Cruise-Ships Books

"Fodor's 99 Worldwide Cruises and Ports of Call" is an outstanding guide.

Yes, we're given honest and pertinent advice on all the top cruise lines and their ports of call. And yes, the presentation of that information is very well-organized.

But what makes this guide such an exemplary one is the wealth of "cruise-primer" details. Everything from cabin graphics and library information (most ships have 500 to 1,500 volumes, including the latest best-sellers) to CruiseLoan offers and seasickness fears are addressed here.

Even routine issues are presented with welcomed specificity. The guide, for instance, doesn't just inform us that movies are shown aboard ships. It explains how many are generally shown, their times, screening facilities, and that "R" rated films may be edited for sex or violence (which may or may not float well with you.)

Another fine feature is the immensely-helpful two-page listing of cruise-only agencies near the front of the book.

This guide is a must-purchase for anyone planning a cruise.

I found this book quick and easy to read with lots of sensible tips for use on board the cruise ship. Macchi knows his way around the ship and explores lots of ways for the new cruiser to have fun and save money. A good book to have with you on a cruise. It was given to me by a close friend and it was the best thing I could have brought on my most recent voyage.

This is a great book. I have never been on a cruise and this book has a lot of things that should be done, clothes to take, ports of call and things to do etc. I haven't read near all of it yet but it is very informative and will continue to read.

I have never been on a cruise, but I know a lot about cruising. Why? Two reasons: Kevin Yano and his book, "The Cruise Companion".

Before I go on, however, I should make a full disclosure. I have known Kevin for several years and long before he wrote and published this book we would have long discussions about his adventures and the joys of cruising. He was so enthusiastic and his love of the cruising life was so infectious that I often encouraged him to write it all down so he could share his knowledge with all those people out there who may have been interested in taking a cruise but did not know where to start. Well, he did, and "The Cruise Companion" is the result. And a good result it is! A boon to anyone who has ever considered taking a cruise. Here is why:

Some of you may have been to seminars put on by cruise companies. You are deluged with information, some of which is given to you in written form for later reference, and a lot which is simply told to you and thus instantly forgotten, unless you have stenographic skills and thus can take notes while the salesman is talking at you. Plus you probably have a host of questions that never get addressed in the seminar because they never get asked by you or anyone else (since you are all too busy trying to digest what you are being told). "The Cruise Companion" is like being at a seminar where you get to ask all the questions that you could ever think of, even the most trivial yet essential ones that you may have thought of but would be too embarrassed to ask ('What are the real risks of fire or sinking?'-see page 86). The writing style is conversational: accessible and readable. The book's organization makes it easy to find the information that you need. You can read the book from cover to cover and learn about cruising from A (Why go on a Cruise?) to Z (Disembarkation and Return Home). Or you can skip through the book and cherry-pick the information that you need based on the particular questions that you have at that time. In addition, the appendix gives you a list of cruise web-sites, ship index, cruise itineraries, and a glossary for those baffled by some of the terminology (i.e. people like me). The emphasis is on information that is practical and useful, not just for those making a decision about whether to cruise and what do do or bring, but also for those who are already on a cruise and need a handy guide to what to do or expect while on the ship or ashore.

I have already bought copies and given them to friends and family who are interested in cruising or who (in one case) had already signed up for a cruise and needed some concrete information on what to expect and what to do to prepare. In this particular case they took the book with them on the cruise, as well as consulted it before they left. Their verdict: The Cruise Companion is the perfect resource for those who want to know about cruising but don't know where to start.

After decades of wandering the western half of the country, particularly in the Sierra's of California, and soon to be married, in 1881 John Muir saw a chance for one last hurrah in wilderness exploration. An Arctic expedition was being formed to search for the missing De Long polar expedition which had sailed two years earlier aboard the Jeannette and hadn't been heard from since. The search party would sail on the Thomas Corwin and would cruise the waters off Alaska, from the Aleutians to the Chukchi Sea off the northern coast. John Muir was a member of this Corwin crew.

The voyage lasted from May to October, 1881. The Corwin never found any remnants of the De Long expedition, but it did a great deal of exploring amongst the many islands off Alaska's coastline. The biggest accomplishment was the "discovery" of Wrangel Island off the coast of Siberia. Muir was fascinated with glaciation and made numerous sketches and wrote articles about the subject. He also collected flora from a number of locations in the arctic and had them sent to Harvard for cataloguing. This book, in fact, was compiled after his death from scientific articles, correspondence, and unpublished journals kept by Muir during the voyage.

Muir writes about what he sees, mainly, though also of what he hears on occasion: he tells of a group of prospectors who are about to set sail up the Yukon River in search of a mountain of silver they'd heard about. He also gives a harrowing report of a starved out village after suffering an extremely harsh winter. The book is an intriguing, straight-forward account of a six-month voyage to the Arctic, and anyone interested in Muir or Arctic exploration will find it worthy of your attention.

This book is not about "old people" - it is instead an extremely well written and informative book for people who just happen to be over 50, who want to go on a cruise, and have a LOT of fun. To quote the author ... "For this book, mature travelers refers to adults who know what they want, both from a vacation and from life. Some overworked forty-year-olds want to prop up their feet and unwind for seven full days while the active retirees water-ski." You want to dance up a storm all night? He'll tell you the ships that offer that kind of nightlife. You don't want to be around children? He'll tell you that, too. The author walks you through the entire process of identifying the right type of cruise for your personality, which ships give special attention to the older person who is traveling with a spouse or alone; how to book one, how to prepare for one, what to do once on board, and finally an overview of the various cruise lines and ship profiles. I have purchased 5 books about cruising this past month from Amazon. Some I found a little bland; some were too hysterical and overwhelming in their detail. This one and the Berlitz book by Douglas Ward were the best for me. I felt Mr. Smith gave me all of the necessary details but in a writing style that was far more personal and interesting. Please don't let the title turn you off - I was worried about it too - this book is terrific!

This is an affectionate look at the cruise business, concept and history. I have seen the old stories such as 'An Affair to Remember,' but I had no idea that the idea of cruising went back as far as the 1890's. Nor did I have any idea about the size of the business today. These huge ships remind me of nothing so much as Las Vegas casinos or some of the modern resort hotels. The cruise, like life itself, becomes a journey, not a destination.

This book is profusely illustrated with pictures of cruising that cover the whole range of time since the beginning. They start with a reproduction of a poster advertising a pleasure cruise to the West Indies. It was a sixty day cruise. The latest picture which is on the back cover is a 2003 view of the 'Diamond Princess' a ship of 116,000 tons that can carry 2670 passengers.

This is a book that I would recommend to anyone thinking of taking a cruise.

Although primarily known for its icy blue cruising waters, Alaska, covering more than 650,000 square miles, offers far more to the unsuspecting traveller: Mt. McKinley in Denali National Park stands some 20,000 feet aboe sea leave; Columbia Glacier descends 41 miles from the Chugach Mountains and is over four miles wide; Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve covers 3.3 million acres; Cruises through breathtakingly beautiful stretches of water such as Lynn Canal, the Inside Passage and the Misty Fjords now incorporate stops at Goldrush towns such as Skagway, as well as major cities like Juneau and Anchorage. Each cruise line offers something didfferent; this book explains the many options availabel and exactly how to choose the right cruise for you.

Cruising The Caribbean appears in its third updated and expanded edition, and comprehensively provides the traveler with a highly recommended guide to the ports of call available throughout the Caribbean. Most cruise passengers only receive a limited amount of hours ashore at each port: Cruising The Caribbean will prove an essential advance planning guide to all the options before you dock.

I received this book as gift from our friends on a Princess Cruise (they were nice enough to have it signed by the Chef de Partie, Chef de Cuisine and several of our friends in the dining room). It's a beautiful keepsake - a marvelous lesson in menu design - and a reminder of how to make and enjoy great food. The photos are beautiful - as much a lesson in presentation as helpers for what the recipe should actually look like when it's done. You'll learn favorites such as Beef Wellington, Baked Alaska (easier than you think), Tiramisu, Reindeer Chili, Black Bean and Lobster Soup, and more. There are also a few basic recipes in the back that will help you with the foundations needed for the advanced recipes. Anyone with a taste for cooking - that enjoys the better things in life and the time needed to deliver them - will love this experience. It's a great gift and perfect for the person in your life who needs a little cooking therapy. Must have!