Kendall James-Vargas

@Miss Lizzie I highly recommend the bands and think you will really appreciate having them onboard your upcoming cruise. I would also recommend pre-charging them. You will love all of the hands free options that come along with using these bands. The fact that they are waterproof is even cooler! It's just one less thing to carry around. The bands are convenience at it's finest while cruising.

@LukeJ Yes! That's great motivation. It definitely depends on the type of person but motivation can be encouraging or pose as a challenge to some. When those constantly take obstacles as challenges to overcome, they go further and faster than their peers. If you take obstacles as a let down or disappointment, it will take you longer to reach your goals. I love all of this advice! You are quite wise. I would love the idea of a motivational cruise experience! It could be such a great cruise filled with growth opportunities and self-reflection.

@AftBalconyPlease If it's being advertised onboard the ship, it should be offered! It's a tease if it's not offered. I wonder why it hasn't rolled out onboard Norwegian Sun yet. It's awesome you have Starlink at home! At least you weren't personally impacted but many other could be impacted. I appreciate the head's up. This may sound like a very novice question, but can anyone get Starlink service to their home? I haven't actually seen it advertised as a local land service near me! Have you cruised on any of the other fleet members that offer Starlink onboard?

@LukeJ I completely agree with that. You have to be the best version of yourself before trying to help others. That's actually life-giving! You really are a life coach. If you are confident enough, you won't let others drag you down when they are down. It's hard to get to that level of confidence though! I feel like when I cruise just me (or me and my immediate family) I get to recharge and focus on myself. I grow when I take the time to do that. On a day-to-day basis the non-stop actions of life typically don't give me any time to reflect and grow. I can't imagine taking advice from a life coach who hasn't figured those things out yet. You really have to reach a pinnacle of contentment and confidence to be in that line of work.

@Tony Urbizu That's such an exceptional HAL cruise! Unfortunately I missed the eclipse this year. The Jacuzzi at the Spa prices are very steep! That's actually much more than I would deem acceptable. I'm assuming the jacuzzi prices included other spa amenities, right? It's a bummer to read you felt the activities/entertainment were lacking. The beer and coffee prices are not surprising to me at all. Unfortunately most cruises are like this. Based on this review, it seems Princess Cruises is still your preferred line. It's good to branch out and try new lines every now and agin to compare. I'm glad you were able to explore a new line. I think your itinerary seemed lovely, but there were some things you prefer with Princess Cruises. I really appreciate this review because I have yet to cruise with both of these lines! Based on your review, I would likely try Princess Cruises first as the entertainment would likely better suit my interests. Thanks!

@LukeJ You may be more ambitious than I am! Well, I think a ship replica may actually be at stake here in the right circumstance. You can always give your skills a go here. Most people are brutally honest on the boards, for better or for worse. One thing to note when poem writing is that it doesn't have to rhyme all the time (did you catch that?). I wonder if @georgieused some rhyming in that poem. We may need to learn from the best and get some pointers here!

@LukeJ Sign me up for those life seminars too! Life is too complex to do alone. It's meant to be done alongside good company. The wrong people can ruin it, but the right people make life worth living! At some point it becomes easier and easier to weed out those who aren't so great. Particularly as I age, I have become more direct and choose wisely who I interact with. I don't feel the need to impress others or be anything other than myself. I feel more grounded now that I am confident in who I am and don't seek other's approval like I once did in decades past. 

@Miss Lizzie I'm thinking with the timeframes you have stated, there will likely be more than one artist/stylist there. It all depends on the stylists, but that time crunch may feel a little too crunched. DCL won't steer you wrong though. I'm quite confident that your Disney planner knows what he/she is doing. If something fell through the cracks, it would that persons fault and that's not something DCL would end up doing. It's one of the greatest lines out there for magical experiences! DCL has no room for error and ensures the best experience possible. I think you know that. That's why you are getting married onboard one of Disney's fleet members. You should certainly get that glass of champagne! That's a must! Your wedding date is right around the corner. June is next month. I would imagine you just can't wait! 

@RoadTravelled Not all cruise lines have the saunas included and accessible for guests! Maybe that's why it's not such a perk for CCL loyalty guests. I like the indoor whirlpools because they are typically less crowded. I don't enjoy having to sit crunched next to others in the jacuzzis. It's better for me to enjoy them in the off times or go to the spa whirlpools at a price. 

That's an immensely different ship size difference. Viking River Cruises has ships with a much smaller guest capacity. I'm not sure if you are a casino person, but I think no casino would be a really nice change of pace! I can't imagine being a cabin smaller than that of a typical ocean cruise ship. I do feel spoiled on an ocean ship because the cruise cabins on the major cruise lines I sail on have such nice features and amenities. I'm not sure I would be willing to downsize any!

@LukeJ You are a star coach. Most teams are desperate for good coaches around my area. Coaches aren't compensated well enough (or at all), particularly for the amount of time and effort it takes to get little children to follow directions. Parents want their kids to play certain sports but they don't want to time the time/energy to participate themselves. It all falls on the coach to keep the team functioning and together. Especially for those younger ages, it's such a challenge! Five and six year olds get confused where the goals are half the time. It's like herding cattle! I'm saying this based on experience. My six year old tries to score goals in the other goal quite often. It's embarrassing, but clearly she isn't a soccer star. 

@LukeJ I don't think I have even received a note! We may need to get in the business of poem writing. That small (but impactful) gesture surely goes a long way. For the record, poem writing is not easy and takes serious skill. I believe @georgie has some serious skill. Writing isn't easy! It takes a creative mind. Clearly, exemplary poems aren't received by the crew that often! @georgie should keep it up. 

@PatM I'm glad to hear your third-party booking was a success! It seems like the third-party app may be the ticket to still get both benefits. To be clear, when booking through the third-party app you are able to earn OBC for both the shareholder and veteran's benefit. This is beneficial information for those who qualify to use both benefits. I personally don't qualify for either of these benefits right now, but it's exciting to see others are still getting to take advantage of those incentives. 

@RoadTravelled I'm right there with you! Priority embarkation/disembarkation is such a time saver. It saves me from the stress of waiting in long lines with my children. The little items surely aren't as impressionable as the perks you receive while cruising. Do you receive any spa/fitness perks with the current CCL status you have? I love when I have access to the thermal suites. That's a huge perk for me. I love that you have a personal CCL vacation planner. That makes a huge difference! I don't think everyone has one of those.

What things did you like/dislike about your Viking River Cruise? Do you think that you preferred that experience over CCL? I'm intrigued about the comparison between the loyalty programs. The lines are very different, basically not even competition to one another in my mind. I guess different things drive different crowds. 

@rindybar Thanks for providing such a comparison between NCL Haven and MSC YC! I'm so glad you enjoyed your MSC Cruises Yacht Club experience. I also appreciate your bar service review. I was under the impression you would potentially be able to have your butler deliver those drinks instead of waiting in the bar line. Either way, the drinks should have been more accessible! Was it primarily the bar service at the pool that had the biggest delay? That's a significant amount more. Considering you prefer the MSC YC experience, it sounds like this may be your preferred cruise experience. I love that MSC Cruises give you a bottle of your choice. I have always had exceptional cruise experiences with MSC Cruises and have been on most of the Seaside-class ships. They have all been immaculate and stateroom cleanliness/service has ben 10/10. All of the Seaside-class ships have YC onboard so I highly recommend those ships for your future YC sailings! 

@dougieCruise That's a great question! I wonder if anyone has done this bus route before. I have not taken this bus in the past. 
I'm assuming this is your itinerary. I'm thinking this bus transit won't have a restroom or a restroom break, but that's just an assumption. 

https://www.cruisehive.com/carnival-confirms-travel-documents-for-norfolk-to-baltimore-cruise/133691

@georgie That's awesome! It really shows how much MSC Seaside and its cares for its guests. 

@LukeJ I would also love a ship replica! Those things aren't cheap and they are a great memory of your cruise! Do you have any ship replicas? I only have some toy replicas for my children, not the real deal. I should start collecting something of the sort per cruise ship I have been on. Since I cruise a good amount, it would be fun to have physical memoir of each cruise vacation!

Brazil is becoming more and more popular for cruising! MSC Cruises has been expanding its itinerary options there, but a few other cruise lines also visit Brazil such as Celebrity Cruises , NCL, and HAL. HAL has some Grand Voyages that depart from Buenos Aires, Argentina (another popular cruise destination). Those niche itineraries go from pole-to-pole, exploring several countries throughout the cruise.  

@LukeJ That's right. Knowledge is key, and it's important to be open to learning more. Close-minded people don't do far because they aren't open to learning/acquiring new skills. Not being afraid of failure is another huge one! You seem like a motivational speaker. All the parents must love when you coach. You aren't just teaching the sport; you are teaching life skills! All of these things are practical and applicable to everyday life. Open to change is another great one! All of these things will guide a person to a successful life. These perspectives also keep you open minded to explore new places and try new things. It's easy to just live life in your bubble, but branching out and trying new things will expand your horizons! That's why I love cruising, exploring new places and keeping an open mind to learn about other places/cultures. 

@LukeJ It's wild to think someone has that in them! I don't think something would ever cross my mind, even while intoxicated. Maybe this person did it on a dare with millions of dollars on the line. Some people will do anything for the sake of money! 

The idea of doing something that would upset your wife is funny. Sometimes my husband does things to intentionally get a rise out of me since I'm typically too chill. Apparently, when I get angry it's hilarious. I don't feel it's hilarious at all. I guess he's looking for a little more drama in his life. I'm a pretty drama-free person. I'm so drama-free that I don't find the itch to do it back to him.

@LukeJ I would say majority of the world dreams of being self-employed! Not having to report to anyone but yourself sounds nice, but that status holds a lot of responsibility. My husband would love to try something he could grow and control him self, being self-employed, but I'm afraid the time and energy commitment would become overwhelming. I can imagine you are a really fair business owner and treat your employees with kindness and respect. After having been poorly treated in the past, I'm sure you are a pleasure to work for in comparison. That's how you keep exceptional employees anyhow! If an employee isn't being treated fairly, they won't stay. If you treat others with respect, they will do the same and remain endlessly loyal and committed to you and your business. 

@FJB I feel very similarly! I think this is a once in a lifetime cruise that I would enjoy being on, but I don't think I would be able naturally participate. I'm so used to my life with clothes. It would feel against my grain to give it a go. One of my favorite things about this cruise is actually the themed activities. I love cruises that attract a like-minded crowd. When like-minded people come together it calls for an exceptional time! The itinerary for this cruise is pretty awesome too.

@Lt1697 I didn't realize you were unable to check in from the computer now. I'm actually surprised by this because not everyone has the app! Doing things though any cruise line app is typically best, but I'm surprised the computer option is no longer. On my recent cruises I have checked in on my computer. The app can often slow things down and delay the process. The fact that you had incorrect DOB info is very unfortunate! If you just find out right before check-in you have limited time to correct the issue. I hope you were able to get it all sorted out before your embarkation date! Which RCL ship will you be cruising on? 

I think I figured out you were required to check in through the app.

https://www.cruisehive.com/royal-caribbean-requiring-app-based-check-in-for-one-homeport/125372

@LukeJ Now that's true wisdom right there! It's important to learn from our mistakes and also wise to seek council from others who have been there and done that. You can only grow to be better and better if you live this way. Life is all about being open to change and growing more and more each day. Sedentary people don't go far. You have to be ambitious enough to try new things! I love how open minded you are about hearing from others! This mindset has likely driven you towards all of your successes! It's a beautiful sacrifice, giving your business 110%. It's not for the faint of heart, but clearly you are skilled at it. There is a niche for business advisors! You would be such a great resource to someone just starting out.

What is most upsetting is when guests get away with sneaking things onboard on purpose, and a guests who makes an honest mistake can be sentences to prison time. A guest has been banned for life for fishing off of a ship, and another was banned for life due to CBD gummies. Sometimes it's not always fair, but I guess life isn't fair. That's just reality! If you ever try to sneak something onboard, you take a huge risk! I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It doesn't matter how expensive the alcohol may be onboard, sneaking it on the ship is far too risky. 

@LukeJ That's a good drinking tip. I guess to avoid a headache I could continue drinking in the morning. I can't even think about a morning alcoholic beverage. A mimosa doesn't sound appealing and I can't stand the taste of a bloody mary! Over indulging in alcohol just isn't for me. 

I'm curious if the person who climbed off of the MSC Bellissima was enjoying the beverage package. The guest tried to enter Japan illegally by climbing off of the ship by ended up falling into the water.