Seabourn Ovation Formal Dress

[badnews523]

Approximately what percentage of Seabourn Ovation passengers wear tuxedos and gowns in the Restaurant during formal night on a 7-day  Caribbean sailing?

 

We are booked on our 1st Seabourn Ovation 7 day Caribbean cruise and would appreciate more up-to-date insight (since 2019) into the Ovation.

 

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, badnews523 said:

Approximately what percentage of Seabourn Ovation passengers wear tuxedos and gowns in the Restaurant during formal night on a 7-day  Caribbean sailing?

 

We are booked on our 1st Seabourn Ovation 7 day Caribbean cruise and would appreciate more up-to-date insight (since 2019) into the Ovation.

 

“Formal” night on Seabourn ships are not really that formal.  A man  will be expected to wear long trousers, a collared shirt, and a jacket - with or without a necktie - or anything more formal than that.  A woman would be expected to wear a dress or slacks or skirt and a blouse - or anything more formal than that.  Tuxedos and gowns will be in the distinct minority (I’d estimate no more than 25%, if that)  - you should not expect to see tee shirts, shorts or flip-flops.

[Ithikan]

Thank you for this question - and, the response.

We're considering an Odyssey sailing which could have as many as 4 formal nights.  For the past decade it's been Azamara for us with longer port stays and no formal nights; I'm hoping we can avoid the jacket & formal shoes scenario via Seabourn's casual eateries?

[marazul]

20 minutes ago, Ithikan said:

Thank you for this question - and, the response.

We're considering an Odyssey sailing which could have as many as 4 formal nights.  For the past decade it's been Azamara for us with longer port stays and no formal nights; I'm hoping we can avoid the jacket & formal shoes scenario via Seabourn's casual eateries?

Yes. No problem. Other venues also have special menus on those nights.

[alidor]

Formal nights?  I t would be very, very rare to see a tux on Seabourn.  A nice sports coat for men and nice slacks or dress for women but really no very formal dress.  It is what we like about Seabourn

[Mr Luxury]

53 minutes ago, alidor said:

Formal nights?  I t would be very, very rare to see a tux on Seabourn.  A nice sports coat for men and nice slacks or dress for women but really no very formal dress.  It is what we like about Seabourn

I don't agree,it is not very very rare to see formal wear on a Seabourn ship in any location.

I will say that formal wear is getting less on ships in general but is still worn by those that like to dress for dinner.

Of course there are various interpretations of formal and not all of them could be mistaken for formal.🙄 

[lincslady]

I have to agree with Mr.  L.   Maybe not as many dinner jackets as there used to be, but quite a few lounge suits - sometimes called business suits - with ties, and the least formal I can remember is a sports coat with shirt and tie.  And fairly smart trousers ,not chinos for instance.

 

I suppose it might be a touch more relaxed in the Caribbean, haven't been there on Seabourn.  

[ciaoYacht]

Just purchased two new sports coats for my upcoming Seabourn cruise in the med, and looking forward to wearing them!

[markham]

I always cruise with dinner jackets and sometimes both black and white depending on how far south and north we sail. The 2023 Grand Voyage around South America including Antarctica is a good example. I expect several formal nights on board.

 

Making an effort on the occasion is hardly asking too much - all in the tradition of elegance and maintaining standards on Seabourn’s beautiful ships. 
 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[Fletcher]

On my last Seabourn cruise I never bothered to take a jacket.  And I won't on my next, on the Sojourn in the Med.  To each his or her own.  

[Hlitner]

I normally bring a tux on Seabourn.  But on our recent Ovation cruise (last month) a tux did not fit our itinerary which included three weeks of independent post cruise European travel.  So I only packed a blazer which could also be useful in Europe. A felt in the majority with my toned down formal dress.  No more than 1/4 of the men had tuxes with most wearing a suit or sport coat/blazer and a smaller number not wearing any jacket and sly not dining in the Restaurant.

 

 

[labonnevie]

While I have a tux, I have not worn it on Seabourn. I do, however, enjoy getting a little more dressed up for “formal nights” and always wear a jacket and tie. I love it when my wife dresses up a little, never over the top, and I like to compliment her by trying to look my best. We never dress “up” at home anymore and it just adds to the specialness of the cruise for me. 

[petern6827]

  I always bring a white dinner jacket (I prefer it to a black tux jacket...  it makes me feel like Vic Damone when I'm wearing it!).....And also a blue blazer.

 

*They both can fit with everything from a Tommy Bahama shirt to a white shirt and black tie.

 

* I find it comfortable to wear a jacket in the evenings so I can go from dinner....to time on deck in the sea breeze...to a show... to some disco dancing.

 

*...And, I can fit with whatever my wife is choosing to wear that evening. (Because it's not just about me.)

[rucrazy]

12 hours ago, petern6827 said:

white dinner jacket

David has always wanted a white dinner jacket, but I am having a lot of trouble finding one of quality... may I inquire as to where you got yours?

[Ithikan]

Today's N.Y. Times suggests that a more formal dining ethos is making a post-pandemic comeback: The Restaurant Dress Code Is Back - The New York Times (nytimes.com) 

[highplanesdrifters]

1 hour ago, rucrazy said:

David has always wanted a white dinner jacket, but I am having a lot of trouble finding one of quality... may I inquire as to where you got yours?

Try Brooks Brothers. 😉

[Fletcher]

1 hour ago, Ithikan said:

Today's N.Y. Times suggests that a more formal dining ethos is making a post-pandemic comeback: The Restaurant Dress Code Is Back - The New York Times (nytimes.com) 

Whereas in the UK everyone worked from home and sales of suits and other formal attire have fallen off the proverbial coat hanger.

Edited May 17, 2022 by Fletcher

[Fletcher]

56 minutes ago, highplanesdrifters said:

Try Brooks Brothers. 😉

 

2 hours ago, rucrazy said:

David has always wanted a white dinner jacket, but I am having a lot of trouble finding one of quality... may I inquire as to where you got yours?

He can always borrow one from a waiter. 😉

[rucrazy]

32 minutes ago, Fletcher said:

He can always borrow one from a waiter.

He has long arms.... it wouldn't fit properly! lol

[rucrazy]

1 hour ago, highplanesdrifters said:

Try Brooks Brothers.

We did .... wasn't impressed with the quality...we may need to go the custom route...

 

[cruiseej]

Since the thread post have been drifting, I wanted to return to the original poster's question. Summing up the replies you've received here, and our own experience, the answer is that if you want to wear a tux, you will not feel out of place, and if you want to wear a suit instead, you won't feel out of place. I agree with the posters above who estimated that 25% (or fewer in the Caribbean) of men will be wearing a tux.

[highplanesdrifters]

20 hours ago, rucrazy said:

We did .... wasn't impressed with the quality...we may need to go the custom route...

 

What a shame. Bankruptcy will do that.  It's been ages since I've shopped there. Our local shop disappeared.  Fletcher is always so helpful, but looking for a long armed waiter is just so time consuming. 😃 Custom is hard to beat.  You deserve it.

[SLSD]

19 hours ago, cruiseej said:

Since the thread post have been drifting, I wanted to return to the original poster's question. Summing up the replies you've received here, and our own experience, the answer is that if you want to wear a tux, you will not feel out of place, and if you want to wear a suit instead, you won't feel out of place. I agree with the posters above who estimated that 25% (or fewer in the Caribbean) of men will be wearing a tux.

I will add that you won't even feel out of place if you wear a conservative sports coat (blazer) with a tie, dress dress shirt and dress pants.    

[rucrazy]

1 hour ago, SLSD said:

I will add that you won't even feel out of place if you wear a conservative sports coat (blazer) with a tie, dress dress shirt and dress pants.    

I guess the bottom line is simply don't dress for dinner like your at Sizzlers or Denny's! 🙂

 

[jdk-atlga]

I leave for the Odyssey in the morning - first time ever that I am not bringing a suit or tie to wear. I will be wearing a nice (new) sports coat, with dress shirt and pocket square, but I am definitely going lower key for this trip. At this point, to each we go.