One of the first things I picture when discussing the Atlantis Cruise is the party outfits. Each Atlantis Events cruise hosts themed parties with some recurring staples and other rotating categories. The official themes are announced one month prior to boarding the first Caribbean cruise of the year and are reused for subsequent cruises throughout that year. These parties and themes are fully optional, so some enjoy planning for them while others prefer a simpler approach with shorts and a tank top. Regardless of what you decide to wear, you’ll have a great time meeting new people and dancing with friends throughout the week.
In an earlier blog post I discussed my top 3 recommendations for planning your outfits for the Atlantis Cruise. This can be an intimidating task for some, so I must again impart the fact that the cruise is entirely what you make of it. There are plenty of other events, shows, and things to do on the boat if attending large dance parties is not something you enjoy. However, if interested, you always have the option to check it out. Now that we have embarked on four cruises, we’ve learned to skip the occasional party to see a comedy show, musical, drag performance, or simply catch up on sleep.
After almost a decade of attending circuit parties, we have also learned to optimize our outfit selection. Rather than purchasing single-use items for each event, we select higher-quality reusable pieces. As a result, we now have a closet full of interchangeable pieces and didn’t need to purchase many new items this year. I also enjoy crafting and sewing some of our outfits, so if you are creative and enjoy the process it can be fun to make your own pieces.
Staple themes, like the Classic Disco Tea Dance, are great because you can reuse the same outfit every year and people will start to recognize you for it. For our first cruise I created a bodysuit inspired by Bob Mackie’s flame dress, made famous by dancing divas like Cher, Tina Turner, and Beyoncé, and will wear it until the last rhinestone falls from it. Well-made and higher quality items may cost more time to make or money to purchase, but the product life tends to be longer than many fast fashion options found online.
Some of our pieces are several years old, so I decided to make adjustments and additions to revitalize them. When “Enchanted Forest” was announced as a theme the description read to “Come as your favorite enchanted character, woodland royalty, mischievous sprite, lost child, or mystical being.” As a Disney fan, princesses immediately came to mind so I pulled out our Aladdin and Jasmine costumes from Halloween 2018. I added rhinestones to the accessories for my Jasmine costume and made a few repairs to the Aladdin vest, which doubled as a plush backpack of Abu the monkey.
A simple solution for cost-effective and reusable costumes is to start with the item worn on your torso, like a harness, shirt, or tank top, and build the outfit from there. This immediately draws attention and is more compact and easily-recognizable than a hat or headpiece. Pair it with a coordinating or matching bottom, like shorts, skirt, or a swimsuit, and complete the outfit with a pair of dark or light shoes, and you have the perfect formula for any themed party. Adding accessories and details is a great way to personalize your costume, and rhinestones are an effective and easy way to add flare.
Regardless of whether you make your own outfits, style them from options available online, or forego dressing up, the Atlantis Cruise can be a wonderful adventure that you can make all your own. If you are intimidated by the process of planning your outfits, I hope this guide has made that task less daunting. I plan our group looks in a way that makes it easy for our friends to customize and make it their own. And when in doubt, add more rhinestones!
