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This is the Essential Cruise Tips Podcast with cruise expert and author Gary Bembridge. Full of tips, advice and ways to plan and get the most from your cruising vacation.

Aug 12, 2026

I went on my first ever sailing ship cruise expecting something magical, different, and perhaps even better than a regular cruise ship. Instead, after the very first night, I was seriously wondering if I had made a huge mistake. After more than 130 cruises on ocean ships, river ships, expedition ships and even a...


Jul 29, 2026

I’ve transited the Panama Canal six times, and I am still completely obsessed with it. In this video, I take you with me on a full Panama Canal transit from the Pacific side across to the Caribbean / Atlantic side, showing what really happens across the day — the thrilling parts, the surprising parts, and the...


Jul 22, 2026

After 100+ regular ocean cruises, I finally tried a sailing ship cruise — and almost everything I assumed going in turned out to be wrong.I sailed with Windstar on their 342-passenger flagship Wind Surf, an 8-night Venice to Rome itinerary on a five-mast sailing ship. In this video I cover what I discovered including:...


Jul 15, 2026

South America cruising delivered some of the most spectacular sights I have ever experienced — but also a few costly, frustrating, and very unexpected lows. On my recent 31-night South America cruise, I filmed live updates from eight of the region’s most popular cruise ports and scenic cruising days, capturing...


Jul 1, 2026

South America cruises can be spectacular — penguins in the Falklands, Cape Horn, Glacier Alley Chile, fascinating cities in Peru and Chile, end of the world in Ushuaia, Buenos Aires, Lima, Montevideo and more. But after cruising South America several times, including a recent 31-night voyage, I saw...