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Gail and Belinda

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Gail Little and Belinda Alexander offer sartorial solutions for a Nordic cruise and a non-frumpy dressing gown

Packing for a Norwegian cruise

Q: My husband and I are taking a 14-day cruise round the Norwegian fjords in June and going as far north as the Nordcap. We have never cruised before and may be limited as to how much luggage we can take. We need some advice as to what clothing we may need to take to cover this type of trip and the fact that we will be far north of the Arctic Circle.

A: The days should be warm with cool nights so we would advise that you take a well thought-out suitcase. In fact the best luggage to take on a cruise has to be soft-sided holdalls. You can buy them with wheels and they flatten down to stow away - much easier to manage than hard suitcases. If it is your first cruise then it is worth checking the website of the cruise company as to the dress code for your particular trip.

If it is a fabulous Saga ship you are sailing with it is normal to expect that there will be at least two formal evenings on a 14-day cruise with informal and perhaps casual evenings too. This means that you can dress to the nines on the formal evenings and your husband can wear black tie. Ladies normally wear something sparkly and often long. A long skirt or evening trousers with a variety of tops means you can ring the changes each evening. Changing your accessories also can make an outfit look totally different too. The informal evenings normally means a dress or smart trousers and top for ladies and jacket and tie for the gents. And casual means smart casual and the men can leave their jacket and tie behind - if they must. So we have dealt with the evenings.

Now for day time. The decks can be quite chilly - even in the height of summer. So take a few warm sweaters or fleece tops and trousers but do add a bathing suit and lighter clothing for warmer moments both in and outdoors. As for footwear - deck shoes are a good item to pack - for both of you. With wooden decks which can get slippery, a good pair of rubber soled deck shoes or loafers is essential. They will be useful on dry land too when you visit the sights. And last but not least - it just might rain - so a weatherproof jacket may come in handy.

Non-frumpy dressing gown

Q: Where can I find a dressing gown that isn't sugar almond coloured with a shawl collar and wrap-over front for under £50?

A: Why not try Primark, which has a selection of lovely dressing gowns in checks/animal prints and bright colours, either in a warm fleecy material or cotton depending on the season. I also looked in Peacocks where they had some very pretty pyjamas, nightdresses and dressing gowns all very reasonably priced. Failing that, try La Senza - www.lasenza.com - who stock nightwear and underwear.

Depending on your size, Evans have a modern look to their nightwear too. There is always pink when the spring collections come in but these shops offer a good selection for you to choose from.

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Reader comments

If Gail and Belinda are travelling north on the Hurtigrute -Norwegian Coastal Voyage - informality is the order of the day. Anyone wearing formal clothes would feel highly embarassed and out of place. Some warm clothing is advisable for wearing on deck but in the summer even at high latitudes it is not particularly cold except at night.

Posted by: Kenneth Ross | 13/04/2008 14:22:31

I am going on a Far East cruise in September what sort of clothes should I pack.

Posted by: Linda Nightingale | 06/04/2008 18:00:10

I enjoy your fashion articles etc and as we are about to put away the fleece lined boots my husband has to wear (very poor circulation)during cold weather we wondered if you knew of a supplier of genuine fleece lined 'chukka' type boots? Not too clumpy! We used to be able to buy them from Moorland's and more recently from Draper's but have been unsuccessful for 2 years now and next year we really will need a replacement. We hope you can help. Many thanks and keep up the good work, I found the cruise article very helpful. Mabel Green

Posted by: mabel green | 05/04/2008 09:50:46

 

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