Travel Preparation Archives - Page 2 of 3

Getting to Galveston, Travel Preparation

Bags VIP Baggage Delivery Service

March 9, 2019June 10, 2019by Bill1 Comment

I don’t do a great job of packing my luggage. Usually, I am gone for 3-4 nights. That means that I usually have a little bit too much stuff for a carry on. However, I *hate* waiting at the baggage carousel for my stuff to come out. American and United offer baggage delivery service with Bags VIP. I tried it recently on two flights– one with each airline. The service is good, but not great. Whether I use it again will depend a lot on the circumstances. It certainly wouldn’t be worth it if you already have a shuttle waiting to take you to your pre-cruise hotel.

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Travel Preparation

Should you buy travel insurance from the same company you are travelling with?

January 24, 2018January 21, 2018by BillLeave a Comment

A major trip is a major investment. Dine Drink Travel discusses some of the things to consider with travel insurance.

About a year ago, I traveled to Japan and Indonesia. It was the trip of a lifetime. Even though I have lived in three countries and traveled to many more, I still get nervous about the risk involved in such a major trip. I’m not worried that something awful is going to happen. Instead, I am worried about recovering the cost if something goes wrong. If I get sick, or if if a flight gets cancelled, or if any of a million other things happens I might lose a lot of money. I prefer to budget that up front, so I buy travel insurance. Today, I want to talk about some of the things to look for when buying travel insurance. I also want to talk about whether to buy insurance directly from the company with which you are travelling. Continue reading “Should you buy travel insurance from the same company you are travelling with?” →

Travel Preparation

Experience with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card after one year

November 9, 2017July 10, 2019by Bill3 Comments

My much used Chase Sapphire Reserve card. It has a heavy weight, is durable, and the number and other information is on the back.

I wrote last year about an incredible sign-up bonus with the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card. That bonus is no longer available, although they still offer a bonus of 50,000 points– this is worth $750 if redeemed for travel, and you can apply here (note: I would receive a referral credit) to take advantage of that. You would have to spend $4000 in the first three months. I am writing today to offer my experience actually using the card so you can decide if it is the right tool for you. It has been amazing for me, and it has paid for itself many, many times over. Continue reading “Experience with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card after one year” →

Travel Preparation

Verizon cruise coverage Western Caribbean

September 26, 2017July 10, 2019by Bill1 Comment

Looking forward on the Lberty of the Seas.

I wrote earlier that I was frustrated by the fine print in Verizon contracts concerning how much data you get. Happily, shortly after that Verizon went to their unlimited plans and we quickly switched. In June we took a cruise with Royal Caribbean that went to Roatan (Honduras), Costa Maya (Mexico), and Cozumel (Mexico). Verizon’s international service is actually pretty good, particularly for the short term traveler, and I wanted to relay my experience here. Verizon cruise coverage is expensive in ships. but great on land in the Western Caribbean. Continue reading “Verizon cruise coverage Western Caribbean” →

Travel Preparation

Skyroam mobile hotspot

December 28, 2016July 10, 2019by BillLeave a Comment

I mentioned earlier that I was considering several options for mobile connectivity on my current trip, and one of those option is using the Skyroam mobile hotspot. My summary review? It is marginally adequate, although in retrospect I really wish I had saved myself the money and simply paid a bit more for the date I use with the international package on my phone. Continue reading “Skyroam mobile hotspot” →