Looks like you and Meredith are having a great time. I watched her video earlier. I hope you have an amazing cruise. And I look forward to seeing your ports of call in the Philippines. My wife is Filipina and I have not been to the Philippines yet. I look forward to seeing the things you do when you get there. Take care, Ben.
@@ronplourde7658 we’re enjoying the cruise very much, Ron! The Philippines ports were such a great experience and I’m excited to share the videos from these ports! Coming soon! Thanks again, Ron!
My mom used to teach English in Japan. And you’re right it is quite impressive when people that are not native English speakers approach you on public and talk to you in English. And that hot tub looks amazing, can never say no to the hot tub
@@JustShelby888 I agree, Shelby! It takes courage to do that so I respect the kids for trying! We were happy to help them with their school project 😁 hot tub time was great!
I sailed on the NCL Spirit in Dec 2023 with the beautiful Christmas decorations & crew with Santa hats. That beverage station on the pool deck is operational 24 hrs. Starbucks machine is an extra charge using your key card. The Spirit is my favorite ship as well! Ahoy
@@stevenhalley2811 great, Steven! Everyone seems to be in a good mood when there’s Christmas decorations 😂 pool deck beverage station was a great addition!
Love your videos. I am hooked on NCL solo cruises. I have done 5 in the last 3 years. Next one in March on the Joy to Panama Canal. Look forward to your next videos.
Enjoyed the video as always...had to smile...when you were signing off the video, you still had mudslide cream around your lips...haha... I've gotta try that mudslide when I get on the ship. it must be amazing...haha!
How fortuitous that this pops up for me today. Next week we're heading off to Taiwan to do a very similar cruise which is during Lunar New Year, but on the NCL Sky! Love the Spirit- did a Aus/NZ cruise on her. She's definitely one of my favourites.
@@DonaldYoung-b7x I agree, Donald! The ship is beautiful and I was so surprised by how new it looks as it is 25 years old but it did just have a 100 million dollar refurbishment! Some people actually take a picture of crew members name tags just to give them a positive review later! The crew deserve it 😁
A good way to make sure you get crew members' names correct is to take a picture of their name tags and write a brief comment so you can remember what you want to put on the hero cards.
Looks so amazing Ben and great to see you co-hosting the channel posting with Meredith! I hope to go on one of these cruises through Asia some day. Was thinking of doing a 2 week Japan to Singapore for this coming fall but saving money for Italy in 2026.
Buenas días desde Barcelona, España. Sot profesora de español y te entiendo con lis niños, un placer!! 😊 Yo los mandaba a preguntar a sus parientes y personas mayores de mi ciudad , por refranes y frases hechas en castellano. Volvían encantados y las personas preguntadas , disfrutaban enseñando a lis jóvenes. Muy nuen vídeo, te he conocido porque sigo a Mer 🎉🎉
Great video! I think I would enjoy the smaller ship as well, too many people on the larger ship and the staff seemed overworked and tired from the quick day to day turn round on room,food and other services because of the volume of people , plus the fast pace schedule. 0:15
Great video! Thank you from Canada. Just one thing both Celebrity and Holland America Line have the option of open dining so you can go whenever you want in the MDR and also the dress code is a lot more relaxed nowadays which pleases more people not having to dress up. ❤
@@cheekychopslondon thank you for watching, PJ! It’s not that I don’t like to do food reviews, I have nothing to say 😂 there’s not much more I can say apart from it was delicious! 😁
A shopping mall with H&M and Uniqlo and a pop quiz on Tower Bridge!? Kinda forgot where you were for a moment! In this video did you drink less, the same, or more as compared to the last video? Still hoping to see you buzzed! You and Meredith make a cute couple!
Thank you for posting this video which is super valuable for me. We will be cruising on the NCL Sky in March 2025 with similar stops as your Spirit cruise. One huge question which I will be looking to your future videos is about the passport process for Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand. I would like to know how that works and when does the crew take your passport and return it to you for each of these ports?
@@hawaiianrays913 I’m glad my videos are valuable! I talked about the passport process in this video at 11:20. They took my passport on 12/24 in Taiwan and I didn’t get it back until 01/03 the last sea day before arriving in Singapore. So, we went to Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam without our passports. I talk about it again in the next video!
@@TravelWithBen121 I appreciate your quick response to my question and will look for your next video. Did NCL charge you to obtain any Visas or the process to file at any of the ports before you got your passport back? What process do they have to turn in the passport and return it to the passengers please?
@ I have a British passport so I didn’t need any visas to visit these ports. They took everyone’s passport in the cruise terminal in Taiwan when everyone got back on the ship and they gave passports back to people in the atrium.
@@TravelWithBen121 Got it. I've got a US passport LOL so perhaps that will get me into the dog house! I am looking forward to your next video on the Spirit.
Norwegian never gives the adults only area. There were kids at the bar and at the back party area on the Escape which is adults only after a certain time.
Great stuff! I quite like an opinionated guide, we once had a lady in Pisa who, when we were surrounded by jostling kids, joked ‘You have my permission to hit the Gypsy children’. It’s not surprising a Taiwanese guide would have strong opinions about China given the politics of it all. No politics is the ideal, but when you’re living under threat that likely will seep out occasionally. Now, you mentioned a few times that when you say something nice about local folk, it’s because of Confucius… is that because of the influence the philosopher has on them, or on you? Inquiring minds… We’ve had the whole immigration rigmarole a few times, usually when a ship goes from Canada to the US - it’s not great, I don’t like not having my passport, but if that’s the price to pay for seeing a country, fair dos.
@@Krypto64 we’re all human beings Martin, everyone has an opinion but a tour guide should not be trying to influence people to also have the same opinion 😁 that’s just what I think. Confucius has no influence over me, but kids in that part of the world learn about his from very young so they are raised by his teachings! I agree about the passports, I wasn’t complaining, I just prefer to keep it myself 😁
Great video, Ben! Such a cool experience with the school kids! Hot tub was soooo chill and relaxing, what a fun day! 😊
@@MerCruisesSolo we felt like celebrities for 2 minutes 😂 hot tub in chilly weather was perfect! Another great day! 😁
Great video. Love the interaction with the children. Thank you Ben.
@@carolleiter6027 thank you, Carol! It was a highlight of the day!
Glad you’re having so much fun. Places look beautiful n the ship. Glad you have a companion to hang with. Safe travels. Well I know your home now lol.
@@LoveGodnfamily thank you, Judy! A lot of fun! I’m not home now, still traveling 😁
Hey Lucky! What an amazing day! Thanks for taking us along! It's fun watching Mer's videos, too!!
@@hollyecf thanks for coming along, Fredwina! I love watching Mer’s videos too, so much fun! 😁
Love your videos,
@@MrCristian12332 thank you, Mayra!
Looks like you and Meredith are having a great time. I watched her video earlier. I hope you have an amazing cruise. And I look forward to seeing your ports of call in the Philippines. My wife is Filipina and I have not been to the Philippines yet. I look forward to seeing the things you do when you get there. Take care, Ben.
@@ronplourde7658 we’re enjoying the cruise very much, Ron! The Philippines ports were such a great experience and I’m excited to share the videos from these ports! Coming soon! Thanks again, Ron!
On the keeping track of names, I just ask crew members to take a picture of their nametags. Love your style of travel!
@@deang1004 that’s a great way to do it, Dean! Many people use this method 😁 thanks for watching!
My mom used to teach English in Japan. And you’re right it is quite impressive when people that are not native English speakers approach you on public and talk to you in English.
And that hot tub looks amazing, can never say no to the hot tub
@@JustShelby888 I agree, Shelby! It takes courage to do that so I respect the kids for trying! We were happy to help them with their school project 😁 hot tub time was great!
Great video!
@@LaszloBagi cheers, Laszlo!
I sailed on the NCL Spirit in Dec 2023 with the beautiful Christmas decorations & crew with Santa hats. That beverage station on the pool deck is operational 24 hrs. Starbucks machine is an extra charge using your key card. The Spirit is my favorite ship as well! Ahoy
@@stevenhalley2811 great, Steven! Everyone seems to be in a good mood when there’s Christmas decorations 😂 pool deck beverage station was a great addition!
Love your videos. I am hooked on NCL solo cruises. I have done 5 in the last 3 years. Next one in March on the Joy to Panama Canal. Look forward to your next videos.
@@ardenmcnabb1177 cheers, Arden! NCL does solo cruising the best. Enjoy your next cruise!
Enjoyed the video as always...had to smile...when you were signing off the video, you still had mudslide cream around your lips...haha... I've gotta try that mudslide when I get on the ship. it must be amazing...haha!
@@brendalogan6281 thank you, Brenda! A Mudslide has milk and chocolate sauce in it so it’s just a dessert 😂
Between my own cruises, I enjoyed living vicariously through yours! Keep it up!
@@charleskerr4655 cheers, Charles! I hope to keep it up 😁
How fortuitous that this pops up for me today. Next week we're heading off to Taiwan to do a very similar cruise which is during Lunar New Year, but on the NCL Sky! Love the Spirit- did a Aus/NZ cruise on her. She's definitely one of my favourites.
@@shelleyfreeborn8290 sounds like an amazing itinerary, Shelley! The Spirit is a great ship! Enjoy the Sky!
Hi Ben ..enjoy. we're leaving at 7 pm on Norwegian Viva from San Juan.
I will be on that same upcoming cruise! Escaping some winter is the best!
@@betsyhertzog1454 enjoy your cruise, Betsy! Sounds amazing!
I am an ENL teacher with children. I loved your interaction with the students.
@@nicoleoshea-holohan2743 it was a lot of fun, Nicole! Being a teaching is the best job I’ve ever had 😁
Really impressed by the ship, hopefully I'll experience it one day. Very good tip about writing down crew members names, don't rely on memory!!😊
@@DonaldYoung-b7x I agree, Donald! The ship is beautiful and I was so surprised by how new it looks as it is 25 years old but it did just have a 100 million dollar refurbishment! Some people actually take a picture of crew members name tags just to give them a positive review later! The crew deserve it 😁
A good way to make sure you get crew members' names correct is to take a picture of their name tags and write a brief comment so you can remember what you want to put on the hero cards.
@@LindaBulman great idea, Linda! Many people use this method 😁
Looks so amazing Ben and great to see you co-hosting the channel posting with Meredith! I hope to go on one of these cruises through Asia some day. Was thinking of doing a 2 week Japan to Singapore for this coming fall but saving money for Italy in 2026.
@@dr.ikeavina3761 it was amazing to have a ‘co-host’ 😂 that 2 week cruise sounds amazing! I’d love to do that itinerary too!
Buenas días desde Barcelona, España. Sot profesora de español y te entiendo con lis niños, un placer!! 😊 Yo los mandaba a preguntar a sus parientes y personas mayores de mi ciudad , por refranes y frases hechas en castellano. Volvían encantados y las personas preguntadas , disfrutaban enseñando a lis jóvenes. Muy nuen vídeo, te he conocido porque sigo a Mer 🎉🎉
Thank you, Francesca! The kids were cute 😊 I’m glad you enjoyed watching!
Great video! I think I would enjoy the smaller ship as well, too many people on the larger ship and the staff seemed overworked and tired from the quick day to day turn round on room,food and other services because of the volume of people , plus the fast pace schedule.
0:15
@@shirleyjones270 I totally agree, Shirley! Thank you for watching 😁
Great video!!
@@feverishpinkmama thank you, Stefanne! So much fun! 😁
@ yes it looks like it
Great video! Thank you from Canada. Just one thing both Celebrity and Holland America Line have the option of open dining so you can go whenever you want in the MDR and also the dress code is a lot more relaxed nowadays which pleases more people not having to dress up. ❤
@@chantall7833 thank you for watching, Chantall!
Kaohsiung is in southern Taiwan and close to Southeast Asia, so the winter is much warmer than Taipei and not as cold as Taipei.
Love the new video! I enjoy seeing the food on offer although I know you don't like to do food reviews!
@@cheekychopslondon thank you for watching, PJ! It’s not that I don’t like to do food reviews, I have nothing to say 😂 there’s not much more I can say apart from it was delicious! 😁
A shopping mall with H&M and Uniqlo and a pop quiz on Tower Bridge!? Kinda forgot where you were for a moment! In this video did you drink less, the same, or more as compared to the last video? Still hoping to see you buzzed! You and Meredith make a cute couple!
@@sgalligan HAHA it feels like a long time since I filmed in London! I didn’t keep count of drinks but maybe day 1 was more than day 2 😂 thanks, Sue!
The helmsman steers the vessel
Thank you for posting this video which is super valuable for me. We will be cruising on the NCL Sky in March 2025 with similar stops as your Spirit cruise. One huge question which I will be looking to your future videos is about the passport process for Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand. I would like to know how that works and when does the crew take your passport and return it to you for each of these ports?
@@hawaiianrays913 I’m glad my videos are valuable! I talked about the passport process in this video at 11:20. They took my passport on 12/24 in Taiwan and I didn’t get it back until 01/03 the last sea day before arriving in Singapore. So, we went to Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam without our passports. I talk about it again in the next video!
@@TravelWithBen121 I appreciate your quick response to my question and will look for your next video. Did NCL charge you to obtain any Visas or the process to file at any of the ports before you got your passport back? What process do they have to turn in the passport and return it to the passengers please?
@ I have a British passport so I didn’t need any visas to visit these ports. They took everyone’s passport in the cruise terminal in Taiwan when everyone got back on the ship and they gave passports back to people in the atrium.
@@TravelWithBen121 Got it. I've got a US passport LOL so perhaps that will get me into the dog house! I am looking forward to your next video on the Spirit.
@ do some research so there’s no surprises 😁 good luck!
Didn't know you were an English teacher- we need more interviews by school kids to find out more 😂
@@alil7348 yes! Best job ever! HAHA I hope the kids got an A on their project! 😂
Norwegian never gives the adults only area. There were kids at the bar and at the back party area on the Escape which is adults only after a certain time.
@@mercyd8217 did you tell someone? What happened?
Overnight ports are the only ones I like because you can't meet locals in a 5-⁶ hour port o call
@@brianantoniohuman no pressure to get back to the ship so overnights are great!
Great stuff! I quite like an opinionated guide, we once had a lady in Pisa who, when we were surrounded by jostling kids, joked ‘You have my permission to hit the Gypsy children’. It’s not surprising a Taiwanese guide would have strong opinions about China given the politics of it all. No politics is the ideal, but when you’re living under threat that likely will seep out occasionally. Now, you mentioned a few times that when you say something nice about local folk, it’s because of Confucius… is that because of the influence the philosopher has on them, or on you? Inquiring minds… We’ve had the whole immigration rigmarole a few times, usually when a ship goes from Canada to the US - it’s not great, I don’t like not having my passport, but if that’s the price to pay for seeing a country, fair dos.
@@Krypto64 we’re all human beings Martin, everyone has an opinion but a tour guide should not be trying to influence people to also have the same opinion 😁 that’s just what I think. Confucius has no influence over me, but kids in that part of the world learn about his from very young so they are raised by his teachings! I agree about the passports, I wasn’t complaining, I just prefer to keep it myself 😁