Smart Casual vs. casual

[wjterry]

Just talked to RCCL help line and was told the 14 day Hawaii Cruise on the Radiance of Seas 9/23/2006 has 3 Formal Nights, 8 casual nights, and 3 Smart Casual nights. Apparently there are no semi-formal nights like we have had on 7 day. Can someone help as to the diffenence between Smart Casual and Casual.

[BlueHerons]

Just talked to RCCL help line and was told the 14 day Hawaii Cruise on the Radiance of Seas 9/23/2006 has 3 Formal Nights, 8 casual nights, and 3 Smart Casual nights. Apparently there are no semi-formal nights like we have had on 7 day. Can someone help as to the diffenence between Smart Casual and Casual.

 

I guess you could wear your casual clothes and accesorize with a dictionary on Smart Casual night?:p

 

Okay, I'll stop. I think the main difference is polished and neat casual as opposed to sloppy casual. Sundresses and the like would be a good idea.

[johnql]

For a man, smart casual usually entails wearing a jacket (not necessarily with a tie).

[kitty9]

GOSH, I wish these cruise lines would get their crap together and just call it one thing---it's either casual or it's not. What's with this smart casual thing anyway? It's just a way to confuse the passenger. IF anyone had a brain, they would just stick to the basic three: formal, informal/semiformal and casual. You know what? I think they're trying to play down the dressing up thing by avoiding the informal designation. Since so many cruisers seem to despise dressing up for cruises, by calling things casual, no matter if it's country club casual, smart casual or whatever casual, they make the passenger think they don't have to dress up for more than just the two formal nights.

 

For the OP, don't worry about the designation of smart casual. I've been on plenty of RCCI cruises and I didn't see a difference between what they called casual and smart casual. The women wore casual slacks, capri pants, sundresses and the like. The men wore khaki slacks and polo shirts.

[lszu]

wjterry - RCCL's "smart casual" is like semi-formal. On a casual night, I might wear a sundress and sandals and my DH dockers and a polo shirt. On smart casual, I'll wear something like I'd wear to a summer wedding and my DH darker colored Dockers or slacks with a button up shirt and dress shoes instead of topsiders (loafers).

 

Some guys will wear jackets without ties on smart casual, but not all.

 

BlueHerons - ROFLMBO!

[natalie2727]

wjterry-- we'll be on that cruise with you. I have a question-- did RCCl happen to tell you which nights would be formal, casual, etc? I want to make reservations at Chops and Portofinos on casual nights because I figure the menu won't be as good as on formal nights.

[wjterry]

wjterry-- we'll be on that cruise with you. I have a question-- did RCCl happen to tell you which nights would be formal, casual, etc? I want to make reservations at Chops and Portofinos on casual nights because I figure the menu won't be as good as on formal nights.

 

 

Great to hear you will be on board. They did say the 2nd night was formal and the 2nd to last night (I think) and the 3rd was in the middle on a sea day.

What deck will you be on?

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

The cruise book you will receive from Royal Caribbean defines "smart casual," "casual" and "formal". I believe they also define these terms at their web site, maybe under the "First Time Cruisers" section or a FACs section. I do know that "smart casual" is not as dressy as the old designation of "semi-formal." That used to mean cocktail attire or what was called "after-five." Smart casual isn't that dressy, although you will see some folks dressed that way. I have even seen women in formal attire on nights that were not designated that way. Well, you'll see almost any style of dress at night on a ship, but you may prefer to dress the way the prevailing majority dresses.

 

Check royalcaribbean.com to read how they define their clothing code.

[happysinglemom]

I figure the menu won't be as good as on formal nights.

 

Why? Our best meals were on the formal nights.:confused:

[PurpleCow]

I think natalie2727 meant that the food in the main dining room would be better on formal nights than on casual nights (wouldn't be as good as on casual nights) so, in order to not miss the best food in the main dining room, she wanted to eat there on formal nights and eat in the secondary venues on casual nights. Well, that's how I read it, anyway, and it made sense to me . . .

[mrsred]

I guess you could wear your casual clothes and accesorize with a dictionary on Smart Casual night?:p

 

That was too funny!

 

Thanks! Can always use a good laugh!

 

~e

[Straughn]

I think the difference between casual and smart casual is easier for the men than the ladies.

 

For the men-casual nights, as many others have said, is a nice pair of cotton slacks and a golf or open collar short sleeve shirt. For smart casual, men might want to wear dressier pants and shirt, possible even a jacket, but not a tie. Some men do wear ties, but it is certainly a very few.

 

 

Smart casual for the ladies is usually a nice dress or pants set, whereas, casual can just be slacks and and a top. For women, what one of us considers a casual outfit, another might think of a smart casual. I usually accessorize with fancier jewlery or scarves on smart casual nights. When we first cruised in the early 90's, formal was very dressy and informal was a good silk pantsuit or after 5 type dress and the men wore jackets and ties. Once the cruise lines went to "smart casual", every one got confused. It has a different meaning in different parts of the country, and another interpretation in Europe.