TSA is Launching Alternative for Real ID - For a Fee!

Beginning February 1, 2026, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will roll out an alternative identity verification program for travelers who arrive at airport checkpoints without an acceptable REAL ID or passport.

To help cover government-incurred costs, travelers who opt to use this program will be required to pay an additional fee. This fee is set by TSA at $45 and completing the process does not guarantee checkpoint clearance.

At the airport, all travelers without an acceptable ID, including those who present a non-REAL ID-compliant state driver’s license or ID, will be referred to the optional TSA Confirm.ID process for identity verification upon TSA check-in and prior to entering the security line. This process will differ airport to airport, and TSA is working with private industry to proactively offer online payment options prior to arrival at the airport.

Those with acceptable forms of ID, including the following, do NOT have to pay this fee or undergo this process; you will simply present your compliant ID as normal and proceed through security:

If you are not sure if your ID complies with REAL ID, check with your state Department of Motor Vehicles. NOTE: A temporary driver’s license is not an acceptable form of identification.

Acceptable forms of ID include:

1. State-issued Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) or Enhanced ID (EID)

2. U.S. passport or US passport card

3. DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)

4. U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents (military ID)

5. Permanent resident card

6. Border crossing card

7. An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs)

8. HSPD-12 PIV card

9. Foreign government-issued passport

10. Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card

11. Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)

12. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)

13. U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential

14. Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

For more information, please refer to the official TSA page.

As always, Upon a Star Travel Agents are committed to monitoring important travel news and policy changes like these—so you can travel with confidence and peace of mind.

Ready to book some travel? We are, too! Just reach out to your favorite Upon a Star Travel advisor or visit us at www.uponastartravel.com and fill out our forms!

AmaWaterways Military Discounts

Two Upon a Star Travel Advisors recently had an opportunity to experience first hand a river cruise on AmaWaterways, and it was absolutely magnificent! (More detailed blog coming soon!) River cruising is so vastly different from an ocean cruise, and even better…AmaWaterways recognizes US Military with some tremendous discounts on select cruises.

There are still many sailings listed for 2025, but there are also some listed for early 2026 and more to come.

What does the military discount get you? 2-for-1 discounts.

Yes, TWO people cruise for the cost of one person. Literally half off the cruise.

AmaWaterways has some great themed cruises, too, to includes locations like the visiting the EuropeansChristmas Markets, beer themed cruises, wine themed cruises, and the ever popular Tulip Time sailings which go see all the spring tulip fields in the Netherlands!

So, how do you book one of these? So easy:

1. Take a look at the current dates available.

2. Pick your date.

3. Email your favorite Upon a Star Travel advisor.

Easy, right?

Here’s the link for existing 2025 & 2026 military discounts for AmaWaterways: 2025 & 2026 Military Discounts AmaWaterwaysAmaWaterways

What if you want a date not currently offered with the deep discount? We can still get you a $250 discount in addition to any other AmaWaterways promotions!

If you’re ready to book a river cruise or have more questions about river cruising, reach out to your favorite Upon a Star Travel Agent or contact us here!

The Disney Wish -- Details Announced!

"A dream is a wish your heart makes" is a familiar tune to any Disney fan... well, after today, my heart's dream is to be on the WISH!"

Today in an incredible presentation, Disney Cruise Line revealed some major details on the forthcoming fifth ship in Disney's magical line of ocean liners. The Disney Wish will have it's maiden voyage on June 9th, 2022, and will be a five night sailing, then followed by a full slate of 3 and 4 night sailings in the Bahamas, most with stops in Nassau, all with stops on Disney's own private island, Castaway Cay.

The Wish is a ship of fantasy, a dream, a wonder, and completely full of magic, offering both familiar and reimagined experiences as well as new attractions, dining, entertainment, and much more - let's take a look at some of the incredible things you can expect on this new ship!

Perhaps the most exciting new feature is the first theme park attraction on a ship -- the AquaMOUSE! With special effects, lighting, Mickey cartoon short animation, and more, you'll be thrilled as you zoom through 760 feet of slide all across the upper deck of The Wish.

The whole family will love the Toy Story family area (with the kid appropriate Slidasauras Rex slide and a smoothie counter... called Wheezy's Freezys, of course) and adults will enjoy the Quiet Cove, created to give them a chance to relax.

Dining will be unlike any other Disney ship, offering several new restaurants, experiences, and even shows! Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure is a theatrical dinner show featuring Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and many other surprises with world class Nordic infused cuisine, while Worlds of Marvel takes you on an Avengers Adventure as you enjoy the superhero inspired menu.

1923 is a throwback to old Hollywood and the year that Walt Disney Company began. You'll enjoy a golden age of animation with a nod to classic California in both decor and dishes.

The Disney classic "Beauty & the Beast" inspires two new dining areas and a reimagined favorite. First, Palo Steakhouse, the legendary restaurant seen on other Disney ships, will feature the cuisine we all know and love, with an atmosphere inspired by the beloved character Cogsworth. Right next door, you'll find Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement, described as Luxury Dining, cultivated by three Michelin-starred chefs, and inspired by Lumiere. Located in between Palo and Enchanté, at the entrances of both, will be The Rose, a lounge reminiscent of the flower at the heart of Beauty's story.

And you'll see it's okay to nerd out even as an adult when you visit Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge, an adult centric bar styled as a high class spaceship, with a drink and taste menu inspired by Batuu, Tatooine, Mustafar, and other worlds in the galaxy far far away.

And after all of that, take a little time to indulge yourself in Senses Spa, while keeping fit in the redesigned Senses Fitness.

The entertainment will combine incredible new technology with Disney's traditional storytelling, beginning with the large theater area called Grand Hall, then continuing with Luna, an entertainment hub that will treat families in the day and become an adults-only spot in the evening. The Hero Zone is a futuristic sports style arena, but if you'd rather take in a flick, enjoy the Wonderland and Never Land Cinemas.

And of course, Disney Cruise Line is known for their incredible Broadway-style stage performances, and Disney Wish will be no exception, with an updated version of their cruise line favorite "Aladdin" musical, as well as new, original productions to be announced soon!

For the teens, Edge is a place were tweens and teens ages 11 to 14 can go, while Vibe is ready for the older set (ages 14 to 17), while parents can take a breather while their youngest are happy and kept busy in the It's a Small World Nursery (6mo to 3 years, with a nominal fee).

For the kids ages 3 to 12, Disney's Oceaneer Club features the incredible Marvel Super Hero Academy, where the kids... er, recruits... can become the heroes... Fairytale Hall will feature Rapunzel's Art Studio, Belle's Library... and Anna & Elsa's Sommerhus.

But where will you sleep? Oh, you ask... and Disney Wish answers. The ship features 1,254 staterooms, with over 900 of them adjoining to help with accommodating larger families. You'll find a verandah on 877 of the rooms as well!

Plus, Disney will feature rooms located above the ship's bridge for the first time, there will be an exclusive sun deck for concierge level guests, and there will be FOUR Royal Suites, each that can sleep up to six guests in a rich and beautiful stateroom -- and two of these suites will be two stories, with a spiral staircase and floor to ceiling stained glass frieze.

Excited yet? We can barely hold in our joy for this amazing new addition to the Disney fleet, and your favorite Upon a Star Travel Agents are ready to get you booked on Disney Wish's maiden voyage and beyond. The Disney Wish will be located out of Port Canaveral..

Booking opens up on May 27th, 2021, for the June 9th, 2022 launch date and the following slate of sailings. Platinum, Gold, and Silver Castaway Members will have advanced booking opportunities.

Contact us at uponastartravel@gmail.com for more information... or just to tell us how excited you are!

Special Savings on Viking Cruises: 2-for-1 Cruise plus International Air Discounts

Viking®, The World’s Leading River Cruise Line®, offers destination focused itineraries in Europe, Russia, Asia and Egypt on what Viking calls The Thinking Person’s Cruise®— designed to help you explore the most intimate nuances of your destinations and their cultures. Plus, Viking Inclusive Value covers just about everything so all you have to do is relax and enjoy a great journey. And the award-winning Viking Longships® have set the standard in river cruising with spacious Veranda Staterooms, the largest suites in Europe, al fresco dining and more.

RHINE GETAWAY: 

Dates available March - December 2018:

Amsterdam, the Netherlands • Kinderdijk, the Netherlands • Cologne, Germany • Koblenz, Germany • Heidelberg, Germany • Strasbourg, France • Breisach, Germany • Basel, Switzerland 8 Days Standard River-view: from $2,049 per person (November, 2018)

Booking Window: 1/1/2018 - 2/7/2018 Travel Window: 3/1/2018 - 12/31/2018

Contact us today to speak to speak to one of our Viking Cruise Line specialists!

Upon A Star Travel

The Great Escape - Cruise Like a Norwegian

So, in a departure from my typical Disney theme, today I am going to write about my recent cruise on the new Norwegian Escape.  On November 28, I departed on a hosted cruise with the Janelle & Co Crew on the 3rd even voyage of this brand new ship.  It was a fun experience from start to finish!  

So let's start with accommodations: we stayed in a balcony room, and it was very nice. 

As usual, there are several clever hidey-holes and such to help keep you organized throughout the week.  The staterooms were furnished beautifully, and it still had that "new ship" smell. In the picture above, you'll notice 2 beach towels; each stateroom comes with 1 beach towel per person to use throughout the cruise.  These can be exchanged for clean ones at any time on the pool deck.  There is a $25 charge for a lost towel, however - so keep track of it. :) And in case you're wondering, I found the bed to be quite comfortable. 

The ship itself has a lot of "bells and whistles" so to speak, including a 3-story ropes course, several waterslides, a jogging track, and the first Margaritaville at sea!

And the kids were certainly not left out, either! There were lots of areas just for them to enjoy the company of other kids.  Entourage, the Video Arcade, and a huge splash and play zone were just some of the kid-friendly options.

Never fear; the adults had some private areas, too!  Spice2O is located aft, and it is a space for adults only.  This space is quite popular, so it's a good idea to grab a chair early.  There is a really cool Misting Grotto that's great for cooling off. After 7pm, this space is used for family-friendly deck parties, including a glow party and an 80's themed dance party.  The 80's party was pretty incredible!

For an even more adult setting, you can also pay to use the Vibe Beach Club for the week.  This area of the ship has a private entrance, and once inside it has a bar, lounge chairs, and other great accommodations away from the hustle and bustle.  If you want to enjoy this, you definitely need to book is as soon as you board, as there are no pre-bookings at this time.

For those of you unfamiliar with Norwegian, it is a freestyle cruising experience.  Most cruise lines have set dining times, early and late, with a show either before or after.  You have a set location to dine with the same staff each night, and depending on how large your party is, you are sometimes seated with other guests.  Freestyle Cruising is different in that you schedule (or don't schedule) when you want to eat, see shows, and who you sit with.  If you are a party of 2, you can have a table for 2.  If you want to dine with friends, great! There are 3 dining rooms, and you can eat in whichever "floats your boat" each night.  And just as you are used to when cruising, everything is included (except soda and alcohol, of course).  Have 2 or 3 entrees if  you like -- or all 4 desserts -- no one is judging. Taste, Savor, and the Manhattan Room were all fabulous.  The chocolate lava cake was probably the best I've had.

There are also multiple specialty restaurants aboard.  If you want to "upgrade" to a specialty restaurant, there is either a cover charge or else you will order á la carte.  Of course, Norwegian offers packages that include most of the specialty dining establishments, which eliminates the upcharge for the meal.  We took advantage of adding on this special offer with our "Freestyle Choice", and we were so glad we did! We enjoyed the specialty restaurants a LOT!  Moderno, the Brazilian Steakhouse, was incredible.

We ate at La Cucina (Tuscan style dining) the next night...

And then, what may have been the best meal of the trip - Cagney's Steakhouse!

Of course, there is always the option to dine at the buffet on Deck 16 - The Garden Cafe.  This place had great food - better than you'd expect!  I was very happy with my meals here.  

Entertainment-wise, there are 2-3 Broadway Style shows to choose from.  One is a dinner venue and requires an upcharge, but the other two are free - however, reservations are suggested.  Million Dollar Quartet and After Midnight both boasted amazing casts, and they were some of the highest quality shows at sea that I have seen.  I would even say the caliber was close to that of a Disney Cruise - and you know that's saying something coming from me!

There was also a "Howl at the Moon" dueling piano bar that had shows 4 of the nights.  Although I missed the first one, I didn't miss any others -- they were THAT good. We sat for a full 4 hours listening one night.  

Of course, there is a casino, and there are several other spots to hang out in a more "nightclub" atmosphere after dark should you so choose.  There is never a lack of things to do.  Oh - and since it's football season, the brewery always had the latest games on the TV via satellite.

One last area to mention is the spa.  I am a spa junkie, and it has become a big deal to me to treat myself to a Thermal Suite on my cruise vacations.  The facilities were beautiful here.

I very much enjoyed the facility offerings, although I honestly felt like the oversold passes into the thermal suite.  Finding lounge chairs actually became difficult, and the noise level was much higher than is usual - and so the experience was not as relaxing as I had hoped.  The steam room was broken for a couple of days as well.  I am hopeful that it was due to it being a new ship, and hopefully these glitches will work out given time.  The Spa Manager was very apologetic and promised to look into everything, so I would give this a try again. 

One other neat thing is that there is now a Norwegian iConcierge app available for iPhone and Android -- you can keep in touch with your onboard friends with unlimited calls and texting via the ship's wifi all week for the cost of $7.95 per user.  You can also check out what's going on throughout the ship!  If you want additional internet services (for Facebook, email, etc), there are packages for purchase.

Of course, as this was a hosted cruise, there were lots of friends on the ship - and we had the privilege of making many new ones.  Want to try Freestyle Cruising for yourself? Join us on the Great Getaway next October! We would love to have you aboard with us!