The Cruise Handbook Paperback – Illustrated, January 15, 2019

After reading this from my library, I ordered a copy from Amazon. The cruise I booked will be my first. The book is full of advice.

Advertised as like new and came as if it were brand new!

I like armchair-traveling by reading books like these, and Lonely Planet is my favorite choice for travel books (I LOVE The Travel Book and The Cities Book). The Cruise Handbook is a fun, quick coffee table style read for vicarious travelers like me who enjoy reading fun tidbits about the world and looking at gorgeous pictures. It's also a nice introduction to cruises for those who've never tried one or want to go on a cruise but don't have any of the specifics planned yet. As other reviewers have pointed out, though, this book isn't thorough or in-depth enough for experienced cruisers or people who are looking for a detailed planning guide.The first half of the book has a lot of tidbits and Top 10 lists...everything from "Money & Budgeting" to "Cruise Etiquette" to "Top 10 LGBT Friendly Cruises." Each one is very short and snappy, but gives you the basics. Again, this is great if you have no idea where to start planning your cruise and are looking for some inspiration.The second half is divided into regional sections (Alaska, Mediterranean, USA river cruises, etc.) with more detailed information and lots of fun little sidebars. The sections include both ocean cruises and river cruises, adding more to the options. Again, it's not super in-depth, but it's enough to give you that travel itch and want to see all these cool places. The sidebars highlight the must-see aspects of each region, offer planning tips (info about the best travel seasons, how to find deals, etc.), and spotlight the varied cruising options (mainstream/traditional large ships, luxury ships, and all kinds of unique specialty cruises).One of my favorite aspects of travel books is drinking in all the beautiful pictures, and this book has plenty of those to enjoy. The scenery depicted in the book is as varied as the land- and seascapes that various cruises have to offer--everything from majestic glaciers and fjords to sparkling blue-green lagoons on white sand beaches, plus images of the pastel streets of San Juan and the scenic canals of Amsterdam. The only visual drawback is that the book is smallish in dimensions and the pages are matte, which is a little less immersive than the luxuriously big, glossy pages of the aforementioned Travel Book & Cities Book.All in all, I found this to be an enjoyable read that made me want to go on a cruise someday. If I ever do, though, I'll probably want to supplement this book with further reading.

When we took our first cruise, the organizers called the group together in their home and told us all kinds of helpful information about how to enjoy a cruise. Not everyone has such an introduction. This book serves that purpose and more. I have now gone on several cruises and still learned a lot from this book. I consider it a good reference book to keep around for reminders of good ideas at this point.

Great book! Easy to read , great info for a new cruiser !! Lots of information about many different places !!

Even after having gone on 16 previous cruises, I found information I was not aware of and intend to use on our next cruise in September.

I've never been on a cruise, but have reached the age where the concept of curated travel is starting to sound interesting. So--I ordered this new lonely planet guidebook which claimed to provide "inspiring ideas and essential advice" for new cruisers. I have to say that it pretty much delivers on that claim. My interest runs more toward the smaller ships and tighter itineraries. There is sufficient info in that category to get me started in finding companies, choosing appropriate time periods, and planning travel logistics. There is appropriate useful if you're more into mammoth ships and more traditional ports of call.The guide gives you advice on what to pack and how to budget for extra expenses. Where it is short of detail is on specific trip costs and, understandably, on comprehensive facts about particular ports of call, money exchange and onboard activities. Most of this information needs to be gleaned from the cruise companies themselves, and there are abundant references and names provided for that research. It does not, by the way, address any of the well-reported and seemingly frequent health problems and mechanical breakdowns that seem to attach themselves to large cruise ships.All in all, this is a pretty good guide for understanding the ins and outs of vacationing via ship with lots of other folks. If you are a regular cruiser, I doubt that you would need this information. You most likely have already formed opinions about and allegiances to this kind of travel.

This was a real waste of money. Here’s what it says in a nutshell: You might like to go cruise here or there depending on what you like. But in order to find out what you like you should just go there and see for yourself whether you like it or not.I could tell you that myself. Anyone could tell you that. Don’t waste your money.