Trip Bacon โ€” The secret ingredient to the perfect getaway logo
Trip Bacon
What This Creator Said
Creator RecommendsTips & AdviceCreator
Veteran Cruiser

Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.

Creator's Key Takeaways

They are building bigger ships, but the world is not building bigger ports quite as quickly.

In a 7-day cruise, a smaller ship can literally give you 10 to 15 hours more actual vacation time.

The newest ship is not always the best ship.

Creator's Tips & Advice

โœ“Consider refurbished classic ships over brand new mega ships
โœ“Choose ships that can dock directly in port rather than tendering
โœ“Look for ships under 130,000 tons for better port access

๐Ÿ†•New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:

Wasting vacation time in queues โ€” Choose smaller ships that dock in heart of town
Missing destinations โ€” Avoid mega ships if you want to maximize port time

Questions This Creator Answers

QWhy are new cruise ships a mistake?
QWhat is the hidden cost of mega ships?
QWhy are refurbished ships often better than new ones?

Topics Covered

Value Pricing1ยฝ Sad BaconShip Condition3 Happy BaconDining Specialty4 Happy BaconItinerary Route2ยฝ Happy BaconPort Destination3ยฝ Sad BaconCrowd Capacity3 Sad BaconBooking Process3 Happy Bacon

Port Highlights

Rome
Venice
How to read the Trip Bacon Score
Happy Bacon โ€” creators loved this aspect
Sad Bacon โ€” creators took issue with this
Meh โ€” no strong opinion either way

Scale: 0โ€“5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = โ€œmehโ€, 5 = โ€œbacon blissโ€. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.

About our Bacon Score methodology
YouTube Video Descriptionโ†“

Is a new cruise ship actually a mistake? ๐Ÿšข In 2026, massive ships like Disney Adventure & Star of the Seas are huge - but at what cost? Discover why a refurbished classic is my #1 cruise hack. Planning a cruise in 2026 or 2027? Youโ€™ve seen the headlines about 250,000-ton floating cities, but there is one thing the cruise lines won't put in the brochure: The world is not building bigger ports as fast as they are building bigger ships. In this video, Iโ€™m breaking down why the "newest" ship in the fleet might actually give you the worst experience in port. We look at the "Size Gap" between mainstream lines and luxury brands, and why the big lines are building "Resorts" for shareholders rather than "Ships" for passengers. In this video, we cover: The Shareholder Trap: Why ships are designed as "floating malls" to keep your spending on board. The Tendering Tax: How mega-ships like MSC Bellissima can steal hours of your vacation time in a lifeboat queue. Port Access Realities: Why huge ships are forced into industrial container yards while smaller ships dock in the heart of the city. The Refurbished Hack: Detailed looks at the Celebrity Solstice ($250M Revolution refit) and Holland Americaโ€™s Oosterdam and Westerdam (2025/2026 upgrades). If you want to spend your time in the destination and not in a bus or a stairwell, you need to understand why a "Reimagined" classic is often the smartest move you can make in 2026. [Timestamps ] 0:00 bigger is not better 0:15 The Size Gap: mainsteam ships are getting bigger 0:45 Refurbished is the new "new?" 1:30 The floating ATM 2:00 Luxury are still staying small... Port not the ship 2:42 The hidden cost - your time... 3:45 Why Refurbished might be better 5:09 So why does it matter 6:00 Newest is not the best? #Cruise2026 #CruiseTips #BucketListGuides #CelebritySolstice #HollandAmerica #CruiseHacks #TravelExpert #DisneyAdventure