• Elegent and refined entertainment and enrichment activities on the ship.
• The crew on the Quest were amazing and were an absolute standout part of the trip.
• Focusing on what makes a cruise great has served this smaller line well.

Cruises are a wonderful vacation. You get to see different places around the world with each trip and you don’t have to change hotels every day while you do it. One of the problems that many people have with cruises, though, is how many people you share the ship with. These days, there’s ships that have more than 7,000 passengers on them, which is quite a few people to have afloat at once. The desire for something less than a floating city, then, is why we’ve seen more lines offering smaller ships over the last few decades. These more specialized cruise lines have been slowly growing their numbers and attracting loyal customers. That’s why we booked a cruise on one of them, so we could bring you an Azamara review.

Please take note that this is a Review. That means that we booked a full fare price and received no special benefits from being travel agents. The only discounts or bonuses we received were from publicly available promotions. The staff was not aware beforehand that we were travel agents and, to the best of our knowledge, we did not receive any special treatment because of that. Further, I normally would have hours of footage and pictures from the trip, but it was lost. There was significant data corruption that ruined the majority of our Azamara files. Please forgive the lack of our usual, illuminating media.

Azamara’s Reputation

Azamara, as a line, is made up of smaller ships with fewer passengers on them. Their reputation is for moderate luxury. Not quite as gilded as Regent Seven Seas, but above the experiences typically found on lines like Celebrity or Virgin Voyages. Azamara also tends towards longer itineraries, which is to say 7 days or more. This puts them in a similar pricing and experience category to Viking’s ocean cruises. 

The onboard experience with Azamara is reputed to be a quieter one. This is a common, but not universal, trait of longer itineraries. The reality is that the person who has 7 or more days, in a row, to vacation is often going to be older and will typically prefer a calm and relaxed atmosphere. It’s often said that the line has excellent cuisine and staff; it’s quite common to see people online raving about the crew on the ships. 

Finally, Azamara’s reputation is to make guests comfortable from start to end. That means that from the moment you begin the boarding process to the last few seconds of your disembarkation, they try to help ease the way.  

What We Booked

When we decided to make an Azamara review, we ended up taking a sailing that was advantageous for us. Our son lives on the other side of the Atlantic from us, and when we visit him it’s often cheaper to take a cruise than to take a flight. That’s why we booked a trans-Atlantic sailing on the Azamara Quest from Miami to Lisbon. Although it only stopped in two ports along the way, it would give us a great deal of time to experience the ship and what it had to offer. It also meant that we could really see how good Azamara’s staff are.

Azamara, like most cruise lines, offers a variety of staterooms and suites. We booked a Veranda Plus category stateroom, which is Azamara’s top tier Stateroom. Here’s a look at the broad categories.

Across Azamara’s fleet there is some variation in specific room design and amenities, which comes as no surprise. That chart should be viewed as a general overview rather than anything all encompassing. Since Azamara gears itself toward a more luxurious market, there are even more suite options than stateroom options. We did not experience or personally see any of the ship’s suites, though.

First Impressions

Our first experience, before we boarded, was very positive. Embarking from Miami, we arrived about 45 minutes before the earliest boarding time.  On many other lines, we would have been left standing in the Florida sun, not on Azamara. When our driver dropped us off, several staff came up to take our luggage and direct us into the terminal. To my surprise, there was no waiting. We breezed through security and had, maybe, a 4-minute wait in line to check-in. After check-in, we boarded immediately. Very relaxed, and a great first impression.

From the first step onboard, we found the ship to be clean and stylish. One of the main draws of Azamara is that they have much smaller ships than what you might find outside of the very high-end cruise lines. For example, the Quest typically tops out at about 700 guests, whereas most cruise ships will carry from 1,500 to 3,000.

Well, it may have been a bit chaotic when we boarded the Quest for our Azamara review, but a stiff drink always helps smooth things out.

Quickly it became clear that Azamara’s design teams have a great eye for art and décor that fits their refined image. Each hall, stairwell, and common area is adorned with elegant embellishments. We were also struck at just how clean everything was. There’s a certain amount of wear and tear that one anticipates in a space like a cruise ship or hotel, but we strained to see anything. Even the carpets in the halls looked pristine and the ship was consistently extremely clean throughout the entire voyage.

Given our early arrival, our cabins were not ready, nor did we expect them to be. Nearly everyone who boarded ended up at the buffet as little else was open. Consequently, the area was extremely crowded. We took note that the staff worked valiantly to keep up with demand, despite the mass of early guests hungry for a bite. However, the impression that the scene gave was less luxurious than I imagine the line hopes for. So, high marks for letting people board early, but it may be necessary to have another dining venue available.

The Cabin

I prefer to sail in the aft of ships, so we chose a room in the rear. Many people prefer the center, which is why cruise companies often charge more for those cabins, so I am aware that in this regard I am a bit of an odd duck. Nonetheless, I enjoy watching the wake of the ship fall away behind us. Our choice was cabin 6093, which has a big balcony. Further, this cabin is a P1 category, which includes additional amenities highlighted in the earlier chart.

Our favorite part of the room was the balcony. Typically, we find that ship balconies are often less comfortable than you’d like. The chairs are usually hard and the tables are small. That was not true of this cabin. The chairs were plush, at least for outdoor seating, and the large table was great for a room service meal. We loved it so much that we ordered room service multiple times on our voyage, when we typically never do.

This is a promotional image from Azamara, but it is very representative of the cabin that I stayed in for my Azamara Review.

We found the bed to be reasonably comfortable, not as good as the beds on Princess Cruises, but better than the typical cruise sleeping arrangements. The desk and workspace was sufficient for taking care of things on a laptop without feeling too crowded. Since I work when I travel, being able to set up comfortably is a big deal and not something many cruise line staterooms allow for. They had the typical flat-screen TV with entertainment streaming on it. The ship’s menus for lunch and dinner were available through the “infotainment” system.

One particularly important element for modern travelers, we didn’t have any issues with the availability of electrical outlets like we have had on many other lines, especially on older ships. Outlets were plentiful with access locations everywhere you would want them. Storage space for bags, clothes, to-be-washed laundry and toiletries was all completely fine.

Reading online before our sailing had lead me to believe that the bathrooms, namely the shower, were going to be an issue. If I am to be entirely truthful, this detail had me fairly worried in the week or two leading up to our departure, but I shouldn’t have. The shower was fine. Yes, it was a small bathroom and a small shower, but it was no smaller than other cruise ship bathrooms we have been in. We had no problem with the arrangement. There weren’t any real innovations or highlights to discuss, but neither were there any downsides that don’t exist in other staterooms on other lines.

This is a promotional image from Azamara, but this is very similar to what I stayed in for my Azamara Review.

The included self-service laundry was a nice touch. That’s something that I always appreciate having. The ability to do a quick wash if something gets a stain on it or if you get soaked with rain on an excursion is always good to have. Even better, Azamara provides the detergent. I cannot say if the detergent met any specific allergen needs, so if that’s a concern, you may still want to bring a supply for your own use.    

Overall, I would say that the cabin layout and design was fairly typical, but well done. The clean lines and modern sophisticated décor give a sense of elegance without feeling stuffy. It was spacious enough that I never felt cramped, whether I was working or relaxing. Even with a coffee table in the seating area, we had plenty of room, which speaks to the intelligent use of space. Given that most of Azamara’s itineraries are longer ones, they must have put some considerable thought into how their rooms were arranged for guests and it pays off.

Food and Drink

Like most cruise lines, you’ll never want for food. The main dining room was open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with no reservations required. We never had more than a 10-minute wait to be seated, likely a benefit of the lower passenger capacity.

Regarding taste, we found the food was well prepared but tended to be a bit under-seasoned. On the occasions when they played a little more with the seasoning, it was quite enjoyable, especially a Thai soup. The variety of dishes offered was par for the course, in our estimation, for cruising. Neither adventurous nor boring yet well presented.

If you’re the type of diner that prefers steak, chicken, pork, or pasta when you eat, you’ll be just fine. There are mainstays to the main dining room’s menu that do not change each night that cater to those dishes. In fact, my husband lavished praise on the lemon chicken and I appreciated the tenderloin and their eggs benedict at the breakfast. There are, of course, a variety of dining options on the ship other than the main dining room.

Some of the images that survived are of dishes I had. As you can see, the plates are picturesque, but the flavor was muted.

The Patio Grill which, as the name implies, is outdoors and provides burgers and a daily special, e.g. nachos, as well as sandwiches and hot dogs. You will also find soft-serve ice cream here. The burgers were a standout as they grind their own beef onboard, rather than use pre-made frozen patties. That’s not something I expected to find on a cruise ship and was pleasantly surprised by it. In good weather, this is a great place for a casual lunch.

As for the buffet, we generally avoided it. We don’t like buffets, so if that’s a part of cruising that you love, I am not the authority on buffet quality. However, we did eat there a couple times to sample the quality and we thought they did admirably. I quite enjoyed the sushi and thought they prepared it well (considering that it is a cruise ship and not a dedicated sushi restaurant on land). The pizza was also above average, certainly better than most cruise lines, but not as good as Virgin’s. The highlight that did continue to draw us back to the buffet was the gelato, which we would take away quite often.

Although this is a promotional image from Azamara, it is the buffet on the ship. Even though I am not a buffet lover, I made sure to stop by a few times for my Azamara Review.

If you’re looking for a latte or tea, the Mosaic Café produced lovely, caffeinated brews and always had a selection of small pastries available. I fancy myself as a coffee snob and usually pass on cruise ship coffees, but Azamara was meeting that luxury standard they set for themselves with the quality of the café. I happily consumed the drip and the espresso here.

The two specialty restaurants offered onboard, Prime C and Aqualina were standouts, especially the chateaubriand and the souffle. Dining at either place is an upcharge, but was included in the cabin category and onboard package we purchased. As such, there were limits to the number of reservations we could make for them. These reservations can either be done beforehand online, or with staff when you board.

The Mosaic Cafe was one of the most lovely spaces on the ship for a quick bite. Even though this is an Azamara Promotional image, this is what the place looks like.

Additionally, Azamara provided some special event dining options. On White Night, a themed dress night, they had a beautiful buffet, including lobster. We saw one table that had managed to eat 7 lobster tails in one sitting! Another day brought an on-deck barbecue lunch that we loved. Complete with ribs, sausage, pulled pork, corn on the cob, beans, and potato salad, it was by far the most delicious barbecue we’ve had on any cruise line.

Regardless of your fare, some beers, wines, and cocktails are generally included. As I mentioned, we purchased a package which included some amenities like dining and premium drinks. The cocktails we ordered exceeded expectations at each turn. Servers and bartenders were all attentive and diligent, but not wooden, each of them checking on details like allergies or drink preparation preferences. They were all lovely to chat with whenever we sat down to order, and it was quickly apparent why so many customers love the Azamara crew.

White Night was a lot of fun on the ship and I’m glad I went, even though I’m not the most social person. My Azamara review wouldn’t be complete if I hadn’t at least spent a little time at the party.

Overall, the cuisine on Azamara was nice, but fell short of the top-tier in cruise lines. There were standouts at every venue, but for my taste, the dishes lacked flavor and creativity. There’s a boldness that I’ve seen in other cruise line meals that isn’t present here. I don’t doubt that the kitchen could make such dishes and I wish they would.

Onboard Experience

Smaller ships, like the kind Azamara built their small fleet around, afford passengers a chance to become familiar with the crew. To the last, every member of the Quest’s crew was polite, attentive, and kind. Every positive moment we had on the ship was enhanced by the graciousness of the crew. On the rare moment something negative happened, the deftness of Azamara’s team softened the situation. Truly, I can’t say enough good things about the crew.

On the ship tour – which we recommend you take because it’s fascinating – it was clear that the crew took great pride in their assignments and work areas, no matter the area they worked in.  The tour included the bridge, engineering, laundry, galley, and even the freezers.

The spaces throughout the ship were immaculate. It brought to mind a saying from the restaurant industry, “you can tell how much a restaurant cares by how clean their bathrooms are.” If I apply that to Azamara, they care a great deal. Nary a speck of dust was to be found anywhere we went.

Everywhere we went on the ship it was beautiful and spotless. Impressive art and impressive cleaning were not something I was expecting to find together for the Azamara Review.

We adored the library for some quiet time. While the pool was fairly small, it was more than enough for the number of passengers aboard. Admittedly, though, it was not heavily used in the mid-Atlantic in early April. Even walking the halls can be an enjoyable pastime as they are lined with prints by famous artists.

Because it’s a small ship, there were no big, Broadway style productions that you will find on larger vessels. Instead, there were six extremely talented singers and dancers that did different performances most nights of the cruise. They would run duets, solos, and the like, and would also run trivia as well as other events around the ship. We had a lot of fun at each event we took part in.

One thing we loved is that Azamara dispenses with some things that other major cruise lines will often push on you. There was no casino taking up a large portion of one of the decks, no art auctions haranguing you to empty your pockets. They had regular speakers providing entertaining and educational events most days on the sailing.

Like some other cruise lines, they have the occasional theme nights. Azamara’s main themed evening is the “White Night,” where everyone is expected to dress in white. It was fairly fun, but we ended up ducking out early for a dinner at Prime C. While they are famed for their “AzAmazing nights” which are culturally inspired parties associated with their over-night port visits we unfortunately didn’t have one offered on this sailing because it was a trans-Atlantic.

Sometimes, all you really want is a drink by the pool. The relaxed atmosphere made it all the better during my Azamara review.

Something I’ve never seen on any other line was the “EXPO”, which is an event where a representative from each of the ship’s departments has a place to talk about what they do on the ship, and the thought process behind what they do. While I have heard online that it can be a little sales-y, that was not our experience at all. We had a great time learning about the variety of behind-the-scenes sort of things that we love about cruise ship tours. The food service got a lot of attention, but one could also inspect a spare piston.  Surprisingly, the housekeeping department was very interesting and helped explain how they were able to keep the ship in such top-notch condition.

On-Ship Amenities

Even though it was a small ship, Azamara didn’t skimp on the amenities that you often find on larger vessels. They had a well-equipped, clean gym with ocean views, and group fitness classes available for free. As I mentioned, the pool wasn’t large but was very nice.

I also touched on the included, self-service laundry with detergent provided earlier on. As much as I do appreciate these facilities, your experience with them depends heavily on the courtesy of the other guests. On a longer sailing, like we did, it was convenient and reassuring, even if it sometimes brought out the baser instincts of other guests.

The general vibe of the ship is “resort casual” so there’s no pressure to feel overdressed, which was nice. Many of the other guests we met seemed to be long-time Azamara cruisers. There were plenty of public spaces that were just nice to be in, like the forward panoramic lounge and the library. The smaller card room adjacent to it was consistently filled with the mahjong and bridge players, so if that’s your thing, you might find some new friends!

There was regular live music, shows, talks, trivia, and other events happening all over the ship, so we never felt like there wasn’t enough to do, even on a longer voyage with very few stops.

Conclusion

Who is Azamara for? What I found on Azamara was a classic, but elevated, cruise experience. It was the sort of vibe that you can find on lines like Princess or Celebrity, but better. Since everything was on a smaller scale, it felt more intimate. Because there are under a thousand guests, you get to know everyone a little more, and the staff were particularly wonderful. Crew morale can make or break a cruise line in my opinion. If the staff aren’t energized and happy, that bleeds over into every aspect of the ship. Every crew member we talked to seemed to enjoy working for Azamara, which is not the case on some other lines that we have been on.

There are many lessons that the other lines could learn from Azamara. No, they shouldn’t simply copy it, but they could learn a bit from their dedication to refining what they are as a brand.

There are more inclusions than you might find than in the typical cruise as well. Self-service laundry, gratuities, some alcohol, and special events tailored to the locations that you are visiting. No, they aren’t breaking any conventions, or trying something exciting and experimental, but what Azamara is doing is taking what people have loved about cruising for decades and perfecting it. It’s not going to be a party boat, a floating casino, or a theme park at sea. It’s simply going to be a cruise ship in all the best ways.

Azamara is similar to my experiences on Cunard or Viking, and on that smaller scale which I really love. If that sounds at all appealing to you, I strongly recommend giving Azamara a try.

If this review got you excited to do just that and sail on Azamara, as you might have guessed we are a travel agency and if you are looking to book a trip to a resort, take a cruise, or just get away for a few days we can help with that! Each year we book hundreds of vacations for individuals, families, and large groups. We’ve got years of experience and firsthand knowledge to make sure you get the best trip possible with support all along the way. Our team of travel professionals can help find and book the best rates and discounts for your trip because it’s our job. So don’t book on your own, use our expertise and book with us so we can help get you, far far away.

The post Azamara Review – Other Cruises Could Learn A Great Deal From Them appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

No Cabin Choice

What, I think, is the least troubling, is when you book a Lock-it-In fare, you won’t have a cabin assignment, meaning you don’t have a specific cabin number. It operates like a guaranteed rate on a lot of other cruise lines. You’ll get a cabin in the category you booked, but it won’t be determined which one until right before you sail. That means, if you book a Lock-it-In Sea Terrace, you’ll likely end up in a Limited View with the risk of being right above some noisy common area. Sure, there’s a chance you’ll get a Central Sea Terrace on idyllic deck 10, but that’s a slim chance.

Never go into booking Lock-it-In expecting anything more than the cheapest, most basic option. Even when that cabin is assigned, you won’t be able to move it, wherever they put you, that’s where you’ll stay.

Base Fare does vary slightly here. You’ll have an assigned cabin number, but you won’t be able to move it. Virgin also has the right to move that cabin as they see fit up until you are, literally on the gangplank boarding the ship! Okay… that’s slightly hyperbolic, but Virgin really can change that cabin right up until you check-in and receive your Band. For this reason, people who are sensitive to noise or want a specific deck, like a lower level deck that will avoid sea sickness, aren’t going to want to book these rates.

No Booking Flexibility

Whether it’s Lock-it-In or Base fare, once you are booked, you’re booked. What this means is that you can’t make any changes to the booking at all. If you can’t sail those dates because something came up in your life, you’re “locked-in”. You can’t change to a different sailing. Neither can you swap out your cabin mate because they’re, “locked-in”. It doesn’t matter if it’s your spouse you caught cheating on you with your, now ex, best friend; there’s no name changes allowed for any of the sailors. You especially cannot cancel the booking for a refund, or even credit for another Virgin sailing, because you’re, say it with me… “locked-in.”

Basically, if something goes wrong and you can’t go, too bad. To quote the best Willy Wonka, “You get nothing. You lose. Good day, sir.”

This also means that if the price drops, you can’t re-price. I have heard horror stories of someone who booked a Lock-it-In rate, only for the price of a regular cabin to fall below what they paid well within the window to reprice, but they couldn’t take advantage of it because they were, one more time, “locked-in”.

Promotional Restrictions

Here’s one area where the Lock-it-In and Base Fares vary. While the Base Fare can enjoy assorted promotions that Virgin may offer, like extra Sailor Loot or Bar Tab, or use a My Next Virgin Voyage certificate, the Lock-it-In rate gets none of that. The already low price is the perk, and you are not allowed to combine it with anything else.

How much this particular restriction impacts you is variable, but there are quite a few discounts and promotions that us travel agents will help you take advantage of. For example, there is a First Responder discount for people like EMTs. There’s also residency rates that more than a third of Americans qualify for, not to mention the entire countries of Canada and Mexico. Active and retired U.S. and Canadian military members receive discounts as well. Additionally, Virgin will run promotions adding hundreds in Bar Tab for specific sailings.

If you book the Lock-it-In rate, you can’t take advantage of any of those. Now, yes, many times the Lock-it-In rate is lower than those discounts, but there’s all the restrictions we’ve already mentioned and, we still haven’t talked about the difference in onboard experience…

On-Ship Downgrades

Let’s say you can live with all those downsides. You don’t care where your cabin is on the ship, you aren’t eligible for any other discounts, and you have already determined that you will be taking this trip no matter what. Fair enough. We’re not done with the limitations, though, because there are a few more rules to both the Base Fare and the Lock-it-In cabins that may make your on-board experience less exciting than you may want.

Both fares can only make reservations for dining 15 days before sailing. What that means is, by the time you get to make dining reservations, a full month will have gone by since the Essential Fare sailors could book their dining, and they generally make up about 80% of a ship’s bookings. Now, if you like to eat late, like I do, you should still be able to get into various restaurants. I’ve also eaten at Virgin’s restaurants quite a few times at this point, so if I miss an Extra Virgin night, I’m not going to feel like I missed out.

If you’re on the Lock-it-In Fare, you might miss out on dining reservations for the times you want to eat.

If there’s a restaurant that you are keen to visit or a night that’s special and you want to eat at a particular time, you might not get what you are hoping for.

Outside of dining reservations, Virgin has added more tiers to their Wi-Fi and, not surprisingly, they’ve made their included Wi-Fi for Base and Lock-it-In worse. While Wi-Fi is still included at this rate, you are going to be at the absolute lowest level with both of them. This is a special tier of Wi-Fi access they created when they made the Voyage Fare changes in October of 2025. Don’t expect to do much more than some simple text messages, basic internet browsing, and social media. I’ve tried it out this tier and images don’t always load, it’s often just text and emojis and, if you’re a Millennial, your .gif filled chats aren’t loading either. Don’t even think about Wi-Fi calling and video streaming, it’s not happening.

On the other hand, if you’re trying to disconnect, that might be a plus.

Rockstar Lock-it-In

I haven’t yet touched a category of Lock-it-In that’s a little different, that’s the Rockstar Lock-it-In rate. Yes, Virgin offers discounted rates on their suites as well and their Lock-it-In rate doesn’t work the same way as the regular cabins. With this rate, you still get all the on-ship perks of being a Rockstar, including the super early dining reservations, however you get a lot of the downsides of Lock-it-Ins when it comes to flexibility. What this means is: no promotions, no choosing your cabin, no changing your cabin, no name changes, no sailing date changes, and definitely no refunds.

The Mega RockStar suites on Virgin Voyages do have their own Lock-it-In Fares.

The suites on Virgin aren’t cheap either, not even with the Lock-it-In rate. That’s a lot of money that you are “locked-in” to paying Virgin and that always makes me a little nervous. People aren’t immune to sudden changes in their life. Maybe you find out you’re pregnant and would be too late in your term to fly to the cruise, with Lock-it-In that’s just too bad. Perhaps, your brother sets his wedding date the same week as your cruise, oh well. Whatever the case may be, if you can’t go anymore, too bad. It doesn’t matter how much you paid, you chose to be “locked-in”

Conclusions

I have seen too many people get burnt by all the exclusions that come with the Lock-it-In price to ever think about doing it myself. If I’m dropping thousands of dollars on a vacation, I’m going to spend a little bit more to have a good experience and not settle for hurdles and risks.

You never know what might happen, pay a little more and protect yourself when you’re booking a vacation. Whether that’s through travel insurance or by booking a refundable fare.

I always recommend having travel insurance when you are buying a cruise, or really any vacation, and I recommend getting it from a third party vendor that will cover every part of the trip. If you absolutely want to book a Lock-it-In rate, I consider trip insurance to be even more essential, since that “no refund policy” can look a lot worse when you are facing an illness or injury that has thrown off your travel plans, or your even something simple like the plane is delayed and the ship leaves without you.

If this article made you second guess booking that Lock-it-In rate, then I’ve done my job because we want you to be informed about what you are purchasing when you book a vacation. That’s how we work with all our clients, by making sure they understand their options and any risks they take because informed decisions make for better trips. And if you want help staying informed, you can subscribe to this channel. As you might have guessed we are a travel agency and if you are looking to book a trip to a resort, take a cruise, or just get away for a few days we can help with that!

Each year we book hundreds of vacations for individuals, families, and large groups. We’ve got years of experience and firsthand knowledge to make sure you get the best trip possible with support all along the way. Our team of travel professionals can help find and book the best rates and discounts for your trip because it’s our job. So don’t book on your own, use our expertise and book with us so we can help get you, far far away.

The post Why I Never Book Lock-it-In on Virgin Now appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Disney World

Back in 2024, Disney announced their plans to expand Magic Kingdom with a whole new land, named “Villain’s Land”. Although the name might be a bit on the nose, Disney villains are quite popular with many fans, so the idea has merit to it. This is slated to include two rides, one themed on the magic mirror and including a large cast of villains, and one focused on Maleficent. Early reporting estimates that this land will be about the same size as the Galaxy’s Edge Star Wars land in Hollywood Studios.

Villains Land is part of the massive Disney updates dropped during D23. Disney Promotional Image owned by Disney

Continuing with the changes in Magic Kingdom, construction has already started where Tom Sawyer Island was in Frontierland. Replacing it is Piston Peak, an area themed around the Cars franchise. A demolition derby ride and a rally ride are expected to be part of this new space. While in Tomorrowland, the Carousel of Progress is getting an update, with the dad being voiced by Bryan Cranston, and the mom by Jamie Lee Curtis. Whether this means any revisions to the dialogue isn’t clear. Perhaps they’ll spice up the script with door knocking discussions or add a brother named Mike to the story.

Piston Peak is part of the enormous Desney updates announced at D23. Disney Promotional Image owned by Disney.

Over in Hollywood Studios, that park recently saw the reimagining of the Rock’n’Roller Coaster to include the Muppets, something that I am looking forward to seeing myself. The area that used to host the famous felt cast has been under construction for a new Monsters, Inc themed area, including two new dining locations, Harryhausen’s and Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza. Replacing Muppetvision 3D will be Welcome to Monstropolis, which will be a similar stage show. They are also bringing a coaster ride based off the Door Vault from the films, which will be Disney’s first “suspended” coaster style ride, that is, the track is above the cars. While parts of the land are set to open in 2027, the coaster, sadly, will not be.

The Monster, Inc. takes over the former Muppet area in the latest Disney updates. Disney Promotional Image owned by Disney.

Moving to Epcot, we are seeing the first update of Spaceship Earth in 20 years, however, there isn’t much information about it yet. These are part of delayed upgrades that were supposed to have happened before COVID. Another update coming to Epcot is that they are reworking Journey Into Imagination with Figment. Their big announcement is that Dreamfinder is coming back from the original 1983 version. While I never got to experience that version, my wife and MANY other Epcot fans are very excited to see his return.

The Tropical Americas area is part of the sweeping Disney updates. Disney Promotional Image owned by Disney

Finally, we come to Animal Kingdom, with another slate of changes announced. Construction is already underway on the Tropical Americas section of the park, which used to be the DinoLand area. As part of those changes two rides are being built. The first is an Encanto themed ride where guests will enter The Casita on the day Antonio receives his gift where they will be taken through the house seeing the events of that day. The other ride is being built where the Dinosaur ride was. This one will be an Indiana Jones ride, similar to the one at Disneyland but with its own story and theming. There is also set to be a carousel ride in the Tropical Americas area with popular animal characters from across Disney’s properties.

The terrifying Yeti in Expedition Everest will move again! Just one more of the huge Disney updates. Disney Promotional Image owned by Disney

There’s Yeti more news, though, because the biggest news is about the Expedition Everest ride. When you’re on that ride, the ominous presence of a Yeti disrupts your journey, and for many visitors that monster has always been limited to shadows, noises, and a statue near the end of the ride. That statue is actually an animatronic Yeti and, when the ride first opened, it would claw at the riders. But the complex figure promptly broke and Disney imagineers permanently disabled its movements. Well, Disney has announced that it is coming back and it will once again move! We’ll see how long that lasts.

Disneyland

Over on the West Coast, Disneyland is seeing some serious changes as well. In California Adventure, they are expanding the Avengers Campus to include two new attractions. Avengers Infinity Defense and the Stark Flight Lab are both set to open in 2028. Additionally, in California Adventure, we are going to see a boat-style ride themed around the movie Coco with a journey through the Land of the Dead. While it’s known that a Pandora area is being built in California Adventure, Disney was surprisingly quiet on that front.

Over in Disneyland, two shows are set to be refurbished 2027, the Magic Happens parade, and the fireworks show Remember … Dreams Come True. They also announced that changes will be coming to Tomorrowland at Disneyland, but were pretty light on the details.

Disney Cruise Line

Finally, some new announcements for Disney Cruise Line. Their newest ship, Disney Believe, is still set to arrive in 2027, with some new details released. The Grand Hall will feature a statue of Moana and her animal companions. They went over some more of the ship’s decoration and aesthetics, but overall, it is expected to be similar to the other ships in the class.

I really like the design for the Believe’s aft that was shown as part of all the Disney updates. Promotional Image owned by Disney.

Their big announcement was the reveal of the next class of DCL ships and they were very, very light on details. Here’s what we know right now:

• They are set to first arrive in 2029
• They will have a lower passenger capacity than the Wish class ships, probably around 3000 passengers.

That’s it. That’s all we know about it. In my opinion, this seems like a very reasonable step to take, with cruise ships hitting capacities of 5, 6, and 7,000 passengers, the trend has become stressful for the crew, the ports, and the passengers as well. I believe that it also creates some fragility in the market, if you can’t fill such a giant ship, the logistics needed to support it risk collapsing. To me, it has felt like an over-expansion like we see so many famous retail brands commit to and then collapse from. So, I am glad to see Disney Cruise Line taking a step back from these megaships.

If any of this news has piqued your interest and made you want to visit one of Disney’s properties, we can help. As you might have guessed we are a travel agency and if you are looking to book a trip to a resort, take a cruise, or just get away for a few days we’ve got you covered! Each year we book hundreds of vacations for individuals, families, and large groups. We’ve got years of experience and firsthand knowledge to make sure you get the best trip possible with support all along the way. Our team of travel professionals can help find and book the best rates and discounts for your trip because it’s our job. So don’t book on your own, use our expertise and book with us so we can help get you, far far away.

The post Big Disney Updates – With A New Ship Class Announced appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Yes, staying healthy at home feels challenging enough, now add in travel, and it’s even harder. You’re coming into contact with tons of new people and food sources you’re unfamiliar with. Tons of people have come home from a trip sick. But, I promise you, all is not lost.

Airports are so full of people it makes it hard to stay healthy when you travel. They’re a common hotspot where a lot of airborne illnesses can spread. It pays to be careful!

As you might imagine, I’m traveling more than the average person. I write about travel and that means that I need to, ya know… travel. I research destinations, cruise lines, resorts, hotels, but to do that, I need to be there. I also can’t afford to get sick when I’m on the road, so I take precautions to make sure that I stay healthy and, since I started doing these things, I’ve never gotten sick when I’m traveling.

I’m not doing anything special either, I’m just taking easy, reasonable steps to keep myself safe from other people’s… less sanitary habits and there’s no reason you can’t do the same if you want.

Wash Your Hands

Yes, that’s really the first thing I do and it’s also the easiest thing I do. Using simple soap and water, along with about twenty seconds of scrubbing, goes a long way to keeping you healthy. There’s all sorts of nasty stuff that your hands come into contact with while you’re out and about and keeping your little fingies clean keeps the grossness out of you.

Aside from all the usual prodding by doctors and such to wash your hands, here’s one particularly good reason to grab the soap and water – norovirus. That little bug is one of the most unpleasant illnesses you can contract and each year, millions of people around the world experience all the fun there is to have with it, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Best of all, the disease is spread through human feces and vomit! That means that if you have the disease, it’s because you put those things in your mouth.

Airport lounges are great, just make sure to wash your hands before you eat!

Guess what hand washing does! It cleans your hands and kills norovirus!

Just keep that in mind when you do things like, handle a serving spoon at a buffet, hold onto the rail at the escalator, or tap on the seatback screen on a plane.

Now, you can still contract norovirus even if you wash your hands because it can also be spread through food or beverages prepared by someone who has norovirus and hasn’t cleaned their hands of their… poop or vomit. It can also be spread through places like pools because norovirus can live just fine in your standard chlorinated pool water.

Sanitizing Wipes and Such

This is why things like hand sanitizers and wipes have their place, but it isn’t at the top of my list. The cleaning agents deployed in these wipes are typically an alcohol and they often cannot kill norovirus, which is why hand washing is still the champ. Still, there’s lots of other nastiness that these things do clean up that protects you. Some strains of common viruses are killed by sanitizing wipes and gels, but they need to be used properly and contain high levels of alcohol to be effective. The figure that I see commonly quoted for minimal effectiveness requirements is to make sure that your sanitizer contains at least 60% alcohol.

Touchscreens literally have “touch” in the name, Who knows how many fingers have been there.

The best time to use these products is when you cannot wash your hands or clean a surface with soap and water. Yes, that means that when I get on a plane, bus, train, etc., I wipe the seat down with a sanitizing wipe. I also hit any surface that I touch, like the tray table, and armrests with it. Take a close look at the usage instructions for whatever product you have because some sanitizers need several minutes to be effective, especially the wipes.

Also, as a courtesy for your fellow travelers, try to get unscented products. Some people are very sensitive to scented products and you are all about to share an often cramped and closed space. Don’t get me wrong, I love my vanilla scented stuff, but not everyone does. Being courteous costs nothing so it’s what I try to do.

Avoidance

The phrase “discretion is the better part of valor” comes to mind here. Sometimes my strongest defense to illness is to simply avoid things that make you sick.

Hear someone coughing? Move away from them. Is someone sniffling repeatedly? I’ll go the other way. Just looking sick in general? Just back up.

Again, this is not complicated. Put some distance between you and whoever is showing signs of illness.

Sometimes some space is better than… flocking… together!

That’s not the only thing to avoid though. You can also avoid interacting with common surfaces. One of the most notorious places for spreading disease are buffets. Tons of shared serving utensils and lots of people. When I’m traveling, buffets are everywhere. Cruise ships, hotel breakfasts, even the precious airport lounges. Obviously, you’ve got to eat, but do everything you can to wash your hands both before and after you touch the serving utensils.

Right now, you’re probably thinking, “Why before and after? Isn’t after enough?” Well, yes, but you don’t know what you’ve been touching and what’s on those surfaces. Again, it’s a bit of courtesy to others to clean your own hands before handling a common surface. If you need to rebel against something though, just rebel against the washing before and please, please, please, wash your hands after you touch it.

Masks

Yes, I use a mask when I travel. The moment that I hear coughing on the plane or bus, which is usually all winter long, I throw my mask on. When you’re on a moving vehicle, there’s no option to leave or get some distance and masks are a line of defense from breathing in the floating particles of mucus that someone else just hacked up into the air. Even if they aren’t sick, I don’t want to breathe in someone else’s snot! Yeah, humans are kinda disgusting!

This is an N95 mask I use for yardwork, though I often use a lighter surgical mask to ensure I don’t get sick when I travel.

To be crystal clear, the mask isn’t something that I bother with in places other than small and enclosed spaces. Airplanes, buses, trains, that’s when I think about it. This is doubly true if the coughing or sneezing culprit is the person next to you.

Sleep

Alright, not everything on this list is easy to do, I admit. Getting good or enough sleep is the hardest on the list to do, but it might actually be the best. Being well rested when you travel earns dividends for your immune system.

Again, I understand, this one is hard. Flights are early, last-minute packing keeps you up, travel anxiety is commonplace. Oh… and children. Every parent I’ve ever known has some amount of sleep deprivation. The point is, there’s lots of reasons you might not get great rest, before and during a trip. So, here’s a few ideas that might help with that:

1. If you have an early flight, falling asleep early often doesn’t work for folks. Just because you need to be awake at 4AM doesn’t mean your body starts getting sleepy at 7PM. Instead, try to make sure that you get enough sleep the two nights before you fly. It’s not perfect, but it’ll help and it’s easier to achieve.
   
2. Make your hotel rooms as dark as possible. Humans typically sleep better in dark rooms. Close the curtains (using a chip clip can help keep the drapes together), use a sleep mask, and turn off or hide bright blue LED charging lights on devices.
   
3. Keep your room cool. If you can get your room temperature below 70 F (19 C), there’s evidence showing that cooler environments improve your overall sleep. Hotel rooms are often quite easy to get to these temps but, your home bedroom might be harder.

What Are the Dangers on a Cruise?

I’ve given you my advice on how to stay healthy while traveling, but there’s one last topic I want to touch on – cruises.

A lot of the most head turning, attention grabbing news in the world of health have come from cruises lately. The hantavirus scare back in April was enough to make the world freak out about another pandemic. Just a little while back, there was this video from a cruise of a woman scratching her foot with a fork in the dining area. It’s enough to make you swear off sailing.

Those incidents are actually why I wanted to update this article, because we’re shown a lot of reasons to be scared of cruises specifically. Headlines are rarely reflective of the whole story, though, and it’s worth diving into what the reality is.

Right away, there’s no denying that cruise ships can have a slightly increased risk of things like norovirus and some respiratory diseases, like the flu, because of the large number of people in communal spaces. However, this is true of any similar situation. Conventions, concerts, amusement parks, all are large gatherings of people for extended periods. Using communal spaces in places like that brings similar risks.

Cruise ship buffet areas can be a hotbed for transmissible diseases, so make sure to take percautions when you go.

Why do we hear about people getting sick on a cruise then? Well, the cruise industry has to report it. If you get sick on a cruise, the ship needs to report any outbreaks to the port. In the US, that means the Centers for Disease Control or CDC. They monitor cruise ship health, advise on and sometimes oversee cleaning of ships with reported illnesses, and publish when outbreaks happen. All that means that we hear about illnesses when they happen.

If there was a similar outbreak at a convention, we probably wouldn’t hear about it on the news because there are far fewer reporting standards for events on land.

Don’t be scared, though, because health experts don’t see cruising as a risk to public health. There are elevated risks to being on a cruise ship, but they are similar to risks you face at other large gatherings. If you are comfortable going to Comic-Con or seeing Taylor Swift in concert, you should feel comfortable on a cruise.

Is the Hantavirus scary? You bet it is! Did that have anything to do with cruising? No. Those people got sick before the cruise when they engaged in dangerous activities while not heeding safety warnings. They literally went to a place with known Hantavirus issues to try and see a bird. I love birds and go birding myself, but there’s nothing that could convince me to do what they did.

Concert venues and other public gatherings can be just as dangerous, They’re just underreported.

Cruise ships have fully trained and licensed doctors onboard, and on the larger lines, a surprising array of impressive medical equipment to help diagnose all sorts of issues. In more severe cases, they can even medevac patients off the ship with a helicopter onto the mainland. We’ve been on a cruise where that happened so I can verify they will do it. It wasn’t for anything infectious, by the way, the person had a heart attack and needed immediate, advanced medical care.

All of this is to say, that as long as you are taking responsibility for your health and being considerate of the health of others around you, you can easily have a safe, and enjoyable journey on a cruise anywhere around the world. If you follow the guidelines I’ve set out, you can effectively mitigate your risks of illness anywhere you go. Whether it’s a cruise or a concert, you’ll be safer.

The post How to Stay Healthy When You Travel appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Another thing that I see making the rounds on social media is that people are celebrating other things. Like graduating from school. Things called reunions, bachelorette parties, even breaking things in Spring… I think…

No matter what reason you have to celebrate, if you’re on Virgin Voyages to do that, there’s an addon package that is perfect for the occasion, but I’ve hardly heard anyone talk about it. It’s called Splash for Your Bash and it’s something you should really know about.

What Does Splash for Your Bash Get You?

Splash for Your Bash is an addon package to any Virgin Voyages sailing. It can be applied to anywhere from 1-9 cabins to participate in and costs $250/cabin and covers two people in a cabin. When you book it, you’ll get the following:

• Every cabin receives a bottle of Moët & Chandon.
• There is a bottomless brunch for everyone.
• A dinner party complete with beverages and Treat Yourself items.

Let’s dive in a little deeper on the second two items.

Bottomless Brunch

The bottomless brunch will take place either the Wake or Razzle Dazzle. It’s for everyone who is participating in the Bash, meaning that range of 1-9 cabins with two people per cabin.  As for the bottomless part, yes, that means that alcohol is included in that price.

If you were to purchase the Bottomless Brunch options yourself (they are on the menu at both restaurants), you’d be running $35 per person, so a $70 value. With Splash for Your Bash, though, it’s included. And, for the non-drinkers, you they have alcohol-free Mimosas, Bloody Marys, and NA Beer that are all part of the Bottomless Brunch.

A bottomless brunch at The Wake can be part of the Splash for Your Bash package on Virgin Voyages. Image credit Virgin Voyages.

Most importantly, you don’t have to scramble to get the reservation, even for your big group. As you may know from our Virgin dining video, brunch and dinner reservations can cause no small amount of anxiety among some Virgin sailors, so this can help take off that stress, which is doubly good because it’s for a large group.

Dinner Party

As for the Dinner Party, if you buy the Splash for Your Bash package, the Dinner Party that comes with it has some extra perks with it. Just like the brunch, you get a large group reservation at a restaurant, so you’ll all eat together. Unlike the brunch, you may choose to host the meal at any of the specialty restaurants. The meal includes beverages as well. Once again, yes, that means both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Which beverages are available will depend on which restaurant you choose, but they will be a pre-selected list.

The biggest deal, for many people who buy this package, are the included Treat Yourself items at this dinner. If you aren’t aware, these Treat Yourself items are additional cost items on the menu that can be fairly pricy, as much as $85. Your meal also comes with a special dessert, which is usually a small cake.

Who is Splash for Your Bash For?

The interesting thing about this package is that it’s for almost anyone. It can be purchased by a single cabin or as many as 9 cabins. That means that it can be used on small to medium sized groups or just a couple of people sailing together.

Even though there’s not a direct monetary value associated with it, there’s a huge benefit in the group meals. Everyone that’s participating is going to get to have two meals together, which is a pain to coordinate otherwise, especially if you have more than 4 cabins total dining together. 4 cabins number is not arbitrary either, because at that many cabins, you get special pre-cruise concierge assistance with the group dining reservations as part of the package.

This is a great option for any group that’s sailing together, even if they aren’t celebrating something specific. It’s also a nice alternative to the Splash of Romance package for couples that really don’t see any value in the spa access. Like Splash of Romance, though, there is a limit on how many can be booked per cruise. A maximum of 50 groups can book a Splash for Your Bash, so make sure to snag this package as soon as you’re booked if you want it.

Caveats

There’s something, well, a few things I haven’t mentioned yet that make this particular package a little tricky to talk about. Not everything about this package is totally clear. Here’s what I mean.

Some people have posted images from the Splash for Your Bash where they received a 10-shot use Polaroid-esque camera. That’s a fun perk you get to snap some nostalgia infused images and create fun keepsakes. I think it sounds great and it would really make me smile if it happened. The problem is, this isn’t listed as a perk by Virgin and doesn’t seem to happen every time. So, even if it does happen, as a travel agency, we can’t talk about this with you and pitch this as a perk.

There’s also conflicting information about the drinks at the dinner. Virgin is, what I would call, unspecific on what these drinks will be. Some guests have reported that they received selected glasses of wine, others report cocktails and wine. Still more people have said they received an additional bottle of sparkling wine at dinner on top of other drinks. There are even some guests that said they received nothing, although I’m willing to chalk that up to some mistake by staff, rather than the intended experience.

Virgin Voyages Splash for Your Bash marketing shows this desert, but is that what you’ll get? Image credit Virgin Voyages.

Even the Special Desert mentioned in the benefits is inconsistent. Most people I’ve seen discussing this talk about a cake, but that doesn’t always seem to happen so there might be supply dependency issues. It’s unclear why Virgin is so vague about what these benefits are in some cases. I can certainly understand the argument that should you choose to have the dinner at Extra Virgin, the drinks are different than if you have it at The Wake. I don’t understand why they don’t say that.

Overall, I see almost unanimously positive reports about the package, so don’t misconstrue these variabilities and unknowns as out-and-out criticisms or warnings, they are not. However, I can’t be specific about exactly what you’ll get in this package, at least when it comes to these portions of it. The bottle of champagne is easy. The brunch is straightforward. The Treat Yourself items are included. The desert and drinks at dinner are… hazy.

Is Splash for Your Bash Worth It?

Every time there’s a package on a cruise or resort, the first question we get asked is, “Is it worth it?”

There’s two ways to break down value, the first is price compared to included features. The second is emotional. We’ll start with the first.

Let’s add up the maximum dollar value of the Splash for Your Bash Package:

• Included bottle of Moët & Chandon: $105
• Bottomless Brunch: $35/person $70 Total value.
• Dinner Party Curated Drinks: Avg. at $11/drink, 3 drinks/meal/person $66 Total
• Dinner Party Treat Yourself: Avg $50/Person $100 Total

Final Total: $341 Value

Cost: $250

Difference: $91 in your favor.

There’s obviously some financial benefit to this, but I have made a few assumptions that need to be taken into consideration.

• I’ve assumed that the purchasers consume alcohol. If you abstain from drinking, the potential benefit is lower because non-alcoholic drinks are usually cheaper.
• I’ve also assumed that when attending the dinner party, the purchasers take advantage of the perks and order the Treat Yourself options. Yes, I was conservative in my average cost for these items as well.
• The caveats I mentioned before are smoothed over in these calculations, but I still can’t guarantee them.

This is where the second part of the value consideration comes in, the emotional value. Many people would gladly take advantage of this package to the fullest. Drinking everything you desire at brunch, ordering the most expensive Treat Yourself items you can, and indulging in that champagne. Consider, though, are you the type of person that enjoys those things?

A lot of the value of the Virgin Voyages Splash for Your Bash package is dependant on how you use it and, especially, enjoying a drink or three. Image credit Virgin Voyages.

To get the most out of this package, you sort of need to like champagne. Also, to continue maximizing the benefit, you’ll need to order the Treat Yourself items at dinner, even if those things aren’t what you’re in the mood for. Again, that’s not to say it isn’t worth it. I mean, I just did the math to show it can be but, is it worth it to you is what needs to be asked.

With packages like this, it’s all about perceived value. No matter what the math breaks down to, if the benefits of the upgrade sound good to you, then you’ll likely enjoy it. If they don’t, you might not.

This is the exact same assessment process I take with the Splash of Romance package. There’s possibly some benefit from a cost and value perspective, but the ultimate determination always comes down to whether the purchaser sees value in what they get. We’ve sent my article and video to hundreds of clients when they ask if, “Splash of Romance” is worth it and, even after hearing that there’s no significant monetary benefit, almost all of them book it anyway because they feel those benefits are valuable.

Conclusion

Overall, Virgin claims that for this $250 price tag you are getting $375 in value, which isn’t far off from my own calculations. The reality is that, like Splash of Romance, the value we really see in this is the intangible parts, knowing that you’ll have a special dinner on the special day and that dinner can be as a group.

We have booked groups of 8, 10, and 12 people for dining on Virgin, and while it is possible, the space needed means you’re going to be going very early or very late, and you’re going to be paying for all the drinks à la carte. The Splash for Your Bash package makes having a dinner like that, much easier.

Virgin Voyages Splash for Your Bash does seem like it could be fun, if you’ve got a group to share it with! Image credit Virgin Voyages.

You’ve already wrangled all your friends and/or family onto a cruise to celebrate with you and show them a great time, planning a dinner is one more hassle on top of that. The pre-cruise concierge, helping make sure you get your dinner and brunch at the right time, and making sure that there is space for everyone can’t be beat. In our opinion, that peace of mind is where the real value lies. Taking a group cruise and knowing that you’ll have a great brunch and dinner together without a huge lift on your end to make it happen. This is about the experience, not the item-by-item pricing.

Is the Splash for Your Bash package right for you or your group? Maybe! We haven’t used it ourselves, and I want to be clear about that, but we’ve heard plenty of positive remarks from the people who have booked it. So, while I can’t give my personal account and experience, this seems like an offering that you should know about, and we think provides something worthwhile.

The post What is Virgin Voyages Splash for Your Bash? appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

The change, effective August 6th, 2026, is that Virgin closed a long-standing loophole that’s existed since the program started. The previous MNVV policies let you change the name on the MNVV before booking, which was in place because sometimes you might want to book something, but life doesn’t work out and the certificate does expire. What this policy had the effect of was people selling the certificate to another sailor so they could get the benefits. The new policy does away with that transferability and means that the person who purchased the MNVV must be the lead sailor on the booking.

No more name changes on MNVVs.

For many Virgin Voyages sailors, this has the greatest impact of First Mates no longer being able to provide MNVVs for bookings. Now, this doesn’t change MNVVs that have already been purchased, but once those purchased before August 6th are gone, they’re gone

That being said, there is a “workaround” that’s already being discussed online. Before we dive in to explaining it, I want to be clear that we aren’t encouraging this tactic, but we do want to address it so you know that we’re aware of it.

While you can’t transfer an MNVV, if you use the MNVV to make a Premium Fare or Rockstar booking, those categories of booking are technically able to be transferred to new sailors after the booking is made. So, yes, this does get around the no name change rule but, again, we do NOT encourage this approach!

Virgin is explicit that their intent was to close the MNVV resale market. As travel agents, we feel that we have some responsibility to warn people to be wary of offers to “transfer” MNVV bookings or whatever other way people might pitch it. In the future, if someone offers to sell you an MNVV booking and you aren’t talking to Virgin staff on the ship, stay away.  Virgin, we think, will not look kindly on bookings that seem suspicious.

Virgin Voyages MNVV changes overhaul some of their critical points.

We’re not done yet, though, because there’s another change to the MNVVs that’s a little confusing in its wording on the sailing window of the MNVV. In the past, you had to sail within 2 years of the purchase date of the MNVV, full stop. In their update, they say, “Starting Fall 2026, Sailors can book any voyage they’re excited about, with a 1-year booking window and unlimited voyage date changes within that year.” When this will go live and how it plays out is yet it to be seen.

Does this mean that you have 1 year to book a cruise for any sailing date? Do you have to book a cruise that leaves within a year, but then change it to any sailing date after that? Can re-price your cruise within that one-year window an unlimited number of times? Unfortunately, we don’t know yet.

This is the first of several changes we are expecting to see by the end of the year. There will likely be changes to the loyalty program, as well as their fare system coming out in the future, we just don’t know what or when. What I can tell you is that we will cover it whenever it happens and give you updates as we get them.

The post Virgin Voyages MNVV Changes in a Big Way appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

The Evil Twin Attack

This might be one of the most basic and easily executed digital attacks there is and knowing how it works can help protect you from it.

Step 1: Find a place with where people want to access Wi-Fi. This is any place that commonly has a Wi-Fi network available. Coffee shops, cafés, airports, libraries, anything like that will work. Wherever the place is, so long as it has a Wi-Fi network for people to access and a bunch of people wanting to use it, it’s an ideal target.

Step 2: Once the target place is determined, the hacker will physically set up at the location, and this is where the attack begins. The attacker makes their own Wi-Fi network that copies the name of the legitimate network; that means that if the real Wi-Fi network is called Dark Roast Wi-Fi, the hacker will create a second network also called Dark Roast Wi-Fi. This step can be done with almost any device these days, including cellphones, laptops, tablets, and portable routers. The point is, you cannot just look around for a suspicious device and be alerted.

These Evil Twin attacks are so easy to execute, there’s nothing that will look out of place. It’s a very simple Wi-Fi Scam

Step 3: The hacker will try to encourage people to connect to the fake Wi-Fi. This is often done by making the signal stronger by using a more powerful antenna or simply moving closer to someone. By having a stronger signal, people are more likely to connect to that network. It could also force devices to connect to the network automatically if that option is selected on the device (more on this later).

Step 4: Once the fake network is established, the attacker may even go so far as to create a fake credential page. Many Wi-Fi access points ask you to login or register in some way before you use them and people are primed to accept this. This part of the attack is not necessary, but is quite common.

Step 5: Now that the target individual has connected to the fake network and is having their traffic routed through the hacker’s device, everything is vulnerable. The attacker can now monitor all of your traffic, observing everything you do, and possibly injecting malicious software onto your device without you even knowing.

What an Evil Twin Attack Might Look Like

Let’s game out a quick example of how this might play out in the real world.

You’ve been on a Virgin Voyages cruise for that last week, but’s it’s time to head back home. You’ve got a 6PM departure from MIA and there’s nothing to do but wait. You wanted an earlier flight, but those were more expensive and you didn’t mind waiting too much. You settle in at the gate for a bit and figure that you may as well get some work done before you get back to the office, you just know that there’s a pile-up waiting for you.

After grabbing a coffee from the Starbucks and settle in near one of the few available power outlets. Opening up your laptop, you find the airport Wi-Fi, which was a little odd because there were two of them with identical names. You choose the one with the stronger signal and connect to it. It asks you for some basic information, like your email address, first and last name, and birthday.

Now you’re online and you start answering emails and taking care of work. You also check your bank account and make sure that there’s no suspicious charges on your card. You’ve been away after all and you went to some strange restaurants, who knows if someone stole your card number when you handed it to the server. Everything seems fine and you get a jump start on those Monday morning emails. Unfortunately, all that was done through a fake network and you’ve compromised all sorts of information.

How Dangerous is an Evil Twin Wi-Fi Scam?

The reason that I bothered to write up such a banal story as an example is to demonstrate just how simple it is to fall prey to this attack. It’s amazingly simple and it can happen anywhere that Wi-Fi exists as a public access point. I wrote about Carnival Cruise Lines and their associated companies as well as Royal Caribbean and the lines they own all banning routing devices, and this is the exact type of attack I think they fear.

Here’s the bad news, these attacks are potentially quite dangerous. You really need to be vigilant when using Wi-Fi in public.

The good news is that these attacks are fairly easy to avoid if you take a few simple precautions.

Use mobile networks or your own hotspot

If you can, just use the cell network on your phone. This could mean using your cell phone as a hotspot or having your own mobile hotspot device, often called a jetpack. Staying on your own mobile connection will be very secure.

Avoid Unsecure Hotspots

These days, many devices will warn you or make you double check if you connect to an unsecure network. These unsecure networks are very common as Evil Twin attacks. Don’t connect to them.

Yes, these warnings can be frustrating, but they are also actively protecting your computer. Pay attention to them!

Check any warnings

If your computer/phone/tablet/browser/etc. starts giving you warnings that something isn’t secure, listen to it! Quit dismissing those things and pay attention.

Use a VPN and Stick to HTTPS

Without going into all the technicalities of why and how a VPN protects you, suffice it to say that they do. However, they need to be a reliable VPN. We use Nord VPN, which is a very common and reliable VPN and something that many people are aware of. To be clear this is not an endorsement nor an advertisement. There are many trustworthy VPNs available and you should consider getting one.

Another more technical bit is making sure that you are browsing websites in “https”. This is the start of websites that you can see in your browser’s address bar. Safe sites should show https at the start of their web address like, https://farfarawaytravels.com/. This simply represents a more secure type of connection.

Avoid logging into your accounts on public Wi-Fi

One way to protect yourself is to just not access anything you have to log into. This means don’t log into your bank or other financial accounts. It also means don’t check email, social media sites, or anything else that you sign in to.

What Can You do if You’ve Been a Victim of an Evil Twin Attack?

If you suspect you’ve been a victim of one of these attacks, immediately contact your financial institution. Should you see any suspicious charges on your cards or transfers from your accounts, that’s a sign that you’ve had your information stolen.

You also absolutely must change your passwords if you suspect you’ve been the victim of any Evil Twin Wi-Fi scam.

I wish that there was better advice about reconstructing things that I could give, but that would just be fantasy. Right now, the best defense is good defense. Avoiding these types of Wi-Fi scams is the best thing you can do to keep yourself safe because coming back from them is a lot harder than falling into them.

The post The Evil Twin Wi-Fi Scam Could Ruin Your Life appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Homer’s two epic poems, The Odyssey and The Iliad, like much of Greek mythology, blur the lines between myth and reality. Stories such as Heracles or the Minotaur, often set fantastical, frequently impossible things within the places of the real world. If you too have been taken with Odyssey fever and discovered a fascination with Greek Mythology, let me tell you how to see the ancient Greek world in person.

Athens

In today’s world, the city of Athens has come to be the most visited spot for those fascinated by Greek history. That’s not surprising, given that it is the capital of Greece today and has a large port that cruise ships frequent. There’s also a decent international airport, making it an ideal location to vacation. Important for the topic of visiting ancient Greek sites is that Athens has continuously been a city for thousands of years. You can scarcely throw a rock without hitting a structure older than 500 years. Although genuine ruins of the ancient Greek world lie all around the city, and under it more often than not, the highlights to see here are among the most visited sites in the world.

The Parthenon at the Acropolis in Athens is a must when you visit Greece.

Most visible and famous is the Parthenon. Sitting above the rest of the Athens, on the Athenian Acropolis (a word which translates to mean the highest point of the city), the Parthenon is arguably the most recognizable feature of Greece culture and history. In its day, it was a temple to Athena, the goddess of wisdom and warfare, where the city takes its name from. The site also has one of my favorite museums anywhere in the world, the aptly named Acropolis Museum. The museum sits above one of the archeological sites at the acropolis and visitors can simply look down and see real excavations going on beneath their feet.

Another ancient place is the Agora, which is a marketplace. The sprawling Agora of Athens contains its own museum that documents the Athenian democracy, housed inside a reconstructed stoa (covered walkway) that dates to 150 BC, temples to the gods Ares, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, and Apollo, an odeon, a library, and the seat of the ancient Athenian government.

Perhaps obviously, there are many more sites in Athens beyond just these two that are connected with ancient Greece, much less other historic periods over the last 3000 years, but there are entire books dedicated to doing little more than listing things to see in Athens and we don’t have the space to do so here. However, I’ll mention a few of the more noteworthy.

Temple of Hephaestus in the Athens Agora

There’s the first modern Olympic stadium, the Panathenaic stadium, which houses the Olympic flame. Lycabettus Hill, which gives you amazing views of the city, has a bar to grab a drink at, and a conveniently placed church to apologize about the drinking at. Of course, you cannot visit Athens without visiting Plaka, a neighborhood just beneath the Acropolis filled with shops and restaurants for you to stop in as you wander the picturesque streets.

What’s the best way to get to Athens then? Since this is a modern metropolis, there’s all sorts of transportation that can get you here. Arriving by plane is very easy and their airport is smaller and simpler to navigate than many other cities. Hotels and vacation rentals are plentiful, so staying overnight isn’t a problem. Cruises, which often start in Athens and also frequently visit there, are another very easy way to visit the city. How long you want to stay in Athens specifically is the determining factor in what we would recommend.

Lycabettus Hill in Athens, Greece

If all you want to see is the Acropolis and maybe one or two other sites, you can do so in a day. It’ll be a busy day, but you can do it. This might fit best if you want to see as many places in Greece as possible, since vacations only last so long. If that’s what you’re looking to do, then a cruise that starts in Athens, which you should arrive at least 1 day before, might be the trick.

However, for longer stays focused on Athens and the surrounding areas, it may be better to connect with a tour group or arrange for a private tour for several days. Since Athens is so popular for travelers, there’s a booming industry of private drivers and tour guides that will work with you on planning a multi-day trip where they take you around to see the area’s sites. As I mentioned, there’s also pre-planned tours that go in a group and travel by bus through the city and to surrounding areas. These tours can be just a single day or even several days, stopping at multiple places in this part of Greece.

Thessaloniki & Mt Olympus

Greece’s second largest city is Thessaloniki. Although this city does not have as storied a history in ancient Greece as Athens does, it was founded in 315 BC, squarely in the Hellenistic period, and is directly connected with Alexander the Great. Most of the historic sites in the city itself relate to a much later period, that of the Byzantine Empire.

Thessaloniki Waterfront. Photo by Berthold Werner https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71127147

The Byzantines are not a subject frequently taught in US schools, so don’t worry if you’re from there and not familiar. I can’t say what schools in other countries are like on the subject, but here’s a short primer. The Byzantines were the eastern half of the Roman Empire that stuck around for centuries after the collapse of Rome. While their capital was in Byzantium, also known as Constantinople, now know as Istanbul. You see, Istanbul was Constantinople, but now it’s Istanbul, not Constantinople. It’s been a long time gone, Constantinople and why they changed it I can’t say. Perhaps people just liked it better that way…

Now that I’ve cleared up the history of the capital, Thessaloniki was the “second city” of the empire, in comedy circles this would be like Chicago or Toronto. Ruins from both the Roman and Byzantine era are all over the city, notably the Arch and Rotunda of Galerius, the Palace of Galerius, and a massive Roman Forum. All of which you can visit and are right in the center of the town.

“But I’m here for Zeus, Athena, and Apollo!” You say! What do you care about some boring old Roman emperors? While Thessaloniki might not be as loaded up with the sort of Greek mythos you’re thinking of, it is a great place from which to visit the major site of Greek myths, Mount Olympus.

Yes, the Seat of the Gods, the place where Zeus and Dionysus threw some of the biggest intergalactic keggers the universe ever knew is just a short distance away from Thessaloniki. It was the first national park in Greece and part of the World Biosphere reserve. Mount Olympus has been the site of pilgrimage since at least 400 BC, and you can make that pilgrimage as well! There are tons of opportunities to go hike the ancient, divine stones of this mountain with guides who will tell you stories and myths that grew out of this amazing location.

Mt Olympus Photo By Cristo Vlahos – https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30394901

In addition, you can visit the ruins of Dion, which sits at the foot of Mount Olympus and was the site where Alexander the Great’s Kingdom of Macedonia had their largest shire to Zeus. It was the center of religious power for the Macedonians, and hosted large complexes of baths, shrines, walls, mosaics, and more. They even have a “hydraulis” housed in the museum, which is an ancient bronze pipe organ. The site is a center of power for a lot of Macedonian history, and Alexander himself made enormous sacrifices to Zeus before his ill-fated campaign to Asia.

The best way to get to Thessaloniki is typically to fly in. There are some cruises that stop in the city, but it isn’t a main stop. That means that getting a hotel, for a few nights is the best way to stay. There’s some options for vacation rentals, but they aren’t as plentiful as in Athens. Fortunately, tour groups, drivers, and guides are in no short supply here and they can get you to any of the places you’d like to visit without any hassle.

Thermopylae, Delphi, and Lamia

There is hardly a single Greek myth that doesn’t include a guest appearance of the Fates or Oracles. While Greece was littered with Oracles, Delphi was the biggest of them all. This was where, Apollo had his Pythia deliver their visions of the future, and steer the course of history. To ignore these readings would bring destruction.

When you visit Greece, you can go to Delphi where the Oracle was. This is the Athens Treasury at the site.

The Oracle of Delphi certainly gave the site, nestled into the mountains, a great deal of importance to the Ancient Greeks. However, Delphi’s location was considered to be the center of the world – literally. Its position was marked by an omphalos, a type or religious artifact made of stone. The omphalos is still there today, now moved to the protected space of the site’s beautiful museum to preserve it, although we don’t know if it’s original or not. The point is, that when you visit Delphi, you are visiting the center of the Grecian world.

The facilities the Greeks built around Delphi are substantial. The Oracle was a priestess of Apollo, chosen by the other priestesses of the temple and they all worked together to attend and maintain the temple and deliver the Oracle’s visions. To receive a vision from the Oracle, you had to make an offering to the temple of Apollo. This offering, a reasonable fee if you will, was levied to support the Oracle and the temple’s operations. It takes a lot to make some prophecies after all. The various city states kept treasuries at Delphi to make the payment for these visions easier and these vaults would house their tithes to the oracle in thanks for the victories she led them to. A sort of pay to win system I suppose.

Other than the Oracle, there are many more features in Delphi. A massive ancient theater affords visitors sweeping views of the valley below. There was a gymnasium, which is exactly what is sounds like, and a stadium for sporting events. The stadium is at the highest point of the Delphic ruins, which is a bit of a climb, and it is the most well preserved ancient stadium in Greece.

Nichole above the Odeon at Delphi.

In the same region as Delphi, sits Thermopylae. If you’ve seen the movie 300, you’ve heard of Thermopylae, or the “hot gates”. This is where the 300 Spartans, led by King Leonidas, fought to the last against the invading army of Xerxes, king of the Persians and his overwhelming hordes of deadly immortals. While this is lauded by ancient Greek fans, the reality is that the Spartans had many, many more soldiers than the 300, plus a whole fleet backing them up. Additionally, Xerxes led a multicultural empire that was widely regarded as one of the best places to live in the ancient world.

Although reality paints a very different picture than Mr. Snyder or Mr. Miller, the importance of Thermopylae is undeniable. While there aren’t a lot of ruins, this site is where battles have been fought for thousands of years due to its strategic location. It was a central pivot point in ancient history, not just for Greece, but the entire world, and you can still visit it today. Its hot springs are still active, and modern baths let you enjoy its mineral waters. You don’t even have to get kicked down a well to enjoy them!

Thermopylae Ho Springs By Fkerasar – https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1961603

While you can visit both these places from Athens and Thessaloniki, consider staying in nearby Lamia. It’s a truly ancient city, rivaling Athens in age, that sits in a highly strategic location above Thermopylae. It was possibly named after the daughter of Poseidon, though there is some debate around that. While it doesn’t boast the ruins and structures of Athens, it is a beautiful city with many museums and its own unique history.

The only way to get to Lamia, though, is by driving in from one of the larger cities I mentioned above. There are many places to stay, if you value independent travel, and there are many tours that you can sign up for if you like a group experience. Just like almost everywhere in Greece, there’s also private drivers and guides a plenty if you want to go a more personalized or small group route.

Greek Islands

You might be wondering, at this point, where are the islands? Greece is full of islands, and I definitely saw Odysseus riding around in a boat! Well, don’t worry, I have a few islands loaded with ruins, myths, and more for you!

If you’ve ever been called a cretin, don’t take it as an insult, Crete was the center of one of the largest, most important city states in the ancient world… I’m being told that those two words are not in any way related.

Ariel View Of Chania By dronepicr – https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=101700513

Anyway, Crete was the center of the Minoan civilization, one of the most technologically advanced places for its time, and Chania was one of its centers. The ancient Minoan palace of Knossos is very near Chania, and that site, specifically, is where we get the tale of the Minotaur from. Talk about being bull-headed, am I right!

In addition to Knossos, Chania was also the seat of the Kydonians, who earn a mention in the Odyssey itself. Because of its distance from mainland Greece, Chania is a wonderful place to visit for several days, or via cruise.

Cape Drastis, Corfu, By Hagai Agmon-Snir https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=121317537

Another great island of Greek history and myth is Corfu on the western side of Greece. Famed for its blue waters, there have been countless battles and naval conquests held here throughout history. Sites to visit include Kardaki temple from 500 BC, the temples of Artemis and Hera, as well as the tomb of Menecrates. The tomb is one of only two sites, the other in Rhodes, of this type that we have found. He seemed to have been an ancient ambassador who was lost at sea and includes a stunning ancient lion sculpture.

If you visit Greece, Rhodes is worth your time. This is a view of the Medieval city part of Rhodes. By Bernard Gagnon – https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25041428

Speaking of Rhodes, it was the center of trade in the whole region. If it wasn’t an island, we may have said that all roads lead to Rhodes, and that wealth and influence is how they were able to build the Colossus of Rhodes. If you were hoping to see this wonder of the ancient world, however, you’re just a couple of years too late, as it was destroyed in 226 BC in an earthquake and, abiding by the Oracle of Delphi, it was never reconstructed. That doesn’t mean you can’t get your ancient god fix in Rhodes, for the Temple of Pythian Apollo, ancient theaters and stadiums, and the Acropolis of Rhodes are all scattered around the island. Additionally, impressive medieval castles, such as the Palace of the Grand Master where the Knights Hospitaller were headquartered, and where the Colossus was said to have stood.

Santorini, By Skigo Wedding Stories – https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=159090912

Finally, there is Santorini where, because of its volcanic nature, there isn’t a lot to go off. However, we do know the islands were home to the great Minoan city of Akrotiri, and some of its ruins and murals remain. There are three-story buildings, walls, streets, and some of the oldest examples of plumbing we have, all from 3000 to 2000 BC. Unfortunately, especially for the Akrotirians, most of the city was destroyed in an eruption which lasted for weeks and was so large it caused a tsunami. The catastrophic valcano is what gave Santorini the shape it has today, when at least 25 cubic kilometers of stone, ash, and magma, were thrown into the atmosphere. It’s easy to see why Akrotiri, and thus Santorini, is often held up as one of the most likely locations of the mythological city of Atlantis that Plato described over a thousand years after the eruption.

Beyond the Myth

So, you might have noticed at this point that I’ve listed a lot of amazing, interesting locations with ancient ruins, mythologies, and stunning nature. But you might also be thinking, “Odysseus didn’t go there”.  And yes, we started this talking about the Odyssey, but the thing is, Troy is in Turkey, and most of the places that are mentioned on his journey are thought to be in Sicily, and beyond that, they’re mostly made up.

Yes, Scylla is a real place in Sicily, and Ithaca is a place in Greece, but the island of the lotus eaters, Polyphemus, or giant cannibals, these don’t seem to have any real place attached to them. Just like all myths, they are there to transmit ideas, morals, and stories. While all the myths of ancient Greece are enjoyable, being in the real places where they were created, shared, and believed helps understand them on a whole different level. So if you loved the Odyssey, consider a visit to Greece because nothing compares seeing to the genuine thing with your own eyes. Maybe that’s why the Greeks are so mad at the British museum?

The post How to Visit Greece – The World of The Odyssey appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Know Your Choices

Almost all the major airlines have divided their seating into a complex array of basic, main cabin economy, premium, plus, business and first, it’s confusing. And while the airlines claim to give you choices and make sure you aren’t paying for something you don’t want, the reality is that it often does the opposite. Each one of these categories is a little different and can carry some hidden costs or language that might make you end up paying more out of pocket down the road.

First there are cabin types, usually these are something along the lines of “Main Cabin/Economy”, “Premium/Plus” and “First/Business.” These are going to tell you where in the plane you sit from back to front, as well as the general level of service, you’ll get onboard and, to some extent, the service and amenities you are afforded in the airport and at the check-in counter.

How to save money on airfare is a complex question that the airlines work to make ever harder to answer.

Then there are the fare types. “Basic” typically means no seat selection, no frequent flyer points, added bag fees, and little to no refunds. Paying a little more for something like “Classic” or “Flexible” are going to give you some better options, but not necessarily everything! There may still be hidden fees for things like bags or seat selection.

The main thing you’ll want to do when planning is look through that airline’s chart for what is and isn’t covered under each category and make sure that you are getting everything you need!

Research and Track Prices

Google Flights and similar price trackers will follow and report on specific flight pricing, alerting you to price changes, and give you an idea of the historic costs of that flight. It’s a useful tool if you are hoping to see the price drop.

Of course, you’ll need to double check the pricing on the airline’s website yourself, as sometimes air consolidator and reseller sites will post something lower, but we recommend that you avoid these third-party sellers as it sometimes causes difficulties with the flight you choose.

While it can be nice to have airline loyalty points, the airlines have continued to make these programs less appealing. I wrote an article on that just a few months ago and the link is in the description below. The number one way to make sure you are saving money is to buy whichever carrier is offering the best deal, and at a rate that will let you rebook or reprice, even if only for credit, in case the price drops. Make sure to watch out for change and cancellation fees in your airfare category.

But When Should I Book?!

Statistical analysis of airfare prices have yielded some tips, tricks, and generalities to getting the best pricing. For example, recent studies say Friday is the best day of the week to make a booking. Additionally, flights leaving on a Tuesday tend to have the cheapest rates. Of course, a big event like a World Cup or Taylor Swift concert can always raise prices.

Of course, the reality is that every guide, theory, and purchasing advice construct are being thrown out, as demand-based algorithms have taken over the pricing. If someone buys two business-class seats on a plane, the price can shoot up as it sees demand for that flight is now higher. The only way to see when the price drops is to constantly check or use a price tracker. Once you chose a set of flights you can ask Google Flights or other trackers to send you an email when the price changes.

For our personal travel we always book using a fare that allows no cost change or cancellation for e-credits. Then when the tracker tells us the fare has dropped, we go back to the site and put in for a change. Then we pile up the e-credits for our next flight. If you are willing to pay more at the outset, some airlines will issue refunds rather e-credits.

Once you’ve decided on a flight and booked it, we suggest you relax at that point because you’ve done what you need to save money on airfare.

Ultimately though, the best time to book is when the flight is at a price that you are willing to pay. Once you’ve done your due diligence and made sure you have the right fare type, seat category, and airline for your trip, if you see it at a price, you’re willing to book at, go ahead and book.

If you have it at a rate where you can rebook for credit, feel free to keep watching, but otherwise, close all those tabs, stop all those trackers, and just feel comfortable knowing that you’re booked and you don’t have to think about it anymore. That is until the airline changes your flight times and gives you thirty minutes to run across the airport for your second leg.

Points, Extras, and Tricks

Airline points used to be a big deal. And for some people, they still are, but the reality is that if you aren’t taking a flight every week or flying in very expensive seats, you aren’t going to get a lot out of any one program anymore. Frequent Flier numbers are more useful now for keeping track of your flight information, so you don’t have to fill it in each time.

Don’t get me wrong, the loyalty programs are worth signing up for still. With Delta, it gives you free access to the in-flight Wi-Fi for example. Just don’t expect too much out of the programs beyond the basics of what they provide.

Airline status is not something that you should put much thought into when trying to save money on airfare.

If you live in a hub where most of your flights are from one airline, you can look at the credit cards offered by that airline. They usually include some good perks but just make sure that you aren’t paying for something you won’t use. There are often no-fee versions of the cards that will still get you some of the perks.

While we strongly recommend travel protection for any trip, do not buy it from the airline. You can get better coverage for less. Instead, ask for quotes from reputable third-party insurers. Travel insurance comes in a variety of forms, and if you are planning a trip with multiple parts, it can be very valuable to cover the entirety of it, rather than just pieces.

What You Need To Do

Air travel has always been complicated, and that has not improved in the slightest in the last decade. If you’re an infrequent flier, new to travel, or just don’t want to devote the amount of time it takes to understand each airline’s unique ecosystem, you might be missing out on perks or paying more than you want to for a ticket. To help you out, here’s a quick airline-agnostic list of basic principles to follow when booking:

1. Make sure you’re booking a changeable rate that will let you rebook, even if only for credit, should the price drop.
2. Check for hidden fees like checked bag fees or seat selection fees.
3. Join the loyalty program, but don’t be loyal. Book with whoever has the best fares.
4. Keep flight price trackers on the flights to check if the price drops.
5. Book your flight as soon as it’s at a price you are OK booking.
6. Know your rights as a passenger.

Yes, I said Rights. The US Department of Transportation has passenger rights listed on its website, it is important to understand those rights. In general, you will have fewer rights when the delay or cancellation is not controllable by the airline, like severe weather. Controllable delays, which are things within the airline’s power to influence, include maintenance or crew problems, aircraft cleaning, baggage loading, fueling, etc. By knowing your rights, you’ll be in a much better position to advocate for yourself and your family in the event of problems.

The post How to Save Money on Airfare appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Because Virgin has no traditional main dining room, like you get on most other cruise ships, you can eat in a different spot every night with no specialty dining fees, which is also unique among large cruise ships. However, this means a reservation system, which can cause frustration or even panic for some guests. I’ll pull back the curtain on Virgin Voyages’ dining reservations and what you need to know about it. 

Booking Before You Board

Virgin Voyages has several sailing fare categories. They are, Lock-It-In, Base, Essential, Premium, RockStar and Mega RockStar. No matter what fare you’ve booked, though, you will have an opportunity to grab some dinner and brunch reservations before you sail. You’ll be able to make these dining reservations through the Virgin app, or on virginvoyages.com under your booking page. 

The trick here is that which cabin and fare type you book, determines how far before your departure date you can make those reservations. In other words, some fare types and cabins get to make their reservations earlier than others.

If you book a Lock-it-In or Base Fare, then the first chance you’re going to have to book any  brunch or dining reservations is 15 days before your sailing. If you’re booked under the Essential Fare, that window for dining reservations will open 45 days before the start of the cruise. With the Premium Fare, you will get 60 days. And for those in the Rockstar and MegaRockstar cabins, you’ll get to plan your dining a whole 120 days before you set sail.

Virgin Voyages dining reservation system depends a great deal on what fare you book with.

With all that said, Virgin only opens a portion of their total reservation slots before the sailing. More on that in a moment.

You also need to know that how often you are allowed to book each restaurant will also vary based on the length of your sailing. For sailings of five nights or less, you can have one reservation per restaurant. Meanwhile, those on six-to-eight-night cruises can book twice per restaurant. And anyone on cruises of nine or more nights can reserve each restaurant three times. 

Also consider if you’re a diehard fan of one of Virgin’s places, doing a walk-up to the restaurant does not count towards this limitation, it’s just for reservations! You can even do a walk-up and eat at a reservation on the same night, if you’re really, really hungry. 

Didn’t Get the Times/Days You Want?

Let’s say you need to eat at 6:30 PM every night, or you really want to snag the Wake for your birthday dinner, but for some reason you can’t get the timeslot you’re looking for. What can be done? Well, don’t worry, there are a few tips a tricks for getting the perfect dining schedule on Virgin. 

First, you can come back and check on availability. People change their schedules, cancel cruises, or any number of things. Just because a restaurant or timeslot isn’t available now doesn’t mean it won’t be later. Pop in and check from time to time to see if that slot opened.

Lucky Lotus by Razzle Dazzle is where you’ll head to at the start of a sailing if you need to make adjustments with the Virgin Voyages dining reservation system and you don’t want to use the app.

Second, once you’re on the ship, there are a few ways you can snag those extra times that open up. First, as soon as you are on the ship’s WiFi, you can log in and make or edit bookings. If you don’t have a great phone or are just a little clumsy with your thumbs, you can also make your way to the dining reservation desk, usually at Razzle Dazzle, where Virgin will have crew helping make and alter reservations. 

Finally, it can be worth keeping an eye on reservations as the cruise goes on. People will cancel their plans mid-cruise, causing times to open. You never know if the perfect spot will free up the day of. 

Virgin’s New Shared Dining – What Is It?

Virgin Voyages recently updated their dining system to allow for “shared tables.” A shared table is one where you will be sat next to other people who are not in your dining party. Many restaurants have called this family style seating. Before you ask, this new system is completely opt-in so don’t worry about being forced to sit with people if you don’t want to. 

The pilot program for this is running on a few sailings in October and November of 2026, and if it’s a hit, it will likely be implemented going forward. Now you might be asking yourself the question, why are they doing this? 

Well, there are two reasons. First, some people like the idea of dining with random folks they don’t know. They are called extroverts and if you are not one of them this probably never occurred to you. At this point I would say hello to my fellow introverts, but that’s not how we do things, so I’ll simply give you a head nod and then go in opposite directions.

Gunbae style dining is exactly what the line is trying out with the “Shared Tables” option in the Virgin Voyages Dining Reservation system, but now it’s at the other restaurants.

The second part of the answer is to simply give Sailors a little more flexibility when it comes to dining. Virgin has always grappled with the reality that they offer the equivalent of specialty dining on other cruise lines as part of the price. This leads to everyone wanting reservations, and with limited space in each restaurant, that leads to people becoming upset if they can’t get the times they want. 

With this program there will be more flexibility. If a 6-person table at Rojo on the Brilliant Lady is being unused for dinner, why not put three pairs of sailors together in a time that might be unavailable for three 2-person tables? And don’t worry about breaking the ice, Virgin plans to have the crew help make those awkward introductions go by in a more direct way. 

It’s not like Virgin are… virgins… at doing ice breakers either. Gunbae, their Korean BBQ restaurant on the ship is exclusively this style of dining. I think the line should have this handled fairly well.

If you’re onboard for one of these pilot voyages and feel like trying it out, make sure to give Virgin feedback! 

But if you don’t want to do it, don’t. Know that people who choose to participate may have made more space for your table.  

No Reservations? No Problem!

If you can’t or don’t want to get reservations, I promise you will not starve. You will do whatever the opposite of starving is. Full-ing, perhaps.

If you don’t have a reservation, consider walking up the evening of. You might have some issues with a big group of people, but if there’s just two or three of you, it shouldn’t be too bad. I recommend going up as soon as the restaurant opens and seeing if you can get in later that evening to give the crew some wiggle room on time to get you in. If you do this, you will get messaged in the app when your table is ready. 

However, even if you don’t get into one of the restaurants offered on Virgin, there are a variety of other options. The Galley will have dinner service at the Diner and Dash, as well as burgers, salads, sushi, and baked goods. Some popular dinner options include beef wellington and butter chicken. Unfortunately, the ramen, tacos, and paninis aren’t open in the evening, as the crew that work those are doing dinner service in the restaurants. 

It’s not exactly conventional, but you can always just eat all the ice cream you want! You don’t need to use the Virgin Voyages dining reservation system to fill up on that!

In addition to the Galley, you can always grab a fresh-made pizza at the Pizza Place. Virgin offers my favorite cruise pizza of any line I’ve tried. There are also quick options at the Social Club and the Dockhouse. The Social club serves wings, pretzels, and hot dogs, while the Dock offers delicious Greek bites. The shrimp there are a consistent favorite for people. 

If you want to eat in your room, you can bring any food back with you and the to-go pizzas, from the Pizza Place, and the grab-and-go boxes in the Galley and by the Dock are all convenient ways to get food back to the cabin .  

There’s also Ship Eats, the delivery room service available 24 hours a day. There’s a $10 delivery charge for non-Rockstar guests, but if you order $10 in drinks with your Bar Tab, that fee is waived. 

There are also dinner shows as a paid extra held in the Manor. You generally get 5 different cocktails, one for each course, included in the price. And finally, it’s not the traditional dinner, but you can get all the Ice Cream you’d like right next to the Pizza Place.

The post Everything You Need to Know About the Virgin Voyages Dining Reservation System  appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.