formal nights

[halfmonkey]

We're traveling to Alaska on July 5, 2019 on the Ovation for 7 nights and I can't seem to find any information on the formal nights. I thought I read somewhere that there will be 2 formal nights since we're going on a 7 night cruise. Can anybody confirm if this is correct and if so, which nights are the formal nights?

Just out of curiosity, how formal do people generally get. I know formal usually mean tux but I'm not really into wearing tux on a cruise. I assume a dark suit will be fine with dress shirt and tie/bow tie? Do people not wear dress shirts with ties/bow ties or would I get some looks if I didn't wear a tie/bow tie? Would slacks/khakis and polo be too informal?

How about kids? DO most kids just dress nice or are they expected to wear nice pants and a jacket too?

 

[starvenger]

Formal nights are generally day 2 and 6. As for dress, I’ve done the Oxford shirt/slacks combo and it was fine. Recently I’ve settled on using a suit with no tie or just doing the shirt/slacks with a sport jacket.

As for kids... I think the expectations are lower there so whatever you feel is good for your kids will work.

 

[richmo]

I believe that is correct that formal nights are generally nights 2 and 6.

Our last cruise last summer, I left the jacket home and just wore a long sleeve shirt and tie to formal nights. Did I feel underdressed? Absolutely not. I was somewhere in the middle of the pack. As long as you don't show up to the dining room in a bathing suit or shorts, you're fine.

Alaska is a difficult enough trip to pack for with the varying climates you hit...I'd say leave the jacket at home.

 

[Hrhpd]

We're traveling to Alaska on July 5, 2019 on the Ovation for 7 nights and I can't seem to find any information on the formal nights. I thought I read somewhere that there will be 2 formal nights since we're going on a 7 night cruise. Can anybody confirm if this is correct and if so, which nights are the formal nights?

Just out of curiosity, how formal do people generally get. I know formal usually mean tux but I'm not really into wearing tux on a cruise. I assume a dark suit will be fine with dress shirt and tie/bow tie? Do people not wear dress shirts with ties/bow ties or would I get some looks if I didn't wear a tie/bow tie? Would slacks/khakis and polo be too informal?

How about kids? DO most kids just dress nice or are they expected to wear nice pants and a jacket too?

Formal nights are a hot topic on Cruise Critic.

You will find anything from very casual to very formal on a formal night. Dress how you are comfortable.

Last cruise the guys did suits, girls did cocktail dresses. Although I am sure some would frown on the suits. DS and DH's cruise suits:

 

[starvenger]

+10 points for originality. Seems like something that should be allowed.

-1,000,000 points for the pain you put on my eyes from looking directly at those things.

 

[frank808]

We're traveling to Alaska on July 5, 2019 on the Ovation for 7 nights and I can't seem to find any information on the formal nights. I thought I read somewhere that there will be 2 formal nights since we're going on a 7 night cruise. Can anybody confirm if this is correct and if so, which nights are the formal nights?

Just out of curiosity, how formal do people generally get. I know formal usually mean tux but I'm not really into wearing tux on a cruise. I assume a dark suit will be fine with dress shirt and tie/bow tie? Do people not wear dress shirts with ties/bow ties or would I get some looks if I didn't wear a tie/bow tie? Would slacks/khakis and polo be too informal?

How about kids? DO most kids just dress nice or are they expected to wear nice pants and a jacket too?

Jackets are not needed. As long as you wear collared shirt and slacks you will be fine. Some people bring tuxes, some wear sports coats others shirt tie but as long as you are not in shorts and tank top you will be fine.

 

[SA mom]

On our Alaskan cruise, the formal nights were 2 and 5. Our 6th day was a port day so no formal night then.

My young nephews wore long slacks, collared shirts and vests for formal night. They were so cute.

 

[MamaKate]

Just so I know in advance, are there formal nights on a 4-night cruise?

 

[richmo]

Just so I know in advance, are there formal nights on a 4-night cruise?

Yes, it'll be either the 2nd or 3rd night

 

[Frozen2014]

On our 4 night Mariner cruise in Aug, they had something called "Dress your Best".
On our 4 night Independence cruise in Dec, they had formal night.
In both cases, neither seemed any different than any other night. I wore a dress and DH just wore nice pants and a button down shirt.
On our 7 night cruise, he may dress a bit fancier but I'll have the same dress (and another one).

 

[SevenWonkas]

Lately on formal nights, my husband wears dress pants and a dress shirt. No tie and no jacket. (He just doesn’t want to pack them). He fits right in. People dressing in tuxes, and even suits on some cruises, seem to be in a minority. Some people will still wear jeans and a T-shirt on formal nights. I wear a dress that I’d wear to a wedding. We put our son in church clothes - khaki pants/shorts and a polo or collared shirt.

On our Caribbean/Bahamas cruises, I always see guys wearing goofy suits like the ones posted.... I love them!

The specialty restaurants do not follow formal night. Sometimes we will schedule a specialty dinner on formal night, just so we don’t feel like we have to dress up. Technically the dress for specialty restaurants is Smart Casual, but we wear the same thing we wear in the dining room - khakis and a polo or similar nice top.

My Time Dining might not follow formal night? Might be something to check into if you don’t want to dress up. Also, I remember from my Alaska cruise 10 years ago, people seemed to be more casual compared to the Caribbean cruises we took around the same time. People wore jeans and sweaters in the evenings to dinner.

 

[Iris1974]

What about women? I have a nice maxi dress I wore to my nieces wedding that I can wear a light cardigan with and nice jewelry. I also have a very nice skirt and tunic I could wear. Would this be suitable? I was looking at special occasion dresses and they are expensive. I would also not have to buy a new pair of shoes with my maxi dress and skirt and tunic set. I have a really hard time finding dress shoes to wear. I've had many breaks in my feet. Could I get away with the more relaxed outfits? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[starvenger]

I would say that if it's good enough for a wedding (assuming it wasn't a super casual or theme wedding) it's probably good enough for formal night. I do see quite a few ladies wearing summer dresses.

 

[Denise W]

I just wear black slacks and a top and that is fine for formal night. My husband wears a dress shirt, tie and khakis. You do not need to dress up more than that unless you want to.
Denise

 

[nkereina]

We saw it all in the dining room, both on formal nights and non-formal nights. Wide range of dress. No one stopped them about the dress code, and no one else seemed to bat an eye. While I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing shorts and a tank top like others I have seen, I will say that if others choose to wear it, so be it. It doesn't impact my dinner or vacation.

 

[starvenger]

This now makes me wonder if the Canadian Tuxedo is appropriate for formal nights: