Midwest Sunseeker

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GELAE2I?psc=1

My microfiber towel is 38"x20" . I have about 8 of these towels and two turbans which I bought in the spa area of TJ Maxx. I have not seen any there in the last 6 months. I swim laps everyday and use them in the locker room. When we travel we roll two towels up tight and put rubber bands around them. You can use them dry off or sit on in a dirty or sandy spot and they are light and take up little space. They wash easy and dry quickly. I read on Cruise Critic board for the $1 Store a suggestion to buy a flannel backed table cloth to lay on on the beach (flannel side up) and throw in the trash as you leave. I have not looked into this idea but it might work where you are spending more time at the beach. Places like Labadee and CocoCay we use the towels from the ship to lay on the chairs. We find them big, heavy and bulky to carry back and forth. Although I saw a good idea of some clips you can get at the $1 Store to hold the Ship towels to your chairs in the wind. They found them in the laundry area of the $1 Store.

We take 2 micro towels with us to use for days at the beach. Many of the tours we take have a beach stop as part of other activities. When other people are lugging around those big bulky towels from the ship all day, we are glad we have our tiny towel inside our daypack. They rinse and dry quickly for use the next day.

We just became diamond on the last cruise. How much to do you tip and when in the DL? Daily, every drink, at the end of cruise? Thanks!

Just became diamond on our last cruise. Going on our first Azamara cruise next and they started us the same level as diamond. It is for our 40th wedding anniversary so we wanted to do something special. I do not know what you mean by "balcony discount". How does that work?

I am with the pack light advice group. My husband and I each travel with a small rolling carry on (added after lost luggage) and a light weight bag for under the seat that slips over the handle of the rolling bag, and one shared 4 wheel small checked bag. We have traveled 5 weeks with these items. We don’t go on trips under 2 weeks. The airline lost our luggage before a cruise though the Panama Canal and we did not get it back until we got home. Since there was no place to buy new clothes on the trip, we learned quickly you don’t need all that stuff. Turns out it was one of our favorite trips. Remember you will never see these people again so what to you care if you wear the same outfit to dinner 3 times. With less items in your state room you get dressed quicker and back into the events on the ship. If you do spend quiet time in your cabin, then it is neater and you have more room. I always make room for the following: scarves; small plastic file organizer for all reservations and information and toss as you go; nightlight for the room or battery operated tea light for bathroom; suction hooks for mirror; 3m quick remove hooks; power strip; tiny flashlight for each bedside table; duck tape wrapped around a bottle; shoe stings for tying back curtains and things; safety pins; luggage scale, always kept in an outside luggage pocket and our Kindles . We wash out items at night and they are ready in 2 days. At the end of the trip we put one of the wheeled carry-on inside the checked luggage and then pack it for home. Most of all pack your fun easy going side. Have a great trip.