I was aboard a luxury ocean cruise this time last year, and it struck me how extravagantly many of the women dressed, given that they were supposed to be on holiday and relaxed about such things.
During the day, when they headed off on an excursion, they wore very smart clothing, chosen so that this-goes-with-that, with the newest kind of sneakers, sparkles on their T-shirts, and jaunty sun visors in bright colours. Some even had water bottles in stylish carriers.
Passengers dress up for gala evenings on board Cunard’s cruise ships.
There was more thought put into the evening, when dinners in the ship’s multiple dining venues inspired silks, glitter, frills, fresh hairdos, higher heels, beaded handbags and big jewellery. They spent their afternoons in the hair and nail salon, by the look of their immaculate coifs.
I’m in awe of this dedication to glamour. I pare everything down when I travel.
For this cruise, I packed my suitcase with five or six rolled-up linen dresses, which usually do me fine. I never bring jewellery, not because it’s good enough to be stolen, but because I inevitably lose it – the earring left on hotel bedstands, the rings that come off at night and disappear into the aircraft seat, never to be retrieved.
There’s no place in my luggage for a high heel, and I certainly wouldn’t pack a dress I could wear only once. The issue with dressing-up when I travel is not the actual clothes but the number of shoes required to carry off a look. You can’t wear your boat shoes with a slinky black evening dress (although some people do).
But these ladies seemed to have a different outfit and shoe for every occasion, from breakfast to aperitif, with some snazzy activewear on display in the gym. Their menfolk obediently follow suit, wearing ties with their jackets at night.
A Chanel cruise event in Monte Carlo.
I wondered about the luggage involved. Fortunately, one of the best things about cruising is that you can visit many destinations but need to unpack only once.