Sun Princess is the first in the “sphere-class” of ship for Princess Cruises. The ship, which launched in 2024, can hold 4300 guests along with 1600 crew. My sailing was a 7 day cruise from Athens to Barcelona in July, 2026, with roughly 3000 passengers and never felt overly crowded. … Read more
I stayed at the Grand Hyatt Athens back in 2021 when travel was still feeling the impacts of the pandemic. Five years later, I would be in Athens prior to boarding a cruise. I stayed the first two nights at the InterContinental (which is located just a block away) before … Read more
Athens is a gritty city. It is full of history and is unpretentious. It is one of my favorite world cities and I always look forward to returning. During my recent visit I stayed two nights at the InterContinental Athenaeum Athen. The large hotel outside the main tourist area and … Read more
This year my top posts were a good mix of hotels, cruises, flights, lounges and a Vegas rumor thrown in for good measure. Below are the top 10 most viewed posts written in 2024. 10. Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor Review – The Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor is an older property … Read more
On my way back from Europe this summer, I had a brief layover in London Heathrow. My flight to Seattle would be departing from Terminal 5 C gates. On the way over, I spent time in the North Lounge by the A gates. This time it made sense to try … Read more
I received an offer for a free Ocean View Room through the casino department at Holland America for a number of cruises. A friend and I decided to book a two week itinerary through the Mediterranean on the Oosterdam, one of Holland America’s older (and smaller) ships. I was able … 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
After my Virgin Voyage, I needed to get back to Seattle. I was able to us Alaska Airlines miles to book a one way ticket from Nice, France to Dublin and then Dublin on to Seattle. The Nice to Dublin flight was in Economy (no Business Class offered) and the … Read more
The Hyatt Centric The Liberties Dublin opened in fall 2019 with 234 rooms. It is not Hyatt managed, but instead managed by a third party – the Hodson Bay Group. It is a Category 4 property which means Category 1-4 Free Night Certificates can be used. I booked two nights … Read more
The Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is surprisingly large with two separate terminals. I was flying out of Terminal 1 to Dublin (which happens to not be in the Schengen Area). The flights outside of the Schengen Area have an isolated area past passport check. There is one lounge in the … Read more
After sailing with Virgin Voyages, I flew from Athens to Nice, France for a two night visit before flying on to Dublin. The Hyatt properties near Nice were extremely expensive (August is peak season), so I decided to try the Crown Plaza near the Nice airport. The property is new … Read more
Athens is the third home port for Virgin Voyages, with the Resilient Lady sailing out of Piraeus starting with her maiden voyage in April 2023. I sailed on the Greek Glow itinerary in August 2023. Below is my experience with embarkation. New to Virgin Voyages? Get a free $150 Bar Tab … Read more
Story Hotels are a set of three hotels in Sweden that recently joined Hyatt as JdV properties. They are full integrated with Hyatt; meaning you can earn points, book reward nights, and are entitled to World of Hyatt elite benefits. I booked two nights after my Holland America cruise that … Read more
Eidfjord Hike for Cruise Passengers Eidfjord is a beautiful port for cruises in Norway. The town itself is quite small (but there is a grocery store). If you don’t want to do an excursion and instead just explore the area on your own, you are in luck. There is a … Read more