When Is Formal Night And How Many Will There Be On My Cruise
There can be 1-3 formal nights during a sailing and is at the ships discretion.
- 3/4/5 night cruises – usually on Day 2
- 6 night cruises – usually on day 2 and 5
- 7 night cruises – are usually on Day 2 and 6
- Oasis and Allure use Day 2 and 5 on Western itineraries and Day 2 and 6 on Eastern itineraries.
- 14-night and longer cruises will have three formal nights.
There are no formal nights on Empress of the Seas sailings.
Paul Gauguin Cruises Dress Code: A Bit Dressier But Be Ready For Polynesian Night
What Paul Gauguin Cruises calls elegant resort wear is essentially a country club casual dress code and is requested for most evenings. Men should wear slacks and collared shirts, while women should don dresses, skirts or slacks with blouses or sweaters.
The line requests that passengers do not dress in casual wear, such as shorts, T-shirts, jeans that are frayed or with holes, baseball caps, flip-flops and Crocs in the evenings in restaurants and lounges. Bathing suits are likewise not permitted in the ship’s restaurants and lounges shirts and shoes must be worn in all indoor public areas.
At the once-per-cruise Captain’s Welcome Reception, some men choose to wear a jacket . There is also a Polynesian Night once every sailing, when passengers are encouraged to wear Polynesian-style attire, so pull out your tropical shirts and dresses.
Number of Paul Gaugin Cruises Formal Nights: There are no formal nights on Paul Gauguin cruises.
Nightly Casual Option on Paul Gauguin Cruises: Come evening time, it is country club casual in all public spaces and restaurants on Paul Gauguin ships.
Here’s What Royal Caribbean’s New Main Dining Room Menu May Look Like
While some of the new menus have appeared in the Royal Caribbean app and others were shared via the email survey, Royal Caribbean Blog tracked down six printed menus that have been served on Symphony of the Seas.
In addition to new choices, the menus also have a new format. Each night has a theme like Mexican, Italian, or “Royal Night.” The new menus offer “Chef’s Recommendations” for each course at the top, with a more limited selection of choices below.
The themes aren’t absolute. Italian Night and Mexican Night offer some choices that are neither of those. In addition, some of the classic choices make the menu, but they’re offered on a rotating basis, not every night..
Royal Caribbean says this test on Symphony of the Seas is designed to garner feedback from guests, the Royal Caribbean Blog, which is not affiliated with the cruise line, reported.
Royal Caribbean “emphasized the importance of ‘swiftness of service’ when it comes to eating in the dining room. By having more consistency of what’s being prepared in the kitchen, they can produce food faster,” the blog reported.
The cruise line has not shared a timeline for making a decision, and, of course, these changes might not be implemented or might be implemented in a lesser form.
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Msc Cruises Dress Code
What to wear on MSC cruises largely depends on the crowd with whom you’re sailing. On Europe cruises, your fellow passengers are likely to dress up more often even during the day with skimpy resort wear and designer bathing suits gracing the pool deck as far as the eye can see. On those voyages, dinner is an even more fancy affair, with elegance as the norm. Expect to see glittering dresses and stylish pants and button-downs with dress shoes, even when it’s not formal night.
On cruises that depart from the U.S., expect a more casual vibe, with jeans, T-shirts and bathing suits ruling the day. At night, you’ll be fine with nice jeans and a collared shirt or a sundress, although you might want to dress up a bit more to match the ship’s ambiance.
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Are there formal nights on MSC cruises? Absolutely. They’re called “gala dinners,” and they appear at least once per voyage, but the number can vary by itinerary. The dress code is strict, with the buffet the only place that will allow T-shirts and shorts. You’ll fit in best in a ball gown, cocktail dress, suit or tuxedo.
Costa Cruises Dress Code: Laid
The dress code onboard Costa Cruise Line‘s ships is overall casual. Most nights are informal, with resort wear appropriate. A jacket is not required for men.
On formal nights, men might wear suits, while women can don cocktail dresses, though elegant resort wear is also acceptable attire. Costa also also hosts various special theme nights Those may include a white night, when passengers are requested to wear all-white clothing, a masquerade party at which masks are encouraged, as well as an Italian-themed evening .
In restaurants, the cruise line asks passengers to not wear beach attire such as shorts, sarongs or flip-flops.
Number of Costa Cruises Formal Nights: On Costa sailings of six nights or less, there is one formal night on the sailing. Two formal nights are standard on seven-night sailings.
Nightly Casual Option on Costa Cruises: For diners wishing for an even more relaxed vibe, a nightly buffet is offered, where casual attire rules.
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The Roots Of Formal Night
The concept of dress codes emanates from the early days of cruising on passenger liners that most of us recall looking like something out of the 1997 film Titanic.
Royal Caribbean, and most other cruise lines, carried forward the concept of dressing up for dinner while onboard. It provides an opportunity for guests to dress to impress, get professional photos taken, and enjoy an evening of elegance.
“Dress codes have been around since the heyday of transatlantic liner service,” says Billy Hirsch, writer and cruise historian at Cruise Habit, “Those in steerage and tourist class were there with a destination in mind, but those with first-class this accommodations were members of high-society and always looking to impress. This wasn’t only applicable at dinner – but all day long, with guests dressing their best even while enjoying lounge chairs on deck .”
“Though the class system largely went away and travel on passenger ships is now primarily recreational, the snob-appeal in cruise-line marketing combined with the tendency of tradition to live long at sea has meant that more formal dress has remained popular with many guests – though most seem content to don a bathing suit rather than a tuxedo when by the pool.”
Dress codes on Royal Caribbean look nothing like they did a century ago, but there is some vestige of the past still part of the cruise experience today.
Port Days And Shore Excursions
When planning what to pack for a Royal Caribbean cruise, its a good idea to plan your clothing for days in port based on what activity or shore excursion youre planning in your port of call.
Swimsuits with a cover up are just fine if youre heading straight to a beach or a catamaran snorkeling excursion. If youre sightseeing or taking a tour, casual clothing is perfect.
Some important things to pack are comfortable shoes for walking and a light scarf or cover up for shoulders , if you are entering religious buildings.
Something to be careful of and not wear on a cruise for certain ports, is camouflage clothing. In some Caribbean islands, wearing camouflage clothing is actually illegal and you can be asked to go back to the cruise ship to change or even face a fine.
Tip: Dont forget to pack a beach bag, your government ID , a credit card and some small bills for tips on tours.
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Silversea Cruises Dress Code: High
Evenings aboard Silversea ships rotate among casual, informal and formal dress codes. On casual nights, resort-style wear is requested — open-neck shirts and slacks are appropriate for men, while women wear casual dresses, blouses and skirts or pants. Jeans and baseball caps are not allowed in the restaurants for dinner.
On informal nights, jackets for men are recommended, while women can opt for dresses or pantsuits. Tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits for men and gowns or cocktail dresses for women are suggested for formal nights. Note that formal nights are always optional on the line’s weeklong sailings in the Baltic, Mediterranean and Alaska.
Number of Silversea Formal Nights: Silversea voyages of nine nights or fewer usually feature one formal night, while longer voyages usually have two or three.
Nightly Casual Option on Silversea Cruises: On formal nights, passengers dining in La Terrazza can dress in informal attire. Dining at the outdoor Grill is casual on all nights.
What Should I Wear On Formal Night
Royal Caribbean’s dress code suggestions are just: suggestions.
Their website lists for men to consider a black-tie look, with suits and ties or tuxedos. Ladies should consider cocktail dresses or evening gowns.
If you are asking does everyone dress up to that extent, the answer is a resounding no. If you walk the Royal Promenade or around the Centrum of a Royal Caribbean ship around dinner time on formal night, you will spot plenty of people dressed to these specifications, but many opt for a more casual approach. Collared shirts with no jacket or tie for men, or blouses and skirts or leggings for ladies is common as well.
There can be 1-3 formal nights during a sailing and is at the ships discretion.
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Royal Caribbean Dress Codes For Children
Children are expected to adhere to the dress codes although I doubt very much that they would be challenged unless they were wearing something really scruffy. Teenagers would be expected to dress in accordance with the dress codes.
For boys: Generally speaking, boys would probably be fine to wear a polo shirt and chinos on the formal/smart casual nights. This, of course, does depend on the age of the child but if the child in question is under the age of 10 or so this would be fine.
For girls: Any dress/skirt or smart trousers/top would be fine. The main thing is to look presentable and like an effort has been made.
Some families love the opportunity to dress up and Ive seen small children wearing full tuxedos and bow ties which are adorable. On casual nights anything goes for kids.
What Can I Wear Do I Have To Wear A Tux Or An Evening Gown
Perhaps the biggest question around formal night on a cruise is what to wear. Whats acceptable varies widely. And no, you dont have to go out and get a tuxedo or a formal evening gown unless you want to.
For instance, you can go all out and dress up in your best evening gown or tuxedo. And you will see some people around the cruise ship go this route. But you dont have to wear a tuxedo to enjoy the evening.
Women can simply wear a cocktail dress or a nice blouse with pants. For men, its fine to wear a suit, or even a buttoned-down shirt and a pair of slacks if you dont want to get too fancy. Nice jeans would also be ok, although wed suggest something slightly more dressy.
That said, not everything goes. There are some clothing items to avoid if you plan to eat in the dining room on formal night. This includes shorts, tank-tops, t-shirts, and swimsuits, as well as flip-flops. If youd wear it to the pool or the beach, you dont want to wear it to formal night.
- Ok to Wear for Formal Night : Gowns, dresses, skirts, blouses with pants
- Ok to Wear for Formal Night : Tuxedoes, suits, button-down shirts, slacks, nice jeans
- Avoid Wearing : Shorts, tank tops, t-shirts, flip-flops
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Bonus: The Retirement Of Modern Ships
Royal Caribbeans first five cruise ships were a starting point for the cruise line, but the ships that came later were game changers in the cruise industry.
And just as its hard to imagine mega ships like Oasis of the Seas or Odyssey of the Seas being scrapped, it was once just as difficult to picture Royal Caribbeans Sovereign and Vision Class vessels at the scrapyard.
Six of Royal Caribbeans more modern ships have been retired from the fleet, each of which has encountered a different fate.
How Many Formal Nights Are There
This varies by cruise line, but even more, by cruise length. Here are some common guidelines – but of course, there are always exceptions.
- Unusually short cruises, like the two-nighter we recently enjoyed on Celebrity Infinity often have no formal nights.
- Sailings of ten or fewer nights usually have two formal nights.
- Most lines have three formal nights on sailings of 14 nights or more, though Royal Caribbean often features three formal evenings on sailings of 11 nights or more.
- If you’re on a back-to-back sailing, where you’re staying on for two cruises of seven nights , keep in mind the points above are based on the ship’s scheduled itinerary – not yours.
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Carnival Cruise Dress Code
Carnival is one line where casual is the name of the game. Passengers will be just fine in jeans, T-shirts, tank tops, shorts and bathing suits for their days on board or ashore.
At night, nice jeans and nice tops are perfect for eating in the main dining rooms.
On Carnival cruise formal nights, known as “cruise elegant” nights, cruisers wear everything from slacks with nice shirts to tuxes and ball gowns. However, most passengers stick to clothes that fall somewhere in the middle.
Voyages of six nights or longer will have two “cruise elegant” nights, while those five nights or shorter will see only one.
How Many Smart Casual Nights Are There On A Royal Caribbean Cruise
On a Royal Caribbean cruise of between 3-4 nights, there are no smart casual nights. Cruises between 5-7 nights usually have 1 smart casual night. Cruises 8-13 nights in length usually have 2 smart casual nights with cruises over 14 nights having 3.
The maximum number of smart casual nights on any cruise is 3. Some short cruises wont have any smart casual nights at all. If you are cruising on a cruise that is 3 or 4 nights in length you will just have one formal night and the rest will be casual.
Cruises Between 3-4 Nights: 0 Smart Casual Nights
Cruises Between 5-7 Nights: 1 Smart Casual Nights
Cruises Over 8-13 Nights: 2 Smart Casual Nights
Cruises Over 14+ Nights: 3 Smart Casual Nights
Royal Caribbean doesnt advertise ahead of time when the smart casual dress code will be in place. It is relatively easy to switch between casual and smart casual so I dont think this is a problem. Each night of your cruise youll get a cruise compass in your cabin. This is a little leaflet which will tell you everything that is going on the next day, the dress code for the next night will be included on the cruise compass.
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Formal Night Dress Code For Men:
Collared shirts, slacks, and dress shirts are typical options for men on formal night. The most casual yet acceptable outfit for men on formal night is a polo shirt and slacks.
A dress shirt and slacks is the most common option. Suit jackets and ties are not required, although many guests will choose to wear them. Guests looking to dress up even more can wear a tuxedo, but again, this is relatively uncommon.
How Fancy Is Formal Night
Despite the name, formal night is not nearly as fancy as you might think. Formal night is certainly the most dressed up evening attire required on your Royal Caribbean cruise, but it is not as ornate as you might imagine.
Evening wear for formal night will vary, and you will see some guests wearing tuxedoes and gowns. It is our observation that most guests tend to dress a bit less fancy than that, with men wearing suits or sports coats and women wearing cocktail dresses.
Essentially, it is clothing that is a bit nicer than you might wear on other nights of the cruise.
In practice, the dress code on any night is rarely enforced, so don’t expect any crew member to inspect what you have on. In fact, expect a lot of other guests to be dressed casually, regardless if it’s formal night or not.
If the idea of formal night really bothers you, the good news is you absolutely do not have to get dressed up on your Royal Caribbean cruise. The formal night dress code is only for the main dining room and specialty restaurants, so anywhere else on the ship is fair game for shorts, flip flops and tank tops.
The Windjammer and other quick service venues will be open and without any formal wear.
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Disney Cruise Line Dress Code: Making Dress
The Disney dress code is cruise casual during the day includes casual attire like shorts and T-shirts, but prohibiting tank tops and swimwear.
Dress-up nights are found on three- and four-night Disney cruises, with optional formal and semiformal nights on seven-night cruises. Dress-up means dress shirts, slacks and jackets for men and dresses or pantsuits for women. Semiformal entails suits or jackets for men and dresses or pantsuits for women optional formal attire is not specified but is generally a more elegant version of semiformal wear. Most cruises also include one or more theme nights .
The Disney evening dress code applies to the main dining rooms at dinner. The dress code for Palo, an adults-only specialty restaurant, slacks and collared shirts or jackets for men and dresses, skirts or pantsuits for women are appropriate. Shorts, hats and flip-flops/tennis shoes are not permitted.
The dress code at Remy, the other adults-only specialty restaurant , is a bit dressier. Slacks and jackets are required for men , and cocktail dresses, pantsuits or skirts with blouses for women. Jeans and women’s capri pants are not acceptable here.
Number of Disney Cruise Formal Nights: Three- and four-night Disney cruises each feature one optional dress-up night. A seven-night cruise features one formal and one semiformal night.
Nightly Casual Option on Disney Cruises: All of Disney’s family dining venues are casual.