Fashionista in the House? Cunard has a Cruise for You!

Do you have kids who can't stop playing with their clothes, changing outfits, fussing about style? (Did you know that as a boy of 6, fashion legend Yves Saint-Laurent was obessesed with dressing paper dolls?)

Do your kids aspire to be professional designers or stylists to the stars? If so, we have a family vacation custom tailored for them, that parents will enjoy just as much.

Queen Mary 2 sails into her berth in Brooklyn, New York

The regal and very British Cunard cruise line has announced an intriguing themed cruise for 2016 aboard the Queen Mary 2, celebrating the world of fashion. A year in advance, the company is promoting its very first ‘Transatlantic Fashion Week’ and the shipmate celebrities who will give it flair.

No need to worry about how your scruffy kids will be treated on this Old School ocean liner -- Family Travel Forum says Cunard loves kids.

The inaugural fashion-themed voyage is timed to arrive in New York City on September 8, the very same day New York Fashion Week 2016 begins. So not only will you have had a special seven-night voyage across the Atlantic on board the most famous ocean liner in the world, but hopefully your family will have spent some time on Carnaby Street, in Kensington, and in all the other fashion hotspots in London before boarding.

What Makes this Cruise Special

Stop thinking about the Captain's Supper! That tradition of bringing your best Black Tie outfit for the evening on which passengers dine in the presence of the captain is pretty much a thing of the past. Instead, this fashion-forward cruise will be hosted by a number of very significant names from the industry, as guests will be treated to events hosted by pioneering British designer, Dame Zandra Rhodes CBE, fashion historian Colin McDowell, and commentator Fern Mallis, considered the founder of New York Fashion Week.

photo courtesy, Cunard Line

Dame Zandra Rhodes, who has dressed some of the world’s most iconic stars and musicians, including Freddie Mercury and Jackie Onassis, has said: "I’m extremely excited to be joining Cunard on board Queen Mary 2 for the very first Transatlantic Fashion Week, 2016. For me, it offers the opportunity to share my knowledge and wonderful experiences from throughout my career in fashion, and give guests a taste of what my collection has to offer."

What budding designer wouldn't be fascinated by this?

According to Cunard, Dame Zandra Rhodes will also reveal select designs from her collections. Picture a fashion show at sea, with your family as front row guests when the next generation of beauty from the Storm modelling agency takes to the catwalk during the voyage.

Alongside these great fashion authorities, guests will have the opportunity to meet the designers of the future, as students from one of the world’s number one postgraduate fashion programs, The Royal College of Art, showcase their latest collections on board.

Cruise Planning Details 

The Transatlantic Fashion Week cruise is scheduled for 1-8 September 2016, sailing from Southampton - New York. Inside cabin rates begin at $1,349.00 per person. For more information, visit the Queen Mary 2 - Transatlantic Fashion Week details page, call Cunard at 800/728-6273, or speak with a cruise specialist travel agent.

Make sure everyone brings their sketchbooks and patterns, this is bound to be an experience that inspires wearable memories.

Every Day Connect - Advice for college grads looking to network

Every Day Connect is a new campaign aimed at young college grads, created by Fairfield Inn & Suites. The goal of the program is to inspire young businessmen and women with interesting opportunities and advice. The information offered on the site comes from four entrepreneurs who were all on this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Giving grads this guidance will help them develop the networking skills needed to connect to mentors who will counsel them in establishing successful careers.

The four program ambassadors are:

•        Kane Sarhan, co-founder of Enstitute, a company connecting students enrolled in higher education to apprenticeships with successful entrepreneurs.

Kane Sarhan, Co-Founder of Enstitute

He provides two tips for success:
1) Do more and want less.
2) Remember where you came from and who helped get you there. Building strong relationships is what will make your career enjoyable and make you successful.

•        Mark Arnoldy, the CEO of Possible. Possible is a nonprofit healthcare company that provides quality, inexpensive healthcare to people in the poorest areas of the world.

Mark Arnoldy, CEO of Possible

His advice for recent graduates: “Go and experience a problem in the world and find something that you can make a long-term commitment to. Serve a market of needs instead of a market of wants.”

•        Eden Full, creator of the SunSaluter, a machine that provides clean water at a low-cost, while utilizing energy from solar panels.

Eden Full, Creator of SunSaluter

She advises grads to: “Find something that you like to do. You will gain success if you have a good idea and people who support you. To gain support reach out to your mentors and tell them your story. Take the time to build relationships.”

•        Meg Gill, owner of Golden Road Brewing. This company’s goal is to manufacture beer in a sustainable manner.

Meg Gill, Owner of Golden Road Brewing

She provides this advice on getting started in your field of interest:  “Find a job, but don’t be too concerned with the long-term today. Take an unpaid job to get your feet wet. It’s not about the money you make now, because it will come later. Find something and some people who can help guide you along your way.”

What these successful entrepreneurs have in common is that they are dedicated, hard-workers, who all have had a mentor to guide them along the way.

The Every Day Connect Program hopes to foster mentorships that will help the newest generation of businesspeople succeed in the same way that these four did by providing videos with advice and stories to help recent grads achieve their career goals.

Guest post by Elizabeth Russo

Photos Courtesy of Every Day Connect