Berlitz 98 Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships (Serial)

Ward' writing style is blunt and merciless. I like it. Prospective cruise passengers should read at least two books: This Berlitz/Ward book and Showker/Sehlinger's "Unofficial Guide to Cruises." Neither book is complete without the other. However, this Berlitz/Ward book is the one I reach for first when I want information about a cruise ship.


Very good detailed information about all cruise ships   September 8, 1998
Don McKenzie (donmckenzie@prodigy.com) (Sacramento, California)
This book is among the best at setting forth detailed information about each cruise ship - one ship per page. The reader can quickly find space ratios, cabin sizes, number and type of crew, and many other categories. Although there are some typographical errors, I use this book more than any other one because of this detailed information. The 1997 edition lists all ships alphabetically so that the reader can readily find a particular ship. Unfortunately, the 1998 edition divides the ships into small, medium and large so that the reader must know the passenger capacity of each ship (up to 500, 500-1,000, and above 1,000) before being able to find the ship. Hopefully, the next edition will return to a straight alphabetical listing. There is no index. For general information about ships, I might purchase another cruise book, however for detailed factual information, this Berlitz book is the first one I choose.


Laudable cruise guide.   October 6, 1998
"Berlitz 98 Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships is a laudable guide for all cruise travelers.

Given that the author--Douglas Ward--is one of the foremost authorities on cruising and cruise ships, this book is more opinionated than other cruising guides. But Ward's comments and evaluations ring pleasantly (not to mention wittily!) true.

In addition to accessing 210 oceangoing cruise ships, Ward offers a multitude of immensely helpful chapters on nearly every aspect of cruising, including "Why Take a Cruise?," "Choosing Your Ship and Cruise," "Cruising for Romantics," and "Life Aboard Ship."

Even smaller sections such as "20 Practical Tips for A Good Cruise Experience" and "Signs You've Taken the Wrong Ship" (e.g., "the library is located in the engine room") are, in themselves, worth the price of the book.

Regrettably, Ward barely mentions motion sickness; and the book has no index.

Still, this is a worthy purchase for cruise fans.


an arrogantly written, sometimes insulting guidebook   July 11, 1998
This book was required reading for a travel cruise course, and as a 15 year experienced travel agent, I found this book very hard to finish. Some of his information was completely wrong (i.e. saying that Premier Cruise Lines is defunct, when it is DEFINITELY not), and two-thirds of cruise lines/ships written about were not what most travel agents in the U.S. would ever book. His style of writing was arrogant, and attempts at humor were just plain insulting. "Fieldings Guide to Cruising" would be a much better investment.