Ming Tappin

3 weeks ago | cruisecritic.com | Ming Tappin

Celestyal Journey stays late in Dubrovnik, giving guests a chance to enjoy dinner and stroll the nearly empty streets. (Photo: Ming Tappin)We rank this as the number one reason to cruise with Celestyal. Their itineraries are intensive, visiting at least one port every day, sometimes two. Full-day stays average 8-10 hours, while half-day stays allow just the right amount of time to visit the key sights.

1 month ago | travelweek.ca | Ming Tappin

ONBOARD CELESTYAL JOURNEY — Celestyal Cruises isn’t new to Canada. In 2017, the Greek cruise line operated the Cuba Cruise program, which sold well through Transat Holidays. Today, Celestyal Cruises’ fleet consists of the 1,370-guest Celestyal Discovery and the 1,260-guest Celestyal Journey, offering three- and four-day jaunts to the Greek Islands, and seven-day itineraries to Greece, Italy, and Croatia. Celestyal also sails in the Arabian Gulf during the winter season.

2 months ago | hotel-addict.com | Ming Tappin

Since 1865, the Langham Hotels have welcomed discerning guests with its five-star hospitality. More than 160 years after The Langham London first opened its doors, you’ll find Langham Hotels in world-class cities such as New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Sydney and Melbourne. From the moment I set foot at The Langham Melbourne, I knew I was in for a sophisticated, yet unpretentious, stay. In the lobby, there was one of the largest chandeliers (made with Waterford crystal) in the Southern Hemisphere.

2 months ago | travelweek.ca | Ming Tappin

ONBOARD NORWEGIAN AQUA — Norwegian Cruise Line officially christened its 20th vessel – Norwegian Aqua – inside NCL’s cruise terminal at Port of Miami by two-time Emmy Award-winning actor Eric Stonestreet (of Modern Family fame). Although following the same blueprint as the first two Prima class ships Norwegian Prima and Viva, Aqua is 10% larger than her sisters and includes several enhancements.

2 months ago | vacaynetwork.com | Ming Tappin

While planning my visit to Australia’s Victoria State, I had briefly read about Geelong and the Bellarine, a peninsula southwest of Melbourne. But I didn’t think there were enough reasons to include it in my itinerary — until Yasmin Paton of Visit Geelong and Bellarine reached out and convinced me. It turned out to be a major highlight of my trip. From Melbourne, the M1 Highway passes Geelong (pronounced Je-long) — gateway to the Bellarine Peninsula, but I took a more relaxing, watery route.