Silverwind Formal Night

[nycatty35]

My wife and I are taking our first SS cruise on March 10th in the Carribean. I wear a suit and tie everyday to work. I keep it causal on trips (though I have brought a tux or suit when necessary on cruises). What should I expect on the one night that is listed Formal optional. Thanks in advance!

[Stumblefoot]

If formal is listed as optional, then you don’t need a tux or suit.

[Sunprince]

We are also on the same cruise and for this cruise will not opt in to formal night. You can book to dine in the Grill or La Terrazza without formal wear. 

Enjoy the cruise

[the_dylaness]

Last month on Silver Wind, my husband wore a dark suit and tie and I wore a cocktail dress.   We seemed about "average" in terms of dressed-upped-ness 😉  Enjoy.

[worldtraveller99]

I know we can make our bookings for dinner on the website 120 days before we travel. When do they tell you which is the formal night - so we can book La Terrazza for then - please?

[Stumblefoot]

2 minutes ago, worldtraveller99 said:

When do they tell you which is the formal night - so we can book La Terrazza for then - please?

Not sure, but night #2 is typically the formal night 95% of the time.  First and last night are ALWAYS casual.

[worldtraveller99]

Thank you Stumblefoot

[jollyjones]

Looking at your itinerary, I'd say the formal might be the third night because you are in Bequia till 11pm and St Lucia till 7pm. They generally avoid 'special' nights on late port stops.

Much as I love Bequia, there isn't anything really to do there, particularly in the evening, so most pax will be back aboard by dusk I'd guess, so it might be the formal.

It's usually earlier rather than later in the cruise so that they can fit in the Venetian night (for past guests) which will probably be on the 14th.

Either way, when you go into 'my Silversea' to book your dining by clicking on the 'activities' tab, under the dates on the left hand side of the page it should say (in tiny script) which are the formal nights.

 

PS For a March 10th cruise, you should already have booked your dining by now!! If in doubt, book more rather than less, it's very easy to cancel once onboard, just tell your butler or the reception desk people.

Edited February 26, 2019 by jollyjones

[Sunprince]

For the March 10th cruise, Formal (optional) night is evening 3 while in St Lucia. And yes, it is clearly noted on the schedule where you book your activities in mySilversea. I had originally booked in La Terrazza for this night when the 120 day bookings opened and had a confirmed reservation. About a month later I logged in again and it showed as "waitlisted", not sure what happened. So I switched to The Grill which was available and it is still showing as "confirmed".Currently La Terrazza is showing "Not available" for formal (optional) night.

[wripro]

La Terrazza not being available for formal optional nights just goes to show how many people want to avoid those dress codes.

[les37b]

2 hours ago, wripro said:

La Terrazza not being available for formal optional nights just goes to show how many people want to avoid those dress codes.

 

By that logic, La Dame should be empty every night.

[jollyjones]

6 hours ago, Sunprince said:

For the March 10th cruise, Formal (optional) night is evening 3 while in St Lucia. And yes, it is clearly noted on the schedule where you book your activities in mySilversea. I had originally booked in La Terrazza for this night when the 120 day bookings opened and had a confirmed reservation. About a month later I logged in again and it showed as "waitlisted", not sure what happened. So I switched to The Grill which was available and it is still showing as "confirmed".Currently La Terrazza is showing "Not available" for formal (optional) night.

It’s possible - I’m not saying this is the case - but you’re on a 7 day Caribbean so it’s possible that there’s a big group on board. Even so, it’s unusual if they’ve (or anyone else) been allowed to book the whole of Terrazza. But I can’t think of many other reasons why a confirmed booking has changed to waitlist. 

On the bright side, you may have more fun in Hot Rocks!

[Stumblefoot]

8 hours ago, jollyjones said:

But I can’t think of many other reasons why a confirmed booking has changed to waitlist.

The prinary reason is probably because the SS system isn’t a reservation system, but rather a request system.  Most of the time the requests one makes are honored, but we’ve had voyages where they were either cancelled or the time was changed.

[les37b]

1 hour ago, Stumblefoot said:

The prinary reason is probably because the SS system isn’t a reservation system, but rather a request system.  Most of the time the requests one makes are honored, but we’ve had voyages where they were either cancelled or the time was changed.

 

But there is no reason why that should be the case. One can only assume someone higher up the pecking order has jumped in to take your place. People in Hawaiian shirts for example spring to mind! Luckily, I've never had any reservations cancelled ever - though I have questioned times that may have been amended - but then been able to change "back", so still not sure. 

[jollyjones]

I've never had a dining reservation cancelled or changed - possibly because they can always 'squeeze in' a solo - but I have been onboard with large groups and use of dining areas maybe modified. I haven't personally seen La Terrazza made unavailable but I have seen large areas of the pool deck set aside and extra tables put out for large groups to dine together in Hot Rocks.

And it's always 7 day cruises in the Caribbean when I've seen large groups on board ...

 

PS les37b - why are you so down on Hawaiian shirts? There's jerks in every kind of garment, a tux does not a gentleman make.

[Stumblefoot]

7 hours ago, les37b said:

 

But there is no reason why that should be the case. 

I never understood why SS didn't implement a true reservation system when they put the request system in place a few years ago.  The technology was certainly available at the time and highly refined.  But, SS chose to go with their goofy three 1-hour time period request system regardless.  The only reason I can think of is to control how many reservations a guest can make in a particular dining venue.  But, in reality, SS could accomplish the same in a reservation system as well.

[les37b]

2 hours ago, jollyjones said:

PS les37b - why are you so down on Hawaiian shirts? There's jerks in every kind of garment, a tux does not a gentleman make.

 

I guess you’d need to see the gentleman in question and seen some on the antics to fully comprehend. I have only ever mentioned the fact he and his family are friends of the owner.  And whilst not wishing to sound snobby about non compliance in the MDR on formal night, when you weight 35 stone wearing a bright coloured Hawaiian shirt and sandals tends to make you very noticeable to the extent it felt like he was saying “look at me, I know the owner and can do what I like so raspberries to you.”

 

Hawaiin shirts might not be my thing but I’d never even have mentioned it if it wasn’t such a blatant disregard to what might be expected. I know with absolute certainty if I’d dressed in this way I would have been pointed to the pool bar where it was more appropriate.

 

PS how would have viewed it if he’d turned up in his budgie smugglers? lol

Edited February 27, 2019 by les37b

[wripro]

21 hours ago, les37b said:

 

By that logic, La Dame should be empty every night.

Is La Dame formal every night?

[Stumblefoot]

17 minutes ago, wripro said:

Is La Dame formal every night?

No, La Dame follows the same daily dress code as the rest of the ship.  During the Muse's spring and summer launch season, La Dame was always formal, but SS removed that requirement in October, 2017.

[UpstateJan]

3 hours ago, les37b said:

 

PS how would have viewed it if he’d turned up in his budgie smugglers? lol

um, at 35 stone ...(490lbs), I do not want to see that.  Actually, at dinner regardless, it should be a budgie smuggler free zone!   I seriously have to stop reading your posts while drinking my iced tea.   Need to wipe down the screen.....

[les37b]

1 hour ago, UpstateJan said:

um, at 35 stone ...(490lbs), I do not want to see that.  Actually, at dinner regardless, it should be a budgie smuggler free zone!   I seriously have to stop reading your posts while drinking my iced tea.   Need to wipe down the screen.....

 

LOL.... To be fair, I'd not made an issue at all about weight as my issues with said gentleman wasn't related or relevant. But as accused of having a thing about Hawaiian shirts I thought I'd set the record straight and put it into context. 😄

 

 

[UpstateJan]

Fair enough Les, but I really don't need to see anyone's budgie at dinner, smuggled or not 

[les37b]

Just now, UpstateJan said:

Fair enough Les, but I really don't need to see anyone's budgie at dinner, smuggled or not 

 

Agreed. And it’s JJ pet hate too! 

[wripro]

23 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

No, La Dame follows the same daily dress code as the rest of the ship.  During the Muse's spring and summer launch season, La Dame was always formal, but SS removed that requirement in October, 2017.

I knew that. Then my logic holds. La Dame is full every night because it's not formal every night. The only difference is La Terrazza is never formal.

[les37b]

54 minutes ago, wripro said:

I knew that. Then my logic holds. La Dame is full every night because it's not formal every night. The only difference is La Terrazza is never formal.

 

No, not logic, that's an opinion.

 

I fully expect La Dame would be full every night, just as it was when it was a requirement to dress formally. If your logic was applied, it would have been empty, not full.