Dress for river cruise

SSis

We have been on many ocean cruises, but this is our first river cruise. What is the dress like? We are on the Budapest to Prague trip next month. And the nighttime activities, which we usually skip on ocean cruises--are they nice or kind of contrived? Just asking! We usually do dinner and skip all entertainment activities in the evening.

crackers54

casual. you dress up for 1st and last like going to a nice restaurant and a little dresser for the concert at the place, but other than that just would not wear jeans to dinner. You don't need real dressy clothes for supper like you do on cruises.

Enjoy this was a great trip.

Silkman

SSis wrote:

We have been on many ocean cruises, but this is our first river cruise. What is the dress like? We are on the Budapest to Prague trip next month. And the nighttime activities, which we usually skip on ocean cruises--are they nice or kind of contrived? Just asking! We usually do dinner and skip all entertainment activities in the evening.

We have also been on many ocean cruises and this is our 1st river cruise. What date is your cruise? We are on the sept. 26th cruise and are staying an extra day in Prague. We are looking for another couple or 2 to share a private tour on Oct. 7th in Prague.

Kathy18

I did the Brussels to Amsterdam river cruise this year. After dinner one evening there was a local musical trio who performed classical music. Another evening there was a trivia contest but most evenings some of us spent time sitting in the lounge talking. There is not a theater and the only entertainment on most days was someone playing the piano in the lounge. If the boat is docked near a town in the evening, you can walk into the town to explore it more. Many people just returned to their cabins after dinner. We also had a brief discussion of the following day's activities prior to dinner. Attendance was not required and you did receive written information in your cabin, but sometimes it was easier to get clarification about the schedule. I am assuming that all of Tauck's river cruises are similar.

Dress, as crackers54 said, is casual.

tomh

I think that Kathy18's comment above could easily apply to all of Tauck's riverboat cruises, i.e. no nighttime entertainment so to speak except for some piano-playing in the lounge. Since these riverboats have no theatre and folks are pretty tired at the end of the day from each day's walking/touring, any real after-dinner entertainment would just be an after-thought on the part of Tauck. At least that is my opinion from one of the riverboat cruises I recently went on.

rabo

Regarding entertainment . . . During our French Waterways and Vineyards river cruise last year, our nightly entertainment in the lounge by Zivi (pianist, saxophonist, singer) was excellent. We has a great time every night after dinner. One night, Adele (the French Adele, not the British Adele) came aboard and entertained us along with her pianist/guitar player. We had a fun group that had a wonderful time being entertained in the lounge!

BobnDonna

Hi,

We're on the Sept 19 cruise, what departure are you on?

Bob Peters

Do most men wear a sport coat for dinner on the boat?

rabo

Bob, we haven't done the Danube, but on the Tauck river ship in France the only night most (not all) men wore jackets was on the final night aboard. Dressy casual (slacks with buttoned or golf shirts) was the norm on all other nights.

Bob Peters

Thanks

Bob Peters

Bobndonna , we have an 8 person group on the 19th in Prague. Can't wait!,

Bob Peters

BobnDonna wrote:

Hi,

We're on the Sept 19 cruise, what departure are you on?

We are too!

Calaf1

Bob,

I just completed the French Waterways river cruise. Most of the men wore a sport coat, some with ties as well, for the first night dinner in Paris, the Captain's welcome dinner and the Captain's farewell dinner. If you choose not to, you will not be alone or uncomfortable. All other nights, dressy casual is appropriate.

SandraD

I've read all the responses to "what to wear" and am just as confused as when I began. My husband and I have traveled extensively throughout Europe, especially Italy, for the last 20 years, but this will be the first tour we have ever been on. Our travel philosophy has always been, if it can't fit into a carry-on suitcase and a tote it can stay home.
Some comments have said clothing is casual except for the beginning and ending dinners and the one at the palace. Then someone else states that dressy casual is appropriate for dinner. I'm finding it very difficult to plan what to pack. I can manage one nice pair of slacks and a couple of dressier tops for the special dinners, but won't have many options for dinner on the boat. I'm really looking for advice based on experience. We will be on the May cruise from Budapest to Prague.

OzJohnno

SandraD - This is just one opinion from an Australian male. We did the Amsterdam to Budapest cruise in September 2011 and prior to that cruise I was heatedly involved on this forum about "suitable attire". As I live in Tropical North Queensland in Australia I do not own a Sports coat or a suit so I did not take one on the trip. My wife and I dressed in neat casual clothing throught the trip including the Captains dinners and the dinner at the Palace and neither were we the only ones to do so but we never felt out of place or under dressed. I have the photos to prove that a minority of males dressed in coat and tie at dinner. I don't go on a holiday to dress up to the nines. I go on a holiday to relax, see new things and meet new friends.

Go with your heart and common sense. If you don't dress up for a dinner at your local restaurant then why do it on a holiday river cruise. I'm sure you and your hubby will look just fine no matter what you decide to wear to dinner.

jdurkin

SandraD wrote:

I've read all the responses to "what to wear" and am just as confused as when I began. My husband and I have traveled extensively throughout Europe, especially Italy, for the last 20 years, but this will be the first tour we have ever been on. Our travel philosophy has always been, if it can't fit into a carry-on suitcase and a tote it can stay home.
Some comments have said clothing is casual except for the beginning and ending dinners and the one at the palace. Then someone else states that dressy casual is appropriate for dinner. I'm finding it very difficult to plan what to pack. I can manage one nice pair of slacks and a couple of dressier tops for the special dinners, but won't have many options for dinner on the boat. I'm really looking for advice based on experience. We will be on the May cruise from Budapest to Prague.

I'm just a tad confused, SandraD. Why do you travel without luggage? (I don't regard cabin bags as luggage!) You don't have to worry about lugging your luggage … Tauck take care of it on arrival and departure … and you only unpack once on a river cruise. I can understand student backpackers travelling without luggage, but not even they really have no luggage. Have you seen what some of these human snails carry on their backs!

My opinion is that ladies and gentlemen, and well-mannered kids, dress to the occasion. That give a great deal of scope for self expression and sartorial elegance … surely!;)) I don't think you need to pack a tux or formal evening gown. But you are travelling to Europe, where dining is considered an event, not just an fuelling opportunity! Sure, you can get away with things as freelance travellers, but this is a little different. It's a different way of travelling. This is what Tauck says in the before you go section:

For the welcome and farewell receptions, casual resort wear is appropriate; formal wear is never required for dining with your fellow guests at a Tauck provided dinner. When traveling abroad, you may have the opportunity to dine at an upscale restaurant on your own, which may require men to dress in coat and tie, and women in more elegant eveningwear (not required).

Of course, you may not choose to dine at an elegant, off-boat restaurant while you are away, so Tauck's suggestion of a coat & tie would be irrelevant.

Cheers,

Jan

OzJohnno

Yes Jan that's exactly as I read it. I have no plans of dining at an elegant restaurant off boat. I didn't when we cruised last time and won't again on our cruise on the Rhone. Therefore I will never need a coat and Tie.

Rod

jdurkin

Go you! ))))))))

Cheers,

Jan

British

If only someone at Tauck could define what 'Casual Resort Wear' actually meant, it might help in some people's decisions! I have not been on a Tauck River cruise as yet. What I have notIced on most other Tauck tours is that on the first night Welcome dinner the majority really make an effort to dress up, but as the tour progresses people gradually continue to dress down so that even on the final day those who were the most 'Dressed up' at the beginning have toned it down. When you are having a fantastic time seeing sites and making new acquaintances and getting up about 5am some days for one of those long moving days to another location, or to go on Safari at the crack of dawn, the last thing you feel like doing is dressing for dinner, so it is so nice to be casual.
Really the most important thing to take notice of is what to wear on your feet on trips. But even when your Tour Director says 'Tomorrow we need to wear closed toe shoes' I watch in amazement when I see people weariNg flip flops and we are walking on jagged volcanic rocks, yes seen this over and over, in appropriate footwear that as a consequence might affect everyone if there is a falling accident.

Kathy18

SandraD,

As I mentioned earlier I have done the Brussels to Amsterdam riverboat with Tauck. First, everyone on the riverboat is part of the Tauck tour. During the day you split into smaller groups for sightseeing however everyone is with Tauck and not like on other cruises where some people might be with your tour group and others are traveling individually.

Secondly, you do not need to bring dressy clothes. For the "dressier" evenings, I had a nice pair of black or navy slacks and a blouse. Many evenings we went to dinner in the same clothes that we had worn during the day because you could go to dinner at anytime. The friends who I met on the tour and I might come in from the day of sightseeing, sit in the lounge talking and then go straight to dinner.

I have learned that Casual Resort Wear is just what I described - nice pair of slacks and a dressier blouse. I do notice that there are people who prefer to get dressed up for meals, but I never wanted to pack more than I really need. Bringing dresses or fancy clothes would require more care to see that they do not wrinkle in the suitcase. I also like to travel light with the smallest suitcase possible and a backpack.

Enjoy your tour in what you feel comfortable doing and wearing. It is the sights, adventures and people that you meet which are the most important things to remember. No one will remember how you were dressed for dinner!

RJS666

I agree with SandraD, and add that we spend too much time worrying about what to wear. My casual is a clean pair of jeans, while my wife defines casual as a long skirt and pretty top. Wear what is comfortable for you, and enjoy the trip on your own terms. The Tauck evening events, unlike large ship events, are not to be missed.

SandraD

Thanks OzJohnno, British, and Kathy 18 -- you've reassured me that my customary packing will work for my river cruise. I hope I didn't imply that I don't pack a suitcase; I do. I just pack economically so I can get everything in a 22" carry-on suitcase and a tote. My husband and I are looking forward to the cruise and think this may be the first of many.

capejane42

SandraD,
We are also on the May trip from Budapest to Prague. We are arriving a day early to spend a bit more time in Budapest. We live on Cape Cod and this will be our fifth Tauck trip. We are not usually "cruise folks" but it sounds like this is a very good way to see this area and those cities.