Priority access isn’t new, the “skip the line” access started at theme parks many years ago and now a cruise version – The Key on Royal Caribbean – has entered the market as a pay for access and convenience product. Over the years, the Disney priority access model has evolved […]
I visited Lahaina in Maui in May on the Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas cruise from Hawaii to Vancouver. This was to be a different post to tell you how to navigate Lahaina – arrive in port, sail the boats, book the tours of the island, shop the stores […]
Last summer it was security delays, airport staff shortages and lost luggage. Thankfully, Apple Air tags saved my stranded bag at Heathrow and I was fortunate to only have one flight delayed out of six flights to/within Europe. This summer it’s about extreme weather events (storms, heat, rain, hail, wildfires, […]
I haven’t given much thought to my travels and how some years there tends to be a theme around the trips. One year I focused on international film festivals (Toronto, Karlovy Vary and Avignon) and the next year my travels brought me to wellness resorts (Miraval and Red Mountain Resort […]
My niece wanted to visit Venice in July and my first response was “I’m not sure I love you that much”. The Venice I remember pre-pandemic was crowded with cruise passengers from May to September, add to that the daily tourists arriving by train each day and those charming tiny […]
My niece secured an internship with a football club in Madrid, so my family was keen to visit while she was there. I offered to plan their family vacation to Spain to include Barcelona and Madrid. While I would normally recommend a first visit to Europe be at least ten […]
It’s “wave season” and you are likely seeing a lot of cruise commercials everywhere (that dumb jingle is stuck in your head) so let’s talk about cruises. Cruises lines were hit hard during the pandemic and restarted sailing in July 2021 offering cheap cruises to anyone willing to take a […]
I recently visited Las Vegas to celebrate my mom’s 80th birthday and had to treat her to a stay at The Wynn Las Vegas because it’s such a five-star luxury experience. I am a Wynn Rewards card holder and while I rarely earn enough casino credit or comp dollars to […]
For my summer visit to Venice, Italy with my 16 y.o. niece, I originally included the public transit option in our budget and my mom (aka mom-mom) vetoed it. As a solo traveler, I’m keen to save money and would normally take the Alilaguna boat (15 euros one way) from […]
It’s not a secret that I love chocolate. When I travel, I try to find the best local chocolate shops which can be easy or impossible (see Bruges Chocolate Shops). On a recent trip to London, I even tried my hand at making chocolates at Melt Chocolate in Notting Hill. […]