You are right about The Travelzine. It's the greatest. Linda and Don and their team of Moderators ride herd on us all to keep it that way, and they've made it work. By the way, if you have questions you'd like to ask me directly, you may not know you can do that by clicking on the blue address at the top of the message. It doesn't appear complete, but does get the message to the person you are replying to.

The Queen was undergoing a major renovation when we crossed, which was completed the following year. As for clothes on the ship, inside was maintained at a normal temperature such as a good hotel. Daytime dress was casual but, very honestly, you will feel more comfortable in slacks than jeans, especially for Princess. At the time we went, they were really emphasizing their one-class system. It wasn't realistic and didn't last long. With separate dining rooms according to which deck you are domiciled on, it's silly to say it's all one class. It is true that evenings are quite dressy, especially for the Captain's party (usually the 2nd night on any cruise). A dark suit will work fine for your husband unless it's changed more than I suspect. If you have the space, he may feel more comfortable in Princess with the tux. Since I have not had that luxury, I'm only guessing.

The entertainment is so plentiful, including a large, lovely theater with first-run movies that change each day, that we found ourselves one day having to dress for dinner before going to the 4 pm movie (we were busy all day and didn't want to miss the movie) so we would be ready for the cocktail party and dinner when the movie was over. You could lounge in deck chairs if you chose, but there were concerts by a classical pianist from York (on his way to Carnegie Hall), lectures by an Arctic explorer who was also an artist and had his collection of paintings of the Arctic, really such a broad variety I can't even remember, even if you don't care for the Broadway-like musical revues in the evening.

I've also visited London in the Fall several times. An all-weather coat (with a zip-out liner) will be perfect for the rain and for warmth and, again, sweaters. Cotton turtlenecks are great for layering and warmth and as much as you need some days when the sweater comes off. You may want to invest in silk long-johns as they add so much warmth without bulk, take little space, and launder and dry quickly. In Zermatt, with snow in September, a lady in our group from Hawaii had nothing with her with sleeves. I loaned her a long-sleeved, turtleneck bodysuit I could spare, which she washed every night and found to be a lifesaver.

Hope some of this helps. I know you will have a great trip.

Happy travels,

Lou (Lakeway, TX)