Blog

At a glance

• A scaled-back version of Royal Caribbean’s largest family-friendly ships
• Unbelievable onboard activities like skydiving and bumper cars
• Excellent food with plenty of free options, as well as specialty restaurants

Odyssey of the Seas overview

Odyssey of the Seas is what you get when you combine the technology and pizazz of Royal Caribbean’s newest mass-market vessels with a slightly smaller size that attracts passengers for whom the largest cruise ships in the world are just too unwieldy.

The 16-deck, 167,704-ton vessel, which carries 4,198 passengers at double occupancy, is only slightly larger than the line’s Freedom Class vessels. However, it still manages to house several jaw-dropping attractions that other classes of ships don’t have. They include a skydiving simulator, bumper cars, a technologically advanced aft-facing lounge with 270-degree views and a giant viewing pod that’s suspended more than 300 feet over the ocean by a robotic arm.

Odyssey of the Seas employs some of the tried-and-true favorites from other, often larger ships, too, including a rock climbing wall, laser tag, a FlowRider surf simulator and the robot-staffed Bionic Bar, which will make Royal Caribbean fans feel right at home.

The vessel appeals to families, especially when it home ports in New York, which means it routinely sails well above double-occupancy levels. On my voyage, the total passenger count was 4,732, just 778 people shy of the possible maximum capacity of 5,510 people.

Although Odyssey of the Seas is smaller than the largest ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet, it still feels crowded, particularly on sea days. Because the vessel sails from the East Coast during part of the fall, winter and a bit of spring, the weather can be chilly or even downright cold on several days out of a weeklong sailing — generally the sea days en route and on the way back from the Caribbean or Bahamas. That often drives passengers inside, making already cramped lounges and public spaces feel even more packed.

I also experienced some issues with wait times for dining room seating and service.

However, the ship does a lot right. Plenty of daily activities, live music and nightly shows keep passengers busy in addition to spa treatments, fitness classes, shore excursions and other diversions. Plus, the food on my sailing stood out — in a good way — from the fare I’ve tried on other Royal Caribbean ships. My travel companion and I made a point of only eating at the free restaurants — the main dining room, the buffet, the Mexican restaurant, the pizza place and the solarium buffet — which makes the food’s excellence even more noteworthy.

Here’s what you need to know about Odyssey of the Seas, from cabins and dining to activities and pricing.

Odyssey of the Seas cabins and suites

As is the case with most Royal Caribbean ships, cruisers have tons of choices when it comes to cabins.

Accommodations span four main varieties: inside or interior cabins with no windows, outside or ocean-view rooms with windows that don’t open, balcony cabins with sliding-glass doors that open to semiprivate outdoor spaces and roomy suites.

Within each of the first three types, variations include rooms large enough to sleep three and four people, as well as connecting cabins. Connecting rooms are great for families and friend groups, as they can sleep up to eight passengers and offer two bathrooms.

Special inside-cabin options include Virtual Balcony cabins featuring floor-to-ceiling screens that broadcast real-time views of the port or the sea, making it feel like you’re in a room with a balcony. I stayed in one of these during my voyage, and I was largely unimpressed. Although the idea was cute, the camera used for the footage was often dirty, and it was such poor quality that, at night, the view was fuzzy, similar to television static.

Also, despite the screen having volume controls, the sound emitting from it was basically nonexistent. It would have been nice to have had some white noise.

In the ocean-view category, in addition to standard outside cabins, slightly larger window-view rooms at the bow face forward and offer vistas similar to what the captain would see.

As for balconies, some versions come with obstructed views, which can often be booked at a slightly lower price than cabins with full-view verandas. Solo cruisers can enjoy their own space with a dozen balcony cabins designed for a single person.

Cruisers seeking exclusivity and a bit more space can choose from a sizable selection of suites, such as a 350-square-foot Grand Suite, a 541-square-foot Owner’s Suite, a 696-square-foot Grand Loft Suite, a 975-square-foot Owner’s Loft Suite or a massive 1,640-square-foot Royal Loft Suite.

Grand Suites come in both one- and two-bedroom varieties, with the latter sleeping up to eight people. Royal Loft Suites can sleep up to six, and Owner’s Loft Suites have room for as many as eight. Plus, both types of Loft Suites have two stories, making them feel a bit more like apartments than cruise ship cabins.

Odyssey of the Seas also has an array of junior suites, which are basically balcony cabins with a bit more square footage, rather than actual suites.

Additionally, the ship offers 38 accessible cabins spread across a number of categories, including standard inside, outside and balcony accommodations, Virtual Balcony cabins and junior suites. These rooms offer wider doorways, more square footage to allow for movement, ramped entryways, lower closet bars and bathroom amenities like roll-in showers with benches, lower toilets and sinks and grab bars.

Cabins are elegantly designed with a mix of neutral colors, light faux woods and nautical blue tones. Even the most basic offer king beds that convert into two twins on request, nightstands, vanities with makeup lighting, closets with plenty of shelving and bars for hanging clothes and drawer space. Every room has some kind of sitting area, but that could be one chair, a sofa or a totally separate living room, depending on the cabin’s size.

Additional amenities include a hair dryer, a small keypad-operated safe, a phone and a TV that offers a few news channels along with ship-produced channels and a painfully small selection of movies.

Each cabin has its own bathroom with an enclosed shower, a vanity, storage shelving, bar soap for handwashing and a dispenser of all-in-one bodywash and shampoo mounted in the shower.

Suites offer additional perks, such as bathrobes, higher-end Royal Caribbean branded toiletries, entry to special embarkation and disembarkation lounges, access to dine in dedicated dining room Coastal Kitchen, luxury bedding, in-cabin coffeemakers, free Wi-Fi and reserved seating in certain entertainment venues. The most expensive suites include the services of a butler (known as a Royal Genie), crew gratuities and complimentary alcohol packages.

Odyssey of the Seas restaurants

Frankly, the free dining on Odyssey of the Seas was so excellent that I didn’t feel the need to eat at any of the extra-fee restaurants. That’s rare on any ship but especially on a Royal Caribbean one. (I usually find the line’s dining to be a bit hit-or-miss.)

On the first night, I had dinner at the Solarium Bistro, which served delectable buffet-style Mediterranean fare as an overflow option for passengers with My Time Dining (which allows you to eat any time between 6:30 and 9 p.m.) who didn’t have reservations. I also greatly enjoyed breakfast, brunch and dinner in the main dining room, which served up mouthwatering French toast, salmon, Indian dishes and more.

Although the food was excellent, wait times were excessive for cruisers who had My Time Dining but who didn’t have reservations (which defeats the entire purpose of being able to show up to dine when the mood strikes). It was common for me to stand in line for 30 minutes for a table. Larger parties often had even longer waits, something made even more intolerable due to the heat generated by giant LED walls that display animations near the dining room entrance.

The hosts did their best to seat me with the same great waiters — Kadek and Astrawan — every night. But, on two nights, I was seated in a different section and waited 20 minutes between courses. It took so long that I had to leave without dessert in order to make it to the show on time. When I arrived, the theater was overly crowded, and I wasn’t able to find a seat, adding to the frustration.

Other free venues included the Windjammer buffet, Coastal Kitchen (which is exclusive to suite guests and passengers at the highest level of Royal Caribbean’s loyalty program), El Loco Fresh’s pool deck Mexican, Sorrento’s pizza, Cafe Two70 (where Rosita makes wonderful specialty coffees and Sophie serves up cheesy, melty sandwiches), Cafe Promenade for pastries and finger sandwiches and Sprinkles for complimentary soft-serve.

Although I didn’t pay extra to dine at any of the for-fee eateries, I poked my head into all of them and took a look at their menus. The most notable for its quirky design is Wonderland, where the dining room might make you feel as if you’re visiting the home of the Mad Hatter from “Alice in Wonderland.” It features menus that must be revealed with wet paint brushes, featuring a list of curious molecular gastronomy dishes.

Other available options included the Chops Grille steakhouse, Izumi and Teppanyaki for Asian fare (including sushi), Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar for travelers craving Italian food and room service, which levies a fee of $7.95 per order (except for continental breakfast, which is free).

Based on my experiences at these restaurants on other ships, I’d skip Chops (which consistently disappoints me) and Teppanyaki (which is gimmicky) and try Izumi or Giovanni’s.

Odyssey of the Seas bars and lounges

As is typical of any Royal Caribbean vessel, Odyssey of the Seas boasts a plethora of bars and lounges, but some stand out more than others. The pool deck social hub is The Lime & Coconut, a brightly colored bar that serves up beachy drinks. The Schooner Bar, a line staple, has arguably one of the best drink menus at sea — try the Toasted Marshmallow Old-Fashioned — and serves as the venue for many of the ship’s trivia competitions, as well as piano tunes.

Music Hall is a unique lounge with pool tables, music-related trivia and game shows, plus a cocktail menu whose drinks — think the Raspberry Beret, the Jack and Diane and the Ice Ice Baby — draw their names from hit songs. Live music there is often meant for dancing, and this venue also serves as a nightclub on certain nights, including the ’80s theme night on my voyage. (On other nights, such as for the line’s trademark RED party, the nightclub scene is found at Two70. On Caribbean night, the party is held under the stars on the pool deck.)

For a pint and live music, you’ll want to head to the Crown & Compass Pub, where you can enjoy mellow cover tunes from the ship’s resident singer-guitarist.

If you’d rather have a cold beer while you watch the game, Playmakers Sports Bar, perched above the Seaplex sports court, is the place. Meanwhile, the Bionic Bar is interesting to watch, but don’t be too caught up in the gimmicky nature of its robotic-arm bartenders. They usually end up sloshing your drink as they craft it, making it rather sticky when the cup finally reaches you.

Worth noting are Royal Caribbean’s zero-proof cocktails, which are tasty and contain no alcohol. My favorite is the Blueberry Nojito, which is like a sweet version of a mojito but with a blueberry twist.

Royal Caribbean sells drinks a la carte, or passengers can purchase one of several beverage packages that generally offer savings to people who drink a lot, whether it’s bottled water, specialty coffees, soda or alcohol.

Odyssey of the Seas activities

Odyssey of the Seas does have a few activities and attractions you won’t find on other Royal Caribbean ships in different classes. The most notable is the Ripcord by iFly skydiving simulator. Watch a short instructional video before donning a jumpsuit, helmet and goggles to try your hand at what feels like free-falling for two minutes in a giant see-through wind tunnel. It’s a fun experience that will, quite literally, take your breath away. You can try it for free on port days or for $50 per person on sea days.

Other unique-to-Quantum-Class offerings include the Seaplex sports area, which is ringed with arcade games and features bumper cars and other fun activities; the North Star viewing pod, which rises more than 300 feet above the sea on a robotic arm for amazing photo opportunities; and next-level technology in the Two70 lounge, which runs both live and recorded performances (don’t miss the cruise director-led showcase).

On the main stage, don’t miss theater production “The Effectors,” during which a team of four superheroes saves the day through song and dance amid jaw-dropping costumes and special effects.

Standout activities for me included a Name That Tune gameshow, where eight contestants tried to guess songs after hearing just a few seconds of them, and the Ultimate Trivia Battle, where team captains had to run into the audience to find answers to trivia questions. Other pursuits you might see on the daily schedule include BINGO, arts and crafts, sports competitions, dance classes, live music, pool games and seminars designed to sell you everything from art and spa treatments to jewelry and shoe orthotics.

That’s not to say there weren’t some activity-related hiccups, though. Venues like Two70, the Music Hall and the Schooner Bar were often so crowded for game shows, bingo and trivia on sea days that it was impossible to find a seat if you didn’t arrive at least 15 minutes early. There were also issues with seating for the early shows in the main theater. It often felt like the lounges just weren’t big enough to accommodate the number of passengers on board.

Further, some events ran late or started early, which meant I missed some of the activities I was hoping to attend. One night, I was disappointed when a phenomenal juggler’s show ran nearly 10 minutes late in the theater, which meant I was too late to sign up to play adult dodgeball at Seaplex by the time I got there.

Another time, trivia started several minutes early, which meant I missed the first couple of questions. And, although “The Book: Seven Chapters, One Adventure,” an elaborate production show held in Two70, was visually appealing and impressive in terms of technology, I found it difficult to follow. Sometimes parts of it were so chaotic that I didn’t know where to look. During other parts, it dragged on with no activity for what seemed an unnecessarily long time.

One odd remnant of activities past is the ship’s SkyPad — a giant yellow and orange sphere that sits on the back of the vessel. It used to house virtual-reality bungee trampolines, which Royal Caribbean scrapped in 2023, following a lawsuit from a passenger who was seriously injured when his bungees came loose. The sphere is still there but is now empty, except for a few lonely-looking beanbag sets.

The ship also includes a casino, three pools (including an indoor one in the adults-only Solarium), six hot tubs, a generously equipped fitness center and a spa with a sizeable menu of for-fee hair and nail services, as well as massages, acupuncture and other treatments.

Odyssey of the Seas itineraries and pricing

Odyssey of the Seas spends part of autumn, all of winter and most of spring sailing to the Caribbean and Bahamas from Cape Liberty cruise port in Bayonne, New Jersey. Beginning in May, it repositions to Rome, from which it sails Mediterranean and Greek Isles voyages through the fall each year.

At the time of publication, fares started from $740 per person for an inside cabin on a seven-night Bahamas cruise and from $1,056 per person for a seven-night Greek Isles getaway.

Odyssey of the Seas for families

Odyssey of the Seas is excellent for families, especially those with kids and teens. In addition to the AO (Adventure Ocean) kids club, which offers daily complimentary activities — think games, science experiments and arts and crafts — for kids from ages 6 to 12, the line also offers a Royal Babies and Tots program, which caters to the youngest cruisers, ages 6 months to 3 years, for a fee.

Teens have their own hangout spaces, too, which feature areas for lounging and socializing; this older subset of kids, ages 13-17, has fewer scheduled activities and can come and go as they please. Late-night babysitting is also offered from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. for ages 6-12 for $10 per child, per hour.

In addition to the kids club spaces and activities, youngsters will love spending time at the Seaplex, a sports court area that hosts everything from laser tag, archery, badminton and dodgeball to bumper cars. The area is ringed with arcade games, and adults will have fun watching from above at Playmakers sports bar.

Other family fun includes the free rock climbing wall and FlowRider surf and boogie-boarding simulator, as well as the Ripcord by iFly skydiving simulator, which is free on port days or $50 per person on sea days (reservations needed). Arts and crafts, game shows, beanbag toss competitions, karaoke and an array of other family-friendly activities round out the agenda for all ages. For water babies, the Splashaway Bay splash area offers a couple of pint-size waterslides.

Odyssey of the Seas accessibility

All elevators and public spaces on Odyssey of the Seas are accessible, featuring entrances with gradual inclines and enough hallway space for a 180-degree turn. One of the vessel’s three pools — the forward main pool — has a lift, and most deck spaces have automatic doors. Additionally, the ship houses 38 accessible cabins in a variety of categories, and the line can provide assistance at boarding and disembarkation.

Odyssey of the Seas bottom line

Although Odyssey of the Seas felt a bit crowded at times, particularly on its sailings from the U.S. East Coast, it offered great food, captivating entertainment and a fun, lively atmosphere that’s perfect for active adults and families with kids of all ages. Ultimately, the ship is a nice way for cruisers to experience some of the over-the-top amenities of the line’s largest vessels but among fewer passengers.

Find out more about Royal Caribbean:

• The 7 classes of Royal Caribbean cruise ships, explained
• Royal Caribbean cruise ships ranked by size from biggest to smallest — the complete list
• Royal Caribbean cruise ship cabin and suite guide: Everything you want to know
• Royal Caribbean food: The ultimate cruise guide to restaurants and dining on board
• The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• The best Royal Caribbean cruise ship for every type of traveler
• Royal Caribbean packing list: What to pack for a cruise, Royal Caribbean style

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

The points game is one of strategy. You want to pick loyalty programs that earn the types of rewards you can get the most use out of, and obtain the associated credit cards that offer earning rates and benefits you can maximize to your advantage.

It’s also a good idea to diversify the types of points and miles you earn. That’s because rewards currencies — whether it’s airline frequent flyer miles, hotel loyalty points or transferable credit card points — are subject to significant and sudden changes (and, in the worst-case scenarios, devaluations).

However, there are also some good reasons to double down with a particular points program or two.

For example, there might be an increased welcome bonus on a credit card for which you qualify even if you already have another cobranded card with the same program. If you already have one credit card with a program, you might find you can earn even more or enjoy better perks by carrying additional ones within the same rewards family.

Just keep in mind that you should be thinking both long- and short-term about any loyalty strategy and that focusing on a few programs now might mean you’ll need to expand your reach later on — or vice versa.

Here are seven reasons why doubling down on credit cards with a points program may be better than diversifying.

Related: Better together: The ultimate guide to the best credit card pairings

Get in on elevated welcome bonuses while they last

We have seen historically high welcome offers on various airline and hotel cards, like the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, and the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.

In fact, some of these offers have been so good that even if you already had a card with the same rewards program, you might have considered applying for another just to earn extra bonus points for a flight or stay.

An elevated offer is always worth considering, especially if it’s a best-ever offer.

Related: The best current credit card welcome bonuses

You can get around (certain) eligibility rules and exclusions

Most credit card issuers have strict rules about who is and isn’t eligible for specific credit cards. Chase has its 5/24 rule, for instance; it will automatically turn down most folks applying for a new card if they’ve opened five or more cards (from any and all issuers, not just Chase) within the past 24 months.

So, let’s say you’re getting close to that number and are trying to decide among a few different new credit cards from various issuers. Since other banks don’t have the exact same rules, you might opt for a Chase card before you hit the five-card limit and then apply for products from other issuers and other programs after that.

Supercharge your earning

It’s often the case that different credit cards within the same loyalty program earn points or miles at different rates.

For instance, The Platinum Card® from American Express earns 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel, on up to $500,000 per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar), and on prepaid hotel reservations made through Amex Travel. It earns 1 point per dollar spent on everything else.

On the other hand, the American Express® Gold Card earns 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants (on up to $50,000 each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) and 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).

The card also accrues 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked with airlines or Amex Travel, 2 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other purchases booked through Amex Travel, and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else. These earning rates come in exchange for a $325 annual fee (see rates and fees).

By carrying both these cards, you could ramp up your earnings dramatically by accumulating 5 points per dollar spent on eligible flight and hotel bookings with the Amex Platinum and 4 points per dollar spent on eligible U.S. supermarket and restaurant charges with the Amex Gold.

Related: How to ensure you earn bonus points for grocery purchases

Open up more and better redemption options

With certain rewards programs, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards, there are basic cards that earn simple cash back and more premium cards that earn points that can be transferred to various airline and hotel partner programs.

That’s what makes the pairing of a card like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® so powerful. The Freedom Unlimited earns 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% back on dining (takeout and eligible delivery services included) and drugstores, and 1.5% back on all other purchases.

If you don’t have a Chase card that earns Ultimate Rewards points, those rewards are only good for various cash-back redemptions.

However, if you have a points-earning Chase card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can pool the points you earn on it with the Freedom Unlimited’s rewards and redeem them for travel through Chase Travel at a rate of 1.5 cents apiece (already a value boost of 50% over the Freedom), or transfer them to the Ultimate Rewards program’s 14 airline and hotel partners.

Related: The power of the Chase Trifecta: Sapphire Reserve, Ink Preferred and Freedom Unlimited

Layer the benefits

Just as earning rates with assorted cards from the same family may vary, many also field different perks from one another. So you might want to carry one for certain benefits and another for still more.

For example, the United Club℠ Infinite Card earns bonus miles in a variety of categories, including United Airlines purchases, travel and dining. As a major benefit, cardholders receive United Club membership and a statement credit of up to $120 for either a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee once every four years.

Despite these benefits, you might also want to open the United℠ Business Card. The card offers similar day-of-travel perks as the United Club Infinite, such as free checked bags and priority boarding, with a few exceptions.

United Business cardholders earn bonus miles at gas stations and office supply stores and on local transit and commuting purchases, plus a 5,000-mile anniversary bonus if you also have a personal United credit card. You also receive two United Club one-time passes each year that you can use to bring extra travelers with you into a United Club.

Make more of a trip with multiple nights or flights

Banks seem to figure most folks are only interested in a single credit card from a particular airline or hotel, so they tend to offer similar benefits across their product lines. If you’re willing to double down on cards with a specific loyalty scheme, though, you can stack certain benefits for even more (nearly) free travel.

For example, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Amex and the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card both come with an annual companion certificate that can be redeemed for a second ticket on the same reservation as the cardmember for round-trip travel within the contiguous United States and select international destinations.

The Delta Amex Platinum companion certificate is good for travel on Main Cabin fares, while the Delta Reserve lets you redeem its companion certificate for Main Cabin, Comfort+ and even first class.

So if you had both cards, you could expect to save on two trips for yourself and a companion — or, if you’re a family of four (or more), the parents could fly up front while the kids could sit in coach, and you’d be enjoying nearly half off your vacation flights.

Looking at hotel-cobranded cards, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card comes with an annual reward night each year of card membership (and a second one every year you spend $30,000, plus a third one after spending $60,000 or more on purchases).

Pair this with the Hilton Honors Amex Surpass and put $15,000 of spending on that in a calendar year to earn another free night reward to use either on the same stay or a different one.

By leveraging benefits that seem to overlap, you can actually combine things like companion tickets or anniversary nights to extend whatever trips you intend to use them on.

The information for the Hilton Aspire Amex card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: The best hotel credit cards that come with an annual free night

Get to elite status faster

In the case of hotel credit cards, specifically, carrying more than one product from the same loyalty program could put a higher echelon of elite status within reach.

For instance, if you have the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, you are credited with 15 elite nights per card per year toward status with the program. That amounts to 30 nights each year — five more than you need for midlevel Gold status, and 45 nights from the elusive Titanium, all before you’ve even set foot in a hotel.

Related: The best credit cards to reach elite status

Bottom line

When it comes to points and miles, diversifying the number of loyalty programs you participate in is a tried-and-true strategy that will help you weather sudden devaluations. However, it can be a good idea to go all-in with one or two individual points programs for a specific time frame.

Doing so allows you to take advantage of any short-term bonuses that arise, to enjoy stackable benefits and to rack up the rewards you need for an imminent redemption even faster. Evaluate your current card lineup and see if there might be any opportunities to double down on one or two programs so you can rack up the rewards even faster.

Related: Why points and miles are a bad long-term investment

For rates and fees of the Amex Gold, click here.

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Starting Dec. 7, Target Circle members can get 10% off Target gift cards (up to $500).

This deal is exclusively for Target Circle members, Dec. 7-8.

If you are not a Target Circle member, you can join online, on the Target app or in-store.

In case you missed it, Target Circle is the company’s free loyalty program. It offers members exclusive sales, personalized deals and additional members-only perks like free Apple trial subscriptions throughout the year. During this promo, members can purchase discounted Target gift cards online or in-store.

If you shop at Target, be sure to use a credit card that rewards Target purchases, including:

• Target Circle Card: 5% discount on Target and Target.com purchases plus free two-day shipping on select items on Target.com
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases, including Target
• Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees): 2% cash back on all purchases, 1% as you buy and 1% when you pay
• U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite® Card: 3 points per dollar spent on all purchases made through mobile wallets, and Target accepts mobile wallet pay
• U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card: 6% cash back at two retailers of your choice on up to $1,500, including Target
• Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (see rates and fees): 2% cash rewards on purchases.

The information for the Target Circle Card, U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card and U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.

Bottom line

This deal is only for Target Circle members, but there’s still time to join before Dec. 7.

Sign up for members-only perks, including this deal, which is valid for 10% off gift cards on Dec. 7 and 8 only, up to $500.

Related reading:

• Target Circle: Everything you need to know about Target’s revamped cards and loyalty program
• The best credit cards for Target purchases
• Target Circle Card credit card review: A bull’s-eye for Target shoppers

Chase’s rise to relevance in the credit card airport lounge games has been nothing short of impressive.

The issuer’s take on airport lounges, dubbed the Sapphire Lounge by The Club, first opened in the U.S. in Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) in 2023. The domestic network has since expanded to New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), and Dulles International Airport (IAD), in addition to an international outpost in Hong Kong.

On Friday, the issuer will take the wraps off its latest lounge — its seventh domestic outpost — at San Diego International Airport (SAN), making Chase the first credit card issuer to open a space at SAN.

There’s lots to love about this new outpost, so read on for everything you need to know.

Chase Sapphire Lounge San Diego location

The Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club at SAN is in Terminal 2 West between gates 46 and 47. The entrance is opposite Starbucks.

All gates in Terminal 2 are connected airside, so as long as you’re not flying on Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines or Sun Country Airlines, you’ll be good to enter the lounge before departure without reclearing security. (The aforementioned airlines operate from SAN’s Terminal 1, which is only connected presecurity to Terminal 2.)

Once you locate the entrance, you’ll need to take an elevator or stairs up to the mezzanine level, where you’ll find the frosted blue doors that mark the official entrance to the lounge.

The space is open daily from 5 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Chase Sapphire Lounge San Diego access

The access policies for the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club haven’t changed with this opening.

Primary and authorized cardmembers with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® can enter the lounge for free, and they can bring up to two guests. Note that you’ll need to have the (complimentary) Priority Pass associated with the card to enter the lounge. Additional guests beyond the initial allotment will be charged at $27 per person.

The same access policy applies to those with the J.P. Morgan Reserve card or the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card (no longer available to new applicants), though the latter card includes unlimited guest access.

Even if you don’t have one of these cards, you might still be able to enter the Sapphire Lounge. Travelers with a Priority Pass membership (from any other premium credit card) can visit one Chase Sapphire Lounge per calendar year and purchase additional entries for themselves and guests for $75 per person.

• The best credit cards for airport lounge access
• The best Chase credit cards

The information for the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card and JP Morgan Reserve Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Chase Sapphire Lounge San Diego layout

Immediately after entering the new space, you’ll see familiar color schemes and design elements that mimic the rest of the Sapphire Lounge network.

From the colorful artwork to the wood flooring to the slatted room dividers, this space is unmistakably a Sapphire Lounge.

That said, Chase certainly imbued a local flair into this space, with the lounge’s focal artwork on display for everyone to see just after entering.

This colorful surfboard-lined mural perfectly fits San Diego and establishes a sense of place for travelers passing through SAN.

After entering the lounge, you’ll walk straight past the reception desk into the dimly lit and moody main bar and dining areas. The wraparound bar is the largest one that Chase has built yet, and it’s sure to be a popular gathering and socializing area once the lounge opens.

There are a handful of bench-style dining tables lining the wall here.

The main dining area features freestanding four-top tables.

The room adjacent to the dining area — complete with an eye-catching lighting fixture — has even more tables for dining or relaxing.

As you pass the main dining area, you can move in two directions. If you go straight to the back of the lounge, you’ll find another large relaxation room outfitted with couches, recliners and a faux fireplace that acts as its centerpiece.

Opposite this relaxation area are three productivity pods that are built directly into the wall — a cool touch for those who are trying to crank out some last-minute work.

If you’re taking calls, you’ll want to make a beeline for the lounge’s sole phone booth, located just next to the productivity pods.

As you proceed farther into the lounge, you’ll find the space’s amenities — more on that below.

If you instead go from the dining room and turn left to go back toward the lounge entrance, you’ll find two more relaxation areas.

The first is accented by a palm tree that serves as a fitting local touch. This open space is mostly outfitted with couches and comfy chairs to promote relaxation.

Meanwhile, if you continue going straight to the back of the lounge, you’ll find the “Balboa breezeway,” named after San Diego’s Balboa Park. This room feels like a California-inspired home library, and this is where you’ll find me posting up the next time I’m in the lounge.

Interestingly, the Balboa breezeway can be partitioned off from the rest of the lounge by a sliding frosted glass door. Chase doesn’t intend to separate this space at the outset, but it could be used down the line if the issuer inks a contract with an international airline that wants to offer dedicated lounge space at SAN for its premium passengers.

Chase’s first digital wall, which displays stunning drone footage of the San Diego coastline, is in the hallway connecting the rest of the lounge to the Balboa breezeway.

All in all, this lounge is unmistakably Southern Californian.

Better yet, the space will also be popular with aviation enthusiasts because the floor-to-ceiling windows that line the perimeter of the lounge provide unparalleled views of the apron and tarmac area.

The space measures nearly 11,000 square feet and has space for nearly 200 flyers. Though that may not be enough to handle peak demand, the partitioned design should make the lounge feel less crowded than it actually is.

Chase Sapphire Lounge San Diego amenities

Though Chase’s flagship outpost in LaGuardia might be the amenity king, this space could definitely be considered a mini-me of New York’s finest.

It starts with a wellness area located at the back of the lounge, which has four private relaxation pods. Each pod has access to digital meditations by Devi Brown.

Meanwhile, there’s a small facial bar with treatments from Face Haus located just across from the wellness area.

The lounge also has a family room, which is filled with toys, games and books for younger travelers.

There is also one shower in the lounge, and it’s available on a first-come, first-served basis. Chase uses Byredo products in all of its lounges.

Meanwhile, there are separate men’s and women’s restrooms. The men’s bathroom features three stalls, two urinals, a beautiful hand-washing area accented with gold sconces, and fantastic views of the tarmac and departing aircraft.

In fact, this might be the prettiest restroom in the entire airport.

Note that there is also a separate all-gender, accessible bathroom.

There’s also a separate nursing room that’s available on a first-come, first-served basis.

To reserve a facial, a wellness pod or the shower, you’ll need to scan one of the QR codes that are displayed on each of the tables. From there, you’ll be redirected to the lounge’s landing page, where you can make your reservations (and even order a la carte dining).

In addition to the aforementioned amenities, the lounge has the basics covered. Speedy Wi-Fi, power outlets, and USB-C and USB-A ports are located at nearly every seat.

Chase Sapphire Lounge San Diego food and drinks

All of Chase’s lounges have above-average dining options, and this location is no exception.

The lounge offers a full breakfast buffet until 11 a.m., when it switches to all-day fare. From French crepes to hamburgers and parfait bowls to hummus and pita pockets, you’ll likely find something appetizing on the buffet.

If you’re after more substantive food, you can also order items from the web-based portal. Chase is teaming up with San Diego’s Oscar’s Mexican Seafood on a handful of specialty dishes, such as a chicken tostada and potato soup with shrimp, which are available in addition to staples such as the Sapphire Burger.

Also, the bar can whip up your favorite cocktail or pour one of the San Diego signatures, such as the bourbon- and gin-based Queen of Rum Row — all served for free.

For those looking to hydrate, there are two large beverage stations, one near the buffet and another near the entrance by the surfboards.

Both offer multiple types of water, coffee from California’s Groundwork Coffee, espresso machines and minifridges stocked with popular soft drinks, such as Spindrift and Leisure Hydration’s electrolyte drinks.

Bottom line

With seven operational lounges in just over two years and three more already confirmed in the pipeline, Chase is making a big play for travelers to carry its top-of-the-line credit cards.

The San Diego location will undoubtedly help attract even more cardmembers. The space itself is gorgeous, and it offers a slew of amenities and top-notch dining options that are sure to impress.

Plus, the Southern California-inspired design helps give the space some local flair that will distinguish it from the existing outposts.

As Chase continues to build more lounges, it raises the bar for what travelers can expect from a credit card-branded airport lounge. As the network grows, American Express and Capital One should take note because the Sapphire Lounges are, in some ways, even nicer than the Centurion Lounges and Capital One Lounges.

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with the latest information.

At TPG, we try to cross off a few destinations from our travel wish list yearly. However, finding the most economical way to get there and back is challenging. Although many TPG readers and staffers use credit card rewards for flight bookings, you might be unsure if you’re getting the best deal from your rewards.

To address this, we made it a New Year’s resolution to help our readers understand how to maximize their points and miles. You can minimize your travel expenses and explore more places by using your rewards more efficiently.

Here are five easy tips to maximize your travel rewards in 2025.

Related: How to choose your best credit card strategy

Redeem Chase points for Hyatt stays

There are many ways you can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for hotels, experiences and sporting events to help reduce the cost of your vacation.

For example, you can use Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book a Hyatt stay by transferring them to World of Hyatt. You can also transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to IHG One Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, but Hyatt points are worth significantly more in TPG’s December 2024 valuations.

For example, 21,000 World of Hyatt points are enough for a standard free night on an off-peak date at a Category 6 property like the Great Scotland Yard Hotel or the Park Hyatt Chicago. Redeeming these points could get you into a room that would otherwise cost more than $500 per night on most dates. World of Hyatt gives all members waived resort fees on award stays, which can add to the savings.

Related: The best Hyatt hotels in the world

Here are some of the best cards to earn Ultimate Rewards points:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open; plus, earn an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.
• Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card: Earn a $750 cash back bonus after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Chase Freedom Flex®: Earn a $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases in your first three months from account opening.
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). This is worth up to $300 cash back.

The first three cards earn fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points, while the remaining four are technically billed as cash-back credit cards.

However, if you also have an Ultimate Rewards points-earning card, you can convert your Chase cash-back rewards to Ultimate Rewards points. For this reason, having more than one Chase card in the family can make sense to maximize your earning and redeeming potential.

Learn how to transfer credit card rewards

You might consider using your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book travel directly in the Chase Travel℠ portal, but let’s look at what that means for a one-way flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Heathrow Airport (LHR) next summer.

I picked a nonstop sample United Airlines flight that would cost $1,128 in regular economy class if I booked through Chase Travel.

If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for travel through the portal at 1.5 cents apiece. So, this flight would require 75,200 Ultimate Rewards points if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve and redeem for this flight through Chase’s travel portal. If you had the Chase Sapphire Preferred, your Ultimate Rewards points are worth a slightly lower 1.25 cents each when redeemed through Chase Travel, so you would need 90,240 Ultimate Rewards points.

Alternatively, you can book this flight in regular economy for 40,000 MileagePlus miles and just $5.60 in taxes and fees. Remember, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to United MileagePlus at 1:1.

When you transfer credit card rewards to a loyalty program, you usually won’t earn frequent flyer miles on your ticket (which you typically would accrue when booking through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal). However, you’ll likely come out well in front if you save tens of thousands of credit card points by transferring them to a partner airline program rather than redeeming them through a credit card travel portal.

Check award rates with transfer partners before redeeming rewards through your credit card issuer’s travel portal. Transferring rewards to book award flights or stays may make sense when paid rates are high (like on peak summer dates) or award rates are low.

Related: How (and why) you should earn transferable points

Track your points and miles

Using your points and miles properly is difficult if you don’t track them accurately. Luckily, there are many ways to track your points and miles.

Many of us used to track our rewards manually in a Word or Excel document, but this was time-consuming and cumbersome to keep up to date. So, you might want to use an automated tool. One option is the TPG App, which keeps track of all your balances in the same place, automatically calculates their value and gives you a heads-up when they will expire.

The TPG App gives you a snapshot of your current situation and can help inform your travel plans. When you log in, you’ll see where you have the most rewards with the accounts you’ve synced (and the value using TPG’s monthly points and miles valuations).

Related: How to keep your points and miles from expiring

Sign up for all loyalty programs

Many people fail to sign up for every loyalty program because they think they’ll never really fly JetBlue or stay at a Hilton. But that mindset has cost travelers millions of points and miles.

Even if you aren’t loyal to one airline or hotel chain, signing up for the program when you fly or stay means adding more rewards to your balance whenever you use the program again. You might even get extra perks, such as free Wi-Fi during your hotel stay, just for being a member.

While you might not want to join every program now, consider ensuring you have a loyalty number listed on every flight you take. Doing so will build up rewards in various programs that could eventually get you a free trip.

Related: These airline and hotel programs offer free points when you sign up

Use online shopping portals to stack award points

You could earn more rewards on purchases for yourself or loved ones this holiday season through a shopping portal. These portals are essentially online shopping malls that partner with thousands of merchants. By starting at the portal rather than going directly to the retailer’s site, you can earn bonus points or miles on thousands of items.

For example, let’s assume you want to buy a transfer or tour through Viator. If you go directly to the Viator website, you’ll only earn rewards for your credit card purchase. If you instead click through the AAdvantage shopping portal, for example, before making your purchase, you could snag extra rewards.

Should you prefer earning cash back instead of points and miles, you can explore online shopping portals like Rakuten and TopCashback. We recommend using a shopping portal aggregator each time you make an online purchase to find the program that offers the best return for your merchant.

Related: The beginners guide to airline shopping portals

Bottom line

With the start of a new year, there are numerous possibilities to modify your strategy for earning and redeeming points and miles.

Following a simple strategy, such as ensuring you have a frequent flyer number associated with every flight you take, can significantly reward you.

We’re already dreaming of our next adventure using points and miles.

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Many perks available from your credit cards are well-known and well-utilized. However, benefits such as trip cancellation insurance, delayed baggage insurance, lost baggage insurance and trip delay protection can quite literally save the day and justify paying an annual fee.

I’ll explain a couple of lesser-known benefits that you hopefully won’t have to use but, if needed, can protect you from extreme financial hardship and ensure your family and loved ones are provided for if something happens to you.

You can easily find the coverage and terms of any protection your travel credit card offers by doing a quick web search for the card’s updated benefits guide. These benefits are not exclusive to travel credit cards, and many standard credit cards come with travel protection and insurance.

Travel accident insurance

Often called common carrier insurance, this policy pays in case of death, loss of eyesight or loss of limb(s) while on a plane, train, ship or bus licensed to carry passengers and available to the public.

A few cards also have travel accident insurance that offers protection for the entire duration of a trip (up to 31 days long) but pays out less than the common carrier insurance policies. To be eligible, you must typically pay for the entire fare with your eligible credit card.

Different credit cards have different payment tables for how much your beneficiary would receive in case of death, losing one limb, losing two limbs, losing sight in one eye or becoming legally blind. Coverage is also typically extended to authorized users on the account, spouses, domestic partners and dependent children of the cardholder on trips paid for with the card.

By default, the beneficiaries in order of precedence are spouses, children and then estate. You can submit a letter to the card issuer to establish another beneficiary.

Emergency evacuation insurance

In the past, when traveling to remote destinations like the Maldives and Fiji, I bought third-party emergency medical evacuation insurance, not realizing the cards I already had would have covered me. There are a few crucial aspects of emergency evacuation insurance offered by credit cards that you need to understand and follow so you don’t compound your medical situation with the stress of financial hardship:

• Everything must be approved and coordinated through a benefits administrator. This is who you or your companions should call when things first start to look like you’ll need assistance. You will not be reimbursed for anything that you decide to pay for on your own.
• Evacuation does not mean repatriation. If you’re far overseas, you won’t be evacuated back to the U.S. Most policies state you’ll be moved to the nearest medical facility capable of proper care.
• Preexisting conditions may lead to your request for evacuation at the credit card provider’s expense being denied. Read your credit card’s full terms and benefits guide to see which excludes these conditions and the credit card’s definition of a preexisting condition.
• The coverage is only for the cost of evacuation and medical care during transportation. Once you’re back on the ground, you still need medical insurance to pay the doctors and staff who provide care.
• Some cards have country exclusions, so don’t expect to head into Syria or Afghanistan and rely on your credit card benefits administrator to get you to a hospital.

To get all the relevant information, download and read the entire section of the benefits guide pertaining to these coverages. Here are a few cards offering travel accident and/or emergency evacuation insurance.

The Platinum Card from American Express

The Platinum Card® from American Express offers among the most generous emergency evacuation insurance of any card.

There’s no cost cap, and benefits are extended to immediate family and children under 23 (or under 26 if enrolled full-time in school). Best of all, you don’t even have to use the card to pay for the trip.

You must be on a trip less than 90 days in length and at least 100 miles away from your residence. A Premium Global Assist (PGA) administrator must coordinate everything to not incur any cost.

The benefit will also pay economy airfare for a minor under 16 to be returned home if left unattended, pay for an escort to accompany that minor if required to get them home and get a family member to the place of treatment if hospitalization of more than 10 consecutive days is expected.*

Other American Express cards offer access to the Premium Global Assist Hotline. However, anything they coordinate will be at your expense. Make sure you read your Amex card’s benefits guide carefully.

To learn more, see our full review of the Amex Platinum.

Related: Your complete guide to Amex travel protections

*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, cardmembers are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.

---

Apply here: Amex Platinum

---

Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred cards

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers two travel accident insurance benefits: common carrier travel accident insurance and 24-hour travel accident insurance. The former applies while riding as a passenger in, entering or exiting any common carrier. The latter applies any time during your trip — but you cannot be paid out on both the common carrier and 24-hour policies.

If you use your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book your trip, you are covered under the card’s benefits.

People eligible for coverage include yourself, plus “[a] spouse, and parents thereof; sons and daughters, including adopted children and stepchildren; parents, including stepparents; brothers and sisters; grandparents and grandchildren; aunts or uncles; nieces or nephews; and Domestic Partner and parents thereof, including domestic partners and spouses of any individual of this definition.”

Chase pays up to $1,000,000 for a common carrier loss and up to $100,000 for a 24-hour policy loss based on the following table:

Some interesting exclusions with Chase that would prevent a payout include the insured person participating in a motorized vehicular race or speed contest, the insured person participating in any professional sporting activity for which they received a salary or prize money, skydiving or if the insured person traveling or flying on any aircraft engaged in flight on a rocket-propelled or rocket-launched aircraft.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve also offers emergency evacuation insurance. If you or an immediate family member paid for at least a portion of your trip with the card, you’re eligible for up to $100,000 in emergency medical evacuation.

Your covered trip must last between five and 60 days and be at least 100 miles from your residence. If you are hospitalized for more than eight days, the benefits administrator can arrange for a relative or friend to fly round-trip in economy class to your location.

If your original ticket cannot be used, you can also be reimbursed for the cost of an economy ticket home. In a worst-case situation, the benefit also pays up to $1,000 to repatriate your remains.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers travel accident insurance as well, but with lower payouts on the common carrier policy. The benefits pay up to $500,000 for a common carrier loss and up to $100,000 for a 24-hour policy loss based on the following table:

Make sure to carefully read through your guide to benefits so that you know what your Chase Sapphire card does and does not cover.

To learn more, see our full reviews of the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Related: 4 times your credit card’s travel insurance can help with travel woes, and 7 times it won’t

---

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred

---

United Club Infinite Card

The top-tier United Club℠ Infinite Card offers travel accident and emergency evacuation insurance. The travel accident insurance benefits pay up to $500,000 for a common carrier loss.

The card also carries emergency evacuation coverage, so you can rest assured knowing that you’re covered in case of eligible medical events. Keep in mind that the United Club Infinite’s benefits may have terms that differ from other Chase cards, so read through your card’s guide to benefits for more information.

To learn more, see our full review of the United Club Infinite Card.

---

Apply here: United Club Infinite

---

Bottom line

We hope none of us ever have to worry about either of these policies, but it’s nice to have peace of mind if you or your family need emergency assistance. This reassurance is one more reason to ensure one of these cards is always in your wallet when traveling.

The benefit guides of all cards are updated regularly, so make sure you don’t toss them in the trash when updates show up in the mail and read the online guides for the latest terms and conditions.

Related: The best credit cards with travel insurance

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

A little more than two hours east of Los Angeles, Joshua Tree National Park is an otherworldly expanse covering nearly 800,000 acres in the high Mojave Desert of California.

Here, majestic boulders mix with striking Joshua trees, known for their spiky, spiny, twisty profiles. These plants — which, fun fact, are not actually trees but succulents — are found only in California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah. This national park is arguably the best place to observe large, undisturbed clusters of them.

With more than 3 million annual visitors, it’s within the top 10 most-visited national parks in the U.S., according to the National Park Service — and for good reason. In addition to admiring the park’s namesake plants up close, you can see where two different desert ecosystems meet alongside a wide variety of plants and wildlife. Plus, Joshua Tree National Park offers dark night skies and geologic wonders that draw hikers, campers and tourists from around the world.

The park is a must-see, with an abundance of hiking and nature trails for all skill levels and multiple campgrounds. You can visit on a day trip, stay overnight in a tent or merely pass through the park for a scenic drive between LA and Las Vegas.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Before you go

Joshua Tree National Park is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the entire year, even on holidays such as Christmas. However, some areas are for day use only; for example, visitor centers operate on a set schedule.

Like at other national parks, you’ll pay an entrance fee. A private vehicle costs $30, a motorcycle costs $25, and an individual walking in or being dropped off is $15. You could also purchase an annual pass to Joshua Tree National Park for $55. If you plan to visit more than a couple of national parks a year, your best bet is to buy the annual national parks pass for $80 (which covers one vehicle or four per-person fees).

You can purchase passes on-site at a visitor center or while driving through an entrance booth. Or, you can save time by buying one ahead of time online.

Reservations are only required for campground stays or certain tours, and you must obtain permits for bouldering, overnight backpacking and conducting scientific research.

Once inside the park, there are no gas stations, hotels, restaurants or grocery stores, but public restrooms are available. It’s imperative that you bring any water, food or supplies you may need.

There are three visitor centers and one nature center that are all open to the public for more information to help plan your visit once you arrive.

Getting there and around

Joshua Tree National Park is 130 miles from LA, 40 miles from Palm Springs, California, and 218 miles from Las Vegas. Given that it’s situated within actual desert wilderness, it’s not wise to rely on public transportation to get here. You’ll likely be driving from one of the aforementioned cities, so you’ll need a car to visit and navigate the park.

While you might be able to arrive via a ride-hailing service such as Uber or Lyft, counting on one to leave could be risky. Cell service can be spotty inside the park, and drivers are not typically sticking around to look for customers. Even if you did find one who was, by chance, dropping someone else off, it would be a pricey ride given the park’s remote nature. A drive back to the nearest major city could cost hundreds of dollars.

The best option is to drive your own car or rent one from wherever you start your trip. This will ensure you arrive as planned, stick to your budget and don’t get stranded.

Best time to visit

It should come as no surprise to learn that it’s best to avoid visiting the desert in the summer.

Though the park is open year-round, temperatures regularly average around 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer months. Being outside in such intense weather can leave you at risk for heat stroke, dehydration or even death.

If you do plan to visit in the summer, try to avoid being outside for extended periods of time during the afternoon or during the hottest parts of the day. Be sure to bring an abundance of drinking water to stay hydrated.

Related: Best national parks to visit in the spring

Even though the desert location is associated with warmth, the area can experience below-freezing temperatures in winter, too. Snow happens, and hypothermia is a real hazard to consider this time of year.

As such, the best time to visit Joshua Tree National Park is in late fall to early winter — after the summer heat breaks but before chilly temperatures and possible snow move in. Alternatively, you could visit from late winter to early spring before the heat arrives.

What to see and do

Popular driving routes and attractions

There’s so much to see and do in Joshua Tree that you could easily spend several days here. If you only have one day, stopping at the visitor center can help you map out the highlights.

Even just a drive along Park Boulevard, the main road that goes through the park, will allow you to see large fields of Joshua trees at every turn. There are several pull-off areas along the road, as well as large parking lots associated with popular trails and attractions.

For the latter, Skull Rock is a top sight. Rain erosion has caused a large boulder to appear as if it has hollowed-out eye sockets. With an adjacent 1.7-mile nature trail, it’s a good spot to snap a photo and then take a short hike.

Additionally, novice hikers should head to Hidden Valley, a relatively easy 1-mile loop. Surrounded by magnificent boulders, the path goes through a small valley filled with desert plants. It can be rocky in places, but it’s mostly flat; the hardest parts are similar to climbing short sets of stairs.

There is also Barker Dam, a mostly flat, 1.1-mile loop through Joshua trees, monzogranite rock formations and a rock art site. The name refers to an actual dam and reservoir, which can fill with water after heavy rains (though it is typically dry).

For an easy nature walk, stop at the Cholla Cactus Garden Trail. At just a quarter of a mile, this flat loop has a partially raised walkway through a landscape of spiky cholla cacti, affectionately known as teddybear cholla. While the name might sound adorable, be wary: The spikes are incredibly sharp. If you visit in spring, you can spot hedgehog cacti that pop with bright, beautiful magenta blooms. (Note: This trail is closed daily from December 2024 to March 2025 to improve the trail’s conditions.)

For an incredible vista over the desert, drive up to Keys View. The fully paved 500-foot loop sits atop the Little San Bernardino Mountains; it overlooks canyons and the entire Coachella Valley, as well as the Salton Sea and Mount San Jacinto in the distance. It’s a beautiful spot to watch the sunrise or sunset.

Hiking trails

Joshua Tree is a hiker’s dream, and in addition to the aforementioned trails, several longer and more strenuous hikes can easily fill one or several days.

Ryan Mountain is a popular hike that leads to one of the tallest points in the park with panoramic views. The 3-mile out-and-back trail gains 1,050 feet in elevation and passes through stunning rock formations, including pinto gneiss — the oldest type of rock in the park, estimated to be 1.8 billion years old.

For a longer hike, consider Lost Horse Loop, a 6.2-mile trail to a historic mining site in an area where bighorn sheep roam. With little shade and unrelenting heat, this trail can be quite difficult in warmer months. Lost Horse Mine Loop is a similar but shorter option.

While you may associate the desert with a harsh, barren landscape, the park is also home to oases with verdant vegetation. Fortynine Palms Oasis is one such trail. The 3-mile out-and-back trek gains 300 feet in elevation up and over a mountain ridge, leading to a lush oasis filled with leafy fan palms fed by a water spring. Just be aware that the trail closes in summer to allow herds of bighorn sheep exclusive access to the water, which they rely on to survive. (Note: This trail is closed Monday through Thursday from December 2024 to March 2025 for structural repairs.)

Lost Palms Oasis is a similar option, accessible by a 7.5-mile out-and-back route that includes a challenging climb gaining 500 feet in elevation.

Finally, for a collection of moderate to difficult backcountry hikes, visit the Black Rock area of Joshua Tree National Park. This isolated section is not connected by roads to other areas of the park. To access it, you must leave the main area and re-enter south of Yucca Valley.

Biking

Cyclists need to know that bike riding inside the park is restricted to roads shared with motor vehicles, and bike riding is forbidden on trails. There are no bike lanes in the park, and most paved roads do not have a shoulder.

If you’d like to cycle in Joshua Tree National Park, the best place to do so is on backcountry roads. There, you’ll find more than 1,000 square miles of wilderness with dirt roads for mountain bikes, as well as four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Rock climbing

With such impressive boulders on display, rock climbing is also a major draw.

The park has more than 8,000 climbing routes to choose from, but permits are required to place, replace or remove fixed anchors. There are also several rules to know before embarking on any bouldering. For instance, you should refrain from altering any rock or changing any established climbs; also, avoid vegetation and use only neutral- or rock-colored fixed anchors.

Where to stay

The best way to take advantage of everything there is to see and do within Joshua Tree National Park is to make your visit an overnight one. While there is no official hotel within the park, there are many lodging options ranging from hotels to on-site camping, as well as vacation rentals and glamping.

Hotels

The widest variety of luxury, boutique and family-friendly resorts are in Palm Springs, though that’s about 45 minutes away. Staying closer to the park entrance is more convenient, though lodging will be more limited.

Marriott, Hilton, IHG and Best Western loyalists can all earn or redeem points at properties near Joshua Tree National Park.

In the adjacent town of Twentynine Palms, Holiday Inn Express and SureStay Plus by Best Western offer standard but comfortable accommodations with one or two beds and outdoor pools. Both are a short drive from the park’s entrance and include breakfast. Holiday Inn rates start at $115 or 24,000 IHG One Rewards points per night, and SureStay starts at $98 or 20,000 Best Western Rewards points per night.

At Marriott’s Fairfield Inn & Suites, also in Twentynine Palms, rooms range from studios to suites. Amenities include a complimentary breakfast buffet and an outdoor pool, and rates begin at $145 or 21,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

Related: Highs and lows: The best places to stay near Joshua Tree National Park

Additionally, Hilton now partners with AutoCamp, an outdoor lodging brand known for glamping-style accommodations that range from kitted-out Airstream trailers to luxury cabins and tents. There’s an outpost in Joshua Tree National Park.

Each AutoCamp location is distinct, but all feature signature amenities such as a clubhouse for gathering and dining, as well as grab-and-go items to purchase for a campfire or grill. The Joshua Tree location, in particular, has a pool, bicycle rentals and morning yoga. Rates start at $192 or 82,000 Hilton Honors points per night.

For a boutique option, Mojave Sands Motel in Joshua Tree is an intimate retreat with just five rooms starting at $195 per night; each room has beamed ceilings, platform beds, private patios and record players with assorted vinyl. Some have outdoor showers or kitchens, too.

Pioneertown is a bit farther from the park entrance but not quite as far as Palm Springs; it’s a former working movie set from the 1940s for old Western flicks that’s been preserved for tourists. Here, you’ll find the Pioneertown Motel, which was originally built in 1946 to house visiting movie stars who were in town to film. Famously, Gene Autry played poker until sunrise in Room 9. Rates begin at $175 per night. The motel is about 25 minutes from the park yet it feels worlds and eras away.

Vacation rentals

Vacation rentals are perhaps the most common lodging option to be found near the park, and listings saturate the towns of Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms and Yucca Valley. Here, you’ll find everything from luxury homes to geodesic domes and yurt-style tents. Airbnb and Vrbo are good places to start, but other options exist, too.

For example, Bungalows by Homestead Modern in the town of Joshua Tree is a collection of 14 boutique midcentury-style suites. They all come with kitchens or kitchenettes, private patios, heating, air conditioning, internet, luxe Parachute linens, and Malin + Goetz toiletries. While these are vacation rentals, staying here includes access to hotel-like amenities such as a communal outdoor space, a pool, a hot tub, grills, a fire pit and wellness activities. In the offseason, prices start at $185 per night.

Camping

There are 500 campsites within Joshua Tree National Park, most of which operate year-round. Most are reservable from six months before your stay to the day of your stay. While 500 sites might seem like a lot, making a reservation ahead of time is highly recommended when possible; this is especially true over holidays and weekends or during high season. Just know that some locations are first-come, first-served.

New campground fees go into effect Jan. 1, 2025. Instead of starting at $15 per night, overnight fees will start at $25 per night in 2025. Amenities depend on each specific location. Only some have water; most have pit or flushing toilets and fire grates. It’s important to research locations ahead of time and come prepared with what you’ll need for the entirety of your stay.

There are also nearby campsites and RV parks outside the park in towns such as Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms, Yucca Valley and Pioneertown.

Where to eat

Since there’s no food or drink available for purchase inside the park, make sure to arrive with all the supplies you’ll need while exploring.

Once you exit, the surrounding towns have many places to eat that are well worth a stop.

Conveniently near one of the park’s visitor centers, Joshua Tree Saloon is a honky-tonk-style dive bar and restaurant serving staples like burgers, tacos and wings. It’s open every day of the year, with live music on weekends.

Another well-known and beloved establishment is the legendary Pappy and Harriet’s in Pioneertown. This barbecue restaurant and lively music venue is known for drawing A-list talent; Paul McCartney, Vampire Weekend and Phoebe Bridgers have all performed here.

About 25 minutes away in the neighborhood of Flamingo Heights, just north of Yucca Valley, La Copine is a highly lauded diner serving New American dishes that change with the season. It’s the best choice for foodies with more of an upscale palate.

For a sweet treat or straight-from-the-oven baked goods, don’t miss Campbell Hill Bakery in Twentynine Palms. The owners worked in famous New York City bakeries like City Bakery and Bird Bath Bakery before relocating to the desert to open this tiny shop; the menu changes daily. Locals wait in long queues for incredible cakes and cookies, delicious sandwiches, and fresh-baked loaves. Arrive early before everything sells out.

Tips

• When navigating a harsh desert environment like Joshua Tree, it’s important to arrive overprepared, no matter how long you plan to stay.
• Staying hydrated is of the utmost importance, both in the intense summer heat and in the winter, to avoid hypothermia. Water bottle filling stations are available in three locations, and you can fill water jugs at certain stations and campgrounds, as well. However, much of the park does not have potable water, so bring more water than you think you’ll need. Similarly, there are no restaurants or gas stations, so arrive fully fueled with both gas and nourishment.
• If you plan to drive the entirety of the park, it will take approximately 45 minutes to travel between the west and north entrances. Driving between the north and south entrances takes around an hour; between the west and south is the longest drive, about an hour and a half.
• Cellphone service is known to be very spotty, though there is free public Wi-Fi inside visitor centers. Download free offline maps from the National Park Service before you arrive, or grab a physical copy from the visitor center or an entrance booth to ensure you don’t get lost.
• Given the varying temperatures, it’s wise to dress in layers. Even if you’re visiting in spring when the days are warm, the nights and mornings can be chilly.
• One of the most important things to know when visiting a national park is to leave no trace. There are seven principles to follow: dispose of all waste properly, leave all natural objects — even something as seemingly simple as a rock — behind, refrain from taking anything home as a souvenir, respect wildlife by keeping a safe distance, stay on designated trails and within campsites, be courteous to other visitors, and follow all NPS rules and regulations.

Related reading:

• Key travel tips you need to know — whether you’re a beginner or expert traveler
• The best travel credit cards
• Where to go in 2025: The 29 best places to travel
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• 13 must-have items the TPG team can’t travel without

Summer 2025 is shaping up to be one of the biggest on record for transatlantic flying.

On Tuesday, TAP Air Portugal announced three new high-profile seasonal routes between the U.S. and Portugal. They include:

• Boston to Porto, starting May 14
• Los Angeles to Lisbon, starting May 16
• San Francisco to Terceira in the Azores, starting June 3

When to go: These are the best times to buy an international flight

All three of the new routes will operate on a less-than-daily schedule. The Porto flight will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 25.

TAP will deploy a single-aisle Airbus A321LR on this 3,145-mile route.

Los Angeles to Lisbon will be operated on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays through May 25 before a fourth weekly frequency is added on Saturdays through Oct. 25. The route will use the wide-body Airbus A330-900neo.

Finally, the new Terceira route will be operated on Tuesdays through Aug. 26 and will use the Airbus A330-900neo.

As part of this expansion, TAP is adding two new destinations to its transatlantic portfolio. The first, Los Angeles, will undoubtedly be a welcome move for anyone based in Southern California given that Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) hasn’t historically had nonstops to Portugal, per Cirium schedules.

The second, Terceira, is an island in the Azores. TAP already flies to Terceira’s Lajes Airport (TER) from Lisbon, and now it’ll be connected to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean with weekly nonstop service to San Francisco.

Interestingly, Azores Airlines already flies to Terceira from Boston and New York, but this new West Coast connection will be the longest flight to the island’s airport, clocking in at 4,918 miles.

Of course, this new route is unique simply in terms of the destination, but the frequency — just once a week on Tuesdays — might be an interesting choice as well.

Value check: Are airline credit cards worth it anymore?

It’ll be interesting to see how many travelers from the Bay Area end up flying to the Azores for a week at a time (or perhaps TAP expects them to combine a trip to the Azores with some time in Lisbon).

Over the years, Azores Airlines has operated nonstops from Terceira to Oakland, California, so presumably this new TAP route will pull a similar mix of Bay Area travelers.

With this expansion, TAP is poised to offer more than 100 weekly flights from 11 North America gateways to Portugal this summer.

“We’re tremendously excited to announce new service from Logan to Porto, LAX to Lisbon and SFO to the Azores. Los Angeles will become TAP’s eighth US gateway. And, of course, all three new routes include our popular Portugal Stopover program where you can enjoy up to 10 days in Portugal enroute to any of our destinations in Europe, or on the way home, for no additional airfare,” Carlos Antunes, TAP’s director for the Americas, said in a statement.

All of these new routes come amid a broader industry-wide network expansion across Europe for next summer. The “Big Three” U.S. airlines — American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines — have all unveiled a slew of new routes and destinations to Europe.

The expansions include new service across the Iberian Peninsula, such as routes to Barcelona, Madrid and Bilbao, Spain, and Faro and Madeira, Portugal.

Related reading:

• The best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare
• Best airline credit cards
• What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
• The best credit cards to reach elite status

Your points and miles can do a great many things, and one of those things is to give back. It isn’t always the highest cent-per-point return for your points, but even small contributions can make a huge difference in another person’s life.

The holiday period may have you reflecting on what you have to be thankful for and how you might be able to show generosity to help those less fortunate and those in need.

Before Giving Tuesday, here are some opportunities to put your points or miles to work to help with charitable causes.

Related: Giving Tuesday: The 6 best credit cards to maximize your charitable donation

Miles4Migrants

Founded in 2016, Miles4Migrants is a nonprofit that accepts donations of points and miles and uses them to book airfare for migrants with financial hardships. Using over 775 million points and miles, Miles4Migrants has helped over 43,000 people, from refugees to asylum-seekers.

You can donate from rewards, airline loyalty and credit card programs. This includes all major transferable credit card currencies and airline programs like Air Canada Aeroplan, Alaska Mileage Plan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, JetBlue TrueBlue and United Airlines MileagePlus.

To donate, most programs require a pledge of a minimum of 1,000 points or miles. Once you submit a pledge, the flight booking team at Miles4Migrants will match the miles donated to an individual in need.

Keep in mind that the matching process can take weeks. Miles4Migrants will update you with the recipient’s photo and story of how your contribution has helped them.

You can donate travel vouchers and cash in addition to frequent flyer miles. Miles4Migrants currently accepts most vouchers from Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue and Allegiant Air.

Additionally, cash donations also help to cover any award taxes, fees and surcharges.

How it works

A former TPG staffer pledged to donate 15,000 JetBlue TrueBlue points. Shortly after, she received an email thanking her for the donation and information on the next steps. Then, she filled out a Google Form with her contact information.

Sometimes, the turnaround is fast, so you’ll want to provide the best way the organization can reach you. Miles4Migrants will also ask if you have a preference for whom you’d like your miles to be used and how you’d like the reservation to be made.

You must sign an electronic donor agreement and then provide the flight booking team with your contact information so they can discuss using your miles with you.

JustGiving

JustGiving is a fundraising platform with more than 1.5 million nonprofits registered, including Malala Fund. American Express has partnered with JustGiving so that you can donate your Membership Rewards points to a charity of your choice.

You must have an Amex Membership Rewards-earning card to participate in this program. Once you create an account and link your eligible card, you can apply your points at checkout. The donation amount can be covered entirely or partially by points.

When donating, your Membership Rewards points are worth 0.7 cents each, lower than TPG’s November 2024 valuation of 2 cents per point.

Despite that, donating points instead of using cash at checkout can help offset your donation and is a solid option to consider.

Give a Mile

Give a Mile assists with helping loved ones come together to give their final goodbyes.

It has provided close to 1,200 flights and donated over 54 million miles. Give a Mile primarily operates using Aeroplan points but does accept donations from United MileagePlus and other programs.

Donating credit card points to charity

You can make donations using credit card points by using a fixed-value card to pay for donations and then use your points to “pay” for the charge on your statement.

As a part of Chase’s Pay Yourself Back feature, Chase Sapphire Reserve® customers and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (and various other Chase Freedom and Ink Business) customers can redeem Ultimate Rewards points toward donations to eligible nonprofit organizations at 1.5 cents and 1.25 cents, respectively, until at least the end of the year.

Eligible nonprofits include the following mix of social and racial justice groups:

• American Red Cross
• Equal Justice Initiative
• Feeding America
• GLSEN
• Habitat for Humanity
• International Medical Corps
• International Rescue Committee
• Leadership Conference Education Fund
• Make-A-Wish America
• NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund
• National Urban League
• Out & Equal Workplace Advocates
• SAGE
• Thurgood Marshall College Fund
• United Negro College Fund
• UNICEF USA
• United Way
• World Central Kitchen

Citi also has charity partner redemption options, including the American Red Cross and UNICEF, starting at 1,000 points. You can now donate ThankYou Rewards points at a rate of 1 cent apiece to a set list of nonprofits.

Donating airline miles to charity

Frequent flyer programs offer an option to donate your rewards to partner organizations. Head to the airline program of your choice for more information about charities you can support with your airline miles:

• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• JetBlue
• Southwest Airlines
• United Airlines

Giving back through these partnerships can be a great way to donate smaller balances of points and miles. It’s also one of the easiest ways to keep your miles from expiring in programs that expire miles based on account inactivity.

International airlines have similar charity partnerships, so you’ll likely find options for donating miles in whichever domestic or international program you prefer.

Donating hotel loyalty points to charity

In addition to airline loyalty programs, these hotel loyalty programs offer donation opportunities. Head to the hotel program of your choice for more information about charities you can support with your hotel points:

• Point Worthy: Link your Hilton Honors account and donate your points to a charity of your choice.
• Marriott Bonvoy Giving: Donate a minimum of 2,500 Marriott Bonvoy points to various organizations
• IHG One Rewards Giving: You can donate a minimum of 2,500, 5,000 or 10,000 IHG One Rewards points to various charitable causes

Bottom line

While the TPG team loves to use points and miles for travel, donating them can go a long way to help someone in need, especially if you have rewards you otherwise won’t use, or you want to help a cause but don’t have the cash to dedicate toward that right now.

While some points and miles donations may be considered tax-deductible, it’s best to double-check with a tax professional regarding a specific donation.

Call it the Battle of the Waterslides.

In the past few years, the big names of the cruise industry — Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line — have been locked in a game of one-upmanship when it comes to waterslides and watery fun zones on vessels.

In addition to such over-the-top new attractions as go-kart tracks and roller coasters, the brands behind the biggest megaresorts at sea have been packing the top decks of their vessels with even more over-the-top watery allures.

Royal Caribbean, for instance, just loaded its newest ship, Icon of the Seas, with a record six waterslides that are part of a massive water park area called Category 6. They’re among dozens of new waterslides the line has added to its ships in recent years.

As recently as early 2016, Royal Caribbean didn’t have a single waterslide on any of its vessels.

MSC Cruises also has gone big with giant water parks in the past eight years, with as many as four waterslides on more than half a dozen of its newest vessels. Norwegian has loaded up its most recent ships with giant water parks, too — some have as many as five waterslides.

Not to be outdone, Carnival, an early adopter of waterslides on ships, has added sprawling water park areas with multiple waterslides to almost every vessel in its fleet.

A brief history of water attractions at sea

In the beginning, there was the pool. As watery cruise ship attractions go, it has long been the staple — something found on nearly every cruise vessel going back to the 1970s.

But as early as 1978, at least one line was spicing up its lido decks with a little waterslide fun — little being the operative word. That’s the year Carnival added a single slide into the pool on its 728-passenger Festivale — a slide so small it’s now hilarious to think it was touted as an attraction.

Often cited as the first waterslide ever on a cruise vessel, the Festivale slide was of a sort that was found at backyard pools at the time. The cruise industry was still in its infancy, of course, and ships were orders of magnitude smaller than they are today. Festivale measured just 32,697 tons, about one-eighth the size of today’s biggest cruise vessels.

Carnival, the self-labeled “Fun Ship” line, would go on to become the early leader in waterslides at sea. Carnival Fantasy, a 2,056-passenger ship that debuted in 1990, was the first cruise ship with a significant waterslide. It measured 115 feet in length.

Related: A beginners guide to picking a cruise line

Just six years later, in 1996, Carnival would make news with the unveiling of a 214-foot-long corkscrew waterslide on what then was called Destiny. (The ship currently sails as Carnival Sunshine after being rebuilt in 2013.) At the time, Destiny was the biggest cruise ship in the world.

In more recent years, Carnival has gone into waterslide-building overdrive. The line has added full-blown water park areas with waterslides, watery play zones and other features to nearly all of its 27 ships. All but one of Carnival’s vessels (Carnival Luminosa) now have at least one waterslide.

One of the Carnival water parks, on the line’s 6-year-old Carnival Horizon, even has Disney-style theming revolving around Dr. Seuss characters.

Norwegian, MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean only began going big with waterslides on ships in the past decade or so. Many of the newest vessels from the brands have massive water park areas, and Norwegian is planning a first-of-its-kind hybrid roller coaster and waterslide for its next ship. Some of the brands are retrofitting big waterslides onto older ships, too.

Additionally, family-focused Disney Cruise Line now has major water attractions on all its vessels.

Which cruise ships have the biggest waterslides?

If your idea of the perfect cruise ship is one loaded to the gills with waterslides and watery fun zones (plus all sorts of other over-the-top attractions), you’ll want to stick to the biggest floating megaresorts operated by Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, MSC Cruises and Carnival.

At Royal Caribbean, that means the giant Icon Class and Oasis Class vessels, which account for the world’s six largest cruise ships. At Norwegian, you’ll find the biggest waterslides and water parks on the line’s relatively recently built Breakaway Plus, Breakaway and Epic Class ships. At MSC Cruises, the new Seaside, Meraviglia, Meraviglia Plus and World Class vessels have the line’s big water parks.

Big lines that have steered clear of the water-park-at-sea trend include Princess Cruises, Holland America and Celebrity Cruises. Geared more toward couples than families and typically drawing an older demographic, all three of these lines have stuck to a more subdued feel for the outdoor areas of their ships. The top decks of vessels operated by Princess, Holland America and Celebrity still mostly revolve around traditional swimming areas with pools, hot tubs and lounge chairs.

Ready for a splashy, top-deck thrill? These are the most spectacular watery attractions at sea.

Category 6

Where you’ll find it: Icon of the Seas

When it comes to water parks at sea, nothing compares to Category 6 on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas. Unveiled in January when the vessel debuted, it’s loaded with a record-breaking six waterslides that span across five decks.

They’re not small waterslides, either. Every single one of the six waterslides either sets a size record for its type of waterslide on a ship or is something that’s never been done before on a ship.

The biggest among them, called Frightening Bolt, is the tallest drop slide at sea. Another of the six slides, called Pressure Drop, is the first open free-fall slide at sea.

The Category 6 water park is also home to Storm-Chasers, dual waterslides that are the longest mat racing slides at sea; Hurricane Hunters, the first family raft slide at sea; and Storm Surge, the first suspended family raft slide at sea.

The Perfect Storm

Where you’ll find it: Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Independence of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas

This isn’t just one giant waterslide; it’s a whole complex of waterslides, each one among the most exciting you’ll find anywhere on the world’s oceans.

The Perfect Storm is on five of Royal Caribbean’s massive Oasis Class vessels — Utopia of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas — as well as a bunch of Royal Caribbean’s smaller vessels. On many of the ships, the complex includes two four-deck-high racer slides called Cyclone and Typhoon, where you can do side-by-side speed tests with your travel partner.

On the five Oasis Class ships, there’s also a third, Champagne bowl-style slide called Supercell. It’ll swirl you around a big basin before plummeting you “down the drain” into a plunge pool. On Liberty of the Seas, a third slide called The Tidal Wave sends you screaming down a steep hill on an inner tube to a nearly vertical incline. Zooming upward, topping out and dropping back, you’ll get a blissful moment of complete weightlessness.

Note that Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas also has a waterslide area called Perfect Storm — but it’s completely different. More on that in a moment.

The Blaster

Where you’ll find it: Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas

The Blaster is the Big Daddy of waterslides at sea. At 800 feet, it’s the longest ever built on a cruise ship. Added to Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas in 2019, it’s a seemingly endless stretch of yellow and orange tubing that winds around the back deck of the vessel like a snake.

A true sight to behold, The Blaster is so long because it’s what’s known as a water coaster. It features water jets that propel you up, down and forward — extending the ride — as you careen around the ship’s basketball court and surfing simulator in an inner tube. At times, you go flying over the side of the ship, over open water (not that you have much time to take in the view).

Royal Caribbean has named the area on Navigator of the Seas where The Blaster is located the Perfect Storm — the same name used for waterslide areas on seven other ships — but the area is completely different from what you’ll find on the other vessels. In addition to The Blaster, the Perfect Storm area on Navigator of the Seas includes a headfirst mat racer slide called Riptide — the first of its kind at sea.

AquaDuck

Where you’ll find it: Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream

Leave it to family-focused Disney Cruise Line to come up with the coolest watery family attraction at sea. AquaDuck is a water coaster, like The Blaster on Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas, and is found on Disney’s two Dream Class ships. But don’t expect anything too white-knuckle. The ride is relatively gentle by water park standards, mainly because it’s designed for kids of all ages (and their parents, who can ride along on inner tubes for two).

While AquaDuck is slightly shorter than The Blaster at 765 feet in length, it has a bigger presence, thanks to its prime location encircling the main pool area. If you’re lounging up top, it’s hard to miss the massive, clear acrylic tubing of the ride that is held up by 46 giant white stilts.

In addition to AquaDuck, the two Disney ships with the attraction (Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream) have a relatively small, kid-friendly waterslide next to the centrally located Mickey’s Pool. Dubbed Mickey’s Slide, it’s held up by a giant Mickey hand that is delightful to view. Both ships also have a watery play zone for toddlers called Nemo’s Reef. Plus, Disney Fantasy has a watery fun zone with water jets, geysers and bubblers called AquaLab.

Note that Disney’s newest ship, Disney Wish, has a water coaster attraction similar to the AquaDuck called the AquaMouse. The big difference is that riders will see animated shorts while riding up the ramp at the start of the ride.

Related: The 5 best cruise lines for families

WaterWorks

Where you’ll find it: Nearly all Carnival ships

When it comes to waterslides on ships, cruise giant Carnival is still the undisputed king. The Fun Ship line began adding them to vessels way back in 1978, and there’s now at least one waterslide on nearly every ship in the Carnival fleet — something no other line can say.

Indeed, on nearly all Carnival ships, there’s now not just a single waterslide but a whole water park area. Called WaterWorks, these areas vary in size and features from vessel to vessel, but they typically have one or two big waterslides, a watery play zone with interactive water features and a large, continuously filling dump bucket that periodically soaks everybody within range.

You’ll typically find the biggest Carnival water park complexes on the newest Carnival ships, such as Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, Carnival Jubilee and Carnival Venezia. Each of these has three waterslides — one more than most Carnival ships.

Aqua Park

Where you’ll find it: Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Joy, Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Encore

Norwegian Cruise Line began going big with waterslides in 2010 when it debuted Norwegian Epic. And wow, did it go big. Norwegian Epic offers three monster waterslides, including the thrilling Epic Plunge — a 200-foot-long tube ride that ends in a swirling bowl. Epic Plunge is part of Norwegian Epic’s Aqua Park, the first water park on a Norwegian ship. Norwegian has since added Aqua Parks to six more new vessels, including its biggest ship, the 5-year-old Norwegian Encore.

Norwegian’s Aqua Parks vary in size and attractions from ship to ship, but some of them, such as the one on Norwegian Breakaway, have as many as five separate multistory waterslides. Yes, you read that right: five waterslides on a single cruise ship! Only Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas has more.

On Norwegian Breakaway, the lineup includes twin free-fall slides that drop passengers nearly straight down several stories, two side-by-side twisting racer slides and a family-friendly slide with a more modest drop. For sheer variety, the complex is hard to beat.

Aqua Park

Where you’ll find it: MSC Seascape, MSC Seashore, MSC Seaview, MSC Seaside, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Bellissima, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Virtuosa, MSC Euribia and MSC World Europa

Fast-growing MSC Cruises has joined the waterslide wars in the past few years — and in a massive way. Each of the 10 ships the line has unveiled since 2017 offers a full-blown water park on its top deck that’s packed with waterslides and other watery fun.

On North America-based MSC Seaside, the Aqua Park has four waterslides and a children’s play area with interactive water features. The waterslides include two massive, 525-foot-long dueling slides that extend over the sides of the ship. The top of the Aqua Park on MSC Seaside is also home to the liftoff point for a zip line that soars 344 feet across the top of the vessel.

Other MSC Cruises water parks at sea include the winter-themed Polar Aqua Park on MSC Meraviglia, which offers a suspended-in-the-sky ropes course in addition to four waterslides. There’s also the Aquaplay area for the little ones.

Two MSC Cruises ships — MSC Seashore and MSC World Europa — even have virtual reality waterslides that involve riders wearing VR headsets as part of the experience.

In all, 14 of MSC Cruises’ 22 vessels now have at least one waterslide on their top decks.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• 15 ways cruisers waste money
• 15 best cruise ships for people who never want to grow up
• What to pack for your first cruise