Library

[sam49]

Hi I'm travelling on my first ever cruise in a couple of weeks. I usually take a couple of books to read whilst sunbathing but as we are travelling from the UK I want to save all my luggage for my new clothes (don't tell the husband!). Can you take books out of the library to read on deck/balcony?

 

Thanks

[monicajay]

Just off the Rhapsody of the Seas and we used the library for the same reason as we were going to Australia and didn't want to drag along a pile of books.

 

You sign them out to your cabin and it is a self-serve system. I went to the library on the first day and signed out two good books. When I returned on day seven it was very slim pickings so I would suggest an early trip.

 

They also had a section of 'trade-in' books. Leave one, take one. I left the book that I had brought but didn't bother taking another.

 

Enjoy!

[sam49]

Thanks Monica I appreciate that.

[Rala]

Definitely go to the library FIRST thing when you board to get the best selection! Enjoy your cruise!

[Tucker in Texas]

I just got off the VOS trans-Atlantic. This was our fifth TA on RC (four on VOS and 1 on NOS) and, for the first time, the books were locked up for the first few days with accessibility at set times. I don't know if this has been done fleet wide or just we were so honored. However, on all five TA's, the pickings were slim even first day, first stop, on the cruise.

 

However, if you are willing to do some "dumpster diving," you can pick through returned books box and maybe find something. I never located an exchange shelf but then I didn't look that hard either. There were paperbacks being put into the return bins, though, as well as RCI's books. You can identify those vs. "donations" because they will have a shelving code on the spine.

 

Tucker in Texas (who would still bring a couple of books from home to be sure to have some reading material)

[cb at sea]

I'm an avid reader--and I always bring too many books! It seems there's so much "people-watching" or talking to do while sunbathing, that the reading sort of falls by the wayside!

[mycruise2]

Just off Radiance on an 11day. By the time I looked there were NO decent books to check out. Shelves were bare. Go early as suggested before.

[Jt4428]

Do they have children's books also, or only adult books?

[JudyM]

I don't remember seeing children's books - although I never really looked.

 

But I'd encourage all readers to hunt for the passenger exchange shelf. The selection is surprisingly good, and the turnover is even faster than the official library. In fact, if you are interested in picking up a few to keep, stop by on the last day of the cruise. All the people who bought souvenirs are frantically trying to jam their suitcases closed, and deciding to jettison books they've already read. On my last cruise, a 15-day on HAL's Zaandam, the discarded books overflowed four shelves and were stacking up on a window ledge. About half of them were hardbacks, looking as if they'd been read only once. There were easily hundreds of dollars worth of books there for the taking, and some really good ones too. I crammed six into my carry-on, and wished I'd thought to bring an extra bag to carry more.

[Tucker in Texas]

Do they have children's books also, or only adult books?

 

On the VOS they had a shelf of children's books but it did not appear to have very many.

 

Tucker in Texas

[DIGTHIS]

Hello,

We love to cruise and read and unfortunately we feel the libraries are in ned of some attention. We have travelled on other lines with very nice libraries including dvd's. I nicely mention it on the comment cards and maybe if we all ask nicely they will upgrade it. Hey, it worked in the Shawshank movie.

Have a great cruise

Dave

[phoenix1181]

I can't believe, as avid readers, you're still lugging books when traveling! I've been reading electronically since the RCA eBook came out in the late 90's and can't understand why everyone doesn't. It's much easier than carrying regular books with you or not finding anything enjoyable to read in the library.

[bouhunter]

I can't believe, as avid readers, you're still lugging books when traveling! I've been reading electronically since the RCA eBook came out in the late 90's and can't understand why everyone doesn't. It's much easier than carrying regular books with you or not finding anything enjoyable to read in the library.

 

Because I look at a screen enough on the laptop and blackberry every day at work, and I like BOOKS. To each his own:rolleyes:

[phoenix1181]

Because I look at a screen enough on the laptop and blackberry every day at work, and I like BOOKS. To each his own:rolleyes:

 

I like books too............... and you're right, there is definitely a difference! But with space & weight issues when traveling, it has it's advantages.

[rummenroman]

I can't believe, as avid readers, you're still lugging books when traveling! I've been reading electronically since the RCA eBook came out in the late 90's and can't understand why everyone doesn't. It's much easier than carrying regular books with you or not finding anything enjoyable to read in the library.

 

 

I don't for two reasons.

 

One, for what ever reason my eyes go batty when trying to read electronic items. For school i needed to write a paper, and our library doesn't have much of an actual selection, however they are part of several scholar databases. Most of the articles come to you .pdf. I tried to read them, and ended up having to print them all out in order to use them.

 

Second, and most important, i try and get as far away from electronic items as i can. No laptop, cell phone, PSP, Nintento DS, Ipod/mp3 player. I go at it with the idea of anything with a screen will burn my eyes while i'm on a cruise!

[Happy ks]

I used to think the same thing about electronic readers as many people here....until I read my sisters Kindle. It's very similar to looking at paper, not like a computer screen at all. She has hers in a cover, it opens and you hold it just like a book. I'm looking forward to owning one someday soon :)

[996turbos]

I wish to own an e-book reader but will not untill they set a standard that allows puchase on line from multiple stores in a common and useable format. No use having a Kindle that will not accept a down load from , say, Barnes and Noble as an example. Same for the Nook.

[Tucker in Texas]

Can you say $300 or whatever a Kindle costs plus $10 a book?

 

Thanks, I'll tote my 25 cent paperback I got at the thrift store and use that money towards another cruise.

 

Tucker in Texas

[monicajay]

Do they have children's books also, or only adult books?

 

There was a childrens shelf on the Rhapsody that was good for the 4-8 crowd but there was nothing for older kids or young adults.

[Linda VH]

DH said the library on LOS was really good. I don't know as I have my Kindle and BTW have saved quite a lot of money as I am an avid reader. If you've read as much as me you know that the 99 cent paperback books have already been read.

[Pat.bz]

We are a Kindle family (3) and they are great on the 30 days plus per year we cruise. We can share all books, even read them concurrently and some of them are free and can be obtained from places other than Amazon. The electronic paper isn't backlit so it doesn't tire the eyes.

[aruvqan]

Can you say $300 or whatever a Kindle costs plus $10 a book?

 

Thanks, I'll tote my 25 cent paperback I got at the thrift store and use that money towards another cruise.

 

Tucker in Texas

I have a kindle [and a droid, but I will not be bringing a cell on the cruise, the charges are amazingly high! I have the same ebooks loaded into both]

 

A kindle makes great sense, I can load almost 250 books into mine [i actually have several thousand ebooks] and never have to worry about what I am going to read. I keep a wide variety so no matter what mood I am in, I have something to read. Being on crutches or in a wheel chair depending on how my body is working on any given day, I try to keep my clutter to a minimum as carrying crap gets difficult.

[eleanordew]

On the VOS they had a shelf of children's books but it did not appear to have very many.

 

Tucker in Texas

 

On Splendour there was a section of children's books (i.e., 4 shelves). It looked like a pretty good selection.

 

The adult choices were separated by language. For instance, on one side of the room were 2 alcoves (a total of 6 sections) of books in English, and on the other side of the room, separate sections of French, Spanish, Italian, German, etc. books.

 

(I'm a librarian -- I notice the way books are arranged!) -- eleanordew