Welcome to Deb & Matt Chat. We hope to have it up and running soon and completed soon.

A PASSION FOR LIFE, CRUISE & TRAVEL

We love to adventure and share our thoughts on Life, Cruise & Travel.

As we build our site we will be uploading helpful resources to help you plan.

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Deb & Matt Chat on YT: Our First Video

Hi there and welcome to our first video. We are Deb & Matt. This video footage was intended to be just for some testing, but as a raw first take we loved it when we watched it and is keeping with taking you on the journey from the beginning. The video quality isn't perfect, but neither is a rose until it blooms. The audio isn’t the greatest. But for a first run that’s ok. We know where we went wrong. It is all learning! We are starting a journey setting up a new business together. We have chosen the #kajabi platform to help us launch. Flashy “expert” videos are great (trust us we have been watching plenty) but this is your chance to learn as we learn. If you haven’t heard about Kajabi as an online platform follow this link to check it out at https://app.kajabi.com/r/GzeU6QUq Be sure to subscribe! **Affiliate links disclaimer** As we go on our journey we may post the occasional affiliate link, which means we may earn a small commission. It helps us and we appreciate if you do click through, but you can always just use your favourite search engine and find the product or service that way too.

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Deb & Matt Chat on YT: Carnival Encounter Medical Evacuation, Dining & Deck Party

Welcome back to our Carnival Encounter Australia Day long weekend cruise series. In this Day 2 cruise vlog, we share our first full day at sea aboard Carnival Encounter — and it turned into a real mixed bag. From a medical evacuation / passenger retrieval situation, to more onboard confusion around activities and theme nights, this was a day with a very unusual feel. Join us on our first full day at sea in 2026 as we share our morning routine, including essential cruise travel tips for breakfast at the waterfront. We'll show you how to navigate the check-in process, offering useful cruise tips and tricks for a smooth start to your day. Stay tuned for more cruise news and updates from our Carnival cruise adventure! We also take you through breakfast, Meet the Officers, dinner in the main dining room, a bit of a dessert fail, and wrap up the evening with cruise entertainment and a deck party. In this video: Breakfast on Carnival Encounter News of a medical evacuation at sea More communication confusion onboard Meet the Officers event Main Dining Room dinner review Main meal and dessert thoughts Carnival entertainment and deck party Honest thoughts on Day 2 of this cruise This series follows our Australia Day long weekend cruise from Brisbane on Carnival Encounter, including cabin tours, embarkation day, dining, entertainment and honest first impressions along the way. If you enjoy real-world cruise vlogs, ship reviews and Australian cruise content, make sure to subscribe to Deb & Matt Chat. #CarnivalEncounter #CruiseVlog #CruisingFromBrisbane #CarnivalCruise #CruiseReviewWelcome back to our Carnival Encounter Australia Day long weekend cruise series. The topics we cover in this video - Carnival Encounter, carnival encounter review, carnival cruise australia, carnival encounter cruise from brisbane, medical evacuation cruise ship, cruise ship medical emergency, carnival encounter dining, carnival main dining room, carnival encounter entertainment, cruise deck party,

Deb & Matt Chat on YT: Carnival Encounter Medical Evacuation, Dining & Deck Party

Welcome back to our Carnival Encounter Australia Day long weekend cruise series.

In this Day 2 cruise vlog, we share our first full day at sea aboard Carnival Encounter — and it turned into a real mixed bag. From a medical evacuation / passenger retrieval situation, to more onboard confusion around activities and theme nights, this was a day with a very unusual feel.

Join us on our first full day at sea in 2026 as we share our morning routine, including essential cruise travel tips for breakfast at the waterfront. We’ll show you how to navigate the check-in process, offering useful cruise tips and tricks for a smooth start to your day. Stay tuned for more cruise news and updates from our Carnival cruise adventure!

We also take you through breakfast, Meet the Officers, dinner in the main dining room, a bit of a dessert fail, and wrap up the evening with cruise entertainment and a deck party.

In this video:

Breakfast on Carnival Encounter
News of a medical evacuation at sea
More communication confusion onboard
Meet the Officers event
Main Dining Room dinner review
Main meal and dessert thoughts
Carnival entertainment and deck party
Honest thoughts on Day 2 of this cruise

This series follows our Australia Day long weekend cruise from Brisbane on Carnival Encounter, including cabin tours, embarkation day, dining, entertainment and honest first impressions along the way.

If you enjoy real-world cruise vlogs, ship reviews and Australian cruise content, make sure to subscribe to Deb & Matt Chat.

#CarnivalEncounter #CruiseVlog #CruisingFromBrisbane #CarnivalCruise #CruiseReviewWelcome back to our Carnival Encounter Australia Day long weekend cruise series.

The topics we cover in this video – Carnival Encounter, carnival encounter review, carnival cruise australia, carnival encounter cruise from brisbane, medical evacuation cruise ship, cruise ship medical emergency, carnival encounter dining, carnival main dining room, carnival encounter entertainment, cruise deck party,

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Deb & Matt Chat on YT: Cruise News LIVE 🚢 New Itineraries, Rising Fees & Is Aussie Cruising in Trouble?

Welcome back to Deb & Matt Chat LIVE 🚢

This week we’re breaking down some of the biggest cruise industry updates — from new itineraries and ship changes to rising costs and what’s really happening in the Australian cruise market.

🗞️ This week’s cruise news:

🇯🇵 Princess Cruises expands Japan & Asia season
A huge new deployment with ships homeporting in Tokyo and dozens of itineraries across Asia

🇫🇯 Fiji Princess to be retired after grounding
Following a recent incident, the ship will be removed from service and replaced with a new vessel

💸 MSC raises gratuities
Passengers will see higher daily service charges, with more increases expected across the industry

⛽ Fuel surcharge concerns return
Cruise executives warn rising fuel costs could impact pricing and future cruise fares

🇦🇺 CLIA report: Record demand BUT warning signs
Australians are cruising in record numbers — but the industry warns Australia is losing ships and competitiveness

🌏 StarCruises boosts Asian itineraries
New flexible itineraries and extended port stays across Asia for 2026

💬 Join us LIVE as we break it all down!

👉 Are cruise prices about to rise again?
👉 Is Australia losing its place as a cruise destination?
👉 Would you cruise Asia over the South Pacific?

👍 Like & Subscribe for weekly cruise news
📺 Deb & Matt Chat — Life, Cruise & Travel

Key topics this week include:
Cruise news 2026, Cruise price increases, Cruise gratuities increase, Princess Japan cruise season 2027 and 2028 , Fiji Princess Retirement, Cruise Industry in Australia, clia report australia cruise, cruise fuel surcharge and More Asian cruises 2026, cruise updates live

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Deb & Matt Chat on YT: Some things Felt Wrong on Day 1 | Carnival Encounter Embarkation

Welcome aboard the Carnival Encounter for our Australia Day Long Weekend Cruise!
We are so excited to be in Brisbane for an “Aussie Classics” cruise on Carnival Encounter! Join us as we kick off this Australia Day celebration with a sail away party. This cruise vlog will cover all the fun, from activities to food, offering cruise travel tips along the way.

This is Day 1 – Embarkation Day in Brisbane, and honestly… something felt a little off.

In this vlog, we take you through the full boarding process at the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal, explore the ship, and share our first impressions – including a surprisingly quiet atmosphere for a long weekend sailing.
In this video:

✅Cruise boarding process in Brisbane
🤔Impressions of Carnival Encounter
⁉️Why the ship didn’t feel full
🤯Confusion around cruise theme nights
🍴Specialty dining bookings (what we chose!)
🛌A possible cabin mistake
🤩NEW onboard changes (including Bonsai Sushi Express)
🚢Sailaway party vibes
😋Dinner at Trattoria Restaurant
👀First look at onboard activities

This cruise already had some surprises… and it’s only Day 1.
Let us know in the comments:
Have you ever been on a cruise that just felt… different?
This is part of our full Carnival Encounter series:
✔ Cabin tours
✔ Daily cruise vlogs
✔ Food & dining reviews
✔ Tips, tricks & honest experiences

Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss what happens next!

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