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Sport jacket for palace dinner?
We have planned to travel with carry on luggage only for our tour in September. Until now, sport jacket for men has been listed as optional. Received our documents today and it says sport jacket required for palace dinner. If so, that would probably mean we have to check a bag (ugh). If I don’t have a sport jacket are their “loaners”? On recent tours has this been enforced? Thanks.
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Having taken this tour, albeit years ago, I would agree that jackets should be required for the palace dinner. You will, however, receive dissenting opinions herein. My husband always wears a jacket at the welcome, farewell and special events, as well as when dining on our own.
Will you be denied entry into the palace? I doubt it, but based on comments from others who have taken this tour, it appears the requirement might be new. I wouldn't take a checked bag for the sole purpose of having a jacket. I doubt the hotel has "loaners."
I took this tour several years ago, and I think it's been changed a bit. I know my husband did not take a jacket, but I've also never seen it specified as mandatory in any of the tours we've taken. My point being if they were that specific, I'd bring one. We recently took a the Blue Danube trip and there were three dinners at palaces. 99% of the men wore jackets, my husband included. He wore his on the plane and the flight attendant hung it for him - perhaps that's an option for you. We really enjoyed the Paradors tour. The Hotel Maria Cristina was memorable.
Folsomdoc – A thought for you about the jacket issue.
Prior to the pandemic I bought an Eddie Bauer Travel Blazer for a couple of trips we had scheduled. The trips were cancelled due to the pandemic and I didn’t get to use the jacket for travel until recently.
The jacket weighs about 17 or 18 ounces and can be rolled up and stuffed into a suitcase or carry on and will resist wrinkles. Admittedly it does not look like a tailored Brooks Brothers jacket but so far I have had no complaints.
Next month we are traveling to Ireland and are on the Best of Ireland Small Groups tour. I have heard that at Ashford Castle the George V Dining Room requires a jacket for men at dinner. I checked the website and did confirm this. I will be taking this jacket with me to Ireland.
If you want additional information the blue text above are links to the websites.
We ate at the Dungeon and Cullen's at the Cottage where jackets aren't required. George V has loaner jackets.
"In order to lighten your packing we do have a number of jackets available to borrow from our front desk. There is no dress code for Cullen's at the Dungeon, Cullen's at the Cottage or any of the other dining establishments on the estate."
Folsomdoc, you're right that that packing list says jacket optional. Worst case you could wear it/hand carry it on the plane.
When we traveled, my husband always wore a navy blazer onto planes and then hung it up during the flights.
It works well if you just wear the jacket while traveling.
That is precisely what my husband does, Gourmet Gal. He will wear one of his jackets when going for an evening stroll ...just like wearing a "traditional" jacket.
The few dresses I normally take along on tours take up the least amount of space in my luggage.
I pack everything else first, if there is a chance a jacket will be needed or appropriate, I throw it on top. If there is not enough room (never happens) I leave it home.
I hiked on multiple Camino trails in Spain and I never had room in my backpack for a sports jacket or slacks. I stayed in two paradors (Leon and Baiona) and wore the dressiest hiking clothes I had. No one flinched as I entered the dining room. But on your trip your companions may dress. But in my experience there is no dress code or need for a jacket.
The jacket “required” note from Tauck referred to the palace dinner which is in Madrid.
Just a follow up: turns out Tauck sent us outdated final docs. I only figured that out when I googled a hotel to find it permanently closed. My TA was able to get them to send revised docs and there is no “palace dinner” and sport jacket is optional. I’m not packing one. I’ll have nice shirts and slacks, that’s it.
Packing a Tuxedo, which I have done numerous times, is an issue. Packing or wearing a jacket to a trip is not an issue. One of our group on this last trip just wore it on the plane, and they will hang it up, or you can carefully place it in the overhead. Personally, I don’t enjoy and I avoid if possible dining on an elegant meal in an elegant location with people who are dressed for the “Olive Garden”. Refusing to dress appropriately I believe is a perfect example of advanced age narcissism. “I have lived on the planet long enough that I now own it.” My favorite was when we dined in Malta at a Knights of Malta venue, and one guy showed up in a t-shirt, shorts, and shower shoes. Yes, they did allow him to dine with us, but he did not sit at our table.
Well, it is an issue. We will be both in parts of Spain which are temperate and on the north coast which can be cold and rainy. I’m wearing a jacket on the plane which will cover those bases and it’s not a sport jacket (which is a decorative item IMHO). To pack a sport jacket to wear once, maybe twice, means checking a bag which is not going to happen. No t-shirts and flip flops for me, don’t fret.
I always tell myself that I'm done commenting on dress attire. In my opinion, refusing to dress appropriately knowing the venue and/or event calls for more refined attire is rude and shows complete disregard for others and the host country. Frankly, there's a reason why Americans are sometimes labeled as rude, arrogant and devoid of class.
Folsomdoc, I'm on your side. Per Tauck's website a jacket and tie are OPTIONAL for the Northern Spain tour. You will be appropriately dressed in nice slacks and dress shirt. You could add a tie and/or sweater - the later for warmth. That's a far cry from tahirts, shorts, or shower shoes none of which I believe you are planning to wear to dinner. You are not being rude but others here are being rude and judgemental. Wishing you a wonderful tour.
Right now, just taking carry on luggage is sensible if you are discipline enough to do it. To have to take a suitcase just to accommodate a jacket, seems crazy. It is I’m sure distressing for most people to arrive at a destination to find your clothing didn’t make it, or to take a jacket and then find half your fellow travelers didn’t bring one. I’ve been on tours where people do wear, shorts or flip flops and yes even safari clothing at a palace dinner. But it’s just your fellow Tauck group and I’d rather ‘judge ‘ people on their personality than a piece of clothing.
Of course.
My comment was in response to and in solidarity with Sealord's comment regarding having an elegant meal in an elegant setting. That's all. Good evening.
Normally at home I am happy to dress according to requested attire for a venue or event. But when traveling I, like many travelers, have to balance packing and luggage constraints with requested attire, especially when travel includes trains or lugging their luggage. When these questions about attire come up it isn’t usually because people want to flout the rules but they’re trying to get by with the least amount of luggage while sort of skating by with an acceptable attempt to satisfy a dress “code”. Fellow travelers really should try to be more tolerant.
@Claudia Sails thank you. The tie idea is excellent and I’ve put one in my carry on. The shirt I have is quite nice, pale blue Brooks Brothers, with my initials on the cuff. It has a pocket (many Brooks Brothers do not you know) so I’ll be able to bring my toothpicks and nail clippers. Since I’m totally devoid of class anyway, what the hell!
But if they throw me out at least I can ask ¿Dónde está el restaurante Olive Garden más cercano?
We've never done carryon only nor taken more than one large bag, but for our Douro river cruise I think we may be giving carryon only a try. We purchased inexpensive hardside carryon's that meet Delta's maximum. Did a test pack this afternoon and I think it will work. I'm only partly concerned about this summers luggage fiascos. We are taking the high speed train to Barcelona after the tour and I'm not sure how well I can manage the usual amount that I have Tauck's help with. I'll post a thread on this and lessons learned.
Ps - my husband now wants his initials on his dress shirts.
Claudia, what date is your cruise? I’m on the Oct. 7 sailing but we leave next week for London and will make out way to Lisbon, then Porto via a Silversea cruise.
Have a great time on your upcoming trip!
Gourmet Girl, the cruise starts 26 Oct in Lisbon. Gift of Time there, plus a couple of days in Madrid and 3 more in Barcelona. Wish I knew what the weather was going to be.
When I go to Southern Spain in November, I am going to take jeans and light sweaters. I don’t wear denim jeans that much, I have black, beige and more colorful ones that all look a bit dressier than denim. I will have my folding puffer jacket, a feather vest and rain attire and umbrella. I’m not anticipating hot weather, if it gets to the seventies I know I can survive in the sweater and jeans without being too warm. I save to keep covered up in sun anyway. So I hope I’m on the right track.