Why I Travel

I spend my working life measuring things nobody else wants to measure. Which ad actually drove the sale. Which click was worth the dollar. Whether the number on the dashboard is real or just flattering. It turns out that habit doesn't switch off when you leave the office — and travel is where I noticed it most.

Every trip I've ever taken, I've come home with the same frustration: the reviews I read before booking didn't match the trip I actually had. Not because the writers lied, but because most travel content is written to make you feel something, not to help you decide something. "Stunning views." "Unforgettable dining." "Worth every penny." Which views? Compared to what? Whose pennies?

In my day job — performance marketing — vague claims get you fired. If I tell a client a campaign is "performing great," they ask for the number. If I recommend spending more, I have to show what the extra dollar buys. Eight-plus years of that discipline rewires how you evaluate everything, including a cruise cabin, a shore excursion, or a $200-per-night difference between two hotels that look identical in photos.

So this site is my answer

I'm going to review travel the way I audit ad accounts. When I compare a suite to a standard cabin, I'll break down exactly what the upgrade price buys you, line by line, and tell you where the value actually sits — and where you're paying for a word on a deck plan. When I review a destination, I'll separate what's genuinely worth your limited hours from what's just well-marketed.

Speaking seven languages helps here more than you'd think. A lot of travel disappointment comes down to information that never made it across a language barrier — the menu that reads differently in the original, the local price versus the tourist price, the thing everyone in town knows that no English-language review mentions. I can get to that layer, and I intend to.

What's coming

First up: a full review of the Norwegian Luna, sailing in 2026 — including the question every NCL booker eventually googles at midnight: is the Haven actually worth the premium over a regular suite? I'll do the math so you don't have to guess.

If you've ever wanted a travel review written by someone who treats your vacation budget with the same respect as a client's ad budget — this site is for you.