Cruise specialty dining sounds simple until you actually have to decide where to use the credit. Do you go familiar? Do you pick the steakhouse? Or do you try something a little outside your comfort zone? On our April 2026 Norwegian Bliss repositioning cruise, we finally tried Le Bistro for the first time. Since we…
Basic Economy can look like a great deal when you are booking a flight. The price is lower.The flight time is the same.The destination is the same.And at first glance, it feels like an easy way to save money. But Basic Economy is one of those travel decisions where the cheapest price is not always…
How Road Trips and Remote Hotels Can Stretch Your Points Further When people think about traveling with points, the images that usually come to mind are big cities, luxury hotels, and aspirational stays. But one of the biggest lessons we’ve learned over the years is this: Some of the best trips — and some of…
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is suddenly a hot topic again in the points and miles world. There is a good reason. Chase is currently showing a limited-time 150,000-point welcome bonus after spending $6,000 in purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Chase also lists the current annual fee at $795, with $195 for…
Flying feels a lot easier when the things you need are packed where they actually make sense. Not everything belongs in your personal item. Not everything needs to be under the seat in front of you. And not everything should be buried in a checked bag either. That is why we like to think about…
Cruise Budgeting in Real Life: What You’ll Actually Spend Beyond the Fare A cruise can be one of the easiest trips to budget for, but only if you understand what the cruise fare does — and does not — include. These days, taxes and port fees are usually included in the upfront price you see…
Everyone talks about getting to Butchart Gardens when you stop in Victoria. And to be fair — it’s absolutely worth it. But what really stood out to us on our recent sailing aboard the Norwegian Bliss… was how the second half of the day ended up being just as good as the main attraction. Planning…
Not every trip that looks amazing online actually feels amazing when you are the one taking it. A resort can photograph beautifully and still feel too crowded. A city can be famous and still feel exhausting. A cruise itinerary can look packed with once-in-a-lifetime stops and still leave you feeling like you never had time…
Victoria, British Columbia is one of those cruise ports that can feel like an afterthought… until you realize what you can do with the right timing. On our recent sailing aboard the Norwegian Bliss from Los Angeles to Vancouver, we got something a lot of cruises don’t offer: A long port day and an overnight…
Norwegian Cruise Line’s “Free at Sea” offer sounds simple: pick a few perks, get more value, enjoy your cruise. But like most things in travel, the real value depends on how you use it. We’ve sailed Norwegian multiple times — including our recent Norwegian Bliss repositioning cruise from Los Angeles to Vancouver — and we’ve…
