Total Traveler Guide to Worldwide Cruising [Paperback]

Ethel Blum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 22, 2002 | Series: Total Traveler Guide to Worldwide Cruising

"The Encyclopedia of Vacations at Sea" a two-color complete insider guide to ships - cruise ships, freighters, sailing vessels, river boats and barges. How to get the best deals. The Best of the Best ships for disabled, seniors, families, special diets, romance, adventure, entertainment, dining and more. Every facet is explored and ships are given High Marks when they excel. Weakest Links on every ship are pointed out. An excellent book to help first time cruise travelers to pick the right ship and for veterans of the sea to find the right "next" ship. The 2003 edition answers questions travel agents hesitate to answer.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ethel Blum is a veteran travel reporter who specializes in travel by sea – ships, ports of call and the ever-evolving and changing cruise industry. Former travel editor of a daily Florida newspaper, she wrote a syndicated travel column carried in 45 newspapers and hosted a Travel Talk weekly radio show for more than 20 years. Her articles appear frequently in major publications in the United States and abroad. She is a frequent guest on CNN and is cruise editor of a major trade magazine. Blum is the recipient of numerous national and regional awards for journalism and photography during her 30 years as a travel writer, broadcaster and photographer.

Blum has a reputation for accurate reporting and is a committed advocate of travelers’ rights. She has been called the "Erma Brombeck" of travel writing. Her style is honest with a tongue-in-cheek humorous approach. Blum is the "unofficial" First Lady of the Port of Miami, a singular honor bestowed on her by the shipping community in recognition of her extensive reporting on travel by sea. Blum also has been recognized by her peers. She is a former president of the prestigious Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). A graduate of Ohio State University, Blum lived in Japan for three years and in Europe for almost four years. She and her husband, Edward Dublin, live in Aventura, FL, a suburb of Miami. She was recently featured in the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel as "Queen of the Seas."

Product Details

• Paperback: 800 pages
• Publisher: Travel Pubns Inc (November 22, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972074805
• ISBN-13: 978-0972074803
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,414,182 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference guide detailing what to expect on board, February 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Total Traveler by Ship (Total Traveler Guide to Worldwide Cruising) (Paperback)

The book details the positive and negatives of every ship and is an excellent guide to cruising. Even people like me who have cruised hundreds of ships find details I never knew about some of the ships I have sailed. but, you are wrong about publication date. My copy says "1998" while your description says an earlier date. You should correct it as the book includes ships of the Milleniuim as well as all of the new ships sailing in 1999.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Use with caution! Not completely objective., June 23, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Total Traveler Guide to Worldwide Cruising (Paperback)

This book does offer some good general information but use caution when using it to evaluate a cruise company. I admit this is a very hard thing to do... but it could have been done more objectively. Having sailed numerous cruises, I was a little shocked to find the reviews glowing on one particular cruise line. The other competing lines were being given very dry, somewhat negative reviews, instead of an accurate desciption of the ambience they deserve. Wondering why... I finally read the dedication... and may have figured it out... it is dedicated to the founder of that glowing cruise line... he died in 1999... and the author thanks him for their friendship.

DO NOT use this book as the sole authority on what cruise line to sail. Talk to as many previous cruisers as you can find. Then get a travel agent that has invested some time studying the cruise industry.

Cruises are wonderful... it does pay to be informed properly!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, but get the new 13th edition, October 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Total Traveler by Ship (Total Traveler Guide to Worldwide Cruising) (Paperback)

The new edition has a different name. I believe, the "Total Traveler Guide to Worldwide Cruising". She doesn't pull any punches with shipboard ratings and gives many great insights to particular ships and cruising in general.