I love credit cards so much! v7.0 - 2025 (see first page for add'l details)

[afan]

Points finally posted at 47 hours. Booked the flight.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

Trip Planning Starting!!!! Not in 2025 but 2026.

2026 is the year of our 30th Wedding Anniversary. We are thinking of doing an around the world Disney Trip to all 5 parks!!!!!!!!!!!

It's going to wind up being a longer trip because we don't want to hit one park and then run to the next park. It's going to be in the Fall 2026, aiming for Sept/Oct 2026, if possible....

I know nothing about any of the other parks except WDW and a lot of WDW has changed and I have not kept up. Last time I was at DL in CA was in 2017 and forgot all my planning. I'm off to look for trip reports!

If anyone has any links to some good reports or advice, I'm all ears! I'm just starting and only have the idea of the trip at this point.

We are thinking of driving up to Orlando from Miami at the end of Aug or the beginning of Sept 2026 and spending at least 4 days there to do 1 park, 1 day. We could stay at our DD's house, or my Aunt's house, or some DVC resort. We are the most flexible on this part of the trip.

We would then fly from Orlando to Anahiem and spend 2-3 nights? We will try to get into the DVC there or at a walkable hotel as a 2nd choice.

We have some family thinking about a 16 night cruise from the west coast to Japan, which is how we started thinking about this trip. Not sure if we will join them but there is a small possibility.

If not, we will fly from somewhere on the west coast to Japan. Is 2 days per park enough? So, maybe a week in Tokyo max? Not going to visit other places in Japan other than Tokyo, otherwise, we will never get home! Although, DH mentioned the Bullet Train as a maybe on his wish list.

Fly from Tokyo to Shanghai. I think they give you 10 days in transit before requiring a visa? Not sure, will double check, Anyway, is 2 park days enough? How many days to visit the sights in Shanghai?

I think DH said that there was a high speed train to Hong Kong from Shanghai? If so, we may do that, or fly.

2 nights near the Hong Kong DL? How many park days needed? We haven't been to Hong Kong since 1997. Haven't decided how long to stay. 5-7 nights?

Onward to Paris DL by air. The Marriott has a timeshare near Disneyland Paris, will try to exchange into it. Want to do some day trips to Versailles and other places from there in addition to DL. Is 2 park days enough? We want to do the Louvre, Notre Dame (I think the repairs are completed?) and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Not sure I want to do day trips from the Disneyland area. Was thinking of adding a few nights in Paris either before or after the week in the Disneyland timeshare.

After Paris, we are looking to do a transatlantic cruise from Europe (Barcelona most likely) back to Miami, FL. We found a few westbound cruises to choose from, beginning on 10/23/2026 all the way to 11/23/2026. So, depending on when actually we start the trip in WDW and how long we take in each country and where else we go in Europe, we will see which cruise fits when we can or want to go back.

We are looking at a minimum of 2 months and up to 3 months. We have a budget in mind but no clue how much we will be going over the budget!

We are in the dreaming stage where we are planning our DREAM trip, if time and money was not limited. When we actually add up the time and $$$, the trip may very well shrink!! Lol.

I'm off to watch some YouTube Videos tonight. Please point me in the right direction to help me plan this epic trip!

TIA!

Thought I would update you all that the round the world Disney trip will have to wait...
But that is because we are doing a totally different trip for our 30th Anniversary - going over to Europe and will still get to go to Disneyland Paris!
We finally sold our house in August! I then started vacation planning... the cruise that family was going on from the west coast to Japan went up in price and then sold out, so joining them was out (we started seriously thinking of doing so). DH started looking at other cruises. I think all the hard work the last 9 months made him REALLY want to cruise.

To make a loooong story short we found a great 22 night westbound transatlantic cruise in June 2026 and just had to book it. Here is the map of the itinerary from Southampton to Miami, going up through Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, Canada, and then to the US.



Then we needed to find flights to Europe but then, wth, why not cruise east bound as well? We found an 11 night cruise from Miami to Lisbon in May 2026 at an acceptable price.



Before I could research how to get from Lisbon to Southampton before our TA cruise home, DH suggested we just stay on the ship as it would be continuing onto Southampton from Lisbon. The port of calls looked interesting as well. The cruise fare for this 10 night leg was more than double the TA. We did the math of transportation and lodging for the next 10 nights getting from Lisbon to the UK and it made sense to pay the hefty price. We did downgrade to the lowest inside cabin that wasn't steerage and treat the ship and cabin basically as a floating hotel, as the cruise was also very port intensive.



So, we will be on a cruise ship for 44 nights, starting 5/4/2026 from Miami and ending 7/6/2026 back to Miami.

Here is where I need help planning! We will need to plan for the 18 nights between the eastbound and westbound TA cruises into and out of Southampton from 5/26/2026 to 6/14/2026. I definitely want to visit London and Paris (via the Eurostar) and Disneyland Paris. Any other recommendations of places to visit?

I will need hotel lodging for all 18 nights. DH has the CSR and I have the CSP and we each have about 800k UR saved up for this trip, so about 1.6 mil URs. I have the WOHBiz card with only about 900 points and 2 nights stayed this year (so no status except Discoverist). I downgraded my Hilton Honors Amex card to the no annual fee card last year but I have accumulated 201k points ready to be used.

I looked at the MarriottVacationClub near Disneyland Paris and there is no availability for exchanges into it past late April 2026. I believe that inventory just hasn't been released and loaded into Interval yet and it may be available later on. DH doesn't think staying there without a car to got the DLP makes sense and a week is too long in the boonies. Which hotels are recommended near DLP? I doubt I can use points?

I looked at Paris Hotels using Hyatt points and the Hyatt Etoille or the Madeleine are not available on points for our dates. The Park Hyatt Paris Vendome is available for 45k/night and the Hotel du Louvre is available for 35k/night. I watched some videos on the Park Hyatt and I think the area it is in is too POSH for me? All that designer shopping nearby is wasted on me. My MIL gifted me a LV bag over 25 years ago. I have used that bag twice. I purchase my clothes at Costco!

I thought I would use the UR points for aspirational travel and I do! But I also want to use them to stay at places I would want to if I can afford it and not just to get a good CPP, kwim? Any thoughts on the Hotel Du Louvre? I'm off to watch videos on it after this post.

I am also open to opening new CCs to accumulate other hotel points (maybe to add to the Hilton points I have) or to get some FNC. But time is short because I do want to try to finalize travel and lodging soon. I am so clueless about earning and using FNC. I read all your posts but I kind of skim them because we usually stay at DVC or with family and the only hotels we tend to stay at these past few years have been along the drive to and from NY/FL.

Perhaps I should use some of those URs through the Chase Travel portal for more boutique hotels in Paris and London? But as I understand it, time is of the essence, and I would have to do it asap because the 1.25 boost on the CSP and the 1.5 on the CSR is going bye bye? Any recommendations on hotels? While we want to visit all the sights in Paris and London, I think we just want to wander and soak in the vibes around where we are staying.

We spent a lot on the cruises and will be spending a lot more money on all the excursions, so I am trying to minimize the OOP we need to spend on the 18 nights of lodging we will need. This seems to be the easiest to try to work on. I doubt we can save on spending real money on food or the Eurostar during those 18 days.

ANY help on trip planning those 18 days from 5/26/2026 to 6/14/2026 would be very much appreciated! It is currently still a blank page. Let me know if you need any more information.

 

[hsmamato2]

No you can continue to combine points across your Chase cards but points earned or transferred after 10/26 will only be worth 1x when redeemed in the travel portal after the 26th instead of the 1.25x for CSP & CIP and 1.5x for the CSR.

oh whoa...ok thank you!

 

[hsmamato2]

Thought I would update you all that the round the world Disney trip will have to wait...
But that is because we are doing a totally different trip for our 30th Anniversary - going over to Europe and will still get to go to Disneyland Paris!
We finally sold our house in August! I then started vacation planning... the cruise that family was going on from the west coast to Japan went up in price and then sold out, so joining them was out (we started seriously thinking of doing so). DH started looking at other cruises. I think all the hard work the last 9 months made him REALLY want to cruise.

To make a loooong story short we found a great 22 night westbound transatlantic cruise in June 2026 and just had to book it. Here is the map of the itinerary from Southampton to Miami, going up through Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, Canada, and then to the US.

View attachment 1009979

Then we needed to find flights to Europe but then, wth, why not cruise east bound as well? We found an 11 night cruise from Miami to Lisbon in May 2026 at an acceptable price.

View attachment 1009991

Before I could research how to get from Lisbon to Southampton before our TA cruise home, DH suggested we just stay on the ship as it would be continuing onto Southampton from Lisbon. The port of calls looked interesting as well. The cruise fare for this 10 night leg was more than double the TA. We did the math of transportation and lodging for the next 10 nights getting from Lisbon to the UK and it made sense to pay the hefty price. We did downgrade to the lowest inside cabin that wasn't steerage and treat the ship and cabin basically as a floating hotel, as the cruise was also very port intensive.

View attachment 1009993

So, we will be on a cruise ship for 44 nights, starting 5/4/2026 from Miami and ending 7/6/2026 back to Miami.

Here is where I need help planning! We will need to plan for the 18 nights between the eastbound and westbound TA cruises into and out of Southampton from 5/26/2026 to 6/14/2026. I definitely want to visit London and Paris (via the Eurostar) and Disneyland Paris. Any other recommendations of places to visit?

I will need hotel lodging for all 18 nights. DH has the CSR and I have the CSP and we each have about 800k UR saved up for this trip, so about 1.6 mil URs. I have the WOHBiz card with only about 900 points and 2 nights stayed this year (so no status except Discoverist). I downgraded my Hilton Honors Amex card to the no annual fee card last year but I have accumulated 201k points ready to be used.

I looked at the MarriottVacationClub near Disneyland Paris and there is no availability for exchanges into it past late April 2026. I believe that inventory just hasn't been released and loaded into Interval yet and it may be available later on. DH doesn't think staying there without a car to got the DLP makes sense and a week is too long in the boonies. Which hotels are recommended near DLP? I doubt I can use points?

I looked at Paris Hotels using Hyatt points and the Hyatt Etoille or the Madeleine are not available on points for our dates. The Park Hyatt Paris Vendome is available for 45k/night and the Hotel du Louvre is available for 35k/night. I watched some videos on the Park Hyatt and I think the area it is in is too POSH for me? All that designer shopping nearby is wasted on me. My MIL gifted me a LV bag over 25 years ago. I have used that bag twice. I purchase my clothes at Costco!

I thought I would use the UR points for aspirational travel and I do! But I also want to use them to stay at places I would want to if I can afford it and not just to get a good CPP, kwim? Any thoughts on the Hotel Du Louvre? I'm off to watch videos on it after this post.

I am also open to opening new CCs to accumulate other hotel points (maybe to add to the Hilton points I have) or to get some FNC. But time is short because I do want to try to finalize travel and lodging soon. I am so clueless about earning and using FNC. I read all your posts but I kind of skim them because we usually stay at DVC or with family and the only hotels we tend to stay at these past few years have been along the drive to and from NY/FL.

Perhaps I should use some of those URs through the Chase Travel portal for more boutique hotels in Paris and London? But as I understand it, time is of the essence, and I would have to do it asap because the 1.25 boost on the CSP and the 1.5 on the CSR is going bye bye? Any recommendations on hotels? While we want to visit all the sights in Paris and London, I think we just want to wander and soak in the vibes around where we are staying.

We spent a lot on the cruises and will be spending a lot more money on all the excursions, so I am trying to minimize the OOP we need to spend on the 18 nights of lodging we will need. This seems to be the easiest to try to work on. I doubt we can save on spending real money on food or the Eurostar during those 18 days.

ANY help on trip planning those 18 days from 5/26/2026 to 6/14/2026 would be very much appreciated! It is currently still a blank page. Let me know if you need any more information.

I'm no help to your planning but WOW this sounds sooooo amazing!

 

[Sheree]

Thought I would update you all that the round the world Disney trip will have to wait...
But that is because we are doing a totally different trip for our 30th Anniversary - going over to Europe and will still get to go to Disneyland Paris!
We finally sold our house in August! I then started vacation planning... the cruise that family was going on from the west coast to Japan went up in price and then sold out, so joining them was out (we started seriously thinking of doing so). DH started looking at other cruises. I think all the hard work the last 9 months made him REALLY want to cruise.

To make a loooong story short we found a great 22 night westbound transatlantic cruise in June 2026 and just had to book it. Here is the map of the itinerary from Southampton to Miami, going up through Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, Canada, and then to the US.

View attachment 1009979

Then we needed to find flights to Europe but then, wth, why not cruise east bound as well? We found an 11 night cruise from Miami to Lisbon in May 2026 at an acceptable price.

View attachment 1009991

Before I could research how to get from Lisbon to Southampton before our TA cruise home, DH suggested we just stay on the ship as it would be continuing onto Southampton from Lisbon. The port of calls looked interesting as well. The cruise fare for this 10 night leg was more than double the TA. We did the math of transportation and lodging for the next 10 nights getting from Lisbon to the UK and it made sense to pay the hefty price. We did downgrade to the lowest inside cabin that wasn't steerage and treat the ship and cabin basically as a floating hotel, as the cruise was also very port intensive.

View attachment 1009993

So, we will be on a cruise ship for 44 nights, starting 5/4/2026 from Miami and ending 7/6/2026 back to Miami.

Here is where I need help planning! We will need to plan for the 18 nights between the eastbound and westbound TA cruises into and out of Southampton from 5/26/2026 to 6/14/2026. I definitely want to visit London and Paris (via the Eurostar) and Disneyland Paris. Any other recommendations of places to visit?

I will need hotel lodging for all 18 nights. DH has the CSR and I have the CSP and we each have about 800k UR saved up for this trip, so about 1.6 mil URs. I have the WOHBiz card with only about 900 points and 2 nights stayed this year (so no status except Discoverist). I downgraded my Hilton Honors Amex card to the no annual fee card last year but I have accumulated 201k points ready to be used.

I looked at the MarriottVacationClub near Disneyland Paris and there is no availability for exchanges into it past late April 2026. I believe that inventory just hasn't been released and loaded into Interval yet and it may be available later on. DH doesn't think staying there without a car to got the DLP makes sense and a week is too long in the boonies. Which hotels are recommended near DLP? I doubt I can use points?

I looked at Paris Hotels using Hyatt points and the Hyatt Etoille or the Madeleine are not available on points for our dates. The Park Hyatt Paris Vendome is available for 45k/night and the Hotel du Louvre is available for 35k/night. I watched some videos on the Park Hyatt and I think the area it is in is too POSH for me? All that designer shopping nearby is wasted on me. My MIL gifted me a LV bag over 25 years ago. I have used that bag twice. I purchase my clothes at Costco!

I thought I would use the UR points for aspirational travel and I do! But I also want to use them to stay at places I would want to if I can afford it and not just to get a good CPP, kwim? Any thoughts on the Hotel Du Louvre? I'm off to watch videos on it after this post.

I am also open to opening new CCs to accumulate other hotel points (maybe to add to the Hilton points I have) or to get some FNC. But time is short because I do want to try to finalize travel and lodging soon. I am so clueless about earning and using FNC. I read all your posts but I kind of skim them because we usually stay at DVC or with family and the only hotels we tend to stay at these past few years have been along the drive to and from NY/FL.

Perhaps I should use some of those URs through the Chase Travel portal for more boutique hotels in Paris and London? But as I understand it, time is of the essence, and I would have to do it asap because the 1.25 boost on the CSP and the 1.5 on the CSR is going bye bye? Any recommendations on hotels? While we want to visit all the sights in Paris and London, I think we just want to wander and soak in the vibes around where we are staying.

We spent a lot on the cruises and will be spending a lot more money on all the excursions, so I am trying to minimize the OOP we need to spend on the 18 nights of lodging we will need. This seems to be the easiest to try to work on. I doubt we can save on spending real money on food or the Eurostar during those 18 days.

ANY help on trip planning those 18 days from 5/26/2026 to 6/14/2026 would be very much appreciated! It is currently still a blank page. Let me know if you need any more information.

wow
Hilton Paddington in London is a great place to stay as you can hop on metro to get almost anywhere!
Paris DL I stayed onsite 3 nights for convenience. not sure if using dvc points makes sense, I usually rent some and pay cash.
Paris, we stayed in trocadero which wasn't as walkable as when we stayed near the main train station (hilton using points but I'm sure there's other hotels)
for chase use their portal, free breakfast early/late checkout included for some hotels (I used it for warsaw this march).

maybe canterbury while you're in the UK?

have fun!

 

[havaneselover]

On Lulu seemingly not wanting people to use the Platinum credit for gift cards, I wonder if the issue is they can't recognize that revenue until it's spent and their stock price is down about 65% over the last 20 months or so so they want the revenue now.

 

[StephPlum]

Perhaps I should use some of those URs through the Chase Travel portal for more boutique hotels in Paris and London? But as I understand it, time is of the essence, and I would have to do it asap because the 1.25 boost on the CSP and the 1.5 on the CSR is going bye bye? Any recommendations on hotels? While we want to visit all the sights in Paris and London, I think we just want to wander and soak in the vibes around where we are staying.

Here is a good explanation on the dates for UR points in the portal.

if your account was opened before June 23, 2025, the Ultimate Rewards points you earn before Oct. 26, 2025, can still be redeemed at the current fixed rate of 1.5 cents per point (1.25 cpp on CSP) until Oct. 27, 2027.
Plus I’ve had some good luck getting a boost of 2 cpp on the portal on my CSR. You can filter on hotels boost eligible.

I just stayed at The Clermont, Victoria (booked through portal) in London and loved it. Easy transportation options right next to hotel. There’s a motor coach station a block away that I utilized to coach to Southampton for my cruise.

 

[*pixie*]

I’m going to close my Southwest Business card. AF should post on October 1st. I had planned on closing it before the AF shows up, but I’ve read that I should close it after the AF posts. Is this correct?

 

[calypso726]

Thought I would update you all that the round the world Disney trip will have to wait...
But that is because we are doing a totally different trip for our 30th Anniversary - going over to Europe and will still get to go to Disneyland Paris!
We finally sold our house in August! I then started vacation planning... the cruise that family was going on from the west coast to Japan went up in price and then sold out, so joining them was out (we started seriously thinking of doing so). DH started looking at other cruises. I think all the hard work the last 9 months made him REALLY want to cruise.

To make a loooong story short we found a great 22 night westbound transatlantic cruise in June 2026 and just had to book it. Here is the map of the itinerary from Southampton to Miami, going up through Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, Canada, and then to the US.

View attachment 1009979

Then we needed to find flights to Europe but then, wth, why not cruise east bound as well? We found an 11 night cruise from Miami to Lisbon in May 2026 at an acceptable price.

View attachment 1009991

Before I could research how to get from Lisbon to Southampton before our TA cruise home, DH suggested we just stay on the ship as it would be continuing onto Southampton from Lisbon. The port of calls looked interesting as well. The cruise fare for this 10 night leg was more than double the TA. We did the math of transportation and lodging for the next 10 nights getting from Lisbon to the UK and it made sense to pay the hefty price. We did downgrade to the lowest inside cabin that wasn't steerage and treat the ship and cabin basically as a floating hotel, as the cruise was also very port intensive.

View attachment 1009993

So, we will be on a cruise ship for 44 nights, starting 5/4/2026 from Miami and ending 7/6/2026 back to Miami.

Here is where I need help planning! We will need to plan for the 18 nights between the eastbound and westbound TA cruises into and out of Southampton from 5/26/2026 to 6/14/2026. I definitely want to visit London and Paris (via the Eurostar) and Disneyland Paris. Any other recommendations of places to visit?

I will need hotel lodging for all 18 nights. DH has the CSR and I have the CSP and we each have about 800k UR saved up for this trip, so about 1.6 mil URs. I have the WOHBiz card with only about 900 points and 2 nights stayed this year (so no status except Discoverist). I downgraded my Hilton Honors Amex card to the no annual fee card last year but I have accumulated 201k points ready to be used.

I looked at the MarriottVacationClub near Disneyland Paris and there is no availability for exchanges into it past late April 2026. I believe that inventory just hasn't been released and loaded into Interval yet and it may be available later on. DH doesn't think staying there without a car to got the DLP makes sense and a week is too long in the boonies. Which hotels are recommended near DLP? I doubt I can use points?

I looked at Paris Hotels using Hyatt points and the Hyatt Etoille or the Madeleine are not available on points for our dates. The Park Hyatt Paris Vendome is available for 45k/night and the Hotel du Louvre is available for 35k/night. I watched some videos on the Park Hyatt and I think the area it is in is too POSH for me? All that designer shopping nearby is wasted on me. My MIL gifted me a LV bag over 25 years ago. I have used that bag twice. I purchase my clothes at Costco!

I thought I would use the UR points for aspirational travel and I do! But I also want to use them to stay at places I would want to if I can afford it and not just to get a good CPP, kwim? Any thoughts on the Hotel Du Louvre? I'm off to watch videos on it after this post.

I am also open to opening new CCs to accumulate other hotel points (maybe to add to the Hilton points I have) or to get some FNC. But time is short because I do want to try to finalize travel and lodging soon. I am so clueless about earning and using FNC. I read all your posts but I kind of skim them because we usually stay at DVC or with family and the only hotels we tend to stay at these past few years have been along the drive to and from NY/FL.

Perhaps I should use some of those URs through the Chase Travel portal for more boutique hotels in Paris and London? But as I understand it, time is of the essence, and I would have to do it asap because the 1.25 boost on the CSP and the 1.5 on the CSR is going bye bye? Any recommendations on hotels? While we want to visit all the sights in Paris and London, I think we just want to wander and soak in the vibes around where we are staying.

We spent a lot on the cruises and will be spending a lot more money on all the excursions, so I am trying to minimize the OOP we need to spend on the 18 nights of lodging we will need. This seems to be the easiest to try to work on. I doubt we can save on spending real money on food or the Eurostar during those 18 days.

ANY help on trip planning those 18 days from 5/26/2026 to 6/14/2026 would be very much appreciated! It is currently still a blank page. Let me know if you need any more information.

What an amazing trip!!! First off congrats on ALL of that! Now, on to some trip planning suggestions.

I see that the PH London is available for all those nights at 25k a night. I have not stayed there yet, but I will be there for 3 nights in January. I will be happy to report back on that. I have not stayed at the Hotel du Louvre either but it is on my list as I have heard great things. My go to would be the Hyatts as you have the URs and point for point, it is less points than trying to accumulate a bunch of Hilton points or transfer Marriott points.

Discoverist status is better than no status and Hyatt sometimes runs challenges that give you temporary higher status, like Globalist, that might coincide with your trip, getting you free breakfast etc. Plus, if you know anyone who is Globalist (there are a few of us on this forum) and they happen to have a Guest of Honor certificate they don't have a use for or have promised to anyone else, you may find yourself with Globalist benefits for the length of your stay. I do have some that I have promised out already to others, but if those other people's plans fall apart, I may wind up having some available to gift. If you do wind up booking Hyatts, DM me closer to your trip and I will let you know.

As for lodging at DLP: I have stayed on site our last 3 times. Each time I have rented out some of our DVC points to cover the cost and purchase tix on a package. I did the same for our on site stays in HKDL, TDL, TDS and Shanghai DL. We will be going back to DLP again after New Year's in 2027. I have no intention of staying on site this time. I am planning to book a boutique or nearby hotel with shuttle/bus service using either hotel credits or FN certs or booking through the UR portal since our CSR has been opened since well before 2025. We are traveling with friends that are gifting us park tix so there is no need to stay onsite. I would compare the cost of DLP park tickets vs the cost DLP onsite hotel packages that include park tickets. Depending on the time of year, you could come out ahead one way vs the other based on the type of tickets you purchase.

As always, I will recommend booking Ceremony of the Keys, especially if you plan to Visit Tower of London (JMO, you should totally go visit the Tower of London )

Ceremony of the Keys is a cool experience. Tickets are £5.00 each and are released the first working day of the month prior to the event date for the following month at 4pm GMT unless that first day is a Friday. Then they are released on the first Monday. Tickets for June 2026 would be released Monday May 4th since May 1st is a Friday. Tickets for May would be released Wednesday April 1st. They go fast!

I have found that I am revamping all of my plans for a Christmas markets trip next year to Vienna, Prague and Strasbourg. Originally, I had planned to try and stay at all Hyatts except Strasbourg which would have been a Marriott for me. However, I now find myself in a completely different position due to the twice a year $300 Amex FHR/Hotel Collection credit and the Citi Strata Elite $300 a year hotel credit that I can use this year and again in 2026. Playing around through Amex travel and the Citi Travel portals, I see I would likely be able to book everything I need and not waste many points at all with these hotel credits. The Citi Strata Elite card is great for the first year. Between the $200 splurge credit (Best Buy for me) for 2025 and again in 2026, the $300 two night hotel stay credits in 2025 and again in 2026, one is already ahead on the $595 annual fee. I could use the splurge credit for Best Buy and pick up Disney GCs to go towards my DVC dues that I gotta pay anyhow or Amazon GCs. Add the 80k transferrable points and it's the cherry on top. DH and I each got this card for the value of having it the first year.

Hope some of this helps!

 

[calypso726]

I’m going to close my Southwest Business card. AF should post on October 1st. I had planned on closing it before the AF shows up, but I’ve read that I should close it after the AF posts. Is this correct?

I personally always wait until after the AF posts before closing a card.

 

[calypso726]

Thought I would update you all that the round the world Disney trip will have to wait...
But that is because we are doing a totally different trip for our 30th Anniversary - going over to Europe and will still get to go to Disneyland Paris!
We finally sold our house in August! I then started vacation planning... the cruise that family was going on from the west coast to Japan went up in price and then sold out, so joining them was out (we started seriously thinking of doing so). DH started looking at other cruises. I think all the hard work the last 9 months made him REALLY want to cruise.

To make a loooong story short we found a great 22 night westbound transatlantic cruise in June 2026 and just had to book it. Here is the map of the itinerary from Southampton to Miami, going up through Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, Canada, and then to the US.

View attachment 1009979

Then we needed to find flights to Europe but then, wth, why not cruise east bound as well? We found an 11 night cruise from Miami to Lisbon in May 2026 at an acceptable price.

View attachment 1009991

Before I could research how to get from Lisbon to Southampton before our TA cruise home, DH suggested we just stay on the ship as it would be continuing onto Southampton from Lisbon. The port of calls looked interesting as well. The cruise fare for this 10 night leg was more than double the TA. We did the math of transportation and lodging for the next 10 nights getting from Lisbon to the UK and it made sense to pay the hefty price. We did downgrade to the lowest inside cabin that wasn't steerage and treat the ship and cabin basically as a floating hotel, as the cruise was also very port intensive.

View attachment 1009993

So, we will be on a cruise ship for 44 nights, starting 5/4/2026 from Miami and ending 7/6/2026 back to Miami.

Here is where I need help planning! We will need to plan for the 18 nights between the eastbound and westbound TA cruises into and out of Southampton from 5/26/2026 to 6/14/2026. I definitely want to visit London and Paris (via the Eurostar) and Disneyland Paris. Any other recommendations of places to visit?

I will need hotel lodging for all 18 nights. DH has the CSR and I have the CSP and we each have about 800k UR saved up for this trip, so about 1.6 mil URs. I have the WOHBiz card with only about 900 points and 2 nights stayed this year (so no status except Discoverist). I downgraded my Hilton Honors Amex card to the no annual fee card last year but I have accumulated 201k points ready to be used.

I looked at the MarriottVacationClub near Disneyland Paris and there is no availability for exchanges into it past late April 2026. I believe that inventory just hasn't been released and loaded into Interval yet and it may be available later on. DH doesn't think staying there without a car to got the DLP makes sense and a week is too long in the boonies. Which hotels are recommended near DLP? I doubt I can use points?

I looked at Paris Hotels using Hyatt points and the Hyatt Etoille or the Madeleine are not available on points for our dates. The Park Hyatt Paris Vendome is available for 45k/night and the Hotel du Louvre is available for 35k/night. I watched some videos on the Park Hyatt and I think the area it is in is too POSH for me? All that designer shopping nearby is wasted on me. My MIL gifted me a LV bag over 25 years ago. I have used that bag twice. I purchase my clothes at Costco!

I thought I would use the UR points for aspirational travel and I do! But I also want to use them to stay at places I would want to if I can afford it and not just to get a good CPP, kwim? Any thoughts on the Hotel Du Louvre? I'm off to watch videos on it after this post.

I am also open to opening new CCs to accumulate other hotel points (maybe to add to the Hilton points I have) or to get some FNC. But time is short because I do want to try to finalize travel and lodging soon. I am so clueless about earning and using FNC. I read all your posts but I kind of skim them because we usually stay at DVC or with family and the only hotels we tend to stay at these past few years have been along the drive to and from NY/FL.

Perhaps I should use some of those URs through the Chase Travel portal for more boutique hotels in Paris and London? But as I understand it, time is of the essence, and I would have to do it asap because the 1.25 boost on the CSP and the 1.5 on the CSR is going bye bye? Any recommendations on hotels? While we want to visit all the sights in Paris and London, I think we just want to wander and soak in the vibes around where we are staying.

We spent a lot on the cruises and will be spending a lot more money on all the excursions, so I am trying to minimize the OOP we need to spend on the 18 nights of lodging we will need. This seems to be the easiest to try to work on. I doubt we can save on spending real money on food or the Eurostar during those 18 days.

ANY help on trip planning those 18 days from 5/26/2026 to 6/14/2026 would be very much appreciated! It is currently still a blank page. Let me know if you need any more information.

Ok now that I rambled on with regards to lodging ideas, I'll ramble on some of the things I have enjoyed in both London and Paris besides Ceremony of the Keys and Tower of London.

I love timing a cruise down the Seine that coincides with the Eiffel Tower lighting up. It's just so pretty to see from the boat and you get some really nice pictures!

If you are going to visit the Louvre, I highly recommend a guided tour. I much preferred having someone take me to the highlights and explaining the art and history along the way over wandering around . Same goes for Versailles.

Warner Bros. Harry Potter studios London is fantastic if you are a HP fan! I've done the self guided and also the guided tour. I prefer the latter.

The best Fish & Chips I have ever had was at The Mayfair Chippy in London. We have been 5 times and of those times only managed to get sat there once. We were quite happy with to go orders if we could not get a seat.

You have 18 days. Please, please for the love of all that is breathtaking and beautiful, go visit Scotland. A few days in Edinburgh and a few in the Isle of Skye at a bare minimum.

 

[wanderlust7]

I’m going to close my Southwest Business card. AF should post on October 1st. I had planned on closing it before the AF shows up, but I’ve read that I should close it after the AF posts. Is this correct?

It's often said to wait for the AF because it's supposed to be a foolproof way to know that the card is at least a year old. Though I've learned that it's not universally true because I've had US Bank biz cards charge the AF in less than a year.

Both the SW biz cards give anniversary points, so you might want to wait for that before you cancel. They post after the AF but still within the time you can get a refund of the AF.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

Here is a good explanation on the dates for UR points in the portal.

if your account was opened before June 23, 2025, the Ultimate Rewards points you earn before Oct. 26, 2025, can still be redeemed at the current fixed rate of 1.5 cents per point (1.25 cpp on CSP) until Oct. 27, 2027.
Plus I’ve had some good luck getting a boost of 2 cpp on the portal on my CSR. You can filter on hotels boost eligible.

I just stayed at The Clermont, Victoria (booked through portal) in London and loved it. Easy transportation options right next to hotel. There’s a motor coach station a block away that I utilized to coach to Southampton for my cruise.

Thanks for posting the fine print. I actually read it on the Chase portal but skimmed it and assumed it was if you had the card before 6/23/25, you had the multiplier until 10/25/2026. Apparently, I didn't bother to read the last part of the sentence!

So, should I go ahead and combine and move ALL our joint URs into DH's CSR account before 10/26/2025. The Hyatt account is under my name, but I can always transfer it back to my CSP. I was going to downgrade my CSP and apply for a new CSR this fall, since my 48 months was up in August, but it looks that that metric is obsolete. The original plan was to downgrade DH's CSR to a CSP, once I had my CSR, but I guess we will be keeping his CSR until 10/2027 as I don't want to chance not being grandfathered in at the moment.

When the CSR pathway for me became uncertain, I did apply for the CSRBiz instead and am working on that MSR now.

I see a bunch of nice hotels on BOOST that seem interesting. Seems like a good consolation to loosing the 1.5 pp. Even now the boost eligible hotels seem like a better deal that those I can get with 1.5.

Thanks for the London hotel. I will look into it.

What an amazing trip!!! First off congrats on ALL of that! Now, on to some trip planning suggestions.

I see that the PH London is available for all those nights at 25k a night. I have not stayed there yet, but I will be there for 3 nights in January. I will be happy to report back on that. I have not stayed at the Hotel du Louvre either but it is on my list as I have heard great things. My go to would be the Hyatts as you have the URs and point for point, it is less points than trying to accumulate a bunch of Hilton points or transfer Marriott points.

Discoverist status is better than no status and Hyatt sometimes runs challenges that give you temporary higher status, like Globalist, that might coincide with your trip, getting you free breakfast etc. Plus, if you know anyone who is Globalist (there are a few of us on this forum) and they happen to have a Guest of Honor certificate they don't have a use for or have promised to anyone else, you may find yourself with Globalist benefits for the length of your stay. I do have some that I have promised out already to others, but if those other people's plans fall apart, I may wind up having some available to gift. If you do wind up booking Hyatts, DM me closer to your trip and I will let you know.

As for lodging at DLP: I have stayed on site our last 3 times. Each time I have rented out some of our DVC points to cover the cost and purchase tix on a package. I did the same for our on site stays in HKDL, TDL, TDS and Shanghai DL. We will be going back to DLP again after New Year's in 2027. I have no intention of staying on site this time. I am planning to book a boutique or nearby hotel with shuttle/bus service using either hotel credits or FN certs or booking through the UR portal since our CSR has been opened since well before 2025. We are traveling with friends that are gifting us park tix so there is no need to stay onsite. I would compare the cost of DLP park tickets vs the cost DLP onsite hotel packages that include park tickets. Depending on the time of year, you could come out ahead one way vs the other based on the type of tickets you purchase.

As always, I will recommend booking Ceremony of the Keys, especially if you plan to Visit Tower of London (JMO, you should totally go visit the Tower of London )

Ceremony of the Keys is a cool experience. Tickets are £5.00 each and are released the first working day of the month prior to the event date for the following month at 4pm GMT unless that first day is a Friday. Then they are released on the first Monday. Tickets for June 2026 would be released Monday May 4th since May 1st is a Friday. Tickets for May would be released Wednesday April 1st. They go fast!

I have found that I am revamping all of my plans for a Christmas markets trip next year to Vienna, Prague and Strasbourg. Originally, I had planned to try and stay at all Hyatts except Strasbourg which would have been a Marriott for me. However, I now find myself in a completely different position due to the twice a year $300 Amex FHR/Hotel Collection credit and the Citi Strata Elite $300 a year hotel credit that I can use this year and again in 2026. Playing around through Amex travel and the Citi Travel portals, I see I would likely be able to book everything I need and not waste many points at all with these hotel credits. The Citi Strata Elite card is great for the first year. Between the $200 splurge credit (Best Buy for me) for 2025 and again in 2026, the $300 two night hotel stay credits in 2025 and again in 2026, one is already ahead on the $595 annual fee. I could use the splurge credit for Best Buy and pick up Disney GCs to go towards my DVC dues that I gotta pay anyhow or Amazon GCs. Add the 80k transferrable points and it's the cherry on top. DH and I each got this card for the value of having it the first year.

Hope some of this helps!

Thanks for all the great advice!

Good point about sticking with the Hyatts. Who knows I may try to get Globalist after this trip. I have to go refresh my memory on obtaining it. I have the WOHBiz card already, it maybe time to also get the personal WOH card?

I would totally rent out DVC points to cover our DLP trip! Let's see if I can spare any. Lol. Our DD is getting married in Spring 2027 and depending on where the venue she picks is located (Orlando or Tampa), we may need the points to cover accommodations in Orlando. I need to do research here on the disboards on planning a DLP trip and where to stay. It should be easier than a WDW trip nowadays, I hope!

I will also look into the Ceremony of the Keys for sure! Looks like I will be trying to book tickets for June on May 4th, right before getting onto the first leg of the cruise! I have started a new notebook to write down everyone's advice, so I don't forget!

All these other new cards sound tempting! I may need to consider getting some new ones when the final payments on the cruises are due (Dec and Jan).

 

[SleepyatDVC]

Ok now that I rambled on with regards to lodging ideas, I'll ramble on some of the things I have enjoyed in both London and Paris besides Ceremony of the Keys and Tower of London.

I love timing a cruise down the Seine that coincides with the Eiffel Tower lighting up. It's just so pretty to see from the boat and you get some really nice pictures!

If you are going to visit the Louvre, I highly recommend a guided tour. I much preferred having someone take me to the highlights and explaining the art and history along the way over wandering around . Same goes for Versailles.

Warner Bros. Harry Potter studios London is fantastic if you are a HP fan! I've done the self guided and also the guided tour. I prefer the latter.

The best Fish & Chips I have ever had was at The Mayfair Chippy in London. We have been 5 times and of those times only managed to get sat there once. We were quite happy with to go orders if we could not get a seat.

You have 18 days. Please, please for the love of all that is breathtaking and beautiful, go visit Scotland. A few days in Edinburgh and a few in the Isle of Skye at a bare minimum.

Yeah, I agree guided tours sound best. Museums and other sights are going to start blending into each other during the trip...

We picked the cruise because it went up to Scotland (Glasgow/Greenrock) but I guess that won't be enough. How far is Edinburgh from London?

At first it was looking that 18 days was too much time to try to fill in, maybe it won't be enough now!

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I’m going to close my Southwest Business card. AF should post on October 1st. I had planned on closing it before the AF shows up, but I’ve read that I should close it after the AF posts. Is this correct?

I have closed Chase cards both ways after 1 year but before the AF posts and after it posts…if after they will refund the AF….for SW make sure to wait until your anniversary RRpoints post

 

[calypso726]

Thanks for posting the fine print. I actually read it on the Chase portal but skimmed it and assumed it was if you had the card before 6/23/25, you had the multiplier until 10/25/2026. Apparently, I didn't bother to read the last part of the sentence!

So, should I go ahead and combine and move ALL our joint URs into DH's CSR account before 10/26/2025. The Hyatt account is under my name, but I can always transfer it back to my CSP. I was going to downgrade my CSP and apply for a new CSR this fall, since my 48 months was up in August, but it looks that that metric is obsolete. The original plan was to downgrade DH's CSR to a CSP, once I had my CSR, but I guess we will be keeping his CSR until 10/2027 as I don't want to chance not being grandfathered in at the moment.

When the CSR pathway for me became uncertain, I did apply for the CSRBiz instead and am working on that MSR now.

I see a bunch of nice hotels on BOOST that seem interesting. Seems like a good consolation to loosing the 1.5 pp. Even now the boost eligible hotels seem like a better deal that those I can get with 1.5.

Thanks for the London hotel. I will look into it.


Thanks for all the great advice!

Good point about sticking with the Hyatts. Who knows I may try to get Globalist after this trip. I have to go refresh my memory on obtaining it. I have the WOHBiz card already, it maybe time to also get the personal WOH card?

I would totally rent out DVC points to cover our DLP trip! Let's see if I can spare any. Lol. Our DD is getting married in Spring 2027 and depending on where the venue she picks is located (Orlando or Tampa), we may need the points to cover accommodations in Orlando. I need to do research here on the disboards on planning a DLP trip and where to stay. It should be easier than a WDW trip nowadays, I hope!

I will also look into the Ceremony of the Keys for sure! Looks like I will be trying to book tickets for June on May 4th, right before getting onto the first leg of the cruise! I have started a new notebook to write down everyone's advice, so I don't forget!

All these other new cards sound tempting! I may need to consider getting some new ones when the final payments on the cruises are due (Dec and Jan).

WOH personal card would get you 5 elite night credits right off the bat towards status just for holding the card. It also comes with an annual cat 1-4 FN cert. I tend to use these at WDW but have found use for them elsewhere too.

We always time our larger spending with opening new cards for get new bonuses and double dipping on credits when possible, so that's a great plan!

Yeah, I agree guided tours sound best. Museums and other sights are going to start blending into each other during the trip...

We picked the cruise because it went up to Scotland (Glasgow/Greenrock) but I guess that won't be enough. How far is Edinburgh from London?

At first it was looking that 18 days was too much time to try to fill in, maybe it won't be enough now!

EDI-LHR is non stop about an hour and 25 minutes flight. Tons of BA flights daily and usually run about 9,250 Avios pp each way and that's a 1:1 transfer of UR points to a British Airways account. Otherwise about 60-70 GBP if you book out far enough in advance pp each way.

18 days is till plenty of time. Come December I am doing 3 nights in Paris, 3 nights in Edinburgh and 3 nights in London. If it were summer, I'd definitely add more time in Scotland to go Isle of Skye for a couple of nights.