10 Day Cruise - How Many Formal Nights?

[Giraffe at Sea]

I just spoke with HAL to ask a question and was told that there are 3 formal nights on our 10 day cruise to a partial transit of the Panama Canal on the Zuiderdam. I was told they were on the days when the ship is at sea. That would make the last two nights fin a row formal nights and the last night you need to get your luggage out to be picked up so I was wondering if I got the right information. Are there really 3 formal nights?

I would appreciate some input.

[jhannah]

Formal nights are often on sea days ... but not always. They are never on the final night and are never two in a row. (Sometimes the agents in the reservation center aren't completely informed about a lot of things.) And yes, there are 3 formal nights on a 10-day.

[pms4104]

I believe that indeed there are 3 formal nights on a 10-day. However, I question whether they always are on sea days ... and certainly not on the last night onboard. On our 14-day in December on the Statendam, with 3 sea days, all 4 of our formal nights were on port days ... none were on sea days.

[Krazy Kruizers]

You should have 3 formal nights -- we have always had 3 on 10 day cruises. BUT -- you will never have one the night before you get off the ship.

Day Port Arrive Depart 0 Fort Lauderdale, Florida (http://www.hollandamerica.com/find-cruise-vacation/CruiseDetailsPort.action?cruiseDetailPortCode=FLL&durationCode=&noOfFlexibleMonths=1&portCode=&shipCodeSearch=UU&flexibleMonths=false&pageNumber=1&voyageCode=U913&destCode=&dateCode=2_2009) 05:00 PM 1 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (http://www.hollandamerica.com/find-cruise-vacation/CruiseDetailsPort.action?cruiseDetailPortCode=HMC&durationCode=&noOfFlexibleMonths=1&portCode=&shipCodeSearch=UU&flexibleMonths=false&pageNumber=1&voyageCode=U913&destCode=&dateCode=2_2009) TR SE 08:00 AM 03:00 PM 2 At Sea 3 Oranjestad, Aruba (http://www.hollandamerica.com/find-cruise-vacation/CruiseDetailsPort.action?cruiseDetailPortCode=AUA&durationCode=&noOfFlexibleMonths=1&portCode=&shipCodeSearch=UU&flexibleMonths=false&pageNumber=1&voyageCode=U913&destCode=&dateCode=2_2009) Noon 10:00 PM 4 Willemstad, Curacao (http://www.hollandamerica.com/find-cruise-vacation/CruiseDetailsPort.action?cruiseDetailPortCode=CUR&durationCode=&noOfFlexibleMonths=1&portCode=&shipCodeSearch=UU&flexibleMonths=false&pageNumber=1&voyageCode=U913&destCode=&dateCode=2_2009) 08:00 AM 05:00 PM 5 At Sea 6 Enter Panama Canal Cristobal (http://www.hollandamerica.com/find-cruise-vacation/CruiseDetailsPort.action?cruiseDetailPortCode=126&durationCode=&noOfFlexibleMonths=1&portCode=&shipCodeSearch=UU&flexibleMonths=false&pageNumber=1&voyageCode=U913&destCode=&dateCode=2_2009) CO 05:00 AM 6 Gatun Lake, Panama (http://www.hollandamerica.com/find-cruise-vacation/CruiseDetailsPort.action?cruiseDetailPortCode=GL1&durationCode=&noOfFlexibleMonths=1&portCode=&shipCodeSearch=UU&flexibleMonths=false&pageNumber=1&voyageCode=U913&destCode=&dateCode=2_2009) SC TR 09:00 AM 10:00 AM 6 Exit Panama Canal Cristobal (http://www.hollandamerica.com/find-cruise-vacation/CruiseDetailsPort.action?cruiseDetailPortCode=128&durationCode=&noOfFlexibleMonths=1&portCode=&shipCodeSearch=UU&flexibleMonths=false&pageNumber=1&voyageCode=U913&destCode=&dateCode=2_2009) CO 01:00 PM 01:00 PM 6 Cristobal, Panama (http://www.hollandamerica.com/find-cruise-vacation/CruiseDetailsPort.action?cruiseDetailPortCode=CR1&durationCode=&noOfFlexibleMonths=1&portCode=&shipCodeSearch=UU&flexibleMonths=false&pageNumber=1&voyageCode=U913&destCode=&dateCode=2_2009) 02:00 PM 07:00 PM 7 Puerto Limon, Costa Rica (http://www.hollandamerica.com/find-cruise-vacation/CruiseDetailsPort.action?cruiseDetailPortCode=LIO&durationCode=&noOfFlexibleMonths=1&portCode=&shipCodeSearch=UU&flexibleMonths=false&pageNumber=1&voyageCode=U913&destCode=&dateCode=2_2009) 06:30 AM 04:00 PM 8 At Sea 9 At Sea 10 Fort Lauderdale, Florida (http://www.hollandamerica.com/find-cruise-vacation/CruiseDetailsPort.action?cruiseDetailPortCode=FLL&durationCode=&noOfFlexibleMonths=1&portCode=&shipCodeSearch=UU&flexibleMonths=false&pageNumber=1&voyageCode=U913&destCode=&dateCode=2_2009) 07:00 AM


Looking at your schedule -- the formal nights might be #2, #5 and #8.

[Giraffe at Sea]

Thank you all so much for your quick response to my question. I'm off to go shopping for an additional formal outfit! Thanks again.

[knitlady037]

The first formal night is on your first full sea day. The last is the night before the last sea day. There will also be one in the middle, which if I remember correctly was listed as formal optional.