Clothing - What to Wear

[Carol28]

Very important info needed for me. We are on AMA June 25 from Prague to Paris. How cool will it be on the ship? Are the public rooms - dining, social - areas chilly? Do people wear jeans to dinner or dress up a bit more?

 

Totally urgent info for me! And, what is the weather any place along the journey? Will I need a leather jacket like I did when I was on a Scandinavian cruise during the summer?

[jotabecu]

Very important info needed for me. We are on AMA June 25 from Prague to Paris. How cool will it be on the ship? Are the public rooms - dining, social - areas chilly? Do people wear jeans to dinner or dress up a bit more?

 

Totally urgent info for me! And, what is the weather any place along the journey? Will I need a leather jacket like I did when I was on a Scandinavian cruise during the summer?

 

 

 

 

For the weather look up weatherbase.com, they will give you an average of temperatures.

For current weather you can look weather.com or bbc.com

 

Inside the boats it is all air conditioned.

 

 

Enjoy yourtrip!!!

[Seasick Sailor]

I have been on 2 cruise ships and 1 riverboat. Taking another RB trip this fall!

 

All 3 cruises were to me, chilly in the dining rooms and social areas. You may even want to take your little leather jacket, as some evenings and mornings were quite chilly for me up on the deck as we sailed through the locks.

 

I personally think you should wear a more "resort casual" dress during the dinner hours. I would not recommend jeans for dinner.

 

I don't think I packed enough warm clothes this past trip and ended up wearing the same jacket most of the trip.

 

Hope this helps a bit.

[alexandra cruiser]

Bring comfortable shoes for day and dressier for nite,,,,in the cities you ll notice the women wear more fashionable clothes,,not track suits and sneakers per se...nice slacks and sweater with walking shoes.....also,bring raincoat and umbrella, I found nice ones the fit in my purse,not the cheap plastic things either...for nite on boat most wore nicer slacks and dressier tops,,,,,no one wore semi or formal even on Captains nite....don t worry about the weather, can t change it ,so just be prepared for anything...then go off and enjoy, regardless.....hope this is specific enough,if not, ask away......;)

[Carol28]

Several of you mentioned that it is cool on the ship and on land. I didn't think I needed my leather jacket, but if it's around 60 degrees, I need the jacket. 70 degrees and I'll count on a sweater, but the jacket is probably a good thing to bring.

 

Rainy weather? We are going in late June. I remember in Stockholm that it was rainy at this time of year (and cold). I will have to look at those monthly temperatures.

 

Last, but most importantly, dinnerwear. I'm happy to bring my Travellers from Chicos; I was just hoping that jeans would be appropriate. Guess not.

 

Thank you all for your information. Any more info will be happily accepted.

[eldercruser]

It may be warmer than you think. Late June, early July can be quite warm in southern and middle Europe. Highs in the upper70's or even the low 80's are not unusual. It will be a tad cooler when sailing on the river. as for rain, who can predict that more than a few days in advance. Just be prepared with a lightweight jacket.

[Seasick Sailor]

Carol, Don't worry overly about the dress code, just pack several outfits that you can mix and match, bring a light sweater and perhaps a jacket that will sub for cool as well as rainy weather. Jeans can be worn of course throughout the course of your days, but not as evening dress..

 

The biggest thing is, not over packing. So many people have written that no one, including your husband, will recall what you wore to dinner 2 days before.

 

Go.. have fun.. enjoy!

[GreekBasil]

dependant on whether you are "always cold" I would opt for a few long sleeve tops and a light jacket.Since the scarves are so in style right now you can get a great cashmere one and look great but stay comfy! Enjoy your trip!

[caviargal]

I wore dark and dressy denims to dinner on Avalon, dressed up with boots, nice sweaters and jewelry. Others did as well and I felt very appropriately dressed.

[CRUSINJUD]

What about wearing shorts and Tshirts while off the ship and during the day when aboard ship. I haven't see anyone mention this

[franski]

The dress code is pretty relaxed... Based on the included itinerary, you might want to think about covering your shoulders, or the length of the shorts if you are going into a cathedral. But that is more a sign of respect for the destination, rather that a "dress code" on the tours.

 

My DH wore shorts and T-shirts on both river cruises (just not at dinner...), and there were no issues. I wore capris - but that is a personal choice, due to "aging" legs!!! :D

[CRUSINJUD]

My DH wore shorts and T-shirts on both river cruises (just not at dinner...), and there were no issues. I wore capris - but that is a personal choice, due to "aging" legs!!! :D

 

I'm so glad to read that shorts and Tshirts are being worn by some. Thanks!!!:)

[winegirl]

This is also posted elsewhere but since the question was posed:

Based on my experience on an AMA river cruise, the dress is far more relaxed than on a big ship like a Holland America cruise. There are no "formal" nights, despite the Captain's dinner, etc. Bring along pieces that are lightweight and versatile, don't require pressing and can be "spot cleaned," in other words, touched up with a damp washcloth if a spill occurs. Bring accessories to dress up the look: costume jewelry, scarves. You want to enjoy your trip, not obsess about clothing. The ladies on my river cruises were "smart casual," professional looking but comfortable sweaters, lightweight jackets/blazers, blouses & tops and coordinating slacks, skirts, crops or capris. Bare arms should be covered with a light sweater or wrap if you are entering a church. I take a black messenger type bag that I wear across the body, leave the Coach bags at home (they are popular in the US and Japan but no where else.) I'd leave expensive, flashy jewelry home: European women don't typically have the extravagent jewelry that is common in the US and this won't impress anyone, other than thieves perhaps.

 

Men wore comfortable golf style or sport shirts, sweaters/jackets, Docker or similar type slacks, some jeans. Comfortable walking shoes--NO WHITE ATHLETIC SHOES/WHITE SOCKS, no US team athletic logo shirts, shoes, jackets, no baseball caps. If you wear that, you will stand out as a "tourist" from the US. You want to blend in.

 

I don't recall seeing shorts during any of my numerous trips to Europe, except perhaps, at a beach or on a jogger. Europeans have a sense of style in their dress, including the men. Jeans are of the darker washes and slim cut. Many men wear suits, even in warm weather. They like darker colors, drapable fabrics, European brand footwear of the latest design, and the ladies always wear a scarf fashionably wrapped at the neck.

[Lucky Granny]

It is true that Europeans dress well but you will see the occasional slob on their streets as well as ours. Their clothing is generally more fitted than US, without the big and baggy stuff. However, when a group of elderly people is following a guide holding a big sign around a local site, there is no way they are going to blend in and look like anything but tourists. Your shout-out about white sneakers is a matter of opinion and some cruisers will wear them. Europeans don't wear their "trainers" for any activity other than sports. I have wondered why Americans' feet are so troubled that so many of us have to resort to sneakers for comfort. I have spent close to $500 trying to find an alternative pair of shoes that I can walk all day in to no avail. I will be wearing sneakers for long days of walking, but they will be solid black as will be the pants I wear them with. I second the rest of your advice.

[parkie]

With respect to attire -- and especially the comments regarding men wearing jeans. My wife and I have made numerous trips to Europe and for the first 15 or so, I avoided jeans at all costs. But then I began to notice that more and more European men were wearing them, so for the last 8 or so, I have begun to wear them and have not encountered a problem.

 

Having said that, I do not wear them to dinner. We have taken 5 river (and 3 ocean) cruises, and I have found that casual trousers (or khakis) seem to be more prevalent at dinner -- at least on Viking and Avalon. This is not to say that jeans never appear, but they seem to be somewhat infrequent.

 

winegirl discourages baseball caps, and while she makes a valid point, the sun can be tough in the heat of the summer. We were in Eastern Europe last summer (August/September) and the sun in Bulgaria and Romania was brutal; I couldn't find a suitable straw hat, so I wore my golf cap and I was glad to have it!

 

Lucky Granny mentioned shoes; I have a pair of casual Pradas and one pair of Mephistos, and have found that rotating these does the trick. My wife has found that Munro walking shoes do well by her also. I would avoid "trainers" at all costs. She makes a great point about a group of folks -- elderly or otherwise -- following an guide will fool no one. It is unavoidable!

[eandj]

This is also posted elsewhere but since the question was posed:

 

Men wore comfortable golf style or sport shirts, sweaters/jackets, Docker or similar type slacks, some jeans. Comfortable walking shoes--NO WHITE ATHLETIC SHOES/WHITE SOCKS, no US team athletic logo shirts, shoes, jackets, no baseball caps. If you wear that, you will stand out as a "tourist" from the US. You want to blend in.

 

I don't recall seeing shorts during any of my numerous trips to Europe, except perhaps, at a beach or on a jogger. Europeans have a sense of style in their dress, including the men. Jeans are of the darker washes and slim cut. Many men wear suits, even in warm weather. They like darker colors, drapable fabrics, European brand footwear of the latest design, and the ladies always wear a scarf fashionably wrapped at the neck.

 

I guess we have been to different areas or climates in Europe becasue on our last two trips,(late summer/early fall) we saw many in the longer shorts on hot days. Perhaps, some being Americans. Certainly not all. I wouldn't tell my dh he shouldn't wear his shorts walking the hot streets just to "blend in" with Europeans. I guess we are not worried we stand out as a "tourist" from the U.S. We are not embarrased to be American. If it's for safety reasons, we are confident of our street smarts with much traveling under our belts.

 

We won't go out to buy Italian designer clothes when traveling there. Nor French designers when there. Seems kind of silly. An American CAN dress in a "fashionable" way.:rolleyes:

[Lucky Granny]

Do Europeans who visit this country make an effort to look like Americans? Do they try to "fit it" so no one will know they are tourists? I doubt it and don't blame them....any more than I would feel badly about someone in Europe suspecting that I am a tourist. I am trying to figure out how these ideas get started. I, too, am proud to be an American and will stop traveling if a need to hide that fact ever develops.

 

Parkie, I do have a pair of Munro flats that I will bring and can walk a bit in them. But I need a sneaker-thick sole between the bottoms of my feet and whatever surface I am walking on to walk all day. I wear my black sneakers because I wear them here at the gym and when I travel in the U.S. at maybe Disneyworld or a National Park. I will not buy walking shoes to walk around Europe that I have no other use for.

[mahondi2389]

I'll start by saying I too am proud to be American. With that said, I'll also say that Europeans in the US do not necessarily have to worry about terrorist. I can tell you that I had your view for a long time when I traveled through Europe over the past 20 yrs, but now that I live in Italy, work for the US government, I have had it drummed in my head that "blending in" is safer than not. In either case, I'd be careful and do try to blend in. I'd rather do that and have lovely memories of my vacation rather than having a horror story to tell someone because I chose to wear an American flag T-shirt in Europe. I'm sorry to say I've lived long enough to see that, but it's a sad reality.:rolleyes:

[Lucky Granny]

Thanks, mahondi, I was thinking of fashion, but you are right about security. No, I won't be wearing a flag shirt or anything that screams USA. I was in France and Italy last summer and don't think we stood out as looking strange, but I'm sure we sounded strange when we opened our mouths.

[montu6]

I think we stand out no matter what we do. Think Disney or Epcott. It is always obvious who the people from other countries are. That being said, it is important to use common sense. No flag shirts for me. It is a shame that we need to even think about terrorism, but that is part of life today. Places in Europe or the Middle East have been facing threats for years. I'll never forget the first time I was in London and someone explained why there were no waste baskets at the train staitions. Italy had soldiers with machine guns in their airports long before we ever worried.

 

So what do we do? For me, I'll continue to travel, keep my wits about me and say a prayer from time to time. Life is too short and there is too much to see to hide out in our own little neighborhoods.

 

I'll dress conservatively, without advertising that I am an American. I will try to have respect for the cultures I am visiting and cover my arms and head when I enter churches. I won't wear short shorts in a city. And I will enjoy this facinating world we live in.

[caviargal]

I have been traveling to various parts of Europe since the late 70s, about 26 trips now. I do avoid summer travel due to the crowds and higher costs but have been there multiple times during the hot months as well.

 

Neither my husband or I pack shorts when we visit European cities. I find that skirts and simple summer dresses are both comfortable and appropriate. He wears slacks that he would wear on the golf course, lightweight and comfortable. We both wear walking shoes with good support and our Cole Haan's with Nike Air technology go everywhere with us when we are walking for many miles a day.

 

Yes, we do prefer to blend in, not because we do not want to be labeled as tourists or Americans, but because it is what we are comfortable doing. We don't do it for others, but for ourselves.

 

The majority of Europeans IME confine wearing shorts to their beach or lake vacations in the summer months. This is their culture and we choose to adopt it when we travel. No way I would ever wear shorts to cities like Paris or Rome no matter the temps. IMO, it is very simple to be cool and comfortable without dressing down.

 

It is a matter of personal preference.

[Nippy Sweetie]

I think Robert Burns said it all: " Oh wad the Lord the gifty gie us to see oorsels as ithers see us"!

Reading this you`d think that Americans all went about in loud shirts & shorts wearing baseball caps with white socks & sneakers (or trainers as we call them) while us Europeans sloped about in discreet suits & looking generally elegant the whole time. Of course the truth is somewhere in between.

Wearing trainers is certainly not a no no. They are popular here & sensible to wear for walking. Jeans are fine too but maybe a bit hot in the Summer. Chinos or slacks or linen trousers are fine. Just changing for Dinner into a fresh shirt/blouse/top & trousers has always seemed appropriate for us after a shower at the end of a days outings.

The security issue is sad but true. I suppose I`m just used to it. However there are worse places for that than a gentle river cruise passing through the countryside. It is the large cities & airports that are where we need to be more careful.