Dress code

hi cruising on Brilliance of the Seas in August and have booked a few shore excursions in Rome, Florence/Pisa, Nice, and Salerno. Some are having us going into the Vatican, museums,etc. My question is do you really need to wear pants below your knees figuring it might be hot and doing a lot of walking I did not want to be uncomfortable. At the same time I don't want to be disrespectful.

If anybody has done this cruise or visited these ports can you provide your feedback please

Radtech

If you are visiting churches, including the Vatican, yes you will need to follow the dress code. A maxi dress with scarf to cover your shoulders works as do a pair of capris. You can also wear shorts and cover your legs by tying a scarf around your waist. You'll see some vendors selling scarves outside of churches just for this reason.

For guys, pants that zip off into shorts work well if you're worried about the heat.

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Some are having us going into the Vatican, museums,etc. My question is do you really need to wear pants below your knees figuring it might be hot and doing a lot of walking I did not want to be uncomfortable. At the same time I don't want to be disrespectful.

You will not be allowed in the churches or the Vatican unless you follow the dress code. And they do check at the entrance.

Shoulders and knees must be covered. A cool short sleeve shirt or T-shirt will do. Zip-off pants or capris will do.

My question is do you really need to wear pants below your knees figuring it might be hot and doing a lot of walking I did not want to be uncomfortable. At the same time I don't want to be disrespectful.

I am very sensitive to heat, and usually am broiling when others are comfortable. The best advice I can give you is to wear natural fabrics - it really does make all the difference. When I travelled to Israel a few years ago, my coolest outfit included a pair of full-length pure linen pants - the fabric made all the difference, and much cooler than the poly-blend capris I brought.

Thank you for the post and the info! I was looking for the same information. Knew what I would do capris but will be looking for zip off legged pants for my husband.

You could try explaining to your husband that loose, light colored, lightweight, full length trousers are actually cooler than shorts as they keep the sun off the skin. (Although I can tell you that logic fell on deaf ears in my family.)

You could try explaining to your husband that loose, light colored, lightweight, full length trousers are actually cooler than shorts as they keep the sun off the skin. (Although I can tell you that logic fell on deaf ears in my family.)

And a very cool cotton or linen short sleeved shirt or blouse will be a lot cooler than tank or sleeveless tops because they will prevent sunburn. And, yes, "loose, light colored and lightweight" natural fabrics are the key to staying cool. Just as important, ditch the sneakers and wear good, sturdy walking sandals.

From what I am reading here, the dress code applies to both men and women? Men also have to have their knees covered?

Yes, the church is quite egalitarian on this one issue, men and women both must have shoulders and knees covered.

Does this rule apply to just the Vatican or to cathedrals, etc in other cities that we visit?

Those are fairly universal for all churches and cathedrals. You will see people disregard the rule in some of the smaller churches but I felt that it was only respectful to follow the church's request. They don't have to allow the public in to their place of worship but they do, the least I could do was to dress as they saw appropriate.

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Does this rule apply to just the Vatican or to cathedrals, etc in other cities that we visit?

It applies to the Vatican and all Catholic churches in Italy.

It will also apply to most churches in Spain and very specifically to the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

It applies to the Vatican and all Catholic churches in Italy.

 

It will also apply to most churches in Spain and very specifically to the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

Thanks. I am on some tours and don't remember at the moment how many go to Catholic churches but I do remember my private excursion in Barcelona includes Sagrada Familia. No one mentioned anything about long pants.

 

It will also apply to most churches in Spain and very specifically to the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

That isn't what their website says -

http://www.sagradafamilia.org/en/rules-and-regulations/

My experience in Spain and Italy is those Cathedrals and Churches that enforce the requirement to dress modestly have disposable paper shawls for visitors to wear.

That isn't what their website says -

 

http://www.sagradafamilia.org/en/rules-and-regulations/

 

My experience in Spain and Italy is those Cathedrals and Churches that enforce the requirement to dress modestly have disposable paper shawls for visitors to wear.

Dress decorously or dress modestly means covering your shoulders and knees.

Whether you come dressed covering shoulders and knees with your own clothes or get wrapped in paper at the entrance, the result is the same: you don't get in unless your shoulders and knees are covered.

In case the church does not have paper shawls (most do not), bring a shawl, etc.

This is what the Sagrada Familia website says:

Visitors are asked to conduct themselves respectfully and dress decorously.

......

In the space set aside for prayer and reflection in the Chapel of the Eucharist, in the ambulatory and throughout the Altar zone, visitors may not enter wearing:

-Trousers, dresses or skirts that don’t fully cover the knees when seated or standing

-Shorts

-Sleeveless t-shirts, vests, tank tops, crop tops or other shirts exposing the belly or shoulders

-Shirts with sleeves not reaching the elbow

-Plunging necklines

-Beachwear

-Bright colours or flashy clothes that could be a distraction

-Transparent clothing

Does this rule apply to just the Vatican or to cathedrals, etc in other cities that we visit?

It's enforced at the Papal basilicas (St. Peter's, Santa Maria Maggiore, St. John Lateran, St. Paul's outside the Walls) but less so elsewhere, in part due to lack of staffing to do so. In those churches it's up to the sexton, volunteers or personal recognizance.

Just a tip, as a woman it is much much better to wear a dress because many toilets throughout the Med don't have seats and I will say, I ran into more than one flooded restroom floor - so it is easier to manage in a dress than in a pair of pants or capris. Also, it is much, much cooler. I typically wear a sundress and bring a knit sweater with mid length sleeves to put on in churches.

I have a question. We are just starting to think about and plan a Med cruise. I am just curious about shoes for men....I see some say sturdy walking sandals but the men in our group cant wear those as well as myself...are sneakers a total no no as we have several people in our group with foot issues and a sneaker to support the foot and ankle is usually easier and more comfortable especially when walking a lot.

Also I see some that say a T-shirt is fine but then it says sleeves must reach the elbow? Also I saw a note about translucent...I have some gauzy type button up shirts that are sort of transparent...would that count as covered shoulders if I wore that over a tank? That way I can be in the tank while on bus, walking and on ship...trying to minimize the packing vs packing items for port wear and ship wear.

I completely agree with the dress code just trying to get a feel for what people have done/seen as we do plan to adhere to the dress code but wanted to get a bit more details to minimize the packing. Thanks in advance.

Wear whatever is most comfortable for your feet, keeping in mind that you'll be walking on uneven surfaces (cobblestones) so something with a thick sole is generally better.

As long as the sleeve is long enough to cover your shoulders you'll be fine, don't worry about it coming down to your elbow.

I can't imagine that being somewhat see-through would be an issue, especially as you'd have something on underneath it.

And, for what it's worth, you'll actually feel cooler in something that covers your skin but doesn't cling to it, because it keeps the sun off your skin but allows air to flow.

Thanks...what about for men...are jeans ok. Dh is iffy about the nylon zip off pants being to clingy...how about regular cargo pants and a tshirt for men or should they be in a collared shirt?

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Don't worry about collars, a t-shirt is fine. Jeans are fine as well, they just want to be sure the knees are covered, they're not particular about what you cover them with.

Edited to add:

I just saw where you got that bit about sleeves coming down to the elbow. That posting was about a basilica in Barcelona, Spain.

Oh great. Thanks. I must have missed that...i was reading it kinda fast and was just looking for the dos and don'ts. Since you have been sooo helpful would you perchance know what kind of weather to expect in mid May? I read it was about mid to upper 70s...but that doesn't really tell how it felt from experience....hot, warm, cool cause of wind etc.

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I'm never sure how to answer questions about the weather other than to suggest you look at historical norms, because what feels hot or cold to me might not to you. In my own house we have a constant struggle over what constitutes "hot" or "cold".

I like to look at five or ten year averages and trends on a site like wunderground: https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/LIRA/2017/5/15/DailyHistory.html?req_city=&req_state=&req_statename=&reqdb.zip=&reqdb.magic=&reqdb.wmo=

True...but would you say you have seen most in tees or bundled up in may? I typically run a bit cold and if doing the carib i want like Aug to Oct time frame to be hot

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Oh great. Thanks. I must have missed that...i was reading it kinda fast and was just looking for the dos and don'ts. Since you have been sooo helpful would you perchance know what kind of weather to expect in mid May? I read it was about mid to upper 70s...but that doesn't really tell how it felt from experience....hot, warm, cool cause of wind etc.

 

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The Mediterranean is a big area and the weather isn't the same everywhere.

If you're asking about Rome, by mid-May I find the weather reliably warm. For me, probably short-sleeves or 3/4-sleeves warm.

If you are planning to visit a lot of archaeological sites, the weather can seem warmer than the thermometer says -- when you're out in the open with the sun beating down and the rocky ruins also throwing off heat, it can feel quite hot. Anything past May and before October is too hot for me in most of the Mediterranean.

Also one other thing -- most museums and indoor sites have air-conditioning that can seem rather weak compared to what we are used to in the US (land of freezing malls, restaurants and office buildings :eek:).

Not sure if that helps, but as euro cruise said, you probably have some idea of whether mid-70s would feel warm to you or cold to you.