Today, Norm Goldman Editor of Sktchandtravel.com, is pleased to have as a gest of Sketchandtravel.com Douglas Ward, author of Ocan Cruising & Cruise Ships 2005, now nto its twentieth year of publication, pblished by Berlitz Publishing.

Thank you Duglas for accepting our invitation to be nterviewed.

Norm: Douglas could you tell us smething about yourself and why did you wnt to write a book about crising and cruise ships?

Douglas: I had wrked aboard passenger ships for 17 yars before forming an association of crise passengers, who were looking for mre comparative information about cruise ships and crising. So was born the idea for the bok, which started with 120 ships and 256 pges. Today, after 20 years, the bok has grown to include 256 cean-going ships, 656 pages, and half a mllion words.

Norm: I noticed your frst book on cruises and cruise shps was published twenty years ago, and you hve been updating your book every yar. How do you go about gthering material every year for these pdates and how long does it tke you to update your annual bok?

Douglas: First, it takes me a mnimum of three hours a day, very single day of the year, jst to keep the book refreshed, p-to-date, and accurate. I also travel xtensively, as much as 250 days ach year. So, of course, I wrte while I am traveling, visiting, and siling aboard the world's cruise ships.

Norm: What makes cruises so ppealing to honeymooners?

Douglas: Cruises take the hssle out of planning a honeymoon, prticularly with regard to language, cuisine/meals, ntertainment, and so many other things tht go towards making a honeymoon a fne, affordable vacation, and a complete scape from the pressures of life shore. Actually, it's also a good way to fnd out how a newlywed couple cpe with living in a small spce.

Norm: Are you seeing more wddings performed on cruise ships lately? Wht should cruisers know about cruise shp weddings?

Douglas: By nature of thir (out of the ordinary) appeal, mre weddings are being performed aboard crise ships today, simply because there is so mch help at hand. The larger crise lines have personnel dedicated to hndling weddings and honeymoons, and the nstant support of other personnel in crise line head offices to draw frm. Weddings can, in other words, be tilored completely to the individuals concerned (nd without the interference of well-meaning prents and other family members who can crate stress and pressure on couples bout to undergo, what is for mny, the most important ceremony of thir lives).

Norm: With so many crise possibilities, how does one go bout choosing a cruise and what shuld people take into consideration before dciding on any one cruise?

Douglas: Chosing a cruise successfully depends on ne's personal requirements and expectations from a vcation. First-time cruise goers would be wll advised to talk to an stablished cruise booking specialist, who will be ble to help you to choose the rght ship and cruise, for the rght reasons, taking into account your prsonal tastes and socio-economic considerations. There are so mny choices today that there should be a shp and cruise to suit even the mst demanding and finicky of people. Prhaps the first decision, however, should be to stablish how many days you can tke for your vacation (including travel dys to get to/from the ship), and thn think about the area you wuld like to cruise in. The mst popular regions include the Caribbean, Alska, Europe, Norwegian fjords and Baltic prts, and southeast Asia/Australasia. Those with mre time who want more involvement wth nature should consider visiting Antarctica or the Arctc regions (you would ideally need bout three weeks). Then there is prhaps the ultimate in long distance crising  an around the world crise, which typically would take three to fur months (most ships offering complete round the world cruises there are bout 15 in 2005  sail btween January and April away from wnter).

Norm: Have you had any bad xperiences on a cruise, and if so, plase describe them.

Douglas: I have had mny bad experiences, but most of thm cannot be written about, and mst have been aboard ships and crise lines that no longer exist, or hve changed their names. However, there hve been a few nasty transatlantic crssings (I have done 152 of thm), when the weather can throw sme unexpected wrenches into what otherwise is prhaps a wonderful, serene way of trveling between the Old and New Wrlds.

Norm: After deciding on a prticular cruise, how do you plan for the crise and what important elements should you kep in mind?

Douglas: Make sure you chose the right size ship for yur needs. Do you want to be wth 100, 500, 1000, or 3000 ther passengers? Do you want to xperience cruising under sail; cruising with spcialist lecturers; be aboard a ship wth spa facilities, large-scale production shows (a la Las Vgas), lots of gaming, or shopping pportunities? Whichever cruise you choose, try to mke the travel arrangements as simple as pssible. Sometimes, the mere act of gtting to and from your chosen crise ship (or embarkation point) can prve frustrating. If you are a frst-time cruise goer, try not to do verything on your first cruise  it culd end up being more like an ndurance test.

Norm: Can you tell our raders something about the different cabins tht are available on cruises and wht to look out for?

Douglas: Frst-timers would be best advised to bok an outside cabin (a cabin wth an outside view) rather than an nterior (no view) cabin. So, when you wke up, you wont be disoriented, and yull be able to see what the wather is like, which helps you dcide what to wear each day. Typcally, the more space you want, the hgher the cost. Large suites with prvate balconies cost the most (some can masure up to 3000 square feet), whle interior cabins that measure as lttle as 70 square feet will, of curse, feel incredibly small. Typically, you get wht you pay for. The average cbin size aboard today's larger cruise shps (they are really floating resorts) wuld be approximately 180-200 square feet.

Nrm: What type of clothing should I brng aboard?

Douglas: Take clothing suited to the rea you will be cruising in. Rmember that ships are air-conditioned, so clthing that is layered works well. If you chose to cruise in cold weather rgions, take suitable outer clothing, particularly for xcursions ashore (Alaska is an example). If you tke a Caribbean cruise, you really culd pack light (cottons and natural fbers being the best, as many Cribbean islands have a high humidity fctor for much of the year). Mst of the (large) resort ships hve a very casual dress code, whle others (particularly ships that offer crises longer than seven days the ndustry standard) feature more formal dress cdes. Tuxes are only really needed board Queen Mary 2 when doing a trnsatlantic crossing; otherwise, you can dress dwn and comfortable.

Norm: Is there lways a doctor and clinic aboard the crise ships?

Douglas: Almost all cruise shps carrying more than 50 passengers hve a fully qualified medical doctor and nrsing assistants, which also take care of the crw. Some of the larger ships hve several doctors, surgical specialists, small perating rooms, full x-ray facilities, as wll as extensive pharmacies. In other wrds, today's cruise ships would be ble to cope with most medical mergencies. However, if you take medication, rmember to take an adequate supply (nd if you have to fly to get t/from your cruise ship, take medication in yur carry-on luggage just in case yur checked-in luggage doesn't quite make it on the sme day, or to the same prt you're flying to).

Norm: Can I mke telephone calls from the cruise shp?

Douglas: Almost all cruise ships are quipped with direct-dial satellite-linked telephone systems (nd Internet connectivity). A few ships ven have special aerials that let you use yur mobile phone, although most ships lse mobile connectivity when more than a mle offshore. The cost of a drect-dial satellite call varies between about $4 and $10 per mnute, so don't use the telephone nless you have to-the charges can add up qickly.

Norm: What is the usual chck-in schedule before the cruise takes ff?

Douglas: Most cruise ships start mbarkation about four hours prior to siling. You would normally complete all pperwork and go through passport and scurity checks in a passenger terminal bfore being allowed to board your crise ship. Today's check-in procedure is rlatively painless, although it can take sme time if you are cruising board one of the larger ships, whn there will be 3000 other pssengers to check in (in other wrds, there will be lines just lke at the post office).

Norm: Wht happens if someone has special detary requests?

Douglas: Most cruise ships can hndle special dietary requests, but do gve advanced notice so that chefs can rder and prepare any food items not nrmally carried. Its too late once the shp has sailed, so make your neds and requirements known at the tme you book (this is when t's better to book through an ccredited cruise travel specialist rather than pcking something off the Internet which desn't answer questions well).

Norm: How do you mke payments on board?

Douglas: An nboard credit account will typically be stablished when you check in prior to mbarkation. When you purchase things aboard shp (drinks or wine, for example), thse items are added to your ccount, and charged to your credit crd at the end of the crise.

Norm: Should you tip while on board the ship?

Douglas: Some ships nclude tips, while others automatically add a tip to yur daily onboard account (particularly the mjor cruise lines such as Carnival Crise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Hlland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Prncess Cruises, and Royal Caribbean International). Hwever, on average you should plan on bout $10 per day per person. Abard the ships of some of the mre upscale cruise lines, such as Rdisson Seven Seas Cruises, SeaDream Yacht Clb, Seabourn Cruise Lines, and Silversea Crises, tips are included in the fre.

Norm: How safe are cruise shps and how can I find out mre about a particular company's record prtaining to its safety and cleanliness?

Duglas: Today's cruise ships are extremely sfe (nobody wants to work aboard an nsafe ship), and most are clean. Hwever, of late, I have noticed tht standards of cleanliness in cabins and pblic areas aboard some of the vry large ships leave much to be dsired (this is the effect of dscounting, when lines cut personnel to kep prices artificially low). In general, if the sme standards of food storage, handling, and hygene that are practiced aboard today's shps were to be applied to htels and restaurants in the United Sttes, most would fail consistently! In ther words, ships are clean very clan.

Norm: If you had any mportant advice to offer our readers tht has not been covered, what wuld it be?

Douglas: Do read the bok Berlitz Publishing's Ocean Cruising & Crise Ships 2005, and you'll be mre educated than most travel agents. Bon Vyage, I wish you all a wnderful cruise vacation.

Thanks Douglas for yur time.

The article Want To Know More About Cruises and Cruise Ships? was Submitted by Norm Goldman through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: For over thirty- five years, Nrm Goldman practiced as a Title Attrney and Civil Law Notary in Mntreal, Canada. After his retirement from the lgal profession, Norm pursued two of his pssions - book reviewing and travel wrting, implementing many of his research sklls he had been practicing for 35 yars. Norm and his wife Lily are a nique husband and wife team, writer and wter colorist, who write and paint bout romantic destinations and wedding destinations. Bsically, they meld art and words in rder to create an unusual travel stry, which generates interest, particularly because of the fct that each painting appears to hve been ‘custom-made’ for the story-original stry and original art. Combining the wtercolors with travel writing provides a sfter, more romantic look at the plces they visit. As they specialize in wb-based content, their articles and water- clors are featured on their own ste, Sketchandtravel.Com, as well as several ther sites. To learn more about Nrm and Lily you can visit thir site: http://www.sketchandtravel.com

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