I've been on 47 cruises so obviously I think a vacation on a cruise ship is a pretty great vacation...
But I've gotten kind of particular about the kind of cruises I go on now.
Look, I'm a 61 year old guy cruising with my wife who I've been married to for 38 years.
We like to have fun but we're not looking for a crazy party scene when we go on a cruise.
We like to relax quietly in the sun or in a Jacuzzi or in a swimming pool.
A big loud crowd is a turn-off to us!
We want to relax with no stress, no noise...
Enjoying warm weather and warm water.
A crowded cruise ship with people just packed around the bars...
And packed in and around the swimming pool with loud music playing...
It's just not the relaxing vacation I'm looking for.
And if I want a drink, the last thing I want to do is wait behind eight other people at a bar...
All waiting for one bartender to hurry up and get to my order.
So, in recent years to get a quiet uncrowded cruise experience...
I've often paid the big bucks like six or seven thousand dollars...
To sail in "The Haven" the exclusive VIP area on Norwegian Cruise Line.
Or, another one I like is a Viking Ocean Cruise...
Which only carries 930 passengers and is completely uncrowded.
That's a great way to cruise and I love it, but it's not a cheap way to cruise!
The best value I've found for an uncrowded cruise experience...
Is in what's known as the Havana area on Carnival's new Vista-class ships.
And I know right now some people are rolling their eyes and saying...
Carnival? A quiet, uncrowded cruise experience? Are you kidding me?!?!
Well, if you've never sailed in a Havana cabin on Carnival's Vista class...
You probably don't tend to think of Carnival as a quiet un-crowded cruise.
Here's the scene by the main pool on a Carnival ship.
That's a lot of people!
And copyright law prevents me from sharing the music that was playing out there as I shot this video clip...
But believe me, it wasn't James Taylor playing quietly in the background!
And if I was 25 years old I'd probably love it out there in that big crowd with the loud music playing...
But I'm 61 now, so that's not what I'm looking for anymore.
What you're looking at right here is exactly what I'm looking for!
This is the Havana pool area on the Carnival Vista.
Notice it's not crowded and there aren't any kids.
Most of the 5,000 passengers on this ship don't even have access to this area...
Which is hidden at the far back end of the ship...
Down low, quite a few decks below the aft pool area that all passengers have access to.
The Havana pool area is for the exclusive use of passengers staying in a Havana cabin...
Most of which are just around the corner from the Havana pool area.
Just pop out of your balcony door, open your gate, and walk a few feet to the Havana pool.
It's very convenient to have the pool and the Jacuzzis so close to your cabin.
But the best part is just the fact that most of the rest of the passengers on the ship aren't allowed in.
So, it's quiet, un-crowded, and there's almost always a lounger available for you...
Without you having to come out early in the morning and save one.
Now, if you live in California and you like cruise ships...
There's something coming up later this year that you should be very excited about!
Cruise lines tend to put their best ships in Florida...
And the ships based in California are usually far from the state of the art.
But Carnival is about to change all that by basing their newest, most state-of-the-art ship in Long Beach beginning late this year.
And it won't just be sailing out of Long Beach a few months of the year.
They won't be moving it to Alaska for the summers.
She'll be cruising out of Long Beach all year long.
The new ship I'm talking about is the Carnival Panorama
And it's one of Carnival's Vista-class ships with the un-crowded Havana area that I've been showing you in this video.
I know there's some people that really aren't interested in cruising with Carnival...
And if that's you my question for you is...
When was the last time you sailed with Carnival?
Because if it's been more than a few years, you don't know Carnival anymore.
They've come a long way and I think their Vista class of ships is really great!
If you stay in a Havana cabin you can enjoy relaxing, quiet times by the pool without having to pay the big bucks!
I'm Jim Zim. I think Carnival's Vista class offers such a great value...
That my next two cruises are gonna be in Havana cabins on Carnival.
So, you can expect to see a lot more video from me about Carnival's Vista class...
And all the great features they have.
Of the 47 cruises I've been on, so far...
27 of them have been on Carnival.
And believe me, I wouldn't be coming back that often...
If they weren't delivering a pretty great vacation!
If you'd like to book a cruise, feel free to use my travel agent, Caitlin Gallagher.
Her fees are fully paid by the cruise lines...
So, her services cost you nothing at all.
And ask her about our group cruise to Alaska in 2020...
Or the Caribbean in 2021...
Where you can get a bonus onboard credit just for sailing on the same week that my wife and I are on board.
Contact Caitlin, the owner of Ambren Travel and she'll take good care of you.
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Please do me a favor and hit the thumbs up button.
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