Cruise ships can be wonderful in many ways. They offer a wide variety of activities for people of all ages, (most of the time) great food, and even better: drinks! While many cruise ships now offer on-board shops that will provide you with anything and everything that you could possibly need, they often drive up prices, especially for longer voyages with many days "at sea." Therefore, it is essential that before you cruise, you develop a detailed checklist of all the things that you will need. Keep the following suggestions in mind when you are developing your checklist.

1. Travel documentation. You can't cruise unless you've got your ticket and any other travel documentation that you will require. Other than your boarding pass, many cruises will require passports, for off-board experiences at port destination cities. Also, while many people might not initially assume that there will be any other legal documentation required; think again! As a child of divorced parents, when I took one of my first cruises with a cousin, I had to ensure that I had a letter signed by my parents and notarized to ensure that both were aware that I would be traveling in international waters and that had authorized me to do so.

2. Clothing. Consider how many days you will be traveling and pack accordingly. If you will be taking a dip in the pool or doing some onshore excursions such as hiking to waterfalls, pack several bathing suits. You definitely don't want to be stuck with only one suit unless you want to wear the same one around all week. Also, keep in mind to bring extra clothing for changes after dips in the pool or sweaty excursions and sightseeing. Additionally, many cruises offer dinner services and while most nights can be considered relatively casual, there are usually "Captain's Dinners" held, which are more formal events and will require some formalwear. Even still, remember that ships will have a plethora of on-board ships; not to mention the loads of stores you will inevitably encounter at tourist-oriented port cities, so leave extra room in your luggage for any items you intend to purchase as souvenirs from your trip.

3. Toiletries. I don't know about you, but with long hair, it is always a mission to try to use the complimentary shampoos and conditioners at hotel rooms. Well, cruise ships are no different, and with the limited space, cabin bathrooms are often too small to even hold more than one or two sample-sized bottles. Bring your

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