Format: cruise tips

Deb & Matt Chat on YT: Cruise Updates 🚢 Royal Beach Club Opens Santorini, Disney Extends & Icon Class Grows

Posted by Deb & Matt | Apr 29, 2026 | YouTube: Deb And Matt Chat |

Welcome back to Deb & Matt Chat LIVE 🚢

This week we’re diving into some major cruise industry updates — from brand new destinations and ship orders to changing port strategies and infrastructure investments.

🗞️ This week’s cruise news:

🇬🇷 Royal Beach Club Santorini opens
Royal Caribbean launches its first Royal Beach Club in Europe, offering a premium beach experience as part of new shore excursions

🚀 Royal Caribbean orders more Icon-class ships
Two additional ships confirmed for delivery in 2029 and 2030 as the Icon class continues to expand

🇺🇸 Juneau introduces cruise passenger caps
New limits aim to balance tourism with local community needs and reduce overcrowding

🇺🇸 Princess & Holland America invest in Alaska community rebuild
Cruise lines commit funding to restore a historic American Legion post in Ketchikan

🇺🇸 Disney Cruise Line extends San Diego partnership
Agreement through 2031 expands sailings and strengthens West Coast operations

✨ PLUS:
We’ll share updates from Ovation of the Seas following her recent dry dock

💬 Join us LIVE as we break it all down!

👉 Are cruise destinations becoming too controlled?
👉 Are ships getting too big?
👉 Is overtourism reshaping cruise itineraries?

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

Deb & Matt Chat on YT: Carnival Encounter Cruise Cabin Tour by a Teenager 5236

Posted by Deb & Matt | Apr 26, 2026 | YouTube: Deb And Matt Chat |

Something a little different for this cruise… 👀

While sailing on the Carnival Encounter, Noah decided he was taking over — and giving his own cabin tour and first impressions of our Interior Cabin 5236 (Deck 5).
Join us for an exclusive cruise room tour of cabin 5236 on Carnival Encounter, with a special guest host! This cruise vlog provides an in-depth look at the cabin’s features, offering a comprehensive cruise cabin tour. See every detail, from the closet to the entertainment system, in this detailed cruise cabin review of our Carnival cruise experience.

This is a teenager’s perspective on cruising — honest, unfiltered, and a bit of fun.

In this video:

🛳️Full tour of Interior Cabin 5236
🛏️Triple/Quad cabin layout (3 people staying)
👀What a teen actually notices in a cruise cabin
😍Space, comfort and practicality from a younger perspective
🤔First impressions vs expectations

If you’re cruising with kids or teens, this might give you a completely different perspective on what matters in a cabin.

👇 Let us know in the comments:
Should Noah do more videos like this?

🚢 Part of our Carnival Encounter Australia Day Cruise Series:
✔ Embarkation day
✔ Daily cruise vlogs
✔ Dining reviews
✔ Cabin tours & tips

Subscribe to follow along with the full series!

00:00 Intro
00:22 Carnival Encounter Interior Cabin Tour
01:00 Storage
01:32 Life Vests
01:44 Cruise Shower
02:50 Sahving
03:28 Room Safe
03:59 Mirror and Lights
04:18 Air Conditioning
04:33 Important Paper Work
06:05 Cabin Power Sockets
06:29 Drinking Water
07:00 Bunk Beds
08:03 Recharge your devices
08:21 Reading lights
08:28 Master Switch
08:51 Fridge for Drinks
09:11 4 Berth Cabin
09:42 Bloopers

Deb & Matt Chat on YT: Carnival Encounter Cruise SNAFU | Breakfast, Confusion, Show & Deck Party

Posted by Deb & Matt | Apr 17, 2026 | YouTube: Deb And Matt Chat |

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: Cruise News LIVE 🚢 New Itineraries, Rising Fees & Is Aussie Cruising in Trouble?

Posted by Deb & Matt | Apr 15, 2026 | YouTube: Deb And Matt Chat |

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

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

Posted by Deb & Matt | Apr 11, 2026 | YouTube: Deb And Matt Chat |

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!