Ocean Cruising & Cruise Ships 2004 [Englisch] [Broschiert]

I now own the 1995, 2000 and 2003 editions of this guide, and this new edition is, as it claims to be, indeed a <<complete>> guide to the world of cruising. My previous review of the book seems to have been helpful to 123 readers, so I feel encouraged to rewrite and update my views on this new edition.
There are many cruise ship guides on the market, but none as complete and thorough as this one which gives very detailed reviews of no fewer than 254 cruise ships, ranging from the modest <<Funchal>> to the, some would say, immodest <<Voyager of the Seas>>. Certainly there is a very important first section dealing with many aspects of the cruising experience, but thankfully not the huge amount of space that many cruise book writers feel they must devote to descriptions of ports and cruise destinations. There are many other travel books that can give you that information. The major part of the book [around 75%] is devoted to the very detailed descriptions, reviews and ratings of the individual cruise ships, each review giving a general description, accomodation, dining, entertainment, and, very importantly, <<weak points>>. You may not agree with all of Douglas Ward's comments, but he is generally very fair in his criticisms.
Some reviewers feel that Mr. Ward is too <<european>> in his viewpoint, but my own view is that although Carnival, Princess or Royal Caribbean are excellent introductions to cruising for first-timers, each with their own particular strengths, however it's sad to see so many cruisers who won't venture past their <<comfort zone>>, and this is where Mr. Ward's expertise comes in. Most cruisers won't have the means, nor perhaps the desire, to travel on his top rated ship <<Europa>>, but his description of life aboard such a superb ship makes a mouth-watering read.
One reviewer took Mr. Ward to task for a perceived <<anti-american>> stance, however I can detect no such bias. Rather, his approach is truly international, unlike most cruise ship writers who look at the cruising scene only from the american perspective. The most interesting cruises are those which have a truly international clietele. If the ship were full of only Los Angeleans, or Londoners, or Sydneysiders, it would be a very dull cruise indeed.
The inclusion of colour photos and maps in this new edition makes a welcome innovation, as are the descriptions of ships, like the Queen Mary 2, that are yet to be launched. Some may argue that the cruise enthusiast can find all he or she needs to know on the internet, however I would counter that few writers could compete with Ward on completeness or detail in their reviews. The blurb on the back cover claims <<includes simply everything you ever wanted to know about cruise ships>> and I woud have to concur with this judgement. It's a great read, both for the experienced cruiser, and the novice - and I defy any non-cruiser who delves into it to resist after sampling Ward's enthusiastic tome. Good reading - & Good cruising!

Douglas Ward returns to a format, in his 2003 edition, that enables the reader to compare similarly-rated ships in a manner that distinguishes between cuisine, service, entertainment, etc. Therefore, his critical eye and high standards combine to provide the reader with the tools to choose a sailing so that, by disembarking, they'll be thinking of their next cruise vacation. Indeed, this thorough analysis is a "must have" for any person selling cruises, contemplating their first cruise, or their fifteenth voyage. Don't leave home without it!

Before I purchase any cruise-related books, I prefer to verify the information I know to be true. While I have been on three different cruise lines and ships, my wife has been on many more. Based on our experiences, this book has accurate information about what to expect on the ships listed.

Nearly every ship in every cruise line has a summary or review in this book. For each ship the vital statistics (Passenger Count, year built etc) are provided. I've chosen a cruise based solely on that information before, and Berlitz's information is quite thourough. Berlitz then continues and assigns a numerical rating to each ship based on five or six factors which also has it's own numerical rating. Once again, my wife and I found nearly every rating to be in line with our experiences. Most importantly, the comparisons between ratings (for example comparing the NCL Sea with the Celebrity Horizon) seemed to be accurate in our opinion. Based on this information, we have purchased this book to plan our next voyage.

My chief complaint about this book is that there are times when the written parts - that is to say the opinions expressed - are a bit superficial and do not provide much insight. This varies widely from review to review with some ships having a wealth of information and others having little to offer.

Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who is a die-hard cruise planner who wishes to have all of the information prior to booking. It should not be your only resource, but it is a wonderful place to begin.