Virgin cruisers

Hello everyone. We are first time cruisers sailing on the new Windstar Pride, Athens to Istanbul, October 12-21. We will be taking excursions at every port which involves a lot of walking and we will be spending time in Athens and touring Turkey pre and post cruise for a total of 21 days vacay. Of course, as a woman, my biggest concern is what to wear (comfortable shoes not withstanding). Would leggings and long tunics be appropriate? They are so comfortable, and a little dressier than capris and tees, pack well and launder well. I'm going to dress my DH in khakis and golf shirts. Also, to anyone who has sailed on Windstar: what to wear in the evenings? Do I need a dress and does he need a sports jacket and nice dress slacks?

Sorry to babble on, but I'm both excited and nervous, and any advice would be appreciated.

Windstar is a very casual cruise line, but Europe tends to be more "fashion oriented" than the Carribean, in general. Leggings and tunics may work for daytime touring. Since you're traveling in the fall, I would suggest dressing in layers (maybe add a lightweight trench and a scarf to your ensemble)? Khakis and golf shirts will work for men onboard and in town (lucky, aren't they)? The only stipulation for cocktail/dinner hour on board is no jeans in the dining room, but a jacket and tie are not required. You may want to pack one in case you have dinner off the ship as, again, Europeans know how to dress.

Hope this helped. Have a great time on your cruise! I'm sure you will be hooked.

Hello everyone. We are first time cruisers sailing on the new Windstar Pride, Athens to Istanbul, October 12-21. We will be taking excursions at every port which involves a lot of walking and we will be spending time in Athens and touring Turkey pre and post cruise for a total of 21 days vacay. Of course, as a woman, my biggest concern is what to wear (comfortable shoes not withstanding). Would leggings and long tunics be appropriate? They are so comfortable, and a little dressier than capris and tees, pack well and launder well. I'm going to dress my DH in khakis and golf shirts. Also, to anyone who has sailed on Windstar: what to wear in the evenings? Do I need a dress and does he need a sports jacket and nice dress slacks?

 

Sorry to babble on, but I'm both excited and nervous, and any advice would be appreciated.

Leggings and longer tops with a wrap or sweater would work well that time of the year.

You don't need a dress if slacks are more comfortable. Think casual elegance. To be honest you could wear black slacks and a black top every night, dressed up with jewelry and/or scarves. Chinos or slacks and an Oxford or polo would be fine for your husband. He doesn't need a jacket, although it wouldn't hurt to have one that time of the year, as evenings can get cool.

Although Istanbul is cosmopolitan, it is still a conservative largely Islamic city. Athens is also a bit conservative. You may find it more comfortable in capris/jeans than leggings. In mosques in Istanbul, they will require knees, shoulders and heads to be covered, so you should dress 'modestly' especially for the Blue Mosque, where they turn away tourists not dressed appropriately. I don't know if they allow leggings, but I would not want to wait in a very long line to have them turn me away as I reached the entry.

For dinner onboard, I'll take a couple long skirts (light and easy to pack), pants, dressy t-shirts. Most people dress casually. Though I vividly remember a couple on the Windstar in the Caribbean that always dressed like a scene from a James Bond movie...one morning, the woman said to me "I do so like these 'casual' cruises...where I don't have to bring the heavy jewelry." I suppose this was most memorable because I didn't own any "heavy jewelry". If you do, you'll be happy to know you don't need to bring it!

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