Berlitz Cruise Guide – book, app and ebook too!

The filter button in the Berlitz Cruise Ships 2013 app, (photo by Apa Publications)
The filter button in the Berlitz Cruise Ships 2013 app


This year we're pleased to announce that the Berlitz Cruise Guide is being published in three formats: book, app and, for the first time, eBook. And both the app and eBook are out now, in time for National Cruise Week, while the print book follows on 1 October.

While the print edition of the Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships sets the industry standard, with the app and eBook we've catered to different travel needs.

 

The thinking behind the app


In essence the Berlitz Cruise Ships 2013 app is a quick-reference, menu-driven directory of Douglas Ward's ocean-going cruise ship reviews. It contains all the in-depth ship reviews that the book does (with the same level of detail about accommodation, cuisine, entertainment and spa/fitness facilities), but also with the ability to quickly browse through the ships by cruise line, by travel preference (best for accommodation, best for families etc) and by Douglas Ward's long-established rating system. Of course, you might have a number of criteria when trying to decide which cruise ship is best for you, so we've made it easy to apply multiple filters to narrow down the choice of ships.

You can also browse tons of ship photographs, look through statistical information, highlight favourite ships for future reference, use the search function to search the ship database or simply swipe through ship by ship. There's also practical information and cruising FAQs to help you prepare for your cruise and keep you informed while you're at sea.

We're delighted to say that the UK's Sunday Times just awarded this "well-thought-out app" travel app of the week.

 

Berlitz Complete Guide - the eBook

 

Screenshot of the ebook version of the Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships 2013

The new eBook (which is available now on Amazon Kindle, imminently on the Apple iBookstore, and will be coming to more e-reading platforms very soon) is a faithful digital rendering of the print edition of the Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships, and will be undoubtedly useful for anyone looking to lighten the load of their travel luggage. The Cruise Guide's extensive travel photography looks crisp and lovely on e-reading devices; it's quick and easy to navigate around all the background information to cruising as well as the ship listings; and the whole thing is fully searchable, which is particularly useful in a reference book.


 

What's the internet connection like aboard a cruise ship?


We put this question to the man behind everything Berlitz Cruise, Douglas Ward. He told us that "internet connection in general will be much slower than on land, because digital communications are by satellite – so uplink and downlink time is involved. Also, ships move in and out of a satellite's footprint, and connections may drop unexpectedly. There is almost always a charge for internet use."

But, rest assured, because once you have installed your Berlitz Cruise app or eBook, you won't need an internet connection for either (unless you wish to view an external website), so you can browse, tap and swipe away at your heart's content!