The Cruise Companion: A Practical Guide to a Worry-Free Cruise Vacation [Paperback]

Kevin Yano (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2007

The Cruise Companion: A Practical Guide to a Worry-Free Cruise Vacation is your definitive guide to cruising. Not only will it give readers tips and information they need to get the most out of your cruise experience, The Cruise Companion will also show readers how to get the best cruise at the right price. Written in reference-manual format, The Cruise Companion is an easy-to-read guide that covers all aspects of a cruise vacation in sequential order from selecting and planning a cruise to disembarkation and returning home. A veteran of the cruise industry, author Kevin Yano takes the mystery out of cruising and shows why it is such a great vacation option. With the Cruise Companion in hand readers will be able to see more, do more, relax more, spend less and enjoy a truly worry-free cruise vacation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Over 11 million people took a cruise in 2005, and author Kevin Yano is onto something with this comprehensive and straightforward guide for both the novice and the pro. Like a dinner buffet aboard a cruise ship, this book has everything the cruiser could possibly want, arranged in a way that's both appetizing and filling. Organized chronologically, the book begins with the question vacationers first ask themselves, Why Cruise?, moves on through the planning stages, then takes the reader aboard to meet the crew, check out the dining facilities, the casino, the pool. The Cruise Companion ends as the passenger reaches his Disembarkation and the Return Home. Yano himself began his cruise ship career with the question, Why Cruise? In his case, the answer was an escape to warm weather. According to the author, cost comparisons between all-inclusive resorts and cruises leave the latter sunny-side up. On his first excursion, Yano was so impressed that he decided to join the Carnival team as a Purser Officer. Conveniently for his future career as a writer, the place to go aboard a ship for complaints, financial issues, emergency situations, phone calls, directions and advice is the Purser's desk. His personal experience provides a treasure trove of real information about everything from how to avoid lines at a port of call, to what happens if a plane is late, to how to tip a wonderful steward, how to dress for the first day, how to negotiate with port shop vendors, and what the lack of insurance can mean for an unlucky traveler. There are excellent tips on cabin selection based on its location (watch out for those all-night discos), and what to do if you're on honeymoon and your room has twin beds. The table of contents is comprehensive and the desired information on any subject easily accessible. Each chapter wraps up with a summary in the form of a checklist. Additional goodies include lists of appropriate clothing according to the cruise season; a graph outlining officer insignia; notes on ship terminology and a thorough glossary; dining options; arranging a private, onboard party; explanations of additional costs and payment options; choosing a ship according to age and spaciousness; Norovirus and motion-sickness; planning for families; how to leave the ship gracefully with tips, financial statements, papers and luggage in order; and emergency drill. Unlike the Titanic, Yano writes, all ships have sufficient lifeboats and rafts for all guests and crew. The Cruise Companion is an excellent all-in-one resource for both Canadian and U.S. citizens. One of the great things about cruising is that you can do as much as you want or as little as you want when you want. Author Kevin Yano shows us how. Highly recommended. Rated 5 Stars --ForeWord Magazine

The huge segment of the vacation market in Canada that has not cruised will find this slim paperback of huge value in deciding to go, and in knowing how to handle the cruise experience once aboard ship. Author Kevin Yano, a former Carnival purser, has produced a primer for the first time or novice cruiser that covers such topics as the benefits of cruising, planning the cruise, choosing the cruise line and ship, and documentation. One of the most valuable sections walks the new cruiser through the embarkation and disembarkation processes and explains what to expect aboard ship and at ports of call. His advice to do some prepartory research and to not agree to the first suggestion made by a travel agent is sound and he carefully weighs the pros and cons of the various types of cruises available and the question of big ship versus small ship. There is good advice on such topics as shopping and shore excursions and on the various alternatives for on-board dining that are available today. Yano calls this 'a practical guide'. And it is. If you've never cruised before, this book will allay any misgivings and provide the confidence and incentive to sample the best value for money in the travel industry today. --Cruise and Travel Lifestyles Magazine

About the Author

Author Kevin Yano has worked in the cruise industry, both on board the ships and in marketing and sales. From his experience in these two areas, he realized that there was a gap in the public's knowledge about cruising - particularly for those who have cruised very little or never before. He wrote The Cruise Companion: A Practical Guide to a Worry-Free Cruise Vacation to bridge that gap and help the public get the most out of their cruise vacations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Tropical Breeze Publishing Ltd (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978063406
• ISBN-13: 978-0978063405
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,892,424 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Cruising for the Curious, October 9, 2007

By 

Chris Kemp-jackson (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Cruise Companion: A Practical Guide to a Worry-Free Cruise Vacation (Paperback)

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.