Travel Gadget Reviews, Author at TravelUpdate

Omaha Steaks or Kansas City Steaks: Which is Better?

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | May 25, 2020 | Reviews and Reports | 7

I don’t usually order food online. With the recent stay-at-home advisory and Amex sync offers, I decided to try out two online steak retailers for the first time. Omaha Steaks or Kansas City Steaks? I didn’t order in a way where I could compare apples with apples, but it was still enough to make up my mind in terms of which ones I like better. For Omaha Steaks: I ordered the Omaha Steaks Burgers and the Top Sirloins. For Kansas City Steaks: I decided to try out the gift pack of Filet Mignon and Kansas City Strip Steaks. From...

Disney’s Animal Kingdom: What I saw during my last visit (photolog)

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | May 24, 2020 | Reviews and Reports | 1

Disney World is taking steps towards reopening its parks, although a date has not yet been set. The last Disney park I visited was Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I visited during the holiday season, so the crowd was big and lines were long. How the world had changed since. I am glad I visited when I did, because I don’t have plans to visit anytime soon. That was true even pre-COVID-19. I took quite a few pictures along the way, but I never got around to sharing them, until now. We watched one of the...

Hilton to Extend Expiration Date for Weekend Night Rewards

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | Mar 14, 2020 | Hotels, News | 1

Hilton Honors sent out an email earlier today notifying its members that those with an expiring Weekend Night Reward will automatically have the expiration date extended. No additional action is required. When I called Hilton Honors just last week, they only allowed for an exception of a 2-weeks extension. This latest update is very good news in light of all the travel plan changes and cancellations due to COVID-19. For those who have an expiring cert, you now have until August 31, 2021 to use your reward certificate. Good move on offering flexibility, Hilton. (Other programs should take note,...

Passengers on two cruise ships are under quarantine due to Coronavirus

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | Feb 5, 2020 | Commentary, News | 0

This probably isn’t the kind of adventure that passengers expect when they sign up for a cruise. Currently, passengers on two cruise ships are under quarantine. The Princess Diamond and the World Dream are anchored off Japan and Hong Kong, respectively. There are at least 10 passengers who have been confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus on Princess Diamond. The Diamond Princess is anchored off the coast of Yokohama, near Tokyo, with 1,045 crew and 2,666 passengers — including 428 Americans — on board. The second ship, the World Dream, is docked at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Cruise...

A Passenger Got Kicked Off a Flight For Wearing a Gas Mask

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | Feb 1, 2020 | Airlines, News, Travel Tips | 2

American Airlines removed a passenger from a Dallas to Houston flight on Thursday night, after he wore a gas mask onto the plane. He was escorted off the flight after he refused to take off the mask. One curious detail from the accounts of other passengers: His gas mask didn’t have a filter. This would make it difficult for him to breathe in it. It’s a prime example of why face masks may not be as effective if they aren’t worn properly. While coronavirus has been declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a global health emergency, the...

Why is it called the Coronavirus and Tracking Real Time Updates

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | Jan 30, 2020 | Commentary, News | 0

The World Health Organization (WHO) had just declared the coronavirus outbreak a “Global Health Emergency“, as the number of confirmed cases continued to rise. There is also a lot of fear on how best to handle cases to prevent further spread. Just today, there were news that a cruise trip was being quarantined in port city of Civitavecchia, near Rome, Italy. There were at least 6,000 passengers and 1,000 staff on board. (Update: the two suspected passengers were tested negative for the coronavirus). Many airlines have also cancelled flights amid the outbreak. There are two things of personal interests...

6 Things To Do in Orlando Besides Theme Parks

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | Jan 25, 2020 | Reviews and Reports, Travel Tips | 2

When people think of Orlando, they usually think of these major attractions first: Disney World Resorts, Universal Studios, Sea World Orlando/Discovery Cove, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, and Legoland Florida Resort. There are certainly other things to do in the area besides the theme parks. I wrote about a few of them already, but I thought I’d include them in this list. 1. Visit the Largest McDonald in the World Did you know that the “World’s Largest Entertainment McDonald” is located right in Orlando? It’s conveniently located at 6875 Sand Lake Road (off of International Drive). Since I always...

Visiting the Harry P Leu Gardens, Orlando, Florida

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | Jan 24, 2020 | Reviews and Reports | 0

Last month, I visited the Harry P Leu Gardens (a 50-acre botanical garden) during my visit to Orlando. I was staying at SeaWorld area, and the Leu Garden is about a 35-40 minutes drive away. If you are staying in downtown Orlando, it’s only about a 10 minutes drive. There are certain times of the year where admissions is free. Admissions is $10/ adult. The weather wasn’t great (a light drizzle) on the day of our visit. It was not the kind of day where one might think to visit an outdoor garden, so there was no crowds....

Hotel Review: Hilton Grand Vacation Club at SeaWorld (Orlando)

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | Jan 16, 2020 | Hotel Reviews, Hotels | 0

I recently had a stay at the Hilton Grand Vacation Club Hotel at SeaWorld, Orlando, Florida. Check In When you get to the property, you can park on the side of the road in front of the main building to go through check-in first. Once checked-in, you can drive over to your assigned building There is plenty of complimentary parking at this property. Check-in starts at 4PM. Perhaps it was because of the holiday traffic, but check in was agonizingly slow. We waited in line, along with everyone else, for at least a half-hour. They even had staff handing...

Amex Airline Fee Credit: I’m Sticking with Delta

Posted by Travel Gadget Reviews | Jan 15, 2020 | Airlines, Commentary | 0

If you have an Amex card with the annual credit for the airline incidental fee, January is the month to enroll or change your existing selection to another qualifying airline. The incident fee credit covers qualifying expenses, such as checked baggage, in-flight refreshments, and flight change fees. A fellow blogger had covered this topic, so I won’t rehash the details. Why Delta? I had selected Delta as my qualifying airline last year, and I’m sticking with that choice for this calendar year. It’s an easy decision since most of my flights last year have been on Delta. Since I...