Is formal dress essential?

We are going on Regent Voyager Greek Islands tour in October. There is one "formal" night and my husband is not at all interested in bringing a tux or even a suit? What can we do?

Your only other option is to dine in your suite. All areas adhere to stated dress codes after 6 pm.

That is not altogther correct...Veranda is always less dressy. You will feel comfortable dining there on formal night is dressy casual or informal. We have lots of nights on RSSC and often dine in the Veranda on formal nights when we don't feel like dressing up.

However, dining in the suite is not a bad idea as you can order from the Compass Rose menu as well as the regular room service menu. Sometimes dining insuite while watching the sea go by is a wonderful way to spend the evening.

One more thing...we will be on that cruise with you. Where are you joining? We are sailing from Istanbul.

You don't have to dine in your suite, La Verandah is always casual. But you won't be welcome in the lounges after dinner, at least not without going back to your room and donning at least a jacket, I would think. I'm surprised they have a formal night on a 7-day in the Med. I'm tired of formal nights, especially on this kind of itinerary.

Im not sure that anything would happen if you did not wear a jacket in the lounges..overboard isnt an option and people are becoming more casual all the time!!

Wendy, thats the reason we all love Oceania no formal nights..makes it so relaxed

Jan

*****

I hear you Jan, I would love it if Regent went that way. And I will try O at some point I hope.

We were a bit surprised. It was on Voyager, and it was an informal night. David did not want to bother even with a jacket, so we went to La Veranda, and had a great meal. Then we wanted to go listen to Hal in the Observation Lounge, as we often did. David was stopped at the door. We just went back to the cabin and got him a jacket then returned.

On Navigator last year we saw a guy stopped from entering Compass Rose. It was informal night again. He was wearing dark jeans and some kind of very casual top (sweatshirt, t-shirt, can't recall.) He was also fairly drunk I believe. They argued, quietly, at the entrance for a few minutes, the staff trying to be very polite and steer him somewhere else. Finally they seated him, in the very corner near the door.

My October Med on Voyager has no formal nights, but there are no sea days. On SS, some take of their jackets for the late night show even on formal night. Or they take off tie. They still look nice. Don't know about Regent but I am about to find out.

My husband took a suit, but not a tux, which he wore on both informal and formal nights. I think one would feel out of place without at least a jacket.

My son (teenager) took a suit also and wore it to dinner on the formal nights, but then he took off the jacket and tie to hang out with his friends and go to the show. This seemed to be common among the teenagers and younger men and nothing was said. However, he wasn't going in the casino or lounge.

I have 2 formal nights on my upcoming Rome to Athens on the Whisper and I am sure a few Informal Nights as well.

My last Silversea experience in October 2006 on the Shadow, I decided not to bring my Tux and just go with the Dark Blue suit - alternating ties, shirts etc. Well this Blue Suit was a light weight Wool and while packing - the pants dropped off the hanger and I only ended up packing the jacket! Well that was a big SHOCK when i was getting ready. Well I wore khakis to to the Restaurant on the Formal nights....no problem - no one said a word.

We have done 4 cruises with another couple.

He really struggles with finding a sports coat to fit and forget about a suit.

Santa Clause comes in mind if you know what I mean.

He only has a navy blue blazer which he wears with grey or khaki Docker style slacks. No dress slacks.

He wears this coat for all formal (with a tie), and informal (no tie), nights.

Never been a problem.

If you don't want to participate fine. You do have the choice of going to the

LaVeranda which is always casual ever night. I guess it is true you are not suppose to go to the bars until late. (After Compass Rose closes), but you can get drinks at LaVeranda so just take your time and don't be in a hurry.

We are getting on in Istanbul too.

Thanks, loved all this reassurance!

Bunny -

It seems to me to be a question of how "out of it" - or uncomfortable -your husband will feel if he is dressed very differently from the other men...On our last Voyager cruise (Nov 06) I would guess that about 80% of the men wore black tie on formal nights and 95% wore jackets and ties on informal nights. So I would say, if he hasn't got a DJ, then it is OK to wear a dark suit (but not a blazer etc) on the formal nights, and a blazer and tie is just fine on informal ones. If her really prefers not to dress for dinner, then eating in the suite is a real option but as someone else mentioned, he will not be really welcomed in the public areas after 6pm on those nights. Maybe your choice of cruise line is not a good one? I am sure there are other lines with no formal nights and no jacket and tie evenings!

Wow, your experience is different than ours on Voyager. Men with just a jacket (no tie) were dominant on informal nights. And tuxes versus dark suits were perhaps about 40-60 on formal nights. Will report back about informal nights on our December Voyager cruise; my husband for his part has no intention of packing a tie.

My husband doesn't mind jackets but hates ties. And sometimes he wears a vest that he got in India on informal nights and all gets lots of good comments...never been turned away for not having a jacket on.

Hope to meet you on board, Bunny59. How far are you going? We are on until Ft. Launderdale.

Jan

I agree with Wendy the Wander. Informal nights we saw very few ties.

Actually the only difference we normally see between Country Club Casual and informal is wearing a sports coat or blazer. I think formal nights are closer to 70% to 75% dark suits and ties over real tuxes.

In fact we saw a couple of guys wearing collarless dressy white shirts on formal night which of course did not have a tie and they were wearing these with a suit and not a tux.

03/22/80 ....Commodore MS Caribe.....Eastern Caribbean

02/15/03.....Radisson Paul Gauguin.....Tahiti

02/22/04.....Norwegian Dream (ick)...Western Caribbean

11/12/04.....Radisson Mariner...........Mexican Riviera

02/15/05.....Radisson Diamond..........Southern Caribbean

12/27/05.....Radisson Voyager..........Panama Canal FLL to LAX

01/09/07.....Regent Mariner.............Amazon River

12/03/07.....Regent Mariner.............Auckland NZ to LAX

Jim-

Weren't you on the PG with us in March 03, not February 03?

It is quite disappointing to see a thread on Regent about how to "get out of" or "get away with" when it comes to evening dress.

Personally, if you don't want to dress formally (or informally - that is with a tie...otherwise it is country club casual), that's your personal preference. BUT you chose a cruise which has those dress requirements and respecting those that do dress as required should be foremost.

It is no different in my mind to people talking excessively loud when having cocktails. There are other people in the room and the ambiance is probably important to them.

Suit vs. Tux? - fine. Khakis on informal nights? - fine. After that what is really being discussed? Hopefully not my cruise.

Nope Todd.

We were onMariner "MINT" together but not the Paul Gauguin.

For a 10-day caribbean Mariner cruise I brought a black suit, along with a nice shirt and fairly formal looking tie for formal night, then wore the suit with silk t-shirts on informal nights. My wife liked the combos and it was easy to pack (lightweight suit) and the only thing that needed about one minute of touch up ironing was the dress shirt (cotton).

And if I can find a suit that fits comfortably, anyone can :D (got it at Men's Wearhouse, along with the other stuff. Just show up at one, tell them what you are looking for, and stand there while they select all the stuff and fit you. Took 20 minutes and I didn't have to make any color/style choices, etc.)

PS - I even wore the suit pants with an untucked Tommy Bahamma type shirt on a casual night! Talk about packing efficiency.

We have been on two Regent Mediterrean cruises. We could not see the sense in bringing a tux or suit to Europe for one night. The first cruise we ventured out and felt very uncomfortable being underdressed. Even though we had country club casual on. Went back to our cabin and ordered in. Did not venture out on the next cruise and had a very nice room service meal. In courses. I guess it depends on how easily you are intimidated....

When I was on the Voyager 2 years ago it was definitely not that formal - I'm going on the Navigator in October (20th) and my husband is bringing sports jacket & a tie

We have been on the Voyager 5 or 6 times in different parts of the world and have always found the formal night to be the best menus in the Compass Rose. The idea of formal night adds a certain touch to the cruise. We will be onboard for the Panama Canal Holiday cruise this year and look forward to their large New Years celebration, which is a formal night. I do remember some passengers last year not being admitted to the diningroom and the lounge without the proper attire on formal nights. Dinner in your suite is a very nice alternative if one chooses not to get dressed for the formal evenings. We once had dinner in La Veranda on a formal night and it was great. The wonderful thing about the Voyager there is sonmething for everyones taste.

Most men dislike "dressing up", but it is worth doing for your wife, and the comfort of the other passengers. Not a big deal to do anyway. (I'm a 52 year old engineer sitting here at work in grungy shorts and t-shirt. So if I can do the formal thing, any guy can...)