Italy/Greek Cruise in June Weather

[MermaidsMom]

Hey fellow cruisers,
How do you plan clothes for a June Mediterranean cruise? Thanks

 

[tidefan]

Hey fellow cruisers,
How do you plan clothes for a June Mediterranean cruise? Thanks

We went June/July last year and to say it was hot (especially in Naples) would be an understatement...

 

[MermaidsMom]

Was it humid like in Florida? Or dry like Arizona?

 

[Flip flops in winter]

We went in June as well. Living in FL, it was downright chilly to me on the med at night. I'd say it's something in between "humid like FL and dry like AZ". We packed our normal summer clothes and were fine. Boys shorts/and short sleeve shirts, girls were in sun dresses or shorts and tanks. Girls packed light sweaters or big scarves to drape over their shoulders to be able to access churches. That was the only thing out of the norm for us. Oh, and obviously good walking sandals or fashion type sneakers. You can always spot the Americans with the big athletic shoes (thinking Dad style NB) so we tried to fit in as best we could.

 

[tidefan]

Was it humid like in Florida? Or dry like Arizona?

Humid like Florida. It was over 100 degrees in many of the Italian ports.

 

[Dug720]

We went in June as well. Living in FL, it was downright chilly to me on the med at night. I'd say it's something in between "humid like FL and dry like AZ". We packed our normal summer clothes and were fine. Boys shorts/and short sleeve shirts, girls were in sun dresses or shorts and tanks. Girls packed light sweaters or big scarves to drape over their shoulders to be able to access churches. That was the only thing out of the norm for us. Oh, and obviously good walking sandals or fashion type sneakers. You can always spot the Americans with the big athletic shoes (thinking Dad style NB) so we tried to fit in as best we could.

Make sure the dresses or shorts are long enough to cover the knees - or you have something to tie around waists (YES, even on males) as exposed knees are not allowed in churches either. (Yes, I've been to Italy in the summer and yes, I saw men having to buy pashminas to tie around their waist like a sarong to ensure that their knees were covered.) Pants that zip on and off at the lower leg seemed to be in use a lot for people wanting to wear pants/shorts.

 

[brentm77]

Make sure the dresses or shorts are long enough to cover the knees - or you have something to tie around waists (YES, even on males) as exposed knees are not allowed in churches either. (Yes, I've been to Italy in the summer and yes, I saw men having to buy pashminas to tie around their waist like a sarong to ensure that their knees were covered.) Pants that zip on and off at the lower leg seemed to be in use a lot for people wanting to wear pants/shorts.

Many churches have relaxed the knee requirements and only focus on the shoulders now. Even the Vatican from what our tour guide told us. But, I didn't want to risk being turned away, so I wore pants when panning on touring churches. Tommy Bahamas has an excellent pair of linen pants that are very comfortable in the heat for men. They are pricey, but have become my go to for when I need to wear pants when traveling in warm locations. I hate being hot, and it didn't bother me at all to wear them.

I also wanted to point out that when you go in June makes a big difference. The first part of June can be pretty comfortable compared to the last half. But last year there happened to be an unusual heatwave in early June, so go prepared for both heat and moderate temperatures.

 

[Dug720]

Many churches have relaxed the knee requirements and only focus on the shoulders now. Even the Vatican from what our tour guide told us. But, I didn't want to risk being turned away, so I wore pants when panning on touring churches. Tommy Bahamas has an excellent pair of linen pants that are very comfortable in the heat for men. They are pricey, but have become my go to for when I need to wear pants when traveling in warm locations. I hate being hot, and it didn't bother me at all to wear them.

I also wanted to point out that when you go in June makes a big difference. The first part of June can be pretty comfortable compared to the last half. But last year there happened to be an unusual heatwave in early June, so go prepared for both heat and moderate temperatures.

Interesting. That's happened since 2018 when I went and they were turning anyone away who had knees showing.

(Of course they now allow pictures in the Academia in Florence - when I saw the David there in 2011, I didn't have to deal with selfish sticks and people yelling someone was in the way of their picture as no pictures were allowed inside. If it even looked like someone was taking a picture a voice would boom from on high "NO PHOTOGRAPHY! In English, Italian, French, Spanish, and German! So I guess they're slacking things all over the place now.)

 

[brentm77]

Interesting. That's happened since 2018 when I went and they were turning anyone away who had knees showing.

(Of course they now allow pictures in the Academia in Florence - when I saw the David there in 2011, I didn't have to deal with selfish sticks and people yelling someone was in the way of their picture as no pictures were allowed inside. If it even looked like someone was taking a picture a voice would boom from on high "NO PHOTOGRAPHY! In English, Italian, French, Spanish, and German! So I guess they're slacking things all over the place now.)

They still yell at people in the Sistine Chapel!

I don't understand the need to photograph famous art when there are thousands of better photos online. I get taking some pictures in front of outdoor landmarks to remember your trip, but even there, slow down and enjoy being present a little. Santorini was almost ruined because of all the people taking professional-style selfies, including setting up makeshift changing rooms so they could change outfits. And I was there before tourism was back in full force. I can't imagine it now.

 

[soniam]

They still yell at people in the Sistine Chapel!

I don't understand the need to photograph famous art when there are thousands of better photos online. I get taking some pictures in front of outdoor landmarks to remember your trip, but even there, slow down and enjoy being present a little. Santorini was almost ruined because of all the people taking professional-style selfies, including setting up makeshift changing rooms so they could change outfits. And I was there before tourism was back in full force. I can't imagine it now.

I don't get it either. I have a professional camera but am not a professional photographer. I have been into photography my whole life and always thought it was such a waste of time. I think people should have to google for the pic they are about to take before they waste the time, energy, and data storage on it. The glamour shot stuff really drives me nuts, unless it's an actual pro photoshoot. Social media photography has become a plague on society. Not looking forward to dealing with this garbage on our med cruise this summer. However, good photographers know that you should be eating and resting midday and taking photos at sunrise and sunset, when the other tourists are sleeping or eating.

 

[kiford]

Make sure the dresses or shorts are long enough to cover the knees - or you have something to tie around waists (YES, even on males) as exposed knees are not allowed in churches either. (Yes, I've been to Italy in the summer and yes, I saw men having to buy pashminas to tie around their waist like a sarong to ensure that their knees were covered.) Pants that zip on and off at the lower leg seemed to be in use a lot for people wanting to wear pants/shorts.

I usually wear lightweight pants (linen, lightweight cotton knit) so that my knees are always covered (plus I fry easily in the sun so want my legs covered), and a sleeveless or short-sleeve shirt but carry a very lightweight short jacket (something that you can literally fit into your bag or purse rolled up) that I pull out to cover my shoulders when needed. Some of the churches we went to would give you a pashmina or sarong either for no cost or for a couple of Euros "donation" that you returned upon exit or in Pisa a disposable one just so that you could be covered. Other places they simply denied entrance if you didn't have anything.

Hey fellow cruisers,
How do you plan clothes for a June Mediterranean cruise? Thanks

One of our Med cruises was mid-June (12 days) and by the time we got to Rome, it was 38 degrees Celsius and in Turkey and Athens it was 42. So lots of short sleeves, and shorts or dresses (if you have lots of sunscreen) with the caveat as above. You might want to bring extra tops because you'll be sweaty or maybe plan some time to wash clothes. My advice is cotton, linen or rayon fabrics. Everything else either doesn't breathe well or retains heat too much. Nothing close or tight-fitting. Loose, lightweight, natural fibres. But still bring a light sweater for the ship because the contrast between all day in 30-40 degree temperatures and the temperatures of the ship can be startling and the theatres are often kept really cold.

Also, I personally only tend to wear dresses (especially shorter ones) on the ship for dinner. Some of the places can get quite windy and, well, short dresses.....

 

[bwmjam]

We did the Med last June and there was a heat wave in Europe, 100 - 104 degrees everyday, plus humidity, plus black cobblestone streets. Plan for heat! Light weight, dry wicking clothing is a must. Some churches are stricter than others, I did see women turned away with spaghetti straps so cover the shoulders and you'll be fine. Take the gatorade packets that mix in a water bottle. I think this saved us, you will need the electrolytes.

 

[Jacq7414]

Interesting. That's happened since 2018 when I went and they were turning anyone away who had knees showing.

(Of course they now allow pictures in the Academia in Florence - when I saw the David there in 2011, I didn't have to deal with selfish sticks and people yelling someone was in the way of their picture as no pictures were allowed inside. If it even looked like someone was taking a picture a voice would boom from on high "NO PHOTOGRAPHY! In English, Italian, French, Spanish, and German! So I guess they're slacking things all over the place now.)

We went in 2014 and no one turned us away for showing our knees. Maybe it just depends?

 

[MermaidsMom]

We did the Med last June and there was a heat wave in Europe, 100 - 104 degrees everyday, plus humidity, plus black cobblestone streets. Plan for heat! Light weight, dry wicking clothing is a must. Some churches are stricter than others, I did see women turned away with spaghetti straps so cover the shoulders and you'll be fine. Take the gatorade packets that mix in a water bottle. I think this saved us, you will need the electrolytes.

Did you bring the Gatorade packets from home or can you find them on the ship/Italy?

 

[imbelle]

In 2018 I saw people wearing shorts in the Vatican. One of my art history professors said that in the 60's he saw girls in micro mini skirts trotting past him while he got stopped for his elbows showing. I just always bring a lightweight Tahitian pareau to cover whatever they deem to be the offending body part du jour.

 

[fredandkell]

It is HOT. (And I’m from Georgia.)

One thing that totally saved us was we bought these battery operated rechargeable fans (from Amazon) that our kids wore on lanyards around their necks. This totally salvaged our Eze day which was miserably hot. Otherwise the kids would have melted down (literally and figuratively).

 

[bwmjam]

Did you bring the Gatorade packets from home or can you find them on the ship/Italy?

Yes, you can buy them at Costco.