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I wish I could, but if I don't wear something to shield my upper thighs from the dreaded thigh rub, I end up being unable to walk due to chafing. (Quite literally unable to walk. Before I learned the joys of thigh society shorts (which I honestly forget I'm wearing most of the time), I would get home in the summer and my entire inner upper thigh would look like raw ground meat.)

The Matador soap pouches are miraculous! I use one for my body wash bar for the pool, and it dries, doesn't get gross, and doesn't leave my toiletry kit damp.

I've been wearing them for a few years, and they're wonderful. Because of the shape of my thighs, I like the 9" lengths to avoid ride-up. I also wear the Torrid legging-shorts, but they're heavier cotton, and while they're comfortable, they are definitely warmer.

Just realised I forgot to finish my thought - I wouldn't carry the leather unless it's waterproof/you're not worried about it getting wet and bleeding colour, and the Vera Bradley may also be non-waterproof (the last VB bag that I had was almost 20 years ago, and they may have changed, but at the time, they were just quilted cotton, and not waterproof at all.) You definitely want something with a closed top/something that you can carry close to your body.

I can't speak to Barcelona, but you could get quite a bit of rain in London in November. (Or you could have gorgeous sunny days - when I was there in November '22, I arrived in the middle of a monsoon-style storm (flooding in the streets, and chilly) and 3 days later was eating lunch in a park in my shirtsleeves.)

That makes perfect sense to me. My partner has significantly better fashion sense than I do, so I generally ask them to 'check' my outfits, especially for fancier occasions.

Ethique sells purple bar shampoo and conditioner. I haven't used them myself, but I've been really happy with their other products.

For lightweight bike short type shorts, I highly recommend Thigh Society, especially their 'cooling' model. They're thin, very lightweight, and don't make you feel hotter.

I've got a 14 night transatlantic (end of QV's South America circumnavigation next year) and it has 3 gala nights.

I always print my boarding pass and luggage tags as close to departure as possible, in case of Surprise!Upgrades (I was upgraded from an oceanview to a balcony on my last Cunard voyage, 2 days before departure), so if your luggage tags aren't printable yet, give it a few days! My to-do on embarkation day on QM2 is as follows: - check the cabin for setup (make sure the bed is right) - check table assignment for dinner (if possible - last voyage I didn't receive a card with my dining information, went to the maitre'd in the Britannia, but was told I had to return when the dining room opened for dinner to find out what time & what table I was on.) - Unpack - get those fancy clothes hung up so that the wrinkles can fall out! - Avoid the elevators as much as possible - Lunch at the Golden Lion (if available)

What day of the week is your disembarkation? Traffic around London can be wild, and what should normally be a 'just over an hour' drive could take significantly longer if you get caught in traffic. I also wouldn't rely on the ship's transfer for the 12.15 flight, as transfers can be delayed as they wait for people who are poking their way off the ship.

They say that the Stevie is packable, although you want to stuff the crown to pack it, so it should be ok!

I have a sungrubbies hat that I got because I also have a melon for a head. It's the Crystal, a straw-ish situation, and was fine getting thrown in my suitcase during my last trip.

Definitely go with linen. What I've done in the past is a linen button-down over a tank/camisole situation - even outside, the linen shields your skin from the sun, making you feel cooler despite being 'covered up'. I'm a plus-size gal, so I can't make recommendations for where to get linen clothing, but there are a bunch of threads that have recommendations.

Which ship were you on? I was lucky enough to be on QV for the Fort Lauderdale - San Francisco leg of her WV this year, and I dream of doing a full WV when I'm retired. Next year I'm doing the 14-night TA on QV at the end of her circumnavigation of South America.

I pretty much only wear dresses and skirts, and due to the dreaded chub rub, I always wear shorts under them. I'm a huge fan of Thigh Society undershorts. You can get them in various colours, lengths, and weights (from bike-short type to 'the cooling', which is very thin, sheer, but still does a great job at both providing cover and avoiding chafing.) You can get them in various 'skin-like' tones, as well as black and fun colours. They're slippy, so they don't cause cling.

From what I recall, there might be one or two nights with a string quartet, but otherwise, I don't recall live music during dinner. Also, Britannia is a loud restaurant overall - it's a large space with a lot of people in it. Not so loud that you have to shout to be heard, but not hushed with no one speaking above a whisper.

I won't be aboard, but I've done three solo TAs on QM2 - you're going to love it. I would recommend taking some anti-sea sickness meds, just in case. She's usually quite stable, but the north Atlantic can be unpredictable.

Seconding the recommendation for a linen button-down. I don't run hot, but I'm REALLY sensitive to the sun, and my linen button down (worn open or tied at the waist over a camisole + skirt, or over a sundress) saved me a number of times during my last cruise.

My last cruise (16 night Panama Canal transit, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco, in Jan/Feb), I took - Keens hiking shoes (wore on flight) - Keens walking sandals - Water shoes (ended up not wearing) - Black heeled Fluevog sandals (daytime & evening wear) - Black & gold Irregular Choice high heels - Black Irregular Choice mid heels - Maroon Fluevog high heels - Green IC mid heels And I think there might have been one other pair? I feel like I threw at least one extra pair in at the last minute. So 8 or 9 pairs all told.

Much depends on the line and the route, as mentioned above, as well as the time of year. I've done 3 TAs on QM2, all north Atlantic. Layers are definitely recommended if you're going to be spending any time on deck. (At least two of my TAs have involved multiple days where the decks were closed due to weather.) Indoors on the ship should be pretty temperate, but the AC can be cranked, so a cardigan or shawl can be helpful.

I'm both a knitter and a reader, and am frequently found ensconced in the Carinthia Lounge on QM2 with my knitting and/or a book. (I'm a die-hard ereader user after injuring myself carrying an over-loaded tote bag of books back to the library, although I did take two paperbacks on my recent leg of the QV world voyage, to be read during excursions on the water.) One issue with the Carinthia Lounge that I found on my last TA (November 2022) was that it was being used for trivia, which meant that it filled up and became quite noisy a few times per day. At those times, I'd migrate to the Chart Room, or the Commodore Club, or the pub, depending on what else was going on. The library is a beautiful space, but the seats were frequently all occupied. On QV, I usually ended up in the Chart Room, with occasional forays to the Commodore Club or the pub.

From what I recall, it's not identical to the MDR, but there are usually some of the same items (usually one of the soups from the MDR is offered in the Lido). When I was on QV during this year's WV, some of the gala nights were themed in the Lido - I seem to recall that the Indian night in the Lido was a gala night, but I could be mistaken.

Sadly, it looks like the Sunday Riley Light Hearted is no longer available, or isn't available in Canada - at least, I can't find it on the Sephora or the Sunday Riley websites. 😞

I use the Paula's Choice "Youth Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50" (stupid name, but great product.) It's light (truly fluid), melts into my skin, and despite being super-oily on my face, I forget that I'm wearing it. It's unscented (I'm super sensitive to scent), and works really well. During my Panama Canal cruise a month ago, I got a horrid sunburn on my back (areas that I couldn't apply sunscreen to, travelling solo), but my face stayed sunburn, even tan, free. I do know the feeling that you mean, though - one of the other PC sunscreens gives me that feeling. Sephora is now carrying some PC products (but not this one, I don't think), but PC does ship to Canada.