I Went to Ireland’s ALCATRAZ! | Norwegian Dawn: 10 Day Solo Cruise

[@gerardacronin334]

As a Corkonian, I’m delighted that you enjoyed your very brief visit to my home city. I think you were wise to choose just one place to visit. When I was growing up the Gaol was an abandoned ruin but it has been restored in recent years and I finally got to visit it myself. And yes, the stories of the inmates are all real. If you are interested in prisons, next time you sail into Cobh, take the boat over to Spike Island. It has a large 18th century bastion fort, defending Cork Harbour, and has also been a prison. Also considered Ireland’s Alcatraz and highly recommended!

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@gerardacronin334 I did enjoy my visit to Cork, Gerarda! I didn’t wanna be rushing around so I just went to the jail and back. Thanks for the recommendation of Spike Island! I’ll check it out next time 😁

[@Ophelia771]

The tour of Kilmainham Goal in Dublin is also really interesting. Only place I always bring visitors too.

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@Ophelia771 sounds great 😊

[@PatrickHarte-t3b]

​@@TravelWithBen121Kilmainham gaol was named in the top 10 tourist attractions in the world by Trip advisor last year. It truly is amazing.

[@lolosrainydays]

Love that you are doing a solo cruise! I love to travel solo but I've never done a cruise.

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@lolosrainydays try it, Lolo 😁

[@nealohara782]

Cork is one of my favourite cities. Just back from my own solo cruise on The Getaway in the Med yesterday.

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@nealohara782 cork was great, Neal! I did a transatlantic on the Getaway 👍

[@FranelleS]

I love how positive you are. When people get agitated over something that’s out of the crew’s hands, they not only make that crew member’s day bad but they end up upsetting themselves as well. Just take a deep breath and enjoy. You also inspire to travel alone. Thanks!

[@TravelWithBen121]

Thank you, Franelle! I try to be positive 😊 I totally agree with you. Getting angry does nothing to help and ruining other people’s day is just silly. Life goes on 😁

[@DroneViewsMedia]

Great video, I was there flying my drones as you were in Cobh.

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@DroneViewsMedia great! I hope you got some cool shots of the ship 🛳️

[@DroneViewsMedia]

@@TravelWithBen121 I got a few good ones, but the weather really went crappy as you departed 😭.

[@DonaldYoung-b7x]

I really wish more cruise lines would have the single rooms. I like Holland America but I always pay double.

[@TravelWithBen121]

I agree, Donald!

[@AuntSa]

Love this! I didn’t make it there on our stops but so glad you made this video for us to see!

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@AuntSa I had a great time, Melissa! Maybe you can go next time 😁

[@karinmiranda2892]

I love your videos 🎉🎉🎉

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@karinmiranda2892 thank you so much, Karin! 😁

[@s.t.pebble8018]

Yes, your vlog of Cork Jail reminds me of Alcatraz without the island location. Thanks for sharing your travels. ☘️

[@TravelWithBen121]

That’s what I immediately thought! So fun! Thank you for watching 😁

[@gerrilarsen29]

I always enjoy your videos and especially touring jails! Looking forward to further days and more adventures!

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@gerrilarsen29 thank you, Gerri! Lots more coming 😁

[@davidsaunders6700]

You have classic taste in your meal selections which is helpful. 😀 I also appreciate the wardrobe overview and am pleased to see it is casual and easy to pack garments. I am enjoying seeing this trip.

[@TravelWithBen121]

I’m easy to please when it comes to food 😂 thanks, David! I like that NCL cruises are pretty much casual every night, you wear whatever you want!

[@aprilrich807]

Before you’d made the reference to Alcatraz, I’d thought the same. Definitely the same feel. Side note-you have me considering solo cruising! My husband and I have taken just one, and we both LOVED it. But he’s a “been there, done that” person. I guess he doesn’t see how different cruises can be. No matter - more cruising is definitely in my/hopefully our, future. Thank you, Ben!!

[@TravelWithBen121]

I immediately thought of Alcatraz when I walked in, April! There’s no such thing as a standard cruise! So many different itineraries, ships, cabins, so many factors affect a cruise. Or just go alone 😁 good luck!

[@brianwilson7589]

You missed out on visiting Ireland's Alcatraz, it is an old prison on Spike Island which you could have caught a boat to from Cobh, the boat for Spike Island is a 5 min walk from the cruise ship

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@brianwilson7589 next time, Brian 😁

[@lolosrainydays]

I came to the video because I thought you were visiting spike Island too! Both places are really interesting but spike island is a bit more special. You can get a guided tour.

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@lolosrainydays you can also get a guided tour of the gaol! Spike Island looks great too 😁

[@dakotaz11]

Cool visit to the Cork Gaol! I once visited the York Prison (in Yorkshire, not the US where there a billion places called York) which has been around for several hundred years. It was originally a Debtor’s Prison. Can you imagine having to go to Prison because you couldn’t pay your bills? Just be careful to not leave a balance on your cruise ship account or you may find yourself in a small cell with 3 or 4 other people! But hey - at least you would have penpals! Enjoy your cruise! Dawn

[@TravelWithBen121]

I love visiting historic places, Dawn! Even visiting prisons can be fun 😁 HAHA I’ll make sure to clear my bill at the end of the cruise or I might find myself back at the gaol!

[@Krypto64]

Gosh, someone really loved Prisoner Cell Block H! Fun tour, sir. We’ve also been to Alcatraz and I agree, it’s fascinating. This looks fun too, wonder if it’s haunted. Looking at your latest visit to O’Sheehans, it looks like you had two dishes at once. It used to drive me mad that you’d order a starter and a main and a dessert, and they’d bring the main about two minutes after the starter… now we always order the constituent parts of the meal separately. Yes, my life is fascinating.

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@Krypto64 it’s no Alcatraz but it was still very interesting! It’s funny you mention that Martin, because I remember on one of the first days of the cruise, I was in a rush so I told the server to bring the starter and main course together so I can eat fast and leave fast and everyday since then they have always bought both together 😂 doesn’t bother me 😁

[@hollyecf]

I was looking forward to this video after seeing the pictures on Instagram. Another place I need to see! Thanks again Lucky for another great video!!

[@TravelWithBen121]

It was a fascinating place, Fredwina! I’m glad I got to see it and take a tour. Thanks again for watching 😁

[@carolleiter6027]

Good video. Yes very interesting. It does make you think about the quality of life back then.

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@carolleiter6027 thank you, Carol! You’re right, it really makes you wonder how tough life was then and it was only 100 years ago, 200 or 500 years ago would have been even tougher!

[@monikaunterwegs7960]

This looks like the perfect cruise port. You arrive, after a short walk you are at the station from where regular trains leave to the city center or other sights.

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@monikaunterwegs7960 I agree, Monika! Train station is literally right in front of the ship!

[@JenniferJenkins-n2h]

Great video! The jail looked very interesting. My teens would love this tour. And you’re right-it’s very much like Alcatraz! Are your older videos available to watch? Would love to see some of your US trips. Cheers from North Carolina!

[@TravelWithBen121]

Thank you, Jennifer! I agree, this would be great for teens. No videos of me at Alcatraz 😁 I have videos in NYC and Philly when I visited after a cruise but I want to go back to the US soon 😊

[@patrichue0810]

Love your attitude and positivity. It's nice to see someone appreciate things. Maybe Norwegian Breakaway in the Caribbean in Dec would be a great next trip, I will checking out their solo cabins for the first time!

[@TravelWithBen121]

There’s many things we can’t control but our attitude is one we can 😁 cheers, Patric! I’d love to cruise the Caribbean!

[@cherylrobinson1096]

Hi. Always great vlogs & much to learn & see so I can plan my next cruise 🛳 . 😊 great job ❤

[@TravelWithBen121]

Thank you so much, Cheryl! I’m glad you enjoyed it 😁

[@matthewhildebrandt1901]

Thank you for another great video, Ben! I'm glad you had so much fun in jail. 😂 Looking forward to Portland.

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@matthewhildebrandt1901 cheers, Matthew! I enjoyed my short visit behind bars 😁

[@Tripwithmeandmore]

Hi Ben! I love your videos and I recently subscribed from Philly and I know NCL is coming to Philadelphia in 2026. I hope you will join us and be on that cruise and visit the eastern penitentiary!

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@Tripwithmeandmore I really hope I can be on the first cruise out of Philly! That would be so fun! Thank you for subscribing 😁

[@typhoontim125]

Really enjoyed this video 👍

[@TravelWithBen121]

Cheers, Brian!

[@seebunlim]

Love this video!! I thought you were going to get to take the old green train 😂. I really like the Gaol. I absolutely love old historical places! The cell didn’t look that small if it was for one person but as you mentioned it was for more than one 😮. That would have been awful. Strangely enough, there is a “Gaol Road” in Penang, Malaysia (where I now live). It is next to the state jail! I think nobody pronounces it correctly (people pronounce it as ‘goal’.) Well, Malaysia was a British colony many decades ago. The food looks yummy, as always. Thanks for a fun video! ❤

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@seebunlim thank you, Lim! I love historic places too, very fascinating to learn about the history and see old stuff. I’d never heard the word ‘gaol’ before, I assumed it was an Irish word but it’s just an old British word for jail. Now I know why the man in the train station looked confused when I said it wrong 😂 food is always great!

[@julieeakes]

Great video. So it was a 45 min walk to the goal? Not sure I could make that but it was very interesting.

[@TravelWithBen121]

Yes Julie, I walked 45 minutes from the train station to the jail. There are busses and taxis if you want to see it 😁

[@gerardacronin334]

Yes, and it’s uphill most of the way!

[@ReneeinVirginia]

Loved how they had some cells setup with prisoners of the past. Unruly behavior will not be tolerated!

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@ReneeinVirginia I agree, Renee! Very interested to see the ‘real people’ they were imprisoned there!

[@territhomas3293]

Thanks for the wonderful video. Are you in a studio cabins? Or are there studio cabins on the Dawn? I would love to go on this itinerary. I've checked into it and the next ones are July - August 2025. I'm booking it! Thanks again Ben. I loved this video as well as all of yours ❤

[@TravelWithBen121]

Thank you for your support on every video, Terri! Norwegian Dawn actually doesn’t have any studio cabins, I guess it’s too old for that! So my cabin is just a standard inside cabin. I’ll be honest, I didn’t have much hope for this itinerary because I’d visited all of these ports before but it turned out to be such an amazingly fun trip! I’d definitely recommend this itinerary and ship 😁

[@territhomas3293]

@@TravelWithBen121 Fantastic, good to hear!

[@typhoontim125]

@13:00 The majority of people in Northern Ireland don't declare as British either! Something over 50% of them also identify as Irish!

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@typhoontim125 doesn’t matter what they identify as, Brian 😂 if they’re British then they’re British.

[@typhoontim125]

@@TravelWithBen121 Actually that's untrue Ben..since the Good Friday Agreement.

[@stefancobh]

Pity I missed you, I live in Cobh…

[@TravelWithBen121]

I like the train 😁

[@Patricia31011957]

I Loved Cork. I Love History. So são that you coudn't enjoy The Gaol much longer. I don't know why The music is só loud. In 2016 I went on NCL SUN from Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires and in The upper part from The atrium there was everyday a quartet enjoying us with clássica Music. It was Just GREAT. Happy cruising to Portland. I don't know this City. I hoje you show us a lot of placas there. Bye bye.😉

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@Patricia31011957 thank you, Patricia! I love the history too, the jail was great! Actually the time I spent there was enough, I wasn’t in a rush and didn’t miss anything, I saw everything on offer! Wow, Rio to Buenos Aires sounds amazing! I haven’t been to South America yet, I’d love to go one day. Maybe a cruise. Wait and see to find out about Portland 😂 thanks again!

[@electriclady111]

One of the most important mathematicians was at Cork College and he started Boolean Algebra. George Boole 1815-1865 and it’s a fundamental if Computer Programming

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@electriclady111 he was in the jail?

[@electriclady111]

@@TravelWithBen121 😂

[@izabela1961]

This jail was a really interesting place to see. I'm a true crime fan and watch lots of court trials on YT. The teenage criminals when thrown into the jail often complain that the Internet is too slow or they don't have access to tablets 24/7. Times have changed.

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@izabela1961 HAHAHA people today complain about anything 😂

[@sheilaathay2034]

❤🎉

[@TravelWithBen121]

🎉💪

[@JustShelby888]

The jail looked interesting. And it’s nice that you could just take the train there on your own and not have to do a tour group. I have noticed that there’s a lot of music on the ship, I can’t say I’m a huge fan of live music. unless I’m at a concert that I pay to be at I wonder if there’s any quiet areas at night?? I know I am part of a minority., I do like going dancing sometimes and enjoy the music there but just walking around, sometimes it’s very invasive especially if youdon’t like that genre of music

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@JustShelby888 jail was great Shelby, very easy to take the train to the city! I’d say the music starts at around 5pm and until midnight, you can listen to music all over the ship. You can definitely avoid the music and there’s plenty of quiet spots around the ship. There’s a video coming up soon where I talk about entertainment and live music but because it’s a small ship, sometimes the live music is the only ‘activity’ but you can still do your own thing and avoid the music. I love live music so that’s why I stop by and listen 😁

[@JustShelby888]

@@TravelWithBen121 yeah I know I’m in the minority, honestly, I would probably just hit up a silent disco that would probably be more my thing, because I do love to dance Or maybe the casino if it was well ventilated I wonder what morning activities they have on a ships??, I want to try out some of the Virgin ships because they used to be known for their yoga programs in the AM when they first came out but I think now they’re kind of a party ship but. I guess I’ll have to sail on one and see I was thinking about maybe doing a Thanksgiving cruise, cause I’m really just itching to get back out on the water. 🛳️ ❤️

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@JustShelby888 there are many people that like to escape the music and crowds! Many quiet areas to relax 😁 morning activities were trivia, fitness classes, I do think there was a yoga class. I’d love to try Virgin! Their ships look beautiful and I’ve heard many great things. I also want to get back on the water 😝

[@CherylMcGee-fx3id]

Why was Julie in goal? What did they do for showers and restrooms?

[@TravelWithBen121]

Stealing books 😮 good question Cheryl, I never saw any showers or bathrooms!

[@theeggtimertictic1136]

Nobody in Ireland had showers or restrooms 😂. My father washed with a bowl of water and peed behind bushes in the 1950s.

[@list-and-sell]

I remember hearing that at one point in history if a prisoner's family didn't bring them food - they didn't get to eat. Cork Jail sounds like an interesting excursion - I saw Alcatraz from the mainland and wasn't inspired to go. I thought it would be too sad a place - maybe I should have done it. History is to be learned from. Thanks for another great video Ben!

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@list-and-sell I agree, history is not to be forgotten! I loved visiting Alcatraz and the jail in Cork, life was tough! Thanks for watching 😁

[@cathys1547]

Alcatraz was really amazing actually I was surprised how much I enjoyed my visit there.

[@Chris_Carini]

Solo cruise = couple price so not great value for me. I enjoy the vlogs though. 😊

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@Chris_Carini I didn’t pay a ‘couple price’. Thanks for watching, Chris!

[@Chris_Carini]

@@TravelWithBen121 No, you got a bargain for sure.

[@JacktheHand]

Gaol is old English

[@TravelWithBen121]

@@JacktheHand I know, Jack 👍