Customer Reviews

The Essential Little Cruise Book, 4th: Expert Advice for Planning and Enjoying a Perfect Vacation at Sea

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

 

 

This was the only book we purchased, having borrowed several others from the library. We used SO many of these ideas to help us make good choices, and to help us plan. While there are some tips that may make you say, "Duh!," the majority of them are things that are so helpful, such as where to book your cabin on the ship, tips for packing, dining, even really simple and easy tips such as packing lanyards and poking holes in the on-board keycards so our kids wouldn't lose theirs (genious...kids would lose them from their pockets, and they are tied to your credit card!,) and asking the steward to empty our refrigerator of the mini-bar contents so we could fill it up with our own pre-purchased water and soda.
This is really worth the money, considering all the money you will spend on your cruise!

The book is very informative for novice cruisers. However, I would recommend anyone "thinking" about a cruise purchase this first, instead of waiting until you have booked the cruise.

An interesting book from the perspective of cruise ship staff. Certainly not great literature, but a fun read with some useful information about how crew feels, how they are treated (both by the cruise line and by passengers and other staff) and what they have to do to make your trip enjoyable.... Some cogent insights into the "American persona" from workers from other countries.

The ideal person for this book would be a person who has never been on a cruise before and has not even selected one yet. The book will take you through all the steps, including a lengthy portion on selecting a cruise and the various avenues for purchasing a cruise.

I am about to be a first time cruiser, but I had already booked my cruise...so about 20% of so of the book was of no value...to me personally. Buying a cruise, as a novice, can be pretty intimidating. So many choices. So many "pitfalls." I wouldn't have minded having had this book PRIOR to my booking.

The next best reader is someone like me. A soon-to-be first time cruiser. The book is really just a long series of primarily one paragraph hints & tips. It's organized like one might expect, with sections devoted to ship life, excursions, safety, embarking and disembarking, etc.

The reasons I only give 3 stars, rather than 4: 1) The writing style is only passable. 2) About 50% of the hints are SO obvious, they are almost insulting. Sometimes it feels like the book if for a person who has never TRAVELLED or even left their home state. I felt a little talked-down to at times. "Don't overeat." WOW...how insightful.

The other 50% of the hints ranged from the interesting but not applicable to worthy of highligting. (In fact, this is the first Kindle product I've had where I wanted to use the highlighting feature.) I absolutely learned some things I hadn't thought of (section about safety & security is particularly good), and certainly feel the book will prepare me better for my upcoming cruise.

It's not a scintillating read, and even though it's short, the book is probably still too long. But if you are a first-timer, it is quite worthwhile. (If you HAVE cruised before...don't spend your money on this, and don't slam the book for being too simple. You are the wrong audience.)

There was not much new in this little volume. I suppose if I had never travelled before, there might have been some helpful hints. For the most part,it was alot of common sense suggestions. Very basic!