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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.

@@downtovacay Ehh, and now in 'Km/h'? Because I only use metric systems and don't live in the US

@@newforcemedia Aaah ok. I think it’s 37 or 38 km/h. We Americans and our MPH.

@@downtovacay Ah, okay. Wouldn't it be an idea for the US to switch to Metric like everyone else in the world?

@@newforcemedia Or Europe switched to US metrics haaaaa

She's stubborn haaaaaa

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.

Oh my Larry, Carnival is gonna love you haaa Hopefully 200 people will have the best time of their lives. #downtovacay : )

Honestly no other line has better complimentary options

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.

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.

I hope you were able to come back and look at the response and the proof.

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.

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.

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

@@downtovacay Did you try the street cart area and the seafood?

@@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.

Same Here! 9/1/25 :)

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.

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

@@ArizonaMMJ 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 thanks for the feedback!

Windjammer Royal Caribbean buffet is really good. You can't beat their private Coco Cay Island either.

@@tonyawilson1415 Hands down the best buffet on a ship we ever had.

@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 🤣

Oh man the love lol

That's going to be a heck of a bday/anniv cruise. Def one of the better options to have some fun. That's exciting. We'd love to see the anniversary pics : ) We're looking to do our 10 yr wedding anniversary gathering on the Carnival Venezia. All about the content : )

I think it's a "one and done" for us. More for the experience. I think overall the Icon of the Seas is a 1 time cruise. Overwhelming great, but for the price... nopers. Too much. We can take 2-3 cruises on a new Carnival ship for the price of 1 Icon or Star of the Seas cruise.

Nov 2025? Oh man I'm wishing that was sooner for ya. Was such a good cruise for that week. As for Pig & Anchor, it is free during lunches. There's a cost for late night. Guessing it's because of the live band playing at night and the tvs with the games.etc. Unless they changed it recently like they did Chibang, it still costs after Lunch. Solid spot to go to though.

It's gotta be the food. We try not to be too "informational". Icon was just ridiculous. But there's always some misses. Just put that one up.

Great bars. Love the Serenity section.

Much appreciated. Hope you got a good idea of how the VIVA is and who it's for.

We paid $79 per person. $339 for the week (7days/nights) per person. If there's a rainy day, this is probably the best place to go to. Well worth it for the peace, pool and experience.

Oh man that seemed rough. Have you looked into the Jewel class ships like Gem or even Dawn? Smaller ships. About 1400 passengers. Imagine going on the Icon of the Seas haaaa That sucker was HUGE. Too many kids running around. No true quiet adult space. Reviews coming soon.

So cool. It's def a great a well balanced ship/cruise. A lot of fun. Many things to do. We got back from the Icon of the Seas cruise. Talk about a massive amount of stuff. Too much. We tried to get as much video/content as we could. We actually did do the silent party. It's hilarious.

Was pretty tough to get some bonafide misses, but these things may hinder some cruisers who want specifics. I know that I need good food at least. You'll have a blast on your cruise. Was well balanced.

We sailed on the Icon of the Seas last month and it was just so overwhelmingly great but surely had its misses. One and done for us. I like ships that are worth going on multiple times. Mardi Gras is one of those ships.

Aaaaah man that's going to be a great bday. Hopefully they have a solid Cruise Director like Kyndall Fire. Cruising is def a great way to get bang for your buck.

Haaaaaaa It helped soooo much after playing basketball and Vball.

Aaaaaay thats awesome. We're on the Icon of the Seas right now and I must say I'd take the Mardi Gras any time. I like the setup of the Carnival XL class. Drinks. Fun. Adult section. #downtovacay

Aaaaah main. Much appreciated. This is the worst video so far. We used the Rode Wireless II which splits the channels. I should have stuck to the recording on the Rode Caster Pro II. Thanks for the feedback. Never again will we record a review on those. Back to what works.

Oh man. That wasn't what we were told when we we checked in on the Escape back in 2019. She said I needed to have a jacket, so we opted out of it. I do know they waive the dress code on the first night. Wondering if they changed the dress code in recent years.

I’ve cruised NCL many times and this would be my first on the Viva which is why I watched your video. It’s never been a thing (requiring a jacket).

@@rmespe That woman must have disliked me haaaaa I was actually quite bothered when she told us that. I canceled the reservation right after. Appreciate it.

Fingers crossed. Always a crap shoot with guaranteed cabin spots. We're on the Icon of the Seas right now in a guaranteed ocean view balcony. 14th deck right under the pool area. We were hoping we wouldn't hear a thing at night and I must say it's been good. We paid $3800 for this cabin while others who have chosen their ocean view cabins have paid over $7,000. We were fortunate to say the least.

Gotcha, I thought I had picked a room but when I closed out it came up balcony guaranteed. Do you think it would hurt to try to call them? I just booked last weekend. The chat wasn’t working properly the holiday

@@dawnr8811 It honestly never hurts to try and get them to pick a good cabin. If a ship is at full capacity, then the odds are slimmer to get something you desire. If you get a good agent, they'll check up until the day before the cruise. All depends on availability. Fingers crossed.

Thx I did talk to a nice agent but I would have to pay about 1000$ more to pick a room 😩 She was convincing that we would probably be just fine and maybe even better, we’ll see! Thx so much 😊 going in June, hopefully won’t be in the room too much anyway 🤣

Luckily got put on 12th floor balcony room forward!!

Oh wow. We did a New Year cruise back in 2019 into 2020. Literally months before the pandemic hit. It was a really awesome and memorable cruise. So much fun. It was the Norwegian Breakaway. Man it was soooo cool to ring in the new year on a fun ship. The Joy just enhanced their Spa so if you get a chance to go, do so. We're on the Icon of the Seas right now and their Spa is not so great in comparison.

Thanks for taking the time to watch. Hope you got some good info from it. Happy early Birthday too. Girlfriend, you're gonna have a ball. If you get down with the drinks, don't forget to check out the Fortune Teller for some cool crazy drinks. We're heading on the Icon this Saturday. Gonna be epic. A lot of work lol Let us know how it went.

Did you have a good time?

@@Searchandrescue22 On the ICON? It was crazy. So many things and places to go. It was a tad overwhelming. Just finished adding the HITS of the Icon. Working on the MISSES of the Icon and then next week work on the FULL review. Should be episodes at this point.

First time? Def a fun time. If you dabble in the drinks dept, don't forget to check out the Fortune Teller. Our favorite spot. If you're on the lido, Street Eats is the place to grab a quick bite. Some good stuff that changes daily. #downtovacay

Aaaaah double dipping on the Mardi Gras? We get it. It's a solid overall FUN ship. We have the Icon of the Seas coming up next week. Can't wait for that one.

Didn't think anyone would honestly watch it, but glad you were able to find some useful stuff. We'd say this cruise is well worth it. If you're looking to be relaxed, pampered with a sprinkle of some fun then this is it. Amazing food all around. Solid entertainment. Breakaway class ships are always awesome. Again, great food and entertainment. We love the way the Atrium is set up with the massive screen and the 2nd deck where you can eat and watch the entertainment at the same time. #downtovacay

I'm a lil hesitant. Have you been on the Prima or Viva? Luxury.

I'm (Gil) soooo hesitant on paying a lot more for less days, but we know how much is actually put into those Disney ships. Just a matter of when now. Our grandson is going to be 2, so maybe in the next 4 yrs? Or maybe we'll get the urge and go sooner than later haaaa

NO WONDER!!!! They always get us with that 1st one. We got loose alright haaaa. You def have to let us know how that went. #downtovacay

Man I wish you're able to see Kyndal Fire. She was the life of the ship. We're flip flopping right now on Carnival Jubilee or Celebrity Beyond. On one hand we're trying to determine which Luxury'ish ship is better. NCL Prima/Viva or Celebrity Beyond. Since we've been on the Mardi Gras, it's pretty much the same as the Jubilee. We haven't tried the Celebrity yet. Dilemmas. And the Jubilee will have Kyndall Fire on that one.

To be honest, the buffet on Mardi Gras wasn't that great. It's mediocre. Not horrible food, but don't expect anything great. You'll get your better food at Guy's Burger Joint and Big Chicken. But how much can you really eat at those places every day? I (Gil) always said that each cruise line has great things but lacks things as well. Carnival may have the fun and drinks but miss on the food. NCL may have great food, but miss on the "fun" and stuff when it comes to the new ships. Older ships are well balanced. We have yet to do the Steakhouse on Carnival ships. Def wanna know how that cruise goes : ) #downtovacay

We went on mardi gras last year and we also thought the buffet was lacking. I loved eating in there but usually took shaqs or guys in there. The buffet just felt small with just a few options. I think this is due to the many other options people have for food. I loved the automatic soda fountains in the buffet. They need to have those everywhere on the ship where they have other drink stations.

She was the topping on the sundae. I sooooo wanted to interview her.

Truth be told, we actually did a thermal spa for the first time on the Viva last week. Boy was that soooo relaxing, Unfortunately the Joy seems to only add the thermal suites, Biggest in the Breakaway+ class. We got spoiled aboard the Viva. Question is... does not having a thermal pool make a break your decision? They did remove the laser tag for the Vibe Beach Club. That was a good idea.

@@downtovacay it sort of does. I know. Crazy. Ive been on ships that had a full thermal suite with the pool and it was heaven of course I loved everything else thats also included. I learned that with cold or inclement weather all outdoor pools were closed, but not the thermal pool. Its two completely different atmospheres , but it again was heaven. Vibe is a bit steep on the Joy and Id feel like Id have fomo. Spice is great on all ships that have them. I know they have a large hot tub which is cool, but I know theyll be too many people for my liking. I sound bougey , dont I lol. Beauty of NCL you can do whatever whenever.