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When Anne McAlpin packs, everyone watches.

She's the master of packing and great travel tips, and this month, McAlpin will be at a AAA office near you (see dates/locations below) to share all that she knows. Here are a few McAlpin tips to tide you over in the meantime, but be sure to come to one of her shows to find out all of the rest:

Cruising Tips
1) Always remember to bring your travel and health insurance information with you and have it handy at all times.

2) In addition to a 16” rolling tote and a small tote bag, most cruisers should be able to pack enough clothing  into a 24” rolling suitcase for a 1-2 week cruise. Remember, there will be times when you need to handle your luggage on your own and you want to be able to stack and roll easily. Consider an expandable tote because you just know you’re going to do some shopping!

3) Remember that black is always formal (dark blue also). You can dress-up an outfit many different ways with just a minimal amount of accessories when you wear black, and save purchasing additional clothes.

4) You should always pack comfortable shoes when traveling, but this holds true especially on a ship that is constantly moving. Comfortable  walking shoes for visits ashore and sandals or rubber-soled shoes for strolling on deck. Low heels are much more practical for evening wear.

5) Throw in the book that you haven’t had time to read yet. Most ships have excellent libraries, but on the chance yours doesn’t, take it along. A tip on ships’ libraries: Check out the book selection as soon as you have a chance. Passengers tend to linger over books they’ve borrowed, and the selection is greatly reduced after the first few days at sea.

6) You will find that a small bag is ideal for the ship. You will generally receive a “credit card” that doubles as your room key, and is used for all money transactions. 

7) If you are a light sleeper, be sure to check out where the lounges on the ship are located when you select your cabin. A late-night band may keep you awake. Always bring earplugs too.

8) Many cruise lines provide “communications cards” when you book your cruise or receive your tickets. Distribute these to friends and relatives so they will know how to contact you in case of an emergency back home or just to say hello.

Anne McAlpin's Pack It Up shows will take place on the following dates at the following AAA office locations.

May 24—Puyallup 6 p.m.
May 25—Renton 1 p.m. & 6 p.m.
May 26—Federal Way 1 p.m., Redmond 6 p.m.
May 27—University 1 p.m., Lynnwood 6 p.m.
 
June 2—Vancouver 6 p.m.
June 3—Tacoma 10 a.m. & 1 p.m.
June 4—Bremerton 10 a.m. & 1 p.m.
June 5—Olympia 10 a.m. & 1 p.m.
June 8—Bellingham 1 p.m., Mt Vernon 6 p.m.
June 9—Bellevue 10 a.m. & 1 p.m.
June 10—Magnolia 1 p.m. & 6 p.m.