I thought I'd finally decided on Voyager over HAL Westerdam for our first cruise (Baltic). But when I mentioned that to a travel agent, she said "I thought you hated the idea of "formal" nights! Radisson ships are more formal-oriented than HAL." Indeed, I have since learned that on a mere 7 night cruise, 7 Seas has 2 formal nights. So I guess Radisson IS a more "dressy" ship than HAL-- a disappointment for us. I'd like to hear any in-put about that from first-handers. Also: one of the posters suggested category G for a Voyager cabin. when I looked at the diagram, that level seemed to be below a deck that might be noisy. We're hyper-sensitive to noise, and would want to choose a deck/cabin which is most quiet. Which would that be? And does one hear noise from other cabins on ships? Thanks for all help!

I have never been on a 7 day Radisson cruise with more than one formal night (and I've been on several where there were none). I personally do not like formal night and always opt out with one of the other dining venues. On the Voyager I would eat at La Veranda which is always casual and sit down, not a buffet. The food is excellent in La Veranda. I've been on 2 HAL ships, both were far more formal than Radisson.

I've been on 4 Radisson ships...I would respectfully suggest that your agent has things reversed. Please ask your agent which ship she is referring to and report back.

I'm hoping others who have cruised on both lines will support the information I'm giving you.

NYGolfer--Thanks very much for responding. I spoke (again) with Radisson and they said that while there is one formal night, not two (Voyager), they said emphatically that the whole evening is formal-- i.e., that every single restaurant (the whole ship) is formal and requires tux or dark suit. One can, of course, stay out fo sight and eat in one's room (which I've never enjoyed doing-- makes me feel as if I'm sick...) So round in circles I keep going... I do hope I hear from other folks who've sailed that ship. What do you think about which deck I should choose? (assuming we do wind up on voyager) Thank you!!

Hi Poss...I hear my name being called! I too have been on the Voyager severall times. We DO participate in formal night and enjoy it very much. With this said though, we travel with friends who don't always want to participate. They either go to La Veranda where every night is casual or they've even had room service where the menu is exactly the same as Compass Rose and it is served course by course (of course you still get the complimentary wine even with room service). Again, if you don't want to dress up for formal night, you certainly don't have to.

I would strongly suggest that you bring a suit and tie and do go to formal night. The food is always really good that night. Also, you will certainly want to eat at Signatures one night during the week and a coat and tie (sports coat if you prefer) is required in Signatures every night.

The Voyager is a fabulous ship and it would be ridiculous to choose HAL over Voyager.

I too have been on both lines and there is no comparison. Remember, HAL is even more formal!
Please feel free to email me if you'd like and I'll help you with any questions. [email protected]

I suspect that your TA may be a bit out of touch or not very familiar with Radisson ships. The TA I work with does exclusively Radisson and is the top booking agent for them (with the best prices and services too) If you email me, I'm happy to give you her 800 phone number and she can answer any questions or concerns for you. Although you may be calling Radisson and hearing their answers, just how many Radisson ships do you really think they've ever been on?? NONE. Maybe even your own TA has not been on Radisson and not familiar with their ships. The first TA I used for many other lines admitted to me that she had never been on a Radisson ship in her life! This is how I found the TA I currently use. Most TA's book the mass marketed ships not the luxury ships. Again, please feel free to email me. You're getting some incorrect information.

Poss, I have not been on the Voyager (yet)but I will agree with the others that for cruises like Radisson (Silverseas, Seabourn) you need to work with a specialty agent who ONLY deals in the luxury ships. I too found that when booking my first Radisson cruise I was not happy with the TA I had used on previous cruises (Princess, RCI and HAL), although she had done a splendid job for me on the mainstream cruiselines.

I have been on 2 Radisson cruises (Alaska and Tahiti and both were casual with no formal nights). The line is far superior to Holland America.

Ironically, I have a feeling that petlover and I use the same TA for Radisson. She does have the best prices and service who has been on every Radisson ship, in every part of the world. She is very experienced to say the least and works with clients through out the whole USA.

Brain disengaged..I meant to say I haven't been to the Baltics on the Voyager yet, I'd love to go next summer!

I have to endorse the above suggestions of using a specialized TA. I've sailed several times on RSSC (though never on Voyager--yet), and it was only my last cruise, where I used the agent who I am certain is the same one that petlover uses, that I learned what a TA who knows the line can do for you.

BTW, the other RSSC sailings I've been on have 1 formal night for a 7-night cruise (actually, the one coming up in a couple of weeks has 0). I didn't think I'd like them, but they turned out to be a blast. And a suit for the gents and nice slacks and top for the ladies works just fine.

Another good reason to use a specialized TA is to get the "deals" when they come along. We were already booked and within 3 months of sailing when Radisson threw in some type of special where you could get free air or $1,000 off the fare. Unfortunately, very few people knew about this. We took the $1,000 off but it was only because my TA notified me of this. This special only lasted a couple of days. Otherwise we would never have known anything about it as other TAs didn't. Work with someone who specializes to get good upgrades or specials.

Thanks to all posters. Just wanted to note, however, that when I compared prices, Petlover's agent was significantly more expensive than booking the same cabin, same cruise through Cruise Value Center. On the other hand, Petlover's person is a genuine travel agent and obviously an extremely knowledgeable one. If one wants/needs that kind of aid, she's clearly a great choice. But the client is very definitely paying exra for those services.