CarChick

Has anyone seen a posting of the MDR dinner menus for the Caribbean Princess?  I'm sailing 3/6 and would love to preview of the menus to know which night to skip and go to the Crown Grill.  Thanks!

Looks like they are continuing to update the mask policy.  Here is what the letter says as of 8/4:

"In addition to testing requirements, we have also adjusted our onboard mask policy as follows:

 We strongly encourage all guests to wear face masks when indoors.

 All guests will be required to wear face masks in elevators and in designated indoor entertainment areas, all retail shops, and in the casino, except when eating or drinking.

 Guests will be required to wear face masks prior to being seated in all dining areas. You may occasionally be asked to wear a mask in other designated areas where larger number of guests may congregate.

 As a reminder, masks are required during embarkation and debarkation in the terminal, and masks must also be worn during the debarkation process on board.

 We recommend guests wash or replace their mask daily and choose a good quality double-layer cloth or medical-grade mask. Please note that bandanas, neck gaiters and masks with exhaust valves will not be accepted as a substitute for a face mask and that visors and face shields are only permitted when used in addition to a mask."

So, not required (but recommended) everywhere indoors, just in places where larger numbers of guests will be congregated in close spaces.  I do hope it will cut down on the smoking in the casino, and it's even more motivation for me to never take the elevator and use the stairs (to burn off the calories!)

My formal dresses (plus shoes) take up a ton of space, but that's my fault for loving mermaid style gowns that are poofy at the bottom.

Lucky TGO - I love that lady's tux!  Very sharp.

^^That was what I was trying to say, but I didn't explain well.  Thank you for clarifying.  My mother can only bring 1 guest, not 2, so my husband does not get to come with us.  He could care less about these things, so he doesn't mind being left out.

I have found that, no matter what the itinerary, the British gentlemen pull out the tuxedos on formal night.  Maybe it's a James Bond thing.  But I just love it.  They look great!  I may try to cram 2 different evening gowns in my suitcase for my 7 day Caribbean on the Regal this November, but I'm one of those crazy people who loves to get dressed up.  Like Red Carpet dressed up.  Cruises are one of my few opportunties to do so, as my normal life just isn't that glamorous. Lol

The most travelled passengers party invite is for 2 - usually the 2 people in that cabin.  Often, those 2 people are a couple and both qualify.  Sometimes, just one qualifies, but the spouse or a travel companion is permitted to join them (+1).  My mother is single, so I get to be her +1 when she gets the invite and we are cruising together, even though we don't share a cabin.  The invitation always says her name "and guest". 

I have been invited to private cocktail parties with the captain, his family (who happened to be on board one time), and the senior officers, but it has been nearly 20 years.  When I was a kid, it was because of my father's company's relationship with the cruise line.  On an Alaskan cruise when I was 10, we went to a private lunch in the captain's quarters - Captain Cortini.  It was the captain, XO, my family and 4 other passengers.  I was in a Snoopy phase (hey, it 1981) and brought my stuffed Snoopy with me (dressed in a tux, for the occasion).  Turns out that Captain Cortini was a Snoppy fanatic!  He had snoopy stuff all over his private sleeping quarters, including a Snoopy phone that he had made his Chief Engineer hack it to work on the ship's phone system.  Needless to say, we became fast friends. It was a special experience that I will never forget.

Later (in my late 20s), I was on the old Dawn Princess.  By pure dumb luck, I happened to meet the XO at the welcome aboard cocktail party, and we realized that both of our first cruises (me as a 2 year old passenger, him as a young crew member) was on the old Sitmar ship, the Fairsea, in 1972. (Princess bought Sitmar in 1988.) We had fun talking about the "old Sitmar days". The Captain had also served with Sitmar.   The next day, I received a lovely, handwritten invitation to a "family" cocktail party in the captain's quarters.  It was literally the Captain's family (wife, kids and some siblings maybe?) and the senior officers, some of whom also had family aboard.  My husband and I were the only passengers.  When I (graciously) asked why we were invited, the Captain said that since I "grew up" on Sitmar, he considered me "familia".  Yep, I cried and hugged him.

Ships these days are so big, with so many well-travelled passengers, that I'm lucky to score an invite to the most travelled passenger party - as my mother's +1. Lol.  But I am blessed to have had those special experiences in the past, and I will treasure the memories. 

Why should my comment be deleted?  I apologize for the length, but just providing some perspective and, hopefully, a balanced opinion.  I tried not to use too many big words.

To my knowledge, Princess has never had heated pools (been sailing with them since 1972).  Only hot hubs, which is why those are so crossed on colder cruises.

I am not ashamed to admit that we select our cabin on each ship based on easy access to the IC. Lol.   The food there is excellent and great when I want a light lunch.  But mostly, I am known to sneak down there in my pajamas at midnight to snag some hot cocoa and the to-die-for double chocolate mousse shooters. They are nice pajamas, I promise.

While the written dress code is Princess-wide, I have found that the actual level of dress often varies by the cruise location.  European, transatlantic, and Asian cruises tend to see more adherence to the traditional dress code, as Europe and Asia are still more "formal" and conservative than the US.  Europeans and Asians are used to dress codes in restaurants and other public areas, as those are enforced in many countries there.   

Alaska cruises, on the other hand, tend to see more casual dress in the MDR on smart casual nights (and on formal nights).  I believe that is due to 1) the shore excursions are LONG in those ports, and many people simply don't have time (or don't want to take the time because they are famished) to change clothes before rushing to the MDR, and 2) Alaska cruises require more bulky clothing, so people simply don't pack fancier clothes to save on luggage.  That being said, you rarely see shorts at dinner in Alaska.  It's usually jeans and t-shirts/sweatshirts.  

I grew up on cruises, back in the day when EVERY night (except first and last) were with formal or semi-formal, where formal meant evening gowns and tuxedos/black suits and sent meant cocktail dresses and grey/tan/blue suits.  This was enforced not just in the MDR, but in ALL public rooms of the ship after 6pm.  So, I still adhere strictly to the written dress code.  My husband does as well, but only because I make him. Lol.  

Back in the day, cruising was mostly for the well-to-do folks who had those types of clothes anyway.  As others have said, society (especially American) has become more casual over the years, and cruising has become affordable to more people, which is great.  But many people don't have "fancy" clothes, are not use to wearing them, and do not want to have to purchase a wardrobe just for cruising, which they may only do occasionally.  

 My husband is a mechanic by trade, and his entire wardrobe consists of work pants and crappy t-shirts. He was never exposed to "fancy" things or any level of fashion growing up.  (I am still trying to convince him that his navy blue tshirt does NOT go with his faded black cargo pants. Sigh.). I DO buy him decent clothes to wear on cruises (and anywhere else in public if he wants to be seen with me lol).  He would be perfectly happy to wear his ratty cargo pants and t-shirts to the MDR, but he understands that it isn't not socially "acceptable" (at least if he wants to stay married to me), just like when we go to a nice, sit-down restaurant a home.  So, he sucks it up and wears nicer clothes, even a black suit and tie on formal night, and feels it's a small price to pay for the privilege of going on a cruise and seeing me get all dressed up, which is part of the fun of cruising for me.

My 74 year old mother also does not dress up much because, with her mobility challenges now, comfort is more important than "appropriateness".  Although she wears knit pants and "dressy" t-shirts in the MDR and sparkly jackets on formal night's.  She makes a minimal effort, but is not mussed about it.

I guess my point with this long post is to try to provide some perspective from different sides of the dress code argument.  While I vastly prefer people to stick to the written dress code in the MDR for dinner, I am trying to be less judgmental and unsterstand that people on cruises come from different backgrounds, walks of life and perspectives.  Although I draw the line at shorts, ratty jeans, casual t-shirts (including the silly one you just bought in port today), hats and gym shoes/beach sandals.  It shouldn't kill anyone to clean up and present just a bit.

I, personally, am a big fan of the sanctuary. Here's why...

1. NO KIDS

2. Shade - I burn easily and prefer to be in the shade most of the time

3. No loud music - I Ike to spend my sea days relaxing and reading a good book or two without all of the loud music they play by the pools.

4. The lounge chairs are like beds! Super comfy with thick mattresses.

5. It's not crowded. The lounge areas on deck are so crowded, I feel like a sardine.

6. You have a "base camp" for the day - you don't have to worry about losing your deck chair if you want to go do something else for an hour or so. (Since "reserving" regular deck chairs is rude and frowned upon.)

7. Did I mention NO KIDS?

A certain amount of peace and quiet is a high priority for me while I'm on vacation. The Santuary gives me that. But that's just me. Everyone is different. I don't plan on using it in Alaska in 2 weeks, but it was a blessing in the Caribbean.

Have fun on the 6th! I hope they do my favorites on the formal nights, as I prefer to be in the MDR on those nights anyway. I figure I will hunt down the Maitre D' as soon as we get on board and get the week's menus from him. I can find a night when the MDR menu doesn't thrill me, and book the Crown Grille that night. Maybe Italian night. Hopefully, it won't be full already.

I'm sailing on the Ruby in May on the 7 day Inside Passage cruise. Does anyone have MDR menus for each night? Or do you know when the "theme" dinners fall during the week? I'm trying to figure out when to schedule a night at one of the specialty restaurants, but I don't want to miss any of my favorites (king crab legs, lobster, escargot, etc) in the MDR. Yeah, I know, cruise snob foodie problems. lol