Ocean Cruising & Cruise Ships (Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships) [Paperback]

Douglas Ward (Author)

Book Description

Series: Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships | Publication Date: January 1, 2003

This cruise guide contains more ships, more comparative charts and analytical data than any other guide. Since the 1980s it has established itself as the definitive reference work for both novice and veteran passengers and has become the bible for the cruise and travel industry. In contrast to other guides, it takes a global rather than a regional approach. The 2003 edition of this definitive cruise guide has been completely re-designed and now includes a 64 page full-colour section really bringing the cruise experience to life. 10 colour maps have also been added. New colour-coded bars and tinted information boxes throughout make the book more user-friendly. Fully updated with detailed descriptions and ratings for more than 260 ships, highlighting what to look for in a ship and on a cruise. Includes easy-to-use charts on important details such as cuisine and cabin amenities. The author Douglas Ward, is one of the world's most prominent experts on cruising and cruise ships and has spent over 4,500 days at sea, aboard more than 800 cruises. He is strictly objective and widely respected throughout the cruise industry.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The ultimate cruise guide" Cruise and Ferry News

Product Details

• Paperback: 638 pages
• Publisher: Berlitz Publishing; 13th 2003 ed. edition (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9812460586
• ISBN-13: 978-9812460585
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,451,104 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Berlitz Ocean Cruising & Cruise Ships 2003, May 28, 2003

By 

Max Petterson "Cruiseabout" (Gold Coast, Qld., Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ocean Cruising & Cruise Ships (Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships) (Paperback)

I now own the 1995, 2000 and 2003 editions of this guide, and this new edition is, as it claims to be, indeed a <<complete>> guide to the world of cruising. My previous review of the book seems to have been helpful to 123 readers, so I feel encouraged to rewrite and update my views on this new edition.
There are many cruise ship guides on the market, but none as complete and thorough as this one which gives very detailed reviews of no fewer than 254 cruise ships, ranging from the modest <<Funchal>> to the, some would say, immodest <<Voyager of the Seas>>. Certainly there is a very important first section dealing with many aspects of the cruising experience, but thankfully not the huge amount of space that many cruise book writers feel they must devote to descriptions of ports and cruise destinations. There are many other travel books that can give you that information. The major part of the book [around 75%] is devoted to the very detailed descriptions, reviews and ratings of the individual cruise ships, each review giving a general description, accomodation, dining, entertainment, and, very importantly, <<weak points>>. You may not agree with all of Douglas Ward's comments, but he is generally very fair in his criticisms.
Some reviewers feel that Mr. Ward is too <<european>> in his viewpoint, but my own view is that although Carnival, Princess or Royal Caribbean are excellent introductions to cruising for first-timers, each with their own particular strengths, however it's sad to see so many cruisers who won't venture past their <<comfort zone>>, and this is where Mr. Ward's expertise comes in. Most cruisers won't have the means, nor perhaps the desire, to travel on his top rated ship <<Europa>>, but his description of life aboard such a superb ship makes a mouth-watering read.
One reviewer took Mr. Ward to task for a perceived <<anti-american>> stance, however I can detect no such bias. Rather, his approach is truly international, unlike most cruise ship writers who look at the cruising scene only from the american perspective. The most interesting cruises are those which have a truly international clietele. If the ship were full of only Los Angeleans, or Londoners, or Sydneysiders, it would be a very dull cruise indeed.
The inclusion of colour photos and maps in this new edition makes a welcome innovation, as are the descriptions of ships, like the Queen Mary 2, that are yet to be launched. Some may argue that the cruise enthusiast can find all he or she needs to know on the internet, however I would counter that few writers could compete with Ward on completeness or detail in their reviews. The blurb on the back cover claims <<includes simply everything you ever wanted to know about cruise ships>> and I woud have to concur with this judgement. It's a great read, both for the experienced cruiser, and the novice - and I defy any non-cruiser who delves into it to resist after sampling Ward's enthusiastic tome. Good reading - & Good cruising!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed & Thorough Work By A Real Pro, February 10, 2003

By 

Greg Fenderson (Sea Cliff, New York United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ocean Cruising & Cruise Ships (Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships) (Paperback)

Douglas Ward returns to a format, in his 2003 edition, that enables the reader to compare similarly-rated ships in a manner that distinguishes between cuisine, service, entertainment, etc. Therefore, his critical eye and high standards combine to provide the reader with the tools to choose a sailing so that, by disembarking, they'll be thinking of their next cruise vacation. Indeed, this thorough analysis is a "must have" for any person selling cruises, contemplating their first cruise, or their fifteenth voyage. Don't leave home without it!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Guide to Different Cruise Options, December 23, 2003

By 

Gavin Guest (Kansas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ocean Cruising & Cruise Ships (Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships) (Paperback)

Before I purchase any cruise-related books, I prefer to verify the information I know to be true. While I have been on three different cruise lines and ships, my wife has been on many more. Based on our experiences, this book has accurate information about what to expect on the ships listed.

Nearly every ship in every cruise line has a summary or review in this book. For each ship the vital statistics (Passenger Count, year built etc) are provided. I've chosen a cruise based solely on that information before, and Berlitz's information is quite thourough. Berlitz then continues and assigns a numerical rating to each ship based on five or six factors which also has it's own numerical rating. Once again, my wife and I found nearly every rating to be in line with our experiences. Most importantly, the comparisons between ratings (for example comparing the NCL Sea with the Celebrity Horizon) seemed to be accurate in our opinion. Based on this information, we have purchased this book to plan our next voyage.

My chief complaint about this book is that there are times when the written parts - that is to say the opinions expressed - are a bit superficial and do not provide much insight. This varies widely from review to review with some ships having a wealth of information and others having little to offer.

Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who is a die-hard cruise planner who wishes to have all of the information prior to booking. It should not be your only resource, but it is a wonderful place to begin.