How to Make $135 by Taking a Cruise Vacation

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Brad Christensen

Dinner Date on The Norwegian Spirit

I know.  You clicked on this article because the title was too utterly intriguing to pass up – a little bit like the “one weird trick” that will turn your flab into washboard abs – though I can guarantee that the content won’t be disappointing.

You see, we’re building an army of wanderlusters – and when we hear things like “I’d love to travel, I just can’t afford it…” we gag.  We wince.  We wonder – why won’t you wanderlust with us?  We put a new spin on travel – a spin that replaces “I can’t afford it” with “how can I afford it?”

Dinner Menu – Order two if you’d like

Now, onto the content.  You came here because you like luxury.  You’ve been on a cruiseship and you long for mouthwatering buffet tables, cost-worry-free fine dining, high-class entertainment, and attentive service. Or perhaps you’ve never indulged, but the idea has you excited. It should.

Now, a couple seemingly unrelated questions: Do you have the discipline not to make irresponsible spending decisions when making purchases on a credit card? Can you make $3000 in purchases in the next three months that you can pay off immediately ? Would your credit score stay above 740 (excellent) if it temporarily dropped 5-7 points?

If your answers were all “yes,” we’re on a roll… hang with us, we’re getting to the fun part.

Here’s what I want you to do: Click this link for the specifics on the Chase Sapphire PreferredSM .  Read the details.  Those 40k Ultimate Rewards points, plus the ~3k points you’ll get in meeting the spending requirement will net you $430 in cash when you log into your UltimateRewards.com account and click the “Get Cash” option.

In the meantime, take a look at the Vacationstogo 90 day ticker – it summarizes the best deals on cruises.  Because we’re cool like this, I took the liberty of downloading the latest list, adding a column which calculates $ per night, and sorted by the cheapest cruises – the top 25 are right here.  Nope, those aren’t errors.  Yes, you can literally have an all-inclusive  cruise vacation for less per-night than pricelining a hotel (prices are for double-occupancy).

Of course there are other costs, so we are going to eat up a little more of your $430. Let’s say we planned on the Carnival Imagination out of Miami for $169.  You’ll have about $80 in taxes and fees.  You’ll also have to tip the attentive cruise staff $11.50 a day for another $46. But all in, you have your cruise paid for with $295, and your wallet is still fat with a Bennie and $35.

Now, you need to get to Miami – and how you do that will depend on where you’re at and which airline is most convenient to fly.  Here are four options that will load you up with enough miles to book a domestic roundtrip flight with little to nothing out of pocket and no first year annual fee.

Airline Current Offer Spending Req Good From Link
Southwest 50k miles $2000 in 3 mo ANY Southwest
Delta Airlines 30k miles $500 in 3 mo SLC, ATL, MSP Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
US Airways 40k miles None DEN, PHX The US Airways Premier World MasterCard®
United 30k miles+ $1000 in 3 mo LAX, ORD, HOU United MileagePlus Explorer Card

If this seems overly simple, it’s because it is.  Two credit applications that might only temporarily slightly affect your credit score, some measly minimum spend requirements, and you’re off and running. I can’t even begin to tell you the wonders of wanderings I have and will embark on thanks to an understanding of the relatively easy concept of seizing frequent flyer mile opportunities.

Don’t want to cruise alone? Have your spouse or friend perform the exact same maneuver and you’ll be traveling together.

If you like the idea and you want to join our army of wanderlusters, just enter your email in the subscribe box on the right margin of this page, Like us on Facebook, and don’t hesitate to share with friends.  I can guarantee they will think you are super cool if you show them how they can get in on the action, too.

Leave us a comment if you have any questions or thoughts and, as always, thanks for wanderlusting with us.

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Posted in Chase Ultimate Reward Points, Cheap Honeymoons, Credit Cards, Cruises | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Eight Great First Trips Outside of the USA

Posted on September 17, 2012 by wpengine

Anyone who has felt any degree of apprehension about taking their first trip outside of the country needs to read Brad’s post about taking your first international trip.  Alongside his post it would be good for you to know what would be a good way to ease into your first trip.

Most of these locations have the “All-inclusive” resorts, but if you’re looking for a real cultural experience I recommend that you steer clear of them.  Try to get off the beaten path and experience the foods, culture, and people of the place that you’re traveling.  The first time might be nerve-racking, but it’s not so bad.

  1. La Paz Waterfall Gardens in Costa Rica

    Costa Rica–  This place is paradise.  I’ve been there twice, and I’d still go back in a heartbeat.  They use the same alphabet that we use, and with Spanish many words are cognates (means they sound similar).  The food is incredible and the prices are very affordable.  They also drive on the same side of the road as us, so renting a car won’t be too stressful either.  The wildlife is incredible and the scenery varies throughout the country.  You can find yourself in the mountains, in the dryer areas, at the beach, in the city, or in a volcano if you’d like all in one little country.

  2. Stonehenge-Photo courtesy of http://jlnavarro.blogspot.com/

    England-  Although Expensive, it is easy because the language won’t be a barrier.  You might be confused when they call the trunk of the car the boot, but it won’t make a huge difference.  The countryside is incredible, and the pubs will be an experience that you’ll never forget.  If you plan on renting a car in England be sure that you are comfortable driving on the left hand side of the road.  I’ve never done it with a car, but it is even difficult on a scooter, which I have done.  When you travel to expensive places like England one important tip is to buy some of your meals at the grocery store.  You’ll have to prepare your own food, but it will save you big $$ on the overall vacation.

  3. Thailand–  You might be confused by this because you probably think that Thailand would be tough to navigate.  The fortunate thing about Thailand is that everything is written in Thai and English.  Every restaurant has their menu in English and the servers all speak English too.  The food is absolutely incredible.  I found it interesting that their breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus are all pretty similar.  Wouldn’t you just assume that everyone has “breakfast foods” or “dinner foods?”  If you’ve been planning on having a custom suit made, this is a great place to have it done.  Your other suits will never be quite the same.  Make sure you order some mangoes and sticky rice for me!

  4. San Blas Islands, Panama

    Panama– The US’ influence with the Panama Canal has left a lasting effect on their country.  One thing that makes Panama easy to navigate is that their currency is the US Dollar.  No confusion of currency exchanges or people trying to rip you off.  Make sure you bring a GPS to help navigate the confusing roadways.  Also be sure to take a trip to the San Blas Islands to visit the Kuna Yala Indians.  That is a cultural experience that will blow you away.  You can see the straw huts in the picture.  It is one of the best cultural experiences that I’ve had in my life.  The food here is very similar to the food in Costa Rica, but it is all good if you ask me.  By the end of the week you might be sick of rice and beans, but that’s better than trans fat, right? If Panama interest you, read our post about Eight Great Things to do in Panama.

  5. Venice

    Italy– This whole country is a tourist trap.  The people are helpful and are always willing to give directions.  We made instant friendships with restaurant owners on our most recent trip.  Everyone was so friendly with our little boy calling him a “Bambino.”  You’ll always recognize the menus because as Americans we have an affinity for their food.  The gelato is a must, even if you’re on a diet.  I recommend the canela, (Cinnamon) flavor which is to die for.  Very few places on Earth will give you quite a history lesson like Italy.  Make sure you read up before your vacation and do lots of research, which will make your vacation a much more rich cultural and historical experience.

  6. Chillin’ at Akumal Beach

    Mexico– Somehow the news has spoiled Mexico’s reputation.  The common perception of Mexico today is that 100% of all tourists will be brutally murdered.  What a ridiculous thought.  As long as you stay away from the drug dealer’s girlfriend and don’t try ripping off the drug dealer your odds decrease by 1,000,000%.  Your odds of being brutally murdered drop to virtually nothing.  Mexico has a few dangerous areas, but if you steer clear of those areas and the drug trade you should be fine.  Mexico’s beaches are incredible.  Imagine yourself drinking an ice cold Coke in Puerto Morelos on the beach and all your fears should subside.

  7. Canada–  Ok, this is cheating.  Canada is very similar to the US.  You won’t see too many differences other than you need to be sure that you’re driving in kilometers instead of miles.  The Mounties will catch you and most likely won’t let you off the hook.  The Banff National Park is INCREDIBLE.  This place has Idaho and Colorado beat if you ask me.  The currency is pretty easy to manage because the exchange rate is close to 1:1.  The only other problem is things are still 25% more expensive up there.  Ouch.

  8. Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

    Germany– I’m no beer drinker, but this place is the mecca of beer drinking.  Bavaria (Southern Germany) is known for its pretzels and beer.  Unfortunately I wasn’t able to visit a Beer-garden, but it is something that I want to do before I die.  Germany is loaded with castles, rivers, and people.  They are a very industrial people, and they are very precise too.  Their engineering is top notch, so you can spend your time touring the BMW factory, driving one on the autobahn.  My trip through Germany was WAY too short this April.    Their food is top notch, and the bratwursts are definitely worth the trip alone.  Make sure you order a bowl of kraut when you’re there.  Wow that stuff is good!

Hopefully this post has further inspired you to take the trip of a lifetime.  Your first will definitely not be your last either.  This is just the beginning.  Keep wanderlusting with us.  Start today by getting 40,000 Ultimate Rewards from the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card!

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Travel While the Deal is Hot

Posted on September 11, 2012 by wpengine

San Blas Islands Bathroom

When a blacksmith is working a piece of iron he must heat the iron up until it is red hot.  Once it is red hot he hits it with the hammer to shape the iron.  Once the iron has cooled he must reheat the iron before he can start to shape it again.  You must strike while the iron is hot, otherwise hitting the iron is basically worthless.

As I look back over my days of travel, I can see that I’ve made a few wonderful decisions, and yet a few times I’ve completely failed.  The final takeaway from all of my travels, is that you need to “Travel While the Iron is Hot.”

Just recently Brad announced that you can get a flight to Central America in November, January, and February for under $400 per ticket.  This is a perfect example of the point I’m illustrating.  You might think to yourself, man I’d love to see the Panama Canal, or maybe spend a few days amongst the Kuna Yala indians, I should do that someday.  Well, wait no longer because today is your day.  If you delay even but a few hours, the sale can disappear without notice.

Looking back I can tell you about some incredible deals that I’ve hit because I was willing to jump on it.

  • Costa Rica for $230 in 2005
  • Panama for $230 in June of 2008
  • Brad went to Belize for $250 in 2009
  • Capital One Venture card promotion 2011=$2200 in free travel
  • American Airlines 75,000 AAdvantage miles x 3= 225,000 AAdvantage Miles

Unfortunately I can tell you there are a few deals that I wish I would have grabbed, but my hesitancy held me back…

  • Buenos Aires for $300
  • Madrid, Spain for $450 from Idaho Falls
  • Belize with Brad in 2009
  • Chase Sapphire Preferred 50,000 (Now dropped to 40,000)
  • Chase Ink Bold 50,000 (Easier spending requirement)

Are you kidding me??  Buenos Aires for $300 and I let it slip through my fingers like a handful of sand.  The biggest struggle that I’ve had is wanting to think about my decision. Remember, when the deal is good enough (the iron is hot) you’ve got to make quick decisions.

Holding the Flight

Fortunately for you American Airlines has a “hold” feature on their flights.  This allows you to hold the itinerary until the next day at midnight.  So, when you find a great deal on American, you need to AT LEAST hold the flights, but hopefully you’ll be booking the flights.  Once you’ve inputted all of the information and chosen the routes you have all of these options to pay.  The option on the far right is the hold option that you’ve got to use.

Hold Feature on American Airlines

If you’re considering the flight to Central America this winter, now is the time to hold the flight.  That will give you time to visit with your spouse, or round up a few other friends to join you on your first international adventure.

I don’t regret $1 that I’ve spent from any of the trips that I’ve taken.  Those are strong words coming from a Christensen.  Most Christensens cringe when any money at all is spent, but when it comes to travel the dollars are always well spent.

My Fam Under the Golden Gate.  Our flights were free thanks to the Capital One offer.

The Capital One Venture Offer

A bit over a year ago Capital One came out with an incredible offer that offered $1100 to applicants.  I was wavering as to whether or not I should apply.  Brad told me I’d be crazy if I didn’t apply for the card.  Fortunately I did for myself and for my wife.  That gave us $2200 for travel expenses, which has been super useful.

Had I have hesitated I would have missed out on $2200.

Next time you’ve got the chance to take a trip, or apply for an amazing deal from a credit card company, make it happen.  Your hesitation can cost you big dollars, but more importantly it can cost you amazing experiences.  

 

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Using Chase Ultimate Rewards: Six Roundtrip Tickets to Panama for $261

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Brad Christensen

San Blas Islands Panama – Island Paradise

Any good points-hoarder has a good stash of bank points – travel rewards that can be transferred to other programs OR spent as cash.  For example, the much-extolled Chase Ultimate Rewards program not only lets you transfer to a variety of other programs, they also allow you to spend your points as cash.  Thus, when you can find a great deal on flights AND use points to book it, you get a double benefit by being extremely efficient.

For example – most times a flight from SLC to PTY (Panama – a bastion of jungle adventure, among other things) would cost ~$900 or 72,000 UR points.  But get that flight for $332 and you’ll only spend ~27,000 UR points.  It gets even more exciting when you consider that you’ll also receive traditional FF miles when you fly ~6,000 of them.

Using Ultimate Rewards

US Bank Panama Redemption

In May, I was alerted to just such a deal and because I was prepared with points program proliferation, I booked my family of six to Panama in January for $261 in out-of-pocket costs.  I used about 59,000 UR points and 60,000 US Bank Flexperks points.  The US Bank points allow me to book any flight up to $399 for 20k points – so it would have been optimal to use them on a $395 flight – but I figured it was still a bargain.  (They also give you $25 each ticket each way to spend on in-flight expenses).  And, yes, if you’re doing the math, we’ll also get 6k AA miles for each passenger – a total of 36k AA miles – enough to fly to Central America again!

Ultimate Rewards Panama Redemption

Hopefully you’ve been wanderlusting with us for long enough to have some of these puppies socked away so you can jump on this opportunity.  If you don’t, here are some bank-point programs where you can begin piling up points for the next time.

  1. Chase Ultimate Rewards: Ink BoldSM with Ultimate Rewards or Chase Sapphire PreferredSM
  2. US Bank Flexperks
  3. Barclaycard Travelocity

If you’re not convinced that Panama or Central America is the kind of destination that would really draw you in, check out some of our previous posts:

  1. Eight Great Things to do in Panama
  2. A Loop Through Costa Rica
  3. Portobelo, Panama

Thank you for wanderlusting with us!  Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook so you never miss the alerts on these kinds of deals.

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Ten Reasons to Take Your First International Trip

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Brad Christensen

There is surprisingly so much nervousness over taking that first big leap – leaving the country.  There are dozens of excuses, few of them valid.  I hear them all the time, but the reality is that international travel is not as intimidating as you might believe it is.  I want to give you ten reasons to stop hesitating and take the plunge.  I promise you’ll never regret it.

  1. So Many People Speak English:  Obviously this will vary by destination, but people are paralyzed by the fear that they will be unintelligible to the locals. The fact is that there are very few places in the world where you won’t be able to find someone who can understand you.  Do not let this deter you from the overseas adventures that await you.
  2. Baggage Charges: I’m not even kidding you here – let’s just say you were going to travel some place within the US and check two bags.  Unless you’re flying Southwest or if you have an airline credit card (both of which we recommend, by the way), those bags will cost you at least $50 each way – adding up to another $100.  Swap Panama City, Panama for its name-parallel in Florida, and you’ll not only have a different adventure, you won’t have to fork over a baggage fee x4.
  3. Speaking Another Language is Enlightening:  Basque is my third language, and yet it took until I was learning Basque vocabulary before I realized just how enlightening it can be.  The verb for “to help” in the language that predates Latin is “lagundu” – which isn’t really interesting until you consider that it’s taken from the noun “lagun” – meaning “friend.”  Thus, in Basque, the notion of “helping” is articulated as “friending.”
  4. Food is so Freaking Good: Guys, I am here to tell you… you will eat meals that will rock your palate’s world.  Something as simple as “Salsa Lizano” in Costa Rica will introduce your tastebuds to flavors that break boundaries of previous experience.  I had “sweet corn soy ice cream” in Belize – umm, yeah… it was pretty much a deliciousness explosion that I crave to this day.
  5. Bargains: I’ve bragged before about the $35 suit I bought in London – and it’s not like that’s bargain shopping destination. Part of the reason I’m thrilled about Panama in 2013 is because I can watch blockbuster movies (in English) there for $3.50, load up on $2-4 kids clothes, and eat $5 restaurant meals.
  6. Sugar Cane Soda: This is almost negated by the fact that I don’t often find Mt. Dew overseas.  Nevertheless, there is just something about an ice-cold non-corn-syrup Coke in a glass bottle on a powder sand beach that just makes you feel good about life.
  7. America the Beautiful: No matter how much I travel and no matter how much fun I have while I’m gone, I am always enthusiastic about coming home.  We appreciate the simple things so much more when we’ve gone a series of days without ice.  I mean, when was the last time you were truly grateful for warm running water?  Spend some time without it and you will be enthralled.
  8. Broaden your Horizons: Other cultures have great traditions.  Being exposed to people who think differently enables you to have a perspective that I believe genuinely makes you a better person.  It is so easy to get caught up in our “rigmarole” and pretend that we’re the only thing in town.  It just comes as a really good reminder to consider others as equals and have a sense for what makes people who they are.
  9. Interface with History: The better part of world history has taken place outside of the US.  If you never leave, you’ll miss out on the opportunity to stand atop ancient ruins that were home to mega-civilizations of previous centuries.  Europe is so rich with meaningful history that you could spend a lifetime discovering and still never find enough.
  10. Stretch Your Dollars: I met a couple who spent $50k traveling all over Asia – the crazy part was that it took them 3 years to spend it all.  There are still places where our dollars will get us pretty far.  It may not be like that forever, so it only makes sense to seize those opportunities and maximize our adventure by economizing our expenses.  I’ve stayed in some great hotels for $20 in some places – still not as cheap as the free hotels I get with the myriad of points programs I belong to, but cheap enough to brag about whenever I get the chance.

If you’re even just the slightest bit closer to taking an international trip after reading these little bits, then I’m satisfied that I did my job.  Do us all a favor and leave a comment about where you’re headed.  There’s nothing like travel buddies and we hope to have them everywhere.

Please remember to like us on Facebook so you never miss another point travel promotion.

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Why Low Level Redemptions?

Posted on August 31, 2012 by wpengine

At WorldWanderlusting.com we like to focus on Low-Level Redemptions.  This means that you maximize the use of the miles that you accrue by spending them efficiently.  For example:

American Airlines Redemption Chart

Shae, Max, and I in Verona

Europe: Oct. 15 – May 15 is the off season(Miles SAAver Off-peak) when going to Europe with American Airlines.  Therefore, I’d recommend that you book your flights to Europe between October 15th and May 15th.  This will save 20,000 AAdvantage miles per person per direction.

Bottom line is that if you’re taking a family of three kids to Europe, this makes your miles requirement 100,000 less than if you were to go during the Mile SAAver timeframe.  In April of this year our trip to Europe burned 80,000 miles for my wife and I.  My in laws came with us, which burned another 80,000 miles.  So for 160,000 AAdvantage miles we were able to take five people (my son is under 2) to Europe on miles.

If we were to try the same trip during the peak season it would have burned 240,000 miles.  This is the power of using the low-level redemptions.

Starwood Preferred Guest

I’ve also taken advantage of some amazing deals in the Starwood Preferred Guest redemption program as well.  This is like shopping in the grocery isle and picking the items that are on sale.  Most people probably purchase whatever without looking at the price.  If you’re the kind of person who shops for bargains, then that is seeking the low-level redemptions.

With hotels I’m always shopping in the lower categories.  With the Starwood Preferred Guest program you can shop amongst tons of hotels that fit within the Category 2.   If you stay in category 2 hotels on weekends it only burns 3000 points per night.  If you stay there on a week night you burn 4000 Starpoints.

Right now you can get up to 25,000 Starwood Preferred Guest Starpoints with the American Express SPG card.  When you use low level redemptions this card will allot you up to 10 free nights.  With each night coming in at a value of over $100, I see this offer worth over $1000.  Hurry, it won’t last long.


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Las Vegas Anniversary with a $20 Upgrade and a Hike in Zion

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Brad Christensen

Just last month, my wife and I celebrated our eleventh anniversary. We met in a dance class at Boise State, and ballroom dance has always been an interest for us, though four busy kids and too many other hobbies have kept us from pursuing it as we’d like to.  So for our anniversary we decided we’d like to see the Dancing with the Stars show in Las Vegas.

We live within driving range and we figured we could use the time driving to talk about the things that 42 sippy cups, two t-ball games, and 8 books before bedtime a day don’t really allow us to talk about.

While I could have stayed for free in a number of hotels, I opted to take advantage of an email special for the Palazzo 5 star hotel at $109 a night rather than spend my miles.  I wanted to stay somewhere really nice and try out a trick that I blogged about when we first started all this.

As we carried our bags to check in, I made a neat $20 sandwich with my ID and credit card. When we went to the counter, the gentleman asked if I’d like to upgrade to a view suite.  We expressed interest but balked when he told us it would cost $49 more a night. He asked for my ID and credit card, at which point I handed him the carefully-prepared  .  He slid the two apart and noticed Andrew Jackson peeking from between them.  That’s when he thanked us for staying in the Palazzo for the first time and that he’d like to give us a complimentary upgrade.  He also dug deep and doled out four drink vouchers.

I’m not saying your experience will be the same, but I’d urge you to give it a shot.  We had three great days of lazing by the pool and enjoying the lap of luxury.

On our return we wanted to break up the drive a bit, so we stopped in to Zion National Park.  Inspired by a photo that was entered in our Travel Photo contest, we set out to climb to the top of Angel’s Landing – an exhilarating hike along a narrow ridge with a rewarding view.  Natural beauty is hard to rival, and Zion has plenty of it… especially when it combines with Nicole’s beauty.  I’m a lucky guy!

 
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Offering up to 40,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

 

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