Travel answers from first-hand trips: airport lounges without the waitlist, cruise terminal tipping, travel deals, and what the offers really include.
Hilton Grand Vacations Orlando preview, Aug 2024: $223.88 for 3 nights plus 25,000 Honors points back, about $75 net, and the pushiest sales team I've met.
Westgate Lakes Orlando timeshare preview, April 2024: $95.13 net for 3 nights (87% off), $0 at check-in, but the 90-minute tour ran 2.5 to 3 hours.
A leaked offer letter and schedule show Royal Caribbean bar servers work 303.1 hours a month, about 70 a week with no days off, for $1,377 ($4.54/hr).
Leaked 2024 pay stubs show a Royal Caribbean bar server's $1,449 monthly guarantee, with guest gratuities subtracted from it instead of added on top.
Royal Caribbean's "Wine of Shame" is the free bottle Casino Royale sends after roughly 1,000 Club Royale points, about $5,000 in slot play. How it works.
Capital Vacations Pigeon Forge timeshare preview, Nov 2024: $500.09 paid, $300 gift card back, $200.09 net for 3 nights, out in 105 minutes, low pressure.
Capital Vacations' Air, Sea and Land certificate isn't free: about $210 in fees for two flights or $302-$376 for a cruise, plus blackout dates and rules.