Frommer's® Alaska Cruises & Ports of Call 2004

Rating:
Summary: A Handy Guide for Cruising Alaska
Review: I bought this book before an Alaskan cruise this summer, and found it to be invaluable, both for researching before hand and enjoying the ports of call on our cruise.

It's small (so it's easily portable), and chock full of information about all the ports. We used it constantly during the trip!

A tip - I bought this book in addition to the bigger Frommer's Alaska. The bigger book contains all the same info as the little one, along with details on a lot of places not covered in the cruising book. So don't buy both - decide how much of Alaska you want to see, and just get the one that suits your travel plans.

Rating:
Summary: Worth It's Weight in Klondike Gold
Review: I have never been on a cruise, but I am a savvy seasoned independant world traveler, (including over a dozen trips to Alaska), and I thought this book was an incredible resource! Alaska cruise options these days seem almost endless. There are more than 17 cruiselines taking more than 700,000 paasengers a season to Alaska! Juneau alone, receives over 450 passenger ship port of calls annually. Competing cruises are almost as indivdual as you are. This guidebook does a great job of laying out and encapsulating the many diverse cruise choices. When you finish reading this guide you will not only know which cruiseline you are interested in and which route, but you will likely know which individual ship you want to cruise on!

Visiting wedsites or talking with a travel agent are a poor substitute. Cruiseline websites provide lots of details, but lack comparative information. In addition, they are not going to tell you if their cabins are tiny, or the food is mediocre. Save visiting the cruiseline websites until after you read this guidebook to get more detail and photos - when you have narrowed the field.

Travel agents, no matter how good they are, simply don't have the time to dsseminate the volume of information in this book. But after you read this book and if you decide to use a travel agent, you will walk in well-informed and your agent will be quite impressed. It will also save them time and breath!

Whether your cruise is a once-in-a-liftime trip or an annual event, ...this guidebook is an invaluable resource.