On each day’s news letter there are the little words: “No shorts or flip flop type footwear after 6:00pm in indoor venues”, and then the dress code of that day.

• Casual: Pants, blouses or casual dresses for women, open-neck shirts and slacks for men
• Informal: Dresses or pantsuits for women, jackets for men (tie optional)
• Formal: Evening gown or cocktail dress for women, tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits for men

The last time I took a tux on vacation was Jazz Fest in New Orleans years ago, when some of us decided to have a fancy night out. The only other people in the restaurant wearing tuxedos were the servers, so it didn’t work out well for me.

Um, not so here.

A full 80%+ of the men wear tuxes on formal nights. My suit is fine, and I brought a few shirts and ties to mix it up, but I am a bit out classed. Since there will be at least another 20 formal nights on this cruise, I’ve asked if there is a tailor available in Sydney. Everyone says Hong Kong is the place to find a tailor, but I don’t want to wait another six weeks.

Sidenote

After I shaved today, I noticed: “Wow, my beard seems whiter than I remember.” Nope – I’m actually getting a tan. W00T!