Am I right in thinking there is no "Formal Dress" or "Formal Nights" Aboard Oceania ?

[mw_1970]

If so, what is the expected attire for gents at dinner in the restaurants please ?

 

Also, what sort of age group is aboard. I am 42 and my wife 48. We are both professional people and enjoy fine food and wine, good entertainment, do enjoy a bit of night life occasionally (particularly when on vacation) but hate the often boisterous behaviour aboard certain cruise lines. Although saying that have enjoyed NCL in the past.

 

Considering either Celebrity or Oceania for a couple of cruises next year and having a slightly more relaxed dress code does appeal.

 

Looking forward to your replies and advice.

 

Many thanks

 

Mike

[cruisecountess]

You are correct ~ there are no formal night's on O. Attire for dinner is country club casual: no sandals; for women ~ nice pants and top or a casual dress or skirt and top;for men~ long pants and a collared shirt, which can be a golf-type shirt or a button-down shirt. Some choose to dress up a bit more in the specialty restaurants. You will find some men in sport jackets here, but it is all a personal choice. The casual venue, Tapas, does not permit swim suits, but shorts can be worn there, even in the evening. For us, this was a good option after a late arrival after a long day of touring.

 

You will, in all likelihood, be in the younger end of the passenger demographics. I would not let that deter you. O passengers are friendly, well-traveled, and share your appreciation for food ~ that's why they have chosen O.

 

"Good entertainment" is subjective. Do you enjoy classical concerts or Broadway-style shows? Either way, entertainment is not O's strong point. You

may have a comedian one evening, string quartet the next, and singer on another night. The ship has a group of singers / dancers who perform themed shows a few times during the cruise. There is a casino but activity varies from cruise to cruise with the mix of passengers. I have seen it bustling on only one cruise. There is a band for dancing prior to the show each evening. Also, many prefer a more low key evening, lingering over dinner with new-found friends and / or after-dinner drinks at one of a few bars.

 

DH and I have yet to sail on Marina or Riviera so my response is based on our experiences on the R class ship's. I'm sure others will share experiences on board the larger ships. Whatever you choose, I wish you a great trip.

 

Harriet

[TERRIER1]

Women wear sandals all the time to the GDR and specialty restaurants. Just no flip flops (plastic type).

[hondorner]

Harriet's description is one of the best I've seen. Having sailed on both Marina and Riviera besides Regatta and Insignia (the latter no longer with the fleet), I can say that the ambiance is the same, with more opportunites for dining and more daytime activites (culinary center and artist's loft, among others). The ship's troup of singers and dancers on our recent Riviera cruise were the best I've seen on any cruise line, a full cast of 10. In addition to the ship's band, every Oceania voyage on which I've sailed has also had a string quartet which plays at many opportunities around the ship.

 

While entertainment is subjective, I've always enjoyed almost all of the offerings and have rarely missed a show.

 

Regarding dress, I wear a sports coat perhaps as much as half the time, more because I like to wear them (my DW says I wear them to hide my pot belly ;)). I also rarely wear a golf or polo shirt at night, preferring a button-front shirt, usually long-sleeved but sometimes short-sleeved. I have worn Hawaiian style shirts, untucked, on Caribbean cruises. There are not to be any tee-shirts in the dining rooms in the evening, but I enjoy occasionally wearing a dressy burgundy tee, "Miami vice" style, under a sports coat. It's my "breaking the rules" style :rolleyes::cool:. I wear either dressy slacks (business slacks) or Dockers-style khakis.

 

I wear penny loafers or informal tie shoes, never sandals (although I've seen some dressy sandals for men) or sneakers. On my "breaking the rules" nights, I may wear boat shoes without socks.

 

Think LL Bean or TravelSmith dress casual. I did wear a tie, once, when dining with the Captain on Regent (which has a similar dress code to Oceania), but have not worn a tie on Oceania, even at the table with the Captain.

[dundeene]

We were just on the Marina to Europe in April, we booked a B2B for next April on Riviera. That alone should tell you we were extremely happy with Oceania!

The food was excellent in all venues. The shipmates were friendly and well traveled. I never saw any cruiser who was "visibly" drunk. Everyone was visibly relaxed and enjoying the great food and a drink or two;)

 

We did find cruisers who were our age as well as few younger honeymooners on-board. The bulk of the cruisers seemed to be 55-75. We arranged all of our tours with CC rollcall friends and had the time of our lives.

Good luck with your planning.

[indigosails]

Think Tommy Bahama and Chico's.