ClassyGame

My bags are in the middle. I don't want anything that's going to fall apart, but I also do want to spend an insane amount of money on luggage that's just going to get beat up.

I got mine at Marshall's. Those kind of stores have GREAT prices on luggage. Mine was about 65% off the original price, and it's good quality name-brand luggage. I've had the same set for about 6 years now, and I take 3-5 trips a year.

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I second the Kat Von D suggestion. Her liquid foundation has incredible staying power. I tried it out and it didn't budge. My skin's very dry, so it didn't end up working for me because of that, but the coverage and longevity was amazing.

And like the person above me suggested, Dermablend is great. I personally have never tried it, but my mom has very thin skin due to medication she takes, and her hands and arms bruise and cut very easily. She uses Dermablend to cover them up, and you can't even tell she's wearing anything.

Try using a corrector. I know you said you don't wear makeup, but a salmon/peach colored corrector will help counteract the green/blue tint of under eye circles and help conceal them. Bobbi Brown sells a couple great correctors. Also if you use a corrector or concealer, make sure you set it with a little bit of powder. It can be a translucent powder with no color - the powder will help the cream corrector last longer.

Hope this helps! :)

The cruise I've been on and the cruise I currently have booked are both super casual (no formal nights), so I only bring 2 purses - my normal handbag/tote that I travel with (although I think I'm going to pick up the Michael Kors Jet Set Multifunction Travel tote before my next cruise - it is gigantic and would be amazing to travel with) and the crossbody bag that I carry with me on the ship and in port.

If you're looking for an actual stain instead of a lipstick, the Yves Saint Laurent stains are incredible.

I have a couple crossbody bags I ordered off Etsy that I love, and will be buying another one before my next cruise that looks similar to this:

I love how large they are, and how much stuff they hold. I also like that they aren't bulky, and kind of mold to the side of your body.

I've been wearing Viva La Juicy for ages, but recently I've fallen in love with samples of both Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb, and Guerlain La Petite Robe Noir. I can't decide which one to get!!

I don't understand Dry Shampoo! I get that it's for making dirty hair look clean, but why not just take a shower and wash your hair? I can go a couple days without washing my hair and it still looks good, but I wouldn't want to go that long without a shower. :confused:

 

I'm not trying to be snarky, I'm just surprised how many people list an item that I've never even seen used in 60 years! :)

For me, I have very long and thick hair so I have to go 2-3 days in between washes (I just shower with a shower cap on my off days) or else it kills my hair. My hair gets greasy really quickly, so I use it to conquer any greasiness between washes. It also adds volume and gives a little oomph to flat hair. :)

There is the Metromover right nearby but I believe its stops are all downtown.

 

http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/metromover-stations.asp

 

There is also a train to the airport but best for someone local or more familiar with it to comment.

 

If you have a lot of luggage using a taxi would likely be easier.

 

Keith

I thiiiiink the orange line on the map on the link is the Metrorail, and I think it goes to the airport. I'll check more into it though. Thank you for your help, Keith!

With no question the Hampton Inn. It is quite a bit newer and a nice hotel and includes a very nice breakfast.

 

It is located right near Mary Brickell Village which to me has a much nicer array of restaurants and shopping than Bayside which is where the Holiday Inn is located. There are so many restaurants to choose from at different price points and also a Publix Grocery store right nearby as well as a Pharmacy.

 

There is quite a bit that you can walk to if you like to walk and you also have taxis and public transportation.

 

Without a doubt, I would select the Hampton Inn.

 

Keith

Thank you so much! I didn't realize Hampton had free breakfast - that's great! Saves us some money in the morning.

I saw somewhere that there is a monorail from the airport that drops you off about a block from the Hampton Inn - is this true?

I'm looking for opinions from people who have stayed at one or both of these downtown hotels. I know the Holiday Inn is much closer to the port, but the Hampton Inn is updated and modern.

Taking into consideration that we'll be flying in three days before the cruise, want to do some sight-seeing, and probably won't be renting a car, which would you recommend?

I would love some advice! I would like to get a point and shoot type camera but would love one that has WIFI built in....not for the cruise....too expensive to use WIFI!! But for when I use it around home.

 

Any suggestions? I would like to stay under $250

 

Thanks for your help!!!

Hi there! If you're looking for a compact point and shoot, I'd recommend the Sony DSC-WX300. That's the one I have, and it's phenomenal. The zoom is incredible (that's mainly what I bought it for - zoom for photos and video at concerts). 18.2 megapixels, very good consumer reviews. I believe it's on sale at Best Buy right now for around $220.

Here's a photo I took in very low light, with the zoom at about 20x:

this is such a tough question! my boyfriend says I travel with far too many toiletries, but I'd rather sacrifice a few pairs of shoes than my makeup!

 

I second the mentions of Batiste dry shampoo, the clarisonic, and sunscreen. Other things I couldn't live without are my under-eye concealer (I use either the garnier eye roller or Bobbi Brown's corrector), my tinted moisturiser (it's by NARS), mascara (I use L'oreal voluminous), highlighter (I use NARS albatross), and lip balm (I use the Fresh Sugar tinted lip balm in passion). I'm extremely pale, so I need the mascara/ highlighter/ lip colour to not look so washed out!

 

I think it depends on the cruise though. I did a European cruise in the summer and between my sister and I had a full make up collection, but for my upcoming Caribbean cruise I'm going to try and cut back where possible. We'll see how well that goes! :p

Too many toiletries?! There's no such thing! ;)

I love so many things on your list! Especially NARS Albatross. So pretty!

I found a similar question here:

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=37887707

with the recipe for your drink.

 

Whether NCL bartenders have mango mix will be the deciding factor I should think. Maybe it is a more common mixer than I know about, not being a fruity drink consumer myself (with the exception of the rum punch served at the second CC "debriefing" meeting on our recent N.Star cruise -- that was tasty!).

You're awesome, thank you!

And rum punch?? That sounds yummy!

Question for those who have sailed on both Carnival and NCL ships:

Is there a drink on NCL ships that's similar to the Kiss On the Lips drink on Carnival? Silly question, I know. But the KOTL is probably the most amazing drink I've ever had, and if there's a comparable one on NCL, I'd love to know ahead of time. :)

WELCOME new posters! It takes quite awhile to read EVERY page and EVERY post...but it's fun and informative. Call it a Learning Experience;).

 

DH had several gifts for me this morning. (We spend Christmas Day with our son, his family and other relatives... so Our Christmas is always Dec 26.) A month ago I showed him a short plaid coat, a couple pairs of costume jewelry earrings, and a cute little crossbody handbag with colored leather dots. He bought EVERYTHING!! What a guy!!! But that's not all...he booked a cruise in June, on Grandeur of the Seas:cool:. We will drive to Baltimore for a 7-Night Bahamas Cruise. Holy cow was I SURPRISED!!

I haven't even checked out the itinerary yet. That's next...

 

CLASSYGAME: Nice sandals!! They're neutral, go with all casual outfits. I can see why you wore out one pair!!

Daaaang, I need to find myself a nice man who will buy me cruises for Christmas! You're a lucky lady, Indiana! :)

They're seriously my holy grail of sandals. I wear mainly gold accessories, so I could probably get away with bringing those sandals and no other shoes on my cruise! They're THAT comfy! I'll probably bring my Toms just in case, though.

No WiFi.

Eh, that's what I figured. Thanks! :)

I want to reopen this up because I need help finding a swimsuit. I'm the apple type with a ridiculously big belly. I'm worried I'll order a suit online that is not long enough on top so my belly peeks out when I snorkel, or the bottoms are pulled forward so much that it's not tight against my body where the legs connect to the trunk. Anyone have any ideas as to where to find a suit that would work?

Try alwaysforme.com! I'm an apple-shaped size 18, and bought a couple suits off the site for my last cruise. I normally avoid buying any clothing on the internet because it never fits right when I get it, but both suits fit me perfectly! They're on the pricey side, but totally worth it IMO.

Is there wifi at GSC? And if so, is it free? Probably not, buuuuuut it's worth a shot. :)

I apologize if this has already been mentioned, but one thing I found to be helpful was to have maps of the ship decks handy on my phone. I carry my phone everywhere, and found that to be easier than carrying paper with the deck plans printed on it. Check the app store to see if your cruise line has an app that includes deck plans, and check to see if you can still access them without being connected to the internet (I kept my phone in airplane mode the entire time). The longer we were on the ship, the more familiar we became with the layout, but the first couple days the Carnival app really came in handy!

I have no idea what clothes I'm taking, so I don't have any pictures of those to share. Plus my cruise is super casual, so they wouldn't be that exciting anyway, haha.

Buuuuuut I did just buy a new pair of super cute sandals. I actually already have these exact ones, but I've pretty much worn the soles off of them. They're so comfortable! I lived in them this summer.

The new pair was only $12.99 on eBay. I might have to go buy a third backup pair! :)

Great question - I need to find that dry shampoo,I have one, but I don't like the way it smells.

The stuff I use (Bautiste) I get at Ulta. They also sell it at Walgreen's. It's around $8. They also have a travel size for about $4. They have a few different scents from just a clean scent to perfume-y ones. Plus if you have dark hair, they sell a brunette one so your hair won't look ashy from the powder.

I forgot:

 

I can leave this at home, but for those of you who can't live without their eyeshadow:

 

The new Urban Decay Naked 3 collection is amazing!!! I bought it to use for my work makeup (I am required to wear makeup at work, ugh, and it must be professionally neutral shades). Some really nice rosy neutral shades…

I totally second this! Naked 3 is awesome!!

I have no idea what any of these are but as I'm heading to Ulta today - I'll be checking them out! :D

 

I can't live without my eyebrow brush and powder as my eye brows are so thin and light - if I don't fill them in - you can't see them. During the day - I'm good with just some lipstick.

Love Ulta! That place is heaven! And they just happen to sell every single thing I listed, haha.

Yes, brows! Me too! Mine are also sparse, plus I dye my hair darker, so my brow pencil is a must for me!

Hey all! I thought it would be interesting to see what products other cruisers can't leave home without when they go on a trip. I'm always on the hunt for new beauty stuff to try! :)

Here are mine:

- Bautiste dry shampoo - lifesaver for in-between washes!

- My Clarasonic

- Urban Decay De-Slick setting spray - my face gets so oily in the humidity!

- NARS eyeshadow primer - the only way my eyeshadow will last without creasing.

- Lorac Unzipped eyeshadow palette - probably my favorite eyeshadow palette of all time! It has my favorite colors for everyday, plus some gorgeous shades to smoke it up at night.

That's all I can think of for now. :)