Dress on Peter Dielmann - advice please!

[OldFed36]

What is the real scoop on dress for Peter Dielmann river cruises? The company says that men should wear ties on "regular" nights, and jackets and and ties on "formal" nights. I am curious as to what actually happens on these cruises. While we don't object to the dress for the formal nights, can we more informal Americans get away with no tie on the rest?
Thanks.

[orchestrapal]

Friends just returned and said" the Europeans were constantly "over-dressed" which left us Americans "under-dressed."
They felt he could have gotten away without a jacket and NEVER wore a tie. She had a pair of black pants and several non-bling tops and felt fine in them. Hope that helps.:)

[Hambagahle]

What is the real scoop on dress for Peter Dielmann river cruises? The company says that men should wear ties on "regular" nights, and jackets and and ties on "formal" nights. I am curious as to what actually happens on these cruises. While we don't object to the dress for the formal nights, can we more informal Americans get away with no tie on the rest?

I think so, provided that you wear a blazer or sports jacket. We took Deilmann last October and I would guess about 90% of the passengers were European (me included) and the other 10% Americans (my husband included!) Not to say that all the Europeans were German - there was a large group of English people on board through the Great Rail Journey company. On the two formal nights (night we boarded was the formal Captain's welcome party and night before we left the farewell party) almost all the men except for one American (not, I hasten to add, my husband!!) wore suits and ties. On all the other nights all the men wore jackets and some - most of the Euros on board - wore ties - some didn't. No one seemed to get bothered about it. So take a nice jacket and wear a tie or not as you like. I suppose on the formal nights you could even just wear a blazer and tie and forget the suit.

Deilmann is a great company - you will have a really good time!

[OldFed36]

Thanks,Orchestrapal and Hambagahie, for your quick replies and responsive information.

[Aquarelle]

I just returned from the Mozart (April 20-27) with Deilmann. On formal nights, ladies wore knee-length dresses, and men wore either suits or jacket/tie. On other nights, it was casual on the non-German side of the restaurant - men mostly wore nice pants with shirt (no jacket or tie) or sweater. About half of the people were Americans, a group from Hong Kong and a few other people from Great Britan, Australia and Canada. I had a long cocktail dress on this cruise which I found too formal, even if it was not a gown. I am returning on Deilmann in October, and will bring only 1 short cocktail dress for the 2 formal nights with different accessories (others did that too on the April cruise).

[OldFed36]

Thanks, Aquarelle!

[SueFrankuk]

We are doing the Basel to Passau on the 31st of May with Peter Deilmann, we have never done a river cruise before so would appreciate any info. i noted you said the German side of the dining room, how does this work, how do they designate the dining tables, also any other advice you can give us.Also what ratio of nationalites di you find
many thanks
Sue

[Aquarelle]

Upon embarkation, we are directed to the dining room. Based on our language, they assigned a table on either side of the dining room; one side for German-speaking, and the other side for non-Germans. The center of the dining room was the area used for the buffet breakfast and lunches. I suppose they do this so its more conducive for mingling with folks from neighboring tables if they speak the same language. They also ask us if we wish to dine at a table for 2, or more. I was assinged to a round table of 8, which was great, as my DH did not come with me on this trip (he will join me on my October Deilmann cruise). I enjoyed all the people at my table: a couple in early 70s from LA, a couple in late 50s from Minn., 2 young-at-heart Australian ladies (in their 80s), and a very "determined-to-travel-till-she-can" 78 yr lady from New York. My guess is that this cruise consisted of about 50% German and 50% others: Americans, a group of about 20 from Hong Kong and a few from UK. This was a well diversified group of pax which was enjoyable. The entertainment at night was excellent. As this was a classical theme cruise, the entertainers performed Classical music pieces. Entertainment was: The Salon Del Mar who were wonderful (piano, clarinet, base, violin) and performed twice, a duo (piano, violin) who played folkore music from Hungary etc, and a lady who sang caberet style with a really beautiful voice. The food was excellent as well as the service. There were many courses, but each was a small portion, so I actually had a chance to taste everything. This was my first river cruise. I've been on 2 Oceania cruises before (one Est Med, and one West Med), and Deilmann felt like a mini-Oceania to me (food, service, people, decor etc). Wine is not inlcuded with meals, but was very reasonably priced (.25 liter for 6 euros). The excursions were very well organized. We followed the itinerary as planned (sometimes due to lock issues /water levels, itinerary can be impacted). This was an excellent cruise and I don't have one negative thing to say about it. There were no surprises with the additional arrangements that I had made with Deilmann, ie. hotel in Passau, and meet-and-greet at Munich airport (someone was waiting for me at 5:30 am at Munich airport with the PD sign). I certainly will repeat the experience with this cruise company - Prague to Berlin in October is my next one !

[steamboats]

I wrote two extensive reviews about our two river cruises with Deilmann (Mozart and Dresden). I´ve also mentioned the dress code for dinner each night. You´ll find them linked in my signature. And yes, there are two formal nights and a couple of semi-formal and a couple of casual nights. No shorts and T-shirts in the dining room.

steamboats

[bajaed69]

My wife and I will be on the Princesse de Provence for 9 nine days in June 17th. We were both wondering about the dress code. Thanks for all the help. We both speak French and Spanish having lived in France and now living in Palm Springs. This will be our first river cruise in France, then a Russian river cruise a week later. We plan to come in to Lyon a few days early and spend a few days after before going on the St, Petersberg. :)
Ed

[Palmetto Lady]

My husband and I just got off the Elbe cruise. There were about half English speaking passengers. On the two formal nights most men wore jackets and ties (not necessarily suits). On the other nights, I saw very few jackets. On the formal nights, the ladies wore "nice" outfits - the kind of clothes one would wear to a white tablecloth restaurant. No one wore anything with "bling". On the one semi-formal night, the dress was the same as on the casual nights. There was little or no difference between the Americans, the British or the Germans in dress that I could notice.

[luv1another4ever]

We were on the Cassanova, our table was half German - half American - which was great! My husband wore his coat and tie on formal nights and other nights he wore his coat or a sweater - but always a collard shirt! We had such a wonderful time and dressing for dinner was a treat! Hope that you enjoy your trip - you will make new "friends", we have met up twice with friends that we made on this trip.

[Oceans&Rivers]

We were on the Cassanova, our table was half German - half American - which was great!

I'm glad to read that. I would be horrified to have the room split down the middle. Not spending time with Europeans while in Europe is not the way I would want to spend my time.

How about the food? Are there delicious German foods served aboard while in Germany? Rheinischer Sauerbraten, perhaps? Königsberger Klopse?

[Hambagahle]

I'm glad to read that. I would be horrified to have the room split down the middle. Not spending time with Europeans while in Europe is not the way I would want to spend my time.

How about the food? Are there delicious German foods served aboard while in Germany? Rheinischer Sauerbraten, perhaps? Königsberger Klopse?
On our Deilmann cruise the food went more or less with the countryside we passed. So yes - I would expect Saurbraten on the Rhine, knödel in Austria etc etc.

I think Deilmann "seats" people according to language AND the breakdown/numbers etc on board. You can and should ask to be seated at a "mixed table" - German/European/US etc - if one is possible or is planned. We both speak fluent German. (My husband spent a year at a German gymnasium before graduating from his US high school). We expected to sit with German speaking people (we come from Switzerland) We were, however, seated at a table with 4 Americans and two Australians. It turned out that the "Australians" and I (originally British) had all lived for considerable time in Rhodesia...but Deilmann didn't know that!! On balance, you are right. If you can speak German - then ask to be at a German table. But be sure your German is as good as you hope it is!!

[Oceans&Rivers]

If you can speak German - then ask to be at a German table. But be sure your German is as good as you hope it is!!

I am totally comfortable speaking German, but my husband speaks only a few phrases of it (mostly involving beer, ahem), so a mixed table where I am seated nearer the German speakers would work best.

I don't just want knödel, I want Germknödel. Yum!

[Palmetto Lady]

I'm glad to read that. I would be horrified to have the room split down the middle. Not spending time with Europeans while in Europe is not the way I would want to spend my time.

How about the food? Are there delicious German foods served aboard while in Germany? Rheinischer Sauerbraten, perhaps? Königsberger Klopse?

When my husband and I were on the Elbe cruise last fall, we had sauerbraten, but nothing much else that was German. My husband asked about it because we enjoy German food. He wondered why we did not have weiner schnitzel. We were told that is Austrian not German. The hotel manager commented that the German passengers are not interested having German food because "we can make better at home". So the next night, they served him excellent weiner schnitzel. Unfortunately they did not make any for me, but he did share a little of his (just a little).