What Kind of Cruiser Are You? There’s No In-Between Cruising is one of the few vacations where two people can be on the exact same ship and still have completely different trips. Same itinerary.Same food.Same ocean. Completely different experience. Because the truth is, people do not just “go on a cruise.” They go for their…
Most people think about hotel points as a way to book one big, impressive stay. A luxury resort. A fancy city hotel. One night that feels like a major win. And sometimes, that can absolutely make sense. But in real life, we usually think about hotel points a little differently. For us, some of the…
Tripadvisor is one of the first tools we use when researching hotels, especially when we’re booking somewhere new. But we don’t use it as a simple “highest rating wins” tool. A hotel’s rating is helpful, but it is only one part of the decision. Over time, we’ve developed a simple framework that helps us quickly…
Most people assume you need a ton of points — or a specific airline’s miles — to book a good flight. That’s not always true. In this example, we’re using Alaska Atmos points to book an American Airlines flight… even though we don’t really fly Alaska at all. And the result? A simple, repeatable redemption…
Most cruise “deals” look great at first glance. Big discounts. Flash sales. “Up to 70% off.” Free perks everywhere. But once you’ve booked a few cruises — and made a few mistakes — you realize something quickly: The advertised price is rarely the real price. And it’s definitely not the full value. A cruise can…
Embarkation day isn’t just “getting on the ship.” For us, it’s the official start of the trip — and how we approach this day can shape the rest of the cruise. After multiple cruises and a few trial-and-error moments, we’ve settled into a routine that works really well for us. It’s not about rushing.It’s not…
Most people assume travel points have to be complicated before they become useful. Multiple credit cards.Transfer partners.Award charts.Perfect redemptions. But you do not need a complicated system to get real value from points. You need a simple strategy that helps you turn the points you already have, or the points you are working toward, into…
Booking a cruise months — or even a year — in advance is the “normal” way to plan a trip. But that is not always how we do it. Some of our best cruise deals, and some of our most fun trips, have come from booking much closer to sail date. That is where Norwegian…
Many people already have travel points. They’re sitting in credit card accounts, airline programs, hotel loyalty programs, or shopping rewards programs — often quietly building up in the background. But a surprising number of travelers never actually use them. Not because they aren’t valuable. Because they’re not sure how to use them. In the first…
Planning a cruise doesn’t start when you pack your suitcase. For us, it usually starts weeks — sometimes months — before we ever step on the ship. Of course, that gets a little more interesting when we book last-minute cruises like we’ve done a few times recently. And for this upcoming Norwegian Bliss sailing? We’re…
