How do you pack for a 15-week cruise? Who takes care of your bills? Did you get seasick?

When I returned from a round-the-world cruise on Holland America's MS Amsterdam, I got almost as many questions about the logistics of the trip as I did about the sight-seeing. For the curious, here's 10 answers to how it's done:

1. How did you pick this particular cruise and cruise line?

With 40 shorter cruises under our belts, my partner and I were ready for a world cruise. But even at that, the planning process began more than a year in advance, checking Web sites of major cruise lines for upcoming itineraries. Cruising makes it possible to avoid long flights, packing and unpacking and frequent changes of hotel. We enjoy life on board and consider cruises the greatest travel bargain, since transportation, lodging, food, entertainment -- essentially everything except for alcohol, shore excursions, personal items and insurance -- are included in the price.

2. How much luggage did you take, and what did you bring?

We were allowed to send 100 pounds per person (two suitcases each in our case) directly to the ship, without charge. We flew comfortably from Pittsburgh to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with one smaller suitcase each plus carry-ons. Considering the length of the trip, this was a modest amount of luggage.

Even though we left in January, the ports were in warm areas, so we did not pack winter clothes. Our list included clothing, toiletries, extra glasses, medications, prescriptions, reading materials, electronics -- the specifics will differ with every individual. We brought raincoats but needed them only twice: in Cairnes (deterring us from the Great Barrier Reef) and New York.

Unfortunately, when we boarded the ship, only two of our four pre-shipped suitcases had arrived. They were traced by the franchised shipping company (found to have been left in Miami) after six days, but by that time we were at sea, past Lima, Peru, and the upcoming ports were considered too small or too unreliable. The next possible port of delivery was Sydney, Australia -- five weeks later!

Because of the way we had distributed our clothing among the suitcases, we were missing some necessities. Underclothes, for example. By luck, I had purchased an extra three-pack in Fort Lauderdale, and we had purchased an unlimited laundry option on the ship. We used the ship's laundry daily.

I had my tuxedo accessories but not the tuxedo, for formal nights, and the ship's personnel accommodated us with formal-wear rental at no charge. My partner had divided a pair of trainers between two suitcases, so that precluded trips to the gym. We looked pretty much the same day after day, on the ship's "casual," "informal" and "formal" evenings.

A lesson to be learned: Pack complete outfits into each suitcase, rather than all shirts in one, say, or all suits in another.

3. How did you take care of your bills and other business at home?

This can be complicated when a trip lasts several months. We tried to have as many as possible of our ongoing bills automatically debited from one account or another. Some bills may be directly debited from a checking account, others automatically charged to a credit card and the credit card debited from one's checking account.

Even so, it is a good idea to have a trusted relative or friend check your mail and open items that may be important. In our case, some important tax bills arrived. Our neighbor opened them and e-mailed us the information. We then sent her a check made out to the appropriate office, and she sent it in. Our local post office, by the way, had refused to hold mail for more than 30 days.

Bring your checkbook, along with a credit card and/or a debit card if you have one. And keep a copy of the emergency numbers -- domestic and foreign -- for each credit card company, in case of lost cards or other exigencies.

4. How did you stay in contact with family and friends?

The ship has Internet access, although it will be expensive and may not work when you're in the middle of the ocean. It may also have wireless access, if you bring your own laptop. In addition, most ports will have Internet shops, where access is much cheaper than on board. Google will bring up lists of Internet shops around the world.

We brought our cell phones, which worked in most places where we docked and sometimes at sea, too. Service and roaming charges will vary widely, with different companies. Calling land or receiving calls in your stateroom is a more expensive option but can be useful in emergencies. Traditional air mail will work, too. The ship's front desk will send mail (at local costs) from its next port, but it may take a long time to get to its destination.

5. Did you get bored during so many days at sea?

Never! Days at sea are measured by mealtimes, and the hours in between go very quickly, with a choice of lectures, games, crafts, the gym, the pool and after-dinner entertainment that runs the gamut of quality. Bring some reading material or your iPod for down time in the cabin, although there will be a library on board.

6. Did you take the ship's excursions or visit the ports on your own?

When Holland America sent its brochure of available excursions, we went through it in detail and signed up for several -- especially in areas where solo travel may be difficult or it might be tricky to get back to the ship in time.

We departed from the norm with our own 10-day private tour of Egypt, which we arranged in advance via the Internet. With required permission from the ship's authorities, we disembarked in Dubai, flew to Cairo for three days, then to Aswan, where we took a Nile cruise ending in Luxor. Then back to Cairo, and a car ride back to rejoin the Amsterdam in Alexandria. Admittedly, this involved a lot of homework and was somewhat complicated, not recommended for the novice traveler, but the cost was significantly less than the ship's tours, even though we stayed in five-star hotels, including the magnificent Four Seasons (Nile Plaza) in Cairo.

7. How did you handle foreign money?

We used credit cards when possible. A small number of companies (such as Capital One) do not impose a surcharge for foreign currency exchange. You will still need local currencies for taxis and smaller items. You can exchange dollars on the ship, but we often used our ATM (debit) cards in bank machines on land.

8. What about health issues?

We always take travel insurance in advance. Usually you must sign up within a week of booking if you want the policy to include pre-existing conditions. Medicare does not travel outside the United States, and many health insurance policies will drop you if you leave the area for more than six months. Be sure to check these details with your insurance carrier.

Your family physician and the Allegheny County Department of Health can advise you as to shots you may require. Check well in advance, because some medications require two doses at an interval of several months.

Bring with you an adequate supply of any and all necessary prescription drugs. It may, however, be difficult to persuade your insurance company to pay for more than one month's supply of any given medication. My PCP wrote prescriptions for three months in advance, but I had to pay more than the amount of my monthly co-payments. Your pharmacist should assist you with some of this. The ship will have physicians and nurses on duty, but prices for visits and medications are generally higher than at home.

9. Did you get seasick?

Personally, no. Today's big cruise ships are very well stabilized, but inevitably on a long trip you will encounter occasional storms or rough waters. I brought prescription Meclizine but only had occasion to take one tablet, and that was as a precaution. Cruise ships usually dispense Dramamine or "the patch" free of charge.

10. How much weight did you gain?

The corny joke used by too many unimaginative cruise directors is that you board the ship as passengers and leave it as cargo. It's a good idea to visit the gym and walk the deck on sea days and to do some walking, as feasible, on shore. We ate heartily at mealtimes but tried to avoid between-meal and after-dinner snacks.

When I weighed in at a physician's office after my return, I had gained four pounds, but it is easy to gain considerably more if you don't apply some self-discipline.