France Waterways April 2017

We are looking forward to our April cruise. We have the packing list but are wondering what we should pack for dinners on board the boat. Will my husband want a sportscoat?

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  • My wife and I have taken three trips with Tauck and will be taking our third this April down the Seine. On all of them I took a blazer and was glad I did. On many evenings men wore a sport jacket to dinner with tie being optional. On welcoming and farewell dinners almost everyone wore a jacket and a tie. Of course the choice is his but I would certainly recommend it. Just my thoughts. Best, Bill Clayton
  • edited February 2017
    This topic has been discussed many times over the past several years. Here's a reprint from one of my posts a few years ago . . .

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    We were on Tauck’s French Waterways and Vineyards tour in September of ’12. At the Welcome Dinner at Fouquet’s and at the Captain’s Farewell Dinner, most of the men wore jackets. I did, but that’s what I prefer. This is your vacation. If you feel comfortable not wearing a jacket, don’t wear one. No one will feel less of you because of what you are wearing, and you will not feel out of place.

    If you’re interested, I posted a daily blog at . . .
    http://www.rabo.com/Blog/French_Waterways_and_Vineyards/French_Waterways_and_Vineyards.html

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    Tauck Tim posted:
    Rabo is correct, on this particular trip, you'll be on one of the Jewel-class ships, such as the ms Swiss Emerald/Jewel/Sapphire or the ms Treasures. On the riverboats, the dress is more or less as rabo said; the welcome and farewell dinners are generally more formal but jackets are not required for them.
  • marieb wrote:
    We are looking forward to our April cruise. We have the packing list but are wondering what we should pack for dinners on board the boat. Will my husband want a sportscoat?

    If you look at even just a small collection of past forum posts, you will see that this is the most asked question on the forum, just write 'Sportscoat' or Sportsjacket' into the search at the top right of this page in River cruises and you will get a million different answers. One thing for sure, not everyone will have a jacket. Though if you are going in April,it is going to be cool in the evening. So you might want a jacket on the deck when you are watching the scenery in the evenings, it will be staying light until about 7-30 by then if my memory is correct for Northern Europe, but cool. We have still never taken a Tauck river cruise, just lots of land ones. I can't see my husband being too keen on taking a jacket when we eventually take a river cruise, but he is happy wearing a nice shirt and tie. Recently, the land tours have had men in polo shirts at dinner, just glorified t shirts in my opinion, I prefer to see a shirt, it's lighter to pack and can double for wear during the day covering arms and neck from the sun.
    When you return from your cruise, could you perhaps report back on how many wore jackets so there can be more evidence for the question here.
  • Each cruise can vary depending on the itinerary, time of year and the group involved. We took this in Jul a few years ago with a group of ex-military types who were used to "uniform" requirements. Most of the men wore a sport coat (with or without ties) to the dinner at Fouquets and the farewell dinner and the ladies were about 50/50 split on dresses. Less at the welcome dinner but that was due to a screw-up by the train co causing us to be late getting to the ship.

    On the Rhine in Oct there were very few jackets but lots of sweaters for the men and almost no dresses. The dressiest my husband got was dress slacks, long sleeve shirt, tie and/or pullover sweater. I brought 1 pair of black dress slacks, shoes to go with and several dressier tops - lace, a silvery tank, a bit of bling etc. Scarves can dress up the plainest top.

    As British said it can be cool topside even in the summer and definitely in April. In fact you may find it chilly in the evening on board sitting near a window. You also have the dinner at Pont de Garde which was outdoor for July - not sure for April. Definitely a bit of a walk from the bus to the restaurant and over the bridge if you are fortunate enough to be allowed. Plus you may want to take a stroll along the shore or in town before/after dinner. Most of the ports on this cruise are very walker friendly - one of the best things about this tour.

    For non-special evenings you can probably wear what you spent the day in as long as it isn't jeans, sneakers, etc as spelled out in the What to Pack tab. I find it easier to wear something casual and comfortable during the day but nice enough for the evening with maybe a change of shoes, add a scarf, wrap or sweater. For my husband it would be cotton slacks and a collared knit shirt (long or short sleeve depending on the season).

  • My wife and I have taken three trips with Tauck and will be taking our third this April down the Seine. On all of them I took a blazer and was glad I did. On many evenings men wore a sport jacket to dinner with tie being optional. On welcoming and farewell dinners almost everyone wore a jacket and a tie. Of course the choice is his but I would certainly recommend it. Just my thoughts. Best, Bill Clayton

    Bill, We'll be on the Seine in Jun. Would be interested to hear about your cruise - especially the newly redesigned ship. Wish Tauck would put up the photos/layouts of the rooms.
  • Will do, Claudia. We are doing the London, Versailles and Seine trip for my wife's birthday in April. Best, Bill
  • Thanx Bill. We are doing the same cruise just later in the year. The French Waterways just didn't give us enough time in Paris or the chance to visit Versailles so Darn, we had to take another cruise.

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