Holiday Cruise Formal Nights

We are sailing on the Odyssey 10 night cruise embarking on December 27.

Seabourn tells me there will only be one formal night as this is now standard across the fleet for all cruises of 13 or fewer nights.

But I've read past posts here stating that holidays often supersede the normal policy with more formal nights but Seabourn tells me that is not true.

Does anyone have recent (last couple of years) experience that confirms or counters this?

If we are only having one, are they likely to relocate this to New Years Eve instead of the Captain's Welcome Dinner? We are trying to strategize our packing and it will change if we are likely to have two formal nights!

If the Captain's Welcome Dinner were the official formal night and my cruise included New Years Eve, I would say what Seabourn says is not at all relevant to me and my friends. We would dress formally as we would for any 5 star establishment that was hosting us and set our own tone for the evening.

My bet is you won't be alone on that and so I would pack my bags accordingly.

Happy and healthy sailing!

That 10 night cruise is an odd one. From memory in the past I think we might have had 3 on the 14 night holiday cruises. Captains night, Christmas Day & New Year's Eve.

I would take the head office information with a pinch of salt and expect a minimum of 2 formal optional nights.

Henry :)

I've taken several Holiday cruises over the last few years and I agree with Henry.

The documentation that SB sends pre cruise has invariably stated 2 formal nights on the 14 night cruises but in actuality there were 3. On a 20 day cruise the documentation stated 3 but we actually had 4.

I'd bet that your 10 day cruise will have two.

You live in Dallas, Jenidallas, and love to dress up, don't you? From reading your posts I think you should take three "as formal as you want to be" outfits!!

And I want to cruise with you some day--I doubt it would be a dull sailing!

I live in Dallas too. And Dallas is a dressed up city. I would not mind wearing the same formal dress for all nights---OR taking one really formal dress and then dressing up a classic black dress on another night--but that is just me.

You live in Dallas, Jenidallas, and love to dress up, don't you? From reading your posts I think you should take three "as formal as you want to be" outfits!!

 

And I want to cruise with you some day--I doubt it would be a dull sailing!

Having been on the same cruise as Jenidallas, I can assure you that she is excellent company.

Having been on the same cruise as Jenidallas, I can assure you that she is excellent company.

😇 We all held down the fort in the Observation Bar quite well!

You live in Dallas, Jenidallas, and love to dress up, don't you? From reading your posts I think you should take three "as formal as you want to be" outfits!!

 

And I want to cruise with you some day--I doubt it would be a dull sailing!

I've been known to be fun from time to time!

I definitely will pack my festive formals no matter what. I'm trying to get my dear partner situated (his first Seabourn cruise) and he's rationalizing his packing strategy. I normally think men have it easier but in this case, I totally understand his desire for efficiency! (I'm still strongly lobbying for him to pack the tux!)