All at sea - Table etiquette

Dress Code - While many passengers dress to the nines, some show up for events looking like slobs. This disappoints your fellow passengers and can lead to you being cold-shouldered for the rest of the cruise.

If you dress according to the shipboard code, which is always outlined in the daily program, you will fit in comfortably. Formal wear means a tuxedo or suit for men, cocktail dress or gown for women. Informal means jacket and perhaps a tie, and an attractive evening outfit for women, while casual translates into chic resort wear, not trackwear, short shorts or jeans.

Wine ordering - This can become awkward, especially where eight or ten strangers are seated at a dinner table. The proper etiquette, when everyone imbibes, is to take turns buying the wine. But this doesn't always happen. Sometimes one passenger or one couple winds up stuck with the tab. To avoid this, discuss the situation with your tablemates. Set the guidelines in advance. Happy tablemates share the wine costs but don’t insist non-drinkers join the tab!

Tipping – a waiter or waitress might only be paid £50 a month, with the remainder of their income being made up from tips and gratuities. Please don’t do what the cheapskates do – ordering room service on the last night of the cruise to avoid having to tip in the dining room.