Here is everything covered in this week’s episode.

World’s First 100% Gluten Free Cruise

Oceania Cruises is running a 12 night sailing on the Oceania Vista departing in May 2028, covering destinations across England, Scotland, and Ireland. What makes this one different is that every restaurant onboard, all 11 of them, will be entirely free of gluten containing products.

The Coeliac Cruise concept launched in 2018, with its first sailing in partnership with Royal Caribbean in 2020. Over 30 cruises have run since then, but previously only a dedicated dining room offered gluten free options. This sailing expands that to the entire ship. For anyone managing coeliac disease or a severe gluten intolerance, this removes a layer of stress that normally follows you on every cruise.

Singapore Airlines New Lounge at Melbourne Airport

Singapore Airlines is relocating its Melbourne lounge from its current basement location to a lighter and brighter area of Terminal 2, with windows on two sides. The new space will be roughly 750 square metres, around 30 percent larger than the current lounge, and will include a full bar, live cooking stations, and a dedicated first class section.

Access requires KrisFlyer Elite Gold or above, Star Alliance Gold or above, or Virgin Australia Gold and above. Any guests brought in under these arrangements must be flying on the same Singapore Airlines flight as you or they won’t be permitted to enter the lounge.

IATA’s “Save a Life, Not a Bag” Campaign

A recent study found that 40 percent of respondents across the US, UK, Singapore, and UAE did not know they needed to leave carry on luggage behind during an emergency evacuation. This has prompted discussion around whether overhead bins should be locked during emergencies to prevent delays.

IATA’s new campaign also addresses filming during emergencies, which can similarly slow evacuation. A timely reminder to pay attention to safety briefings and follow crew instructions without hesitation.

Vegas Package: Planet Hollywood Plus Two NRL Games and a Super League Game

Tripadeal has a package combining 3 nights at Planet Hollywood, a cap, and tickets to three games on Saturday 27 February, Parramatta Eels vs Gold Coast Titans, Melbourne Storm vs Wests Tigers, and the Super League clash between Bradford Bulls and Leigh Leopards.

Flights are not included, but check out the video to see how to use Google Flights to book a good flight deal. Book before June 30 and you also get 20,000 bonus Qantas Points plus 3 points per dollar spent. That’s more than enough to get you a return trip along the east coast of Australia.

This deal is worth pairing with a side excursion. Popular options include The Grand Canyon or Zion National Park which is about a 3 hour drive and well worth a few days to explore just in itself.

Subscribe and Join Me Live

New travel Shorts drop every two days covering points and deals, destination guides, trip planning, and the mistakes worth avoiding. Every Monday at 7:30pm AEST The Travel Desk goes live for travel news, the best deals of the week, and your questions answered in real time. Tonight’s replay will stay up if you want to share it.

Drop your suggestions for future topics in the comments, subscribe to 5 Star Trip so you do not miss an episode and I’ll see you next Monday.