I love your content because all of your videos are original - you never recycle the same tired content as everyone else - "10 things to bring on your cruise," "5 Things to Avoid..." etc.
haha thank you!! I actually don't even normally make those kinds of videos lol Its weird, people ask me how I get all my ideas and they just come to me. I have a massive list and it keeps growing! Just wanting to share my experiences and what all I have leared :-)
Couldn’t have said it better my main cruise sailings in the future are MSC and Celebrity, just got off a 7 day yacht club sailing on MSC and it was so amazing, as for you the cruise companies getting my dollars are the ones that give me what I want
I wish I lived close enough to the coast to be a weekend cruiser, so I will just have to plan a little better. Very curious about MSC for a solo cruiser, so thank you for your insights!
My pleasure! And you know I don't live close to the port by chance! Everyone ask why I moved to Florida and I always respond "to be closer to the ships".
Thanks for yet another great informative video. I cheered quite a bit when you stated, "Cruise lines also aren't the same cruise lines as when I started cruising". Ditto those sentiments in SO many ways. True, they get to make the rules, but I'm in charge of my wallet . . . and my word-of-mouth as a frequent cruiser. I did my first MSC last year and agree with your appreciation of Ocean Cay Marine Reserve. All four visits there last year were memorable for all the right reasons (and the tour to the top of the lighthouse was fantastic). Dang, guess I gotta follow your lead to find that entertainment I'd heard so much about in the past. The two ships I repeated had some severe challenges, and I'll leave it at that. Virgin is on my to-do list for later this year, and that will be my first on that line. Anywho . . . thanks again for your information and enthusiasm. Our paths may cross someday. Be well!!
I like how you plan which cruise lines and why! I do the same thing! Last year for me was all MSC cruises. This year is a mix of Royal Caribbean and Carnival cruises booked. Next year I'm rotating back to at least one MSC cruise and possibly Margaritaville at Sea out of Tampa. I just got home from a weekend cruise on Allure of the Seas. I can say this RCCL cruise was WAY better than my experience with RCCL back in 2019 on the Mariner! We did "The Key" back in 2019 and it was still a work in progress. The crew didn't really know what the benefits were back then, so we got jipped! We did "The Key" again this time on the Allure of the Seas and it was fantastic! It was at discounted rate so worth price of admission. We didn't eat in the main dining room but all the specialty restaurants which the food and service was outstanding.
That is great to hear! Yes, if you are going to use the perks and buy internet anyway, the Key is a good option! Speciality on Allure is a great way to go! Plenty of amazing food! Glad you enjoyed!
Thank you! Absolutely, there's a lot of conflicting information online. I think MSC has made changes and have upped their game in recent years. Changing their image, seems to be taking even longer.
We relate SO much it’s crazy. MSC’s private is my ABSOLUTE fav, esp the time I went on their YC. 12 of us dined at their YC exclusive area Al Fresco 😍. I hope they never turn it into a terrible circus mess like RCL’s.
I agree that cruising styles change over time. Beaches are always a relaxing day but we also want to see more at different ports. Would love to go back to Key West. We have been there only once quite a while ago. Thanks for touring all the different ships. Gives us a preview of whether it's a good fit for us.
We are in Costa Maya on Carnival right now, parked right next to Icon! The food has been underwhelming. Looking forward to get back to NCL and to try Virgin later this year!
They fall in the category of "no short cruises". I haven't been able to make it to princess because majority of their sailings are 7 nights and longer. I will tell you, I have friends who love Princess and I will make it over there one day!
I enjoy your videos, and actually sorted by date as I wanted to go back to when you made "the break" from RCL, as I was used to seeing your posts from, I think, Freedom of the Seas. i agree with your comments to try other lines, don't get fooled into thinking that as you gain more points that you become more "special". It take A LOT to climb the ladder, and from what I have been told, the perks have not gotten that much better as you climb the points ladder. So, why not just check out other lines and go to Key West instead of the tired Nassau, St. Thomas, San Juan itinerary. Thanks....keep informing us please! You bring a fresh perspective every time.
Great question Jean! When I'm looking at cruises out of Miami on the weekend, their price has been similar to Royal Caribbean. In the past I have just booked them and have not done Carnival or Norwegian. Will make it there in time. I think I'm also a bit of a creature of habit and like staying with cruise lines I'm familiar with. I'm working on that too 😂
Curious if/when you will do a Carnival cruise? They seem to be in line with MSC pricing but I have heard better food…. I, too, have been a RCL loyal customer. But prices have been ridiculous with other things,like food, going down. Because of this, we booked our first Princess cruise last year and an MSC. We loved Princess and, honestly, paid less than RCL. We are cutting costs by getting inside cabins also. Princess inside cabin was great. We booked another for 2025. We are booking ahead these days for best price. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. 😊
Carnival hasn't really made my top list yet. I look mainly towards weekend savings and their price point is often similar to Royal Caribbean and I'll just go there as it's easier. Have heard amazing things about princess but they only offer seven nights and longer
I’m a bit surprised by your number one. Isn’t Celebrity the cruise line that charges more for a single passenger in a stateroom than for two passengers?
Hey Jack, interestingly, I noticed the 250% on Royal Caribbean before Celebrity but no one has really mentioned that. The Celebrity cruises that I have booked were done well in advance and I have the interior studio room for a very reasonable rate. For solo folks, we really need to get in early on the ship.
I’ve just discovered you and your videos and I love them and your transparency 😊 So I’m kinda nervous now because you confirmed the reviews I’ve been reading online about RCL. I have a voucher I need to use (free 4 day cruise) Match 2025. Needs to be Bahamas, Liberty or Independence. I’m not sure to go as whether free is better than nothing or nothing (not go) is better than free. I haven’t read great things at all. What advice can you give me please? 🙏 Thank you!
Hey Lois and welcome!!! Glad you found us! I would say a free cruise is something that should not be turned down! Even if you have not seen the best reviews, having a good cruise is all about your mind-set and going with the flow. It can still be done! Will also help you confirm if all the chatter is true or if it is people just hyping it up. I would say, go on the free cruise and still book a 2nd cruise with another line to compare and contrast :-)
@@TheWeekendCruiser thank you for your quick reply!! Ok yes, I’ll go and have low expectations so that way I can only go up from there. I did a Disney cruise last year which was amazing!! Next year all the family want to go to Alaska. We don’t want Disney because we’re Disney freaks but want to do something else. We’re want to do a kid friendly cruise but not necessarily RCL. Any suggestions? Anyways, lots of time to think about it. Have a great weekend!
Listen to what you say at 4:54 You said the food is the same on RCL and??? You said RCL twice. I think you meant to say the food was the same quality as MSC?
I have done 5 Oasis class ships the last in June and quality was still good but last month did Liberty for a M-F and the menu and food quality was pretty mediocre. Very disappointed.
Don’t you go on the same cruise ship almost every cruise line. I mean if you gone on the same ships you will see the same shows. I will NEVER go on MSC again, a cheap fare doesn’t negate having edible food and most importantly the staff is sometimes not the friendliest. Just my opinion!
Hey Chris! I do go on the same ship with the cruise lines very often which I love! It also allows me to go more in-depth on my coverage of the ship vs. trying to be really broad. In thinking of the entertainment, I do see the same shows a lot but when I say they are "dated" I don't mean I am tired of seeing them. I mean the costumes are old, the choreography is old, the story line is old, and it should be refreshed. Other cruise lines have much more recent entertainment productions and is a higher quality and Royal Caribbean is falling behind. Agree MSC's food is not the best in the world! But for the price, amazing ports, and stellar entertainment, I don't mind - though admittingly, I stay cautious given everyone's feedback. Totally get that MSC is not for everyone.
Is Celebrity still charging over 200% solo supplements for solo cruises? I know they received a ton of backlash when it was announced, but it seems to have died down now.
Depends on the sailing. They are definitely triaging, 200%, 250% and 300% in some cases. It's really getting out of hand. I have studio cabins booked which are still a reasonable price
The shows on Royal feel very dated??? Maybe to you as you tend tend to sail the same ships. A new cruiser, or someone that doesn't sail like you, won't feel the same. Chances are, you would say the same thing on any cruise ship you consistently sail on. Cruise Lines don't tend to change their production shows very often due to the costs incurred as to the sets and such. Not all ships have retractable stage floors and some are bigger/smaller than others.
To me, the shows absolutely feel dated on RCL. Comparing it to the other lines, they have refreshed their sets, their costumes and their music. Royal could do this as well but has chosen not to spend the money. Other lines you can easily tell it has been produced within the last 5 years. Not saying cruisers will not like RCL entertainment (they will) but will tell you the applause and standing ovations for other cruise line's production shows are MUCH more common.
@TheWeekendCruiser Of course they feel dated to you, but not to either the new to market, or new to Royal clientele. I don't think they really need to change the shows as long as when deployment comes out, Royal brings in different ships whereby they have different shows. Of course you could always travel to catch a ship not sailing out of South Florida. For a "weekend" cruise, probably not worth it.
We haven't been on Virgin, but I agree with you about Celebrity, MSC, and RCCL. Royal has become too expensive for what they give.
I love your content because all of your videos are original - you never recycle the same tired content as everyone else - "10 things to bring on your cruise," "5 Things to Avoid..." etc.
haha thank you!! I actually don't even normally make those kinds of videos lol Its weird, people ask me how I get all my ideas and they just come to me. I have a massive list and it keeps growing! Just wanting to share my experiences and what all I have leared :-)
Couldn’t have said it better my main cruise sailings in the future are MSC and Celebrity, just got off a 7 day yacht club sailing on MSC and it was so amazing, as for you the cruise companies getting my dollars are the ones that give me what I want
That's great and thanks for sharing Adam!
We are are in the same SHIP! I've moved on from RCL and for price and service Princess has been amazing! I did do a MSC in between.
We have to watch out for ourselves Brent! I hear great things about Princess! Shame they don't do short cruises!
I wish I lived close enough to the coast to be a weekend cruiser, so I will just have to plan a little better. Very curious about MSC for a solo cruiser, so thank you for your insights!
My pleasure! And you know I don't live close to the port by chance! Everyone ask why I moved to Florida and I always respond "to be closer to the ships".
Thanks for yet another great informative video. I cheered quite a bit when you stated, "Cruise lines also aren't the same cruise lines as when I started cruising". Ditto those sentiments in SO many ways. True, they get to make the rules, but I'm in charge of my wallet . . . and my word-of-mouth as a frequent cruiser. I did my first MSC last year and agree with your appreciation of Ocean Cay Marine Reserve. All four visits there last year were memorable for all the right reasons (and the tour to the top of the lighthouse was fantastic). Dang, guess I gotta follow your lead to find that entertainment I'd heard so much about in the past. The two ships I repeated had some severe challenges, and I'll leave it at that. Virgin is on my to-do list for later this year, and that will be my first on that line. Anywho . . . thanks again for your information and enthusiasm. Our paths may cross someday. Be well!!
If we both stay out there I am sure our paths will cross! Thank you :-)
Love this! I'm with you. Celebrity is my #1 and I love MSC for the value! Hope to cruise with you soon!
Same here! It will eventually happen!
I like how you plan which cruise lines and why! I do the same thing! Last year for me was all MSC cruises. This year is a mix of Royal Caribbean and Carnival cruises booked. Next year I'm rotating back to at least one MSC cruise and possibly Margaritaville at Sea out of Tampa. I just got home from a weekend cruise on Allure of the Seas. I can say this RCCL cruise was WAY better than my experience with RCCL back in 2019 on the Mariner! We did "The Key" back in 2019 and it was still a work in progress. The crew didn't really know what the benefits were back then, so we got jipped! We did "The Key" again this time on the Allure of the Seas and it was fantastic! It was at discounted rate so worth price of admission. We didn't eat in the main dining room but all the specialty restaurants which the food and service was outstanding.
That is great to hear! Yes, if you are going to use the perks and buy internet anyway, the Key is a good option! Speciality on Allure is a great way to go! Plenty of amazing food! Glad you enjoyed!
I wanted to do MSC but I’ve heard conflicting information about it. I’m glad you made this!
Thank you! Absolutely, there's a lot of conflicting information online. I think MSC has made changes and have upped their game in recent years. Changing their image, seems to be taking even longer.
We relate SO much it’s crazy. MSC’s private is my ABSOLUTE fav, esp the time I went on their YC. 12 of us dined at their YC exclusive area Al Fresco 😍. I hope they never turn it into a terrible circus mess like RCL’s.
That sounds like an amazing experience! Have not made it to the yacht club yet but I have my fingers crossed
This is such a great topic!! I too solo cruise a lot and my taste in cruising is ever evolving
It's a great thing isn't it? The more we know about ourselves, the better choices we can make :-)
I agree that cruising styles change over time. Beaches are always a relaxing day but we also want to see more at different ports. Would love to go back to Key West. We have been there only once quite a while ago.
Thanks for touring all the different ships. Gives us a preview of whether it's a good fit for us.
Thanks Judi!
We are in Costa Maya on Carnival right now, parked right next to Icon! The food has been underwhelming. Looking forward to get back to NCL and to try Virgin later this year!
Hope you made it into Costa Maya! Weather in Bahamas was pretty rough today!
great info.. going on a Virgin and Celebrity in a few months.. can't wait. Where does Princess fall??
They fall in the category of "no short cruises". I haven't been able to make it to princess because majority of their sailings are 7 nights and longer. I will tell you, I have friends who love Princess and I will make it over there one day!
MSC is getting a new terminal in Galveston for 2025. I am looking forward to driving an hour to the port to try out this cruise line.
That is great to know! They are bringing a lot of ships to America!
Thank you! I'm going to check out Celebrity also.
I enjoy your videos, and actually sorted by date as I wanted to go back to when you made "the break" from RCL, as I was used to seeing your posts from, I think, Freedom of the Seas. i agree with your comments to try other lines, don't get fooled into thinking that as you gain more points that you become more "special". It take A LOT to climb the ladder, and from what I have been told, the perks have not gotten that much better as you climb the points ladder. So, why not just check out other lines and go to Key West instead of the tired Nassau, St. Thomas, San Juan itinerary. Thanks....keep informing us please! You bring a fresh perspective every time.
It is honestly, something I wish I did sooner!
Agreed regarding Key West over Nassau, especially with Nassau's recent crime wave.
We were just at Key West on our Scarlet Lady cruise. We always enjoy KW.
I love your content- why -other than obvious ones - do you not sail Carnival?
Great question Jean! When I'm looking at cruises out of Miami on the weekend, their price has been similar to Royal Caribbean. In the past I have just booked them and have not done Carnival or Norwegian. Will make it there in time. I think I'm also a bit of a creature of habit and like staying with cruise lines I'm familiar with. I'm working on that too 😂
Curious if/when you will do a Carnival cruise? They seem to be in line with MSC pricing but I have heard better food…. I, too, have been a RCL loyal customer. But prices have been ridiculous with other things,like food, going down. Because of this, we booked our first Princess cruise last year and an MSC. We loved Princess and, honestly, paid less than RCL. We are cutting costs by getting inside cabins also. Princess inside cabin was great. We booked another for 2025. We are booking ahead these days for best price. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. 😊
Carnival hasn't really made my top list yet. I look mainly towards weekend savings and their price point is often similar to Royal Caribbean and I'll just go there as it's easier. Have heard amazing things about princess but they only offer seven nights and longer
It seems to me that RC has slipped since the restart. Especially in the area of food. I also am looking at other cruise lines.
Agreed - I am sure it was an intentional slip to drive revenue. I get it, they need the money but we have options :-)
Would love to go on the weekend cruise May 3rd but going to a wedding 😩. We love Virgin, just sailed with them again a couple of weeks ago.
There will be more Brant! We will get you there! Enjoy the wedding!
I’m a bit surprised by your number one. Isn’t Celebrity the cruise line that charges more for a single passenger in a stateroom than for two passengers?
Hey Jack, interestingly, I noticed the 250% on Royal Caribbean before Celebrity but no one has really mentioned that. The Celebrity cruises that I have booked were done well in advance and I have the interior studio room for a very reasonable rate. For solo folks, we really need to get in early on the ship.
I’ve just discovered you and your videos and I love them and your transparency 😊
So I’m kinda nervous now because you confirmed the reviews I’ve been reading online about RCL.
I have a voucher I need to use (free 4 day cruise) Match 2025. Needs to be Bahamas, Liberty or Independence.
I’m not sure to go as whether free is better than nothing or nothing (not go) is better than free.
I haven’t read great things at all.
What advice can you give me please? 🙏
Thank you!
Hey Lois and welcome!!! Glad you found us! I would say a free cruise is something that should not be turned down! Even if you have not seen the best reviews, having a good cruise is all about your mind-set and going with the flow. It can still be done! Will also help you confirm if all the chatter is true or if it is people just hyping it up. I would say, go on the free cruise and still book a 2nd cruise with another line to compare and contrast :-)
@@TheWeekendCruiser thank you for your quick reply!!
Ok yes, I’ll go and have low expectations so that way I can only go up from there.
I did a Disney cruise last year which was amazing!!
Next year all the family want to go to Alaska. We don’t want Disney because we’re Disney freaks but want to do something else.
We’re want to do a kid friendly cruise but not necessarily RCL.
Any suggestions?
Anyways, lots of time to think about it.
Have a great weekend!
@@loismtl1 kid friendly is not necessarily my forte... Any of the mass market lines? Carnival, NCL, Royal would all do well
Listen to what you say at 4:54 You said the food is the same on RCL and??? You said RCL twice. I think you meant to say the food was the same quality as MSC?
Yes, I was going for MSC and Royal have very similar food.
I have done 5 Oasis class ships the last in June and quality was still good but last month did Liberty for a M-F and the menu and food quality was pretty mediocre. Very disappointed.
It can drastically change from ship to ship and cruise line to cruise line. Tough to know what you will get these days.
Don’t you go on the same cruise ship almost every cruise line. I mean if you gone on the same ships you will see the same shows. I will NEVER go on MSC again, a cheap fare doesn’t negate having edible food and most importantly the staff is sometimes not the friendliest. Just my opinion!
Hey Chris! I do go on the same ship with the cruise lines very often which I love! It also allows me to go more in-depth on my coverage of the ship vs. trying to be really broad. In thinking of the entertainment, I do see the same shows a lot but when I say they are "dated" I don't mean I am tired of seeing them. I mean the costumes are old, the choreography is old, the story line is old, and it should be refreshed. Other cruise lines have much more recent entertainment productions and is a higher quality and Royal Caribbean is falling behind. Agree MSC's food is not the best in the world! But for the price, amazing ports, and stellar entertainment, I don't mind - though admittingly, I stay cautious given everyone's feedback. Totally get that MSC is not for everyone.
Is Celebrity still charging over 200% solo supplements for solo cruises? I know they received a ton of backlash when it was announced, but it seems to have died down now.
Depends on the sailing. They are definitely triaging, 200%, 250% and 300% in some cases. It's really getting out of hand. I have studio cabins booked which are still a reasonable price
@@TheWeekendCruiser Thats awesome you got those. Pays to book early, that's for sure, as those are limited!
The shows on Royal feel very dated??? Maybe to you as you tend tend to sail the same ships. A new cruiser, or someone that doesn't sail like you, won't feel the same.
Chances are, you would say the same thing on any cruise ship you consistently sail on. Cruise Lines don't tend to change their production shows very often due to the costs incurred as to the sets and such. Not all ships have retractable stage floors and some are bigger/smaller than others.
To me, the shows absolutely feel dated on RCL. Comparing it to the other lines, they have refreshed their sets, their costumes and their music. Royal could do this as well but has chosen not to spend the money. Other lines you can easily tell it has been produced within the last 5 years. Not saying cruisers will not like RCL entertainment (they will) but will tell you the applause and standing ovations for other cruise line's production shows are MUCH more common.
@TheWeekendCruiser Of course they feel dated to you, but not to either the new to market, or new to Royal clientele.
I don't think they really need to change the shows as long as when deployment comes out, Royal brings in different ships whereby they have different shows. Of course you could always travel to catch a ship not sailing out of South Florida. For a "weekend" cruise, probably not worth it.