We have done 5 river cruises in Europe & are doing our 6th this summer in Russia. They have all been extremely casual. Some people do dress up for the captian's farewell but since we have always had lengthy pre and/or post cruise trips we do not waste the packing space.

We took our children to Paris,Christmas, 1999. It was bitter cold. There was a hurricane that year and the winds uprooted the trees in Versailles & broke again the St. Chapelle windows.

You are going to love river cruising.

Jackie