Best Gary Bembridge Podcasts (2025)

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I've Cruised Europe’s Rivers 12 Times. Here’s What Nobody Warns You About (Podcast #467) 15:06

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4h ago15:06

15:06

I've cruised on European rivers 12 times and I am just back from a Rhine River cruise on Avalon Waterways. Once again, I met so many people who spoke about surprising and frustrating things they'd only encountered and realised once they were on the cruise because none of the lines, reviews, or commentators seem willing to talk about them frankly, o…

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How To Cruise Like A VIP Without A "First Class" Price Tag (Podcast #466) 11:41

14d ago11:41

11:41

Want to cruise like a VIP without paying “First Class” suite prices? In this podcast, I reveal 6 insider tricks that will let you enjoy luxury perks - all without breaking your budget. These are the same strategies I use to get a champagne cruise lifestyle on a beer budget. Whether you’re a first-time cruiser or a seasoned traveller, these tips wil…

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I Put The Highest Rated European River Cruise Line To The Test (podcast #465) 17:03

21d ago17:03

17:03

After a five-year break, I returned to river cruising in Europe to see how the experience compared to my past trips. I chose the European River Cruise line with the highest ratings by recent passengers and boarded with high expectations. This video shares my thoughts on what they did both well and less well, and if I felt they deserve the ratings t…

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6 Things River Cruises Do Better Than Ocean. And 3 They Don't! (podcast #464) 15:16

28d ago15:16

15:16

Their fans paint river cruising as an idyllic, perfectly paced and immersive way to travel, but few talk about what you lose by choosing one. Having done 12 European river cruises and over 100 ocean ones, I've found the differences are bigger than most people think or expect. Some things river cruises absolutely do way better than ocean ships. But …

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Don’t Pick The Wrong "Premium" Cruise Line! Here’s What You Need To Know (Podcast #463) 18:22

1M ago18:22

18:22

I've recently revisited and cruised on all five of what the industry calls “Premium” cruise lines, as I keep getting asked which is the best these days as so many cruisers are confused by all the recent changes in the fleets, new on-board offerings, tweaks to inclusions and exclusions, and the seeming push by all to attract a different passenger ty…

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7 Big Mistakes I See Too Many Mediterranean Cruisers Make! (podcast #462) 15:18

1M ago15:18

15:18

I am just back from a Mediterranean cruise on Sun Princess from Barcelona to Naples. As on all my cruises, I was delighted to chat to followers of my channel and new travellers I met, unfortunately not all of whom were having the perfect cruise. Why? Because too many had made mistakes that I have seen time and time again on the 25 Mediterranean cru…

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I Tried the Fancy Sanctuary Collection on Sun Princess. Here’s What I Found! (Podcast #461) 15:08

2M ago15:08

15:08

I cruised on Sun Princess to experience snd test out the new Princess Cruises SANCTUARY COLLECTION. This video shares my thoughts on if the SANCTUARY SUITE , Sanctuary Club deck, Sanctuary Restaurant and other perks and benefits included in the fare to see if it was all worth it. Here's my verdict and thoughts Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: h…

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I Tried the New Princess Megaship and Here’s What Happened! (Podcast 15:32

2M ago15:32

15:32

Princess Cruises have entered mega-ship cruising with the launch of their 4,300-passenger Sphere Class ships, Sun and Star Princess. Hearing it was totally different to their other ships, reading very divided reviews, and seeing many asking if Princess were abandoning loyal guests to attract a different type of passenger, I had to test it out for m…

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More Cruisers Are Being BUMPED From Cruises Than Ever. Here's Why! (Podcast #459) 12:15

2M ago12:15

12:15

I decided I should investigate why so many cruisers are being bumped of cruises right now after seeing in just one day, it happening to so many. Including Carnival bumping many passengers off several up-coming Carnival Conquest sailings, upset people in a Seabourn Facebook group reporting being bumped off one of three back-to-back cruises they had …

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I Cruised Princess Cruises Despite Saying Never Again! (Podcast #458) 15:43

2M ago15:43

15:43

It's been three years since I was last on Princess Cruises, when I vowed to never return after going on three underwhelming cruises in the space of 12 months: Sky and Regal Princess in Europe and Majestic Princess in Alaska. I felt Princess had lost its way, and they had slipped behind their competition in the premium category. In fact, I made a vi…

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I Put 8 Underrated Cruise Tips To The Test! Here's What Happened (Podcast #457) 12:25

3M ago12:25

12:25

I’m just back from a 7-night Sky Princess Scandinavian cruise where I challenged myself to test out eight cruise tips I think cruisers massively under-estimate, including one that I have seen totally wreck entire trips – and almost created a massive problem for me. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: https://www.patreon.com/tipsfortravellers and g…

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Things We Can't Do On A Cruise This Year, But Could Last Year! (Podcast #456) 12:50

3M ago12:50

12:50

I’m just back from a Sky Princess cruise to Scandinavia, and during that I realised there are a surprisingly large number of things I cannot do on cruises this year that I could last year. For example, as on last year’s Princess cruise, I bought the “Princess Plus” package. While it still includes a Drinks Package, unlike last year, this year they’…

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I Cruise Explora Journeys To See If It Lives Up To The Hype! (Podcast #455) 18:15

3M ago18:15

18:15

Before boarding my Explora Journeys cruise, I had many questions, including if this new line would live up to the rave online reviews, who it is competing with, and who they were aiming at as I’d started seeing many ads targeting families with kids. So, as I boarded Explora II in Barcelona for an 11-night cruise, I was eager to discover more, and I…

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Most Alaska Cruises Don't Go To Plan. Here's Why! (Podcast #454) 16:19

3M ago16:19

16:19

Recently, I had to step in to stop some friends making big mistakes while planning their Alaska cruise. It reminded me of all the pitfalls there are when cruising Alaska, and because of that why I meet too many cruisers saying their trip of a lifetime to this stunning region fell short. I'm Gary Bembridge, and I'm going to tell you how I helped my …

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Overrated Tips Every Sensible Cruiser Should Stop Using - RIGHT NOW! (podcast #453) 14:02

4M ago14:02

14:02

I'm just back from a cruise on Explora Journeys Explora 2, and was disappointed how many passengers I met on there are still following cruise tips that frankly I know are overrated and out-of-date. Tips that many cruising articles and videos are still recommending cruisers use. I'm Gary Bembridge, and I want to tell you about four overrated cruise …

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What I NOW Do To Get Great Cruise Cabin Every Time ! (Podcast #452) 13:46

4M ago13:46

13:46

I meet so many people on cruises who tell me they do not gamble. However, whilst they might not gamble in the casino, they gamble with the most important thing of all on the cruise, the cabin. I'm going to tell you why I think most people get cabins wrong and what savvy cruisers do that I think you should really consider doing, too. I'm Gary Bembri…

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5 Things Smart Cruisers ALWAYS Do (And 1 They Argue About)! (Podcast #451) 16:59

5M ago16:59

16:59

I've been asking experienced cruisers I’ve met what they did to make their cruise vacation perfect. And they are all saying the same things as other smart cruisers I've asked on past cruises. Well, mostly the same because while there 5 things all agree on, there is one that splits smart cruisers into two opposing camps. As you will hear. Become a T…

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Who REALLY Owns Your Favourite Cruise Lines? You’ll Be Surprised. Guaranteed! (Podcast #451) 10:08

5M ago10:08

10:08

I have been shocked at how many videos, blogs, and articles, many by people that cruise passengers see as leading cruise experts, are totally wrong on the topic of who owns what cruise line - and are giving incorrect answers and bad advice to the question I and others are frequently asked: "I want to go on an ocean cruise a non-USA owned line, what…

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The Dark Side of Living on Cruise Ships: By Those Who’ve Done it! (Podcast #449) 12:21

5M ago12:21

12:21

For many people, the idea of living part, or full-time, on cruise ships sounds like a dream-like paradise. But having spent time closely following several people that have recently tried it, I saw the harsh reality is that dream comes with some darker aspects, nightmare challenges and unexpected problems. Things I think you need to know about. In a…

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Living On A Cruise Ship: Here's What It REALLY Takes & Costs! (Podcast #448) 15:29

5M ago15:29

15:29

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 abo…

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I Paid A Fortune to Cruise On “New” Crystal Cruises. Was It Worth It? (Podcast #447) 18:57

6M ago18:57

18:57

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 wh…

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Here's How You Can Cruise To Antarctica For Less! (Podcast #446) 10:51

6M ago10:51

10:51

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. Howe…

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Cruise Ship Crew Secrets The Lines Don’t Want Us To Know! (Podcast #445) 11:22

6M ago11:22

11:22

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 cr…

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5 Secrets Cruise Lines Won’t Tell You (But You NEED to Know!) (Podcast #444) 12:03

6M ago12:03

12:03

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 unmas…

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So Many Panama Canal Cruisers STILL Get These 5 Things Wrong! (Podcast #443) 15:09

7M ago15:09

15:09

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, welcom…

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This Cruise Line Says It's The World's Best! I Put That To The Test (Podcast #442) 18:33

7M ago18:33

18:33

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 foun…

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6 NEW Cruise Scams & Tricks To Watch Out For This Year! (Podcast #441) 13:33

7M ago13:33

13:33

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 in the video: Ge…

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Cruise Lines JUST Banned These 6 Much-Loved Items!! (Podcast #440) 8:58

7M ago8:58

8:58

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…

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6 Tricks You Should Use To Beat Today's Soaring Cruise Fares (Podcast #439) 11:28

8M ago11:28

11:28

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…

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Changes EVERYONE Cruising In 2025 Needs To Know About (podcast #438) 11:21

8M ago11:21

11:21

If you've got a cruise booked in 2025, or thinking of booking one, there are startling changes being made by cruise lines, governments, and the actions of some local port residents that you need to be ready to deal with. Even if you've been cruising recently and think you know how things work, these changes could catch you by surprise and throw you…

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The Smartest Way To Deal With These 6 Cruise Nightmares (Podcast #435) 16:02

8M ago16:02

16:02

I've recently been following several cruise-gone-wrong sagas that inspired me to make this. They include outraged passengers raging because the Captain decided to miss iconic ports that most had booked the cruise for, and a distraught family facing a medical bill of $150,000 after their father fell ill on European cruise. Like you I assume all my c…

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I Put Silversea's Costly Expedition Cruising To The Test. WORTH IT? (podcast #436) 18:16

8M ago18:16

18:16

Knowing that the expedition cruise I wanted to do would cost me the same as buying a new luxury car, I needed to make sure that the line I went with would deliver something special and make every dollar worth it. After much deliberating, I decided to entrust Silversea with this huge sum of money as I've been on shorter expedition cruises with them …

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Antarctica Expedition Lines Don’t Tell You This, Until You’re On Board! (Podcast #437) 14:13

9M ago14:13

14:13

On all three Antarctic trips I've been on, I’ve seen so many passengers thrown by the same things each time. All because expedition lines are not totally transparent until passengers get on board. Then the truth comes out. It often comes as a big shock to many. So, here are the six things I see most passengers are surprised about Antarctic cruising…

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Too Many Cruisers Fall For These Cruise Drink Package Traps (Podcast #434) 10:53

10M ago10:53

10:53

A drinks package can easily add $1,000 or more to the cost of your seven-night cruise. They've become popular and cruise lines push cruisers hard to buy them, arguing they’re great value, but are they really? And who exactly should, and should not, be buying them and why? I highlight how to avoid falling into traps that so many cruisers do with dri…

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Smart Cruisers Rely On These Game-Changing Cruise Resources (Podcast #433) 12:03

10M ago12:03

12:03

Over the years I've been cruising, I have made many mistakes, but thanks to other cruisers I've met along the way, they suggested various tools, sites, and apps that helped make sure I avoided making those – and other - mistakes again. So, I'd like to share those that I use on every cruise to make every trip epic. Including some rather quirky and u…

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Which Cruise Line Is The VERY BEST By Region? And Why? (Podcast #432) 15:53

11M ago15:53

15:53

In every weekly live cruise Q&A livestream that I do on YouTube, I am asked by a cruiser what is the best cruise line they should use in one of the regions of the world so they can see and get the most of it. So, I decided to make this to share in one place what I have found from my experiences to be the very best cruise lines to choose in each of …

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Cruisers Pick Their Best & Worst Lines RIGHT NOW! (Podcast #431) 14:50

11M ago14:50

14:50

I'm constantly asked if I think that cruise lines are worse now than they used to be. After analysing how cruisers are rating them right now, the answer seems to be mostly yes. I've poured over the online reviews and ratings of 25 of the biggest cruise lines aimed at English-speaking cruisers over the last nine months. A staggering 20 of them are b…

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Smart Cruisers Stay On Board On Port Days More Than Ever. Here’s Why (Podcast #430) 12:15

11M ago12:15

12:15

I noticed that more cruisers than ever are staying on board their cruise ship rather than getting off in ports to self-explore or go on excursions. With many changes in ports and on ships in recent years, I too have started remaining on board in more ports too. There were even two cruises in the last year where I did not get off the ship in any por…

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Avoid Doing These 6 Things Or Risk Driving Cruise Crew Crazy (Podcast #429) 11:42

11M ago11:42

11:42

Until recently I used to think of myself as a self-aware and understanding cruise passenger, but that changed after I caught up with some crew members I know over dinner on a recent cruise. They told me there are 6 things blissfully unaware passengers keep doing that really wind the crew up, but most passengers don’t realise they are doing it as cr…

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Too Few Cruisers Know About These 9 FREE Afternoon Teas At Sea (Podcast #428) 11:12

12M ago11:12

11:12

As a HUGE fan of them, and because I see only a small percentage of passengers going to many of them, and as I think too many are missing out on one of the best culinary experiences on a cruise, I’m going to let you in on my list of the best included afternoon teas at sea, so you too know where you can indulge in this fantastic experience. “Cruise …

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I Test Seabourn Expedition Cruising To See Why Cruisers Are So Unhappy (Podcast #427) 19:31

12M ago19:31

19:31

Looking at reviews before heading off on Seabourn Venture, one of the new expedition ships from the ultra-luxury Seabourn line, I was concerned when I saw recent reviews calling it disappointing, saying it had unappealing food, the entertainment was abysmal, and the decor felt downscale versus other Seabourn ships. This is what I discovered when I …

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River Cruise Lines To Steer Clear Of These Days. And Why! (Podcast #426) 10:03

12M ago10:03

10:03

As I don’t want to waste my precious time and money on a European river cruise line that isn’t on top of their game, I've been diving into the latest cruise reviews and ratings, to see what lines are doing well and, maybe more importantly, what lines we might need to approach with more caution. There are 5 lines you should be wary of and they inclu…

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River Cruise Lines Everyone Is Raving About RIGHT NOW (Podcast #425) 11:49

1y ago11:49

11:49

I decided to see how today’s travellers spending their own hard-earned money river cruising in Europe are rating the lines on review sites. I quickly discovered the rankings were not as I expected them to be and were different to those of the magazines and sites. So, I let you in on the top 8 traveller best rated river cruise lines right now, and w…

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What Smart Cruisers Do To Guarantee Adult-Only Cruising (podcast #424) 8:37

1y ago8:37

8:37

It is a great time to be cruising if you are a family with kids. But if you’re looking for kid-free cruising it is getting harder than I have ever known it to be. In this video I talk about guaranteed adult-only cruise lines and ships, how to minimise your chance of having kids on a cruise on non-adult only lines, and if you're on a cruise line wit…

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The Truth About Cruise Cabins: What Every Cruiser Should Know (Podcast #423) 12:14

1y ago12:14

12:14

I look at 5 things that no-one, including cruise lines don't like to talk about, when it comes to cruise ship cabins - and why and how it is affecting the way passengers like you cruise and ingenious ways that the choices cruise lines are making on cabins means people are paying more to go cruising. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: https://www.…

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These 17 Ports Are About To Ruin Your Cruise Plans (Podcast #422) 12:55

1y ago12:55

12:55

It feels to me like the world is getting smaller for cruise passengers. I keep seeing reports of yet another port banning, reducing how many ships or the size of ships that can call there. And even in ports without cruise restrictions, more locals seem to be protesting about cruise passengers being there once we get off the ship. As the news of the…

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Cruise Buffet Dining: What SMART Cruisers Do And DON'T Do! (Podcast #421) 12:22

1y ago12:22

12:22

On my last cruise, Cunard Queen Anne, I never ate in the buffet restaurant, on a recent Holland America cruise I ate lunch in there every day and on my Royal Caribbean Symphony of Seas cruise I ate most meals there. Why? It’s because I have a set of cruise buffet rules that I've developed over time that determine when I eat in the buffet, how I use…

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Too Many Cruisers Are Making These 4 Costly Mistakes Right Now (Podcast #420) 14:46

1y ago14:46

14:46

I am frequently contacted by stressed cruise passengers at the end of their tether, seeking my help on how to get out of a costly blunder they've made. In recent weeks, several cruisers have been in touch about the same four issues that seem to keep catching people out these days. I thought I needed to warn cruisers about them. As well as telling y…

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Here's What It's REALLY Like On A Viking Ocean Cruise These Days (Podcast #419) 16:30

1y ago16:30

16:30

When I told friends, family, and followers online that I was headed off on a Viking Ocean cruise to Alaska, I was struck by how much misunderstanding and myths they all had about what it's really like to go on a Viking Ocean cruise. Because it had been a while since I'd last been on a Viking Ocean cruise, I also had many questions on what it was li…

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Don’t Break These 6 Rules Or You’ll Drive Other Cruisers Crazy (Podcast #418) 15:40

1y ago15:40

15:40

Reports of an incident of passengers breaking cruise rules with costly consequences, got me thinking about what cruise rules I see being broken often. It struck me that some rule breaking bothered me and some did not, for while they might have nasty consequences for those involved many do not directly affect my cruising experience. I wondered if ev…