The writer of two previous books, neither having any connection with cruising, this is my first entry into the expensive, overly hyped and glitzy world being promoted by the major cruise lines. The book evolved following my first cruise in 2012, on board a large freighter, CMA-CGM line's Columba, during which I kept a detailed day-to-day diary of events experienced on the cruise, copies of which I emailed to friends back in Melbourne.