Worth it, or a
waste of money?

Cruise cabins, hotel bars, gator boats and everything else we booked. What it cost, and whether we'd do it again.

Tokyo airport transfers.. and why six of us aren't getting the train

Six of us landing at Narita, and the private transfer we've booked came out at £82.69 when Uber wanted about £168 for the same run in a much smaller car.

Tokyo, Japan · 8 min read Read

The four of us cheering with drinks in the air outside the Galaxie Tacos and El Luchador tent at night, papel picado bunting and a cardboard luchador cut-out behind us

Restaurants Worth it

Why Top Taco NOLA is one of the best festivals I've ever been to

$105 each for three hours of unlimited tacos, beer, cocktails and tequila, and by 8pm the busiest stalls had sold out. One of the best festivals I've ever been to, and the queue is the bit to get right.

New Orleans, USA · 12 min read Read

Sofi and Alex at the pool bar on a Celebrity ship, both holding tall Aperol Spritz glasses with straws, with the busy pool and the ship's funnel behind them

Onboard life Worth it

Is it worth getting a drinks package on a cruise ship?

It depends on how much you drink, and what you drink, but probably.

Celebrity Cruises · 10 min read Read

Thai starters at Mee on Bold Street, Liverpool: fishcakes, battered king prawns and crispy beef

Restaurants Don't rush

Mee Bold Street, Liverpool… is it worth it?

Big portions, fair prices and a fun room, but every single thing we ordered came out of the fryer.

Liverpool, UK · 5 min read Read

The four of us at a long wooden bench at Craft Brew Festival Liverpool, half pint cups in hand, bunting and a live act on stage behind us

Restaurants Worth it

Craft Brew Festival, Liverpool… five hours of bottomless beer

£45 for five hours of bottomless beer from 15+ breweries, and it's the best value day out we've had. Two things stop it being a 5.

Liverpool, UK · 8 min read Read

The dining room at Fenix Manchester: cream travertine, soft arches, a latticed light ceiling and gold cutlery on a busy Saturday night

Restaurants Give it a miss

Fenix, Manchester… all style and no substance

£250 for two, plates cleared still full, and a herb the kitchen swore blind wasn't there. Our honest verdict on Fenix in Manchester.

Manchester, UK · 9 min read Read

Sofi and Alex in sunglasses on the walkway to the cruise terminal in Barcelona, palm trees and a large cruise ship behind them under a clear blue sky

Onboard life Worth it

Move over Virgin Voyages, we're Celebrity Raccoons now

How we went from die hard Virgin Voyages fanatics to sailing almost exclusively with Celebrity Cruises now.

Celebrity Cruises · 8 min read Read

Lunch at Beefbar Monte-Carlo: a blue and white plate of three Wagyu kebabs beside three crispy king crab taquitos in a marble holder, on a green marble table

Restaurants Worth it

Beefbar Monaco is so much more than an Instagrammable dessert

So much more than just another steak house, it's a fun & fancy twist on international street food, with excellent beef at the heart of what they do.

Monaco · 9 min read Read

Things to do Worth it

The best things about Buc-ee's, from two obsessed British raccoons

Five out of five and we are not taking questions. Everything two British raccoons love about Buc-ee's, plus the one thing we will admit is a catch.

Texas, USA · 6 min read Read

A bowl of mega chips and dip from Pink Agave on Virgin Voyages, loaded with esquites corn, guacamole and pulled meat

Restaurants Worth it

The Pink Agave Hack That Fixed Our Least Favourite Virgin Voyages Restaurant

5 out of 5, and it's not even a proper dish on the menu.

Virgin Voyages · 2 min read Read

Clifford's Tower on its grassy mound, a squat round stone keep with people on the roof deck against a grey January sky

Passes & tickets Don't rush

Is the Visit York Pass worth it? We did the sums

Three out of five, and don't rush. The Visit York Pass is £93.82 an adult for two days, and you need five paid attractions before it starts making you money.

York, England · 11 min read Read

Two of us in silent disco headphones by the outdoor stage at Butlins Skegness, crowd dancing behind us

Things to do Give it a miss

Butlins Big Weekender… we went so you don't have to

£380 for three nights at 90s Reloaded in Skegness, and we'd give it a miss. Here's exactly why.

Butlins Skegness, Ingoldmells · 7 min read Read

Three of us in the outdoor pool at The Manor House Alsager, drinks in hand, under a wooden pergola with the rest of the spa garden behind

Things to do Worth it

Two swim up bars in one spa? The Manor House, Alsager

£119 each on a Friday for four hours of thermal gardens, your pick of three lunches and two, yes two, swim up bars. Worth it, with one bit to plan around.

Cheshire · 7 min read Read

The two of us at a yellow table in the Gravity Bar with two pints of Guinness between us, Dublin rooftops through the window behind

Passes & tickets Great value

Teeling, Jameson & Guinness in one day.. for under €45

Three boozey tours in one day, all three on a Go City pass that worked out at under €45, and we'd do the whole silly thing again.

Dublin, Ireland · 6 min read Read

A flight of three Negronis, light, classic and bourbon, on a tray on a Virgin Voyages bar

Restaurants Worth it

The Path of the Negroni on Virgin Voyages: Worth Signing Up For?

Worth it, hands down, and we'd tell you to book the next cocktail workshop you see on a Virgin Voyages sailing.

Virgin Voyages · 5 min read Read

The view over the Southeast Peninsula of St Kitts from a hilltop viewpoint, with the road winding between two bays and Nevis in the distance

Things to do Give it a miss

Virgin's Overland Drive in St Kitts… the views were lovely, the van was not

The only good thing I have to say about this daytrip was that I didn't die, and I wasn't sure that was a given at multiple points.

St Kitts · 4 min read Read

Passes & tickets Worth it

New Orleans GoCity Pass… Is it worth it?

Simple answer… yes absolutely worth it, although I wouldn't stop reading just yet.

New Orleans, USA · 9 min read Read

The two of us on the swamp boat, laughing, holding a baby alligator up between us

Passes & tickets Worth it

Our 5 day New Orleans GoCity Itinerary

So here I'll tell you what we did during our 5 days, which by all means you can use to plan your time, just make sure you check times haven't changed with the attractions.

New Orleans, USA · 10 min read Read

The two of us laughing at a table in the ship's bar, pints in front of us

Onboard life Great value

A Mini Cruise Adventure: Newcastle to Amsterdam with DFDS

Recently we embarked on a delightful mini cruise from Newcastle to Amsterdam, courtesy of DFDS.

Newcastle → Amsterdam · 6 min read Read

The Steak and Eggs at The Wake: sliced steak in gravy with a hash brown, wilted greens and scrambled eggs

Restaurants Worth it

Fancy a Steak Inspired Brunch? Grab a Steak at The Wake!

Great food is not in short supply on Virgin Voyages, and if you love steak, you absolutely need to eat at The Wake.

Virgin Voyages · 4 min read Read

The two of us with drinks in the mirrored, fairy lit entrance to Lolz Super Club

Onboard life Worth it

Lolz Super Club: Hilarious, or the Longest 2 Hours of Your Life?

The show and food are included, $35 gets you unlimited drinks, and the comedians are either brilliant or a disaster. Worth it, with homework.

Virgin Voyages · 3 min read Read

Two margaritas with salt rims on a marble table beside a holographic Millennial Lotería card

Onboard life Great value

Unlimited Margaritas and a Game of Bingo? Lotería Gigante it is!

$35 for unlimited margaritas and a Millennial bingo card. Lotería Gigante is the best value on the ship and we got the hangovers to prove it.

Virgin Voyages · 3 min read Read

The two of us at a wooden table under paper tassels and festoon lights at Spark:York, pints raised and a basket of chicken sandwiches on the table

Things to do Worth it

A perfect weekend in York, and whether the £93.82 pass pays for itself

Two days is exactly the right amount of time for York, and the Visit York Pass at £93.82 an adult didn't quite pay for itself on the weekend we actually had.

York, England · 9 min read Read

Onboard life Great value

A Bar Crawl and Pyjama Party? Sign me up!

You might have guessed.. But we had an absolute ball on our first night on the boat.

Virgin Voyages · 5 min read Read

Hotels Worth it

INNSiDE by Meliá Palma Bosque

INNSiDE by Meliá you've done it again

Palma de Mallorca, Spain · 5 min read Read

A spread of Razzle Dazzle starters on a red table: chicken wings with dip, maple pork belly bites and Nashville hot cauliflower

Restaurants Worth it

Give 'em the old Razzle Dazzle

Ok so as you all hopefully know by now, Virgin Voyages are incredible cruises, and one of the aspects that make them soo great is the quality, selection and experience of food you have available.

Virgin Voyages · 4 min read Read

Us holding up our two finished paintings at the art class, both sunsets over the sea, done in the same session from the same instructions

Onboard life Great value

Unlimited Prosecco and a fun craft? Count me in!

The happenings cast on Virgin are always fantastic & this was no exception. Super fun & excellent value for money.

Virgin Voyages · 5 min read Read

Hotels Great value

INNSiDE by Meliá Barcelona - The Perfect Choice for Short Stays

After a late flight into the city, the last thing we wanted was to have the hassle of getting into the city, especially when it would be too late to enjoy the city or our hotel and we just want some sleep.

Barcelona, Spain · 5 min read Read

The two of us at a table in The Florentine, Barcelona, with two Aperol Spritzes in front of us and a framed portrait of a dog in a monocle and cravat on the wall behind

Restaurants Worth it

The Florentine, Poblenou: the Barcelona brunch that made us Aperol Spritz people

Worth the queue and then some. €20.90 for a main, two drinks and a dessert, plus the Aperol Spritz that finally converted me.

Barcelona, Spain · 7 min read Read

Hotels Worth it

Level Sky

We stayed at the five star Level Sky in Barcelona the night before our Virgin Voyages Cruise.

Barcelona, Spain · 7 min read Read

Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady alongside the quay on a clear day, red and white hull with lifeboats along her side and mountains behind her

Onboard life

Virgin Voyages Embarkation

We absolutely love a Virgin Voyages Cruise, but before our first one we had so many questions that hopefully we can answer for you.

Barcelona, Spain · 4 min read Read

The two of us grinning in a JORVIK time capsule with a red-painted Viking boat and a thatched roof lit up behind us

Things to do Worth it

JORVIK Viking Centre: if you do one thing in York, make it this

If you only do one thing in York, make it the JORVIK Viking Centre. Five out of five, and we're two adults who turned up worried it would be a children's attraction.

York, England · 9 min read Read