The Unofficial Guide To Cruises 2002

The Unofficial Guides are the "Consumer Reports" of travel guides, offering candid evaluations of all the vital elements of your vacation, all rated and ranked by a team of unbiased inspectors so even the most compulsive planners can be sure they're spending their time and money wisely. Each guide addresses the needs of everyone from families to business travelers, with handy charts that demonstrate how each place stacks up against the competition. Plus, all the details are pulled out so they're extremely easy to scan. The Unofficial Guide to Cruises.looks beyond the glossy cruise line brochures to rate and rank each cruise line and ship so you can find the one that's right for you. We give the inside scoop on cabins, itineraries, service, dining, entertainment, facilities, and shore excursions, and show you how to get the very best deal when you're ready to book your trip. Includes complete coverage of worldwide cruises, from the Caribbean and Alaska to Europe and Asia. The Top 5 Ways The Unofficial Guide to Cruises Can Help You Have the Perfect Cruise: More than 120 cruise lines and 350 ships reviewed and ranked for value and quality, plus tips on how to identify the ship that's right for you Industry secrets for getting the lowest possible fare, plus extras like free vacation days The inside story on who your fellow passengers will be Proven strategies for making hassle-free air connections Tips on making the most of your time and money once you're on board

In keeping with the Unofficial Guide philosophy, this book pulls no punches as it reports on the nitty-gritty details of more than 100 cruise lines and 500 ships, ranking each for value and quality. The authors reveal industry secrets for getting the lowest possible fares, share helpful hints for getting the cabin you want most at a price you can afford, and give strategies for booking hassle-free air connections, making the most of your time and money on board, and figuring out who your fellow passengers will be.

The renowned Unofficial Guides "RM" are trusted by millions of readers. No other series dares to be this candid -- the Unofficial Guides "RM" are the "Consumer Reports" of travel guides. Every hotel and attraction is rated and ranked by a team of unbiased inspectors. Value-conscious and loaded with tips that help readers avoid wasting time and money, each guide is easy to use, with detailed descriptions of a wide range of hotels and restaurants in all price categories. Readers love the rating system used to objectively evaluate attractions, hotels, and restaurants. Handy charts demonstrate how each place stacks up against the competition. The Unofficial Guides "RM" contain the most honest evaluations of the Disney parks on the market (with each ride rated and given a suggested age group), and offer proven strategies for enjoying them with a minimum of hassle. Unofficial "RM" Las Vegas rates and ranks the casinos, and provides useful strategies for beating the odds. Each guide is tailored to provide convenience and insider advice on each destination, and addresses the needs of families, business travelers, and more by giving them the lowdown on what's really worth their time and money. Also included are accurate maps, plus detailed information on shopping, nightlife, sports, and more. Look for a contemporary new cover design on this fall's list! Winner of the Lowell Thomas Award as Best Guidebook of the Year!

This recognized bible of the cruise industry is a one-stop source for both veteran and novice cruise-goers, packed with everything they need to know to plan the perfect trip. Internationally celebrated cruise expert Douglas Ward -- president of the Maritime Evaluations Group and veteran of more than 800 cruises -- offers descriptions, information, and recommendations for every imaginable type of ship. Updated annually, the Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships 2001 features reviews of 260 ships -- including more than a dozen new to this edition -- and cruise lines; fully updated ship ratings; and facts on giant full-service cruise ships; tall ships with windsails, and specialty cruises, such as coastal river, barge, and nature cruises. Must-know details, from the number of dining facilities to cabin amenities, are presented through comments and easy-to-use charts. This comprehensive guide -- complete with a sample cruise-ship menu and sample cabin diagrams -- also includes expert advice for all ages and interests, with special sections for singles, families, and the physically challenged. Practical information on how to choose a ship, how to book a trip, and what to know before going makes planning the perfect cruise a breeze.

From the publishers of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World "A Tourist's Best Friend!" —Chicago Sun-Times "Indispensable" —The New York Times Five Great Features and Benefits offered ONLY by The Unofficial Guide: More than 100 cruise lines and 500 ships reviewed and ranked for value and quality Complete details on cruise lines, ships, and itineraries around the world Industry secrets for getting the lowest possible fare, plus extras like free vacation days Everything you need to know to make planning your cruise vacation fun and easy Helpful hints for getting the best cabin—without breaking your bank account

A cruise is a complete vacation, so it's important that you choose the one that's right for you. Frommer's Caribbean Cruises is the most user-friendly, opinionated, and informative guide you can buy before you set sail. Unlike other guides that try to cover cruises around the entire world in one volume, we focus solely on the Caribbean, so we can bring you much more in-depth coverage. Unlike those used in other guides, our rating system is simple. We break down the essential elements of a cruise experience (dining, activities, children's activities, entertainment, service, overall enjoyment, and overall value), and rate them from "poor" to "outstanding." Photos of each ship combine with the text to give a better sense of the very real differences among the various lines. Most important, this is the only cruise guide that provides the real prices people pay for cruises, not just the rack rates. Other guides tell you that a seven-night cruise aboard Celebrity's Mercury costs $1,795. You can pay that if you want to, but only Frommer's tells you that the same cruise is selling for $895. We give both the rack rates and the discount price for every cruise in the Caribbean. This feature alone makes Frommer's Caribbean Cruises by far the most valuable trip-planning book among cruise guides. Our author, a noted cruise expert who has personally checked out every ship sailing the Caribbean, offers candid and unbiased opinions on them all. She's completely up to date, with all the latest developments and the newest ships. You'll also get complete coverage of 34 Caribbean port destinations, with advice on how to spend your limited time ashore.

Cruise Operations Management: Hospitality Perspectives provides a comprehensive and contextualized overview of hospitality services for the cruise industry. As well as providing a background to the cruise industry, it also looks deeper into the management issues providing a practical guide for both students and professionals alike. Since the first edition of this book, there have been many important developments in the industry and this new edition features revised chapters on: contemporary cruise operations cruise geography itinerary planning health, safety and security maritime issues and legislation. In addition, there is a new chapter on 'Cruise Management Resources' intended to be of benefit to research students. Cruise Operations Management presents a range of issues illustrated by a number of case studies that encourage the reader to examine the often complex circumstances that surround problems or events associated with cruise operations. The case studies are contemporary and are constructed from first hand research with a number of international cruise companies providing a real world insight into this industry. They include 'Roles and Responsibilities on a Cruise Ship', 'Customer Service Systems and Passenger Profiles' and 'Managing Food and Drink Operations Onboard'. Each case study is followed by questions that are intended to illuminate issues and stimulate discussion. The structure of the book is designed so the reader can either build knowledge cumulatively for an in-depth knowledge of managerial practices and procedures onboard a cruise ship, or they can ‘dip in’ and make use of specific material and case studies for use within a more generic hospitality or tourism learning context.