Books : Cruise Confidential: A Hit Below the Waterline: Where the Crew Lives, Eats, Wars, and Parties. One Crazy Year Working on Cruise Ships (Travelers' Tales)
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 910.45
EAN: 9781932361605
ISBN: 193236160X
Label: Travelers' Tales
Manufacturer: Travelers' Tales
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 384
Publication Date: September 01, 2008
Publisher: Travelers' Tales
Sales Rank: 11005
Studio: Travelers' Tales
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
In Cruise Confidential, Brian David Bruns spills the dirt — or in this case, the dirty water — on those romantic, fun-filled vacations at sea. His hilarious chronicle of the year he spent working for Carnival Cruise Lines takes readers down into the areas where the crew works and lives, leaving readers gasping with laughter as they’re assaulted nonstop with events that range from the absurd to the utterly bizarre. Stewards fighting over food. Cutlery allowances and other nonsensical rules. What the crew calls those onboard (no, it’s not “passengers”). And of course, the sex. An abundance of ready, willing, and able bodies eager for action on a vessel replete with nooks and crannies leads to love in some mighty strange, and seemingly impossible, places. Breezy, entertaining, and informative, Cruise Confidential is essential reading for those planning a cruise or for anyone who just needs a good laugh.
Average Rating: 
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I wasn't sure what to expect from the book, but it is a fascinating look into the cruising world. Having been on a cruise many years ago (on Carnival, the line the author worked for), I was hooked on his story. I read it within a day, partly because he writes so well and partly because the topic is amazing. I knew that people on ships worked hard, but I didn't realize the extent to which they are expected to push themselves and how they are treated by some of the management. I don't know how people fulfill their contracts without making themselves really sick. I'm impressed and appalled . . . part of me wants to run in the other direction and never step foot on a cruise ship again. Part of me wants to take a cruise and leave the wait-staff HUGE tips -- and tell off the obnoxious horrible other passengers!! It makes me wonder how people in some other travel industry areas (resorts, etc) are treated.
THe author leaves us with a bit of a tease -- I hope there's a follow-up book.
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After receiving the book from amazon, I literally read it in one straight sitting that evening. I enjoy cruising too (mostly Princess & Royal but taking first Carnival one in 12/09) and sort of stumbled on this book as I was purchasing updated cruising guides.
I fully enjoyed Mr. Bruns' story and could see in his descriptions of co-workers and bosses many of the same characters I had to deal with when I was in the hotel industry many moons ago. I suppose that would be true for any industry but the employees on cruise ships truly work in a pressure cauldron fueled by long tough hours, little sleep, youth & beauty, cramped quarters, and temporary (superficial) friendships which are bound to find a release in types of situations that he describes (hey... they are the fun ships, right?).
Some of the described behavior of the clients is both comical and at times truly sad/pathetic. We have all witnessed those people both as fellow passengers and in our everyday lives. I don't know whether I will ever look at a shrimp again without thinking about this book but that scene was just unfortunately shockingly real in my mind - because I've seen that!!!
I also very much enjoyed reading about Carnival policies, etc. which, as a cruiser, I found very reassuring. Like another reviewer mentioned, this is not Kitchen Confidential; Mr. Bruns never throws his employer under the bus but is cognizant of the fact that politics are a fact of corporate ... Read More
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Cruise Confidential would be HIGHLY recommended to anyone who has been on a cruise or is thinking about a cruise vacation in the future.
The book goes into very revealing detail of the happenings below the water line, in the restaurants, on the decks, and warm tropical locales. Intrigue, crazy antics, misadventures, flitations, and sex are brought to life in the pages of this book. In reading this book I felt like I was actually going through the same battery of emotions the author was revealing to us. I really got caught up in so many of the situations captured in this wonderful tell all. With each turn of the page I kept on wanting more and more. I simply could not put the book down. Matter of factly, I've read the book three times over the past month. That's how good of a book Brian Bruns has written. I have a much deeper respect for the hardworking crew that slave endlessly to provide us cruise vacationers with a tip-top, rewarding, good time on the high seas.
Needless to say, I am absolutely thrilled that there is currently an upcoming sequel to Cruise Confidential in the works. I'm there with the click of my mouse to pre-order the next high seas adventure writen by Brian Bruns, as soon as Amazon starts advertising to do so. Can't wait!!!
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I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is written in a very relaxed and friendly way. The author brings you in to his world and easily shares his tales with you. From beginning to end this book will astonish you with the many details that go in to the cruising industry. You will never be able to look at having a meal on a cruise the same way again. The author does a great job of giving you a peak in to how Americans are perceived by folks from other countries...it will likely give you something to think about. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy traveling and would like a greater appreciation for those who make it great.
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Cruise Confidential is a tremendously entertaining behind-the-scenes view of life at sea for cruise crew members, as told by someone who actually worked on a cruise ship. It's a humorous insider's view told in an entertaining form, and it's a must-read for anyone who's ever sailed and then wondered how does the crew live and work on a cruise ship. If you've sailed and thought about how the always-smiling crew copes with long working hours and long periods of time at sea, you will really enjoy this book. Among the things the author reveals are what happens down in the crew deck (yes, they have their own decks that the passengers never see), what their living and working conditions are like, what a typical day is like, how much time they get off, what is the relationship among crew members, how they receive their assignments and what the struggles and pressures of working on a cruise ship are.
I've taken quite a few cruises and I've always wondered what it's really like for those who keep the ship running smoothly while working seemingly endless hours and smiling the whole time. This book answered my questions. Even if you have not cruised before this is a fun book that is humorous, engaging, entertaining and reads like a novel. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down and once I was done it left me wanting more. I can't recommend this book enough. Luckily the author is writing another book, and I am eagerly awaiting it.
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