Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers

One of the more frequently asked questions I see on cruise message boards is: "what can I ask my cabin steward to bring or do for me?". As I keep seeing the same limited list of suggestions, I decided to make this as, based on my experience, I can see cruisers are missing out on many more things cabin stewards can do and bring.  Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: https://www.patreon.com/tipsfort...

Oceania Cruises is one of my all-time favourite cruise lines, and so I was incredibly excited to try their new class of ships. Until I did. I went on Vista, the first of this new class, and despite many great things, that I will tell you about, there is (for me anyway, and some others I spoke to) one deal breaker that means I will be sticking to their older ships unless something changes. Become a...

I've just returned from back-to-back Caribbean cruises on two very different ships, the massive 6,000 passenger Symphony of the Seas and the smaller 1,200 passenger Oceania Vista. And on both, despite their dramatic differences, I was amazed how many people were still getting the same five things wrong that I've seen on every Caribbean cruise I've done over the years. I want to warn you about them...

Anyone close to cruising knows that cruise lines are incredibly involved with trains and train travel. Some even own and operate them, including some of the most famous and iconic ones, as you will hear. That's why they really want us to do three things: book train travel before cruises, during cruises as excursions, and after the cruise. Welcome aboard. I'm Gary Bembridge, helping you to get crui...

I told my friends not to book the cruise as it was one that I keep warning cruisers to stay well clear of as they almost always disappoint. But they insisted and sadly, three days before they were due to depart, what I feared would happen did. It was cancelled. I'm Gary Bembridge and I'm here to warn you about this and 5 cruises I suggest you NEVER book, along with tips of what to do instead - or...

Although most cruise reviewers say there are five, there are strictly speaking only two cruise lines that truly have a "ship-within-a-ship". A fully self-contained world where passengers paying at least $500 per person a night for a suite are given the special entry card to a door that lets them step out of the regular cruise ship and into an exclusive VIP (Very Important Passenger) one. I have st...

Four years ago, Royal Caribbean, best known for huge, good value resort ships, surprised many by buying Silversea known for ultra-luxury small ship cruising. Having cruised on it before the takeover, I decided I should return to see if the online reviews from other pre-takeover cruisers saying things like, "Not the same Silversea" and "Before it was sold, we thought Silversea was superb, well run,...

There are five things I took for granted last year as a cruiser that have unexpectedly disappeared this year, the first massive one I experienced first-hand on a recent cruise. I was on the first leg of Silversea Silver Spirit's 62-night Grand Voyage from Cape Town to Athens via the Seychelles, Dubai, and the Suez Canal. Find out what that was and the 4 others. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron:...

I used to think of myself as a considerate cruise passenger, trying to be polite and help make the crews' jobs simpler, easier, and more pleasant. But I've had to reappraise what I was doing after a crew member discreetly told me on this cruise that I am on that some were having the opposite effect, and could get them into trouble with their boss, affect their ability to get a promotion, and even...

Cunard has the reputation of being the most class-based cruise line sailing today, keeping alive the tradition of grand old ocean liners from the Titanic era had of giving First-Class passengers, or what Cunard now call "The Grills", a more rounded and top-notch experience vastly superior to that of all other guests. But is that the reality. I reveal what it is really like and why Become a Tips Fo...

Cruise lines charge less per day for repositioning cruises than ANY of their other cruises, making them some of the most inexpensive and appealing to many cruisers. But I've met so many people on them discovering too late that being inexpensive alone is not a good reason for doing them, as they'd been caught out or fallen into some traps. The same ones I see repeatedly. Become a Tips For Traveller...

I met so many regular Norwegian cruisers on my Norwegian Viva cruise that disliked this new Prima class of Norwegian Cruise Line ships that I started wondering if Norwegian had actually gone out of their way to create a new type of ship they knew current cruisers wouldn't like! Perhaps to attract different cruisers, perhaps cruisers like me. I'm not a regular Norwegian cruiser, largely because I'v...

Just before my much anticipated and costly $1,800 a night cruise in Norwegian Viva's all-suite Haven, "Cruise with Ben and David", one of the leading YouTube cruise channels, released a critical review raising many issues and complaints about it. So many that friends of mine suggested I cancel, as they knew that it was THE most expensive Mediterranean cruise I had ever booked. As it was so costly,...

While Cruise lines make it easy and convenient to book and buy most things for a cruise directly with them, have you stopped to ask if it's in your best interest? I have! Cruise lines are banking on us not shopping around and discovering that some non-cruise line alternatives not only cost less, but are better, safer, and more comprehensive. Including as you will hear, one that I think will totall...

I reveal 5 tips, tricks and hacks that experienced and smart cruise passengers that I have met on recent cruises agree are ones that savvy cruisers all use and know about – but not everyone does to knows about! Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: https://www.patreon.com/tipsfortravellers and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For Travellers YouTube:  https:...

I look at the four times I recommend cruise passengers take a cruise line excursion rather than any other alternative for exploring a cruise port like self-touring or independent tour guide or company Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: https://www.patreon.com/tipsfortravellers and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For Travellers YouTube:  https://www.yout...

I look at 5 biggest mistakes that cruise passengers make with cruise excursions, often ruining not only their time in port but putting a huge dampener on their total cruise. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: https://www.patreon.com/tipsfortravellers and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For Travellers YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/tipsfortravellers

After listening to what cruise lines are telling investors they're doing this year, I'm convinced that in 2024 we are going to be facing five new and unwelcome challenges. But I also have some suggestions on how to work around these and get ahead of them, including one solution that you may not even realise is possible. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: https://www.patreon.com/tipsfortravellers...

I'm going to show you how seven of my friends paid nothing, or next to nothing, to go on cruise vacations in the last year, and how I've been offered 11 free, or almost free, cruises in that same period too. Some may not work for you today, but may one day, some will once you know how, but I can guarantee the last one you can do for sure.  Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: https://www.patreon.c...

I was having a great time on my recent Regent Seven Seas cruise before I started speaking to fellow guests. Some first-timers as well as long-time regulars raised issues which made me wonder if I was being too forgiving. After all, the trip had cost me a lot and it is worth being picky! So, after digesting it all and taking on board their thoughts, here's what I believe the line does well, differe...

We are only ever likely to go to Japan once in our lives and so it's important to get it right. While I didn't get everything 100% spot on, I now know what future cruisers to Japan need to know to avoid my mistakes, work around downsides, and ensure they have the best time. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: https://www.patreon.com/tipsfortravellers and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloa...

The cruise I'm on right now has inspired me to make this video. I'm an Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas, and I've met many first time cruisers and repeat cruisers who have tripped up and fallen for 6 traps that are out there right now that cruisers are falling for that I want to make sure that you know about so you don't fall into those traps. Links to fare tracking mentioned in the video: htt...

When I think of Royal Caribbean, I think of feature-packed mega resort ships, with good value cabins. However, I have seen Royal Caribbean now has some of the biggest and most expensive suites money can buy at sea. So, instead of using some savings to book a smaller luxury cruise line that I usually would, I decided to splash that cash on a Royal Caribbean suite to see if I would get all the servi...

The "cruise bible", the authoritative Berlitz "Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships", has for years said this line has the best ships in the world, but almost no cruisers outside its home country have ever heard of it, even though it's 50% owned by Royal Caribbean, a line everyone's heard of. So, I decided I should test the line out to see if they were better, and if I would recommend that...

At the start of my recent Greenland Arctic expedition cruise, an ominous notice appeared in the daily program. It required us to attend a mandatory (written in capital letters no less!) meeting at 5pm. Having been on four previous expedition cruises to Antarctica, the Arctic and Galapagos I knew to expect this meeting. But most did not, and many were confused as we'd had the muster drill which the...