worried i wasted $on these clothes

[powers64]

HI ALL, ITS MY FIRST CRUISE AND BEING SO EXCITED I HAVE DONE SO MUCH SHOPPING FROM SWIM WEAR,CLOTHES TO SHOES. I NORMALLY JUST SIT IN THE BACKYARD BY THE POOL ALL SUMMER WITH THE KIDS AND DID NOT HAVE MANY NICER THINGS. I BOUGHT 4-5 REALLY CUTE SKORTS AND MINI(JUST AB OVE KNEE) SKIRTS, 5 NEW 2 PIECES OF ALL SORTS AND 4 NEW SANDALS,3-4 CAPRIS(SORRY TO THE CAPRI HATERS-HAHA). SO MY QUESTION IS THIS, WILL I LOOK TOO DRESSED UP FOR DAY TIME, LIKE AROUND THE POOL OR LUNCH OR REALLY ANYTHING DURING THE DAY. SHOULD I JUST BRING SOME SHORTS AND TANKS FOR DURING THE DAY? I FEEL LIKE I BOUGHT ALL THIS STUFF, AND TO NOT WEAR IT WOULD BE SUCH A WASTE. I AM REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WEARING AND FEELING GOOD ABOUT MYSELF, BUT I DO NOT WANT TO STICK OUT AS THE OVERDRESSED ONE. ALSO, DO THESE OUTFITS SOUND LIKE THEY WOULD BE OK FOR THE DINNER NIGHTS THAT ARE CASUAL. AND WHAT ABOUT THE BATHING SUITS THAT THE BOTTOM IS LIKE A SHORT SKIRT(REAL SHORT)AND THE TOP IS LIKE A HALTER-THE ABDOMEN IS COMPLETELY COVERED AND THE UPPER BACK IS OPEN- IS THIS OK IF YOU GO FROM THE POOL TO THE BAR FOR A DRINK, OR FROM THE POOL TO A LUNCH PLACE, OR SHOULD I COVER UP THE BOTTOM HALF A BIT MORE? AND DURING THE DAY WITH THE SKORTS AND BATHING SUITS -IS A SANDAL WITH A HEEL OK, NOT A SPIKE OR ANYTHING, BUT NOT A FLAT EITHER, JUST ENOUGH OF A HEEL TO MAKE THE LEGS LOOK NICER, MAYBE 1- 1 1/2 -2INCHES, AGAIN I DONT WANT TO STAND OUT. BUT FROM WHAT I HAVE READ, IF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE WEARING THONGS, NOONE WILL BE LOOKING AT ME ANYWAY-HAHA. OK THEN, SORRY FOR THE BORING POST, BUT HOPEFULLY I WILL HEAR FROM YOU SOON, I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR EXPERT FASHION ADVICE. THANK YOU

[WeirdEyes]

Hi! The outfits that you've described sound fine. However, I would take some shorts and tank tops also. What ship are you sailing on? Some are more formal/dressy than others. Bon Voyage!

[powers64]

Thanks For The Replly, I Am Going On The Carnival Triumph On 4/23, So Close Now. Can Not Wait, I Am Going To Burst. And I Will Look For Your Answer If This Is One Of The More Formal Ships, Thanks Again

[Happy ks]

As long as you can wear the clothes after the cruise, you have not wasted your $$. Daytime is pretty casual, no real need for heels of any type, but wear them if you like to. Please remember, the pool deck can be very wet, especially on sea days, so you want to wear a rubber soled shoe on those days around the pool (the reason flip-flops are so popular). Yes, you will have to cover up your bathing suit to go inside to a pool or restaurant, but you will want to, it is air conditioned and sometimes cool. However, there is a bar next to the pool, so you may not want to go inside!

 

The skort outfits may be OK for a casual night dinner. Not seeing them, it can be hard to say. The capri outfits may be OK for casual nights. You don't say what cruise line you're on, but if you are sailing either Carnival or RCI, your clothing choices sound good. If you are on, say Celebrity, they do dress up a bit more for dinner. Let us know what line and ship you're on, we all love to help here!

 

Welcome to the fashion board and happy planning!

[Nliedel]

I dress up and don't care what people think about it. So be like me and enjoy. I get plenty of compliments too.

[Ehpride]

That sounds similar to what I'm planning to bring (except for the heel...flip-flops for me :). I just tend to live in denim and t-shirts so having an opportunity to dress a little nicer is really appealing to me!

[Sweetdreams]

Powers64,

Sounds to me as though you did just fine. I did alot of shopping too, but not just for the cruise. I plan to wear everything except the recent ($15 formal I found yesterday). The skirts, skorts & capris sound very practical and you will probably wear them all summer. I'm not even taking shorts. Being petite, I feel better in capris & skirts. Have a great time on your cruise and just feel good about yourself. I read another thread that some people don't buy anything new for their cruises because they like to feel comfortable in familiar clothing. With the weather warming up next week here in PA (expecting temp 70's), I plan to wear some of the clothing just to break it in & wash it before I go then it won't be new!

[WeirdEyes]

Powers64, Carnival ships are not as "dressy" as some of the other ships so your outfits will be fine for casual nights in the dining room. You're going to look great! :D

[caribbean girl]

My motto: money on clothes is never wasted!

Enjoy what you wear and wear what you enjoy! Have a wonderful time!;)

[Sassy Chassis]

Your clothes sound great! I actually enjoy being able to wear some things on a cruise that normally get shoved to the back of the closet. My husband was even looking nice in his casual-but-not-white-tshirt-shabby clothes :)

[momofmeg]

I think you will be fine too. I hardly wear shorts either-I wear skorts and capris for casual day wear as I look better in them then in shorts-not that I look great in anything anymore but at least I look decent in a skort or capri. So if you are not a short and tank top person-don't worry there are others of us too around ship-you won't look out of place.

 

I also have longer capris or cropped pants that I wear on casual dinner nights. Hey you can't go wrong with a skirt either. I think they look nice at dinner.

 

You will see everything on ship-from those who dress too casual for dinner( my opinion) to those who go all out on casual nights even-I am some where in between. I have been on five lines, 9 cruises total but 4 of those were Carnival and you will look fine. the only line I have been on I thought was sort of dressy was HAL but that cruise was Alaska-more older ones (and I mean over 65-I am 50 myself-hardly a kid) and also that particular cruise was like 34%-40% European which tends to dress more then Americans do too.

 

Heck even on Princess I did not see people dress as much as HAL. I remember one older woman in a casual tropicial print sundress the first formal night. This stuck in my mind because I had brought the same exact dress to wear "island night" (Princess does more themed nights then Carnival)

 

What you are planning to wear though you would be fine in on any of the lines I have been on. People are slightly more casual on Carnival and more formal on HAL (the cruises I took anyway) but still pretty much the lines are not alot different to me.

[lkb]

sounds like you looked in my suitcase! i think it all sounds great. i have a couple of the prs. of shoes you described and i too was going to wear them with capris and short skirts. casually dressy. you will not feel overdressed, you will feel great because they are new clothes and you liked them.

[caviargal]

I lvoe to dress for dinner and do so every evening because it makes me happy.

 

IMHO, skorts are too casual for any dinner in the main dining room. I also find that the dining rooms are kept pretty cold for my taste. I have a few pair of dressy (beaded, embroidered, etc) capris that I wear to dinner on the casual nights. The rest of the nights I am dressy skirts, slacks, etc. Formal nights are my favorite, especially on nice ships where folks really make an effort to look nice.

[powers64]

thank you all so much for your help. it is so nice to get womens opinions, especially when they are all positive, you gals are all just great, i am so glad i found this place. i am all packed now, leaving in the morning for fla., then cruising out of miami on saturday 4/23 on the triumph. you have all given me so many helpful tips, thank you again.