Disclaimer: The following is written by a newbie. He lacks diverse cruising experiences. However, hes widely traveled. He has spent too much money traveling throughout Europe and North America (Asia in 2006). He has stayed in some of the finest hotels and managed to drop more than $200 for dinner without hyperventilating. His background includes a time as a prep cook, buffet cook, and grill cook. He also managed a customer service department and hes a devoted Nordstrom shopper  so he knows what good customer service entails. He also knows what service/hospitality employees need: respect, appreciation, and heaps of praise when they succeed  along with a smaller amount of honest but gentle criticism. On with the review:

PART 1 of 3 Embarkation & Ship -- During packing, my partner worried we were bringing along too much. We are practiced travelers who always pack light. But we had never vacationed with formal wear before, which required the small wheeled bag and a suitor for each. It seemed like a lot, about 40lbs per person including carryons. We usually carry only about 20 - 25 lbs per person.

However, once we got to the cruise terminal in San Pedro we realized we had actually packed far less than most. It was shocking to see the size of the luggage and the number of pieces. Read more