Get ready! There are surprises to come, like
neither of the two most popular cruises nor the port with the world's best sail in and sail
out being good enough to make my top 11 list. Welcome aboard. I'm Gary Bembridge. I've
cruised, at the time of making this, 100 times and found that there are just 11 that are so
remarkable, memorable, and enjoyable that I think you should beg, steal, borrow or more sensibly
(like me) scrimp and save to do before you die. It’s the third most popular cruising region in
the world, Alaska. The landscapes are dramatic, glaciers imposing and wildlife
magnificent. And on my trips, I have seen it has a huge appeal
for all ages so one for the list. The highlights for me are the Hubbard
Glacier where I saw carving of glaciers; in Skagway going on the White Pass and Yukon
train; in Juneau going walking on glaciers, dog sleighing and the tramway up to the top
of the mountain to see beautiful scenery; in Ketchikan going to the
Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. If you do consider Alaska there is a huge
choice because almost all cruise lines go there, but note the season is quite
short running from April to October. I’m asked: "Which is better,
Alaska or the Norwegian fjords?" The latter only slightly pips Alaska. It's
rugged with high mountains and beautiful fjords, and it is going to become much harder to
go to because from 2025 Norway say they will only allow non-emission ships
in two UNESCO World Heritage Fjords. The highlights for me are visiting tiny towns
deep within the Fjords like Skjolden, Eidfjord, and Nordfjordeid. Then bigger towns with gorgeous
old buildings like Flam, Bergen, and Stavanger. I love the wide range of things to
do, like the train in Flam, RIBs, or boats deep into the fjords and
hikes to places like Pilgrim Rock. My key considerations? Like Alaska, it has a
main short season, also April to October. If you want to see the Northern Lights, you
must go far north and at the end of the season or even in winter. There's enormous
amount of choice with most cruise lines going there. But do look at the local
lines of Hurtigruten or Havila Voyages. Next for me is a Mekong River cruise though Vietnam and Cambodia. This
cruise exceeded all my expectations. Such a different culture to what I know
and travelling on the river revealed how both the rural and urban people lived. I was
exposed to fascinating but disturbing history about the Vietnam War and the Khmer
Rouge in Cambodia, stunning temples, and three amazing cities, Ho Chi Minh
City (Vietnam's biggest city), Phnom Penh (Cambodian capital with jaw-dropping Royal
Compound) and Siem Reap (Gateway to Angkor Wat). Angkor Wat, oh my goodness, this is worth going on
the trip by itself. The most incredible sprawling, ancient complex. I also loved all the
local crafts people doing brick making, silver work, silk weaving and the markets. There are many well-known European
river cruise lines there like Viking, CroisiEurope, and AmaWaterways. And
watch out because like all river cruises at certain times of the year it
suffers from water level disruptions. I've done various European River
Cruises and the Danube is the one to do. I love experiencing a range of countries, history, and cultures. A classic Danube cruise includes
Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary. For me, the key highlights are the
beautiful European towns and cities. On my trips this has usually
included Passau or Nuremberg, Linz with excursions to the Czech Republic’s Cesky
Krumlov, Vienna, Bratislava, and magical Budapest. Other highlights are going through the locks and the changing local cuisine
and entertainment on board. The season is short, from April
to October, but there are some Christmas market cruises. There is huge
choice of lines. I’ve been on Viking, AmaWaterways, Avalon and Emerald,
but there’s about another 15. Water levels can be a big issue
some years. On one cruise we could not sail past Vienna to Budapest
because the water levels were too low. Next is a Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic between
Southampton and New York. I have done this 5 times now because it's the only true ocean liner sailing
today, it’s a truly unique experience harking back to the glory days crossing before aeroplanes,
and no other line or ship replicates it. The highlights for me are the dressing up and
the balls, although dressing up is much less of a thing than it used to be, incredible enrichment
lecturers, often with famous authors, politicians or actors, afternoon tea which is a big ceremony,
the opportunity to unwind and sailing to New York. I prefer going from Southampton to New York
as you have 25-hour days for five days, and bear in mind there are three classes on
board, Britannia, Princess Grill and Queens Grill, and the restaurant you eat in depends on
which you are in. However, probably about 90% of the ship is open to everybody. It's
not class-based other than the restaurants. You can also, by the way, take your dog
or cat, although that is very expensive. Cruising I found is a great and easy way
to see this historic and gracious country where English and foreign tourism
in many areas is not as developed. Japan culturally and historically was an
even bigger revelation than I expected. For me, the key highlights, because
I like history, were Hiroshima and Nagasaki and seeing and hearing impact
of the Second World War nuclear bombs, seeing Mount Fuji, but biggest was going
to Osaka, which is an interesting place, but was the gateway into Kyoto and
magnificent temples like the Golden Temple. I find doing a dedicated round-Japan cruise is
best pout of Tokyo, and several lines do it like Regent Seven Seas, Holland America, Cunard, and
Oceania. Although most of the lines tend to go in the autumn to spring season, with April-May
time for the spring blossoms being popular. Iceland takes the next spot. I've
cruised Iceland twice. It's wild, weird, and fascinating. It really
is an island of fire and ice. It’s an expensive country to as a land trip,
and going as a cruise is a great alterative, especially as the key sights are around coast
and the interior is largely a lava desert. The highlights for me are first the Golden Circle.
This is out of Reykjavik and across one day, there is Gullfoss, the Golden Falls,
Geysir geothermal area and Strokkur and Thingvellir National Park, where
two tectonic plates are pulling apart. The other is what’s called the
Jewels of the North, normally out of Akureyri. This includes Godafoss
Waterfall, Namaskard bubbling mud pools, Lake Myvatn and Skutustadir craters
and Dimmuborgir lava fields. Everyone likes Reykjavik and the Blue Lagoon,
although I think that’s overrated. There's much less choice of cruise lines here, and July and August are the most
popular but crazy busy. But worth it. Next for me is the Tahiti and
French Polynesian Islands. It's possibly the most beautiful place of
all these cruises. Mark, my partner, says it is the most beautiful place
and best cruise he has been on. Every island is more stunning than the
next. The highlight is the island hopping and many of lines have private beaches or small
islands. Most time is about enjoying beaches, maybe going hiking, going out
on the water, and cycling. Bora Bora, of course, is a big highlight, but watch out because they have limited
the size of ships that can go there. In terms of cruise lines, Paul Gauguin and
Aranui sail all year round there. Windstar home bases for a big part of the year,
but many bigger lines pass through too. The next is high on the list as it is so
unique. The Galapagos has distinctive wildlife, mostly comfortable with humans as we’ve not
been a big historic predator. It is a wild, volcanic based set of islands, not quite
as dramatic as Iceland but unusual. The highlight for me was the wildlife: iguanas,
Galapagos Sea Lions, birds like the Red-footed and Blue-footed Boobies, Frigate birds,
Galapagos Penguins and of course Giant Tortoises. snorkeling was a highlight as I got
to see sea lions, sharks, rays, and turtles. But it is incredibly expensive to go there, and
while I rate it so highly only go there if you're a big nature lover. It is a very long way to get
there. It took me 25 hours coming from Europe. Only around 90 boats are allowed to operate,
and most are small with around 50 or fewer guests. The biggest hold a hundred,
like Silver Origin that I was on. You may be surprised this next one is so
high on my list. It is the Panama Canal. It is the most remarkable man-made maritime
structure that exists in my view. While Suez Canal is impressive, the Panama Canal is phenomenal.
It is an iconic trip every cruiser should do. The original canal opened in 1914, and new
bigger canal opened alongside in 2016. To pass the 50 miles from one side of Panama
to the other side, ships are raised up 85 feet (26 metres) in a series of locks,
sail through the man-made Gatun Lake, along the Culebra or Gaillard channel
cut into the countryside and lowered back down to sea level by another series
of locks. It takes a whole day to do it. I have done the full transit all
the way through, and a partial transit out of the Caribbean up
to the Gatun Lake and back down. There are many lines that do it when
they reposition ships to and from the Caribbean and Alaska. Many world
cruises will include it, and lines like Holland America and Celebrity run the
partials. It is so memorable and special. The best cruises I have ever done, by far, is in
the polar regions but specifically to Antarctica. While seeing polar bears in
the Arctic was incredible, Antarctica still wins. It's remote, it's
special, and everyone talks about Antarctica changing them. It does. It is way better
than anything I've ever imagined it to be. The highlights for me were going to South Georgia,
which has great history, but the scale of wildlife is incredible. For example, on Salisbury Plain
I saw over 400,000 penguins, dozens of elephant seals, and more. Then the Antarctica Peninsula
with ice, snow, icebergs, penguins, and whales. It is crazily costly, even though it ranges
from more affordable expedition lines to super luxury Seabourn, Silversea, and Viking.
But whichever you do it is very expensive, but if you can ever find the money
it will be an investment I believe. Why is the Caribbean and Mediterranean
not in my list of top cruises? These are fantastic places to cruise to, but they
are not for me as much bucket list and life changing. They are places I love to go,
and they can be great value vacations. Also, the most amazing and surprisingly
emotional place to sail in and out of is Sydney Harbour. Incredible for sure, but
the others pipped it in the end for me. If you found this interesting, watch this
video where I look at the 7 things I've learnt doing this first hundred cruises
starting with the biggest thing that changed my cruising experience and
life forever. See you over there.
