December 16, 2025 • 43 mins
Swap TSA lines for sea breeze and five-star meals you don’t have to overthink. We sit down with Ryan and John—two healthcare pros turned cruise creators—to unpack how Virgin Voyages converted them from city breaks to sail days, what “adults only” really feels like onboard, and why food quality can be the biggest surprise at sea. If you’ve wondered whether the cruise hype is real, their candid, no-sponsorship takes cut through the noise with practical, money-saving detail.
We trace their origin story from YouTube research to a full-blown review channel built on authenticity and useful tips. They explain the true time cost of a polished 25-minute video, how long-form and short-form content serve different needs, and why cross-posting the same clip can tank on one platform and explode on another. Tools like CapCut (desktop) and a simple repeatable workflow keep them sane, while off-the-cuff moments routinely outperform clips that took hours to craft. It’s a creator playbook you can actually follow.
Then we get into the good stuff: midship vs aft cabins, balcony loyalty, late shows, sea days, and the casino pull that turns a good night into the next booking. We compare private islands—Bimini’s unplugged calm, CocoCay’s choose-your-own-adventure, and the serenity of Great Stirrup Cay—plus the value math that makes a three-night Royal weekend feel smarter than a week of flights and hotels. The mythbusting is fun too: no, Virgin isn’t a secret swingers cruise; yes, the dining really is that good, with balanced dishes that don’t leave you bloated.
Looking ahead, Ryan and John map out Scarlet Lady over Christmas, Grand Turk in March, Alaska in July, and a first sail on the new Celebrity Excel with creator friends. They’re expanding beyond Virgin to help you pick the right line for your style—upscale vibes, fewer kids, genuine food, and entertainment that rivals a night in New York. Want to link up on a sailing? Use Shipmate to see where our trips overlap and say hi onboard.
If you enjoyed this conversation, follow Ryan and John Review It on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, and hit subscribe to catch future episodes. Share this with a cruise-curious friend and tell us: which ship should we review next?
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (01:15):
Did we just become best friends, Ryan and John,
review it?
SPEAKER_01 (01:20):
Yes, I think we did.
Oh yeah, we did.
SPEAKER_00 (01:22):
Oh, we totally did.
I'm so excited to have you onthe podcast today.
Thank you so much for makingtime for me.
SPEAKER_01 (01:28):
Thank you for making time for us.
SPEAKER_00 (01:29):
Yeah, so what I normally do is I just caught
that you're wearing a verge ofvoyage a shirt.
Oh my god, now I'm gettingdistracted.
What I normally do is I tell thelisteners around the globe
because believe it or not, wehave listeners everywhere.
That's crazy.
I tell our listeners how we met.
And we didn't meet yet.
So this is this this podcasttoday is a product of my cyber
(01:52):
stalking abilities, which areimpeccable.
And okay, so just so everybodyknows, I'm an avid cruiser.
And you guys caught my attentionon the gram on the Instagram.
And I don't remember whichvoyage you were on or if it was
it was one of Christine Lozada'sposts, but I was like, oh my
(02:12):
god, I love those guys.
We have to be best friends, andwe have to be on the podcast
together, and you're my people,and I just loved your energy.
And I was like, okay, that's it.
They have to be on the podcast.
So thank you for making time forme today.
SPEAKER_03 (02:25):
Yeah, no, absolutely.
Well, thanks for having us.
Yeah, definitely.
We love your energy as well.
It matches ours.
So uh yeah, we definitely andwhen you mentioned the cyber
stalking part, now we definitelybecame best friends.
SPEAKER_00 (02:35):
Oh, yeah.
We have a few things in common.
A few things in common we'll getto.
All right, so let's start upfirst and foremost.
I would like to know because umRyan and John review it.
It's relatively new, right?
Your account.
SPEAKER_01 (02:48):
Yeah, we just really started about like two years
ago.
We really just started onYouTube and we use YouTube, we
used and used YouTube to reallyfind out what our experiences
are that we want to do whenwe're traveling.
And that's how we foundChristine and the whole Virgin
Voyages thing, which I'll letJohn tell you about.
But we just thought, you know,like, hey, like if we find
YouTube helpful to get thelatest reviews and updates on
(03:11):
people's experiences and howthey're spending their money,
maybe our trips and travels willbe helpful for people and
they'll be able to understandwhat the latest experience looks
like, how much it costs, and soon and so forth.
So we really started on YouTubeabout two years ago, and then
just this last like real sixmonths, we just started really
putting effort into the otherplatforms.
SPEAKER_00 (03:29):
I love it.
Yeah, and it's funny because Iwas a high school teacher and I
taught TV production andbroadcast journalism.
And I've done all the things,I've made the videos, I've
edited content, I dideverything, you know, like
professionally, but I never didit as a personal project.
So the podcast is like a passionproject.
And anytime I'm out there and Ido a video or I go live,
(03:51):
everybody comments, why aren'tyou doing this?
Why aren't you an influencer?
Why aren't you making morecontent?
I'm like, because people don'trealize it's work.
SPEAKER_01 (03:59):
Oh my gosh.
I this man right here, John,like literally, he that's his
full-time job.
Is like our editing, like he isour like editor cameraman.
I mean, like, listen, I mean, uhyou you well, yeah, at the end
of the day, that's what I try toexplain to people.
SPEAKER_03 (04:11):
I'm like, listen, we absolutely love making content,
but until we really starteddoing it like full time, people
don't understand that.
A lot goes into it.
I mean, it is full time.
I mean, it's not just yeah, youknow, going on trips and having
cruisers on those trips, youknow, we're working and getting
content put together and reallytrying to find good, useful
information that we can give toour subscribers.
Because that's the last thing wewant to do, is just I don't want
(04:32):
to be a talking head.
We just don't want to be oncamera to be on camera.
I like Ryan, you know, wassaying earlier, we actually
started YouTube because I was onYouTube all the time.
I would always go there.
I'm a self-learner, I lovelearning how to do stuff, and as
you know, being a homeowner,there's always something to fix.
Yeah, we really use it.
SPEAKER_00 (04:48):
Controlling everybody else's content, right?
Learning.
SPEAKER_03 (04:51):
Yeah, yeah.
So I thought, well, you knowwhat, if we can kind of
contribute to that, and a lot ofour friends would always ask
about our trips and stuff likethat.
So we would say, you know, whydon't we just start making
YouTube videos and putting it upthere and see what happens.
So yeah, again, to just kind ofbring it back.
Yeah, it is definitely workbecause we are always trying to
find useful stuff to give to theuh you know our subscribers.
SPEAKER_00 (05:08):
Absolutely.
And I think what always holds meback, and Mel Robbins talks
about this a lot, because I'mlike a huge fan of her podcast.
Um, I always, and Christine andI talked about that because
Christine was on my podcast aswell.
I don't know if you've listenedto that episode.
She I said, Does the worldreally need another travel
influencer?
Does the world need anotherYouTube channel?
(05:28):
Like it always holds me backbecause I feel like the market
is so saturated.
And she goes, But Lydia, no,you're the only you.
SPEAKER_01 (05:35):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (05:36):
And so you're gonna bring something to it.
And she's like, why not?
She was like a thousand percentyes.
SPEAKER_01 (05:42):
And honestly, like, you know, I mean, uh, if people
want to say, like, you know,we're we're just like a small
channel, we're just likeliterally, we're just two guys
who are like literally justcapturing our travels, and
hopefully, like we can givehelpful tips and insights to
other people who find ithelpful.
Like, we really don't likeconsider like ourselves like
influencers, and like even likeyou know, Christine has kind of
said, like, oh, you should kindof change that frame of mind.
(06:04):
But like, we're just kind oflike, we're just we're just
people capturing our travels andlike what we learn and helping
others along the way.
So that's really what it'sabout.
We'd be doing it either way.
SPEAKER_03 (06:12):
So if we weren't recording it on YouTube or
Instagram, we'd still be doingthe trips and stuff like that.
So none of this is done reallyto Ryan's point for any kind of
show.
SPEAKER_01 (06:21):
We've been traveling for 16 years, you know.
So travel, you know, for 16years, we're like, okay, let's
do this.
So yeah, I mean, exactly to thatpoint.
SPEAKER_03 (06:29):
And plus being creative helps too.
You you said you're a creativeperson.
I'm super creative.
I love painting and just doinganything creative.
So this really just gives me acreative outlet as far as
editing, filming.
Just gives me somewhere to drivemy energy to as I'm getting a
little older now.
SPEAKER_00 (06:42):
Oh, absolutely.
So now, do either of you alsowork full-time?
SPEAKER_01 (06:47):
Yeah, we both we both do.
We both have like full-time jobsum, you know, that are very
flexible and allow us to do thisas well.
But we were we basically bothhave two full-time jobs.
Yeah.
So between just our regulardaytime jobs and then just like,
yeah, the content.
I mean, it takes John a fullweek to put together, you know,
a good quality 25-minute YouTubevideo.
(07:07):
And that's not, you know, allthe shorts and the reels and
everything else.
And so, yeah, I mean, it's webasically both work two
full-time jobs.
Yeah, exactly.
Well, yeah, two and jobs.
SPEAKER_00 (07:16):
So now I'm curious.
I have to know.
SPEAKER_01 (07:18):
Okay, we're actually both in healthcare.
We're both in we're both inhealth insurance.
So I work um for uh uh insurerthat helps to try to provide
low-cost health care to all ofAmericans, whether it's
Medicare, Medicaid, ACA.
So yeah, I do that.
SPEAKER_03 (07:34):
And then I'm I'm actually on an insurance agency.
I'm an insurance agent.
Uh, and I actually just got intothat uh about two years ago
before that I spent 27 years inhospitality operations.
Oh, wow.
So I came from a veryhigh-paced, moving, pivoting,
kind of always staying busy.
So that's why kind of thiscontent creation kind of fell
into place for me and works soeasily because I'm used to
(07:54):
always kind of being on a on aswivel.
So it works out great.
So yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (07:57):
It's funny because I actually come from a very vast
healthcare revenue cyclemanagement background.
I used to do um billing andmanage the whole, you know,
cycle.
Yeah.
Worked for a huge entity, andthen I kind of took a like a
hiatus and I went into educationand became a teacher for like
the last 10 years.
SPEAKER_02 (08:13):
Nice.
SPEAKER_00 (08:13):
And then I just left education this summer.
I just made the shift.
SPEAKER_02 (08:18):
And now I'm still about it so far.
SPEAKER_00 (08:21):
Oh God, it's I'm I have no regrets leaving
education.
I just wish I didn't have toleave education.
I wet I wish it paid better.
SPEAKER_01 (08:27):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (08:28):
And that's a whole other podcast episode.
SPEAKER_01 (08:30):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (08:31):
But let's keep it light, let's keep it moving
because one of the perks ofbeing in in education is having
your summer off, and that's whenI started traveling a lot.
And about three years ago, I'mreally relatively new to
cruising.
SPEAKER_01 (08:45):
Same.
SPEAKER_00 (08:45):
Um, and I, you know, I went on one cruise, I won an
NCL, and then I was like, oh mygod, this is fabulous.
Why why why am I not doing thisall the time?
It's like so great, right?
It's like that all-inclusivefeel.
And then for my 50th birthday,my girlfriend who's like a mega
gambler, she gets casino compsall over the world.
Um, she's like, What do you wantto do for your 50th birthday?
(09:07):
And I said, I want to go onvirgin voyages.
And that's where really the loveand fascination for virgins
started because I said, I wantto go on that cruise.
She's like, Okay, done.
I'm gonna book it for us,whatever.
And when you're a gambler, yougo on casino comp, it's you only
play pay like four charges andtaxes.
SPEAKER_02 (09:23):
Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_00 (09:24):
And it was like 200 bucks to go on my first
four-night virgin voyagescruise.
SPEAKER_03 (09:28):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (09:29):
In an XLC terrace.
So I was like, I'm on, but yeah,like yeah.
So spoiled.
I am so spoiled.
And um, you know, I definitelywant to talk about Virgin, but I
want to talk talk about othertravels.
So, did you guys mostly takelike my husband and I before the
pandemic, we used to travel tolike cities.
Different cities were likewalking cities, and we would go
(09:50):
to a game or we'd go to NewYork, go to Broadway shows, you
know, all the things.
And then kind of after thepandemic, that like really
slowed down for us any kind ofair travel, and then we started
cruising.
So, how about you guys?
SPEAKER_03 (10:03):
Well, for us, it started as uh we we always have
traveled.
Yeah, again, a lot of citytravel and stuff like that, up
until the pandemic, and actuallywhen the pandemic came in 2020,
we actually lived in Manhattan.
So we had did a lot of travel upthere.
Yeah, we spent a couple years upin the city.
My drinking when the pandemiccame, you know, obviously
everything changed.
We came back to Florida.
And I'd been trying to get thisone on cruises for we've been
(10:26):
we're going on our 17th year, soit's been about 16 years of
trying to get him to like, hey,we should try a cruise.
And he just really was not muchof you know a fan of hearing
about it.
SPEAKER_00 (10:35):
My husband wasn't either, and you know why?
Because he was a germophobe.
He is a germophobe.
My husband knows this, somethingI wouldn't say to his face.
But and I kept trying to tellhim that's the safest trip for
you right now because they'retesting everybody before you get
on the ship, and then you're inan area that they're constantly
sanitizing, like it is thesafest thing, but he still
wasn't buying it.
SPEAKER_03 (10:53):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, he was and he he was kindof the same way.
And I actually, like I said,always being a YouTube person, a
self-learner, I always watchYouTube, and I actually was
watching Christine's videos andI was like, you know what?
I like her, I just like hervibe.
She's kind of like kind of likeus.
If I can get him to startwatching her, maybe he'll buy
into like going on a cruise.
So one day I was in therewatching one of her videos, and
(11:14):
he's like, Who is this you keepwatching?
And I kind of introduced him toChristine and all about Virgin.
He was like, You know, she seemskind of fun, and those cruises
seem like it's kind of fun.
It seems like it's really goodfood.
There's no buffets, you know, weget to kind of travel to go
other places as well.
Other part, no children, sothat's a plus.
Oh my god.
So that's kind of how it allstarted.
And yeah, we booked our firstcruise, got out on our first
(11:37):
cruise, honestly, organically,boarded the ship, and I just
happened to look over, andChristine was on that cruise.
Like, oh, there's Christine, theone that's like, when did you
guys go for the first time?
SPEAKER_01 (11:46):
Sorry, May of Sailing?
May of 25, yeah, was our firstone.
And that was to Cozumel and uhBimini.
And that was really fun.
Um, and so that was the firstlike time I experienced
cruising, and I was like, Oh,okay, I get it, I get it.
This is a really good time.
And we actually had other plansa couple months later in August
(12:07):
for John's birthday, and we werelike, scratch it, let's like get
another, let's do anothercruise.
We were gonna go to New York,we're gonna see Lady Gaga, go to
MSG, a Broadway show.
And he was like, No, I want togo on another cruise.
I was like, Well, to yourbirthday, okay.
And so now we're going on ourfifth one this year.
So we've just fell fallen inlove with it.
SPEAKER_03 (12:24):
Well, to your point, like traveling, city travel
after we kind of saw the ease ofbeing here in the Tampa area and
then going down to Miami.
So much easier versus you know,sitting in the airport getting
there three hours ahead of time,going through TSD and sitting in
the lamp.
SPEAKER_01 (12:37):
Lydia, I'll actually tell you what pushed me over the
edge to try cruising.
SPEAKER_00 (12:41):
Tell me what pushed you over the edge.
SPEAKER_01 (12:43):
In February of this year in 2025, we went to Costa
Rica for a very good friend'swedding.
Our good friends got marriedthere.
And Costa Rica was beautiful.
I loved being where we were oncewe got there.
But the travel to get where weneeded to end up, not just like
the flight, but once, you know,fly from Tampa to San Jose, and
(13:04):
then you got to take athree-hour trek to the resort to
La Fortuna, you know, after allthat travel, it's beautiful and
it's awesome.
But like the travel to and from,I was like, how can I have these
kind of experiences, even ifit's a quick like in and out,
without having all of thistravel?
And then like the whole cruiseconversation came up again with
this one.
And so I was like, and then theChristine, I was like, you know
(13:26):
what?
I'm gonna try it.
And that's really honestly thatexperience of just kind of like
amazing travel, but like, why dowe have to take such a long trek
to get where we're going?
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (13:35):
You know, so yeah, for me, I just I felt like when
I got on that ship, first ofall, I loved everything about
the vibe.
If you've ever flown like virginair, you know, you know like
that everything like that's onthe list.
Well, listen, I just took oneflight to LA one time and the
whole inside of the cabin waspurple and they had all the
music.
It was like fabulous.
You know, Richard does it right.
SPEAKER_02 (13:56):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (13:57):
So when I went on that trip and I came back and I
said to my husband, everythingthat you said, now I have
children, but I don'tnecessarily want a vacation with
them all the time.
SPEAKER_01 (14:07):
She's got children, he's got grandchildren, and we
just love them, but we don'thave to be a good one.
SPEAKER_00 (14:11):
First of all, they had me at adults only.
Yeah.
Next, they had me at no buffetbecause my husband, again, he
doesn't like when our all thekids are running around,
everybody's touching everything,everybody's eating when they're
not even seated yet.
He and he gets so disgusted bypeople.
Yeah.
So I said, There's no buffets,we can sit in the galley,
they'll serve you, or you can goup and get it yourself.
(14:32):
And I'm telling you, I said, wehave to go.
So the minute we got back, um,and one thing, one of the things
I love that Virgin does is theyrate you on your whole cabin
place.
So my girlfriend's like a highroller.
So I was getting offers, and Ididn't even really gamble that
much on that trip.
SPEAKER_01 (14:46):
Nice.
SPEAKER_00 (14:46):
Then I got an offer and I said, We're going.
I said, We are going.
You're going on this trip withme.
And then after we went, he waslike, Oh my god, this is really
fabulous.
Like we loved the entireexperience.
I think there's definitely somepros and cons.
There's a little some thingsthat I like about other cruise
lines, like regarding theentertainment.
SPEAKER_02 (15:04):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (15:05):
And there's, you know, there's variables, but
overall, like five-starexperience, and I just loved it.
So I took my husband and now hewas hooked.
SPEAKER_02 (15:14):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (15:14):
So I've been on I've been on four sailings.
The sailing that I took myhusband on, that's how I met
Christine, because we weresitting at Pinkagade and we were
having dinner, and we were nextto her and Meatball at the time.
SPEAKER_02 (15:28):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (15:28):
And um, she had this 360 camera.
This I saw the stick sticking uplike in her lap, and I saw the
camera, and I'm like, what isshe doing with the 360?
Like, that's not a normal thingyou see unless you're a creator.
And of course, I worked workedin broadcasting, so it's like,
okay, and I go, I go, is that a360?
I'm like, are you a contentcreator?
She's like, yeah.
And and next thing you know, wewere taking a picture and we
(15:50):
were talking about everything.
And I said, I'll follow you onthe channel.
And I was like, You gotta be onmy podcast, and the rest was
history.
And we've actually beencoincidentally on many sailings
together.
SPEAKER_01 (16:00):
I love it.
SPEAKER_00 (16:00):
So it's just so much fun.
SPEAKER_01 (16:02):
And I just think we love about Virgin is the people.
Like you just like you just saidyou meet great people, and
that's why we love doing thingslike gun bay the first night,
grog walk.
We just like meeting new peopleand just getting to like see
who's on the ship and it'sdifferent every time.
And it's it's cool.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (16:19):
Yeah, we had a great time.
And the first time I took myhusband, like we had gone out to
dinner, and then I was in thecasino for a little bit, and I
had a jackpot.
I won like five thousanddollars.
SPEAKER_01 (16:29):
Oh my gosh, that's awesome!
SPEAKER_00 (16:31):
Yeah, I had a mega jackpot, and my husband was
like, Oh my god, even better.
SPEAKER_01 (16:37):
That's paying for the next one, rock star level,
baby.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (16:39):
Oh god, you know, it's so funny.
I have not done the rock starexperience just because, like,
you know, I go on casino compand I don't I could upgrade.
Yeah, but and I probably should.
Yeah, I haven't done it yet, butI I will put it on the list to
try because we you know, becauseI cruise so cheap, I really
could afford to spend the moneyand just you know do the
upgrade.
So maybe for like a specialanniversary or something.
SPEAKER_01 (17:02):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So large.
SPEAKER_00 (17:04):
I have some questions for you guys.
All right.
So for anyone new to yourcontent, like how would you
describe your style as like acruise creator?
Because you know, you my husbandactually showed me, he didn't
know that I knew who you wereand he didn't know that I
followed you.
He showed me your last one ofyour last little shorts that
came up on Instagram.
I think it was a reel about um Idon't know if it was in the
(17:28):
galley.
I don't know, it was veryrecent.
SPEAKER_01 (17:30):
The flag in the galley?
SPEAKER_00 (17:31):
I think so, yes.
He goes, see, honey, you coulddo that, like they're doing.
Yeah, he's he's trying to get meto continue doing it.
I haven't I haven't decided ifI'm taking the leap or not, but
I'm like, I don't know.
If I can figure out a way tomonetize it, maybe, but I don't
know.
Yeah right now it's just forfun.
But tell me, so how would youdescribe like your style?
Because there's so many creatorsout there.
SPEAKER_03 (17:52):
Yeah.
Well, I just think we're reallytwo authentic people, like I
guess that that would be doingthis either way, and we're
really just trying to add somevalue to people that really do
take the time to subscribe andwatch our content.
Because that's a lot too.
There's a lot of stuff that getsput in front of us every day on
social media.
SPEAKER_02 (18:09):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (18:09):
I'm I'm just subject to it as well, being a
consummate scroller.
So, yeah, we really just try togive people something that's
gonna stop you a really quickgood tip.
And then when we do a long formvideos too, it's really just
adding value and beingauthentic.
If we don't like something,we're gonna tell you we don't
like it.
Yeah.
We do very few sponsorships.
Uh everything we do is kind ofon our dime, like Ryan said.
(18:30):
It's like a full-time job.
We're paying for things, wedon't get a lot of things comped
or anything like that.
So we're just very honest andvery upright when it comes to
doing our reviews and talkingabout the experiences that we
do.
SPEAKER_01 (18:40):
Yeah, but we're also we're pretty generally like, you
know, easygoing people.
We're not really like, you know,hard to please or anything like
that.
So some people may think like,oh, you, you know, you're always
positive or everything's alwayslike, you know, some form of
like acceptable or good orgreat.
And it's like, well, you know,very time very few times is
there something egregious thatlike makes it be like, you know,
we really don't like thisexperience or whatever.
(19:01):
So we're just honestly like twogenuine people who just want to
give people helpful tips that wefind helpful and we learn, we're
like, oh, if we've learned it,we're like, oh, that's super
helpful to know.
Let's make a quick short reel onit just so we can get out there
and other people know.
And that's the feedback.
We love that feedback on ourcomments, like, oh, great tip.
This is so helpful.
And like when we see people likeadd it to their favorites to
(19:22):
remember it, like, oh, that wasa valuable tip.
That was a good one that peopleare gonna remember and be like,
that was helpful to me.
So really just a balance of likehelpful, informative.
Our long forms are a little bitmore of like kind of a vlog
style with tips and just reviewsof stuff.
So we just take people along andbe like, hey, if you want to
experience this, this might bewhat your experience looks like.
And like you said, with so manypeople out there, everybody's
(19:44):
point of view is different.
Everybody's experience isdifferent, everybody just does
different things.
Some people might do the grogwalk, some people might not,
some people might do theafternoon tea, might not.
So there's just so manydifferent experiences out there.
That's another reason we lovevirgin.
Is that the place?
Yeah, you it's like you make it,you do what you want, you make
it your own.
You want to party, you party,you don't, you don't.
It's that's why we love it.
SPEAKER_00 (20:05):
So, my favorite question I always get when I
talk about how much I lovevirgin voyages, and I don't know
which ship you went on first.
Which one did you sail?
SPEAKER_01 (20:12):
Valiant.
Yeah, Valiant.
SPEAKER_00 (20:14):
Okay, I went on Scarlet Lady first.
Oh, I love this, I love the OG.
She's my girl.
SPEAKER_01 (20:18):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (20:18):
But um, a lot of people say, Oh, Virgin, that's
the swingers cruise.
Blah, blah, blah, blah.
I go, are you kidding me?
Let me tell you, not once.
Now, I don't care.
That's that's your thing, go forit.
But not once have I ever seen anupside down pineapple magnet on
the Virgin Voyages cruise door.
SPEAKER_03 (20:35):
Well, you know, let me let me let me let me expand
on that a second because this isactually really it's funny as
hell that you brought this on.
So last time we were on acruise, I bought my daughter a
virgin jacket, right?
So she works in the medicalfield and uh she was going to
work, and it's uh here inFlorida, I guess the 60 degrees,
it's cold.
So she's like, I gotta wear myjacket to, you know, I'm gonna
take this jacket and wear it towork.
So uh she said something alongthe lines of uh, yeah, last time
(20:59):
I wore this jacket to work, somepeople were like, Oh, virgin,
who goes on virgin?
She was like, Oh, my dad andRyan go all the time.
Like, oh I guess they don't tellyou the stories about those.
And I was like, What are youtalking about?
And she's like, Well, they weresaying like it's like a swingers
cruise, and everybody's like, Igo, do you know?
Like, so Seriously, like youthink you would know like if we
were like into that lifestyleafter you know 17 years?
So she joked about it too.
(21:19):
But yeah, that really issometimes to your point.
SPEAKER_00 (21:21):
Like it's funny because the only pineapple
magnets I've ever seen arealways on Royal Caribbean.
And they're always on deck six.
They're always on deck six.
It's so funny.
I'm like, is deck six theswingers' deck or what?
SPEAKER_01 (21:34):
I don't know.
Yeah.
I mean, we've seen we have we'veseen one time, actually, it was
on our first cruise, the likerooms next to us, or there's a
group of rooms next to us thatwas a group of ladies that had
some really funny, cheeky thingson their doors, and like little
like right, right like this withlike a little whiteboard, and
like they had some pineapple,but like that we saw it one
(21:54):
time, and honestly, like likeanything, I'm sure like you
cheer pointing it goes onanywhere, it doesn't have to be
on the absolutely that's what Ialways say.
I'm like I don't talk people arelike propositioning you, like
hey yeah, I mean it's like it'slike things that it's like
people are like yeah, likehonestly, like proposition
people like flattered if I wasproposition, I would be like so
flattered.
SPEAKER_00 (22:14):
Like, where nobody has ever approached me.
SPEAKER_01 (22:17):
But again, like to your point, like if no judgment,
if that's your thing and that'swhat you want to do, like
absolutely well.
SPEAKER_00 (22:23):
The reason I say that is because you've obviously
seen my Instagram.
I have lost 160 pounds and I'mlooking like better than ever.
And I'm like, where is theperson trying to flirt with me?
I'm happily here.
Like nobody tries to flirt withme.
Like, where are these people?
SPEAKER_01 (22:39):
Congratulations, amazing.
You look you look awesome.
That's definitely anachievement.
That's a that's really anachievement to be honest.
As two people on weight lossjourneys ourselves, we totally
understand that.
SPEAKER_00 (22:50):
So it's a it's a lifelong battle, but we're
winning the war.
Um, okay, so what are your likeupcoming trips?
Like, are you doing more virginsailings?
I know that you said you haveanother one coming up.
Yeah, I actually have a couplecoming up as well, and I'm now
I'm bummed because like we haveto get on one together.
We we have to do it.
SPEAKER_01 (23:09):
I know, I know.
I I feel like next year we'lldefinitely we will have we'll
cross paths on a ship for sure.
SPEAKER_00 (23:15):
I and it doesn't have to be virgin because you
know I have status on all thecruise lines and I don't
discriminate because it wasfunny, the first Royal Caribbean
I ever went on, I blasted it andI was like, I'm never going
again.
And then now I'm like, I've beenon 21 cruises in the last like
two years.
SPEAKER_01 (23:31):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (23:31):
And now I love Royal, but there's certain
things I love about Royal,certain things I love about
Virgin.
SPEAKER_01 (23:36):
Well, and that's the thing.
We we definitely want to expandour horizons.
Now that we realize that we doreally enjoy cruising, we're
like, okay, where else can wego?
What else can we try?
So we are excited to announcethat we will be trying Celebrity
for the first time in February.
The new Celebrity Excel, theweek of February 8th.
So now were you invited?
SPEAKER_00 (23:56):
Were you invited to do that, or is it something you
just booked personally?
SPEAKER_01 (23:59):
Uh, it was something we booked alongside Christine
and JC so we can all experiencethe ship together.
Um, when is this?
SPEAKER_00 (24:06):
When is this?
I'm writing it down.
SPEAKER_01 (24:07):
It's the week of February 8th.
SPEAKER_03 (24:09):
So that'll be Yeah, we just actually confirmed it,
and we were excited too becausewe were all talking about
wanting to just try somethingdifferent.
Yeah.
From a total like outsiders'perspective that have never been
on there, don't know much aboutthem.
So it's gonna be super.
SPEAKER_00 (24:21):
Very good things about celebrity, very good
things about celebrity.
It's like the more upscaleversion of Royal because it's
not as many kids and it's a moreupscale feel.
SPEAKER_01 (24:30):
That's what we were like, we were talking with
Christine and kind of saying,okay, like if we wanted a
similar virgin experience, whatis another line or ship that
would be that like, you know,not again, we'll try that the
Royal Caribbean icon of the seasor something, you know, one day.
But what's that next step that'sclosest to virgin with a similar
feeling clientele?
And sure, there will probably besome some kids, some older kids
(24:53):
maybe, but it doesn't have likethe water side, it's not geared
towards families.
SPEAKER_03 (24:57):
So um, yeah, we're gonna try the Excel and plus we
want to try, I mean, to be fairtoo.
We want to try, I mean, justlike we don't just fly one
airline or go to one place onvacation.
We definitely wanna expand andsee what other you know options
are another line or so.
Yeah, just to really and againto create that content to again
add value to our subscribers'lives by watching our videos to
(25:17):
show them other options too.
SPEAKER_00 (25:19):
Yeah, I think it's very smart.
I'm sure you guys got a gooddeal through um JC's travel
connections.
SPEAKER_01 (25:24):
Yes, yes, but uh listen, uh, we love booking with
JC and Christine.
They're just they're socommunicative, they're so
informed on what's going on.
They help you book reservationsand give you all the best advice
and something that you actuallyI just love, love, love them.
Um, but to finish off thatquestion before we move on,
that's that's coming up inFebruary.
But before that, we areactually, to your point about
(25:46):
Scarlet, that's the one ship wehaven't been on yet.
So we are actually finallygetting to go on that one this
month.
We're going over Christmas.
We're gonna take the holidayChristmas cruise and kind of see
what Christmas on a cruise islike.
So we're gonna take it on.
I love that for you.
Yeah.
Um, and then we've got a coupleother virgin ships uh scheduled
for next year.
We've got uh Grand Turk in Marchand then Alaska in July next
(26:08):
year.
So we have that on the docket sofar.
I'm sure more to come.
Like I said, we do want to tryprobably a royal, one of the
bigger ships just again to getthat comparison to what we're
also trying.
SPEAKER_00 (26:19):
Well, I'm gonna tell you the one that you must go on
for royal that I've been onseven times, which sounds like
obsessive, but it is that good.
SPEAKER_01 (26:27):
We all have our favorites, yeah, right.
SPEAKER_00 (26:28):
The Utopia of the Seas.
Okay, it's right out ofCanaveral.
You have to go.
The cruise director is amazing,and it is just a quick
three-nighter.
unknown (26:37):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (26:37):
Or four nighter.
Um, I am obsessed.
I love Utopia, the 80s vibe, thenostalgia, the water stream.
SPEAKER_01 (26:44):
Maybe we'll have to line that one up.
Maybe we'll have to line thatone up together.
SPEAKER_00 (26:48):
Absolutely.
Any weekend, I'm I will drive toCanaveral.
I'd rather go out of Canaveralthan Miami, and I live in Fort
Lauderdale.
So if that tells you anything,oh, I love cruising out of
Canaveral.
SPEAKER_01 (26:57):
That's awesome.
Yeah, that's cool.
I didn't realize you were inLauderdale.
That's so great.
You're so close.
SPEAKER_03 (27:01):
Well, plus, we want to, to your point, we live in a
in a port city as well.
So we want to see what a onegoing out of Tampa would be like
as well to only travel, youknow, 40 minutes instead of you
know two and a half, three hoursto South Florida.
SPEAKER_00 (27:12):
I promised myself that I was gonna slow down in
2026 and not have any cruisesbooked, and I have six booked,
so I don't think I kept thatpromise to myself very well.
SPEAKER_01 (27:23):
I don't think they'll be actually we do have
to travel by air to do a weddingin in 2026, but other than that,
I probably think cruising willbe the way we travel mostly in
2026.
SPEAKER_00 (27:36):
So I'm dying to do the Mediterranean, and I think
that's probably gonna be on thedocket for me in 2027.
It's my 10-year weddinganniversary, so I think we're
gonna go overseas.
Congrats.
But um, I don't know, I justcan't get away from it because
it's like when I think about,and my husband has asked me, you
know, let's go somewhere.
And I'm like, the flight, thehotels, the meals, I'm like,
(27:56):
it's so expensive when you thinkabout everything you get on the
cruise.
Yeah, I just can't, I'maddicted.
SPEAKER_01 (28:02):
That's another thing we keep talking about, is just
the value.
Like even if it's just likevirgin or we're looking at some
of these other ships, we're justlike just cruising in general.
SPEAKER_03 (28:11):
I mean, when you talk about just hotel prices and
just food.
I mean, it definitely, yeah, thefood and just when you're in
again, New York, just what itcosts to eat to a hotel.
I mean, it's you can takesometimes two or three cruises
for what you would spend for agood week in New York.
SPEAKER_01 (28:26):
Yeah, and we like to see Broadway shows and certain
things.
So it's like that's one thingthat we love about cruising that
we realize.
I realized because he was, Ithink, trying to tell me the
whole time.
Like, it is like a littlefloating New York City, Las
Vegas, like we like thoseoptions of like go and do a
dinner and a show, like we'll godo our own happy hour, just the
amount of things, the differentcombinations you can make up in
(28:48):
your day and the things you cando, and it's all right there.
You don't have to go anywhere.
I just love it.
I know.
SPEAKER_00 (28:54):
So, this this is what started my fascination with
Royal, actually, because I alsolove Broadway and I love Mamma
Mia.
And it it closed on Broadway andit wasn't touring.
And I always try to go seeeverything when it tours.
And I found out that the Allureof the Seas plays Mamma Mia.
So I literally booked that shipfor Mamma Mia.
(29:15):
That's it.
I fell, then I fell, I know, I'mon I'm a nut job.
So then I fell in love with thatship, and it just went overseas
this past year for a hundredmillion dollar amplification.
Oh, it's an Oasis class, it hasMamma Mia, and now it got all
the other bells and whistles ofthe Oasis class ship.
So it's coming back, but nowit's doing like six and eight
(29:36):
nighters, and I like theshorties because I like to show
on the weekends and get away.
Um, but it has one three nightsailing out of Fort Lauderdale
at the end of April.
And I booked it.
SPEAKER_01 (29:47):
Uh, there you go.
SPEAKER_00 (29:48):
Nice, and I feel like you guys have to come on
that cruise now.
SPEAKER_01 (29:51):
Send us the details.
You might have to squeeze it in.
You might have to squeeze it.
SPEAKER_00 (29:55):
Uh, but yeah, to your point, like the Broadway
shows, you know, a lot of thegood ones, like um Star of the
Seas is doing Back to theFuture, the musical.
SPEAKER_03 (30:03):
Yeah, there's fantastic again.
That's my favorite movie.
SPEAKER_00 (30:06):
And I'm telling you, I I have Star on the list, but
it's kind of moving down thelist because I gotta go on icon
and then I gotta go on Star, andthen I gotta go on Legend, you
know, like just so many, so manyships, so little time.
SPEAKER_01 (30:19):
I know, I know, right?
Can we just find annual passhopper, park hopper, uh ship
hopper?
Yeah, right.
Can we make one of those?
Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_00 (30:27):
Oh my god, if that was a thing, can you imagine?
SPEAKER_02 (30:29):
Forget it.
SPEAKER_00 (30:31):
So I want to do a little rapid fire round real
quick.
SPEAKER_02 (30:33):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (30:34):
All right, so ten questions, rapid fire.
First thing that comes to yourmind, you can take turns
answering, it doesn't matter ordisagree.
All right, aft, midship, orforward?
SPEAKER_01 (30:44):
Oh midship, midship.
SPEAKER_00 (30:46):
Yeah, definitely, definitely.
Even though I have to tell you Ilove the aft, um the seven, the
deck seven aft on the utopiabecause you can like go out this
little sneaky door at the endand like watch the water show
rehearsals.
SPEAKER_01 (30:58):
Oh fine.
SPEAKER_00 (30:59):
Or like sit up on the balcony and watch the water
show without like having to goin the ticket line.
Yeah, little little tips andtricks.
Okay.
Ocean view, balcony, orinterior.
SPEAKER_01 (31:10):
Oh, balcony.
Yeah, balcony for sure.
SPEAKER_00 (31:12):
For me, it's always ocean view balcony.
But I heard like if you like tosleep and you don't like the
light coming in so early in themorning, I heard the interior
rooms give you great sleep.
Oh, I'm always a balcony.
I'm a snob, I'm a snob.
I've never stayed in aninterior, but I would take it.
SPEAKER_03 (31:27):
No, when we go on this sixth style, we are gonna
stay on in an interior room justso we can kind of experience it.
And again, to and he's so likeoh, I think you have to do it
for your viewers.
The viewers we want to do itjust to give the experience of
like listen, we give realreviews.
Sometimes you get an interiorroom.
That's how the ball rolls.
SPEAKER_00 (31:44):
Main dining room, buffet, or specialty dining.
SPEAKER_01 (31:48):
So I mean, I get we've only been on virgin so
far, so I guess I would sayspecialty.
Yeah, I would say a specialtytoo.
SPEAKER_00 (31:55):
Yeah, yeah, because like I'm weird, I like the main
dining room on Royal, but Idon't eat that much, so I'm not
gonna pay$70 to have a steakwhen I can add this, add the
filet mignon for 20 bucks andthen the main dining room.
SPEAKER_01 (32:09):
I'm interested to see what that experience is like
since we've only been on Virginand it's an all more
all-inclusive.
I will be interested to see whatour opinion is of about.
SPEAKER_03 (32:16):
Well, yeah, for me, the food part of it is too,
because like I uh said earlier,I spent 27 years in hospitality
operations, so I I know food,that's my thing.
Uh so I love to kind of just seethe specialty dishes, and and
that's one thing about virgin welove.
SPEAKER_00 (32:28):
All right, so we'll we'll see.
All right.
Um early shows or late shows?
SPEAKER_03 (32:32):
Um, I like late shows.
I like late shows.
SPEAKER_00 (32:34):
Me too.
I like to eat early and I liketo go to the shows, and then I
like to go to the casino andit's staying late.
SPEAKER_01 (32:40):
Oh my god, we're gonna have a great time the
other day.
Oh my god.
SPEAKER_00 (32:42):
Are you guys gamblers?
SPEAKER_01 (32:44):
Oh, I'd love to.
Yeah, are you kidding?
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (32:45):
Oh my god.
SPEAKER_01 (32:46):
Not big, not big, but we love some slots and we
love to, you know, sit and hangout and ching, ching, ching.
This one works.
SPEAKER_00 (32:52):
I'm a bad influence, so we're gonna be getting along
just fine.
Oh yeah.
All right.
C Day or port day?
SPEAKER_01 (32:59):
I love a C Day.
Yeah, C Day is good.
Depending on the portal spa.
I love a C Day.
SPEAKER_00 (33:05):
Uh had have you done the Virgin Spa?
SPEAKER_01 (33:07):
Yes, the thermospa.
SPEAKER_00 (33:09):
It's so good.
SPEAKER_01 (33:10):
Yeah, I love it.
SPEAKER_00 (33:11):
It's so good.
Those those therapists are thisbig around and they're the best
hands.
Oh, I don't know.
Yeah, I don't know how they doit.
All right.
Um, what's your been yourfavorite private island so far
that you visited?
SPEAKER_01 (33:24):
Bimini is heaven on earth to me.
Like the Virgin Voyages BeachClub, like it's like Heaven on
Earth.
SPEAKER_03 (33:29):
Yeah, well, the one we just went to too, uh,
Malachon 21 was really nice aswell.
But uh, and I mean that wasn'tprivate, it was a resort, but
yeah, I think Bimini, and I evensaid it in our upcoming video
that's gonna be released onSunday, that I think Bimini is
the one place I really feel likeum you can I just unplug there.
I could literally just unplugand not care about anything for
hours.
SPEAKER_00 (33:46):
I have to tell you, my favorite private island, this
is gonna probably shock you, isNCL's great star peak.
Oh the problem is you have totinder there.
They're building a dock, butit's not gonna be ready for uh
quite some time.
And I didn't like having to waiton the tinder for 45 minutes for
it to fill up to take me back.
So that was not good.
But their actual private islandis so serene and calm, and I
(34:08):
just loved it.
SPEAKER_02 (34:09):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (34:10):
Um, but I love Coco K too because then you can have
the wild or you can have thecalm.
But Bimini is by far, they do itright.
And I think celebrity does sharethat if it does stop in Bimini.
SPEAKER_01 (34:21):
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_00 (34:22):
Something to look into.
SPEAKER_01 (34:23):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (34:24):
Okay.
Um best cruise line for food.
I think we all know what that'sabout.
I mean, it's gotta be Virgin.
Yeah, no, Virgin.
The food is fantastic.
Did you like the food though?
You said you came from thehospitality industry.
SPEAKER_03 (34:35):
So yeah, definitely.
And I've said it in some of ourvideos listen, you can take like
crappy food and dress it up andtry to make it look good and
it's it's it's hard to pass.
But everything on Virgin I'vegotten.
I mean, we've gotten uh I gotone of the best ribeyes.
We went to one of the top-ratedsteakhouses in Sedona for our
anniversary a couple years ago.
And uh the steak I actually goton Virgin uh was better than the
(34:58):
$110 steak I got in Sedona.
So yeah, that speaks volumes.
And if it wasn't that good, Iwould just be like, no, it's
good.
But uh that's the other thingtoo.
When you come off of a VirginCruise, you know when you've
eaten salt-laden food.
You know, you feel like aballoon for a week afterwards.
Uh, but every time I come off avirgin, I literally am like, I I
get on the scale.
Uh I usually lose a pound or twobecause I said last time I got
(35:20):
back, I said to him, How thehell did I lose three pounds the
way I ate?
But then you forget just all thewalking and just all the again,
you know, creating content.
I'm a wanderer, so you know Imean, yeah, but uh the food,
yeah, definitely spot on onvirgin.
Oh my gosh, quality food.
SPEAKER_00 (35:34):
So funny.
Yeah, my husband and I weretaking a walk.
I told this story on one of myepisodes, and we were on um deck
16, I think, you know, and thenyou have deck 17 where there's
that little end part where it'stopless optional.
And my husband, so my husbandand I are on the walking track
and we're coming around the bedand he goes, Honey, he goes, I
think I just saw boobies, and Iwent, Oh, that's deck 17.
(35:56):
I'm like, it's optional.
It's a topless optional.
He goes, You didn't tell methat.
I said, Well, when we go aroundagain, pay attention.
SPEAKER_02 (36:03):
Right, right, right.
SPEAKER_00 (36:04):
We'll count how many boobies you see.
But none of them were good.
They were not like anything liketo get excited about.
SPEAKER_03 (36:12):
Yeah, yeah, right, right, right, right.
They weren't cookies on theperch.
SPEAKER_00 (36:14):
They were gonna be like, honey, you never told me.
I was like, I forgot.
I don't know, I forgot.
Anyway, all right.
Um, first thing you do whenyou're bored.
SPEAKER_03 (36:24):
Oh, uh, first thing we do.
Well, I mean, in all honesty,probably grab a glass of
champagne.
SPEAKER_00 (36:28):
I'm gonna say you're drinking them away.
SPEAKER_03 (36:30):
Go ahead.
SPEAKER_01 (36:31):
Go to sip is usually what we do first.
SPEAKER_00 (36:34):
All right, so I don't have any other questions
for the rapid fire, but we wannagive because I do like a
transcription, so all the shownotes will be there and
everything.
So, what is the name of thechannel for everybody to
subscribe on YouTube?
And I'm guilty, I gotta go onYouTube and subscribe too
because I'm working out we're onthere.
SPEAKER_01 (36:51):
No worries, no worries.
Um, on all platforms, it's Ryanand John Review It.
So you can go on YouTube,TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, um,
all the same.
Ryan and on the talk?
SPEAKER_00 (37:02):
You're on the talk?
SPEAKER_01 (37:03):
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (37:05):
So this this I think where it gets overwhelming,
especially for me as somebodywho knows how to edit and make
the content and knows what'sengaging.
And I mean, anybody can chat GPTa content plan and really get to
it.
But yeah, all the platforms.
I mean, it's just like I gottaput myself.
I mean, I don't even doSnapchat, I can't even get into
that because it's just I kind oflike to call by the way.
(37:27):
TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, andthen is it reels?
Is it shorts?
Now TikTok has stories.
I'm like, I can't keep up withit all.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (37:37):
How do you think it is hard and it's overwhelming,
but honestly, like we just cometo the conclusion that like we
are just going to whatever wepost for that day is basically
gonna go across all platforms.
And you know, sometimes it doesreally well on one and not well
on the other.
I mean, TikTok, some things wehave anywhere from 10, 20, 30.
(37:59):
I think our redemption spathermal suite TikTok has like
75,000 views.
Amazing! You know, the samething on Instagram gets like
500, and then vice versa, or youknow, something will blow up on
Facebook.
On Facebook, the the little reelabout the uh hoy flag in the
galley, 85,000 views on like theone my husband showed me.
(38:20):
Yeah, so can you even believeit?
SPEAKER_03 (38:22):
I think it's it really is really to your point,
is like how do we do it?
It's really about just stayingkind of regimen and getting into
a routine because again, yeah,uh just keeping it realistic.
Like, I mean, we got real lies.
I mean, he's got a full-time jobhe has to do every day.
Uh two grandsons that I takecare of uh throughout the course
of the day.
So we have things going on, butit's just really about just
really staying dedicated to thecause.
Uh, and that's why it's justlike I'm kind of in the
(38:45):
insurance business, a lot ofpeople fail because it's a lot
of hard work, and just likecontent creation, YouTube
channels and all this, all thework that goes into it.
A lot of people just fail at itbecause they don't really
understand that it takes a lotof work.
So yeah, just staying organizedand we stay at each other and
we're always checking each otherand stuff like that.
So yeah, it's just and it's atag team, we work as a team.
Yeah.
I mean, that has to be.
SPEAKER_00 (39:04):
One of the things we also have in common is I think
it's maybe a little bit of alove for Wicked the musical.
Yeah, just throwing that outthere because I have my wicked
nails on still because I haven'tdone the Christmas nails yet.
SPEAKER_03 (39:16):
Yeah, those are fantastic.
SPEAKER_00 (39:17):
So um, my daughter had posted like last year when
the movie first came out, justthe squishmallows were in
Walmart.
SPEAKER_02 (39:25):
Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_00 (39:25):
And she just took a like a little 30-second video of
the squishmallows and put thewicked music on it, and it's
like has almost 600,000 views onTikTok.
SPEAKER_02 (39:32):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (39:33):
And I was like, oh my God, this is crazy.
So I loved that for her.
SPEAKER_01 (39:39):
One thing we've learned is the stuff that we
like, you know, just kind of dolike whatever, like, oh, that's
that's a good one.
Let's get that real quick orwhatever, and just kind of do it
real quick.
Like, sometimes those just dobetter.
I don't know why than like whenyou're like, okay, I'm gonna do
this clip and this clip and thenedit this.
Like, I don't know.
SPEAKER_03 (39:56):
It's just when you do something off the cuff.
Well, and I think it's just morenatural.
I mean, again, people peopleknow authenticity when they see
it.
Yeah, yeah.
And I think when we just dostuff like that off the cuff,
where we do the silly thingsabout like uh, you know, the
ones about drinking, just funnystuff, and we'll be surprised
when we're like, how the hell isthat at 150,000 views?
And then we did this really likeserious short, and it got like
(40:16):
you know, 8,000 views.
SPEAKER_00 (40:17):
Right, and then the stuff you put all the effort
into is like, oh, nobody reallywatched that one.
I worked really hard on that.
SPEAKER_03 (40:22):
So true.
SPEAKER_00 (40:23):
The feelings.
SPEAKER_03 (40:24):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (40:25):
What do you guys editing?
What do you guys what platform?
SPEAKER_03 (40:28):
Yeah, I've been using Capca and I was doing a
little Da Vincent.
I had some other programs I wasusing, and honestly, Capca was
just really out of convenience,is really what it is.
Because I can really run it onthe go and uh easy for home to
learn too.
I have no problem with likelearning the programs, the
editing software.
Um, but you know, you as youknow, too, those can be a bear
to learn.
Oh, yeah, just get familiar withone thing and then just you
(40:49):
know.
SPEAKER_00 (40:49):
Well, I love I love Final Cut Pro, and I'm like, you
know, I use that in the studioat school, and then it's like
but Capcot is pretty easy, but Ilike to like see it on the
laptop and like chop things.
Right.
But yeah, it's what I use.
SPEAKER_03 (41:03):
I use everything.
Uh I use do all my editing onthe laptop, even though I use
even though it's Capcut, I useCapcot, the desk desktop version
of it.
Smart.
I'm O C D whenever.
comes to editing sometimes I'llbe like, oh my god, I've been
looking at the same video for aday.
SPEAKER_00 (41:17):
Absolutely.
Well, listen, this has been apleasure.
I have had so much fun havingyou guys on the show.
SPEAKER_01 (41:23):
Same.
SPEAKER_00 (41:23):
We have my mind, I've had this huge podcast.
You know, it's global entity,but you know, it's it's growing
slowly and organically, but youknow that's that's a matter of
really about consistency, thecontent creation.
I'm just I'm not consistent, soI need to get more consistent.
But I'm so happy that you guyscame today.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_03 (41:42):
No, we're happy that you had us yeah yeah I mean I
mean same like us.
We're small.
I mean we're just doing ourthing.
Like I said we're we're at leastthe three of us are doing it and
a lot of people just sit andtalk about it.
SPEAKER_00 (41:53):
Well we're gonna go live together on a cruise ship
at some point.
I I have no doubt.
SPEAKER_01 (41:58):
I can't wait for that.
SPEAKER_00 (41:59):
Well there's an app that I use it's called Shipmate.
Oh okay and I like I don't getpaid or sponsored by it but one
of my friends was like are youon Shipmate?
Because then you can add allyour upcoming cruises and people
can see them.
Oh and then you know when peopleare on certain sailings.
So I went in and put all my pastsailings in and then I put all
my upcoming sailings and then Irealized I'm an addict.
SPEAKER_01 (42:20):
Oh my god yeah well I'll be probably not far behind
you so we'll download that andwe'll stay connected to make
sure we know when we can get ona sailing together.
SPEAKER_00 (42:31):
All right and then we'll I'll publish this episode
and I'll tag you guys and I'lldo some little clips and stuff
and I'll share it to stories andall that.
And then everybody out therelistening you have to follow
Ryan and John renew uh reviewit.
SPEAKER_03 (42:44):
Thank you Lydia Ryan and John review it right yes you
got Ryan how did you get thefirst billing on the name you
know here this was a originallyit was going to be John and Ryan
review it.
SPEAKER_01 (42:55):
He was so adamant that people were going to get
confused between Ryan I thoughtRyan review I thought it was I
thought John and Ryan review itversus Ryan and John review it
was easier to say the other waybecause the Ryan review it can
get tongue twisty I think.
SPEAKER_03 (43:10):
I don't know and as you know we pick and choose our
battles and our relationshipsand I said sure you could have
top billing I'll expect bananathat's okay.
You're the straight manetizationstarts coming in how about that
yeah exactly right exactly wellI told him he's just straight
man and I'm kind of the the thethe the funny one so I love it
all right well thank you forbeing with me today and we'll be
(43:32):
cruising together soon enoughI'm sure absolutely thank you
Lydia appreciate you
Did we just become best friends, Ryan and John,
review it?
SPEAKER_01 (01:20):
Yes, I think we did.
Oh yeah, we did.
SPEAKER_00 (01:22):
Oh, we totally did.
I'm so excited to have you onthe podcast today.
Thank you so much for makingtime for me.
SPEAKER_01 (01:28):
Thank you for making time for us.
SPEAKER_00 (01:29):
Yeah, so what I normally do is I just caught
that you're wearing a verge ofvoyage a shirt.
Oh my god, now I'm gettingdistracted.
What I normally do is I tell thelisteners around the globe
because believe it or not, wehave listeners everywhere.
That's crazy.
I tell our listeners how we met.
And we didn't meet yet.
So this is this this podcasttoday is a product of my cyber
(01:52):
stalking abilities, which areimpeccable.
And okay, so just so everybodyknows, I'm an avid cruiser.
And you guys caught my attentionon the gram on the Instagram.
And I don't remember whichvoyage you were on or if it was
it was one of Christine Lozada'sposts, but I was like, oh my
(02:12):
god, I love those guys.
We have to be best friends, andwe have to be on the podcast
together, and you're my people,and I just loved your energy.
And I was like, okay, that's it.
They have to be on the podcast.
So thank you for making time forme today.
SPEAKER_03 (02:25):
Yeah, no, absolutely.
Well, thanks for having us.
Yeah, definitely.
We love your energy as well.
It matches ours.
So uh yeah, we definitely andwhen you mentioned the cyber
stalking part, now we definitelybecame best friends.
SPEAKER_00 (02:35):
Oh, yeah.
We have a few things in common.
A few things in common we'll getto.
All right, so let's start upfirst and foremost.
I would like to know because umRyan and John review it.
It's relatively new, right?
Your account.
SPEAKER_01 (02:48):
Yeah, we just really started about like two years
ago.
We really just started onYouTube and we use YouTube, we
used and used YouTube to reallyfind out what our experiences
are that we want to do whenwe're traveling.
And that's how we foundChristine and the whole Virgin
Voyages thing, which I'll letJohn tell you about.
But we just thought, you know,like, hey, like if we find
YouTube helpful to get thelatest reviews and updates on
(03:11):
people's experiences and howthey're spending their money,
maybe our trips and travels willbe helpful for people and
they'll be able to understandwhat the latest experience looks
like, how much it costs, and soon and so forth.
So we really started on YouTubeabout two years ago, and then
just this last like real sixmonths, we just started really
putting effort into the otherplatforms.
SPEAKER_00 (03:29):
I love it.
Yeah, and it's funny because Iwas a high school teacher and I
taught TV production andbroadcast journalism.
And I've done all the things,I've made the videos, I've
edited content, I dideverything, you know, like
professionally, but I never didit as a personal project.
So the podcast is like a passionproject.
And anytime I'm out there and Ido a video or I go live,
(03:51):
everybody comments, why aren'tyou doing this?
Why aren't you an influencer?
Why aren't you making morecontent?
I'm like, because people don'trealize it's work.
SPEAKER_01 (03:59):
Oh my gosh.
I this man right here, John,like literally, he that's his
full-time job.
Is like our editing, like he isour like editor cameraman.
I mean, like, listen, I mean, uhyou you well, yeah, at the end
of the day, that's what I try toexplain to people.
SPEAKER_03 (04:11):
I'm like, listen, we absolutely love making content,
but until we really starteddoing it like full time, people
don't understand that.
A lot goes into it.
I mean, it is full time.
I mean, it's not just yeah, youknow, going on trips and having
cruisers on those trips, youknow, we're working and getting
content put together and reallytrying to find good, useful
information that we can give toour subscribers.
Because that's the last thing wewant to do, is just I don't want
(04:32):
to be a talking head.
We just don't want to be oncamera to be on camera.
I like Ryan, you know, wassaying earlier, we actually
started YouTube because I was onYouTube all the time.
I would always go there.
I'm a self-learner, I lovelearning how to do stuff, and as
you know, being a homeowner,there's always something to fix.
Yeah, we really use it.
SPEAKER_00 (04:48):
Controlling everybody else's content, right?
Learning.
SPEAKER_03 (04:51):
Yeah, yeah.
So I thought, well, you knowwhat, if we can kind of
contribute to that, and a lot ofour friends would always ask
about our trips and stuff likethat.
So we would say, you know, whydon't we just start making
YouTube videos and putting it upthere and see what happens.
So yeah, again, to just kind ofbring it back.
Yeah, it is definitely workbecause we are always trying to
find useful stuff to give to theuh you know our subscribers.
SPEAKER_00 (05:08):
Absolutely.
And I think what always holds meback, and Mel Robbins talks
about this a lot, because I'mlike a huge fan of her podcast.
Um, I always, and Christine andI talked about that because
Christine was on my podcast aswell.
I don't know if you've listenedto that episode.
She I said, Does the worldreally need another travel
influencer?
Does the world need anotherYouTube channel?
(05:28):
Like it always holds me backbecause I feel like the market
is so saturated.
And she goes, But Lydia, no,you're the only you.
SPEAKER_01 (05:35):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (05:36):
And so you're gonna bring something to it.
And she's like, why not?
She was like a thousand percentyes.
SPEAKER_01 (05:42):
And honestly, like, you know, I mean, uh, if people
want to say, like, you know,we're we're just like a small
channel, we're just likeliterally, we're just two guys
who are like literally justcapturing our travels, and
hopefully, like we can givehelpful tips and insights to
other people who find ithelpful.
Like, we really don't likeconsider like ourselves like
influencers, and like even likeyou know, Christine has kind of
said, like, oh, you should kindof change that frame of mind.
(06:04):
But like, we're just kind oflike, we're just we're just
people capturing our travels andlike what we learn and helping
others along the way.
So that's really what it'sabout.
We'd be doing it either way.
SPEAKER_03 (06:12):
So if we weren't recording it on YouTube or
Instagram, we'd still be doingthe trips and stuff like that.
So none of this is done reallyto Ryan's point for any kind of
show.
SPEAKER_01 (06:21):
We've been traveling for 16 years, you know.
So travel, you know, for 16years, we're like, okay, let's
do this.
So yeah, I mean, exactly to thatpoint.
SPEAKER_03 (06:29):
And plus being creative helps too.
You you said you're a creativeperson.
I'm super creative.
I love painting and just doinganything creative.
So this really just gives me acreative outlet as far as
editing, filming.
Just gives me somewhere to drivemy energy to as I'm getting a
little older now.
SPEAKER_00 (06:42):
Oh, absolutely.
So now, do either of you alsowork full-time?
SPEAKER_01 (06:47):
Yeah, we both we both do.
We both have like full-time jobsum, you know, that are very
flexible and allow us to do thisas well.
But we were we basically bothhave two full-time jobs.
Yeah.
So between just our regulardaytime jobs and then just like,
yeah, the content.
I mean, it takes John a fullweek to put together, you know,
a good quality 25-minute YouTubevideo.
(07:07):
And that's not, you know, allthe shorts and the reels and
everything else.
And so, yeah, I mean, it's webasically both work two
full-time jobs.
Yeah, exactly.
Well, yeah, two and jobs.
SPEAKER_00 (07:16):
So now I'm curious.
I have to know.
SPEAKER_01 (07:18):
Okay, we're actually both in healthcare.
We're both in we're both inhealth insurance.
So I work um for uh uh insurerthat helps to try to provide
low-cost health care to all ofAmericans, whether it's
Medicare, Medicaid, ACA.
So yeah, I do that.
SPEAKER_03 (07:34):
And then I'm I'm actually on an insurance agency.
I'm an insurance agent.
Uh, and I actually just got intothat uh about two years ago
before that I spent 27 years inhospitality operations.
Oh, wow.
So I came from a veryhigh-paced, moving, pivoting,
kind of always staying busy.
So that's why kind of thiscontent creation kind of fell
into place for me and works soeasily because I'm used to
(07:54):
always kind of being on a on aswivel.
So it works out great.
So yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (07:57):
It's funny because I actually come from a very vast
healthcare revenue cyclemanagement background.
I used to do um billing andmanage the whole, you know,
cycle.
Yeah.
Worked for a huge entity, andthen I kind of took a like a
hiatus and I went into educationand became a teacher for like
the last 10 years.
SPEAKER_02 (08:13):
Nice.
SPEAKER_00 (08:13):
And then I just left education this summer.
I just made the shift.
SPEAKER_02 (08:18):
And now I'm still about it so far.
SPEAKER_00 (08:21):
Oh God, it's I'm I have no regrets leaving
education.
I just wish I didn't have toleave education.
I wet I wish it paid better.
SPEAKER_01 (08:27):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (08:28):
And that's a whole other podcast episode.
SPEAKER_01 (08:30):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (08:31):
But let's keep it light, let's keep it moving
because one of the perks ofbeing in in education is having
your summer off, and that's whenI started traveling a lot.
And about three years ago, I'mreally relatively new to
cruising.
SPEAKER_01 (08:45):
Same.
SPEAKER_00 (08:45):
Um, and I, you know, I went on one cruise, I won an
NCL, and then I was like, oh mygod, this is fabulous.
Why why why am I not doing thisall the time?
It's like so great, right?
It's like that all-inclusivefeel.
And then for my 50th birthday,my girlfriend who's like a mega
gambler, she gets casino compsall over the world.
Um, she's like, What do you wantto do for your 50th birthday?
(09:07):
And I said, I want to go onvirgin voyages.
And that's where really the loveand fascination for virgins
started because I said, I wantto go on that cruise.
She's like, Okay, done.
I'm gonna book it for us,whatever.
And when you're a gambler, yougo on casino comp, it's you only
play pay like four charges andtaxes.
SPEAKER_02 (09:23):
Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_00 (09:24):
And it was like 200 bucks to go on my first
four-night virgin voyagescruise.
SPEAKER_03 (09:28):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (09:29):
In an XLC terrace.
So I was like, I'm on, but yeah,like yeah.
So spoiled.
I am so spoiled.
And um, you know, I definitelywant to talk about Virgin, but I
want to talk talk about othertravels.
So, did you guys mostly takelike my husband and I before the
pandemic, we used to travel tolike cities.
Different cities were likewalking cities, and we would go
(09:50):
to a game or we'd go to NewYork, go to Broadway shows, you
know, all the things.
And then kind of after thepandemic, that like really
slowed down for us any kind ofair travel, and then we started
cruising.
So, how about you guys?
SPEAKER_03 (10:03):
Well, for us, it started as uh we we always have
traveled.
Yeah, again, a lot of citytravel and stuff like that, up
until the pandemic, and actuallywhen the pandemic came in 2020,
we actually lived in Manhattan.
So we had did a lot of travel upthere.
Yeah, we spent a couple years upin the city.
My drinking when the pandemiccame, you know, obviously
everything changed.
We came back to Florida.
And I'd been trying to get thisone on cruises for we've been
(10:26):
we're going on our 17th year, soit's been about 16 years of
trying to get him to like, hey,we should try a cruise.
And he just really was not muchof you know a fan of hearing
about it.
SPEAKER_00 (10:35):
My husband wasn't either, and you know why?
Because he was a germophobe.
He is a germophobe.
My husband knows this, somethingI wouldn't say to his face.
But and I kept trying to tellhim that's the safest trip for
you right now because they'retesting everybody before you get
on the ship, and then you're inan area that they're constantly
sanitizing, like it is thesafest thing, but he still
wasn't buying it.
SPEAKER_03 (10:53):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, he was and he he was kindof the same way.
And I actually, like I said,always being a YouTube person, a
self-learner, I always watchYouTube, and I actually was
watching Christine's videos andI was like, you know what?
I like her, I just like hervibe.
She's kind of like kind of likeus.
If I can get him to startwatching her, maybe he'll buy
into like going on a cruise.
So one day I was in therewatching one of her videos, and
(11:14):
he's like, Who is this you keepwatching?
And I kind of introduced him toChristine and all about Virgin.
He was like, You know, she seemskind of fun, and those cruises
seem like it's kind of fun.
It seems like it's really goodfood.
There's no buffets, you know, weget to kind of travel to go
other places as well.
Other part, no children, sothat's a plus.
Oh my god.
So that's kind of how it allstarted.
And yeah, we booked our firstcruise, got out on our first
(11:37):
cruise, honestly, organically,boarded the ship, and I just
happened to look over, andChristine was on that cruise.
Like, oh, there's Christine, theone that's like, when did you
guys go for the first time?
SPEAKER_01 (11:46):
Sorry, May of Sailing?
May of 25, yeah, was our firstone.
And that was to Cozumel and uhBimini.
And that was really fun.
Um, and so that was the firstlike time I experienced
cruising, and I was like, Oh,okay, I get it, I get it.
This is a really good time.
And we actually had other plansa couple months later in August
(12:07):
for John's birthday, and we werelike, scratch it, let's like get
another, let's do anothercruise.
We were gonna go to New York,we're gonna see Lady Gaga, go to
MSG, a Broadway show.
And he was like, No, I want togo on another cruise.
I was like, Well, to yourbirthday, okay.
And so now we're going on ourfifth one this year.
So we've just fell fallen inlove with it.
SPEAKER_03 (12:24):
Well, to your point, like traveling, city travel
after we kind of saw the ease ofbeing here in the Tampa area and
then going down to Miami.
So much easier versus you know,sitting in the airport getting
there three hours ahead of time,going through TSD and sitting in
the lamp.
SPEAKER_01 (12:37):
Lydia, I'll actually tell you what pushed me over the
edge to try cruising.
SPEAKER_00 (12:41):
Tell me what pushed you over the edge.
SPEAKER_01 (12:43):
In February of this year in 2025, we went to Costa
Rica for a very good friend'swedding.
Our good friends got marriedthere.
And Costa Rica was beautiful.
I loved being where we were oncewe got there.
But the travel to get where weneeded to end up, not just like
the flight, but once, you know,fly from Tampa to San Jose, and
(13:04):
then you got to take athree-hour trek to the resort to
La Fortuna, you know, after allthat travel, it's beautiful and
it's awesome.
But like the travel to and from,I was like, how can I have these
kind of experiences, even ifit's a quick like in and out,
without having all of thistravel?
And then like the whole cruiseconversation came up again with
this one.
And so I was like, and then theChristine, I was like, you know
(13:26):
what?
I'm gonna try it.
And that's really honestly thatexperience of just kind of like
amazing travel, but like, why dowe have to take such a long trek
to get where we're going?
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (13:35):
You know, so yeah, for me, I just I felt like when
I got on that ship, first ofall, I loved everything about
the vibe.
If you've ever flown like virginair, you know, you know like
that everything like that's onthe list.
Well, listen, I just took oneflight to LA one time and the
whole inside of the cabin waspurple and they had all the
music.
It was like fabulous.
You know, Richard does it right.
SPEAKER_02 (13:56):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (13:57):
So when I went on that trip and I came back and I
said to my husband, everythingthat you said, now I have
children, but I don'tnecessarily want a vacation with
them all the time.
SPEAKER_01 (14:07):
She's got children, he's got grandchildren, and we
just love them, but we don'thave to be a good one.
SPEAKER_00 (14:11):
First of all, they had me at adults only.
Yeah.
Next, they had me at no buffetbecause my husband, again, he
doesn't like when our all thekids are running around,
everybody's touching everything,everybody's eating when they're
not even seated yet.
He and he gets so disgusted bypeople.
Yeah.
So I said, There's no buffets,we can sit in the galley,
they'll serve you, or you can goup and get it yourself.
(14:32):
And I'm telling you, I said, wehave to go.
So the minute we got back, um,and one thing, one of the things
I love that Virgin does is theyrate you on your whole cabin
place.
So my girlfriend's like a highroller.
So I was getting offers, and Ididn't even really gamble that
much on that trip.
SPEAKER_01 (14:46):
Nice.
SPEAKER_00 (14:46):
Then I got an offer and I said, We're going.
I said, We are going.
You're going on this trip withme.
And then after we went, he waslike, Oh my god, this is really
fabulous.
Like we loved the entireexperience.
I think there's definitely somepros and cons.
There's a little some thingsthat I like about other cruise
lines, like regarding theentertainment.
SPEAKER_02 (15:04):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (15:05):
And there's, you know, there's variables, but
overall, like five-starexperience, and I just loved it.
So I took my husband and now hewas hooked.
SPEAKER_02 (15:14):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (15:14):
So I've been on I've been on four sailings.
The sailing that I took myhusband on, that's how I met
Christine, because we weresitting at Pinkagade and we were
having dinner, and we were nextto her and Meatball at the time.
SPEAKER_02 (15:28):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (15:28):
And um, she had this 360 camera.
This I saw the stick sticking uplike in her lap, and I saw the
camera, and I'm like, what isshe doing with the 360?
Like, that's not a normal thingyou see unless you're a creator.
And of course, I worked workedin broadcasting, so it's like,
okay, and I go, I go, is that a360?
I'm like, are you a contentcreator?
She's like, yeah.
And and next thing you know, wewere taking a picture and we
(15:50):
were talking about everything.
And I said, I'll follow you onthe channel.
And I was like, You gotta be onmy podcast, and the rest was
history.
And we've actually beencoincidentally on many sailings
together.
SPEAKER_01 (16:00):
I love it.
SPEAKER_00 (16:00):
So it's just so much fun.
SPEAKER_01 (16:02):
And I just think we love about Virgin is the people.
Like you just like you just saidyou meet great people, and
that's why we love doing thingslike gun bay the first night,
grog walk.
We just like meeting new peopleand just getting to like see
who's on the ship and it'sdifferent every time.
And it's it's cool.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (16:19):
Yeah, we had a great time.
And the first time I took myhusband, like we had gone out to
dinner, and then I was in thecasino for a little bit, and I
had a jackpot.
I won like five thousanddollars.
SPEAKER_01 (16:29):
Oh my gosh, that's awesome!
SPEAKER_00 (16:31):
Yeah, I had a mega jackpot, and my husband was
like, Oh my god, even better.
SPEAKER_01 (16:37):
That's paying for the next one, rock star level,
baby.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (16:39):
Oh god, you know, it's so funny.
I have not done the rock starexperience just because, like,
you know, I go on casino compand I don't I could upgrade.
Yeah, but and I probably should.
Yeah, I haven't done it yet, butI I will put it on the list to
try because we you know, becauseI cruise so cheap, I really
could afford to spend the moneyand just you know do the
upgrade.
So maybe for like a specialanniversary or something.
SPEAKER_01 (17:02):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So large.
SPEAKER_00 (17:04):
I have some questions for you guys.
All right.
So for anyone new to yourcontent, like how would you
describe your style as like acruise creator?
Because you know, you my husbandactually showed me, he didn't
know that I knew who you wereand he didn't know that I
followed you.
He showed me your last one ofyour last little shorts that
came up on Instagram.
I think it was a reel about um Idon't know if it was in the
(17:28):
galley.
I don't know, it was veryrecent.
SPEAKER_01 (17:30):
The flag in the galley?
SPEAKER_00 (17:31):
I think so, yes.
He goes, see, honey, you coulddo that, like they're doing.
Yeah, he's he's trying to get meto continue doing it.
I haven't I haven't decided ifI'm taking the leap or not, but
I'm like, I don't know.
If I can figure out a way tomonetize it, maybe, but I don't
know.
Yeah right now it's just forfun.
But tell me, so how would youdescribe like your style?
Because there's so many creatorsout there.
SPEAKER_03 (17:52):
Yeah.
Well, I just think we're reallytwo authentic people, like I
guess that that would be doingthis either way, and we're
really just trying to add somevalue to people that really do
take the time to subscribe andwatch our content.
Because that's a lot too.
There's a lot of stuff that getsput in front of us every day on
social media.
SPEAKER_02 (18:09):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (18:09):
I'm I'm just subject to it as well, being a
consummate scroller.
So, yeah, we really just try togive people something that's
gonna stop you a really quickgood tip.
And then when we do a long formvideos too, it's really just
adding value and beingauthentic.
If we don't like something,we're gonna tell you we don't
like it.
Yeah.
We do very few sponsorships.
Uh everything we do is kind ofon our dime, like Ryan said.
(18:30):
It's like a full-time job.
We're paying for things, wedon't get a lot of things comped
or anything like that.
So we're just very honest andvery upright when it comes to
doing our reviews and talkingabout the experiences that we
do.
SPEAKER_01 (18:40):
Yeah, but we're also we're pretty generally like, you
know, easygoing people.
We're not really like, you know,hard to please or anything like
that.
So some people may think like,oh, you, you know, you're always
positive or everything's alwayslike, you know, some form of
like acceptable or good orgreat.
And it's like, well, you know,very time very few times is
there something egregious thatlike makes it be like, you know,
we really don't like thisexperience or whatever.
(19:01):
So we're just honestly like twogenuine people who just want to
give people helpful tips that wefind helpful and we learn, we're
like, oh, if we've learned it,we're like, oh, that's super
helpful to know.
Let's make a quick short reel onit just so we can get out there
and other people know.
And that's the feedback.
We love that feedback on ourcomments, like, oh, great tip.
This is so helpful.
And like when we see people likeadd it to their favorites to
(19:22):
remember it, like, oh, that wasa valuable tip.
That was a good one that peopleare gonna remember and be like,
that was helpful to me.
So really just a balance of likehelpful, informative.
Our long forms are a little bitmore of like kind of a vlog
style with tips and just reviewsof stuff.
So we just take people along andbe like, hey, if you want to
experience this, this might bewhat your experience looks like.
And like you said, with so manypeople out there, everybody's
(19:44):
point of view is different.
Everybody's experience isdifferent, everybody just does
different things.
Some people might do the grogwalk, some people might not,
some people might do theafternoon tea, might not.
So there's just so manydifferent experiences out there.
That's another reason we lovevirgin.
Is that the place?
Yeah, you it's like you make it,you do what you want, you make
it your own.
You want to party, you party,you don't, you don't.
It's that's why we love it.
SPEAKER_00 (20:05):
So, my favorite question I always get when I
talk about how much I lovevirgin voyages, and I don't know
which ship you went on first.
Which one did you sail?
SPEAKER_01 (20:12):
Valiant.
Yeah, Valiant.
SPEAKER_00 (20:14):
Okay, I went on Scarlet Lady first.
Oh, I love this, I love the OG.
She's my girl.
SPEAKER_01 (20:18):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (20:18):
But um, a lot of people say, Oh, Virgin, that's
the swingers cruise.
Blah, blah, blah, blah.
I go, are you kidding me?
Let me tell you, not once.
Now, I don't care.
That's that's your thing, go forit.
But not once have I ever seen anupside down pineapple magnet on
the Virgin Voyages cruise door.
SPEAKER_03 (20:35):
Well, you know, let me let me let me let me expand
on that a second because this isactually really it's funny as
hell that you brought this on.
So last time we were on acruise, I bought my daughter a
virgin jacket, right?
So she works in the medicalfield and uh she was going to
work, and it's uh here inFlorida, I guess the 60 degrees,
it's cold.
So she's like, I gotta wear myjacket to, you know, I'm gonna
take this jacket and wear it towork.
So uh she said something alongthe lines of uh, yeah, last time
(20:59):
I wore this jacket to work, somepeople were like, Oh, virgin,
who goes on virgin?
She was like, Oh, my dad andRyan go all the time.
Like, oh I guess they don't tellyou the stories about those.
And I was like, What are youtalking about?
And she's like, Well, they weresaying like it's like a swingers
cruise, and everybody's like, Igo, do you know?
Like, so Seriously, like youthink you would know like if we
were like into that lifestyleafter you know 17 years?
So she joked about it too.
(21:19):
But yeah, that really issometimes to your point.
SPEAKER_00 (21:21):
Like it's funny because the only pineapple
magnets I've ever seen arealways on Royal Caribbean.
And they're always on deck six.
They're always on deck six.
It's so funny.
I'm like, is deck six theswingers' deck or what?
SPEAKER_01 (21:34):
I don't know.
Yeah.
I mean, we've seen we have we'veseen one time, actually, it was
on our first cruise, the likerooms next to us, or there's a
group of rooms next to us thatwas a group of ladies that had
some really funny, cheeky thingson their doors, and like little
like right, right like this withlike a little whiteboard, and
like they had some pineapple,but like that we saw it one
(21:54):
time, and honestly, like likeanything, I'm sure like you
cheer pointing it goes onanywhere, it doesn't have to be
on the absolutely that's what Ialways say.
I'm like I don't talk people arelike propositioning you, like
hey yeah, I mean it's like it'slike things that it's like
people are like yeah, likehonestly, like proposition
people like flattered if I wasproposition, I would be like so
flattered.
SPEAKER_00 (22:14):
Like, where nobody has ever approached me.
SPEAKER_01 (22:17):
But again, like to your point, like if no judgment,
if that's your thing and that'swhat you want to do, like
absolutely well.
SPEAKER_00 (22:23):
The reason I say that is because you've obviously
seen my Instagram.
I have lost 160 pounds and I'mlooking like better than ever.
And I'm like, where is theperson trying to flirt with me?
I'm happily here.
Like nobody tries to flirt withme.
Like, where are these people?
SPEAKER_01 (22:39):
Congratulations, amazing.
You look you look awesome.
That's definitely anachievement.
That's a that's really anachievement to be honest.
As two people on weight lossjourneys ourselves, we totally
understand that.
SPEAKER_00 (22:50):
So it's a it's a lifelong battle, but we're
winning the war.
Um, okay, so what are your likeupcoming trips?
Like, are you doing more virginsailings?
I know that you said you haveanother one coming up.
Yeah, I actually have a couplecoming up as well, and I'm now
I'm bummed because like we haveto get on one together.
We we have to do it.
SPEAKER_01 (23:09):
I know, I know.
I I feel like next year we'lldefinitely we will have we'll
cross paths on a ship for sure.
SPEAKER_00 (23:15):
I and it doesn't have to be virgin because you
know I have status on all thecruise lines and I don't
discriminate because it wasfunny, the first Royal Caribbean
I ever went on, I blasted it andI was like, I'm never going
again.
And then now I'm like, I've beenon 21 cruises in the last like
two years.
SPEAKER_01 (23:31):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (23:31):
And now I love Royal, but there's certain
things I love about Royal,certain things I love about
Virgin.
SPEAKER_01 (23:36):
Well, and that's the thing.
We we definitely want to expandour horizons.
Now that we realize that we doreally enjoy cruising, we're
like, okay, where else can wego?
What else can we try?
So we are excited to announcethat we will be trying Celebrity
for the first time in February.
The new Celebrity Excel, theweek of February 8th.
So now were you invited?
SPEAKER_00 (23:56):
Were you invited to do that, or is it something you
just booked personally?
SPEAKER_01 (23:59):
Uh, it was something we booked alongside Christine
and JC so we can all experiencethe ship together.
Um, when is this?
SPEAKER_00 (24:06):
When is this?
I'm writing it down.
SPEAKER_01 (24:07):
It's the week of February 8th.
SPEAKER_03 (24:09):
So that'll be Yeah, we just actually confirmed it,
and we were excited too becausewe were all talking about
wanting to just try somethingdifferent.
Yeah.
From a total like outsiders'perspective that have never been
on there, don't know much aboutthem.
So it's gonna be super.
SPEAKER_00 (24:21):
Very good things about celebrity, very good
things about celebrity.
It's like the more upscaleversion of Royal because it's
not as many kids and it's a moreupscale feel.
SPEAKER_01 (24:30):
That's what we were like, we were talking with
Christine and kind of saying,okay, like if we wanted a
similar virgin experience, whatis another line or ship that
would be that like, you know,not again, we'll try that the
Royal Caribbean icon of the seasor something, you know, one day.
But what's that next step that'sclosest to virgin with a similar
feeling clientele?
And sure, there will probably besome some kids, some older kids
(24:53):
maybe, but it doesn't have likethe water side, it's not geared
towards families.
SPEAKER_03 (24:57):
So um, yeah, we're gonna try the Excel and plus we
want to try, I mean, to be fairtoo.
We want to try, I mean, justlike we don't just fly one
airline or go to one place onvacation.
We definitely wanna expand andsee what other you know options
are another line or so.
Yeah, just to really and againto create that content to again
add value to our subscribers'lives by watching our videos to
(25:17):
show them other options too.
SPEAKER_00 (25:19):
Yeah, I think it's very smart.
I'm sure you guys got a gooddeal through um JC's travel
connections.
SPEAKER_01 (25:24):
Yes, yes, but uh listen, uh, we love booking with
JC and Christine.
They're just they're socommunicative, they're so
informed on what's going on.
They help you book reservationsand give you all the best advice
and something that you actuallyI just love, love, love them.
Um, but to finish off thatquestion before we move on,
that's that's coming up inFebruary.
But before that, we areactually, to your point about
(25:46):
Scarlet, that's the one ship wehaven't been on yet.
So we are actually finallygetting to go on that one this
month.
We're going over Christmas.
We're gonna take the holidayChristmas cruise and kind of see
what Christmas on a cruise islike.
So we're gonna take it on.
I love that for you.
Yeah.
Um, and then we've got a coupleother virgin ships uh scheduled
for next year.
We've got uh Grand Turk in Marchand then Alaska in July next
(26:08):
year.
So we have that on the docket sofar.
I'm sure more to come.
Like I said, we do want to tryprobably a royal, one of the
bigger ships just again to getthat comparison to what we're
also trying.
SPEAKER_00 (26:19):
Well, I'm gonna tell you the one that you must go on
for royal that I've been onseven times, which sounds like
obsessive, but it is that good.
SPEAKER_01 (26:27):
We all have our favorites, yeah, right.
SPEAKER_00 (26:28):
The Utopia of the Seas.
Okay, it's right out ofCanaveral.
You have to go.
The cruise director is amazing,and it is just a quick
three-nighter.
unknown (26:37):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (26:37):
Or four nighter.
Um, I am obsessed.
I love Utopia, the 80s vibe, thenostalgia, the water stream.
SPEAKER_01 (26:44):
Maybe we'll have to line that one up.
Maybe we'll have to line thatone up together.
SPEAKER_00 (26:48):
Absolutely.
Any weekend, I'm I will drive toCanaveral.
I'd rather go out of Canaveralthan Miami, and I live in Fort
Lauderdale.
So if that tells you anything,oh, I love cruising out of
Canaveral.
SPEAKER_01 (26:57):
That's awesome.
Yeah, that's cool.
I didn't realize you were inLauderdale.
That's so great.
You're so close.
SPEAKER_03 (27:01):
Well, plus, we want to, to your point, we live in a
in a port city as well.
So we want to see what a onegoing out of Tampa would be like
as well to only travel, youknow, 40 minutes instead of you
know two and a half, three hoursto South Florida.
SPEAKER_00 (27:12):
I promised myself that I was gonna slow down in
2026 and not have any cruisesbooked, and I have six booked,
so I don't think I kept thatpromise to myself very well.
SPEAKER_01 (27:23):
I don't think they'll be actually we do have
to travel by air to do a weddingin in 2026, but other than that,
I probably think cruising willbe the way we travel mostly in
2026.
SPEAKER_00 (27:36):
So I'm dying to do the Mediterranean, and I think
that's probably gonna be on thedocket for me in 2027.
It's my 10-year weddinganniversary, so I think we're
gonna go overseas.
Congrats.
But um, I don't know, I justcan't get away from it because
it's like when I think about,and my husband has asked me, you
know, let's go somewhere.
And I'm like, the flight, thehotels, the meals, I'm like,
(27:56):
it's so expensive when you thinkabout everything you get on the
cruise.
Yeah, I just can't, I'maddicted.
SPEAKER_01 (28:02):
That's another thing we keep talking about, is just
the value.
Like even if it's just likevirgin or we're looking at some
of these other ships, we're justlike just cruising in general.
SPEAKER_03 (28:11):
I mean, when you talk about just hotel prices and
just food.
I mean, it definitely, yeah, thefood and just when you're in
again, New York, just what itcosts to eat to a hotel.
I mean, it's you can takesometimes two or three cruises
for what you would spend for agood week in New York.
SPEAKER_01 (28:26):
Yeah, and we like to see Broadway shows and certain
things.
So it's like that's one thingthat we love about cruising that
we realize.
I realized because he was, Ithink, trying to tell me the
whole time.
Like, it is like a littlefloating New York City, Las
Vegas, like we like thoseoptions of like go and do a
dinner and a show, like we'll godo our own happy hour, just the
amount of things, the differentcombinations you can make up in
(28:48):
your day and the things you cando, and it's all right there.
You don't have to go anywhere.
I just love it.
I know.
SPEAKER_00 (28:54):
So, this this is what started my fascination with
Royal, actually, because I alsolove Broadway and I love Mamma
Mia.
And it it closed on Broadway andit wasn't touring.
And I always try to go seeeverything when it tours.
And I found out that the Allureof the Seas plays Mamma Mia.
So I literally booked that shipfor Mamma Mia.
(29:15):
That's it.
I fell, then I fell, I know, I'mon I'm a nut job.
So then I fell in love with thatship, and it just went overseas
this past year for a hundredmillion dollar amplification.
Oh, it's an Oasis class, it hasMamma Mia, and now it got all
the other bells and whistles ofthe Oasis class ship.
So it's coming back, but nowit's doing like six and eight
(29:36):
nighters, and I like theshorties because I like to show
on the weekends and get away.
Um, but it has one three nightsailing out of Fort Lauderdale
at the end of April.
And I booked it.
SPEAKER_01 (29:47):
Uh, there you go.
SPEAKER_00 (29:48):
Nice, and I feel like you guys have to come on
that cruise now.
SPEAKER_01 (29:51):
Send us the details.
You might have to squeeze it in.
You might have to squeeze it.
SPEAKER_00 (29:55):
Uh, but yeah, to your point, like the Broadway
shows, you know, a lot of thegood ones, like um Star of the
Seas is doing Back to theFuture, the musical.
SPEAKER_03 (30:03):
Yeah, there's fantastic again.
That's my favorite movie.
SPEAKER_00 (30:06):
And I'm telling you, I I have Star on the list, but
it's kind of moving down thelist because I gotta go on icon
and then I gotta go on Star, andthen I gotta go on Legend, you
know, like just so many, so manyships, so little time.
SPEAKER_01 (30:19):
I know, I know, right?
Can we just find annual passhopper, park hopper, uh ship
hopper?
Yeah, right.
Can we make one of those?
Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_00 (30:27):
Oh my god, if that was a thing, can you imagine?
SPEAKER_02 (30:29):
Forget it.
SPEAKER_00 (30:31):
So I want to do a little rapid fire round real
quick.
SPEAKER_02 (30:33):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (30:34):
All right, so ten questions, rapid fire.
First thing that comes to yourmind, you can take turns
answering, it doesn't matter ordisagree.
All right, aft, midship, orforward?
SPEAKER_01 (30:44):
Oh midship, midship.
SPEAKER_00 (30:46):
Yeah, definitely, definitely.
Even though I have to tell you Ilove the aft, um the seven, the
deck seven aft on the utopiabecause you can like go out this
little sneaky door at the endand like watch the water show
rehearsals.
SPEAKER_01 (30:58):
Oh fine.
SPEAKER_00 (30:59):
Or like sit up on the balcony and watch the water
show without like having to goin the ticket line.
Yeah, little little tips andtricks.
Okay.
Ocean view, balcony, orinterior.
SPEAKER_01 (31:10):
Oh, balcony.
Yeah, balcony for sure.
SPEAKER_00 (31:12):
For me, it's always ocean view balcony.
But I heard like if you like tosleep and you don't like the
light coming in so early in themorning, I heard the interior
rooms give you great sleep.
Oh, I'm always a balcony.
I'm a snob, I'm a snob.
I've never stayed in aninterior, but I would take it.
SPEAKER_03 (31:27):
No, when we go on this sixth style, we are gonna
stay on in an interior room justso we can kind of experience it.
And again, to and he's so likeoh, I think you have to do it
for your viewers.
The viewers we want to do itjust to give the experience of
like listen, we give realreviews.
Sometimes you get an interiorroom.
That's how the ball rolls.
SPEAKER_00 (31:44):
Main dining room, buffet, or specialty dining.
SPEAKER_01 (31:48):
So I mean, I get we've only been on virgin so
far, so I guess I would sayspecialty.
Yeah, I would say a specialtytoo.
SPEAKER_00 (31:55):
Yeah, yeah, because like I'm weird, I like the main
dining room on Royal, but Idon't eat that much, so I'm not
gonna pay$70 to have a steakwhen I can add this, add the
filet mignon for 20 bucks andthen the main dining room.
SPEAKER_01 (32:09):
I'm interested to see what that experience is like
since we've only been on Virginand it's an all more
all-inclusive.
I will be interested to see whatour opinion is of about.
SPEAKER_03 (32:16):
Well, yeah, for me, the food part of it is too,
because like I uh said earlier,I spent 27 years in hospitality
operations, so I I know food,that's my thing.
Uh so I love to kind of just seethe specialty dishes, and and
that's one thing about virgin welove.
SPEAKER_00 (32:28):
All right, so we'll we'll see.
All right.
Um early shows or late shows?
SPEAKER_03 (32:32):
Um, I like late shows.
I like late shows.
SPEAKER_00 (32:34):
Me too.
I like to eat early and I liketo go to the shows, and then I
like to go to the casino andit's staying late.
SPEAKER_01 (32:40):
Oh my god, we're gonna have a great time the
other day.
Oh my god.
SPEAKER_00 (32:42):
Are you guys gamblers?
SPEAKER_01 (32:44):
Oh, I'd love to.
Yeah, are you kidding?
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (32:45):
Oh my god.
SPEAKER_01 (32:46):
Not big, not big, but we love some slots and we
love to, you know, sit and hangout and ching, ching, ching.
This one works.
SPEAKER_00 (32:52):
I'm a bad influence, so we're gonna be getting along
just fine.
Oh yeah.
All right.
C Day or port day?
SPEAKER_01 (32:59):
I love a C Day.
Yeah, C Day is good.
Depending on the portal spa.
I love a C Day.
SPEAKER_00 (33:05):
Uh had have you done the Virgin Spa?
SPEAKER_01 (33:07):
Yes, the thermospa.
SPEAKER_00 (33:09):
It's so good.
SPEAKER_01 (33:10):
Yeah, I love it.
SPEAKER_00 (33:11):
It's so good.
Those those therapists are thisbig around and they're the best
hands.
Oh, I don't know.
Yeah, I don't know how they doit.
All right.
Um, what's your been yourfavorite private island so far
that you visited?
SPEAKER_01 (33:24):
Bimini is heaven on earth to me.
Like the Virgin Voyages BeachClub, like it's like Heaven on
Earth.
SPEAKER_03 (33:29):
Yeah, well, the one we just went to too, uh,
Malachon 21 was really nice aswell.
But uh, and I mean that wasn'tprivate, it was a resort, but
yeah, I think Bimini, and I evensaid it in our upcoming video
that's gonna be released onSunday, that I think Bimini is
the one place I really feel likeum you can I just unplug there.
I could literally just unplugand not care about anything for
hours.
SPEAKER_00 (33:46):
I have to tell you, my favorite private island, this
is gonna probably shock you, isNCL's great star peak.
Oh the problem is you have totinder there.
They're building a dock, butit's not gonna be ready for uh
quite some time.
And I didn't like having to waiton the tinder for 45 minutes for
it to fill up to take me back.
So that was not good.
But their actual private islandis so serene and calm, and I
(34:08):
just loved it.
SPEAKER_02 (34:09):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (34:10):
Um, but I love Coco K too because then you can have
the wild or you can have thecalm.
But Bimini is by far, they do itright.
And I think celebrity does sharethat if it does stop in Bimini.
SPEAKER_01 (34:21):
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_00 (34:22):
Something to look into.
SPEAKER_01 (34:23):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (34:24):
Okay.
Um best cruise line for food.
I think we all know what that'sabout.
I mean, it's gotta be Virgin.
Yeah, no, Virgin.
The food is fantastic.
Did you like the food though?
You said you came from thehospitality industry.
SPEAKER_03 (34:35):
So yeah, definitely.
And I've said it in some of ourvideos listen, you can take like
crappy food and dress it up andtry to make it look good and
it's it's it's hard to pass.
But everything on Virgin I'vegotten.
I mean, we've gotten uh I gotone of the best ribeyes.
We went to one of the top-ratedsteakhouses in Sedona for our
anniversary a couple years ago.
And uh the steak I actually goton Virgin uh was better than the
(34:58):
$110 steak I got in Sedona.
So yeah, that speaks volumes.
And if it wasn't that good, Iwould just be like, no, it's
good.
But uh that's the other thingtoo.
When you come off of a VirginCruise, you know when you've
eaten salt-laden food.
You know, you feel like aballoon for a week afterwards.
Uh, but every time I come off avirgin, I literally am like, I I
get on the scale.
Uh I usually lose a pound or twobecause I said last time I got
(35:20):
back, I said to him, How thehell did I lose three pounds the
way I ate?
But then you forget just all thewalking and just all the again,
you know, creating content.
I'm a wanderer, so you know Imean, yeah, but uh the food,
yeah, definitely spot on onvirgin.
Oh my gosh, quality food.
SPEAKER_00 (35:34):
So funny.
Yeah, my husband and I weretaking a walk.
I told this story on one of myepisodes, and we were on um deck
16, I think, you know, and thenyou have deck 17 where there's
that little end part where it'stopless optional.
And my husband, so my husbandand I are on the walking track
and we're coming around the bedand he goes, Honey, he goes, I
think I just saw boobies, and Iwent, Oh, that's deck 17.
(35:56):
I'm like, it's optional.
It's a topless optional.
He goes, You didn't tell methat.
I said, Well, when we go aroundagain, pay attention.
SPEAKER_02 (36:03):
Right, right, right.
SPEAKER_00 (36:04):
We'll count how many boobies you see.
But none of them were good.
They were not like anything liketo get excited about.
SPEAKER_03 (36:12):
Yeah, yeah, right, right, right, right.
They weren't cookies on theperch.
SPEAKER_00 (36:14):
They were gonna be like, honey, you never told me.
I was like, I forgot.
I don't know, I forgot.
Anyway, all right.
Um, first thing you do whenyou're bored.
SPEAKER_03 (36:24):
Oh, uh, first thing we do.
Well, I mean, in all honesty,probably grab a glass of
champagne.
SPEAKER_00 (36:28):
I'm gonna say you're drinking them away.
SPEAKER_03 (36:30):
Go ahead.
SPEAKER_01 (36:31):
Go to sip is usually what we do first.
SPEAKER_00 (36:34):
All right, so I don't have any other questions
for the rapid fire, but we wannagive because I do like a
transcription, so all the shownotes will be there and
everything.
So, what is the name of thechannel for everybody to
subscribe on YouTube?
And I'm guilty, I gotta go onYouTube and subscribe too
because I'm working out we're onthere.
SPEAKER_01 (36:51):
No worries, no worries.
Um, on all platforms, it's Ryanand John Review It.
So you can go on YouTube,TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, um,
all the same.
Ryan and on the talk?
SPEAKER_00 (37:02):
You're on the talk?
SPEAKER_01 (37:03):
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (37:05):
So this this I think where it gets overwhelming,
especially for me as somebodywho knows how to edit and make
the content and knows what'sengaging.
And I mean, anybody can chat GPTa content plan and really get to
it.
But yeah, all the platforms.
I mean, it's just like I gottaput myself.
I mean, I don't even doSnapchat, I can't even get into
that because it's just I kind oflike to call by the way.
(37:27):
TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, andthen is it reels?
Is it shorts?
Now TikTok has stories.
I'm like, I can't keep up withit all.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (37:37):
How do you think it is hard and it's overwhelming,
but honestly, like we just cometo the conclusion that like we
are just going to whatever wepost for that day is basically
gonna go across all platforms.
And you know, sometimes it doesreally well on one and not well
on the other.
I mean, TikTok, some things wehave anywhere from 10, 20, 30.
(37:59):
I think our redemption spathermal suite TikTok has like
75,000 views.
Amazing! You know, the samething on Instagram gets like
500, and then vice versa, or youknow, something will blow up on
Facebook.
On Facebook, the the little reelabout the uh hoy flag in the
galley, 85,000 views on like theone my husband showed me.
(38:20):
Yeah, so can you even believeit?
SPEAKER_03 (38:22):
I think it's it really is really to your point,
is like how do we do it?
It's really about just stayingkind of regimen and getting into
a routine because again, yeah,uh just keeping it realistic.
Like, I mean, we got real lies.
I mean, he's got a full-time jobhe has to do every day.
Uh two grandsons that I takecare of uh throughout the course
of the day.
So we have things going on, butit's just really about just
really staying dedicated to thecause.
Uh, and that's why it's justlike I'm kind of in the
(38:45):
insurance business, a lot ofpeople fail because it's a lot
of hard work, and just likecontent creation, YouTube
channels and all this, all thework that goes into it.
A lot of people just fail at itbecause they don't really
understand that it takes a lotof work.
So yeah, just staying organizedand we stay at each other and
we're always checking each otherand stuff like that.
So yeah, it's just and it's atag team, we work as a team.
Yeah.
I mean, that has to be.
SPEAKER_00 (39:04):
One of the things we also have in common is I think
it's maybe a little bit of alove for Wicked the musical.
Yeah, just throwing that outthere because I have my wicked
nails on still because I haven'tdone the Christmas nails yet.
SPEAKER_03 (39:16):
Yeah, those are fantastic.
SPEAKER_00 (39:17):
So um, my daughter had posted like last year when
the movie first came out, justthe squishmallows were in
Walmart.
SPEAKER_02 (39:25):
Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_00 (39:25):
And she just took a like a little 30-second video of
the squishmallows and put thewicked music on it, and it's
like has almost 600,000 views onTikTok.
SPEAKER_02 (39:32):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (39:33):
And I was like, oh my God, this is crazy.
So I loved that for her.
SPEAKER_01 (39:39):
One thing we've learned is the stuff that we
like, you know, just kind of dolike whatever, like, oh, that's
that's a good one.
Let's get that real quick orwhatever, and just kind of do it
real quick.
Like, sometimes those just dobetter.
I don't know why than like whenyou're like, okay, I'm gonna do
this clip and this clip and thenedit this.
Like, I don't know.
SPEAKER_03 (39:56):
It's just when you do something off the cuff.
Well, and I think it's just morenatural.
I mean, again, people peopleknow authenticity when they see
it.
Yeah, yeah.
And I think when we just dostuff like that off the cuff,
where we do the silly thingsabout like uh, you know, the
ones about drinking, just funnystuff, and we'll be surprised
when we're like, how the hell isthat at 150,000 views?
And then we did this really likeserious short, and it got like
(40:16):
you know, 8,000 views.
SPEAKER_00 (40:17):
Right, and then the stuff you put all the effort
into is like, oh, nobody reallywatched that one.
I worked really hard on that.
SPEAKER_03 (40:22):
So true.
SPEAKER_00 (40:23):
The feelings.
SPEAKER_03 (40:24):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (40:25):
What do you guys editing?
What do you guys what platform?
SPEAKER_03 (40:28):
Yeah, I've been using Capca and I was doing a
little Da Vincent.
I had some other programs I wasusing, and honestly, Capca was
just really out of convenience,is really what it is.
Because I can really run it onthe go and uh easy for home to
learn too.
I have no problem with likelearning the programs, the
editing software.
Um, but you know, you as youknow, too, those can be a bear
to learn.
Oh, yeah, just get familiar withone thing and then just you
(40:49):
know.
SPEAKER_00 (40:49):
Well, I love I love Final Cut Pro, and I'm like, you
know, I use that in the studioat school, and then it's like
but Capcot is pretty easy, but Ilike to like see it on the
laptop and like chop things.
Right.
But yeah, it's what I use.
SPEAKER_03 (41:03):
I use everything.
Uh I use do all my editing onthe laptop, even though I use
even though it's Capcut, I useCapcot, the desk desktop version
of it.
Smart.
I'm O C D whenever.
comes to editing sometimes I'llbe like, oh my god, I've been
looking at the same video for aday.
SPEAKER_00 (41:17):
Absolutely.
Well, listen, this has been apleasure.
I have had so much fun havingyou guys on the show.
SPEAKER_01 (41:23):
Same.
SPEAKER_00 (41:23):
We have my mind, I've had this huge podcast.
You know, it's global entity,but you know, it's it's growing
slowly and organically, but youknow that's that's a matter of
really about consistency, thecontent creation.
I'm just I'm not consistent, soI need to get more consistent.
But I'm so happy that you guyscame today.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_03 (41:42):
No, we're happy that you had us yeah yeah I mean I
mean same like us.
We're small.
I mean we're just doing ourthing.
Like I said we're we're at leastthe three of us are doing it and
a lot of people just sit andtalk about it.
SPEAKER_00 (41:53):
Well we're gonna go live together on a cruise ship
at some point.
I I have no doubt.
SPEAKER_01 (41:58):
I can't wait for that.
SPEAKER_00 (41:59):
Well there's an app that I use it's called Shipmate.
Oh okay and I like I don't getpaid or sponsored by it but one
of my friends was like are youon Shipmate?
Because then you can add allyour upcoming cruises and people
can see them.
Oh and then you know when peopleare on certain sailings.
So I went in and put all my pastsailings in and then I put all
my upcoming sailings and then Irealized I'm an addict.
SPEAKER_01 (42:20):
Oh my god yeah well I'll be probably not far behind
you so we'll download that andwe'll stay connected to make
sure we know when we can get ona sailing together.
SPEAKER_00 (42:31):
All right and then we'll I'll publish this episode
and I'll tag you guys and I'lldo some little clips and stuff
and I'll share it to stories andall that.
And then everybody out therelistening you have to follow
Ryan and John renew uh reviewit.
SPEAKER_03 (42:44):
Thank you Lydia Ryan and John review it right yes you
got Ryan how did you get thefirst billing on the name you
know here this was a originallyit was going to be John and Ryan
review it.
SPEAKER_01 (42:55):
He was so adamant that people were going to get
confused between Ryan I thoughtRyan review I thought it was I
thought John and Ryan review itversus Ryan and John review it
was easier to say the other waybecause the Ryan review it can
get tongue twisty I think.
SPEAKER_03 (43:10):
I don't know and as you know we pick and choose our
battles and our relationshipsand I said sure you could have
top billing I'll expect bananathat's okay.
You're the straight manetizationstarts coming in how about that
yeah exactly right exactly wellI told him he's just straight
man and I'm kind of the the thethe the funny one so I love it
all right well thank you forbeing with me today and we'll be
(43:32):
cruising together soon enoughI'm sure absolutely thank you
Lydia appreciate you
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