Las Vegas guide and MSE thread 2012

Las vegas certainly is re-inventing its self all the time, I was quite looking forward to the water park opening but that wont be open now till next year, so if we do go back to vegas we will defo trying that out.

I too will only be gambling a little and hope that luck comes our way
we wont be taking massive spends which I was quite worried about but as you have said vegas is suitable for all budgets. I think as were going for 11nights we will have a daily spending limit but towards the last bit of the trip go shopping and have a little splurge.

I have been searching for cheap show tickets, was wondering whats best buying online before we go or going to tix4less I have seen some people say that they didnt think they got that much of a bargain and seats together are not guarenteed so wondering whats best to do? also are tix4tonight the same thing?

shell x

Got back a couple of days ago from our Vegas honeymoon. This was our third trip to Vegas - after we got engaged there in September 2010, at the top of the 'Eiffel Tower', we couldnt think of anywhere else we wanted to go for our honeymoon.

Flights
We booked our flights with Continental/United for £580 each (Edinburgh - Newark - Las Vegas). Although the flights were all on time, we wont fly with them again to Vegas. On the flight from Edinburgh to Newark my husbands TV screen sound was broken, he complained and asked to move but as there were so many screens broken, and other passengers had already moved to screens that worked, there were no more working. Instead they offered him 2 beers. Which left us to share a tv for the 7 hour flight. I didnt mind as the choices were pretty poor so I watched things on my iphone for most of the trip. There really wasnt much room and the woman sat beside us moaned the whole way that she was used to British Airways and the space on this flight was ridiculous.
On the flight from Newark to Vegas it was incredibly cramped, they didnt have seat back entertainment, and you had to pay for drinks / food on a 5.5 hour flight.
It was the same on the return Vegas to Newark flight, however they did have seat back entertainment, but you had to pay $8 for the privilage.
My Mum and brother flew with BA last month and they said it was much better service so I think we will try them next time!

Hotels - Cosmopolitan
First 3 nights at The Cosmpopolitan in a Terrace Suite - booked though Virgin Holidays for £412. Although the promotion wasnt on when we booked, the hotel included complimentary brunch each morning in The Wicked Spoon, and 2 complimentary cocktails in the Chandelier Bar. I believe they offer this to all international guests. There was no resort fee and the wi-fi was complimentary.

Our suite was absolutely beautiful, on the 21st floor, and with all Terrace Suites, we had a wonderful view of the Bellagio Fountains and the strip. Our suite had 2 bathrooms including a jaquzzi tub, a kitchen with full size fridge, microwave, dishwasher, a large living room and separate bedroom with a super comfy king bed. We also had a washer and dryer which came in very handy for washing our travelling clothes etc. The double balcony was fab, its amazing to go out there and take in the Vegas air and watch that incredible view. It was quite windy the first few days, so it did get cold out there! Our room was immaculate and cleaned spotlessly each day.

We loved this hotel. The location is perfect, and it was great to leave the hotel and be right on the strip. We loved the atmosphere, we stayed over the weekend and although it was busy, we didnt experience any lack of service. We had great cocktail service too - we are not big gamblers, a few $$ in a slot machine when we are passing occassionaly, but everytime we sat down at a machine in Cosmo, within minutes a CW would ask what we wanted to drink. The chocolate martinis are to die for!!! Soo amazing!! They were responsible fr me sitting at the slots alot more than I would normally. I did have a few wins on the Sex and the City slots here though.

We went to the Boulevard Pool one day, it was really very nice with padded loungers, a nice pool and hot tub and great views of the strip.

The Wicked Spoon Buffet is our new number one buffet in Vegas, knocking the Wynn off our top spot. We had brunch here on all 3 mornings and everything was incredibly tasty. Highlights were the pancakes, pecan swirl french toast, bacon and maple syrup, the mac n cheese is the best ive ever had, and the chinese chicken and rice was so yummy. The deserts were pretty impressive with a huge selection of ice creams - the salted peanut caramel is the best!! We also had a complimentary mimosa with brunch each day. The offer saved us alot of $$ and filled us up till dinner time.

Hotels - The Hotel at Mandalay Bay
We then stayed at The Hotel for 7 nights. We booked a 550 room in Mandalay Bay through Low Cost USA for £755.00 including Resort Fee. When we got to check in we mentioned it was our honeymoon and they said they could upgrade us to a Spa Room in MB. After a few minutes of checking rooms, then going to speak to his manager, the receptionist then said that he had something better for us, and upgraded us to a V Suite in The Hotel!

Our V Suite was beautiful - located on the 35th floor at the end of the corridor it had views of both the pool and strip from the bedroom with 2 floor to ceiling windows. There was also a large living room, bathroom with gigantic tub, a second toilet and wet bar area. The Hotel is gorgeous, very elegant and very quiet, with it being a non casino hotel. I had stayed here the first time to Vegas and last trip we had stayed at MB, so we knew our way around. The big plus for us at MB is the pool - we love love love the wave machine, lazy river and lagoon pools. There was a large convention on in the hotel while we were there, with the hotel being fully booked through the week - most guests must have been at the convention through the day as the pool area was empty. Was bliss having the lazy river all to ourselves. Alas, by the Thursday afternoon the weekenders and families started to pour in and the pool was overrun with kids on the Friday.

As much as we love the pool at MB, we did feel a bit isolated being so far South this time, I think staying centre strip at Cosmo had spoiled us. We would stay at MB again, but only for a few days and mid-week.

Hotels - Encore
Our last 2 nights were at Encore. We booked directly with the hotel during one of their promotions and paid $390 including 2 buffet passes and $25 drinks credit. We checked in at 10am on Saturday, there werent any rooms available but they phoned by 11.30am to say our room was ready. We got a room on the 36th floor facing Circus Circus / Downtown.

Our resort tower suite was beautiful - so plush and elegant and, although the smallest suite of our stay, it was probably my favourite. I've always wanted to stay in Wynn/Encore and it certainly didnt dissapoint - everything is so perfect and the attention to detail is amazing.

On Saturday afternoon we walked past the entrance for Encore Beach Club and watched all the 'beautiful young' people queue to get in - not really our scene but each to their own!! We also walked past the queues for the nightclubs XS and Surrender on Saturday night and have never seen so many gorgeous rich young people in my life - the characters and outfits made for some fun time people watching!

We spent a large part of our last weekend at the Encore pool. I loved it there!! Extremely comfy loungers, soft plush towels, a lovely pool and great cocktails! We were in heaven. We did wander round to the European pool, but it was like a scene from US Spring Break Gone Wild - hundreds crammed in the pool and the DJ blaring loud dance music. We returned to the serenity of the main pool and the Michael Buble soundtrack On Sunday morning we overheard the cabana sales rep telling a group of guys that the day before they had had to remove guests from the European pool for getting a little to frisky in the pool! :rotfl:

I will continue with some details of the restaurants / shows / shopping we did on a seperate post!

Wednesday 11th April
Left our house at 6am for the airport and got to Cosmopolitan at 8.30pm Vegas time. We took a taxi from the airport to Cosmo, asked the driver to taken Swenson and the cost was $18.
After check in we ran around the suite getting excited and checking it all out, taking lots of photos and watched some fountain shows from the balcony. Husband then went to find the Secret Pizza Place and returned with 2 giant slices - it was delicious. After a soak in the jacuzzi tub I collapsed into bed. Having been up for 27 hours we fell asleep straight away.

Thursday 12th April
We both were wide awake at 5am and decided to get up and enjoy the suite. My Mum and brother had arrived in Vegas a few days earlier so we met up with them and went to Wicked Spoon for brunch then rolled back to room slightly heavier after all that food! We decided to hit the pool and enjoyed a few hours soaking up the lovely sun.
After a few hours we had itchy feet to see more of the strip so we walked over the Bellagio and saw the Spring Conservatory display - soo pretty. We walked through the Bellagio shops, stopping in Chanel as I wanted to pick up some new make up. However the sales assistants were so slow, and after waiting 20 minutes to be served I decided to leave. We walked on to Serendipity at Ceasers - we ordered some onion rings, sweet potato fries and shared a Deep Fried Oreo Sundae. My brother had the nachos and my Mum ordered the largest piece of Carrot Cake I have ever seen. The total with tip was $85.

We crossed the road and checked out the Sugar Factory shop then into the new Walgreens - wow, so much choice!! We picked up juice, beer, frozen cocktails and snacks for the room.

After a little nap we met up with my Mum and brother and walked over to PF Changs for dinner. There was a 40 minute wait but this was one of our favourites from last trip so we waited. Our food was really good, although my Mums was a tad cold, so she got it boxed up and ate it later after heating in her microwave at Cosmo! For the 4 of us it came to $95 including tip.

We walked back over the Cosmo and signed up for Identity Cards and received our $5 free play, which lasted a surprisingly long time. Also got a couple of Chocolate Martinis, mmmm, the perfect end to the evening! Asleep for midnight on our first full day in Vegas!

Friday 13th April
Awake at 6am this morning. The weather was cold, cloudy and very windy so no pool time for us. We had breakfast at Wicked Spoon early then my husband and brother jumped in a cab to Guns n Amo to shoot some guns - which they loved, and returned with lots of photos and videos to prove their masculinity, hehe.
My Mum and brother decided to go do some shopping, so we walked over to Crystals, Aria and on to Monte Carlo, where I won $6 on a Hangover machine (go me!! :j) I also stopped off at Jean Philipe Patisserie in Aria to try out one of their $4 chocolate strawberries - totally worth it!!
We walked on to the Miracle Mile shops, stopped at Earl of Sandwich so hubby could get his sandwich fix (he is addicted) then back to room for a siesta.
My Mum and I had tickets to see Phantom of the Opera at Venetian - she thought it started at 7.30pm, but was running late, then realised it actually started at 7pm so we had a mad rush to get there. We were stood in the Cosmopolitan taxi queue at 6.40pm and I was convinced we wouldnt make it - but a $15 taxi ride, and a run through Venetian got us in our seats just as the music was starting.
I loved this show!!! I've seen the west end version before, and wasnt sure if I would like the condensed 1.5 hour Vegas version, but it was superb. The Paris Opera House style theatre is so beautiful and the performances were amazing. I believe the show is ending in September - but would recommend to anyone going before then to see. We bought our tickets via Travelzoo for $66 each - front row balcony seats which were fantastic.
After the show we met the boys at Grand Lux Cafe - a favourite of mine - for dinner. I had the Asian Nachos of course, after talking about them for the past 18 months!! And of course I needed to order a box of their warm chocolate pecan cookies to take away - so delicious!! Dinner for the 4 of us came to $85 with tip.
We were all so tired after this that we got a cab back to Cosmo ($12) and ordered our complimentary cocktails at the Chandelier Bar. After watching a couple of fountain shows from our balcony we called it a night.

Saturday 14th April
Awake at 6.30am this morning, unfortunately we had to pack as we were leaving our beautiful suite. Again the weather was awful as it had turned very cold and was raining.
Breakfast at Wicked Spoon filled us up - we noticed the price was hiked to $29 each at the weekend - so with tax it would have cost us $70 if we were paying - such a great offer for international guests!
We walked over to Walgreens and stocked up on more supplies for the room at MB.
As a side note - we noticed this trip that there were alot more people begging on the sidewalks and footbridges, and more 'characters' to have photos with. Although we did notice alot less !!!!!! slappers. When we were walking back from Walgreens there were 2 people begging that had kittens with them - one of them dressed up that people could get photos with. I have a phobia / fear of cats - so I absolutely hated this new way to make money, and it made me really scared to cross the footbridges for the rest of the trip. My husband of course found this hilarious, until we were crossing a footbridge at Treasure Island later in the week and a group of people had a gigantic snake with them, which he has a phobia of!! :rotfl:
After check out at Cosmo we got a quick cab to MB, checked in and walked across to The Hotel to our new suite and settled in. The boys were itching to get to the pool, even though it was freezing! I layered up with a cardigan and pashmina and we headed down to the pool which was empty - beside a few hardened families like us (probably from the UK too and used to freezing temps!) My Mum and I shivered on our loungers while the boys ran in and out of the wave pool and lazy river. After an hour or two I convinced them to come up, or we would all catch a cold, so we headed to our room for some pre-dinner drinks and took in the view of the sun setting behind the mountains and the lights of Vegas coming to life - breathtaking!
My husband and I had booked a limo as a surprise for my Mum and Brother as it was their last night. I booked though Presidential for $60 for an hour. We got downstairs and saw a stretch hummer limo approaching, thinking it must be for someone else. Then our limo driver got out, explained that there were no basic stretch limos available and told us to hop in! Was very very tacky, but so much fun! We asked our driver if we could stop at the Welcome to Vegas sign for photos - not a problem - had some fun taking some shots then onwards to dinner. We wanted to go to Red Lobster as we love this restaurant when we go to New York and Orlando, its a bit off the strip but worth it. We had a really tasty meal, the restuarant has a lovely atmosphere and it was great to be away from the noise and hussle and bussle of the strip. The boys had the Ultimate Seafood Feasts, my Mum and I had the Coconut Shrimp which I think is the most incredible food in the world, it all comes with salads and unlimited cheese scones, with a couple of cocktails each the bill came to $170 with tip. The cab back to MB was $16.
MB was busy that night with it being a boxing match night, so we headed back to our room to watch Saturday Night Live and crashed out.

Sunday 15th April
We didnt wake up till 7.30am this morning - a long lie!!
We walked through Luxor and Excalibur to pick up a box of Krispy Kremes for breakfast. I really dont like these hotels, and when you approach Excalibur there is a really horrid smell, like dirty nappies, so we hurried back out of there and got the tram back to MB.
We had a pool day today as the weather was much nicer and didnt come up till after 4 when it was time for my Mum and Brother to leave for the airport. Was sad to say goodbye to them, but we were looking forward to starting our honeymoon by ourselves.
After we waved them off we couldnt decide what to do for dinner. I realised that I must have cut my foot at some point at the pool and it was hurting quite bad, so we decided to stay in MB and head to Hussongs Cantina. Got down there and it was closed for a private party. My foot was really hurting at this point so we decided to just get take out sandwiches from Red White and Blue and chill out in the room.

Monday 16th April
We ate leftover Krispy Kreme donuts for breakfast and were at the pool for 9am. After sunning ourselves for a few hours we came back to room at 1pm and then headed to busstop outside MB. We bought 3 day passes for $20 each and jumped on the bus to Town Square. I really love it here, the shops are queiter than the strip malls and it really does have a 'town square' atmosphere. We went to Real Foods and shopped for things to bring home, like Maple Syrup etc, then picked up giant salads in their fresh food take away section. My husband got some new t-shirts in Abercrombie and Old Navy and we picked up some cute Flash Gordon Converse trainers for our nephew in Journeys. We then noticed the cinema and thought we would check out what was on. American Pie The Reunion was just about to start so we decided to get tickets - the cinema is so cheap in America!! Makes you see how much we get ripped off back home. Also love the refillable juice and popcorn!! Film was really funny and it was great to be in the nice air conditioning for a while.
Afer the film and a bit more shopping we jumped on the bus to Paris then walked over to the Forum Shops where I got a purse from Ted Baker. Cheesecake Factory for dinner after watching an Atlantis Show, which was a bit rubbish. Meatloaf for my husband, Caramel Chicken for me and some Red Velvet Cheesecake to take away - $65 with tip. Back to hotel and crashed out by midnight.

Tuesday 17th April
Woke at 7am and ate Cheesecake for breakfast (only on holiday!!) - I then fell back asleep till 9am and woke up hungry, so we headed downstairs to The Cafe for food. I had the White Chocolate Raspberry French Toast and a Bagel with Cream Cheese and my husband had Corned Beef Hash, with a couple of fruit juices the total was $65 with tip (an expensive breakfast but was lovely!).
We got to the pool for midday but the pool was very quiet. It was very hot today with not a cloud in the sky.
At night we got the bus to Paris as we wanted to have dinner at Mon Ami Gabi. The wait for a table on the terrace was going to be 2 and a half hours as a group had taken then entire terrace. We were far to hungry to wait so we walked over to Sugar Factory and got a table on the outside terrace overlooking the fountains straight away. I had the Carbonara pasta and my husband had the pizza - I loved mine but he thought his was like frozen pizza you get in a supermarket). He ordered dessert to make up for it. Total was $75 with tip.
We walked over to Bellagio and watched a couple of fountain shows before jumping on the SDX back to MB where I hit 3 bonuses in a row on 3 Sex and the City machines. I kept putting in a fresh $20 bill - spin - hit the bonus then cashed out and moved to the next machine - put in a new $20 - hit the bonus, cashed out and moved to next machine. After the 3rd machine I decided to cash out and ended up about $40 up, my husband was down $5 on Video Poker - we are soooo low rolling!!

Wednesday 18th April
Awake at 8am and up and out the hotel by 9.30am. We took the tram to Excalibur and walked over to NYNY then MGM, taking in all the sites and snapping photos. My husband picked up a ticket to the Titanic Exhibit for later (we both did this last trip and really enjoyed it but he wanted to do it again).
We then headed to CocaCola world and up the stairs to their cafe which I had read about. We ordered Coke Floats and sat looking out over the strip enjoying them - sooo yummy and at $8 for 2, really great value!
We walked on to Monte Carlo and jumped on the tram to Bellagio where we enjoyed another walk through the conservatory. Onwards to Cosmopolitan and Holstiens. We had a Groupon for here so we ordered 2 burgers and a side of sweet potato fries - sooo sooo good and cant recommend highly enough. The bill was only $18 with the groupon, including tip.
We walked over to Walgreens for supplies then bus back to MB where we hit the pool for a couple of hours until closing time at 6pm.
My husband walked over to NYNY to get a sandwhich at Rosebergs Deli which he loves, then on to see the Titanic Exhibit which he enjoyed doing again.
By the time he came back I was starving so we got a cab to Ceasars and headed to Max Brenners in the Forum Shops. I love this place and wish I had discovered it before. I ordered the Chicken Satay and Onion Rings, both of which were fantastic. I then had the Churros which come with warm caramel sauce, warm chocolate sauce and rasberry sauce - delicious and second only to Churros Ive had in Belgium. Hubby had a Crystal Sugar Waffle with Caramelised Banana, Ice Cream and Toffee Crispies. Even if you only go for desert, I highly recommend everyone check this place out! The smell of chocolate is devine and the food is some of the best Ive had in Vegas.

Thursday 19th April
Krispy Kremes for breakfast again and at the pool for 10.30am. We got loungers beside the lazy river and spend the day relaxing and wishing every Thursday was like this.
We had booked a table at StripSteak, but we were both still craving mexican food, so we cancelled our reservation and decided to go to Hussongs Cantina - BIG MISTAKE!! The food wasnt the best. We shared a chicken quesadilla to start which was nice, but my steak tacos werent so nice, with really tough meat. My husband had enchiladas which he says I make better at home. We had a Restaurant.Com voucher so the bill was only $40 with tip.
We played slots for a while then had frozen yogurt (yummy) before calling it a night.

Friday 20th April
We woke early and got the bus to Paris. We arrived at Mon Ami Gabi for 9am and got a table straight away on the outside terrace. Its such a beautiful setting and enjoyed watching the strip come to life while we had breakfast. I had a pan au chocolate and bagel and husband had corned beef hash which we both really enjoyed, the service here is impecible.
I had a little flutter on a Hangover machine and won $5, then walked to Bills Gambling Hall where I lost my winnings, and then some, on a Dirty Dancing Machine!
We walked on past Imperial Palace and Hurrahs - the linq project is causing alot of construction in this area, the sidewalks are a mess, its noisy and due to the high winds the dust was blowing everywhere. We quickly moved on towards Venetian and into the Canal shops. I bought a new charm in Thomas Sabo and we walked along the canals and sat in St Marks Square for a drink people watching. We jumped on the Deuce back to the hotel and got to the pool for 1pm - it was really busy today but we managed to grab the last 2 loungers by the South lagoon pool. Again we stayed at the pool till closing time - it was hot out today getting up to 32C. I think the sun really got to us, as after getting ready to head out and walking out through the casino, we decided to get take out from Red White and Blue and have an early night - our last at The Hotel.

Saturday 21st April
Up early to change hotels, after packing we got a cab to Encore. He took the freeway (grrrrr) and it cost $25. Check in was quick but there wasnt a room available at 10.30 so we left bags with bell man and walked over to Fashion Show Mall. We had a bit of a shopping spree picking up more clothes in Abercrombie, Betsey Johnson, things for our kitchen in Sur la Table (LOVE this shop) and presents for our nephew in Janie and Jack (they have the cutest kids clothes!!). We had talked all week about getting the new iPad, so we decided to go for it today, I think we saved about £60 on UK price.
With lighter wallets we went to Stripburger for lunch. A chicken burger, slider sampler, portion of onion strings and portion of fries cost just $20 with a Restaurant.Com voucher.
We walked back over to Encore via the Wynn, admiring the hotel and casino and all the beautiful shops. We picked up our room keys (they had phoned at 11.30 to say our room was ready) and they phoned the bell man to bring up our bags.
After enjoying our room and view we headed to the pool where we relaxed for the afternoon. We ordered beer and cocktails and just loved being at the Encore.
We had buffet passes included in our booking so we used them that night for dinner. We were so looking forward to this, as we had loved dinner at the Wynn buffet on our last trip - but it just wasnt as good as we remember. There seemed to be less choice, and the choices available just werent as tasty as before. The desserts, which look amazing, tasted of cheap ingredients and there isnt as much choice as the Wicked Spoon. We consoled ourselves that at least we hadnt paid and left, still feeling a little hungry!
We walked on over to the Forum Shops at Ceasars as I wanted to buy an iPad case I had spotted in Ted Baker earlier in the week. Then on to Sephora to pick up my list of cosmetics and Walgreens for some candy to bring home for family / work.
Back at Encore we had fun watching all the people queueing for XS and Surrender. We played some slots, I ordered a Chocolate Martini but they werent as nice as the ones in Cosmopolitan.
We had booked tickets for Matt Goss tonight, but we had received an email earlier that day to say the show was cancelled due to him not feeling well - gutted!! We couldnt decide which show to go to instead, but I wish we had booked something else as it would have been nice for our last weekend.
We got back to the room at 2am, crawled into that amazing Encore bed and closed the curtains with the electric control beside the bed. Ohhhh heaven!!

Sunday 22nd April
Awake at 8am - our last full day in Vegas!!
We got to the pool for 9am - today was sunny and hot hot hot (37C)
We had to give in by mid-day - we just arent used to that heat.
Headed to Mirage and Carnegie Deli for lunch. My husband got the biggest sandiwich I have ever seen - his own Man V Food challenge! I got a bagel, a side of fries and a massive slice of carrot cake. It was good but my husband prefers the sandwiches from Rosebergs Deli in NYNY.
We walked to Fashion Show Mall in the swelltering heat. More shopping in Janie and Jack and Sur la Table before walking back to the Wynn and Encore.
We got all ready then sat down to watch the latest episode of Once Upon a Time (my latest tv addiction!!).
A quick walk to Palazzo and Grand Lux Cafe for our last Vegas meal. We shared Asian Nachos to start (of course), my husband had the Fish and Chips which were delicious, and I had the Caramel Chicken. We ordered a box of cookies to take away. Total bill was $75 with tip.
I think the Palazzo was the only hotel we have not been in before - I really like it! I loved the waterfall and floral display in the shops and wished we had more time to explore this hotel.
We headed back to our room and needed to pack - it was after midnight and we had to be up at 4.30am.
As we lay in the comfiest bed I have ever been in we wished we had booked another couple of nights at the Encore.

Monday 23rd April
Up very early for our flight to Newark at 7.45am. Flight home was uneventful and we landed back in Edinburgh at 8am on Tuesday morning to driech wet weather.

All in all we had a wonderful holiday and still think Vegas is THE best place to visit. This trip was more relaxed than previous trips as we have seen most of the sights, we have done Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, been into all the hotels, so our main priority was to chill out, enjoy the pools, eat great food and do what we wanted to do. It was perfect.

I would love to book up straight away again, my husband would like to wait a few years before returning (but he said that last time and I won him over!!), so who knows, but Vegas will always hold a special place in my heart.

Be lucky everyone!!! :j

Brill review - thanks Gill

As manly as I am, chocolate martini's will definitely be on the list of things to try next trip



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Big savings start now! Book your stay at Caesars Palace Las Vegas within the next 48 hours and get an extra 20% off already great rates! But hurry - this 48 hour sale will only last until April 28, so book today!

Must book by midnight on 4/28/2012.

Valid Now - 8/31/2012.

Gill - We've booked aTerrace Suite too - can't wait!

It just seems odd to give you a kitchen & no crockery or cutlery. Wasn't planning on cooking but a plate or two wouldn't go a miss. Oh well, just have to try out the Wicked Spoon several times.

Haven't been in the Cosmo as it wasn't there last time we went but we are going with friends who are on their 5th trip & they have been wanting to try it for ages.