JohnG67

I haven't been on my first cruise yet (90 days to go) but here's some advice my brother gave me from his honeymoon cruise...

Bring a backup pair of sunglasses. And when it comes to luggage tags, have them laminated and secure them to your bags with clear heavy duty packing tape. Apparently one of their bags didn't get delivered for three days because the luggage tag came off.

Also, customize your bags somehow. Colorful tape or bright yarn wrapped around the handle will make it easier to find during the debarkation process.

Hope this helps!

My long-distance fiancee is coming to visit me at the end of September. I surprised her with a "pre-honeymoon" to New York City in May, so I thought our September visit would be kind of low-key.

At first I was going to rent a condo on the beach for a week since the prices drop dramatically in the off season. During my research, I realized we could go on a cruise for about the same price (and meals would be included).

Since our vacation time was already set in stone with our employers, I had to find something that fit the dates. The best I could come up with was a 3 day cruise on the Carnival Sensation leaving from Port Canaveral, FL from 09/25 - 09/28.

She is scheduled to arrive on 09/23. My plan is to drive to the port on 09/24 (about six hours away) and stay at the Radisson. They offer free parking for cruisers, which should save me about $70. They also have a free shuttle to the terminal.

That's the story, now here are my questions...

1. What is the best time to arrive at the terminal? Since I booked a suite (she doesn't know about that part), the Carnival website says I'll get VIP check in.

2. While booking, I opted to prepay the gratuities but I was told I should do some extra tipping on top of that. Any ideas on how much tip cash to bring along for a three day trip? I'm really clueless here.

3. How long does the debarkation process take? The itinerary says we arrive in Port Canaveral at 7:00 am on 09/28 but I'm trying to find out if it would be best to reserve another hotel night for the return date or just take the shuttle back to the hotel and drive 6 hours home (she has to leave on the 09/30).

4. Does anybody have any insight on the Sensation, particularly suite #U89? I've read the reviews, some say it's a nightmare and others say it's great.

5. What's the least we can get away with wearing to the MDR? Neither one of us is a fan of dressing up, but we don't want to look like morons either.

Thanks in advance for the advice, and anything else you can recommend for a first time cruiser will be appreciated. If it helps, we're both in our late 30's with no kids and prefer a quieter laid back, and well shaded environment.