A Surprise Birth Before a Royal Caribbean Cruise, Carnival’s Fork-and-Feet Incident, a 100K Points Offer Ending Soon, Hotel Cards Expiring July 29, and a Rocket Launcher Hoax at LaGuardia — Weekly Recap

I have traveled to many parts of the world and seen people behaving in some truly questionable ways. But this week Chris published a post about a Carnival cruise passenger that made me almost throw up. I’ll let you read it for yourself — but I will say this: should this woman receive a lifetime ban from cruising? I’m genuinely asking. Drop your answer in the comments below.

On a slightly less nauseating note: I am just a handful of points away from reaching Alaska Airlines MVPGOLD75K status earned entirely through card spend, and I’ll share soon why that matters more than it might sound. In 2027 I’ll hold that alongside my lifetime Delta Gold status, giving me flexible elite perks across two major alliances when flying. A full post on that strategy is coming.

Now, on to this week’s content.

📋 In This Recap

• She packed for a cruise. Hours later, she gave birth.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card 100K offer is ending soon
• Four Hilton card offers end July 29
• Carnival passenger scratches her feet, eats pizza, grabs a fork
• This week’s news: rocket launcher hoax at LaGuardia and a crocodile attack at a Marriott

👶 She Packed for a Cruise. Hours Later, She Gave Birth.

A Florida couple showed up ready to board a five-night Royal Caribbean cruise to Mexico. Instead, they left the pier as new parents. Lauren Siwinski started having severe stomach pain the night before departure and went to urgent care — where doctors told her she was eight months pregnant and already in labor. Twelve hours later, instead of a muster drill, she was delivering a baby boy named Sebastian at an area hospital.

I’ve read a lot of “we almost missed the ship” stories in this job. This is the first one where the reason was a baby nobody knew was coming. The feel-good local news writeup is short on logistics, but the questions it leaves unanswered are the ones I actually want answered — did they have travel insurance? Did Royal Caribbean refund anything? What happened to the prepaid excursions and hotel? Missing the ship might genuinely turn out to be the cheapest possible version of this story. Mom and baby are healthy, and that’s the only thing that really matters. The full post — and all the unanswered questions — is here.

💳 Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card 100K Offer Is Ending Soon

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is running a 100,000-point welcome offer — only the third time it’s hit that level since the card launched in 2009 — and Chase is now flagging it as “ending soon” without publishing an exact date. Treat the window as genuinely short.

Spend $5,000 in the first three months, cash out at the penny-per-point floor, and you’re looking at roughly $1,050 after the $95 annual fee — and that’s the worst-case scenario. Transfer to the right airline or hotel partner and the value can push well past $2,000 in travel. The June 2026 refresh also added 3X on gas, EV charging, and vacation rentals like Airbnb and Vrbo, making the everyday earning lineup the best it’s ever been. One note worth knowing: the Hyatt transfer ratio dropped from 1:1 to 4:3 as of June 15, so don’t apply expecting 2021-era Hyatt math. Would I apply right now? Honestly yes — the only thing stopping me is juggling two other welcome bonuses already. Full breakdown and referral link here.

🏨 Four Hilton Card Offers End July 29

Four Hilton Honors American Express welcome offers expire July 29 — that’s Tuesday — and the short version is: pick the card that matches how you actually stay, not the one with the biggest number.

The no-fee Honors card is the painless entry point. The Surpass is where most regular Hilton guests should look — Gold status, an annual Hilton credit, and a $0 intro fee for the first year. The Aspire is the loyalist’s card with Diamond status and a Free Night Reward, but at $550 a year it only works if you’ll use the credits (it’s the one I carry, for the record, and we don’t earn anything if you get it). The Business card rounds out the lineup for small business owners who stay at Hilton regularly. The full rundown on all four — including which is right for which type of traveler — is here before Tuesday’s deadline.

🦶 Carnival Passenger Scratches Her Feet, Eats Pizza — Then Grabs a Fork

I warned you. A passenger in a Carnival dining room was filmed scratching her bare feet — skin flakes hitting the floor — then using the same hand to eat pizza. And then, because apparently that wasn’t enough, she picked up a fork and went back for round two on the feet.

Carnival’s social team actually handled this well, issuing a statement that confirmed “forks are intended for food, not foot care” and noting the utensil was “removed from service.” Credit where it’s due — that’s a hard thing to write and they nailed the tone. The full post has both Instagram videos embedded, Carnival’s official response, and a comment section you’ll want to read. So — lifetime cruise ban? I’m still thinking yes. Make your case here.

📰 This Week’s News: Rocket Launcher Hoax at LaGuardia, Crocodile Attack at a Marriott, and Delta’s Summer Reliability Warning

A Delta pilot was warned about a possible rocket launcher on final approach to LaGuardia. “MANPAD alert issued at LaGuardia Airport. Use extreme caution.” The pilot asked what a MANPAD was. The tower explained it meant man-portable air defense system — basically a rocket launcher. Port Authority police determined within a minute it was a hoax. The flight landed safely. The audio of the exchange is alarming to hear and absolutely worth clicking through for.

A 28-year-old man was killed by a crocodile at a Marriott resort beach in Puerto Vallarta. The resort fronts an estuary and mangrove area. Warning signs were posted. This is a deeply sad story and a serious reminder: if you see a wildlife warning sign on a beach near mangroves anywhere in Mexico, take it seriously.

Minneapolis-St. Paul already has the most expensive domestic airfares of any major U.S. airport — and it’s about to get worse. Aer Lingus is pulling out of MSP in October, and Sun Country is cutting a third of its September schedule. Delta, which already dominates MSP capacity, is filling the vacuum. MSP travelers: book further in advance or consider driving to other nearby airports.

Also worth a quick read: The same Alaska expedition ship has had norovirus three separate times since May. The EU’s new Entry-Exit System is causing massive queuing chaos at European airports — add extra buffer time if you’re traveling with a non-EU passport. And Boeing quietly scrapped one of its earliest 777X jets rather than pay the enormous cost to rework it to current certification standards. That program has now burned through roughly $15 billion in charges.

The full roundup — including the FCC-approved satellite that will bounce fake moonlight down to Earth and the British Open champion who had to sit behind the runner-up on the flight home with the trophy — is here.

In case you missed them:

• She Packed for a Cruise. Hours Later, She Gave Birth to a Baby She Never Knew Was Coming
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card 100K Offer Is Ending Soon — Should You Apply?
• Four Hilton Honors Card Offers End July 29 — Which One Fits You
• Carnival Cruise Passenger Scratches Her Feet, Eats Pizza — Then Grabs a Fork
• A Delta Pilot Was Warned About a Possible Rocket Launcher on Final Approach to LaGuardia — It Was a Hoax, and a Man Was Dragged Into the Sea and Killed by a Crocodile at a Marriott Resort Beach in Mexico — Plus More Travel News!

– René