-The Cabin Steward

This person takes care of your room, your home for the week. They provide fresh

towels, they turn over the room twice a day, clear late-night room service, or clean

up the mess after a late night. They will be available to you the whole trip. Even waking

up from sleep to take care of your needs. We recommend tipping these wonderful people.

They make an amazing trip even more amazing.

-Take advantage of the ships daily itinerary

Everyday there will be a newsletter in your cabin. This will list everything the ship has

going on that day. Shows, parties, special events, poker tournaments, ect. Use it to

make the most of your time on the ship!

-Ultimate Beverage Package

This free bee is a must have for anyone who desires more than a glass of wine at

dinner each night. If you plan on drinking make this one of your perks. This package

retails for $764.60. Its definitely the biggest bang for your buck. Plus, it keeps you

from checking your onboard credit everytime you get a drink.

-4 Night Specialty Dining

This is always our second perk! Each specialty resturant has its own charm, and you're

always treated with the best customer service. We have tried four different specialty

resturants and each one has been exceptional.

-Establishing onboard credit

This can be done several ways.

• credit card on embarkation
• buying onboard credits through the website after you've booked
• buy them onboard the ship at the front desk

***A credit card is suggested. Any onboard purchases are made with onboard credit.

Any Duty free / Tax free shopping will need to be done with onboard credit.***

-WATER

Water is not covered in any beverage package. We usually order a case of 1 liter bottles

to take off the ship. We then use refillable water bottles on the ship. You can fill up your

water bottle at the Garden Cafe or in your stateroom sink. Dont worry this water is safe to drink.

-Bring a set of towels

These come in handy when you need an extra towel or aren't on the ship.

-We bring two-way radios

These come in handy for communication, but don’t always work.

 -Sun Screen

Temperatures average in the 80's during this time of year in Mexico.

-Laundry

Laundry service onboard can get pretty pricey. We usually save money by packing enough

to stay away from this service.

-Packing

Be sure to pack enough, but not too much. Laura has found Pintrest to be great resource

for figuring out what to pack, and what to leave behind.

- Pack everything you need for your first day in your carry on.

The cruise company will generally pick up your checked luggage and bring it right to the

ship for you. Convenient, except that you might not get your bag back until late in the

evening, so make sure you have a change of clothes, swim suit, prescriptions and any

other essentials in your carry on.

- Expect deck chairs to be in high demand.

While the ship’s at sea, there’s not much to do so everybody tries to stake a claim in the

seats closest to the pool. Historically, people would try to save pool chairs by waking at

the crack of down and laying towels over the seats to reserve them. But cruise lines are

now hip to that, so expect the deck police to come along and place a sticker with a time

stamp on the back of your chair. If you don’t return for 40 minutes, they’ll remove your

towel to free up the chair for someone else.

- Take a watch

Bring your watch as it will help get back to ship on time and make it to onboard activities

that you are interested in. Don't forget to set your watch to the time given in your daily

newsletter delivered to your cabin daily.

-First Timers

If you haven't gone in and out of U.S. customs and into another country, or been on

a cruise ship don't worry. It may seem intimidating at first, but the cruise lines are

experienced! They've stream lined these services better than the TSA could even dream.

Just go with the flow, read all signage, and have required identification ready. By the end

of the trip you'll be a pro, and any worry will be gone.

-Forget to pack something?

These cruise liners are like small cities. You can find pretty much anything here, but keep

in mind some things can get expensive. Over the counter drugs, sun screen, and other

things easily forgot are what are usually marked up.

 -Have your ducks in a row

Before you leave home for the trip compile all essential documentation: Passports,

Boarding Passes, Luggage Tags, ect. Make copies of these documents. Put the copies in

your check on luggage and the originals in your carry on.

-Catch a Show

The first night usually has a welcome variety show. They have acts from all the broadway

shows and the bands play. You get to meet the captain, and cruise director. It really can set

the tone for a fun time. Besides that there is a Beatles cover band, a full broadway production

of Jersey Boys, a Comedy Club, and so much more.

-Not going to Land?

If you choose to stay on the boat while in port they offer reduced rates for certain activities.

They even will have special events where they bring the local culture onto the ship for you to experience.

-CRUISE NEXT PROMOTION

While on the ship you can buy into the cruise next promotion. These are certificates that

will be a credit on a future cruise. They also come attached with all sorts of perks.

We have seen them offer on board credit as well as extra free perks for buying in.

If you plan on going on another cruise this is the way to go.

-Smoking Sections

There are very limited places to smoke on the ship. There is an indoor cigar lounge,

and a few outdoor locations to sit and smoke as well. If you plan on smoking finding

these areas will be a good idea as these will be the only locations you can smoke.

 -The Duty Free store

The ships store will not be open until we enter international waters. Not having been

on this particular cruise, we can't tell you exactly when it will open. What we can tell

you is that when leaving Miami, it was open almost immediately. When leaving Seattle,

it didn't open until the next day.