dgs1956

8 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

I disagree. If you allow a lady to wear shorts, the doors open.

The doors are already open. I've already said that on my recent Britannia cruise that a number of people were allowed in the MDR wearing shorts although not on Formal Nights. Shorts were also allowed in every bar and in the Crystal Room as were t-shirts. That was my point, why have a rule if they are not going to enforce it.

1 hour ago, gsmt47471015 said:

For info only and NOT an opinion, we have just returned from a cruise with Azamara and their dress code is smart casual, apart from the white night (which is optional), one evening a party of eight were in front of us waiting for the Matre d to book them a table, she noticed that a lady in the party was wearing a smart matching top and shorts which at first glance looked like a short skirt, she advised the lady she would have to change or eat elsewhere but the rest of the party would be allowed in, after a heated discussion the lady had to change and the rest of the party waited in the bar until she returned and all were then allowed to dine in the mdr. We witnessed another similar incident and it ended with the same result  

For some people Smart Casual is a bit of a vague concept and some just push the boundaries but when you see an older woman wearing a baggy logo t-shirt, wrinkled 3/4 shorts and rubber flip-flops for a Formal Night then there is little doubt it is taking the proverbial.

2 hours ago, bobstheboy said:

If P&O have a Dress Code and it applies in named locations, then the managers onboard should enforce it, especially in the MDR. I am saddened to hear of people wearing shorts in the evening in there, especially when the staff look so smart. 

 

P&O should be honest and either say it will enforced or it is voluntary, especially during the evening.

I agree entirely and that was that's the point I was making as well. Why have a rule if they are just going to let people ignore them and not enforce them? I don't agree with wearing shorts in the MDR but they were nowhere near as bad as how some, mainly women, were dressed.

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

Butlins is a very unfair comparison. Anyone remember Club 18-30?

That's a fairly accurate comparison but probably best renamed as Club 38-50. We had one woman going about hiding plastic ducks for people to find. The significance of that was lost on me.

25 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and glad you enjoyed your cruise. It seems further evidence of the direction P&O are sailing in. The day I see shorts and flip-flops in the mdr on Aurora or Arcadia is the day I don't book any more cruises with them. I really don't judge a person by what they wear - it's just that it is not the sort of ambience I want on a cruise.

Like yourself I don't judge by what people are wearing but sadly my "shorts and flip flops" comment was my attempt at being diplomatic. As I say, we ballroom dance and the Crystal Room is a very good venue and on two Formal evenings we had to watch two different very drunk women dancing about on the floor who completely out of it only for it to be followed up by a quiz and Karaoke. We had the unique of experience of doing a Jive while a woman was dancing with a chair. What amazes me was that she was so beautifully dressed and made up but was out of it by 7.30.

We came home yesterday from our Caribbean cruise on Britannia, and we had a great time. We booked Premium seats and thought them well worth it especially when some passengers were taking almost 2 hours to check in. All in all, the cruise was much as expected with very good food, theatre was good etc etc. 

I've argued in favour of formal Nights many times but having just got back from our Caribbean cruise on Britanna yesterday I have to admit to a complete change of mind.

The majority did appear to be adhering to the dress code but apart from the MDRs only the Crows Nest insisted on Formal Dress and even that was a bit lax. Whilst men were turned away from the Oriental if not wearing Black Tie, the women were a completely different kettle of fish with flip flops, shorts etc. We Ballroom Dance and love the Crystal Room but on Formal Nights the dancing finished at 9.15 to make way for a quiz and Karaoke. Without knocking either activity I really felt overdressed sitting there amongst people wearing shorts and t-shirts and I really question if these are suitable activities for a Formal Night. We thought the food was very good but no different on a Formal Night apart from the addition of an amuse-bouche. For me, it's time Formal Nights are ditched completely.

I sound like a bit of a snob but the dress code for some people on Smart Casual Nights was not great and some looked like they'd come straight off the beach. Shorts (Tailored or not) and T-Shirts were allowed in the MDR and also in any bar. Why do P&O have a dress code if they don't adhere to it? I'm not against tailored shorts btw.

I've read several comments on this Forum that P&O are aiming for a different market and to be honest I have been annoyed by these comments but again I have to admit to being wrong. P&O are definitely aiming at a different market and there is a substantial change now from even a few years ago. I'm not sure about "Butlins at Sea" but maybe more a "Party Ship". 

One thing that really did bug me was the sunbed stramash. Look for a sunbed after 8am and you had little chance. The Serenity Pool was all booked up by 7 am. The use of "Blue" towels was out of control with many people using two each and some 3 or 4. A lot of people just left them on the sunbeds and some even left them on the beach when finished with.

It is difficult for me to be so negative as I'm a very loyal P&O customer and I've no doubt there will be plenty of people disagree with me and I do appreciate that the majority will have had a great time as we did to, but it is time that P&O stopped portraying these cruises as being upmarket.

At the end of the day, would I go on another cruise with P&O? Yes, I definitely would but hopefully by then the Formal Nights will be no more.

9 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

I think I'm being to sound like an old f**t on the Cunard board. 

 

In my opinion there are venues such as the pubs , the canteen oops sorry the buffet, even the new American diner, which should be anything goes . Pubs and diners ņ in UK have no dress code.

 

However when it comes to nice restaurants in elegant rooms with smart waiters serving you food at well set out tables with table cloths , nice wine glasses etc etc. Then why not look smart. Why the competition to be as casual as possible. What's difficult about packing a nice shirt and some smart trousers. 

 

If the future of P&O cruising is the can't be bothered crowd then after next cruise , it will be the S's for me , Saga , Silversea and Seabourn 

Very well said. Excellent post.

1 hour ago, Richpatto said:

Hi, can anyone tell me if the observed lateral flow test can be done 24 hours before you fly or is it 24 hours before the ship sails (which is the day after we embark in this case), just want to get it over with ASAP! Many thanks

Its 2 days before the ship departure according to the P&O website but I think its 2 days before you board. Its Caribbean cruises only.

3 minutes ago, CRUISENSNOOZE said:

Now you are all panicking me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What test and why???. I have had 2 Covid injections and 2 boosters, Flu jab, Typhoid etc etc.

Just come off another cruise company ship and nothing was needed. This Saturday we are doing a b2b around the Med and Canary Islands. The original poster has not mentioned where they are sailing. 

So, is this thread panicking me for nothing!

Its only Caribbean cruises as far as I know,

They are sending emails to everyone booked after 10 November to make a refund. I've done that and re-booked with Lloyds

12 minutes ago, Tigrou said:

I didn't say any of those things, and I certainly didn't make any derogatory comments about anything or anyone, so I'm not sure why you chose to quote my post when making this comment.

I was being polite. I choose your post because I was replying to a comment you made to me but sorry for upsetting you.

4 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

You may be right.  And you may be wrong.  Nobody knows how things will go, but the trend is certainly away from formal, in that, as reported today, smart casual is fine in many more locations than it used to be.  And a few years back suits, as against formalwear, were in a tiny minority - not now.

I agree the tiny minority is now a very small minority. 

11 hours ago, Tigrou said:

Because for me, and I suspect many others, there's a great deal more to be considered than just the dress code for a few hours each evening.  For example, itinerary, embarkation port, price, solo supplement, and the ship itself.

 

As long as someone is prepared to adhere to the dress code for the venues where it is required, why should they miss out on the main aspects of a cruise simply because they don't wish to 'dress up' for 'celebration nights'?

 

I've been reading the same stuff on this Forum by a small number of people for years as how things are changing blah! blah! and Formal will be done away with. It's still not happened. I couldn't care less what people wear and I don't understand why people have to make derogatory comments about those that want to dress up. Just accept that Formal isn't going to be done away with and enjoy your cruise.

2 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

Yes, have been given Freedom with a Saver fare and changed it to my preferred Club  second sitting when I got on board. Always pay select now so can choose fixed dining as it is important to me as a solo traveller. 

Thanks. I assume you book a table with a number of other guests rather than a table for one.

2 hours ago, Pine Man said:

On my last booking, a couple of weeks ago, I selected Freedom by mistake.

 

I rang P&O, the phone was answered in minutes, my booking was changed to First Sitting Club Dining, my request for table size was added and an updated confirmation of booking was received instantly by email.

 

Now that is service!

Thank you. I'll give it a go.

1 hour ago, Fionboard said:

Go and see the Maitre D at the MDR as soon as you board. Have changed mine before so worth a try. First sitting is busier than second though, and depends if ship is full too.

We're on a Select Fare and chose Freedom as usual. Have you actually changed from Freedom to Club for 2? The cruise personaliser gives you that option but I don't think it's that simple.

13 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

It’s usually possible to be able to guarantee first or second sitting with Club dining (especially now that Freedom dining is so much more popular these days), but table size is never guaranteed with Club Dining. You can only express a preference. You might be lucky, you might not. The only way to ever be 100% certain of a table for 2 for dinner in the MDR is to select Freedom Dining and be prepared to wait for a table, although pre Covid we always found that we were seated immediately if we dined later, often on a table of 4 for just the 2 of us. 

Thanks. Probably best to stick with Freedom as we normally do. 

38 minutes ago, david63 said:

Not possible to have anything guaranteed where dining is concerned.

 

Tables for two on first sitting are probably the most popular request so I would not hold out much hope, unless you requested it on day one when booking opened. Having said that there is never any harm in asking.

 

A lot will depend on how full the ship is as to how easy it will be to accommodate you

Thanks. I pretty much thought that but I did wonder if having Freedom Dining would have helped.

We have Freedom Dining on our forthcoming cruise on Britannia but we were wondering what the chances were of changing it for a table for 2 in Club Dining First Sitting. Can anyone tell me if they know from experience if its possible to have that guaranteed?

1 hour ago, Red Leicester said:

Only boring and worn-out if you've been through it before, and I and others haven't and it has been fascinating reading and getting different views.  So thank you to everyone's inputs.  It's been balanced.

 

If you go back 50 / 60 years though, or even longer what we wear during the day would have been unspeakable back then.  Shirt and ties would have ruled during the day I reckon.  I don't see many wishing for those days to come back.  Or do they...

Its certainly been more balanced than it used to be when both sides to the argument came out with excessively aggressive comments. I keep saying we're all entitled to an opinion and we should be able to express that in a reasonable manner. Thankfully that has been the case this time round. Personally, I am in favour of the dress code as it is. There used to be an additional level of "semi-formal" that meant wearing a jacket and I was really pleased when that level was dropped.

4 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

You’re right. Most people on here now seem much more relaxed about it.

I suspect the ones who used to freak at the very mention of the two words smart and casual used together are no longer cruising.

.... or maybe they just realise it is a boring and worn-out discussion and have left it to the small number of people that keep knocking away with the feint hope that P&O will introduce a dress code that will require us to wear t-shirts, shorts and flip-flops. 

1 hour ago, davecttr said:

If you want a pure formal experience Iona may not be for you. Having eaten in the MDR, Epicurian or Sindu which venues can you use for the rest of the evening with a guarantee of formal dress? The answer is the Crows Nest, everywhere else is evening casual including Andersons!.

I think that's probably correct, at least that's my impression. I think P&O have decided to do that on the the two newer ships.

5 hours ago, JDB78 said:

 

I think you've got your head in the sand a little bit in terms of who sails with P&O and dress code in the UK in general. I'm 44 and the 1st job I had expected everyone to wear trousers and shirts no matter what position they held. You couldn't get in town or city centre pubs / clubs without your shirt and shoes.

 

For better or worse things have changed. P&O's target market has also widened due to the size of ships and the pure number of passengers they need to keep the business going. I was on Ventura in July and attended all 4 formal nights - would I have done so if it wasn't 'expected' of me? Probably not.

 

I get that there a lot of people who sail with P&O who have done so for a number of years and enjoy the formal aspects and dressing up. I would imagine however that percentage is reducing each year. Slowly but surely cruises are becoming a 'normal' holiday rather than an experience??

"Head in the sand" ? There is no need to try and be derogatory, everyone is entitled to an opinion. I've cruised with P&O for years and been on these Forums for years and the "dress code" topic pops up regularly with the same comments and the same non-conclusion. The small minority of people that want casual dress live in hope. 

4 hours ago, Ja21 said:

Thanks all, some good insights here, my husband isn’t one for dressing up on holiday, he wants to relax and be comfortable so will probably pack a tie for the “special” night and polo shirt / casual shirt for the rest of it, I don’t much like spending hours getting ready myself on holiday so we can be the ship scruffs together ! Personally I think the idea of black tie and long glittery dresses for a cruise is a bit old fashioned 

That's why I made the point about selecting a cruise line that suits you. There are plenty of people who think its not old fashioned as you put it. I absolutely understand why people don't want to dress up so why book on P&O? 

18 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Eerrmm....... I think trousers are also required😉😁

Avril

......... or kilt of course.