Best Cruise Lines For Food Lovers + Adventure Travel Isn’t What You Might Think + Top VRBO Rentals + Las Vegas Tourism

Cruise line food. Adventure Travel. Top Vrbo rentals, and news from Las Vegas and San Francisco.

BEST CRUISE LINES FOR FOOD LOVERS

Food and Wine magazine (link) recently published a list of the top cruise lines for foodies. Here’s their top 10.

1. Explora Journeys
2. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
3. Aqua Expeditions
4. Silversea
5. Crystal
6. Oceania Cruises
7. Regent Seven Seas Cruises
8. HX Expeditions
9. Ponant
10. Celebrity Cruises

I can’t say I have enough cruising experience to rank them, but I hear amazing things about Explora, and I had a magnificent cruise with Silversea back in 2011, with truly spectacular food.

ADVENTURE TRAVEL: IT’S NOT WHAT YOU MIGHT THINK

A new Flight Centre Canada survey conducted by YouGov reveals 78% of Canadians agree adventure travel today is defined by discovery, not adrenaline. In fact, 91% say a trip can feel adventurous without any thrill-seeking at all. This mindset is shaping how Canadians plan travel ahead of the busiest season of the year.

The survey shows that 72% of travellers define adventure as something that expands their worldview:

• experiencing different cultures, traditions or ways of life (14%)
• exploring a new city or region (13%)
• stepping outside their comfort zone (11%)
• venturing off the beaten path (10%)
• trying new foods (6%) or spending time in nature (6%)

Only 28% of Canadians associate adventure with high-adrenaline or physically intense activities, highlighting how broadly definitions of adventure have changed.

The destinations perceived as most “adventurous” are long-haul, with Africa (43%) and East and Southeast Asia (40%) ranking highest, followed by Australia and New Zealand (37%).

As a guy who’s afraid of heights (not on a plane, but hiking) and would rather stick pins in his eyes than go bungee jumping, I really like this study. Depending on who you are and what your tastes are, I would say that adventure travel could be anything from flying to a destination where you don’t know the language to taking a tougher hiking trail than you thought you could manage.

My family travelled a good deal when I was a kid, including a trip from California to Niagara Falls, Ontario, Cooperstown, New York, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Lakeland, Florida, Jamaica and New Orleans (phew) when I was 11 years old. Tossing hot dogs to an alligator in the pond beyond my uncle’s house in Lakeland was certainly an adventure for a kid my age, as was walking the streets of New York City, flying out of a TINY airport near Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and walking down Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

Much later, as a Toronto Star reporter covering Toronto’s failed bid for the 1996 Summer Olympics, I got to take trips to Istanbul, where I wandered ancient markets, and to the then almost unknown Greek island of Paros, where I rented a moped and ate grilled octopus at a sidewalk cafe. I also had several days in bustling Tokyo, as well as a visit to the El Junque rain forest in Puerto Rico. I also covered Olympic Games in Sydney, Turin, Beijing and other far-flung cities, and attended International Olympic Committee meetings in Mexico City and Dakar Senegal, where a group of us toured a former slave deportation centre; a image that sticks with me to this day.

Later still, when I became a full-time travel writer. I got to watch the sun come up over mysterious Moai statues on Easter Island, drove a four-by-four quad bike around the outback in Western Australia, and hiked until my feet nearly gave out on the island of Sao Jorge in the Azores.

I don’t know about you, but it all sounds pretty adventurous to me.

TOP VRBO RENTALS IN CANADA

The folks at Vrbo have released this year’s Vrbo 2026 Vacation Rentals of the Year, a collection of standout vacation homes across Canada and around the world. Now in its fifth year, the annual list recognizes properties that exemplify exceptional quality, reliability, and Vrbo’s high standards for stays travellers can trust.

Here are a few of the Canadian properties they highlighted:

Banff, Alberta — “Rustic Chic Banff Mountain Home” is located two blocks from Banff Avenue and features Mount Rundle views, a spacious deck and a peaceful backyard setting.

Utterson, Ontario — “Sutton Lakehouse” is a lakeside retreat on Three Mile Lake in Muskoka featuring a private dock, outdoor dining and a fire pit. This Premier Host property is pet-friendly and offers year-round access to swimming, paddling and waterfront activities.

Port Medway, Nova Scotia — “Atlantic Pearl” is a remodeled Cape Cod–style oceanfront home overlooking Ragged Harbour, featuring a screened-in porch with a hot tub and a fully equipped kitchen and dining area for group stays.

Fernie, British Columbia — “Fernie Mountain House” is a ski-in/ski-out retreat designed for group stays, with a seven-bedroom, seven-bath layout and floor-to-ceiling mountain views.

I had a fabulous Vrbo rental in Rome a couple years ago.

View the full list of the 2026 Vacation Rentals of the Year, along with photos and booking details, at the campaign URL.

LAS VEGAS TOURISM: CANADIAN DOLLAR AT PAR A HUGE SUCCESS

My friends at OpenJaw.com have a good story about how the owner of a series of Las Vegas resorts is attracting more Canadians to the city.

“Growing up in Detroit, Derek Stevens always noticed how stores would tempt Canadian visitors by accepting loonies on par with US currency when the exchange rate dipped. He saw that it worked. Now the owner and CEO of Circa Resort & Casino has hit jackpot with the same strategy to win back reluctant Canucks.

In the first 90 days of his on-par promotion, Circa’s three downtown hotels have tripled Canadian bookings – up to 5,100. And the number of Canadians visiting the Circa Resort & Casino, the D Casino & Hotel, and Golden Gate Hotel & Casino to drink and gamble has risen from 15,000 to 50,000.”

I’ve been to Vegas five or six times and always enjoyed myself. But I can’t say I’ve visited a Circa resort.