Gourmet Gal

Good reminder of the suggested attire. Seems SS really doesn’t want to insist or require anything more than “appropriate” attire mostly, a tie in certain venues and jacket aftef dinner. Also seems they do not want to turn off potential customers with an overly strict “dress code”. Lot’s of room for discretion.

You should still be wary of Covid. River ships are perfect breeding grounds. We’re having an uptick right now in my county.

SS just couldn’t give me a good itinerary so we took the air credit and booked on our own. The fees are usually $150 for each deviation per person so ours would have been at least $300 extra PP plus if they could have booked my choice of airline another more sizable upcharge would have been incurred.

You’re perfectly free to be respectful.

Love the photos! No one is telling anyone they cannot dress up.

SS faces the reality that many of the old guard are just that…sorry to say, old and will not be cruising indefinitely. The next generations are simply not wedded to the concept that luxury means dressed to the nines.

You can dine anywhere in that attire plus tie on “formal” nights.

My DH has never worn even a suit on SS - the dressiest is dark blazer and slacks and we’ve dined in every venue on formal nights. So full “run of the ship” without suit or tux. SS dress code seems to be aspirational on the part of the company.

So Caligirl58, what did you decide?

The dark blazer and charcoal slacks is exactly what my DH prefers and we’ve dined in every venue on formal night without him feeling underdressed compared to fellow diners. He actually does have an up-to-date tux and wears it 2-3 times a year but thinks it’s no vacation to have to lug it onto a cruise ship. Even at so-called formal events (charity and performing arts galas) we’ve noticed fewer actual tuxes and more sharp suits.

Perfectly acceptable. However I don’t think you’ll blend in on formal nights with a loud plaid jacket a chinos but a dark sport coat and dark slacks should be fine.

The infrequent formal nights are not what makes SS a great option for cruising. It is just an element that a growing number of cruisers do not care about. Gentlemen can get by with a dark sport coat and dark pants on formal nights in any venue despite the eye-rolls from the old guard. Ladies just need dressy tops and flowy pants. Formal nights are not worth checking luggage if your normal travel style is to carry-on. Many cruisers manage the formal night with carry-on luggage only.

Not sure how the pricing compares but Belmond has wonderful barge cruises that include excursions most days. The accommodations are better than “comfort class” and I would say similar to their hotels. The food, in general on barges, tends to be quite superior to river cruises though the selection is limited. The barges are small so the ideal would be to charter the entire barge with extended family and friends.

Of course you can take more than one or you can hire a guide for the entire day. It’s all just a matter of coordinating the times. If you are booking included tours you’ll probably have to pay for one of them if booked on the same day. On my last cruise we took two included tours but it was an overnight port so one each day and we were not charged for the second tour even though my understanding of the rules was that I should have been charged.

Shorts are frowned upon in churches all-over Europe. Knees and shoulders should be covered. Some men wear capri-type cropped pants in summer which could be a solution. I honestly don’t think shorts keep you cooler though. Long pants can be a buffer from the radiant heat from the cobbles.

Seas were heavy on our crossing late June a few years ago. We missed a couple of ports on that itinerary in Ireland also due to weather.

I would suggest doing some research to request SS Air to book your ideal flights first and if they cannot accommodate then book on your own if it works with your budget. SS may charge diversion fees for certain flights and advance arrival.

Are you planning 2 checked pieces per person plus carry-ons? That seems like a lot for a mostly casual itinerary. I can get by with one roll-aboard bag plus tote for any length trip. The roll-aboard is expandable to allow space for purchases and can be checked on the return. I go through sneakers every 4 to 5 months so I can usually jettison an old pair when traveling to also make more space available on the return. Easy enough to have a few different tops for evenings to go with one pair of dressy pants, planning to wear each top 2-3 times. Laundry service is excellent on Tauck and you can really reduce your schlepping by utilizing the service. I know someone who only travels with old clothes and she jettisons almost everything to make space for purchases on the return.

We did the Douro last Fall with Tauck and we found it the sleepiest of all the river cruises we’ve taken. Tauck is known for having the best excursions and guides and even with that it felt like a stretch in some of the ports to make the stop interesting. I’ve done the same rivers as you and really loved the Moselle. The Douro was recommended to us as being the most like the Moselle. They are similar but the Moselle has much more interesting towns. Of course on the Douro there is history, cave paintings, ruins and of course wine but the big draw is the beautiful scenery. It is a really picturesque area and because ships cannot sail at night you get to see a lot of it and there will be quite a bit of down time. The crews are mostly, if not all, Portuguese and really friendly and kind. It should be enjoyable but this was the first cruise we felt ready to end it by the 3rd day. Having had the experience now I would recommend just DYI and drive the area and perhaps just take a day boat along the river as an excursion.

Excellent comparison.

That’s a real problem on river cruises. I find I have to perfect my anti-social skills with certain people without coming off as anti-social!

I have to eat there when I go visit relatives in the fine dining desert of SE Virginia and I can attest, YES, it is that bad!

I meant to ask if there is a separate dedicated entrance to the ship for Retreat PAX.

I don’t know about Silverseas but with Silversea the entire ship will feel like a retreat. Does the X Retreat have a separate entrance from the masses and a separate gym, spa? Is there one dedicated restaurant and lounge?

That query is a little vague and that topic has been covered so many times. I’d like to suggest you do a search of this SS forum and read the numerous threads and posts then start your own thread if you still have questions.