Has anyone read.....

[DesertDiva]

Devils on the Deep Blue Sea: The Dreams, Schemes and Showdowns That Built America's Cruise-Ship Empires by Kristoffer Garin? (Hardcover- June 23, 2005)

I was at a popular Internet site ordering a stainless steel citrus press (had to have one after the margaritas on the Rissalena in Cabo San Lucas) and wanted to qualify for free shipping. I then looked at the Hans Matebor book and the site gave "additional recommendations" for several books. This one looked interesting, had some good reader reviews, and put me at the level to qualify for free shipping!

Has anyone read it? I'm curious to see the content.....

[Bookish Angel]

It was a good book but the business details got to be rather tedious. The really interesting chapters about cruise ship environmental and labor abuses, was far more interesting and thought-provoking for the concerned eco-traveler. Those parts have prompted a great deal more reading on those subjects and other "flags of convenience" issues.

[K&RCurt]

I'm in the middle of it now. As Bookish Angel says, it's a bit tedious. It's not a real "page turner" but the story of how the cruise industry started and was built up to where it is now is facinating.

[Druke I]

I've only read excerpts of the book - and did not think it particularly well done.

Guess my cynicism is showing again.

[LDinCT]

We all read it on our last Zaandam cruise, thought it was interesting. It was good to see how we got to where we are today. The history of the industry was good too. The take-overs and the bidding wars got a little tedious, but all in all a good book.
LDinCT

[Oceanwench]

I am reading it now and concur with what the others said.
Definitely not a page-turner by any means!

The author is a journalist, so the writing is more factual than lyrical. Lots of source notes, etc.

Interesting details in the "Indecent Exposure" chapter. For those who believe that the interest in crimes/coverups on cruise ships is recent, the author details a NYT investigative report from 1998 that focused on this very topic.

[cutelittle]

It's coming from the library for me. Although it may be dry, I'm glad he cites his sources and documents his info. There's so much sensationalizing and gossip dressed up as "news".

Now on to a much more important topic: Desert Diva, can you tell us more about those margaritas? I love the "on the rocks" type, and make them at home. What's the recipe?

Lastly, and I dearly hope I'm not hijacking the thread, I looked up the Hans Matebor book on that internet book site, and there's just a title. Anyone else have a description or comments?

[elmorejj]

I read it and didn`t find it particularly interesting....thank goodness I got it from the library and didn`t buy it. It seemed like a lot of fighting between Carnival corp. and RCL mostly. I did like the reference to Carnival not paying its port taxes to Cozumel, wonder where our money went to when we paid the company for port tax.......jean:cool:

[WillK]

I loved it. The author provides an interesting and quite amusing historical background on the development of the modern cruise industry. He's very objective in his assessment of the the cruise business, warts and all. I enjoyed his writing style and humor and give the book a big "thumbs up".

[DesertDiva]

RISSALENA MARGARITA RECIPE (courtesy of Host Anne)

The juice of two small Mexican limes (also called key limes)
A generous shot of GOOD tequila
A shot of Cointreau
A shot of simple syrup (sugar water)
A splash of Sprite (I leave this out! - Desert Diva)
Serve over ice in a salt-rimmed glassThe crew used a citrus press - it's excellent for getting all of the juice from the limes.

<snip>
The Captain's Log - Hans Mateboer
The author, Hans Mateboer, worked on cruise ships in various ranks since 1980 and has been a Captain since 1993. The small daily happenings on board, which often are hilareous, inspired him to write a series of short stories about this subject. Hans and his wife Lisa, live in North Carolina.

Now on to a much more important topic: Desert Diva, can you tell us more about those margaritas? I love the "on the rocks" type, and make them at home. What's the recipe?

Lastly, and I dearly hope I'm not hijacking the thread, I looked up the Hans Matebor book on that internet book site, and there's just a title. Anyone else have a description or comments?

[bepsf]

I read it --
Although I agree that it's not a 'page turn-er' like a well written novel might be, I found it endlessly fascinating (I ate it up in just a week's time).

I especially found it interesting to contrast the business practices of RCCL vs Carnival - and how the underdog ended up beating RCCL out of Costa and Princess/P&O...

[arabrab]

I read it. It will probably be of more interest to those who would be interested in seeing how the two modern big companies (Carnival & RCCI) got their starts, how they competed against each other in finance and acquisitions, rather than as a series of anecdotes about the cruising industry. Lots of investment banking details and financial shennanigans.

Not the most interesting read, but perhaps worth reading once. I wouldn't go out of my way to own a copy -- the library copy would be fine.

[ryansmemom]

I read it and I found it very interesting. But then, look at what I'm doing in my spare time so I'm used to reading dry stuff. I learned a lot about the cruise industry. I have to admit, I lost interest toward the end. I particularly like the descriptions of the differences between the way Carnival Corp handles it's aquisitions and RCCI handles theirs. Also, the rivalry between the two companies, especially in the early years is very interesting.

In my opinion, if you are a cruise buff, it's worth the read, even if you pick and choose chapters you find interesting.

I did enjoy the Hans Mateboer book.

Linda

[serendipity1499]

I'm in the middle of it now. As Bookish Angel says, it's a bit tedious. It's not a real "page turner" but the story of how the cruise industry started and was built up to where it is now is facinating.

Agree with this..It took me about a month to read the book..It was very interesting to learn about the evolution of the Cruise Industry but some parts were boring as they were very technical:confused: ..All the shenanigans that were going on between RCCI, Carnival & the bankers were incredible! ;)

I read Hans Mateboer's "The Captains Log" in one day..That is a Fun book! My only regret is that he is no longer the Captain of the Prinsendam..Had hoped to have my copy autographed..But who knows, may book a Noordam cruise one of these days..:)

Just received my copy of "What time is the Midnight Buffet" and last week ordered "The Essential Little Cruise Book, Secrets from a Cruise Director for a Perfect Cruise Vacation"..

Plan to read them on our cruise..Only 20 days to go, Hooray!:D