Devils on the Deep Blue Sea: The Dreams, Schemes, and Showdowns That Built America’s Cruise-Ship Empires
From Publishers Weekly
It’s hard to imagine now, but when The Love Boat premiered in 1977, it was considered so sexually suggestive that Princess Cruises almost didn’t allow the show to film on its ships because they were afraid it would give people the wrong image. Yet, in the long run, Garin points out, the series proved to be a critical factor in repositioning ocean cruises as an attractive luxury for middle-class consumers. Just a few years ago, Princess and three competitors accounted for almost 90 percent of the cruise industry’s $13 billion annual revenues; when Princess began merger talks with Royal Caribbean, rival firm Carnival swooped in, made the deal themselves and wound up controlling more than half the market. Carnival’s founder, the late Ted Arison, provides this lively industry history with one of its most engrossing narrative threads, from the running aground of his original flagship’s maiden voyage to his emergence as one of the world’s wealthiest individuals. But Garin’s as interested in the ships themselves as he is in the boardrooms, and he turns up disturbing stories of corrupt labor practices and cover-ups of sexual assaults of passengers by crew members. The solid reporting ensures readers will come away with a healthy respect for Garin’s work and for the very powerful industry he documents.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
–This text refers to the
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
–This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Bookmarks Magazine
It was the Love Boat, an insipid television show, that actually launched the wildly successful and still-popular cruise ship as an affordable fantasy vacation for middle-class consumers. It also jumpstarted Carnival Corporation, which controls more than half of todays cruise ship market and constitutes this books primary subject. Garin, an investigative journalist, dives into the history of the industry, exploring the depths of the business and exposing (unfortunately, to a lesser degree) the grueling work of those who serve these flagship fantasies. Part investigation, part admiration, Devils suffers from an identity crisis. Dont be seen with it anywhere near the Lido deck.
Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.
–This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
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This review is from: Devils Cruise America in the Deep Blue Sea: The dreams, schemes and showdowns that built the ship Empires (Paperback) Being a tourist who has been on many cruises, this recommendation book seemed a secure fit. . . Devils on the Deep Blue Sea by Kristoffer A. Garin. He does a good job in revealing how the cruise industry, and the forces that have shaped along the road.
The story begins in late 1950 when the cruise industry is really nothing more than a form of passenger transportation from one place to another. The wealthy often had an experience of luxury, while the "steerage" passengers were cramped and confined to the lower decks, with restrictions on where they could go and what could be done. But in both cases, it remains a case of traveling from point A to point B. The airline industry quickly made obsolete cruisers for quick trips, and shipping companies were becoming a footnote in history. However, some people thought it could become a cruise destination in itself, a form of vacation, see other lands, and then return to starting point. But the appeal had to be large, and the luxuries of first class had to be extended to all passengers. Through the visionary, financial risks, and mergers, what we have today is an industry of 13 billion U.S. dollars that is truly global in many respects. But behind the glitz and glamor, there are some less attractive elements of interest. . .
Garin talks about how the cruise industry is largely composed of working poor third world nations to register with low base salaries and tips come from the passengers. For many of us, the base salaries of even the support of poverty, but are significant in countries where workers come. The hours and rules are hard-board, with 12 to 16 hours a day with little time away from the norm. The industry also pays very little in the way of taxes due to its register of vessels outside the country to take international treaties to prevent retaliatory fees. The laws and rights of the United States are not always at stake, or, as the territory of the ship is in outer reality. And if that's not enough, many tourist destinations are unable to obtain additional fees from the industry to support its infrastructure and industry threaten to withdraw from the harbor and destroy its tourism. It may be capitalism at its worst. . .
Personally, this book was better than expected. I thought it would be a mess, raking, "cruise boycott" diatribe, and one that does not necessarily agree. But the balance between the history of cruise lines and the less savory parts of the industry was about right. And even the "expose" part was not hypercritical. I left understanding of the abuses, but (in many cases) the understanding of both sides of the issues. And really, is not very different from what most of the industries that would in the same circumstances. . .
Yes, I'm still going to go on cruises, and you can still enjoy them. But I'll be more considerate of the staff that does it all work, and more in awe of what it takes to start the experience, week after week after week. . .
This review is from: Devils Cruise America in the Deep Blue Sea: The dreams, schemes and showdowns that built the ship Empires (Paperback) I can not say enough about the strengths of this book. Garin has won high praise for the simple retelling of the story of the conquest of Carnival extraordinarily rapid global cruise industry – winning founder Ted Arison his death the title of world's richest Jew "and leaving son Micky in the helm of a company that is little more than 25 years since the birth of 1971 for achieving annual profits of $ 1 billion. Garin Beyond entertaining story of how the Arison created both an industry and a fortune, there is much more of this book is a wonderful social history of American holidays and the rituals and travel preferences: a history of acquisitions and entrerpreneurial strategy just as interesting as "Barbarians at the Gate", an investigation by the corporate corner cutting in the workplace, environment, taxation and other legislation such as opening the eyes as "Silent Spring" Wild Wild West episodes crew style command led by mutinous and cruise ship salvage operations, marketing hits and errors, the impact of the series Loveboat 'TV', along with the Caribbean, economic and cultural tradition of Bob Marley to CARICOM (the version of nations island "of the EU). This mass information effort is beautifully organized and unfailingly pleasant reading.
This review is from: Devils Cruise America in the Deep Blue Sea: The dreams, schemes and showdowns that built the ship Empires (Paperback) As the owner of a travel agency, I found this book fascinating. It gives a great history of the 2 major cruise lines, Carnival and Royal Caribbean, and the history of their rivalry over the years. I'm not sure that this book is for the cruise all day, but if you are involved with the cruise industry would consider a must read.