Tag: Cruising

Reflecting on 2025: My Creative Journey at the Crossroads

On By Brent AbellIn Brent's Crossroads, content creators, cruise, Cruising, disney, Disney Adult, Travel, Travel Blogger, Travel Review, Travel Vlogger, Traveling Writer, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Welcome to the Crossroads! I’m sitting in the new studio and workspace, thinking about how pivotal 2025 was for me. Today is the last day before we wake to a new year and the opportunities it will bring. When I went to sleep on New Year’s Eve 2024, I never imagined how much would change for me in 2025. Now, when I sit back and think about this past year, I wouldn’t change anything (except starting the Crossroads sooner).

The Crossroads is my creative outlet for my love of Disney, cruising, and travel. All of these things, individually, are roads that intersect with me at the center. The only downside has been shelving my fiction writing. The fiction is an unfortunate casualty of beginning this journey. Once things settle down, I will pick back up again, so if you read my fiction, be prepared to enter the darkness in the future. Next year should see the release of one or two new novels, so get ready!

I started 2025 with the Brent’s Crossroads YouTube channel (check it out and subscribe here), TikTok, Instagram, Threads, and a Facebook page for the Crossroads. I became burned out with the social media accounts by October. I will return to them in 2026, but on a reduced posting schedule. I’ve added a Substack for this page, and I plan to phase this page out in 2026 to use the Substack exclusively. I went big on the Crossroads, but I admit to biting off more than I could chew to start this project. In 2026, I will scale things up more slowly and be better equipped to keep up with the accounts.

The most significant change in 2025 was leaving my job. I needed to save my sanity and take care of family things. Right now, those family responsibilities take up a significant amount of time and are a full-time job. 2026 is the year I balance out my life and the Crossroads. It will be a challenge, but one I look ahead to conquering.

My goals for 2026 are to keep the Crossroads moving ahead. I want to be monetized on YouTube by the end of 2026. I plan to release a new novel. I will smooth out articles here and on Our Darkest Fears (my horror-related site and YouTube channel). I intend to stick with a release schedule/strategy for the social media channels. I also want to take the trips that make this venture possible. Will there be merch? I hope so! Will I take the Patreon plunge? Maybe, because I do need to pay the bills among all my irons in the fire.

So, if you like Disney, Universal Studios, cruising, or travel in general, you have a home here at the Crossroads. I want you to come by anytime for news, travel tips, reviews, and other shenanigans- you are welcome here! Please share your experiences. If you have a different opinion or disagree with me, let’s discuss it! If you want to support any of my other Crossroads adventures, please do. It means a lot to me. Your support helps grow the Crossroads channel.

2025 was a wild ride, and I promise 2026 will kick it up a notch. Thanks for stopping by the Crossroads, and I hope everyone has a super 2026. Enjoy life, and be sure to take that trip you’ve put off!

Happy New Year,

Brent

Carnival Cruise Lines Announces New VIFP 2x Points Deal and New Program Changes

On By Brent AbellIn Carnival Cruise, cruise, Cruising, Travel, Travel Blogger, Traveling Writer, Uncategorized, VIFP RewardsLeave a comment

Welcome back to the Crossroads! This has been a busy week for Carnival Cruise Lines news concerning the upcoming VIFP (Very Important Fun Person) rewards program changes. When initially released, the changes were met with some hostility. The vitriol became so bad that Brand Ambassador John Heald received death threats. I will not rehash the new program here, but if you want to catch up on the program changes, click over to this article from me and read up.

This brings us to this week in the Carnival VIFP program change saga. Carnival sent out an email to members highlighting changes to the changes in an attempt to appease the anger and betrayal many cruisers felt. Many thought Carnival was throwing their earned brand loyalty overboard, making it impossible to reach new benefit levels. Here is the email Carnival sent out (the bullet point comments are mine and do not reflect Carnival):

Dear Brent:

In June, we announced our plans to transition the existing Carnival® VIFP Club® loyalty program to a new program in June 2026 — Carnival Rewards™. Carnival Rewards was designed to model other successful and popular travel loyalty programs that more closely align activity and spending to rewards and status. While we explained our rationale for the change and provided a year’s notice to give everyone time to learn about how Carnival Rewards will operate, we also provided an extended period of time to maintain or achieve higher status levels before implementation.

Unfortunately, the announcement left some of our most loyal guests with the impression that their loyalty was being overlooked. We spent the summer listening closely to the feedback we received. As a result, we are pleased to share some modifications that address the concerns expressed:

•  Diamond will also be losing benefits according to the Carnival Rewards website.Diamond Status: As originally proposed, we were providing our Diamond guests with an additional six years of Diamond status once Carnival Rewards launches — through May 2032. Reflecting upon what it takes to achieve Diamond status, we are permanently extending Diamond level status to all guests who have earned it by May 31, 2026.
•  This will impact the number of people chasing this level to be granted Gold status when the 10k points are put in a member’s account.Platinum Status: In our original announcement, we advised that Platinum guests as of May 31, 2026, would enter the new program with Platinum status recognition through May 31, 2028. Given the number of existing Platinum members, we are unable to extend Platinum status permanently due to all of the operational challenges we’ve previously explained. However, we want to do more to recognize their loyalty. Accordingly, for all guests who are Platinum level as of May 31, 2026, along with extending Platinum status through May 31, 2028, 10,000 Status Qualifying Stars will also be deposited into Platinum guests’ new Carnival Rewards account when the program launches next year. That provides a minimum of Gold status in the subsequent June 2028 to May 2030 cycle and provides a boost towards maintaining Platinum status or earning Diamond status. Furthermore, we’re pleased to advise that this 10,000 Status Qualifying Stars deposit will be gifted at the start of each new two-year earning cycle, providing Gold status and a nice head start each period towards Platinum and Diamond status. This deposit is limited to existing Platinum VIFP guests as of May 31, 2026.
•  I will be interested to see how this goes.Guests Under Age 18: U.S. privacy laws restrict children under 18 from being enrolled in programs like Carnival Rewards, but we’re pleased to confirm that children will be able to enjoy the same status as their parent or adult that is designated as their responsible party on the booking for that sailing. Their cruise fare and spending will also contribute to the responsible party’s Carnival Rewards account. Furthermore, for our young cruisers who have achieved Diamond or Platinum status by May 31, 2026, their status will be kept on file and they’ll be invited to opt in to Carnival Rewards with their May 31, 2026, earned status once they turn 18. At that time, they will also be provided with the same Diamond permanent status or perpetual status boost offered to our Platinum guests as outlined above.
•  I thought rewards were based on nights cruised and not number of cruises anyway.Recognizing Your Milestones: We truly value your past cruising achievements and will continue to honor them with Carnival Rewards. All existing VIFP Milestone awards earned through May 2026 will be fully honored through May 2030, giving us the honor of celebrating those special achievements with you. In addition, we are so excited that Carnival Rewards will include an enhanced Carnival Rewards Milestones recognition program that will be based on days sailed (rather than number of cruises taken), and offering more benefits and rewards for each milestone achieved. More details will be shared in the upcoming months through email and our microsite on this recognition program.
•  Go get that credit card!For Our Australia and Canada Guests: We’re actively exploring options for our guests in Canada and Australia so we can offer residents of those countries enhanced earning and rewards opportunities similar to those provided to U.S. residents through the Carnival Rewards Mastercard®.

The passion and loyalty of our guests is something that motivates our team every day to deliver the best cruise experience at sea. We appreciate the support of our guests as we move forward with a new loyalty program that has been designed to create more rewards and recognition for our guests. Please look for updates via email and as posted to carnivalrewards.com, including more details later this year about the new credit card program. With the opening of Celebration Key™, our enhancements at RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay and Isla Tropicale, our expanded presence in Australia, exciting new itineraries and more new ships on order, there is much we look forward to, and many more reasons to sail Carnival.

Sincerely,

Christine Duffy
President, Carnival Cruise Line

The new changes will benefit the Diamond-level members, who will be granted permanent status on June 1, 2026. The proposed changes didn’t sit well with everyone at the Platinum level and below. The amount needed to keep my Platinum level didn’t justify staying loyal to Carnival any longer. So Carnival thought they’d throw those close to either Diamond or Platinum a bone.

Today, Carnival sent out a second update in the form of a 2x points special.

I made a follow-up video on the YouTube channel, discussing this offer and what it does. It’s limited, but it will help those close to either Diamond or Platinum reach that next tier before the May 31, 2026, cut-off date. The response for bookings has been high enough that the Carnival site crashed. If you’re close to that next level, take advantage quickly before the sailings get booked. After making a mock booking, I found that many cheaper rooms have already been taken.

The thing that caught my eye about this deal was that all guests in the cabin will get the 2x points. This has been a topic of discussion and hand-wringing since the rewards program redux was announced, and the topic is about the booking guest getting the points, but not everyone else in the cabin. So, if a wife books a cabin for her and her husband, she would get the points, and he wouldn’t get anything. I’m not sure who in the Carnival chain thought that was a good idea, but here we are…

There are details about the offer and how it can help bump some guests to the next reward level before the new program takes effect. Does it change what cruises you’re looking at between now and next year? It changed my mind to look at more NCL or MSC cruises, so I will expand my knowledge and experience base with those cruise lines. Drop a comment below about how this news may change your cruising plans.

Thanks for stopping by the Crossroads, and I’ll see out in the world,

Brent

My Final Review of My NCL Bliss Alaskan Cruise

On By Brent AbellIn Brent's Crossroads, Cagney's Steakhouse, content creators, cruise, Cruising, NCL, NCL Bliss, Norwegian Cruise Lines, The Local, Travel, Travel Blogger, Travel Review, Travel Vlogger, Traveling Writer, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Welcome to the Crossroads! The last couple of videos about my Alaskan adventure aboard the NCL Bliss are in the can for the YouTube channel, and I’m beginning preparations for Dragon Con in Atlanta over Labor Day weekend, a trip out west for Oogie Boogie Nights at Disneyland (as well as the 70th anniversary), and my first trip to Universal Studios Hollywood for Halloween Horror Nights. Now is the time for me to honestly review my first cruise on Norwegian Cruise Lines, the Alaskan ports I visited, and Pier 66 in Seattle.

Let’s head out to the Crossroads, and talk about my latest adventure.

This was my first sailing on an NCL ship, and my first impressions were very positive. We booked this cruise using our casino points from online games, and the process was pretty smooth and easy. If you are interested in me delving deeper into the process and if it was worth it, drop a comment below and let me know. Because we booked through our points, we each had to book individually, which worked out because it allowed us to explore and compare an interior cabin versus a balcony cabin (balcony was fantastic for the beautiful views of the Alaskan mountains and glaciers). Our booking also had the “More at Sea” package added, so I will take a broader look at whether the package is worth the money later as well.

Pier 66 in Seattle is easy to reach from the airport by train. Purchasing an Orca Pass and navigating to the port from the airport is simple. The trip is a straight shot, and you don’t have to change lines. The stop is a few blocks from the pier, and it is an easy walk if you don’t have twenty suitcases. If you packed that much, you’ll want to Uber or take a cab to Pier 66. We arrived too late before the train shut down for the night, so we stayed at an airport hotel and took the train in the morning. This allowed us to explore the Pike Place Market a little. It did suck with our suitcases, but it was not impossible. The impossible thing was locating a restroom to use. If you take time to see Pike Place, the pier is only a five-minute walk from there.

My first view of the Bliss on the walk to Pier 66.

The pier is easy to navigate and to get through security. If you aren’t carrying on, you drop your luggage at an outside kiosk and proceed through the regular port security. The crowds didn’t seem large, and we cleared security quickly. I expected long lines at the port to check in since the sailing was at capacity, but it was never crowded, and we boarded easily.

My first impressions of the Bliss were positive. The atrium area was small, only a couple of floors high. The atrium’s second level is The Local Pub’s open center. The Bliss’s lack of a huge atrium four to six floors high was different, but it worked with the layout. Norwegian also had passengers complete their muster drill as soon as they boarded. This was a great way to ensure that all passengers completed it without having to track stragglers down.

The ship is excellent for the Alaskan itineraries due to the large observation lounge, mounted binoculars outside in multiple locations, and outdoor seating areas with great views. The drawback is the pools. There are plenty of hot tubs, but where some ships that do Alaskan itineraries have a retractable roof over the pool deck, the Bliss is wide open the entire time. If you want to swim, you’d better do it on embarkation day or the last day heading back to Seattle, because if not, it’s too cold to swim unless you hit the hot tubs.

Now, what did I think of the food? The food in the main dining room (MDR) was average. Some of it was very good, and some not so much. The breakfast and lunch menus in the MDR were better than most of the dinners. The free included restaurants like The Local and the American Diner were great. The Local is open 24 hours and has the best food on the ship between the MDR, buffet, and included restaurants. The only pay restaurant we dined at was Cagney’s Steakhouse. It was the best steakhouse I’d experienced on the four cruise lines I’ve sailed. You can dine at the pay restaurants with your More at Sea package. The number of times depends on which package you purchase. Ours only covered one meal, so we chose Cagney’s after hearing many positive reviews online. The Garden Cafe (buffet) was also excellent. It rotated dishes based on theme, had a hot dog/burger section, and served various Indian food daily. The buffet is my second favorite behind MSC. MSC’s buffet brought it at every meal.

Onboard entertainment was average. They did have a Broadway production of Jersey Boys for a couple of nights, but the other nights were your average singing oldies that older cruisers like. At least the entertainment wasn’t jugglers and magicians like on Royal Caribbean. I think I’d see the shows I’ve attended on Royal Caribbean ships at a retirement home. Carnival still has the best shows, in my opinion. Let me know in the comments what your favorite cruise line entertainment is. The Bliss also featured a Beatles tribute band, the best and most accurate-looking and sounding tribute band I’ve ever heard. I could close my eyes and believe I was listening to the Beatles in Liverpool.

The port stops were great, and I covered all of them in my video series on the YouTube channel (check them out here). My only real gripe is that the Bliss was always the odd ship out and had to dock the furthest away from the towns. The docking assignments left Bliss passengers with shuttle buses to get to and from the downtown areas of the port stops. The other ships sailed up to the front door and dropped off in the thick of the action. We lost time due to the travel requirements of being bused back and forth.

A quiet and reflective moment in Icy Straight Point.

To close, I would rank Norwegian Cruise Lines as my second-favorite cruise line. NCL is close to the top, but one other takes the top spot. I promise I’ll count them down for you soon. Where will the four rank? Tune in by subscribing to be notified when new content drops at the Crossroads! Thank you for stopping in, and I hope to see you out in the world!

Safe travels,

Brent

Bigfoot does exist, and he works in a gift shop.

What Did I Think of the American Diner on the NCL Bliss? Review and Menu!

On By Brent AbellIn American Diner, Brent's Crossroads, cruise, Cruising, NCL, NCL Bliss, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Travel, Travel Blogger, Travel Review, Travel Vlogger, Traveling Writer, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Welcome to the Crossroads! This is the place for my experiences and reviews on the road, on cruises, or in or about Disney/Universal Studios. I’m eating at and reviewing another restaurant on the Norwegian Bliss, the American Diner. Located on deck 17, the American Diner is included with your cruise fare. It is only open for lunch, from 12 pm to 5 pm. The only thing that isn’t included is the milkshakes, which are $7 each. The milkshakes also do not count for the More At Sea beverage package. If you want a milkshake, you’re paying for it.

Now, what about the menu, and how was my meal? Let’s find out!

We chose to eat at the American Diner on embarkation day. Because most people head straight to the buffet on cruises, we hoped the American Diner wouldn’t be crowded. Luckily, we arrived right as it opened and didn’t have to wait. It never was crowded during our lunch, and there was ample seating. A portion of the menu is available at other restaurants on board, like at The Local, so we wanted to focus on items only served at the American Diner.

We ordered the smoked fish dip and the white bean chicken chili for our starters.

The chili was warm and very flavorful. It wasn’t too spicy or bland, hitting somewhere in the middle. The chili tasted good, and I enjoyed it as my starter. The smoked fish dip tasted delicious. The dip didn’t have an overpowering fish taste, and the smoke flavor showed through. If the fish had been overpowering, it would’ve drowned out the smoke. The chips served with it were stale, however. We joked that they were left over from the previous cruise and needed to get rid of them. Apparently, hungry folks boarding a ship is a good place to unload stale chips.

Now, for our main dishes, we decided to pick the pulled pork sliders and the homemade meatloaf. The meatloaf sounded like it could be good—or it could be bad, but I was willing to take the risk.

The sliders were average. They needed more sauce, and the slaw was bland. The Hawaiian rolls were good, and the fries were of the nice, thin, and crispy variety. Overall, the sliders were okay, but not something I’d beat the door down to order again. The meatloaf was surprisingly good. It was served with grilled corn and mashed potatoes. I wasn’t a big fan of the gravy, but it didn’t detract from the meatloaf’s flavor. I would’ve ordered it again if I had dined at the American Diner a few more times. The corn was good, and the potatoes were bland, but it was passable when you put the meatloaf gravy on it. I’d place the main dishes as above average.

When ordering dessert, we paid for the chocolate shake and added the chocolate mousse and bread pudding.

The shake was good, but I’m not sure it was $7 good (it was actually $9.17 after taxes and added gratuity). The other two desserts weren’t anything to write home about. The mousse was a basic chocolate mousse with a tiny dab of the strawberry coulis and a few graham cracker crumbs. The bread pudding was tasteless unless you covered your bite in the caramel whiskey sauce. The problem was that you ran out of the sauce after a few bites. Overall, I give the desserts a below-average rating.

How did the American Diner fare? I’d give it an average rating. It’s okay, but not a place I’d rush to eat again or go out of my way to dine at another time. I would still recommend it if you are on an NCL ship and have never tried it. Don’t take anyone else’s word about a restaurant until you try it yourself. I only give these opinions and reviews to pass on restaurant information and my experiences. Have you dined at the American Diner? If so, comment with your experiences below.

I hope you enjoyed this review, and I hope you take that trip you’ve been wanting to take!

See you at the Crossroads,

Brent

Review of Cagney’s Steakhouse on the NCL Bliss 2025

On By Brent AbellIn Brent's Crossroads, Cagney's Steakhouse, cruise, Cruising, food reviews, NCL, NCL Bliss, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Travel, Travel Blogger, Travel Vlogger, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Welcome to the Crossroads! I’m back from my Alaskan cruise on the Norwegian Cruise Lines ship, the Bliss. I will be doing a deep dive on my experiences aboard the ship and ports here and on the YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/@Brents_Crossroads). For all your ship and room tours, restaurant reviews, and port fun, be sure to sign up here for updates on when new content drops.

One aspect of my travels that I wanted to use this website for is to take deeper looks at things that won’t translate as well on the YouTube channel. I’ve also been settling into my chosen content creation path and figuring out how to best utilize the footage I take and pass on information you, wonderful readers, can use on your journeys. So, if you like travel, cruise, and theme park content, welcome!

Now for the show…

Cagney’s is an up-charge restaurant on the NCL Bliss. The price to eat at the establishment is $60 per person. You can eat there as part of your cruise package if you have purchased a More At Sea plan. For more about the plan, click over to the NCL website for details. We had one meal at a specialty restaurant with our package, and we’d heard Cagney’s was the place to experience. The steakhouse is so popular on the Bliss that they removed the specialty restaurant next to it to expand the steakhouse, doubling its size. Between the two sections of Cagney’s is the A-List Bar, and there is an outdoor seating area on the Waterfront spaces of the 8th floor.

How was the food, and what was on the menu? Let’s grab our forks and knives to dig into the details!

The service begins with bread, and it was nice, crusty bread with a soft, slightly warm center. The butter was rock hard, but this was an ongoing struggle on the entire cruise. I had to either wait until a warm dish was served to sit the butter pat under or hold my hand over it until it softened. Cold butter is hard as Hades to spread on bread if it isn’t piping hot.

Our appetizers were next. I ordered the lobster bisque and grilled thick-cut bacon while my wife ordered the jumbo shrimp trio.

The bisque was very flavorful and had plenty of lobster bits in it. My thick-cut bacon was one of the best things I ate on the entire cruise. The bacon was well-cooked with a crisp crust and tasted better on its own than with the steakhouse sauce included with the dish. The shrimp were jumbo, as advertised. There is not much one can do to mess up shrimp in a dish.

We both ordered the ribeye for our main dish. The steaks were seasoned better than on other cruise lines, but not as seasoned as I grill my steaks. I get that some people don’t like as much seasoning, but it was still better than the no-seasoning on the Royal Caribbean ships I’ve sailed on. The cut of meat was fine, but some of the strip steak I had in the main dining room was better. The side dishes we ordered were average at best. We chose the truffle mashed potatoes, parmesan-dusted truffle fries, sautéed mushrooms, and steamed broccoli. The standout of the sides was the mushrooms. They are a fantastic topping for the steaks and should be offered as such. The bearnaise sauce was bland, so we were thankful for the mushrooms to give the meat a pick-me-up.

And now we come to dessert. I was very excited about the desserts at Cagney’s. Once I read they had a raspberry crème brûlée, I couldn’t wait to dine there. The other dessert we tried was the “OMG” Caramel-Butterscotch Cheesecake. The raspberry creme brulee was fantastic; however, the cheesecake was only “OMG” okay.

Overall, the price is typical for a cruise ship steakhouse ($55-$60 range). The food was above average, with some hits and misses, but I felt I had a good meal. I would dine at Cagney’s again, but first, I must sail on more NCL ships and explore the other specialty restaurants. I recommend trying Cagney’s the next time you sail with NCL because it is on all the vessels in their fleet.

Thanks for meeting me here at the Crossroads! I hope to see you out and about in the world!

Safe travels,

Brent

Carnival is Leaving Its Rewards Members Out at Sea

On By Brent AbellIn Brent's Crossroads, Carnival Cruise, cruise, Cruising, Travel, Travel Blogger, Travel Vlogger, Traveling Writer1 Comment

Time for some big cruise news in the travel world. Carnival Cruise Lines has announced a massive change to their VIFP Club that is making members feel like jumping ship. I picture Royal Caribbean and MSC hanging out around the corner like Spirit Halloween hanging around a newly closed retail location, waiting to pounce on dissatisfied members.

Carnival announced changes were coming to their loyalty reward program, but I don’t think anyone knew how big a shift they would make to the program. If you aren’t familiar with the Carnival VIFP (Very Important Fun Person) program, it was a tiered system that provided members with increased benefits as they progressed through the program. Each night counted toward your total. For example, if you had x number of nights on the ships, you would be at x level. With x level, you received certain rewards and perks. These perks included priority check-in, complimentary laundry, complimentary drinks, and priority access to the water shuttle at tender ports. Once you achieved a level, you were that level until you earned the next higher one.

But things are changing, and people aren’t happy. The Facebook groups have the torches and pitchforks out.

The loyalty system is being thrown overboard for a point-based system. Now, instead of earning your level based on nights cruising, you earn it by spending money for the points (cruise fare, spa treatments, excursions, and spending in the casino will earn you points, to name a few). For example, suppose you are a platinum-level VIFP member. In that case, you will need to earn 50,000 points within the two-year window to maintain your status. Using the calculator on their website, it says I would need to sail on 3-4 times a year during the two year window to maintain my status, and unless I go all out in the window, I’d never reach Diamond no matter how many sailings I go on. The next level will be unobtainable for most cruisers, and many feel they will lose two or three levels and be stuck at the first tier forever. The jump from platinum to diamond is another 50,000 points. Diamond level would require 100,000 points (stars) to achieve that status. The perks do not appear to be changing, but I don’t think people care…they are pissed.

The new program doesn’t begin until June 1, 2026. To view their new requirements for the rewards program, please visit https://carnivalrewards.com/. To say it has gone well with cruisers since the announcement would be a lie. Since the program change is still a year away, I wonder if things will change. I know we’ve been sailing on various other cruise lines more and more lately, and this isn’t making me want to continue supporting a company that has decided my years of loyalty are meaningless. One of the lines from the announcement email stated that they didn’t think all the elite-level guests on sailings made anyone feel special. Guess what? I don’t sail to feel special. I sail to experience new places or to relax in the ocean and soak up the sun. I sailed to build my brand loyalty, but I guess I should’ve jumped ship long ago, because our loyalty meant nothing to Carnival in the end. I don’t envy John Heald when he starts getting the heat on Facebook.

I will leave you with a link to the email Carnival sent out to announce their program changes. Click here if you feel the need to throw up a little in your mouth. They pretty much gaslight us into believing it’s our fault for advancing through the system that they need to change it. No, their policies since COVID-19 are mostly to blame, but that is an argument for another time.

Well, I need to get ready for the next trip, so thanks for stopping by the Crossroads!

Brent

The Non-Local Content Creator Struggle is Real

On By Brent AbellIn Brent's Crossroads, cruise, Cruising, disney, Disney Adult, Travel, Travel Blogger, Travel Vlogger, Traveling Writer, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Welcome back to the Crossroads! I hope everyone is having a pleasant and relaxing holiday weekend. In the past few days, the big news has been the official opening of Universal Studios Orlando’s Epic Universe. The third gate at Universal Orlando is hyped, and YouTube has been flooded with videos and reactions from local content creators who scored early preview visits. This has led to much discussion about how non-local content creators can compete with locals. Some have been positive, and others not so positive.

So, here is my take on the situation as a non-local creator.

I live in the Midwest. It’s a five-hour flight to Disneyland in Anaheim and a twelve-hour drive to anything in Orlando. Yes, this does suck. Does it put me at a great disadvantage? Well, of course it does. Life would be much easier if I could whip out an Annual Passholder card and visit the Disney World parks easily and frequently. I don’t currently find myself in that situation at the moment however.

What does this mean for me?

It means I have to view each and every second in a park with a new eye. I have to examine every step, every view, and every choice with both my enjoyment and what I need to do to bank content. Fortunately, I love creating, so I have fun gathering footage while I’m being a kid in a magical theme park again. The situation has taught me to be judicious in how I use my content and how to make it work over long stretches. The various algorithms might not like it, but I do what I must as I keep focusing on growing this Crossroads project.

The biggest piece of advice I can give is to not let being a non-local creator get you down. It can make you feel like you’re lagging behind the local creators, but savor what you have and do. Don’t be jealous of the others. Keep being you in your content and on your videos. Let your natural self shine above all the rest. There is only one you, and let your followers see the attitudes and opinions of the person they follow. I try to grow, but I also stay true to myself. So be it if I take longer to get where I’m going. I’m still going to take advantage of every trip and give each post or video my unique commentary, opinions, and style.

When you follow or subscribe to a content creator, be sure to support them in any way you can. Like, comment, throw a little cash, or help push those creators you love. Believe me, we see each and every one of you, and it means the world to us, small creators.

I have to get going so I can prepare a list of videos before I take a last minute trip in a few weeks. I can’t complain, because I know it means I’ll have a ton of new travel and cruise content to work from and share with you here and on the Brent’s Crossroads YouTube channel.

Take care and don’t put off that dream trip… take it!

Out on the Crossroads,

Brent

Why Do This Crossroads Travel Thing?

On By Brent AbellIn Brent's Crossroads, Disney Adult, Travel, Travel Blogger, Travel Vlogger, Traveling WriterLeave a comment

That is a good question.

I’ve written dark fiction and horror for thirteen years. In that span, I have written or co-written over thirteen novels, and I’ve had more than thirty stories featured in different anthologies and eZines. I wear metal band shirts and horror gear constantly. If you came to my office, you’d see how much I love the horror genre (and Star Wars).

But, I’m more than that.

This may seem strange to most people, but I am also a huge Disney fan. I proudly wear my Disney Adult membership on my sleeve. I also like to travel and cruise. I want nothing more than to be on a ship in the middle of the ocean or docked in a foreign port. I may like the dark and scary things, but I’ll visit a Disney park or a beach anytime.

So why have I started this extremely time-consuming venture along with a full-time job and trying to write the next novel?

Honestly, I love to create. My mind is constantly in motion with new ideas and new plans for things. The fiction has gotten me so far, but my creative spirit wanted the space to spread its wings. This is where the Crossroads comes in. The Crossroads is where I can let my creative spirit fly without the constraints and trappings of genre fiction writing. I get to flex my creative muscles in the non-fiction arena while sharing my experiences and thoughts about where I’ve been and where I’m going.

And about what’s up in my Disney lifestyle.

Bringing the Crossroads to life is a massive undertaking, and I’ve struggled with the project. I knew that, going in, I’d have to spread myself thin between my job, home life, writing, new YouTube channel, Crossroads, and all the social media accounts I hadn’t paid attention to before. Now, I have TikTok, Instagram, and Threads. Instead of one Facebook page, there are two. I have to plan in advance what I’m working on for which site every day. Some get posts daily, and others only once or twice a week. I still have to plot how everything drops and spaces out. I feel like I have two full-time jobs!

But that’s okay because I’m doing what I love. Maybe I can do this as my only job, along with fiction writing. One can dream, can’t they?

I want to thank you for stopping by the Crossroads for this little chat. Today, I felt like taking a short break from the Disney news and travel reports to speak with you about the why. I imagine some folks wondered what the fresh Hell had gotten into me, so I wanted to let you in on the thought process. This wasn’t some mid-life crisis move but instead an expansion of the hobbies I love mixed with my desire to always be creating.

If you should feel like supporting any of the socials, YouTube channel, or fiction, thank you. I’ll post links below. I create these projects to share my love of the world and the fantastic things we have in it and take it for granted. Look outside the window, and instead of watching the world go by, go out and experience all our planet and cultures have to offer. That, my friends, is the best advice I can give you.

As always, thanks for stopping by and meeting me here on the Crossroads,

Brent

YouTube- http://www.youtube.com/@Brents_Crossroads

TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@brent.abell?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/brenttabell/

Threads- https://www.threads.net/@brenttabell

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/BrentTAbell

Store- https://brent-abell-fiction.square.site/