the Art of Vacationing

03/09/2022

Marriott has announced that their latest devaluation will happen on March 29. As expected, the change to “flexible point redemption”. . .Marriott-speak for dynamic pricing. . .will mean that the…

12/15/2021

Marriott announced some impactful changes to their Bonvoy loyalty program last week. Not surprisingly, there are pluses and minuses. First, the good news: 2021 elite status will be extended through…

06/17/2021

I just returned from a great eight-day trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, visiting some wonderful sights and staying in a few terrific hotels. As so often happens when we…

05/28/2021

  There have been quite a few changes in the world of miles and points over the last few years, but none have impacted our clients as much as the…

02/22/2021

Pam's Travel North America Webinar You're Invited: Travel North America Webinar with Pam Now that you have your COVID-19 vaccine, are you wondering where to travel? With most of the world in recovery,

12/31/2020

Happy New Year!

New Year's Greetings

12/19/2020

12/17/2020

https://sigtn.com/u/OYDYFUXL

No matter what adventure you choose, it'll take place against a backdrop of an unforgettable, rich natural landscape.

12/17/2020

12/16/2019

10/18/2017

Finally! There is now a Marriott-affiliated hotel in the heart of Florence, Italy: the five-star Sina Villa Medici. This is the fourth Italian property to join Marriott's Autograph Collection, which consists of luxury boutique hotels with unique design and character. The Sina Villa Medici is no exception, located in a gorgeous, recently renovated 19th-century residence with vaulted ceilings, marble bathrooms, silk wall coverings, antique furniture and more. This is great news for Marriott Rewards members and all travellers who love Italy! https://www.sinahotels.com/en/h/sina-villa-medici-florence/

A splendid eighteenth-century residence, Sina Villa Medici is a 5-star hotel in the centre of Florence, near the Arno River. Book now on the official site.

10/15/2017

Some great Portugal photos from our client Photographer Aboud Dweck, who is having a fantastic time in Portugal on the trip we planned for him!

10/08/2017

Pam went to Iceland! It's one of the hottest destinations for travelers right now. Read all about her trip – plus her top tips for how to get around, what to see, and the best hotels and restaurants. http://www.theartofvacationing.com/travel-with-pam

08/04/2017

Pam is off to Japan next April, and you should join her! She'll be hosting a group on a Tauck Tour journey to Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto and beyond. There are only a few spots left, so book today!
http://www.theartofvacationing.com/announcements/spring-in-japan-with-pam-2018

Join me in Japan next spring! If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing this country’s gilded temples and glittering skyscrapers, there is no better time than spring, when the cherry blossoms burst into bloom. I’ll be hosting a group of 12 on Tauck Tours’ Essence of Japan trip April 8–20, 2018.

07/11/2017

Ever dreamed of cruising Alaska? Of seeing blue-tinged glaciers, misty fjords, wild whales, rugged beaches and colorful seaside towns up close?

If so, now is the time to book! Pam will be hosting a group on Windstar Cruises' summer 2018 Alaskan Splendors sailing, July 24 to August 4, 2018 from Vancouver, Canada, to Anchorage, Alaska.

We’ll be travelling aboard Star Legend, a yacht that is smaller than many cruise ships, allowing us to reach spots not accessible on larger liners.

Space is limited, so secure your spot today!

http://www.theartofvacationing.com/announcements/alaska-group-cruise-windstar-july-2018

01/17/2017

We just received Marriott’s New Year email about special cruise deals so we decided to take a look and see how special they really are. Marriott Vacation Club is hosting owner cruises on Royal Caribbean in October and December this year. They offer what looks like a great deal – Boardwalk Balcony with welcome and farewell cocktail party, prepaid gratuities, an owners meeting, and 2 shore excursions all for 5,500 Vacation Club Points plus $885.27. However, when we analyzed the costs that wonderful deal sours.

We priced the purchase cost of a Boardwalk Balcony stateroom for both cruises. The prices start at $2,207 for 2 people. Marriott is charging the equivalent of almost $4,000 when you combine the value of the Club Points plus the additional cash. Are the extras worth $1,800? Gratuities run $189 and the shore excursions (one is typically a visit to a Marriott property) cost about $300 for 2 excursions per couple. So, basically you are paying $1,800 for $500 of extras. In addition, you are not in an ocean-facing balcony and will have to attend an owners meeting which is another way of saying "sales pitch"! Not such a great deal after all. In our experience, it is not a good value for the owners to exchange Vacation Club points for cruises. In this scenario, we, at The Art of Vacationing, would sell your 5,500 VCP for $3,025 and book you the cruise for $2,207. You would have money leftover to spend on the cruise, anyway you want! Contact our office today to learn how we can help maximize your Marriott ownership.

09/30/2016

Do you have a large number of American Express points and don’t know how to get the best value from them? Are you looking to travel internationally and would love to use them to offset the cost for business class international airline tickets?

If you call American Express directly they will recommend that you use your points to buy an airline ticket through them for a penny a point. That means that a $5,000 Business Class airline ticket to Europe would cost 500,000 American Express Points. But American Express allows you to transfer your points to 17 airlines. All you have to do is find available award seats on one of these airlines on the days you want to fly.

At the lowest mileage level, you should be able to book business/first class tickets for about 125,000 AMEX points per person. That’s 75% less points than AMEX Travel would suggest you use! It is a daunting, time-consuming task to find those coveted, low mileage award seats. If you are not up to the challenge (and why would you be), call us to find out how we can help. We love finding airline tickets at the lowest mileage levels thus saving our clients lots of points which can be used for future travel.