Chic Travels ~ Winter Cruise Getaway

Had enough of the cold? So have we! The Chic Luxuries' team is ready to set sail on Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas. Here's a few of the travel-must haves that we'll be taking along on our winter getaway. After visiting the websites below, we invite you to come back here and enter to win the prize of your choice from our gift closet. Because, after all, what's a Bon Voyage party without a fun giveaway?

The only swimsuit I will put on this body is a Miraclesuit {yes, I need a miracle!}. Look 10 lbs. lighter without it taking your breath away! The Fashion Figure Rialto one-piece Miraclesuit is my fave. An exaggerated sweetheart neckline, empire waist and side shirring provide a slenderizing silhouette. I love the shirred design and the Turquoise color is STUNNING! A soft molded cup bra keeps everything in place☺. Available in sizes 8-16 in a gorgeous color range. $158 at miraclesuit.com.

One of my must-have travel items is a lightweight, but powerful blow dryer. Hollywood Stylist Jose Eber's QuickShine Blow Dryer  dries hair in half the time as most blow dryers. Far infrared heat infuses heat into the core of the cuticle not just the hair shaft resulting in smooth, shiny, frizz-free hair. A cool shot button, two concentrate attachments {small and large} are included. $159 at joseeberhair.com.

This isn't any ole curling iron, the Rowenta Beauty's Curl Active is a high tech curling iron that automatically rotates hair around a motorized barrel creating salon-quality curls in seconds. Ceramic coating to protect hair and add shine. Additional features include right or left rotation and two heat settings for fine or thick hair. $179.99 at rowentabeauty.com.

Obagi Medical's Gentle Rejuvenation Ultra-Light Repair SPF 30 Sunscreen Cream is fortified with Vitamin C to reduce the risk of skin damage caused by UVA and UVB rays. It's a light, non-greasy cream that leaves skin glowing. Created specifically for sensitive skin so no worries about it causing irritation or breakouts. Also ideal for women who are pregnant or nursing. Available in a 1.7 oz. pump tube in dermatology, plastic surgery, and aesthetic physicians' practices. SRP: $70. A product locator can be found at obagi.com 

The OtterBox Commuter Series iPhone 5/5s Wallet not only protects your phone, but has a sliding drawer to hold up to three credit cards and one bill. Perfect! The multi-layer case protects your iPhone from drops, bumps, and shocks. An audible click ensures the wallet drawer is securely closed. Sleek and stylish design available in black, white or primrose for $44.95 at otterbox.com. 

The HUB6000 from myCharge gives up to 27 hours of additional talk time for your iPhone. Built-in cables and connectors harge up to 3 devices at once. An Apple lightning cable, micro USB cable and USB port to charge eReaders, Tablets and smartphones. Built-in wall prongs deliver high-speed recharging. Integrated covers protect the port from dirt and moisture. Don't leave home without it! $99.99 at mycharge.com.

Being comfortable doesn't mean you can't look chic. These Sylvia Sandals from Flojos have a cushioned footbead and an eye-catching medallion. Perfect for sightseeing, walking the ship's decks, and lunching in the Windjammer cafe. Available in black with silver medallion or cognac with gold medallion in full sizes 5-11. $45 at flojos.com.

Sage Lifestyle's Faint Sage Candle is the perfect candle to take with you to every exotic location. Crisp top notes of aromatic cucumber and sage, a middle note of sweet pea, and base notes of musk and Tonka bean create a soft fragrance and coziness in your suite or stateroom. The 4-oz. candle has a burn time of 20-30 hours and retails for $22 at thesagelifestyle.com. 

Keep your skin hydrated while traveling with Scrubz Natural Sugar Body Scrub. I admit I'm a bit of a sugar scrub snob and due to my addition to them, I think I've tried them all. You'll only find one in this trip's travel bag and that is from Scrubz. With scents like Milk and Honey {my fav}, Warm Vanilla and Citrus Burst, you're sure to find one you adore too. Available in three sizes starting at $6, the 2-oz. is perfect for traveling. bodyscrubz.myshopify.com.

It's always a good idea to take along a sweatshirt. The When Blues Really Matters Hoodie from Tribut has a cool design printed on the chest. A cotton-poly blend, it's warm and comfortable. The unisex hoodie is machine washable and available in sizes Small to 4XL. $32.99 at tributapparel.com. 

Don't forget the hair conditioner! Sun, salt water and heat styling can zap hair of moisture. Briogeo's Don't Despair, Repair Deep Conditioning Mask helps strengthen and repair dry, weak hair. It's a delightfully-scented powerhouse recipe for beautiful hair. Fortified with ultra hydrating avocado, sweet almond and argan oils, strengthening keratin protein, power conditioning rosehip oil, soothing aloe, and vitamin enriching B5, D, A, E and Biotin! Paraben, silicone and phthalates free. A 5.25-oz. jar retails for $26 at briogeohair.com.

The b-precise Girl-on-the-Go Fashion Tweezer & Mini Tweezer Set from b-leve includes a stainless steel tweezer duo for home and a mini tweezer with case for travel. Never know when you're going to need a pair of tweezers so keep one of these in your travel bag. The set retails for $6.99 at b-leve.com. 

The Bobble Sport is my newest travel companion. Just fill the 24-oz. eco-friendly water bottle with tap water. The filtration occurs when the water passes back through the filter cap. Each bobble filter equates to 300 single-serve water bottles! It's an easy, economical way to make a huge impact on the environment. The Bobble Sport with Filter retails for $9.99. Replacement filters retail for $6.99 at waterbobble.com.

Armada Moisturising, Protective Lip Balm SPF60 by VMV Hypoallergenics keeps lips protected from sun, wind, and salt air. Soothes dry, chapped lips and helps prevent blisters and darkening of lips. A .35-oz tube retails for $25 at vmvhypoallergenics.com. 

Last but not least, the Short Train Case by Modella keeps toiletries together and prevents clothes from being soiled in case of a leak. The case is also great to use at home to store makeup or jewelry. Includes a zippered mesh compartment. Available in several pretty designs they retail for $9.97 and are available at Walmart stores nationwide.

Eight of us will be cruising. For a couple of our team members it will be their third Royal Caribbean cruise, for others our second, and for some their first. Regardless of how many times you've cruised with them, each ship and port is a new adventure. Royal Caribbean's fleet of ships offers every imaginable activity for the entire family as well as luxurious accommodations, a bounty of gourmet delights and fun shore excursions. What's your fancy? Rock Climbing...Ice Skating ...Wave Pool...Water Slide? You'll find it on royalcaribbean.com. Visit them today and start planning your ultimate getaway. ☼

Chic Giveaway! ~ One lucky reader will win the prize of their choice from our gift closet.

To Enter: email chicluxuries@nc.rr.com and include the following:

• "Gone Crusin'" in the subject line
• your first and last name
• complete mailing address
• twitter id 
• facebook name 

If entering our giveaways, we ask that you like/follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest as well as our generous sponsors. Thank you!

If you wish to tweet about this giveaway, sample tweet below for your convenience ~

#Win the prize of your choice from @ChicLuxuries' gift closet in *Chic Travels Winter Cruise Getaway* ow.ly/sLxuJ #Giveaway

Contest ends 11:59 PM ET March 3, 2014. Limit one entry per person and email address. Winner will be notified by email and announced on our Winner's page. Winner will have 48 hours to claim prize. Open to US Residents 18 years of age and older.

Many thanks to each of the brands featured for providing products and/or photos for this editorial.