Halloween on Avalon?

So, I'm packing (well, to be completely honest, I'm just THINKING about packing, as I'll likely procrastinate this until the day before I go) for my Avalon River Cruise (Paris to Normandy) which happens to encompass Halloween.

And I wonder: Do I bring a costume? Would I be the only one if I did?

I've actually put Way Too Much Thought into this (considering the ratio of Americans to Europeans; thinking about the age ranges of people on the cruise . . . ) and I was hoping someone here might actually have the answer.

(I'm a solo cruiser, so don't want to miss out on the opportunity for, y'know, being seen as adorable and fun-loving. On the other hand, I don't want to get a reputation as the ship's weirdo.)

I really don't know. Halloween is a recent import to Europe for children. Maybe you can ask Avalon whether they organize a Halloween party.

Adara,

I have of course no idea what the situation on the ship will be like but I can assure you that Halloween is big in France, mainly for the kids, but there are parties for adults, too and you can buy all those treats and costumes in supermarkets. I was really surprised at the extent of the celebratory character of this day in France when I happened to stumble across all the treats in a French supermarket a few years ago. It is actually bigger than in Germany, but Germany is catching up. You can buy stuff at the supermarket chains Carrefour and Leclerc if you do not want to bring stuff and I am sure there are other shops where you can buy dressing up things.

Hopefully Avalon can provide you a direct answer.

notamermaid

We were on Uniworld River Countess, docked in Venice, for Halloween 2015. There were kids on shore celebrating, but nobody on the ship wore costumes.

Thanks for the info.

(A few years back, I had a moment of shock when I found myself on a London Underground train and there were people in costume -- I had completely forgotten it was Halloween and was surprised to see it celebrated in Britain.)

The answer is:

The crew celebrates; the passengers didn't. (I think one guy had a pumpkin tie.) The crew decorates the ship -- cobwebs everywhere, and so forth. What they do with the food in the dining room is adorable. They also wear costumes, although it is limited to bloody make-up and zombie looks. (If you're expecting someone dressed like a superhero, you'll be disappointed.)

On shore, it was ... odd. We were in Honfleur that day, basically for a shopping excursion. So, here we are, randomly wandering in and out of shops ... and then, trick-or-treaters appeared. They trick-or-treated at the shops. (Not all shops participated, but enough did.) Costumes were not what you'd see in the States. There were some recognizable characters, but they, too, had the death/zombie makeup. I nearly got mowed down in the street by a zombie nurse and a zombie Snow White. Fun experience, but different.