Is there a formal night on a short Cruise?

[texasnana]

Leaving Vancouver August 3 and getting off August 6 in Alaska. Is there a formal night on that part of the cruise?

[Mumsysailor]

You can expect two formal nights on a 7 day cruise.

 

Mumsy.

[psbtrvlr]

Leaving Vancouver August 3 and getting off August 6 in Alaska. Is there a formal night on that part of the cruise?

 

We didn't have one on the 4 night cruise that we just did.

[josie724]

You can expect two formal nights on a 7 day cruise.

 

Mumsy.

 

Not necessarily it can vary from cruise to cruise, we didn't have any formal nights on a 6 night cruise.

 

[Northshorecruisers]

If the cruise is a 7 day cruise but you're getting off on August 6th because you're doing a Cruisetour, then yes, you will have a formal night on Aug 4th (the first sea day).

[RuthC]

If the cruise is a 7 day cruise but you're getting off on August 6th because you're doing a Cruisetour, then yes, you will have a formal night on Aug 4th (the first sea day).

I agree. That's the way it worked on my 7-day cruise, Vancouver round-trip, on the Volendam.

Tour passengers disembarked in Skagway, while others were finishing their land tour and boarded that day.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I would count on having one as your cruise is part of a 7 day cruise which will have 2 formal nights.

Remember that most people will be staying on for the entire 7 days from Vancouver to Seward.

[RuthC]

Remember that most people will be staying on for the entire 7 days from Vancouver to Seward.

OP is on a 7-day round-trip Vancouver cruise, not a one-way to Seward. The "turn-around" port is Skagway.

If it were a one-way cruise, the ship would not be able to board passengers in Skagway, and would be sailing with empty cabins. That is something they will not plan for when designing itineraries.

[startwin]

Yes there will be a formal night because your 3-day is part of regular 7-day cruise.

[RonJoan]

We are 4-Stars and should know this but we don't. We're on a 6-day coastal repo from Vancouver to San Diego aboard Westerdam this fall. Never took such a short cruise before! We're traveling light getting to Vancouver to board the ship and we'd like to avoid taking formal wear if we're not going to have a formal night on the 6 day trip to San Diego. There are 3 port stops in Astoria, L.A., and Catalina Island.

 

Does anyone know about a 6-day cruise?

 

RonJoan

[aliaschief]

As Josie stated we had no formal night on a Jan 2012 cruise and we were told Hal does not do formal nights on six day cruises.

 

Only way to be sure is call Hal or have your TA inquire.

[sunviking90]

We are 4-Stars and should know this but we don't. We're on a 6-day coastal repo from Vancouver to San Diego aboard Westerdam this fall. Never took such a short cruise before! We're traveling light getting to Vancouver to board the ship and we'd like to avoid taking formal wear if we're not going to have a formal night on the 6 day trip to San Diego. There are 3 port stops in Astoria, L.A., and Catalina Island.

 

Does anyone know about a 6-day cruise?

 

RonJoan

 

I would expect one. We just finished a 4 day coastal cruise on the Westerdam and our boarding passes stated 4 smart casual nights, but they decided to have a formal night anyway. My SIL and I had dresses, but the men did not have jackets, so I spoke to the dining room manager and he said we were fine. I did feel bad for a lot of the people though as they announced that the MDR was formal and non formal options were Lido and Canaletto. The dining room was not very busy and I feel bad for people who were scared off even they had packed the appropriate clothing. Not cool IMHO.

[cruz chic]

If posters can wait until they print their boarding pass it will let you know on there if there is a formal night. I wouldn't particularly trust what Hal says.

[cruz chic]

I would expect one. We just finished a 4 day coastal cruise on the Westerdam and our boarding passes stated 4 smart casual nights, but they decided to have a formal night anyway. My SIL and I had dresses, but the men did not have jackets, so I spoke to the dining room manager and he said we were fine. I did feel bad for a lot of the people though as they announced that the MDR was formal and non formal options were Lido and Canaletto. The dining room was not very busy and I feel bad for people who were scared off even they had packed the appropriate clothing. Not cool IMHO.

 

You are right, that's not cool.

[startwin]

Just an addendum here.... at the end of our 22-day repositioning cruise last year, there was a 4-day coastal from San Diego to Vancouver (as there is every year). For those of us on the 22 day cruise, we were told the last formal night would be after San Diego. For the 4-dayers, they were told there would be no formal night. In the end, it was published in the Explorer as "formal optional", I guess as a compromise. As usual, communication was not the best:(

 

I sure hope they don't do that again. Make it one thing or the other, because for those who dressed up for formal night, it felt weird sitting in the MDR with those who were casual, and vice versa. I never, ever care what others wear, but I have to admit that was one odd night (though the photographers were taking portraits of pax in jeans and t-shirts:D as well as those in their formal finery). Other regulars on here were onboard that time, and I'm sure they'd agree.