Carnival Paradise: 5-Night Western Caribbean from Tampa

One bottle of wine or champagne per adult at embarkation, plus a 12-pack of cans of soft drink or water in your hand luggage. Spirits and beer are held at the gangway and returned on the last night.

Gratuities are charged per person per night and added to your onboard account. You can prepay at booking, which locks the rate in even if it rises before you sail.

For a round-trip sailing from a US port you can often travel on a birth certificate and photo ID, but a passport is the only document that lets you fly home if you miss the ship. Bring one.

Clubs are split by age from 2 to 17 and run morning until late evening at no charge. Night nursery for under-2s is charged hourly and books out fast, so reserve on day one.

No. Wi-Fi plans are sold on board, from messaging-only plans up to plans for streaming. Coverage is satellite, so it slows noticeably in port and in heavy weather.

Daytime is casual throughout. The main dining room asks for smart casual in the evening, with an optional elegant night on longer sailings.

Yes, at the shore excursions desk, but the popular ones sell out before sailing. Booking with the line in advance guarantees the ship waits for you if the tour runs late.

Boarding opens around 11:00 AM and closes before departure; your e-ticket gives your arrival time. Most guests fly in the night before, because the ship does not wait for delayed flights.

Every ship carries accessible staterooms, with wider doors, roll-in showers and no thresholds. They must be booked directly so the line can verify need.

Itineraries change for weather or port traffic. The line substitutes another port or a sea day where it can; prepaid excursions with the line for the missed port are refunded.