Cruise Formal Nights Love or Hate

Cruising is About Choices - Do You Dress Up on Formal Nights?

When we began cruising over 30 years ago, proper attire was required on formal nights.  Most 7-day cruises had two formal nights - one on the first sea day, and the other usually on the last sea day (unless that was the night before the end of the cruise).   Initially, my husband rented a tuxedo which was delivered to the ship.  When we began cruising more and more, he purchased a tuxedo to bring with on our cruises.

We actually enjoyed these "dress-up" nights as we normally didn't do so during the week.  This made the cruise something special.  It made us feel like we were  high class, especially when we went to the theater, or casino after dinner, and when greeting the Captain of the vessel at the Loyalty Party.  As you can see, we liked to coordinate our outfits.

To Dress Up or Not 

Most cruise lines still offer the opportunity to dress up.  Not all lines have formal nights, but even those that don't, will setup photo stations around the vessel, to take family portraits in your finest wear.  Some that still have formal nights, will require tuxedos or suits for the gentlemen, and dresses or fancy pants suits for the ladies in the main dining room.   If you don't want to dress up, there are alternative dining options where you can be more casual.

The choice is always yours.  We had a client several years ago that was sailing on Cunard Line.  Dressing up is expected in the main dining room.   We explained the dress code expectations. We asked if he'd bought his wife some new dresses for the cruise.   His reply was no, that they didn't intend to dress up.   They were going to opt for the alternative dining options, because he had to dress up for work, and didn't want to do so on vacation.

Knowing what to expect before they cruised was crucial to a good experience.  They loved the cruise, because they made it their own.  We love happy cruisers!

(Updated 10/17/21)

Let Us Know Your Choices

Take our poll on our Instagram post or put a comment on this post,  to let us know how you feel about dressing up on a cruise.  Are there other aspects of cruising that have changed over the years that you like / dislike?  What other topics would you like us to cover during National Plan a Cruise Month?

Click the banner above for the latest cruise promotions

 

Cruise lines are offering special promotions and pricing on popular cruises to encourage consumers to plan their next cruise vacation now. We'll be featuring promotions on our website and social media.

Choose Cruise Month (click for mini-series)

Connect With Us On

    
    

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday afternoon at 4 PM Eastern for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

Should My First Cruise be 109 Days or Less

What's The Right Cruise Length for  First Time Cruiser Most people start with a short cruise We can safely assume that your first cruise will be substantially shorter than 109 days, unless you have your heart set on seeing the entire World on your first cruise. Typically, a first time cruiser wants to see if they like cruising before booking a longer cruise.  That is a wise decision. Let's explore some possibilities.
You Don't Need to Figure This Out Alone
The typical first cruise is 3 to 5 nights in length.  This is long enough to give you a taste of sea days as well as days in port. From the image above, you can see that there are still many choices in that range. Itineraries include The Bahamas, Eastern and Western Caribbean from the east coast, with west coast destinations including Baja California and Pacific coastal cruises.
	The length of cruise will impact the departure city and the destinations that can be reached from there. You'll find that most of the 3-night  East Coast cruises will depart from Florida and go to the Bahamas.   As you increase the number of days, you'll open up more possible destinations and also departure ports. Don't feel that you are restricted to 3-5 days in length.  When we began cruising 30 years ago, our first big ship cruise was 7 nights in length.
FACT - Cruises have a higher percentage of satisfied customers than any other vacation experience. Ask your CLIA-affiliated travel agent about cruising. Chances are, he or she will recommend a cruise vacation from personal experience.   SUGGESTION - Take their advice!
We Love Helping First Timers - Ask Us
So far we have talked about several decisions that narrow the cruise sailing selection:  type of cabin, departure ports, destinations, and length of the cruise.  There are still more questions to be answered in order to determine the Best Cruise for You. We cannot emphasize enough that planning the first cruise properly will determine if this is your first and only cruise, or if you'll fall in love with the best vacation around and continue to plan many more cruises in the years to come. Click This Link to See a Sample of 3-5 Night Cruises
If you found this information helpful, spread the word and subscribe to our blog.  We are writing a complete series of articles for National Plan a Cruise Month You may also be interested in our eSavers Newsletter

 

Click the banner above for the latest cruise promotions

 

Cruise lines are offering special promotions and pricing on popular cruises to encourage consumers to plan their next cruise vacation now. We'll be featuring promotions on our website and social media.

Choose Cruise Month (click for mini-series)

Follow Us On

        

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat 

Should My First Cruise be 109 Days or Less

What's The Right Cruise Length for  First Time Cruiser Most people start with a short cruise We can safely assume that your first cruise will be substantially shorter than 109 days, unless you have your heart set on seeing the entire World on your first cruise. Typically, a first time cruiser wants to see if they like cruising before booking a longer cruise.  That is a wise decision. Let's explore some possibilities.
You Don't Need to Figure This Out Alone
The typical first cruise is 3 to 5 nights in length.  This is long enough to give you a taste of sea days as well as days in port. From the image above, you can see that there are still many choices in that range. Itineraries include The Bahamas, Eastern and Western Caribbean from the east coast, with west coast destinations including Baja California and Pacific coastal cruises.
	The length of cruise will impact the departure city and the destinations that can be reached from there. You'll find that most of the 3-night  East Coast cruises will depart from Florida and go to the Bahamas.   As you increase the number of days, you'll open up more possible destinations and also departure ports. Don't feel that you are restricted to 3-5 days in length.  When we began cruising 30 years ago, our first big ship cruise was 7 nights in length.
FACT - Cruises have a higher percentage of satisfied customers than any other vacation experience. Ask your CLIA-affiliated travel agent about cruising. Chances are, he or she will recommend a cruise vacation from personal experience.   SUGGESTION - Take their advice!
We Love Helping First Timers - Ask Us
So far we have talked about several decisions that narrow the cruise sailing selection:  type of cabin, departure ports, destinations, and length of the cruise.  There are still more questions to be answered in order to determine the Best Cruise for You. We cannot emphasize enough that planning the first cruise properly will determine if this is your first and only cruise, or if you'll fall in love with the best vacation around and continue to plan many more cruises in the years to come. Click This Link to See a Sample of 3-5 Night Cruises
If you found this information helpful, spread the word and subscribe to our blog.  We are writing a complete series of articles for National Plan a Cruise Month You may also be interested in our eSavers Newsletter    Click the banner above for the latest cruise promotions   Cruise lines are offering special promotions and pricing on popular cruises to encourage consumers to plan their next cruise vacation now. We'll be featuring promotions on our website and social media. Choose Cruise Month (click for mini-series) Follow Us On          Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers Where have you explored?  Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat