Are men required to wear a jacket after 6pm all evenings in public spaces?

[dusababy]

19 hours ago, Rothko1 said:

I think it will be a real shame if things go completely casual.  Because it is a never ending slippery slope.

 

Let's not require black tie, they can wear dark suits.  Then it becomes blazers and ties instead; then just blazers.  Forget blazers, just let men wear trousers and shirts with collars.  Then it slips to jeans and nice shirts, who cares if there is a collar?  Then nice shorts; nice dressy t-shirts.  Hey, why dress up - I'm on vacation.  My bathing suit is nice, and its expensive.  That baseball hat was from Pebble Beach - its classy.  The cabin is so far away, I don't want to go and change. It's my money, my vacation, so I'll wear whatever I like, and I don't care what anyone thinks anyways.

I am so effing tired of men (little boys) rebelling against the "rules" just because they can !   They are destroying a big part of what makes Silversea special, and are doing a great deal to reduce it to just another mass market mosh.  Please please grow up.  Respect rules.  Management  - please please ENFORCE the codes,  Guests - protest nicely when violations occur.  Everyone - let's act like ladies and gentlemen and we'll all enjoy it more. 

[RetiredandTravel]

25 minutes ago, dusababy said:

I am so effing tired of men (little boys) rebelling against the "rules" just because they can !   They are destroying a big part of what makes Silversea special, and are doing a great deal to reduce it to just another mass market mosh.  Please please grow up.  Respect rules.  Management  - please please ENFORCE the codes,  Guests - protest nicely when violations occur.  Everyone - let's act like ladies and gentlemen and we'll all enjoy it more. 

 

 

Agreed.  I don't care if jackets are required or not at dinner but what I do care about is that the rules aren't being enforced.  It certainly puts the SS employees in a tough spot.  Maybe the remedy is when someone walks into the Dining Room out of code (shorts/tank tops) the entire Dining Room gives them a standing ovation when they enter and leave.   Would take some coordinating but could be done.

 

 

Edited August 1, 2022 by RetiredandTravel

[Gourmet Gal]

28 minutes ago, dusababy said:

I am so effing tired of men (little boys) rebelling against the "rules" just because they can !   They are destroying a big part of what makes Silversea special, and are doing a great deal to reduce it to just another mass market mosh.  Please please grow up.  Respect rules.  Management  - please please ENFORCE the codes,  Guests - protest nicely when violations occur.  Everyone - let's act like ladies and gentlemen and we'll all enjoy it more. 

Agree with respecting rules, whatever they may be.  I just wish the vibe and dress codes were more country club or high-end resort rather than black-tie gala at the dressiest spectrum.
 

 I disagree that the formal night dress code is what makes SS special.  The line has plenty more going for it.

[Silver Spectre]

19 minutes ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Agree with respecting rules, whatever they may be.  I just wish the vibe and dress codes were more country club or high-end resort rather than black-tie gala at the dressiest spectrum.
 

 I disagree that the formal night dress code is what makes SS special.  The line has plenty more going for it.

IMHO you are totally wrong and your continued attempts to change what makes it special are tiresome at best. You are part of a very vocal minority who seem to believe that repetition will wear us down and make SS conform to your point of view.

[Gourmet Gal]

3 hours ago, Silver Spectre said:

IMHO you are totally wrong and your continued attempts to change what makes it special are tiresome at best. You are part of a very vocal minority who seem to believe that repetition will wear us down and make SS conform to your point of view.

Well, that’s rather harsh but you and I are both entitled to our opinions here on Cruise Critic.  The SS dress code is obviously going to adapt to the modern world eventually but don’t worry,  you will still be able to dress up as much as you would like.

[Mr Luxury]

12 hours ago, Silver Spectre said:

Referencing Virgin calling their guests Sailors. 🤪

Oh I got that part.

I just watched another episode of the cruise.

It's not a ship I see myself on

[lincslady]

I can't believe this thread is still running.  Can someone just give the definitive answer to the OP's question, please.  Or if it is unclear, ask Silversea to print whatever the rule is in it's advice on clothing?

 

Lola

[Mr Luxury]

22 minutes ago, lincslady said:

I can't believe this thread is still running.  Can someone just give the definitive answer to the OP's question, please.  Or if it is unclear, ask Silversea to print whatever the rule is in it's advice on clothing?

 

Lola

I think dress codes on ships are very clear and obvious but some people like to invent their own dress code to suit themselves.

Following a dress code is very easy but I guess some people like to rebel because they don't really know how to dress properly in a situation that might not be what they are used to in their everyday life.

[lincslady]

Yes, Mr. L, but I have a feeling that this specific requirement is not mentioned in SS literature, which gives wiggle room to those who want to rebel.  I don't believe there is a sentence which says 'men are required to wear a jacket in all venues (maybe not outdoors?) for the whole  evening on formal nights'.  That would, I hope, put an end to this endless discussion.

 

Lola

[commodoredave]

2 hours ago, lincslady said:

I can't believe this thread is still running.  Can someone just give the definitive answer to the OP's question, please.  Or if it is unclear, ask Silversea to print whatever the rule is in it's advice on clothing?

 

Lola

It is impossible to provide a definitive answer to the OP's question as there is no consistent enforcement of dress code throughout the SS fleet. 

Is a jacket required for men after 6:00 pm? Yes, except for casual night, according to the SS policy and notices in the Daily Chronicle. The other dress codes are Informal (jacket required) and Formal (Tuxedo, dark suit, or dinner jacket with tie required). 

However, the dress code is not consistently enforced, meaning that on many cruises, men can dress as they wish (within reason).

My advice to the OP is that her husband should bring a jacket and tie on the cruise just in case the dress code policy is enforced. If the policy is not enforced, he can choose to do as he wishes. 

 

[lincslady]

Fine, then, if men know that they are not going to be  told to get a jacket by the staff (I can understand staff finding it difficult to say this, to some people!)  then this is what will happen. Sad, but there you are.

 

Lola

 

 

[Tothesunset]

Entropy. The tendency of organisation to disintegrate gradually into disorder. 

 

Formal dress. The tendency of perfectly well understood requirements to gradually descend into a race to the bottom. 

 

 

[Mr Luxury]

One thing that I have noticed over the years is that the Maitre d' might mention to a guest that he is not be dressed appropriately for the evening but he does not always get backed up from his Hotel Manager for fear of upsetting a guest that might not return to the line.

Strong and efficient management and all singing from the same hymn book makes for a much better understanding for everyone.

[C-sea]

11 hours ago, commodoredave said:

 

My advice to the OP is that her husband should bring a jacket and tie on the cruise just in case the dress code policy is enforced. If the policy is not enforced, he can choose to do as he wishes. 

 

OP here....  Keep in mind this was a 15 nt cruise on Silver Spirit, the newer ships maybe different. We did bring a dark suit and tie along with 2 sports jackets. Not happy about it requiring an extra suitcase. We ate mostly in Atlantide, sometimes the dress code would be enforced sometimes not. Formal night was listed as Formal/Informal so a dark suit was not needed. A sports jacket with tie would suffice. In Our Humble Opinion....What bothered us was the food was not elevated to a more celebratory level on formal nights. For Us... We didn't enjoy this formal requirement because the food quality wasn't there on multiple nights.

[commodoredave]

19 hours ago, C-sea said:

OP here....  Keep in mind this was a 15 nt cruise on Silver Spirit, the newer ships maybe different. We did bring a dark suit and tie along with 2 sports jackets. Not happy about it requiring an extra suitcase. We ate mostly in Atlantide, sometimes the dress code would be enforced sometimes not. Formal night was listed as Formal/Informal so a dark suit was not needed. A sports jacket with tie would suffice. In Our Humble Opinion....What bothered us was the food was not elevated to a more celebratory level on formal nights. For Us... We didn't enjoy this formal requirement because the food quality wasn't there on multiple nights.

Thanks for the update. What bothers me the most is the total lack of consistency from ship to ship, cruise to cruise, and sometimes even maitre d' to maitre d'. On my current cruise (Whisper), there has been almost no enforcement of dress code, especially for Informal nights. It's time for Silversea to enforce a dress code, or get rid of it. 

 

[JJRP]

On 7/5/2022 at 1:31 PM, Rothko1 said:

 

Touché.   A point to the Englishman.

 

Look, it's easy; buy a nice blue blazer if you don't have one.  Wear it every night except formal night (which is dinner jacket).  The end.  🙂  

Exactly, thank you.  When in doubt, you can never go far wrong with a blue blazer.  And throw a tie or two in the suitcase, just in case.  

[JJRP]

On 7/14/2022 at 9:00 AM, pf778c said:

I thought I'd never respond to one of these threads, but...

 

I agree that Silversea needs to state their dress code with more clarity and stick to it.  It's no secret that it is a more "formal" line, so there should be no excuses.  It seems Silversea has already accommodated guests  that prefer to dress casually for dinner by offering The Grill, Spaccanapoli, and in-suite dining, and (horrors!), if one can be bothered to but pack a simple jacket, La Terrazza, Seishin, Kaiseki, or Silver Note (not sure about the new S.A.L.T. Bar).  And there are usually ample casual nights to sample Atlantide, Indochine, and La Dame.  If, after all that, the dress code still traumatizes you, just sail another line!  With the absence of corsets, starched collars, and boiled shirtfronts, it really doesn't take much to get dressed for dinner, even without a lady's maid or manservant, and even after a day-long excursion, although formal nights are usually scheduled for sea days, and I personally prefer to schedule a more relaxed meal in La Terrazza or in-suite for port days that are especially grueling.

 

I think we all book cruises with Silversea because they are unique in certain ways.  Why clamor for them to lose their uniqueness?

My understanding is that SS does provide a manservant (indeed, a butler), so that is no excuse for dressing down.

[cruiseej]

On 8/2/2022 at 12:55 AM, lincslady said:

Can someone just give the definitive answer to the OP's question, please.

 

I agree! Although this thread has meandered through all the normal machinations about the SS dress code, I think there's a simple answer to the question, isn't there? I thought the original question was a good one, because it does cause some confusion. When people ask about the SS dress code, most responses here tend to point out that you have the option of dining in several venues without formal attire on designated formal nights. But the question was: following dinner, what's the dress code, if any, for going to the theater or a bar/lounge? And the answer is provided in SIlversea's buried dress code explanation on the website:

 

"Following dinner, all guests are free to take advantage of any or all public spaces, however, jacket is required."

 

Isn't that all there is to it? On a formal night, if you don't wear formal clothing and dine in one of the venues which allows informal or casual attire, then you are free to use the other venues on the ship as long as a man is wearing a jacket. So if you dine at The Grill, or in your suite, without a jacket, you need to add one if you want to go to a bar or the theater. If you dine at La Terrazza wearing a sport jacket, you're fine to visit any other areas of the ship after dinner. 

 

(Note that this has nothing to do with whether there is lax — or no — enforcement of the dress code, nor whether the dress code ought/ought not to be changed in the future.

 

That said, Silversea could make this so much easier for everyone if they made the dress code more visible and made the text clearer with a few simple changes:

 

1. They currently bury the dress code in the website section for "Packing your cruise luggage", which is not what people look for when searching for the dress code.  They cause further confusion because the text is under "Clothing suggestions" — which does not sound like mandatory policy at all. That could be resolved if they instead created a heading like "Dress code on Silversea Ships" or "Policy for evening attire on Silversea Ships."
2. It would be less confusing if the text made clear the attire for each of the three levels of the dress code, and how it varies by venue on the ship.
3. They could answer a frequent question by adding subheadings to separate Classic cruises from Expedition cruises. Currently, Expedition cruise dress code is not mentioned at all.
4. And they need to update the text about there options for informal dining on formal nights. Currently, the text says: "On formal nights, guests may dine in La Terrazza and choose to dress informal...This option also applies to Seishin and Stars on board Silver Spirit." Huh? Stars? I'm guessing that is the former name for what is now Silver Note. That text is about four years out of date. And why does it specifically single out Silver Spirit, and not any of the new ships? The text needs to be updated to reflect the 2022 (and ideally 2023) ships and dining venues. 

 

Ten minutes of editing the website could take away 98% of confusion and questions about the dress code!

 

[JJRP]

On 8/4/2022 at 7:03 PM, cruiseej said:

 

I agree! Although this thread has meandered through all the normal machinations about the SS dress code, I think there's a simple answer to the question, isn't there? I thought the original question was a good one, because it does cause some confusion. When people ask about the SS dress code, most responses here tend to point out that you have the option of dining in several venues without formal attire on designated formal nights. But the question was: following dinner, what's the dress code, if any, for going to the theater or a bar/lounge? And the answer is provided in SIlversea's buried dress code explanation on the website:

 

"Following dinner, all guests are free to take advantage of any or all public spaces, however, jacket is required."

 

Isn't that all there is to it? On a formal night, if you don't wear formal clothing and dine in one of the venues which allows informal or casual attire, then you are free to use the other venues on the ship as long as a man is wearing a jacket. So if you dine at The Grill, or in your suite, without a jacket, you need to add one if you want to go to a bar or the theater. If you dine at La Terrazza wearing a sport jacket, you're fine to visit any other areas of the ship after dinner. 

 

(Note that this has nothing to do with whether there is lax — or no — enforcement of the dress code, nor whether the dress code ought/ought not to be changed in the future.

 

That said, Silversea could make this so much easier for everyone if they made the dress code more visible and made the text clearer with a few simple changes:

 

1. They currently bury the dress code in the website section for "Packing your cruise luggage", which is not what people look for when searching for the dress code.  They cause further confusion because the text is under "Clothing suggestions" — which does not sound like mandatory policy at all. That could be resolved if they instead created a heading like "Dress code on Silversea Ships" or "Policy for evening attire on Silversea Ships."
2. It would be less confusing if the text made clear the attire for each of the three levels of the dress code, and how it varies by venue on the ship.
3. They could answer a frequent question by adding subheadings to separate Classic cruises from Expedition cruises. Currently, Expedition cruise dress code is not mentioned at all.
4. And they need to update the text about there options for informal dining on formal nights. Currently, the text says: "On formal nights, guests may dine in La Terrazza and choose to dress informal...This option also applies to Seishin and Stars on board Silver Spirit." Huh? Stars? I'm guessing that is the former name for what is now Silver Note. That text is about four years out of date. And why does it specifically single out Silver Spirit, and not any of the new ships? The text needs to be updated to reflect the 2022 (and ideally 2023) ships and dining venues. 

 

Ten minutes of editing the website could take away 98% of confusion and questions about the dress code!

 

Completely agree - I wanted to write this exactly post, but glad I didn't have to.  I just booked an expedition trip Feb 2023, and had to hunt around CC for a while to figure out what the dress was (which apparently is different from standard SS ships).  Ugh. 

[chrism23]

On 7/6/2022 at 4:54 PM, commodoredave said:

That's not true about everyone knowing the SS dress code. 

Some of the comments above address this question but provide no answers.  After 8 cruises on SS you would think I know all the nuances of the dress code.  But here is a question I can't answer.  Are jackets, in fact,  required after 6pm in the Main Dining Room on Expedition class ships?  We are leaving on the Cloud next week.  The only other Expedition class ship I have been on was in the Galapagos, where a couple of times we would show up in the MDR still shaking sand from out clothes.  No dress code.  I don't have a clue as to what will be required on the Cloud.  Tony Hanks has a good FAQ on the SS facebook page but there is no answer there.

 

I am packing.  So if anyone has an answer to this I would greatly appreciate a timely response.

 

BTW I love formal nights.  Its the only chance I have know to wear all the tuxedos I have accumulated over the years.   Cheers  Chris.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 8, 2022 by chrism23

[Brownie54]

I too would like to know about the Cloud in Antarctica. We will be on board in January, 2024.

[wintersno]

29 minutes ago, chrism23 said:

Some of the comments above address this question but provide no answers.  After 8 cruises on SS you would think I know all the nuances of the dress code.  But here is a question I can't answer.  Are jackets, in fact,  required after 6pm in the Main Dining Room on Expedition class ships? 

[...]

 

I am packing.  So if anyone has an answer to this I would greatly appreciate a timely response.

 

BTW I love formal nights.  Its the only chance I have know to wear all the tuxedos I have accumulated over the years.   Cheers  Chris.

 

 

I do not get it. If you love to wear a tuxedo or jacket, just pack it and wear it.  I believe it is definately allowed to wear a jacket in the case it is not required.

[JJRP]

4 hours ago, chrism23 said:

Some of the comments above address this question but provide no answers.  After 8 cruises on SS you would think I know all the nuances of the dress code.  But here is a question I can't answer.  Are jackets, in fact,  required after 6pm in the Main Dining Room on Expedition class ships?  We are leaving on the Cloud next week.  The only other Expedition class ship I have been on was in the Galapagos, where a couple of times we would show up in the MDR still shaking sand from out clothes.  No dress code.  I don't have a clue as to what will be required on the Cloud.  Tony Hanks has a good FAQ on the SS facebook page but there is no answer there.

 

I am packing.  So if anyone has an answer to this I would greatly appreciate a timely response.

 

BTW I love formal nights.  Its the only chance I have know to wear all the tuxedos I have accumulated over the years.   Cheers  Chris.

 

 

 

 

I'll be on the Cloud next February, and had the exact same question.  I found a thread here on CC that directly addressed dressing in the main dinner room on SS expedition cruises.  They said the reality is that jackets are not required any evening, although a fair number of people wear them.  Doesn't sound like much of anyone wears a tie.

I also like dressing for dinner.  So sounds like you'll fit in if you like want to wear a jacket to dinner, but don't have to.  Probably leave the tux at home ;->

I would appreciate anyone's answer if they have first-hand experience on Cloud or Wind.

[kimanjo]

4 hours ago, chrism23 said:

Some of the comments above address this question but provide no answers.  After 8 cruises on SS you would think I know all the nuances of the dress code.  But here is a question I can't answer.  Are jackets, in fact,  required after 6pm in the Main Dining Room on Expedition class ships?  We are leaving on the Cloud next week.  The only other Expedition class ship I have been on was in the Galapagos, where a couple of times we would show up in the MDR still shaking sand from out clothes.  No dress code.  I don't have a clue as to what will be required on the Cloud.  Tony Hanks has a good FAQ on the SS facebook page but there is no answer there.

 

I am packing.  So if anyone has an answer to this I would greatly appreciate a timely response.

 

BTW I love formal nights.  Its the only chance I have know to wear all the tuxedos I have accumulated over the years.   Cheers  Chris.

 

 

 

 

 

We were on the Cloud to Antarctica last November (2021) the second ship to sail to Antarctica after opening back up. 

Here is our experience.  DH wore trousers ( of course) button down long sleeved shirt, and Wool sweater to dinner in the Main Dining Room most of the nights. I think he wore one the first night.  We saw the same attire in the Main Dining room, with nice slacks and turtlenecks, or slacks and sweater.  And some jackets.

He brought one, that we "donated" at the end of the trip.  We were becoming full-time nomads and would not have room in our one-suitcase policy for a suit jacket in the future. We knew that if he needed one for a cruise in the future, he could pick one up at a thrift store.

We ARE cruising in 2 weeks on the SS Origin to the Galapagos.  He does not have a jacket, and does not need one on that sailing. 

[Stumblefoot]

9 hours ago, chrism23 said:

Are jackets, in fact,  required after 6pm in the Main Dining Room on Expedition class ships? 

Absolutely not. Why? Because jackets are never required on an expedition voyage.