Uniworld Castles Along the Rhine in June - What to Pack??

Hello! I am brand new to these message boards and also brand new to cruising. So please bear with me if my questions seem obvious. My husband recently retired, and we will be taking our first cruise (and my first trip to Europe) next month on a Uniworld Castles Along the Rhine cruise from Amsterdam to Basel. We will spend a day and a half pre-cruise exploring Amsterdam, and two and a half days post-cruise in the Lucerne area. I am at a loss as to what to pack! I have a history of over-packing, but I am trying to pare it down to only what I really need (plus maybe a couple of extras!) I will be taking a 25" checked bag and a carry-on tote. I just have no idea what I might need - what to wear for shore excursions, ship dinners, and pre/post cruise sight-seeing. How to plan for the weather? I plan to take a rain jacket - but will I need a heavier coat for Lucerne? Long slacks or capris for excursions? Sandals at all - or just comfy closed-toe shoes? I would very much appreciate any advice/direction from those of you who have made this trip before. My husband has it all figured out - but I need help! Thank you!

Welcome to Cruise Critic and to the River Cruising forum! You have made an excellent choice for a first cruise -- one of the top lines, one of the top itineraries, and smart choices to extend on both ends. Can't help you much on packing for women's clothes, but there are no Formal Nights -- and what is this concern about over-packing??? If you think you might need it, I say bring it! It may be hot anywhere anytime, and it will definitely be cool atop Mt. Pilatus. Enjoy your trip!

I've done this same cruise. What I wore were knit sundresses or maxi dresses and lightweight knit jackets - for example, the sundresses and maxi dresses from Soma. If it has pockets, it is helpful. I also wore Ecco brand ladies walking sandals (the fully adjustable type) http://us.shop.ecco.com/babett-sandal-3-strap-214013.html?dwvar_214013_color=01001#cgid=women-sandals. The dresses are cooler than shorts or capris and are appropriate for houses or worship, dinner or going to a restaurant or winery. The jackets covered my shoulders and elbows so that when we went into churches/cathedrals I was dressed correctly. I did NOT carry a purse. Instead, I had money in a hidden pocket in my knit jacket (https://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/Maddie_Cardigan.shtml) For the Captain's dinner I wore a maxi dress and sparkly earrings. I had a swimsuit, but we never had a chance to use the pool. Don't go overboard on the clothes - you honestly won't need much.

Other than that, I brought a sleep shirt, underwear, medicine, makeup and hairspray and I didn't need anything else for this trip (it is amazing, I might add! :D) Have a wonderful time!

Ecco walking sandals are cheaper and widely available in Germany.

In June it is likely to be quite warm, but for rainy days a jacket that folds up into a bag will come in handy. Some long sleeved tops / blouses, some short sleeved tops (I would avoid the ones that do not cover your shoulders) and a jumper for early morning excursions is a good idea. A summer jacket or if you easily feel cold you might like to bring a warmer jacket, especially as you are going to Lucerne (atop the mountain?). Temperatures vary from 8 degrees at night (on cold nights) to 30 in the afternoon (on warm days). As has been mentioned before there are no formal nights, just a "dress-up-a-little-please" gala dinner. No shorts, go for dresses and trousers that you can match easily with tops, and denims during the day are perfectly fine. No high-heels necessary, sandals if you like your feet to be cool. For excursions good walking shoes (not those necessary for mountaneering, just very comfy ones) are a must, get some that enclose your ankles if you feel you need that extra stability.

I always pack too much although I say to myself "you only need money, medication and a passport really, everything else you can buy". On my cruise I unfortunately ruined a blouse with a stain and had to buy another top for the gala night. Off I went in Linz (Austria) and not only bought a top but also a jacket. Now when I look at them in my wardrobe I think of my river cruise. :)

For some great info on river cruising in general have a look at the stickies on the top of the page.

And may I say, I agree with hostjazzbeau. Excellent choice for a first river cruise and a great way to see a part of Europe. Take some small binoculars if you like looking at details in the distance and I am sure you will take lots of photos. Somewhere there is a detailed review of a Uniworld castles along the Rhine trip. You may find it with the search button.

Be prepared, you might get hooked on river cruising. :D

notamermaid

DH and I always cross pack---half of his and half of mine in each checked bag. Also never pack meds in checked bags. Saw a woman learn this the hard way on a Bucharest to Amsterdam trip. Took 1/2 the trip for their luggage to catch up with them. We also take a change of clothes in our carry on luggage---don't have to unpack the checked bag the night before we get on the boat. Be very, very careful river cruising can be very addicting. We are going ***** #23 in Dec. Enjoy. Pat

We did this cruise on Scenic last June. Except for Amsterdam, The weather was chilly and off and on rain. We always pack layers including jeans, jackets and a waterproof hooded jacket and we're glad we did!

But, heard that shortly thereafter the weather turned unusually hot! So go figure! Just be prepared with layers.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Ok ...I will comment on the packing situation. Taking my fifth River cruise the end of August Rhine and Moselle. Our last cruise was the first week in Sept and I was totally unprepared for the very cool mornings. I had to purchase a warm jacket in Rouen...Most important is comfy shoes. I bring Teva sandals and schechers black and beige. Dressy pair of sandals for evening. This trip it will be warm and I will bring capris and a few Chico three quarter sleeve jerseys for daytime. Pack black slacks and a few dressy tops, I have a plain black dress dress up with scarf and jewelry...No need to bring shampoo, conditioner and body lotions. Also a light rain jacket ...We have cruised this itinerary you will love Uniworld...Gorgeous ship great food...

I don't understand people's attraction to jeans. I wear them at home, but never travel with them. They are too warm in the heat and they take a long time to dry if you get rained on or if you wash them. I prefer pants (or capris) that are easier to hand wash.

Personally, because I have the feet of the princess and the pea, I never tour in sandals. I always wear good walking shoes and socks. Also, because I chafe, I am more comfortable in capris than in a dress for touring.

I think a lot depends on where you are from and what sort of temperatures you are used to as to what to bring. A warm jacket for cool mornings and rain coat for sure. That way you are guaranteed it won't rain. 😄 Uniworld does provide umbrellas, but having to carry one is such a pain.. bring a pashmina type of shawl...good for on the plane as well as an extra layer, if required while sitting on the top deck looking at all those lovely castles.

Check some weather websites that have long term forecasts...say 10 to 14 days and every day go back and see how accurate they were / are. And do that for a few locations ie amsterdam and Lucerne. That should give the best idea of what to expect.

Bring a hat .

You are going to walk a lot, so whatever footwear is comfortable and supportive...and well worn in.

Laundry service is available on board, and depending on which ship you will be on, there may be self serve washers and dryers. And they provide the washing powder!

Have a wonderful trip

RB

We took our first river cruise in 2014 & are currently in the beginning stage of planning our next one. We took Uniworld's Paris to Normandy trip & we were hooked! You'll love Uniworld, they are awesome start to finish!

I know it's not the same itinerary but I brought capris & tees/cute shirts for touring during the day & wore capris/dressy tops w/ some jewelry for dinner. I paired them sneakers/boat shoes for day & wedge heeled espadrilles for evening. I also brought a sundress for the welcome dinner & I was glad I did as people did dress up for that & the farewell dinner a little bit more than the other nights.

Also as others have said, a rain jacket is a must (if you have you won't need it:) & a summery scarf is also good-it can keep the breeze off you, dress up a plain tee or cover any stains or wrinkles that may occur as the week goes on. (I can attest to that from experience!)

Last two thoughts: why is it soooo much easier for men to pack than women??? And, there's no such thing as over packing, you never know what you might need.

Enjoy your trip!! I bet you get hooked like the rest of us, have fun!

Thank you all for your help! I am making notes of your suggestions as I make my packing list and do some last minute shopping. You have helped immensely - my stress level has come down a notch or two :) I'm also encouraged to know that others have taken this same cruise and loved it. My first choice was the Paris to Normandy itinerary. But we were initially planning the cruise with two other couples, and the third couple absolutely insisted that we do the Castles Along the Rhine. After we and the second couple had gone to the travel agent, made our reservations, and paid our deposits, the third couple backed out. So a part of me has been a little disappointed that we couldn't choose Paris to Normandy. I feel much better hearing that you have enjoyed Castles Along the Rhine.

Thank you all for your help! I am making notes of your suggestions as I make my packing list and do some last minute shopping. You have helped immensely - my stress level has come down a notch or two :) I'm also encouraged to know that others have taken this same cruise and loved it. My first choice was the Paris to Normandy itinerary. But we were initially planning the cruise with two other couples, and the third couple absolutely insisted that we do the Castles Along the Rhine. After we and the second couple had gone to the travel agent, made our reservations, and paid our deposits, the third couple backed out. So a part of me has been a little disappointed that we couldn't choose Paris to Normandy. I feel much better hearing that you have enjoyed Castles Along the Rhine.

Hopefully this won't be your only river cruise so perhaps Paris to Normandy will be next. Many cruise lines offer incentives to their passengers to encourage another booking.

We have cruised both itineraries. You will not be ...disappointed . We are repeating the Rhine in August which will include the Moselle. Paris and Normandy was never my first choice but we received a great deal on Avalon two years ago so we booked with Avalon. We traveled with our friends their 50th anniversary and husband was a veteran. My recommendation is stay in Paris pre cruise it's great. . We usually always try and book with Uniworld we like the all inclusive. Avalon was fine. :)

I just returned home from this exact cruise on the SS Antoinette, AMS to Basel; not sure which ship you are on. Feel free to contact me if there's anything I can help you with. One thing I can tell you: our temps were all over the place; cooler and rainier in AMS pre-cruise; anywhere from high 50's to mid 80's (yes, we actually hit over 80 degrees on the morning of our specific "castle viewing" where we were on the top deck watching all the castles - most absolutely perfect day!!) and then 3 days post in Lucerne with low 70's. Just like you, all I took was a 25" bag and carry-on and worked out perfectly.

We did the Rhine last August (into September) on Viking. I brought LL Bean tee shirts, black pants and black Bermuda shorts (I hate capris). I wore a tee with a scarf or necklace with the pants for dinner, then I wore it again with the shorts for excursions.

I had stretch jeans with a flat elastic waist on the plane (very comfy) and I wore my sneakers (New Balance). I also had a great pair of Taos Trophy sandals.

I had both a rain coat and spring weight down jacket that fold up into their pocket. I brought the jacket for Mt Pilatus but didn't need it. We had hot weather throughout.

I also had a light weight hoodie which I used one slightly chilly morning.

I cross pack and we each checked a 22" rolling suitcase. I had a small roller that fits under the seat on the plane and a small backpack with cameras and my laptop & nook.

My husband had a camera bag and a small duffle. We take a lot of camera gear [emoji1]

Sent from my iPod touch using Forums

I'm sorry I haven't responded - for some reason, I stopped getting notifications that there were more comments on this thread. Again - thank you all so much for taking time to offer packing suggestions, weather advice, and reassurance in general. We leave in less than a week. And Chef Heather - yes, we will be on the Antoinette. I need to start watching the weather forecast and adjusting my packing as necessary. How do you all find out a weather forecast for the various stops along the cruise route? Just check some of the online weather websites and plug in the different cities?

Castles on the Rhine is a great itinerary, and it was our first European river cruise in 2014. acwmom (Robin) has just finished a nice review of her trip earlier this year but it was in the opposite direction as yours. I also did a review of our 2014 trip, but also in the opposite direction.

Packing advice is good so far. In general, lighter fast-drying clothing that can be layered is the key for us. We usually bring a 22" carry-on each and that's more than enough for a week-long river cruise. It may take you a few cruises for "practice" though, because it's hard to believe that you can actually get away with bringing so little. :).

We used to overpack badly. We no longer do that but it took us a while to get confident enough to not bring everything we might need. However, we love being able to walk off the plane and be through customs in 10 minutes, luggage in hand. We can take public transport to the ship with minimal effort, or walk anywhere we want while carrying luggage. This may not appeal to some, and that's OK.

Other key tips for avoiding a large burden of luggage is to limit your color schemes. Make everything match a single scheme - black, or tan. For me, 3 pants, a pair or two of shorts, a few T-shirts/polos, and 3-4 button-down shirts and I'm good for a week. I make sure that everything can mix and match, and then I combine throughout the week. I add a light sweater and a rain shell. I put all this into a 22" rollaboard with room to spare.

Chris will bring a few pairs of light pants, 3 light sundresses, some shorts, and some nice T-shirts and she's good to go as well. She will throw in a sweater or a light hooded sweatshirt for evenings, and a rain shell. Her suitcase is a 21" Tumi rollaboard.

You can get away with one pair of shoes that can be used as walking shoes, but double up as nighttime shoes (I travel with a nice pair of Skechers). Bring a pair of sandals by all means, as they are great to put on after you've toured all day, and you want to just lounge around on deck. If I'm feeling like carrying extra weight, I add a pair of black sneakers that don't look so much like sneakers.

When you return for your second Uniworld cruise, know that they give each person who is a repeat cruiser one free bag of laundry during your cruise. That helps reduce the packing burden, because you can freshen your clothes partway through the cruise. The laundry bags are generously sized.

Have a great time!

Hi Caligirl58:

Here's what I took on the exact same cruise / ship just a few weeks ago (May 14th - May 21st):

3 Pairs of Jeans (2 blue, 1 black)

2 Pairs of Shorts (YES, you will need these!!)

2 Pairs of Comfy Dress Pants

Numerous tops (few lightweight long sleeves, polo shirts, t-shirts, dressy tops, sweater set) to mix and match

3 Long Scarves / Pashminas (for dinner)

3 Pairs Shoes (1 pair of Keens closed sandals, 1 pair Sandals, 1 pair dressy black flats)

1 small travel umbrella

Lightweight Rain Jacket with removable hood

All this worked perfectly in my 25" checked luggage; along with 4 piece packing cube set (these made ALL the difference in the world). So many people were miserable on our cruise that they hadn't packed any shorts or short sleeved shirts because they saw the weather reports and took them for granted :) There are several sets of washer/dryers on the ship if you feel the need. We did 4 days pre in AMS and 3 days post in Lucerne. Some people definitely dressed up more than others at dinner, but no one was totally overboard. The small travel umbrellas helped us for when we were on our own pre and post, but you have a full size umbrella in each cabin, along with they hand you one as you leave for each excursion.

2 notes for you: My Keen rose sandals were the BEST shoes I ever bought for wandering around Europe; lots of cobblestone streets and I always felt great after walking some days more than 4 miles per day (and I have lower back issues and avoiding back surgery). Also, if you have a small pair of binoculars you might want to bring along for the main day of Castle viewing from the ship, but only if lightweight and you can fit them. I was fine with the zoom on my camera.

If I can help with anything else, please don't hesitate to ask. Just have a fabulous time!!

CH