The Essential Cruise Guide - Berlitz 2012

Some 21 million people will be thinking of booking a cruise next year and many will be overwhelmed by the sheer number of brochures and bewildered by the variety of cruise ships.

The 2012 edition of the famous Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships, (published in paperback on October 1, £17.99, as well as a new App edition) will cut through these choppy waters and help readers to identify the cruise that best suits them, so that their hard-earned holiday represents money well-spent.

Completely independent and accepting no sponsorship, this annually updated guide has become the ‘bible of cruising’, thanks to the painstaking investigation carried out each year by its author, Douglas Ward, the world’s most highly regarded cruise expert.

Eagerly awaited, the 2012 edition will be more fact-packed than ever before, with 285 candid reviews – that’s virtually every ocean-going ship in the world. Now in its 27th year of publication, the Guide sets the internationally recognised ratings system for cruise ships worldwide. Its frank and forthright opinions tell readers everything they could ever want to know about the cruise experience, warts and all.

Even better, the App for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch is to be launched at the same time as the book edition. The simplicity of this app is that, with just a couple of taps, would-be cruise-goers can quickly search through all 285 ships according to their needs, whether for family travel, quality of cuisine or accommodation, size of ship and many other criteria, making this the perfect cruise-planning tool.

This new version features fully updated ship reviews, an enhanced interface for choosing the right ship by preference, more background information on cruising and cruise lines, lots more ship photos and a fresh design.

The Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships 2012 (£17.99, 688 pages) will be available from October 1 from all good bookshops, while The Berlitz Cruise Ships 2012 App will also be available during October. For further information, visit www.berlitzpublishing.com.

The Best Free Dining at Sea? It's An Epic Choice

It's fascinating to watch the details continue to roll out ahead of this summer's launch of the new Norwegian Epic, the largest and most feature-packed vessel in the history of NCL.

So far, we've seen a revolutionary take on cabin design, an amazing line-up of entertainment, the largest-ever Spa complex at sea and some superb children's programmes, all of which we have detailed in recent months here on our Time Spent At Sea blog. Now comes the full array of Dining choice - with no less that 11 complimentary experiences (out of 21 in total), arguably the most comprehensive and eye-catching of any ship to date.

The free-to-dine restaurants include many that are new to NCL, such as the Manhattan Room, reminiscent of an elegant supper club and complete with music, dancing and entertainment; O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill, serving American favourites; Spice H20, serving Latin and Asian-influenced cuisine; the Studio Lounge, serving snacks and light fare to solo travellers; and the Epic Club, the exclusive dining venue for Norwegian Epic's Suites and Villa passengers. Other regular options include the Garden Cafe buffet, the Great Outdoors al fresco pool grill and even a Kids Cafe.

The additional 10 dining options will all have a nominal cover charge (ranging from $5-$25 per person), with a la carte pricing in Shanghai’s noodle bar and Wasabi sushi bar.

I especially like the sound of Taste (picture above), a dramatic-looking and high-energy style of restaurant that promises an array of traditional and contemporary cuisine, and Cagney's Steakhouse & Churrascaria, as NCL have always done this style of dining extremely well.

NCL also insist that there is one more upscale dining option still to be revealed in May. Get your tastebuds ready!

Meanwhile, the luxurious Mandara Spa will be the largest at sea, housing 24 treatment rooms, two private couple’s villas, two exotic steam Rasul rooms, a DIY Scrub Experience, Hydrotherapy Courtyard & Thermal Suite, full-service salon, fitness centre with TRX training and a barber shop. The Spa features more than 50 treatments for both men and women, including Elemis facials, massages, body therapies, bliss® face and body treatments, and acupuncture, along with cosmetic medical treatments performed by a licensed doctor. The salon features hair, nail and waxing services. In addition, kids and teens can choose from a selection of child-friendly spa services.

Once again, it all serves to highlight the astonishing array of facilities that are being packed into this ship - and the mind-boggling choice that cruising represents in the 21st century.