19 Days and only 1 suitcase?

[lddam]

We recently booked "The Great Rivers of Europe" with a pre-trip extension in Vienna. We are used to ocean cruising, but a river cruise is a first for us. All together, it's a 19-day adventure and now my wife is in a panic. "How am I going to pack for that long a period and fit it all into one suitcase?"

 

Perhaps some of you rivercruise "veterans" can offer some advice. What is the standard of dress, particularly at dinner and during the evenings? Are there any opportunities during the cruise to do laundry? Can you offer suggestions as to how and what to pack? What would you NOT leave home without?

 

Any advice and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Dave of ...

 

Dave & Marcia

R.E.D.I.S.

(Retired, Every Day Is Saturday)

[lddam]

I have never posted on these message boards before, but I peeked over my husband's shoulder and read the above message. I sure hope many of you will respond because I am totally freaked.

 

Thank you,

Marcia of ...

 

Dave & Marcia

R.E.D.I.S.

(Retired, Every Day Is Saturday)

[Doubloon]

Dave and Marcia,

We did GCT's Rhone River Cruise/Paris/Nice with the pre-trip extension in the Loire Valley last fall and got along fine with one suitcase each. There is laundry service (not self service, tho) on the ship. We use large duffle bags with many side pockets and rollers. One of our favorite packing tools for several years now has been the Pack-It folders made by Eagle Creek and sold by most of the travel supply places. You fold your clothes flat using a thin plastic board to get them the right size, then place them on the bottom of the folder. After all the clothes are in, you put the packing board on top and close the flaps tightly with Velcro. It really saves space and the clothes don't shift around and get so wrinkled. We use 2 or 3 folders each. They come in several different sizes.

Evenings on GCT river cruises are MUCH more casual than ocean cruises. Maybe a sportcoat and tie for men -but many nights many just had on shirts and slacks. For women, a nice pants outfit or skirt and top. Nothing even close to formal or semi-formal.

Hope this helps. Have a great trip!

[Gary Karschnick]

To add to the previous post, you can wear the same clothes on more than one day. We try to take a couple of pairs of trousers and 2 or 3 coordinating shirts. You can then mix-n-match. I know this will be a surprise to you, but no one else on the cruise will notice what you are wearing and if you "repeat". We once traveled with a pair of ladies from Australia who packed for 3 months in Europe in one small gym style duffle bag.

[gracecarmo]

We took GCT Great Rivers trip 2 years ago. I only took 1 suitcase and actually decided that I had too much packed for the trip. We are going on GCT Eastern Europe to the Black Sea, with pre trip in Prague in June. 15 days. Now get this...I am only taking a carry-on with wheels, (and it fits beneath the seat too)! As the previous poster said, you do not need formal clothing, and can wear the same thing over. We usually wash out underwear while in the shower, hang to dry. I am wearing a denim skirt to travel, and that same skirt can be worn several times, with different tops (taking 3) that can be washed and hung to dry. Also taking a black skirt and jacket that can be dressed up with a nice scarf. 3 other pair of slacks, black, denim, and beige "dockers" will do.

 

I also take a big tote bag with meds, etc. If you pack, un pack, etc. you will get it right, and you HAVE to try everything on and mix and match. My opinion is that less is better.

 

Ladies: just remember...there are stores along the way!

 

Grace

[Flick]

While these cruises are casual, I have some great news for you. You can take more than one suitcase. You will be charges $15.00 upon arrival for the extra suitcase. However, CASUAL is the way to go. I am even going to try to take my 26" suitcase instead of my 30" hiardside.

 

Rick,24 cruises and counting! Next cruise- #25-Riverboat cruise from Amsterdam to Vienna in July '04

 

[Flick]

Well, I have packed for the trip. Unfortunately I had to use the 30 hardside instead of the 26" just because I am taking a sport coat along. The suitcase will come back empty of clothes (except the sport coat) but full of Xmas gifts. I did decide to not use my roll-aboard carry-on and instead will use the black travel bag supplied by GCT (so I'm at least making progress and starting to think "smaller".)

[lddam]

Flick-

 

I see that you are doing the Amsterdam to Vienna on GCT this month and have packed the 30" hardside. First, let me wish you "Bon Voyage."

 

Thanks for the info about a second suitcase for a $15 surcharge. Somehow I missed that in the literature. Since we decided to extend our trip with a post-cruise extension in Brussels, Marcia was looking at another 3 days of "What am I gonna' wear?" I can almost hear her sigh of relief now.

 

Again, have a happy and safe journey.

 

Dave of ...

[Flick]

Thanks for the well-wishes Dave. We are doing the reverse itinerary with our pre cruise starting in Brussels and then the post will be in Vienna. My wife, Kay, is getting so excited (we leave Wednesday) that I may have to tie her to a chair for a couple of days. Of course, I am my usual cool cucumber and not effected in the least by this "just another cruise" thingee, myself!!!!!

Incidentally, assuming you are Inner Circle at GCT you will now get a 10% discount on all ship-board purchases including snacks, drinks, and purchases from the gift shop on board. This discount does not extend to the optional tours you purchase.

[Kayelache]

What a relief to learn that we won't have 15 extra roommates, or that there won't be 15 cots in the hallways! We've never traveled with that large a GCT group (140), I imagine it will take most of the two weeks to get acquainted with everyone, or even to figure out which of the names on the list were the 15 who cancelled.

Rick, we'll probably see in Amsterdam. We arrive Sunday morning in Brussels, and since we made our own air arrangements, we are also responsible for getting ourselves to Amsterdam. There is a train every hour that goes directly to Central Station, and it seems that the River Melody is within walking distance from there. We don't land until 8:15, I imagine your precruise group will leave earlier than that, as I think I read that you would be stopping in Delph and probably some other places en route.

I know we will feel the weak dollar painfully. This won't be the year to do a lot of shopping.

Can't wait! We both are so excited!

Karen

[Flick]

Karen, so sorry you won't be joining us first in Brussels but still looking forward to seeing you and Al when we get to Amsterdam.Take care and have a good trip to Amsterdam....We will be the "nuts" in cabin 409 on the Serenade deck.

[Kayelache]

We just returned from the 14 day Great Rivers of Europe cruise. We had one suitcase each, one fairly large and the other a tad smaller (they nest together when empty) and a still smaller one that is considered a "carry on" that also nests inside the other two. Plus another smaller carryon that held medications and cameras. We still packed too much clothing, several outfits never did get worn and could have stayed home. Europe weather is always iffy, so one has to plan for every possibility. As it was, the first three days were rainy and cold, the rest of the trip dry and almost too warm. I took two pairs of shorts for each of us, and several tops. I figured we would be buying t-shirts along the way. As it was, we only bought two, one River Melody shirt on the day they were "on sale" for $12 instead of the usual $14, and the last day, I bought a Belgium shirt on sale because it was the last one like it they had, $5. Most of the shirts in the stores were something like $15-$20. You really feel the weak dollar this year! I packed two pairs of long pants each , plus a sweater and rain coat. I also took a couple of pant suits, one I wore and the other never made it out of the suitcase. The dining room was always cool, downright cold in the morning, so my husband wore his sweater every day. Used the rain coats the first couple of days. He brought a sports jacket that he wore twice. It could have stayed home. I took a casual type dress that doesn't wrinkle and wore it several times. Some people "dressed for dinner" but most were pretty casual. Many people wore blue jeans a lot.

There was plenty of room under the beds to store the suitcases

One thing I would highly recommend is the over the door storage thing with the pockets (buy it at Walmart, meant to hold about ten pairs of shoes) It keeps the bathroom clutter in check, and space is really limited.

[cmthomas]

Flick, enjoy Cabin 409! That is the same cabin we had on the same trip 2 years ago. I'll let you in on a secret -- if you leave the window open at night you will awaken to the wonderful aroma of breakfast pastries and breads being baked and coffee being made as you will be just two cabins fore of the galley.

 

I hope that you have Capt. Vandenboom as your skipper. He is a young guy who is "the life of the party!" Wait until you see him with his head stuck trough the trap door in the top of the wheelhouse when it is retracted to pass under bridges. He has a little umbrella hat that he wears. His wife, Miriam, was our GTC Tour Guide and was delightful but I understand that she has now retired to their home in Holland.

 

Since we had such great luck with Cabin 409 on the River Melody we booked the same cabin on the River Harmony and will be sailing from Antwerp on September 23rd doing the Waterways of the Old World itinerary covering the Rhine and the Mosel rivers and ending in Basel, Switzerland. After the great trip that we had on the Vienna-Amsterdam trip we are excited about the upcoming one.

 

Bon Voyage! Clarence & Ethel Thomas from Maryland