Introduction: My First Atlantic Crossing on the Norwegian NCL Viva Prima Class Ship

Introduction: My First Atlantic Crossing on the Norwegian NCL Viva Prima Class Ship
Emptying my Delta SkyMiles Accounts to get Value Flying to Lisbon Portugal
Comfort Inn South Bend International Airport Review – How Disappointing
Interlining my Bags on a Delta Revenue Ticket and Second Award Ticket
Rant: Are Centurion Lounges Worth the Effort Anymore Atlanta – Part One
Review: The Famous Delta Shake Shack Burger – How Good (or Bad) is it?
Rant: Are Centurion Lounges Worth the Effort Anymore Mexico City T1 – Part Two
Air France A350-900 Business Class Review Mexico City to Paris MEX-CDG
Air France A321 Euro Business Class Review With Blocked Middle Seats
THE ONE American Express Fine Hotels Review Near Lisbon Portugal Cruise Port
Review: Vibe Beach Club Plus Cabana Norwegian Viva – Is it Worth the Upcharge?
Norwegian Viva Mid ship 16th Floor Balcony Cabin Number Floor Review
Norwegian Viva Complementary and Main Dining Review – Is the Food Good Anymore?
Norwegian Viva Specialty Dining Review – Should you pay to Enjoy “Better” Meals?
What is the Entertainment Like on the Norwegian Viva?
Emergency Dentist Visit in the Dominica Republic from my Norwegian Cruise Ship.
How Much Does it Cost to Take an Uber from Galveston, Texas to Houston Airports?
How You Get Paid Taking an Oversold Flight Bump From Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines A220-300 Comfort Plus Review. How Much Better than Coach
Final Thoughts on my 15 day Atlantic Crossing on the Norwegian Viva Prima Class Ship

I am just back from yet another grand adventure and Atlantic crossing. This one, like most big adventures, had some interesting twists. Most of my advanced planning worked out just like I wanted and not only did we have a great time ended with some nice bonus deals along the way.

Without covering too much in this very first post in the series let me tell you that it really is hard to get any kind of “oversized” value out of your Delta points nowadays. As I mentioned before you can use the amazing Delta schedule change rules to your advantage but this time I found value flying Air France’s new business class seat for only 105,000 Delta points each one-way from Mexico City to Lisbon, Portugal.

To do the above I ended up with two tickets. One of them cash and one of them an award so I had to what is called interline my bags on the two tickets out of my small SBN or South Bend airport. How did that go and did my bags make it to Lisbon? Stay tuned.

I will clearly review the flights, seats and more but also I had already bragged up using 3 of my Amex Fine Hotel nights in a row at an amazing old hotel very near the cruise port. How did that go and were there any issues? It was great but not fully what I expected.

For this 15 day Atlantic crossing we paid $599 to not only have Vibe Beach club access but also access to a cabana on the private adults only space. Was it worth it? How good is the service?

I will also review the Viva including my cabin on the 16th floor. I booked this specific floor and cabin for a number of reasons. I would NOT ever book it again and you will find out why even though it was the largest standard balcony I have ever sailed in.

One unpleasant thing that happened during my sailing was that while flossing my latest crown I had installed popped off. Thankfully I did not swallow it but it did require me making an emergency dentist visit in the Dominican Republic. How did that go and just how much did that cost me? It was not a shore excursion I will want to redo again if possible.

After the cruise I chose not to pre-book the rather long transfer from the ship to my airport in Houston, Texas. I had a reason for this and the Uber was not cheap (and did work out fine) but if I had to do it all over again I think I would pre-book my transfer from Galveston. I will explain why.

On the way home I, at long last, had a chance to volunteer and take a Delta bump for an oversold flight. Both Lisa and I got $500 each and they put us up in a hotel overnight. What are the current cash out options for taking a bump? I go in depth and have some ideas how to turn these vouchers into cash.

Overall it was a fantastic cruise vacation. I got to get some real value from points and more and had experiences I will never forget. I can not wait to share the entire adventure with you over the coming weeks! – Rene