Hi, I’m Zach. An avid traveler with an appreciation of our beautiful planet and all the incredible places it has for us to explore.
I simply love travel in any form, and most of my travels are solo. I have come to enjoy the serenity I find when I’m exploring the world by myself. I don’t create travel content as a job, I do it because I am passionate about travel and the personal benefit I receive from discovering new places and learning about cultures far different from my own. So come on if you're ready, let's get this adventure started!
Make sure you subscribe to my channel, turn on notifications so you don't miss out on the next adventure, and join me on my Instagram for a behind the scenes look at all of my adventures: instagram.com/zachthetravelingman/
Пікірлер
I’m going to be there in a few weeks
Thank you for this detailed and beautiful video!
I’m the full time carer for my elderly parents so I don’t get out much. Everyday I take a cruise, today I’m on the Margaritaville with you 😊. Bon voyage 🎉
Bermuda is so beautiful.
You brought back so many memories from this tour. The lighthouse is worth the walk..😊
What type of money/cash is accepted in Bermuda?
Was just there in late may onboard celebrity eclipse!
That’s when I was there. The last few days of May.
So sick of the negative crap people throw at EVERYTHING now.. Royal has a clue what they are doing.. They won't just let a ship rot mechanically.. you negative whiners COULD be happy there are a few ships that they keep up to run CHEAP cruises on.. Some people just want to chill and cruise and dine and mingle.. And not spend $1800 a person. All of the ships have extraordinary service and customer focused attention to detail. If you need a screaming kid, pee filled water park.. go book a Disney ship! Don't condemn this one for other people.. shut up and get on another boat.. Or just keep your bitching to yourself and stay home.. Nice review dude. Thank you for honesty.
Thanks Zach! Great video work as usual! We finally made it to Bermuda on our Celebrity Transatlantic in late April and we loved our Horseshoe Bay excursion (and we ended with a Fish sandwich and Rum Swizzle (okay, more than one) at the Frog and Onion right at King's Wharf. We'll have to check out Shore Excursions Group.
Thanks for watching! I almost went to Frog and Onion book took a right and went to the Bermuda museum instead haha.
We love Bermuda! We were there in late May on the Eclipse! Wonder if we were there at the same time as you? That was our 3rd trip to Bermuda and I can’t wait to go back! So many things to see and do, it takes many trips to get to it all.
So glad you enjoyed! I was there during Memorial Day week.
Bermuda is my favorite destination! I also went there on the Joy last month (May 2024). It was my fourth visit and I will definitely go back again.
I was on during the last week of May (Memorial Day week).
Took Vision of the Seas to Bermuda last June. Loved it!
I love it there too! Perfect place to relax for a few days. Thanks for watching.
I would book a cruise just to visit the private island. My favorite experience when I cruised on Wonder of the Seas.
NCL solo pricing has doubled in June compared to when you booked 6 months ago.
Zach, thank you for posting such a concise and sparkling review of Ascent. We are looking forward to our first cruise on her in early autumn in Europe. I now can’t wait.
Thank you for watching! I hope you have a great time.
Some of the food looks like slop.
I’m an NCL cruiser and love Great Stirrup Cay, Harvest Caye not so much. The main reason is that all of the food and drinks are included at Great Stirrup Cay. I don’t want to spend a whole day on a cruise line owned island and have to pay additional for what is included on the ship.
My experience with reserving specialty dining on NCL has always been super easy. Book a few weeks PRIOR to your sail date and you’ll get pretty much what you like. Be flexible about your dining time and it’s even easier. At 21 days prior to sailing you can do your check-in and book shows online. (Haven guests get to book before that and get first dibs on everything.) Tip….if you’re solo and something says it’s sold out, just go to front of line (ignore the couples who will scowl at you) and tell the staff you’re alone. Very often they can fit in one person for dining or show with no issue. It’s worked for me a number of times. Solos get perks too if you know what to do and aren’t shy.
Thanks for your video! I’m hoping to do the transpacific on Edge next year with the possibility of doing a back to back, adding the barrier reef cruise. This video was very helpful with my decisions.
Glad it was helpful!
I wondered if the NCL "Joy" was going to Bermuda from Norfolk VA since it would be closer than leaving from Manhattan?
On my first cruise ever back in 1986, NCL's SS Norway (since dismantled), we had a stop at Great Stirrup Cay, and it was genius, one of the best days of the cruise. I'll never forget that.😊
I'll be on it this week. I'm fully planning on throwing any unattended towels in the pool and taking the chair.
Did that boat take you on a worthless trip to Victoria, Canada like it did us? What a waste! Loved EVERYTHING else.
Haha yeah. They have to stop at one international port so it’s unfortunate they stop there for just a few hours to satisfy that requirement.
The continued growth of the 5000+ ships will make these more common and the huge ships will be more narrowly focused on them. Juneau just missed voting for cruise free Saturdays. For me, the fact that the lines WANT to control my experience is a minus. Also, there are new models out there where the host countries are making demands on the lines. Foe NCL, one of their private destinations is covered by the cruise drinks and food plans, the other is not. The host country demanded local businesses have a role.
Thanks for the video Zach. I haven't been to a private island yet, however scheduled for a Princess Cays stop in December. I was a little unsure if I'd even get off the ship, however it seems like it's definitely worth checking out! Appreciate your perspective!
Have fun!
You mentioned free soda, but what about alcohol? Do they have a drink package or do you have to charge adult beverages as you go?
It’s basically pay as you go. You can purchase bar tab credit ahead of time but there’s no all encompassing drink package to my knowledge.
@@ZachtheTravelingMan Thanks!
Wow you are one negative person. All the food was great, I’m not sure what’s wrong with your taste buds
Arlene, please… Just because I didn’t enjoy all the food you did on a cruise does not make me a negative person. Thanks for the concern for my taste buds, but they seem to be working just fine. Thanks for watching and have a great day!
I don't drink alcohol or soda so I always turn off the drink package option, saving me the $150 cost to the gratuities they charge for it. Since I do drink coffee, I then buy the Starbucks package that NCL offers for around $115 which gets me as much coffee as I desire. I probably drink 4 or 5 in a day on cruises, totally paying for itself. I also like to ask my room attendant if they like coffee and what kind do they like. Since you can order 2 coffees at a time, every 30 minutes, in the mornings I will get my coffee and then whatever they drink. I feel like it's a nice added gesture for someone who is working really hard that doesn't cost me any extra money as I would be buying it for myself anyways.
Nope would not pay that much for that room
Funny, i have been on 12 cruises and have only been to Great Stirrup Cay 3xs ! No other islands. I definitely want to try the Virgin' private island , Great CoCoCay, and MSC island. They are fun to go to but only when added to a great itinerary.
I have never been to Stirrup Cay but it’s definitely on my list!
They need somewhere to park those giant ships they’re building.
Hey Zach, thanks again for another great video! To be honest, we were on a cruise that was scheduled to a private island and that port was cancelled due to rough seas and second that was to stop a Bimini, but bypassed due to a medical emergency. That said, we do have a future cruise that goes to Bimini so we'll look into Resorts World.
I love Bimini! I think the Resorts World pass would definitely be worth it. Stunning beach there.
I suppose it depends what you're cruising for and where you're coming from. As someone coming from Europe, I wouldn't want to trek halfway across the world just to see a beach and experience the same food you get on board (but covered in flies if those recent videos are anything to go by). But I can understand that if you're based in the US and you're just looking to get away from everyday life, then a short trip to such a destination would be fine. I wouldn't choose a trip because it featured on the itinerary, but I wouldn't exclude it either.
I agree. I don’t think any of them are worth traveling too far to enjoy. Thanks for sharing!
I think it depends. I love them, but it is like a fully curated bubble. If you only go to private destinations, I do think you loose some charm and adventure. The best beach day type excursion I have ever had is when my BFF and I allowed ourselves to be “scammed” in Costa Maya (2022). It was amazing. That port is so crazy - by the time we figured out how to get to the taxis we were stressed and didn’t care anymore. I do not recommend doing this, it is not safe, but we had an amazing experience. They were so sweet, we were two women alone, and when we were ready to leave the manager type made sure we had a female taxi driver take us back to the ship, the price was more than fair, and to this day our favorite excursion (even though you entered through an ally and the bathrooms were not great). We asked to go to a certain restaurant that had been recommended and the driver was like $40 each, all inclusive let me take you, we were so worn down we just said fine. It was an amazing family run spot - not luxurious, you definitely entered through an alleyway between 2 hotels - but they were so nice and legitimately the best margarita I have ever had. Not once did we have to leave our lounge chairs to get a drink, service was great actually.
Love love love Thursday thoughts… Great idea… My husband and I very much enjoy the private islands… MSC Ocean CAY being our favorite… At this moment only one ship can dock there at a time and we love that…
Well I'll be honest with you we've been to most of them and we like them especially the adult area at coco key from RC. It's nice when you don't feel like walking from shop to shop to shop when you can do it all in one place with an amazing pool and beach. The food is right there they bring it to your cabana and it's delicious. Can't ask for more. We also book it when the cruise is going there and we always get the drink package so it's perfect for us.
Yes! Everything being in one place just right near the ship is another huge perk of the private destinations. Thanks for sharing.
Having just returned from my very first cruise (Virgin/Valiant) I have to say I enjoyed the Bimini Beach Club much more than Costa Maya. I'm not a sun bunny so it's not so much the beautiful pools or ocean that attracts me, but I do like the laid back atmosphere among beautiful, well kept surroundings. And that turquoise water...so much the better! I was going to say I wouldn't book a cruise line specifically for their private island destination but the truth is I'm thinking of taking an MSC cruise just so I can visit Ocean Cay. It looks so serene and peaceful and, yes...safe. I look forward to more "Thursday Thoughts", Zach. It's always fun when creators host interesting conversations apart from cruise information.🙂
So glad you enjoyed Bimini! It’s one of my favorite places because it’s so beautiful.
I think most of these are private destinations not private islands🚢🙂. No i will not book a cruise just because its on the itinerary. There are so many other destinations around the world i would rather go to. If it just happens to be on the itinerary of the cruise i want then thats ok too
This was a great video! Thank you!! I would like to try NCL soon after I saw this!
The private islands are worth a stop, yes. I like them. I wouldn't do a cruise that just went to a private island as I like to visit other cultures and countries. However, the safety and activities make a private island attractive, especially if your drinks package works there :). Thursday thoughts? I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
I like the private island/, destinations very much.The safety aspect is a big plus.Was due to go to Labadee with Celebrity later this year,but it's been cancelled because of the troubles in Haiti.
Sorry to hear that! I hope they’re able to get Labadee back up and running soon.
I think this video was informative.
Thanks for watching!
I love the private islands. I like booking cruises with them.
Me too!
Not only do the cruiselines own and profit from these islands, but they are so close to Florida so they save money from the fuel by not having to go further away to other islands. It's very good business sense, besides they are a lot of fun to go to and most people seem to enjoy it.
Exactly! They can also do lots of short cruises to those places.
I really enjoy the private island experience - they’re so much safer than a lot of the other ‘beachy’ islands that the ships call at. I also find they’re so well looked after - can’t wait to explore more of them!
Neither can I. I love when one is on my itinerary!
It seems like the food is very hit or miss
Having a private island also comes in handy as more and more ports no longer want cruise ships or want diminished capacity cruise ships. Private islands can also be used as back up destinations when a port has hurricane damage an earthquake, civil unrest, or as lately with Ocho Rios; dock damage. One of my clients was amazed that Royal was going to have 2 private islands and I reminded her that Norwegian has had Great Stirrup Cay and Harvest Cay (Belize) for years. There may be more, I haven't looked.
Good points! And I totally forgot to mention Royal's upcoming private destination in Nassau. That's going to be awesome as well.
Your reviews we’re not helpful
were* - thanks for letting me know! 👍🏻
Thanks for the tour!
In all honesty, alright, really enjoyed this review. You have made me a believer. I am currently considering a 5 day cruise with this ship. And I think I'm going to book it today. Thanks a bunch great video
Glad it was helpful!