Customer Reviews

The Truth About Cruise Ships - A Cruise Ship Officer Survives the Work, Adventure, Alcohol, and Sex of Ship Life

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I really enjoyed this book, because the author's personal experience brought a great deal of authenticity to the story. On the other hand, it was really disturbing to learn just how seriously cruise line employees are exploited and even mistreated. I absolutely love to cruise, and I don't think I will ever feel the same about it after reading this book. I knew that crew members work 12 to 14 hour days for up to 8 months without a real day off, but it was truly eye-opening to learn about the horrendous conditions endured by those who live below the public decks. Things like windowless rooms, continuous vibration from engines and thrusters, bleak living spaces that sound more like shared closets than rooms, serious overcrowding, and a complete lack of personal space or privacy are the norm in this former Officer's experience. Much of the book is about sexual liaisons, however temporary, and a mind-boggling amount of excessive drinking. It's as if the ship's employees swing desperately between trying to make meaningful human connections by hooking up sexually with willing shipmates, yet on the other hand, trying to block out the realities of their situation by becoming blotto with alcohol every non-working hour. As someone who works in the Human Resources field in real life, I found these working conditions truly disturbing.

For those who love to cruise, though, or even for those who have never been on a cruise but are thinking of trying it, this book is an excellent resource. The author meets his goal of providing an excellent insider's guide to all aspects of shipboard life. Embedded in the paragraphs are dozens of insider tips on how to get the most from your cruise and how not to be the jerk of a passenger that the crew loves to hate. It's a good read, and very informative as well. The author also offers the bonus of a free on-line tip sheet that is well worth looking up for those who are new to cruising. I recommend this book for the cruise crowd.

I have just been hired to work for a cruise company and I wanted to find some good reference material and I can say without a doubt that this book makes for the perfect reference for anyone entering the cruise industry or even passengers who are interested in the other side of the spectrum. Herring gives the good with a constant reminder of the bad that comes from working on a cruise ship. He even peppers in the crazy on top of it all! This book is an absolute must read and has motivated me to get ready for my new job!
I can't wait to start!

I am not much of a reader but I could not put this book down. The author is an interesting and hilarious character. When you put that interesting character in absurd situations, you get the kind of stories you cannot make up. I actually laughed until I cried at certain points. In between all that, you actually learn about cruising and I am a much better cruise consumer now.

This book is a bit deceptive because although the person works on a cruise ship, it isn't ostensibly about cruise ships, it's really about the author's experiences at a certain point in his life, which happens to be on a cruise ship.

I bought this book because I like to read fluff books about niche industries (i.e. books like Kitchen Confidential, etc).

The problem with this book is that the author isn't really speaking about the industry, but more about his life which happens to be in the industry at the time. The subtitle of the book could be "Babe: Pig in the City".

Much of the book is simply about a guy who has never travelled anywhere, is not particularly well read, or cultured (sort of a naive innocent) who gets a job on a cruise ship.

So for anyone who does not come from a relatively sheltered background, the kinds of things that amaze or wow him become tedious and banal observations, and the book is filled with them.

Subsequently, he seems to attribute things that he learns on the boat to things somehow unique to cruise ships. From his surprise at hearing foriegn accents and his discover of casual sex.

It's difficult to relate or find this book convincing, because, most of the time, it's difficult to relate to the author.

This book is more of a biography than information about cruise ships, as suggested by the title. There is some information on cruise ships imparted, but it's fairly limited and little I didn't know already. Rather, it's story after story of how much alcohol the author drank, how bad his hangovers were, how he'd chase after this girl and that, who he slept with and how long (or short) he could last in bed. It's largely a book of immature fraternity stories from a guy ten years too old to be telling them.

I have only been on one cruise, but I already want to take another one after reading this. The best parts of the book are the ones that tell you things you didn't know about cruise ships. How much people are paid, where the money is made, what the employees think of the customers, and so forth. The parts that I didn't care for were about the author's sex life. That is not to say I found it salacious, quite the opposite. The writing is best when describing bigger picture events. When it is about specific people, they all begin to run together as do their interactions.

I downloaded this book on my new Kindle Fire. I was going on a cruise and wanted some appropriate reading. I couldn't put this down! I was constantly reading some of the stories or tidbits aloud to my husband and it was always a topic at dinner. I also kept looking around at the crew and wondered what they were doing on their off time. Great book!

Jay Herring does a great job with this book. He takes the reader with him as he remembers his experiences working aboard a cruise ship. Rather than focusing on the passenger experience, he goes behind the scenes. Herring shares what it is like working on a ship. It is well worth the read.

The title caught my eye and I'm so glad I purchased it. I've never been on a cruise ship but when I do, I will be looking at the crew in a different way. Fun, behind the scene look!

I really enjoyed the book. I didn't say much about cruise ships persay, but it was a good account of the writer's experience. I really enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to friends.