Joebucks

Thank you for sharing this video. One day, I do hope to try one of the big NCL ships and their experiences. With that said, I have stayed away from NCL because I do not care for their business model. I am not fooled by their already expensive prices, being raised further to get "free stuff". Combined with smaller itinerary choice. The cheapest options this year between the NCL Prima and Carnival Mardi Gras this year are as follows: Prima - $739.99pp for 5 day out of New York Mardi Gras - $539.99 for 7 days out of Orlando For many, the difference is worth it with NCL because you can pay more to get "free" stuff and food 24/7. I can get late night food on Carnival for $6. When and if I sail NCL, it is to get the experience and a full value of the vacation. All of the noise around is insignificant.

So far, we have only sailed Carnival. We've intended to try different cruise lines by now, but it just always seems like Carnival worked out better. My most recent one was the Mexican Riviera on Panorama. They offered me a 7-day cruise with a balcony at $880 for 2 after taxes and fees. I couldn't say no. We love the vibe. I love the food and amenities. Sure some things aren't perfect. I used to be fairly bummed about the food options. Now that I'm older, I wake up earlier and go to bed sooner. Not as much of a problem. With any experience, the more you do it, the less special it becomes. That is where I think the luxury interest largely comes from. Personally, I just can't jive with the luxury cruises. I may try some one day, but I truly doubt I'll ever be sold on them. I am not a "service" person. In fact, I believe it is one the biggest wastes of money there is. Service is a high-margin offering. You will never convince me that a 7-day trip is better because you feel "pampered" or someone knows your name vs 14 days of vacation, all for the same price. Being away more often is truly more valuable to me than some brief, often manufactured feeling. That is more relaxing to me than anything. I could also care less about "5-star dining". It's available where I live, and don't care about it here either. I don't need a more expensive cruise to trick me into believing it's all free. Give me a burger and a taco, in a vacation setting, and I'm happy as a clam. I also don't jive with the small ship setting. As with anything, there are pros and cons to either choice. Also, for some ports, the small ship is the only option. When given a choice, I want the big ship. Because choice and variety leave you with more options to do what you want. Simple math. After a day at the port, it's a good problem to have when you have to decide what to choose from: comedy club (multiple shows), stage show, bar visit, music, night club, deck movies, casino, and other events. Similar to the 5-star dining topic is the stage shows. I could care less about having one "higher quality offer" and then the rest of the night is boring. I definitely want to try NCL and RCL soon. Leaning more towards RCL. Both seem to be right up my alley for what interests me. MSC I am torn on. It seems to be a love or hate relationship. My guess is that it has brought great aspects of cruising that some have associated only with luxury, to the mass market.

Actually getting the package. Feeling like crap from all of those drinks, and still barely buzzed.