Weather on summer baltic cruise (i.e., what to wear??)?

[LarissaJay]

We'll be on a Baltic cruise end of June/early July... Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Germany, Amsterdam. Everything I've read suggests the weather can be all over the place. Should we expect rain? Bring raincoats (and if yes, do you bring a raincoat AND another coat)? Should we be planning on pants and layers? I prefer wearing dresses during the day, but wondering if - even with a jacket - that might not be warm enough. I appreciate any insight! 

[Desdichado62]

Could be a heat wave with sun and +30 C or it could just as well be +10 C and rain or anything in-between.

[Travelling2Some]

I'm sure you'll read similar advice a hundred times but it is true:  LAYERS.  I have traveled for months with just:  1 rain shell/windbreaker (a bit oversized so that other layers will fit under it), a light zip up fleece, a down puffer jacket that rolls up into a ball about the size of your fist, 5 thin black thermal shirts, 4 or 5 lightweight "over" shirts, 3 pair of black leggings.  Everything is either black or shades of blue so I at least look put together.  Everything fits in a carry on bag, washes easily and dries quickly.  Some combination of the above layers will always work unless you are in the tropics (which is a better place for dresses).  The rain shell is essential for anywhere in northern Europe.  If you are going to check luggage then you can obviously add a lot more stuff but those are my essentials.

[LarissaJay]

21 hours ago, Desdichado62 said:

Could be a heat wave with sun and +30 C or it could just as well be +10 C and rain or anything in-between.

Thanks! That's what I'm afraid of, and what is making packing tricky! 

[LarissaJay]

15 hours ago, Travelling2Some said:

I'm sure you'll read similar advice a hundred times but it is true:  LAYERS.  I have traveled for months with just:  1 rain shell/windbreaker (a bit oversized so that other layers will fit under it), a light zip up fleece, a down puffer jacket that rolls up into a ball about the size of your fist, 5 thin black thermal shirts, 4 or 5 lightweight "over" shirts, 3 pair of black leggings.  Everything is either black or shades of blue so I at least look put together.  Everything fits in a carry on bag, washes easily and dries quickly.  Some combination of the above layers will always work unless you are in the tropics (which is a better place for dresses).  The rain shell is essential for anywhere in northern Europe.  If you are going to check luggage then you can obviously add a lot more stuff but those are my essentials.

Thanks so much for your reply - super helpful. I'm so impressed that you can travel with just a carryon. I'm trying to be more like you going forward. 

[bearette]

We did just a carry on last summer to similiar ports. I took one jacket, one sweater, and I had only one pair of shorts, 1 Capri and 2 pants- then long or short sleeve shirts (4 total) and one dress.  It ended up being super hot! I kept washing the shorts. It poured rain one day, but that was it. Look at the weather a few days before, but we needed all of it.

[Travelling2Some]

18 hours ago, LarissaJay said:

Thanks so much for your reply - super helpful. I'm so impressed that you can travel with just a carryon. I'm trying to be more like you going forward. 

Wow, I'm flattered 🙂  Thanks - I'm more often considered a bad influence 😉

[kaisatsu]

A windproof/waterproof shell over a warm mid-layer like a fleece or sweater is actually as warm as a winter jacket! Quite often when I travel to a cold destination like Antarctica, I use that instead of a warm coat, so that I can use the individual pieces separately en route.

 

For the Baltics in summer, you won't need winter warmth, so a light or no mid-layer is enough. If you don't want to deal with packing two different jackets (rain vs regular), you might consider investing in a dual-purpose one. I have a light trench coat that I wear as my daily jacket in the spring/fall that's actually made of GoreTex, so if I get caught in the rain, I'm all set (it also saves me from having to check the weather every morning).

[ontheweb]

You never know. When we did a Baltic cruise, it never rained. And in St. Petersburg (I realize no ship is going there now or anytime soon), the temperature was in the high 80s.

 

 

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

And you will have some idea before you pack. You can check forecasts online. While not 100% accurate, it will give some guidance as to whether it’s a heat wave or mostly rainy.