LindaD22

What do you really think is crucial to bring to help you look your best on a cruise? An article of clothing? Accessory? Fabric care item? Laundry detergent? Hair care? We are retired at age 61 and 56 and plan to do a lot more traveling and especially cruising. My goal is to bring just a carry on and personal bag (weekender), no matter the length or type of trip. So I’ve been thinking about what is essential and deserves the room in my luggage. I would be really interested to hear what experienced travelers/cruisers feel that they absolutely need to bring.

Wow, you got a fantastic deal! I would definitely get another pair too if i could find such a bargain - I’m impressed!

They run just a tad small. I’m usually a size 6 and ordered that. They fit fine and look good but I wouldn’t want to wear them to Thanksgiving dinner! I might order up or even order both sizes and return one.

I know the Athleta Brooklyn pants are often recommended as a good travel pant and gets great reviews. I wore mine today for the first time and thought I’d offer my thoughts. I paired them with a Land’s End printed shirt, a RipSkirt tank top and Birkenstock sandals. The pants have a permanent crease, which gives them a neat and tailored look. The material is soft and on the thin side, which will make them a snap to hand wash and air dry. There is a half elastic waistband with a faux front zipper. The pants are just so comfortable while looking nice enough to be dressy or casual, depending on what you’re wearing. I bought these for a Mediterranean cruise and Italy trip next May as part of a capsule wardrobe and I’m glad I did. I do think they’re an ideal travel pant.

Very interested in this post, as we are also doing a New England & Canada Fall color cruise on RCI, out of Boston in early October. My plan is to use just my carry-on plus a newly purchased Calpak weekender bag. I’m going to include my Columbia rain pants, bought earlier this year for an Alaska cruise in June, and a waterproof baseball hat that is great for rainy days, which it looks like we may have. Basically, I’m going to pack almost the same as I did for our Alaska cruise. Will be following for tips & suggestions!

It might be helpful to post this on the Roll Call

We recently spent 3 weeks on Maui, where reef-safe sunscreen is also required. The locals there advise that travelers just buy the product once on the island, since only this type of sunscreen is available for sale. That way, you know whatever you buy is safe. That doesn’t address the “not Casper” element, and may not apply to all locations,but it’s worth checking to see if your destination only allows the sale of reef-safe sunscreen since that will ensure you are, at least, getting the proper product.

I mean, it’s toilet paper?? My posh bum has always been fine with the TP supplied. I absolutely would not take up precious luggage space by stowing my own supply. But, to each their own! This is a very specific piece of advice (bring your own TP) that most people probably wouldn’t dream to do.

On Radiance, go up to the helipad during the time at Hubbard Glacier. Bring binoculars! You’ll get great views there. The window seating at Cafe Promenade is excellent for viewing the scenery. No reservations needed for shows, which are not spectacular but entertaining enough. Honestly, we were so active and busy on our Alaskan cruise this past June (on Radiance) that we went to bed early most nights! I found rain pants, rain jacket and a baseball hat to be very useful in feeling comfortable during periods of rain. There was an onboard talk given by a Canadian Royal Mountie that we found interesting. You will have a great time!

I’m pretty happy to get them on sale. I’ve been wanting to try them but just never ordered a pair. I’ll let you all know how they work out!

The Allbird shoes always get high marks for all-day comfort and great for travel, as they’re lightweight and breathable. And they are having a sale now with up to 40% off! I ordered a pair in light blue, since my travel wardrobe will be black, tan and white with blue as the accent. Check it out! https://www.allbirds.com/

Yes, I’ve been having fun lately too putting together a new travel wardrobe! Thanks for mentioning those other sites, I’ll check them out. I’ve also bought from WHBM and Wool& (merino wool tops & dress). And, of course, my trusty Birkenstock sneakers & sandals!

This is the full-length pant, Brooklyn Heights. The black do not have the satin accent; the description for the other colors details that accent stripe, but does not for the black. I just bought this exact pant and can verify it is plain with no stripe. It’s a very nice pant!

The Brooklyn pants in black do not have that accent stripe. I know what you mean, I didn’t like the look of that either! But the black is plain.

I just bought a black pair of the Athleta Brooklyn full-length pant. They are very lightweight and comfortable. I think they are flattering, and they have pockets! I also bought their Renew seamless long-sleeve shirt and a short-sleeve version. I’m working on putting together a versatile capsule wardrobe based on black, tan and white with blue as my accent. To go with that I also bought a black dress and a top in merino wool from Wool&. I’ve actually worn the shirt already in this warm weather and was really impressed by how comfortable it was.

You’re welcome! I understand, I’m one of those that sweats the details too!

We were on the Radiance this past June and did the pre cruise tour. We selected a 4:00 pm check-in time, but it didn’t really matter. Your group arrives (around 4:00 pm) and you are escorted directly in. At that time there really are no lines and you get through and onto the ship quickly. Easy breezy, your guide handles it all!

I’m a new user to Stylebook. We’re doing a B2B Italy & Mediterranean cruise next May with time before & after in Rome and Venice. I am limiting myself to a carry-on plus a personal item (weekend bag), so I’m developing a capsule wardrobe. I like Stylebook a lot. I use the Shop feature to add sites where I do the most shopping and then upload things I’ve already bought from those sites. It allows me to set up looks/outfits using my core pieces so I can see how versatile they are and also use as reference later, when needing inspiration to mix & match.

We were on the Radiance in June for an Alaskan cruise. My husband tested positive 3 days in and was moved to an ocean view cabin in the COVID ward, in a locked hallway. I was allowed to carry on with all activities, wearing a mask and testing every morning by lab staff.

Did you formally cancel the post-cruise tour before the end of your cruise or simply not show up and instead headed home? Documentation is everything in situations like this.

We were on the same cruise with Rich and also did a precruise tour (our first). I had selected a 4:00 pm check-in time, but it wasn’t necessary - your tour group will be ushered right in upon arrival. The good news is that by arriving later in the afternoon, as your group will do, there is literally no wait at all and you are on the ship in no time! Enjoy!

I did not want to wait for a cabin assignment since I had booked a JS and knew what I wanted. I didn’t want to risk all the JS being assigned and not being happy with my cabin. I called RCI Redeployment at 888-281-9344 and was able to select my JS before they were all auto-assigned. Very happy with my new cabin on the Brilliance.

Thank you for this info, it’s so helpful. I’m going to call now. I appreciate your help!

We were booked for a February 2024 Australia & New Zealand cruise on Enchantment. We got the email of the switch this week and called yesterday to verify our new cabin, since we booked a Jr Suite and really liked the location. The rep didn’t know about the switch, took time to get the information, but unfortunately said the system wasn’t allowing any updates yet. She said we had to wait to be automatically assigned a new cabin and then call if we wanted a change. So much for trying to be proactive!

Thank you for clarifying, I appreciate it!