formal night

[zship]

What is the dress code in the TK grill on formal nights ?

[cece50]

Someone will correct me if I am wrong......but I believe formal night is only in The Restaurant (Main Dinning Room).  That being said, The TK Grill does lend itself to a jacket no tie, but I do not think jacket is required on any night.   

[SKP946]

12 hours ago, zship said:

What is the dress code in the TK grill on formal nights ?

 

As cece50 wrote,: Formal night dress only applies to the MDR, however the 20 or so times that we had dined in TK since it was introduced we have found that most people seem to treat it as a more dressy occasion than in the Colonnade. Even more so on the Encore (and I assume Ovation as well)

 

[Tillylovesseabourn]

SKP, I agree. I have always found TK to be more dressy too.

[Mr Luxury]

I am on the Encore now and just getting ready for dinner in the TK Grill.

I will be wearing a linen suit and open neck shirt.

Every night I have dined there I have worn a jacket as have most other men.

The Colonnade and the Patio Grill are both fairly casual as it is humid on deck.

[florisdekort]

22 hours ago, zship said:

What is the dress code in the TK grill on formal nights ?

 

Smart casual. A collared shirt is all that is required for men, and that includes short sleeved polo shirts. We typically wear dark jeans or slacks and polo shirts. TKG is the ideal location for dinner on formal nights if you don’t enjoy formal nights 🙂

[T^2]

Off the TK theme a bit.  We are on 14 night Greek island cruse.  Nights 6 and 10 are sea days.  (That sounds strange!)  Are those two nights likely to be the formal nights?  If not, is there a pattern as to which nights are formal?  Getting back on TK theme, looking to book TK reservation on non-formal night.

[jenidallas]

4 hours ago, T^2 said:

We are on 14 night Greek island cruse.  Nights 6 and 10 are sea days.  (That sounds strange!)  Are those two nights likely to be the formal nights?  If not, is there a pattern as to which nights are formal?  

 

Is it sold as a single 14 night sailing only or as two 7 night sailings back-to-back.

 

My experience has been that night 2 is almost always a formal night unless it coincides with a late port or other scheduling conflict in which case it has been on night 3.  If it is also sold as two 7 night sailings, then it’s a fairly solid bet that formal night will be nights 2 and 9.

 

When you receive your cruise planner, it should list each day and what the dress code is... but I’ve occasionally found that the second formal night has not been accurate if it’s a single sailing.

 

 

[T^2]

It is a single 14 night sailing.  I have received the preliminary travel planner.  I can't find anything specific on which days are elegant vs formal.  Only that after 6 pm, dress shall be either elegant or formal.  Nights 2 thru 4 depart at 8, 6, and 4, respectively.  I am going to assume night 3 will be formal.

[Covepointcruiser]

We have always found the TK Grill to be dressy.  All the men eating there wore

a jacket.  The women also seem to wear their best.

[Mr Luxury]

Dress code on the Encore now in TK Grill is fairly dressy,Gents mostly in jacket some even a tie,Ladies are dressing elegantly,there are a few who look like they have just been working in the garden but then that’s the norm on any cruise these days.

[SLSD]

I find the different ideas about dress so interesting.  My husband always prefers to wear a jacket to dinner (as he does when we dine out in our city).  He does bring several ties on the voyage and is not opposed to wearing them at all.  I bring what might be called dressy casual or understated dressy (to use another term).  Neither of us is interested in packing cocktail wear (tux and cocktail dress(es).  I haven't seen anyone dressed for gardening, but perhaps I've just missed them?

[harbourside]

Apart from the dress code, what is special about formal night in the restaurant.  Is the food better.

[rols]

6 hours ago, harbourside said:

Apart from the dress code, what is special about formal night in the restaurant.  Is the food better.

They gussy up the menu a bit - first formal night the menu often has lobster and little caviar starters, later in the cruise the chef's dinner may also be on another formal night. Better? Subjective, the food's pretty good most of the time anyway, but they do tend to put a few special dishes on that night/those nights. 

[SKP946]

On 4/28/2019 at 6:08 PM, florisdekort said:

 

Smart casual. A collared shirt is all that is required for men, and that includes short sleeved polo shirts. We typically wear dark jeans or slacks and polo shirts. TKG is the ideal location for dinner on formal nights if you don’t enjoy formal nights 🙂

 

Currently on Ovation, this is a photo of the dress code from the booklet in our suite; short sleeved polo shirts are not a dress shirt

[Catlover54]

DH and I usually avoid formal night in the MDR on SB unless there is an unusual dish I absolutely must try.  We go to TK instead but still dressed like for the MDR, though not required.

 

This is because in my experience formal night creates more work for the waiters, people group up more, party more, and service is thus slower and shakier. Because we dine late, by then some waiters show the strain.  The MDR also seems to be louder on formal night ( as it is on embarkation night).  

We have no hard data to prove it, but I think MDR  pax drink more alcohol those nights 🙂

[BasandSyb]

Our experience is it depends on the itinerary and the nationalities on board. Generalisations to follow, but also our observations...

 

Talking about dress standards in posts against guidelines can be quite different to reality - depending on where you are cruising and the duration. A 7/14 in the Med can be quite different to a 36 day exploration. 

 

Longer cruises with more sea days are more casual all round. Colder weather explorer trips like Iceland and SA/Antarctic are the same. Cruises in the heat and humidity/ everyone is just over dressing up for any reason.

 

The ship will sort itself out within its general guidelines.

 

Sometimes a cruise will turn out to be extreme dressing with a large group of like minded pulling out akin to the Crown Jewels and regimental colours. Some nationalities, particularly cooler climate residents are used to full dressing for evening wear. Those from warmer climes seem to enjoy a dress up but then revert to elegant casual - the norm for home.

 

It’s curious to watch the dynamics - people either try and “compete” and don’t feel they are comfortably on holiday or just retreat to the the Club/Colonnade/patio grill on non formal nights. They don’t want the hassle of dressing up but feel elegant casual is down market if they go anywhere near the Observation Bar/ MDR or TKG. We have a chuckle at how the schoolyard peer pressure works itself through.

 

We have tended to dress for TKG because of the norm. For us the food is casual and basic fare and so too should be the dress. It’s only the wait staff floor song and dance routine that tries to upmarket it to a fine dining experience which is unwarranted in our view.

 

But, each to their own. Dress as you will and feel appropriate to the experience of what you see occurring on board and feel comfortable with.

 

 

 

[wripro]

I'm constantly amused by how many different thread titles people come up with just to discover it's only another dress code question.

[Mr Luxury]

2 hours ago, wripro said:

I'm constantly amused by how many different thread titles people come up with just to discover it's only another dress code question.

And you are always there Henry 😜

[wripro]

20 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

And you are always there Henry 😜

Because it amuses me.

[cece50]

On 5/7/2019 at 11:06 AM, SKP946 said:

 

Currently on Ovation, this is a photo of the dress code from the booklet in our suite; short sleeved polo shirts are not a dress shirt

SKP....are you coming to pick us up in Lisbon?

[tv24]

On 5/7/2019 at 2:47 AM, rols said:

They gussy up the menu a bit - first formal night the menu often has lobster and little caviar starters, later in the cruise the chef's dinner may also be on another formal night. Better? Subjective, the food's pretty good most of the time anyway, but they do tend to put a few special dishes on that night/those nights. 

Gussied-up is an accurate description.