Weather in December
Hi, We are going on the Christmas market cruise from 12/8-12/15 this year. We are committed to travelling with carry on only. Just wondering on the typical weather along the route that time of year? What type of coat will be needed outside during the market tours? Will there be snow that we need to think about boots?
Also, what is the climate of this ship itself. I was on a small ship cruise several years ago in December and it was so warm on the ship that wearing a sweater and turtleneck was way too warm. Is dining more casual than a Ocean type cruise where you 'dress' for dinner? Do they have a formal night?
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We did this trip this year. It was pretty cold for us, ( as we are from FL) in the 30's to 40 most days. We had one day of light rain, but it was the wind that kept us cold. We wore winter puffer jackets that packed easily. We also brought Blundstone boots which are waterproof and non slip and pretty comfortable for the walking tours. We brought gloves, hats and scarves as well.
The ship is plenty warm, but not too warm. We were able to wear sweaters and long sleeves shirts. We brought holiday clothing to feel a bit more festive. Some people just wore whatever they wore for the day outing, to dinner. We like to dress for dinner, so we brought things. We wore more dressy things on the captain's dinner night, but some people did not. It's all about what you are comfortable with. Hope this helps! This is a wonderful trip! We have done 4 Christmas market cruises.
Nice reply, Mimitravels. On our Yuletide cruise I thought the lounge was on the cool side, primarily due to the weather outside. After a hot toddy, or two, it was no longer an issue!
kfnknfzk - thank you! and you are correct, a hot toddy or two takes the edge off. haha
Mimitravels...thanks! We are from upstate NY so 30's-40's is perfect for us! I dont know what a hot toddy is, but have always wanted to try one!
VickiC - You will love them! I know you'll enjoy this trip!
Vicki, if you can find "typical weather" on any tour these days good luck. We did this tour 2 years ago and had one of the worst snow storms they'd seen in years. The worst was in Salzburg where we spent the day slogging thru slushy snow and I found out my boots were only water resistant. After the storm they had a freeze which messed up the heating units on board and the Category 7 suites guest woke up early to the crew banging around trying to resolve the heat issue. Hopefully you don't have any of this happen to you. In spite of all that we had a great time. It's like a week long Christmas party.
This is a very casual cruise so you can easily just focus on being able to adjust to whatever weather you get. I have a knee length Eddie Bauer trench coat that was a bit oversized so I could layer how ever I needed. I brought a few base layer long sleeve tshirts and one pair of base layer bottoms to wear under jeans if needed. They can also double as sleepwear. Warm hat and gloves. It's a good time to bring out your holiday party wear whether that's an ugly Christmas sweater or a fancy party dress which is what I saw the night of the fancy dinner on board. The ships laundry service is very fast and getting a pair of jeans laundered was worth the price.
Carryon only is certainly doable for this short cruise especially since you'll have your coat with you on your flights, can wear you heavy shoes, jeans, etc. Though it doesn't leave you much space for shopping. We're doing the Seine holiday cruise this year and I've considered carryon only with a packable bag that could hold dirty laundry on our return and be checked. What I might do instead is pack my larger wheeled carryon suitcase first, then put only that in my usual checked bag leaving lots of space. Decisions decisions.
The hot toddies are Glühwein which is hot spiced wine. It was always available in a self serve urn back in Arthur's and of course at every market. The markets also have Kinderpunsch which is a non-alcoholic version using fruit juices. FYI, at the markets when you get one of these the price includes a deposit on the mug called Pfand. If you don't want to keep the mug you can return it to the same vendor and they'll give you that money back. They'll also let you exchange your used sticky mug for a clean one. I swore I wasn't going to come home with any but of course ended up with 2.
I always thought a hot toddy/toddie was a Scottish drink.
Hot water, whiskey, honey, and lemon
I always used hot toddy as meaning a warm, comforting drink that warms you up during cold weather. For me on that trip it was the gluhewein with rum!
Ag! I thought it surprising that the Scottish ones were so available 😀
Mimitravels is correct in that a hot toddy can be virtually any warm drink, with or without alcohol. One can add any liquor or even a liqueur. I like an Akvavit (Scandinavian liquor similar to vodka) or a Drambuie (Scottish liqueur—my father’s favorite) hot toddy. No matter what you add, it will surely warm the soul on a cold day.