Viv0828

I have some clothes that I wear only when cruising or traveling abroad since we travel with carry ons only.

I have poly underwear, tops, fleeces, skirts and pants that I can wash in the sink and dry overnight. And each piece folds into almost nothing.

Great for travel!!

I don't know whether or not you booked a ship's excursion, but if you did, you might want to check a comparable private excursion to see if it is less expensive.

I would be sure that both the home office and whoever is handling the problem locally have your phone number, email addy, and address where you're staying, so they can contact you and/or deliver the missing items.

I am so sorry to hear that. That and lost luggage is why we travel with carry ons only - even when we're gone for 3 months!

Rental cars are generally very cheap in Fort Lauderdale. You might prefer one so you can easily put your purchases in the car instead of lugging them around with you while you shop. Just a thought.

The longest we have booked is about 5 months in advance.

Our next cruise is the first one we've booked before final payment date.

You could look into a one way car rental and stop at a few sights along the way from Miami to Fort Lauderdale.

International shipping costs are quite high and I would only ship a box to or from a foreign country by Fed Ex or UPS. You also need to fill out customs forms that are a pain. Our experiences with international shipping using the USPS have not been positive.

Are there any selfie sticks that work with actual cameras??

But why waste money on something they might throw away instead of just giving them the money you would have spent to buy the item? You know they won't throw the money away. That is what I don't understand. :confused:

Perhaps you are not sentimental but some crew members may actually appreciate a small token of a guest's appreciation along with their cash tip?

We are Americans and we have never taken a ship's excursion. In fact, we have only taken s few private excursions as we are avid DIYers.

When we find another couple from the USA to go with us in a port they are frequently uncomfortable and anxious to return to the ship. When we do a port with a foreign couple they are clearly more comfortable.

So I definitely agree with the OP's generalization.

I too think the most appropriate tip is cash. But I see nothing wrong with adding a small gift to that. If the room steward or waiter doesn't want it, there probably is another crew member that does. If not, there are plenty of trash bins around.

We were chatting with a crew member who was going home soon. He mentioned that he would be looking for particular toys for his kids at the next port.

Unfortunately, he was unable to leave the ship so we checked around and found and bought the toys for him. It was kinda fun since our kids are grown. Anyway, he was happy to get them.

I know I personally prefer $$ or gift cards myself unless the person doing the giving knows exactly what I want.

Perhaps you could check on eBay or with the manufacturer to see if you could buy another one?

Another option is to take a cab to the rainforest. We had a great cabbie and a nice tour with time for a hike and no waiting around for anyone!

We carry so much electronic gear that we really don't have room for books or a couple of kindles. We use the kindle app on our iPhones. I make the print a comfortable size and with the backlit screen, reading is easy. We have about 350 books that we have read/still need to read. We have a mixture of current books that we paid for and classics that are free.

I wore leather flip flops with a rhinestone studded flower on them and no one even noticed. They look like regular dressy sandals.

If you do a walking tour in the morning you can go back in the afternoon and see inside some of the sights that interested you

We often purchase small (usually about 85 ml or 3.5 ounces) souvenir bottles of liquor as gifts. Since we only take carry on luggage they go into a quart Baggie. Never had a problem.

Has anyone taken the ferry to Anguilla? If so, how was it?

On one cruise they must have hired some new photographers. Many photos cut off the tops or sides of the subject's heads. But we saw folks buying the pics anyway???

When we cruise with our adult son who has money management issues, we pay for his cruise, flight, pre cruise hotel, excursions, and tips plus we give him a specific amount of money at the beginning of the cruise.

He used to spend everything we gave him plus a good chunk more (his to deal with) but now he generally goes home with more than he came with.

How can I check if my cruise is eligible for this?

We have never taken a ship's tour. We don't care to spend a day with 50 brand new best friends. Lol!

We have taken a few private tours with one or two other couples if we think DIY would be difficult.

Mostly we read up on each port, decide what we would like to see and do, and hire a cab or use public transportation and do it!!

The only symptom of altitude sickness I had in the Machu Picchu area was a headache and some alleve dealt with that. We hiked up to the Gate of the Sun with no problems.

On our way to Colca Canyon we went through a pass at 16,000 feet and I either passed out or fell asleep in the car on the way there. On the way back, no problems.

I was in my mid sixties. Clearly, folks are affected differently.