Answer: What's your lifestyle? Are you young, single, looking to mix and mingle with others your age? Do you like round-the-clock entertainment? Then, Carnival Cruise Lines is your choice. They're called the fun ships for good reason. They're designed with glamour and glitz, neon lights and brash music, midnight cabaret and flashing discos. And, the deck activities can't be beat.

If you're a couple with an active lifestyle, you'll enjoy the Ship Shape program on Royal Caribbean International that awards bonus points for participating in deck sports, aerobics, jogging and other fitness center activities. There's an excellent children's program as well.

Holland America caters to empty nesters with an Indonesian and Filipino staff that is renowned for its five star service. You can sail around the world or around the Caribbean on a Holland America ship.

There are many other choices, of course, and Body Bronze Tan and Travel will be happy to discuss them with you.

Answer: Are you on a limited budget and time frame? Are you nervous about whether you'll enjoy cruising? Then, try a 3 or 4 day cruise to the Bahamas on Carnival's Fantasy, sailing from Port Canaveral, or the Ecstasy from Miami. A 4 or 5 day cruise on the Tropicale out of Tampa takes you to the Western Caribbean.

Or, you might want to consider a 3 or 4 night Nordic Empress cruise from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the Southern Caribbean, or aboard the Sovereign of the Seas, from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas.

The new Disney Magic offers 3 and 4 day Bahamas cruises combined with an alternate number of days at a Walt Disney property.

There are 7-day cruises galore to the Eastern and Western Caribbean, 10-12 day cruises to the Southern Caribbean or through the Panama Canal, and don't forget Alaska, which can range from 7-14 days.

Answer: If you're an American citizen cruising to the Bahamas or the Caribbean, you'll need proof of citizenship in the form of a passport, a birth certificate or copy of birth certificate with raised seal. A driver's license or social security card is not acceptable. You'll also need a photo I.D.

Non-U.S. citizens must surrender their passports and/or green cards at time of embarkation, and these documents will be returned the morning of arrival.

To disembark for more than 24 hours in Mexico, guest must have obtained a Mexican Tourist Card from either a travel agent or a Mexican Consulate prior to departure.

Answer: You have a choice of an inside or outside cabin. An inside cabin has no porthole or window; an outside cabin has one or the other. Even more desirable today is a cabin with a veranda, and many of the new ships offer a large ration of veranda cabins to standard outside ones.

The higher the deck, the higher the price, but the closer you are to the action... pool, lounges, Lido cafe.

The lower deck, the lower the price, the less "roll" you may feel, and the quieter the noise level.

Upper and lower cabins offer bunk beds. Twin or King cabins are usually larger and have twin beds that can be made into king-size if requested.

Only you can determine how much time you will spend in your cabin and whether it's worth the extra money for an outside cabin on a higher deck.

Answer: If you've purchased an air/sea package, you will be met at the airport by a ship's agent who will transfer you to the ship by motor coach. Your baggage, properly tagged with your name and cabin number, will be taken to the ship separately and may even be waiting in your cabin when you arrive.

If you arrange your own air, you will be responsible for getting yourself to the pier.

Answer: For the most part, the tranquil waters of the Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexico, and Alaska won't give you any problems.

If you do have a tendency to feel motion sickness, you can buy Dramamine or Bonine over-the-counter before you leave home, but you must take it the day before departure to prevent discomfort.

The popular "patch," the Transderm Scop which is worn behind the ear, was removed from the marker for a year or two due to unpleasant side effects for some users. However, the manufacturer claims that 80% of users won't experience drowsiness or other side effects. Ask you physician for a prescription.

Sea Bands, a non-medicated wrist band, acts on acupressure points, and many cruisers swear by them.

If you do experience queasiness once on board, stay on deck, avoid all fluids and don't lie down. Eat lots of crackers and apples.

Answer: When you make your reservations, you may request first or second seating. Your seating time will be noted on your cruise ticket, and your table assignment will most likely be on a card in your cabin.

Table for two are usually limited. You may request a table for four, six, or eight. Many cruisers feel that a large table is a good way to get to know fellow passengers.

Second seating (usually scheduled at 8 or 8:30 pm) generally draws a younger crowd you are accustomed to late dining. First seating (6 or 6:30pm) attracts those with children as well as travelers who like to catch the first show and go to bed early.

If you have not requested a table before boarding, the maitre d' is usually available on the pier, in the dining room, or in an assigned location to take your reservation after you board.

If you are not happy with your table after the first day, either because of its location or your table companions, it's important to speak to the maitre d' immediately, and if he can, he will move you to another table. Don't spoil your cruise by spending a week or more with fellow passengers that you don't enjoy.

Answer: The majority of cruise lines today have designated smoking and non-smoking areas in the dining room and the show lounges. Pipe and cigar smoking is restricted to special areas or on the outer decks.

Princess allows smoking in passenger cabins and public rooms but not in the dining room or showrooms.

Carnivals newest ship, the Paradise, is a first of its kind, and is entirely smoke free, including during the time it was being built in the shipyard.

Answer: Although that was often the case in the old days, today many cruise lines have designated cabins with fares at 150% of the cruise fare. Royal Caribbean International has a Special Share Program pairing you with a person of the same sex and smoking preference. Accommodations are assigned at RCI's discretion.

Carnival will find you up to three companion roommates on a guaranteed share basis subject to stateroom availability.

Crystal Cruises has single traveler supplements of 125%-150% of Advance Booking Fares, based on cabin category selected.

Body Bronze Tan and Travel will arrange shares with double occupancy rates whenever possible.

Answer: Duty-free means you don't have to pay sales tax, but it doesn't necessarily mean you'll find a better price than you get at home. Americans are allowed $600 each duty-free from foreign ports and $1200 from the U.S. Virgin Islands. Those over 21 can bring back one liter of liquor duty-free from the Bahamas and the Caribbean, of four liters from the U.S. Virgin Islands.... St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. A bonus fifth liter is allowed if it is bottled in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Smart shoppers check the prices of their favorite perfumes, electronic products and liquors before they leave home, so they have a basis for comparison and know if they're really getting a bargain or not.

A client called in inquiring about a package to Hawaii. After going over all the cost info, she asked, "would it be cheaper to fly to California and then take a train to Hawaii?"

I got a call from a woman who wanted to go to Capetown. I started to explain the length of the flight and the passport information when she interrupted me with "I’m not trying to make you look stupid, but Capetown is in Massachusetts." Without trying to make her look like the stupid one, I calmly explained, "Capecod is in Massachusetts, Capetown is in Africa." Her response….. click.

A secretary called in looking for a hotel in Los Angeles. She gave me various names off a list, none of which I could find. I finally had her fax me the list. To my surprise, it was a list of hotels in New Orleans, Louisianna. She thought the LA stood for Los Angeles, and that New Orleans was a suburb of LA. Worst of all, when I called her back, she was not even embarrassed.

A man called, furious about a Florida package we did. I asked what was wrong with the vacation in Orlando. He said he was expecting an ocean-view room. I tried to explain that is not possible since Orlando is in the middle of the state. He replied, "Don’t lie to me. I looked on the map and Florida is a very thin state."

I got a call from a man who asked, "Is it possible to see England from Canada?" I said, "No." He said "but they look so close on the map."

Another man called and asked if he could rent a car in Dallas. When I pulled up the reservation, I noticed had a 1 hour lay over in Dallas. When I asked him why he wanted to rent a car, he said, "I heard Dallas was a big airport, and I need a car to drive between the gates to save time."

A nice lady just called. She needed to know how it was possible that her flight from Detroit left at 8:20am and got into Chicago at 8:33am. I tried to explain to her that Michigan was an hour ahead of Illinois, but she could not understand the concept of time zones. Finally I told her the plane went very fast, and she bought that!

A woman called and asked, "Do airlines put your physical description on your bag so they know who’s luggage belongs to who?" I said, "No, why do you ask?" She replied, "Well, when I checked in with the airline, they put a tag on my luggage that said FAT, and I’m overweight, is there any connection?" After putting her on hold for a minute while I "looked into it" (I was actually laughing) I came back and explained the city code for Fresno is FAT, and the airline was just putting a destination tag on her luggage.

I just got off the phone with a man who asked, "How do I know which plane to get on?" I asked him what exactly he meant, which he replied, "I was told my flight number is 823, but none of these damn planes have numbers on them."

A woman called and said, "I need to fly to pepsi-cola on one of the computer planes." I asked if she meant to fly to Pensacola on a commuter plane. She said, "Yea, whatever."