I have a question about embarkation-wear.

[cruzy-sue]

For those of you who have cruised on Silversea in Europe, how do the passengers dress for daytime embarkation? All of the brochure pictures look as if the women are in suits, hats, fairly dressy. I know some of you have watched the parade of "embarkees" - what's the story?

[uk1]

Wear something comfortable to travel in and ignore the pictures.

[swindy]

I have never seen anybody embark in a hat!!

On all our Silversea cruises there has been a wide variety of outfits......from suits to shorts. I have seen people dressed up and dressed down. As UK says...dress for comfort and to please yourself. After all, it's you who are important.

[goeurope]

>>I have never seen anybody embark in a hat!!<<

 

You obviously haven't met my wife (who, by the way, looks quite elegant in her hats!). :-)

[ppiew]

On the SS cruises that I have been on 'casual' would be how I would describe embarkation dress. Of course some are dressed to the nines, but they are the exception.

[Seas the Day]

I've been told that the number one, easiest way, to spot an American in Europe is by his or her tennis shoes.

 

Nikes, Adidas, New Balance, Avia... all staples in American wardrobes.

 

But in Europe, walking shoes or sandals, or even high heels for the very trendy and young (women of course, and I have no idea how they can walk on them for so long, and so far.)

 

Is this true, European friends on this board? And, if it is true, does it matter?

 

Should an American avoid wearing tennis shoes if s/he would like to "blend in?"

 

I don't think it matters at all on board as one of the things that is nice about Silversea is the blending of cultures. I believe there is a great deal of respect for the different backgrounds. As for embarkation, tennis shoes are comfortable, and would be very serviceable.

 

Personally, I don't like wearing tennis shoes for everyday wear because they're a pain to get on and off. I'm really curious if any of you even have an opinion on this.

[uk1]

As we're generalising - and no one ever got into trouble for generalising - I think us europeans notice that americans like to have the "proper gear" for every passtime - or at least to give the impression of the pastime they'd like others to think they are participating in.

 

An example would be "what do americans wear when they go for a pleasant undemanding short off-ship excursion?"

 

Sometimes it IS full tennis gear - but without the tennis racket or balls. Last week in Vienna - and I tell you no lie - this is the only serious part of the note - I saw an american in Stephansdom Cathedral in full american football gear (without helmet) throwing an american football up and catching it behind his back and around his body. I asked him whether he thought it appropriate behaviour for inside a cathedral - and to his credit he apologised and stopped immediately.

 

However on a lighter note - at other times grim-faced americans might have the following.

 

You see rucksacks with 3 weeks supply of snacks, 3 water bottles, spare walking shoes, two umbrellas (one for the sun - one for the rain), two jumpers (one for morning wear - one for afternoon wear), throat spray, toilet seat wipes, mozzy spray, menu translation aid, digital still and movie cameras, digital still and movie camera instructions, tapes of previous holidays in case someone is met who doesn't move away quickly enough, 3 packs of opened kleenex, 9 used kleenex tissues, hawaian shirts, canary yellow trousers or shorts, home telephone numbers of the local us consul, pack-away carrier bags for bringing back the booty, those funny top-less eye-shade hats etc

 

It is as though they have prepared for a cross himalayas treck rather than for an amble around a market.

 

I think we can tell them - and it's not the tennis shoes that's the giveaway!

[uk1]

On the SS cruises that I have been on 'casual' would be how I would describe embarkation dress. Of course some are dressed to the nines, but they are the exception.

 

Mrs UK1 is pleased enough to simply get me into some clean trousers.

[English Voyager]

UK1,

while we British may not be able to match our American cousins in "travelling kit",we can be in a class of our own in what we buy abroad.

On the same cruise I saw at Madiera a couple carrying a three seater wicker setee up the gang way,and at Dakar another couple struggling with a six feet high solid wooden statue.

[Seas the Day]

UK1,

while we British may not be able to match our American cousins in "travelling kit",we can be in a class of our own in what we buy abroad.

On the same cruise I saw at Madiera a couple carrying a three seater wicker setee up the gang way,and at Dakar another couple struggling with a six feet high solid wooden statue.

 

I must confess an American did much the same thing on my last cruise -- me. I bought a five-foot long hand-painted driftwood wooden fish, from the front yard of a woman who made artwork out of found objects, for $40 on San Andre Island, Colombia. I knew it would not fit in my suitcase, but figured I'd ship it from somewhere. I asked the Silversea concierge if he would ship it. He was concerned because they had no box large enough for the fish. After a couple days, the concierge got back to me and said they would arrange to ship it from New Orleans. The concierge asked me to sign a blank credit card check, which I did. I figured it might cost $80 to ship the fish (his estimate.) Imagine my shock when I got the fish, and it was packed in zero packing materials, just placed in a box... yet, fortunately the fish was intact. No issues at all (and he looks great in a tree in my backyard.) The biggest shock was the credit card bill... $170. Not much I could do about that. So, FYI, European or American, if you buy something very large on a Silversea ship, I'd suggest handling the shipping arrangements yourself.

[bdmarine]

My wife and I are now very careful when travelling abroad not to wear jeans or sneakers. These are obvious indications that you are American. Given the current worldwide anti-American climate, we choose not to broadcast our origins. As an aside, we don't feel that the anti-American attitude is warranted, especially against harmless tourists.

[maxiesmom]

The very worse dress snafu I've seen in my travels was on a small group tour of Egypt the year after the terrorist attack at the Valley of the Queens. We were a group of travel professionals and one of the 60ish aged women in our group actually wore her bathing suit top and shorts during tours. Made me wish we had gone on our own...would have felt safer than with some idiot who was deeply unconcerned and disrepectful of the religion and customs of the country.

 

Judy

[uk1]

My wife and I are now very careful when travelling abroad not to wear jeans or sneakers. These are obvious indications that you are American. Given the current worldwide anti-American climate, we choose not to broadcast our origins. As an aside, we don't feel that the anti-American attitude is warranted, especially against harmless tourists.

 

You are wrong to say that there is a worldwide anti-american climate.

 

I live in europe and have never seen the slightest anti-american behaviour. I have seen anti-bush behaviour and anti-blair behaviour and anti-war behaviour and anti-loutish behaviour ie directed to anyone who behaves inconsiderately - but no anti-american behaviour. Obviously it will be different in the middle-east - but that isn't the whole world.

[Seas the Day]

Jeans do not brand someone as American, in my opinion. It's how they're worn that does it. I see jeans EVERYWHERE overseas. They can be ultra-fashionable.

 

That said, I wouldn't wear jeans for embarkation.

 

I wear something a little special (not dressy) in honor of the fact that I am going on a special holiday. A cruise on Silversea deserves an outfit that says, "I care." Last time I wore fashionable beige pants, and a nice casual shirt, and medium-heeled sandals. It was neither dressy, nor ultra casual. It seemed to me that most people were dressed similarly.

[cruzy-sue]

Thank you, Seas.

 

I guess that is the answer I was looking for. All I wanted to know was how to pack for that day and also since the evening wear for the first night is "casual" would you change for dinner or stay in the same outfit that you started with?

 

It's amazing to me that a simple thread like mine can start such debate. I can't help but feel that many non-Americans find us Americans to be rather "boorish" as a whole.

 

Is that a better way to put it, UK???

[Seas the Day]

I was travelling with 6 others. We all wore what we had on for embarkation. By the time you get your luggage, unpack, tour the ship, have a little champagne, etc... you don't want to take time to shower and dress again before dinner. At least none of us did. We hadn't done anything very strenuous that would have required a change!

 

The first night's dinner is more "hodge-podge" than following nights. Or so I remember. Last night too. I always wear what I'm planning to wear the following day... I don't recall seeing anyone in jeans at dinner. Though, I must admit I wasn't looking very hard either. Unless someone was VERY dressy or VERY casual, I didn't notice. I did notice jewelry. There were two camps: (1) why have it if you can't wear it, and (2) I leave my good stuff in the safe for safety. There were some doozies in category #1 on my trip to the South Pacific (and a lot of pearls by the end of the trip.)

 

By the way, during the day, the ship is very casual - though never "scruffy." If you can recognize the difference. T-shirts and shorts are fine, sarongs or cover-ups and a bathing suit work during lunchtime (outdoors) and not much more than that additional (for instance a shirt over your bathing suit and sarong on the bottom) required for indoor dining.