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 Sydney in Australia.
Subscribe free to the show on iTunes, Stitcher Radio or TuneIn Radio
This show covers among other topics:
General Observations
- Harbour area around circular quay is magical and the iconic view of Australia and Sydney. Beyond the harbour bay is less compelling and different to any city. Architecture not that exciting.
- Not a big a city in world league just 4 million but is young ( ve age is 36)
- 19% Asian
- Casual outdoor lifestyle and informal
- Mix of colonial roots from UK and American feel
- Festivals important to the city to attract visitors and create excitement and energy - film / food/ mardi gras
- Expensive city - accom, food, coffees, going out etc
History
- Settlement was named after UK Home Secretary (Lord Sydney) when Penal colony was established.
- Year after most of indigenous population wiped out by lack of resistance to European diseases.
- Not the capital - Canberra is. Rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney meant it would be neither.
Getting there
- Lots of flying options.
- Cruise Ships now fast growing way to get there too.
- Need Visa, which can get online.
- Smart Gate Fast track entry for electronic passports including UK, NZ, Swiss, Singapore, US Global entry
- Customs very strict - border control tv show - disease obsessed
Best time
Southern Hemisphere so Summer peak is Dec / Jan and coldest in July.
Getting around
- Traffic quite congested - large use of public transport by locals
- Taxi - expensive , Train system - good, Bus system good and inexpensive - buy ticket or cards at newsagents / convenience stores
Where to stay
Harbour area
Top things to do
Harbour Area
Do harbour tour HOHO or tours from Circular Quay (explain options)
The Rocks
Museum of Contemporary Art - stunning building - renovated and expanded 2012
Explore the icons
Sydney Harbour Bridge - bridge walk - 4 hours long short 1,5 hour
Opera House - behind scene tours and backstage tours -
Visit the beaches
Bondi - use 333 bendy bus - train to Bondi a Junction then bus
Manley - harbour trip there scenic - surfing - snorkel - penguins
Darling Harbour
Buzzy and busy with many tourist attractions:
Sealife Aquarium
Australian National Maritime Museum
IMAX
Madame tussards
Powerhouse Museum
Sydney Tower and Skywalk
Shopping
Westfield Sydney
Queen Victoria building
Pitt street - the 5th Ave of Sydney
Oxford street
Other
Olympic Park Tour
Gardens - Hyde park, Botanical gardens, Chinese gardens
Luna Park