Formal night help required

[MICK48DC]

We are booked on the RC Jewel of the seas out of Miami on April 5 for 11 nights , we don't go on holiday to dress up (everybody is different) so would appreciate if somebody could advise how many formal nights there will be (2/3 ??) and on which days , once i have this info we will book Chops restaurant where I assume that formal does not apply (??)

 

 

Cheers

[mgg42]

11 night cruise will have 2 formal nights. Your plan to book Chops is fine. Alternatively, realize that "formal" nights on RCI aren't what they used to be.

 

Yes, some people still like to pull out the tux or gown. But most men will be in a suit or blazer, many without so much as a tie.

 

And there will be a lot of people who don't even bother with the jacket.

 

Basically, you'll pretty much blend in if you have clean slacks and a collar:)

 

In other words, anything you would feel comfortable wearing to Chops would probably be fine in the MDR.

 

Yes, people here love to lament what formal nights "should" be like. But that doesn't change the reality of what they are.

[Mrsg324]

I'm not sure how many formals on an 11 night but I've always dressed up & this time I'm not. I'm just wearing the nicer of my dinner outfits on formal nights.

[bluegirlum]

I agree with the previous posters. Don't let the fear of not being formal enough keep you from the MDR on formal night. You will see a variety of outfits on formal night. I don't know if the ship has Portofino, but I just want to give a recommendation for it as well. You can get steaks in there and they are wonderful.

 

Whatever you decide to do, have a wonderful time. Please don't sweat how formal it will be. You will no doubt receive responses about what it "should" be but whatever you wear should be fine, I'm sure.

[tracysue]

I know I'm going in March on Indpendence - and I'm wearing a nice skirt and top on formal night - not "formal" wear - but I'll be dressed nice..... and I plan on eating in the MDR...

I'm sure it will be perfect! I think it is more about the "jeans", etc.....

if you call C&A - they will usually tell you what nights the formal nights are.

[cb at sea]

Your first formal night is night 2...the next will usually be the next to last evening.... there will probably be 1 or 2 "smart casual" nights, as well.

[Debde]

Smart casual was not on any nights of the last cruise I did.

[orville99]

On your mark...

 

Can't help but notice that over the 30 years that we've been cruising, the decline in the quality of food, amenities, and service standards on all the cruiselines have roughly paralleled...

 

Get set...

 

The decline in the decorum and respect for cruise traditions (like actually dressing formal for formal nights or actually wearing something other than jeans and shorts in the MDR when it says don't wear jeans or shorts in the MDR) by the passengers...

 

Go:rolleyes:

[cruisenfever]

We are booked on the RC Jewel of the seas out of Miami on April 5 for 11 nights , we don't go on holiday to dress up (everybody is different) so would appreciate if somebody could advise how many formal nights there will be (2/3 ??) and on which days , once i have this info we will book Chops restaurant where I assume that formal does not apply (??)

 

 

Cheers

Your formal nights should be April 6th and either April 13 (sea day) or April 14 (Grand Cayman).

 

You will be amazed how the word"formal" is defined by folks once on the ship.:p The Specialty Restaurants are always smart casual but that doesn't mean that men are required to wear a jacket.

 

I see that you are doing the Member's Cruise. There is special pricing available and though it may not apply to you, it is worth doing a dummy booking. Make sure you check all the boxes on the bottom of the page.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[mgg42]

On your mark...

 

Can't help but notice that over the 30 years that we've been cruising, the decline in the quality of food, amenities, and service standards on all the cruiselines have roughly paralleled...

 

Get set...

 

The decline in the decorum and respect for cruise traditions (like actually dressing formal for formal nights or actually wearing something other than jeans and shorts in the MDR when it says don't wear jeans or shorts in the MDR) by the passengers...

 

Go:rolleyes:

 

You just couldn't resist could you? Yeah, yeah, yeah. We GET IT!!!! But seriously, must we drag another thread into this waste of time? Just answer the OP and move on.

[mein18]

I'm not a fan of formal night. I wear a suit 5 days a week and would prefer not to wear one while on vacation. During our cruise last month, I bit the bullet and went with the tie and sport coat although many had just a nice golf sirt and slacks. Is it true what I read above that Chops Grill is casual even on formal nights?

[paulap70]

I'm not a fan of formal night. I wear a suit 5 days a week and would prefer not to wear one while on vacation. During our cruise last month, I bit the bullet and went with the tie and sport coat although many had just a nice golf sirt and slacks. Is it true what I read above that Chops Grill is casual even on formal nights?

 

We're just back from Serenade cruise. We went to Chops and Portofino on the formal nights and they were both casual. Like you, my husband wears a suit 5 days per week and didn't want to have to dress up on vacation. Plus, with all of the airline baggage fees, taking along the suits and all of the extra stuff is more of a hassle. I don't think anyone but the waiters were dressed formally in either of these venues.

[mistergq]

On regular nights, Chops is smart casual. On formal nights, Chops is same formal attire as in MDR. Now whether that is enforced or not, that probably depends on who manages the restaurant and whether the MDR is enforcing the attire as well. If Chops is not enforcing that, than MDR is not enforcing the attire.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/experience/html.do;jsessionid=0000IDnOm6qtDRJb0d6avpmgJyj:13hldio7n?exCode=586

 

btw: I think this thread needs to define what casual is. Casual to me is jeans, shorts, and tee-shirt. Smart Casual is business casual which may or may not include jacket for men, skirt/dress for women. Formal is not a tux per se, but rather a suit with tie. However, my father in law was allowed into the MDR without a tie on the Voyager of Seas on formal night.

[cruisenfever]

On regular nights, Chops is smart casual. On formal nights, Chops is same formal attire as in MDR. Now whether that is enforced or not, that probably depends on who manages the restaurant and whether the MDR is enforcing the attire as well. If Chops is not enforcing that, than MDR is not enforcing the attire.

Smart casual is the suggested dress for either of the Specialty Restaurants on any night. On formal night, folks may dress formally, they may not.

 

Neither the Specialty Restaurants nor the MDR enforces the suggested dress of the evening on any of the cruises we have been on.

[bluegirlum]

On your mark...

 

Can't help but notice that over the 30 years that we've been cruising, the decline in the quality of food, amenities, and service standards on all the cruiselines have roughly paralleled...

 

Get set...

 

The decline in the decorum and respect for cruise traditions (like actually dressing formal for formal nights or actually wearing something other than jeans and shorts in the MDR when it says don't wear jeans or shorts in the MDR) by the passengers...

 

Go:rolleyes:

 

When the MDR becomes something more than a floating banquet room, I'll dress for that. If you don't like it, go elsewhere. :rolleyes:

[ck53]

We are on the same cruise as you but leave this Monday. Our formal nights are the 1st sea day night and the second formal night is on the last sea day night, according to our RCI.

 

If anything is different I'll let you know when we get back !

[orville99]

When the MDR becomes something more than a floating banquet room, I'll dress for that. If you don't like it, go elsewhere. :rolleyes:

 

Agree, which is why we rarely eat in the MDR (on any cruiseline). Point is, what is now the "upscale" menu in Chop's and Portofino used to be the standard menu in the MDR of cruiselines not too long ago.

 

Classic business response to customer expectations, IMO. You walk in in jeans and tank tops long enough, and management begins to believe that your expectations are lower, so they lower their delivery to match. In the end, you get what you ask for. Don't b***h about how the food in the MDR has gone down hill, because again IMO, it's exactly what management believes you'll accept while wearing jeans.:rolleyes:

[jbond]

The decline in the decorum and respect for cruise traditions (like actually dressing formal for formal nights or actually wearing something other than jeans and shorts in the MDR when it says don't wear jeans or shorts in the MDR) by the passengers...

You must be talking about a cruise line other than RCI. They have never requested no jeans in the MDR, at least on the 35 cruises we have taken with them.

To the OP, I'd recommend you choose your nights for the specialty restaurants based on the menu choices in the MDR rather than the suggested dress code.

[madforcruising]

We are booked on the RC Jewel of the seas out of Miami on April 5 for 11 nights , we don't go on holiday to dress up (everybody is different) so would appreciate if somebody could advise how many formal nights there will be (2/3 ??) and on which days , once i have this info we will book Chops restaurant where I assume that formal does not apply (??)

 

 

Cheers

 

11 night cruise will have 2 formal nights. Your plan to book Chops is fine. Alternatively, realize that "formal" nights on RCI aren't what they used to be.

 

Yes, some people still like to pull out the tux or gown. But most men will be in a suit or blazer, many without so much as a tie.

 

And there will be a lot of people who don't even bother with the jacket.

 

Basically, you'll pretty much blend in if you have clean slacks and a collar:)

 

In other words, anything you would feel comfortable wearing to Chops would probably be fine in the MDR.

 

Yes, people here love to lament what formal nights "should" be like. But that doesn't change the reality of what they are.

 

You just couldn't resist could you? Yeah, yeah, yeah. We GET IT!!!! But seriously, must we drag another thread into this waste of time? Just answer the OP and move on.

 

You´ve posted the first response to the OP and actually you were the first one that "dragged another thread into this waste of time" with not sticking to just answer the OP´s question as to how many and what nights would be formal, but to keep starting about what dress is fine or not - that was never the question of the OP;)

[madforcruising]

But most men will be in a suit or blazer, many without so much as a tie.

 

And there will be a lot of people who don't even bother with the jacket.

 

 

 

Maybe it´s different on longer cruises (though the OP is asking about 11 nights already) and on itineraries other than the Caribbean, but my experience has been vastly different than what you describe.

On the cruises I´ve been on there were men not dressed in a tux or suit, but they were way in the minority. The vast majority was in either a full tux or at least dark suit. That´s of course with some formal uniforms and scottish kilts thrown in the mix.

[madforcruising]

You must be talking about a cruise line other than RCI. They have never requested no jeans in the MDR, at least on the 35 cruises we have taken with them.

To the OP, I'd recommend you choose your nights for the specialty restaurants based on the menu choices in the MDR rather than the suggested dress code.

 

While it´s been some years, when I started cruising jeans were listed as a no go in the compass on RCI.

[orville99]

You must be talking about a cruise line other than RCI. They have never requested no jeans in the MDR, at least on the 35 cruises we have taken with them.

To the OP, I'd recommend you choose your nights for the specialty restaurants based on the menu choices in the MDR rather than the suggested dress code.

 

Treasure hunt time...Find Jeans anywhere in the RCCL evening wear guidelines...:rolleyes:

There are three distinct types of evenings onboard: casual, smart casual and formal. Suggested guidelines for these nights are: Casual: Sport shirts and slacks for men, sundresses or pants for womenSmart Casual: Jackets and ties for men, dresses or pantsuits for womenFormal: Suits and ties or tuxedos for men, cocktail dresses for women

[Debde]

Treasure hunt time...Find Jeans anywhere in the RCCL evening wear guidelines...:rolleyes:

There are three distinct types of evenings onboard: casual, smart casual and formal. Suggested guidelines for these nights are: Casual: Sport shirts and slacks for men, sundresses or pants for womenSmart Casual: Jackets and ties for men, dresses or pantsuits for womenFormal: Suits and ties or tuxedos for men, cocktail dresses for women

 

As I have read many a time here

'oh, it takes them a while to update the website' :p

[Scotty G]

Smart casual was not on any nights of the last cruise I did.

 

There was a smart casual night on our January sailing on the Jewel. We ate in Chops one formal night and everyone there was dressed formal or semi-formal. We did notice that there were mostly middle-age to older folks (like us) on board and this may have influenced the dress. Certainly different than a three or four day.

[madforcruising]

There was a smart casual night on our January sailing on the Jewel. We ate in Chops one formal night and everyone there was dressed formal or semi-formal. We did notice that there were mostly middle-age to older folks (like us) on board and this may have influenced the dress. Certainly different than a three or four day.

 

My experience as well, as of yet I´ve not been on a single cruise that had no smart casual nights, but I´ve been on cruises where the smart casual and formal nights outnumbered the casual ones.

 

But then again I don´t go on short and caribbean cruises.

 

I´ll take notes how it is on my upcoming Oasis cruise which will likely be my only Carib. cruise.