Selling the Sea: An Inside Look at the Cruise Industry
While not as impressive as transatlantic crossings on the great black-hulled ocean liners must have been, the smaller, slower cruise ships now provide the closest thing to seafaring adventure for the middle class. In this authoritative work, Dickinson, the president of Carnival Cruise Lines, and travel industry expert Vladimir (The Complete Travel Marketing Handbook, NTC Pub., 1992) offer an overview of the industry along with their business philosophy. They begin with an interesting history of oceangoing passenger vessels. Primordial cruises of the 19th century included passengers such as Mark Twain, who noted the mighty appeal of cruises to travelers between the ages of 40 and 70. The authors then turn to a thorough but numbing discussion of marketing strategies to ensure that no berth go unfilled. And yes, no book on cruising would be complete without mentioning the television show that benefited "every cruise ship afloat"?The Love Boat?as the authors bring on actor Gavin MacLeod (Captain Stubing) to say some nice things about the industry. Recommended for business collections.?Ben O'Sickey, "Library Journal"Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.