Frommer's Alaska Cruises & Ports of Call 2004 [Paperback]

Jerry Brown (Author)

Book Description

Series: Frommer's Cruises | Publication Date: January 30, 2004

Cruising is the perfect way to see America’s last frontier—wildlife and wilderness abound along the state’s breathtaking coastline, and are easily seen from the comfort of a deck chair or observation lounge.

Thoroughly updated every year (unlike the rest of the competition), Frommer’s Alaska Cruises & Ports of Call is a compact guide that’s on top of all the latest developments and offerings in the rapidly changing cruise industry. Our author, a leading cruise journalists with years of experience, has compiled candid, first-hand reviews of each cruise line and each ship. The easy-to-use ratings, detailed drawings of each ship, and honest evaluations make it easy for you to find the cruise that suits your budget and your personal style, whether you want a luxury liner with fine dining or a small-ship cruise led by serious naturalists.

You’ll also find a nature guide that helps you understand what you’re seeing, complete with illustrations of glaciers and the various types of whales. We’ll show you how to get the best deals and how to maximize your time in the ports of call—all in one concise, pocket-sized volume.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer. And avoid tourist traps. At Frommer’s, we use 150 outspoken travel experts around the world to help you make the right choices. Frommer’s. Your guide to a world of travel experience.

Choose the Only Guide That Gives You:

• Exact advertised prices for every ship–with insider tips on discounts and special deals.
• Outspoken opinions on what’s worth your time and what’s not.
• Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip no matter what your budget.
• Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.
• The best hotels and restaurants in every price range, with candid reviews.

About the Author

Jerry Brown was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and worked as a reporter for Scottish newspapers before joining the news department of the London Daily Mail. Later, for 31 years, he was the West Coast Bureau Chief of a leading travel trade newspaper. He and Margaret, his wife and best editor, have two grown sons and a granddaughter, Victoria Rose.

Fran Wenograd Golden is the travel editor of the Boston Herald. She is also the author of Cruise Vacations For Dummies, and TV Vacations: A Fun Guide to the Sites, the Stars and the Inside Stories Behind Your Favorite TV Shows, and co-author (with Jerry Brown) of Frommer’s European Cruises & Ports of Call. Fran lives north of Boston with her husband, Ed, and their two teenagers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Frommer's; Revised edition (January 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764542737
• ISBN-13: 978-0764542732
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,519,038 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Handy Guide for Cruising Alaska, September 2, 2004

By 

E. Maselli (NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Frommer's Alaska Cruises & Ports of Call 2004 (Paperback)

I bought this book before an Alaskan cruise this summer, and found it to be invaluable, both for researching before hand and enjoying the ports of call on our cruise.

It's small (so it's easily portable), and chock full of information about all the ports. We used it constantly during the trip!

A tip - I bought this book in addition to the bigger Frommer's Alaska. The bigger book contains all the same info as the little one, along with details on a lot of places not covered in the cruising book. So don't buy both - decide how much of Alaska you want to see, and just get the one that suits your travel plans.

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth It's Weight in Klondike Gold, August 15, 2004

By 

Tom Harrison (Plymouth, NC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Frommer's Alaska Cruises & Ports of Call 2004 (Paperback)

I have never been on a cruise, but I am a savvy seasoned independant world traveler, (including over a dozen trips to Alaska), and I thought this book was an incredible resource! Alaska cruise options these days seem almost endless. There are more than 17 cruiselines taking more than 700,000 paasengers a season to Alaska! Juneau alone, receives over 450 passenger ship port of calls annually. Competing cruises are almost as indivdual as you are. This guidebook does a great job of laying out and encapsulating the many diverse cruise choices. When you finish reading this guide you will not only know which cruiseline you are interested in and which route, but you will likely know which individual ship you want to cruise on!

Visiting wedsites or talking with a travel agent are a poor substitute. Cruiseline websites provide lots of details, but lack comparative information. In addition, they are not going to tell you if their cabins are tiny, or the food is mediocre. Save visiting the cruiseline websites until after you read this guidebook to get more detail and photos - when you have narrowed the field.

Travel agents, no matter how good they are, simply don't have the time to dsseminate the volume of information in this book. But after you read this book and if you decide to use a travel agent, you will walk in well-informed and your agent will be quite impressed. It will also save them time and breath!

Whether your cruise is a once-in-a-liftime trip or an annual event, ...this guidebook is an invaluable resource.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Frommer's Alaska Cruises & Ports of Call, August 20, 2005

By 

Pam Schell-varkony "pageturner" (Denver CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Frommer's Alaska Cruises & Ports of Call 2005 (Frommer's Cruises) (Paperback)

This book was great ...I read it from cover to cover and it gave me incredible information even about the cruise ship we were on that the line did not share with us. Would highly recommend it.