Category: Travel Tutorial

How To Do Laundry On A Cruise

3/7/2025

How To Do Laundry On A Cruise

We always travel carry-on only these days and that means that there is a good chance we will need to do laundry at some point on a cruise.

Pay per bag of laundry

Every cruise line has laundry options where you can send a bag of laundry out and have it returned washed, pressed, folded and hung for a set rate. This can run from $15-30 per bag (stuff that bag people!).

Different cruise lines may also offer discounts at various loyalty levels with the line.

In This Post:

How To Do Laundry On A Cruise:
- Pay Per Bag
- Onboard Laundromat
- Free Laundry For Some
- DIY Laundry

What If Clothes Aren't Drying Fast Enough

Free Laundry on Princess Cruises

On our 15th anniversary Sun Princess Mediterranean Cruise , we were soo happy to have laundry included in our fare as we were granted elite status on the line.

Sun Princess Deluxe Balcony Tour

Is there a laundromat on board?

Princess and Cunard are among the very few lines to have self-service laundry available to guests.

How To DIY Laundry On A Cruise

Aside from our Sun Princess Cruise (review here), we always do laundry in our stateroom. It's easy.

We always bring this Wash & Stain Bar and brush and wash clothes in the sink!

Shop on Amazon: Wash & Stain Bar + The Laundress Brush

You will find that some cruise cabins have a line to dry clothes, but others do not. Therefore we always bring a portable clothes line.

This particular one has clips on either end, but can also be tied around an anchoring point as needed. The portable clothes line is durable and braided, so you don't need clothes pins to hang your clothes. Rather, you pull down on a loop of the braid and feed a piece of your clothing in that way!

This is a very small item to toss in your luggage and it can come in handy if you need to do laundry on your cruise!

If it's safe in your cabin type, you may wish to leave the shower door open as well as the bathroom door while clothes are drying to help things along.

Do be careful of leaving loose items outside on your balcony as they can fly away when the winds pick up.

What to do if the clothes aren't drying fast enough

I hear you, I hear you. You ran out of undies and now you're in a bit of a situation as the ones you washed earlier are not quite dry and it's time for formal night dinner. What to do, what to do?!

Easy. Grab the hair dryer, folks!

Rather than blowdrying from the outside of the garment, try to find a way to close off the openings of the garment so the hairdryer can fill the garment with air from the inside and essentially be drying in all directions simultaneously.

A simple example is to put the tip of the hairdryer inside a sock. The sock balloons out and is dry in a really short amount of time.

Try the same trick with other clothing items if possible to reduce dry times in a pinch!

While none of this is exactly a stroke of genius revelation, maybe some of the points above are things you hadn't thought of before and will help you out on your next cruise!

Happy sailing!

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Hilton Free Night Certificate

9/3/2024

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Everything you need to know about Hilton Free Reward Night Certificates:
how to get them, how to redeem them, where you can redeem them, and what to do if yours is about to expire!

Post by: Travel Agent Marissa Books Travel

Conrade Algarve by Hilton

• Stay at Conrad Algarve in Portugal •

What to do when your hilton free night certificate is expiring

Last year I opened a Hilton Honors credit card and earned a great sign up bonus of 70,000 Hilton Honors Points as well as a Hilton free night certificate.

Hilton Honors Sign Up Bonus

Do hilton honors points expire?

While Hilton points do expire within 24 months of inactivity, I was more concerned about when my free night certificate would expire.

How to keep hilton honors points from expiring

To stop your Hilton Points from expiring you can simply use your Hilton Credit Card, stay at a Hilton Hotel, Redeem Hilton Points, Buy or Donate Hilton Points, or even just signing up for a Hilton promotion. When in doubt, buy a pack of gum with your card every so often. :)

Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

• Stay at Waldorf Astoria in Amsterdam •

How long are hilton free night certificates good for?

Hilton certificates are good for 12 months from the issue date. My certificate was issued on September 5th. I had a daily reminder on my calendar to use this free night for the past year and here we are on September 3rd and time is up!

What to do if you free reward night is about to expire?

I have great news for you! If your free hotel night is about to expire you can actually contact Hilton for an extension. I logged into my Hilton account, chatted with a lovely agent, and was able to get a one-time extension of 14 days for my Hilton free night certificate!!

Travel Credit Cards:

Where is my hilton free night certificate?

Once a Hilton free night certificate has been awarded to you, whether as a credit card sign up bonus or for your brand loyalty in some other way, you will receive an email from Hilton Honors (mine was from [email protected]) with instructions on how to redeem.

What is the hilton honors customer care phone number?

Call Hilton Honors Customer Care at 1-800-446-6677

Can i redeem my hilton free night reward online?

While you currently cannot redeem the free night by yourself on the website, there is a way to redeem it online.

Hilton Free Night Email

Log into your Hilton account and utilizing the Hilton Chat you will be able to redeem your reward night with the chat agent. Just type "redeem Hilton free night certificate - chat with agent" into the chat box!

Free Hilton Award Nights

Are there exclusions with the hilton free reward nights?

Surprisingly, Hilton has very few restrictions and exclusions on using these certificates. There are no black out dates and you can book any night of the week. You can get a free night at any Hilton property (standard room, double occupancy) with the exception of these properties.

What is the value of a hilton free night certificate?

You may be wondering what a free Hilton award night is actually worth. The truth is, it varies. You can use this (foolishly) on a cheap hotel night costing $50 or you can take advantage of the opportunity to use it for a hotel like Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam that would normally cost upwards of $900 a night!

Where CAn I see my hilton free night CERTIFICATE in my account?

Log in to your Hilton Honors account.

Click near your name at the top right of the page.

Next click Account as shown here.

Scroll down past the section "Manage your stay" and the section about your loyalty status with Hilton.

Hilton Account

Here in your Hilton Account you will see your Free Night Reward(s), the last 4 digits of the certificate number, and their expiration dates.

Hilton Free Night Award

Hilton Best Welcome Bonus

Waldorf Astoria Doha West Bay

• Stay at Waldorf Astoria Doha West Bay •

do i have to travel before the expiration date or just make the reservation in time?

I asked the Hilton Chat representative the very question and she gave such a helpful, clear answer.

"The checkout date must be before expiration or till the expiration date"

"If your coupon is expiring on September 04, then you can make the booking with check out date of September 04"

Hilton Chat

can someone else use my hilton free night certificate?

Yes and no. So the Free Night Reward is not transferable to another person. You can't send the certificate to another Hilton Honors account. But what you can do is contact Hilton and redeem free night award certificates for someone else. Simply have them book the stay in the other person's name. A free night at a nice hotel can be a great gift!

Get the Hilton Honors Card

Hotel Reviews:

Hilton Distinctive Properties List

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A day trip from lisbon to the algarve

8/4/2024

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If you're staying in Lisboa (oh, hi! did you know the Portuguese version of Lisbon is Lisboa?) and wondering if it's possible to make a day trip to the Algarve from Lisbon, let me tell you it is absolutely possible!

Chances are high you will wish you had more time in the southern coast of Portugal and a one-day visit is going to make for a long day, but it IS definitely possible and oh so worth it.

A seagull soars over the cliffs of Carvoeiro | Traveling Through Food Portugal Travel Blog

In this post:

Looking for something specific? Jump ahead:

Benagil Cave Boat Tour
- By Speedboat
- By Pirate Ship
- By Kayak
Mel & Canela Review
Sorbetto Gelateria Review
Algarve Beaches
- Praia dos Tres Castelos
- Praia Grande Ferragudo
- Praia de Carvoeiro
Forno do Fraser Carvoeiro Pizzeria Review
How to get to Algarve From Lisbon
Best Travel Credit Cards

Benagil Cave Boat Tour

A top activity when you come to the southern coast of Portugal is to a Benagil Cave tour by boat. I really do recommend this as you get spectacular views of the unique cliffs all along the Algarvian coastline. The guides are great and intertwine facts with humor and explain all the little beach towns and secret beaches you see along the way. On occasion you may even see wild dolphins, though this is not guaranteed.

Benagil Cave by speedboat

A Benagil Cave Speedboat Tour | Traveling Through Food Portugal Travel Blog

The most popular way to see the caves is by speedboat. There are tons of companies offering these tours from all over Algarve. This is the boat tour we did recently and we had a good experience! It's likely that your boat will be pretty full in-season and you really are packed like sardinhas (sardines). On our boat each row sat 3 people. If you're in the middle seat you will find it a bit more difficult to see at times. You really want to be on the ends if you're the photographer/videographer of the group.

Tips: Try to get in the front of the boat and a seat on either end for the best views.

The boats can only pull so far into the caves so the people toward the front will have the best view. As the boats are usually traveling roundtrip from the same town if you start out on the side of the boat facing the ocean, on the way back you will face the shore. Typically the return trip is faster, though. You've already seen what they want to show you and now you are turning back. So if you really want the best photo ops go for the left side of the boat (when inside the boat) if you are departing from Portimao Marina Boat Tours.

Book a Speedboat Tour

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Benagil Cave by Pirate Ship

See the Algarvian Coast from a Pirate Ship | Traveling Through Food Portugal Travel Blog

Another option is to take the pirate ship cave cruise. As you can see right away this is a much larger vessel. You may find this more comfortable if your body structure is not compatible with the sardine situation, if you have bad knees and it would be hard to sit in a low seat, or if you're nervous about feeling the waves too much in a speedboat.

The pirate ship is equipped with a bar selling beverages and snacks, but many bring their own snacks on board. The ship has two smaller boats at the back that you can board to actually get a closer look at the caves as the main pirate ship is too large.

Book the pirate ship

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Benagil cave by Kayak Tour

The most immersive Benagil Cave experience is by Kayak | Traveling Through Food Portugal Travel Blog

If you are more adventurous and truly want to get inside the caves, in the water and on the beaches, you must do a Benagil caves kayak tour.

Book a Kayak Tour

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Ocean Kayakers touring Benagil Caves in Portugal | Traveling Through Food Portugal Travel Blog

Pre-cruise snack at mel & Canela

If you've taken an early morning bus from Lisbon to Algarve you are probably going to be pretty hungry. I recommend grabbing a little something to eat.

As our boat trip was leaving from Portimao Marina, we stopped at this spacious cafe called Mel & Canela, meaning Honey & Cinnamon in Portuguese. We just got some classics like a bifana com ovo (pork sandwich with an egg) and a pork bitoque which came with a side of French fries, a simple salad, and an egg on top.

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Post-cruise snack at Sorbetto Gelateria

It only feels like vacation when you have an ice cream, right? A Gelato was a perfect treat after the benagil cave speedboat tour and we opted for a place called Sorbetto Gelateria at Praia Da Rocha in Portimao.

The gelato was unbelievably delicious and we got two very European flavors - Améndoa e Figo (Almond and Fig) and Pistachio. Prices here ranged from 2.50-6 euros for small, medium, large, or extra large cones. And do note that even if you get a small (pequeno) you can have two flavors ;)

The girls working in this Gelateria were especially simpatico (friendly) and actually made this sweet treat an even sweeter experience!

We definitely recommend this gelato in Portugal - Sorbetto Gelateria. They use fresh, natural ingredients and make everything in small batches and that is totally our style.

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Algarve Beaches

Of course while you are on your day trip to the Algarve you should see the beaches. Maybe you already did a boat tour or maybe you aren't into water activities. Either way you should see the beaches, whether you sunbathe and eat Bolas de Berlim (a portuguese pastry that's sort of like a sugared donut cut in half and filled with cream that is traditionally egg and sugar based, although plain and other flavors like Nutella can be had) or you enjoy a sangria at a beach cafe or you walk some cliff trails - you really cannot go wrong!

Praia dos Três Castelos

This is from the miradouro dos Três Castlos (Viewpoint of the 3 Castles) an observation deck in Portimao, Portugal. You can walk down to the beach from here if you'd like!

By the way praia is the Portuguese word for beach. =)

Praia dos Trés Castelos as seen from the Miradouro | Traveling Through Food Portugal Travel Blog

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Praia Grande Ferragudo

Praia Grande in Ferragudo is just across the river from Portimão. It's another beautiful and spacious Portuguese beach on which you can find a medieval castle, the Forte de São João do Arade, which I think is so cool. The initial watchtower is thought to have been built around 1520, while the actual castle was constructed around 1640, after the Portuguese Restoration War. Forte de São João is privately owned, so do be respectful when you are near the property. =)

Medieval Castle on Praia Grande, a beach in Ferragudo Portugal | Traveling Through Food Portugal Travel Blog

The fishing village of Ferragudo is also not to be missed. It's a great village to walk around in as it is filled with cute and funky shops, great restaurants, and quaint cafes.

Charming street in the Fishing Village Ferragudo Portugal | Traveling Through Food Portugal Travel Blog

If you're into unique, artsy souvenirs check out deja vu art shop in Ferragudo.

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Praia de Carvoeiro

Heading a short distance to the east of Ferragudo you will find Praia de Carvoeiro.

Famous Praia de Carvoeiro | Traveling Through Food Portugal Travel Blog

It is a small sandy beach with a hilly, but walkable and lively town. While you are here you should try and walk along the Carvoeiro Boardwalk, Algar Seco, for stunning views and you can climb down into some of the cliffs which is very cool.

Algar Seco Cliffs and Beautiful Views in Algarve Portugal | Traveling Through Food Portugal Travel Blog

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You can go decently far where there are stairs built in to the rock, and wooden posts with rope hand rails. For the adventurous and well coordinated you can safely continue to explore further if you wish.

Before you catch a bus home, if you're around long enough, I can't recommend highly enough getting a pizza at Forno do Fraser. This is the best pizza place in Carvoeiro we've had to date and it's a short walk up the hill from the beach.

Fig Pizza on Carvoeiro Beach from Forno do Fraser | Traveling Through Food Portugal Travel Blog

Current hours at time of this article are Monday - Saturday 17:30-22:00 (5:30pm - 10pm)

If you want to dine in, I recommend you make a reservation. Depending on the day the dining room may be packed and unable to accommodate walk-ins. Although we have picked pizza up to eat at the beach as seen above.

Forno do Fraser deserves a full review for our Pizza in Portugal series, so stay tuned for that.

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one day in the algarve is simply not enough

There are so many ways to spend one day in Algarve. Boat trips, beach days, shopping for local handicrafts, day trips to monchique or Silves castle, trying the many Portuguese Pastries, hiking, summer concerts, waterparks, spas, golfing... there is so much to do here I'm sure you will be convinced after one day that you simply must come back again soon! ;)

How to get to algarve from lisbon

Of course you can rent a car and drive (check car rental prices), but if you're not interested in messing with that I can recommend the train or the bus.

BuyPortugal train tickets at the Comboios de Portugal (Trains of Portugal) website: cp.pt
Buy Portugal bus tickets through the Rede Expressos website rede-expressos.pt/pt
Buy Portugal bus tickets through FlixBus website flixbus.com/bus/portugal

While it depends where exactly you get on and off, the bus takes around 3 hours between Lisbon and Algarve.

Which stop should you get off at?

Albufeira is popular with tourists, but you can also take the bus to Armação de Pêra, Portimão, or Lagoa if you'd like to visit Carvoeiro beach town.

How much is the bus from Lisbon to Algarve?
The bus is incredibly affordable with seats starting at $5 euros. An incredible value!

Do note that the cheapest seats will be at the back of the bus and the ticket price increases as the travel date nears. My best tip for you is that as soon as you know when you want to make your trip from Lisbon to Algarve, if the dates are available for purchase, buy your tickets! This way you get the best price and you're guaranteed to see some of the amazing this shared in this post! ;)

FYI: In some cases the tickets will only be available approximately 1 month before a travel date.

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How to transfer chase points to united to get free flights | Marissa books travel blog

7/8/2024

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So you've earned enough Chase Ultimate Rewards points for a free flight and you're ready to transfer them to United to get it booked - congratulations! Few things are more exciting than getting free travel.

It really is not difficult to send your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to your United MileagePlus Account. In this simple tutorial I will show you one of the ways to do this!

-> Current Free Travel Bonuses <-

Step One: Log into your Chase Account and Click "Ultimate Rewards Points"

On a desktop you will see it at the top right of your log in page.

Step two: Select Which card you want to see

In this case since we are transferring to travel partners we need to select the Chase Sapphire Card

Step Three: Select Transfer points to partners

At the top of the page you will see the drop down menu under travel. Select "Transfer points to partners"

Step four: Scroll down to select united airlines

Scroll down to select the travel partner of your choice - in this case United Airlines.

Step five: Click transfer points

Step six: Confirm Your Mileageplus account

You will need to enter your United MileagePlus Account Number here. If you do not have an account, you can sign up for one for free here. Then click next.

Step seven: Confirm how many points

You'll go ahead and type in how many points you want to transfer. Please note, you can only transfer in increments of 1,000.

Example: If you need 38,500 points you will need to round up and transfer 39,000 points.

Click next on the bottom right when you're ready.

Step eight: Confirm details and submit

Take a moment to confirm the details of your transfer. On the left side you will see your Chase card, how many points you are moving and how many you will have left. On the right side you will see the travel partner, in this case United MileagePlus, and how many points that account will be receiving. When you're sure the values are what you need for your trip, click submit! :)

How long will it take for my chase points to show in my united account?

As you can see by the fine print on the image above, officially "most point transfers process by the next business day, but may take up to 7 business days."

In my personal experience, the points have shown up nearly instantaneously - it's amazing! If you are logged into your United account you will need to log out and then log back in to see the points.

You may have a different experience, but all I can do is share what has happened to me 100% of the time in the past 8+ years doing this. I hope you have the same experience I have had so far! :)

Tips for transferring chase UR points to United

I always recommend transferring your chase points directly to a travel partner like United as opposed to booking through their travel platform. You are almost always going to get a better value from your points that way :)
Wait until you're sure you will be booking United flights and know exactly how many points you will need to transfer. Once you make a transfer it is final and you're locked in to that travel partner (airline, hotel etc) so I always do it right before I'm ready to book my flight! :)

how do i get these amazing points for free flights?

Easy peasy lemon squeezy! You just need a Sapphire Card or if you already have one, get the United Card. With both you will get a really great sign up bonus. Bonuses are linked on the Best Travel Credit Cards Page

Are travel agents worth it?

... with tips like these, is it even a question? ;)

Pin for later:

Share this with a friend or save it to your Pinterest Travel Board for later - you're going to need it when all your Chase Points start rolling in ;)

Filed Under:

• Travel Credit cards
• united airline miles
• Marissa books travel
• Technical writing
• travel hacks
• TRAVEL TUTORIAL
• Chase Cards
• are travel agents worth it?

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Traveling through food

How To Do Laundry On A Cruise

How To Do Laundry On A Cruise

Pay per bag of laundry

In This Post:

​Is there a laundromat on board?

How To DIY Laundry On A Cruise

What to do if the clothes aren't drying fast enough

Hilton Free Night Certificate

What to do when your hilton free night certificate is expiring

​Do hilton honors points expire?

How to keep hilton honors points from expiring

How long are hilton free night certificates good for?

What to do if you free reward night is about to expire?

Travel Credit Cards:

Where is my hilton free night certificate?

What is the hilton honors customer care phone number?

Can i redeem my hilton free night reward online?

​Are there exclusions with the hilton free reward nights?

What is the value of a hilton free night certificate?

Where CAn I see my hilton free night CERTIFICATE in my account? ​

​do i have to travel before the expiration date or just make the reservation in time? ​

can someone else use my hilton free night certificate?

​Hotel Reviews:

Hilton Distinctive Properties List

A day trip from lisbon to the algarve

In this post:

Benagil Cave Boat Tour

Benagil Cave by speedboat

Benagil Cave by Pirate Ship

Benagil cave by Kayak Tour

Pre-cruise snack at mel & Canela

Post-cruise snack at Sorbetto Gelateria

Algarve Beaches

Praia dos Três Castelos

Praia Grande Ferragudo

Praia de Carvoeiro

one day in the algarve is simply not enough

How to get to algarve from lisbon

You'll also like: ​

How to transfer chase points to united to get free flights | Marissa books travel blog

Step One: Log into your Chase Account and Click "Ultimate Rewards Points"

Step two: Select Which card you want to see

Step Three: Select Transfer points to partners

Step four: Scroll down to select united airlines

Step five: Click transfer points

Step six: Confirm Your Mileageplus account

Step seven: Confirm how many points

Step eight: Confirm details and submit

How long will it take for my chase points to show in my united account?

Tips for transferring chase UR points to United

how do i get these amazing points for free flights?

Are travel agents worth it?

Read Next: HELPING MY ALASKA CRUISE CLIENTS (& YOU!) GET FREE FLIGHTS | MARISSA BOOKS TRAVEL BLOG READ NEXT: Sun Princess Mediterranean Cruise with Greek Isles, Italy & Turkey - Day 1

Pin for later:

Filed Under: ​• Travel Credit cards ​• united airline miles ​• Marissa books travel ​• Technical writing ​• travel hacks• TRAVEL TUTORIAL• Chase Cards ​• are travel agents worth it?

Oh, Hey!

​Check out this recent cruise post:

​Check out this recent Restaurant Review:

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Is there a laundromat on board?

Do hilton honors points expire?

Are there exclusions with the hilton free reward nights?

Where CAn I see my hilton free night CERTIFICATE in my account?

do i have to travel before the expiration date or just make the reservation in time?

Hotel Reviews:

You'll also like:

Read Next: HELPING MY ALASKA CRUISE CLIENTS (& YOU!) GET FREE FLIGHTS | MARISSA BOOKS TRAVEL BLOG

READ NEXT: Sun Princess Mediterranean Cruise with Greek Isles, Italy & Turkey - Day 1

Filed Under:

• Travel Credit cards
• united airline miles
• Marissa books travel
• Technical writing
• travel hacks
• TRAVEL TUTORIAL
• Chase Cards
• are travel agents worth it?

Check out this recent cruise post:

Check out this recent Restaurant Review:

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