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I'm Gary beverage of tips for travelers
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I'm going to take you on a tour through
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Holland America's new Amsterdam cruise
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ship it came into service originally in
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2010 but in 2017 December it went
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through a big refit and during the
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course in this video I'm gonna tell you
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what I like about the changes that have
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been made but since I last travelled on
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it so I'm going to start by talking
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about entertainment and focusing on some
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of the big innovations there and the
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most exciting one of all is what's known
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as the music walk this is a series of
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four different and varied venues first
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of these is known as lincoln center
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stage this is a partnership with the
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Lincoln Center which is one of the
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world's leading centers for Performing
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Arts in New York and here you have
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classical concerts and various recitals
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a little bit further along is BB Kings
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Blues Club you have the BB King's
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all-stars band it's an eight piece band
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and every single night they have a
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number of shows the third one and
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probably the most popular of all of
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these is billboard onboard here you have
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two pianists and singers facing each
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other at each evening they do a series
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of shows around different themes which
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they banter with the audience it's a
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really good fun at venues then of course
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you have what's known as the main stage
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this is the big theater where they hold
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the production shows and have guest
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entertainers and during the day they may
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have some enrichment lectures here as
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well another introduction which is a
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great new bar the gallery bars it's a
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really interesting venue with crazy art
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it's quite vibrant there's great
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cocktails and drinks here another bar
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really of note it is up on deck 11 which
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is the tamarind bar which is just
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opposite the tamarind restaurant there
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of course are little bars dotted around
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the ship such as at the pool areas also
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tournament table of course you have the
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casino which is really exciting because
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it's changed quite a lot since the old
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incarnation is lots of new machines on
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there lots of gaming tables now the next
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theme I want to talk about is
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explorations central exc central because
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this has been turned from a bar into
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this new venue it's the real heart of
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everything to do with destinations tours
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happens up here you have what is the old
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shore excursions desk area where you can
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obviously go and get advice about tours
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and book tours but there's a whole lot
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of other features in here so you have
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these interactive tables where you can
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find out advice and tips and history and
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information about the ports that you're
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visiting there's a library with lots of
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destination guides there's also an
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interactive screen where they have a
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question of the day where you can go and
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put in your answers and then compare
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with what other people have done you
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have a lot of seating area where people
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obviously like to sit and look out
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across the bow of the ship and then you
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have the exe cafe all the explorations
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Cafe which is the old partnership with
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now the third theme of things I'd like
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to talk about is enrichment so the first
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of these is America's Test Kitchen and
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this is held in the venue that's used
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for BB Kings Blues Club in the evenings
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and during the course of the cruise
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there will be a series of demonstrations
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cooking demonstrations the other thing
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which is very popular
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our digital workshops which are a
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partnership with Windows and Microsoft
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and they have a wide range of activities
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in here ranging from how to do email
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using the software and q and A's so
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let's take a look at dining first of all
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the dining venues that are included
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within your fare so obviously there's
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the main restaurant the main dining room
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which is on two levels and they have
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either in the evenings fixed dining so
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you have two fixed dining times or you
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have your same table same serving staff
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and then they also have anytime dining
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where you can basically either book on
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the day or add a head or you can just
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pinch up and of course you can have
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breakfast lunch or dinner there the
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other very popular venue is the Lido
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market which is up on deck 9 this is a
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huge sprawling buffet area and although
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it's a buffet you are actually served by
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the staff a very very popular you can
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begin here breakfast lunch and dinner
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here it is a pizza place out by the pool
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deck and there's also a burger place
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called dive Inn which is also on the
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pool deck area again very popular of
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course you can get room service 24 hours
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day now in terms especially down there
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are four main speciality dining options
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the first of all is pinnacle grill which
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is the steak and seafood restaurant this
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is something that on America are very
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proud of and they were proud of on the
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New Amsterdam there is a extra charge
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for that and that's at the time of
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recording $35 per person what's on you
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Amsterdam they have tamarind which is
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probably my favor of the specialty
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restaurants which is kind of an Asian
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fusion place that's up on deck 11 and
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again there's a charge for that and the
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charge up here is at the time of
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recording $25 per person then you have
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Canaletto which is an Italian restaurant
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it's actually a little space within the
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leader market area which in evenings
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becomes Canaletto and that has a charge
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of $15 per person then also in this
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takes place in the Pinnacle Grill is the
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seafood ignite which is called Rudy's
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sell to man and the charge of this is
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$45 per person so the next range of
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things I want to talk about is fitness
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and relaxation well on board the newer
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sedan there are two swimming pools first
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of all in the center you have the leader
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pool and this has a roof that closes
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over then at the back you have what's
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known as the sea view pool not
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surprising because it's out the back now
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this is the adults only pool there is
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also the cabanas so on warmer cruises
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these cabanas can be hired it's a great
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space where you can hire Cabana for the
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whole day and it's a little more karma
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and quiet there's also a very large
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fitness center which has both free and
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paid for classes in my view the fitness
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center is fine is probably not as modern
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and updated as part see the other ship
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then also there's a spa which is called
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a greenhouse poly now in terms of
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shopping which is the next thing I want
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to talk about there is a shopping arcade
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with lots of choices of sharp jewelry
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and watches clothes on America
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merchandise cigarettes alcohol now if
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you're traveling with kids there is the
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Hal Club which is designed for kids of
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different ages now in terms of other
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facilities which is the next thing I
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want to talk about you obviously have
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you guest services as you would expect
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you have future sales desks and then you
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have one of the things that is also very
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popular always busy which is the photo
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gallery which is a very large space
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where you can go and buy the most
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that are taken of you during the cruise
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we have she by Barry's camera equipment
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so what about accommodation on the New
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Amsterdam well as you'd expect there is
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everything that ranges from sweets to
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inside cabins but the main cabin on
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board is one like this which is a
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balcony cabin the bulk of cabins are on
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board in terms of the numbers are about
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canals like this and it's a good decent
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sized room very comfortable bad space to
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sit and relax and actually if you turn
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to the third person there's a sofa bed
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there a nice little balcony and chairs
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so the New Amsterdam post 2017 is I
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think a very stylish relationship I like
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the look of the ship it has a nice sort
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of traditional feel to it it does feel
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harks back to a lot to the heritage of
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holland America's overall ship that
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every like the feel of it's got a nice
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flow to it I have been on the ship
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before and I really like the changes
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that have been done to it one of the
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things I'd love you to do if you enjoyed
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this video is watch many more of my tips
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of Charlie's videos and get more travel
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inspiration advice and tips