what should I wear?

[DemiS]

My husband and are leaving for our 12 day Mediterranean cruise (Italy, Greek isles, Barcelona) on Tuesday. I'm concerned that I didn't pack appropriately. I'm a 29 year old female and only own a few pair of shorts and rarely wear them. I usually wear casual dresses and skirts with sandals in the summer.

 

I'm reading that everyone wears shorts or capris with tanks or tee shirts. Am i going to feel out of place? would 'sporty' clothes be more practical for the ports?

 

I'm not really concerned about the formal nights/smart casual nights or swim wear. I bought two pairs of extremely comfortable walking sandals.

 

Any suggestions are appreciated! Thanks!

[Susan-M]

Casual dresses and skirts, along with comfortable sandals will be perfect for your port days. It sounds like you would prefer not to take shorts with you, and if that's the case, then I would leave them at home. Or, bring one pair in case you have a casual day on one of the Greek islands where you think you'll feel more comfortable in shorts.

 

Enjoy your trip!:)

[CintiPam]

My husband and are leaving for our 12 day Mediterranean cruise (Italy, Greek isles, Barcelona) on Tuesday. I'm concerned that I didn't pack appropriately. I'm a 29 year old female and only own a few pair of shorts and rarely wear them. I usually wear casual dresses and skirts with sandals in the summer.

 

I'm reading that everyone wears shorts or capris with tanks or tee shirts. Am i going to feel out of place? would 'sporty' clothes be more practical for the ports?

 

I'm not really concerned about the formal nights/smart casual nights or swim wear. I bought two pairs of extremely comfortable walking sandals.

 

Any suggestions are appreciated! Thanks!

 

Actually, you will be dressing appropriately and comfortably. You may have read some of the debates on these boards regarding how many Europeans are astonished how Americans wear gardening and beach clothes to tour the major cities of Europe.

 

Of course, in my opinion, there is a difference between appropriate dress in Rome and Santorini.

 

Many Americans could care less about these different standards, believing that in the heat, any clothing decision is appropriate. I disagree and do not wear shorts and tank tops and t-shirts when sightseeing in NYC, let alone Barcelona, but many will and have posted that they feel differently.

 

Enjoy your trip!

[carlmm]

Actually, you will be dressing appropriately and comfortably. ..... many Europeans are astonished how Americans wear gardening and beach clothes to tour the major cities of Europe.

Very well said !

 

Thus, DemiS, you will be very welcome in Europe wearing your dresses and skirts!

 

Enjoy Europe!

[AmoMondo]

Hi demiS

Don't worry what you normally wear is far more European, so instead of standing out, you are more likely to blend in with the locals. European women tend not to wear shorts in cities at all although we do wear capris. however casual dresses and skirts are absolutely fine. Shorts are really only worn by us at seaside resorts. Don't worry and have a great time

[bostoncruisegal]

We were in the Med last summer, and I only wore skirts on the port days. I felt very comfortable and I wouldn't worry at all. I did carry a pashmina in my bag for any countries that I might have to go into a place of worship - I could have put in around my shoulders or wrapped it like a sarong skirt if I felt my skirt was too short for that site.

[Travel to Ports]

Hello:

We spent 3 weeks in the Mediterranean starting 22 May in Barcelona to 12 June in Venice.

 

(1) Some people take clothing very seriously on a cruise and have a long discussion of what is appropriate on the ship and at various European locations, I would guess that those with whom you are traveling and your own sensibilities should be #1.

 

(2) Don't be surprised that European tourists (like in Venice where we shared a breakfast room several mornings) dress just like us: jeans, slacks, capris, cotton t-shirts, tops, athletic shoes, hats/caps, etc. Indeed, often young Europeans dress to look like they are from the US, like with "I love NYC" t-shirts.

 

(3) Shoe types depend on where you are walking and your athletic condition. Europe requires a lot of walking up stone steps and uneven surfaces; some sandals provide little support -- so one pair of excellent support athletic shoes is always a useful option.

 

(4) Research temperatures for your locations/dates and plan accordingly. With Greek islands and the ship one pair of shorts and one swimming suit is a good idea. Churches require covered shoulders and knees.

 

(5) Will your ship have laundry facilities? We started with an apartment in Barcelona that had a washing machine and used the facilities on the Ruby Princess twice. We preferred cottons easily washed, brought a roll of quarters and three containers of allmighty 3X all that we picked up in the traveling section of our CVS and were very pleased throughout.

 

(6) We found that very few people dressed to the 9s on our cruise and for guys on a formal night in the dinning room a shirt and tie and a dark sport coat was very presentable. As you consider your weight limit and issues such as transport in locations such as Venice, you don't want the weight!

 

Hope this helps,

David

traveltoports@yahoo.com