Most people think about rewards when they swipe a credit card. But sometimes the extra value comes before you ever get to checkout. That is where shopping portals come in. A shopping portal is a simple website or app that gives you cash back, points, miles, or other rewards when you click through the portal…
Specialty dining on Princess Cruises can be one of the most enjoyable parts of the trip, but it can also be one of the easiest areas to overthink. Should you book Crown Grill? Is Sabatini’s worth it? Is The Catch by Rudi the more interesting choice? And if you have Princess Premier, should you try…
Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island, Great Stirrup Cay, is getting one of its biggest upgrades yet. Great Tides Waterpark is scheduled to open on September 4, 2026, bringing a nearly six-acre waterpark to NCL’s private island in the Bahamas. It will include 19 waterslides, a dynamic river, cliff jumps, a kids’ splash area, food trucks,…
We have written a lot about Norwegian Cruise Line because that is where much of our recent cruise experience has been. More recently, we have also started building out our Princess Cruises content as we continue learning more about Princess and helping clients research Princess sailings. But there are many other cruise lines worth understanding,…
Updated June 15, 2026: We refreshed this article with current links, updated port-guide structure, and additional planning notes for British Isles and France cruise itineraries. Le Havre is one of those cruise ports where the name on the itinerary does not always tell the full story. Your cruise line may list it as Le Havre,…
Hotel points can be incredibly useful. They can turn an expensive city stay into something more manageable, make a pre-cruise hotel easier to justify, help with family trips, or let you stay somewhere nicer than you would have paid for in cash. But we do not think hotel points should be treated like a game…
We started cruising last year after a friend and co-worker recommended we try the Norwegian Bliss for Alaska. That was supposed to be our “let’s see if we even like cruising” trip. Apparently, we liked it. Since that first Bliss cruise last May, we’ve sailed the Bliss two more times, plus the Escape and the…
Dining on a British Isles cruise is not just about where you want to eat. It is also about when you will actually have the energy to enjoy the meal. That matters because many British Isles cruises are port-heavy. You may have early meeting times, long excursions, tender ports, weather changes, walking-heavy days, scenic drives,…
Credit cards can be useful tools. They can help pay for trips, unlock hotel perks, cover travel protections, earn flexible points, and make certain expenses a little easier to justify. But they can also quietly become clutter. One card turns into three. A first-year bonus turns into a second-year annual fee. A travel credit you…
Travel Insurance: When It Makes Sense, When It Doesn’t, And What You Might Already Have Travel insurance is one of those travel topics that sounds simple until you actually start comparing options. Do you buy the insurance offered by the cruise line? Do you add coverage when booking a flight or hotel? Do you buy…
