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Tauck's Dress Standards on River Cruises.
After reading and participating in a discussion about the dress standards apparently required by Tauck river cruisers on the Cruise Critic Board I thought I would open the topic here as I'm not sure as to what is Tauck policy and what is merely a conception of the dress standards by past Tauck cruisers.
I'll set the scene by saying I am an Australian who lives in a climate that is very similar to Hawaii. I have no requirement for a Suit, Sports coat or Blazer in my wardrobe. In my part of the world you only wear a suit to a wedding or a funeral. The Mayor only wears a tie for the camera's. Now that doesn't make me a slob of a dresser but I do like and only wear casual clothes. We will be cruising from Amsterdam to Budapest on the 6th September sailing.
The situation arose on that other thread when the discussion got around to dressing for Tauck's Dinner and performance in Vienna. A couple of past Tauck cruisers suggested;
1. This was a truly special event and imo anything less than a jacket (no tie) disrespected the performers who were in formal wear,
2. The vast majority of the guests understood that this is intended to be a special evening in a very special place and did dress up.
Admittedly, there were a few in the "minority" who, indeed, looked as if they belonged as a "minority" and would, perhaps, be better suited for an evening in a pub!
3. The one guy in the sweater looked uncomfortable when he saw EVERY OTHER MAN in a suit or blazer. To each his own. or...
4. When 45 men wear a suit or jacket and tie and one guy dresses elegant casual he looks to the rest of us that he doesn't fit in. And the truth is he doesn't fit in. Wear what you want and even knowing that you don't care what others may think you still look out of place.
I paid a great deal of money to cruise with Tauck and now I'm very worried that I mis-spent my money. I didn't realise that some Tauck customers judge a person not by what he says or does but merely by how he dresses. I was looking forward to this cruise because I thought we as an Australian couple could, when asked, talk about our country and its history and not be judged because of our attire. Now I'm worried because it will become apparent from our nice casual dress that we are not worthy of association.
I'd really like a Tauck Rep to give me the "truth" of what is expected in the way of dress at the Vienna Concert and to gauge from other past Tauck River Cruisers what they feel was appropriate dress for various times during the cruise.
I'll set the scene by saying I am an Australian who lives in a climate that is very similar to Hawaii. I have no requirement for a Suit, Sports coat or Blazer in my wardrobe. In my part of the world you only wear a suit to a wedding or a funeral. The Mayor only wears a tie for the camera's. Now that doesn't make me a slob of a dresser but I do like and only wear casual clothes. We will be cruising from Amsterdam to Budapest on the 6th September sailing.
The situation arose on that other thread when the discussion got around to dressing for Tauck's Dinner and performance in Vienna. A couple of past Tauck cruisers suggested;
1. This was a truly special event and imo anything less than a jacket (no tie) disrespected the performers who were in formal wear,
2. The vast majority of the guests understood that this is intended to be a special evening in a very special place and did dress up.
Admittedly, there were a few in the "minority" who, indeed, looked as if they belonged as a "minority" and would, perhaps, be better suited for an evening in a pub!
3. The one guy in the sweater looked uncomfortable when he saw EVERY OTHER MAN in a suit or blazer. To each his own. or...
4. When 45 men wear a suit or jacket and tie and one guy dresses elegant casual he looks to the rest of us that he doesn't fit in. And the truth is he doesn't fit in. Wear what you want and even knowing that you don't care what others may think you still look out of place.
I paid a great deal of money to cruise with Tauck and now I'm very worried that I mis-spent my money. I didn't realise that some Tauck customers judge a person not by what he says or does but merely by how he dresses. I was looking forward to this cruise because I thought we as an Australian couple could, when asked, talk about our country and its history and not be judged because of our attire. Now I'm worried because it will become apparent from our nice casual dress that we are not worthy of association.
I'd really like a Tauck Rep to give me the "truth" of what is expected in the way of dress at the Vienna Concert and to gauge from other past Tauck River Cruisers what they feel was appropriate dress for various times during the cruise.
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Comments
I must admit I have never understood those on Ocean cruises who seem to think that because it is "their vacation" that coming to dinner on formal night in bathing trunks and wrinkled tee-shirt is somehow appropriate. However, when we have traveled on "Casual Elegant" lines like Oceania (and I assume Tauck is the same type from their literature)people were always dressed appropriately.
My husband will probably bring a jacket on our river cruise, but we will be going in October and he will want the warmth in the cooler evenings. He never takes a jacket during warm weather cause he knows it will just take up space and never get used. So don't rush out and buy or jacket, or worse yet cancel your Tauck trip, just relax and feel comfortable - everything I have heard about Tauck would indicate that your comfort and enjoyment is the highest priority on their list! Happy (and casual)travels.
Tauck attracts nice interesting people who love to travel. Don't worry about what was going on on the CC board. Just wear your nice casual clothes and enjoy the cruise! Let me know when you return about your experience on Tauck. We will be on number 18 or 19 next year when we go to India.
Sheila
As for my husband and I, we will "dress up" as we appreciate the historic venue, the talented performers in costume and the elegant dinner setting. Dressing as we would for any theatre performance or nice dinner in any large metropolitan area.
Here's the official recommendations on dress. It took a while, because we wanted to make sure we had the most accurate information for you: "The Prince at the Palace in Vienna requests that men wear jackets. That said, there are nights when it is extremely hot, and then a collared shirt can be worn (but not shorts)."
Regarding other nights on the ship, or the Welcome/Farewell dinners, we do have guests that dress more casually. Use your best judgement, and see how it is when you're on the ship; we want you to feel comfortable.
I hope this helps!
Best,
Tim
There are words for you Sir but as an Australian gentleman I'll keep them to myself and let others judge you and your attitude.
I appreciate that Tauck Tim (who, I trust, speaks for Tauck) has attempted to clarify the matter. We will assume that when we receive Tauck's cruise docs, there will be an unambiguous statement to the effect that Tauck requires (or, in the more gentle manner, "requests") that men wear jackets for the concert evening in Vienna, in order than pax have a reasonable notion of what to pack for the trip. Most passengers do not read these forums (fora??) and might not get the message if it not included in the travel docs.
As an aside, I do admit to finding it a bit interesting that "his highness" prefers that men wear jackets to his palace for the evening concerts, when he appears to be quite willing to rent out the various meeting rooms in the palace for almost any sort of meeting, which one could well assume could include sales meetings, motivational speaker events, or Avon/Mary Kay pep squad rallies. Hmm, doubt that he requests jackets for all of those...
As an additional aside, I might respectfully suggest to Don P that in most of the country outside of Florida, the term "dinner jacket" does not refer to a sports jacket or blazer. I certainly trust that Don was not suggesting that many of the men in his party wore white/ivory dinner jackets and the associated formal trousers/ties/shirts/cumberbuns to the Vienna concert. In the various photos and videos of event that I have seen, there were no Tauck passengers in such formal garb. As regards the video on the Tauck website, it is quite intriguing that in the opening shots for the Vienna concert evening, two of the four men shown entering the venue are not wearing (or carrying) jackets of any sort.
Oh well, we'll drag our blazers along, if Tauck so requires/requests, but certainly not because certain other Tauck clients consider such to be necessary because of their particular preferences and feel entitled to impose those preferences upon all other Tauck clients.
Cheers, Fred
We have been home for a week from the Grand European tour (from Amsterdam to Bucharest). I must say that almost no man wore a jacket (and certainly not a tie) on any occasion. When in Vienna at the "gala" event, Bridget (our Tour Director) specifically told the men not to wear a jacket as the palace has no air conditioning. She had purchased fancy little fans for the ladies (we returned them after the event).
My husband believed that this was our vacation that he had paid for and was for our enjoyment. He didn't dress to impress because that is not his nature. He did wear a button-up shirt and khaki pants for the welcome dinner as well as to the Vienna gala. Many times we returned to the riverboat after a hard day touring, washed our hands and went to dinner as we were. I don't believe we offended anyone because we were all in the same boat, so to speak.
I say, dress as you please and have a great time. By the way, we did the Aus/NZ trip with Tauck last year and we loved your country and the Australians. We certainly never dressed up for that trip!
You will enjoy all of the staff from the Tauck Tour Directors to the Swiss Sapphire people.
Happy travels, Peppy
To state that this is my personal sartorial bias is incorrect. That would be true if my name were Prince. What I have been taught though in situations like this is to honor the host's request.
Looking forward to meeting you! Seems we share a similar taste in cruises, history and appropriate dress.
Oz Johnno:
If you expect us to dress down to accomodate your insecure wishes, that won't happen. Take the prior advice of another passenger and book a casual cruise. We are traveling in September, temperatures should be moderately cool, unlike the conditions the June traveler experienced.
Firstly I'm amazed and somewhat angered that these attacks on my style of dress go on and on. Everything written by my contractors is based on perception not facts. Firstly it has been perceived that because I'm a North Queenslander living in the tropics who doesn't own a suit or coat must be some sort of Yobbo. Now I've apparently become an insecure Yobbo and I'm not sure how - perception? I can't recall ever writing that I expected anyone to "dress down to accommodate my insecure wishes". My wife and I don't care how anyone dresses. Do you really think that an Australian definition of casual dress means that I'll turn up for a dinner dressed in a Jacky Howe singlet, shorts and work boots? AND this new attack that we should take a more casual trip meaning obviously not on a Tauck boat I find demeaning. No-one knows who I am, what I do or how I dress and yet I am condemned by perception.
Around this time last year my wife and I started our research on this holiday. We did an extensive spreadsheet on all the cruise lines and at no time did we read then or even now for that matter in the Tauck brochure that there was a requirement to take a coat for various events. I can honestly say that if it had said that then we would, because that would have been outside our dress limits, not have booked the cruise with Tauck. There is no way we would have gone knowing there was a dress standard that we could not adhere to. It was not until just a week or so ago that anyone from Tauck gave us any idea on what was the Tauck dress requirements and by then it was impossible to make any changes. I am still confused that Tauck Admin on this board have allowed themselves and the Company to be represented in this manner.
That posters like DonP would attack me based on his perception of me is not surprising but DebDyer considering you will be on the same cruise as us I thought you might have kept your comments to yourself until you had the opportunity to see how my wife and I dress and how we conduct ourselves with others over the 14 nights of the cruise. Then, if you still think our dress is below yours or the Tauck standard, you could come back to this board after the cruise and make your points then. At least then you would have based your opinions on facts not perceptions. My wife and I are not going to judge you or yours on the cruise. We will enjoy ourselves to the max on this cruise and on the evening of the Concert in Vienna I'll proudly escort my wife to what will no doubt be the best birthday evening she's ever had dressed in a manner neither of us will be ashamed of.