cruising in style

Cruising in style

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In case you missed this post or all my countless Instagram posts my husband and I just got back from an early 10 year anniversary trip aboard Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Harmony of the Seas. This was my third cruise and my second time cruising with Royal Caribbean, and I am pleased to report that  the biggest ship in the world did not disappoint! One of my favorite things about going on a cruise is being able to dress up for dinners and shows. As busy parents Mike and I rarely get the chance to get all fancy-schmancy, so the formal nights on a cruise are something that I especially look forward to. This post is a collaboration with Pink Blush. I was provided with product in exchange for my honest review and the chance to host a giveaway for my readers. As always, all opinions are my own and I never recommend products I don’t love!

 

Cruising in style

 

If you’ve never been cruising before here are some tips for packing successfully, especially for formal nights:

  • Consider keeping the heels at home. I packed one low pair that I wore a few of the nights, but for the most part I wore strappy sandals. Although you can forget sometimes because it’ll be so large with so much to do, a cruise ship is still a boat and if you experience rough seas you’re better off with both feet firmly planted on the floor.
  • Bring along a small clutch for your camera, lip gloss, ship pass… all the little odds and ends you might want to bring along if you go to dinner or to the shops. You definitely don’t want to lug around your normal bag, but you’ll need easy access to things (and the hubby doesn’t always feel like being your pack mule for some reason).
  • Keep in mind that you won’t have access to irons on board since they’re considered a safety hazard. Make sure to pack wrinkle-free items whenever possible (this PinkBlush dress was perfect!) and try rolling your clothing in your bag when you pack rather than folding.
  • Even if you’re travelling to a tropical location you should bring a sweater of some kind. It can get pretty windy up on deck, and sometimes the air conditioning inside can be a little much. Plus, if you happen to have a cruise ship with an ice skating rink onboard (Royal Caribbean was the first company to introduce ice skating rinks at sea), you’ll want to be a little warmer. Speaking of which, you’ll also need long pants if you want to take a whirl around the rink.
  • Remember that formal doesn’t mean boring! A dress doesn’t have to be a classic, black cocktail dress to be appropriate. Not that there’s anything wrong with dark colors if that’s what you like, but the most important thing is that you pick out something that is nice and you feel beautiful in! I don’t usually go for the color red but I fell in love with this dress from PinkBlush and it’s one of my new favorite pieces.
  • Dress comfortably. After dinner you’ll probably end up walking around for awhile or going to a show… you don’t want to be pulling on your outfit all night and adjusting yourself. And let’s not even get into the fact that thanks to all the delicious and endless food you might pack on a few extra pounds while on vacation. Of course, there’s always the fitness center or jogging track to work them off (so don’t forget to bring workout clothes, how often can you say you went for a run in the Caribbean sea?!).

 

Cruising in style

 

I am so excited to have had the opportunity to work with PinkBlush for this post. I have been seeing their beautiful clothing for awhile now and knew that one of their pieces would be perfect for a formal night onboard. For those of you that might not be familiar with PinkBlush, they are a trendy online boutique that sells a wide array of women’s fashion–from maternity to non-maternity. Take this dress for example, I chose a non-maternity dress but because of how it’s made I know that if we did decide to have more little ones down the road I’d still get lots of use out of it! Also, let me segue here and briefly mention how nervous I was to order clothing online (after losing so much baby weight I don’t even know what sizes I am anymore in anything and as a tall woman maxi lengths never seem quite long enough) and I was so excited when my dress arrived fitting perfectly!

PinkBlush

 

Cruising in style

 

Want to win $50 credit to PinkBlush so you can find your own gorgeous piece that you love?? Of course you do! Enter via the form below, and good luck!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Have you ever been on a cruise? What did you wear to formal night?

 

Cruising in style