Cruises Books

It seems that the cruise companies have started hiring again for the new season and I was lucky enough to secure a job with Celebrity cruises. The book guided me step-by-step. At the end all, I have to do is to pack my luggage after 4 weeks. Get it and succeed as well.

If you are serious about getting a cruise ship job you would be serious about buying this book

I just received a notification that from the beginning of the next year I will work with Royal Caribbean. I am very, very happy. This has been a dream for so many years and now it will become reality thanks to Cruise Ship Job in 14 Days. It is a great book and it showed me exactly how to research this company and win the hiring manager.

For a humble, shy girl like me has always been a dream to sail the seas and see many exotic places. Now thanks to this in-depth, professional-grade book I am holding in my hands a contract from Royal Caribbean with $3,000 net tax-free salary. I highly recommend this outstanding book to everyone who wants to make their dream about working on cruise ship reality!

I was impressed from this author and his book, which established itself as the Gold Standard in applying for cruise ship employment.

The Cruise Lines International Association which I chair includes 24 of the major cruise lines. Our objective is to raise awareness about the cruise experience. If you are interested in getting a cruise ship job now, there are excellent opportunities because since 1970 and especially in the recent years the cruise industry achieved annual growth of 1,500%! We all at the International Association do our best to keep this growth. Furthermore, we make sure that the quality and standards of service also keep on getting higher.

All the best in getting an exciting, challenging, yet very rewarding cruise ship employment.

Robert Sharak
Executive Director and Vice President, Marketing and Business Development
Cruise Lines International Association

I'm flying to Europe alone with my 18 mo old daughter next month and I found this book to be a great help in preparing for the trip. It contains a lot of useful information, tips, and things I would've completely overlooked had I not read this book.

If you have kids, and like to travel... you need this book. There were so many ideas there that I would have never thought of. It has made our lives easier when traveling and I've learned some really helpful things. It's hard to travel with small kids, especially if you're a new parent and just have no idea what to expect. So for me this has really been a great find!

Ok I know the title of the book is Travels with Baby, but it also says toddlers, and children. And truly did not tell me anything I didn't already know. Now if you are a first time mom, who has never traveled with a baby up to age 2, then sure its probably very helpful, especially if you have never had any advice from anyone else. Though it was how ever informational on, how to obtain passports, now that we (the) parents are no longer together, what you need to do. It also had lists of contact info on where to rent baby/ child items, like strollers, carseats, for traveling where you dont want to bring all that stuff, which can be rather helpful, so I give it 3 stars, for being semi-helpful!

Seriously, this is a travel bible for new parents. What a huge help this book has been from selecting a good stroller (wished we would have found this BEFORE we had our baby for car seat info too!) to calling ahead to find out if a hotel has a crib saving our trunk space from a pack and play or other. Prepping the diaper bag and carry ons have never been simpler and I have memorized the shopping list for baby must haves while traveling. Never would have thought of some of that stuff! The blog is excellent too. Please give this gift to new mommies and daddies with your baby shower gift...I am so grateful for the different age sections and different types of travel reviews. Thank you Ms. Rivoli!

I am about to travel to Europe for 2 weeks (cruise for part of the time) with my 7 month old and I found this book to be very useful. It had ideas that I would not have considered and I am now much less stressed about the trip. It seems very realistic about what to expect and what to pack and she also does not ignore the fact that no matter how prepared you are going to be, things will still not go as planned and you must be flexible. She gives great tips for these types of situations. Would recommend to anyone about to travel with baby and/or toddlers. Very easy read and easy to reference when necessary.

I don't enjoy romance novels masquerading as mysteries, but Candy Calvert has hit just the right balance with Dressed to Keel. The characters are delightfully zany, the mystery very satisfying and well plotted, and the lead man yummy. The best part, though, is heroine ER nurse Darcy Cavanaugh, who is believably smart and daffy at the same time as she solves the who dun it while battling a broken heart and career upheaval. And her best friend, the colorful Marie, is worthy of a series all her own.

I couldn't put the book down--such a page-turner! What a fun book to read! It had me laughing out loud. Candy Calvert did a great job with Darcy and the cast of hilarious "prune-aged" characters. Looking forward to her next adventure at sea!

I really had a hard time getting into this book. I didnt appreciate alll the nursing lingo - kind of like the author showing off her expertise? It was distracting. I also thought that the story was slow and while the ending had a nice twist, there really wasnt enough suspense. I will not read another in this series.

Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (1/07)

I picked this book up on a Sunday morning and figured that I would read for an hour or so and then do my chores. Its 5PM, the book is finished, no chores are done and I am still in my PJ's. This is one of the few books that I have read that I can honestly say I could not put it down once I started it. "Dressed to Keel" is Candy Calvert's launch of the Darcy Cavanaugh mystery series and she has a real winner.

The story starts out "The cruise brochure promised confetti, melting wedges of Brie, well-stuffed tuxedoes, and silver buckets of Dom Perignon." Who would not want to go on a trip like that? Darcy Cavanaugh gets that and so much more, including murder and mystery as she takes a much needed vacation. Darcy is an ER nurse who is burned out with her job and by love. She decides to get away from it all by taking this cruise with senior citizens because her friend Marie is the shipboard nurse. But after a cabin steward is found dead and the robberies begin, the fingers are pointing at Marie. Darcy must find a way to clear her friend of the murder and solve the mystery before the body count starts piling up.

Darcy's first and primary suspect is the handsome and sexy dance instructor Luke Skyler. He always seems to be around when trouble brews and is also watching her very closely. Or could it be any one of the outrageous seniors who are also on the cruise? This is what Darcy must find out as she becomes the next target on the ship.

"Dressed to Keel" is full of outrageous characters, gourmet food, champagne and beautiful clothes. The story is a mystery, but is kept light and full of fun. Calvert proves that she has a wonderful sense of humor over and over again through this mystery story and I am very much looking forward to her next installment in the Darcy Cavanaugh mysteries. After all...who needs to go food shopping or have a clean house or laundry when there is great mystery novel to be read?

Candy Calvert has created the funniest most mischievous klutz of a character(Darcy)I have met in a long time. I laughed, giggled, and hoo-hawd my way through the book. I give it the highest compliment I possibly can " I slowed my reading down because I was not ready to leave these wacky characters. " Thanks Candy Calvert and I look forward to more Darcy adventures. May they be as funny and witty as this one.

As you read this book it seems as though you are right there with Larry and Lin as they build and sail their small boat from California through Mexico, Central America, Jamaica, up the U.S. East Coast to the Chesapeake Bay and finally to Europe. This is the 25th Anniversary edition of this book. It has been updated from the original with pictures and maps. A great book I would recommend it highly for anyone with an adventurous spirit.

Page turner - made me want to drop everything and sail. The combination of this book and Slocum's book gave me the sailing bug. Contains useful information for those that are thinking about buying a boat. As seasoned, adventurous, resourceful sailors, the Pardeys' books are useful for salties or salty-wannabes (like myself).

Now available in a brand new 25th anniversary edition, Lin and Larry Pardey's Cruising in Seraffyn now sports a new introduction, "Anyone Can Go Cruising," and a new appendix, "Affordable, Attainable Dreams." Cruising In Seraffyn is an exciting, detailed cruising guide with a 16-page spread of full-color photos, making it an adventurous reference for nautical buffs and armchair travelers alike. With its decades of sailor's wisdom and inspirational prose, Cruising In Seraffyn is very highly recommended reading for anyone interested in setting sail for pleasure.

I loved the book, but always wished there were more photos. Now I have seen the new edition, in hard cover, published by the Pardey's. It is great. They have done it for the 25th anniversary of this book. Lots of color photos, a really updated discussion of cruising costs and a really nice story about what has happened to Seraffyn over the past 30 years. The pictures of the Pardey's new boat and Seraffyn sailing side by side are worth the $2l.95 price. Unfortunately, the book will not be on the American market until June. I got one from a friend who is a book reviewer. I was told you could wait till june and get it at ..., or you can go to the news letters on thier web site, ... and order one early.

As other folks have written, this book is lovely to read and inspiring as can be. The new edition, in its hard cover is not just a simple reprint. It is almost a whole new book - the new introduction gives grand info for sailors today, the appendix puts it all where it is for those who want to sail off in 2002. But best of all are the l6 pages of full color photos - stuff to dream about, ideas to use on your boat. Really lovely. If you have the old edition, you'll still want this one. If you've never read the first book, this is the one for you.

I have bought many guide books in my life, but by far this was the best one. The information was accurate and extremely helpful. I thought it was so useful that I purchased it for my other family members who were going on the cruise with us. Everyone who got a copy found it very useful. I had numerous pages highlighted and flagged. It is a MUST if you are taking a Disney cruise.

When I get a guide book. I look for things such as fine details and points to look for. The PassPorters books dose that and even more. Their web site is a gold mine Disney. The people who wrote this book are totally absolved by everything Disney go to their forum. I have tons of other guides books, I am taking my family on the 7 day Disney Cruse next year and wanted a detail guide about the route where we are taking. This book does that and things I never could of known. I higher recommend these books from PassPorters they are totally above everything you could find for a Disney trip with fine details.

The information in this book allowed us to make informed decisions well in advance of our trip. Information regarding the various types of rooms, the dining choices, and on the the excursions available allowed us to plan out our trip. Even has lots of 'tips and tricks' on how to make the best of our hard-earned dollars. I have also purchased the passporter for WDW. These books are very helpful for those who are avid planners.

I have never been on a cruise so I was starting from zero. This book helped me and my family understand all of the options available from Disney and allowed us to make informed decisions. The authors have been there and done that, literally, and share with us their experiences, insights, and photographs. Each activity at sea and on shore is explained in great detail. Each member of my family actually read through these with highlighter in hand, marking off the ones they wanted us to do. It makes planning a lot easier.

In that same vein, I found the descriptions of the cabins to be particularly useful. With almost a dozen cabin classes, how is a newbie supposed to choose? I suspected the cabins with the pianos would be a tad pricey, but after that I was lost. This book came to the rescue. It provides diagrams, measurements, and features for each cabin class, along with first-person descriptions.

If you're considering taking a Disney cruise, then you really have to get this book.

In these book are great practical guide for the new and not-so new to cruising. It tells you detailed review on most aspects of cruising at Disney- from staterooms, dining, excursions and "tricks" to making your vacation more manageable and less overwhelming. My favorite part is how to avoid being sea sick in the cruise with numerous suggestions. The other part is the sample menu in the dining areas. The list of items to bring in a cruise is an invaluable tool as I have committed the mistake of bringing the wrong outfits for my last cruise. Definitely indispensable!

BEST guide book you could ever want to have in your possession before, during and after your cruise!!!!
These guys really have done their research and we are glad they did so we could have a wonderful, relaxing and informative cruise.
Thanks!!!!!

This book was an excellent resource in planning my second Disney cruise. I like to research as much as possible before taking a vacation and this guide gave me lots of information I needed. I especially used the reveiws and ratings of the shore excursions to help select which ones were best for my family. They also offer great budget and planning information and offer a behind-the-scenes look at what fun activites there are to do on the ship. I would never have thought to participate in the treasure hunt on Castaway Cay without them. The links to other websites to find more information was also a big help. Finally, they have a great website where you can get the most recent updates to whatever your edition is missing and color downloads of the ships deck plans. Overall, it's an excellent resource!

Once again, Jennifer Watson and Dave Marx have done an outstanding job with the new edition of the Passporter Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line! This volume is comprehensive, informative and easy-to-use. The authors are genuine Disneyphiles and their affection for all things Disney is evident in every page of this book. However, they are not blind to its (few) flaws and are careful to let readers know aspects of their trips did not meet their standards. This book is very carefully researched, right down to which meals and restaurants are the best, which cabins are quietest, which cabins have "secret" portholes and which on-shore excursions are best value for the money. Readers will really appreciate their insider tips on how to get the most from their Disney cruise. And the information in the book is regularly updated on the authors' website. I have been vacationing at Disney for decades and Passporter has been my vacation guide ever since they started publishing it. You're going to be spending thousands of dollars on your Disney cruise...spend a few dollars more and you'll be investing in a book that will really help you get the most out of your vacation. Passporter is outstanding and worth every cent!

Don't bother buying both. This one is much more useful and easy to use. I agree with the comments above. Start your cruise early by buying this guide and really get the most for your money! I feel like it is stretching the experience and giving me a head start by familiarizing me with what to expect.

Do consider ditching your nice luggage for nylon totes/something easily compactable or at least nesting - we are bringing the ones we use to pack our camping gear in when we travel because they are thin, strong and hold a lot, plus they collapse completely and will take up much less space in our cabin.

As first-time cruisers, we had much to learn. This guide explains everything, answered all of my questions and provided a wonderful overview of the cruise. This book is a must if you're taking the Disney cruise!

Cruise Confidential would be HIGHLY recommended to anyone who has been on a cruise or is thinking about a cruise vacation in the future.

The book goes into very revealing detail of the happenings below the water line, in the restaurants, on the decks, and warm tropical locales. Intrigue, crazy antics, misadventures, flitations, and sex are brought to life in the pages of this book. In reading this book I felt like I was actually going through the same battery of emotions the author was revealing to us. I really got caught up in so many of the situations captured in this wonderful tell all. With each turn of the page I kept on wanting more and more. I simply could not put the book down. Matter of factly, I've read the book three times over the past month. That's how good of a book Brian Bruns has written. I have a much deeper respect for the hardworking crew that slave endlessly to provide us cruise vacationers with a tip-top, rewarding, good time on the high seas.

Needless to say, I am absolutely thrilled that there is currently an upcoming sequel to Cruise Confidential in the works. I'm there with the click of my mouse to pre-order the next high seas adventure writen by Brian Bruns, as soon as Amazon starts advertising to do so. Can't wait!!!

After buying a couple of guides to finding a job on a cruise ship I stumbled across this book about a month ago here on Amazon.com I figured I could get some information about what it was like to live and work on a cruise ship. After reading the book I am not so sure I want to work on a cruise ship, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Brian's experiences during his year working for Carnival Cruises.
He is not shy about exposing the elements of cruising that you don't see in the brochure and beyond entertainment this book could have an enormous practical benefit in terms of work quality in cruising. He makes it perfectly clear that working on a cruise ship is not the same experience as taking a cruise vacation, detailing just what the crew must go through in order to provide the highest quality experience.
Brian's writing style is not only entertaining, but super-detailed and relatable. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes humor and adventure.

This book was great .I have been on 15 cruises and Im a travel agent and always wanted to know what it was like to work on a cruise ship.I could not put the book down. You will love it .I dont think I needed to know that he does not believe in God .Im not sure that help the story any but thats his story.I hope he changes his mind as he grows older.It seems like there is a lot of Sexn going on below deck .I guess thats part of it.I would have like to know how much money he made on his contract as he seems to say they pay them slave wages.But great book. It can be rated X in some spots .

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is written in a very relaxed and friendly way. The author brings you in to his world and easily shares his tales with you. From beginning to end this book will astonish you with the many details that go in to the cruising industry. You will never be able to look at having a meal on a cruise the same way again. The author does a great job of giving you a peak in to how Americans are perceived by folks from other countries...it will likely give you something to think about. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy traveling and would like a greater appreciation for those who make it great.

Cruise Confidential is a tremendously entertaining behind-the-scenes view of life at sea for cruise crew members, as told by someone who actually worked on a cruise ship. It's a humorous insider's view told in an entertaining form, and it's a must-read for anyone who's ever sailed and then wondered how does the crew live and work on a cruise ship. If you've sailed and thought about how the always-smiling crew copes with long working hours and long periods of time at sea, you will really enjoy this book. Among the things the author reveals are what happens down in the crew deck (yes, they have their own decks that the passengers never see), what their living and working conditions are like, what a typical day is like, how much time they get off, what is the relationship among crew members, how they receive their assignments and what the struggles and pressures of working on a cruise ship are.

I've taken quite a few cruises and I've always wondered what it's really like for those who keep the ship running smoothly while working seemingly endless hours and smiling the whole time. This book answered my questions. Even if you have not cruised before this is a fun book that is humorous, engaging, entertaining and reads like a novel. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down and once I was done it left me wanting more. I can't recommend this book enough. Luckily the author is writing another book, and I am eagerly awaiting it.

The PassPorter for DCL was very, very helpful for my family and me. They pretty much have all the answers in here to any question that you might have about DCL and cruising in general. The maps and planning how-to s made me feel like an old hand from the minute we arrived at the terminal until we disembarked. Between the print version, the free online updates and the passporter.com web forum, you have all the info you need to plan out a great cruise, including OBJECTIVE reviews of the shore excursions and the activities available onboard. DCL has so much going on at every hour (without casinos) for cruisers with and without children, you have to have a good idea ahead of time what you want to do and when, and we would not have had nearly as much fun (I am sure) if we did not have our PassPorter to guide us!

I found the passporter to be very helpful in planning our vacation. A year and a half ago I used the Disney Vacation Passporter and it was VERY helpful, even giving a few tips to make our trip MAGICAL (ask about riding in the front of the monorail). So it was only natural that this time as we plan our Disney Cruise Vacation, I would purchas the Passporter's Disney Cruise Line. Again, I found this book to be VERY helpful in planning this vacation. I feel very prepared for when we finally board the Disney Cruise Ship. I feel as though I know some of the ins and outs, as well as what to expect for many parts of our trip. I would recommend any of the Passporter's books when planning any kind of Disney Vacation. I'm VERY pleased with the information contained in the book.

This is THE book that Disney should include for free with your cruise. Everything you need to know for the cruise is included. The book includes highlighted chapter tabs to quickly find a section of the book. As a second-time cruiser, I found the book to have great tips for things I didn't do on the first cruise. Highly recommended.

I love this series of books. The authors are very thorough and detailed. This is a great book and will help you plan out a wonderful vacation!

Everyone who wants to take a cruise on the Disney Wonder or the Disney Magic should read this book. It is much better than the Birnbaum's Disney Cruise Line book. I highly recommend this book!!

Read cover to cover in Preparation for my very first cruise. This book has covered every detail. What to pack, what to expect from the ship and what to expect on the shore excursions even what the terminal looks like when we arrive at the port. Both shore excursions I have booked,(BEFORE BUYING THIS GUIDE) are rated very low...One even said don't bother. I'm hoping they were wrong about them. Excellent, Thourough book!

For family vacations which involve a certain investment ($$$) I like to know what to look for. This book does an excellent job of detailing the Disney Cruise ship and helped us plan our vacation from departure through the shore excursions and our return.

This is the best book on the market if you're planning a Disney Cruise in the future. There's more information offered than any of the other books I've purchased for our former cruises. It offers views from more than one person, including a child's point of view. I was so impressed by the information in this book I also bought the PassPorter's Field Guide to Walt Disney World. Both of these books will go with us on our trip in the near future. The only thing I didn't like was the photos, no color, so it's hard to tell just how beautiful the ship is if you haven't seen it before.

We recently went on the West Coast Disney Cruise in August and had a wonderful time. This was our first cruise, so we did not know much about cruising, Disney, etc. The book was well written and gave the pertinent information that was needed to make our trip successful and stress free. I highly recommend it and by reading it, it will make you excited for your trip!!

I was a bit sceptical since the author is a devoted Disney lover, but I have been quite impressed. We haven't gone on the cruise yet (we have another few months), but the book has been a wealth of information and a huge help in planning the other pieces to the cruise. Great investment if you've booked a Disney cruise!

AFTER TRAVELING OCEANS, CONTINENTS, MOUNTAINS, VALLEYS,
RIVERS AND SUCH, OUR INTREPIDS SUFFER LASSITUDES OF
EVERY MAGNITUDE AND OVERCOMING ALL, CELEBRATING EVERY
VICTORY IN GRAND STYLE, COME HOME WITHOUT A SINGLE
PHOTOGRAPH? VIVE'RUM DOODLE. BEWARE LEST YOU FALL OUT
OF YOUR FAVORITE READING CHAISE LOUNGE.
HAIL, RUM DOODLE! ALAS NO SINGLE HARDBACK IS TO BE
FOUND...THOSE TO WHOM I LOANED IT HAVE PASSED ON AND
HEIRS FAIL TO RECOGNIZE ITS VALUE. AS TO THE TITLE OF
THIS REVIEW, YOU WILL FIND THE LINE IN THE TEXT...
DON'T MISS THIS BOOK...AT ANY PRICE.

THE FISH...WELL, I ADMIT...I NEVER READ IT. TOO
EXHAUSED FROM, 'THE ASCENT...'

this book was the only thing that kept me sane on my last trip. there is not a mountaineer or climber that can not relate to some part of the book. i lent it out and ever one who has read it (3-4 times i might add) asked me where they can get a copy of their own. all i have to say is this should take the rated to a new level of 6 stars. read it, and then read it again!

Mount Everest is a mere planetary pimple compared to Rum Doodle, the fictional 40,000 1/2 foot mountain in "The Ascent of Rum Doodle," a hilarious spoof of mountain climbing expeditions. Perhaps the reason why Rum Doodle was not previously conquered was "because it is there"--way out "there"--in the remote Central Asian Kingdom of Yogistan. The Yogistani language alone crippled many expeditions. The language, a branch of the aneroid-megalithic tongue, contains no verbs and is spoken entirely through the stomach. Over 95% of Yogistanis understandably suffer from gastritis. Altitude deafness often compounds the problem. The ascent begins inauspiciously enough with two great circles until Jungle, the route-finder, releases the safety catch on his compass. Risibility rises with altitude as the intrepid six Rum Doodle dandies and their 3,000 porters overcome one embarrassment after another in their quest for mountaineering immortality. No praise is too high for the men who could go no higher. Or could they have? Why are there no photographs at the top? What about the Atrocious Snowman? And then there's the question inquiring minds most want to know: "Can I see my house from there?" Read this book at your own risk--of laughing aloud! But "The Cruise of the Talking Fish" was a mediocre book at best.

I must have this book. The publisher is out of stock. I NEEEDDDD this book to fulfill a lifelong promise to my mom, who loaned it to someone who didn't return it. If you know how I could get this book, please let me know. I'd pay a premium.

TO ALL THOSE LOOKING FOR COPIES OF THIS MASTERPIECE!....I had the distinct opportunity to read all 40,000 1/2 feet of the book while in Nepal at THE Rum Doodle Restaurant! We'll be heading back in the near future and can likely get more copies. Space in my pack is very limited but I may be able to slip in an extra copy or two...let me know if you'd like one.