RedHeadTexan

The purse I used on our Mediterranean cruise was a PacSafe CitySafe CS200. It was large enough to hold my iPad and my Sony A6000. It also has a water bottle pocket on the outside...think small water bottle, not the 1 liters. I used it for traveling to Europe and all of our shore excursions. On the ship I have a cheap Old Navy sack purse for my stuff.

http://www.pacsafe.com/everyday-bags-handbags.html?cat=101

Lisa

It looks like we have been on different NCL ships. The ones I sailed on were not Vegas-y. The Rhapsody has nice decor, just not as upscale looking as HAL.

We ate up at the buffet and did the outdoor movie both formal nights, so we did not see the vast majority of passengers. The few we saw had a mix of tuxes, suits, and the jacket/tie. Specialty was open for lunch and we did that the first sea day at Izumi's. Izumi's is above the Viking Crown lounge and has a wonderful view.

I totally get what you are saying about children. DH and I do not have kids and try to book cruises when the kiddos are in school. That usually means an older demographic (I'm 43), but I am fine with that. The few school age kids on our cruise were very well behaved. :)

Lisa

Love Seat in Inside 3539 (Deck 3 forward). I put two pillows against the wall and put my feet on the bed. That was the only way it was comfortable for me (I am 5'11"). We were in the smallest category of inside and the bed was against the wall.

Lisa

We just did the 10 night on the Rhapsody to the Eastern Mediterranean last month. I would think that the passenger makeup would be similar in May to what we had since school is in session. 80% were American, Canadian, British, and Ausies. 20% was a mix of other nationalities. There were very few children onboard. Definitely less than 50, and probably closer to 25. The age demographic had a good mix of younger adults, middle aged, and seniors. Definitely the majority was over 50, but there were more under 40's than I expected.

The service from the staff on the Rhapsody was fantastic and on par with what I have experienced on HAL. The ship itself is in good shape for it's age and size. I would compare the decor and style more to NCL. Drink prices were cheaper on HAL...looking at $12-14 per mixed drink, $9 for inexpensive wine, and $6.50 for beer (service charge is included in the price for European cruises).

We don't eat dinner in the main dining room, so I can't help with that. We ate at Izumi, Chops, Giovanni's, and the Windjammer (buffet) for dinner. All of the specialty restaurants were fantastic. My favorite on the lines we have sailed is the Pinnacle Grille on HAL. Chops is a wonderful option and my DH absolutely loves it. I am a bigger fan of Giovanni's, but then I love Italian food and their Veal Osso Bucco is phenomenal.

We did an inside cabin for the 10 days which worked out fine since it was so port intensive. Deck 3 forward (3539) was a good location with no noise or vibrations...aft cabins will feel vibrations.

I am happy to answer any questions you have while this trip is still fresh in my memory. :D

Lisa

Great review of an awesome cruise! :D

Lisa

If it looks good on you and you feel beautiful in it, then buy it. I have seen 70+ women wear strapless gowns on the ship and look fantastic. :)

Lisa

I pack what you listed plus Monostat 1. I hope I never have that issue on a cruise. :eek:

Lisa

I don't understand the objection to coordinating colors. I like to get nice pictures on formal nights, so I'd prefer we not clash and look like we're together.

I agree 100%. If Walt and I are having pictures made, you better believe that I am picking out what both of us are wearing. I like the clothes to compliment each other and therefore enhance the portrait. Oh, if we are not doing professional photos that night, then he can pick out whatever he wants to wear. This works for us and Walt prefers it this way.

OP, I would go with the black shirt for your DH, but white would also look fine. I would avoid pastels or a blue shirt. Even though gold and black are both neutrals and everything goes with a neutral, I would try to have his shirt compliment your outfit. Especially if you are doing photos.

Lisa

I ended up booking Princess for next year since Royal does not have anything going round trip out of Port Everglades to the Panama Canal. I prefer to stick with Royal, but if they don't have the cruise I want then I will sail on other lines.

Lisa

I started last Monday, 7/27/15. The containers do look small but the amount of food I was told to eat is more then I can in a day. So I took it a notch down.

I had to drop to the plan a level down from where I was "supposed" to be at. It was too much food for me. So far I am really happy with the results, but a little annoyed with Beach Body. My auto shipment of Shakeology never arrived, and I am completely out. They are reshipping, but it won't be here until next week. Ugh.

Lisa

Hi Lisa,

 

Was thinking about you and wanted to say hello. I will be wearing the dress you gave me a while back (navy blue long dress) to a formal gathering in August,

 

Hope all is well with you.

 

Sheri

Hi Sheri! I love that navy dress and am happy you are wearing it. :D

Lisa

Just a quick note, Royal Caribbean does not allow shorts in the MDR for dinner. You can wear shorts in there for breakfast or lunch.

Lisa

I just finished my 2nd round of the 21 Day Fix and Shakeology. The cups look smaller than they actually are. So far I have lost 18 inches and 6.53% of my starting weight. I have found that with planning and prepping, the 21 day fix is pretty easy to follow and I like this much better than weight watchers.

Lisa

While not exactly like yours, I do own two bustiers. I like the idea of wearing them over a long sleeve fitted t-shirt. I normally just wear them as a strapless top, but will definitely try them with a shirt this winter.

As long as you are not wearing a white puffy shirt (think Seinfeld), you will not look like a pirate. Of course you could go Steampunk and look awesome. I personally love the Steampunk look. :D

Lisa

Does your serger have a rolled hem feature? On trickier fabrics, I have done the rolled hem instead of a traditional hem with great results.

Lisa

I have been following along since the beginning and love your adventures and writing style. Thank you for taking the time and effort to post while on your cruise. :)

Lisa

I have The North Face Hedgefrogs. They are very similar to Keens and worked out great for crossing rivers since they are all terrain and water friendly.

https://www.thenorthface.com/shop/shoes-womens-sandals/womens-hedgefrog-iii?variationId=AUS

Lisa

I love my Columbia hats

http://www.columbia.com/womens-sun-goddess-ii-booney-hat-CL9963.html?dwvar_CL9963_variationColor=100&cgid=women-accessories-hatsScarves#pg=2&start=0

I have this hat in brick red and peach. The peach one will be coming to Europe with me. It packs flat, has UPF40, and dries quickly. The chin strap is also handy on a windy day. :)

Lisa

Looked at some Asolos, too intense for what I want. I really want a solid trail runner/approach shoe, I guess. I have Salomon Synapse. They aren't making them this year, so I am back looking at all "comers" for a new shoe. Looks like the Elipse is their new model, but I'll look at everything. I use those shoes all spring/summer/fall long when doing my daily trail walk/run with my dog on the single track trail system behind my house. I've got ankle/stability issues, so the light approach shoes work better than pure trail runners.

I have the New Balance trail runners and really like those. Lightweight, flexible, and super comfy.

Lisa

Nice to see you back on the boards again!

If you want, you can always buy a pair of "sneaks" over there. They don't take up any room - you can always tie them to the front of your bag ;) And, they are still in major style over there! Just don't buy white tennis shoes :eek:

Curious - which low top hikers do you have? I'm in the market for a new pair - I've worn my Salomons into the ground.

I am finally getting some time to check out the boards again. I have been rowing competitively this Spring and am either at work or on the lake lately. Next up are Southeast Regionals, so I don't expect to have a lot of free time until July. :eek:

My hikers are Asolo's and I have had them for three years and love them. Don't worry, I would never buy white sneakers. I think I will be ok with the hikers since this is the pair I took to Alaska and never had an issue. :D

Lisa

Seagazer, I think we are on the same cruise. My plan is to pack light as well. I am going with my hiking clothing...button down Columbia shirts and my light weight hiking pants that roll up into capris (I will probably throw a couple of pairs of shorts in as well). I am adding a couple of scarves to change the look for dinner on the ship.

I have low top hiking shoes that I will wear on the plane. They are comfortable and look nicer than my sneakers to wear at dinner. This time the sneakers are staying home.

Lisa

I love my selfie stick! I used it with my gopro on our Oasis cruise and was so happy with my it. Here is an example...you get a lot more of the background.

Lisa

Hi,

I am a six 6, interested in the plunging back purple with flowers and the black with the Bling. I am new to posting , so I hope I did this right.

Thanks,

L

All you need to do is email the lady that posted the dress you are interested in...her first post had her email. Include a picture of the dress you want.

Lisa

In any case, not one person has contacted me about any of the clothes posted in my thread. My sense of style must really suck. lol

I think your clothes are beautiful. Unfortunately I am not a size 6. I have put dresses up here previously and found that sometimes they sit out there available for a few days and sometimes they go in an hour. It really comes down to how many ladies that wear your size are on this thread at the time you post.

Lisa

I would also check with higher end salons in your area. Mine offers make up applications for either 30 minutes or 60 minutes. If it were me, I would do the 60 minutes and bring my own makeup. Price wise, 60 minutes is $65. If you do this before the cruise, then you will have time to practice what you learn.

As far as mascara goes, I do much better applying a mascara that has the old fashioned bristle wand compared to applying with the newer rubbery wands. I could never apply liquid liner, so I use a dark shadow with a stiff angled brush to apply it as eyeliner. The powder is great since I can blend it with the other shadows.

Lisa