Jaketess Posted September 6, 2008 #1 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Are there any Alaskan Cruise Lines where we do not have to do formal evenings? My husband and I like to dress reasonably smart but not formal and do not wish do this! Help anyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DisneyScrapper Posted September 6, 2008 #2 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Are there any Alaskan Cruise Lines where we do not have to do formal evenings? My husband and I like to dress reasonably smart but not formal and do not wish do this! Help anyone! My DH and I were in same boat as you all are.............:D No pun intended. I wore dress black capri's with a dress shirt and DH wore a white shirt with black dress pants on our Alaskan Cruise last year on the Coral. And we were not out of place at all. We leave next Sat on the Golden for another Alaskan Cruise and are doing the same thing again. You will have people dressed to the 9's and others that are dressed like we were nice but not over the top. So I say go for it and don't worry you will never see them again anyway...........:p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaketess Posted September 6, 2008 Author #3 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Thanks so much. We are more interested in looking at the scenery and doing trips than dressing up. If I wore trousers and a nice top and my hubby wore beige trousers and a shirt or a nice t-shirt, would they be Ok or would we look out of place. Don't want people staring at us in disgust but do not want to 'dress up'. Do you happen to know which is the best cruise line to book that is less formal than others?:confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Jolly Posted September 6, 2008 #4 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Just a suggestion - why don't you just dine at the buffet on formal nights and then you can dress as you feel comfortable. You only have to dress formally in the dining rooms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GORDONCHICK Posted September 6, 2008 #5 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Don't book HAL or Celebrity because they will be more formal. Carnival has elegant evenings that have replaced formal nights. And of course, NCL has formal as optional. If you want a really small boat experience, I dont' think Cruise West has formal nights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaketess Posted September 6, 2008 Author #6 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Thank you for your suggestion. I did think about that but I did read that the food was not as good? Think I might do that though so no pressure to buy any new clothes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb at sea Posted September 6, 2008 #7 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Personally, if I'm paying big bucks for a cruise, the meals are a big part of that expense, and I wouldn't want to eat at a buffet, especially for dinner! I'm just not a buffet fan! There are some cruiselines that are very casual--a good TA will be able to point you in the right direction! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krystalkruzer Posted September 6, 2008 #8 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Are there any Alaskan Cruise Lines where we do not have to do formal evenings? My husband and I like to dress reasonably smart but not formal and do not wish do this! Help anyone! Take a look at Carnival,they no longer have formal nights. Cruise Casual Dining Dress Code: Gentlemen - Sport slacks, khakis, jeans (no cut-offs), dress shorts (long), collared sport shirts; Ladies - Casual dresses, casual skirts or pants and blouses, summer dresses, Capri pants, dress shorts, jeans (no cut-offs). Not permitted in the dining room during the Cruise Casual dinner for ladies and gentlemen: gym shorts, basketball shorts, beach flip-flops, bathing suit attire, cut-off jeans, and sleeveless shirts for men. Cruise Elegant Dining Dress Code: Gentlemen - Dress slacks, dress shirts. We also suggest ( which is not the same meaning as required) a sport coat. If you wish to wear suits and ties or tuxedos, by all means we invite you to do so. Ladies - Cocktail dresses, pantsuits, elegant skirts and blouses; if you‘d like to show off your evening gowns, that's great too! Not permitted in the dining room during the Cruise Elegant dinner for ladies and gentlemen: shorts, T-shirts, beach flip-flops, bathing suit attire, jeans, cut-off jeans, sleeveless shirts for men, sportswear, and baseball hats. Special Sailings For Canada/New England/Alaska cruises: Sweaters, lightweight jackets and raincoats are suggested. Casual clothes that can be layered easily are highly recommended. Bring a heavier sweater if you are traveling to the glaciers, along with a raincoat and umbrella, because it is often cold and windy in such areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy ks Posted September 6, 2008 #9 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Many people would probably be amazed at just how little the budget is for food per person on a cruise ship. It's only around $12 per person, per day, so the thought of "getting your moneys worth" means a whole lot less to me. We prefer to eat in the dining room for most meals because we like to be served and not serve ourselves in a buffet line. No one should have to go eat at the buffet for fear they are not dressed appropriately. But that's not the question. NCL has optional formal nights and some of the luxury lines only have country club casual, where people dress nicely every night of the week. I'm not sure which ones....sadly I cannot afford them ;) However.... With the exception of a gentlemans jacket, I hardly see any more space taken for clothing to be worn for a formal night than a casual night, the clothes still take up space. Pack smartly, re-wearing things several times, the ship has cleaning facilities onboard so you don't have to lift a finger to do laundry or anything. Take one formal dress and wear it twice, changing the accessories. My husband will take his one (black) sportscoat with black dress slacks, white shirt and wear it twice with different ties. He'll wear the black slacks at least once more with a nice shirt for casual evenings. The sportscoat does take up a bunch of space, so we pack the slacks and shirt onto the same hanger underneath it. We do the same for daytime clothes as well and probably pack half of what many people do. I really don't notice anyone else wearing the same thing twice if they do and I've never been approached or noticed anyone looking down their nose at me that I have on the same black pants I wore 3 nights prior. On every cruise we've been on, on disembarkation day I see people I never saw before the whole week. We both manage to pack for a 7 night cruise with a night prior and many times a night post cruise in one suitcase apiece, one shared carry on and my large purse. Alaska was our biggest challenge for packing. I took the advice of people on CC for packing and found we way-overpacked. Our teens were with us, they are both fully grown and, because of advice read here, we all took extra sneakers. What a horrid waste of space and packing weight that was, we could have done just fine with one pair each, those extra shoes took up the space of half a suitcase. I should have just followed my own instincts and packed like I normally do, only long pants and long sleeved shirts substituted for the shorts and tank tops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happysinglemom Posted September 6, 2008 #10 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Are there any Alaskan Cruise Lines where we do not have to do formal evenings? My husband and I like to dress reasonably smart but not formal and do not wish do this! Help anyone! :confused: You don't HAVE to "do" formal evenings. They are optional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane110 Posted September 7, 2008 #11 Share Posted September 7, 2008 Regent is an upscale cruiseline with excellent food. They have formal nights on most of their cruises, however, on their Alaska cruises, it's all casual. (at least it was last year) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplelife Posted September 7, 2008 #12 Share Posted September 7, 2008 My DH and I were in same boat as you all are.............:D No pun intended. I wore dress black capri's with a dress shirt and DH wore a white shirt with black dress pants on our Alaskan Cruise last year on the Coral. And we were not out of place at all. We leave next Sat on the Golden for another Alaskan Cruise and are doing the same thing again. You will have people dressed to the 9's and others that are dressed like we were nice but not over the top. So I say go for it and don't worry you will never see them again anyway...........:p Seems if you wear black, people think you're dressed up. One day at work this week I wore a long black cotton knit skirt, a black cowl neck T- shirt (definitely not dressy fabrics) and strappy slides. Numerous people remarked on "dressed up" I was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langley Cruisers Posted September 8, 2008 #13 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Hi there, I don't think you should let the formality of an evening or two make your decision for you. Line, price, itinerary, and dates are all part of how we decide which cruise to take. The formal evenings are not even a consideration, given that they are optional. Many people do not take formal clothing on board and they choose another dining venue for formal night, such as the buffet, other casual eatery on board, or room service. Alaska is beautiful and you will have a great time. Please consider my advice - formal wear should be the last thing on your mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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