weather and dress onboard

[sabaka]

We will be doing athens Istanbul Oct 17th and I am wondering how cool it might be on deck and around the ship in the enenings? We are comming from the Scottsdale area in Arizona. And I think my heating and cooling sensors have been baked by the desert! Some Octobers we are still in the low 100's here! Our last cruise was last May and even though is was hot during the day I was chilled at night. But this was on a very large ship the Diamnond Princess and they kept things very cool. Next question after dinner we like to sit on deck and just relaxon deck. When crusing I sometimes like to change out of my formal wear in to casual attaire to be more comfortable. Is this frowned upon on Seaborn? And what is typical lunch attaire? We like to be comfortable when going ashore and wonder if we will have to change if we choose to come back aboard for lunch. We have cruised before on lines such as Disney, Carnival, Princess, Celebrity, but never Seaborn as we have always taken our children with us. We are leaving the three children home with my wonderful inlaws, I am so luckey to have the best Mother in law on the planet!!and will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary. Any ideas to make what seems to be a very special cruise even more special? Thanks, I love reading this board!! I always try to join a board before we travel and this one seems to have the loveliest people!

[LaPaloma]

We also live in Arizona [Tucson] and will be doing the Seabourn Oct 3 Nice/Rome. We have done this time of the year several times. The main thing is think layering. It will be warm enough for shirt sleeves sometimes, and a jacket or Pashmina at other times. A sweater or two could be used, but for the main..just think of Arizona in say late November or early December. You will sometimes get wind and rain. The ship has umbrellas that you can take ashore..so that is helpful. You will love the elegance of the ship...the superb food and wonderful staff and their service. Much nicer than the ships you mentioned...you are in for a treat.

As for the casual to shore..absolutely...and that same casual is just fine for the Breakfast and lunch. Of course you can slip out on the deck in your comfys afer dinner. On one of the decks..5 I think, there is a small private deck up front...windy, but nice.

Bon Voyage...and just wait till you receive your documents...you will be thrilled with the classy manner in which they are presented.
Happy Anniversary!

[bgood]

According to my trusty "Times World Weather Guide"(Times Books/Random House)

Athens in October expects average highs around 75 and lows around 60.

Naxos (Greek Isles) has highs of 75 and lows of 65.

Istanbul has highs of 68 and lows of 55.

That's gonna chill your Arizona bones--so do take sweaters and windbreakers. I was in Istanbul in April and the early AM wind was mighty chilly for this Florida cracker! But beautiful.

bgood

[sabaka]

Thanks bgood, The weather report sounds lovely! On one of our trips to Krasnoyarsk, Siberia we expected weather in the 40's and 50's so we packed for that weather. Well the weather turned out to be in the 80's and since most buildings are heated there with a building type heat system we really roasted!!On our last visit to London in Feburary evryone said we were nuts and would freeze but again the weather gods were good to us! Hopefully they again will look kindly upon our dry roasted bones and we won't end up "freeze dried!" I will plan to pack a sweater or two good excuse to shop!

[Chairsin]

We have sailed on the Spriit in late Sept/early Oct twice in the last two years and our experience has been that the Athens area is still very warm (even at night) but toward Istanbul it cools off. The only day that it was almost too cool to sunbathe on deck was the day at sea as we headed to Istanbul . But some of us were determined to spend our last glorious day out in the open so when one of the bar stewards noticed my goosebumbs he brought me a blanket and hot chocolate ( don't you just love the Seabourn service -- they anticipate your every need).So I agree that you just need to bring layers -- I just use thin longsleeved knits and I have been fine. And at lunch just don't wear your bathing suit cover up or exercise gear on the veranda and in the dining room dress it up a notch ( but almost no one ever ate in the dining room for lunch on our trips. At night you can lounge on deck in less than formal clothes and eat in the verandah that way but not in the dining room.(BTW-- this house is sold, the movers are scheduled, and the plans on the new house are being finalized so in less than 30 days we are heading your way la Paloma to live in the Tucson desert clime -- goodbye lawn mower and snow shovel-- maybe we can meet and start the Tucson branch of the Seabourn Club)