Formal night Alaska

[poohkey]

We are going on the Muse first week of August.  I was wondering how I could find out which night would be the formal night?  I read the dress code is more relaxed on Alaska cruises, is that correct?  Thanks for your help.

[TLCOhio]

13 minutes ago, poohkey said:

We are going on the Muse first week of August.  I was wondering how I could find out which night would be the formal night?  I read the dress code is more relaxed on Alaska cruises, is that correct?  Thanks for your help.

 

YES!!  Good, interesting questions.  We will be on the Silver Muse the week prior, starting July 25, sailing up to Alaska from Vancouver.  Look forward to any background related to these areas of interest.  Given our travel prior and after this cruise, we are seeking to keep our luggage collection/packing to a minimum, more manageable level.  Am especially interested in the comments from those 2018 Silversea customers doing the cruising in these Alaska waters.  Plus, any and all other tips and insights.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

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[Unibok]

2 hours ago, poohkey said:

We are going on the Muse first week of August.  I was wondering how I could find out which night would be the formal night?  I read the dress code is more relaxed on Alaska cruises, is that correct?  Thanks for your help.

 

Hi poohkey,

 

Looks like you are on a 7 day sailing, southbound. By 120 days prior to the cruise, your formal night should be listed in mysilversea; sometimes they post it earlier than that, so keep checking.

 

If I had to make an educated guess based on my 10--day southbound sailing, I would say expect formal night either on the 2nd night (cruising Hubbard Glacier), or the 4th night (Skagway). Neither of our 2 formal nights are on sea/glacier days, and I see that on Day 3 you are in Juneau until 10:30 pm. If they choose not to have formal night on a glacier day, then Skagway makes the most sense, as you leave port in the late afternoon.

 

Officially, the dress code doesn't change based on location, but you will find that passengers may opt for the more casual end of the acceptable spectrum in some locations, like Alaska. And, of course, if you don't want to participate in formal night, make a reservation at La Terrazza, the Grill, or Silver Note that night. 

 

Hoping this helps,

[TLCOhio]

43 minutes ago, Unibok said:

By 120 days prior to the cruise, your formal night should be listed in mysilversea; sometimes they post it earlier than that, so keep checking.   If I had to make an educated guess based on my 10--day southbound sailing, I would say expect formal night either on the 2nd night (cruising Hubbard Glacier), or the 4th night (Skagway).  if you don't want to participate in formal night, make a reservation at La Terrazza, the Grill, or Silver Note that night. 

 

Appreciate this good follow-up from Unibok.  We are now, per My Silversea, 112 days away from our sail-away from Vancouver.  BUT, nothing show there on that SS schedule for the formal night.  We are booked in La Terrazza for that second night, making similar assumptions as you outlined.  Keep us posted with any other tips, ideas, suggestions for these Alaska sailings.

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

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[Stumblefoot]

4 hours ago, poohkey said:

I was wondering how I could find out which night would be the formal night?  I read the dress code is more relaxed on Alaska cruises, is that correct?

 

I agree with Unibok.. it will most likely be night #2.

 

Remember though, On 7 day sailings in Alaska, formal night is always optional; guests may choose to dress informal, a jacket is required for gentlemen.  So, literally, you can dine in all of the formal venues (Atlantide, Indochine, La Dame, Stars, Kaiseki) on your formal night wearing informal wear. 😉

[Cruiser Jane]

We'll be going on our first SS cruise on the Muse leaving Seward on Sept. 12 and the following one.  (We have 20 cruise credits with O, so not new to cruising).  I forced my husband to buy a nice suit for the 4 formal nights.  We don't like to dine in a buffet, which I'm assuming La Terrazza is.  So getting him to bring yet another jacket is going to be difficult.  Am I understanding that they will not let us into the other dining rooms w/o a jacket?  Oceania is very casual and on one summer cruise he didn't even bring a jacket.  Most of the guys didn't have on jackets.  So I guess SS is very different in this respect? 

 

Thanks for your guidance here.

 

Cheers,

Janelle

[spinnaker2]

Janelle,

La Terrazza is not a buffet at night!

It is an Italian restaurant and you must make reservations to eat there.

And yes Silversea does enforce the dress code in the restaurants. 

You can always choose to eat in the venues that don't require jackets,  the Grill and Spacanapoli.

[Unibok]

2 hours ago, Cruiser Jane said:

We'll be going on our first SS cruise on the Muse leaving Seward on Sept. 12 and the following one.  (We have 20 cruise credits with O, so not new to cruising).  I forced my husband to buy a nice suit for the 4 formal nights.  We don't like to dine in a buffet, which I'm assuming La Terrazza is.  So getting him to bring yet another jacket is going to be difficult.  Am I understanding that they will not let us into the other dining rooms w/o a jacket?  Oceania is very casual and on one summer cruise he didn't even bring a jacket.  Most of the guys didn't have on jackets.  So I guess SS is very different in this respect? 

 

Thanks for your guidance here.

 

Cheers,

Janelle

 

Building off of what Spins suggests, I must say that La Terrazza is actually my favorite dinner spot of all. You'll be greeted with an incredible board of antipasti, followed by expertly made Italian cuisine. Four formal nights sure sounds like a lot; if it were me, I would spend 2 of them in La Terrazza 🙂

 

You are correct that it is the buffet for breakfast and lunch. At night, it is transformed.

[Stumblefoot]

52 minutes ago, Unibok said:

Four formal nights sure sounds like a lot; if it were me, I would spend 2 of them in La Terrazza 🙂

 

Actually considering this this is two voyages of 35-days total (21 + 14), I’m surprised it’s not a total of six formal nights.

 

3 hours ago, Cruiser Jane said:

I forced my husband to buy a nice suit for the 4 formal nights.  We don't like to dine in a buffet, which I'm assuming La Terrazza is.  So getting him to bring yet another jacket is going to be difficult.  Am I understanding that they will not let us into the other dining rooms w/o a jacket?

 

Good for you Cruiser Jane!  I’ve found that when my DW forces me to do something, while I kick and scream, hoot and howl, in the end, she was right and I was glad she “made” me do it.  Below are my two-cents:

 

Over the course of your 35-day voyage, most likely, you will have at least a minimum of 10 casual nights.  Those will be the nights you’ll want to dine in Atlantide, Indochine, La Dame, Kaiseki, and Silver Note as no jacket will be required whatsoever.  Since he has a beautiful new suit to wear on formal nights, here is what I would suggest on the informal nights... sneak into his closest and get his suit jacket size.  Then, call the store and order him a nice navy blue blazer.  When it comes in, fold it neatly and pack it in the bottom of your suitcase.  Then, when you arrive on the Muse, you’ll have a lovely surprise gift for him and I imagine the two of you will share a wonderful laugh together. 😁 I promise, a navy blazer will go with virtually any pants or shirts he packs himself and It can be worn on every single informal night he likes.

 

Of course, he can always just wear his suit jacket on informal nights.  No one is going to notice or care.  I just thought you might like him to have a new jacket that pairs nicely with virtually any other outfit. 😉

[spinnaker2]

 

2 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

 

Actually considering this this is two voyages of 35-days total (21 + 14), I’m surprised it’s not a total of six formal nights.

 

 

Good for you Cruiser Jane!  I’ve found that when my DW forces me to do something, while I kick and scream, hoot and howl, in the end, she was right and I was glad she “made” me do it.  Below are my two-cents:

 

Over the course of your 35-day voyage, most likely, you will have at least a minimum of 10 casual nights.  Those will be the nights you’ll want to dine in Atlantide, Indochine, La Dame, Kaiseki, and Silver Note as no jacket will be required whatsoever.  Since he has a beautiful new suit to wear on formal nights, here is what I would suggest on the informal nights... sneak into his closest and get his suit jacket size.  Then, call the store and order him a nice navy blue blazer.  When it comes in, fold it neatly and pack it in the bottom of your suitcase.  Then, when you arrive on the Muse, you’ll have a lovely surprise gift for him and I imagine the two of you will share a wonderful laugh together. 😁 I promise, a navy blazer will go with virtually any pants or shirts he packs himself and It can be worn on every single informal night he likes.

 

Of course, he can always just wear his suit jacket on informal nights.  No one is going to notice or care.  I just thought you might like him to have a new jacket that pairs nicely with virtually any other outfit. 😉

A nice navy blue double breasted blazer will do the trick!

 

 

 

 

[Cruiser Jane]

Actually it's 28 days total.  2 14-day cruises.  From Seward to Tokyo(first cruise) then Tokyo around Japan and back to Tokyo.  I found how many formal nights we have on the My Silversea web page.  It's listed next to the port on the itinerary page.  There are 4.  Not worried about them though; we have it covered now.  And while I don't have a formal gown, I plan to bring a long chiffon pleated skirt with a fancy jacket and dressy blouse; another shorter dress (not formal) that I can make dressier with a sequined jacket.  I'll wear each twice.

 

I was just wondering if he had to wear a sport coat on informal nights.  Sounds like that's a yes.  He has some sport jackets that will go with some of his clothes.  And I'm very glad to hear that La Tarrazza is a "serve" restaurant at night.  I'd assumed it stayed a buffet all day.  Perfect!

 

You guys are great!  Answered my questions.

 

Cheers,

Janelle

[Stumblefoot]

Ah, got it, Cruise Jane.  I made a bad assumption that you were boarding in Vancouver without actually checking.  And, let your hubs know he's still very lucky that you only have four formal nights for your 28-days, because 14-day voyages typically have three formal nights.

 

Have a great cruise over to, and all around, Japan!

[Cruiser Jane]

14 minutes ago, Stumblefoot said:

Ah, got it, Cruise Jane.  I made a bad assumption that you were boarding in Vancouver without actually checking.  And, let your hubs know he's still very lucky that you only have four formal nights for your 28-days, because 14-day voyages typically have three formal nights.

 

Have a great cruise over to, and all around, Japan!

 

[Cruiser Jane]

I did expect to see more than 4 formal nights for 28 days.  So that's good at least.  I'm rereading all the comments.  Am I understanding that some nights are declared "Formal" and some "Informal" and others "Casual" or is it by restaurant?  Wow this is so confusing!

 

Also, someone mentioned making reservations for the dining venues.  Can we wait to board the ship to do this?  Or should we secure some rsvs. now?  And we enjoy dining with others.  Our CC group is rather small, but we were hoping to get together with some of them for dinner.  With so many choices, this will be more difficult!  Is it easy to meet people?  Someone said congregate in the bar in front of the dining venue you'll attend.  And there you can talk to others.  Or do they do like Oceania and seat you at a sharing table if you request it.

 

Glad to have someone to talk to about all of this!  We feel like lost puppies!

 

Many thanks,

Janelle

[Unibok]

You're doing great, Cruiser Jane!

 

Dinner dress code designations are a bit of both. Here is the breakdown, according to the travel documents for our upcoming Muse sailing (18 days to go!!!!):

 

The Muse's following venues are ALWAYS CASUAL, regardless of what the Chronicle says:

* Spaccanopoli / Napolitano-style pizza / No res

* The Grill / different menu at night, cook your own proteins on a lava-hot stone / Res recommended

 

ALWAYS INFORMAL, unless the ship-board designation is Casual, and then they are Casual as well:

* La Terrazza / fine Italian / no upcharge / Res recommended

* Silver Note / Jazz cafe with world flavor tapas / Res recommended

* Kaiseki / Japanese teppanaki-style / upcharge / Res recommended

 

The remaining venues adhere to whatever it says in the Chronicle:

* Atlantide/  No res

* Indochine / No res

* La Dame / fine French / upcharge/ Res recommended

 

Arts Cafe only serves cocktails in the evening, so is not listed here. And, of course, the final option is always ensuite dining delivered by your butler.

 

Do know that if you do choose to dress and dine casually on a formal or informal night, men will be expected to don a jacket for post-dinner drinks or dancing.

 

As for reservations, I encourage you to make reservations for alternatives on any Formal nights you won't attend. As I said in a previous message, I typically dine at La Terrazza on at least one formal night per voyage. La Dame and Kaiseki are both tiny, so you may want reservations to ensure a table. My own practice is to reserve at least 1 dinner in each of the venues so that I know I can try them all. 

 

Happy planning,

 

[Cruiser Jane]

Thank you so much!  You've all been so helpful with your answers.  Now I feel less confused!  UNIBOK have a great time on your cruise.

 

Janelle

[Stumblefoot]

2 hours ago, Cruiser Jane said:

Also, someone mentioned making reservations for the dining venues.  Can we wait to board the ship to do this?  Or should we secure some rsvs. now?  And we enjoy dining with others.  Our CC group is rather small, but we were hoping to get together with some of them for dinner.  With so many choices, this will be more difficult!  Is it easy to meet people?  Someone said congregate in the bar in front of the dining venue you'll attend.  And there you can talk to others.  Or do they do like Oceania and seat you at a sharing table if you request it.

 

Cruiser Jane, I agree with Unibok, you're doing great!  And, Unibok has laid out the dress requirements exceptionally well by venue.

You can definitely wait to make reservations once you board.  However, if you know what nights you may want to dine in a particular venue, then I would encourage you to make a request now, otherwise you may find your preferred time is no longer available once you board.

Lastly, it is extremely easy to meet people on a SS ship.  Your best bet is just to let the manager know when you arrive at the dining venue that you'd like share a table that evening and leave the rest up to them.  Definitely lots of fun!

[Cruiser Jane]

Stumblefoot (love your name) again more great info!  I guess we sign in for dinner then get a drink in the bar? 

 

It's funny.  I've done so many cruises on O that I know more about them than their call center personal and have proven itl.  But with SS, I'm totally lost.  DH is going into this cruise saying no more SS, but I bet he has a great time and expectations are far surpassed and that would be because of Stumblefoot, Unibok, Spinnaker2, TLCOhio, and poohker who started this board.  I am really looking forward to this cruise.  Now I have to dwell on ports!  No CC members have come forward for the second cruise we're taking, but one couple on CC who is on the first one, is also on the second one.  So we have them to plan private tours with, but we need more people!  But in 2 months we take our FREE cruise with O. 

 

You have all been amazingly helpful!  Nice talking with you and hope we sail together some time in the future!

 

Cheers,

Janelle