Well……off & running on hopefully a budget trip coming in around $2,000 all inclusive. I’m not holding my breath……….
My flight was free thanks to a bump & voucher from AA last fall when co-worker & I were on a business trip. So that was at least a plus (and probably the only plus of the trip, LOL). However, 2 or 3 days after booking the flight they manage to drop my flight & put me on one 3 hours earlier. This entailed then leaving in the middle of the night (airport is a bit over 2 hours) & a 3 hour layover at O’Hare. (Oh happy day………). They didn’t change the return flight, however, that entailed a 3 hour layover also.
This trip included a ‘Veejay’ hotel triple-booking move. In order to get the flight free I needed to book 6 nights total. So I had Flamingo for 5 nights with a birthday offer of $100 in food. Bellagio for 3 nights with $75 Freeplay. Orleans for the simple reason to play in a slot tourney with an $8000 first prize. I intended to sleep 4 nights at Flamingo & 2 at Bellagio.
Regardless, my mom drove me to the airport & we left around 2:30 in the morning. We used up all of my trip luck on the way down, as a dual-trailer semi drifted nearly half way into our lane. Mom was driving & managed to avoid him & he finally snapped awake & got back into his lane - luckily not fishtailing the back trailer & swiping us when he did. Whew! Then, just past the Dells it narrowed down to one lane & we unavoidably hit a piece of exhaust pipe which took out the front of mom’s muffler. But us & the rest of the car, gas tank etc., were in one piece. After a couple of rest stops I did make it in plenty of time & only after going through security did I manage to remember that I forgot my lightweight jacket in mom’s car. Figured it was not worth going thru security with carry-on & backpack a second time & just hoped I wouldn’t have to buy something to keep me warm in a casino.
I hadn’t left quite enough time for a sit-down breakfast at the Great Dane, so I was subjected to a latte’ & a blueberry pastry from the coffee shop. UGH. Edible but not exciting. No problem with the flight to Chicago & a long boring wait there. Ate lunch at Manchu Wok at the airport but nothing memorable. Two hours of sleep will do that to you.
No bumps available on the outbound flight (and yes, I would have subjected myself to an additional wait in order to get a voucher! I basically passed out into oblivion on the way out trying to get some sleep. I didn’t even regain consciousness for beverage service, although I do remember hearing the cart. Not a bad landing & hopped shuttle bus to the rental car center. I had decided on a Dollar Lock Low & Go with a total price of $176 for 6 days. Not a ton to choose from but I went with a white Ford Fusion with 3600 miles on it. You examine your car in the dark parking garage so it’s very hard to notice marks on it, such as the small dent near the driver’s door handle – that actually only showed up in the sun. So hopefully they won’t try to pawn that one off on me. I would assume the person checking it would have just as hard of a time in the garage seeing it as I did - only showed when sunlight hit the side. Rental car is one of the things I was paying out of pocket for.
Pretty tired so headed to Flamingo & checked in in Diamond/Plat room. I didn’t even ask if I had a GO room. Had a request put on for GO if available prior to arriving, but was just glad to be there & was willing to take a standard room if that's what I ended up with. Took the main elevators-mistake. LONG hallway walk. It’s just about ‘right there’ when taking the side elevators next to the Pearl Store & Spa. Regardless, got room 28014 which is a Double Queen with a south view including the fountains – GO room.
I was severely tired so I don’t remember much of the rest of that day – but I did proceed to lose my first days budget at penny slots, and headed to Margaritaville for supper. They didn't feel at check-in that Margaritaville would be included in my $100 food comp, but I knew I was going to eat there at some point so they agreed that the 'give it the old college try' might be the best way to find out. First meal was Brocolli & Chicken Alfredo with a rum drink. Absolutely delicious. Sat on the upper patio & it was almost comfortable with the fans & misters, but about 10 degrees cooler would have been great. The long day was catching up with me so I was up & in bed I believe by 11pm Vegas time.
Lesson Day 1: How many trips does it take to get a Norwegian to realize that getting up in the middle of the night to leave is NOT smart? Obviously 3 or 4 is not quite enough. We'll have to work on that next trip - thanks AA for cancelling that 11am flight!!! Next time when they cancel the flight, call them & get them to rebook the entire outbound leg.
My flight was free thanks to a bump & voucher from AA last fall when co-worker & I were on a business trip. So that was at least a plus (and probably the only plus of the trip, LOL). However, 2 or 3 days after booking the flight they manage to drop my flight & put me on one 3 hours earlier. This entailed then leaving in the middle of the night (airport is a bit over 2 hours) & a 3 hour layover at O’Hare. (Oh happy day………). They didn’t change the return flight, however, that entailed a 3 hour layover also.
This trip included a ‘Veejay’ hotel triple-booking move. In order to get the flight free I needed to book 6 nights total. So I had Flamingo for 5 nights with a birthday offer of $100 in food. Bellagio for 3 nights with $75 Freeplay. Orleans for the simple reason to play in a slot tourney with an $8000 first prize. I intended to sleep 4 nights at Flamingo & 2 at Bellagio.
Regardless, my mom drove me to the airport & we left around 2:30 in the morning. We used up all of my trip luck on the way down, as a dual-trailer semi drifted nearly half way into our lane. Mom was driving & managed to avoid him & he finally snapped awake & got back into his lane - luckily not fishtailing the back trailer & swiping us when he did. Whew! Then, just past the Dells it narrowed down to one lane & we unavoidably hit a piece of exhaust pipe which took out the front of mom’s muffler. But us & the rest of the car, gas tank etc., were in one piece. After a couple of rest stops I did make it in plenty of time & only after going through security did I manage to remember that I forgot my lightweight jacket in mom’s car. Figured it was not worth going thru security with carry-on & backpack a second time & just hoped I wouldn’t have to buy something to keep me warm in a casino.
I hadn’t left quite enough time for a sit-down breakfast at the Great Dane, so I was subjected to a latte’ & a blueberry pastry from the coffee shop. UGH. Edible but not exciting. No problem with the flight to Chicago & a long boring wait there. Ate lunch at Manchu Wok at the airport but nothing memorable. Two hours of sleep will do that to you.
No bumps available on the outbound flight (and yes, I would have subjected myself to an additional wait in order to get a voucher! I basically passed out into oblivion on the way out trying to get some sleep. I didn’t even regain consciousness for beverage service, although I do remember hearing the cart. Not a bad landing & hopped shuttle bus to the rental car center. I had decided on a Dollar Lock Low & Go with a total price of $176 for 6 days. Not a ton to choose from but I went with a white Ford Fusion with 3600 miles on it. You examine your car in the dark parking garage so it’s very hard to notice marks on it, such as the small dent near the driver’s door handle – that actually only showed up in the sun. So hopefully they won’t try to pawn that one off on me. I would assume the person checking it would have just as hard of a time in the garage seeing it as I did - only showed when sunlight hit the side. Rental car is one of the things I was paying out of pocket for.
Pretty tired so headed to Flamingo & checked in in Diamond/Plat room. I didn’t even ask if I had a GO room. Had a request put on for GO if available prior to arriving, but was just glad to be there & was willing to take a standard room if that's what I ended up with. Took the main elevators-mistake. LONG hallway walk. It’s just about ‘right there’ when taking the side elevators next to the Pearl Store & Spa. Regardless, got room 28014 which is a Double Queen with a south view including the fountains – GO room.
I was severely tired so I don’t remember much of the rest of that day – but I did proceed to lose my first days budget at penny slots, and headed to Margaritaville for supper. They didn't feel at check-in that Margaritaville would be included in my $100 food comp, but I knew I was going to eat there at some point so they agreed that the 'give it the old college try' might be the best way to find out. First meal was Brocolli & Chicken Alfredo with a rum drink. Absolutely delicious. Sat on the upper patio & it was almost comfortable with the fans & misters, but about 10 degrees cooler would have been great. The long day was catching up with me so I was up & in bed I believe by 11pm Vegas time.
Lesson Day 1: How many trips does it take to get a Norwegian to realize that getting up in the middle of the night to leave is NOT smart? Obviously 3 or 4 is not quite enough. We'll have to work on that next trip - thanks AA for cancelling that 11am flight!!! Next time when they cancel the flight, call them & get them to rebook the entire outbound leg.
