I love credit cards so much! v6.0 - 2023 & 2024 (see first page for add'l details)

[reliev]

I'm really going to miss being globalist... free breakfast, free parking, point advance reservations. I just made the last points advance reservation for the year before I drop down to Explorist.

my DW wants us to go to the mountains next year sometime, I cant find any Hyatt hotels is it terrible in thinking this way? I keep a spreadsheet to hold globalist. (i would have to make up 7 nights from spend or burning points) also has anyone been to dollywood and asheville we got an VRBO there a while ago but its just us for this next trip. Im thinking the biltmore and stay in Dollywood?>
also @becauseimnew I feel you that's how I booked my whole japan trip with advanced reservations and I just paid it back.

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

my DW wants us to go to the mountains next year sometime, I cant find any Hyatt hotels is it terrible in thinking this way? I keep a spreadsheet to hold globalist. (i would have to make up 7 nights from spend or burning points) also has anyone been to dollywood and asheville we got an VRBO there a while ago but its just us for this next trip. Im thinking the biltmore and stay in Dollywood?

We live 45 min from Asheville, and go a few times per year for day trips, including to Biltmore. We go to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge once a year as a family trip. I wouldn't try to do Biltmore as a day trip from Pigeon Forge area though... that's a 2 hour drive at least each way, plus a pretty long day at Biltmore to do the house tour, see the grounds/greenhouse, visit the winery, etc.
Can you split your time between both? There are lots of mountain activities to do in the Gatlinburg area, like sky lifts up the mountain in the town, or you can drive into Smoky Mountain Nat'l Park and do hikes/drives/overlooks, etc.

ETA: I don't know about Hyatt's in the area, but IHG has a lot of options in Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area. We've stayed at a few.

 

[wanderlust7]

I’m heading back to Ramstein Germany on April 2 for the birth of my second grandchild. I’ll be there thru May 8th. Flying United IAH to Frankfurt on UA miles. I have a friend who will be flying into Amsterdam on April 19th and I plan to fly up to meet her. We plan to spend one night before traveling to my daughters house in SW Germany, probably by train. If you had 24 hours or so to spend in Amsterdam, what would you do? Tulips will be in full bloom at that time. Also, any suggestions on where to stay. This will be my first time and possibly only time there.

If you decide to go to the Rijksmuseum, Capital One card holders can sign up for a 6 month trial of The Cultivist for free entry. Link I just did that and tickets are by request, I had to enter a date range and time range. So will see how it goes.

We'll be staying at the Hyatt Regency Amsterdam to use up some FNCs.

 

[Princess Michele]

Food for thought:

DH got an Amex offer for 35x MRs on $1000 with Celebrity on one card and 17.5k MRs for $500 spend with Celebrity on another card. While we know we plan to sail Celebrity again after our wonderful experience in the Galapagos, it won't be anytime soon. But it's too good of an offer to pass up. 52,500 MRs for $1500 we will be spending with Celebrity at some point anyhow. Even if one only values MRs for cash out with a Schwab it's $577 earned on $1500.

We booked a refundable cruise for April of 2025. I am very unlikely to go on this cruise. However, this should give me plenty of time to make a change to an actual cruise itinerary and date that I will take without any penalties down the line.

I am not as experienced as you with using points/miles for travel but I have an Amex offer for 35k MRs on $1000 with Celebrity and would love to do the same. I would love to take a Greek Isle cruise but the earliest we could cruise would be 2025 so I was trying to determine if I could book a refundable cruise to use the offer and then change it to a later cruise. I agree it is too good of an offer to pass up since my retention offer was spend $4K to get 45K MRs. DH does not understand and thinks I am crazy. I will be talking to my cruise travel agent this week for our Alaska cruisetour so I can ask her if there are any reasons I should not do it.

 

[calypso726]

Anyone been to Bimini? Looking at a cruise stop there.

Just to the private beach club area when we sailed with Virgin Voyages. It was lovely.

I am not as experienced as you with using points/miles for travel but I have an Amex offer for 35k MRs on $1000 with Celebrity and would love to do the same. I would love to take a Greek Isle cruise but the earliest we could cruise would be 2025 so I was trying to determine if I could book a refundable cruise to use the offer and then change it to a later cruise. I agree it is too good of an offer to pass up since my retention offer was spend $4K to get 45K MRs. DH does not understand and thinks I am crazy. I will be talking to my cruise travel agent this week for our Alaska cruisetour so I can ask her if there are any reasons I should not do it.

From what I read on the cancellation policy, you can cancel or move things with no penalty up to 90 days before the cruise. My TA booked us a refundable rate and date and just cautioned us not to pay in full. I'm in the same boat and can't cruise until 2025 most likely. I'll probably decide sometime next year where we want to go.

 

[amylovesdamon]

Has anyone noticed that the website to register Metabank visa and Mastercard gift cards (giftcardmall.com/mygift) has either been down or extremely slow all weekend?

yes!! it's been so annoying! i've been trying to register cards for like 5 days

 

[Sheree]

Anyone been to Bimini? Looking at a cruise stop there.

beach is great. Island is poor, minor shopping ta one end. we rented a golf cart

 

[georgina]

If you decide to go to the Rijksmuseum, Capital One card holders can sign up for a 6 month trial of The Cultivist for free entry. Link I just did that and tickets are by request, I had to enter a date range and time range. So will see how it goes.

We'll be staying at the Hyatt Regency Amsterdam to use up some FNCs.

Interesting. I think that is where Viking is putting us up in April for our 2 nights before our river cruise. I have a Capitol One REI card, may try that.

We are definitely going to Keukenhof Gardens, still planning the rest. I got a small Rick Steves Amsterdam book to look at.

 

[jujubiee4]

Just to the private beach club area when we sailed with Virgin Voyages. It was lovely.



From what I read on the cancellation policy, you can cancel or move things with no penalty up to 90 days before the cruise. My TA booked us a refundable rate and date and just cautioned us not to pay in full. I'm in the same boat and can't cruise until 2025 most likely. I'll probably decide sometime next year where we want to go.

I have this also and would love to take advantage. Is the price difference refundable vs non refundable
deposit a couple hundred dollars? Wonder if you can use Costco as a TA? Im looking summer 2024
or 2025. Offer too good to pass up.lol

 

[iujen94]

Update on my Caesars Match to Diamond Status (from Wyndham). I messaged Caesars Rewards on Twitter last week. They said to check back today if no change. I messaged them again yesterday. They said they were going to expedite it with Wyndham as nothing had come through. They just messaged me again right now and it has been changed to Diamond. Whew... I leave for Vegas on Saturday!!

Are you planning to use your $100 anniversary dinner on this trip? If so, just be aware it might not be on your account yet. I got matched about a week ago and went to a Harrahs property this weekend - the dinner wasn’t on my account yet. You might want to hit up Twitter again to see if yours is on your account, or if they can expedite it somehow.

 

[wanderlust7]

I'm really going to miss being globalist... free breakfast, free parking, point advance reservations. I just made the last points advance reservation for the year before I drop down to Explorist.

You could make Guest of Honor bookings before your status expires and keep the benefits for those reservations. Confirmed by the Hyatt Concierge on FT. Link

I don't know if GOH works with points advance though.

 

[becauseimnew]

You could make Guest of Honor bookings before your status expires and keep the benefits for those reservations. Confirmed by the Hyatt Concierge on FT. Link

I don't know if GOH works with points advance though.

Oh man, DH won’t be going with us to NYC (just our teen girls and I). The other reservations I have are cash stay for work.

 

[Princess Michele]

I have this also and would love to take advantage. Is the price difference refundable vs non refundable
deposit a couple hundred dollars? Wonder if you can use Costco as a TA? Im looking summer 2024
or 2025. Offer too good to pass up.lol

When I played with some dummy bookings the deposit was the same whether it was a refundable or non-refundable booking. The non-refundable bookings were at 75% off the 2nd guest but the refundable booking was only 60% off the 2nd guest. I thought the refundable total amount was still a good rate if I intended to take the cruise.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

My husband and I were there in October on a stop while on Virgin's Scarlet Lady. We enjoyed our day there. Anything specific you would like to know? My sister is heading out this Sunday on the same itinerary.

It wouldn't be Virgin but wondering what types of excursions. DS would love to swim with dolphins but I'd rather do something eco friendly, not captive dolphins.

 

[LynnTH]

Are you planning to use your $100 anniversary dinner on this trip? If so, just be aware it might not be on your account yet. I got matched about a week ago and went to a Harrahs property this weekend - the dinner wasn’t on my account yet. You might want to hit up Twitter again to see if yours is on your account, or if they can expedite it somehow.

Oh. Thank you. I will do that. I figured it was automatic!!

 

[reliev]

We live 45 min from Asheville, and go a few times per year for day trips, including to Biltmore. We go to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge once a year as a family trip. I wouldn't try to do Biltmore as a day trip from Pigeon Forge area though... that's a 2 hour drive at least each way, plus a pretty long day at Biltmore to do the house tour, see the grounds/greenhouse, visit the winery, etc.
Can you split your time between both? There are lots of mountain activities to do in the Gatlinburg area, like sky lifts up the mountain in the town, or you can drive into Smoky Mountain Nat'l Park and do hikes/drives/overlooks, etc.

ETA: I don't know about Hyatt's in the area, but IHG has a lot of options in Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area. We've stayed at a few.

yeah we havent decided what week yet but we were thinking 4 days in both when we went to ashenville for 3 days i wanted to stay longer Was thinking bitmore and dollywood.

 

[reliev]

You could make Guest of Honor bookings before your status expires and keep the benefits for those reservations. Confirmed by the Hyatt Concierge on FT. Link

I don't know if GOH works with points advance though.

it doesn't i tried for a good friend of mine. I had to wait until his points were posted. They said it would take up to a month it took about 2 weeks.

 

[AndreaDM]

The Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam frequently comes up as a bucket list stay. My fam has also enjoyed the Kimpton De Witt, very centrally located to the Grand Centraal train station, which is about a 15 min easy ride from the airport.

We stayed at this Kimpton back in Sept, the place was lovely and the staff was great! It rained most of the time we were there but they supplied umbrellas for us. The only thing was, at the time, there was road construction going on and it was a kind of convaluted way to get there the one time we took a taxi. I also second Anne Frank Haus, very moving.

 

[chattadisser]

I know we have a lot of pet parents on here. Has anyone tried the Farmers Dog out and what are/were your thoughts? They always seem to have promo codes and I have a lot of Chase offers for the Farmers Dog, just wondering if it was worth it since it's kinda pricey. Not that pet food in general isn't pricey, I just wouldn't want my dogs to love it so much that if we had to go back to kibble that they would turn up their noses.

 

[iujen94]

Oh. Thank you. I will do that. I figured it was automatic!!

I think it is, if you wait long enough….(but not helpful with a trip coming up soon!)