A question about Formal Evenings

[ballroom-cruisers]

Could someone who knows how formal evenings are made known, tell me when you get to know which of the evenings on a booked cruise will be formal evenings?  Do you get that sent to you a week or two before departure, or do you have to call Saga to ask which of the evenings will be formal?

Edited June 27 by ballroom-cruisers
typo

[david05]

I guess you have seen the general information on Saga's website but you dont find out the exact dates until you board (the information will be on the first of the daily programmes). I don't know if you could get this information by ringing Saga shortly before the cruise.

"Formal nights are traditionally a highlight of our cruises. There will be:

• One formal night for cruises from four to seven nights
• Two formal nights for cruises of eight to 11 nights
• Three formal nights for cruises of 12 to 21 nights"

[ballroom-cruisers]

Thank you, and yes I did know about the general pattern of the number of formal evenings. Are the formal evenings generally on sea days, or are they just as often on port days?

[Bloodaxe]

26 minutes ago, ballroom-cruisers said:

Thank you, and yes I did know about the general pattern of the number of formal evenings. Are the formal evenings generally on sea days, or are they just as often on port days?

 

If the 2nd day is a sea day that is usually a formal evening. certainly on a short cruise.

[Denarius]

2 hours ago, ballroom-cruisers said:

Thank you, and yes I did know about the general pattern of the number of formal evenings. Are the formal evenings generally on sea days, or are they just as often on port days?

Formal evenings usually fall on sea days, echoing nautical tradition. But if there are insufficient sea days then the excess formal evenings will be held on a port days. Or at least that's how it used to happen.

[nosapphire]

When you go on board, there will be a programme already in your cabin ("Today") and the front page will list the planned dates for formal nights. As above, they normally try to have them on sea days, or if on port days, ports with early sailing times.

Each evening you get a programme for the following day, which will remind you of the expected dress code.

I have known planned formal nights to change date, usually because of potential bad weather.

[ballroom-cruisers]

Thank you for all the replies - it is as I had hoped and we are used to the tradition of formal evenings on sea days. Whichever days they are on we always enjoy being part of a nice atmosphere and making the evening special.

[arlowood]

We are on the 12 night Scandinavian Gems cruise leaving 4th August on SOD.

 

Based on the above information we are likely to have 3 formal nights on our cruise. A quick review of the itinerary suggests the likely dates they will be scheduled.

Day 2 as we sail up the North Sea from Dover to Gothenburg

Day 6 as we sail between Aarhus and Klapeida

Day 10 as we sail between Wismar and Kristiansand

 

SWMBO is very happy with the distribution as that gives her time to plan out each formal night outfit. Just hope that weather or other factors don't upset that timing. Could contribute to undue stress😄😄