Dress your best instead of formal nights

[Mrs Cheech]

Read here on CC last year that Royal was eliminating formal nights on 5 - 7 night cruises out of Florida.  In November on our Rhapsody there still were actual formal nights.  Currently on Anthem out of NYC for an 11 night and no formal nights, just dress your best.  Wish I had known, could have eliminated some of the clothes.  
 

I would like to know from others recently or currently on a Royal ship if you have had same experience and what ship.

[Clarea]

Since Royal does not enforce the dress suggestion, it really does not matter what label they put on the dress suggestion.  People can (and do) wear whatever they want.

[leaveitallbehind]

There has been no formal enforcement of "dress codes" fleet wide for a number of years and the recommended - or suggested - attire for any given night is just that.

Edited January 14, 2020 by leaveitallbehind

[Bobal]

Currently on Jewel and they're still calling it formal

[Longhorn Cruiser]

Royal Caribbean also confirmed that all sailings of six nights or longer still offer formal nights.

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/4458/

[Nemomof3]

Mariner weekend cruise we just got off of also called it "dress your best". Everyone looked about the same as all our other cruises.

[Ourusualbeach]

21 minutes ago, Longhorn Cruiser said:

Royal Caribbean also confirmed that all sailings of six nights or longer still offer formal nights.

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/4458/

Well that's a contradiction to the original post

[sellwingri]

It really doesn’t matter.  Dress Your Best is basically the same thing as Formal.   

[leaveitallbehind]

18 minutes ago, sellwingri said:

It really doesn’t matter.  Dress Your Best is basically the same thing as Formal.   

...which is still only a suggested attire and one that is not enforced for formal wear.  One's "best" is very subjective in any case.

Edited January 14, 2020 by leaveitallbehind

[bilyclub]

One formal,  one dress to impress on Empress. Didn't matter either way. MDR packed all the time maybe because the food is pretty good.

[Tulsacoker]

2 hours ago, Mrs Cheech said:

Read here on CC last year that Royal was eliminating formal nights on 5 - 7 night cruises out of Florida.

I think we identified the first issue 😄

[MotownVoice]

I love dressing to the nines on formal nights and sitting next to someone in casual attire and then just giving them the nose all night.

I really don't care what someone else wears.  But you can quickly find out that the other person DOES care about what they've worn, and only now are they giving it some thought.

[Merion_Mom]

21 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Well that's a contradiction to the original post

 

Which is correct.

 

"Dress Your Best" on Anthem.

 

And it's also correct that the words don't matter.  Everyone does whatever s/he wants.

[jsf]

What one person thinks is their Best may differ widely from what others think is Best attire. Look around at dinner and you see almost any kind of dress on many different people.

[leaveitallbehind]

8 minutes ago, bilyclub said:

MDR packed all the time maybe because the food is pretty good.

...could also be because, with the exception of the Windjammer buffet, Chops is the only specialty restaurant option and alternative venue to choose from on Empress.  And as is the case with all specialty restaurants, the seating is very limited compared to the MDR, so only a small number of passengers can enjoy that each night.

Edited January 14, 2020 by leaveitallbehind

[LB_NJ]

57 minutes ago, bilyclub said:

One formal,  one dress to impress on Empress. Didn't matter either way. MDR packed all the time maybe because the food is pretty good.

 

Empress typically doesn't do formal:

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/formal-dress-code-guideline

 

Anyway, all the cruise lines (with the possible exception of Cunard) NEVER enforce it.  Do a quick search on the CC boards and the topic pops up every week or so.  Largest flames of course on Cunard where more of the long term passengers care.

 

 

[bilyclub]

Maybe they weren't doing  formal when Cuba was on the list, but doing them,now.

[leaveitallbehind]

17 minutes ago, bilyclub said:

Maybe they weren't doing  formal when Cuba was on the list, but doing them,now.

Again, it doesn't matter what the dress suggestion is on any given night, with RCI - formal, dress your best, or otherwise - it is not enforced.  As mentioned before, it has not been for years fleet wide.

[loman]

on Allure in September , the greeter at the entrance to the dining room told me they do not turn anyone away .

People were dressed differently . Some formally , some not .

Id say about half the men wore jackets . 

I wont be bringing a jacket next time .

[bonsai3s]

Sigh...things do change...I was one of those that learned the hard way.

At least for breakfast and lunch.  This was many years ago, I was wearing a tank top and was told at the door to the MDR that tank tops are not allowed.

 

Note:  For fun, I did a "test" in 2015, on the Voyager, Aus/NZ sailing, and intentionally wore a tank top for breakfast...just to see if they would enforce the dress code.  Yes, they did.  I was told tank tops were not allowed for breakfast in the MDR.  (I was prepared...smiled...and put on another shirt I was carrying with me.)

[Ptroxx]

Just me.   But I refuse to do formal nights. Won’t be bringing pants.  I’m on vacation.  Lol

 like I said that’s me.    I could care less what others do.  I don’t feel outta place at all. 
im just not a formal wearing person.
I wear very nice button ups and nice shorts and I’m gtg.   

 

On NCL was the same suggestion wear your best.  But they still did a formal.    

[Tulsacoker]

12 minutes ago, Ptroxx said:

Just me.   But I refuse to do formal nights. Won’t be bringing pants.   

So your just going to Winnie the Poo it? 

[Ptroxx]

1 hour ago, Tulsacoker said:

So your just going to Winnie the Poo it? 

No I’ll wear short. Lol.  

[cruisegus]

Dress Your Best  is as good as it gets on future RCI cruises

And every customer get to decide what they consider that to be

[Caravan 37]

In late Sept we're doing a 6 day tour of China before embarking Voyager in Hong Kong for 17 days cruise via Singapore/Vietnam to Sydney (4 days in Sydney) then fly back to London.  I don't see a problem with formal (sequin etc) dresses but it would be handy not to have to bring a Tux particularly if the cruise is very informal usually and we'd look a little overdone.  Can anyone comment from personal experience please?