Americans just aren't used to working in such hard conditions as people from developing nations area. So another bad sign. My own experience as a HAL videographer was exhausting but fascinating. You get used to things like never having days off or working through your third cold in as many months, but you trade it for amazing travel experiences that you'd have never gotten otherwise.

[@Mmmmm83838]

Just got a job with them bartending- I’ll let you know how it is lol

[@johnl.7754]

@@Mmmmm83838 how did it go?

[@joshuamiller2627]

You can always reapply and go still

[@CarlosGarcia2]

I was a crew member on the maiden voyage of the Pride of America and if those walls could talk. So many great memories onboard and it's pretty crazy that she's still sailing to this day. Thanks for the video, it brought back a lot of memories!

[@dionb5174]

I used to work on the Pride of America for it's maiden voyage. I worked as a cook on the ship for 3 contracts (each contract was for 5 months) I enjoyed my time on that ship and I also was on the Pride of Hawaii. I was apart of the crew that brought the America from Germany to Hawaii. It was an adventure I will never forget. If they were talking wages at the time I was only making $8.65/hr with 10 years of experience under my belt when I joined, the only way to move up was to be friends who could help you get a promotion.

[@josephkaumo2352]

I worked on the Pride of Aloha and was promised I would be selected to go to Germany and come across the Atlantic on the new ship ( no passengers). The higher ups reneged because I was too valuable in Hawaii so I quit after my contract was up.

[@bjturon]

I had a co-worker at a Saratoga Springs hotel who worked on this cruise ship :) The mistake made by NCL was going too big into Hawaiian cruises, if they had just gone with the Pride of America (uh, with the Pride of Aloha name and interior decor) then the venture would have been seen as a modest success, as the one-ship operation has proven to be many years later.

[@christophermeyer9534]

I have been sailing NCL for many years, and have been saving to go on NCL America, the title of this video nearly gave me a heart attack 😂

[@AaronShenghao]

NCL is rather big shipping company, certainly will make the news if they went bust. Luckily, it's just this branch of NCL is plagued with problems...

[@02sparklestars02]

My cruise experience on Pride of America left me wondering if I’d ever cruise NCL again. Check out my comment.

[@broccanmacronain457]

The same here as we have reservations on the Pride of America in 2024.

[@therobertpetty]

@@broccanmacronain457 2024? jesus christ are cruises that backed up???

[@broccanmacronain457]

@@therobertpetty No I booked it while on our Northern Atlantic Cruise this year, there was a promotion. We can't afford to cruise every year.

[@DjLBones]

Just wanna say Jake, your videos honestly are some of the best, and well done content I've seen on KZbin. Keep up the good work!

[@BrightSunFilms]

Thank you so much!

[@jlousy1901]

We sailed during our honeymoon in 2014... and recommended it to my parents who later went in 2016... nothing beats this itinerary! The cruise is your hotel, interisland transportation and your restaurant. It harbours overnight and stays late... making car rental excursions easy, cheap and worth doing! the afternoon it spends along the Napali coast is absolutely breathtaking. Highly recommend if you want to see the main 4 islands.

[@FreshKicksCM]

Jake! I used to be a sailor on the Pride of America! I love your videos and when this one came up, it was like two areas of my life having a crossover episode! I can't lie, I got really nervous seeing the video title. I love this ship, and although I agree with it being one of the ugliest cruise ships out there, it was my home, right there on forward deck 2, starboard side.

[@doc2w534]

Pride of America was my first NCL cruise. It is such an awkward ship that you can’t not laugh and enjoy it. NCL has some great stories underlying their ships. Like the Star and Epic.

[@rberks5]

Don't forget the SS Norway. Sad how it's boiler exploded.

[@ACoolKidsProduction]

Huh, I'd been on the Star and had no idea that it had such a backstory until your comment got me to check Wikipedia for it!

[@markwagner4909]

We were on the pride of America and was one of the best experience I’ve ever had on a cruise. There were 10 of us on this trip and it was a fantastic trip as we got to experience the Hawaiian islands and history with the ships excursion packages

[@maxchen7229]

My family will take a cruise by Pride of America before this Christmas. It’s much more expensive than the other cruise. Now I know why and thank you for sharing this video. We’ll see how our experience compares with others.

[@user-wo2iq5yt9k]

Hi Jake...Love your videos. I actually sailed onboard the Pride of Hawaii as a member of the crew (Engineering Cadet) and was onboard the vessel when the company announced they were taking the ship out of US service and reflagging her. One major point that stood out to me (other than the lack of a casino which is a major revenue generator) was how American customers were much more willing to book excursions using companies other than NCL. Since it was a US ship operating in the US, many outside vendors set up shop selling directly to passengers, thus taking business from the cruise line. Basically, onboard spending by US passengers was significantly less than compared to similar ships because those passengers were much more willing to spend their money exploring a US State on their own as opposed to being in a foreign country and relying on the Cruise Line. The crew onboard at the time of the reflag was actually pretty good, and many were loyal to NCL (at least the non-licensed crew) and although the pay wasn't great compared to other US Flagged merchant ships, it offered several other perks to the crew. Anyway, it's always fun watching your videos and especially awesome seeing something that I have some personal experience in. This was really great and good job. Keep it up!

[@MrHistory269]

I’ve lived in Hawaii all my life, and I see Pride of America basically all the time. (saw it yesterday actually) but never gave it any thought at all. Really interesting video!

[@ncg5560]

I sailed on The Pride of Aloha in April of 2005 and had a wonderful experience. All the crew members were terrific and very accommodating. I always recommend it to other people. Such a shame to hear that it did not go well. I noticed that these cruises are still available today though and I would definitely go again.

[@jasonarcher7268]

I used to be a dive contractor for NCL. I loved working on the pride of America. We'd board the ship on Oahu and then dive on Maui and the big island. It was weird being on the pride though, since it was an American crew. Very different atmosphere on board than the rest of the NCL boats.

[@deniseweinke9929]

I just got off the Pride of America on October 8th. This was my second time on this itinerary. The ship was about half full and the service was not up to what we had experienced the first time. Still a great way to see the islands.

[@rberks5]

They are having staffing issues again and are limiting capacity.

[@laurastedman2771]

I was supposed to go one of these NCL ships around Hawaii for my honeymoon summer 2008. We had already paid deposits and picked out shore excursions. So it was really strange when we were notified that our cruise was cancelled and the ship was not going to be used for these cruises anymore. It is interesting to see the backstory and hear what lead to this change.

[@rberks5]

That happened to my parents as well but they just moved the reservation to the Pride of America at no extra cost. NCL also paid for their airline change fee and gave some on board credit.

[@alexcutionman4569]

I’ve sailed the Pride of America. Nice little ship. Honestly would sail again even tho it’s a little dated

[@jedlikestrains7599]

I would definitely love to see a review on the Pride Of America.

[@evangewho56]

@Cheyenne, went to a NCL employee interview in San Pedro, CA. Surprised it was sparsely attended and some who came left after talking to a recruiter before the presentation and found out why. For me, it was when I found out that 4 people had to share one cabin and left then but it was difficult for them to find a crew because most Americans are wealthier than the more common workers who are people who are from poor Asian or East European countries, who normally work on a cruise ship in housekeeping and food service. I think I read somewhere and an act was passed that although this ship flagged as a US one they now can hire NON-Americans.

[@sanguine2552]

Which is criminal tbh. All cruise companies exploit a loophole in American law that allows them to employ foreigners and pay them a few dollars a day and work them like animals. It’s insane we allow this when they make the bulk of their money off Americans, that these ships send no money back to our country by supporting any US jobs at all! Ridiculous

[@JustinLieber]

So glad we got a travel review channel. Glad you took my comment to heart about asking for a review for your concierge trip on the fantasy!

[@stuff___idontknow2610]

I live in hawaii and most of the time when I go into downtown where the port is located, I would see the pride of america

[@austinlawler3739]

I used to live in Hawaii between 2014 and 2017, every week like clock work you would see the ship in Honolulu (the day of the week is escaping me). I knew a local who took it when he had his kids and grand kids visit. I remember it was very expensive, and he was more or less meh on it when he got back to Honolulu. The Jones Act in general is still a bit controversial as it means there is Matson and PASHA for cargo ships, and Young Brothers for inter island freight, that's it. When Matson was wanting to build new ships, they said having it built in America was twice as expensive as it would be in Asia. There was some talk about rewriting the law in the late 2010's but nothing came of it.

[@ChrisStargazer]

I know what you mean. I worked in Downtown Honolulu on some Saturdays and I believe the POA’s departure day was indeed Saturday (Sunday was Pride of Aloha’s, and Monday was Pride of Hawaii’s). She was magnificent looking, moored at the pier and, if you caught her on the right week, standing next to Aloha Tower.

[@erikh9991]

I was stay in Kona with an ocean front view the last week of June and I saw a ship running the tenders to shore. Pretty cool.

[@NGMonocrom]

Sometimes it's just best to know your place, stay in your lane. I firmly believe that had the cruise line stayed as an aging ship business going round trip from America to Hawaii and back again, could have enjoyed some good profits. Later on, update those aging ships with newer ones. Expand slowly and cautiously. But they took on way too much, far too early. Seriously? How much in Federal loans?? and, who was the "genius" who approved those loans? Clearly, someone who had no business being in charge of tax-payer dollars.

[@greengrands]

We sailed on Pride of Aloha 7 day inter island cruise in April, 2005. The all American cruise crew (waiters, cabin stewards) were dismal compared to international crews normally on cruise ships. The itinerary was wonderful, but the college kids serving us were awful.

[@ko9446]

About that time we were on the Star that stopped off at Kiribati. I can remember passengers on the NCL America ships bitching about service when we were next to them in the Hawaiian ports. Some said many of the crew would walk off at each port because of the long hours covering for some who left.

[@josephkaumo2352]

The last month I worked on the Pride of Aloha was April 2005. Management was HORRIBLE! We were overworked , understaffed and the list goes on and on. I had a manager just "erase" over 30 plus hours of overtime because the higher ups were breathing down their throats on labor cost. Not to mention the people in the majority of the management positions were just employees who didn't just walk off the ship previously when over 800 employees did at one time! So NO ONE really had any management experience. Top that off with they were serving the leftovers from up top to the crew.... IT was pretty shitty. But I would do it all over again if I could.

[@poorwotan]

A couple of glaring errors in this video: The Jones Act only pertains to cargo (the PSVA is the passenger counterpart). While all three major cruise lines are headquartered in the US, Carnival is a dual incorporated company in Panama and the UK, Royal Caribbean is incorporated in Liberia, and Norwegian Cruise Line is incorporated in Bermuda. At the time this all went down, Norwegian was a subsidiary of the Asian cruise conglomerate Star Cruises (Malaysia). Personal opinion: I think the Hawaii cruise market is overly ripe for a ~200 passenger US flagged true 5 star cruise line/ship. That size is still buildable in the US and you need less crew to run your operations. It also means you can pick, choose, and properly train your crew members to offer a real 5 star cruise even using US crew.

[@poorwotan]

@@taramcgavan7654 I do follow the industry but completely on an amateur level (say vs. an Analyst of a stock brokerage firm). What I do find "funny" is how often the Jones Act and the PSVA get confused; they sorta do the same thing but one is cargo the other passengers. There's also interesting things in these acts (old time lobbying efforts???). For example, you CAN transport passengers specifically between Puerto Rico and Miami with a non-US flagged vessel. This provision was used by the cruise lines after Hurricane Maria to help move people out of PR but if you got the money to do it, and think there's a market, here's nothing stopping anyone right now of buying a foreign flagged ship, crew it internationally, and do that run commercially...

[@AMD7027]

What happened was they misunderstood the market. They envisioned three huge ships when they were replacing two much smaller ships (SS Independence and Constitution). Their view of the market was so so wrong. As It is a single Jewel Class cruise ship could carry the same number of passengers as the two ships it replaced. Thus, NCL showed up with a product that had 3x the max needed capacity, and they wonder why it didn’t work….

[@drchowder4605]

I’m sick and just woke up from a nap while listening to a James Willems (from Funhaus) compilation. This is the next video I picked, and hearing “Jake Williams” literally made me think I was dreaming and try to wake up again. Love the content and production on all of your videos, really amazing all around.

[@classiclyricsofyourfaves5734]

I have a recommendation for you, you should do abandoned Grossinger’s Resort in Liberty NY USA and do commentary about it and how financial troubles sunk in and that stuff

[@jaredthompson3011]

I was on the POA in 2017. I would love to do this cruise around Hawaii again however I'm not spending 12 hours flying to Hawaii all cramped up. Nice video Jake.

[@captain_commenter8796]

That is an absolutely AMAZING intro! Feels like I’m watching a 101% serious and informational documentary!

[@HSAC.WDTK.DTKT.LFO.]

There is a decade of content to enjoy!

[@Soufriere84]

>>"Feels like I’m watching a 101% serious and informational documentary!" Yeah, that's pretty much what Jake has become over the past few years. It's been a treat to witness his evolution

[@garrettp.5018]

Mentioned in this video was that NCL America brought NCL parent closest to bankruptcy as ever. Would like to see how that compares to current times. Also, your quality and detail of work is amazing. Would like to see you do a video on the current situation of cruise lines, al of running unprofitability and just clicking away time until they all go bankrupt.

[@alizagna6254]

As a supply chain management graduate and now working in finance, I love your bankrupt and abandoned videos. So fascinating. Also kinda helps when making career choices and see foreshadowing in business decisions and direction they aim for. Keep it up, Jake. Thanks for the videos

[@cjmarsh504]

I used to work for Norwegian Cruise Lines of America for two years. I was working on the pride of America, which was my first ship. Then, I transferred to the Pride of Hawai'i (Jade) later on. I saw the writing on the wall in 2007 once the housing bubble collapsed. I worked with in NCLA from 2005-2007. Yes, you're right, the NCLA had a high turnover rate.

[@FirstLast-fl7mo]

I went on the Norwegian Jade a few years ago, and the thing I recall most was the VERY phallic staircases

[@cheyennecomeaux3253]

I almost worked on the price of America but they basically ghosted a bunch of people during the hiring process and by the time they reached back out, everyone has already taken different jobs so this was so fascinating!!

[@wyster14]

Same here! I was already past the interview and in the part of submitting information when they ghosted me

[@ACoolKidsProduction]

Somewhat similar experience with Carnival. Applied to be a videographer and someone was supposed to contact me about an interview and never got back to me. Never got a response when I tried to email back, either. Still being unemployed months later, I contacted the department directly. Turned out that the individual who was supposed to contact me was "no longer with us" (dead or fired, I'll never know) and "we'll do some soul-searching and get back to you." I ended up getting the interview, but not the job. Got what was surely a better one with Holland-America the following year anyway.

[@planedudea380]

Fascinating. Love these niche historical reviews. Also love the small details like the materials for the second Project America ship were actually used on the Pride of Hawaii / NCL Jade.

[@johnschoen-mccullough6251]

Wonderfully made episode! very informative- your style and approach to chronicling entities from the conception, rise (or lack thereof) and fall always is engaging :)

[@davidarts1522]

NCL Pride of America is doing just fine right now. the ship is consistently booked full.

[@GonkDroid0923]

Though I never sailed on it, I have lived on Maui for the past 12 years and this one of a kind ship, has been a commen sight.

[@marqbarq5977]

Great video. Keep up the good work Jake. Proud to support your work.

[@nab2420]

It is insanely funny how I am in a cabin on this very ship about to leave when this video is posted.

[@Blue-Star-Line]

Have been waiting to see a video on this for a long time! Excellent video Jake! Loved the new intro for Bankrupt!

[@OwnedGolem]

Loving the new intro! Looks like a legit documentary! (Also really happy that you kept the same audio cuz that was my favorite part)

[@queerveg]

Love this, makes it feel special that I got to sail on Pride of Aloha in HI in the 00s.

[@ajabailey6639]

This is crazy I worked on PoA from 2017-2019. So surprised to see this lol

[@chumbawumba1959]

Great vid. Had no idea at the history of NCL POA and its sister ships. We sailed on POA in 2018. You are right ... very old in design, but the NCL 'free style' way of cruising is perfectly suited to it. One thing, many of the POA Hawaiian cruises will have some issue and miss at least one port. We missed Kona due to issues on being unable to dock due to wave heights.

[@alexanddra]

Excited for the new channel! Great video as always

[@LetsAllCruise]

Great video! I've sailed on Pride of America and it's interesting to learn the history behind it.

[@ChaseBernard]

Hey Bright Sun! I've been watching your content for a long time and I love it. Could you do a bankrupt episode on Escada America?

[@KevinGonzalez-vz7rz]

I worked for American Classic Voyages as a Reservation Consultant in Weston, Florida during 2001 following My divorce. I took this position as a second job and enjoyed the people I worked with and the products I was selling. The terrorist attacks of September 11th killed all of that in an instant. AMCV not only had the Hawaii “Project America” Ships under construction as they also sold and operated Steamboat Cruises on the Mississippi and Columbia Rivers. Just days after the terrorist attacks thousands upon thousands of calls from elderly passengers booked on these Steamboat Cruises came into our call center canceling these Cruises out of fear of travel. Just over a month later on October 19th, AMCV was bankrupt and done for. Ironically on that same day that I was informed that My position was gone, I nearly died as My SUV lost control and nearly flipped over while sliding down an embankment on My way to work. Finally after 22 years, I will get to sail on the NCL Pride of America in less than three weeks. I am very excited to visit Hawaii and to also see “what could have been” for United States Lines.

[@checktheherbsbaby]

LOVE LOVE LOVE YOUR CHANNEL! I also love your content in general its put together so well and done with respect. Keep it coming! Beautiful work!

[@stixnpucks8710]

I sailed on this ship a little while ago, and while it was small it has been newly refurbished and in my opinion was a really nice cruise around the islands, though it is an old ship I had a great time on the boat

[@davedoesthingsdreaded]

I was on pride of America in 2020 when covid started and they ended all contracts and sent us home. All the things said about flag of convenience was correct

[@blaster-zy7xx]

I sailed on the pride of American through the Hawaiian islands and it was fabulous. I would love to do it again. It was a bit weird that the decor was so much I like the trip. I wonder why they didn’t just keep the pride of Aloha as their Hawaii ship. I have also cruised on the Sky (which was the pride of aloha). It was a smaller ship. Maybe that’s why.

[@Marpat-Camo]

Always look forward to a new video every other Friday. Great way to start the weekend :)

[@MarksKicksOnRoute66]

Jake and CO fantastic job as always sir. I enjoy getting the notification of new content. You've come so far since the days of the seldom seen video guy in ADR.

[@thatscool1550]

omg Jake. I have been watching your channel for years and years. I cannot believe but can because your vids are amazing YOU have over a million subscribers OMG I was like in the hundreds!! You do so much work for your channel and viewers and I am so proud of you. I finally figured out how to change my name on youtube from my actual name after almost a decade so I feel like I lost some history on beginning channels like yours but hell I am so proud of your growth!! You did it. awesome Jake! congrats. Love from Oregon.

[@GregSalazar]

I was on the Pride of Aloha in the mid-2000s. I distinctly remember my parents hating it for the lack of crew enthusiasm and professionalism compared to the many other cruises we’d sailed before. That said - the tour of Hawaii was awesome.

[@Overmannus]

Always a pleasure watching your videos Jake. Never give up!

[@anthonyd3661]

Yah you should book a vacation on the pride of American would make a good video

[@christopherhiob177]

I will be working on the Pride of America as an assistant cook this summer, my first cruise ship job! Interesting getting to know some of the history of my ship, hope the interior isn’t as tacky and overdone with the American theming since it was renovated back in 2022.

[@Nucksterrr]

I was on the pride of america in February of this year and its still pretty overwhelming. They did update the main dining hall and name it the aloha cafe though. Still was a great time

[@adrianwu492]

Very insightful, didn’t know any of this before ! Sailed on the pride of Hawaii AGES ago … and this explains so much

[@wingerfan1]

Another awesome video from one of my favorite channels. Keep up the good work my wonderful friend.

[@mspinki5820]

I sailed on Norwegian sky in 2008. I enjoyed it.

[@duramaxadventures5832]

Your channel is so underrated! One of teh few channels I actually have notifications on for!

[@Smokeyham]

As mentioned in the video the ships did not get good reviews from passengers who were used to the better levels of service provided on other (foreign flagged lines). Also, people who do cruise often enjoy the passage from the mainland to Hawaii and back so having to pay for an air fare to Hawaii and then pay for a cruise is not very appealing. Princess and other lines that provide cruises from San Francisco or Los Angeles to Hawaii, using foreign flagged vessels that stop in Ensenada, continue to do quite well.

[@philiproszak1678]

You just keep crushing it. One of the best.

[@BrightSunFilms]

Thanks!

[@absthewonderdog]

It's the same thing with all of these big companies. The thing that undoes them is having to pay staff decent wages. If they can't afford to pay staff, they deserve to go bankrupt.

[@YukariAkiyamaTanks]

There's an interesting story about the flag of Convience and it evolved a small German ship named the "Scantrader." Also great video Jake! I never knew the story of this ship. Interesting the story of cruises going from American ports to American ports. They were a lot in the 50s and 60s.

[@the-computer-guy33]

I always get excited when another video gets posted to this channel

[@gwenmarshall587]

When NCL tried to restart the Pride after covid it had to start with restricted passenger numbers due to the inability to hire enough US based crew members. People who had paid their money to go on Pride had to reschedule when their cruises were canceled even though the ship went on the cruise. It seems to me that the United States laws regarding cruise ships are actively working against the cruise ships and the way the cruise ships were treated by the United States during covid seem to be that they were working against the cruise ships as well. I went on ncl's Jade right before the covid shut down in January 2020 and most noted the gray interior of the ship as being a bit odd. I plan to go back to the Jade in 2023 to go from South Africa to Dubai and then from there on to Athens Greece. When it comes to sailing Hawaii on an NCL ship I find the best value to be the Hawaii to French Polynesian trips and I'm planning to go on one of those this year. I was told by a former general manager of the pride that she was very successful during the 2008 economic turn down. Another thing to note about NCL whereas all of the other cruise lines are going with bigger and bigger ships that can hold more and more people NCL is now building a large ship that holds less people and the hopes of providing them with a more quality experience. I personally prefer to stick with the ships that are no larger than what can fit through the old locks of the Panama Canal. I did find your history presentation very interesting and thank you for putting this together.

[@Paul-un2tr]

Joe Biden's America 🇺🇸

[@xofashionable]

I’m here for the new channel Jake, wonderful idea!

[@tanman99]

The Pride of America was my very first cruise. Went for our honeymoon in 2009 and it was amazing. I didn’t notice any drop in service (but I didn’t have anything to compare it to). IMO it’s the only way to cruise in Hawaii. Otherwise you loose so much vacation time (4 days at sea!) sailing to caribody(sp?) and back. At the time the price really wasn’t that bad either. Especially when you factor in how much a hotel and inter island transportation would cost. It was super easy to rent a car right from the port too and explore. Or you can book a tour. It’s the absolute best and most efficient way to see all four major islands in a week. I paired it with 5 days of self exploration in Maui before our cruise and it really was the ultimate Hawaiian vacation. So you have to think about the Pride of America different then any other cruises. The ship isn’t the highlight of your trip. You’re not going to be spending much time on board when she’s docked at port. But it was incredible waking up at a different island almost every night and having a nice comfy home base for all our adventures that we didn’t have to unpack and repack and travel to another hotel. HIGHLY recommend it.

[@ETAudioGuy]

WOAH JAKE THE NEW INTRO GOES HARD!!! Never fail to deliver in the quality department

[@jennycraigadventures3314]

Hey Jake, We live on Maui and have seen that ship many times and, not being cruise people, never thought much about it.. Today we saw it docked in Kahului, Maui and it was fun to know the story behind it. Mahalo!

[@ErikZarins]

Okay I love the intro!!!! It had an American Greed vibe

[@robertc8072]

Well written and well researched! Love your videos!

[@jimm244]

I took one of those NCL Hawaiian interisland cruises, maybe 15 years ago. I can’t remember which ship. It was great. No regrets.

[@ceceb6264]

I’ve been on pride of American twice, loved both times. 2007 and 2019 good times good times.

[@deplorabledave1048]

I worked for NCL in 1980. Dive In Program. It was pretty interesting. I worked on the Sundowner ll, a split cruise week ship out of Miami to the Bahamas. I also lived on Great Harbour Key and commuted to Great Stirrup Key three times a week to service various NCL ships that visited their leased land on Great Stirrup.

[@Kryspatience]

I gotta say Jake, I've watched every single one of your videos, and they're just better every single time, but still very much interesting. Thank you for taking the time to make such great content! Btw I love the new intro.

[@BrightSunFilms]

Thank you so much!!

[@masennus2495]

@@BrightSunFilms BSF has been my favourite channel for years. All the best from Finland :)

[@Kryspatience]

@@masennus2495 I'm from Quebec, in Canada so his audience is definitely from all around the world, (and he deserves it!!)

[@lgannawa]

Another GREAT video,Jake. You have come so far with your editing, voice overs and content. I will always be a subscriber.

[@BrightSunFilms]

Thank you so much!

[@katrinalara1795]

Very interesting video with great information as always!! You’re the best

[@rodolforodriguez-muro2899]

Hi Jake! Your videos are great and it's so entertaining to learn about these different projects by different companies. And recently I realized that I not think anybody has covered the abandoned "Holy Land Experience" in Orlando. My friends talked about going to it when they were young and being disturbed. Now a coliseum just sits there in the middle of Orlando right along I4. Even highway signs stay it's still there. It would be great if you could make an abandoned video about this possibly failed theme park

[@SingerEsq]

Love your videos. I worked on the SS Constitution for almost a year and sailed on her sister, the SS Indy, a couple of times with AHC. I loved both ships dearly and have quite a bit of memorabilia and pictures. I left in 1986, but was excited to hear about the formation of NCLA (especially the acquisition of the SS United States). But, the effects of 9/11 were far reaching. At least the POA is still out there, but yeah, she needs a re-do for sure!! The lack of a casino on a US ship was always a big issue with the passengers (and a revenue killer).

[@xmtryanx]

The lack of a casino is not specifically a 'US' ship, but just within Hawaii. All international ships also have to close down the casinos within Hawaiian waters due to HI state laws.

[@SingerEsq]

@@xmtryanx it’s not just HI laws. It’s the US laws. That’s why even current foreign flagged ships sailing nearby cannot open their casinos until they cross the line into international waters. It’s no different from a cruise from Vancouver to LA, which we just did. The minute they enter international waters, the casinos were open. Why AHC or NCLA did not just include a night or two outside that perimeter, I have no idea. It is not just HI law.

[@xmtryanx]

@@SingerEsq She could have a casino if she werent registered in Honolulu. The Hawaiian registry specificly prohibits it. Otherwise there absolutely could be gambling once in international waters if she were registered in, say, Louisiana. A casino was actually designed into the plan of POA, and it's now used as a 'cultural center,' if I'm not mistaken. The casino space was similarly designed and used on Pride of Hawaii, and returned to a casino when she became Norwegian Jade.

[@SingerEsq]

@@xmtryanx ocean going vessels are not registered by state (and certainly not by city, “Honolulu”). But by country. Just an FYI. Last time I checked …. and often had to remind passengers …. HI is a STATE of the UNITED STATES of America. The ships were never registered under the State of Hawaii (or the city of Honolulu.). The SS Constitution, the SS Independence and the Pride of America were registered and flew the flag of the United States regardless of where they sailed while so registered. I sailed on both the Connie and the Indy. I know their lineage and progeny well. Jake covered all of it very well.

[@CoasterTeaFox]

Love the new intro, it immediately conveys what kind of content you're going to see.

[@ultimatenacholunchable]

I worked aboard the Pride of America. Excited to watch this.

[@coldwetheart]

i love the new intros, great job jake! love the new content too! thanks for all your hard work!!

[@BrightSunFilms]

Thank you!

[@rct800]

Thank you very much for covering this topic! My grandparents are from Bremerhaven, so I remember the whole construction drama very well, in fact there is still a poster of the almost finished pride of america right above my bed! I remember the hype because Loyd Werft usually doesn't build large cruise ships and the ship was very special for the industry there. I still visit the harbor every time I'm visiting Bremerhaven. Another interesting topic for abandoned could be the Norway (Former "France") which sat there for several years and was once the biggest ocean liner!

[@tammystreasures8766]

So is Lloyd Werft part of Meyer-werft? Because they definitely build large passenger cruise ships now.

[@gerardacronin334]

@@tammystreasures8766 Yes. I just did a 12 day Holy Land cruise on RC’s Odyssey of the Seas (capacity 4200 passengers at double occupancy). I have a photograph of the plaque that says “Meyer Werft 2021”. Great ship and great cruise!

[@tammystreasures8766]

@@gerardacronin334 My husband spent several weeks in Papenburg at Meyer-Werft working on a new ship. He loved that area.

[@rct800]

@@tammystreasures8766 as far as I know Lloyd Werft is not a part of Meyer Werft. They had a lot of trouble in the last 10 years.

[@SPDinMS3]

The name of the shipyard in pronounced Ingalls as in Laura Ingalls on little house on the Prairie.

[@LordSmuggington]

The Jones act has had the side effect of greatly increasing the lifespan of the US Great Lakes merchant marine fleet. There are ships of WW2 vintage that are still working commercially today. Repowers and conversions occur, but the Jones act (and the lack of saltwater corrosion) keeps them from building cheaper, more modern ships overseas (as we're in doing Canada.) I prefer the old US ships personally, even though they're all just bulk freighters... More on topic, the Great Lakes has hosted plenty of passenger/cruise ships. Some unique to the lakes and, more recently, small Viking cruise ships. Very underrated route in my opinion. Then there's the legendary SS Badger herself.