Rating: 
Summary: Very Good Source For Cruise Information
Review: "The Unofficial Guide to Cruises 2003" is a well written book that is a quite complete guide to virtually all cruises that you might realistically be interested in. The detail on different ships and lines is excellent, though I personally think that the Berlitz book "Ocean Cruising & Cruise Ships 2003" is more detailed on the ships themselves, and is generally easier to use than "The Unofficial Guide to Cruises 2003," though both have strong and weak points. The strength of this book is in the complete and clear explanations of every aspect of a cruise for someone new to cruising. Some people like the breakdown by separate quality and value scales, but I didn't find it particularly user friendly, and often was scratching my head trying to resolve the grades received with narrative about particular ships. Once again, I think Berlitz has a more straightforward numerical system where it is clear why each ship got the overall score that it got. While I prefer the Berlitz book marginally, this is also an excellent book with it's own unique viewpoints and strengths. My strategy has become to use the two books in tandem, as together there is a complete picture that neither book completely captures on it's own. Overall a noble effort and in the end this book is recommended for anyone considering a cruise, especially first time cruisers.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good Source For Cruise Information
Review: "The Unofficial Guide to Cruises 2003" is a well written book that is a quite complete guide to virtually all cruises that you might realistically be interested in. The detail on different ships and lines is excellent, though I personally think that the Berlitz book "Ocean Cruising & Cruise Ships 2003" is more detailed on the ships themselves, and is generally easier to use than "The Unofficial Guide to Cruises 2003," though both have strong and weak points. The strength of this book is in the complete and clear explanations of every aspect of a cruise for someone new to cruising. Some people like the breakdown by separate quality and value scales, but I didn't find it particularly user friendly, and often was scratching my head trying to resolve the grades received with narrative about particular ships. Once again, I think Berlitz has a more straightforward numerical system where it is clear why each ship got the overall score that it got. While I prefer the Berlitz book marginally, this is also an excellent book with it's own unique viewpoints and strengths. My strategy has become to use the two books in tandem, as together there is a complete picture that neither book completely captures on it's own. Overall a noble effort and in the end this book is recommended for anyone considering a cruise, especially first time cruisers.
Rating:
Summary: First Stop for Shoppers
Review: As a first-time cruiser, the choices can be bewildering and overwealming. This book took the mystery out of the process, and serves as a comprehensive guide to cruise lines and ships. Especially appreciated is the typical passenger demographic info provided, and the general character of each line and ship. Plus, general information on cruising in general and finding the best deal makes this a book we'll refer to again and again.
Rating:
Summary: First Stop for Shoppers
Review: As a first-time cruiser, the choices can be bewildering and overwealming. This book took the mystery out of the process, and serves as a comprehensive guide to cruise lines and ships. Especially appreciated is the typical passenger demographic info provided, and the general character of each line and ship. Plus, general information on cruising in general and finding the best deal makes this a book we'll refer to again and again.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the very best and usefull guide to cruise ships.
Review: As an owner of a cruise only travel agency I am always on the look for publications that help me inform and assure my clients. The information in this publication is useful as it appears to be very truthful and well written. Thanks for the help!
Rating:
Summary: The Unofficial Guide to Cruises 2001
Review: For planning our first cruise, this book is excellent. Prior to reading this book, even though I had spent countless hours on the web, I was uncertain as to the best cruise choice for us. This book provides so many details that made it a simple matter to compare ships and make a decision. Especially helpful is the information on fellow passengers and recommendations to find the ship that best matches one's preferences. The detailed descriptions of the ships' features and life styles were extremely valuable in making a selection. The section on preparing for the trip and settling in is great for first-time cruise travelers. So much information is crammed in this book, and it is very well written. Would be nice to have an index, but the book is well organized so that one can easily bookmark sections of interest.
Rating:
Summary: Not as complete as the "Frommer's Carribean Cruise" book
Review: I am planning my honeymoon cruise with my bride, and I was feeling completely overwhelmed at the beginning of our quest to plan the voyage. I feared being "taken" and going into even more debt (you don't even want to know how much the wedding costs!). I bought this book to bring me up to speed fast and protect me from tourist traps for wasting money. The book has been an excellent primer and reference guide, all in one. The first hundred or so pages teach you about the history of cruising and present cruising market, gives guidelines for choosing the cruise package right for you, and lists ways to capture those elusive "deep discounts." The second section (the next several hundred pages) gives detailed discriptions of the cruise lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, etc.) and reviews of the individual boats in the line; detailing dining options, crew, tipping, recreational activities and more. The only knock on this book is that it promises to be critical of the cruise lines (saying it is an "unofficial" guide, so it can be negative) but it never is critical. It rates some boats as a 5 out of 10 on quality and a "C" on value, but it will go on to say that the boat is "exquisite" and "lavish" and leaves the reader wondering why the boat deserved the much lower rating ...
Rating:
Summary: overwhelmed no longer, thanks to this book
Review: I am planning my honeymoon cruise with my bride, and I was feeling completely overwhelmed at the beginning of our quest to plan the voyage. I feared being "taken" and going into even more debt (you don't even want to know how much the wedding costs!). I bought this book to bring me up to speed fast and protect me from tourist traps for wasting money. The book has been an excellent primer and reference guide, all in one. The first hundred or so pages teach you about the history of cruising and present cruising market, gives guidelines for choosing the cruise package right for you, and lists ways to capture those elusive "deep discounts." The second section (the next several hundred pages) gives detailed discriptions of the cruise lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, etc.) and reviews of the individual boats in the line; detailing dining options, crew, tipping, recreational activities and more. The only knock on this book is that it promises to be critical of the cruise lines (saying it is an "unofficial" guide, so it can be negative) but it never is critical. It rates some boats as a 5 out of 10 on quality and a "C" on value, but it will go on to say that the boat is "exquisite" and "lavish" and leaves the reader wondering why the boat deserved the much lower rating ...
Rating:
Summary: Excellent guide to cruises
Review: I found this guide extremely helpful in planning my last cruise and will use it again for future cruises. Easy to use format and when reading the information for my last cruise I found the information given accurate.
Rating:
Summary: Not as complete as the "Frommer's Carribean Cruise" book
Review: I had already booked my cruise when I purchased this book. I was looking for details on shore excursions, shipboard info and how to get to the port of Miami. Frommer's Carribean Cruise book had more of the information I was looking for. This "Unofficial Guide to Cruises" would be good if you were trying to decide which cruise to take. But again, there wasn't any information on what I was looking for in shore excursions, sightseeing, maps, etc.
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