For the past 10 years we have been traveling all over the world. It wasn't until 2021 where I (Gil) contracted the COVID virus and developed blood clots in my lungs that I realized how important it was to live life. Had I waited another day or 2, I would have died. After recovering, I wanted to make sure that I shared our story and our travels in hopes that we could/can influence others to live as much as they possibly can because the next day isn't promised.
At some point in the future I would love to provide vacations for under privileged kids and families so that they can see the world and enjoy a lifetime of amazing memories. Join us as we push out more. We also provide CUSTOM DESIGNS for apparel and home. Gil is a Graphic/Multimedia Designer by night. So if you're looking for custom designs for your Family Reunion trip, be sure to reach out on our website @ www.downtovacay.com.
@@downtovacay We enjoyed our cruise as the only other one was P & O (we are from Australia, and it was hot and loved the touched of cold water and wet face washer when arriving at the ship after a day out we loved being deck 9 as it was quite close to everything although the atrium looks good it doesnt work and found the wardrobes not long enough in the bedroom the bathroom was great as hubby is over 6 ft and he fit well in the shower
@@bronwenmcinnes4768 Def a lil more spacious than other cabins on other ships. NCL was cabins slightly roomier with better furniture to make it feel roomier. If we could have a Prima/Viva cabin on all the cruises we go on that would PERFECT haaaa
Great video. Thanks. I’m really considering taking this ship but the other itinerary. Not having a basketball court may pose a problem. I have all sons and they love basketball. I did a European cruise this year with NCL and it was great. Our first Ncl cruise. I want to do this ship soon and Alaska. I had the 9 day spa package for my other cruise and I went every day except the first night. Even with our busy itinerary, I came back every day and used the spa. Much needed after walking through either Spain, France and Italy daily.
Glad you were able to find helpful stuff from our review. I would say that not having a basketball court really made me sad because I play. I like being able to shoot around and play in competitions. BUT if you're a youngin', theres still some stuff you can do. The Stadium was a hot a spot for the kids. If they're old enough, theres still the Entourage. That's where the kids really have their fun. The Viva/Prima could probably slide without a court, but it depends on whether thats a make or break. We feel the Viva/Prima are more for great food, solid musicals, bars and a luxurious vibe. Where as a Carnival Mardi Gras is ok food, a lot of entertainment, sports court for slightly less. Then there's the Icon of the Seas where you can take 2 Mardi Gras cruises for the price of 1 Icon cruise. Solid food. Solid Entertainment. A lot of Activities. Sports court. But just sooooo expensive. All depends on you : )
Most definitely. With Waterworks, Camp Ocean, Shaq's Big Chicken and Guy's Burger Joint, what kid wouldn't love those? : ) The good thing is that your grandchildren can be put together if you're sailing while they're 6 & 8. They will be put together in the "Stingrays" group. There are so many activities for them on the Mardi Gras. And if the parents, as well as you, want to have a little peaceful time you're able to do that as well. AND IT'S FREEEEE They have a lot of activities for the kids. We have a soon to be 2 yr old grandson, so we'll see how it goes in a few years.
Well done! Picked up a few pointers. I missed the chicken info test was a bit disappointing. I am thinking about priority access but reading it may not be a good buy. Have booked VIVA and same type cub balcony stateroom Any thoughts? Have cruised s bunch so not a novice. I enjoyed your vid and gave it LIKE. Hope to get a response.
Glad you were able to find some helpful things. That's our goal. You booked the VIVA? Hopefully you'll be able to see Beetlejuice. We didn't get that chance. It's def a relaxed and smooth ship. So many spots for sun. Food is solid. When are you cruising? Have you tried any of the Breakaway+ Class ships?
@@ThePardu Aaaah ok. So you have it coming up in 2025. Have yet to cruise on the Epic. We pretty much cruised on all of the Breakaway & Breakaway + Class ships. Is Priority Access good? It really depends on a few things. The itinerary, your use of room service and check in. If your Itinerary has ports that are tendered and you'd like to be the 1st ones off, then maybe. If you're a room service type of cruiser in the mornings you'd get continental breakfasts. Nothing extravagant. It'll still cost ya. Sometimes ports have check ins where it doesn't even matter what level you are unless you're Haven. We're Platinum and in San Juan, we jumped in the same line as everyone else. At that time though. Not sure if they changed it. Same for Debarkation. Doesn't even matter. You'll get free canapés : ) Is it worth it? I lean towards no, for the most part. I remember when Carnival offered it for $50. No mas. Now they add things that no one really cares about. We want to sail on the Aqua next year.
Ok tks. EPIC isn’t a great ship. I cruises twice i the ship based on Itinerary. As far as Priority Access … passing on it. I am re-watching your vid. Thanks Much. Will Keep watching the vids. Ansy
Funny thing is we had many videos before this one using our Rode Caster mics. I tried using the wireless Go with 2 mics and found it was separating and didn't know how to make it one audio track. Talk about Rookie
We had the same experience at check in, finally found someone who actually knew where to send us for priority check in. Enjoyed watching your video, and can’t wait to explore her myself.
Aaawe thank you. Glad you got some good info from us. Hopefully you liked the Viva. We would definitely love to try the Aqua. I think more for the relaxation and less feeling of work lol Hopefully you get to see BeetleJuice. Come back and let us know how you like Viva.
I hope you're able to get a chance to jump on board the ship. Entertainment every day and night. You'll have a blast. Keep traveling. Ride the waves of life and never stop enjoying the view.
@@souperflyone6362 Def looking forward to Carnival’s new massive ship line up to compete with Icon of the Seas. If they can only up their food game. Lights out.
We like NCL Joy very much , the layout is good for my husband in the wheelchair ♿️, crew was the best . Shows , food very good . Going back on Joy soon .
The Joy is def a well balanced ship. We always liked the Atrium style for entertainment and O'Sheehans/Local setup. The Breakaway class ships are well rounded, that's why we like cruising on them. Food seems to be really good on all of the newer NCL ships. Have you tried the Getaway or any other Breakaway ship?
You’re so right about the small venue. I was on the Prima love the food and Entertainment. Did not go to Syd Norman not waiting on line for over a hour. They had seating by the Starbucks. I don’t even remember the Atrium.
NCL broke my heart, man. I'd like to go on another Prima or Viva cruise again and just sail as a regular Joe. No recording. No worrying about content. Just ride the waves and see where it takes me. I think it's for those who love food and entertainment. Great bars. Luxury. Get pampered. Then I'll see if it's really worth it as an older person who's starting to wind down. It's cuttin' close : )
Whoooaah that's a long trip. Def come back and share your experience for that itinerary. Hope it's super awesome. I hope there will be a lot to do as well. I don't want to be a Debbie downer
Wow. You guys are a complete failure of the U.S. education system. You blamed NCL because both sides of the ship don’t face the port when docked? Name one ship ever built, in the history of the world, where both sides of the ship face the same direction.
I have no idea what you're talking about. I (Gil) don't mind if someone points out something that may not be right or we missed. I welcome that, because it helps us as well as the viewers get the best info possible. For people like you though... I don't tolerate the idiocy. I don't know if you're just a miserable person, but to be a keyboard pirate is something that separates us. Maybe you took something we said mistakenly? I have no clue because you never explained yourself. Very unfortunate. You're the 2nd person out of the many responses to say something insulting. I guess those are good odds. Happy sailing, dude.
Check 10:10 where we clearly say that depending on how the ship is docked, you can go to Ocean Boulevard because it's the only ship that wraps around with a view. Just revisited your comment and decided to watch the entire video.
We just returned from a 7 day cruise on a MSC Meraviglia ship. They didn't do a very good job with cleaning up our cabin from the previous occupants. Also, our neighbors were loud young people also smoking something. However, we enjoyed the ship overall. The restaurants, the entertainment and service were excellent. It's unfortunate that we had to encounter a not so clean cabin as well as noise and smoking from our neighbors.
Ooooh believe you me we felt the same. If you're looking to just relax and chill without eating some exquisite food at a reasonable price, then this is the ship. That's our take on it. I give it a 2.5 Palm Trees. We just got back from Paris last night so I am def behind on the videos/reviews for the Meraviglia. Thanks for the comment though. Much appreciated.
Excel class ships are the best. I have been on the Celebration and Mardi Gras and loved both. The Excel class ships give a totally different experience than any other Carnival ship. Its Carnival times 20. SO i know its hard when you are a NCL fan or Royal cruise to give Carnival any credict for this Class of ship but the Excel class is special.
I think that having Kyndall Fire as our Cruise Director was the icing on the cake. The new style of having the atrium shows PLUS the theater is a cool thing. Pretty good setup. As for the NCL Breakaway Class & Breakaway Class Plus, they are def more well rounded. Plus the food is def a tad better than Carnival. As I get older, I may still swing back to that NCL ship : ) But the ICON... that's another story. Icon of the Seas is top notch when it comes to the food, entertainment and activities. Then again you'd have to donate an organ for a week.
I think that IF we don't drink much, then all good. How can we not drink much on the Mardi Gras though? The different types of bars/drinks is something that the Excel class ships are tops on. It would be more expensive if we don't get the drink package. We had. the Cheers package, so it came out to about $150 per person. On Norwegian, it's the same deal. $150 per person BUT you can get 2 drinks at once or make it a double. All depends on how you roll, I think. Sometimes Carnival doesn't even give a cheers package that's part of a deal. You'd have to be lucky with getting one. I tried recently.
@@downtovacay I agree! It defiantly can be more expensive. We make the decision on the Cheers package based on how many sea days, how long we plan on being off the boat, and excursions. We are taking a 7 day in September and have opted not to get Cheers. I think we may regret it. But we will see! Happy cruising!
@@jamieallen4011 You may regret it Haaaaa All depends on how much you want to drink.You're going to see all of the different type of bars and go "Oooooh I wanna try this Abra Cadabra at the Fortune Teller." Then that $13 a drink catches up to ya and before you know it you've spent more than $50 in the hour haaaa Oh please stop by and let us know how that cruise goes and what you spent : ) We opted out of the drink package for our upcoming NCL Getaway cruise in Greece.
We're always excited to see people take some much needed vacation time. Hopefully you've been able to kinda see what you get. The earlier the better. I'm sure you're excited. What's cool is going on the cruise line app and just seeing what awaits.
@@ericajohnson7121 Much appreciated. Was it in line of how you like review videos or just travel videos to be? We try to keep it more loose than scripted. Still working on finely tuning : )
Ooooh wow first time cruising? You're gonna be in for a sailing. Some people prefer smaller ships because of feeling overwhelmed. Hopefully you'll be super chill and go all out. If there's anything you're curious about and want some info, don't hesitate to give us a shout.
@@TheLifeOfTiff94 We've been so busy and I've been behind on my videos. No bueno : ( We actually went to Paris for the olympics this past week and now in Greece for Mediterranean cruise on the NCL Getaway tomorrow. I will try and do some editing this week on the cruise. Hope all is well on ur end. Your Nov cruise can't come soon enough.
@@mikebryan4728 Ooooh Thanksgiving week? I have wanted to do a holiday cruise like Xmas and/or Thanksgiving to see how the atmosphere is. We've done a new year cruise back in 2019/20 and it was sooooo cool ringing in the new year. Def an experience. Def let us know how that cruise turns out. #downtovacay
0:35, there are two kinds of people on the cruise, newlyweds and near to dead, the newlyweds are on Carnival cruise and the near to dead are on Norwegian cruise.
Haaaaa We're nearly Walking Dead then because we actually prefer the food and luxury vibe on NCL. Mardi Gras was super fun though. Just didn't like eating fast food all the time since it was their best food option.
I was on the Prima the only thing I didn’t like was the small venue everything else was Great. I love the food and the entertainment. I’m not waiting on line 2 hours to get into Syd Norman.
I loved the Observation Lounge. It's a great place to relax. Truly a "room with a view." I also enjoyed the Waterfront areas on Deck 8 outside the specialty restaurants. It's a nice place to quietly relax during the day. The Cavern was also a nice place for evening entertainment. I found myself at the Local often when I wanted something tasty and quick. The Brewhouse was right next to my cabin and I like beer, so it was perfect. The Q was great food with entertainment at dinner. I enjoyed the Joy enough that I will look for more Joy adventures.
The Local IS the spot. Every time we're on an NCL ship it's either The Local or O'Sheehans for late night chicken wings and sweets. Talk about gaining that xtra 5lbs. Truth be told we barely go into the Cavern. I know... how can we review if we don't go in there. The Q is def the spot. I do prefer Guy's Pig & Anchor on the Carnival Excel class ships like the Mardi Gras. The Getaway is going to be in NYC come 2025 summer sailings to Bermuda. Another solid ship. We'll be on it this August in Greece.
We hope you have a super cool time. We had one of the best... if anything THE BEST Cruise Directors on a sailing. Too bad she'll be on the Jubilee, I think. Drop us a line when u get back. Let us know how your time was.
I (Gil) never think I'm fun haaaa I'm so much of an introvert I don't even know how I've been able to do this. Don't forget to check us out on IG as well. I put up new things here and there. Just started Memorable Vacay Mondays where people share what their most memorable vacation is with us. Our IG profile is @official_downtovacay
So the only food that is included is not that good?😢I thought most cruises had a majority of food covered expect for fine dining. Are all the little places to get food quickly included?
The complimentary food isn't bad at all. Chi Bang was ok. Wasn't great, but it sure beats paying for it as a "Specialty Restaurant". Cucina Del Capitano was decent. The better foods were finger foods like Shaq's Big Chicken and Guy's Burger Joint. We don't always want finger foods. We have gone on other cruise lines/ships where the complimentary food is amazing like NCL Prima & Viva as well as recently the Icon of the Seas. You may love it more than us and/or the menus or cooks have changed. It all depends to be honest. Pig & Anchor is also complimentary during the afternoons and some options at night. Are you planning on the Mardi Gras?
@@downtovacay we were looking at a sept sail date w a large group. But the only cruises we have been on are Disney cruises. Thank you so much for your response. Your videos are actually super helpful. 👏🏼
@@PilatesbyGina Aaaah the Disney cruise. We're not sold on shelling out Icon of the Seas money for only 4-5 night cruises. Waiting til our grandson gets a little older BUT that is on our bucket list. We've seen the behind the scenes of the Disney Wish and were in awe. We like to keep our videos normal and not really scripted. We're all over the place half the time haaaa. Glad we could shed some light. We have some travels this summer and more videos pushing out.
@@downtovacay oh gosh I agree!! We would never go on Disney just to go, (unless it was our job & money was no object) but our kids were younger at the time. We started when our youngest was 5! We went four times. It was bananas start to finish-they kids loved it and we did too. Their private Cay is amazing. But as the kids are now older teens, we want to avoid Disney bc 🥴cha-CHING😂😂 We gotta pay for college soon. 🤦🏻♀️But look, Icon of the Seas is looking good to me rn, I am gonna find some of your other videos on cruising-they have helped my husband and I so much w the Mardi Gras. Better than our TA😝Thanks so much for sharing such amazing videos. They really are helpful!!!
@@PilatesbyGina Here is a link to the Icon video section. ru-vid.com/group/PL8jgtwd2PsykkjnC_TEgQ01OKptWMl2u0 We're working on a couple of Icon videos as well. Reviews are subjective. What may be good for one is not good for the other. So we think it's important for everyone to look at other reviews as well. We appreciate the views. If there's anything we missed from what you've experienced, give us a shout. Always interested in how your vacays go.
2 more months. I'm sure you're super excited. Should be awesome. Still a top for me. We sailed on the Icon of the Seas back in April and you could take 2.5 Mardi Gras cruises for the price of 1 Icon cruise and still have a great time. All depends on your budget and what you're looking to do. #downtovacay : )
Back in the day people ordered Champagne and Caviar not so much for taste but to show off their wealth and extravagance! EWWWWW We booked it for our Sept. cruise and can't wait!
Just seeing this message. Tis true. Caviar was a symbol of wealth. to be honest it's not a delicacy that we feel we have to go out there and get because it's sooooo gooood. Nah. So you booked the Empire Supper Club or Icon itself? Either way you should have a blast. Entertainment 5 Palm Trees. Food 5 Palm Trees. Have you checked out our Icon Review? You'll see our take on it. Expensive though. Let us know what your experience was like afterwards. #downtovacay
Last time I checked, or at least tried, I clocked it around 24 mph. That was during the speed boost. I didn't get to see if it goes at the known top speed of 30mph. You'd def have to do the "Track to yourself" to get the higher seeds.
I think I’m gonna book 7 days out of New York City to Bermuda for a studio! I mean for a brand new ship for it to come in slightly less than $2000 is not bad! I wanted to try, but I haven’t, I’ve heard a lot of mixed reviews, but I also heard they extended this ship…They made it a little bigger? Like the the attractions n stuff?
I booked the studio balcony on the Aqua for Oct 2025. First, I was going to go to Bermuda out of NYC, but I changed it to the Carribean out of Miami for the same price.
Nope. The Junior balconies are in 16210 & 16215 on that deck. We were right next to one though in 16208. Those cabins usually sell out with the quickness since it has the sofa section as its own space. Typical cabin though.
Much appreciated. We try to keep it real and down to earth without sounding like a script. We don't do scripts haaaa Be sure to check out our other videos if you're going on the Mardi Gras, NCL Prima, Virgin Voyages and Icon of the Seas. Still adding weekly. Cruising IS the best.
Thanks for that. What I will most likely do is a refresh of the video so that it's easier to hear. For this video I messed up on the audio file to rush it out. Never will I ever.
The specialty restaurants? We ate at Guys Pig & Anchor one night. That partially counts, right haaaa For us, it isn't really just about the specialty restaurants. We actually factor the complimentary mostly. In comparison to Virgin, NCL and Royal Caribbean's newest ships, the Mardi Gras' complimentary food was sub par. These are what we felt. The food itself wasn't bad at all. It's just that we wanted better options than finger foods like chicken or burgers. Know what I mean? The complimentary food on NCL Prima and Viva are solid. The complimentary food on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady was really good as well. The tops... the creme de la creme at this time is Icon of the Seas. The complimentary food was by far the best of the best. You should check out our Hits and Misses for the other cruise ships we've been on. Reviewing these cruises is subjective. What was good or bad for us may have not been for others. Marid Gras for us was really fun. Best fun we've had so far, even against the biggest ship in the ocean. Can't wait to see the other Excel ships from Carnival.
You exaggerated Hooked pricing ( it's not $80 per person) to discourage people not to try the restaurant since the buffet had a great spread. Keep it honest.
Girlfriend, you made me go look for our statement haaaa That's cool, because we have it. $153.38 for our meals and a Pepsi. No extras like cocktails or wines. Just the meal options. I created a page with the image of our statement on our site just for you. downtovacay.com/hooked There you will see our statement with Hooked highlighted. No reason for us to lie about something like that, as reviews for cruising and dining is subjective. You may have a great experience in the same place that I didn't. What we share is authentic. Even when we gave the review we gave the overall food experience on Icon 5 Palm Trees. We're not like many who have 1 issue and drop ratings down because of it. Either way, we brought the receipts. Will you now remove your thumbs down and give us a thumbs up? FYI We were sitting at our day bed in the Hideaway when a person came up to us asking if we'd like to eat at Chops or Hooked. I should have chosen Chops Grille. Still saying that til this day.
Myself and my daughter just got back from the Mardi Gras in April. I agree with you on the buffet. The food was not so good. The bathroom was kinda small. But, we did have a great time. We always get a balcony. Can't go wrong with that.
SUPER glad you had a good time at least. We went on the Icon of the Seas. Best buffet out of any ship we've been on. 3x as much money as the Mardi Gras though. Carnival is coming out with 2 more Excel class ships, so most likely we'll be going on one of those in the coming years.
I would be all in on that beautiful , exquisite meal. I just don't know how much of the drinks my wife could handle. Looks amazing 👏 my only question is , was the listed price for one or both meals?
Maaaaan I had no clue what I could handle... Until I had 2 glasses of Moet and I was concentrating on my words. Both meals for the $400 + Taxes/Gratuities.
We have been on. Mardi Gras twice and going again in November. It is the best and so much fun. I agree with her and give it 5 trees lol. There is so much to eat, hot sandwiches were great, Italian restaurant, speciality restaurant, seafood stand, street carts, etc. Glad you enjoyed your cruise 👍🏾
You can go on 2 Mardi Gras trips for the price of 1 Icon. It's crazy. Mardi Gras was def my top pic. Having that awesome Cruise Director was the icing on the cake. Would have been top notch if they had better food than finger foods. Only so many burgers and fried chicken I can take. Carnival as 2 more ships coming out. Curious to see what they add. #downtovacay
@@mojocollectibles5721 Def. Minute 6:20 in this video. It was good. Street Eats reminds us of the Aqua Dome Market on the Icon of the Seas. Only difference is that Street Eats changes its menu per day.
Much appreciated. You're gonna be shocked when I tell you what we use to record. We use our iPhone 15 Pro & Pro Max plus a GoPro 11. I was using a Sony a7 II, but didn't want to lug it all around. Too much equipment lol I wanna save my back. When we go on an Alaska cruise April 25, I'll take my a7. Amazing photos for that one.
Tryin to convince my wife for next year : ) Either the Aqua or the Celebrity Xcel. Both Luxury ships. Only thing I'm curious about is that Basketball Lounge or what ever it is.
The main pool is pitifully small on prima/viva compared to the encore. Hopefully that is fixed on aqua. Loved watching the world cup with large Display on the pool deck on the encore. Also the main atrium on encore was funner with live music. More space
Not once did we ever get into that pool. We didn't even hang out at the pool. Too crowded. Too small. Our spot was Deck 8. Ocean Boulevard. At least they have 3 pools in total. We hung out more on OB than lido. I don't see a major change with the lido pool on Aqua. it's pretty much the same.
How does it stack up to the Mardi Gras? We are doing MG next week and the Icon in October. Looking forward to both but nervous about Carnival for sure. Long time RCCL cruisers.
Two totally different style ships. What separates them is def the price. You could take a Mardi Gras and Celebration or Jubilee cruise for the price of 1 Icon cruise. That's the difference. You'll be entertained on the Icon beyond belief. Food is great. Just no real quiet relaxing all adult area space for us. Nothing but kids. Complimentary food is solid. Like I shared in that long "What's your fav cruise?" post, the Mardi Gras has a well balanced ship. You can get so much for so little in comparison to the Icon. As great as the Icon is, the price of it will be the deciding factor for many. One and Done
@@downtovacay see that’s our struggle. We basically got the Icon balcony for the same price as we paid for the Mardi Gras. Felt it was very reasonable. But come to find out it was a crazy sale and half price. Lookin forward to the Mardi Gras next week and see how it gore
@@BJJandBS IF you can get what you want at a lower price then go for it. I was able to lock in the Icon Oceanview Balcony at $3800 for 2. I got the Mardi Gras Balcony for $2800. When I priced the Icon next year from April thru July it was about $6200. No way Jose.
@@downtovacay yea we basically paid the same for both. $1200 balcony on each pp. So i was ok with it. I actually thought it was a bit much for the MG but its our first Carnival so I figured it should be a good one
Oh man that's such a tough question. We've gone on quite a few and they were all different in terms of style and theme. I can understand why anyone would be nervous about a Carnival cruise, but it goes with any cruise line. We did the ALL adult (Virgin Voyages), and it was a lack of really fun activities for us. Adult parties which was cool. Good food selections. 1 small pool. NCL Prima & VIVA had great food. Decent activities. Go Kart raceway. Great shows. Ocean Boulevard for quiet spaces while looking at the ocean. Small venues for the amount of people. Luxury. Carnival Mardi Gras had ok food, lots of entertainment, Roller Coaster, Great bars, basketball court, Serenity for adults. Almost in the perfect range. ICON of The Seas was just overwhelmingly good. But more of a One and Done for us. Too much money. We could go on 2 1/2 Carnival XL Class cruises for the price of one Icon/Star of the Seas Cruise. We're working on the FULL ICON Review. Already tired just thinking about it. But if I had a choice it would be a VIVA & Mardi Gras cruise. I have yet to go on the Wonder or Oasis ships. I said too much lol
@downtovacay yes it is I enjoyed it to the fullest. I only went to main dining once. I don't knowbif Carnival will top that for me. That pizza place on board freedom of the seas that stats open to wee hours was a hit. The private island Coco Cay doesn't miss either. Love Royal Carribbean although the drink package is expensive but it allowed me to try drinks at my leisure. Sip and Sit it down, repeat if I wanted to try something else 🤣
