How 2025 Changed the Way We Cruise 🚢 | Full Year Recap + Huge 2026 Cruise Plans #CruiseLife

We started 2025 on the Carnival Celebration, even before we decided to jump into making YouTube videos. That means we don’t have any footage from that trip, just some pictures we’ll share. We visited Amber Cove, where we got a cabana over the water for the first time, Grand Turk for some snorkeling and Margaritaville, and Nassau to check out the new cruise port.

After that first cruise, we decided to start documenting our trips on YouTube so friends and family could come along with us. The Carnival Friends out of Los Angeles was our first attempt at filming, and we were pretty nervous about holding a camera around other people. We quickly learned that nobody really cares, and we’ve been getting better with each cruise. This year also pushed us out of our Carnival comfort zone to try Royal Caribbean and Princess, which opened our eyes to all the different experiences cruise lines offer.

Key Takeaways

We cruised on multiple ships in 2025 and started our YouTube channel to share our adventures
We expanded beyond Carnival to try Royal Caribbean and Princess cruise lines
Each cruise line offers unique experiences and features that we had been missing

Our 2025 Cruise Adventures

Carnival Celebration: A Florida Caribbean Getaway

We kicked off the year with a trip on the Carnival Celebration out of Florida. This happened before we jumped into making YouTube videos, so we only have photos to share.

Our ports included Amber Cove, where we tried our first cabana experience over the water. We really liked it and think it’s worth trying. It made for a relaxing day.

Our Port Stops:

Amber Cove – First cabana rental
Grand Turk – Snorkeling and Margaritaville
Nassau – New cruise port tour

At Grand Turk, we followed our usual routine. We got off the ship, went snorkeling and swimming in the bay near the port, then headed to Margaritaville. We don’t think of it as lazy but more as efficient use of our time.

This particular Margaritaville visit was disappointing though. They ran out of many items. Nacho toppings were missing and drinks were unavailable. This wasn’t normal for them.

We also visited Nassau for the first time since they finished the new cruise port. The shark video screen display caught our attention. We walked through the shops but stayed in the port area since we’d already explored Nassau on past trips. We’ve been to Atlantis and the straw market before.

Our First Video Cruise on Carnival Firenze

This was our first cruise where we filmed for YouTube. We sailed out of Los Angeles on a 4-day trip to Catalina and Ensenada.

Recording on the ship felt strange at first. We worried about people watching us with the camera. Then we realized nobody really paid attention to us. Everyone was busy enjoying their own vacation.

Key moments from this cruise:

First time filming on a ship
Visited Catalina (a tender port)
Tried making timelapse videos
Second time sailing on this ship

We learned a lot about filming and editing during this trip. Each cruise and video helped us improve our skills.

Royal Caribbean Navigator: Coming Back to Royal After 20 Years

We decided to try cruise lines beyond Carnival. The Navigator of the Seas was sailing from Los Angeles, so we booked it. We hadn’t been on Royal Caribbean since 2002 when we sailed on the Vision of the Seas.

We found out later that the Navigator had just recently started sailing from San Pedro in the Los Angeles area. Royal Caribbean didn’t have much presence here before that.

The first day felt odd because we kept comparing everything to Carnival. The pizza tasted different and things were in different places. But we noticed Royal Caribbean had features Carnival doesn’t offer like the rock wall and FlowRider.

This was only a 3-day cruise, but it opened our eyes. Each cruise line does some things better than others. We realized we were missing out by only sailing with one company.

Ovation of the Seas: Experiencing Quantum Class

The Ovation of the Seas had just arrived in Los Angeles around the same time. We sailed on the second sailing, which was much bigger than the Navigator.

This quantum class ship was much larger than the Navigator. It was actually the biggest cruise ship to ever dock in Los Angeles. We couldn’t get on the first sailing but booked the second one, which was a 5-day trip with an overnight in Cabo San Lucas.

Special Features We Loved:

Northstar observation pod
SeaPlex with bumper cars and laser tag
270 lounge in the back
Solarium in the front
iFly ripcord skydiving simulator

The SeaPlex amazed us the most. We walked in and saw bumper cars, then laser tag, and space for roller skating. The area served multiple purposes.

For people who sail Royal Caribbean regularly, these features might be old news. But for us, everything felt new and exciting.

Princess Majestic: New England with Family

We had already booked the Majestic Princess for a New England trip with our whole family. Everyone came along for summer break in early August.

This was our second Princess ship. The other one we sailed was the Discovery, and they’re in the same class so they felt similar. We enjoyed the atmosphere on Princess ships.

This was our first time doing a New England cruise. We visited Portland, Maine, Halifax in Nova Scotia, and St. John’s in New Brunswick.

Exploring Other Cruise Lines

Sailing With Different Companies

After we started making YouTube videos, we knew we should step outside our usual Carnival routine. We looked at what ships were sailing from Los Angeles since that’s closest to us.

The Navigator of the Seas was available from Royal Caribbean. We hadn’t sailed with Royal Caribbean in over 20 years, not since the Vision of the Seas back in 2002. We actually enjoyed it quite a bit and had a great time.

We later found out the Navigator had just started coming to San Pedro in the Los Angeles area. It wasn’t that we were avoiding Royal Caribbean. They just didn’t have much of a presence here before that.

A few weeks later, we got on the Ovation of the Seas. We were on the second sailing of that ship in Los Angeles. This ship was much bigger than the Navigator.

Looking at What Each Ship Offers

When you’re used to sailing with one specific cruise line, everything feels different at first. The first day on Navigator, everywhere we walked we thought about how it was different than Carnival. The pizza tasted different than Carnival pizza.

But then you start to notice things. Here’s what stood out to us:

Royal Caribbean had:

Flow Rider
Rock Wall
Northstar (on Ovation)
Bumper cars
Laser tag
Rollerblading
SeaPlex
Two70 lounge
Solarium

The Ovation of the Seas was the largest cruise ship to ever dock in Los Angeles. It was a Quantum class ship and much bigger than the Navigator. The SeaPlex really amazed us because it had so many uses in one space.

Some things Royal Caribbean does better than Carnival. Other things Carnival does better. Each cruise line gives you different experiences that we were honestly missing by only sailing with Carnival.

What We Figured Out Making Cruise Videos

Our first YouTube cruise was on the Carnival Firenze. It was a 4-day cruise out of Los Angeles to Catalina and Ensenada. Our video skills weren’t great yet, but we got some footage.

We’d say we’re still not great at making videos. But every cruise and every video is a step forward. We learn something new each time we edit and film.

It felt nerve-wracking at first. Planning what to film while sitting at home was one thing. Actually being on the ship with a camera in your hand while people are around was totally different. We felt like everyone was watching and listening to what we said. At least for us, it freaked us out a little bit on that first cruise.

Then you realize nobody cares. Everyone is just enjoying their vacation. We weren’t being intrusive or getting in people’s faces. We hope we’re not being obnoxious.

Catalina is a tender port, so we tried out timelapse video. We thought it was cool at the time. Looking back, it probably wasn’t as cool as we thought. But we had a lot of fun.

If you want to laugh, go back and watch the Carnival Firenze video. We learned a lot from that cruise.

Port Highlights and Shore Adventures

Standout Stops in the Caribbean

We kicked off our year with a trip to Amber Cove. This was our first time getting a cabana over the water and it worked out great for us. We highly recommend it. The whole day felt super chill and relaxed.

Grand Turk is another spot we visited. We like to be efficient when we go there. We get off the ship and go snorkeling and swimming in the little bay right by the ship. After that, we head to Margaritaville for margaritas and nachos.

On this particular trip, the Margaritaville experience wasn’t great. They were out of everything. They didn’t have toppings for the nachos and they were out of drinks. This was really weird because we normally have a great experience there. We still made the most of it though.

Nassau was our other stop. This was our first time there since they finished the new cruise port. We got off and explored the new shops. The big shark TV screen was really cool.

We didn’t leave the shops area. We had done all the Nassau stuff in the past. We’ve been to Atlantis and the straw market before.

West Coast Mexico Ports We Enjoy

We went to Catalina and Ensenada on a four-day cruise. Catalina is a tender port. We got to try out some timelapse video there.

Later in the year, we did an overnight trip to Cabo San Lucas. This was a five-day sailing that gave us more time to explore the port.

Northern Ports Worth Visiting

We took our first New England cruise in early August. We went up to Portland, Maine. We also stopped in Halifax, Nova Scotia and St. John’s, New Brunswick.

This was a whole family trip during summer break. Everyone came along for this adventure.

Our YouTube Adventure: Creating Content While Cruising

Getting Started with Cruise Videos

We kicked off our YouTube journey before we even realized it would become a real thing. Our first cruise of 2025 was on the Carnival Celebration in January. We weren’t filming anything back then because the whole YouTube idea hadn’t crossed our minds yet.

By late February or March, we started thinking it might be fun to record our trips. We wanted to share our adventures with friends and family. YouTube seemed like the perfect place to host everything.

Our first real filming experience came on the Carnival Friends in a 4-day cruise out of Los Angeles. We visited Catalina and Ensenada. Looking back, our video skills weren’t very good yet. But we got footage, and that was what mattered.

What We Learned Early On:

Every cruise taught us something new
Editing got easier with practice
Filming techniques improved over time

The hardest part was getting comfortable with the camera around other people. We’d sit and plan what to film before the cruise. But actually standing on the ship with a camera in hand felt completely different. Everyone seemed to be watching and listening.

It freaked us out at first. Then we figured out that nobody really cared. People were just enjoying their own vacations. We weren’t getting in anyone’s face or being obnoxious about it.

Recording Special Cruise Experiences

We tried different filming techniques on that first YouTube cruise. Catalina is a tender port, so we experimented with timelapse videos. We thought they looked really cool at the time. Looking back now, they probably weren’t as amazing as we believed.

The Navigator of the Seas gave us fresh content to capture. We hadn’t been on a Royal Caribbean ship in over 20 years. Everything felt new and different from what we were used to on Carnival.

Camera Challenges We Faced:

Feeling nervous filming in crowded spaces
Learning what worked and what didn’t
Getting used to holding the camera while exploring

The first day on any new ship was the hardest to film. We kept comparing everything to Carnival. The pizza tasted different. The layout wasn’t what we expected. But this gave us interesting stuff to show in our videos.

When we boarded the Ovation of the Seas, we had even more to capture. This was the second sailing and the largest cruise ship to ever dock in Los Angeles. We got footage of the Northstar experience and the Two70 lounge.

The Seaplex blew our minds. We walked in and saw bumper cars, laser tag, and rollerblading all in one space. For people who follow Royal Caribbean closely, this might be old news. But for us, it was brand new and exciting to film.

Giving Advice to Other Cruisers

We started noticing things on different cruise lines that could help other people. Each line did certain things better than others. Royal Caribbean had features like the flow rider and rock wall that Carnival didn’t offer. But Carnival had its own strengths too.

Our Port Recommendations:

Port	What We Suggest
Amber Cove	Get a cabana over the water
Grand Turk	Snorkel in the bay near the ship, then head to Margaritaville
Nassau	Check out the new cruise port shops and the shark video screen

We call our Grand Turk routine efficient, not lazy. We get off the ship and go snorkeling and swimming in a little bay right there. Then we grab margaritas and nachos at Margaritaville.

One trip to Grand Turk was rough though. The restaurant was out of almost everything. No toppings for nachos. Drinks weren’t available. This wasn’t normal for that location. We still made the most of it.

Nassau got a major upgrade with their new cruise port. We walked through and saw the big shark TV screen. The shops looked nice. We’d already done Atlantis and the straw market on past trips, so we didn’t leave the port area. But we’re excited to check out the new Royal beach club when it opens.

For people thinking about trying different cruise lines, we learned it’s worth stepping out of your comfort zone. We were Carnival loyal for years. Trying Royal Caribbean and Princess opened our eyes to what we’d been missing. Each cruise gave us more tips and experiences to share with all of you.

Our 2026 Cruise Plans

First Time on MSC World America

We have MSC World America booked for later this year. This will be our very first time sailing with MSC Cruises.

We’re really excited to try out a brand new cruise line. It gives us a chance to see how MSC does things compared to the other cruise lines we’ve sailed with.

Sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas

We also have Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas on our schedule. This is going to be a massive ship.

We can’t wait to get on board and explore everything this huge new ship has to offer. After sailing on the Navigator and Ovation, we’re ready to see what Royal Caribbean does with their newest mega ship.

Baltic Capitals Trip on Majestic Princess

We’re taking the Majestic Princess to Europe for a Baltic cruise. This trip will take us to different capital cities in that region.

The whole family is coming along for this adventure. We really enjoyed the Majestic Princess when we sailed to New England, so we’re happy to be back on that ship.

This will be our first time exploring the Baltic area by cruise ship.

Family Milestone Celebrations

We have some special family events happening this year that we’ll be celebrating during our cruises.

These trips will let us mark important moments with our loved ones while enjoying our travels. Bringing the whole family together on these sailings makes them even more special for us.

What’s Next: Our Future Sailings

Carnival Festival: Our Transatlantic Journey

We already have some trips booked for 2026 that we’re really excited about. The big one is the Carnival Festival.

This will be the ship’s first voyage ever. It’s going to sail from Southampton all the way to Miami.

We’ve never done a transatlantic cruise before. We’re a little nervous about being at sea for that many days in a row. But we think it’s going to be a really cool experience to be on a brand new ship for its very first sailing.

Celebration Key: Carnival’s New Private Destination

Another thing we’re looking forward to is trying out Celebration Key. This is Carnival’s brand new private island.

We haven’t been there yet since it just opened. From what we’ve seen in other people’s videos, it looks amazing.

We’re really curious to see how it compares to other private islands we’ve visited. It should be a fun new experience for us.

Planning Multiple Cruises Together

We’re also looking at doing back-to-back cruises. This means we would finish one cruise and then get right on another one without going home in between.

We’ve never tried this before. It sounds like it could be really fun to just stay in vacation mode for a longer time.

We’re still working out the details on which ships and dates would work best for us. But we’re excited to try this new way of cruising.

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Tell Us About Your 2026 Trips

We want to hear from you. What cruises do you have booked for 2026? Drop a comment below and let us know where you’re sailing.

We love connecting with fellow cruisers and learning about your plans. Maybe we’ll end up on the same ship.

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