Travellers Caribbean Cruising

Emma Stanford
Thomas Cook Publishing (2006)
ISBN 1841575984
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (11/06)

 “Travellers Caribbean Cruising” would definitely tempt anybody who reads it to try and get to some of the exotic destinations included in it. This handy guidebook offers basic information on various destinations for Caribbean cruising, starting with two of the Florida’s most important cruise ports (Miami and Fort Lauderdale) and continuing to the very Caribbean Key West, then – in alphabetical order – it takes one to Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe and St. Barts, Jamaica, Martinique, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, St. Kitt’s and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tortola and the British Virgin Islands, Trinidad and Tobago and finally the US Virgin Islands. Due to such numerous destinations and the limited size of the guidebook (192 pages) only a couple of pages are dedicated to each of the locations, which severely limits the scope of the descriptions.

In spite of the relative shortness of information on each of the destinations, I do believe that this guide would come in handy for someone traveling on a cruise ship that, in any case, would only have a limited amount of time in each port. It provides one with a good overview of the region, including its history and culture as well as plenty of ideas for the sightseeing. There is a lot of interesting information and insights in all of the “features” (on such diverse topics as the Carnival, architectural extravaganza, the Everglades, cruising, underwater world, pirates of the Caribbean, slavery, calypso and the rainforest), which are highlighted throughout the book. There are several sections devoted to cruising and for anybody looking to go on a cruise for the first time they will definitely prove to be invaluable in determining what to expect on a cruise and how to choose the appropriate cruise line.

The maps are well executed, easy to read and contain plentiful information. The photos in the book are stunning and diverse. The directory part contains a wealth of information, including conversion charts and dress/shoe tables for sizes in different countries.

Since this book seems to be geared towards somebody on a cruise, I wish the author would have included some information on the cruise-ship ports, such as their location relative to the center of the town or a tourist destination, amenities in the terminal and cab fares from there to points of interest.

Overall I found “Travellers Caribbean Cruising” very informative and I would definitely recommend it as a take-along book for anybody taking a cruise to that part of the world.

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