no1talks

So no Bloody Marys, Bellinis, Mimosas, etc. with breakfast? 🫢

I hope you will forgive my penchant for the much-maligned wing collars of yore. I choose them in remembrance of the all-but-dead white tie kit, which had the wing collar. Added bonus: If I have cause to remove my jacket, the wing collar shows the world I tie my own damn tie. No hook-and-eye closure! (Also, please excuse my insouciant expression. My wife asked for an insolent pose.)

I doubt it. Multiple cruise lines allow officers (rank depends on the cruise line) to bring friends and/or family on board for varying lengths of time. The only proviso is that the added headcount not violate bed space and lifeboat limits. R.H.I.P. There are a few blogs out there by wives of officers and they admit to pretty much having access to everything a paying cruiser gets, plus free laundry and other perquisites. Add to this the fact that MSC is family-owned. I'm confident they think nothing of comping their friends and extended family members, when beds are available.

Very well said.

Especially famous for his virtuoso use of tailoring shears... He wasn't called the ol' Snipper for nothing.

I believe SC Johnson is no longer distributing Kiwi to the UK, but still making the products for sale elsewhere. I've not looked for it here (US) for years, because I prefer other brands.

I wear this for dinners on White Nights, but my double-breasted tux jacket has satin faced buttons and not the metallic naval buttons described in the guide. After dinner, I leave the jacket in our room and switch to white shoes for the remainder of the White Night.

Here's a very good explanation of the (off) white dinner jacket... https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/tuxedo-black-tie-guide/classic/off-white-dinner-jacket/

Since you had to relinquish your personal flotation devices, may I suggest a door-sized piece of luggage to add to the set? The innocuous and easily explained contents of which shall serve your wife very well, in the event of a floatation-related emergency. However, I'm afraid bad news awaits you in said situation.

The only thing worse than rented tux shoes are... The Cruel Shoes. (Any Steve Martin fans in the house?)

And were their shoes Birkenstocks? Their attire, so their call. However, I'd sooner go commando while in a tux, than sockless. (Neither omission has ever occurred, I'm happy to report.)

This was not on my CC bingo card for the week.

"Sink me! Look you here, Sir. Your cravat is, again, limp."

This topic was discussed on RallyPoint. Perhaps you'll like the opinions of those who posted. https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/is-it-appropriate-to-wear-my-miniature-medals-pinned-to-my-dress-at-a-black-tie-event-even-though-i-won-t-be-wearing-a-jacket Or, incorporate a bolero jacket into your evening wear and place the miniature medals accordingly.

Downsides: 1) There is no room for your wife, let alone her twelve suitcases. 2) You will have to buttle for yourself. 3) The seafood extravaganza is whatever sticks to your paddle. Upside: 1) No one left to interlope.

To hear the next generation talk of hoped-for travel, I expect the cruise industry will shrink considerably. SS will have to find a way to reinvent itself as a less costly proposition, to compete for the discretionary income of the next generation.

Not at all, good sir. 😃 One definition of peccadilloes is "little sins," which are definitely worth hiding in some of the Red Sea ports. You see, mine was a two-tiered bon mot, having both innuendo and commentary on certain theo-monarchies. And, if you are thinking of responding with any cheeky comments about "peccadilloes innuendo," I must pre-emptively say...

What happens on sea days is nobody else's business. However, while in port, especially on Red Sea itineraries, I strongly recommend keeping one's peccadilloes fully covered.

As for myself, I'd not wear a kilt as formal attire without a Prince Charlie jacket, or at least an Argyle.

This sort of thing is a much bigger deal, nowadays. 🫤

No "nekkid" shins allowed in the business world of Bermuda.

Bermuda shorts are often worn as business attire in Bermuda, even though most people think of the shorts only in a casual context. The complete outfit, in my opinion, would be fine for dining in a formal setting on a warm-weather cruise.

Are the opera "shorts" being taken away from the European itineraries, too?!? I had hoped the abbreviated operas would continue on the Med, Baltic, and North Sea routes, so I could enjoy those cruises even more than the US departures. Oh, well.

I think most of us posting on this topic agree. But, the truth is management will be reluctant to divert labor from other tasks or risk an escalated confrontation. I offer as examples, the posts describing the interlopers who were allowed to eat before being asked to leave and the other group who were bribed with a bottle of bubbly to vacate.

That will make for a sparse group at Ocean House and the beach. There are only 22 Residence suites on Explora I, plus the Owner's Residence. (a.k.a. Versailles) Very few passengers, really. Whatever is being served at Ocean House isn't the challenge. The trick will be to give the other two suite classes a better lunch than hot dogs and jerked chicken. I would not be pleased to pay more than YC for entry-level Explora and eat less-than-YC quality lunch.