What to Wear to Dinner on a River Cruise

The most-asked packing question I get, answered once and for all: river cruise dinner dress is "country club casual," and almost nobody gets it wrong by aiming there.

For women: a nice blouse with trousers, a casual dress, or a skirt. For men: collared shirts and slacks; a sport coat is a pleasant surprise, never a requirement. Jeans are generally fine at lunch, less so at dinner. Flip-flops and swimwear stay out of the dining room entirely.

The one evening to plan for: the Captain's Dinner or Farewell Dinner, where most guests step it up a notch — think cocktail dress or jacket. It's usually the best meal of the sailing, and the photos are better when you dressed for them.

My practical rule: pack outfits that can walk a cobblestone town all afternoon and sit down to a nice dinner an hour later. Comfortable, wrinkle-resistant, layerable. You are not dressing for the ship. You are dressing for Europe, with dinner attached.