So what do folks really wear to dinner in the dining rooms?

[njpln]

We will be new to Oceania if our cruise goes in November, (not counting on it) or whenever we rebook, since we will rebook if it’s cancelled.  We have traveled on Celebrity, Cunard, HAL and Norwegian, and are happy to dress elegantly for dinner, and typically look more upscale than the average cruiser, except on Cunard which demands the cocktail dress and blazer at minimum.
 

What do folks really wear to the MDR and specialty restaurants?  We don’t usually go the to buffets, so we don’t need to know what we can wear there...

 

Do men wear sport coats or blazers?  Do the women wear cocktail dresses?  I have looked at the pix on the Oceania website, and it looks pretty elegant, but those are models who are dressed to show what Oceania would like...  what’s real?  What do YOU and your spouse/partner/companion wear?  
 

thanks for your replies in advance....hope it briefly takes your mind off the darn pandemic and our cancelled cruises...

 

Norma

 

[CintiPam]

Hi, Norma, you are so right to ask what folks really wear.  On the whole IMO nowhere near as dressy as in the brochures.  You should get many differing responses because some gentlemen indeed will wear jackets to dinner.  My husband packed his blue blazer for our first Oceania cruise in 2008, and it has not been included in his luggage since then!  However, he always wears a collared button down long sleeve shirt to dinner with tan, gray, black or navy blue slacks, never jeans.
 

I packed several dresses for meals back then as well but now (after 12 or 13 Oceania   cruises) only pack slacks, one long dressy skirt and dressy tops accessorized with some jewelry but mostly scarves and pashminas.  (I am very temperature reactive.). 
 

You will find there is a great variety in the clothes worn, which creates great consternation to some while others maintain a “live and let live” attitude.  My one big gripe was enduring dinner for four at Jacques once with a drunkard (at 6:30 pm) who keep leaving to tipple more elsewhere making our meal endless. The fact that he was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and backwards baseball cap to this lovely French restaurant was meaningless compared to his demeanor.
 

I also should add that we usually are traveling on land by train before or after our European cruises so we limit ourselves to one medium-size bag each.  

Edited August 4, 2020 by CintiPam

[1985rz1]

43 minutes ago, njpln said:

 

Do men wear sport coats or blazers?  

 

 

Some do, but most don't, in our experience.  In specialties, you see a few more blazers. 

 

43 minutes ago, njpln said:

Do the women wear cocktail dresses?  

 

 Again, it's a personal decision, so some do and some don't.

 

Oceania's dress code is business casual in the restaurants, and no coats, ties, or cocktail dresses are required or expected.

[Flatbush Flyer]

30 minutes ago, njpln said:

We will be new to Oceania if our cruise goes in November, (not counting on it) or whenever we rebook, since we will rebook if it’s cancelled.  We have traveled on Celebrity, Cunard, HAL and Norwegian, and are happy to dress elegantly for dinner, and typically look more upscale than the average cruiser, except on Cunard which demands the cocktail dress and blazer at minimum.
 

What do folks really wear to the MDR and specialty restaurants?  We don’t usually go the to buffets, so we don’t need to know what we can wear there...

 

Do men wear sport coats or blazers?  Do the women wear cocktail dresses?  I have looked at the pix on the Oceania website, and it looks pretty elegant, but those are models who are dressed to show what Oceania would like...  what’s real?  What do YOU and your spouse/partner/companion wear?  
 

thanks for your replies in advance....hope it briefly takes your mind off the darn pandemic and our cancelled cruises...

 

Norma

 

Before we get to the "dress," let's clear up the "buffet" issue.

There is no traditional cruise "touch the food" buffet on any Oceania ship. There is the Terrace Café, which has both prepared food and a la minute cooking (along with al fresco dining available) and a full service bar. Food is served by galley staff and you may request assistance with trays/plates on the way back to your table.

 

Menu items are of the same quality as is served in the locations with waiter service and generally include one or more specials also being served in the GDR and there are itinerary based regional cuisine nights that you would not want to miss (particularly when the exec chef is cooking out on the fantail.

The only real Terrace differences from the GDR are allowance for more casual attire and quicker table turnover. 

It's also worth mentioning that, unlike most cruise lines, the quality of food is the same across the entire ship. What is different is the menu focus and the ambiance of each location.

 

As for dinner in he GDR and specialty restaurants, the longstanding rule is "country club casual" which for men means at least slacks and a collared buttoned shirt. No baseball caps, flip flops, shorts, ratty jeans, "wife beaters" etc. Ties are not as common as blazers and blazers can be few and far between -often depending on itinerary length and destinations. 

For women, at most - think cocktail dress.

 

Formal wear? Rarely seen since there are no phony "prom nights."

 

Bottom line: O's regular clientele are usually accomplished professionals, tradespeople and public servants who are generally well-traveled and decorous.

[LHT28]

I agree with Pam

DH no longer takes a Jacket  but some men do  no ties required

 The basic  is  button collared shirt  or polo / long trousers for men 

dress/skirt/dress slacks with nice top for ladies 

you can get as dressed up as you like   or not

 

I take a cardigan or pashmina  as the temps can vary in the public spaces

 

There are lots of dress code threads on here  & lots of opinions

 

BTW the Buffet  on Oceania are not like other  buffets  give it a try

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

22 minutes ago, CintiPam said:

....Hawaiian shirt....

FWIW, not all Aloha shirts are created equal. 

 

While I agree that the polyester Hilo Hattie (or ABC shop) souvenir has no place at a fine dining dinner table, the same cannot be said for a Reyn Spooner vintage/artist collection classic or a  silk Tori Richard creation. Either one (or even the right Tommy Bahama shirt) would look terrific and be very appropriate for any O specialty restaurant - particularly on a tropical itinerary.

Edited August 4, 2020 by Flatbush Flyer

[ORV]

9 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

FWIW, not all Aloha shirts are created equal. 

 

While I agree that the polyester Hilo Hattie (or ABC shop) souvenir has no place at a fine dining dinner table, the same cannot be said for a Reyn Spooner vintage/artist collection classic or a  silk Tori Richard creation. Either one (or even the right Tommy Bahama shirt) would look terrific and be very appropriate for any O specialty restaurant.

I tend to refer to the former as souvenir shirts, like the type they have on every Caribbean Island, they just change the name on them. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

11 minutes ago, ORV said:

I tend to refer to the former as souvenir shirts, like the type they have on every Caribbean Island, they just change the name on them. 

I'm a (very) amateur collector of Aloha shirts. In my earlier post, I mentioned Spooner and Richard. Here are two uncommon Spooners and Tori Richards' popular classic - "Don the Beachcomer."

[ORV]

I've tried to buy some Tori Richards shirts but they tend to run a bit small and I run a bit large.

[Paulchili]

Not familiar with the Spooner collection but some of my favorites are Tori Richard silk ones.

One of the reasons we started cruising on Oceania is b/o country club casual. I NEVER wear a blazer or a tie - I like to dress casually but nicely.

Edited August 4, 2020 by Paulchili

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Paulchili said:

Not familiar with the Spooner collection but some of my favorites are Tori Richard silk ones.

One of the reasons we started cruising on Oceania is b/o country club casual. I NEVER wear a blazer or a tie - I like to dress casually but nicely.

https://www.reynspooner.com/pages/about-us

 

[Paulchili]

36 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

https://www.reynspooner.com/pages/about-us

 

Are they available in stores (in Hawaii?) or just online?

[CintiPam]

2 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

FWIW, not all Aloha shirts are created equal. 

As a former New York City resident, and recognizing that you did start your post with “FWIW,”, I am not certain how much credence I would give to the sartorial advice of someone with your CC name! 😉

[Flatbush Flyer]

9 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

Are they available in stores (in Hawaii?) or just online?

Shops throughout Hawaii including the Ala  Moana Center in Honolulu.

[Flatbush Flyer]

38 minutes ago, CintiPam said:

As a former New York City resident, and recognizing that you did start your post with “FWIW,”, I am not certain how much credence I would give to the sartorial advice of someone with your CC name! 😉

Hey - My first suit came from Barney's Boys Town in Brooklyn!!!

 

I think some folks elsewhere knew it in more recent years as Barney's New York. Their flagship on Madison Avenue was a sight to behold. Sadly, Barney's became an internet victim earlier this year.

 

Now retired, my clothing leans towards "yacht club casual" which is even more casual (though, in line with the cost of boat part,  more expensive) than "country club casual."

 

But, I still think I know/knew enough about men's fashion such that (when I was a "suit") I had my ties made by Seigo Katsuragawa (3rd Avenue near 47th St in Manhattan).

😎

Edited August 5, 2020 by Flatbush Flyer

[clo]

40 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Now retired, my clothing leans towards "yacht club casual" which is even more casual (though, in line with the cost of boat part,  more expensive) than "country club casual."

 

I seriously dislike those terms. We're REALLY not into private clubs. Too much potential for discrimination on so many levels.

[Paulchili]

43 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Their flagship on Madison Avenue was a sight to behold.

Didn’t they have their first big store in Chelsea?

[CintiPam]

39 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Now retired, my clothing leans towards "yacht club casual" which is even more casual (though, in line with the cost of boat part,  more expensive) than "country club casual."

 

But, I still think I know/knew enough about men's fashion such that (when I was a "suit") I had my ties made by Seigo Katsuragawa (3rd Avenue near 47th St in Manhattan).

😎

Seigo ties, nice!  
 

Does “yacht club casual” mean you captain a boat?  I am the experienced (and only) crew on a catamaran which spouse legaleaglegreen captains when we vacation at Caribbean resorts.

[njhorseman]

18 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

Didn’t they have their first big store in Chelsea?

Yes

[Paulchili]

12 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

Yes

I spent the 70’s in NYC and remember all the “hoopla” around that store - it was the place to be and to be seen.

Edited August 5, 2020 by Paulchili

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Hey - My first suit came from Barney's Boys Town in Brooklyn!!!

 

I think some folks elsewhere knew it in more recent years as Barney's New York. Their flagship on Madison Avenue was a sight to behold. Sadly, Barney's became an internet victim earlier this year.

 

Now retired, my clothing leans towards "yacht club casual" which is even more casual (though, in line with the cost of boat part,  more expensive) than "country club casual."

 

But, I still think I know/knew enough about men's fashion such that (when I was a "suit") I had my ties made by Seigo Katsuragawa (3rd Avenue near 47th St in Manhattan).

😎

I don't recall their having a store in Brooklyn. I'm virtually 100% sure my bar mitzvah suit (my first real suit) came from Barney's, and they only had the store on 7th Ave in Manhattan at that time...1959. I remember my mother and father arguing about the cost of the suit, which they thought was far too expensive.

[Paulchili]

3 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

they thought was far too expensive.

As was everything else there 😀

[njhorseman]

4 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Food is served by galley staff and you may request assistance with trays/plates on the way back to your table.

That's going to be the case in every cruise line's buffet after they restart.

4 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Menu items are of the same quality as is served in the locations with waiter service

Please...no way. Hot food in the Terrace Cafe is just like hot food in any other cruise line's buffet...rarely at proper temperature and frequently dried out from sitting at the buffet far to long.

[clo]

36 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

Please...no way. Hot food in the Terrace Cafe is just like hot food in any other cruise line's buffet...rarely at proper temperature and frequently dried out from sitting at the buffet far to long.

We've only cruised on O once and didn't find that the case AT ALL. And after a couple of kerfufles in the GDR we ate three meals a day, except for the specialties, in the Terrace Cafe and liked/loved everything we had.

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

I don't recall their having a store in Brooklyn. I'm virtually 100% sure my bar mitzvah suit (my first real suit) came from Barney's, and they only had the store on 7th Ave in Manhattan at that time...1959. I remember my mother and father arguing about the cost of the suit, which they thought was far too expensive.

If I remember correctly (which is doubtful), there was the original Boys Town in the basement of the 7th Avenue Barney's. But I also remember a sort of "outlet" Boys Town on or near Fulton Street (or Atlantic Avenue?) in Brooklyn. 

Whatever is the case, my folks had the same concern about the prices.