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

[hsmamato2]

We got hooked on the long transatlantic cruises in 2023. Our youngest DD asked for a family cruise as her college graduation gift. She asked for the same thing for her sweet 16!

I found an amazing deal on a 19 night MSC Divina cruise from Miami to Genoa, Italy for May 2023, right after graduation. After all price drops, it was about $2100 for 2 people in a balcony cabin. A $500 OBC covered 90% of the gratuities ($551). I couldn't help bragging to family and friends about my awesome find! At the end of the day, my parents and DH's Aunt & Uncle joined us on the sailing because it was a deal they couldn't pass up either. We had a group of 8 and did our own private excursions in the ports. We stopped in San Juan, Martinique, Barbados, Funchal, Morroco, Barcelona, ending in Genoa.

We all found the sea days so relaxing and not boring at all. We don't do all the activities, even if offered. We just like to sit around and chat. Lol.

We sold our house in NY this August and fortunately did not need to purchase anything in FL. We were snowbirding in FL already since the pandemic. We invested most of the sales proceeds towards retirement and budgeted some for DD's weddings (both of them), future car fund, and TRAVEL!

2026 was always going to be our BIG travel year for our 30th wedding anniversary. We skipped our 25th and all our milestone birthdays due to the pandemic or just busy work schedules. We went nowhere in 2024 and 2025, getting our house ready for sale, and accumulating cc reward points. So, we are going a bit overboard and over the annual budgeted amount. Travel velocity will slow down afterwards and we will try to fund most of future travel with points and miles.

2026 will be the first year all the following are true: we have no house to take care of, DH will be semi-retired, I work 100% remotely (since 2020), both kids are self sufficient and we are empty nesters, and my parents are still healthy enough to be left alone for long periods of time.

So there are a few tranatlantic cruises east bound and west bound. Typically, they sail east bound to Europe in the Spring (March to June) and west bound from Europe in the Fall (Sept to Nov), but there are exceptions.

I like to research on the search engine on vacations to go. You can narrow it down to repositioning cruises and world cruises. 7 day cruises are too short for us. We like to unpack and not have to move for at least 10 days. Lol.

We also like to look at the world cruise itineraries. We have done the Caribbean too many times. DH wants to do cruises with more unique itineraries. We find that the smaller cruiselines (Azamara, Oceania, etc.) have longer and more interesting itineraries.

HTH!

Thank you!

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

WWYD part 2:

When I booked my flights for the upcoming Paris / London trip (on the AF / KLM sale) I booked my seat home from Paris (via AMS) on KLM (gotta get another Delft house LOL). I'll be in London, so I have to get back to Paris. I have 2 options:

• leave London in the morning and spend the afternoon in Paris (this would give me 4-6 hours to wander the streets); Hotel du Louvre has a room on points open (30K Hyatt pts) and is a few mins walk to the RER station that goes to the airport (flight out is at 9:40am)
• leave London in the early afternoon and head directly to an airport hotel at CDG

Price-wise the Eurostar fares are a wash. Cash rates for an airport hotel are pretty low and there are a few decent options. I'd just grab dinner in Paris on my way from Gare du Nord to my airport hotel.

I'm torn; I really can't decide but the Eurostar prices are going up and I need to book a seat. Help me decide!

I wish I could decide if I suffered from indecision LOL.

 

[afan]

WWYD part 2:

When I booked my flights for the upcoming Paris / London trip (on the AF / KLM sale) I booked my seat home from Paris (via AMS) on KLM (gotta get another Delft house LOL). I'll be in London, so I have to get back to Paris. I have 2 options:

• leave London in the morning and spend the afternoon in Paris (this would give me 4-6 hours to wander the streets); Hotel du Louvre has a room on points open (30K Hyatt pts) and is a few mins walk to the RER station that goes to the airport (flight out is at 9:40am)
• leave London in the early afternoon and head directly to an airport hotel at CDG

Price-wise the Eurostar fares are a wash. Cash rates for an airport hotel are pretty low and there are a few decent options. I'd just grab dinner in Paris on my way from Gare du Nord to my airport hotel.

I'm torn; I really can't decide but the Eurostar prices are going up and I need to book a seat. Help me decide!

I wish I could decide if I suffered from indecision LOL.

Since you already have Paris earlier in the trip I'd just go to the airport hotel. By the end of a trip with lots of moving around I'm ready to just be done and relax. And I'd rather be close so I can sleep later than have to deal with getting up early to get to the airport from Paris proper.

 

[calypso726]

WWYD part 2:

When I booked my flights for the upcoming Paris / London trip (on the AF / KLM sale) I booked my seat home from Paris (via AMS) on KLM (gotta get another Delft house LOL). I'll be in London, so I have to get back to Paris. I have 2 options:

• leave London in the morning and spend the afternoon in Paris (this would give me 4-6 hours to wander the streets); Hotel du Louvre has a room on points open (30K Hyatt pts) and is a few mins walk to the RER station that goes to the airport (flight out is at 9:40am)
• leave London in the early afternoon and head directly to an airport hotel at CDG

Price-wise the Eurostar fares are a wash. Cash rates for an airport hotel are pretty low and there are a few decent options. I'd just grab dinner in Paris on my way from Gare du Nord to my airport hotel.

I'm torn; I really can't decide but the Eurostar prices are going up and I need to book a seat. Help me decide!

I wish I could decide if I suffered from indecision LOL.

I agree with @afan since you will have already done Paris, I'd head to the airport hotel at a leisurely pace and chill.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Since you already have Paris earlier in the trip I'd just go to the airport hotel. By the end of a trip with lots of moving around I'm ready to just be done and relax. And I'd rather be close so I can sleep later than have to deal with getting up early to get to the airport from Paris proper.

I agree with @afan since you will have already done Paris, I'd head to the airport hotel at a leisurely pace and chill.

Booked the Ibis Style at CDG -- well-regarded on FT for only $84.00 (I used 2,000 Accor points towards the cost). I'll take that as a win!
Thank you for the advice -- I'm sure that I won't need to buy anything else in Paris and if I really want something I can drag my carry-on with me. I will most likely stop at the Ritz cafe in the 1st and grab some of their filled madeleines enroute to CDG because they are seriously delicious and freeze well.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

FYI….SW opened their schedule to 9/30/26 today.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Saks has their BF deal -- spend $150 get $75 promotional GC (use code "BFRIGCSF", redeemable between Dec. 14-24). I'm guessing it would be okay to pay with my Saks GCs to get the GC -- I don't see GC payment listed as an exclusion in the T&Cs. Anyone know for certain?