Royal Caribbean Formal Night

[Gitana]

Does anyone know if Royal Caribbean no longer has Formal Night on first Sea Day?

Thanks in advance to all.

Gitana

[Jetdriver787]

No, they usually still do! It is to the photographers what the last night of the cruise is to the waiters and room attendants! 💰 

[leaveitallbehind]

It is not like it once was.  While still suggested as formal nights, they are optional and not enforced, and it seems in our experience as though most people no longer dress as formally as they used to.  Typically those who want photographs or just enjoy dressing formally are the ones most commonly doing so, but most people don't follow that tradition anymore.

Edited July 30 by leaveitallbehind

[The Fun Researcher]

"Formal" is not the same formal as it was 10+ years ago.  Used to feel like the majority of those in the MDR wore at least a sports coat and the ladies had gowns or cocktail dresses.  Now it's only a little more formal (IMO) than any other typical night. 

 

The more we've cruised the less formal we've become with formal night.  At minimum I still wear slacks and a long sleeve button down shirt.  Sometimes I'll bring my sport coat if there is room in the luggage.  I've pretty much dropped the tie since I just don't like the feeling of it if I don't need to.

 

Royal does not enforce any dress code in the MDR (other than something drastic like a woman's bathing suit).  You WILL see shorts and T shirts, maybe even the occasional baseball cap even on formal nights.

 

Really, it's a night that lets you get as dressed up as you want, but not demanding anything 

[compman9]

Royal no longer have a formal night.

 

Every night is wear what the hell you want night, but they do have theme nights where people can dress like it's a student party if they want.

[shipgeeks]

On some cruises it's called Dress Your Best, Dress to Impress, or occasionally Formal.  It does still happen, on the day's Dress Code, but as others have said, participation covers a range. And on cruises of at least 7 nights, there is probably a second one, the night before the last night.

[alfaeric]

5 hours ago, Gitana said:

Does anyone know if Royal Caribbean no longer has Formal Night on first Sea Day?

Thanks in advance to all.

Gitana

It's typically night 2, less often night 3 if it's a sea day.  And if the cruise is long enough, it's typically two nights before the cruise ends.  But it's hard to be specific, as one can't be 100% sure.

[ManfromFrance]

On 7 night cruise, almost always nights 2 and 6.

[RobInMN]

We base our wardrobe options on the question of whether or not we will want to do pictures on that cruise. 🙂 

[Tin can]

17 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

It is not like it once was.  While still suggested as formal nights, they are optional and not enforced, and it seems in our experience as though most people no longer dress as formally as they used to.  Typically those who want photographs or just enjoy dressing formally are the ones most commonly doing so, but most people don't follow that tradition anymore.

 

I think it depends a bit where you sail from, here in the UK it is still fairly well observed. We found Explorer last year from Ravenna in Italy very formal (the vast majority of the passengers were Italian) and we are sailing on Liberty in a few weeks from New York (sailed from NY many times now) and always find the NY crowd very glamorous on the Formal/Dress Your Best nights.

 

 

 

[Cruise a holic]

Typically formal nights are on day two and 6.  Can vary depending on the lenght of the cruise- check your cruise planner.  Enjoy  

[bouhunter]

19 hours ago, compman9 said:

Royal no longer have a formal night.

 

Every night is wear what the hell you want night, 

Yep!

[Tree_skier]

Every cruise I have been on has way more participation on formal night than the “it’s my vacation, I’ll wear what I want” crowd would have you believe.

[smokeybandit]

55 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

Every cruise I have been on has way more participation on formal night than the “it’s my vacation, I’ll wear what I want” crowd would have you believe.

Yes there's still  plenty of formal night participation. But also a lot of less formal, too.

[loman]

I used to bring a sports jacket , but havent in several years now. 

Shirt and long pants ( unfaded black jeans ) works for me. 

 

[George C]

1 hour ago, loman said:

I used to bring a sports jacket , but havent in several years now. 

Shirt and long pants ( unfaded black jeans ) works for me. 

 

Hardly anyone dresses up , I had my tux for all cruises from about 1985 to 2018 , when I noticed hardly anyone dressed up . Now I rarely pack a sports jacket, dockers and colorful shortsleeved shirts with a collar evert night .

[loman]

18 minutes ago, George C said:

Hardly anyone dresses up , I had my tux for all cruises from about 1985 to 2018 , when I noticed hardly anyone dressed up . Now I rarely pack a sports jacket, dockers and colorful shortsleeved shirts with a collar evert night .

Yep , me too ,  short sleeved collared shirts are my go to wardrobe for comfortable cruising attire.

[teddie]

Here I go:  it's "your vacation" and things have certainly changed.  But some pax dress like they are in Walmart on a Sunday morning with a hangover. I know: "how does that affect me?" and "why do you care?" yadayadayada.  

It doesn't affect MY vacation, but it sure is entertaining.  Maybe RCI should charge extra for the people-watching experience.

 

Have fun!

 

Teddie