Not all cruises give free booze, and PollyO maybe correct but I have never had free booze. Now it might be my well earned reputation, but free drinks on a cruise usually means coffee, tea etc. You usually have to set up credit with the ship with your credit card before you sail. At which point, you will be issued a ship card and you exchange no cash until you disembark. If you are into "adult beverages" they are sold to you at "hotel prices" so there are no bargains there. You will also need cash for the casino ( which by the way on slots will pay better than most casinos as they want no unhappy patrons as the brig is only so big. It is quite easy to run up a big tab on booze because you have lots of time, obviously no DUI to worry about and there are bars all over. As for bringing booze on board there are security checks when you board. Not sure if it is as strick as the airports, but there are some. checks. Also if you are sailing from Canada you will have to go through customs.. twice, entering Canada and landing in Alaska.

Then there are the gratuties which means you should at your last supper tip the maitre' D, and your head waiter. Then before you leave your stateroom or cabin tip the cabin boyor whatever they call the guy who does your room and turns down the bed. Tip recomendations are told to you and remember that it's $4.00 per day!

Many cruise ships have designated seating and you might be assigned with other passengers and they will be your dining partners for the duration of the trip. Now some cruise lines are straying from this but it has been the rule generally. Also, there are usually teo sittings for supper, with the later one probably a better choice as you will not be rushed out for the next group. Now these are my experiences with cruises and not written in stone as differnt cruise lines have different policy. My best advice would be to speak to a travel agent who has taken the same cruise and they can give you a difinitive answer.

Ah the dreaded sea sickness, well take the pills recomended by your druggist ( not you pot supplier) and there is no guarantee that you will get or not get "mal de mer". Remember iif you don't eat and drink you will suffer more. Nothing like a "bloody mary" to kick start a day at sea, especially if it's FREE! So if it's free drink early and often.

Hope this helps and oh yeah HAVE A GREAT TRIP

QT VR Panorama of the aforementioned sunrise. Even though it doesn't do it justice.
http://www.box.net/shared/i8djru78kg

Have a great time and send a lot of photo's

Don't offer to 'Take the Wheel'.

Wow! Nice pano (though weird to view it in Quicktime ) ! Thanks for posting that, mr. Fun Gus.

I'm almost getting excited. Myself, not planning on drinking too much (I know - a SHOCK to some of you) but we will NOT have the GET PISSED FREE plan... and I need to not come home bankrupt!

have a good one !

Have a Great Trip 5150,

I Agree with everything Seamusoisin has posted above,
the only thing he left off that I can think of is
'BOOK EARLY FOR EXCURSIONS'...especially flights!!!!!!! as they tend to fill up quickly
Book that recommended glacier flight etc as soon as the ship departs and the bureau is OPEN!!!!

(While everybody else is unpacking do this, and also get your ship's Credit Card loaded with plenty of $$$$$$$$$$ and you won't be standing in a queue for ages.
While there make sure there is nothing else you might like to know about your trip, and ask that chatty Cathy behind the desk!
She'll know all the early bird tricks that will make your cruise a enjoyable one and not the Chevy chase kind. Believe me it happens

BTW: Ask for the Bars Manager, and see if he can get you a print-out of the dining room wine list and whether there is any that are not on it. (Sometimes they have 'end-of-line' labels that are too few to include) I once pre-paid for one and a half cases of Nuit St George on one trip, and had it waiting on our table every night, much to the concern of nearby diners who couldn't find said label on their Wine List!

On the topic of spirits... do pack at least half a dozen of your favourite labels in your MAIN luggage, and certainly not in your Carry-On luggage, they do scan that!!!
The Booze prices onboard tend to be higher than your average shore price and they don't always carry that 16 year old Single Malt you've enjoyed since college days!

Photography: Make sure you pack a heap of lens filters for your camera. With so much white about you'll need:-

A warming 81A to get rid of that blue cast off snow, water and ice.
A Polarizing Filter, you know about that one I presume.
A ND2 Filter which reduces the 'intensity' of color without actually changing the color.

Take more than enough memory cards and a Download/Reader to file all your shots on everyday. Nothing worse than getting back home with FIVE MILLION shots to sort out and half of 'em crappy. Edit your days shooting back in your Cabin every night and recount the days fun... Helps to have that double malt chinking in the glass nearby while doing this!

Well Bon Voyage

Wiz

Wouldn't a warming filter be kind of pointless with digital white balance available?
You can adjust for the blue in-camera.

And I agree, the polarizer is a necessity. One of the most useful filters ever made.

Thanks. It was on file sharing site from before, and I really can't remember why I had posted it as a Quicktime. One of life's mysteries.

Maybe so, but every little helps, and saves time frigging about in P/S. That warming filter has saved some of my shots many a time on a shoot. It gives skin tones a real chance to bloom against some weird backgrounds.

I just like carrying around my favourite filters just in case.

Wiz

To quote a certain someone, err someone...

"I can see Russia from my house!"

Yes, err that someone, maverick someone.

Thanks so much for the info!!!
Its 5:00 am Here in Seattle right now.....we board the ship in a few hours.....should be a blast its me...my parents brother and sisters and all the nephews and nieces...all with suites and balconies....I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE VIEWS I'M GONNA SEE FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!

Thanks again for the info...

~5150

Will do!!!!....pics and info to follow!!!

~5150

OMG THATS TOO FREAKING FUNNY!!!!...MADE ME LAUGH OUT LOUD!!!!!...

~5150

Bon Voyage! Don't fall off the ship!