Super-cute tiny bag for cruise

February 17, 2016 11:35 AM

We are going on a cruise with friends in a few weeks. My clothes have no pockets. Looking for suggestions for a small bag to carry a few essentials on board, details below.

The bag will mostly be carrying my ship's card--the credit-card-sized thing they hook your credit card to so you don't realize how many drinks you're buying--some lactase pills, Bandaids, and my phone (they have an app you can use aboard the ship to chat with your party members for free). In an ideal world, I'd have pockets for these things, but I can pretty much find either clothes that fit or clothes with pockets. I've got a bag for shore excursions already that fits my DSLR camera but I don't want to haul it around onboard.

Desired characteristics:

--Cute but not cutesy. Well, "cute" is a vague description, but I'd like it to fit somewhere in between "financial district" and "anime convention."
--Crossbody strap (non-negotiable) so I have both hands free. If it's removable so it turns into a clutch for formal night, great, but not essential.
--Small: like my iPhone should mostly fill it small. If my point-and-shoot camera (2.6 x 1.25 x 4.5") could fit into it as well, that's good too but not essential.
--Inexpensive. Less than $30 would be ideal, can go to $50 for the right one.
--Ideally someplace that ships quickly so I can get it, see if I like it, and send it back if I don't. Zappos or Amazon Prime sort of thing. (I am in the US.)

posted by telophase to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (19 answers total)

I would look at LeSportsac and Kipling for this, though it may be a bit over your budget. This style is what I use for non-pocket days if I want crossbody. Kipling has a really cute wristlet I use too.
posted by JenMarie at 11:45 AM on February 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

If it were me to be honest I might go for something like this or this. No one will have it, size is right, says "fun". This one is cooler, maybe too small. If you want to go a little bigger and want something a bit more upscale this Vera Bradley bag is on sale and looks cruise-y to me.
posted by jessamyn at 11:48 AM on February 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

Not sure where on the range of cutesy it fits, but I'd check out Sakroots on zappos (link). They have a lot of wallet/smartphone wristlets with detachable crossbody straps, and most are in the $30-50 range. If you go really small, make sure you check the reviews, where people usually mention if it will/won't fit their particular phones.
posted by specialagentwebb at 11:50 AM on February 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

This store makes mini-crossbody bags. If you want to use it as a clutch, you just shorten the strap and tuck it into the bag. (For hands-free, I use a wristlet for exactly what you want to do; I find it far less cumbersome than the cross-body!)
posted by DarlingBri at 11:53 AM on February 17, 2016 [2 favorites]

I like a bag like this (Target always has 4-5 bags like this too) because it'll hold essentials plus a book/magazine/tablet.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:53 AM on February 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

(and actually amazon carries the same brand, with a bigger variety and slightly lower prices)
posted by specialagentwebb at 11:53 AM on February 17, 2016

All of these options are sort of a water-resistant nylon material, or something close to it.

Baggallini
Sherpani
Haiku is at the high end of your price range
posted by gladly at 11:54 AM on February 17, 2016

I also came to recommend Kipling. I used a Creativity XL wristlet on a recent trip and loved it. Baggallini is another brand you might want to check out; maybe something like this or this would work.
posted by neushoorn at 11:56 AM on February 17, 2016

Is it possible that what you want is actually a cellphone purse like this?
posted by DarlingBri at 12:04 PM on February 17, 2016

You are basically describing my dream bag, and I have wasted many hours on Amazon looking for it.

If you search "cell phone pouch" you can find a lot of fun options.

I got this one, but it was too small for my galaxy note. Cute, though.
posted by selfmedicating at 12:05 PM on February 17, 2016 [2 favorites]

Would a SpiBelt work? It's hands free.
posted by Sassyfras at 12:16 PM on February 17, 2016

Something like this mini chain cross-body, maybe? I wouldn't say it screams "fun", but it's cute (to me), and basic enough to be versatile and match stuff. It looks like the chain can come off (or at least tuck inside the bag) for a more formal look.
posted by miss_kitty_fantastico at 12:27 PM on February 17, 2016

6pm.com search for crossbody purses, $30 and under.

A few I liked, some are a bit more expensive: green, coral, grey, straw, grey + yellow, chevron, another in coral.
posted by clearlydemon at 12:54 PM on February 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

Not crossbody, but super stylish and keeps both hands free (and you can use it as a shoulder bag at night if so desired): Kinies hip pack
posted by Mchelly at 12:57 PM on February 17, 2016

Best answer: I have this exact problem with finding clothes with appropriately sized pockets, and need to carry my key card and other small things with me when at the office.

I picked up one of the faux leather Hipzbags a while back and loved it so much I sprung for the leather version a few months later.

I really like having my phone (an iPhone 6) in the back pocket of it, since I could keep it on silent mode and still be able to feel the vibrations from alerts.

I think they're reasonably cute, and they have a lot of styles to choose from, so you can probably find something you'll be happy with. You can wear them as a hip-bag, as a cross-body bag, or even clip them onto your belt loops, which means your hands are free.

The leather one is the most expensive at $45 USD. The rest are between $20 and $30.
posted by burntflowers at 1:15 PM on February 17, 2016 [5 favorites]

This little crossbody bag (3 x 4 3/4 x 7 1/2 in.) from H&M may fit the bill? My friend has a similar one and gets compliments on it all the time.
posted by aperturescientist at 1:28 PM on February 17, 2016

I think the KAVU Mini Keeper may work, and it's only $25.
posted by hollyholly at 2:22 PM on February 17, 2016

Etsy has some lovely stuff. I ordered two bags from JanineKing for this purpose (one cross-body, one cellphone size) and they're great.

The cell phone one is big enough for my phone (5s, but I think she sized up a little from when I got mine?), a small set of keys, and my wallet. The cross-body ones would comfortably add the camera.

I like that the fabrics are eyecatching enough I don't worry about forgetting it if I put it on a table.
posted by modernhypatia at 3:33 PM on February 17, 2016

They're super dorky, but a lot of people on cruises use lanyards rather than cross-body bags, with ID/passport holders on them. You keep your sail card accessible in the front pocket and then put phones or whatever in the other pockets. They're not really cute, I suppose, but they are what many people will be using, so they won't stand out, particularly.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:06 AM on February 18, 2016