Dressing to the nines can be a grand occasion on a cruise vacation and a great opportunity for couples, families, and friends to enjoy a night of elegance and distinction with fabulous attire and glittering accessories. But should such formalwear be required?

One Carnival cruise guest has reached out to the line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, with an idea of where and when to require old-school formal night attire far beyond what the cruise line currently recommends for its “Elegant Evenings.”

“We are Platinum and closing in on Diamond,” the guest explained about their cruise line loyalty. “I know that Journey cruises are top heavy with Diamond and with Platinum [passengers].”

Carnival Journeys cruises are the longer sailings (9+ nights) that often visit very sought after destinations, such as voyages to Greenland, transatlantic and transpacific cruises, visits to New Zealand, and even Caribbean voyages from more northern homeports.

On these longer cruises, it is true that there are often more experienced cruisers who have risen higher in the ranks of Carnival Cruise Line’s “Very Important Fun Person” (VIFP) loyalty program. In fact, so many loyal cruisers often enjoy these sailings that many times certain VIFP benefits, such as priority embarkation or tendering, are not possible due to the onboard demand.

This can give Carnival Journeys cruises a very different vibe than other getaways. This could be an opportunity for a return to more traditional cruising, as this guest suggests.

“We dress formally on formal nights,” they said. “All of us on Journey cruises would want a proper formal night with an absolute dress code of tuxedos for the gentlemen and ball gowns for the ladies. Those [passengers] who did not want this can eat at the buffet.”

While the idea that “all of us on Journey cruises” is suspect – it’s doubtful every single Carnival guest was asked – the commenter does acknowledge that this is not necessarily a good option for many shorter Carnival cruises, which often have a reputation for a louder, wilder crowd.

“I am not naïve and so do not expect this to happen on your usual party cruises. The Journey cruises are a perfect chance to bring glamor back to Carnival and enhance its reputation completely,” they concluded.

Carnival Cruise Line’s Formal Night Evolution

Heald, who has more than 35 years’ of experience with Carnival Cruise Line and has seen how formal nights have evolved over the decades, does recognize the guest’s idea but disagrees that it may be the best option, even for Journeys sailings.

“If there is one cruise that perhaps people would all adhere to this more than others it would be the longer Journey cruises,” Heald said, but also included his own preferences. “I personally would not like it as I have a dislike for this kind of clothing.”

Times have certainly changed during Heald’s tenure with the cruise line, however.

“When I was a younger cruise director I would wear the tuxedo with pride. I would wear a black one on the first then ‘formal’ night and then a white one on the second formal night and many, many male guests would do the same,” he explained.

“Such was the popularity of the tuxedo that we, of course, started to rent them from the then Formalities shops and male guests would rent them in abundance. Far more male guests would bring their own.”

Over the years, however, fashion preferences have changed and formal dress codes have become more relaxed. Today, Carnival Cruise Line no longer calls these special nights “Formal Nights” but instead they are “Elegant Evenings.” Formalwear is optional, never required, even in the Main Dining Rooms.

“Times change and the tuxedo has become an endangered species, replaced by regular business suits,” Heald acknowledged. “I recognize that some people like getting dressed up. I have no problem with this. But I can say from being with Carnival for 38 years that things have changed.”

Heald goes on to ask whether or not other cruisers would enjoy more strict attire requirements on Journeys sailings. Travelers’ responses are varied.

While some admit they enjoy the opportunity to dress up, many more admit that the strictness of formal attire isn’t the most comfortable and not their top choice for cruise vacation wear.

Others note that packing along formal wear, particularly “ball gowns” that could easily be crushed or wrinkled, isn’t always possible or practical for today’s travelers, especially for longer sailings with luggage space already at a premium.

Overall, the consensus is that if any individual traveler wants to dress very formally, they should enjoy the chance to do so, but not worry about what others are or are not wearing.

I’ll admit, I’ve packed along a formal gown (ONCE), and while the pictures turned out great, the hassle wasn’t enough to repeat. On formal night, it’s a nice blouse and dress slacks for me, accessorized with my sparkliest baubles.

A US Coast Guard (USCG) aircrew demonstrated their dedication to service, technical expertise, and commitment to saving lives with an airlift operation from Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Vista on Thursday, November 7, 2024.

The request for a medical evacuation was made in the afternoon as Carnival Vista was approximately 45 miles southwest of Mona Island, Puerto Rico, or 160 miles west-southwest of San Juan.

At the time, the ship was en route to Grand Turk as part of an 8-night Southern Caribbean itinerary, having already visited Aruba and Curacao. When medical emergencies happen, however, cruise ships will take all steps necessary to preserve life.

The patient’s name has not been identified to preserve their privacy and that of their traveling companions, family members, and friends. The USCG did note the patient was a 69-year-old female and a US citizen.

Watchstanders in Sector San Juan received the medical evacuation request and immediately worked to coordinate the necessary arrangements. An MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter was dispatched from Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen on the northwest coast of Puerto Rico to rendezvous with Carnival Vista.

Inclement weather at the time made the coordination of a precise rescue mission more challenging. Even small wind changes can impact a helicopter’s stability, making basket lifts more dangerous.

Nevertheless, the aircrew arrived at the ship successfully and deployed a rescue swimmer to perform two hoists. First, the patient’s spouse and a Carnival Vista nurse were lifted aboard the helicopter, followed by the patient.

You can watch a video of the Coast Guard rescue below:

The USCG crew then transported the patient, her spouse, and the accompanying nurse to the Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in San Juan, where they were met by local emergency personnel for further transport to the Centro Medico Hospital.

“This case required a significant amount of coordination and planning by everyone involved,” said Lieutenant Luke Dewhirst, Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen MH-60T Jayhawk aircraft commander for this case.

“Thanks to the Carnival Vista crew and Sector San Juan watchstanders for working with us to establish a rendezvous position amid inclement weather. Our crew performed phenomenally in conducting multiple challenging hoists to safely transport the patient to a higher level of care.”

Further details about the nature of the medical emergency or the patient’s current condition have not been released. Furthermore, Carnival Vista was not late in her return to Port Canaveral to conclude her sailing on November 10.

What Care Is Available Onboard?

While most cruise travelers enjoy their oceangoing vacations without incidents, it can be frightening when a medical problem does occur. Especially, the idea of “a higher level of care” may be concerning and raises the question about what care is available onboard a cruise ship.

All modern cruise ships are well equipped with state-of-the-art infirmaries that are well able to contend with most simple or even moderate incidents, including stitches, seasickness, even minor sprains or strains.

More complex health conditions, however, may require stronger intervention measures that just aren’t possible onboard. For example, cruise ships are not equipped for emergency surgeries, such as an appendectomy or dealing with a severe bone break.

Read Also: Do Cruise Ships Have Morgues?

When those rare incidents happen, medical evacuations are necessary. Depending on the ship’s location with relation to nearby ports or homeports, the nature of the medical emergency, and the level of treatment required, a ship might divert toward a port to dock and evacuate the individual needing care, or an airlift might be requested.

For example, a 29-year-old woman recently developed appendicitis symptoms onboard Grand Princess, requiring a medical airlift 70 miles off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii.

Similarly, a 71-year-old man showed signs of a heart attack aboard Carnival Jubilee in late October, and was aided by a USCG medical evacuation response boat.

The US Coast Guard always stands ready to facilitate such rescues, even at long distances, in poor weather, or in otherwise challenging conditions. All cruise travelers should be grateful such rescuers are available should the need arise.