Gentlemen - What do you wear for Formal Nights?

Tell us what your preference is and why?

I wear a dark suit. I try and respect the guidlines put forth by HAL.

My DW and I enjoy getting dressed up for dinner while on a cruise. We very rarely get an opportunity to do this while at home, so it's kinda nice to look our best for the formal nights and to take the opportunity for the photo ops.

Sam

Hi Brian

I took the liberty of voting on behalf of DH but had to opt for the nearest answer (owns a tux). However, being a Scotsman (born in Glasgow) he is proud to wear the traditional 'formal attire' for Scottish men - his kilt and all that goes with it. I keep suggesting that he wears it when we fly over - that way we could seriously reduce the weight of our luggage !!!

And before anyone asks - He certainly does comply with the true Scottish tradition. :eek: (one less garment to carry !!!!) ;)

I bought a Tux for recent cruise and very much enjoyed wearing it to the formal dinners. I felt it added a nice touch to the vacation to dress up.

I voted for DH seeing as he very rarely posts here. (He is registered and has a 'nickname', though :) ).

When cruising in Europe or Canada/New England, he wears a traditional black tuxedo that he owns....pleated shirt, cumerbunds and matching bow ties.

In the Caribbean, he wears a white dinner jacket and tuxedo pants that he owns.....pleated shirt, cumerbunds and matching bow ties.

i own a black tux but wear it much like a suit - no vest or cumerbund - just white shirt w/bow tie, jacket, pants, and dark shoes. and, until being cautioned by previous hal customers, have been in the habit of wearing it only to dinner then getting-back into casual afterwards; i'll change that behavior on my upcoming zuiderdam sailing as suggested.

I voted on behalf of my DH as well. He wears a dark suit and white shirt and tie of course. He looks so amazing that I would be fearful of him wearing a tux. He would just look way too good and everyone would be jealous:p.

Oh, all right!!!! I'm kidding! ..... well, not completely.;)

I've always worn a tux since I purchased one from cheaptux.com three years ago. I've worn it often enough so that the cost/wear is down to about $10!

I voted for my DH as well.

He wears his tux and like the song goes... "every girl's crazy for a sharp dressed man!" LOL!

I love to see him in his tux - he knows it too. ;)

I have to clarify. Everyone keeps talking about the cost. This is not about cost with us. DH just doesn't want to bring his tux which he has had (and still fits into) since the day we were married. He wore it on our honeymoon and to his daughter's wedding. I haven't seen it on him since.

But I just may be able to talk him into it for our group cruise since so many will be so dashing. Stranger things have happened.

Brian, I voted for my DH Tom. He actually has 3 Tux jackets. Two that are his current size another whole Tux that is a bit larger. He recently bought the single button Tux jacket but also has his 3 button Tux. Of course he has several Bow Ties, cumberbuns and vests. (he tries to coordinate with what I am wearing:) )

I like to wear a dark suite with a colored shirt and a tie that is very much in with todays style, pink,dark blue, yellow, black, and purple look great with the proper tie.

Did not vote - just commenting...

My DH wore a black suit, white shirt, dark tie, etc - he looked very crisp and formal. He had been rather dreading dressing up prior to the cruise; however, he found he enjoyed the atmosphere of the first formal evening so much that he wished he had brought a tux or made arrangements to rent one!

He did bring two dark suits and various dress slacks and sport coats. He dressed up to some extent every evening, and just loved it so much.

This was our first cruise, and we found that we did not feel comfortable going into the elegant dining room and various public rooms around the ship unless we were dressed a little upscale, even on casual nights. Being surrounded by the finest appointments, furnishings, artwork, etc. did not seem to lend itself to extremely casual clothing in the evenings.

p.s. There was a gentleman in the dining room one night wearing a cap ...a ball cap ...a red ball cap ...backwards. I'm not usually very observant about what other people are wearing; however, this did manage to grab my attention!:p

Had to vote for DH as he never posts here.

He always wears a tuxedo - infact he is on his third one. Over the years he wore out one - between cruises and work. And then he had to get another when he gained a few pounds - we won't talk about that.

He also has matching cummerbunds and bow ties and has the ruffled shirts.

I'll wear a dark suit, if there are "formal nights" on a cruise although my preference is for "country club"/elegant casual. I never have understood why folks want to mess with ties and such on a vacation. I'll reserve the tux for banquets since there aren't even many formal weddings any more.

A tux for me. I purchased one on ebay a few years ago for about the cost of a rental, so I've certainly come out well. Yes, I have to pack it both ways, but I don't mind that.

Voted for DH - after our first cruise, when he rented a tux, he went out and bought one for our next cruise in anticipation of cruising very many more times. Our son will be buying a tux before his next cruise also. :D

Hi Brian

 

I took the liberty of voting on behalf of DH but had to opt for the nearest answer (owns a tux). However, being a Scotsman (born in Glasgow) he is proud to wear the traditional 'formal attire' for Scottish men - his kilt and all that goes with it. I keep suggesting that he wears it when we fly over - that way we could seriously reduce the weight of our luggage !!!

 

And before anyone asks - He certainly does comply with the true Scottish tradition. :eek: (one less garment to carry !!!!) ;)

LOL, on my recent cruise, there was a travel agent (man/wife) with a group. Both him and his wife dress in full Scotish things. He had a metal thing that he worn on his chest that looked heavy.

The ship was open seating so I never saw the mid 20s dancer from the main show group on formal nights, but one night I was at his table and he said that on formal nights he worn a kilt ..... Mmmm good looking male dancer in kilt..... I wonder how many times female paxs check on the stories of Scotish men in kilts and their undergarments. :D

DH just walked into the room and voted for himself - he rents a tux online and it is waiting in the cabin when he arrives.

I also voted for DH. After a couple of cruises he bought a tux last year and wore them on our last wo cruises. I'm getting him a white dinner jacket for our Carribean cruise in July.:)

I usually wear my black Tuxedo with cummerbun or vest; when it's a longer than average cruise (10+ days) I also take my white dinner jacket for a slightly different look on one of the formal nights.

If I'm serving as chaplain on a cruise I'll take my best black suit and formal clerical vest for Formal Nights. On informal nights I'll sometimes wear a simple tab-collar clergy shirt with a black or dark-grey suit.

But I can post that once upon a time my husband surprised me when he purchased a tuxedo and white dinner jacket. He had it all and looked soooooo good! For variety he had different sets of cummerbunds and several vests. He had a nice variety of stud/cufflink sets too.

Actually, he's spending eternity in the white dinner jacket with the red/white/blue (or, if you're French like he was, blu/blanc/rouge) tie/cummerbund set!

I never have understood why folks want to mess with ties and such on a vacation.

I have never understood why some folk either don't like or don't want to "mess with ties and such on a vacation." I truly am curious ... what is it about a vacation that causes one to think this way? I understand and appreciate that you do wear suit and tie, and hence conform with the HAL dress code for Formal Night dress. Thank you.

I'll reserve the tux for banquets since there aren't even many formal weddings any more.

Since there are so few occasions in which I can wear my Tux and not be stared at as if I'm some kind of weirdo, I take every opportunity where I won't feel out of place. This is on cruises and the opening and closing nights of the Symphony.

Usually a dark suit, although I've never been ejected from the dining room when I've worn the olive-green one instead. :D I may take the plunge and get a tux before the Zui this September, though...based on the number of times I've already cruised plus the number of times I'll surely go again, getting my money's worth out of it is a nonissue.

I have never understood why some folk either don't like or don't want to "mess with ties and such on a vacation." I truly am curious ... what is it about a vacation that causes one to think this way? I understand and appreciate that you do wear suit and tie, and hence conform with the HAL dress code for Formal Night dress. Thank you.

When we lived on the east coast (Baltimore, Washington and Richmond) I often wore a suit as my daily attire. My first day on the job in Austin, TX I was hooted at unmercifully until I removed the tie and jacket. That was in 1991. Since then, in both Texas & California, I've found that a sportcoat or blazer (rarely with a tie) works almost everywhere, whereas a suit would make me feel overdressed.

A cruise is, almost by definition, a vacation.

A vacation is, almost by definition, more casual than everyday life.

q.e.d.

I will say that I do often feel the need for a tie when I visit the north-east or most of Europe, so there are regional concerns that come into play. So I guess my philosophy on clothes is When in Rome, Dress Like the Romans! :)