The Best Cruises 1999: A Complete Guide to the Top Cruise Lines and Their Most Popular Ports of Call (Fodor's the Best Cruises) [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Fodor's (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998 | Series: Fodor's the Best Cruises

Experienced and first-time travelers alike rely on Fodor's Gold Guides for rich, reliable coverage the world over. Updated each year and containing a full-color, foldout Rand McNally map, a Fodor's Gold Guide is an essential tool for any kind of traveler. Smart travel tips and important contact info make planning your trip a breeze, and detailed coverage of sights, accommodations, and restaurants give you the info you need to make your experience enriching and hassle-free. If you only have room for one guide, this is the one for you.


All you need to get the most for your money
Candid, complete reviews of only the best lines and ships: who's got the best food, service, and entertainment at sea
How to get a great deal on the cruise you want -- and whom to call for the lowest prices
Top picks for families, couples, and sports fans
Insider cruise know-how, answers to all your questions
What to pack, what to tip, and other essentials of life on board
How to get the dinner seating you want
What's worth it near the dock in the top ports of call
How to get from ship to shore (will you dock or tender?)
The essential sight, activities, and shops
Beaches, water sports, golf, horseback riding, tennis
Float trips, helicopter rides, carriage trips, touring by taxi
Seaview cafés, great-house restaurants, terrace dining
More than 80 pages of maps, deck plans, and charts
Hundreds of smart travel tips
Fodor's Cruise Primer
New & Noteworthy
1999 inineraries for more than 100 ships -- who's sailing where
Complete index

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Experienced and first-time travelers alike rely on Fodor's Gold Guides for rich, reliable coverage the world over. Updated each year and containing a full-color, foldout Rand McNally map, a Fodor's Gold Guide is an essential tool for any kind of traveler. Smart travel tips and important contact info make planning your trip a breeze, and detailed coverage of sights, accommodations, and restaurants give you the info you need to make your experience enriching and hassle-free. If you only have room for one guide, this is the one for you.


All you need to get the most for your money
Candid, complete reviews of only the best lines and ships: who's got the best food, service, and entertainment at sea
How to get a great deal on the cruise you want -- and whom to call for the lowest prices
Top picks for families, couples, and sports fans
Insider cruise know-how, answers to all your questions
What to pack, what to tip, and other essentials of life on board
How to get the dinner seating you want
What's worth it near the dock in the top ports of call
How to get from ship to shore (will you dock or tender?)
The essential sight, activities, and shops
Beaches, water sports, golf, horseback riding, tennis
Float trips, helicopter rides, carriage trips, touring by taxi
Seaview cafés, great-house restaurants, terrace dining
More than 80 pages of maps, deck plans, and charts
Hundreds of smart travel tips
Fodor's Cruise Primer
New & Noteworthy
1999 inineraries for more than 100 ships -- who's sailing where
Complete index

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

What makes one cruise line better than another? Why choose cruise line "A" instead of cruise line "B"? These are the questions we addressed in preparing Fodor's Best Cruises '99. Only the 23 best cruise lines have been included in this book. To make our list, each cruise line had to be outstanding in some way. These are not necessarily the most expensive cruise lines or the newest, biggest cruise ships. Some specialize in giving you good value for your money. Others epitomize the tradition of luxury travel by sea. Some of the ships are quite small, while others indeed are among the biggest and most elaborate afloat. Some are brand-new, others quite old. But they all have one thing in common: Each delivers a consistently good cruise experience -- which is the hallmark of a well-run cruise line.



About Our Writers





New and Noteworthy



Ship Delays

New ships coming out late were the talk of the industry in late 1997 and early 1998. First the Rotterdam VI canceled three cruises, reportedly due to propulsion problems. Then the Paul Gauguin canceled several cruises due to noisy stabilizers, and the Grand Princess delayed its maiden voyage by one sailing because the ship wasn't ready. The biggest delay of all was for the Disney Magic, which postponed its debut from March 12 to July 30, 1998. It's just a reminder that even in this age of cruise ship assembly lines, booking an inaugural cruise is -- and has always been -- risky business. Maiden voyages are glamorous, but never a sure thing.


Cruising 2000

The stampede to build new ships continues unabated. At press time, Holland America had announced plans for a sister to its new Rotterdam, scheduled to make its debut in the fall of the year 2000. Princess Cruises said it would build two more sisters to its 109,000-ton Grand Princess. The two ships will be deployed year round in the Caribbean beginning in spring and fall 2001. Royal Caribbean announced plans to construct up to seven new ships (several for its sister line, Celebrity) through the year 2002.


Cruising on Credit

Several cruise lines will now finance the cost of your cruise. Princess Cruises began the trend with its LoveBoat Loan cruise financing program. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity followed with their own CruiseLoan program. Interest rates vary considerably. Rates for past passengers can be as low as 12.5‰. The average rate is about 14‰. On the agency front, Golden Bear Travel has branded credit cards with MasterCard and Visa. The MasterCard earns points redeemable for shipboard credits and cabin upgrades aboard 12 participating cruise lines. With the Visa card, passengers are automatically entitled to special offers that are determined by the cruise line.


Silly Awards

It seems that virtually every travel publication has an awards program these days. But the awards frenzy reached new heights of self-congratulation when Seabourn Cruise Line gave itself an award. The line named the Seabourn Legendƒ the best ship in its fleet.

Product Details

• Paperback: 515 pages
• Publisher: Fodor's; illustrated edition edition (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679001697
• ISBN-13: 978-0679001690
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,595,122 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding cruise guide., September 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Best Cruises 1999: A Complete Guide to the Top Cruise Lines and Their Most Popular Ports of Call (Fodor's the Best Cruises) (Paperback)

"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.