Knowing I would be sailing out of Civitavecchia, the port nearest to Rome, for my Mediterranean cruise, I felt there were three options of where to stay the night prior to boarding the ship: near the Rome Airport, in Rome, or in Civitavecchia. Rome was the most interesting option. Being … Read more
Vilnius airport is currently (2024) undergoing a massive renovation/modernization. There is only one lounge; the Narbutas Business Lounge. I visited the lounge using my Priority Pass before a July flight to Rome. The lounge is located directly after security. Two elevators take you up one level. As it is a … Read more
I just finished three nights at the Artagonist Hotel in Old Town Vilnius. I booked using my Chase Sapphire Preferred card to use my annual $50 hotel credit prior to canceling the card. The total for three nights was $341.68 (plus a €2 per night city tax) before the $50 … Read more
Helsinki is one of my favorite European hub airports. It is clean, updated, and easy to navigate. Finnair flies directly from many cities to Helsinki. It is a great way to get to anywhere in Europe. In addition to the various Finnair lounges that can be accessed when flying oneworld … Read more
There is a section of the Frankfurt airport in Terminal 2 that includes D Gates 21-26 and E Gates 22-26. I was flying Finnair from FRA to HEL and left from Gate E22. This portion of the airport is pretty dismal. There is a restaurant, a snack bar, one duty … Read more
British Airways takes up almost all of Terminal 5 at London Heathrow. There are three Business Class lounges in the Terminal — two (North and South) at the A gates and one at the B gates. During my 8 hour layover I opted to try out the British Airways Galleries … Read more
British Airways has updated their Business Class (also known as Club World) product. I have flown their old product a number of times and always found it to be underwhelming. Fortunately they have a new product that is on par with other Business Class seats on other airlines. A friend … Read more
The original Alaska Lounge in Seattle is located just past security check point 4. It was recently renovated to bring it up to par with the Alaska Lounges at C Gates and N Satellite. Access to the Alaska Lounge can be purchased by anyone for $60 for one visit or … Read more
The Amex Business Platinum card, with a $695 annual fee, is the most expensive credit card that I have ever applied for. When I signed up for the card, the sign up bonus was 190,000 Membership Rewards points after $15,000 spend in the first three months. So what are the … Read more
Rio Las Vegas is an off strip resort casino and hotel that opened in 1990. It was sold to Harrah’s (Caesars) in 1999 for $766 million. After 20 years of neglect by Caesars, the Rio was sold in 2019 for $516 million to Dreamscape Properties. As of 2024, the Rio … Read more
Today Virgin Voyages sent out a teaser email for their new ship, the Brilliant Lady. In the email was the animation above along with the following text: We’ve been keeping a secret, and it’s almost time to let you in on it. Something Brilliant is coming — trust us, you’ll … Read more
Holland America’s first Pinnacle Class ship, Koningsdam, set sail in 2016, followed by Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam. The three ships are nearly identical. I booked a six night cruise on the Koningsdam out of San Diego in a Guaranteed Verandah stateroom. I then added Club Orange to my booking which … Read more
The expanded American Express Centurion Lounge at Sea-Tac International Airport opened in February, 2023 in the Central Terminal. Despite its 14,000 square feet, during my Friday evening visit it was incredibly crowded. Still it is a much needed update from the previous Centurion Studio in SEA. The Central Terminal at … Read more
The Envoy Hotel in Boston’s Seaport neighborhood opened in 2015 and is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. The six story building includes 136 guest rooms, restaurant off the lobby, and rooftop bar with views of downtown Boston. I received five free nights at Marriott properties through a Chase credit card … Read more
The Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor is an airport hotel located near Boston’s Logan International. While technically on airport property, it is not connected and requires a shuttle from the terminal. The waterfront property is a large hotel with views either of Boston Harbor and skyline of the city or of … Read more