Customer Reviews

Cruise Ship Squeeze: The New Pirates of the Seven Seas

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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.

Very biased and exaggerated opinion by the author. Those of us who have worked on ships (including the bowels of the vessel) know that it is hard work as with most jobs in life, but certainly not the horrible scenarios referred to in the book. Cruise lines are no different to multinational land based companies operating in developing countries.

I emailed the owner that the book had not arrived yet and asked what I should do. She immediately took action and sent me a new book via priority mail.

It is very simple with Ross A. Klein: If you love cruising you hate him. If you are concerned about social and environmental issues, you see him as you ally. Fact is that his books could be entitled similar to Al Gore's book/film: An inconvenient truth! It is refreshing that Klein uncovers the dirty side of the cruise industry, and speaks out. Everybody who wants to go on a cruise should read his books before they make a reservation - you might be very surprised!

A great book that shoudl be read by every tourism student as well as every cruiser...

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.

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.