Woohoo, Got My 100,000 Marriott Points Bonus

Back in February, my husband was offered 100,000 bonus Marriott points if he upgraded his Starwood American Express to the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card and spent $5,000 in the first 3 months. The Brilliant also comes with a 50,000 point certificate for a free night on your anniversary, $300 credit at any Marriott and Global Entry. It carries a hefty $450 annual fee, but with the hotel credit and Global Entry, it's almost a wash. 

Since we had a big event coming up and needed to direct those purchases somewhere, we took advantage of this upgrade. 

I applied for Global Entry and we will use the $300 Marriott credit this summer. 

By the way, since we already had the Starwood American Express card, we would not be eligible to apply for the Brilliant card ever. 

Well, look what arrived in my inbox today:

Woohoo! Next year, we are heading to Santiago, Chile so these points will come in handy to get all four of us there and back for FREE. For every 60,000 Marriott points, we can get 25,000 airline miles. Marriott gives you a FREE 15,000 points for every 60,000 points you transfer to an airline. The transfer ratio is 3 points for 1 mile. 

So this bonus gets us really close to another round trip ticket. Woohoo! 

Always be on the lookout for upgrade offers, they can be super sweet! 

The current offer for the Brilliant card is 75,000 Marriott points with a $3,000 minimum spend plus the $300 Marriott travel credit, Global Entry and the 50,000 night certificate on your anniversary. 

If you would like to apply for this card, please consider using my referral link and help my family get to Chile. 

No More Cruises To Cuba, But You Can Still Go

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As of today, the Trump administration halted all US cruises to Cuba. The administration says they changed the rules due to Cuba's ongoing support for countries like Venezuela. Whatever the reason, the flow of cruise passengers to the island nation will hurt the thousands of Cubans who are trying to scrape out a living.
More than 800,000 passengers are being affected by this order. Most cruise lines have issued statements saying they will reroute future cruises and refund passengers if they would like to cancel. They are also rerouting ships that were en route to Cuba right now and refunding for paid excursions.
Since 2016, cruising to Cuba has been one of the most popular ways to visit. But here at almostFREEfamilytravel, we do things differently.  We like to spend time in a country, meeting the people, exploring the culture and really digging into the community. And you can still visit Cuba that way. Check out the series of blog posts we wrote last year about visiting Cuba. 

Here's how:

1. Southwest, United, and American fly from Fort Lauderdale to Havana. You can buy your ticket online. Flights in July on Southwest.com were running about $153 each way. Look for sales, tickets can go as low as $100 each way. And if you have the companion pass, buy one, get one FREE on Southwest, you can get a better deal. 

2. After you purchase your flight, the airline will prompt you to buy your visa. DO IT! It costs $50 per person and you will pick it up at the counter when you check in for your flight. Check the box for the "Support The Cuban people" category. Easy. Carry a copy of your itinerary just in case someone asks for it. Remember the rules are you can't lay on the beach in Cuba, you need to talk to the people, visit museums, art galleries, coffee farms and more. 

3. You cannot use credit cards or atms in Cuba so you need to book ahead or take cash. You can change money there, but the rate is the same at the airport or in town and the lines are long so go ahead and change your money at the airport and be done with it. 

4. You can't stay in hotels in Cuba, but you can stay in private homes called casa particulares. You can check my past blog post for my favorites. Book your accommodations on airbnb.com  If you don't have an account, use my link and you will get a discount on your first stay. For me, homestays are the best way to see a country. You are living in someone's home which gives you a chance to see what life is really like and hear the personal stories. Be sure to ask if the owner of the home will include breakfast for 4-5 CUC. Most of the time, they will prepare dinner for you as well for 10 CUC. You should get breakfast every day and at least try the dinner once. 

5. Eat at the paladares or family-run restaurants where a meal will cost you about $10 per person. You are not going to find many food stalls or grocery stores since the country operates on a ration system. Outside of the cities,  there is actually more food available. 

6. Book tours and take FREE walking tours in Vinales, Trinidad and Havana. Check out my blog posts about what to see and do in each city. Use the shared taxi system. 

Even though you can't cruise to Cuba anymore, you can still go and it's an easy country to navigate. And really you can get a more authentic experience by getting off the boat. 

Groupon's New Membership Rewards Program - Is It Worth It?

Groupon is launching a new program called Groupon Select that may save you some money if you shop at the discount website frequently. Groupon offers deals on services, goods, travel and experiences in many different cities. Be sure to look at the fine print on the deals because many involve blackout dates and redirect you to specific websites to register. 

Here's how it works:

1. Join the membership club for the 6 month trial - get the first month FREE and then you will be charged $4.99 per month for 5 months. If you don't cancel at the end of the trial, you will be charged $4.99 a month. My trial offer included a FREE $5 Starbucks card too. 

2. Your membership includes

• FREE Shipping on goods
• 10% off travel 
• 25% off local deals
• 10% off live deals 

Some merchants have opted out of this program. And Groupon says on its website

The following deal types are also not eligible for Groupon Select discounts:

• BeautyNow
• Groupon+
• Goods Marketplace
• Getaways Market Pick

But if this looks good for you, give it a try and let us know how it works. If do not have a Groupon account yet, use my referral code to get the FREE Starbucks offer. If you have a Groupon account already, log in and look for the select promotion. 

Southwest To Open Holiday Flights May 30

Southwest is one of the only airlines that opens its flight schedule on a rolling basis instead of 330 days in advance. This year, the Thanksgiving and Holiday flight opening has been delayed several times. But according to Southwest.com, the flights will open on May 30th. 
Right now, you can only book flights through Nov. 2nd. 
We will keep checking to see if they open early. 

If you are hoping to book flights to Hawaii during the busy holiday travel period, you need to be ready to book your flights as soon as they open. 

The Wanna Get Away (lowest priced tickets) will sell out quickly. Southwest doesn't always offer the cheapest fare, but if you buy your ticket and the price goes down, you can do an adjustment very easily. I am going to talk about how to do this in a follow-up post. 

National Park Not To Be Missed In An Unlikely Place

Did you know that only 4 US Presidents have been sworn in outside of Washington DC?
And would you believe me if I told you that one of them was sworn in in Buffalo, NY?
Probably not, but it did and the house where it happened is now Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site. 
Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in just days after President McKinley was shot at the Pan American Games in Buffalo, NY in 1901. Now, there is a beautiful interactive museum in the home at 641 Delaware Avenue.
Tours are given every hour starting at 9:30am weekdays and 12:30pm weekends and are well worth scheduling into your visit. The museum is closed for all major holidays and open late on Tuesdays.
The museum entrance ranges from $12 per adult to $7 per child. It's $30 per family. But here's a tip, if you have a National Park Pass, it's FREE.
The tour starts on the Midway representing the Pan American Games and setting the stage for September 1901. You can even find out what type of business person you would be in the early 1900's by answering a few questions.

Be careful, this game will test your ethics.
The docents tell part of the story and then show a film to continue to set the scene.
After two shorts films, the docent leads the tour into the dining room, library where Roosevelt was sworn in and office.

If you have time, continue upstairs where you can find out if you agree with President Roosevelt's views on different bills and have your photo taken at his desk.
You will spend a delightful 2 hours at this museum and there's something for all ages.

FREE Money: Be Sure To Check Your Chase Offers

You know how much I love FREE money, right? Well, here's another easy way to get cash back on your purchases with just a bit of planning. 
It's called Chase offers. You may get an email alerting you of your offers or you can sign in to your account. 

The offers range from 3% to 5% cash back to your credit card from a variety of retailers including Starbucks, Michaels and more. There was even a $5 cash back from Stitch Fix. 

Most of the offers had a maximum of a few dollars cash back. 

So this isn't big money, but it adds up and the best part is it is FREE. 

Here are the offer details from Starbucks. Pretty straight forward. Check your email or your account, link the offers to your card and then forget about it. It makes paying $4 for a cup of coffee a bit sweeter.  

How To Travel In Italy On A Budget And Avoid The Crowds

by Ashley Price, contributing travel writer

Italy is a country with an abundance of iconic history, beauty, and

most importantly, comfort food.

With only a week, my roommate and I were able to experience Venice, Florence, Pisa,

and Rome on levels deeper than the typical tourist experience thanks to tips from friends

and about a million travel sites.

Here is what I learned from my time in each city that made our travels both less expensive

and more enjoyable.

Venice (Saint Lucia)

Venice lives up to all expectations on its beauty.
With the main canal running right down the middle of the city, the rustic buildings, and cobblestone
streets, the city looks like a painting.

That being said, Venice was certainly the most touristy of the cities we visited
as far as food and gelato quality is concerned.
We were there for essentially 24 hours (an evening into the afternoon of the following day)
and that was plenty of time.
We stayed at an Airbnb near the Jewish Ghetto which was a great location.
Everything is walking distance (especially since there are no cars on the island!)
We decided not to do a gondola ride just because they’re pretty pricey (80€)
and the timing didn’t work out for us since the city doesn’t wake up until 11am.

Sites to see:

• St. Mark’s Basilica - the basilica was closed when we visited, but normally it’s free to the public.
  It’s also situated in a very pretty plaza on the water. 
• The Bridge of Sighs - walking distance from the basilica. The most famous bridge in Venice.
  Get there early! It gets ridiculously crowded later on in the day.
  My roommate and I got there around 9am and it was empty, but when we returned at 11 on our way back to our Airbnb it was a zoo. 
• Jewish Ghetto - every city we visited had one
  .
  It was just neat to see the Jewish side of the country’s history. 

Food:

I think the best pizza I had on my entire trip was from Osteria Nono Risorto in Venice.
It was no more than 10€ for a whole pizza. I got the ricotta and spinach. I still think about it.

Florence:

Florence is a stunning mid-size city and stole our hearts almost immediately.
We spent about 2.5 days in the city: Sunday evening - Wednesday morning with a half day in Pisa.
This was enough time for us to see all of the main attractions the city had to offer.
We stayed at an Airbnb on the opposite side of the river from the Duomo,
and we appreciated it because it was quieter and it gave us a chance to see other less-touristy parts of the city.

Sites to see:

• Uffizi Museum - this museum is HUGE! My roommate and I aren’t huge art people, and we spent 2.5hrs and felt rushed. Buy tickets ahead of time online. It’s a small fee, but totally worth it because you get to skip the enormous ticket line. Check out the Firenze card to see if it's a better deal than buying each museum entrance ticket separately. 
• L’accademia Museum - where David is. It’s a small museum. We spent about half an hour. Buy a ticket ahead of time to this too. 
• Leaning Tower of Pisa - it’s a one hour, 8 euro train ride to Pisa. A half day is all you need (especially if you don’t climb the tower). 
• Duomo - buy tickets ahead of time!! The lines are crazy here too. We climbed the Duomo, and highly recommend it because the view from the top is beautiful. The climb up is 400+ stairs, and is pretty narrow, so if you’re easily claustrophobic I’d be cautious. 
• Piazza Michelangelo - a beautiful view of the entirety of Florence. My roommate and I took sandwiches up there and had a picnic.
• Mercado Centrale - a cute open market with leather goods and other souvenirs. There is an indoor part as well with pasta, liquor, and other Italian foods.
• Ponte Vecchio - bridge in the center of the city with jewelry shops lining the edges of its entirety. Gets crowded the later you go. Florence wakes up around 8:30am.
• Giuliano Ricchi - local artisan that presses 1 euro coins and turns them into braceletsfor a total of 6 euros. His shop is difficult to find. It’s in Santo Spirito. You walk into a hallway that looks like an apartment building and ring the doorbell labeled “Cecchi”. After a few seconds, Giuliano will let you in through the gate to his shop. He only speaks Italian, but we were able to communicate with him through Spanish! He walked us around his shop and let us watch the whole euro pressing process. It was very cool and I got a unique souvenir! 

Food:

• Quattro Leoni - restaurant near Santo Spirito. Very tasty and not too expensive. I had their famous pear tortellini. 
• Berberé - good, inexpensive pizza. I had the pumpkin/mushroom and it was good. My roommate had the Margherita and said it was the best pizza sauce she had in all of Italy. 
• I Porci Comodi - cheap sandwiches in Pisa! Huge portions! Near the University of Pisa.
• All’Antico Vinao - hole in the wall sandwich place. SO GOOD. I ordered “no meat” and am still not entirely sure of everything that was on my sandwich, but it was delicious and vegetarian. 
• Restaurant in Santo Spirito - I forgot the name of it, but it’s in the piazza. It’s the one restaurant on the side with the bars. Very good spaghetti. 

Rome:

Rome is a large city that I compared slightly to New York City in size and energy.
It was really neat to see ancient ruins casually mixed in with the rest of the modern city.
Despite being so large, it was easily walkable! Nothing was more than 30 min from our Airbnb
in the Trastevere neighborhood.
Trastevere is a suburb on the Vatican side of the river which I highly recommend either staying
in or visiting because of its typical Italian charm and plethora of delicious restaurants.

**We did the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, and Spanish Steps all in one day,
and definitely recommend. We got to our last stop, the Spanish Steps, around 2:30.

Sites to see:

• Colosseum - buy tickets online in advance! We walked right in while hundreds of ticketless people stood in line under the Roman sun.Also, get there early because it gets crowded. We got there around 9:30, and it was already a zoo. Rome offers a few different museum pass options, you can check out here. 
• Roman Forum - right across the plaza from the Colosseum and the same ticket. It’s huge, and you’re able to walk around the forum itself as well as hike up onto Palatine Hill in order to look at the forum from above. 
• Trevi Fountain - walking distance from the Colosseum and Roman forum. It’s crowded but very pretty. We only spent about a half hour there to take pictures and throw a coin in the fountain. 
• Spanish Steps - walking distance from Trevi Fountain. Also very crowded but we were able to find a spot to sit and enjoy the sun. 
• Pantheon - free! We went for about half an hour. The painter Raphael is buried inside.
• Vatican City - we spent 3 hours in the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel because they are HUGE.We decided not to go into Saint Peter’s Basilica because it was an extra cost (20+ euros per person) and we were museum-ed out. 
• Piazza Navona - piazza with statues and street performers. Nice place to sit, but there are many people who will try to sell you stuff (selfie-sticks were a popular item)
• Campo de Fiori - cute piazza with an outdoor food market everyday until 3pm.

Food:

• Frigidarium - the BEST gelato in Italy. We went 3 times. For 2 euros they give you a small cone with 2 large scoops and the choice of having it dipped in white/milk chocolate or with whipped cream. 
• Grazie e Graziella - a cute restaurant in Trastevere. We each had an eggplant/zucchini/pepper pizza and they were delicious. 
• Pane e Salame - cheap sandwiches near the Trevi Fountain. One of the few places in Italy where we found poultry on the menu.

• Bread-in - sandwiches near Piazza Navona. Very tasty. I had the “Taxi Driver” which had salmon on it.