What Are Airport Transfers & How to Find the Best One?
When you travel for vacation, there are a few things you need to account for: airport parking to get on your flight, getting your bags checked for your flight, and transportation after you land from the airport to your hotel or resort. That last one is what we’ll be discussing today – airport transfers. Airport transfers are prearranged transportation from the airport to your hotel or resort. Because airport transfers… Read More
How Much Are Airline Baggage Fees and How to Avoid Them?
When you travel for vacation, you are presented with a challenging situation: Do I pack as light as possible to avoid airline baggage fees? Or to check luggage and pay the high fees the airline charges? After all, there’s a possibility that your flight costs as much as or possibly more than your vacation. You’re likely paying for long-term parking. And the last thing you’ll want to do is add… Read More
Long-term Airport Parking Rates – How Much & How to Get It Cheaper?
If you’re taking a cruise or vacation at a resort, you might find yourself needing to park your vehicle at the airport for an extended time. What we want to do here is give you an easy matrix to discover how much it will cost to park at your airport and where you can find long-term airport parking that might be cheaper than at the terminal. U.S. Airport Parking Rates… Read More
My Flight Got Canceled – Can I Get a Refund?
With so many flights being canceled these days, knowing if you can get a refund for that canceled flight is a good question. What we’re going to do is first answer the question, “Can I get a refund for a canceled flight?” We’ll also explain airline policy when it comes to flight cancellations. Next, I’ll show you how you can get your money back. And a way to protect yourself… Read More
How to Avoid Jet Lag
Jet lag is a reality for vacationing. Depending on where you live relative to your vacation destination, the effects of jet lag will vary. What we want to answer today is, how to avoid jet lag in the first place. And we’ve come up with 6 things that might help. To avoid jet lag, we recommend: Get uninterrupted sleep in the days leading up to your flight Take vitamin D… Read More
What Does All-Inclusive at Sandals Resorts Mean?
When planning a vacation, there are a lot of things you’ll want to do. It’s for that reason that all-inclusive resorts are a popular choice for a vacation. So, if I had to define “all-inclusive” in a sentence it would be: A vacation destination where everything from your room to food, drink (in most cases this includes alcoholic drinks), entertainment and daily activities are included. It also means that you… Read More
Are Timeshares a Scam?
If you ask your friends or ask a random group of people if timeshares are a scam, you’re going to get a wide variety of answers. To help you get clarity, the first thing I’m going to do is answer the question, “Are timeshares a scam?” Then I’ll explain why I give that answer along with what you should know if you’re considering a timeshare. As an industry, timeshares are… Read More
7 Reasons Why Timeshares Are Not Worth It
If you’re asking the question, are timeshares worth it, you probably have been told that a timeshare could save your family money on vacations. So, let’s answer your question directly. Then we’ll go into the reasons for our answer. No. Timeshares are not worth it. The reasons why timeshares are not worth it include: Maintenance fees can be high Prices for timeshares are ridiculously high Interest rates are high Can’t… Read More
15 Tips to Pack a Suitcase for Vacation
One of the unpleasant things about taking an awesome vacation is packing a suitcase. What makes packing a suitcase for vacation challenging is that it’s something that we only do once every three to six months. So let’s break down what you need to do and what you’ll need to pack a suitcase efficiently.What I’m going to do is give you the answer in bullet points. Then I’m going to… Read More
What’s the Best Way to Cancel a Timeshare?
If you’re reading this, you probably have a timeshare or know someone who has one. Likely your main concern is how to legally get out of that timeshare. To help you, I’m going to first answer the question what’s the best way to cancel a timeshare. Then we’ll look into the challenges of cancelling a timeshare. As well as investigating how timeshare cancellation works. Let’s give you the answer you… Read More
Right to Use Vs Traditional Timeshare – What’s Different?
Timeshares are complicated. The basics are the same: pay to use a property for a certain amount of time every year to vacation. But there are different kinds of timeshares. On this site, we’ve discussed fractional ownership timeshares, points-based timeshares, and floating week timeshares. In this post, we’re going to talk about Right to Use (RTU) timeshares. Specifically, we’re going to look at what a Right to Use timeshare is… Read More
Fractional Timeshare Ownership – Pros and Cons
If you’ve been researching timeshares, you’ve probably come across the term “fractional ownership”. What are the pros and cons of fractional ownership timeshares? What does it mean? And how does it differ from a regular timeshare? Let’s address the elephant in the room. A “fractional timeshare” is a timeshare where you own a portion of the property. In most instances, you will own a unit in the timeshare. However, you… Read More
How to Say No to a Timeshare Presentation
Since you clicked this article, you are probably planning a vacation and are at least considering going to a timeshare presentation. That’s actually a great idea! Especially if you are going to one in Las Vegas. You’ll be offered everything from free meals to free entertainment on The Strip. In another post, I’ll talk about how you can get the best timeshare offers in Vegas. But for now, what you… Read More
Do Timeshares Really Save You Money?
When people take vacation, they want to get the best property possible at the lowest price available. Because of that, many people believe that buying a timeshare is the best way to accomplish this. But do timeshares really save you money? What hidden things should you be aware of to help you make that determination? In this article, we’re going to answer that question. We’ll also get the answers to… Read More
What Are Timeshares & How Do They Work?
If you’re asking the question “what are timeshares”, you’ve either been someplace where you were offered to attend a timeshare presentation. Or you’ve heard about timeshares through friends or some other avenue and want to get more details about timeshares. In order to help you, I’m not just going to answer “what are timeshares” but also explain how timeshares work. This way you can be informed before you go to… Read More
Is a Timeshare Ever a Good Idea?
Is a timeshare ever a good idea? That’s a more complicated question than what it seems on the surface. We have a post called “Are Timeshares a Waste of Money?” that approaches this subject from a different angle. In that post, we looked at timeshares from a financial standpoint. Specifically, we talk about timeshares as an investment. For this discussion, we want to look at whether a timeshare is ever… Read More
Why Eco-tourism Is Increasing In Popularity
Ecotourism has been increasing in popularity since the 1980’s by about 10% annually because more and more governments are encouraging it. That’s because people interested in ecotourism spend a lot of money. For example, one 10-day all-inclusive eco tour cost upwards of $11,000. This means that governments are benefiting from the money being spent by ecotourists. Social media is another factor aiding in the popularity of ecotourism. When people post… Read More
Are Ice Hotels a Real Thing?
If you’ve seen the James Bond movie “Die Another Day”, you may remember the Ice Palace. MGM filmed the fictional ice palace in Jökulsárlón in southeast Iceland. It was made to look like a real hotel made of ice that wound up getting melted. But the question is, was that ice hotel a real thing? Ok. Some of that was Hollywood magic like the giant loops on the outside of… Read More
20 Unusual Items You Can Take On a Plane
We’ve all seen that guy or girl in the TSA security line that gets items they thought they could take on a plane thrown out or confiscated. I can’t imagine how devastated they must feel when that happens. Surprisingly enough, there are items the TSA will permit in aircraft cabins that are unusual. You might be surprised to discover what they are. In this article, we’re going to show you… Read More
How Do Ski Resorts Make Snow?
If you’re thinking about taking a vacation at a ski resort, it’s important that there be plenty of snow on the slopes. But it begs the question, how do ski resorts make snow? Ski resorts make snow by blowing water droplets into the air with a device called a snow gun. The temperature should be at or below freezing and the humidity low. The snow gun forces tiny droplets of… Read More
7 Easy Steps to Book a Resort Vacation
Planning an all-inclusive vacation at a resort can seem like a challenge. But it doesn’t have to be. I’m going to give you 7 easy steps to help you book an all-inclusive vacation at a resort. Then I’m going to explain what you need to do in each step and why. 1. Decide What’s Important to You to Enjoy Your Vacation The first thing you need to do is decide… Read More
5 Relaxing Spa Treatments You Can’t Miss
An exciting part of a vacation at an all-inclusive resort is a trip to the spa. What relaxing spa treatments can you expect to get at a spa visit at an all-inclusive resort? What should you do in preparation for your treatment? And what are the benefits of the treatments you’ll receive at the spa? The type of treatments may vary depending on what type of resort you stay at… Read More
Why Do Resorts Charge Resort Fees?
If you’ve ever stayed at a resort, you were most likely charged a resort fee. Why do resorts charge resort fees? What do resort fees cover? How much are resort fees? How do you identify them on your statement? And how can you avoid paying resort fees? We’ll begin with the first question, why do resorts charge resort fees? Resorts charge resort fees (sometimes called an amenity fee) in order… Read More
Are Timeshares a Waste of Money?
So, you’re thinking about buying a timeshare. Your main question is, are timeshares a waste of money? Perhaps you’ve already purchased a timeshare. You probably want to know how to get out of it. If you’re still convinced that a timeshare would work for you, what do you need to know before pulling the trigger? Let’s answer these questions starting with the first one, are timeshares a waste of money?… Read More
Resorts vs Villas – What’s the Difference?
As I checked out different resorts, I came across a question that other people have while doing their research. What’s the difference between a resort and a villa? The difference between a resort and villa is a resort has everything onsite – restaurants, entertainment, activities, etc. Resorts also tend to have many guests. Villas are more private, luxury residences designed for a relaxed, intimate feeling. The number of rooms is very… Read More
Are Cruises Cheaper Than Resorts?
Are cruises cheaper than resorts? This is actually a popular question because many of the destinations a cruise will visit are the same islands where resorts are located. In addition to answering the question of whether cruises are cheaper than resorts, we’re going to look into the advantages of going to a resort instead of a cruise. So, are cruises cheaper than resorts? The answer is Yes, cruises are cheaper than resorts.… Read More
Best Time to Book a Vacation to Jamaica
Everybody wants to save money. That’s especially true when taking a vacation. That extra cash can be used to enjoy your time away from home. In view of that, what is the best time to book an all-inclusive vacation to Jamaica to make your money stretch? The best time to book an all-inclusive vacation to Jamaica depends on how flexible you are with your dates: Book last minute if your… Read More
Is It Worth Going All Inclusive in Bali?
You’ve decided you’re going to take a vacation at a resort in Bali. But you’ve got questions. Your most pressing question right now is, Is it worth going all-inclusive in Bali? After all, you don’t want to spend money unnecessarily. So, is it worth going all-inclusive in Bali? There is no one right answer. However, we say it depends on if you’re bringing a family or if you’re traveling solo or with another person. Yes… Read More
Why Do Resorts Hire Celebrity Chefs?
These days, everybody has a celebrity chef. Carnival Cruises has Guy Ferri. Royal Caribbean brought on Jamie Oliver. Curtis Stone inked a deal with Princess Cruises. And just about every major hotel on the Las Vegas Strip has a restaurant featuring a celebrity chef. The thing is, resorts have been doing this for a lot longer. So why do resorts hire celebrity chefs? Why Do Resorts Hire Celebrity Chefs? We’ve… Read More
Hotel, Motel, Resort – What’s the Difference?
When planning a vacation, it can get confusing trying to decide where to stay. Is a resort better than a hotel? Should a motel be an option? What are the differences between each one? The main difference between a hotel and a resort is that a hotel is typically designed as a place to sleep before heading out to activities such as a conference or sightseeing in a new city.… Read More
What Are the Best Resorts to Get Married In Jamaica?
When I got married, it was a rainy Sunday in March. The temperature was good, but the weather was miserable. That was 30 years ago. A trend that was beginning back then was destination weddings, many in Jamaica. So I asked myself, if I could redo my wedding day but instead do it in sunny Jamaica, what resort would it be? Here’s my list for the best resorts to get married in… Read More