Bible for Cruisers

I have subscribed to Cruise Travel for at least 20 years and have yet to be disappointed in an issue. If you are a seasoned cruiser, or just thinking about a cruise vacation, this bi-monthly magazine is for you. The "Letters" section is an excellent forum, similar to Epinions, in that you get feedback and opinion from real people about real vacations. Their opinions are strong and varied and sometimes there is a thread that runs from issue to issue on hot topics. Recent threads have highlighted opinions about smoking versus non-smoking in Public Rooms, tipping (automatically posting to on-board account vs. tradition end of cruise envelopes), formal versus informal dress throughout the cruise, and unsupervised children with the run of the ship.

Each issue highlights a "Ship of the Month" and "Port of the Month" to give the reader the kind of information they need before deciding on a particular ship or itinerary. There are lots of color photos of ship's common areas and accommodations, deck plans, brochure pricing and other valuable information. Port articles also have lots of photos and will spotlight points of interest, weather, shopping, language issues, money exchange, etc.

There is always an article or two addressing areas of interest to all cruisers, from appropriate dress codes on various ships to how to pack for different ports of call. Past issues have also covered which ships have facilities for handicapped travelers, how to address medical issues when traveling, and which ships have programs for children and teens. There are also handy directories of cruise lines and their itineraries, as well as contact information.

The first issue of the year is usually the Annual Cruise Directory, which is a handy reference to compare cruise lines and itineraries. Each issue also carries news of the cruise industry, i.e. who bought who, or which line is building a new ship, etc.

This is one magazine I can't wait to read when it hits my mailbox. It always brings back memories of past cruises and helps me prepare for future ones.