Hi Andrea,
I agree with the previous post.
If you are flying to the port city with alcohol, pack it in your carryon luggage on the airplane. Before you go to the ship, transfer the liquor to your checked luggage. They may confiscate it if it is in your ship carryon luggage. I try to get liquor in plastic bottles since it is lighter and less subject to breakage. I then put the plastic bottle in a sealed ziplock gallon bag in case it would break. I then put that package in a sock or wrap it in a piece of casual clothing. Try to cushion liquor containers in the middle of the suitcase to minimize any shock and breakage from handling.
On another post, you mentioned food cost. All food on the cruise is included in the cruise price except!!! If you dine in one of the specialty restaurants, there may be a surcharge. If you order from the room service menu, you may or may not tip the person who delivers the food to the cabin. Alcoholic drinks, bottled water, sodas and specialty coffees are extra cost. At meals on the ships, Celebrity provides coffee, tea, iced tea, lemonade, maybe a fruit punch and milk. At breakfast, fruit juices are also included.
Finally, dress code!!!
On formal nights, the Celebrity guideline is a dark suit or tuxedo for men. On informal, their guideline is a shirt and tie with dress trousers. Informal nights imply shirts and docker-type pants. They specifally ask for no jeans at night in the main dining room. For me (male), my clothing includes a tuxedo (or suit); a sports coat with trousers shirt and tie; and sports shirt with Dockers-type trousers for evening ware.
There are some alternative dining options available. We were on the Celebrity Horizon and they turned the Coral Seas Cafe (breakfast and lunch buffet restaurant) into a casual dining area in the evening. They had several dinner entree choices, (steak, porkchops, salmon, pasta), several soups, several salads and the normal to-die-for dessert choices. They requested $2 per person as a tip for the waiters for dinner. I suspect your ship will have a similar dining room. There was no dress code for dining in the buffet area. In addition, you may have anything on the main dining room dinner menu served to you in your cabin using room service. Typically, the dinner menu is posted in a display case outside the dining room each afternoon. If you don't wish to comply with the dress code, go check the menu and then order room service if you wish.
My point is "DO NOT LET DRESS CODE OR OTHER PEOPLE INTERFERE WITH YOU HAVING A GOOD TIME AND ENJOYING THE TIME ABOARD THE SHIP!!!!"
You will be perfectly fine with what you are planning to take on the cruise.
Have a Great Time on Your First Cruise.
PS: We took our first cruise about two years ago and had the same types of questions. We had a great time and only discovered these great websites after we returned!
Shirley and Les
