How formal is formal night ?

[Lushpuppy]

Sorry, I just dont get it all the debating about "lugging" around formal wear. We travel from Scotland to all over the world with formal wear and so what!

In OUR lugggage, as well as a different outfit for EVERY night of the cruise, and numerous pairs of shoes, we take

For me:

1 x ballgown (price tag unmentionable)

1 x formal evening dress with trail

1 x formal evening dress...full length

ALL dresses at "black tie" standard

On top of that, at least 15 dresses of "informal cocktail" style.

Handbags, swimwear, daywear...endless beauty products.. and the list goes on and on...

 

For my DH

 

FULL Highland Dress, ie 100% wool (heavy!) Kilt, sporran, plaid,belts, buckles,shoes etc...MASSIVE weight

Also, as well as his kilt be brings alternative "Trews" for another formal night.

White Tux and Trousers

One black 3 piece suit

One beige 2 piece suit

Numerous shirts, ties, bow ties, peaked collared shirts, dress shirts..

And then theres the packing for 18 days vacation...

And you think theres a problem "lugging" a $1000 jacket..

Thats why we have insurance... dont even go there..Good grief, I have bikinis at over $300 alone each!

TAKE YOUR JACKET!:D

[TYMAN]

Our kids were 10 when we took them on the Majesty cruise during Spring Break. Both enjoyed getting dressed up for dinner, but a suit is not necessary for a 12 year old.

 

This is my son and I before dinner....he was more dressed up than many of the college students on board this Spring Break cruise. :rolleyes:

 

 

 

Very nice picture!.....that's exactly how my DS11 dresses for formal night. He grows out of suits too fast! :)

[Lushpuppy]

Our kids were 10 when we took them on the Majesty cruise during Spring Break. Both enjoyed getting dressed up for dinner, but a suit is not necessary for a 12 year old.

 

This is my son and I before dinner....he was more dressed up than many of the college students on board this Spring Break cruise. :rolleyes:

 

 

 

 

Absolutely beautiful! You should be very proud!

(and so should your son and wife be!)

Well done to your son for setting an example to other kids!

[tizer888]

so why not wear a suit or tuk is this not part of the cruise ?

if you want to bum around in polo & shorts try a beach holiday.

[LisaH]

I hope you decide to either bring at least a sports coat or dine in the Windjammer on formal nights. It does take away from the ambiance of the Formal theme if some diners flout the dress code suggestions.

 

I know 'it's your vacation and you can wear whatever you want', but the counter argument is that there are conventions for dress in the dining room and if you prefer not to follow those, your other dining options are Windjammer or room service. Those cruisers who do want the formal experience are impacted by your decision to ignore the dress guidelines.

 

 

Exactly - and you know before you go what the suggestions are. There is something for everyone on a cruise which is the beauty of the whole thing. So if you choose not to dress in formal attire (or a suit) then the Windjammer is available.

[yogimax]

I can only speak from the male perspective. A tux is not necessary. My guess is that less than 5% of men wear a tux.

 

I bring a lightweight black suit ($100) which travels well. It's actually the shoes that add weight. My own feeling is that a sports jacket and tie are the minimum. I agree that there should be some standard. I often wonder at the Captain's Party on formal night to see guys dancing in t-shirts while their wives or SOs are all decked out in formal dresses!

[Morecruisesplz]

I can only speak from the male perspective. A tux is not necessary. My guess is that less than 5% of men wear a tux.

 

I bring a lightweight black suit ($100) which travels well. It's actually the shoes that add weight. My own feeling is that a sports jacket and tie are the minimum. I agree that there should be some standard. I often wonder at the Captain's Party on formal night to see guys dancing in t-shirts while their wives or SOs are all decked out in formal dresses!

 

I found the best pair of shoes for cruises! They are very light weight, look great with a pair of khakis but are nice enough to wear with a black suit. They are DeerCraft kilty loafers. The rubber soles make them very light but they don't look like rubber soles from the side/top of the shoe. If I travel in my Keens then these are very light to pack or if I'm traveling in khakis then I only need to pack the Keens because I can wear the DeerCraft for formal, casual or semi-formal nights.

[jamscckmc]

Ties take up no room. Bring one sports coat to wear both nights. Dark dockers you can wear with polos on casual nights. For your son a dress shirt and tie are fine if he doesn't have a suit. My DH always brings one suit two shirts and ties. His dress shoes are very heavy. So if you don't wear a suit bring the type of shoes you would wear to the office and could wear on the casual nights also. Please men no sandals or sneakers in the dining room! For your wife a little black dress is fine. I used to bring two evening gowns but I'm now doing one suitcase weighing less than 50 pounds, so I now bring dressy but light black silk pants and two light weight dressy blouses.

[Happy ks]

Our last cruise my husband and the other men in our group all rented tuxedos, it worked out great. No lugging a suit along, the tuxes were hanging ready in the closet when we got there, everyone's tux fit great. The best part was how amazing our guys looked :)

 

I always want to say to men, dress to compliment your mate. If she has gone to a great deal of trouble with a gown or fancy dress, hair, makeup, jewelry....shirtsleeves and a tie just make you look like you're on a coffee break in the office. If your shirt is too tight, get one that fits, if you hate wearing a tie, don't forget she is wearing pantyhose, bra, foundation garments, high heels, etc....to look nice for you.

 

It's not going to kill you to look awesome for a few hours.

 

Although, I do have to agree with the head waiters, no one should be excluded from the dining room simply because of their clothing. Some people have lost luggage, some people may not know about formal nights on cruise ship (hey..it could happen!), there could be many other reasons we aren't aware of with the individual.

 

Edit to add, years ago I was getting ready for formal night and something was spilled on my dress (knowing me it was probably red wine), I wore another that was a lot less formal and yes, I did get some "looks". What was I supposed to do, go with a dress that was obviously stained?? This was in the 90's when formal was so much more than formal of today.

[Mountain Sky]

We look at formal nights as a great opportunity to do something different as a family. We have a fabulous family pic on our piano from our last cruise. Both sons and thier Dad in suits and ties and my daughter all dressed up. People comment on how happy we all look. It is a snapshot in time that brings back great memories. As a 47 year old I will NOT have a beach pic with me in my bathing suit as a family pic for all to enjoy.

 

Going on Serenade in 3 weeks and already bought the dress and making sure that the "men" in the family have colour cordinating ties. Holiday dresses at this time of year are practically free with all the discounts. Duaghter is easy, as sundress are all the rage for teens now.

 

My kids love to dress up and feel great "looking good" They have done it since they were little and appreciate dresssing appropiately for occasions as a sign of respect for your hosts. We drilled this in to them. To show up in jeans at a dinner party where the host has spent days preparing, shows you are not respecting the efforts (unless the hosts have requested casual wear)

 

Luckily we have lots of opportunities to wear suits at home as we are a big family with lots of family weddings and baptisims etc. Like skates, skis and as I posted elsewhere, snorkling equipement, suits can be passed down from cousins and brothers.

 

Take the opportunity for the formal picture or get someone to take one of you. It is a real treat and one you will appreciate for a long time.

[Lushpuppy]

We look at formal nights as a great opportunity to do something different as a family. We have a fabulous family pic on our piano from our last cruise. Both sons and thier Dad in suits and ties and my daughter all dressed up. People comment on how happy we all look. It is a snapshot in time that brings back great memories. As a 47 year old I will NOT have a beach pic with me in my bathing suit as a family pic for all to enjoy.

 

Going on Serenade in 3 weeks and already bought the dress and making sure that the "men" in the family have colour cordinating ties. Holiday dresses at this time of year are practically free with all the discounts. Duaghter is easy, as sundress are all the rage for teens now.

 

My kids love to dress up and feel great "looking good" They have done it since they were little and appreciate dresssing appropiately for occasions as a sign of respect for your hosts. We drilled this in to them. To show up in jeans at a dinner party where the host has spent days preparing, shows you are not respecting the efforts (unless the hosts have requested casual wear)

 

Luckily we have lots of opportunities to wear suits at home as we are a big family with lots of family weddings and baptisims etc. Like skates, skis and as I posted elsewhere, snorkling equipement, suits can be passed down from cousins and brothers.

 

Take the opportunity for the formal picture or get someone to take one of you. It is a real treat and one you will appreciate for a long time.

 

 

What a lovely post!

Your comments made me laugh. My DH is the youngest of five sons..and yep... everything he got..was passed down the line:) By the time he was in senior school..that uniformed blazer had been well worn! I think maybe thats why now, he loves dressing up..(and he makes his wife very happy too:))

[shallwechat]

you can sit with us........heaven forbid u aren't dressed up enough for the others. my hubby and son, & everyone else at the table (10 of us), are opting for the sport coat & tie with dockers.

 

i don't care what you wear........it's the company and conversation that will make the night!

meet you at the vos dock on sunday! yee-ha!

[Shipyard Cruiser]

If everone loves formal night so much why are so many tables empty in the MDR on formal nights?

 

We have seen it across 3 cruise lines and 6 cruises.

[misty57]

If everone loves formal night so much why are so many tables empty in the MDR on formal nights?

 

We have seen it across 3 cruise lines and 6 cruises.

I know! We rarely miss formal night because the menu is exceptional. I wonder if it would make a difference to designate main seating as smart casual and second seating as formal, or designate a particular dining room as formal only. Just an idea.

[rcacace]

I know! We rarely miss formal night because the menu is exceptional. I wonder if it would make a difference to designate main seating as smart casual and second seating as formal, or designate a particular dining room as formal only. Just an idea.

 

Excellent idea which has been suggested many times. It certainly would put an end to the dress code arguments.

[theotherchad]

I wonder if it would make a difference to designate main seating as smart casual and second seating as formal, or designate a particular dining room as formal only. Just an idea.

 

Nah, that would be trying too hard to solve a problem that doesn't really exist, except in the minds of a few people who take the formal night way to seriously. We always dress (tux and, well, basically what I would call and Oscar awards gown) and we do enjoy seeing all the folks dressed up, but the idea that we would be upset to see someone who isn't dressed up? That's just odd. It seems quaintly Victorian to me, and Queen Victoria died over a century ago.

[Mountain Sky]

Nah, that would be trying too hard to solve a problem that doesn't really exist, except in the minds of a few people who take the formal night way to seriously. We always dress (tux and, well, basically what I would call and Oscar awards gown) and we do enjoy seeing all the folks dressed up, but the idea that we would be upset to see someone who isn't dressed up? That's just odd. It seems quaintly Victorian to me, and Queen Victoria died over a century ago.

As I stated before, I think it is a great opportunity to dress up. Love to see as many people as want to dress up. All I am saying form my experience is it can be fun and leave you with great memories. I wear everyday clothes to dinner almost every night of my life.

 

But I agree with the above post, You never know what the reason or who the person is is behind an outfit on or off a cruise. It would never upset me to see somebody not "formal" I had a freind that did the 11 day Panama cruise at Christmas and lost thier luggage for the first four days.

 

With the economy today as it is, buying a suit or formal dress, if you don't own one, may be the last of your priorites. What you wear should never be a reason to not experience life, as long as you are not being disrespectful to the people around you.

[terri23]

I found the best pair of shoes for cruises! They are very light weight, look great with a pair of khakis but are nice enough to wear with a black suit. They are DeerCraft kilty loafers. The rubber soles make them very light but they don't look like rubber soles from the side/top of the shoe. If I travel in my Keens then these are very light to pack or if I'm traveling in khakis then I only need to pack the Keens because I can wear the DeerCraft for formal, casual or semi-formal nights.

 

 

um, if you wear brown shoes with a black suit you still have big problems :eek:

[cruzincurt]

We are a good looking 40 year old couple, but formal isnt my thing.

 

LOL, sorry, but what does that have to do with the original question?:rolleyes: What's a "thing" ?

[Morecruisesplz]

um, if you wear brown shoes with a black suit you still have big problems :eek:

 

No prob, Ms. G. Q. Mine are black but the only pix I could find online to post was of brown ones. (Figured you could figure that out.:D without a longer post.)

[Morecruisesplz]

With the economy today as it is, buying a suit or formal dress, if you don't own one, may be the last of your priorites. What you wear should never be a reason to not experience life, as long as you are not being disrespectful to the people around you.

 

But buying a cruise should be at the top of the list?

[iheartbda]

Yeah, thanks, I guess I could bring my nice pants and shirt, and if I feel the need, rent the jacket.

My jacket, is quite expensive, and although I love it, I dont want to bring it while we are renting cars, travelling all over Florida, etc, before going on the cruise.

Is your EXPENSIVE jacket the ONLY jacket you have? :D

[Mountain Sky]

But buying a cruise should be at the top of the list?

It definitely would be higher on my list than new outfits if it was a special occasion or I wanted to spend time with my family, immediate or extended. Maybe it is a lifelong dream.

[Morecruisesplz]

It definitely would be higher on my list than new outfits if it was a special occasion or I wanted to spend time with my family, immediate or extended. Maybe it is a lifelong dream.

 

Originally Posted by Mountain Sky

With the economy today as it is, buying a suit or formal dress, if you don't own one, may be the last of your priorites. What you wear should never be a reason to not experience life, as long as you are not being disrespectful to the people around you.

 

 

All I'm saying is: How many more things are going to allow to be blamed on "this terrible ecomomy?" Now you are saying people can't wear a dress or a sport coat on their cruise because of "the economy today..."

 

I had to wait for a table in a local restaurant today, you can't find a parking space at the mall, the movie my grandkids wanted to see was sold out an hour and a half before start time when we thought we got there plenty early, Disney World was packed when we were there a week or so ago (had trouble getting a room starting two months ahead of time) and our Disney cruise was full. People at Downtown Disney were shopping! Actually carrying multiple shopping bags as they walked or got onto the buses. The airport was crowded. The shops and restaurants were all busy. I'm starting to think a lot of the bad economy is on the nightly news! (And in the heads of those who want to make excuses using it to blame.)

[Ohunion Cruzers]

I know! We rarely miss formal night because the menu is exceptional. I wonder if it would make a difference to designate main seating as smart casual and second seating as formal, or designate a particular dining room as formal only. Just an idea.

 

They already do... If you do not know how to dress for formal night, RCI provides alternate dining options. Examples include: Johnny Rockets & Windjammer.