Alternates to Formal Attire/Service Comparison?

[frequent traveler]

We're really enjoyed the posts on this board and are thinking about a Silversea Cruise -- Two questions --

 

1) Are passengers banned from public spaces on "formal nights" if they don't bring formal attire? I hate to pack and dress "formal" on a vacation and don't mind dinner in my cabin - but would hate to be banned from other public spaces

 

2) If any SilverSea fans have cruised SeaDream, can you compare the service on the lines?

 

thanks

FT

[lord of the seas]

frequent traveler,

Silversea passengers do like to dress for dinner and I do think that you would look out of place if you were not properly attired as people really do make the effort to look their best.

As regards to the service aspect between Silversea and Sea Dream,I think that both offer first class service but Sea Dream adopt a more casual approach which seems to suit the relaxed way in which the Yatch has only a start and finish port and the in between part is suited to what the passengers want or what the Captain has in mind for them.I like both lines formal on Silversea and relaxed/casual on Sea Dream

 

John

 

John

[oregon50]

That would be very good advice.

 

They advertise access to public areas after dinner in less than formal attire. In reality, you will probably be the only one dressed that way. I'm all for letting the formal prevail without me being there if my choice is to not dress up.

[luvtojump]

After cruising on both Silversea and SeaDream, I can help you with your questions.

 

While we were on Silver Shadow we were sitting in the casino on a formal night. The gentleman sitting next to my husband took off his tuxedo jacket and loosened his tie. He was asked (very politely) to put his jacket back on.

He complied, no one made a scene and the evening went on. Possibly it was the fact that he loosened his tie. I don't think taking your jacket off would warrant such a request from management.

 

 

SeaDream is just the opposite. Nothing formal about attire but the yacht atmosphere encourages you to look nice. My husband wore a jacket one night while we were in the caribbean and wore a tie while we cruised in the med. Neither were required.

 

Service on both lines is wonderful. SeaDream service seems more "effortless". Like it just comes naturally for the staff.

 

I hope this makes sense and helps you with your decision.

[wripro]

I think dress requirements are to observed in all public areas of the ship after 6PM for the entire evening. SS is not like mass market lines where people dress for dinner and then change afterwards. If dressing casually is important to you, you might prefer sea dream. Both lines are wonderful.

[A Tucson Guy]

We were on the Cloud in Sept 2005 and on formal nights you could dine in the Terrace Restaurant with coat and NO tie. After dinner no could go anywhere with a coat and no tie if you choose. Not all of us enjoy wearing a tie ever. The only time I wear a tie is on a cruise. I live in two resort areas and never wear a tie. I understand others like the formal dress and it looks like SS is considering both points of view. BTW there were a fair number of men with no ties on formal night. I hope we all have an open mind.

[excruiser]

I was on SS a few summers ago. On a non-formal night, a gentleman tried to enter the bar area for a quick drink around 6 PM with shorts on and he was asked to leave the bar.

[uk1]

FT,

 

People's responses here may depend a little on when they last cruised with SS. Some other people feel passionately that the dress code should be preserved throughout the whole ship even though that is clearly no longer the feeling of SS.

 

I cannot be precise but I believe there was a bit of a change that happened sometime over the last year or so. Before that time on formal nights the whole ship was formal on formal nights. From recollection when they changed The Terrace to La Terraza (!) or a bit before this became more relaxed.

 

I started this thread last April and you can see peoples comments.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com./showthread.php?t=161216&highlight=informal

 

Other threads can be found by simply searching on "informal" and similar.

 

My advice is basically, I think it's wrong to go into the restaurant informally on formal nights so as long as you keep away from the main restaurant (even though on every SS cruise I've been on there were always some who wore what they liked on formal night) you'll be fine. That's only fair to those who like the ambience of formal on the two nights out of seven that it might be formal night.

 

However, ignore the small number of people that might tell you that you'll feel uncomfortable on SS, or to go on other lines, if you go informal about the rest of the ship on those nights as it isn't true and as it said in the other thread first time SS cruisers will worry about this too much. Try SS, you'll be fine.

 

Jeff

[minxtabb]

like another poster, we were wearing "day" clothes (smart skirt and top for me, shirt and long trousers for husband) and decided to nip in for a quick cocktail just after 6pm and were politely informed that we were not appropriately dressed. however, we were offered cocktails to take back to our cabin, which was fine by us. I guess the 6pm deadline caught us out as we tend to eat later and therefore get ready for dinner later, but some prefer to eat early so may be out of pre-dinner cocktails early, so we were more than happy to comply.

we did see some very poor interpretations of "formal" attire, and whilst the maitre d' did his best to indicate that is was not acceptable, some passengers just chose to ignore him.

 

Roz

[frequent traveler]

Thanks everyone for the input. I tend to be a big believer in following the "rules" - whatever the disclosed rules are. Would not want to ignore requirements for formal nights for dinner in the main restaurant (have yet to make a maitre d' cry) but would be like to avoid room confinement for an entire night.

 

FT