Pool question-is everyone tan and beautiful?

[rian90]

Have you tried water shorts? I got some for snorkeling so I don't get sunburned on the backs of my legs (happens to me even with the best sunscreens), and I LOVE them!

 

http://www.kimballjones.com/shop/north-face-pearl-water-short-womens.php

 

Thank you, Thank you!!! I have been looking for these forever! I will be ordering the black and pink pair. :)

[katbat2]

Miraclesuit.com has some great looking swimsuits and you'll look 10 lbs. lighter. I'm fluffy too :)

[realcindylouwho]

FIRST TIME CRUISER! Yes, booked yesterday and already panicing about having 8 months to get toned up. I am 5'8'' and 132 pounds. People look and me in clothes and think I look great. But let me tell you, thin people HAVE CELLULITE TOO! I inherited my thighs of marble cheese from the Smiths (whom I love dearly.) My skin in negative white. Pale would be nice, but my skin in so translucent the veins show through like an arkansas road map with county roads displayed! I'm sure I will be self concious the first day or two, but look out fellow cruisers...I will be wearing a 2 - piece! My nearly A's will be spilling out over the bikini top (okay, just let me dream a little bit) and my muffin top will be rolling over the elastic of the bottoms. I'll just be backing up everywhere I go so I never have to turn my back and expose my thighs!!! Why are we soooo hard on ourselves?:rolleyes:

[mr.strangeone]

I am 5'7" and 170 so I am very fluffy as u guys call it....if people stare at you don't even pay attention...usually people don't care.....on my last cruise some kid was staring at me so I made a joke out of it and confronted him and he got embarresd

[firsttime2010]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this thread. A lot of my fears have been alleviated. And I'll be showing your posts to others that will be in my travel group!

[bluegirlum]

I am perhaps the palest person in the world, and am very sun conscious (mom died of skin cancer). Also, I am not a fan of myself in a bathing suit, so before every cruise, I cringe at the thought of my pasty white limbs scaring everyone on the ship!:eek:

 

But it's amazing how as soon as I sit by the pool and have a fruity drink in my hand, it just doesn't matter anymore! It is wonderful people watching, and the weather is so great, and you're so happy to be out of the midwestern winter that you forget about those extra pounds you may have wanted to lose. You will have such a great time you won't even think about it!!!

 

But yes, please be sure to wear sunscreen. My bf got so burned on our last trip that he was in the room for 2 days. That is no way to spend a vacation!

[ellecruiser]

Hello

 

You guys are great. I'm Scottish and my friends tell me that I'm not pale, I'm blue! I don't have red hair but I'm fair with freckles. I was a British size 10 (American 8, i think) fit and active but I've been ill, unable to exercise and on medication that has weight gain as a side effect. Anyway now I'm a size 16 (american 14) and was considering not taking a swimsuit but since reading this thread I've changed my mind, I've not been on a proper holiday in 10 years, I'm going to enjoy myself :)

 

I'm going to the Med for a week at the end of May. As I've not been abroad somewhere hot before I'm pretty clueless about how much sun cream and what factor to pack. Any advice greatly received :cool:

[bluegirlum]

Hello

 

You guys are great. I'm Scottish and my friends tell me that I'm not pale, I'm blue! I don't have red hair but I'm fair with freckles. I was a British size 10 (American 8, i think) fit and active but I've been ill, unable to exercise and on medication that has weight gain as a side effect. Anyway now I'm a size 16 (american 14) and was considering not taking a swimsuit but since reading this thread I've changed my mind, I've not been on a proper holiday in 10 years, I'm going to enjoy myself :)

 

I'm going to the Med for a week at the end of May. As I've not been abroad somewhere hot before I'm pretty clueless about how much sun cream and what factor to pack. Any advice greatly received :cool:

 

I'm sorry about your illness. I totally understand how that goes, and it's no fun--the weight gain of the medication certainly doesn't help you feel better, does it? :eek: Sounds like this will be a wonderful trip for you to relax on.

 

I always wear SPF 30. There is debate from what I've read (I've read a lot b/c of my family history) about whether anything higher than 30 is needed, but I dont' think you can go wrong with higher...The key is putting enough on. They say that putting on a "shot glass" full of cream is the key, and to put it on 30 minutes before you go out. Also, be sure to put it on after swimming, and since you'll be in the hot sun, reapply it often. I've found some great wipes that I use when I'm out on excursions that I just throw in my bag so if I can feel myself burning I just put on extra.

 

Add a hat and sunglasses are always great too! You can definitely get "tan" (or freckles like me!) with 30, but if you put enough on, you shouldn't get burned.

 

Have a wonderful trip and definitely bring your bathing suit!

[smylegirl]

FIRST TIME CRUISER! Yes, booked yesterday and already panicing about having 8 months to get toned up. I am 5'8'' and 132 pounds. People look and me in clothes and think I look great. But let me tell you, thin people HAVE CELLULITE TOO! I inherited my thighs of marble cheese from the Smiths (whom I love dearly.) My skin in negative white. Pale would be nice, but my skin in so translucent the veins show through like an arkansas road map with county roads displayed! I'm sure I will be self concious the first day or two, but look out fellow cruisers...I will be wearing a 2 - piece! My nearly A's will be spilling out over the bikini top (okay, just let me dream a little bit) and my muffin top will be rolling over the elastic of the bottoms. I'll just be backing up everywhere I go so I never have to turn my back and expose my thighs!!! Why are we soooo hard on ourselves?:rolleyes:

 

realcindylouwho - you are awesome!!! I laughed so much when I read your post because it sounded so much like myself! I am going on my first cruise in a week!!

 

I am VERY tall (6'1") and what most people would call "skinny." I have exercised every single day this year and am probably in about the best shape I have ever been in my life. BUT - I STILL HAVE CELLULITE!:mad: And I am VERY pale as well. My legs are very patriotic-looking - white skin with red and blue veins! ;)

 

I went to Target the other week because I wanted to get a (cheap) green swimsuit to wear on St. Patrick's Day. :) I still can't believe I did this, but for the first time since I was about 10, I got a suit with a bikini top!:eek: For the bottom, I got a pair of shorts. (to hide that cellulite, ya know!) BUT, just last night, I was looking at the tag on the shorts, and they are actually supposed to be 'cover-up' shorts. I guess that explains why there is no liner in them! :o SO...now I guess I have to go back to Target and get a pair of (gulp) real bikini bottoms! I doubt they will ever see the light of day, but I do think I need to have something on under the shorts.

 

I have been kind of nervous about this cruise - mostly the bathing suit-wearing part - because I know there will be a lot of (young, slim, & trim) college girls on Spring Break there, but I have to remember not to worry about them and not compare myself to them - or anyone, for that matter! I am who I am, and I need to be happy and comfortable with that and just have a great time!! I suppose once I get a couple of "boat drinks" in me, that might be easier!

[bluegirlum]

realcindylouwho - you are awesome!!! I laughed so much when I read your post because it sounded so much like myself! I am going on my first cruise in a week!!

 

I am VERY tall (6'1") and what most people would call "skinny." I have exercised every single day this year and am probably in about the best shape I have ever been in my life. BUT - I STILL HAVE CELLULITE!:mad: And I am VERY pale as well. My legs are very patriotic-looking - white skin with red and blue veins! ;)

 

I went to Target the other week because I wanted to get a (cheap) green swimsuit to wear on St. Patrick's Day. :) I still can't believe I did this, but for the first time since I was about 10, I got a suit with a bikini top!:eek: For the bottom, I got a pair of shorts. (to hide that cellulite, ya know!) BUT, just last night, I was looking at the tag on the shorts, and they are actually supposed to be 'cover-up' shorts. I guess that explains why there is no liner in them! :o SO...now I guess I have to go back to Target and get a pair of (gulp) real bikini bottoms! I doubt they will ever see the light of day, but I do think I need to have something on under the shorts.

 

I have been kind of nervous about this cruise - mostly the bathing suit-wearing part - because I know there will be a lot of (young, slim, & trim) college girls on Spring Break there, but I have to remember not to worry about them and not compare myself to them - or anyone, for that matter! I am who I am, and I need to be happy and comfortable with that and just have a great time!! I suppose once I get a couple of "boat drinks" in me, that might be easier!

 

Good for you!!! You will have such a great time, and don't worry about the Spring Breakers.

 

As for the paleness, it's funny--I KNOW I'm pale, and I would love to get tan, but it doesn't ever happen. I've actually had people come up to me on cruises and say things like "Oh, honey, you're so PALE! Why don't you let yourself get a little color?" And not wanting to go into it, I just tell them that I envy their color and say they look nice.

 

But one woman who looked like Donatella Versace (basically wrinkled leather) came up to me and said, "Sweetie, you know they make self-tanner, don't you? You really need to do something about your pale skin." Now maybe I'd had a few too many drinks, but I was so amazed by her that I said, "Well, my mom died of skin cancer and I don't want to end up all wrinkled because of sun damage. But you enjoy your tan."

 

Next time I saw her, she had on a huge floppy hat and her husband was putting lotion on her. ;)

 

Trust me, this is not going to happen to you on your cruise, but it's funny that some people seem to feel free to comment on silly things. Have a wonderful time!

[indianagirl47553]

Hello

 

You guys are great. I'm Scottish and my friends tell me that I'm not pale, I'm blue! I don't have red hair but I'm fair with freckles. As I've not been abroad somewhere hot before I'm pretty clueless about how much sun cream and what factor to pack. Any advice greatly received :cool:

 

Ellecruiser- I, too, have red hair and naturally pale skin. Over the years I've tanned enough in tanning beds to get a little color instead of being quite so pale. But one thing I've learned is that no matter how much of a tan I have before I go on vacation, I will burn and peel in the tropical sun. I use the highest SPF I can find- sometimes 50 and I think I may have seen 65. Good luck and have fun!

[CruisingCaity16]

I'm pretty average, but I'm trying to go into the cruise on the thin side, for me, knowing about the possible weight gain. I'm only 5'2", so gaining just 5 lbs shows alot on me. I've gotta admit as a college student on a budget I tend to try very hard to stay the same size (within a few lbs) just because I don't want to spend money on new pants when the ones I have are still nice!

 

My suggestion, don't worry about the number on the scales so much...as long as my clothes fit I'm fine. If they start getting a little tight I eat a little more carefully and workout more. It's been a good way for me to "watch my weight" without actually stepping on a scale that often :)

[ellecruiser]

Thanks for your kind words and advice bluegirlum and indianagirl47553. I think it would be marvellous if the side effect of medication was weight loss instead of weight gain!

 

I'm going to shop around, I've noticed that some stores are doing "2 for the price of 1" on suncream just now.

 

So excited about the cruise, I'm boring everyone I know. :)

[bluegirlum]

Thanks for your kind words and advice bluegirlum and indianagirl47553. I think it would be marvellous if the side effect of medication was weight loss instead of weight gain!

 

I'm going to shop around, I've noticed that some stores are doing "2 for the price of 1" on suncream just now.

 

So excited about the cruise, I'm boring everyone I know. :)

 

Are you kidding? I'm so envious that you're going on the cruise!!! Have fun and make sure to post a review when you get back. Those of us who aren't going on vacation have to live vicariously through those of you who do!:)