No-One Warns Solo Cruisers About These (Based On The 87 I’ve Done (Podcast #567)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
Solo cruising is getting harder… and most people haven’t noticed yet. After 87 solo cruises, I’m seeing some big changes that could make cruising alone more expensive, more limited — and in some cases, much less enjoyable. In this video, I reveal what’s really going on behind the scenes… and what I now do differently to make solo cruising still work - including the success I have had and what I do to avoid paying double and the same price for two people. If you cruise solo — or are thinking about it — this is something you need to know. Become a Tips For Travellers...
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If I Could Only Do 10 Cruises In My Lifetime, These Are The Ones I’d Do (Podcast #568)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
If I could only cruise 10 more times in my life… these are the ones I would choose. After 20+ years and 128 cruises, I’ve discovered that not all cruises are created equal. Some are enjoyable… but others are truly life-changing. In this video, I count down the ocean cruises that stand above all others — the ones I believe every serious traveller should have on their bucket list. These aren’t just popular itineraries. These are journeys that deliver unforgettable wildlife encounters, breathtaking scenery, iconic maritime experiences, and moments that genuinely change how you see the...
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I've Cruised All 5 "Small Ship Luxury" Lines. No-One Warns You About This! (Podcast #566)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
In the last few years, I’ve cruised on all five of the major Small Ship Luxury cruise lines — multiple times on each — and I discovered something most cruisers are never told. They may all be grouped together by the industry, but they deliver very different experiences. In this video I put the five head-to-head: Oceania Cruises, Viking Ocean Cruises, Explora Journeys, Windstar Cruises, and Azamara I reveal: ✔️ Where each one genuinely shines ✔️ The weaknesses most brochures don’t highlight ✔️ What catches Premium cruisers out when they “upgrade” ✔️ How they compare...
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Adult Cruisers Should Be Ready For This (Podcast #565)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
With cruise ships fuller than ever and lines focusing heavily on families, adult cruisers need a new strategy. After 125 and counting cruises, I’ve spotted trends that specifically affect adult couples and solo travellers — from cabins being reassigned, to new adult-only cruise options, to ways adults can cruise for far less than they think. In this video I cover: Adult-only ocean and river cruise lines, The surprising world of chartered “grown-up” cruises, How to find peace on family ships, Private island adult areas you might not know about, job-based discounts, and more Whether you...
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7 Cruises To Steer Well Clear Of These Days. Here’s Why! (Podcast #564)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
In this video I reveal 7 cruises I regret taking and now actively avoid — even though many travellers still book them thinking they’re getting a great deal. Some of these cruises look incredible in the brochure, others seem like obvious bargains, and a few are even considered “bucket list” sailings. But after experiencing them myself, I discovered why they can lead to disappointment, frustration, or simply poor value for money. In this video I explain: • The cruise that looks like the perfect way to try cruising — but often isn’t • The extremely popular cruise many people dream...
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10 Cabin Checks Every Cruiser MUST Do BEFORE Unpacking. Here’s Why! (Podcast #563)
Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers
Most cruisers walk into their cabin, throw their bags on the bed, and start unpacking. Big mistake. After more than 125 cruises, I’ve learnt – sometimes the hard way – that there are a handful of vital checks you should always do before you unpack a single item. In this video I take you inside a real cruise cabin and show you exactly what I personally check the moment I arrive on board. I also explain why it’s absolutely critical to do these checks on embarkation day, when problems are far easier to fix, cabins are still moving around, and engineers are on full standby. Leave it until...
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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...
info_outlineGary Bembridge of Tips for Travellers shares observations, tips and advice for visitors to Shanghai in China.
Subscribe free to the show on iTunes, Stitcher Radio or TuneIn Radio
This show covers among other topics:
Observations
- Dramatic changes over years I have been visiting.
- Modern without defining a distinctive Chinese feel while stunning lit up at night.
- Always been the most cosmopolitan city in China
- Massive city over 20 million people.
- Shanghai means up from the sea - massive port - busiest in world - but has some limitations.
- Pollution and smog - big issue - asthma and breathing issues
History
- Started as a fishing village developed into centre of textile industry and major trading port developed from there. Chinese government made it free port (no taxes, not subject to Chinese laws) after the First Opium War and boomed with British then French and American concessions.
- Rich and decadent especially in 1930s - "Paris of the East" - Japanese occupied for time in WWII - after war hand back to Chinese and after Communist entered city in 1949 and became more closed.
- Now one of the four cities in china that are directly managed by Central Government
Getting there
- Need a visa before go - plan well in advance - can be costly to process - consider using a visa agency.
- Watch what packing and bringing in as conservative and strict
- Two main airports - Pudong and Hongqiao
- Cruises port - modern Wusongkou International Terminal - 45 to 90 minutes to Peoples Square / Bund
Getting around
- Maglev Train from Pudong airport to Pudong Longyanglu station (20km in 7 minutes)
- Busses - complex
- Taxis - colour coded by company - avoid red ones as independent and not metered - always have where going written in Chinese
- Metro - modern and easy to navigate as also have English names - ticket machines coins.
- Car hire not recommended even though signs have English
General Tips
- English often understood in tourist places.
- Safe but can be hassled a lot by vendors.
- Many attractions close at 4 or 4:30pm.
- Good tourist maps and leaflets in hotels and information centre
Must Do:
Pudong
Oriental Pearl TV Tower-
Shanghai World Finance Centre - 100th floor observation tower - including glass floor looking down 100 floors
Jin Mao Tower - Grand Hyatt Hotel (tallest hotel lobby in world 56th floor) - observation floor on 88th - only 45 seconds to get to top
Shanghai tower - 632 m high opposite opened in 2014
The Bund and huge Huangpu Park
Grand old buildings known as the World Architectural Gallery.
People's Square
Shangai Museum
Museum of Contemporary Art
Shanghai Art Museum
Shanghai Grand Theatre
New Town Hall
Urban Planning Museum - past and future Shanghai
Yuyuan Gardens and Bazaar
In the old town, built in the Mid 16th C and took 18 years it build
Bazaar aroudn it has many stores and it is fu
Jade Buddha Temple
Shopping
Counterfeit markets largely closed down and driven under ground now
Nanjing Road
Yuyuan Bazaar
Night River Cruise
Shanghai Acrobatic Show