Essential Cruise Tips

Should you pay your cruise off early, or are there benefits to be gained by paying it off before the final due date?

There are 9 cruises that you need to book way in advance to avoid disappointment later. Do not end up kicking yourself later by not moving fast and early enough to book any of these 9 cruises

What are the extras and add-ons available to you that you should splash out on or skip?

7 Cruise Mistakes That Will Cost You Dearly if you are not careful. I discuss 7 easy-to-make and common cruising errors that cruise passengers make that ends up costing them money that could be spent on better and more enjoyable things. Many of these cruising slip-ups I learnt the hard way. Learn how to save money on your next cruise

Here are some European River Cruise Tips and big river cruise no-nos, and things to avoid, based on the river cruises in Europe that I have done. These are the 10 things you really should not do when on a Europe River Cruise. I found out the hard way, so you do not have to.

6 cruises to avoid and steer clear of, when you next go on a cruise again. Don't waste your money on these 6 cruises I am going to warn you about. When choosing a cruise to go on, you need to pick one where you will have the greatest chance of having an incredible experience, for all the right reasons. Some of the cruises to avoid you may be surprised with, as they are often being touted as giving...

Cruise Cabin mistakes and screw ups to avoid. Choosing a cruise cabin is much more important than any cruise passengers think. Not all cabin are equal, even in the same grade. Many cruisers say to me that a cruise cabin, or cruise stateroom as some cruise lines call them, is not that important as they do not intend to spend any time in them. Discover why this is a mistake that so many cruise passe...

Royal Caribbean is the world's second largest cruise line (based on number of passengers). I explore what you need to know and some key watch outs if you are considering cruising with Royal Caribbean. I discuss things like what a Royal Caribbean resort cruise ships is like, what their best and worst features are, who they are best for, what sorts of cruise cabins and suites you can expect, their d...

I share the 7 things you need to know about Norwegian Cruise Line. The things that make Norwegian Cruise Line different or unique to other cruise lines, and what they offer cruise passengers. The 7 things Norwegian Cruise Lines does that you need to know including looking at their on-board cruise experience, facilities, cabin options, which Norwegian Cruise Line best suited for and more

In this latest cruise news update, I dive into a USA Cruise Update looking at why the restart of cruising is being looked at in a totally different way, despite what the CDC said recently about the Framework For Conditional Sailing about how cruising can resume in the USA - and what impact it has on when cruises can start in the USA.

Discover the 9 ways you can be banned from cruising. Cruise lines ban a surprisingly large number of people from cruising. And you will be surprised at how you too may be unwittingly, and easily, added to that cruise ban list. A cruise ban list that has also just longer due post-pandemic cruising rules.

I explore why cruises have, and are, being treated differently to other travel? And look at if there really is a double standard, if cruising is being treated unfairly, or just about right based on what cruises and cruising is and is not. And why it may help cruising return and bounce back

In this latest cruise update, as news broke that 8 lines were cancelling their cruises into June and July, along came unexpected and truly remarkable developments that look to be (at last) game changing on restart dates. Although in what remains a roller coaster ride, as all that excitement built, Disney threw a wobbly ball into the mix for USA cruise passengers, and Cunard made a huge decision ab...

What is the latest on cruising and vaccines? Cruising vaccinations is a hot , and divisive, topic. Will you need to have a vaccine to cruise? What about people who do not want to be vaccinated to go cruising? There are 6 key questions that you should be asking and need to know about when it comes to cruising and vaccination. I explore what you should really be asking, what we know and what the ans...

In this latest cruise update, I look at 5 news and trends that confirm that the best-laid plans by cruise lines and cruise passengers for the rest of 2021 are unravelling and changing. What is happening and why will it continue, making lots of changes to cruise schedules and plans.

I discuss the 6 latest updates on river cruising, focused on European river cruises but also looking at USA, Asia and Africa. What is going on and the outlook for European river cruising this year? How many ships will return to service and when? What is complicating the return of river cruises?

In this cruise update: Are the dark clouds that have been looming over cruising starting to lift? I look at what has happened to make Cruise Line executives be more upbeat and optimistic, despite on-going massive losses, having to raise more money to keep them going and with many just cancelling cruising until June, including Carnival, Disney, Windstar and Norwegian Group, along with cancellations...

In this cruise update, I look at a series of inevitable and unavoidable changes that are about to happen in the world of cruising. Things that will affect you and me as a travellers and cruisers in ways we may not entirely be ready for. Join me as I explore these, and look at the impact they will have on when, how, where and with what restrictions we will be able to go cruising.

Many people have ask me if they should consider cruising on the new Virgin Voyages cruise line. They launched at the worst time possible, just as the pandemic started to sweep across the world. However,  I was one of the few fortunate people to spend time and actually get to stay on their first ship, Scarlet Lady, before lockdown.   I am Gary Bembridge and this is another of my Tips For Travellers...

What should you be doing if one of this year, or next, cruises gets cancelled from here onwards? I discuss what you now need to consider and what you should be doing based on whether you have just paid deposit or the final balance. Things have changed and steps you may have taken with booking a cruise is different from just a few months, or even weeks ago.

In this packed Tips For Travellers cruise update, I discuss disappointing and bad news cruising updates and cruise news including Canada banning cruise ships until 2022 so that means Alaska season will have to be cancelled, a strict and far-reaching mask ruling by the CDC, why vaccines to cruise is growing, the real ban in children on cruising versus speculation, and what the European river cruise...

Are there any good cruise news stories, good cruise updates or developments in cruising? Or is it really still just an endless round of cruising cancellations and cruising gloom ? In this cruise update I sweep aside the news of cancellations, delays and uncertainty about cruising to talk about 5 of the biggest, brightest and most exciting good news stories in the cruise world.

Do you want to cruise in 2021? I explore why you may be going about it in totally the wrong way. I discuss what I am doing to escape the on-going cycle of cruise booking, cruise cancellations, getting cancelled cruise refunds or cruise future cruise credit, and how you can ensure that you can go cruising in 2021 and be able to guarantee you will be on the first cruises that run when cruising resum...

Discover the 7 reasons you should be looking at 2022 and not 2021 cruises, including the surprising news that the cruise lines agree with this too! In this episode of Tips For Travellers, I look at why booking 2022 cruising vacations (or even 2023 cruises) and avoiding committing to 2021 right now and waiting, no matter how eager you are to go cruising, is your best bet by far.

In this cruise update I explore what the latest progress on when cruises will resume and cruising will start again out of the United States, the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. As we enter 2021 in this latest cruise news update I explore at how cruise lines are doing to meet the requirements and stages of the CDC Framework For Conditional Sailing to be able to take paying cruise passengers...