Birnbaum's Disney Cruise Line 2011

The 2011 edition of Birnbaum's Disney Cruise Line was published on September 28, 2010 by Disney Editions and like most of the Birnbaum Disney books, it is edited by Jill Safro.

Format: Paperback
Page: 224 pages
Publisher: Disney Editions (Birnbaum Travel Guides)
Date: September 28, 2010
ISBN: 142312376X
Size: 7.1 x 4.9 x 0.5 inches

It has updates on the new dining selections, deck parties and stage shows plus new destinations for the Disney Magic, more details on Disney's latest ships and further details on the many shore excursions on offer.

Birnbaum are the official Disney guide book publisher and the Birnbaum's Disney Cruise Line, as its name suggests, only deals with the Disney Cruise Line. If you are looking for an independent Disney Cruise Lines guide book, then consider Passporter's Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line and Its Ports of Call.

If you are planning on cruising with a different cruise line then you are probably better off with a more general cruise book like 'Caribbean by Cruise Ship: The Complete Guide to Cruising the Caribbean'.

The book is split into four basic chapters, the first chapter, Before You Sail, covers everything you need to know about the Disney Cruise Line including planning tips, how to select the right cruise package, details of the different levels of accommodation and a complete breakdown of each itinerary with sailing maps and arrival/departure times.

The second chapter, All Aboard, gives you a 'stem-to-stern' tour of the two Disney ships, the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder so that by the time you board the ship, you will know your way around. It also includes dining tips from breakfast with Mickey to gourmet dining, kids activities for all age groups, evening entertainment options and different ways to celebrate special occasions like birthdays and weddings.

The third chapter, Ports of Call, takes up nearly half of the book and gives background details of the each port visited by the Disney Cruise Line, with information about activities, shore excursions and first-hand accounts of which tours are worth taking and which you can ignore.

The last chapter, Land and Sea Vacations, describes how you can combine a cruise aboard a Disney Cruise Line ship with a stay at the Walt Disney World Resort and the various options available.

Birnbaum's Disney Cruise Line is part of a set of seven Birnbaum books about the Walt Disney World Resort, the Disney Cruise Line and the Disneyland Resort in California (see reviews of the other Walt Disney World books in the series here).

Note that most guide books are re-published annually so you can often pick up a bargain if you don't mind last year's edition.