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We’ll be on b2b cruises to New Zealand and Australia on Radiance of the Seas in March. This will be our first visit to either country. Should we expect formal night dress to be like Caribbean and US cruises or do more wear formal dress?

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We’ll be on b2b cruises to New Zealand and Australia on Radiance of the Seas in March. This will be our first visit to either country. Should we expect formal night dress to be like Caribbean and US cruises or do more wear formal dress?

Depends on who is cruising, Aussies and Kiwis are far more laid back than the American's who tend to go for Tuxes etc.My last trip on the ROS in 2014 most cruisers were more into lounge suits,nice chic dresses rather than full Formal. Hope this helps just remember we are pretty casual down here, so come and enjoy and wear whatever you want; that's what the local's will be doing. clear.png?emoji-grin-1677

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Very few people wear tuxes and gowns, but most people make an effort to dress smartly. Cocktail dresses or dress pants with an evening top are popular for women. Men typically wear dark pants, a long sleeve shirt, a tie (if they can't get away with not wearing one), sometimes a jacket.

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We’ll be on b2b cruises to New Zealand and Australia on Radiance of the Seas in March. This will be our first visit to either country. Should we expect formal night dress to be like Caribbean and US cruises or do more wear formal dress?

 

On the Voyager of the Seas in March last year, there really wasn't a big difference in what passengers wore to dinner on more casual night dining to what they wore on formal nights. We had intended to eat in the buffet on formal nights but our waiters assured us what were wearing to dinner was fine and it turned out it was. Certainly some people were quite dressed up but the majority weren't dressed what could be classed as formal. I only saw one man in a dinner suit.

 

Enjoy your time down under.

 

Leigh

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We’ll be on b2b cruises to New Zealand and Australia on Radiance of the Seas in March. This will be our first visit to either country. Should we expect formal night dress to be like Caribbean and US cruises or do more wear formal dress?

 

I've never been on a ship where smart casual was turned away from the MDR on formal nights. As far as I know, dress suggestions by the cruise line are only suggestions. Except Cunard of course, the only part of the Empire where the sun hasn't yet set.

 

Personally, I would draw the line at shorts, but others don't.

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I've never been on a ship where smart casual was turned away from the MDR on formal nights. As far as I know, dress suggestions by the cruise line are only suggestions. Except Cunard of course, the only part of the Empire where the sun hasn't yet set.

 

Personally, I would draw the line at shorts, but others don't.

 

And P&O UK enforces.:halo: Reading the replies re RCI Formal nights, why do they bother having them these days, go like sister line Celebrity 'Chic nights.' I think Princess is going that way too, mores the pity, we need some decorum in the forum, not this forum the MDR forum !! lol.

 

The Cunarders & P&O UK'ers would be cringing in their tuxedos reading these replies.

 

Some make the effort to comply with the dress codes and others don't give a hoot.

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I've never been on a ship where smart casual was turned away from the MDR on formal nights. As far as I know, dress suggestions by the cruise line are only suggestions. Except Cunard of course, the only part of the Empire where the sun hasn't yet set.

 

Personally, I would draw the line at shorts, but others don't.

 

I'm just having a chuckle about your Cunard comment... yes - the only line left that will turn you away for no jacket for men, even on a non-formal night. Most of those loyal to Cunard love it for the dress code but it certainly put us on another cruise with them.

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I'm just having a chuckle about your Cunard comment... yes - the only line left that will turn you away for no jacket for men, even on a non-formal night. Most of those loyal to Cunard love it for the dress code but it certainly put us on another cruise with them.

Not sure I’d like it on a long cruise, but on a short one I enjoyed needing to dress each night

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I’d say about 70% dark suit

 

10% tux

 

20% shirt and trousers with or without tie.

 

 

 

That suit number is higher than I've seen.

 

 

I'd be putting it down around 40%. Lots also shirt and trousers (including some short sleeve shirts).

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That suit number is higher than I've seen.

 

 

I'd be putting it down around 40%. Lots also shirt and trousers (including some short sleeve shirts).

Agreed, for the men, the tux wearers are more likely 5% with dark suits taking up another 30% and the rest are shirt and tie down to casual as well.
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Smart casual is my standard, even on a non formal night, and is as high as I will go. Not being an asrehole but to me suits and ties are working gear, and I donated all mine to charity when I retired. Unfortunately just about every time I wore a dinner suit I also had a speech in my pocket, and the memory has taken any enjoyment out of wearing one.

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Smart casual is my standard, even on a non formal night, and is as high as I will go. Not being an asrehole but to me suits and ties are working gear, and I donated all mine to charity when I retired. Unfortunately just about every time I wore a dinner suit I also had a speech in my pocket, and the memory has taken any enjoyment out of wearing one.

I enjoy dressing to the nines, but that is really for cruise lines that do have a formal night and also that are local cruises (out of Sydney). Other wise it depends on what we are doing prior or post cruise as to whether I bring my tux or just a dinner jacket.

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I enjoy dressing to the nines, but that is really for cruise lines that do have a formal night and also that are local cruises (out of Sydney). Other wise it depends on what we are doing prior or post cruise as to whether I bring my tux or just a dinner jacket.

 

But surely you would not feel comfortable Mic, sitting in the MDR on formal night, resplendent in your Tux or DJ, with your wife in her ball gown sitting next to some geezer who does not care what he looks like in his jeans and T shirt. I would not put up with it.:evilsmile:

 

As I have said on here a million times, if a cruise line does not wish to enforce its dress code policy, get rid of it !!! Then we would all be happy little vegemites. While they are it, include all auto tips in the fare and instruct pax not to give service staff any money, thus ending the double dipping.

 

Call me old school.

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I think the beginning of the end of formal wear for cruising on the mass market lines was when the airlines reduced the included luggage entitlements.

 

When we first travelled to the US, or via the US, we were entitled to two suitcases each.

 

Now I try to travel as light as possible, although I'm not to the hand luggage only stage yet!

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As I have said on here a million times, if a cruise line does not wish to enforce its dress code policy, get rid of it !!! Then we would all be happy little vegemites. While they are it, include all auto tips in the fare and instruct pax not to give service staff any money, thus ending the double dipping.

 

I couldn't agree more, the formal dress code policy is a farce. It's a phony throwback to a social class system which died a couple of generations ago.

 

We are no longer pukka sahibs on our way to and from India, showing the benighted natives how civilised people dress and dine. We are not Fred Astaire on a fantastical art deco Transatlantic crossing in the 1930's, which wasn't even realistic at the time.

 

We are people on a package holiday, usually to tropical locations where the idea of a suit, let alone a tuxedo, is an absurd anachronism. If you wouldn't wear it in port, why would you want to wear it on ship?

 

For men, shoes, long pants, and a collared shirt. What more is needed unless you are running a theme park instead of a cruise ship?

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I couldn't agree more, the formal dress code policy is a farce. It's a phony throwback to a social class system which died a couple of generations ago.

 

We are no longer pukka sahibs on our way to and from India, showing the benighted natives how civilised people dress and dine. We are not Fred Astaire on a fantastical art deco Transatlantic crossing in the 1930's, which wasn't even realistic at the time.

 

We are people on a package holiday, usually to tropical locations where the idea of a suit, let alone a tuxedo, is an absurd anachronism. If you wouldn't wear it in port, why would you want to wear it on ship?

 

For men, shoes, long pants, and a collared shirt. What more is needed unless you are running a theme park instead of a cruise ship?

Totally agree. As for casting aspersions at the wearers of Jeans & T Shirts, think about this. You can buy a suit for $100.00, my Polo shirts cost that EACH. If you gasp at the price then put a cheap polo/T shirt through either the onboard washing/drying machines, or the onboard cleaning service, you'd better have lost 2 sizes in weight.;p

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We don't care what others wear, or that they choose to not follow the suggested dress 'code'. We dress for dinner out of respect for each other, & in accordance with the venue/occasion, and that's all that matters to us.

That said, for us formal on a cruise is likely what others term smart casual.

 

As for the '2 weeks with a carry-on' brigade, you can smell them a coming :D "Hell, deodorant, there's no room for that in my carry-on".

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We relish the opportunity to dress formally onboard, These days we rarely have that opportunity outside of cruising. My formal outfits are very lightweight, being full length silk evening kaftans. DH's dinner suit doesn't weigh any more than a regular suit and, not matter how long the cruise, he only takes two dress shirts and gets them laundered onboard between formal nights.

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But surely you would not feel comfortable Mic, sitting in the MDR on formal night, resplendent in your Tux or DJ, with your wife in her ball gown sitting next to some geezer who does not care what he looks like in his jeans and T shirt. I would not put up with it.:evilsmile:
Wouldn't happen as we don't do traditional dining and we normally go for a table for two (unless travelling with friends/family). If someone is dressed like that at another table, I don't care enough for it to ruin my meal.
As I have said on here a million times, if a cruise line does not wish to enforce its dress code policy, get rid of it !!! Then we would all be happy little vegemites. While they are it, include all auto tips in the fare and instruct pax not to give service staff any money, thus ending the double dipping.
I agree, that if you put a policy in place it should be adhered to. I prefer the tips included but if they are not, (overseas cruises) I just budget for it anyway.

 

Call me old school.
Your an Eton.;p
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Totally agree. As for casting aspersions at the wearers of Jeans & T Shirts, think about this. You can buy a suit for $100.00, my Polo shirts cost that EACH. If you gasp at the price then put a cheap polo/T shirt through either the onboard washing/drying machines, or the onboard cleaning service, you'd better have lost 2 sizes in weight.;p

 

Yeah... but good luck wearing that $100 suit again after it has been washed or dry cleaned in any way!

 

Again, if you want a _decent_ suit, you'll be paying a lot more than that.

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