Stowaway LFC

Thank you! I am indeed very excited LOL. Discover match has been made and I profited nearly 800.00 ! Thats going to go on the 2025 NCL cruise. Normally I'd save them for an emergency fund along with my other card rewards but I already planned to use that reward for next year since I didn't need it for this cruise. None of the rewards expire. I am now back to my regular Card scenario: Gas & Amazon on my Chase Amazon at 5% Groceries and household stuff via pickup Capital One Walmart 5% Everything else: Wells Fargo Active Cash or Paypal World Mastercard at 2% I know there may be better out there, but I hate annual fees. Last Cruise payment next month and the cruise is paid off! Excursions, flights, parking and pre cruise hotel are all paid. Have funds for food expenses pre & post and transportation needs. And a bit of funds for a bag check with Delta. Rude Delta, but ok...lol I have funds set back for spending, cuz who doesn't buy stuff on vacation? I did buy some Carnival e gift cards from AARP for onboard use, not sure I will use it all since I have Cheers, don't gamble much and really like good deals on stuff. Guess I will see how it goes, whatever I don't use I guess I'll just cash it out at the end of the cruise. Whatever is leftover goes to the next cruise which is significantly more than this one. Thats an entirely new battle plan that will require a new post altogether if I don't get kicked out for being too boring lol. I hope I didn't bite off more than I can chew with that one. I hope my posts might help other regular people like me plan trips they never thought they could take. Now just need to iron out the transportation from the airport to the hotel and then I will be done. Requested my vacation time from work months ago, gave it an extra two days after I return to tackle all the laundry and housecleaning, I'll have to do. Started packing already, BTW estate sales are the bomb, esp on the last day when they mark stuff down, got my big suitcase and backpacks that way for great prices. I've made Amazon some money for sure but it's all stuff I'll use even after the cruise.

Yes!! The RUI Plaza at Fisherman's Wharf

181 days here. Scheduled my flights in December through AARP travel. Got a notice last month my return flight had been cancelled so I had to book another. Ended up with a Delta flight there and a Southwest flight back. Airline prices have been high all over the place so I settled for short layovers for each to save some money. Hotel is booked and paid for the night before the cruise in San Franscisco. We aren't going to do much there just roam the pier and eat. Our flight out is at 0600 CST so we will likely be jet lagged anyways. Cruise will be paid off in May using the easy pay option. Have money set back for food costs, transfers, extra tipping and spending money. I have all my excursions booked and paid for also. I used my Carnival card to get 10% off. Juneau: Whale Watching and Salmon Bake Combo Tracy Arm Fjord: Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer (word of advice book this as early as you can, it sells out fast) Ketchikan: Lighthouse, Totems and Eagles Prince Rupert: Prince Rupert City Highlights & Museums (Just to have something to do...) The only one I couldn't find a Carnival affordable excursion for was Haines. So, I found the Kroschel Wildlife Center website and I emailed them, and they offered me a really good deal that includes transport to and from and a private tour. I was glad I emailed when I did as the much higher priced Carnival excursion came out shortly afterwards and he doesn't take private reservations after a certain date. I ended up with some extra funds in my excursion budget, so I booked a Swedish massage for the hubby for an anniversary gift and a steakhouse reservation for us. Also booked the carnival transport from the port to the airport for after the cruise. The only thing I am unsure about is finding an affordable option for transfer from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the port. Not very familiar with Uber/Lyft and kinda afraid there won't be many affordable rides on cruise day. It doesn't seem very far from the hotel to cruise terminal so we may just hoof it there. There is a public transit that costs about 10 per person that goes from the airport, mid trip you change buses and arrive about a block from the hotel but I am kinda on the fence with that because we will have to lug one big bag, 2 backpacks and a small carryon with us and I'm not familiar with the area. I am just a regular working-class girl. At first, I thought I could never afford a trip like this. This has been a work in progress for over a year now. I'm not well off by any means, this took some serious discipline in saving and planning every detail. Now that I nearly have this one wrapped up I am already working on my next adventure, a British Isles NCL cruise for 2025! That one is a dream trip! Hope I can pull it off and not have to reschedule it for 2026.

Just an update, finally got my flights scheduled back in November through AARP travel, Delta there with a 1.5-hour layover in Atlanta (good time to eat lunch) and a no stop return flight on Alaska airlines. I was good, or so I thought...... Got an email last month that my Alaska flight had been cancelled. Bummer, I checked the AARP travel site for another but couldn't find one that didn't involve huge layovers or an insane price. Then I noticed no Southwest options were listed so I moseyed on over to Southwests site and found one that would work with a 1.5-hour layover in Las Vegas (good time to eat lunch again lol). Went ahead and booked that and saved about 50 dollars. Then it was a 1-hour long call with Alaska airlines to get my cancelled flight refunded. Crossing my fingers and toes that there will be no more surprises in the flying department! I also got our parking scheduled at a reputable off site for a decent amount. And our San Franscisco hotel is booked and already paid for the day before. I am getting excited because April 1st will be the day my Discover miles will be doubled. So, I will switch back to my 2% cash back card after that. I think it will be close to 1K which is what I was aiming for! Even better is I have exceeded my savings goals for this Alaska cruise so my Discover Miles reward can be used towards for the British Isles cruise in 2025 I have booked. Which is much more expensive than this one. That will be another post entirely lol. I have all my excursions booked and paid for also. I used my Carnival card to get 10% off. Juneau: Whale Watching and Salmon Bake Combo Tracy Arm Fjord: Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer (word of advice book this as early as you can, it sells out fast) Ketchikan: Lighthouse, Totems and Eagles Prince Rupert: Prince Rupert City Highlights & Museums (Just to have something to do...) The only one I couldn't find a Carnival affordable excursion for was Haines. So, I found the Kroschel Wildlife Center website and I emailed them, and they offered me a really good deal that includes transport to and from and a private tour. I was glad I emailed when I did as the much higher priced Carnival excursion came out shortly afterwards and he doesn't take private reservations after a certain date. I ended up with some extra funds in my excursion budget, so I booked a Swedish massage for the hubby for an anniversary gift and a steakhouse reservation for us. My Carnival easy pay cruise will complete cruise payment in May. I will complete the last of my savings plan at the end of this month. I still need to buy my Carnival ecards for on board spending along with my Carnival Fun points, there isn't a lot of them but about 50 dollars' worth. I'm going with NCL on the British Isles cruise in 2025, so I want to use the Fun points up. And get my port money/extra tip money out of the bank a couple of days before. Have funds set back for the Delta bag check cost, luckily Southwest is free. And funds for Food costs and transports from the airport to hotel and from the hotel to the pier. Still working on that one. Not very familiar with Uber/Lyft and kinda afraid there won't be many affordable rides on cruise day. It doesn't seem very far from the hotel to cruise terminal so we may just hoof it there. I booked carnival's transport for getting from the port to the airport on debarkation day. Have already started packing, not to early, eh? And reading everything I find on cruise tips, trips etc. Will be so awesome to finish up this cruise with everything already paid for! I haven't taken a real certified vacation since 2008. Previous trips have all been kid related/ work related or just a weekend trip. I used to just dream of taking a trip like this, but if you give yourself a lot of time and plan it all out you can do it. It just takes time, discipline and a whole lot of attention to all the details.

What about small cans of bug repellant for an Alaska cruise? Are those allowed?

My thoughts exactly!!!

Thank you very much!

Does anyone know a ballpark cost for a NCL transfer from port to airport for Southampton? Just trying to see how much to budget for that. Likely Heathrow airport I think? Not sure which airport NCL sets up for cruises departing from Southampton.

New to NCL here. Have an August 2025 British Isles cruise booked. I applied for and got the NCL card (with the 25,000 point bonus) and paid NCL 1078.00 with it. I checked my account today and have 28,234 points. Not really interested in upgrading my cabin. It's one of the cheaper cabins, no view or balcony but I don't plan to be in there much. I will likely redeem points for a statement credit instead. I used a cruise first and still have a significant amount to still pay, prob about 6K total for me and my spouse. Includes free at sea plus for both of us does not include the pre cruise trip in London or the excursions I plan to book. Thats why I booked so early, so I'll have plenty of time to pay everything up. If I pay the rest of my NCL purchases with my NCL card then I will get 3 points per each dollar spent, correct? Does the 3 points per dollar apply to excursions booked through NCL too? If I am calculating correctly NCL will be a much greater return than using my 2% cash back card. Thank you 🤩

I'm still laughing at "wholepaycheck foods"! How true that is!

You are very welcome! We all gotta stick together on this stuff!

I am taking an Alaskan cruise next September out of San Franscisco. I'm thinking I should look into alternate things to do in case our excursions get cancelled. Love the house pics, it's always cool to me to see how people live in different areas.

Bummer about Tracy! Great pics though!

Wow!!! That is awesome!

Love the pics! I'll be on the Miracle next year for an Alaskan trip. Can't wait!

Just a question please? We are sailing Miracle next year for an Alaska cruise. What is the Al Fresco? Is it a specialty restaurant?

Please do, I don't wanna see you hurting and in pain 😞 You are so much more!

Please be careful Megan, You are only human you know! Too much can hurt your body!

So glad you finally made it home! At least it's a short work week! Looking forward to any final thoughts on your maiden NCL voyage!

I can't imagine how frustrated you must be. That totally sucks!

Same! I have NCL air on a cruise in 2025 that departs from London. If I can get it cheaper on my own I will cancel NCL's air.

Yikes! 30 minutes is not enough time if you have to clear customs. They should have taken that into account when booking since it's international. I would complain to NCL about that. This must be the bad side of using NCL's airfare.

Oh No!!!!

Megan, have you ever ate at Samauri of Tokyo in Wichita? It's awesome!

Safe travels!