PG soon, Kayak and dress questions

[couture1]

Hi,

we are first time cruisers and will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary on PG 6/7/8.

 

We are divers and have signed up for each dive, but are conflicted between taking the kayak trip or the mushroom dive for the 1st day. Any advice?

 

Also we have specific questions re: dress. Some members say "dresses and long pants/jackets for dinner" while others say "casual", would anyone be able to spell out specifically what you mean? (ie would a sleeveless sundress suffice for dinner? Do I need to bring 'nice' shoes or would average sandles be OK? Would long pants and golf shirt work for my husband?)...I can hear you all groaning 'relax'!

 

Any tips or things not to miss would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks you in advance!

Kim

[egret]

Kim, I can assure you the only need to wear a jacket at dinner is if you are prone to get chilly due to the AC. Leave the sport coat home! Sleeveless sundresses are common as are slacks and capris. My wife wore capris or sundresses for each dinner. The night we ate with the captain was polynesia night. We were one of the few people not wearing flowered shirts or pareo. Even the ship's officers, including the captain wore "hawaiian" shirts.

 

Whether mushroom patch or the kayaks, can't tell you which because my wife is not inclined to do kayaks. I enjoyed the dive however, and all the others I have taken off the PG.

[egret]

I guess I should have expanded a little more. I only brought golf shirts with me so that waswhat I have worn to each dinner on the last three cruise on the PG. Never felt out of place. I have brought one pair of dress shoes to wear at dinner. My wife brings a bag of shoes on the cruises. A couple of pairs of dress heels and sandal looking things, this is not my area of expertise.

 

Everyone seems to be able to figure out the dress code, only a few blue jeans at dinner on our four cruises. Some folks push the swimsuit envelope at breakfast and lunch.

[couture1]

Thank you so much!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I'll tell you my opinion--on the average night on this cruise, your husband's going to want something a bit nicer than a golf shirt. Nothing wrong with this, but he might feel better wearing a short-sleeved silk or linen number, or a patterned shirt of some kind.

 

For you, sundresses or smart pants and a nice top. Take a silk shawl if you can for the cool moments. I take one pair of nice sandals, they do for the whole trip. I did wear a pareo on pareo-night my first trip--that was 8 years ago and I'm past that now. Things definitely get more casual as the cruise progresses.

 

Is this the glass-bottom kayak on Raiatea?

[RachelG]

I took a couple of dresses and a pair of dressy pants and top for evening. I actually wished I had dressed up a little more, but that's ok.

My husband wore his usual button down shirts--but he is boring. I bought him a great tropical shirt and he wore it only one time.

I did wear a pareo on pareo night, but most people didn't.

[couture1]

It is called a river kayak excursion...I think you paddle along a river for an hour or so. We were wondering if anyone had taken the trip and would recommend it (or not). I think I would rather be diving, but it might be nice to try something different for a change.

 

Thanks for the dress advice!

(Two weeks before we leave and we can hardly wait!)

[Wendy The Wanderer]

It's on Raiatea, right? If so, the river is pretty interesting. It might be really fun to kayak. I've been up it twice on the combo 4x4 and river canoe excursion. It's very jungly and kind of reminds me of the Heart of Darkness. Certainly no rapids.

[time2play]

Ditto on the posting from Couture1. My husband I have been debating on the topic of mens dresscode on the PG. We have gone through old postings and read the RSSC website, and it all seems pretty vague.

 

It seems from reading this thread, that men do NOT need to wear a sportcoat on the PG. Is this true for all restaurants and common areas on the ship in the evening? That short or long sleeve nicer shirts (silk/linen) etc are acceptable?

 

thanks, but not having to pack a sport coat with luggage limitations etc, would be great.

[HonTri]

We did the river kayaking. You go up the river about three miles. The river is not very deep. BUT the best thing was the short hike in an old plantation that is full of all kinds plants that the guide explains all about! We also did the hike to the three Coconut trees on Moorea this was a good work out! Long uphill but well worth it!

We were on the PG March 1st. 08

The Papeete to Brisbane cruise Jan 09 is on our wish list!

[sita3]

As far as men's attire... no need for a jacket. Men wear golf shirts (short sleeve), hawaiian shirts and dressier short sleeves; really, anything goes except t-shirts and shorts for dinner.

 

Mushroom Patch is an inferior dive (IMHO) to the others taken -- but the water was kinda choppy that day; the boat was small and we were outside the reef. Underwater, not as many fish as Bora Bora and Moorea. On a nice day -- might be better experience; the dive op was fine (Submarina something, I think).

 

Raiatea is pretty sleepy on Sunday (typical day for the island if you're taking the 7-day cruise) so it's nice to have something planned.

 

You can kayak right off of the ship (for free) but really recommend doing that while anchored in Cook's bay, Moorea.

 

Either way -- you are in for a treat -- but be warned, FP on the PG spoils you for all future vacations.

[DEBBO1012]

Are dressy longer shorts acceptable for guys and gals?

[Jim B]

Except for the dining room area during the day you can wear what ever you want.

After 6:00 p.m. everything is Country Club Casual.

 

I have a "packing list" I made which I will gladly e-mail you or anyone else

interested.

Please put "packing list" as the subjuect so I know.

 

bastian20@hotmail.com

[couture1]

Hi Jim B,

I tried to email your address as posted without success...any chance you could forward the list to kimireland@yahoo.com?

Thanks

[egret]

DEBB0102,

Not a clothes horse but I think shorts are verbotten as country club casual in the evenings, at least for the guys. A guy would be out of place with shorts on at dinner in the dining rooms clearly, I don't have a feeling for ladies. Some may have worn shorts that I didn't notice.

[Blue Wolf]

I do not mean to be offensive, I'm only trying to help, as there are quite a few dress code questions. I will have been on the PG 5 times next month. There are no formal nights on the PG because it is the South Pacific custom ... not because the formality of the ship is anything less. You pay a good price to cruise on her and the guests should reflect that atmosphere. There are plenty of other lines that tolerate evening shorts, bathing suits, etc. Princess is in FP as well. Having said that, the ship is by no means stuffy. Day time on the ship is a bathing suit and cover up, except for the lunch dining room. Evenings, men wear Dockers or dress slacks, silk shirts, or good tropical shirts, and fine loafers. Jackets are not at all necessary. Women should wear whatever they wear when going to a fine restaurant, except for all the jewelery. It is a nice feeling to look across the dining rooms and see well dressed people enjoying themselves. Go to any upper scale clothes catalog and look at the casual evening wear, or, resort wear for a good idea. The PG brochure is another source. I've been on other ships where the women had curlers in their hair at the outside spas accompanied by diperless babies floating around. Man, talk about being stuck!