Formal Wear

[Windseek]

Aloha,

 

My wife and I will be taking a cruise on the oosterdam, August 23rd to Alaska. We live in Hawaiia, and I do not have any formal clothing. Both of us our really looking forward to dressing up since we spend most of our time in shorts. We have been confirmed for late seeting, and I am looking into a tuxedo rental for the formal nights. One of the packages offers a white dinner coat as well.

 

Are the white coats still used by any?

Are they for nights other then the formal nights?

Would I be better off just getting the tuxed and purchasing a dinner coat? which I will not use much in Hawaii.

 

If I rent from the cruise line suggested store, am I going to look like everyone else? I guess that is normal for black tuxedos anyway.

 

My wife says its not the tuxedo that makes a man stand out, but the woman that is on her arm :)

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated as long except for suggestions that we should dress down. We are really excited about dressing up!

 

Mahalo

[shonuf]

You'll be fine in a basic tux. I've seen a few white dinner jackets but not many. Enjoy yourselves!

[cp556]

I agree with Shonuf. If your Aug 23 cruise is a 7-nighter, there will be two formal nights and the black tuxedo will be just fine for both.

 

If you want to be sure you don't look just like all the other gentlemen in rented tuxedos, you might wish to purchase your own set of shirt studs and cufflinks. That's what my DH does...

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

A seven day Alaskan cruise -- just rent the basic black tuxedo -- you will be fine.

[djhsolara]

We rent the black tuxedos...because basically a black tux is a black tux is a black tux. It is a good suggestion as mentioned above is to bring your own cufflinks and/or studs to add your own touch to the shirt.

 

Where we do something differently is to bring our own bowties, cummerbunds and/or vests. This is another way to change it up a bit to add your own bit of taste so that you aren't completely like everyone else.

 

We are very lucky to have a formal attire shop near our home and they have a yearly sale where you can get the ties/cummerbunds/vests for a little bit of nothing...so we always go and stock up.

 

I'm so glad to hear that you're excited to be formal...we LOVE doing the formal nights because there aren't too many occasions at home when we have the chance to be formal, so we love it on a cruise.

 

Enjoy your sailing!!

[mikefang]

Of course, the white works also! (I'm the one in the dinner jacket)

Mike. PS-I don't know if this attachment thing works!!

 

 

[willowoodf]

Aloha,

 

 

Are the white coats still used by any?

 

 

Mahalo

 

Mahalo:

 

You wouldn't need to rent both, but I've got to tell you, a guy in a white dinner jacket looks pretty sharp! My DH always brings his white jacket for the cruises, and gets more comments on how nice he looks when he wears it. You can just barely see it in our avatar pictures.

 

Mary

[PathfinderEss]

Aloha,

 

My wife and I will be taking a cruise on the oosterdam, August 23rd to Alaska. We live in Hawaiia, and I do not have any formal clothing. Both of us our really looking forward to dressing up since we spend most of our time in shorts. We have been confirmed for late seeting, and I am looking into a tuxedo rental for the formal nights. One of the packages offers a white dinner coat as well.

 

Are the white coats still used by any?

Are they for nights other then the formal nights?

Would I be better off just getting the tuxed and purchasing a dinner coat? which I will not use much in Hawaii.

 

If I rent from the cruise line suggested store, am I going to look like everyone else? I guess that is normal for black tuxedos anyway.

 

My wife says its not the tuxedo that makes a man stand out, but the woman that is on her arm :)

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated as long except for suggestions that we should dress down. We are really excited about dressing up!

 

Mahalo

Wow, I like your wife's style. she is so right, but we still like to see our guys in a tux.

Black is the normal, but no one said you can't wear white. There will be two formal nights so you will get some wear out of it. Yes, you will look like the other men, but nothing wrong with that. The rest of your evenings will be country club casual. Slacks/dress shirt/polo whatever.

Welcome to the boards, I know you will have a wonderful cruise. You live in a beautiful place and your going to another. Have fun!

[Kolleen]

Good for you!! Dress up and have fun. We started cruising at least once a year again in 2000 and decided to buy my DH a light weight wool tux. He loves wearing it. He knows we are really going when I pull out the tux to pack it. Since we bought the original, we have bought 3 different shirt styles and a vest. He doesn't have a white jacket yet and has always been perfectly happy in his black. Of course, he is getting a white one for his birthday, and I know he will be excited.

 

What's funny is he could care less about the rest of his clothes. He just loves his tux.

[Windseek]

Aloha again, Thanks everyone for your replies. They were very helpful! As it turns out, the tux shop does not reduce the price of thier cruise package if I decline the white coat, so that made my decesion easier. I have also worked it out with the shop to mix things up a little with the extras, so I can look a little different then all the others. I am going to leave the rest up to my wife.

[luxurysailer]

Windseek, hope you enjoy your cruise. Sounds as if you are really getting into the spirit of making it a special experience. I've been thinking about getting a white dinner jacket, but so far have contented myself with my black tux by varying my cumberbund and purchasing my own studs and cufflinks. My cufflinks are specific to my occupation. If you want to get something like this, try Ben Silver. But who am I kidding. That's wasted money. Your wife is absolutely correct. No one ever sees the men, just our wives. I for one am really happy that God gave the beauty to the female rather than the male of our species.

[usha]

My wife says its not the tuxedo that makes a man stand out, but the woman that is on her arm :) Mahalo

Windseek, your wife is a very wise woman. You are a smart man to listen to her.:D

[LindaJ+]

Gosh, I wouldn't go to the trouble to rent ... many of the guys on our cruise wore a suit or sportcoat-and-tie. Of course, if you live in Hawaii maybe you don't own those either! :D DW should wear a muu-muu and lei!

[numbersix]

Wind:

 

I have a Black tuxedo, and continually consider adding a white dinner jacket, but DW is always quick to dissuade me, as she somehow doubts I could make it through an entire dinner without spilling something!! One of these days I'm just going to go for it! In the meantime....enjoy your cruise, and enjoy those formal nights!!

 

Kevin

[Harry1954]

I always wear a black tux - and vary the 'look' by the tie/cummerbund that I wear (much less expensive that way). We, like you, enjoy dressing up and look forward to formal nights. You may be disappointed that only a certain segment of the dining room will be dressed to the T's .. but don't let it get you down.

ALternatively, if you prefer something you might use again, a white dinner jacket (a la the dress whites once worn in Hawaii in Army) would work as well ..

harry

[navybankerteacher]

You should invest in a special cummerbund and matching tie -- that really sets a basic tux apart -- if you are a college grad, your college book store(check them on the net) will most likely have sets for grads -- if you are ex-military, uniform stores (check the net as well) have them in the speific colors of the branch of service -- or just go for a brignt color of your choice -- it lends a real touch of class and individuality.

[Persephone]

You should invest in a special cummerbund and matching tie -- that really sets a basic tux apart -- if you are a college grad, your college book store(check them on the net) will most likely have sets for grads -- if you are ex-military, uniform stores (check the net as well) have them in the speific colors of the branch of service -- or just go for a brignt color of your choice -- it lends a real touch of class and individuality.

 

Sorry, but a classic white dinner jacket ought to be worn with a black silk bow tie and a black cummerbund. A gentleman does not use his evening wear to express individuality.

[Copper10-8]

Windseek, try the black & white combo from Cruise Line Formalwear @ 800 551-5091

http://www.cruiselineformal.com/

 

You can't go wrong! Oosterdam is a niec ship with a great crew!

[PathfinderEss]

Sorry, but a classic white dinner jacket ought to be worn with a black silk bow tie and a black cummerbund. A gentleman does not use his evening wear to express individuality.

I respectively have to disagree with this statement. Gentleman can and do wear their evening wear to express their individuality. Adding a beautiful color or sparkly classy cummerbund or vest along with matching bow tie or others is quite the way to go now for gentleman. My DH even wears different tux shirts such as a black one and he even has a black/grey/white stripped one too (yes they make them). He always looks great and gets lot of compliments on his attire. So I say guys, go for it.....

[Copper10-8]

The child bride (bless her heart after 20 years of marriage next month;) ) is still attempting, with various meassures of success and failure, to domesticate and edumecate me. One of the things I learned is to attempt to match tie/vest/cummerbund of my tux/dinner jacket with the color of whatever she's wearing that particular formal night. It's a tough life:eek:

[pipedreams62]

Stay clear of this one

 

 

[tdcruisers]

Mahalo:

 

You wouldn't need to rent both, but I've got to tell you, a guy in a white dinner jacket looks pretty sharp! My DH always brings his white jacket for the cruises, and gets more comments on how nice he looks when he wears it. You can just barely see it in our avatar pictures.

 

Mary

Wow that does look terrific. You may have changed our minds about Formal Nights :) Looks like fun

[tdcruisers]

Of course, the white works also! (I'm the one in the dinner jacket)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike. PS-I don't know if this attachment thing works!!

 

 

 

 

 

WOW ;) what can I say...this does make Formal Night look like fun. You have converted us. I would love to see my sweetie in a white dinner jacket with his silver white hair & blue eyes. WOW

[aliaschief]

Being from the Islands I'm sure you could find a Hawaian style cummerbund and tie that would set you apart from others. I have cummerbunds for Mardi Gras, Christmas etc.

[ssminnow]

I have rented from them twice.

good service and product is o.k.

the problem is you will look like all the rest of the guys that rented a tux.

next cruise dec 1st 2008 ryndam no rentals

adding colourful vests/ties shirts anything so as not to look rented.