Cruise Vacations for Dummies 2006

Introduction.

Part I: Getting Started.
Chapter 1: Choosing Cruising: The Best of the Best.
Chapter 2: Is a Cruise for Youse? The Whats, Wheres, and Whys.
Chapter 3: Choosing Your Ideal Cruise.

Part II: Planning Your Cruise.
Chapter 4: Booking and Money Matters.
Chapter 5: Ticking Off Your Pre-Cruise Checklist.
Chapter 6: Embarkation Day.

Part III: All Aboard: The Cruise Experience.
Chapter 7: Wining and Dining.
Chapter 8: Filling Your Days: Onboard Activities and Entertainment.
Chapter 9: Catering to the Kids: Activities for Children and Teens.

Part IV: Ship Shapes: The Cruise Lines and Their Ships.
Chapter 10: Vetting Your Vessel: The How-to of Comparative Cruise Shopping.
Chapter 11: Mainstream Ships.
Chapter 12: Luxury Ships.
Chapter 13: Small and Sailing Ships.

Part V: Calling All Ports: Where to Go and Why.
Chapter 14: Preparing for Ports of Call.
Chapter 15: Landing in the Caribbean.
Chapter 16: Doing Alaska in Style.
Chapter 17: Meandering in the Mediterranean.1
Chapter 18: Exploring Other Destinations.

Part VI: The Part of Tens.
Chapter 19: Ten Things to Do When Your Cruise Ends.
Chapter 20: Matt and Heidi's Ten Favorite Cruise Experiences.
Appendix: Quick Concierge.Index.

Heidi Sarna is a freelance writer living in New York City with her husband and toddler twin sons. Coauthor of Frommer's Cruises & Ports of Call and a contributor to several other guidebooks, she also writes regular travel columns for Frommers.com and Porthole cruise magazine. She has written for many magazines and newspapers, including Gourmet, Conde Nast Traveler, Parenting, Bridal Guide, and Travel Weekly.

Matt Hannafin is a freelance writer, editor, and musician based in Brooklyn, New York. Coauthor of the upcoming 1,000 Places in the U.S.A. & Canada to See Before You Die (a sequel to the 2004 bestseller) and Frommer's Cruises & Ports of Call, he also writes regular travel columns for Frommers.com, the Boston Herald, and Porthole cruise magazine, and has contributed to dozens of other books, magazines, and Web sites, including Gourmet, Travel Weekly, and Avid Cruiser.