Don't worry Jeanine, it's easy to make friends on board, especially since you can choose to dine at a table with others--that is often a hoot--dinner becomes a drawn-out affair at a table for eight, but quite an evening's entertainment. The excursions are a good way to meet people too.

I have tried pre-selecting the bar set-up, and it has never worked for me. Try it, it might. You can do this on-line, or you can FAX the request. But when you arrive, the forms are in the stateroom, and it generally only takes a few hours to get your requested tipple.

Bringing a bottle of wine sounds like a great idea, for the pre-cruise. Haven't bothered, my husband likes the Hinano beer in any case, and I'll just slurp a pina colada or two--hang the expense!