Questions... Children, Formal Dress, Smoking, more???

[MBP&O2/O]

When I used to go to South Africa the business men there used to wear what was sold as a 'Safari Suit'. It was a lightweight linen jacket with matching pants .... which were in fact knee length shorts! The suit was worn with a collar and tie. This 'dress code' was wholly acceptable.

 

[ctjon]

I remember the days when we used to put suits on to go to the movies. 

Do people wear formal other than ships, weddings and ???  Remember when you could rent your tux on the ship.

 

I have traveled a lot on Crystal and their policy has changed over the years - people need to be dressed up but not formal (of course Crystal doesn't really exist anymore but I don't think dress code is the reason).  Sure no jeans, shorts, etc. but nice slacks, shirt and a jacket would be fine with me. 

[applefan75]

5 hours ago, joseph123 said:

So to address my question regarding this topic...

Sounds like I would need to wear an obligatory jacket on at least 4 of the 7 nights of my Caribbean cruise or eat only in my cabin and not be able to enjoy the public lounges on the ship in the evening? This is what I am trying to be clear on.

If so, I will book elsewhere.

Not sure what all the fuss is about, I can see people being concerned about relaxing the policy to the point where people might show up in shorts and t-shirts, but hey, If we are judging style here I would put my smart casual attire up against some that I have seen on formal nights in their stodgy old suits any day-- and I think I would probably look better!
Hey folks, beauty (and style) is in the eye of the beholder!

Is it really that hard to throw on a jacket for a couple hours during dinner.  The things people stress over.

[joseph123]

1 hour ago, applefan75 said:

Is it really that hard to throw on a jacket for a couple hours during dinner.  The things people stress over.

I think you are missing the point big time. I could throw on an old worn and dated jacket just to meet the dress code requirement and show up at dinner and that would be OK rather than showing up very nicely dressed without? Does not make sense. I agree... the things people stress over!

[ronrick1943]

7 hours ago, joseph123 said:

So to address my question regarding this topic...

Sounds like I would need to wear an obligatory jacket on at least 4 of the 7 nights of my Caribbean cruise or eat only in my cabin and not be able to enjoy the public lounges on the ship in the evening? This is what I am trying to be clear on.

If so, I will book elsewhere.

Not sure what all the fuss is about, I can see people being concerned about relaxing the policy to the point where people might show up in shorts and t-shirts, but hey, If we are judging style here I would put my smart casual attire up against some that I have seen on formal nights in their stodgy old suits any day-- and I think I would probably look better!
Hey folks, beauty (and style) is in the eye of the beholder!

I was thinking according to the rules you need a jacket every night unless you’re at the Grill.  Am I wrong?

[ronrick1943]

Just now, joseph123 said:

I think you are missing the point big time. I could throw on an old worn and dated jacket just to meet the dress code requirement and show up at dinner and that would be OK rather than showing up very nicely dressed without? Does not make sense. I agree... the things people stress over!

Couldn’t agree more——

[scseas]

20 minutes ago, ronrick1943 said:

I was thinking according to the rules you need a jacket every night unless you’re at the Grill.  Am I wrong?

I asked this question in another thread and never got an answer - 

 

 

3) Are jackets needed for S.A.L.T, Hot Rock/Grill for dinner, Silver Note, La Terrezza? I assume La Dame is jacket and tie, but I guess I should ask about that one too.

[Lois R]

23 minutes ago, scseas said:

I asked this question in another thread and never got an answer - 

 

 

3) Are jackets needed for S.A.L.T, Hot Rock/Grill for dinner, Silver Note, La Terrezza? I assume La Dame is jacket and tie, but I guess I should ask about that one too.

No, jackets are not needed for Hot Rocks/Grill......this is an outside venue at the pool........it is totally casual.

[sea bright]

Jackets are supposed to be worn for the indoor restaurants on informal nights. No jackets required anywhere on casual nights. On formal nights, a jacket alone is OK for LaTerrazza and I believe Kaiseki - the other indoor restaurants are formal. On all of our recent Silversea cruises (Moon in Greece and South America) the dress code was followed by virtually every one. 

 

 

 

[Stumblefoot]

On 3/21/2022 at 7:22 AM, joseph123 said:

Hello, I am considering a Silverseas cruise in the Caribbean sailing out of San Juan this winter and have a few questions that I am hoping to get answered prior to booking. I have taken many main stream cruise line cruises and am looking for a less crowded, smaller ship for a more relaxing and peaceful cruise experience.

 

Formal Attire- We hung up our formal attire some time back and have vowed to only be smart casual while on vacation- meaning no jackets for us! I understand that there will only be one 1 formal night on a 7 day cruise, but on that night and other semi-formal nights will we feel very out of place and banished to our rooms? Would be interested in hearing what others feel album this.

 

On 3/21/2022 at 9:38 AM, joseph123 said:

My main concern is feeling out of place if not dressed formally.

 

On 3/21/2022 at 10:43 AM, joseph123 said:

It is a small ship and I don't want to feel really out of place. From others who have sailed, any thoughts? 

 

On 3/21/2022 at 3:08 PM, joseph123 said:

So sounds as if I am not going to fit in here? I am asking these questions to determine if I should book this cruise. From the sounds of many of these posts, it does not seem that smartly casual attire would be welcome on any nights other than the casual dedicated evenings.

 

10 hours ago, joseph123 said:

So to address my question regarding this topic...

Sounds like I would need to wear an obligatory jacket on at least 4 of the 7 nights of my Caribbean cruise or eat only in my cabin and not be able to enjoy the public lounges on the ship in the evening? This is what I am trying to be clear on.

If so, I will book elsewhere.

 

3 hours ago, joseph123 said:

I think you are missing the point big time. I could throw on an old worn and dated jacket just to meet the dress code requirement and show up at dinner and that would be OK rather than showing up very nicely dressed without?

joseph123, although I didn’t see which ship you are considering, from the looks of your original post and subsequent replies, it appears that even if SS were to assuage all of the concerns you laid out other than clothing attire, if you were asked to wear a jacket during dining hours, that would be a deal breaker since you and your partner only dress causally smart without any jacket while on vacation.  Did I summarize your writing correctly?

 

If so, recognizing how significant an expense a SS voyage would be, even if priced less than Viking, no, SS is not the right choice for you in my opinion.  While SS would never banish you to your suite on any evening, knowing how important fitting in is to you, I don’t believe you would find the voyage relaxing, no matter how peaceful the intimacy of the small SS ship is or accommodating the line would be to your needs.

 

Best wishes to you as you continue to plan a wonderful vacation!

[joseph123]

I tend to agree. On our most recent cruises we have never felt out of place dressing smart casual on formal nights, but I am thinking that would not be the case with SS. 

[englandsrose]

I would try Regent - relaxed dress code and a similar experience I think. 

[gogo65]

16 hours ago, applefan75 said:

Is it really that hard to throw on a jacket for a couple hours during dinner.  The things people stress over.

I suppose thats where we are all different. 

Yes it would mean that we wouldn’t go to the main dining room on formal or informal nights and yes regardless of that, my husband would not take a jacket. 

We are packing for 8 weeks, there are other things we need to take, but regardless a relaxing holiday to us does not include dressing up, but rather relaxed casual clothes, being spoilt with good food and wine, enjoying fresh air, spectacular places and interesting days.

We tend to do expedition cruises, unfortunately the itinerary we like is not an expedition.

Out of 15 nights it seems that only 5 are casual dress, so 10 nights will be room service or the grill.

So yes, we are contemplating wether we should pay $$$ for an itinerary we like, an experience we crave but unable to benefit from enjoying a nice meal.

Edited March 23, 2022 by gogo65

[turtlemichael]

15 minutes ago, gogo65 said:

 

So yes, we are contemplating wether we should pay $$$ for an itinerary we like, an experience we crave but unable to benefit from enjoying a nice meal.

While I wouldn't dare tell you what you should do, I can say that I would not be going on a cruise where I had to spend 10 of the 15 nights in the cabin for dinner because of my self-imposed restrictions. There are other very good cruise lines to consider.

[cotto22]

I like to dress up, but a mandatory formal night does seem rather dated, and for my husband, daunting. And it also makes packing more of an issue. We haven't sailed on SS in many years, but a few months ago booked an 2024 Auckland-Bali cruise because of the itinerary (Regent's did not include Sydney. We are also considering a September 2023 SS cruise and really wish they formal nights could go bye bye.

  We have primarily sailed on Regent and Oceania, and have not seen anyone abusing the CC casual suggestions. On our last cruise, an Oceania TA in November, I was actually amazed at how dressed up everyone was in the evenings: sequins, glitter and some tuxedoes. But these were the choice of the guests, not something from the cruise line.

  My husband will probably end up having to have his one of his suits altered since he has lost weight since he bought it before he retired, He does have a Tux that he bought for our daughter's wedding, and that we brought on our previous SS cruises, but that just seems so James Bondish! These are not big issues, but for some it might be a reason not to sail on SS.

  

 

  

[frantic36]

7 minutes ago, cotto22 said:

I like to dress up, but a mandatory formal night does seem rather dated, and for my husband, daunting. And it also makes packing more of an issue. We haven't sailed on SS in many years, but a few months ago booked an 2024 Auckland-Bali cruise because of the itinerary (Regent's did not include Sydney. We are also considering a September 2023 SS cruise and really wish they formal nights could go bye bye.

  We have primarily sailed on Regent and Oceania, and have not seen anyone abusing the CC casual suggestions. On our last cruise, an Oceania TA in November, I was actually amazed at how dressed up everyone was in the evenings: sequins, glitter and some tuxedoes. But these were the choice of the guests, not something from the cruise line.

  My husband will probably end up having to have his one of his suits altered since he has lost weight since he bought it before he retired, He does have a Tux that he bought for our daughter's wedding, and that we brought on our previous SS cruises, but that just seems so James Bondish! These are not big issues, but for some it might be a reason not to sail on SS.

  

 

  

 

He doesn't need to to wear a tuxedo or even a formal suit. A dark jacket with dark pants works. He can wear the dark jacket on informal nights if he wants with light coloured pants. To inject some fun my husband wears a bow tie either plain or patterned. 

 

I don't know why but when I worked in a hospital the senior doctors who wore bow ties seemed competent but more relatable.

 

 

[Silver Sweethearts]

One thing that wasn't mentioned - or perhaps things have been changed - is that no matter where one dines, following dinner all gentlemen are required to wear a jacket when in public spaces on the ship.

[les37b]

As others have said....

 

Firstly, you will both be more than welcomed on board.

 

Children. Depending on the cruise and dates. That said, I've encountered very few and none have been a problem. I fortunately never encountered "little Nico".

 

Formal nights. The MDR would require you to wear a Jacket on formal night, however, la terrezza, hot rocks or Spacconali will be pleased to welcome you without one. Personally, I enjoy the formal nights, but it's not forced on you should you choose not to participate and many don't. You wouldn't be out of place.

 

WiFi. Yes it's free and it is possible to pay to upgrade. It's generally worked ok for me, but I've certainly had better. 

 

Smoking. Like on all ships, smoking is banned on balconies so this won't be a problem. (If someone did ignore, report them! It's not just because of the smell, it's potentially dangerous.)  There is a smoking room which won't affect you, plus on the bar side of the pool plus on one side of la terrazzo and arts cafe, smoking is allowed. It's easy to avoid even when in these locations and shouldn't be a deal breaker.

 

Drinks. Yes, including "fancy" cocktails, drinks are included. The free wine list is extensive, though as you'd expect, you won't be given $250 bottles of champers for free and unsurprisingly, there is a large list of wines you can buy by the bottle. I don't believe cocktails will be listed as chargeable whatever you have. (Unless it includes the $250 bottles of champagne!) 

 

Viking is a good choice, but is a step down from Silversea and I'm happy to recommend both.... Indeed I have 3 Silversea and 2 Viking in the pipeline, which is a pretty good indicator!)

 

Here's a couple of the (free) fancy cocktails I had on Silver Moon in January.... Cheers....

 

 

 

 

 

[Lois R]

6 hours ago, les37b said:

As others have said....

 

Firstly, you will both be more than welcomed on board.

 

Children. Depending on the cruise and dates. That said, I've encountered very few and none have been a problem. I fortunately never encountered "little Nico".

 

Formal nights. The MDR would require you to wear a Jacket on formal night, however, la terrezza, hot rocks or Spacconali will be pleased to welcome you without one. Personally, I enjoy the formal nights, but it's not forced on you should you choose not to participate and many don't. You wouldn't be out of place.

 

WiFi. Yes it's free and it is possible to pay to upgrade. It's generally worked ok for me, but I've certainly had better. 

 

Smoking. Like on all ships, smoking is banned on balconies so this won't be a problem. (If someone did ignore, report them! It's not just because of the smell, it's potentially dangerous.)  There is a smoking room which won't affect you, plus on the bar side of the pool plus on one side of la terrazzo and arts cafe, smoking is allowed. It's easy to avoid even when in these locations and shouldn't be a deal breaker.

 

Drinks. Yes, including "fancy" cocktails, drinks are included. The free wine list is extensive, though as you'd expect, you won't be given $250 bottles of champers for free and unsurprisingly, there is a large list of wines you can buy by the bottle. I don't believe cocktails will be listed as chargeable whatever you have. (Unless it includes the $250 bottles of champagne!) 

 

Viking is a good choice, but is a step down from Silversea and I'm happy to recommend both.... Indeed I have 3 Silversea and 2 Viking in the pipeline, which is a pretty good indicator!)

 

Here's a couple of the (free) fancy cocktails I had on Silver Moon in January.... Cheers....

 

 

 

 

 

I am enjoying your live from very much and thanks for the SALT BAR photos😃

[Gourmet Gal]

On 3/21/2022 at 11:43 AM, machotspur said:

This exact subject is being discussed on a roll call - a 7 day cruise next week where 'My Silversea' is stating that there are no formal nights.

 

My enquiries to Silversea London today brought the following response ...

 

During all our cruises there is at least one formal night. In this case it is a 7 day cruise, so guests will have 1 formal night, usually on the second day, or on sea day (if there is in the itinerary).

 So yes, guests need to bring a formal suite.

 

All I need to do now is seek out one of these 'formal suite' pieces of attire 😉

I was just reading the details for my upcoming cruise and it is clearly stated that on cruises of 7 nights or less there will be a formal night but formal attire is at the discretion of the guest.

 

I think that’s fabulous and perhaps that change will eventually roll out to longer cruises.

Edited March 26, 2022 by Gourmet Gal

[gogo65]

4 hours ago, Gourmet Gal said:

I was just reading the details for my upcoming cruise and it is clearly stated that on cruises of 7 nights or less there will be a formal night but formal attire is at the discretion of the guest.

 

I think that’s fabulous and perhaps that change will eventually roll out to longer cruises.

That’s interesting and a step in the right direction.

Id be happy to eat elsewhere for formal nights but it would be nice not to have to wear a jacket in semi formal nights. 
May least that allows one to eat in the main dining room for the majority of nights 

[Silver Spectre]

There are tens of thousands of happy Silversea cruisers who either love or happily accept the dress code, and yet every few weeks we get another extremely small set of vocal moaners on here who would like to try SS but only on their terms. Why not stick to Regent or one of the other country casual ( whatever that actually means) cruise lines. Please go back and read the many, many threads on this topic, and if you really must post then how about coming up with something original.

[markham]

What I like most about the classical ships of Silversea is the vibe, the tone, its standards - or whatever you want to call it. I imagine it’s driven by what has suited its many loyal passengers over many years, and the result is that we know what we are getting on Silversea. 
 

The line has an international clientele ie not predominately one country’s group, and this demographic overwhelmingly respects the dress code. And maybe other standards of decorum- as in “low key”. Never have I heard the boorish frat boy hollering and yelling that I have witnessed at bars, restaurants and poolside on some other luxury lines. Simple as that.
 

Wearing a sports or dinner jacket is no burden for me, and I hope that those who cannot tolerate the notion of dress standards and/or a couple of formal nights in several Silverseas’ restaurants and other venues enjoy their holidays elsewhere. It also probably means Silversea is out of step with Regent. I am glad it is, and is one reason why I will remain loyal to Silversea and avoid Regent and its ilk.

Happy and healthy sailing!

 

[cruiseej]

10 hours ago, Silver Spectre said:

There are tens of thousands of happy Silversea cruisers who either love or happily accept the dress code.

 

@Silver Spectre I doubt that you have any way to measure the degree of happiness (or unhappiness) with the SS dress code across the scope of its clientele. 😉

 

Yes, we know some people like formal dress and want to see the line continue to require it. And we know some people would like to see it relaxed a little, as some other cruise lines have done. (To be clear, to me, "relaxed a little" doesn't equate to ripped jeans and t-shirts, as someone always seems to bring up as the inevitable next step.) I "accept" the dress code, and do when aboard any Silversea ship, or any ship. That doesn't mean I accept it happily. 😉  I have no problem dressing nicely for dinner every night, and wearing a sport jacket some evenings; I don't like lugging a suit to wear for perhaps just a single night, but I do. I don't like being required to wear a jacket to go to a bar after dinner — even if I dined at a restaurant which didn't require it — especially on very warm weather cruises. And I never understand why the presence or absence of a tie around my neck when I'm wearing a suit matters to anyone else (with the possible exception of my wife), but again, if the dress code requires it, I comply.

 

Telling people to "stick to Regent" if they express an opinion about wishing they didn't have to wear a jacket in order to dine or go to a bar is, well, I'll just call it impolite. There are many reasons why people choose to cruise with a particular cruise line: ship, itinerary, staff, service, food, drink, ambiance, passengers, etc. For some, dress code may be enough of a factor to add to that list; for many, it's too inconsequential to make a decision to select a particular cruise based on the dress code.

 

If we want to travel on Silversea, then we have, and we will, follow whatever policies exist. That doesn't mean I can't wish that some policies might be tweaked from time time time. For instance, passenger feedback has helped drive change in smoking policies on cruise lines, including Silversea, over time. (I regard that as a good thing; someone who likes to smoke probably regards it as a bad thing.) If Silversea can continually fill its ships with passengers who desire its more formal dress code, then it will keep things the same; if it hears feedback from enough customers over time asking for things to change, then they eventually will. It's best to accept that whether they change things or they change nothing, neither will satisfy everyone.

[frantic36]

3 hours ago, cruiseej said:

(To be clear, to me, "relaxed a little" doesn't equate to ripped jeans and t-shirts, as someone always seems to bring up as the inevitable next step.

 

@cruiseejthankfully not many, but since Seabourn relaxed it's dress code that it is a suggestion not a rule about jeans, I have actually seen a few over the years turn up to dine in the MDR  wearing just this. Apparently because they were D & G or some other high end label they thought they should be allowed. 

 

Some were redirected to the Colonnade but some young adults who were with a large family group were allowed to dine in the MDR. Actually I could deal with the jeans but I tended to avoid sitting near them because of the noisy young toddlers and the family always dined late.