Joyce......I am a size 18 too. I live in NJ. I just bought two dresses for my first cruise in January. The first one I bought in Fashion Bug and the second one I found just last weekend at TJ Maxx. I bought them both for $40 each. The one I found at Fashion Bug is a long dress (black with a lot of sparkles). I f you do go to Fashion Bug there are always coupons in circulars so keep your eye out. My dress was originally $50 and I used a $10 coupon. If nothing else you could always try the department stores like Macy's or Nordstroms. I love Lane Bryant, but they don't have much as far as dresses go and if they do they are more on the casual side. Hope this helps.
Rachel