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The crew’s most thoughtful debate in a while — is Carnival resting on its laurels while Royal and MSC bolt roller coasters and swings onto everything? Trevor and Gary make a genuinely strong case for the Fun Ship 2.0 formula, all wrapped around wheelbarrow bans, Titanic-era law, and one very good Chevette metaphor.
What they covered
Topics on deck
Falling behind or staying true?
Strange maritime laws
1851 maritime liability law
Baltimore bridge liability cap
Carnival HQ for sale
Fun Ship 2.0
Celebration Key economics
Two Truths and a Lie
Don’t miss
Moments worth the wait
- Strange maritime laws — a rapid-fire tour of import bans, ending in a confession.
“This might have been a better named ‘what can’t be imported’ list.”
- The 1851 liability law — the same statute the Titanic’s owners used, now capping the Baltimore bridge disaster near $43.6 million against potential billions.
- The space-pirate tangent — Tom on The Martian’s maritime logic.
“that made him a pirate, a space pirate.”
- HQ for sale — Carnival’s Doral “mothership,” occupied since 1983, downsizing 470,000 to 300,000 sq ft.
“Christine Duffy’s not going to have any place to put a big desk.”
- The Chevette metaphor — Tom’s memorable framing of the Fun Ship 2.0 upgrade program.
“a Chevy Chevette and put a sunroof on it… a beautiful sunroof that makes wonderful burritos.”
- Celebration Key economics — the guys predict short, high-volume Excel-class runs “print money” like Royal’s private-island model — and worry about the crowding, a callback to Nassau at its busiest.
Golden nuggets
Running bits & lore born here
- Gary “bear attack” trauma — the true-crime arc continues with Stockholm-syndrome jokes and Trevor’s fake “I hit the bear” lie.
- “Snooty snoots” & platinum watch — the status war rolls on with Trevor’s looming platinum (53 days out).
- Buc-ee’s as honorary sponsor — the beloved travel stop gets another shout, plus Mama Kennedy love.
- FRGC planning — FRGC2/FRGC3 logistics, including the flyer finally getting made so Trevor’s sister could come.
- Pirate intro music retired — the copyright-strike saga forcing them to drop the old intro track.
- Favorite-ship poll — held back again for a future all-ships episode.