Formal Nights

[marazul]

You can get lobster any night if you order it 24 hours ahead of time.

Lobster will appear more than once in the menus.

[sandbag7]

On 2/4/2022 at 4:10 PM, frantic36 said:

Yes it has a special menu usually in main dining room. In the Colonnade that night they are more likely to have the French Menu. I don't worry about missing out on the French night menu now as I know I can special order with 24 hours notice to have escargot, chateaubriand or foie gras.

 

Can you get sautéed Foie Gras?  I’d want to do that every night.

[frantic36]

3 hours ago, sandbag7 said:

Can you get sautéed Foie Gras?  I’d want to do that every night.

 

I have ordered that as a starter in a special dinner previously with at least 24 hours notice. I don't know about every night but you could ask. That would be too rich for my palate 😄.

[shemansl]

On 2/4/2022 at 4:40 PM, Mahogany said:

Does the menu at The Restaurant on formal night tend to feature more "luxe" offerings like Beef Wellington, lobster, etc. than on other nights?

Following 

 

[Mr Luxury]

To be honest you can dine like a king every night on a Seabourn ship.

Pre ordering and planning will give you a menu that you want and nothing is too much trouble as I have witnessed on every cruise.

 

[phillipahain]

Currently on Odyssey      very very few Tuxedos or even jackets in evidence on Formal Nights and pretty much anything goes every night ...quite sad really 

[labonnevie]

On 10/18/2022 at 5:47 PM, phillipahain said:

Currently on Odyssey      very very few Tuxedos or even jackets in evidence on Formal Nights and pretty much anything goes every night ...quite sad really 

I would be interested in what the senior F & B staff or Hotel Director had to say about this. 
Can jeans and t shirts be far off?

[JPH814]

10 hours ago, labonnevie said:

I would be interested in what the senior F & B staff or Hotel Director had to say about this. 
Can jeans and t shirts be far off?

Not sure what staff would say.  But I am onboard the quest now.  Had dinner in the restaurant  on “formal” night. Here is what I saw

 

Women’s attire much harder to classify. But many long dresses /skirts.  Lots of sequins   Clearly a cut above even “dressy” category.  While not all would be what is usually considered “formal”, there were very few that I would consider under dressed for the “formal” standard. 
 

men’s attire is easier to classify.  Maybe 3-4%  true formal - meaning out of 100 men in the restaurant, there were 3 or 4 in tuxes or formal dinner jackets.  Men in suits and ties, about 20%.  Jacket and ties- 30%.  Jackets no ties. 30%. The rest -15% or so - were just pants and shirts.  
 

I saw no jeans in the restaurant on formal night. 
 

fwiw - I was one of the “formal” ones: white dinner jacket and black Bow tie. 

[calm down dear]

Yes from Encore formal this week I’d endorse JPH814, no jeans but at least 20% were I’d say in “normal” that is to say casual - trousers and various dare I say it - to borrow a phrase - “filling station” shirts. This was also the case in Keller too which normally is a bit more dressy - now to be clear I’m not at all bothered by dress and tend to find it a matter of taste that varies between us all. My own view is that it would be simpler just to state collared shirt , trousers and socks and shoes and that’s it. Tonight in club at 645 a man in bare feet and dressing gown sat down and was served coming in from rear pool.

[phillipahain]

Currently on Odyssey      very very few Tuxedos or even jackets in evidence on Formal Nights and pretty much anything goes every night ...quite sad really 

 

A week ago on formal night a jacketless man was presented with a jacket for back of his chair by MDR MD   ...it was treated with total disdain .....my OH insists on bringing and wearing Tux for Formal nights and yes i like to wear a really nice dress but did leave the sequins at home !    However if i packed for Seabourn again ..." oh dear i forgot your tux was still in wardrobe " would be my response to him  as so very very few men are remotely in formal dress .....no one can claim they did not have luggage allowance on this Odyssey cruise because Luggage Fwd was included 

[Astride]

8 hours ago, JPH814 said:

Not sure what staff would say.  But I am onboard the quest now.  Had dinner in the restaurant  on “formal” night. Here is what I saw

 

Women’s attire much harder to classify. But many long dresses /skirts.  Lots of sequins   Clearly a cut above even “dressy” category.  While not all would be what is usually considered “formal”, there were very few that I would consider under dressed for the “formal” standard. 
 

men’s attire is easier to classify.  Maybe 3-4%  true formal - meaning out of 100 men in the restaurant, there were 3 or 4 in tuxes or formal dinner jackets.  Men in suits and ties, about 20%.  Jacket and ties- 30%.  Jackets no ties. 30%. The rest -15% or so - were just pants and shirts.  
 

I saw no jeans in the restaurant on formal night. 
 

fwiw - I was one of the “formal” ones: white dinner jacket and black Bow tie. 

 

[Astride]

Just now, Astride said:

Bravo! Men look so good & classy in tuxedos. Perhaps if they knew that, they would be more inclined to dress up & please their partner & impress all the ladies as well!

 

[Catlover54]

2 hours ago, calm down dear said:

Yes from Encore formal this week I’d endorse JPH814, no jeans but at least 20% were I’d say in “normal” that is to say casual - trousers and various dare I say it - to borrow a phrase - “filling station” shirts. This was also the case in Keller too which normally is a bit more dressy - now to be clear I’m not at all bothered by dress and tend to find it a matter of taste that varies between us all. My own view is that it would be simpler just to state collared shirt , trousers and socks and shoes and that’s it. Tonight in club at 645 a man in bare feet and dressing gown sat down and was served coming in from rear pool.

 

I am not familiar with the term "filling station" shirts.  I certainly hope they are not the same as "wife beater" shirts.  😳

 

Keller tends more dressy in general on nights that are not "formal", but unless I'm mistaken, it is a place pax can go on formal nights to avoid the "formal" requirements in the Restaurant. 

 

As for just requiring "collared shirt, trouser, and socks and shoes" that could create a problem for some Europeans cruising in summer.  A surprising number of them are fond of shoes without socks -- though they are often elegant and expensive shoes. I would be ok with not requiring socks on men as long as the feet are covered -- I have an aesthetic problem with hairy toes, but maybe it's just me, and of course I can 'avert my eyes'. 

 

I love looking at varying interesting clothing and footwear, and just observing attire choices, and sometimes wondering how people come up with their choices --it is fun and part of the joy of cruising.  DH also looks pretty snazzy in a dark suit with a fancy tie (which he never wears at home), so of course I am biased to have a little bit of dress-up going on for special nights. 🙂

 

 

 

Edited October 20, 2022 by Catlover54
Typo

[florisdekort]

TKG is smart casual every night, which is why we dine there on formal nights - to avoid having to pack and wear dinner jackets. We do obviously adhere to the description of the smart casual dress code. 

Edited October 20, 2022 by florisdekort

[SLSD]

1 hour ago, florisdekort said:

TKG is smart casual every night, which is why we dine there on formal nights - to avoid having to pack and wear dinner jackets. We do obviously adhere to the description of the smart casual dress code. 

We've observed a cut above smart casual (pre-Covid) in the TKG.  In fact, we dress dressier than smart casual most evenings. 

[florisdekort]

3 hours ago, SLSD said:

We've observed a cut above smart casual (pre-Covid) in the TKG.  In fact, we dress dressier than smart casual most evenings. 

I’m not interested at all in what other people wear or what they want the dress code to be. I’m only interested in complying with what the dress code is as per Seabourn’s website. 

[SLSD]

44 minutes ago, florisdekort said:

I’m not interested at all in what other people wear or what they want the dress code to be. I’m only interested in complying with what the dress code is as per Seabourn’s website. 

I totally understand and see it as open to interpretation based on on individual culture.  What is smart casual in one locale may be considered less than that in another.  

[calm down dear]

8 hours ago, Catlover54 said:

 

I am not familiar with the term "filling station" shirts.  I certainly hope they are not the same as "wife beater" shirts.  😳

 

Keller tends more dressy in general on nights that are not "formal", but unless I'm mistaken, it is a place pax can go on formal nights to avoid the "formal" requirements in the Restaurant. 

 

As for just requiring "collared shirt, trouser, and socks and shoes" that could create a problem for some Europeans cruising in summer.  A surprising number of them are fond of shoes without socks -- though they are often elegant and expensive shoes. I would be ok with not requiring socks on men as long as the feet are covered -- I have an aesthetic problem with hairy toes, but maybe it's just me, and of course I can 'avert my eyes'. 

 

I love looking at varying interesting clothing and footwear, and just observing attire choices, and sometimes wondering how people come up with their choices --it is fun and part of the joy of cruising.  DH also looks pretty snazzy in a dark suit with a fancy tie (which he never wears at home), so of course I am biased to have a little bit of dress-up going on for special nights. 🙂

 

 

 

“filling station shirt” - a line from Sunset Boulevard when someone’s proposed attire for an evening function was questioned - both provenance of said shirt and style for the event. 

[Flamin_June]

The Dress Code Thread was closed and put out to grass some time ago, but the topic clearly has some appeal, and like our Boris Johnson, appears to be trying to make a come back here.....

[MBP&O2/O]

We have our first SB cruise next year ... 14d Alaska ... I suspect I may be viewed as 'over dressed' should I decide to wear a tux.🙄

Do I care? No 🙂

[JPH814]

36 minutes ago, Flamin_June said:

The Dress Code Thread was closed and put out to grass some time ago, but the topic clearly has some appeal, and like our Boris Johnson, appears to be trying to make a come back here.....

Agree that the “for/against formal” debate is stale.  But it is still good to keep up with the current trends of “ what’s happening now”. 

[Flamin_June]

Yes

1 hour ago, JPH814 said:

Agree that the “for/against formal” debate is stale.  But it is still good to keep up with the current trends of “ what’s happening now”. 

Yes it is, I agree, and have , on the whole, been enjoying this thread.

Edited October 21, 2022 by Flamin_June

[Mr Luxury]

2 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

We have our first SB cruise next year ... 14d Alaska ... I suspect I may be viewed as 'over dressed' should I decide to wear a tux.🙄

Do I care? No 🙂

Good for you.

[Astride]

On 10/20/2022 at 6:07 PM, Catlover54 said:

 

I am not familiar with the term "filling station" shirts.  I certainly hope they are not the same as "wife beater" shirts.  😳

 

Keller tends more dressy in general on nights that are not "formal", but unless I'm mistaken, it is a place pax can go on formal nights to avoid the "formal" requirements in the Restaurant. 

 

As for just requiring "collared shirt, trouser, and socks and shoes" that could create a problem for some Europeans cruising in summer.  A surprising number of them are fond of shoes without socks -- though they are often elegant and expensive shoes. I would be ok with not requiring socks on men as long as the feet are covered -- I have an aesthetic problem with hairy toes, but maybe it's just me, and of course I can 'avert my eyes'. 

 

I love looking at varying interesting clothing and footwear, and just observing attire choices, and sometimes wondering how people come up with their choices --it is fun and part of the joy of cruising.  DH also looks pretty snazzy in a dark suit with a fancy tie (which he never wears at home), so of course I am biased to have a little bit of dress-up going on for special nights. 🙂

 

 

 

Pardon my silliness but women can have hairy toes too.

[JodiandFrank]

This thread has got me thinking.  Is a “Filling Station Shirt” similar to a “Bowling Team Shirt”?   You know, with the person’s name embroidered on the front side of the shirt?!?!?