Fodor's The Complete Guide to European Cruises, 1st Edition: A cruise lover's guide to selecting the right trip with all the best ports of call (Travel Guide) [Paperback]

Fodor's (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 5, 2008 | Series: Travel Guide

Fodor's Complete Guide to European Cruises, 1st Edition

Europe was the fastest-growing cruising region in the world in 2006, and more ships will cruise there in 2007 than ever before. But cruising in Europe isn't the same as cruising anywhere else in the world! This guide offers everything a traveler needs to know in order to plan the ideal European cruise.

Cruise expert Linda Coffman explains what makes a European cruise different and offers travelers insightful guidance on planning the best European cruise. She shares how to find the best ship and itinerary to fit every need and gives a complete overview of all the cruise lines and ships that travel European waters.

At last, Fodor's has cut through the clutter, providing:
·Clear, detailed reviews of every major ship sailing in European waters
·Full-color photos of the best ships inside and out
·Thorough coverage of 60 major ports of call (including recommendations for the best ship-sponsored excursions and what you can see on your own)
·A complete guide to European river cruising by veteran cruiser Ralph Grizzle

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In terms of comprehensiveness of coverage, the very accessible format, and the enthusiastic tone, this series remains one of the best on the market." –Booklist
 
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"The great detail, infectious spirit, and attractive format are distinguishing traits of these guides, which are entries in one of the top series in the business." –Booklist
 
"Fodor's can help you plan the perfect adventure" –The Arizona Republic
 
"Always thoughtfully written and easily readable, Fodor's travel guides have become a must-have when traveling to unfamiliar destinations" –Mid South Magazine
 
"Widely recognized as the gold standard of mainstream travel" –Honolulu Advertiser

Product Details

• Paperback: 720 pages
• Publisher: Fodor's; 1 edition (February 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400019249
• ISBN-13: 978-1400019243
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.4 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #399,036 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #92 in Books > Travel > Reference & Tips > Cruises

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for first timers, May 20, 2008

By 

Donal Kavanagh (Donegal, Ireland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fodor's The Complete Guide to European Cruises, 1st Edition: A cruise lover's guide to selecting the right trip with all the best ports of call (Travel Guide) (Paperback)

As a first time cruiser doing the Med in June/July 2008, the timing of this book couldn't have been better for me. The profiles of the cruise lines and ships are nowhere near as comprehensive as those in Douglas Ward's Berlitz Guide, but they do provide a reasonable overview.

Where this book comes into its own is in the port profiles and advice section, which should be very helpful for those considering exploring ports of call independently, rather than taking ship's excursions.

The information is clear and concise, and the maps are very handy.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Practical Guide To European Cruises, October 10, 2010

By 

Robert I. Hedges - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Fodor's The Complete Guide to European Cruises, 1st Edition: A cruise lover's guide to selecting the right trip with all the best ports of call (Travel Guide) (Paperback)

Fodor's "The Complete Guide to European Cruises" is a very useful guide to mainstream cruises in Europe. Written by Fodor's resident cruise expert Linda Coffman, it primarily targets an American audience or at least an English speaking one, as British cruise information is also abundant. The book is great for those new to cruising, and particularly excels at explaining what cruises would and would not be suitable for different people. It focuses on mainstream companies (e.g. Celebrity, Holland America, Royal Caribbean, etc.) but I was pleased to see it delve into some companies that are relatively unknown in the US (e.g. P&O Cruises, Ocean Village, Saga Cruises, etc.) though in the interest of brevity many companies (e.g. Pullmantur of Spain, AIDA of Germany, etc.) are omitted or given short shrift. The cruise industry changes very quickly, and despite the 2008 copyright on this first edition, many ships have come and gone since this book was written. For those who really want an encyclopedic source on cruises, I recommend Douglas Ward's fine "Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships," which really is the gold standard, and my most highly recommended book on the subject.

Coffman is to be lauded for a brief but substantive discussion of European river and barge cruises, along with a listing of primary operators, as well as other useful information about the major ships that will help newer cruisers pick more suitable ships and cabins. Where this book really excels, though, is in its discussions of the various ports of call. The level of detail is excellent, and includes transportation options to and from the port (a very important consideration in places like London and Rome,) although larger maps clearly showing the location of the ports and transportation hubs would have been nice, the maps that are provided are excellent for general trip planning and orientation. Keeping with a trend in the book, the maps are rendered in various shades of orange, which is just one minor quirk; a more annoying one concerns the organization of parts of the book. You would, for instance, expect all the "London" ports (Dover, Harwich, Southampton) to be grouped together in a convenient place. Not so. It's not a huge deal, as the index is exhaustive; still it could be more user-friendly.

This is a very good guide to European cruising, and Coffman is very accurate in her descriptions and assessments of the ships that I have personally been on, which provides great credibility in my mind. While it will be very hard to top the expertise in Ward's Berlitz guide, this really addresses a different need, is geared to more in-depth examination of ports and common cruise lines, and is more suitable for new cruisers than the Ward book. The second edition will be released in March 2011, and I am looking forward to the updates it brings.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very Disappointed, April 22, 2009

By 

Jo Ann Shell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fodor's The Complete Guide to European Cruises, 1st Edition: A cruise lover's guide to selecting the right trip with all the best ports of call (Travel Guide) (Paperback)

We were very disappointed in the Fodor's book we purchased. We were planning a cruise to the Greek Isles and Turkey and had hoped to find info on excursions in each port plus hotel information for pre and post cruise stays. Their was no hotel info in any embarking or disembarking ports and no valuable info on excursions. There was actually no hotel info in the entire book. We replaced it with a Frommer's Cruise book which was much better and more informative. From now on we will stick with Frommer.