Cruise Review

Norwegian continues to impress me. I had the opportunity to celebrate the launch of Norwegian Encore with them in Miami last month and it is absolutely the best ship out there for a guys weekend getaway. That isn't to say that other lines aren't good or that you can't have fun on an older NCL ship like Sky or Sun (I do) but Encore is the ultimate manifestation of Norwegian's vision for what cruising should look, feel, and taste like. Let's take a look at six reasons why Norwegian Encore is the world's best cruise ship for a guys weekend!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sneak into the exclusive Haven area on a Norwegian cruise ship? This area is designed as a private retreat complete with a private pool, bar, restaurant, and lounge area. It also has some of the most luxurious cabins available anywhere on the ship. Let's take a look at what things would look like if you booked the Owners Suite in the Haven complex on Norwegian Joy!

Last year we sailed with Norwegian Bliss for the launch of the company's biggest, fanciest and most feature filled ship ever. At the time, Bliss was everything we saw on Norwegian Joy but had to wait just a bit longer for. That wait represented refinement, learning, and further time for innovation. When it arived as the first Breakaway Plus ship in North America it truly lived up to it's name. Seizing on it's incredible popularity, the folks at Norwegian Cruise lines abruptly pulled Joy out of the Chinese market and instead of just re-positioning it, did a complete overhaul of the ship. So, was it worth it? Does Joy deliver on it's name the way Bliss did? Yes .. it absolutely did though there are a few awkward areas that reveal it's journey to this point.

Norwegian Cruise Line invited me on a seven-day cruise of the Hawaiian Islands and it changed my view of this state in a profound way that I didn't expect. While we had visited Hawaii a month earlier and had a great experience - I had no real understanding for the diversity of terrain, culture, and opportunities for adventure that would await us on this cruise. With more than 100 hours in port and no scheduled sea days, this was a profoundly different cruise experience - but one that anyone looking to truly experience Hawaii must try.

Earlier this summer, I embarked on a journey that would complete my goal of visiting all 50 states. Alaska is a bucket list destination for many and Norwegian Cruise Line was kind enough to host me on this journey. Aside from a quick two-day preview on Norwegian Bliss (their newest ship at the time), I'd never sailed on Norwegian. Compared to other lines who have dominated Alaska for the past several decades, NCL isn't the first name that comes to mind when it comes to Alaska. However, that's all changing now that they have made Alaska a key destination by positioning two of their newest ships there - NCL Bliss and NCL Joy. When planning an Alaskan cruise it's important to examine what sort of experience you are looking for. Based on our experience cruising through Alaska's Inside Passage, you can't go wrong sailing Freestyle on Norwegian!

We had the privilege of joining the Norwegian Bliss as guests of the cruise line during its inaugural West Coast cruise out of Los Angeles. While our cruise experience was just under two days, it was abundantly clear that Bliss is the finest ship sailing under the flag of any of the major cruise lines today. Not only did it hit the mark for virtually everything I could possibly review - but it offered new experiences that will help open cruising to new audiences in search of manly adventure.

I tend to be a major advocate for a cruise lifestyle. Simply put, I LOVE the experience of being on a boat, but I know a lot of guys who aren't convinced that a cruise is for them and not every line or itinerary is. However, last fall I had the chance to explore the Rhine thanks to Viking Cruises and I still can't believe how many opportunities there are for guys to have an amazing time on this route!

I've enjoyed my share of ocean cruises on a few different lines to different hot and cold destinations so I consider myself a pretty experienced cruiser. However, despite this I found river cruising a completely unique and wonderful experience that I wish more people would consider. After being hosted on an amazing experience by Viking River Cruises, I wanted to share my thoughts so you can better understand the experience.

Last fall I had the chance to take an 8-day Southern Caribbean Cruise with Carnival as part of one of our #MenWhoBlog cruises. This was the first time I've had a chance to really enjoy a cruise with a bunch of my guy friends as well as my wife so it was a bit of a different experience. Similarly, this was the longest cruise I've taken to date - and while it has been completely overhauled a couple years ago I was a bit nervous that it would feel dated. Luckily all those fears were unfounded and we had an amazing time that confirmed my premise that a group of guys can have an amazing time sailing together for a Carnival Cruise Mancation!

While Caribbean cruising may be king, the west coast of Mexico also offers some exciting opportunities for fun as well. To explore these, we boarded the Carnival Miracle and set off on a seven-day journey with our review starting in Los Angeles (Long Beach) and included two days in Cabo San Lucas and Puerta Vallarta before heading home.

There's more to cruising than the big three - (Carnival, Royal, and NCL) and I have been wanting to try Princess for quite a while, but never had the opportunity. Last month, we took a quick weekend escape out of Los Angeles on the Golden Princess and finally got to experience what it means to "Escape Completely".

The Golden Princess is a grand class ship, measuring 109,000 gross tons and carrying 2,600 passengers (double occupancy) plus 1,100 crew members.

Princess launched Golden in 2001, but retrofitted the ship in 2009.