Comments on: Devils on the Deep Blue Sea: The Dreams, Schemes, and Showdowns That Built America’s Cruise-Ship Empires

By: Emilie

Emilie — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:37:03 +0000

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.

By: Rishi

Rishi — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:46:12 +0000

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.

By: Yatin

Yatin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:42:47 +0000

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. . .