Rick Steves' Europe "Travel Skills: Cruising" Celebrity Reflection

[ZapRowsdower]

The November 5, 2018 episode of Rick Steves' Europe is called "Travel Skills: Cruising." It follows Rick on a cruise from Barcelona to Athens. The cruise line and ship are not named on the show, but it is quite obviously Celebrity Reflection. Rick gives a very even-handed review of the cruise experience and I think Celebrity comes off looking pretty good.

 

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show/cruising-skills

 

Looks like the cruise was taken in the fall of 2017. Rick talks more about it on his blog here: https://blog.ricksteves.com/blog/category/mediterranean-cruising/. He states that it was planned to be a one-hour special that would air in January 2019, but it appears that it was later changed to a regular half-hour episode that aired in November 2018.

Edited November 20, 2018 by ZapRowsdower

[azalice]

I saw the episode. Enjoyed it and felt, as you do, that it was fairly done and non-judgmental.

[StillLooking4Adventure]

Nicely done, as usual by Rick Steves. He is a classy guy and creates excellent content. Fun fact. His sister races in the Iditarod. 

 

https://iditarod.com/race/2017/mushers/384-Jan-Steves/

[GACrusin]

Thank you for posting the link to this!  We cruised the mediterranean on the Reflection a few years ago and it was fun to re-live some of the sights both on and off the Reflection watching this.  I agree, he presented the experience very fairly with some true pros and cons.  We enjoyed it immensely and felt it was a good way to get an overview of these Mediterranean highlights.  

[abbydancer2003]

The show was actually based on at least two different cruises.  The Reflection cruise was the first week of September 2017, and was RT Rome, eastern Med.  Didn't go to Barcelona or France, so I know that was a different cruise.

 

How do I know this?  Remember the scene of the Full Moon party?  That was on the Reflection and the people dancing with Rick was us and friends.  DH was the only guy, so that's why Rick is high-fiving him.  You can briefly see me in it.  

 

We're spending Thanksgiving with family, and it's downloaded to my laptop so everyone can watch it.

 

BTW, I thought the show was very balanced and fair.  And fun.

Edited November 20, 2018 by abbydancer

[JennAngel9]

On 11/20/2018 at 3:24 PM, abbydancer said:

The show was actually based on at least two different cruises.  The Reflection cruise was the first week of September 2017, and was RT Rome, eastern Med.  Didn't go to Barcelona or France, so I know that was a different cruise.

 

We're spending Thanksgiving with family, and it's downloaded to my laptop so everyone can watch it.

 

BTW, I thought the show was very balanced and fair.  And fun.

 

Abby, do you have a way of sharing the episode or know where else to find it?

Very jealous that you are featured in a Rick Steves episode.  I don't really watch him much anymore but I do plan to start watching some episodes with my kids once they are over 5 and might make an exception for them pre-cruise!

[abbydancer2003]

 

1 hour ago, JennAngel9 said:

 

Abby, do you have a way of sharing the episode or know where else to find it?

Very jealous that you are featured in a Rick Steves episode.  I don't really watch him much anymore but I do plan to start watching some episodes with my kids once they are over 5 and might make an exception for them pre-cruise!

 

The copy on my laptop probably won't help you.

 

I think it's available on pbs.org, though.

 

We actually met him earlier i the evening at the Lawn Club Grill.  My friends recognized him and one started waving.  He came over and chatted with us for a little while.  He seemed interested in the fact that we'd only known each other in person for a few days, but online for about a year.

[Hlitner]

Would love to meet him some day.  We often recommend his books/guides here on CC as we think they are almost a bible for those of us who do a lot of independent travel.   However, we often suggest that travelers avoid the restaurants recommended in his guides.  Being mentioned in his book has led to the ruin of many restaurants which then become overrun with tourists...which often results in a quick deterioration of quality.  We recall once stopping at a cafe in Paris that had been recommended in a Steves book, and you could see a Rick Steves book on nearly every table :).  The Parisians had fled to other places.

 

Hank

[echokat]

We met Rick in a Paris hotel he had recommended at breakfast there.  Actually we met his France

co-writer, Steve Smith and I recognized him from his travel talk on France.  He seemed surprised

when I introduced myself and hubby.  Later we met and visited with Rick.  He is a very nice man and

I would never go to Europe without refreshing my Rick Steves travel books and talks.  BTW I also

saw the TV episode of Rick on the ship and thought it was very good.

 

Kathy

[cruise47]

This was very nice done.

[MisterMet]

On 11/20/2018 at 2:40 PM, ZapRowsdower said:

The November 5, 2018 episode of Rick Steves' Europe is called "Travel Skills: Cruising." It follows Rick on a cruise from Barcelona to Athens. The cruise line and ship are not named on the show, but it is quite obviously Celebrity Reflection. Rick gives a very even-handed review of the cruise experience and I think Celebrity comes off looking pretty good.

 

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show/cruising-skills

 

Looks like the cruise was taken in the fall of 2017. Rick talks more about it on his blog here: https://blog.ricksteves.com/blog/category/mediterranean-cruising/. He states that it was planned to be a one-hour special that would air in January 2019, but it appears that it was later changed to a regular half-hour episode that aired in November 2018.

 

Rick Steves video and a Celebrity video all in one?  I must’ve died and gone to heaven!  How cool and well done.  

Edited November 23, 2018 by MisterMet
Typo

[cmhdoogalsatsea]

Neat video!  Also interesting to see how they edit... did you notice that the Daily featured at about 17:47 minutes in is NOT for the trip he's reporting on?  🙂

Edited November 23, 2018 by cmhdoogalsatsea

[abbydancer2003]

37 minutes ago, cmhdoogalsatsea said:

Neat video!  Also interesting to see how they edit... did you notice that the Daily featured at about 17:47 minutes in is NOT for the trip he's reporting on?  🙂

As mentioned, this video was made from more than one cruise.  

[DYKWIA]

On 11/22/2018 at 6:33 PM, JennAngel9 said:

 

Abby, do you have a way of sharing the episode or know where else to find it?

Very jealous that you are featured in a Rick Steves episode.  I don't really watch him much anymore but I do plan to start watching some episodes with my kids once they are over 5 and might make an exception for them pre-cruise!

 

If you follow the link at the top of the thread it eventually takes you to a youtube page - copy that  page address into a web based youtube clip downloader and bob's your uncle

[DYKWIA]

The direct youtube link is here 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=314&v=ctgV7gvd0_M

 

one such download tool that usually works is 

https://www.youtubnow.com/

[JennAngel9]

1 hour ago, DYKWIA said:

The direct youtube link is here 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=314&v=ctgV7gvd0_M

 

one such download tool that usually works is 

https://www.youtubnow.com/

So cool, thank you!  I'm going to watch with my husband tonight and share with his parents who are joining us next month for their first Celebrity cruise!

[DYKWIA]

I usually find MP4 format the most useful video format to save in.  Most video downloaders will usually save in it  . If you’re going to put the video on a USB and watch it on TV I would suggest running the file through a programme like Handbrake and using the H264 codec, this will ensure the file has the full functionality (fast forward, pause etc) and much less likely to be glitchy on TV. I’ve yet to come across a TV (that has a media player built in) that cant handle MP4 with a H264 codec,

 

if if you are just going to leave it in a laptop and watch it from there I find the VLC media player can play just about any file format you through at it. 

[RetiredCruiser2015]

Thanks for sharing!