About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

Reporter Jean-Marc Papineau shares his love of cruising in this collection of anecdotes about the cruise ships he has enjoyed over the last several years.

Pros

• Concise look at several of the mainstream, most popular cruise lines
• Easy reading for those planning their first cruise
• Fifteen excellent tips for the wise cruiser
• Author's personal anecdotes touch on many aspects of cruising
• Short sections are good reading for those who have little time

Cons

• Since author only includes lines with personal experience, many excellent ships are excluded
• 2006 prices and list of 50 largest ships could become outdated
• Three to five pages on each cruise line may not be enough information to make an informed choice
• Readers will need to supplement information in book before booking first cruise

Description

• Concise look and personal anecdotes describing ships from several mainstream cruise lines
• Fifteen tips for the wise cruiser are useful tidbits of information
• Mr. Papineau is not afraid to provide his favorites--top 7 children's ships, 20 favorite cruise ship features
• Information on prices could become outdated, but should provide a baseline for cruise shoppers

Guide Review - Cruising 101 - Smart Guide for Choosing the Best Holidays at Sea

Reporter Jean-Marc Papineau went on his first cruise in 1985, and he has loved cruising ever since then. In this short, 98-page book, he provides 4-5 page anecdotes about the cruise lines and/or cruise ships he has cruised with and offers some tips for cruisers.

He briefly covers ships from seven of the largest cruise lines (Royal Caribbean, Princess, NCL, Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, and Holland America), and three others he considers among the "most accessible" (easyCruise, Disney, and MSC).

Mr. Papineau also provides a few pages on finding cruise discounts on the Internet. However, this information could become outdated as new cruise ships are launched, new Web booking tools and sites are developed, and prices fluctuate.

Readers will need to understand that this short guide will not give them all the information they need to plan their first cruise. Mr. Papineau's book is a series of personal anecdotes designed to provide perspective on each of the cruise lines or cruise ships - not to be a comprehensive guide to all of the cruise lines and cruise ships sailing today.