How formal on formal night?

[anadelhaft]

Our family of 10 (6 adults, 4 children) is cruising on the Grandeur of the Seas June 27-July 7 out of Baltimore.  We've been told that there will be 2 formal nights on our 9 night cruise.  How formal is formal?  Jackets for men or do they need to wear a tie/suit?  Dresses for women or are dress slacks and a nice top ok?  What about the kids ages 13, 10, 10, 7?  Do the boys also need to wear a jacket?  Thanks in advance for any advice!

[Clarea]

RC no longer enforces any dress suggestions, so you will see the entire range of attire.  In other words, wear whatever you like.

[Grandma Dazzles]

Formal night dress is all over the place. RC suggests tux or suits for men and cocktail-type dresses for women. This is just a suggestion. You will see everything from tux’s to jeans. It’s really what you are comfortable wearing. Just returned from 9 days on Navigator. I would say most men wore suit, or at least shirt and tie; lots of cocktail dresses and sparkly tops on women.  There were some tux’s.  Kids wear more “Sunday best “  depending on age.  I find longer cruises people tend to dress up more than short weekend cruises.  

[Zach1213]

Just do what you want. There's really no true rules, as mentioned above. I have zero desire to dress up and you wouldn't catch me dead on a mass market cruise line with anything more than slacks and a polo. But, if someone wants to wear a 20-piece tux, go for it. To each their own with provolone.

[schmeed]

As formal as you want to be!  Have fun with it and definitely ignore what others around you are wearing.  It will be all over the map. 🙂

[PopeyeDaSailor]

This is good to know.  My son has khakis, dress shirt, vest, tie and black sneakers and I don't feel like buying him a pair of dress shoes he will wear maybe twice before he outgrows. 

 

Now that I know I don't need a coat, I'll just bring shirts and ties for the formal nights. 

Edited April 22, 2019 by PopeyeDaSailor

[Thorben-Hendrik]

2 hours ago, anadelhaft said:

Our family of 10 (6 adults, 4 children) is cruising on the Grandeur of the Seas June 27-July 7 out of Baltimore.  We've been told that there will be 2 formal nights on our 9 night cruise.  How formal is formal?  Jackets for men or do they need to wear a tie/suit?  Dresses for women or are dress slacks and a nice top ok?  What about the kids ages 13, 10, 10, 7?  Do the boys also need to wear a jacket?  Thanks in advance for any advice!

Dressy sweat-shorts are fine! 👍

[shipgeeks]

2 hours ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

Dressy sweat-shorts are fine! 👍

Or not.

[sailor05]

I've always taken a suit, but I've got so many formal pics from over the years that I no longer want anymore. I am looking forward to not having all the extra weight in my luggage, with the accessories and shoes which add a ton of weight. Like others have said, you will not stick out no matter what you choose!

[ARP]

Just got off of Allure. Lots of men wearing shorts in the main dining room every night including formal nights. I asked the head waiter about the dress code and he said that if they enforced it , the dining room would be empty. Believe it or not, the only place I've seen shorts turned away is on Carnival.

[Clarea]

2 hours ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

Dressy sweat-shorts are fine! 👍

 

As long as they are nice.

[SRF]

We just got off Grandeur last week.

 

On the second formal night, men wore everything from tuxs, to shorts with t-shirt.

 

Personally, I wear a dress shirt and tie, with a blazer.  

[Sanz]

22 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

As long as they are nice.

And "sweat free" 😉

[fdthird]

It’s nice to be dressed and what you propose sounds perfect, but honestly you’ll see folks in tuxes and gowns and others in work boots, cut off jeans, and T-shirts.  

[soremekun]

How someone else dresses on "formal night" will not change the taste of your food.

The theme is most likely in place to encourage picture taking (and purchasing).

[Sanz]

13 minutes ago, soremekun said:

How someone else dresses on "formal night" will not change the taste of your food.

The theme is most likely in place to encourage picture taking (and purchasing).

I agree that Royal  uses formal nights to increase their profit.

 

However,  the "theme" is a throw back to days gone by when the rich and retired cruised, and people dressed for dinner. Last time I inquired about a Cunard Cruise   (within the past 5 years) I learned that men are asked to wear a sports jacket on their version of informal night.  You do not have to wear a tie. On other evenings you are suppose to wear a suit  and formal night is a tuxedo or dark suit. My husband said, "no way", when he heard about the dress requirements, and he wears a suit or sports jacket on formal nights on Royal ships.

[soremekun]

Diner:  Waiter, this salmon needs to be sent back to the kitchen.

Waiter: May I ask what's wrong with it?

Diner: The gentleman at the next table isn't wearing cufflinks.

[OCruisers]

RCCL has changed "with the times" in dress requirements.  

Like it or not .... Things aren't going back to the way they once were. 

 

[Kruzer Zuker]

Just got back from a week long cruise and we both wore cargo shorts and t-shirts every night to mdr including dress to impress nights.  Didn't see any tux but there were suits and cocktail dresses and gym shorts and cartoon t-shirts.  

 

You will be fine. 

[Thorben-Hendrik]

7 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

As long as they are nice.

😂🤣

[Saab4444]

4 hours ago, Kruzer Zuker said:

Just got back from a week long cruise and we both wore cargo shorts and t-shirts every night to mdr including dress to impress nights.  Didn't see any tux but there were suits and cocktail dresses and gym shorts and cartoon t-shirts.  

 

You will be fine. 

So you really dressed to impress?

[Saab4444]

10 hours ago, soremekun said:

How someone else dresses on "formal night" will not change the taste of your food.

The theme is most likely in place to encourage picture taking (and purchasing).

The same would apply if you eat your food in an old diner with scruffy furniture and dirty carpets. Does it change the taste of your food? No. But does it impact the overall dinner experience? Yes. Indeed no one needs tuxs or suites anymore but at least long pants and no flip flops over old hairy legs and feet should be possible!

[ramja96]

11 hours ago, Sanz said:

And "sweat free" 😉

 

But, could they still be considered "sweat-shorts", then? 🤔

[ramja96]

11 hours ago, fdthird said:

It’s nice to be dressed and what you propose sounds perfect, but honestly you’ll see folks in tuxes and gowns and others in work boots, cut off jeans, and T-shirts.  

 

Why does this description make me imagine a mullet is probably involved? 

Edited April 23, 2019 by ramja96

[PopeyeDaSailor]

12 hours ago, sailor05 said:

I've always taken a suit, but I've got so many formal pics from over the years that I no longer want anymore. I am looking forward to not having all the extra weight in my luggage, with the accessories and shoes which add a ton of weight. Like others have said, you will not stick out no matter what you choose!

 

Same here.  I'm a guy, I'd rather bring a pair of specialty hiking shoes (that probably cost more than my dress shoes) over dress shoes.  The last cruise I was on in 2003 (Celebrity) they had extra jackets you could "borrow".  Yew, no thanks.

Edited April 23, 2019 by PopeyeDaSailor