Dress Code

[twoboys]

We are considering our first SilverSea cruise. We have cruised with Seabourn and WindStar an driver cruised with Uniworld.  We love ahve loved thema ll and will never go back to the monster ships again.  I keep reading out the formal dress code on Silversea. How strict is it? We like that that on Uniworld and Windstar, no jacket was required for men. Yes some wore them, but it was not required and that made packing so much easier. Would my husband feel uncomfortable without a jacket? He doesnt even wear one at work anymore  Thank you

[Emtbsam]

Your choice of restaurants would be greatly limited on formal and informal evenings if he didn't have a jacket.

[Stumblefoot]

1 hour ago, twoboys said:

Would my husband feel uncomfortable without a jacket?

 

Virtually an impossible question to answer for all who do not know your husband.  It really depends on a wide variety of factors.  How confident is he?  Does he truly worry what other people might think if they see him not wearing a jacket, or does he care less?  Does he expect to dine in venues on formal nights where a tuxedo, dark suit, or dinner jacket is required, or does he respect the dress code and would be happy dining in a different venue that doesn't have said requirements?  Of course, the list of questions could go on and on.

IMHO, if your husband absolutely doesn't want to wear a jacket on a formal night, but really, really wants to sail on Silversea, then I would give strong consideration to the ship.  For example, it is quite easy for a man to avoid wearing a jacket on the Muse or Spirit, while it is a bit more difficult on the Wind, Shadow, and Whisper,  as there is only one dining venue that doesn't require a jacket on formal night; The Grill.

Best wishes as you plan your voyage!  And, you may want to consider Regent who I believe doesn't have a formal night any longer.

[Silver Sweethearts]

9 hours ago, twoboys said:

I keep reading out the formal dress code on Silversea. How strict is it? We like that that on Uniworld and Windstar, no jacket was required for men. Yes some wore them, but it was not required and that made packing so much easier. Would my husband feel uncomfortable without a jacket? He doesnt even wear one at work anymore  Thank you

 

Here is what Silversea says.  It is pretty straight-forward:

 

Clothing Suggestions – Shipboard Attire

Shipboard attire ranges from casual to formal. Casual wear is appropriate for daytime aboard ship or ashore and consists of standard sports outfits as worn at five-star resorts. Shoes should be flat or low heeled for deck activities. Evening attire falls into three categories: casual, informal and formal. On casual evenings, pants, blouses, skirts and casual dresses for ladies; open-neck shirts and slacks for gentlemen are appropriate. On informal evenings, ladies usually wear dresses or pantsuits; gentlemen wear jackets (tie optional). Appropriate formal evening wear for ladies is an evening gown or cocktail dress; gentlemen wear tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits. Tie is required.

On formal nights, guests may dine in La Terrazza and choose to dress informal; dresses or pantsuits for ladies, jackets for gentlemen (tie optional). This option also applies to Seishin and Stars on board Silver Spirit. Dining at The Grill is optional casual all nights. Following dinner, all guests are free to take advantage of any or all public spaces, however, jacket is required. Sailings of 9 days or less typically feature 1 formal night, while longer voyages usually have 2-3 formal nights. 

Edited January 26, 2019 by Silver Sweethearts

[nowornever]

I'm with Stumblefoot on this.  In order to keep from feeling uncomfortable, you might want to stick with Regent or Oceania where jackets are never required.  Or resign yourselves to dining at the Grill on formal night where no jacket is required or at La Terrazza where no tie is required (be sure & book well in advance).  Fortunately there are choices when deciding on cruises & you are so smart to check them out in advance.  We have also been on Seabourn many times & no one is allowed in the MDR without at least a sports coat & tie on formal nights so the policy is very similar.  So many choices....all to be enjoyed.

[RachelG]

My husband and I cruise mostly on Regent and Silversea, occasionally on Oceania.  My husband has to wear a suit and tie frequently at work (lawyer in court), so likes to avoid on vacation.  On Regent and Oceania, he is good with nice dress pants and a nice shirt at dinner, sometimes a sports coat.  On Silversea, he brings a suit and tie, but that is just to please me.

[Silver Spectre]

2 hours ago, nowornever said:

I'm with Stumblefoot on this.  In order to keep from feeling uncomfortable, you might want to stick with Regent or Oceania where jackets are never required.  Or resign yourselves to dining at the Grill on formal night where no jacket is required or at La Terrazza where no tie is required (be sure & book well in advance).  Fortunately there are choices when deciding on cruises & you are so smart to check them out in advance.  We have also been on Seabourn many times & no one is allowed in the MDR without at least a sports coat & tie on formal nights so the policy is very similar.  So many choices....all to be enjoyed.

Excellent advice.

[twoboys]

Thank you for your advice. We looked at Regent and it is nearly twice the price.  Oceania is too big. When we cruised with Seabourn he did bring a jacket. On Uniworld and Windstar it was not necessary and makes packing easier and the vacation more relaxing. Looks like Silverseas cuts clients some slack on shorter cruises in the Mediterranean. We are looking at 7 nights on the Whisper, so I'm sure a sports jacket will be fine. We are both still working and have sons in college and law school, so we are more limited in terms of timing and expense and perhaps more in need of a truly relaxing vacation

[Unibok]

Sounds good, twoboys. If he is okay with bringing a sports jacket, then you will find that truly relaxing vacation onboard the Whisper. Prepare to be pampered and let yourselves unwind!

[Stumblefoot]

2 hours ago, twoboys said:

Looks like Silverseas cuts clients some slack on shorter cruises in the Mediterranean. We are looking at 7 nights on the Whisper, so I'm sure a sports jacket will be fine.

Yes, most definitely.  

On a 7-night voyage, you will only have 1 formal night and most likely it will be on your second night as the first night (day of embarkation) is always casual.  So, it is very easy to dine at The Grill on that second night where no jacket is ever required.  Another nice thing is that he would never have to wear a tie on such a short voyage.  

Since you will still have informal nights (probably three), I would suggest throwing in a nice navy blue or black blazer.  Those jackets go with just about any pair of slacks and this will allow you to enjoy The Restaurant, La Dame, or La Terrazza on informal nights.

Have fun planning!

[Silver Sweethearts]

4 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

  So, it is very easy to dine at The Grill on that second night where no jacket is ever required.  

 

Do remember though that while jackets aren't required for the Grill, reservations are - and should be made in advance as they tend to book up.

[Stumblefoot]

On 1/26/2019 at 1:57 PM, Silver Sweethearts said:

Do remember though that while jackets aren't required for the Grill, reservations are - and should be made in advance as they tend to book up.

Great point!

[Silver Spectre]

4 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

Great point!

However, if you are flexible about timing and happy to eat later than the crowd, you can almost always get a table on the night

[Stumblefoot]

2 hours ago, Silver Spectre said:

However, if you are flexible about timing and happy to eat later than the crowd, you can almost always get a table on the night

Very true.

[twoboys]

We like to eat closer to 8Pm so I think we will be fine.  Thank you all! We are very excited about this cruise

[Unibok]

3 hours ago, twoboys said:

We like to eat closer to 8Pm so I think we will be fine.  Thank you all! We are very excited about this cruise

 

Ah, most dinner venues open at 7:00, so 8:00 might be right in the middle of the most popular time. I tend to dine on the early side, so that is just a guess.

[Silver Sweethearts]

14 hours ago, Unibok said:

 

Ah, most dinner venues open at 7:00, so 8:00 might be right in the middle of the most popular time. I tend to dine on the early side, so that is just a guess.

 

Yes, and the last time we were on the Spirit this past November and December it was extremely hard to get a table at ANY hour in Hot Rocks/The Grill without a reservation.

[Unibok]

34 minutes ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

 

Yes, and the last time we were on the Spirit this past November and December it was extremely hard to get a table at ANY hour in Hot Rocks/The Grill without a reservation.

Good to know!