One thing that stood out to me the whole week: our ship was split almost evenly between families with little kids and retirees celebrating milestones. Two totally different life stages, same dream trip. And I think more and more people are realizing they don’t have to wait for “someday” to make it happen — you just need a plan. So today I’m breaking down exactly how we paid for ours, and all the other ways you can stack points, miles, and a little strategy to make an Alaskan cruise happen sooner than you think.
What We Actually Did
Here’s how we paid for this trip:
Flights: covered w/ points. We used Alaska Airlines via Atmos Rewards (if you didn’t know, Alaska merged with Hawaiian and rebranded their loyalty program to Atmos Rewards, and it’s genuinely one of the better programs out there right now).
Hotels: covered w/ points. We used World of Hyatt points via Chase (I would get this Ink bonus if you haven’t already!). We did the southern passage and needed a night in Anchorage and a night in Vancouver. Hotel cash rates in both cities spike hard during Alaska cruise season (May–September), so this is exactly the kind of trip where points punch way above their cash value. We used Hyatt points for both stays and paid $0 out of pocket for lodging.
Cruise: a monthly payment plan. This is the one people don’t talk about enough. Most major cruise lines let you put down a deposit and then spread the rest of the fare out over monthly payments instead of paying it all upfront. We did exactly that, and it made a genuinely bucket-list-sized trip feel very doable on a normal budget.
Is it worth all this planning?
10000% yes. We didn’t wait until every last dollar was sitting in savings — we used points for the flights and hotels and chipped away at the cruise fare with monthly payments. Was it worth it? Absolutely, without question.
That’s honestly the bigger takeaway from this whole trip: watching that ship full of families and retirees made me realize this dream trip doesn’t have to sit on a “someday” list. People are figuring out how to make it happen sooner — a mix of points, a payment plan, and a little bit of “we’re doing this now” energy. If Alaska has been on your list, I hope this gives you a real, doable roadmap to get there.
If you have questions about any of this — Atmos Rewards, Hyatt redemptions, the Purchase Eraser, any of it — drop them in the comments. I’ll answer all of them. 🐋
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Have you been to Alaska, or is it on your bucket list? Hit reply or leave a comment — I’d love to hear where you’re dreaming of going next.
Transferring points sounds complicated. It’s not. Once you’ve done it the first time, the whole process takes about two minutes and your points land instantly — no waiting, no fees.
Here’s exactly how I move Chase Ultimate Rewards points to World of Hyatt, screenshots included, plus how the same idea works with other banks and travel partners if Hyatt isn’t your target.
Our suite in Madrid… booked with Hyatt points!
Step 1: Check your card
You need a card that transfers to travel partners at 1:1. My go-to is the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
📌 Heads up: Chase Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred are moving to a 4:3 transfer ratio starting October 1, 2026. The Sapphire Reserve stays at 1:1.
If you’re not sure which Chase card is right for you, or you’re not planning to fly or stay anywhere in the next year, it’s worth pausing here and reading my full points & miles guide first — it walks through which card actually fits your spending and travel goals before you apply for anything.
Step 2: Open Chase → Travel
In the Chase app or online, tap the Travel dropdown and select “Transfer points to partners.” It’s tucked under the Travel tab, easy to miss if you’ve never gone looking for it.
Step 3: Pick World of Hyatt
Chase transfers to Hyatt at a flat 1,000 Chase points = 1,000 World of Hyatt points. No devaluation, no math required.
Hyatt is genuinely one of the best redemption values in the entire Chase transfer portfolio — its award chart tends to hold more real value per point than most hotel programs, especially for Category 1–4 properties and its all-inclusive resorts.
Step 4: Enter your amount
Type in how many points you want to move. Example: transfer 60,000, you get 60,000 World of Hyatt points. Slide to the amount, hit Next, confirm. That’s it.
Step 5: Points land instantly
No waiting, no fees. Most Chase → Hyatt transfers post in seconds. Now go book that free night.
If you’ve got real spending coming up — a renovation, a wedding, a big business quarter — pairing a personal card with a business card is the fastest way to rack up a transferable balance. A few offers worth knowing about:
> 💼 CARD OFFER: Ink Business Preferred — currently running an elevated welcome bonus.Check current offer →
> 💼 CARD OFFER: Chase Business cards — for those with genuinely large spending categories (think up to 200,000 points combined across offers).See current business card offers →
(Offer terms and bonus amounts change often — click through for the current numbers before you apply.)
Since Ultimate Rewards points from a personal and a business Chase card pool together in one account, opening both a Sapphire Reserve and an Ink card is one of the fastest ways to build a big, flexible balance you can send anywhere — including Hyatt.
Transfer benefits: why this beats booking with cash or a fixed hotel program
Flexibility. Points sitting in Chase Ultimate Rewards aren’t locked to one airline or hotel. You decide where they go based on where you’re actually traveling.
Outsized value. A cent-per-point redemption through the Chase portal is fine. A well-timed transfer to the right partner can get you 2, 3, sometimes 5+ cents per point in value.
No blackout dates (usually). Partner award charts, especially Hyatt’s, tend to have far better availability than a hotel’s “pay with points” cash-value option.
It costs you nothing extra. Transfers are free and instant with Chase. You’re not paying a fee to move your own points.
How this works with other banks and partners
Chase isn’t the only bank with a transferable points program, and Hyatt isn’t the only partner worth knowing. The mechanics are basically the same everywhere: earn flexible points, transfer to the partner with the best value for your specific trip.
Other major transferable currencies:
American Express Membership Rewards — transfers to airline partners like Delta, Air Canada Aeroplan, and hotel partner Marriott, generally at 1:1 (some partners run periodic transfer bonuses).
Citi ThankYou Points — transfers to airline partners including Turkish Miles&Smiles and Virgin Atlantic, both known for outsized redemption value on certain routes.
Capital One Miles — a growing list of airline and hotel partners, transfers usually 1:1 or 2:1.5.
Other Chase transfer partners besides Hyatt include United, Southwest, British Airways, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic, and Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer — each with its own award chart and sweet spots.
The skill isn’t memorizing every chart. It’s knowing which 3–4 partners consistently punch above their weight for the trips you actually take — and that’s exactly what I break down in the full guide.
Want the full breakdown?
This post covers one transfer, to one partner. My Points & Miles Maximizer Guide covers everything I’ve learned over years of doing this: which cards to get and in what order, every transfer partner worth knowing, how to find the sweet spots on award charts, and how to stack it all into free flights and hotel stays.
The Traveling Tinsleys 