Cruise-Ships Books

It seems that the cruise companies have started hiring again for the new season and I was lucky enough to secure a job with Celebrity cruises. The book guided me step-by-step. At the end all, I have to do is to pack my luggage after 4 weeks. Get it and succeed as well.

If you are serious about getting a cruise ship job you would be serious about buying this book

I just received a notification that from the beginning of the next year I will work with Royal Caribbean. I am very, very happy. This has been a dream for so many years and now it will become reality thanks to Cruise Ship Job in 14 Days. It is a great book and it showed me exactly how to research this company and win the hiring manager.

For a humble, shy girl like me has always been a dream to sail the seas and see many exotic places. Now thanks to this in-depth, professional-grade book I am holding in my hands a contract from Royal Caribbean with $3,000 net tax-free salary. I highly recommend this outstanding book to everyone who wants to make their dream about working on cruise ship reality!

I was impressed from this author and his book, which established itself as the Gold Standard in applying for cruise ship employment.

The Cruise Lines International Association which I chair includes 24 of the major cruise lines. Our objective is to raise awareness about the cruise experience. If you are interested in getting a cruise ship job now, there are excellent opportunities because since 1970 and especially in the recent years the cruise industry achieved annual growth of 1,500%! We all at the International Association do our best to keep this growth. Furthermore, we make sure that the quality and standards of service also keep on getting higher.

All the best in getting an exciting, challenging, yet very rewarding cruise ship employment.

Robert Sharak
Executive Director and Vice President, Marketing and Business Development
Cruise Lines International Association

I don't enjoy romance novels masquerading as mysteries, but Candy Calvert has hit just the right balance with Dressed to Keel. The characters are delightfully zany, the mystery very satisfying and well plotted, and the lead man yummy. The best part, though, is heroine ER nurse Darcy Cavanaugh, who is believably smart and daffy at the same time as she solves the who dun it while battling a broken heart and career upheaval. And her best friend, the colorful Marie, is worthy of a series all her own.

I couldn't put the book down--such a page-turner! What a fun book to read! It had me laughing out loud. Candy Calvert did a great job with Darcy and the cast of hilarious "prune-aged" characters. Looking forward to her next adventure at sea!

I really had a hard time getting into this book. I didnt appreciate alll the nursing lingo - kind of like the author showing off her expertise? It was distracting. I also thought that the story was slow and while the ending had a nice twist, there really wasnt enough suspense. I will not read another in this series.

Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (1/07)

I picked this book up on a Sunday morning and figured that I would read for an hour or so and then do my chores. Its 5PM, the book is finished, no chores are done and I am still in my PJ's. This is one of the few books that I have read that I can honestly say I could not put it down once I started it. "Dressed to Keel" is Candy Calvert's launch of the Darcy Cavanaugh mystery series and she has a real winner.

The story starts out "The cruise brochure promised confetti, melting wedges of Brie, well-stuffed tuxedoes, and silver buckets of Dom Perignon." Who would not want to go on a trip like that? Darcy Cavanaugh gets that and so much more, including murder and mystery as she takes a much needed vacation. Darcy is an ER nurse who is burned out with her job and by love. She decides to get away from it all by taking this cruise with senior citizens because her friend Marie is the shipboard nurse. But after a cabin steward is found dead and the robberies begin, the fingers are pointing at Marie. Darcy must find a way to clear her friend of the murder and solve the mystery before the body count starts piling up.

Darcy's first and primary suspect is the handsome and sexy dance instructor Luke Skyler. He always seems to be around when trouble brews and is also watching her very closely. Or could it be any one of the outrageous seniors who are also on the cruise? This is what Darcy must find out as she becomes the next target on the ship.

"Dressed to Keel" is full of outrageous characters, gourmet food, champagne and beautiful clothes. The story is a mystery, but is kept light and full of fun. Calvert proves that she has a wonderful sense of humor over and over again through this mystery story and I am very much looking forward to her next installment in the Darcy Cavanaugh mysteries. After all...who needs to go food shopping or have a clean house or laundry when there is great mystery novel to be read?

Candy Calvert has created the funniest most mischievous klutz of a character(Darcy)I have met in a long time. I laughed, giggled, and hoo-hawd my way through the book. I give it the highest compliment I possibly can " I slowed my reading down because I was not ready to leave these wacky characters. " Thanks Candy Calvert and I look forward to more Darcy adventures. May they be as funny and witty as this one.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the book, but it is a fascinating look into the cruising world. Having been on a cruise many years ago (on Carnival, the line the author worked for), I was hooked on his story. I read it within a day, partly because he writes so well and partly because the topic is amazing. I knew that people on ships worked hard, but I didn't realize the extent to which they are expected to push themselves and how they are treated by some of the management. I don't know how people fulfill their contracts without making themselves really sick. I'm impressed and appalled . . . part of me wants to run in the other direction and never step foot on a cruise ship again. Part of me wants to take a cruise and leave the wait-staff HUGE tips -- and tell off the obnoxious horrible other passengers!! It makes me wonder how people in some other travel industry areas (resorts, etc) are treated.

THe author leaves us with a bit of a tease -- I hope there's a follow-up book.

After receiving the book from amazon, I literally read it in one straight sitting that evening. I enjoy cruising too (mostly Princess & Royal but taking first Carnival one in 12/09) and sort of stumbled on this book as I was purchasing updated cruising guides.

I fully enjoyed Mr. Bruns' story and could see in his descriptions of co-workers and bosses many of the same characters I had to deal with when I was in the hotel industry many moons ago. I suppose that would be true for any industry but the employees on cruise ships truly work in a pressure cauldron fueled by long tough hours, little sleep, youth & beauty, cramped quarters, and temporary (superficial) friendships which are bound to find a release in types of situations that he describes (hey... they are the fun ships, right?).

Some of the described behavior of the clients is both comical and at times truly sad/pathetic. We have all witnessed those people both as fellow passengers and in our everyday lives. I don't know whether I will ever look at a shrimp again without thinking about this book but that scene was just unfortunately shockingly real in my mind - because I've seen that!!!

I also very much enjoyed reading about Carnival policies, etc. which, as a cruiser, I found very reassuring. Like another reviewer mentioned, this is not Kitchen Confidential; Mr. Bruns never throws his employer under the bus but is cognizant of the fact that politics are a fact of corporate life...

If I was appreciative of the service these amazing people provide before reading his book (like they say, the best tippers are people in the industry), I'm even more so now.

If you have cruised before or are a first timer, this fun read will give you a real nice insight on what goes on in the back of the house (well... below decks in this case).

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is written in a very relaxed and friendly way. The author brings you in to his world and easily shares his tales with you. From beginning to end this book will astonish you with the many details that go in to the cruising industry. You will never be able to look at having a meal on a cruise the same way again. The author does a great job of giving you a peak in to how Americans are perceived by folks from other countries...it will likely give you something to think about. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy traveling and would like a greater appreciation for those who make it great.

Cruise Confidential is a tremendously entertaining behind-the-scenes view of life at sea for cruise crew members, as told by someone who actually worked on a cruise ship. It's a humorous insider's view told in an entertaining form, and it's a must-read for anyone who's ever sailed and then wondered how does the crew live and work on a cruise ship. If you've sailed and thought about how the always-smiling crew copes with long working hours and long periods of time at sea, you will really enjoy this book. Among the things the author reveals are what happens down in the crew deck (yes, they have their own decks that the passengers never see), what their living and working conditions are like, what a typical day is like, how much time they get off, what is the relationship among crew members, how they receive their assignments and what the struggles and pressures of working on a cruise ship are.

I've taken quite a few cruises and I've always wondered what it's really like for those who keep the ship running smoothly while working seemingly endless hours and smiling the whole time. This book answered my questions. Even if you have not cruised before this is a fun book that is humorous, engaging, entertaining and reads like a novel. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down and once I was done it left me wanting more. I can't recommend this book enough. Luckily the author is writing another book, and I am eagerly awaiting it.

Cruise Confidential would be HIGHLY recommended to anyone who has been on a cruise or is thinking about a cruise vacation in the future.

The book goes into very revealing detail of the happenings below the water line, in the restaurants, on the decks, and warm tropical locales. Intrigue, crazy antics, misadventures, flitations, and sex are brought to life in the pages of this book. In reading this book I felt like I was actually going through the same battery of emotions the author was revealing to us. I really got caught up in so many of the situations captured in this wonderful tell all. With each turn of the page I kept on wanting more and more. I simply could not put the book down. Matter of factly, I've read the book three times over the past month. That's how good of a book Brian Bruns has written. I have a much deeper respect for the hardworking crew that slave endlessly to provide us cruise vacationers with a tip-top, rewarding, good time on the high seas.

Needless to say, I am absolutely thrilled that there is currently an upcoming sequel to Cruise Confidential in the works. I'm there with the click of my mouse to pre-order the next high seas adventure writen by Brian Bruns, as soon as Amazon starts advertising to do so. Can't wait!!!

This book has almost anything you can possibly want to know about cruising. Interesting reading.

As a travel agent, each year's version becomes my 'desktop bible' for specific information on ships.

Sue Clark Koenig
Luxury Cruise & Travel
Denver

A thorough review of major cruise lines with analyses of the strengths and weaknesses of each line, and following, of each ship in the line. Well done and reasonably priced for a nearly exhaustive review of all kinds of cruises and cruise lines.

This is a great book for a first time cruiser like me. I did things a little backwards. Did my homework online, booked my cruise AND THEN bought this book. Everything the author suggested I had already done. Of course I could have save myself a lot of time if I had bought the book FIRST. I definitely would not have had to spend many hours online. Am looking forward to see if his suggestions work!

Lending libraries catering to travelers in general and the elderly who appreciate cruises in particular won't want to miss Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships 2008, a survey packed with independent reviews of cruise companies based on personal experience, not advertising or hearsay. Chapters do more than offer reviews of nearly three hundred cruise ships: they discuss what to look for in a ship and crew, how to compare the major lines for pros and cons, and where to find the best among different types of cruises. Simply packed with essential 'know before you go' detail.

I so enjoyed this 3rd installment. It's so funny to see such a scatter-brain, who in a pinch is an awesome nurse & friend. She would so be a fun person to know. It is an easy, fun read, but it has a lot of little twists and turns. There are so many to be suspicious of. Keep up the good work. Karen

I just finished Mai Tai to Murder and I simply loved this story. I was sad to see this story end. I plan to read the earlier books in the series to learn more about Darcy and her family.

This is the best Darcy mystery to date. I laughed and giggled all the way through and oh those crazy characters!! You must read just to meet Gertie. Mystery, mayhem and an inside peek into the publishing world. Holds your interest and makes you laugh. Does'nt get any better than that!!!

Candy Calvert's third book in her Darcy Cavanaugh series is another winner. And this time, Darcy is in the midst of a cruise ship full of crazy mystery writes and an even crazier, scathing literary agent. Her workshop on how to commit murder is apparently being taken seriously by one of the passengers. Darcy and her cigar-chomping best friend Marie find themselves entangled in another round of sleuthing when Darcy's boyfriend's mother, on-board as an aspiring writer, becomes the main suspect in the agent's murder.

The book is full of the usual wit and mayhem, and plenty of amusing jabs at the book writing business itself. It's sure to entertain any reader who loves cozies. I know I loved it!

This series is just getting better and better. I really liked this story and unlike the previous books in this series, I was really kept guessing right up until the end. This book is a quick read, it will keep you laughing all the way through it and it will keep you guessing. That is my definition of the perfect cozy mystery. I'm already looking forward to Ms. Calvert's next book even though I know it will be a while before it is released!! I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a fun and entertaining read.

I recommend this book to people who love suspense and mystery novels. Nancy Drew is one of the series I admire. This book is one of my favorites. Its a brilliant book.

~Anu

Nancy Drew tries to solve a hard case about stolen diamonds!!!!!! It takes place in a cruise ship! Some problems are that they can not seem to find any good clues, Bess's handbag gets stolen, and she slips and sprains her ankle! At the end, the problems are solved! They find the diamond thief after Nancy's father finds Nancy, Bess, and George tied up with duct tape around there mouths! They were in a old locked up bathroom! They have a really nice friend named Amber, but all the clues point toward her! Do you know who the diamond thief is??? Read Danger at the Great Lakes to find out!
The End

By: Cassie R.

Nancy Drew tries to solve a hard case about stolen diamonds!!!!!! It takes place on a cruise ship! Some problems are that they can't seem to find any good clues, Bess's handbag gets stolen, and she slips and sprains her ankle! At the end, the problems are solved! They find the diamond thief after Nancy's father finds Nancy, Bess, and George tied up with duct tape around their mouths! They were in a old locked up bathroom! They have a really nice friend named Amber, but all the clues point toward her! Do you know who the diamond thief is??? Read Danger at the Great Lakes to find out!
The End

(...)

this is a great book with a good plot,one of my favorite nancy drew books.a word of advice"BUY IT":)

This is one of my favourite Nancy Drew books. I definetly recomend it to anyone. It was awsome! =D

If I could choose a young girl for my very own, it would be red-headed Mary Margaret--a girl who wishes with all her heart to be a mermaid. I read this riveting book, cheering for MMM with every turn of the page. Even though girls will absolutely love her, everyone will find the book refreshing. Set on a cruise ship in the Grecian Isles, Lynn E. Hazen has created a world so real that I smelled the salty air and olive oil even in these Blue Ridge Mountains. If I ever cruised into a Grecian port, I'd fully expect that spunky red-headed Mary Margaret to greet me as I disembarked the ship! This is an author that I'll keep my eye on. I'm anxious to see where she'll take us next.

I read MMM in one go. simply because I fell in love with Mary Margaret from the beginning. She is so likeable, with so much depth. Many times throughout the book, I thought back of when I was a little girl spending time with my grandmother. Good books take us to other places and this book did just that for me.
I loved especially how Mary Margaret is so open with us in the book as she shares her worries, fears, guilt, dreams, crushes and hopes. The diary style gives us a chance to get to know MMM in a way we often do not get to know characters in books a lot longer than this one. Lynn Hazen is a gifted writer and I cannot wait to read more of her books in the future!

Mermaid Mary Margaret is a wonderful story that really captures the feelings of a young mermaid-obssessed girl. It is funny, touching, and tender all at the same time. This would be a great gift for kids about to go on a cruise!

Spunky ten-year-old, Mary Margaret is forced to face a tough mission, when her Mother asks her to accompany her recently widowed Grandmother on a trip to the Greek Islands, where she is hoping to dump the ashes of her beloved dead husband in the ocean. Mary Margaret doesn't know if she's the one who should be attending the cruise with her Grandmother. After all, it's a seniors-only cruise, and Mary Margaret's Grandmother is taking it to get away from life for a bit, and to participate in a little rest and relaxation. However, after a bit of time, Mary Margaret meets many new friends, helps her Grandmother to properly say goodbye to her husband, and gets to fulfill the dream that she's always had, which is to be a mermaid, which she gets to do when she is asked to participate in a beachside wedding.

Lynn E. Hazen has proved that she can compete against the big dogs in the world of writing with her first novel MERMAID MARY MARGARET. Mary Margaret is a spunky character, who is filled with love, questions, curiosity, and intelligence. She is wise beyond her years, even if she doesn't know it yet, and her outspoken personality shines through in her many, wonderful journal entries. Come aboard the cruise with Mary Margaret, and learn everything you need to know from a ten-year-old, red-headed, mermaid-in-training. You won't be disappointed.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

After reading this book (voraciously on my lunch hour) I found myself thrown back into my own childhood. It's a great read for adults as well as late elementary school aged kids. Mermaid Mary is charming and determined! This book made me feel (as a 27 year old woman) the way the Ramona books made me feel as a kid. It helped me to remember what it feels like to trust your gut instincts and be true to yourself. MMM embraces who she is and blooms as a result. I remember all of these feelings! Her trip with her grandmother as a companion in place of her recently passed grandpa is touching, exciting, and reminded me what it felt like to loose a parent and deal with that loss. Not only do I identify with Mermaid Mary, but I feel that there is a piece of her in all young girls. This book gets five stars from me and reminds me to embrace the dreams that I have that might seem silly or unimportant in the big scheme of things. Not only is the book GREAT, but there is a very fun interactive website that can be used in conjunction with the book for classroom or homeschooling purposes! (www.MermaidMary.com) I will be following this authors career and look forward to treasuring more books as fast as she can write them. I hope to see my collection of childrens and junior literature expand with Lynn Hazens name showing up frequently on the spines!

I purchased Daniel Hall's book in hopes of finding that right vacation. The book is easy to read and follow. Tips and help are throughout! I'm really looking forward to taking some new adventures and this book has opened doors up that I didn't know had existed.

When I first learned about this book, I was intrigued. Of course, the idea of cruising free appealed to me, but all I had were fantasies that seemed like they could never come true. Mr. Hall explains his system for success so clearly, that I can't wait to submit my first proposal to a cruise line. And, I'll follow his advice to a T. It worked for him and he shows you how it'll work for you!

You can do it! I did! Just by following the steps in Daniel Hall's ground-breaking manual, "Speak on Cruise Ships", I was able (within just two months) to get my first free cruise under my belt. More importantly, they have already called me to book two more free cruises. That is what Daniel can do for you. He lays out a step-by-step plan any person can follow to start traveling. If you are serious about getting approved to cruise free, invest in yourself and get this book! It's not pie in the sky. Daniel's stuff really works!

This book is the real deal! By following the instructions I was approved to sail anywhere in the world for free on two different cruise lines (within ten days of buying the book). If you can talk and you want to travel the world for free, you would be crazy not to buy this book. Step-by-step instructions to a life of leisure. Easy to read, easy to understand, and easy too do. Yes, you can do it too!

I first heard Daniel on a Tele-seminar talking about his book. I was scheduled to go on a Cruise for Vacation in 2 weeks and Daniel made it sound so easy so I thought I would purchase the book.
You know when you hear someone talking about their product or service and it just sounds too good to be true? That is kind of what I thought when I was listening but when I received the book I started looking through it and couldn't believe how explicit his directions were.
I read the entire book the first night making notes along the way. I followed each and every step that was laid out in this book and I was approved to speak on my cruise.
I did this within a 2-week period!!
Now I am approved to Cruise anywhere in the world for FREE.
This April I'm Cruising to Bermuda, Ireland, France and England on a Trans Atlantic Cruise and it is FREE. Did I mention I'm taking my fiancé along for FREE also? When your approved by the Cruise lines you can take someone with you for FREE too.
All I can say is Thank You Daniel! This was by far the Best investment I have ever made. The directions were so easy to follow and everything went down exactly like you said it would in your book. Did I mention I'm also cruising the Caribbean this summer? For FREE of course!!

Thank you Again,

Vic Maranto

P.s. I would be glad to speak to anyone if they have questions about this book. As I stated above, it's the best investment I ever made!! Speak On Cruise Ships: 8 Easy Steps To A Lifetime Of Free Luxury Cruises

They say that farewarned is forearmed, and if that's the case, then Anthony Davis' book is a fantastic weapon in the continuing goal to protect ourselves. He tackles so many things I never would have even begun to consider. It was hard for me to stop reading this book.

My wife suggested I read this book. I am glad I did. So much goes into understanding how our country is protected and needs to be protected.

The author is very knowledgeable as he was a former maritime investigator and a prior maritime intelligence officer. I trust what he says in his book.

This book helped me understand exactly what we are up against when it comes to criminals and terrorists.

I highly recommend this book to people so they can understand what is all involved in protecting our country.

"Terrorism and the Maritime Transportation System Are We on a Collision Course?" by Anthony M. Davis USCG, Ret. is an interesting book on the challenges our law enforcement and other agencies have to keep the USA safe.

The book describes the agonizing steps the officers have to go through to determine if the incident in question is a crime or a terrorist act.

The book will educate you on the new laws passed due to terrorism.

Anthony M. Davis does a wonderful job explaining why the Middle East does not get along with the Jewish people. The fact may surprise you that it is not about religion.

The book further describes all of the work we as a nation need to be doing to keep ourselves protected. There are so many areas that terrorists could threaten our citizens.

I am glad I read this book to further educate myself. We as citizens of the USA need to be aware of what is going on to keep ourselves safe. I suggest you read this fascinating and educational book. Then writing our congressmen to make the necessary changes to keep our families safe!

Brilliantly written to easily read and understand.

I have to admit that I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy Terrorism and the Maritime Transportation System, but I am so glad I read it! Anthony Davis obviously has the background to put together such an awesome piece on a topic that, to my knowledge, hasn't been full covered before.

I learned so much about the military, how terrorism can and will affect us, security, and even the ships themselves! I've learned more in this one book than I've ever learned from reading any other reference piece before.

After reading Terrorism and the Maritime Transportation System, I have a new found respect for those in the field and I'm thankful that Mr. Davis has put this book together to educate the public without making the content dull or boring. I found it difficult to put this book down as I wanted to keep learning more through every turn of the page.

Terrorism and the Maritime Transportation System is an honest-to-goodness factual book written by my good friend Tony Davis. I think that his writing style not only keeps you aware of what can happen and has happened, but what can be done to reduce the risk from his actual hands-on experience and background. Tony's factual accounts of what are encountered in our cargo and the security as a whole makes this a valuable book. [...]
He reiterates some great reminders, what could have been done and experiences with what he lived and worked with from 9-11 forward. I highly recommend this book for pleasure or for a reference book.

I really liked this book. It reminds me of Mike Azcue, Wayne Nugent, Wes Melcher, Dan Stammen, Robert Oblon and Marc Accetta who got involved in World Ventures and it great cruise packages for average people. My friends Dave and Yvette Ulloa went to a few of these great trips and just loved it. I highly recommend cruise vacations book that shows so many great vacations and packages out there.

We loved this book, as this was research for our first ever cruise we found it very interesting. Would recomend to any one who has never cruised before and would like info.

Growing up watching "The Love Boat," I was never interested in actually taking a cruise. But real-life cruises can be very different from that program -- and are not only for shuffle-board playing seniors or honeymooners or (as in every episode of "The Love Boat") comically bickering spouses. In fact, a cruise vacation can be a fun, easy way to travel. As the author notes, you can see lots of places, but only have to unpack once.

"Cruise Vacations for Dummies" provides great detail about everything you'd want to know about cruises (*but were afraid to ask), and provides so many useful tips that it's hard to summarize everything, but it includes information on how to make your cruise more romantic, how to plan a family-friendly cruise, even how to gamble, plus how to choose the best shore excursions -- whether you're planning a cruise in the Caribbean, Alaska, the Mediterranean, or a more remote destination -- and how much and whom to tip.

Unlike other cruise books, "Cruise Vacations for Dummies" serves as a kind of Consumer Reports on cruising with its objective reviews of the major cruise lines, their fleet, itineraries, food, entertainment, atmosphere, and cabin choices. In fact, whether you're considering a top-of-the-line experience, like on a Seabourn or Windstar, a popular-priced cruise, like on a Carnival, or a cruise to Alaska (Holland America) or to an alternative destination, like Antarctica, the reviews are great for first-timers and for experienced cruisers, alike.

The For Dummies series covers just about every topic that exists, and cruising is no exception. Learn about cruising from the ground up with this informative book.

I have a number of books about cruising, and each has its strengths and weaknesses. Cruise Vacation is a great overview of what cruising is all about, with information given on the most commonly used ports and destinations. There's also a page or two on each main cruise line and what its strengths and weaknesses are.

The beginning of the book goes over the basics - passport and documentation, what to expect on a cruise ship, how you pay your bills, what duty-free is all about, and so on. The next section helps you compare the cruise lines, describing each main line and providing comparison charts of the typical rates for the ship and the fleet's specifications. They update the Dummies book each year, so make sure you get a current book to get valid rates.

The rest of the book - almost the second half of the book - is taken up with descriptions of the various port towns and destinations. If you're leaving from Tampa, for example, you can see maps of the area and learn about interesting things to do before you sail off. You can read through the descriptions of the various destinations and see which ones appeal to you, and start to prioritize your choices.

Where some other books are sure to point out the bad AND good of the locations and ships, Dummies seems much more oriented towards always talking up the good. This makes it less of a "consumer reports" and more of a "promotion of the cruise industry". Cruise descriptions include "outstanding features" and "super deals" - but not any listing of what to watch out for. The very few times they give warnings, they are of the quite obvious kind - i.e. Disney cruises are full of kids, and honeymooners seeking romance should be aware of this.

Still, the book gives a great overview, and is well recommended.