Wonder of the Seas Mediterranean Cruise: 6 Lessons We Learned
Our first Mediterranean cruise was Wonder of the Seas in 2022. Six lessons from that week, and how they made our 2024 Oasis Star Class trip so much better.
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Notes from the road.
Cruise reviews, packing lists, Disney strategy, resort deep‑dives, wave‑season tips. Everything we've learned so you don't have to.
Looking for ship reviews specifically? Every ship we have sailed is collected on our cruise ship reviews page. What travelers are asking this week lives on weekly travel trends.
Utopia of the Seas Back-to-Back Cruise Review (3 + 4 Nights)
We sailed Utopia of the Seas 3 and 4 nights back to back with a Virgin Voyages expert. How the turnaround works, the crowds, the noise, and who should book.
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Cruise Gratuities: Where That Money Actually Goes
Why cruise lines charge a daily service charge instead of a tip, who it actually pays, what happens when you remove it, and which fares already include it.
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Marbella Without the Yacht Money, and Why We Liked Estepona More
Marbella is not only Puerto Banus. We did the old town and the locals' beach, then went home to Estepona, our favorite town on the Costa del Sol.
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Gibraltar in a Day: The Rock, the Monkeys, and 7 Miles of Regret
A Gibraltar day trip from the Costa del Sol: parking on the Spanish side, the walk to the Rock, the monkeys, and why we would take the taxi tour next time.
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Seville by High-Speed Train: The Overnight That Beat the Drive
We drove to Malaga and took the high-speed train to Seville for one night. Why the overnight beats a day trip, and how to do it with a kid in July heat.
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Five White Towns and a Cave: Day Trips from Estepona
Malaga, Mijas, Benalmadena, Nerja, Ronda and Setenil from one base near Estepona. Drive times, what each town is for, and which to skip if it is hot.
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Driving the Costa del Sol: Tolls, Garages, and Ronda
Renting a car on the Costa del Sol: the AP-7 toll math, garages tight enough to scrape a car, and whether to drive to Ronda at all.
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Two Weeks in Andalucia: Why We Rented Instead of Cruising
After 20 years of cruising, we based ourselves in one apartment outside Estepona for two weeks with a rental car. What the home base model changed.
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