I’ve Done 5 Oceania Cruises. Here’s What No-one’s Warns You About! (Podcast #562)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
I’ve sailed five times with Oceania Cruises across three different ship classes, most recently on a 19-night Sydney to Papeete voyage on Riviera. It’s a cruise line I choose to return to and often recommend. But here’s the truth. I regularly hear from viewers who board expecting something extraordinary… and leave wondering what all the hype was about. So in this video I’m being completely frank about five areas that are often misunderstood, where the expectations created by the marketing don’t always match what people actually experience — and importantly where that really...
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Cruising This Year? Then You Need to Watch This! (Podcast #561)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
If you’re planning a cruise in the next 12 months, be warned — cruising is changing, and some of the biggest shifts are happening quietly behind the scenes. Cruising this year is going to feel very different from what many of us are used to. In this, I unpack six major changes every cruiser needs to know, explain why they matter, and show you how they could directly affect your next cruise — whether you’re booking for the first time or you’ve cruised many times before. These are the changes many cruisers won’t realise until it’s too late — and that’s exactly why you need to...
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I've Done 13 Ultra-Luxury Cruises. Here's What No-One's Telling You (podcast #560)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
When you pay more for anything — flights, hotels, cars — you expect more. More features, more choice, more “wow”. So when cruisers upgrade from resort lines like Royal Caribbean, to premium lines like Princess, or even small-ship luxury like Oceania, and then spend much more on an ultra-luxury cruise… they naturally expect everything to be dramatically better. But here’s the surprise: for many first-time ultra-luxury cruisers, it isn’t. In this video I explain why so many people I meet on lines like Regent, Silversea, Seabourn and Crystal feel confused or even disappointed —...
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Cruisers Say These 6 Lines Have Got So Much Worse. Here’s Why (Podcast #559)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
Are cruise lines really getting worse? Many cruisers say yes. So I analysed hundreds of recent reviews and ratings from Cruise Critic, Trustpilot, and major review sites — and the results were shocking. Over two-thirds of cruise lines have seen satisfaction drop in the last six months, but six once-popular lines have fallen the most… and for reasons you absolutely need to know before booking. In this video, I break down which lines are slipping fastest — and reveal the key issues dragging their ratings down, from ageing ships and overcrowding to service cutbacks, food declines, rising...
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I've Done 15 Caribbean Cruises. Here's What No-One's Telling You! (podcast #558)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
When I took my very first Caribbean cruise back in 2007, I often found myself stepping ashore as the only ship in port. Quiet beaches, local markets, no lines for taxis — it felt like true tropical escape. Fast-forward 18 years and 15 Caribbean cruises later, including my most recent ultra-luxury sailing on Regent Seven Seas Splendor, and the Caribbean is a very different place.In this video I reveal the massive changes that are reshaping Caribbean cruising — changes most cruisers don’t fully understand until they’re already there. I also explain how cruise lines are responding — and...
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Regular Vs. Ultra-Luxury Cruises: 4 Big Differences I DID NOT Expect! (Podcast #557)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
Are ultra-luxury cruises really worth the eye-watering price? Or is the reality very different from the dream? Most cruisers are fascinated by ultra-luxury lines like Silversea and Regent Seven Seas, but very few have actually sailed them. So after cruising recently on Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Holland America, Celebrity and Princess, I decided to book myself on two ultra-luxury ships – Silver Nova and Regent Seven Seas Splendor – paying the full fare to find out what really changes when you step up to the very top tier of cruising. And what I discovered surprised me. In this video I...
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Cruisers Say These Cruise Lines Are On The Rise RIGHT NOW (Podcast #556)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
After sailing on many lines myself recently, and analysing hundreds of cruiser reviews and ratings across Cruise Critic, Trustpilot, and other major consumer sites, I discovered a surprising trend while many lines are sliding — a handful are rising fast. In this video, I reveal the cruise lines that cruisers say are on the rise right now, what they’re getting right, and why ratings are climbing. This is the most up-to-date snapshot of which cruise lines passengers think are improving and why. These trends come from analysing 21 cruise lines covering over 90% of all cruise passengers,...
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8 Widely Held Repositioning Cruise Beliefs Are Wrong. Here’s Why! (Podcast #555)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
Repositioning cruises promise incredible value — sometimes half the price of a regular cruise — but after doing several of them (including my recent 18-night Silver Nova Alaska–to–Japan repositioning), I’ve realised many cruisers board with expectations that are completely misguided. And those myths guarantee disappointment. In this video, I reveal the most widely believed repositioning cruise myths that are 100% wrong — and what these cruises are really like. If you’ve been thinking of booking a repositioning cruise because they’re cheap, relaxing, sunny, or just like regular...
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I’ve Been Back On Every "Ultra-Luxury" Cruise Line. Here’s What I Found (Podcast #554)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
Ultra-luxury cruising promises the very best at sea – but which line is truly delivering right now, and which are slipping? I’ve recently been back on Seabourn, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas and Crystal, and in this podcast I reveal how they really compare today. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For Travellers YouTube: Offers: Get 10% any order of The Cruise Maps who you visit the site using this link: Get up to 30% off collectible tokens of place you’ve visited using the link:
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Too Many Repositioning Cruisers Make These 6 Mistakes (Podcast #553)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
Repositioning cruises can offer unbeatable value — but they also come with big risks and hidden catches that could ruin your dream cruise. I share everything you need to know: what a repositioning cruise is, why they’re so cheap, who they’re ideal for, how to find them, and the common mistakes to avoid. I’ve done many of these unique one-way cruises, and I’ll reveal the insider tips and watchouts to help you decide if they’re right for you. Don’t book one until you hear this! Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams...
info_outlineGary Bembridge of Tips for Travellers shares observations, tips and advice for visitors to Brisbane in Australia.
Subscribe free to the show on iTunes, Stitcher Radio or TuneIn Radio
This show covers among other topics:
Observations
- 3rd largest city in Australia - over 2 million people - growing fast and projecting may overtake Melbourne - capital of Queensland.
- Attractive city set around the curves of Brisbane River named after Sir Thomas Brisbane Governer of NSW in 1820s.
- Compact and easy to get around with good transport infrastructure both road and on river - easily walkable.
- Mix of modern glass buildings and grand old buildings like City Hall - Post Office - Treasury building (now a casino).
- Lots of greenery and shade about - even the roads in the CBD has trees along both sides creating cover and playgrounds have covered play areas .
- About hour drive to beaches and theme parks of Gold Coast.
- Prone to major flooding at various times over history - big one 1974 - most recent in 2011 when CBD and suburbs badly affected.
History
- Created to support the penal colony close by.
- Growing fast for as commercial centre : mineral and agriculture resources , financial services , technology - busy port handling exports of things like grain, coal.
- In WWII General MacArthur commanded to Pacific war effort from here for a time.
- Hosted 1982 Commonwealth Games, World Expo 88
Getting there
Good airline connections within Australia and to parts of Asia
Cruise lines - big ships dock quite way from the city (30-45 mins transfer)
Best time to go
Summer : Dec - Feb
Winter: Jun - Aug
Getting around
Bus - tickets by zone
Rail - to suburbs
River - free and pay for services
Walking
Bike hire scheme (blue bikes)
Green tricycle taxis
Tips
- Get information booklets from tourist information offices - free Brisbane Insider Guid.
- Brisbane Greeter Service - 100 volunteers - 20 languages - two options (refer to information leaflet) - greeter's choice or your choice - free
- Hop-on Hop-off bus.
Things to do
River trips
- Free red City Hopper - every 30 minutes - takes about 1.5 hours.
- CityCat service - big catamarans go much further up and down river
- Mississippi style paddle streamer - Kookaburra River Queens
- Jet Ski or kayak
- River City Cruises- 1,5 trip with commentary by Captain
South Bank Parklands
42-acre development on site of 1988 World Expo - very busy at weekends with locals to hang out- includes
Information centre
The Beach - Aquativity water park
Picnic areas
Restaurants
Weekend market
Wheel of Brisbane - 12 to 15 minute ride in aircon enclosed cabin
Queensland performing arts centre
Queensland museum & science centre
Queensland Art gallery
State library of Queesnsland
Gallery of Modern Art
Convention & Exhibition centre
Rainforest walk
Bougainvillea feature
Nepalese Pagoda
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
1927 - worlds first koala sanctuary - 130 koala and 90 other Aussie species - 11km away
Mount Coot-tha
Panoramic view from Mount Coot-tha - 8km outside city
Botanical garden - established 1824 as fruit & vegetable garden for nearby Moreton Bay penal settlement - 20 hectares flowers trees
Other
City Hall
Story Bridge Climb
ANZAC square memorial
Shopping
Queens street pedestrian mall - over 600 shops on 1 km
QueensPlaza
Gold Coast day trip