It should ease your mind to know that the most popular cruise areas boast some of the calmest waters in the world.

• Stabilizers on modern ships, availability of accurate weather information, and development of effective preventative medications have greatly reduced the incidence of motion discomfort.
• Many over-the-counter medications are very effective. You can buy a patch or a bracelet from your local drug store to prevent seasickness, and increase comfort.
• Motion-sickness medications may be available free of charge from the Purser's Desk or your cabin steward.
• Choosing a cabin located in the center of the ship often helps. This location experiences less movement than cabins located on the top decks or cabins located in the bow or stern of the ship.

Cruise lines vary in how gratuities are handled. A few cruise lines include tipping in the total cruise price or have a “no tipping” policy, and will inform you. Others will automatically charge your tip daily to your onboard account (you can usually arrange to have the amount adjusted), while other cruise lines have you tip in cash at the end of the cruise via envelopes provided by your cabin steward. Here are some general guidelines as to who usually gets a tip, and how much:

• In addition to the amounts listed below a 15% gratuity will be added to any bar purchases.
• A good rule of thumb is that you will tip about $10 per person in your cabin per day of your cruise. For example, if you are on a three-day cruise and have two people in your cabin you would pay $20 per day, or $60 total in tips.
• Here is a general breakdown:
  • Wait Staff / Restaurant: about $5.50 per day (Head waiter $3.00, Bus Boy $2.50).
  • Cabin Staff (Cabin Steward): about $3.00 per day.
  • Other: about $1.00 for the following - Alternative Dining Charge, Restaurant Manager, Maitre d', Chief Housekeeper.
• Plan for about $2.50 to $3.00 per person per day for your room steward and dining room waiter, and about half that amount for your busboy.
• Other ship personnel can be tipped for special services at your discretion.
• Some recommendations include $1.50 per person in your party to your assistant waiter, and a total of $2.50 per person for your headwaiter on three- and four-night cruises. For seven-night and longer cruises, headwaiter gratuities are at your discretion.

Casual, comfortable outfits should do the trick.

• Shorts, short-sleeved shirts, lightweight pants, a sweater, swimsuit and cover-up, comfortable walking shoes, non-skid shoes for strolling on deck, and sandals are some suggestions.
• Of course, if you're going on an Alaskan cruise, you may also want to bring along a jacket and other cool-weather cover-ups.
• If going on a shore excursion, please consult the Shore Excursion Desk to find out what is appropriate to wear while touring. Some shore excursions, especially those to religious sites, require long pants and shoes, while others require swimsuits and sandals. Make sure to check with the appropriate ship personnel to ensure you are properly outfitted for you trip ashore.
• For seasonal cruises, plan accordingly. Be sure to include warm sweaters, jackets, long pants, and extra socks.

Most cruises host several different types of evenings on board: casual, semi-formal (Also known as business casual, or casual smart-dressy, but informal), and formal (suit or tuxedo).

• For casual nights, sport shirts and slacks are suitable for men, while sundresses or pants work for women.
• On semi-formal nights, most women wear dresses or pantsuits, while men put on slacks with button up shirt and sport coats. Ties are optional.
• For formal nights, women should wear cocktail dresses or evening gowns, while men should don suits and ties, or tuxedos (optional).
• Most of our cruise lines also offer services in which you can arrange tuxedo rentals in advance of your cruise.

Some cruise lines will accept personal checks for purchases made on board, however some will not.

• The Purser's Desk or casino will usually cash checks for as much as several hundred dollars.
• Some cruise ships have an onboard ATM dispensing American dollars.
• Many cruise lines offer onboard credit systems, which allow passengers to sign for all onboard purchases and shore excursions.
• Passengers can sign up for the cards during the embarkation process or after boarding the ship by going to the Purser's Desk and presenting a major credit card. Some cruise lines will also accept cash instead of a credit card as a security deposit for the ship's onboard credit card.
• An itemized statement will be delivered to your cabin the last evening of your cruise.

There will be many forms of communication available to you during your cruise vacation.

• Print Media -Most ships have a daily newsletter with news, selected stock quotes, and sports scores.
• Television - Cabins on many ships are equipped with televisions. Your ship may also have a sports bar with TVs tuned into current sporting events or weather and news.
• Telephones - In-room telephones are provided in many rooms on most ships. These phones can be used to call room-to-room, as well as from ship to shore. Please note that rates for ship-to-shore calls vary by cruise line and are usually pretty steep. Phone calls can also be made from most ports of call by using your calling card or credit card.
• E-mail - Almost every ship in use today by the major cruise lines has an “Internet Café” where you can surf the Web and send and receive e-mail. Per-minute rates vary by cruise line, but most offer reduced rates for pre-paid minute packages.

The Purser's Desk (open 24 hours a day) will act as the onboard customer service department for the ship.

• This desk will act as your bank, post office, information booth, lost-and-found, authority on customs and immigration, and safe deposit trustee.
• They can help you with basically anything and everything while you are on the ship, or at least put you in touch with the department that can help.

Every cruise ship has a fully equipped medical facility and doctor (except for some smaller vessels operating in coastal waters).

• Most operate under daily office hours but are always on-call for emergencies. You may be charged for certain medical services performed.
• If cruise line insurance is purchased during the booking process, most charges for basic treatment will be covered.
• While on the ship, if the situation becomes very serious or life threatening, the passenger will be flown from the ship by helicopter to the nearest land-based hospital for treatment.

Most major cruise lines offer an in-cabin safe, which is very similar to the in-room safe you will find in most hotels. Or if you wish, you can usually store your valuables with the ship's Pursers Desk which has a limited number of safe-deposit boxes available free of charge.