FORMAL NIGHTS ON EXPLORER OF THE SEAS

[quincy]

We are going on a five day cruise and want to know if most men wear tuxedo's on formal night. And how many formal nights on a 5 day cruise?
quincy

[Rev22:17]

quincy,

Originally Posted by You

We are going on a five day cruise and want to know if most men wear tuxedo's on formal night. And how many formal nights on a 5 day cruise?

The dress code for the "formal" evenings actually is "modified formal" on most of the major cruise lines, so gentlemen may wear either "black tie" (that is, a dinner jacket outfit or a tuxedo) or a dark business suit. In my experience on other lines, it tend to be more or less an even split. Basically, gents who own "black tie" outfits tend to wear them, gents who wear suits for work and don't own "black tie" outfits tend to wear the suits, and gents who don't own either tend to rent "black tie" outfits because that's what the rental shops carry.

And there are always a few clueless saps who either misconstrue the term "dinner jacket" to mean a sport coat (which it is NOT) or who misconstrue terminology such as "requested" or "suggested" to mean that the prescribed attire is optional (the manuals of social etiquette say otherwise), mixed in with a few boors who are hell-bent on doing their own thing....

Norm.

[Irish Shark]

On a 5 night cruise there is one formal night and the remainder nights are casual.

[gerif]

We did this trip last year. Formal night was the first sea day (Monday) - at our table of 8, only one man wore a tux (but looked terrific) - the others were in dark business suits.

[Donna]

You will see men in Tux's, but the majority will be in suits.

[makeupdiva]

I can only speak for myself - but the more I cruise the less I enjoy formal nights. We go to alot of affairs throughout the year & I guess on vacation I just want to relax & do whatever I want to do - not get dressed up because someone else has planned it for me! I think they should offer formal rest. so those who wish to dress formally may without imposing it on the rest of us. It seems so "LOVE BOAT" - this is 2007 - time for a change? And I do have some GORGEOUS dresses & gowns - just hate having to lug them & spend too much of my precious vacation time primping! Hubby owns 3 tux's & he hates it as much as I do! Just my 2 cents!

[Rev22:17]

makeupdiva,

Originally Posted by You

I can only speak for myself - but the more I cruise the less I enjoy formal nights. We go to alot of affairs throughout the year & I guess on vacation I just want to relax & do whatever I want to do - not get dressed up because someone else has planned it for me! I think they should offer formal rest. so those who wish to dress formally may without imposing it on the rest of us. It seems so "LOVE BOAT" - this is 2007 - time for a change? And I do have some GORGEOUS dresses & gowns - just hate having to lug them & spend too much of my precious vacation time primping! Hubby owns 3 tux's & he hates it as much as I do! Just my 2 cents!

Are you suggesting that every cruise line should adhere to your preference? Or is it reasonable for some cruise lines to offer a traditional cruise experience with not only "formal" evenings, but also either "semiformal" or "informal" evenings, some cruise lines to offer "all casual" cruises, and some cruise lines to split the difference with a couple "formal" evenings and "casual" dress the rest of the evenngs?

In this context, you need to realize that the dress of those who participate is a major component in setting the ambiance of a "formal" or "semiformal" or "informal" evening. If a cruise line advertises such an experience, it has a legal obligation to provide it -- and that means turning away those who are not wearing appropriate attire for such occasions in order to set the advertised ambiance.

I think that the current system whereby varioius cruise lines have different standards of dress that appeal to different groups of passengers. Of course, this means that we bear the onus to book on a cruise line that offers what we want rather than expecting the cruise line on which we book to bow to our desires.

If you want an "all casual" cruise, here are some options.

>> 1. Disney Cruises and Oceana Cruises offer "all casual" cruises on all of their vessels. Also, Celebrity now offers "all casual" cruises on the "Celebrity Expeditions" fleet (MV Celebrity Journey, MV Ceelbrity Quest, and MY Celebrity Xpedition), which is now a different product than the "Celebrity Cruises" fleet.

>> 2. Norwegian Cruise Line now advertises "formal optional" evenings in place of the traditional "formal" evenings. According to the ads, most of the dining rooms and enterainment venues are open to those who opt out of the "formal" evenings.

>> 3. Windjammer Barefoot Cruises is every bit as casual as the name implies. On this line, you can go to dinner in shorts or jeans and "T" shirts..

>> 4. Most of the coastal cruise lines, like Cruise West and American Canadian Caribbean Line, also offer "all casual" cruises.

So you do have appropriate options available if you don't want to dress up for dinner on a cruise.

Norm.

[quincy]

thanks for the information. we sailed celebrity and the majority of men wore tuxedos. On holland america not many at all. On spirit it was casual and/or on formal nights optional formal. I had no idea about rccl. Thanks. Quincy