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| Berlitz 2006 Complete Guide To Cruising & Cruise Ships (Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships) | 
 enlarge | Author: Douglas Ward
Publisher: Berlitz Guides
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $0.73
You Save: $24.22 (97%)
Buy New/Used from $0.73
Avg. Customer Rating:  (3 reviews)
Sales Rank: 704930
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: Revised
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 672
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 8.7 x 5.9 x 1.3
ISBN: 9812467394
Dewey Decimal Number: 910
EAN: 9789812467393
ASIN: 9812467394
Publication Date: November 25, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
This complete guide to ocean cruising and cruise ships will help readers choose the right cruise for them. It includes in-depth reviews on 260 cruise ships and covers everything from cuisine to on-board entertainment. "Ocean Cruising and Cruise Ships" is internationally recognised as the definitive cruise guide.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Know your stuff July 27, 2006
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Douglas Ward certainly knows his stuff. The 2006 edition is the best yet with loads of relevant information on the ships not only for cabin size, food etc. Knowledge of what type of cruise will suit you, and who are likely to be your fellow passengers are of great interest especially as ships get bigger. He obviously prefers the smaller more intimate and classy ships rather than the floating Las Vegas type. I concur.
However, having said this, I find the reviews are unbiased. Well worth the $$$$.
Good reference book March 15, 2006
5 out of 8 found this review helpful
This is a good book to have in deciding which cruise or cruise line to take or to review cruises you've done and to plan any new ones.
(Last year's had a page which showed all the cruise line logos so they can be recognized by binoculars, we live on the beach between the Ports of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. It wasn't in this year's edition.)
 Great book - unless you already own previous editions! March 9, 2006
33 out of 33 found this review helpful
The Berlitz Ocean Cruising and Cruise Ships guide is an authoritive guide to cruising, the cruise lines, as well as a full guide to almost every individual ship sailing today.
The book is well written, and is one of the only guides that accurately positions the ships within a sensible rating system. Wheras other cruise guides will rate some Carnival ships 4.5 stars, and give a paltry 3.5 or 4 stars to some of the Holland America and Celebrity 'Premium' line ships, this guide has a logical rationale for it's ratings, with points awarded for 5 distinct categories to give an overall 'score' and star rating.
All in all - a great guide for anyone interested in cruising, and indispensible for anyone in the travel industry selling or marketing cruises.
Two caveats however. First - the book is written from the perspective of a veteran cruiser who has a great insight into the cruise industry - but unfortunately there is a definite edge of 'snootyness' throughout the book. Cruise lines are criticised for offering 'mindless parlor and deck games', and many of the elements of mass cruising are sneered at.
Whilst there doubtless those who share this perspective and would prefer a refined, formal, upscale cruise vacation, there are also those than enjoy the 'fun ships' of Carnival or the activities of Royal Caribbean.
In short - you have to be prepared to read through a fair amount of reviews carrying a heavy dose of disdain for such 'common' activites.
My second major complaint about this book (and the reason I am returning it for refund): I already own the 2005 copy of the book, and sadly, the 2006 copy is nothing more than a copy and paste rehash.
True - there are some new additions, and a handful of reviews which have been 'tweaked'. But the vast majority of the book is just a word for word reprint of the 2005 edition. For instance, whilst the overall score for the Celebrity ship 'Zenith' has been lowered in this new edition - the review is a word for word reprint of the 2005 edition, and it still refers to 'forthcoming improvements and refurbishments due to take place in early 2005'... I find it disappointing that after a ship has a major refurbishment the reviews are hopelessly out of date and the 2006 edition refers to events 'due to take place' in early 2005!
If you don't already own a previous edition, then I'd recommend this book, but be prepared for some out of date information.
If you own a previous edition like myself, then don't waste your money on what is essentially an almost identical reprint.
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