It’s been a rough go for Hawaii of late. Visits from Canada are down, and they’ve struggled to regain their once super-strong Japanese market. There’s also, of course, the devastating fire that destroyed most of the lovely, funky town of Lahaina. Maui in 2023. On top of all that, the state suffered a series of devastating rainstorms over the past couple weeks when a Kona low, an unusual low-pressure weather system, parked itself over the island for days on end. There was some damage to roads and infrastructure, but I’m happy to report that the skies are sunny again and Read more
Celebrity Cruises
I think Michelin does a fine job with its restaurant ratings, but I’m not sure about a list they recently published of 16 top foodie destinations for 2026. I can only assume these are destinations they like, or wished to highlight, versus the best destinations in the world. If you look at it that way, the list is pretty useful; shedding light on cities and regions that normally wouldn’t get a lot of coverage on food and restaurant lists. Here’s their list of 16 spots for 2026: Venice Czechia Dolomites (Italy) Wroclaw, Poland Amalfi Coast, Italy (spectacular scenery, fresh seafood Read more
Airlines, cruise lines and tour operators have temporarily halted service in Israel as war rages in the Middle East. Air Canada and other major airlines have temporarily halted flights to Israel, and the Canadian government is warning citizens to avoid all but essential visits in response to the surprise Hamas attack on Israel and the Israeli government’s retaliatory strikes. Some 900 people have been killed in Israel and roughly 650 have died in Gaza due to retaliatory air strikes, CNN reports. The official government of Canada travel advisory site says Canadians should “avoid non-essential travel in Israel, the West Bank Read more
Air Canada has opened its brand-new Maple Leaf Lounge at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), the airline’s 28th lounge worldwide, and its third in the U.S. The modern and exclusive respite, located in Terminal 2, features Air Canada’s first outdoor lounge terrace, together with a range of premium amenities, food and beverages, making the travel experience for eligible customers even more comfortable and convenient before their flights to Canada and beyond. “We’re thrilled to bring our Maple Leaf Lounge experience to San Francisco International Airport, giving our Bay Area customers a way to enjoy Air Canada’s award-winning product and glowing-hearted Read more
Cruise Critic®, the world’s leading cruise reviews site and online cruise community, has announced the winners of its 11th annual Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards – naming the world’s most popular cruises, based on consumer reviews and ratings shared on Cruise Critic over the past year. The site boasts the world’s largest online cruise community with more than 650,000 cruise reviews, covering approximately 700 cruise ships across the globe. “While this is our eleventh year announcing our Cruisers’ Choice Awards, this year’s awards are some of the most meaningful to-date,” shared Colleen McDaniel, Editor-in-Chief of Cruise Critic. “Our awards were paused for the past Read more
