Best Mediterranean Cruise Travel Book?

[Travelalot2]

I would like to purchase one or two travel books that have information on the ports we will be visiting on our upcoming Mediterranean cruise but when looking at Amazon.com, there are so many to choose from. Any advice on which one is best? Also, is there a good map that you have found useful to look at while cruising to know what of the various areas you are looking at?

 

We are on the June 4th, 2006 Med. cruise on the Brilliance. Our ports are Barcelona - Monte Carlo / Cannes - Florence/Pisa - the greek islands including Athens - Turkey - Naples - Barcelona. We would like to visit the Tuscony area while in Florence and the Amalfi coast while in Naples. Thanks!

[Susan-M]

I had started a thread on this a while back http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=151043&highlight=books. There was some feedback and hopefully you will get more suggestions from your request.

 

I think that "Mediterranean by Cruise Ship" by Anne Vipond is worthwhile and interesting reading as it covers a lot of detail, but I will be taking other guides because we plan to tour on our own (public transit, train, rental cars) and will need more specific detail particular to each area or city. If you are planning to do organized tours, either through the cruise ship or private guide, you will probably be able to take one or two general guides. Rick Steve's books are a favorite of many on these boards.

 

The Fodor's City Pack guides are very good to take along for the day, as they are small and provide details and highlights for the tops sights. The maps are also very good. (This recommendation was passed along to me by one of the members on our roll call, and having picked up one of the books, on Rome, I will be looking for others.)

 

The other guide books that have been recommended repeatedly on CC are the AAA Spiral Guides.

[arkcruiser]

We ordered "Mediterranean by Cruise Ship" by Anne Vipond for our upcoming cruise on the Millennium. Basically, the book is a disappointment. Its promise is to provide, among other things, good port maps and information on how to navigate once you get off the ship. In fact, most of the book is boilerplate travel narrative with very little on the logistics of navigating the ports. Furthermore, instead of highlighting the ports that most ships visit, she prefers a shotgun approach that touches all too briefly less visited ones. In retrospect, I would save my money for something more worthwhile.

 

I found that these boards are a far better source of practical information and the Michelin green guides much better on the sights and sites to be visited.

[cberge]

Frommer's had a book out a few years ago called Europe Ports of Call,and the 2nd edition was called European Cruises and Ports of Call that youc can get on Amazon.It maybe out dated,but basically you can get a lot of info from it as the sights do not change that much.Then taking the great info from this board,and when you get off the ship in the various ports picking up maps and local info(which to me are invaluable) you should be all set.Enjoy your cruise.

[Susan-M]

I forgot to mention earlier that if you want a preview of some of the places you are going to visit - Rick Steves videos and DVD's are very good (I get them from the library.) The one on Italy covers four areas, so you will find the sections on Florence/Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast very interesting, and the one on Greece covers Athens. He may have others on the ports that you are visiting, but those are the ones that I am familiar with.

[PoohUnderstands]

If you are going to be doing Rome, Venice, and/or Barcelona on your own, go to Amazon and purchase AAA's spiral bound travel books on the above cities. They are excellent with times and day walking ideas, and maps. If you look through CC you will also see that alot of people swear by these books too.

 

Pooh

[Aussie Gal]

I also recommend the EyeWitness Books. We have always used them in Europe. There is the big Europe book and then there are the smaller books on each country, plus the books on the main cities eg. Rome, Florence, Venice. etc.

 

Jennie

[gtjunk]

We ordered "Mediterranean by Cruise Ship" by Anne Vipond for our upcoming cruise on the Millennium. Basically, the book is a disappointment.

 

 

I second that. I purchased the book after reading some great reviews. I've ready about 50 pages and put it in the bookshelf. It wasn't what I was looking for.

 

I hear great things about the AAA guides though.

[Robin G]

My husband picked up "Mediterranean Cruises" by Insight Guides. It's a Discovery Channel book and I loved it. We haven't been to the Med. yet, but we're booked for 6/06 and this book, I think, has plenty of info., at least for us as first-timers. I am quite happy with it. It's just about 400 pages and has plenty of great photos. For every port, it tells you what it looks like arriving into the port and what to find around the dock area. The book also includes shopping info, sights, and what to find outside the area for further exploring. Maps are excellent, too. They also suggest what the typical excursions might be for a certain port. The book covers major ports of calls: Lisbon, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Nice, Civitavecchia, Venice, Athens and Istanbul. Also tells of archaeological treasures to be seen, natural beauty areas plus tons of info about planning and packing and weather for your Med. cruise. Can you tell I love this book?!?! Hope this helps.

[Susan-M]

 

I second that. I purchased the book after reading some great reviews. I've ready about 50 pages and put it in the bookshelf. It wasn't what I was looking for.

 

.

 

Re: Mediterranean by Cruise Ship/Anne Vipond - If you only read the first 50 pages, then you missed the sections on history, art and architecture and port information. The first 40 or so pages provides information on preparing for your cruise which I skipped past and moved on to the sections that were relevant and interesting to me. If you don't want some background info on history, art and architecture, and are only looking for a guide with the top 25 sites, then this isn't the book. I chose it as pre-cruise reading, and will take the condensed guides (Fodor's Citypack, AAA Spiral, etc. for the day trips.)

[tak2]

Eyewitness guides ( includes the Europe Cruise , specific city guides, country guides etc. ), Insight's Med Cruises are all good for their pictures and 3-D street map drawings, but rather impractical to carry along since there's not enough detail on maps ( although I very much appreciate the Venice street drawings in Eyewitness Venice) and specific sights. And, they are heavy.These books plus Frommer's Ports of Call, Lonely Planet's Med Guide are the ones that I read ( or intend to )beforehand but the AAA Spiral Guides and sections of Rick Steves will be what I'll take along.

[daviduk]

I would agree that the Insight/Discovery Channel book "Mediterranean Cruises" is great, full of relevant detail, practical advice and good photos. If it does have a weak point, I think its the lack of maps of the ports. Anne Vipond's book reads to me like someone who has swotted up on the subject just for the purposes of writing the book, however, the bio does decribe her is a "veteran cruise traveller". The pictures are poor and the descriptions stilted. I've ordered the 2004 edition of the Frommer's book which should arrive in a few days.

[daviduk]

Have just received the Frommers Guide. I think its greatest value is for the person who hasnt booked their cruise and wants to decide which ship to choose and which ports to visit. Its reviews of specific ships and cruises are very useful, but it will of course become outdated very quickly as new ships are built or re-sited and new cruise itineraries are developed. The information about individual ports is concise. For those who have already booked, on balance, I think the Insight/Discovery Channel book "Mediterranean Cruises" has a little more value though Frommers is a better read.