Total Traveler Guide to Worldwide Cruising

"The Encyclopedia of Vacations at Sea" a two-color complete insider guide to ships - cruise ships, freighters, sailing vessels, river boats and barges. How to get the best deals. The Best of the Best ships for disabled, seniors, families, special diets, romance, adventure, entertainment, dining and more. Every facet is explored and ships are given High Marks when they excel. Weakest Links on every ship are pointed out. An excellent book to help first time cruise travelers to pick the right ship and for veterans of the sea to find the right "next" ship. The 2003 edition answers questions travel agents hesitate to answer.

Ethel Blum is a veteran travel reporter who specializes in travel by sea – ships, ports of call and the ever-evolving and changing cruise industry. Former travel editor of a daily Florida newspaper, she wrote a syndicated travel column carried in 45 newspapers and hosted a Travel Talk weekly radio show for more than 20 years. Her articles appear frequently in major publications in the United States and abroad. She is a frequent guest on CNN and is cruise editor of a major trade magazine. Blum is the recipient of numerous national and regional awards for journalism and photography during her 30 years as a travel writer, broadcaster and photographer.

Blum has a reputation for accurate reporting and is a committed advocate of travelers’ rights. She has been called the "Erma Brombeck" of travel writing. Her style is honest with a tongue-in-cheek humorous approach. Blum is the "unofficial" First Lady of the Port of Miami, a singular honor bestowed on her by the shipping community in recognition of her extensive reporting on travel by sea. Blum also has been recognized by her peers. She is a former president of the prestigious Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). A graduate of Ohio State University, Blum lived in Japan for three years and in Europe for almost four years. She and her husband, Edward Dublin, live in Aventura, FL, a suburb of Miami. She was recently featured in the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel as "Queen of the Seas."