clothes for transatlantic/baltic

[newcruisercanada]

I am planning a cruise on HAL (40 days) from Ft Lauderdale to the Baltic in April/May of this year. I am wondering if I should pack more pants and fewer capris? and a fleece?..ie cooler weather and therefore warmer clothes. I imagine the Atlantic will be breezy, but will the Baltic be as cool?

[PNW Traveler]

The Baltic is cool in April/May. Opt for long pants rather than capris. Take closed shoes, not sandals, for exploring port cities. Late spring can bring rainy breezy weather, so pack clothing that can be layered. We have encountered daytime temperatures in the low 50's to mid 60's. Sunny days are nice, but will likely require a jacket.

My layers include a good quality hooded rain jacket and a lightweight packable jacket for under the rain jacket. I've experimented with lightweight fleece, primaloft, and lightweight down. Check out LL Bean for ideas. The primaloft and lightweight down squish down so tiny that I can fit them in my touring handbag. The fleece takes up more room in my bag, so at this point is a third choice. Sweatshirts are heavy, cumbersome, less versatile, and not as warm. Leave sweatshirts at home. Mode of dress in the northern European ports is more sophisticated than we are on the west coast of the U.S. - I try to blend in with the locals, darker more subdued greys and blacks, scarves to accessorize.

April/May is a great time to cruise the Baltics. There are fewer tourists, so a more enjoyable visit to the amazing ports. Enjoy your cruise!

[exbiologist]

Don't know where in Canada you're from, but many Baltic ports are of a more northerly latitude than some of the larger cities in Canada(especially Helsinki). So yes, it could be very cold in April.

[Floridiana]

PNW Traveler, your advice is spot on!

 

We cruised the Baltic in summer, great weather, but early mornings were still cool and one rainy day needed a fleece and a rain jacket. I am taking the LLBean thinsulate jacket on my next cruise which ends in wintry Hong Kong, temps probably in the 50s. A long scarf is a must wherever I go, even to the movies in Florida.