Formal Nights

Right, Randy, I have dark suits, white dress shirts, and ties. But they are left over from when I had a professional job a few years ago in Okla, City. We've now retired and have moved to Durango CO where nobody wears a suit, and certainly not a tux. One of our country clubs (another dying institution) had a semi-formal event (sports coats and ties) and nobody showed up! (Nobody here wants to voluntarily wear a tie.) My tux and suits are still in good shape, but I would swear that my suit weighs more than my tux! So I can't see how taking the suit on longer cruises would solve the luggage weight (and mass) problem.

Like I said, the black suit gets worn more than for formal nights. Since I don't mind a coat and tie on other nights it's really not extra weight as I'd have something to wear one way or the other on the non-formal nights. Helps we had probably 300 pounds of stuff with us on our last cruise. :eek: There was about 200 pounds in four checked bags and the other 100 pounds in our carry on. :D

...... Helps we had probably 300 pounds of stuff with us on our last cruise. :eek: There was about 200 pounds in four checked bags and the other 100 pounds in our carry on. :D

Randyk47, I see you travel light like we do ! :D :D :D

I think it's already well established that the requirement for formal attire only obtains in the MDR and only on formal nights. I find it hard to believe that, with the manifold choices of dining venue, anyone would find it too onerous to avoid the MDR on the average one evening a week that the formal dress code is implemented.

 

It just strikes me as such a non-issue.

Formal nights are not a NON-issue to us , but they are a minor issue. When Mr.Catlover and I did our first SS cruise to Alaska on the Shadow in 2011, we were unprepared. We thought we were prepared for "dress-up" , compared with what we are used to in our northern California/San Francisco Bay area haunts, where "nice casual" or less -- including not uncommonly men in thongs with hairy toes and torn jeans -- prevails in expensive restaurants, by bringing along stylish slacks, designer shirts, and expensive Italian stylish ties for Mr. C to wear at dinners. Our excellent butler, however, astutely noted the absence of a jacket, much less a tux, in our closet and politely asked what we were going to do for formal night, as it is taken very seriously on SS (at that time only the patio grill was exempt from the "tux or dark suit" requirement, or you had to settle on in-room dining or the pool, and the pool was already booked). He brought in several "temporary" black tux jackets for Mr. C to wear with his black slacks, and adjusted one to sort of fit, saving the day (though we felt awkward sitting next to the tuxed).

We had an otherwise PERFECT (yes, perfect) cruise in Alaska, but then tried Regent once just because of their less formal dress code. We were a bit unhappy there for other reasons in 2012, so we came back to SS, now prepared with a dark suit. As others have noted, dark suits or their jackets can also be used on informal nights, (and BTW are also handy for unexpected funerals back home). We also made sure we had made advance on-line reservations in alternative venues such as Stars or La Terrazza where we can "hide" from the tuxes on formal nights or just wear nice "informal" attire if we choose. Though the tuxed men all look alike, I definitely do think it is fun to see what interesting outfits some ladies are wearing on formal nights. I miss not being able to get seated with strangers for dinner when we choose to skip the MDR because of the dress code and go to alternative venues, but it is only once a week, and it is our choice.

The INformal dress code also seems to be enforced on non-casual nights. May 2014 on the Spirit's Monaco Grand Prix cruise, Mr. Catlover decided one informal night that it was hot and he would leave the jacket in the room, and just go to the MDR with black pants, designer shirt, and an awesome tie, then hit the show venue. He really looked sharp, even without the jacket, but I told him, "You need the jacket for informal night, that is the rule, you can take it off when you sit down ". He argued, , "I look better with this shirt and tie than some of the men wearing a rumpled jacket and too-tight shirt over a big pot belly just to meet the dress code." Though true, I restrained myself from saying "I told you so" when the MD at the MDR told him he needed a jacket to come in, so he obediently went back to get it (then put it on the back of the chair after being seated).

It is good to have a choice of venue, and some reasonable flexibility depending on mood , and the very important choice of cruise lines. Over time the market will sort out what people really want as the years go on and cultural preferences change, and airline excess luggage fees go higher and higher and boomers' joints get stiffer and stiffer, precluding them from dragging too much luggage around when there are no porters. The "dark suit and/or alternative venue compromise" is a good compromise for now on SS, as that way pax can choose what to do, depending on the rules they have chosen to abide by when they sign up. I expect cruise lines to enforce the stated dress codes rather than consider them "suggestions".

I am hoping that on our upcoming Seabourn cruises (trying SB out in a few months, and might use their luggage forwarding company to facilitate comfortably bringing more baggage without having to lug it around when we cannot find someone to carry it), we do not see thongs and ugly T-shirts at dinner (not even on casual nights) like we saw at a well-known and expensive Napa restaurant a while back: we had gone to celebrate our anniversary (dressed up a bit, as most people were, though Mr. C was without a jacket). There we saw a young pony-tailed man with thongs and stretchy shorts that looked like modified swim trunks wearing a T-shirt that depicted cartoon sketches of copulating lizards on the front and back of his shirt. :eek: Though it was our anniversary, the lizards were not inspiring us. The man and his lady (similarly attired, though sans the lizards) were drinking a $400 bottle of Napa wine. Times are definitely changing.

Formal nights are not an issue for us on seven night cruises. But as we have grown older and the airline/airport experience ha become more onerous, we have decided to take longer cruises and fewer of them. Then, it becomes a problem for us to take all the day wear we need plus formal wear, UNLESS the ship offers a flat rate laundry package so we can take less day wear.

So, a question: Does SS offer such a laundry package?

I realize that SS is the only lux line left (that I can find) with full formal night dress code. And I realize that a lot of people like formal nights, so I can't criticize SS for appealing to this market. But I do feel that SS should recognize the realities of air travel today, and offer a reasonable laundry package so guests can pack lighter (and within airline limitations).

Luggage can be an issue these days, but there are options. Have you considered shipping one suitcase ahead when you are taking a longer cruise? Silversea can arrange that for you and it will be waiting for you when you get on board.

Another option is to take a dark suit and wear a bow tie on formal nights. We have a friend who did this and it took us several cruises traveling with him before we realized he wasn't wearing a tux. Of course, his wife was wearing a gorgeous gown, so who was looking at him! LOL

Also, while it is an expensive option, were you aware that silver suites get complimentary laundry service regardless of the number of days you have?

Hope this is helpful.

Well, we've priced that before and found it a bit high. But if there has been an improvement in this, please post about it.

And again, does SS offer a flat rate laundry package???

In our little Colorado mountain city (Durango), formal means a fairly new pair of jeans, dress boots (not always cowboy), some sort of nice shirt, and a blazer. (Haven't seen anybody in a tie who wasn't going to a funeral or to court). Our two US Senators and the US Secretary of the Interior were speakers at an event here dressed like that. USA today voted Durango the worst dressed city in the US, and we are proud of it! Yet I have a tux and suits from my pre-retirement days in Okla. and don't mind wearing them if it is required or "suggested" for an event elsewhere in a different culture.

BTW, we aren't "bums" here. One of my friends who dresses like everybody else here drives a Bently! And Bill Gates lived part time in rural Durango until recently.

But more on topic, we just can't find a reasonable way to take a longer cruise (like 14 days or so) unless the cruise is either all casual (maybe with formal optional), or has a laundry package, or preferably both. So as much as I like SS, I can't figure out a reasonable way (for us) to take a 14 day cruise on SS, under these circumstances as I know them.

The easy option is to ship your luggage direct from home to ship and return.Fedex is much cheaper than SS valet service and very efficient and no worries of the airline losing your luggage.

Thanks, I'll check out FedEx.

But again, does anybody know if SS offers a flat rate laundry package????

I do not believe there is a flat rate package for laundry.

On the Spirit there are numerous laundry rooms and the ones on Decks 10 and 11 are hardly ever used. I know that doesn't really help you if you are looking for a flat rate laundry price per bag, but if you really want to travel on SS, just estimate what the cost of laundry would be and factor it into the cruise price. Then you can see whether it all makes sense for you or not.

I think it's already well established that the requirement for formal attire only obtains in the MDR and only on formal nights. I find it hard to believe that, with the manifold choices of dining venue, anyone would find it too onerous to avoid the MDR on the average one evening a week that the formal dress code is implemented.

 

It just strikes me as such a non-issue.

Has that changed on Silversea? Not so long ago, the policy was that it was a formal evening, and with a few exceptions, appropriate attire was required throughout the ship for the entire evening.

Yes, that's changed. Plenty of options on formal nights. But avoid the MDR.

We are currently on the Wind - 2 nights ago, we ate at La Terrazza on formal night. My husband was one of 3 men there in tuxedoes. There were a few men there in no jacket at all, but most had a jacket, with a few ties. So, LT is a place you can go if you don't want to dress up.

However, in the MDR, on informal night a couple of days ago, I looked around and saw the all were in dress code. In fact, I even saw one guy sent away from the desk, who came back a few minutes later in a jacket.

On Informal nights, do men have to wear a tie, in addition to a blazer?

Tie is optional on an informal night.

Thanks!

I think there may be some confusion here. Some lines we have been on require that the dress code for the MDR be worn in all public areas of the ship after 6:00 PM. But some of the posts above seem to indicate that on SS the dress code applies only in the MDR. Is this correct?

The dress code only applies to the MDR, however, daytime casual wear (shorts, tank tops, etc.) are not permitted in public areas after 6 pm.

Thanks. On MDR formal nights, are slacks and sport shirts permitted in other public areas of the ship after 6:00 PM?

While slacks and sport shirts are permitted in other public areas on formal nights, most men wear a jacket even if they choose to be casual.

On longer cruises, Silversea passengers tend to dress more formally than on short one week cruises. I spotted a passenger in a black tee shirt and khakis at the bar on an informal night, and he looked very much out of place.