Cruise-Ships Books

Excellent book for who wants to know how the cruise industry is. Learned a lot. However, from Chapter 6 and on, if I am not mistaken, the writer expose him self to much on his opinion on how much he dislikes the cruise industry. I mean, there are environmental concerns in every industry and the cruise ships have improved a lot. Now, to spend time reading emergencies situation on board and how the big cruise lines plans everything to take advantage over passengers and ports, just in order to make the cruise industry to look bad!? No reasone for that at all. For improvements, we need to say the actual facts and not judge it before, and put it in to words to fit it in to the picture us one would like it to be. I do recommend to anyone to buy this book, you wont regret. Lot's of detailed information there that no one would find in any other book. And I've read over 6 books about cruising.

I have read both of these books and met the author. He is a "self-described" cruise expert whose only true expertise is that he has taken some 30 cruises. He has now become a noted industry basher who has even testified before congress about the cruise industry solely because there are no other "experts" who make the same allegations. He is the best experts the bashers of the cruise industry have, sadly for them.

As a cruise journalist myself who has worked on cruise ships for nearly two years and been covering them journalistically for almost 10 years now, I found this book to be a rehash of the same old cruise stories that have been going around for years, retold with everything in a negative slant.

In other words, there is nothing new or revealing in this book, and most of it is sensationalistic allegations of wrongdoing based on second-hand and unconfirmed information from wherever he could find it. Footnotes are to press stories that talk of allegations but subsequent follow-up articles about findings that may exculpate the cruise lines are typically excluded from the text.

I say world's longest complaint letter because it is well-known he has a beef with a certain cruise line which they never satisfactorily addressed, and that led to this book. Suffice it to say, he comes across as an effete liberal with a sense of entitlement due to his degree (a PhD) and the fact that he is married to an MD who when she revealed her profession she was (shockingly) asked medical advice by fellow passengers.

His various magazine articles include advice to MDs never to reveal their occupation while on a cruise ship - or they may be asked to help someone. Yet he moans about mistreatment of workers on cruise ships as if they are indentured servants (far from true) who I can tell you from experience, if asked, would never give up their jobs.

This book was not very well researched before being written. Going on 30 cruises, personal observation, and a few interviews with crew members does not constitute sufficient material to write a book, particularly one that tried to tarnish the cruise industry.

Pertaining to some of the cruise lines' past experiences of throwing trash overboard, I didn't read anything that mentioned Carnival Corporation's implementation of "Environmental Officer" onboard the ships to make sure that each ship complies with environmental regulations. I also didn't read anything about Holland America's comprehensive recycling plants that exist onboard all Holland America ships.

The book seems to be comprised of media-hype (half truth) news articles and television interviews.

Having worked onboard cruise ships for 10 years (approximately 500 cruises.... about 470 more than the author,) I could write a first-hand rebuttal of the uncountable inaccuracies.

Scandals sell. This book tries to paint a picture of scandal. But having been on the inside (and knowing that the author has not,) I got defensive page after page and could not help but wonder who would believe this bunch of bologna.

Save your money and buy a massage on your next cruise.

As FDR famously declared, "I want you to judge me by the enemies I make!"

So, Ross A. klein is taking on the vacation cruise industry which he describes in detail as a not very good corporate citizen. Actually, a very bad one. He writes about how they use their mega-volume sales power to press everyone who works with them or for them to the absolute bottom dollar. This includes suppliers, vendors, employees, and port authorities. They're pushing the envelope far beyond efficiency to exploitation. Imagine sweatshops on a boat.

Some will say inevitably that Klein's account is hyped. On the other hand, I see plenty of footnotes in here.

Religious social justice oriented folks like me refer to this as "the race to the bottom." These super-aggressive business practices lower the standard of living of all involved. And, a lot of these folks are already at the lower end of the economic scale. This is not what we'd call "fair trade."

My hunch is folks who boycott Wal-Mart will want to boycott the vacation cruise industry. Folks who love Wal-Mart will hate this book.

On the positive side, I see that Wal-Mart is beginning to change some of its super-aggressive ways. This gives me the feeling that the vacation cruise industry can begin doing the same. Klein gives several good suggestions.

Ross A. Klein's CRUISE SHIP SQUEEZE: NEW PIRATES OF THE SEVEN SEAS examines the exploitation of workers and ports by the cruise ship industry, providing an expose of the cruise industry which provides damning accusation of the industry as capitalism at its worst. From health issues, campaign contributions and financial wrong doings to environmental challenges, legal and social issues come to light in a damning survey.

Prompt Delivery from seller, book is in good shape.we do not hesitate to buy more books if needed from this seller.

I think this book has a decent variety of cases, but of the three I was required to read for my course, (9/11, Martha Stewart, and Enron), there are many errors in the text. Date misprints, factual misstatements, and a total confusion of names (in the Enron case) make analyzing the cases rather difficult. The text also feels very biased, presenting evidence in a way to sway the reader in a certain way, rather than a simple presentation of the facts. The cases also seem to lack some important facts or background information, sometimes making it more challenging to properly analyze the situation.

The book is required reading for the Anderson University MBA program in Anderson, IN. The book is used as an introduction to the MBA program (first course in the sequence).

Badly organized book. Repetitive text and graphs. Stretching theories. Bad analogies. Hardly provide any useful framework can be used in real life. Like the auther is sitting in a small dark room and murmuring to himself.

This text is one of several that are required reading for full time MBA students. It is one of the only texts I have found that logically spells out a coherent model for ethics decision making in the field of business. Case studies are simple, but illustrative of key points.

The book was not up to date. It had information from 2006. It didn't mention the Queen Victoria and the newer ships. I thought I was going to get current information. I wish I had ordered the Fodor book.

The book is a very comprehensive review of all of the cruise lines and individuals ships cruising in the Med. In fact half of the book is devoted to this area. However, I really wanted much more on the ports and excursions, which I felt were not covered in detail at all. The cruise web sites and message boards, including on Frommer.com, are far more in-depth.

I must say, this is one of the most comprehensive European cruising guides I have ever seen. Floating your boat, so to speak, is in my opinion, the very best way to travel. Why? Because you always have a lush entertaining "home" to return to at the end of each exotic port.

Frommer's gives us an elaborately planned book with maps, cabin layouts, colorful photography , and a seemingly endless wave of useful information.

Just some of the material covered: Part 1) getting married at sea, best ships for families, most romantic ships, best ports, watching out for scams, shipboard gyms and spas, and important money matters.

Part 2) The cruise lines and their ships, cruise line ratings at a glance, how to compare prices, and almost every line is then reviewed in depth. Including my favorite, Cunard.

Part 3) The Ports of Call! We're not in Kansas anymore!--a glorious comparison section of fabulous places I have been and others I yearn to see: The steep donkey rides up Santorini, Greece, The windmills and wild (human) life in Mykonos, to The French Riviera & Monte Carlo and more.

So, get your bags packed, and be an experienced cruiser with Frommers, even if it is your virginal maritime thrill!

A book to thumb and "ahhhh" through-over & over again.

Thanks for your interest & comments--CDS

This guide was a terrific help in confirming our thoughts for excursions. Had used the Frommer's guide for the Caribbean ports of call and loved it. This is just as helpful. Super ideas for things to do on your own, where to eat, what to buy. I especially liked the comparison charts for alternative cruise lines in categories like dining, activities, service, etc. This guide is worth the money.

I have several cruise books but found this to be the least informative. 90% of the book focuses on the ships and cruise lines themselves. While that may be helpful to some I don't need that much info on the ship and cruise lines. Do any of us care about the ship measurements? I wanted more information on the ports of call and general cruising advice etc.

The best book I have found so far, which also includes information on cruise lines and ships just not the whole book, is Anne Vipond's "Mediterranean by Cruise Ship." This book not only covers the cruise lines but is an excellent primer for many large and small ports of call. If you only get one book, her's should be it.

Will someone pass the whine? The author snivels and whines her way from port to port. I could live with a good bitchy book, but this isn't it. She's just a natural born complainer, with nothing much to say. I can't believe some people enjoyed this "book." It's not a book. It's some random notations by woman who has had a very interesting life, done some fascinating things, and could not get them down in this book. I read the blurbs and thought it would be a fascinating look behind the scenes on a cruise ship. It's not. It's a bunch of repetitive anecdotes about annoying passengers...but they're all annoying in exactly the same way. Surely with all those people sailing, the variety of jackasses has increased. I have taken a couple of cruises and believe me, there is no lack of jerk diversity onboard. A collection of random paragraphs, there is nothing that takes us backstage. I would have loved to understand how the kitchen functions, what trouble the carriers go to to please unusual requests...and even some over the top passenger requests. We get to see various ports through the rather unsophisticated eyes of the writer, and she can't describe them, merely lists what she did there. There are many, many flirtations, none of them particularly sexy or exciting. There's no THERE there. If you had never heard about ocean liners or cruises and you read this book, you would never step off of dry land for fear of death by ennui. The writer managed to create a lot of writing with nothing whatever to say. Not bad as a parlor trick, but not a book either.

What an open honest book, that allows us inside the World of Cruising. A great read that will leave You wanting to hear more. Like having a conversation with a Good Friend, hearing of all the good stuff going on in Her life. As I said very open and honest. It will make You smile. I look forward to Her next book. A great insight in the people who work on these cruise Ships.

I have just finished this fascinating little book and although I enjoyed it immensely, it still left me with many of my original questions unanswered. I know, I know-it is extremely unthinking of me to fault a writer and their book for not writing the book that the reader would have written but still after a number of cruises there are many areas of the onboard cruising experience that are still pools of unknown knowledge that I cannot provide material to fill. Joyce has covered many interesting topics, some of which had never even occurred to me and I am richer for the wonderful anecdotes that pepper her book.

I would, however, have preferred her to supply some of the "nuts an' bolts" of the cruising experience from an employees point of view such as: who rooms with who and who decides this important question, what do crew members do when not working and where do they do it, how are crew quarters laid out, is food supplied, what sort of amenities are onboard for the crew, etc. etc.?

Joyce's book is a wonderful insight into that hidden world of the criuse employee and I would encourage her to write a folow up and tell her readers of the "hidden" world of contemporary international cruising. Considering how popular this fom of holiday has become, I am sure the book would sell well.

This book is an excellent resource for anyone interested on what goes on beyond the signs that say, "Crew Only." Ideal for veteran cruisers like myself who have met many crew members and have wondered what it would be like to work on a ship. A fascinating travelogue of the author's years working as a cruise director aboard various lines, the destinations visited (with color pictures) and people on board (celebrities and run-of-the-mill folk). Also how she met her husband, a Captain for Celebrity Cruises, and several pages written by him about his experiences. The book is full of anecdotes, some of which are rated "R"! All very interesting and unique...I don't know of any other "tell-all" book like it on this subject.

This book was reviewed on Cruise Critic and I thought it would make good reading while awaiting my next cruise. Unfortunately, I could not get through the first three chapters. Maybe it is because of the explicit details of the authors love life or what she perceived as her love life and not enough about the actually inner workings of a cruise ship. The book I got was actually signed by the author, but I plan on taking it with me and leaving it in the give away section of the cruise ship library. Maybe someone else can get into this book. It was not for me.

Actually I am looking to buy this book used . This book retails on Mary Longs own site as new for 1/2 this price. Check it out . Amazon has made some kind of error. do not pay this price . especially since the review with one star says that you are not getting much for such a thin book.

This book is far from complete. I was interested in finding out more information on full time employment opportunities for academic lecturers and professional experts on ships. This book is a guide on how to get free cruises by offering to lecture onboard. There is nothing in here that common sense would not dictate (if you know about a topic, then you can lecture about it ... seems self-evident to me!). The font is revealing ... GIGANTIC type which would qualify as large print by any standards. I have the impression that this is aimed at retirees hoping to get free travel. If you expect to get paid for your work, then this is not the book for you...I rate this the lowest possible rating, and that is too generous, especially considering that this is such a thin paperback with a steep ...price tag!

Seminars At Sea is a very exciting book! The information I obtained was vital to plannig and fulfilling my dreams of working on a Greek Cruise Ship touring the Mediterranean Sea. Seminars At Sea prepared me for my journey--that traveled on three, five and seven day cruises to the Greek Islands, Egypt, Israel and Turkey.

I highly recommend Seminars At Sea for anyone who is thinking about working or traveling abroad! :)

I found the book a really good 'source' as well as guide. The author has shared some good tips on the three ways to get aboard ships to lecture. I liked the REAL sample letters and photo gallery, that really helps paint the whole picture of what it is really like to seminar aboard the worlds luxury liners. As far as I know, this is the ONLY book of its kind out there. Thanks Amazon.com

This book is perfect for those who enjoy sublte insights and manipulations in a novel! The author takes you on an internal journey as his characters take their transAtlantic cruise. As noted by another reviewer (who provides a synopsis of the story), Higgins also provides a VERY INTERESTING ending to satisfy his readers.
In response to the ZZZZZ review....the problem is not with the book....this reader was obviously not suited to this style of writing...If you enjoy a good read, and enjoy taking time savoring what you are reading....then this is a book for you!

Long-winded ramblings aboard a trans-Atlantic cruise. I kept on reading to see where the book was going...across the Atlantic, where else? A tedious read with a predictable ending. I am only thankful that it was not a world tour.

Do you feel strongly about the S&L crisis in the early 90s? Then maybe this book is for you. The main character runs his own little bank, but the powers that be just don't want him to succeed. His bank is technically in the red, so the government wants to shut him down! On page after page, our hero ponders his situation. Parts of this book doesn't really read like a novel, more like a really long reader's letter in some provincial newspaper. Other parts have a slight elegic feel to them, but it just doesn't work when the characters are all cardboard.

Swan Boats at Four is perhaps the greatest tour-de-force of unreliable narration I've ever seen, and now that Higgins is no longer with us, most of us won't live to see it surpassed: none of its four central chracters are to be believed, but boy do they talk, at length and rewardingly, in the best and most entertaining Higginsese.

Sailing on a costly transAtlantic liner are an adulterous banker and his care-worn wife, the banker's former mistress, who happens now to be a ship's officer, and best of all, a dapper, elderly gent who may be a former lawyer, and is certainly the glibbest talker Higgins ever crafted in his decades of crafting glib fictional talkers.

We early find out that the banker couple are traveling to avoid facing his home-front problems with bank auditors--he keeps telling everyone, with decreasing credibility, the problems are not his fault, she--similarly-- that things are bound to turn out fine. We know that the mistress (she rapidly renews her relationship with the banker) and the old gent are in cahoots. Beyond this, most of the story is in the old gent's words, which we intermittently understand may all be fiction within the fiction-- the town he affectionately describes as his own; the law practice he inherited and left behind; the woman he loved whose demise has just left him a widower; even the fashionable downtown Boston club he claims to have saved from extinction with his sage leadership--may all be pure fabrication. The mystery of the tale is as to why he attaches himself to this particular couple and bedazzles them. And the overwhelming answer is one zinger of an ending that left me short of breath.

This book explains why modern boats are the way they are. The principles are valid for any size or price boat. It explains theory and construction practices in currently in use in boat manufacture from hull and rig design to mechanical system choice, placement and tradeoffs. The intended audience is not the designer/engineer or the armchair romantic, but rather the person who is looking to make more informed decisions in selection and purchase or to commission design and construction of a boat likely to be available in the mainstream market today.

The reviews written for Roger Marshal's other books apply here as well. His book(s) seem to be written for people who can afford boats of the 45-70ft range. Marshal is an excellent boat designer and his articles explaining his designs for some sailing magazines are superb and informative. I still remember his excellent off shore cruiser, evidently designed for a knowledgeable owner, that appeared on Wooden Boat magazine years ago.

But as an author, his audience is not the relatively modest sailor who wants to buy a dependable boat of the 25-35ft range. I am sure Marshal designs such boats too. But there is little profit in designing little boats. His books are aimed at people who pay his mortgage. His book is quite informative for people who are interested in learning about Marshal's craft.

But the text is dry. His illustrations are unromantic. A rare emotional moment in the introduction is squandered in expressing his disdain for the twinkle eyed dreamers who come to his office with notions that are too vague for him to care for. But those crazy romantic urges are what compels sailors to buy books on boats.

Worst of all, he has no sense of fun. When placed next to such contemporary designers as Benford, Bolger and Bueler, Marshal's book severely lacks the element of the unexpected. His boats in the book look stale, like the majority of the boats you see at boatshows. This is all the more sad because there actually is a reason why so many rich people choose him to design their boats. Marshal is a man who understands boats. But he does not understand boat books.

I was very glad to get this book because I am very familiar with the vessel it describes and I am a big fan of the owner of the cruise line. I was looking forward to reading a bit more on the history of the ship. In all these things I was satisfied but there remains one problem. It is not a very good book.

The author is very familiar with the ship, having worked on her when she was still just a concept and having been part of her crew. He knows his stuff. He loves the crew, the company and the ship and that love shows through with every paragraph. Unfortunately, he still needs to learn some writing skills.

He makes sense at all times and is easy to understand. He is not illiterate, he just needs some polish. The text runs together with very basic, matter of fact descriptions of the ship and her construction and maiden voyage. I suspect, though, that anyone who has not been aboard the CANDIAN EMPRESS would have a hard time sorting much of it out. It reads more like a long assertion of facts with a few anecdotes thrown in rather than a narrative. I think that is the real problem: there is no narrative.

That being said, I have no regrets. This book brought back many wonderful memories and the author's love of his subject showed through. That counted for a lot with me. I wish him well in his future endeavors.

Georgina Cruz toots her own horn on the back cover acknowledging over 108 cruises! It shows....

Cruz takes the reader into a world that invites pre-information before spending money on something such as a cruise. She covers small ships, mid-size and large ships. But, like most of these titles, her information is outdated. Not her fault.

She includes a section on niche cruising, like river cruising and barges. This is a new option in cruising.

For $16.95, this is a good buy.

For those of you who are new to cruising, buy this title. For you experienced cruisers, you're on your own. Most of this stuff you probably know, or can get this information on Internet review sites. Or at cruising.org.

Contents include; Algiers, Genoa, Athens, A City of Illusion (Constantinople), The Turk and some of his Phases, Abdul Hamid II (His Imperial Majesty, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire), Islam, Ephesus, Syria, Damascus, Nile, Karnak and Luxor, Egypt and much more. The Author was an old friend and biographer of Mark Twain, and dedicated this book to him.