Is P&O for us?

They do not hire out suits on board any more.

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It is smart (and at least it isn't the abomination of wearing a black bow tie with a lounge suit) but you would still stand out in a formal event where everyone one else is wearing formal wear.

 

If you don't mind being the odd one out that is great, but my point to the OP was if their travelling companion had a different view then they might want to rethink.

You will not stand out because not 'everyone' will be wearing a DJ. A lot will, and a lot wont. Do what is the most comfortable for you, and believe me you will be fine!

Hi....someone commented in an earlier post that the percentage of DJ being worn on the Oceana was 60/40%...40% being the DJs worn. I can assure you that I have never seen such a low turn out on any of the P&O cruises we have sailed on. When we went to the Fjords last September...on Azura.. the turn out was 95%... at least....even quite a number of the children were dressed formally....they looked wonderful.

I have been on the Ventura five times. The majority dress up so you should as a minimum take a dark suit and tie for formal nights. For other nights, smart casual is fine.

I usually make the effort but on occasions decide to wear just a really nice shirt and formal trousers. It does mean that I may be asked to leave in some lounges and perhaps turned away at the MDR but the dress code is not enforced ship wide and there are plenty of places to hang out.

You will not stand out because not 'everyone' will be wearing a DJ. A lot will, and a lot wont. Do what is the most comfortable for you, and believe me you will be fine!

Sorry but I have never seen "a lot" wearing a lounge suit on a formal night. Sure you see a few, the same as you see a few in football shirts, but "a lot", no.

Sorry but I have never seen "a lot" wearing a lounge suit on a formal night. Sure you see a few, the same as you see a few in football shirts, but "a lot", no.

The last few Ventura cruises we were on plenty of men were wearing suits.

Hi...I wonder if destination is a deciding factor as to whether formal wear is worn. Maybe in warmer climates there may not be as many wearing DJs although when we went to the Caribbean it was still a very high percentage but of course that is a few years ago now and times change. Certainly when we are in the Northern ports DJs are very much in evidence.

The one thing that I have noticed is that the ladies do not wear long formal gowns as often as they used to....they are more cocktail style dresses or long trousers and fancy top

Hi...I wonder if destination is a deciding factor as to whether formal wear is worn. Maybe in warmer climates there may not be as many wearing DJs although when we went to the Caribbean it was still a very high percentage but of course that is a few years ago now and times change. Certainly when we are in the Northern ports DJs are very much in evidence.

 

The one thing that I have noticed is that the ladies do not wear long formal gowns as often as they used to....they are more cocktail style dresses or long trousers and fancy top

The problem with fly cruising is the ever diminishing luggage allowance, when we first started cruising there were formal, semi formal and smart, in those days you got 30kg allowance, now you are lucky if you get 23kg. I do believe this was why P&O cut out the semi formal in the Caribbean. I like to take both black and a white dinner jackets, especially in the Caribbean but when the other half needs 20kg of shoes you are struggling to get one dinner jacket if flying.:D:D

A colleague is going on Ventura in the summer. He was not impressed about black tie. I had no problem telling him to simply take a suit and put a tie in the pocket and see if anyone asks him to wear it.

Regarding dress code, I would advise you to reach a decision which you are happy with, then just have the confidence to be comfortable with your decision. You can’t make a wrong choice as both suits and DJs are worn. The proportion depends on the ship, the destination and the time of year. My husband wears DJs but hates it as he wears them a lot at home, sometimes he just takes a suit on shorter cruises. The key is not to get hung up on what other people think. For some reason being on a cruise seems to propel some people’s idea of their social standing into the atmosphere and they suddenly feel the right to be judgemental, once you remember they are just ordinary people you learn to ignore it.

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A colleague is going on Ventura in the summer. He was not impressed about black tie. I had no problem telling him to simply take a suit and put a tie in the pocket and see if anyone asks him to wear it.

I have seen a couple of people thrown out of Metropolis for wearing a suit but no tie.

I have seen a couple of people thrown out of Metropolis for wearing a suit but no tie.

They are quite strict there.

Note that on Ventura the Beach House and Glass House have evening casual dress codes on formal nights as does the buffet. however the former restaurants have a cover charge or charge by item. the buffet will be fine on formal night, especially if you like curry!

the buffet will be fine on formal night, especially if you like curry!

The buffet is only fine if you like lukewarm food.

Regarding dress code, I would advise you to reach a decision which you are happy with, then just have the confidence to be comfortable with your decision. You can’t make a wrong choice as both suits and DJs are worn. The proportion depends on the ship, the destination and the time of year. My husband wears DJs but hates it as he wears them a lot at home, sometimes he just takes a suit on shorter cruises. The key is not to get hung up on what other people think. For some reason being on a cruise seems to propel some people’s idea of their social standing into the atmosphere and they suddenly feel the right to be judgemental, once you remember they are just ordinary people you learn to ignore it.

 

 

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Sound advice Florry

The buffet is only fine if you like lukewarm food.

Looking at the crowds the buffet pulls in at certain times of the day, it seems to be popular.

Looking at the crowds the buffet pulls in at certain times of the day, it seems to be popular.

The number of people who eat at McDonald's demonstrates there is no correlation between quality and popularity.

The buffet has always stuck me as used by people who prefer quantity over quality.

The buffet is only fine if you like lukewarm food.

I believe 'hot' food should be kept above 60C ?

ps - it is also lukewarm in the MDR!

The number of people who eat at McDonald's demonstrates there is no correlation between quality and popularity.

 

The buffet has always stuck me as used by people who prefer quantity over quality.

The buffet to me has always been a disappointment,but i do like most of the rest the ships offer.

Sorry but I have never seen "a lot" wearing a lounge suit on a formal night. Sure you see a few, the same as you see a few in football shirts, but "a lot", no.

The point is that a suit and tie is acceptable within P&O's stated dress code unlike football shirts etc. Your tone of the message posted seems to indicate that these are similar dress styles when in fact they are worlds apart. On some cruises suit wearers will be a good percentage of travellers, in others they may not. Who knows what defines the split on any one cruise.

I'm in a position where my employment or rather self employment requires me to have multiple full on ball gown type evening dresses so I'm ready at nil expense for formal nights. I would never see those ladies who wear sparkly tops and trousers or cocktail dresses rather than a very formal full length gown as unacceptable so why the heck then should men in suits be seen as lesser beings especially if their apparel is deemed acceptable in the same way as ladies apparel in the definition of the dress code.

I love formal but its not Downton Abbey at sea and whatever way you argue it P&O seek customers from everywhere and some will not have readily available dinner suits or ballgowns but may well have or be able to justify buying and being able to make use of less formal wear such as suits or cocktail items

The point is that a suit and tie is acceptable within P&O's stated dress code unlike football shirts etc. Your tone of the message posted seems to indicate that these are similar dress styles when in fact they are worlds apart. On some cruises suit wearers will be a good percentage of travellers, in others they may not. Who knows what defines the split on any one cruise.

 

I'm in a position where my employment or rather self employment requires me to have multiple full on ball gown type evening dresses so I'm ready at nil expense for formal nights. I would never see those ladies who wear sparkly tops and trousers or cocktail dresses rather than a very formal full length gown as unacceptable so why the heck then should men in suits be seen as lesser beings especially if their apparel is deemed acceptable in the same way as ladies apparel in the definition of the dress code.

 

I love formal but its not Downton Abbey at sea and whatever way you argue it P&O seek customers from everywhere and some will not have readily available dinner suits or ballgowns but may well have or be able to justify buying and being able to make use of less formal wear such as suits or cocktail items

I wear a dark suit,shirt and tie for formal nights and certainly think it is acceptable.

The point is that a suit and tie is acceptable within P&O's stated dress code

You have completely missed my point.

I never said a suit and tie was not acceptable, of course it is.

My point was that the vast majority of men (in my experience 95% or more) would be wearing a dinner jacket.

If *you* are comfortable in a scenario when everyone else is wearing formal wear but you are not, then that is great, however not everyone would be.

You have completely missed my point.

 

I never said a suit and tie was not acceptable, of course it is.

 

My point was that the vast majority of men (in my experience 95% or more) would be wearing a dinner jacket.

 

If *you* are comfortable in a scenario when everyone else is wearing formal wear but you are not, then that is great, however not everyone would be.

If you were wearing shorts and vest top you would look out of place but never with a dark suit.

Personally i have never and won't ever wear a dinner jacket.

I wore a black suit at Buckingham Palace for the Royal Garden Party so it certainly suffices for a P&O formal night.

Hi. Sorry don't agree that 95% will be wearing a DJ. We were recently on Oceana and I would say more like 60/40 (and that's 40% in a DJ). My husband always wears a dark suit and tie and HAS NEVER said he feels underdressed!

Have done 30 cruises and have never seen any more than just a handful of men wearing anything other than DJs

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Have done 30 cruises and have never seen any more than just a handful of men wearing anything other than DJs

 

 

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On P&O it is probably 70/30 for dinner jackets.