Format: cruise tips

Deb & Matt Chat on YT: PERFECT Cruise RECOVERY Port Vila Vanuatu

Posted by Deb & Matt | Jan 30, 2026 | YouTube: Deb And Matt Chat |

After a huge New Year’s Eve at sea, Day 5 of our Voyager of the Seas New Year’s cruise slows things down as we arrive in Port Vila 🇻🇺.

Join us on a New Year’s Day walking tour of Port Vila, Vanuatu, as we explore the Mummas Markets and areas impacted by a recent natural disaster. This Vanuatu travel experience highlights the resilience of the Vanuatu island community. Discover things to do in Vanuatu and see the local life on Efate Island.

While Deb and Grandma head ashore on the Discover Vila shore tour booked through Royal Caribbean, Matt takes a slower start to the day — recovering onboard with the New Year’s Day Main Dining Room brunch before heading ashore for a short visit.

This episode covers both sides of a port day:

👀The Discover Vila shore excursion
🔍Vanuatu National Museum & sand art
🙏Port Vila War Memorial
🗣️A local perspective on Vanuatu’s tourism recovery following the December 2024 earthquake
🛥️Cruise tenders and temporary dock arrangements
🏪Duty-free shopping (including perfumes… and LEGO 👀)
❔What Port Vila is really like during a cruise visit
🚢Back onboard Voyager of the Seas, we cover:
🍹A must-know Royal Caribbean drinks package tip
🍜Tastes of Asia night in the Main Dining Room
😋Guest food reviews
✨A delayed and underwhelming Dancing Under the Stars deck party
Ending the day on a high note with jazz in the Star Lounge

This is a balanced, honest New Year’s Day cruise vlog — recovery, fun, frustrations, and real conversations.

👇 Question for you:
Do you prefer a full shore tour day, or a slower port day with time onboard?

📌 Chapters below
👍 Like & subscribe for real cruise experiences
🔔 More South Pacific cruise vlogs coming on Deb & Matt Chat

00:00 Intro
00:27 Brunch Special Menu
02:01 Port Vila Shore Excursions
02:33 Discover Vila Shore Tour
03:26 Vanuatu National Museum
04:44 Vanuatu Sand Art
07:48 Port Vila War Memorial
10:26 Vanuatu Earthquake Recovery
10:52 Port Vila Cruise Tenders
11:48 Local Shore Tours
14:00 Port Vila Cruise Visit
16:18 Duty Free in Port Vila
17:19 Duty Free Perfumes
17:45 Duty Free LEGO
21:47 Port Vila Temporary Cruise Tender Dock
22:40 Voyager of the Seas Port Day
25:28 MUST KNOW Royal Caribbean Drinks Package
27:01 Royal Caribbean Tastes of Asia Night
30:29 Voyager of the Seas Main Dining Room
31:51 Guest Food Review
34:38 Deck Party – Caribbean Night Dancing Under the Stars
35:16 FRUSTRATION!
36:52 Star Lounge – Jazz

#portvila #VanuatuCruise #VoyagerOfTheSeas
#NewYearsDayCruise #CruiseVlog
#RoyalCaribbean #DebAndMattChat

Deb & Matt Chat on YT: New Year’s Eve at Sea 🎉 | Voyager of the Seas NYE Party & Countdown

Posted by Deb & Matt | Jan 24, 2026 | YouTube: Deb And Matt Chat |

What is New Year’s Eve actually like on a cruise ship? 🎉🚢

Join us for a new cruise vlog as we celebrate New Year’s Eve on Voyager of the Seas after a day exploring a tropical island! This south pacific cruise brought unexpected adventures and a truly unfiltered travel experience. From the beautiful scenery to the lively celebrations, it was a memorable family cruise vacation, full of things to do, and we’re excited to share this real travel review with you.

In this video, we take you through New Year’s Eve onboard Voyager of the Seas, sailing the South Pacific on a 9-night New Year’s Eve cruise.

We open with clips from the NYE party before hitting pause — rewinding to recap our day at Mystery Island, the reboarding process, and some unexpected delays… then it’s full steam ahead into party mode.

You’ll see:

🍾What cruising on New Year’s Eve is really like
💃Royal Caribbean’s Red Night theme
🤵Outfit reveals & party prep
😋The special New Year’s Eve Main Dining Room menu
🥩Food review from dinner
🎤Stage show in the Royal Theatre
🎵Live music with The Aussie Beatles
😁Family-friendly NYE activities
🥳Promenade parties (and just how crowded it gets)
🚨Tips to avoid bar lines
🥂Champagne, countdown & balloon drop
🕺Late-night after party in Studio B

This is an honest, full-night walkthrough — from sunset to well after midnight — so if you’re thinking about cruising over New Year’s, this video will help you decide if it’s for you.

👇 Question for you:
Would you celebrate New Year’s Eve at sea — or is it too crowded?

📌 Chapters below
👍 Like & subscribe for real cruise experiences
🔔 This wraps up our Mystery Island / NYE mini-series on Deb & Matt Chat

00:00 Intro
00:11 Wait a Minute
00:22 Mystery Island
00:44 Problems and Delays
02:38 Cruising on New Years Eve
03:11 New Years Eve Theme Night
03:45 Red Night Royal Caribbean
04:32 Voyager of the Seas Stage Show
06:27 The Aussie Beatles
07:24 New Years Eve Main Dining Room Dinner
07:41 The Menu
09:13 Food Review
11:59 New Years Eve Activities on Voyager of the Seas
12:49 Family Friendly New Years Cruising
13:40 Party on the Promenade
14:30 WARNING It Is Crowded
14:41 5 Minutes to Go
15:06 Nutbush Crowds
16:10 Avoid the Lines at Bars
16:33 Champagne
17:39 New Years Eve Countdown
18:13 Balloon Drop
19:00 After Party Studio B

Deb & Matt Chat on YT: We Made a BIG Mistake at Mystery Island | Voyager of the Seas

Posted by Deb & Matt | Jan 22, 2026 | YouTube: Deb And Matt Chat |

Day 4 of our Voyager of the Seas New Year’s Eve cruise takes us to one of the South Pacific’s most talked-about ports — Mystery Island.

This video is our full cruise-day experience, from the tender process to exploring the island, making a costly mistake (yes… we forgot our wallet 😬), and spending the day swimming, snorkelling and relaxing — with a few unexpected challenges along the way.

We cover:

🚤Tender boats and arrival at Mystery Island
❌What not to do when visiting the island
🦞Lobster lunch prices and island food options
🏝️Walking the island & what there is to see
💲Local markets, airport & facilities (including the toilets!)
😎Pre-booked cabana / bungalow experience
⚠️Snorkelling dangers, tides & safety
🐠Second attempt snorkelling & reef fish
🏖️Family-friendly activities and beach time

Wrapping up the day before New Year’s Eve celebrations onboard

This is an honest, real-world look at Mystery Island — the good, the beautiful, and the parts cruisers need to be prepared for.

👇 Question for you:
Would you snorkel here — or is Mystery Island better enjoyed from the beach?

📌 Chapters below
👍 Like & subscribe for real cruise experiences
🔔 Part 2 (New Year’s Eve onboard) coming next on Deb & Matt Chat

00:00 Intro
00:18 Tender Boats
01:06 Arriving at Mystery Island
04:23 DONT DO THIS!
05:09 Mystery Island Lobster Lunch
08:27 Walking Around Mystery Island
08:43 Wedding Proposal at Mystery Island
10:41 What to See at Mystery Island
12:14 Cost of Tours at Mystery Island
13:55 Mystery Island Cannibal Soup
14:10 Mystery Island Airport
14:56 Mystery Island Airport
15:18 Mystery Island Market Stalls
16:58 Eeek! Toilets
18:23 Mystery Island Tours Cabana
19:54 Snorkelling Danger
21:34 Family Friendly Activities
24:16 Snorkelling Second Attempt
25:41 Snorkel At Mystery Island
29:31 Reef Fish
30:58 Snorkelling on a Cruise
32:49 Snorkelling in Vanuatu
34:08 Mystery Island Massage
38:04 New Years Eve Celebrations 2026

Deb & Matt Chat on YT: Tastes of Asia Mystery Trivia and 70s Disco Party on Voyager of the Seas

Posted by Deb & Matt | Jan 20, 2026 | YouTube: Deb And Matt Chat |

Day 3 on our Voyager of the Seas New Year’s Eve cruise might just be one of the most fun-packed days of the trip.

Good morning, good morning! It’s “day3” of our cruise, and we have a restaurant booking for lunch at Izumi, but first, we need to sort out a diary conflict. Later, we’re looking forward to the 70s disco party, after some fun “mini golf” and a “family friendly” performance. Join us for another exciting day onboard!

We kick things off with the Royal Murder Mystery Trivia Game, teaming up with friends to solve the case. From there, it’s off to Izumi for specialty dining lunch, followed by some downtime where we create our own fun onboard with a new card game we brought along — Flip 7.

As the sun sets, we head out for mini-golf at sea, before the night really comes alive with:

🥢Dinner in the Main Dining Room
🎤The Music in Pictures show in the Royal Theatre
🪩A full-blown 70s Disco Inferno Party on the Promenade
🎤Late-night entertainment in the Star Lounge

This video perfectly shows how sea days on Voyager of the Seas balance activities, downtime, food and night-time entertainment — especially on longer cruises.

👇 Question for you:
Are you more about organised cruise activities, or do you prefer bringing your own entertainment onboard?

📌 Chapters below
👍 Like & subscribe for real cruise vlogs
🔔 New videos all through this Voyager series on Deb & Matt Chat

00:00 Intro
00:52 A Royal Mystery Trivia Game
03:23 Izumi by Royal Caribbean
03:55 Speciality Dining Lunch
04:36 Make Your Own Entertainment
07:03 Family Friendly Fun
08:36 Putt Putt On
09:50 Cruise Mini Golf
14:35 Voyager of the Seas Main Dining Room
15:39 Dinner on Cruise Ship
20:21 Music In Pictures
23:58 70s Disco Inferno Party

#VoyagerOfTheSeas #CruiseVlog #SeaDay
#RoyalCaribbean #Izumi #CruiseFun
#70sNight #DebAndMattChat

Deb & Matt Chat on YT: Izumi on Voyager of the Seas | Dinner vs Lunch | Royal Caribbean Review

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

G’day everyone! Join us for a new “cruise vlog” as we experience specialty “cruise dining” at Izumi on “Voyager of the Seas”. We sample delicious “japanese food”, including “ramen” and “sushi”, offering our honest “food review” of the experience. Come along as we explore the dining atmosphere and share our thoughts on this Royal Caribbean offering.

We’re kicking off a brand-new Specialty Dining Sideline Series filmed across multiple sailings on Voyager of the Seas, starting with Izumi 🍣🍜

In this video, we bring you an honest, unfiltered review of Izumi at both Dinner and Lunch, because these experiences are very different — and the value absolutely matters.

From first impressions and service issues, to miso soup, gyoza, sushi starters, and a few moments that had us saying “FAIL FAIL FAIL”, we share exactly what went right, what went wrong, and whether Izumi is worth your money on Voyager of the Seas.

We then return for Izumi Lunch, break down the menu, review the mains, and compare the overall experience so you can decide:
👉 Is Izumi better at lunch or dinner?
👉 Is it worth paying extra?
👉 Or should you save your specialty dining budget for another restaurant?

This video is part of a 3-video Voyager of the Seas Specialty Dining Series, covering:
🥢Izumi
🍝Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen
🥩Chops Grille

If you’re planning a Royal Caribbean cruise and wondering where to eat — this series is for you.

👇 Let us know in the comments:
Have you tried Izumi? Lunch or Dinner — which do you prefer?

00:00 Intro
00:19 First Impressions
01:03 Off to a Bad Start
02:41 Miso Soup
04:49 Starters
05:34 Gyoza
13:19 FAIL FAIL FAIL
17:15 Dinner Wrap Up
19:24 Royal Caribbean Izumi Lunch
19:50 The Menu
20:19 Izumi Lunch
23:07 Izumi Specialty Dining Lunch Mains
27:15 Final Thoughts