Questions: 14 day South American Passage

We'll be on Zaandam for the 14 day South American Passage cruise departing Buenos Aires on 22 March. I have a couple of questions about the formal (gala) nights on this itinerary that I'd appreciate some help with:

1) How many formal nights are there?

2) On which days do they occur when sailing in this direction, Buenos Aires to ValParaiso?

3) A guesstimate of the percentage of men wearing a tux

I am on the March 7 sailing in the reverse direction and we will have three formal/gala nights. Presume it will be same on your sailing.

ON Canada/New England sailing last year, less than 10% of men wore a tux.

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We did this cruise opposite direction, in Nov-Dec 2014. The Gala nights were particularly unremarkable. My mom and I took non-formal midi-length skirts and my DH a button up "dress" shirt and a blazer, and we were nearly over dressed. If there was a tuxedo on board, I don't remember seeing it.

Another reason why southern Chile/Cape Horn is the Alaska of the South?

There was no observed enforcement of dress code in the MDR. Cargo pants and denim were the norm. Of course no one in shorts! haha

It's a great cruise -- but I would not bring a long gown or tux, if it were me.

P.S. we also never wore our down vests, although we did wear silk longies ashore. If you're not going down to Antarctica, a thinner fleece jacket or equivalent and a GOOD raincoat over it, plus appropriate hat/mitts/scarf will be all you need.

Hard to guess how many men will be in tuxes on any cruise.

It can vary greatly depending upon the passengers on board.

While our gala nights were not as laid back as crystalspin's, I suspect with the different type of clothing required, there will not be as many tuxes on this cruise as you might see on others.

Wear what you are comfortable in. If you like to dress up, do it. Don't worry about what others are wearing.

Just a 2nd endorsement to crystal's recommendation for the silk underneath. They keep you amazingly warm. :)

I was on the same cruise last spring. We continued on to San Diego and it was a wonderful experience. The gala evenings WERE quite dressy....the ladies did have their sparkly best and the men for the majority had tuxes or at least coats/jackets. Some of the men, especially those of us who have gained a few pounds, don't like neck ties anymore, but a nice dress shirt and coat still look good. Remember, this cruise, because of its length and the weather which is cool to cold rounding the Cape, has more seniors than a shorter cruise in tropical weather.

We are going to be on the March 21, 2017, sailing of Zaandam, too, and I have persuaded my DH just to take his blazer and a couple of ties (not that I'm saying he will be going shirtless, haha), as we will have to take different weights of daywear for the different "climates" we will be going through.

luxurysailor, I hope you will join us on the roll call!:) That is, if you are talking about this year?