Jackets for Men in Silvercloud MDR +misc 5/29-6/10?

[chrism23]

I couldn't find the answer to this anywhere and I feel stupid.  We are on the Silvercloud for its Dublin to Reykjavik cruise 5/29 to 6/10.  It is billed as an "Expedition".  This is my 8th Silversea cruise so I know all the ins and outs of dining policies but not when it comes to the new "Expeditions" category.  I did Galapagos which was a real expedition and you could show up for dinner in just about anything, including your hiking gear of the day.  This seems different-not as "rough expeditionish."  So I am expecting the usual, jackets in the MDR and fancy shirts in La Terrazza.  (I have never worn a tie in the MDR).  So does anyone know what the drill is?

 

Also, has anyone done this itinerary before at this time of year.  I am expecting it to be cold and rainy and will bring clothes similar to what I brought to Norway last year in June.  I didn't bring enough really warm stuff.  It snowed in Bergen.  It rained nearly everyday. I froze my butt off.   I am expecting cold rain nearly everyday in Scotland?  I am also expecting a lot of "rock and rolling" being out in the North Atlantic at any time of year.  Please tell me it can be smooth and placid.  Thanks.

 

cheers

Chris

 

ps I am still looking to put my star trivia team together in advance.  Let me know.  

 

 

 

[Silver Spectre]

Your expectations for the MDR on the Cloud are correct.

[FauxNom]

On the Cloud last year in Greenland/Canada there was a wide range of attire in the MDR. Sweaters, jackets, jeans. Probably La Dame is the only place you really need to dress for dinner. 

[Stumblefoot]

9 hours ago, chrism23 said:

So does anyone know what the drill is?

Although you’ll see fellas in jackets and dressed to the nines, the vast majority of men dress casually.  You will never need a jacket on the Cloud in any venue on any night.  Period.

[RachelG]

We have done multiple variations of the itinerary, and you need warm and DRYclothes.  Lots of layers.  Good waterproof hiking shoes.

my husband sometimes wears a Jacket in MDR, but it is not required.

[Balian65]

We will be on the same cruise and from all what I know about the weather conditions your assumptions are pretty correct. It might be a little bit better but there is only slight hope. The Faroer Islands are known for having rain on more than 300 days a year. Temperatures should be in the 50‘s.  I come from Northern Germany so I do know that climate fairly well. Anyway no one chooses this itenary because of the good weather.
 

For dinner I usually wear a sports coat with some colored slacks which generally works fine on any Silversea cruise. If I have to wear a tie on formal nights it‘s ok but the days of tuxedos and dark suits are over - even on Silversea.

 

See you onboard and for trivia.

[Stumblefoot]

4 minutes ago, Balian65 said:

If I have to wear a tie on formal nights it‘s ok but the days of tuxedos and dark suits are over - even on Silversea.

Not necessarily on the classic fleet.  While there are venues (the Grill is always casual, La Terrazza will be informal, etc.) depending on the ship where a man won’t  have to wear a dark suit or tux, thankfully many of the dining venues still require gentlemen to wear said formal wear on formal night.

[milepig]

To your question regarding the weather. We did a similar itinerary in the parallel season last August on Windstar and we were thrown around all over the place. Ports missed entirely, windy, choppy, things thrown around the dining room, barf bags conveniently placed on the stairs, apples and soda crackers passed out at reception, the whole ball of wax. It put me down, and I'm never seasick. Mrs. Milepig went to breakfast without me one morning and said she was pretty much alone. But then others have had good weeks. We actually made most of the ports, if not always on the intended day, but the cruise bound for Iceland the same week as us coming from Bergen missed pretty much all of their ports, even in Norway inself. I think they made the Faroe Islands, and then made a few unplanned stops in Iceland that hadn't been planned.  So, yes, it can be  touch and go. Some of the ports are difficult to get into, so heavy weather can make it a no go when the seas are high but the weather is otherwise OK.

[chrism23]

On 2/23/2020 at 6:26 PM, Balian65 said:

HI, Mr.MIlepig,  Thank you  so much for this post.  Its about what I thought.  There has been a significant increase in the number of ports and excursions canceled in the 20 years I have been cruising.  3 years ago, on the SilverSpirit we had three ports cancelled because of the weather-rough seas.  Before the cruise I always though of the Caribbean as a mill pond with no rough seas at all.  As you said passengers were bouncing of the walls,  So, as not to be an alarmist but folks should bring and ample supply of dramamine or what ever else they take for sea sickness.  Believe or not I have found the candied ginger they have outside the MDR to be helpful.  

As for cool weather and rain gear, we did the Norway trip last year and it literally rained everyday once we left London.  I am absolutely expecting the same thing in Scotland.  So like boy scouts my fellow passengers on this cruise should be prepared.  Bring many layers that you can put on and take off as the situation varies not only day to day but hour to hour.  A must for me is a sturdy pair of walking shoes with Gortex or other water proof linings, these can be had at any good outfitter like REI or LLBean.  They are more expensive than regular shoes but for frequent travelers with th investment.  

As for cruising even small segments of the North Atlantic have gotten weird.  I have included a Youtube clip from, I believe 2011.  Please don't open this if you have any trepidation's about open ocean sailing.  You will hate me.  But this is from the inaugural voyage of Queen Mary 2.  We were on the second leg.  This ws all anyone that was on it could talk about:

 

It seems as if they ran into 100 foot waves.  If you have been on one of the large Cunard ships before,  waves were breaking on the windows of the Commodore lounge. which was, I think, on deck 14.  The bartender had some great stories.  Passengers, and since it was the first crossing, included several hundred journalists.  They were not only bouncing off of walls but off of ceilings.  This reminds me of a voyage I took 2 years ago on Le Ponant, their small sailing ship, around Cuba.  We were just about to pull into Havana, when the Captain made a complete about face.  That night Havana got hit with a Force 5 tornado.  You want to talk about waves.  I am sorry for all these anecdotes.  I don't want to spook first time cruiser.  I am doing them great disservice.  I just want to let them know to be prepared for just about anything.  

As far as trivia goes, you can sense than I am an addict.  I will be the guy with the really fancy tan Silversea baseball hat.  I am especially looking for people who are British, doctors who know Latin, broadway show tunes, opera, and pop music after 2000,  stuff I know absolutely know thing about.  If Colin is the cruise director their will be a couple more categories.  

 

Again I am sorry if I causes any worries.

cheers

chis

[milepig]

Chalk a good part of this  up to climate change - sorry folks, it's real.

 

Everyone was complaining about the weather in Norway/Iceland/Faroes/Scotland/Ireland last August and blaming the cruise line for trying to milk a couple more weeks out of the summer season when the weather just wasn't appropriate. For us, it was less rain and more endless high winds and high seas causing port after port to be missed - largely because it was too dangerous to try to get a ship into port. Once on shore, we really had just mostly normal crappy drippy days and endless gloom. Then, a local we were chatting with said that everything was early last year - even the birds appeared from Russia several weeks early, and everyone was commenting on how early the leaves had turned, etc. The three glorious exceptions for us were that we had a gorgeous day in the Fjords, followed by two sunny days in Bergen with temps that the locals said never happened, everyone was skipping off work early so they could go hiking etc. And Dublin we had one more perfect day. Other than that is was just gloom, gloom gloom. Even those unheard of days in Bergen speak to climate change.

Edited February 27, 2020 by milepig