indiana71

5326jan: I appreciate the Full Disclosure and agree heartily with your opinion RE an optional shoulder strap.

IF (no when...) I get MY bag - I'll ask my Alterations Goddess for her ideas. One time I used a brown leather belt to make a shoulder strap on a brown leather handbag. The local shoe repairman added removable rings so it could be used either way - quite ingenious!

There are several colors offered, too. Which one to choose......

Meanwhile, I'm planning clothes for the Family Vacation at our cottage. 24 of us get together in 3 cottages for a laid-back week of beach dwelling, lake fun, boating and eating - to name just a few of the activities. This is the ONLY time outfits aren't meticulously chosen. Instead, shorts, tops, jeans, a sundress or 2 are added to the stash of clothes already at the cottage.

We "girls" will have a spa afternoon followed by a lovely dinner with our 2 sons and DDLs at our club. Other than that, it's shorts and tops. No, I can't bring myself to wear "message T-shirts" or frayed jeans.

After that, we have a couple days at Rehoboth Beach - a very cool seaside town with very good restaurants....oh yeah, and fun resort-style clothing stores:cool:...I will be planning outfits for that trip!

5326jan: I put your Perfect Carry-On Bag on my Christmas list!! And if I decide it's a Must Have before the Vegas trip, I'll order it myself;).

It's a great looking bag with Lots of pockets. What sold me was the reviewer who said she washed hers and it looked as good as new.

Thank you for the info!!

STARFISH*4: Like you, there are so many choices - what goes and what stays???

The best part about having lots of choices is this: It's like going to the perfect clothing store where you know everything will fit - simply pick and choose, then mix and match. No disappointment when you find something wonderful...but not in your size:eek:.

I put everything on display (much like a store would do), making it easy to pull outfits together.

Cancun01: What good self-discipline you have! We've all been tempted to buy something because it's on sale...and then think, "Do I REALLY need this?" Sometimes it goes back on the rack...other times, it makes it to the Cruise Closet!

Keep us posted on your shopping.

mousey: Welcome to the CCF thread! I'm envious that you have a cruise in less than a month:cool:.

My "train case" was a great piece of luggage, too. Sadly, it's been years since it was donated to Goodwill. I remember that it had a tray that fit on top and elastic bands on the sides to hold bottles. Ah...those were the days of such civilized traveling!!

Isn't it fun to put old items with new ones? I have a couple things that are over 40 years old that have been on cruises - the pink leather clutch from my honeymoon, a yellow organdy blouse purchased when I was single and spent paychecks on clothes.

The consignment shop in my town is thriving. They sell high quality clothing and accessories + antiques. I keep looking for a vintage gold evening bag. The new ones aren't very classy...

Packing Something Extra: I do that too! Yes, with all of our preparations and try-ons, it's still fun to just pick something that might get worn and pack it in the suitcase before closing it;). And more often than not - it gets worn!

STARFISH*4 - The zipper bags you ordered are the same kind DDL gives me - they're really good in different sizes, makes it easy to group jewelry together for each outfit.

I remember the cosmetics cases - wish I still had mine. Even though it was heavy & bulky, you're right - it would be PERFECT for jewelry! Especially the chunky styles and big earrings that are in style right now.

Remember the days when we wore a thin gold chain necklace and gold post earrings??

Andee - Your jewelry case sounds like it's easy to organize. There are so many types out there - some work better than others.

LabLoverT - Thank you for the kind words! It's truly heartwarming to know cruisers are helped on this thread:).

I will check out Nordstrom's, too - always searching for a strapless bra!

My Alterations Goddess: I took a dress that I love, but had a couple tiny issues. It's strapless w/ elastic in the back (a photo is a couple pages back - the one I'm wearing when posing next to the ballerina). The elastic back just wasn't tight enough, it didn't fit smoothly. And on a strapless dress, I prefer the front to have a slight dip in the middle (where other ladies actually have cleavage). My Alterations Goddess worked her magic - simply putting a couple darts in the back and gathering a little to make the dip in the front.

Moral of This Story: Find a good alterations person. They work wonders and make a garment look like couture!

CRUISE CLOTHES ASSESSMENT - Oh boy! I decided to see how many cruise clothes are in the Cruise Room. Are there enough to take a REALLY LONG cruise??? (not that there's one in the near or distant future). Here's the count:

Dresses, casual - 20

Dresses, formal - 5

Pants, formal - 2

Capris - 34:eek:

Blouses - 9

Shorts - 9

Shoes (all) - 23:eek:

Swimsuits - 4

Skirts - 4

I stopped there. Knit tops, T tops, camis are too numerous to count AND jewelry...let's just say there's lots of it;).

Clothes range from Nordstrom boutique to local consignment shop and even a couple Goodwill finds. Virtually all jewelry is costume.

Here's a photo of The Cruise Closet where a portion of the outfits live:

I'm thinking about The Next Trip. Although it isn't a cruise, the outfits are very similar - Las Vegas in September.

The way I pack jewelry is easy and organized; but how do the rest of you do it?

The little plastic bags that extra buttons come in are good for earrings. Jewelry rolls don't have pockets for individual pairs. The same type bag, but bigger (about 3" square that I get from DDL who is a jeweler for Premiere) are good for necklaces and chain bracelets. Snack-size Zip-Loc bags would work, too.

I put the earrings, necklace, bracelet (or whatever combination) that goes w/ a particular outfit together and write the go-with outfit on a Post-It. That goes in the bag, too.

All the jewelry "outfits" then go in one of those pouches you get free with a cosmetics purchase.

Photos will be posted later...

BUT - if anyone has a jewelry roll that is awesome, or other ways to pack, please post!

3dogmom: Welcome to the CCF thread! It's a pleasure to have another Super Packer letting everyone know how easy it is to make a packing list...knowing outfits in advance and spending time having fun rather than stressing over What To Wear:cool:.

Clothes Mentor: If anyone else has shopped at one of these resale shops, please post your experience. Thanks, 3dogmom, for the suggestion. I'll check w/ DDL, and if there's one we can go to in the fall, that would be perfect for The Next Cruise:).

Scarves: I don't know much about accessorizing w/ scarves (jewelry is more often my choice) but I always admire women who have a pretty scarf accenting an outfit.

Posters - please offer some assistance if you're a Scarf Person.

BTW - scarves would be easy to pack and don't weigh anything...a nice option.

Lafleurfamily: My next cruise is in March, too - such a long way off:( - BUT I agree, now is the time to buy summer clothes. Most of my cruise outfits have been purchased at sales at the end of the season.

Last week while shopping w/ DDL in Minneapolis, I saw a great pair of shorts...but not my size. Well, today I stopped at our local thrift shop and lo and behold, there was an almost identical pair - for only $3.99:). It felt like one of those magazine articles that show 2 outfits - 1 a splurge and the other, similar but much less expensive! On occasion the thrift store has some quality items. Makes me wonder, "Why would someone get rid of this??"

UNDERGARMENT ISSUES: Thanks for the comments/suggestions about strapless bras. I will look for one w/ silicone.

What a great idea for those of you who can sew or are crafty - make your own straps!! Now that showing straps is in style, how cool it would be to have ones that match a color or have some bling.

STARFISH*4: Wow! Lots of flip-flops:cool:! You win the prize for the most pairs in your suitcase.

dddaisy: Good for you! Making a fashion statement and being comfortable at the same time! The picture you posted is a perfect example of a Caribbean Fashionista enjoying her cruise.

A shrug makes a good lightweight cover-up, too.

Member123: Undergarments are key components to any outfit. With this beach dress, a strapless bra is a must. The problem I have is IT DOESN'T STAY where it should:eek: and tugging on it doesn't look ladylike or appropriate. The size is correct (according to the expert fitter at Victoria's Secret) but it slides down...:eek:and would probably end up around my waist! So with this beach dress, I wear a bustier and that took care of my issue.

If anyone has a secret for keeping a strapless in place - Please Share!!

But, Member123, your problem has more to do with the bottom half of a garment. The dresses I take are either heavy enough or are lined. A cotton half-slip has worked for me in the past. It won't cling or ride up. (Can you see it now: the strapless around my waist, and slip riding up to my hips!! Not a pretty sight...)

Lafleurfamily: Thank you for your kind words. My goal is to give everyone who wants to look good on a cruise, suggestions and ideas to make it fun and easy. Reading what others post helps, too.

You have earned my full attention with your goal to fit everything in one carry-on suitcase. You didn't say how long the cruise would be, but nevertheless, you are off to a great start:). Please keep us up to date on your progress!

Since jkudzu posted her dresses, I was inspired to try on the one beach dress in my cruise closet and pose for a photo.

Although these knit dresses aren't meant to be formal by any stretch of the imagination, they are fun to wear and look very tropical.

Mine can be worn as shown, w/ gold jewelry and gold wedges to the dining room (but not on Formal Night)...or if going to the beach or pool, I would wear flat gold sandals and gold hoop earrings.

jkudzu: What great dresses! They are fashionista-worthy AND look like they were fun and comfortable, too:). That's exactly what the Fashionista Filosophy is all about!

A Trip to Minneapolis - One of our sons and his family live near Minneapolis. DH & I fly out there several times a year, June being one of those times. A totally different packing plan (as you saw from my lasted posted photo). No Dinner Dressing every evening cuts back on the amount of outfits.

Packing rules still apply, though. Because my suitcase was full and each item was folded minimally, no ironing touch-ups were needed...meaning more time w/ the family.

By boat, we stopped at a couple lakefront bar/restaurants and, ya know, it could well have been Key West or somewhere in the Caribbean:cool:. Weather couldn't have been nicer, the drinks more refreshing.

A surprise activity was a night at the race track, an event titled Horses and Hops. DS got priority passes so we had a great view of the track from an umbrella table, free beer samplings all evening and placing bets was easy - the "wager attendant" came right to the table! DDL won $49 on the first race, and we all won a whopping $4 each the rest of the evening.

BUT THE OUTFITS were very interesting. I watched one table of couples coming in. The women could have been going to the Kentucky Derby with their big hats and matching outfits. One in particular stood out in her bright yellow sundress, hat and platform heels; and of course, the requisite big sunglasses...but after a couple races, she took off her shoes and walked around barefoot:eek:.

As far as the other attendees, they were dressed in everything from jeans and T-shirts to fashionista approved casual evening attire.

Side Note: What I Took but Didn't Wear - one pair of Capris, 3 short-sleeved knit tops. Better to have more than needed!

QUESTION: Do you wear flip-flops/thong sandals more than any other footwear?

ourturn: We have only cruised on Royal Caribbean so I can't advise with any certainty. However, friends who have been on Carnival say women wore dresses, dressy Capris to dinner. Men wore Dockers and golf shirts or Hawaiian shirts.

You won't be wrong if you stay with your dresses.

Lucky You! Getting to cruise before school starts:)! We're still counting down from 200+:eek:.

The Panama Canal is one of the best cruises! Passing through, we went only as far as Lake Gatun and then came back. That's what the majority of cruises do, and it's a wonderful experience.

Packing for a cruise is different than packing to visit family. We did the 5-night Bermuda cruise with no flight involved. This time we're doing 5 nights and visiting our DS, DDL, & 2 dear grandchildren - AND flying...so packing was more of an issue.

In the carry-on below, I packed EVERYTHING needed:

3 pairs of Capris

1 pair shorts

5 short sleeve tops

1 short sleeve blouse

1 cami

1 skirt

1 sorta dressy top

underwear

pajamas

light weight hoodie

ONLY 1 pair of shoes:eek:

hanging cosmetics bag

swimsuit

...and SHHHHH...DH's golf shoes. (He doesn't know DS arranged a golf date;)). The shoes, literally, take up one third of the suitcase!

My purse is a Vera Bradley, not a tote; and liquids are in the required ZipLoc bag. I will wear Ralph Lauren jeans, knit top, cardigan, wedge sandals.

I'm feelin' good about my pared down packing! Since changing outfits for dinner isn't necessary, that saves tons of space.

I dropped off a bag of donations at the local thrift store and looked through the tops in my size - looking first at only the label. If it's one I like, then I look at the item.

This time the label was Tommy Hilfiger and $1.50:)!

A good match for Caribbean Cruising Capris! (even though this photo was taken near our summer cottage.)

chels08: Hmmmm....black dressy shorts, IMHO, would be acceptable in the MDR - with a nice top, i.e. dressy blouse or something similar and dressy sandals (not flip flops).

I believe Capris or a skirt is a better choice, but that's only my opinion.

Any time you are sitting at a table, the primary fashion statement comes from your waist up, no one sees the bottom half. So your top is what will be noticed and should be appropriate for the dining venue.

Other Fashionista posters - please add your comments.

Thanks, chels08, for asking here.

shannonlianne: Thank you for the kind words! How cool that you get to pack for your guy:). What a fun surprise for him!

I would love to pack for DH, BUT he gets the final say. All the outfits I want him to take get laid out, then he chooses.

I've been wanting yellow shoes for a while now and saw the PERFECT pair at Macy's...but not in my size. After a web search, there they were - on amazon! They're wedges and will go with several casual outfits.

Do you ever get your mind set on one particular item and then have a hard time finding it (if ever)?? How long have you looked to buy the perfect (fill in the blank)?

A couple cruises ago, a young lady kept her beach towel secured to her lounge chair with really cute clips. I went to amazon upon returning home and sure enough, there they were! They're called Boca Clips and come in different styles, all around $7.

If you're a Fashionista by the pool or on a beach lounger, these clips keep your towel from sliding down the back of the chair:

HappyPeach: Dresses w/ shelf bras are a great idea for cruising. There were many on our recent cruise and they look much nicer than jean shorts and t-shirts:cool:. I agree with you about daytime flip-flops and dinner sandals and wrap.

This morning was chilly and a bit windy - not the best conditions for taking the boat out (at our summer cottage)...so...I went shopping!! What a surprise to see fall clothes taking over the racks:eek:. The good news is Macy's had really good sales!

Purchase #1 - Swimsuit top to go with my black tankini bottoms. That gives me 2 different looks.

Purchase #2 - A beach dress! Yay! It has some sewn-on bling that makes it appropriate for casual dinners or as a cover-up to wear around the ship.

HappyPeach: I'll follow your lead and wear gold sandals with it to dinner:).

Purchase #3 - Have you ever looked at a dress on the rack and thought, "It doesn't look all that flattering on the hanger, but it's on sale...can't hurt to try it on." That's what I did and my cruise closet now has another inhabitant. It's one of those easy-to-pack, easy-to-wear dresses.

Purchase #4 - A scoop-neck knit top, colorful and will go with neutral shorts/Capris.

A fun couple of hours yielded some good buys!

When I get a chance to try them on and do some self-photography, pictures will be posted.

Even though the outside temp was 70 when we boarded in New Jersey, it was cool inside - this white cardigan isn't heavy or wintry-looking, perfect for a daytime coverup. The rest of my outfit says "I'm going to a tropical island where there are palm trees and Rum Swizzles!"

I would LOVE to have HER shoes...and her hard body to wear that outfit;)!

NEXT PHOTO: In keeping with the fun theme - I've taken this swimsuit coverup on every cruise. It came from Target's lingerie department! On sale for $9.99 (as a nightgown I guess).

I get more comments on this one item than any other outfit. One time as we were coming back onboard after a beach day, an RCI crew member stopped me - "No alcohol in open containers allowed" he said and then laughed and pointed to my coverup!

PS - As you have seen in other photos, it's fun to pose with the artwork!

Another great cruise! (never been on a bad one):cool:

Since this is a Fashion thread, I'll stick to reviewing what passengers wore.

Overall, most cruisers dressed appropriately for a colorful tropical vacation. Very few ripped out jeans and t-shirts with words - and only a couple ball caps.

Formal Night was the least formal I've seen - but still nicely dressed. A 4-year old boy looked too cute in a black tux!

RealLilSwole: One trend might be the answer you are looking for. There were lots of "beach dresses" defined as: knit; always sleeveless, sometimes spaghetti strapped; some long, some short; elastic at the waist or just above. They always looked good and would be the solution to What to Wear after excursions. Two or three would be easy to pack and take up little room. I'm definitely going to invest in a couple:).

Sea Days are easy - slip on a swimsuit in the morning, add a cover-up and head to the pool deck for a lounger. And then grab a quick breakfast and make use of the lounger. You won't need the extra change of clothes those days.

Ditto for me RE "would rather come home with some clean clothes." If you choose lightweight outfits, you shouldn't have any packing issues.

(That's one of the reasons I don't pack jeans or denim - it's heavy. Cotton shorts and Capris take up less space and weigh less.)

What I Needed & Didn't Have: A tour of the Galley/Kitchen has been on my Want To Do List. This time, because I purchased the newest cookbook, a tour was offered. BUT - the invitation said "You must wear closed toe shoes or will not be admitted." I didn't BRING anything but sandals:eek:!

Don't try to buy shoes onboard - there aren't any!! Thank goodness one of the ladies in our group had running shoes and socks I could borrow. My size is 5.5, these were 6.5 but worked just fine. In fact, they were white w/ pink trim - a perfect match to my outfit;)!

I'll go through photos and post in the next couple of days.

As you can see from my signature - there's another cruise coming:cool:!

Our cruise begins TOMORROW:cool:!!

The luggage is ready to put in the car. Our 28-inch suitcase was packed several inches above the top but closed easily. It has a zipper that can be opened to add a couple inches to the depth - didn't need it! The suitcase weighs 38.6 pounds (not a factor this cruise but always fun to know).

The garment bag is holding DH's sport jacket and 3 pairs of pants and it weighs in at 25 pounds...seems heavy for what's in it...

I'm not totally sold on using a garment bag for anything that would be folded when the bag is closed and folded. How do you keep dresses, etc. in place and not wrinkled??

Coming back, I'll put a couple dresses in it and see what happens.

There are only a couple items left on my To Do List. How nice to be able to relax and have a little me time...Mani/Pedi here I come!

Weather is looking good here and in Bayonne. SailAway should be warm and sunny:)!

Fashion photos will be posted as well as a review on how well-dressed my fellow travelers are...or not;)

mousey: Thank you for the positive comments:).

Now if only we fashonistas could form a club like the Red Hat Society and spread the word that it takes just a little effort to plan ahead. We all know the results are totally worth it:cool:!

A Quick Story:

DH umpires high school baseball (+ other leagues that age). He was invited to be part of a 4-man team at a playoff game, an hour away from home. The other 3 guys packed their ONE uniform in enough luggage to go away for a long weekend. DH asked me to pack for him. He had one medium-sized gym bag. I folded pants & 3 shirts carefully so they wouldn't wrinkle. He also had shoes, hat, belt.

He laughed when he came home, saying "All this fashonista stuff did me some good today!"

I'm going to make it with ONE 28-inch suitcase...and a garment bag and carryon. For both of us!

One way to keep clothes from sliding around is to pack tight. Below is a photo that looks like the suitcase is just about full. BUT - I continued adding several sundresses and a couple of DH's golf shirts + a couple of my tops.

When you think a suitcase is full - keep packing!

Notice that my shorts are folded only once. The lavender Capris hang over a tiny bit but don't get folded. Other layers go on top and the Capris curl over without folding. That helps, too.

BTW - the tropical print red shorts have gone on every cruise. Sadly, I don't recall where they were purchased...

starfish*4: You are a Cruising Fashionista Soul Sister:cool:! My cruise-loving heart was warmed after reading your post.

Saying you "pack on paper" is the perfect phrase for what we do. You love jewelry, shop year round and keep all the outfits in one area.

Those are the basic steps to a relaxed and fashionably attired cruise:cool:.

Thank you for posting and please come back to give any suggestions or tell us what you have learned!

I am 90% ready for The Next Cruise and am now counting down the hours!

I should have taken my own advice!

At the end of last summer I bought a pair of bright yellow Capris at Coldwater Creek. (There's always something cruise-worthy there:cool:!) Since the Capris aren't going on the next cruise, I wore them for a Memorial weekend picnic. They were totally wrinkled by the end of the evening:(. And they aren't linen or supposed to have that wrinkly look.

Whenever I find a cruise clothing item; before trying it on, I take a bunch of the fabric and ball it all up...and if it wrinkles, the item goes back on the rack. Unless it is absolutely perfect, it just isn't worth the extra care to pack and the rumpled look after a short time on my body.

So follow the suggestion and see if those pants, shorts, skirt, dress, whatever passes the balled-up-wrinkle test.

noraloui: Welcome to the thread! Thank you for the nice comments.

If you pack a few nights and days for each of you in both, that should suffice in the event that a piece of luggage is lost.

I put everything DH and I will need in the "Cruise Room" and then pack some of his and some of mine in each piece of luggage, keeping outfits together as I pack. That makes it easier to unpack, too.

Reducing to a carryon would be my last resort if you are really concerned about misplaced suitcases.

Fashionistas plan in advance so we can put together the outfits we like, have plenty of changes and don't take items we won't wear.

Good luck!

DH and I have talked about taking a river cruise. Please come back and post a review:).