Missylove

If you get invited to dine with the Captain or Staff Captain, formal apparel is HIGHLY recommended. They will be in a full dress uniform.

 

But you will not know if you are invited until on board the ship.

Invite? So some are invited and some are not? Wow never heard that before.

Not sure what you're talking with regards to Captain's Events, but I suspect you're talking about the Captain's welcome aboard party. There will be an informal cocktail party where the Captain will welcome everyone on board. It's usually held before dinner, and you'll get a free drink.

 

Formal nights are no longer what they used to be. You'll see every kind of clothing on that night, from cocktail dresses to slacks and tops. And they don't call it formal night anymore----it's called Elegant night.

Yes the event with the Captain. I have seen it called so many different things so I just say Captains event.

Usually the Captain's party is the first (or only) formal night, and has free champagne. I think it still has this -- or has RCI done away with the free champagne?[/quot

 

This is what I was trying to figure out. So the first formal night includes the Captains party......makes sense. When people talk about them they talk as if they are separate events. Thank you.

I read this like Fight Club. In this corner you have the Captain, and in the other corner Formal Nights. I want a good clean match. :-)

Toooo funny :D

Good afternoon everyone!! Just a quick question......What is the difference between the Captain events and the formal nights? Are they the same thing? Is there dinner at the Captain events if they are different? Trying to figure out if we need to eat dinner prior to the Captain events. I was told that the Captains event isn't like it used to be as far as clothing and all. Sounds like it's more laid back. If it makes a difference, I will be going on AOS.

These are the kinds of things that can vary by cruise line. If you post the cruise line, we can direct you to the proper forum.

I will be on Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas.

RC Adventure of the Seas

I applied for my passport and waited 11 days to receive it by mail. I was expecting to wait at least 3 weeks since they said 4-6 weeks for it to be processed and received.

At this point, I'd be enjoying the quietness of the ship with those ports.

That's true but I want to explore the ports as well as the ship, especially Cayman. :)

Good afternoon everyone!! Just a quick question......What is the difference between the Captain events and the formal nights? Are they the same thing? Is there dinner at the Captain events if they are different? Trying to figure out if we need to eat dinner prior to the Captain events. I was told that the Captains event isn't like it used to be as far as clothing and all. Sounds like it's more laid back.

I feel like we may have to eat in the Wind Jammer to avoid having to take off shorts and stretch pant outfits to change into dress clothes for the MDR. I will be taking some dressy/casual outfits but not 6 of them.

I'm about to go on a 14-day cruise and this is about what I'm bringing. I wouldn't pack this much for a 7-day cruise. Also, if I'm not getting all sweaty, I'll wear the daytime outfit to dinner. I usually cruise Princess, Carnival or Royal and don't "dress for dinner" unless it's formal night or I'm going to the steakhouse. That said, I don't wear cut-offs and tank tops during the day, so I'm always in something that would suffice for the main dining room at night.

 

I also never wear gowns anymore. I don't even plan on bringing a gown on Crystal next year. I have 2 LBDs that I can dress up or down and have brought one on a long cruise that goes from day to night nicely.

 

missylove, what cruise line will you be on?

Going on Royal Caribbean. So is formal night the same as that Captains event or is that a separate event?

You might want to section off a part of your closet for the clothes you want to take. Once they're altogether, then all you have to do is throw them in the suitcase! My next cruise is only 8 months away so once I do the laundry from last week's cruise I'll set aside the dresses I used this time in my cruise section of the closet and then just decide on the rest as it gets closer to the cruise date.

 

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Yea I actually have my cruise clothes in one area since its all mostly new stuff. I didn't really have a lot of stuff to wear so I had to start from scratch.

Water socks are shoes that you can wear in the pool or beach to protect your feet. They're mostly mesh on the top and foam-like around the sides of the foot. There's usually grips on the bottom. When you're done with them, leave them out to dry and they'll be dry again usually within an hour.

 

And you're welcome for the reply. 17 cruises has taught me to pack extras in case something happens to the clothes. I'm not the most graceful person on earth, so I'll usually spill something on my clothes (and with my luck, on a formal dress!). Hence why the water socks as well, even in the pool!

 

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Ooooooh the water shoes!! I know what those are :D Yea I'm trying to plan my clothes out accordingly. It's been a lot of work but fun at the same time since it's my first cruise. I'm almost done putting together my clothes though.

So what you wear will vary depending on what time of day it is. For the day time you will need:

 

1.) 2-3 pairs of shorts

2.) 7 shirts (short sleeves and tank tops work)

3.) Sneakers and flip flops

4.) 2 bathing suits

5.) Water socks (for the beach and pool)

6.) Hat

7.) Sunglasses

8.) Jewelry (optional)

9.) Totes and purses to carry stuff in (optional)

 

You will need to change for dinner every night. Usually there are 2 formal nights and 5 casual nights. For the night time you will need:

1.) 2 formal dresses

2.) 3-5 casual dresses

3.) 1 pair of shoes for casual night

4.) 1 pair of shoes for formal night

5.) Purses to carry room keys, etc. in (one for formal nights and 1 for casual nights)

6.) Jewelry (optional)

7.) Makeup (optional)

This seems like a lot of clothes lolol. What are water socks? I was going to wear flops to the pool and I only have 1 bathing suit. I have a lot of this stuff on my list but not all of it. I'm going to lay everything out and assign a day so that I know how to incorporate dresses. I don't plan to eat in the dining room every night and I really only planned to take 2 pair of dress pants with blouses for the formal nights. Thanks for the detailed reply I love it!! :)

Don't hesitate to post specific questions here. The community is very used to explaining sometimes technical things in friendly terms.

 

I recently updated my article on "What Camera Do I Need?" to include a lot of tech that has surfaced in the last few years. You may also find "Cameras Have Parts" helpful since it explains a lot of the technical aspects of cameras in newbie-friendly terms. Both articles were written in response to many, many questions like yours over the years,

 

Dave

Great! Thanks a bunch. :)

When waiting for passports they only count business days for the mail correct? I mean I wouldn't expect a government business to be open on the weekend.

You may want to take a look at the 'Buying Guide' pages over on DP Review https://www.dpreview.com/buying-guides

 

I would look for a fixed lens camera, not one with interchangeable lenses. There are three basic categories:

 

• Travel Zoom - these are small 'bar of soap' form factor cameras that pack an extreme zoom lens. The lens is fairly 'slow' so the camera is mostly useful for bright daylight. My wife's old Fuji F505 is typical of this category
  
• 'Tough' - these cameras may be splash resistant, or may be immersed to skin diving depths. Good cameras to take on a beach day or kayak excursion.
  
• 'Bridge' - these cameras typically look like a small SLR camera. They have larger, faster lenses and sensors than the 'travel' or 'tough' cameras. For the larger cameras in the category [Panasonic FZ1000, Sony RX10] they come quite close to an interchangeable lens camera with many $$ expensive lenses.
  

Thanks for the link! I will check it out. I guess I should go on YouTube so that I can familiarize myself with the basics to cameras and photography terminology. :D

Budget? Depending on your phone, it may be fairly expensive to exceed its capabilities. Advanced compacts like the new Sony HX99 or the RX100 series can run from $500 to over $1000. How much learning are you prepared to do? A little more info will open the flood gates of advice :)

 

 

Dave

Thanks for the reply!! I have an LG android and I don't think I'm ready to spend 500 on a camera just yet. I want to stay pretty basic so that I can learn how to capture good shots and photography school may be a long way from now;). Now what exactly is a HX99 and RX100......now I gota go look those up. I have no knowledge of the types of cameras or terminology except the brand names. I'm very amateur.

Some places, there are sights to see within easy walking distance of the port. For others you would need some transportation at a minimum.

 

It will depend in part on the ports you will be visiting

We will be going to Cozumel, Costa Maya and Cayman.....

I want to get a camera before cruising this year, but I have no idea what I am looking for. I have only taken pics with my phone so camera shopping for me will be a new experience. What is a good camera that is easy to learn to use? What should I be looking for? I want to capture all I can during this cruise experience so I am prepared to watch YouTube and whatever else I can do to practice and prepare. TIA.....

I'm glad I saw this thread because I'm not sure if we will be planning any excursions. I definitely want to get off the ship and explore and not be bored. Just not sure what we can do on foot or if a tour ride is necessary to get around. Can we see and explore alot of the port area on foot?

We cruised the Caribbean in Nov 17, always hot during the day. I think we had a few spots of rain in one day but didn't move off the beach bed. Have a super trip.

Chris

Thank you! I am sooooo looking forward to cruising!!:hearteyes:

I found I lived mostly in maxi dresses and swim suit cover ups on the ship. I took several cute dresses and a pair of heels that went with both dresses for formal nights and dinners, and shorts and tank tops for going off the ship. Be sure to look at any excursions you are doing as they might have specific attire requirements (tennis shoes, long pants, water shoes etc.). Unless you are the type to change clothes 10 times a day, I honestly wouldn't stress it too much! A cruise is for chilling and relaxing! (Oh, and depending on where you're coming from, be sure to pack warm clothes for departure day! We learned THAT the hard way! Pretty mild when we left, but 12 DEGREES and windy on the day we got back! lol)

Yea I have couple pair of shorts included and some capris......I will definitely be taking a jacket because I'm from Michigan.

There is a lot of info on the Beauty and Fashion boards too.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=182

Didn't realize there was a section for fashion!! Thanks....