Living On A Cruise Ship: Here's What It REALLY Takes & Costs! (Podcast #528)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
After closely following several people living cruise ships for some time and analysing the different options and ways they do it, I discovered many remarkable things like not only how they make it work, and importantly what it really costs, but I also the uncovered there is an unexpected dark side of living on cruise ships that you need to know about Channels mentioned in the video: • 30 & A Wake Up: • Poverty to Paradise: • Grounded Life Cruises: • Fraser At Sea: Links mentioned: * Need To Know Before Playing Cruise Ship Casino: * How To Gamble...
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Make Your Antarctica Dream Come True On A Budget! (Podcast #527)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
While the cheapest way to go to Antarctica is on a regular cruise line and ship sailing past the Antarctic Peninsula as part of a South America itinerary, there is a huge catch making it less fulfilling as you do not get to land or do zodiac rides to get close to wildlife. For a true Antarctic experience, an expedition cruise is the way to go. However, as the cost of these cruises is prohibitive to most, I asked my friend, Martin Johnson who runs Polar Routes (a dedicated Antarctic and Arctic travel agency), to help me identify the most budget-friendly ways to get there. And in this I share...
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I Paid A Fortune to Cruise On “New” Crystal Cruises. Was It Worth It? (Podcast #526)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
I have been intrigued as recent reviews of Crystal Cruises have been very positive, including it having the highest passenger ratings on Cruise Critic in the ultra-luxury category, better than Regent Seven Seas, Silversea and Seabourn. So, I decided to test Crystal Cruises out to see if they really are the best of the ultra-luxury lines. This is what I discovered. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For Travellers YouTube:
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Cruise Ship Crew Secrets The Lines Don’t Want Us To Know! (Podcast #525)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
After doing well over 100 cruises, I thought I knew everything about life on a cruise ship. That was until a dinner hosted by a senior crew member on my last cruise, where they revealed a surprising secret about cruise ship crew that I was totally unaware of! That got me wondering what else I, and other passengers, have no idea about cruise ship crew. Welcome aboard, I am Gary Bembridge and after much research and talking to crew off the record, I found 6 secrets kept well hidden from us passengers that I think you will find surprising and maybe even shocking. Become a Tips For Travellers...
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5 Secrets Cruise Lines Won’t Tell You (But You NEED to Know!) (Podcast #524)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
Cruise line glossy brochures and their enticing adverts promise a carefree and trouble-free vacation, BUT they don’t tell the whole story. There are several important things that can and do significantly impact us as passengers that the lines seem reluctant to talk about or be upfront about. Welcome aboard, I'm Gary Bembridge and join me as I unmask five unspoken things that directly affect us all, and why I believe you need to know more about them. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For Travellers...
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Too Many Panama Canal Cruisers Get These 5 Things Wrong! (Podcast #523)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
I have done a Panama Canal transit four times and on every trip I see passengers making the same mistakes that get in the way of making it their adventure of a lifetime. But some of the errors are so easy to make that even an experienced cruiser like me can get tripped up – as I did on my most recent Panama Canal trip on Regent Grandeur. So, welcome aboard, I’m Gary Bembridge and hear 5 things I have learnt the hard way that you need to know about doing a Panama Canal cruise. Links mentioned: David McCullough’s “The Path Between the Seas. The Creation of the Panama Canal” ** Buy on...
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Regent Says It's The World's Best Cruise Line! I Put That To The Test (Podcast #522)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
Days before heading off on Regent's newest ship, the Grandeur, the line launched new advertising promising that “nobody does it better”. In in they also claimed to have the “world's most luxurious fleet”, and that no cruise line beats them on destination experiences, hospitality, luxury spaces, and dining. Having been on Regent before, while I found them great, I didn’t think they beat every line, so this latest trip turned into the perfect opportunity to really test out if Regent now does do cruising better than everybody else. I am Gary Bembridge, and this is what I found. And as...
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6 NEW Cruise Scams & Tricks To Watch Out For This Year! (podcast #521)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
I’ve been contacted recently by way too many cruise passengers that have been caught out by new scams that have emerged since my last video about this topic, including one a good friend stumbled upon on his latest cruise – and one using me to scam cruisers like you! Here are the latest cruise scams to watch out for! Links mentioned: Get 10% any of The Cruise Maps products using USA ESTA: UK ETA : Canada ETA: CIBT Visa: Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For Travellers...
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6 Tricks To Use To Beat Today's Soaring Cruise Fares (podcast #521)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
Every cruiser can see that cruise fares have been rising scarily fast, and cruise lines are telling Wall Street investors that they expect fares to keep rising well over inflation as demand for cruising is so high. But despite that, I have found ways of paying less than most people on every one of the 12 upcoming trips I've got booked. I'm going to show you how I, and other smart cruisers, cruise for less than others in this time of rising fares. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For Travellers YouTube: ...
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Cruise Lines JUST Banned These 6 Much-Loved Items!! (podcast #520)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
I’m upset as one item I've taken on every cruise I've done to date has just been banned. But I'm not the only one devastated about new cruise line bans, as three people contacted me about a less-publicised ban making cruising more costly for them. While I saw another recent ban got one cruiser banned for life when she unwittingly broke it. I’m Gary Bembridge, and I’m here to tell you about six items cruise lines have recently banned that could change the way you cruise. Forever. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit...
info_outlineGary Bembridge of Tips for Travellers shares observations, tips and advice for visitors to Hong Kong.
Subscribe free to the show on iTunes, Stitcher Radio or TuneIn Radio.
This show covers among other topics:
Observations
- Dense with multitudes of skyscrapers and people. More people live and work above 15th floor than anywhere else in the world and has most residential blocks about 40 stories high and constant development.
- Very pretty harbour - Victoria harbour - one of deepest natural harbours in the world - Hong Kong means "fragrant harbour".
- Population of 7 million.
- 262 islands - Hong Kong island, Lantau Island (Airport and Disneyland ), Kowloon peninsula and Northern Territories.
- Transforms at night - skyscrapers have light effects - 8pm light show (biggest and longest running permanent show) on Hong Kong island and at 9pm on ICC (International Commerce Building) in Kowloon.
- English widely spoken as one off 2 official languages.
- Very connected city lots of free wifi around
History
British colony until 1997
Getting There
Very busy airport built on reclaimed land on Lantau Island.
Cruise - Kai Tak Terminal designed on site of old airport runway in Kowloon.
Best time to go
Hot and humid most of year
Coldest in Jan
Hottest July
Getting around
Coveted walkways and open air mid -evels escalator - worlds largest outdoor covered escalator.
Trams - kept despite modern metro system following pretty much same routes.
Busses - 5 companies run 700 routes.
BigBus Hop-on Hop-Off bus tours
General Tips
Use UK style 3-pin plugs
Good App - "Discover Hong Kong" developed by HK tourism board and Cathay Pacific Airline. Works off line and has series of suggested walks.
Must-do activities
Victoria Peak
Tram launched in 1888- 8 minutes ride to the stop with stunning views across city, also has Madame Tussards and shopping.
Star Ferry
Iconic service since 1870s - taking people 7 minutes from Hong Kong to Kowloon Ocean terminal.
Harbour Tour
Many options from Star Ferry, Sailing Junks and motorised junk boat trips.
See Hong Kong at night
Night bus tour
Light show- "Symphony of lights" - 45 skyscrapers on both sides of harbour
Walk the streets on Hong Kong side in Wan Chai and Kowloon along Nathan street
Shopping
Good prices as do no sales tax and is a Duty free port
Stanley market
Central district- high end shops
Hollywood road - antiques and art
SoHo - galleries
Ladies Market
Temple Street Night Market
Aberdeen
Fishing village and Luxury marina
Afternoon tea at Peninsula Hotel
Flagstaff house museum of Teaware - in oldest surviving colonial building -
Beaches
Repulse Bay
Theme Parks
Disneyland
Ocean Park -see Cunard notes
Museums
Can get good value 7-day museum pass
HK museum of art
the space museum
HK science museum
HK museum of history
Further afield
Macau - high speed ferry or bus