Elegant/Formal Night Kaput on Carnival

[Sailor_Sally]

There are plenty of places down here with dress codes and will not admit you if you don't adhere. Yes overall its a very relaxed State to live in but some places have standards folks with some class actually adhere to the rules of said establishments and dress up a little.

 

If there is a stated dress code, there is absolutely NO reason to not attempt to meet the code. No good reason at all.

 

 

I live in Florida and frankly you have me stumped . So name the places that have a dress code because I live in sarasota which is a very wealthy area and I can not think of one and I have been to most of the restaurants .

[BeachChik]

Agreed but we just can't help outselves :o and it seems neither can you.:p

 

:eek: :o :D

[Sailor_Sally]

The easiest way to settle this would be a poll on what people think is acceptable on elegant night .

[WeBeCruisin']

I live in Florida and frankly you have me stumped . So name the places that have a dress code because I live in sarasota which is a very wealthy area and I can not think of one and I have been to most of the restaurants .

 

They're not going to have a big sign up saying "Warning, Dress Code on the Premises". They're going to assume that the class of people they hope to attract will either just recognize that there's a tacit, unwritten dress code or they may have heard of its existence by word of mouth ..... or they may even know enough about style and class to recognize it when they see it. :)

 

There have been quite a few comments on this thread about how a lot of people are incapable of seeing anything except what they want to see. Is it possible that you might fall into that category?

 

And many of the restaurants in Sarasota which you might frequent probably do have Dress Code Signs...... which say things such as "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service". :D

[Sailor_Sally]

They're not going to have a big sign up saying "Warning' date=' Dress Code on the Premises". They're going to assume that the class of people they hope to attract will either just recognize that there's a tacit, unwritten dress code or they may have heard of its existence by word of mouth ..... or they may even know enough about style and class to recognize it when they see it. :)

 

There have been quite a few comments on this thread about how a lot of people are incapable of seeing anything except what they [i']want[/i] to see. Is it possible that you might fall into that category?

 

And many of the restaurants in Sarasota which you might frequent probably do have Dress Code Signs...... which say things such as "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service". :D

 

 

And Alan which restaurants are they since you seem to know so much about Sarasota ?

[WeBeCruisin']

The easiest way to settle this would be a poll on what people think is acceptable on elegant night .

 

There have been similar polls to that on Cruise Critic many times in the past. The question is usually either "Do you dress up on Elegant Night" or "Should Elegant Night be abolished". The polls generally show about 85% answering "Yes" to the first question and "No" to the second question.

 

That's the point at which the McDonald's Army starts screaming that those polls don't mean anything.... that the 250,000 or so cruisers on Cruise Critic represent only a tiny minority of cruisers and therefore shouldn't be counted.

 

When asked to provide their own polls or facts and figures which prove them to be correct in those ludicrous allegations, the McDonald's Army is curiously quiet... which, for them, is miraculous! :D

[WeBeCruisin']

And Alan which restaurants are they since you seem to know so much about Sarasota ?

 

The fact that you just saw my name and still can't spell it right is somehow amusing and perhaps revelatory. :rolleyes:

 

I'm not talking specifically about Sarasota. I'm talking about people with your attitude and people who are apparently somewhat-limited in their awareness of what transpires around them. :)

[MissDiva1]

There have been similar polls to that on Cruise Critic many times in the past. The question is usually either "Do you dress up on Elegant Night" or "Should Elegant Night be abolished". The polls generally show about 85% answering "Yes" to the first question and "No" to the second question.

 

That's the point at which the McDonald's Army starts screaming that those polls don't mean anything.... that the 250' date='000 or so cruisers on Cruise Critic represent only a tiny minority of cruisers and therefore shouldn't be counted.

 

When asked to provide their own polls or facts and figures which prove them to be correct in those ludicrous allegations, the McDonald's Army is curiously quiet... which, for them, is miraculous! :D[/quote']

 

The cruiselines conduct their own polls to determine what the majority likes......thus the reason for anytime dining and more casual wear in the dining rooms.

We have gotten several of these phone polls before anytime dining was implemented.

[WeBeCruisin']

The cruiselines conduct their own polls to determine what the majority likes......thus the reason for anytime dining and more casual wear in the dining rooms.

We have gotten several of these phone polls before anytime dining was implemented.

 

You're stonewalling. :) "Anytime dining" is not the topic of these threads; that's an entirely different subject and line of reasoning.

 

And there's a huge difference between tweaking the dress code so as to allow a slightly more casual standard which is "allowed" (not preferred) in the dining room and the topic concerning those people who know the rules and deliberately choose to break them because of selfishness, arrogance or just a general miasmic "me, me, me" mantra. :)

 

That attitude evidences a criminal mentality and perhaps explains why they are so uncomfortable with what they call the "Fashion Police".:p

[darth frosty]

The easiest way to settle this would be a poll on what people think is acceptable on elegant night .

 

 

Nah what we need is a poll on which subject ignites more controversy on CC?

 

1 Dress on formal night/MDR

 

2 Smuggling

 

3 kids on a cruise

[Sailor_Sally]

The fact that you just saw my name and still can't spell it right is somehow amusing and perhaps revelatory. :rolleyes:

 

I'm not talking specifically about Sarasota. I'm talking about people with your attitude and people who are apparently somewhat-limited in their awareness of what transpires around them. :)

 

 

I have too much class to to keep this banter going but good luck convincing everyone that you are right !

[Sargent_Schultz]

The easiest way to settle this would be a poll on what people think is acceptable on elegant night .

 

No poll on CC is scientific or have any valid use for anything other than for amusement. They are often used by Fashion police, smokers, etc. in a lame attempt to hornswoggle others to join their minority positions and losing causes.

[MissDiva1]

You're stonewalling. "Anytime dining" is not the topic of these threads; that's an entirely different subject and line of reasoning.

 

And there's a huge difference between tweaking the dress code so as to allow a slightly more casual standard which is "allowed" (not preferred) in the dining room and the topic concerning those people who know the rules and deliberately choose to break them because of selfishness' date=' arrogance or just a general miasmic "me, me, me" mantra. :)

 

That attitude evidences a criminal mentality and perhaps explains why they are so uncomfortable with what they call the "Fashion Police".:p[/quote']

 

Stonewalling:confused: The casual dress and anytime dining was on the phone polls. And did you even happen to notice they came out about the same time:confused: I believe you are just trying to make something out of nothing:) Companies focus on what the majority of their customer desires not the minority:rolleyes: If that is what fills their ships that is who they are going to market to.....no big surprise.

The proof is in Carnivals success......

[WeBeCruisin']

No poll on CC is scientific or have any valid use for anything other than for amusement. They are often used by Fashion police, smokers, etc. in a lame attempt to hornswoggle others to join their minority positions and losing causes.

 

I think my point was just proved. :D These people don't want to see polls, because the polls always prove them wrong. :cool:

[WeBeCruisin']

Nah what we need is a poll on which subject ignites more controversy on CC?

 

1 Dress on formal night/MDR

 

2 Smuggling

 

3 kids on a cruise

 

ooh! ooh! ooh! And chair hogs! :D

[WeBeCruisin']

Stonewalling:confused: The casual dress and anytime dining was on the phone polls. And did you even happen to notice they came out about the same time:confused: I believe you are just trying to make something out of nothing:) Companies focus on what the majority of their customer desires not the minority:rolleyes: If that is what fills their ships that is who they are going to market to.....no big surprise.

The proof is in Carnivals success......

 

Stonewalling is where someone throws up barriers to sidetrack things and keep someone else from continuing in a straight line to a destination or goal.

 

if your line of logic is right, and your assumed results of the phone polls are correct, then why did Carnival choose to retain a dress code for the dining room on both Elegant Night and regular nights? It seems like they would have just done completely away with any kind of dress code if you and your cohorts are correct. Maybe it's because (and I'm using your own point here) the cruise line DID follow the wishes of the majority and as a result retained Elegant Nights and the other dress restrictions? :cool:

[WeBeCruisin']

I have too much class to to keep this banter going but good luck convincing everyone that you are right !

 

That's sort of a lame exit. I have to think that you might have actually begun to realize that my points were valid and you just couldn't handle it. :)

[Rottweiler Puppy]

Nah what we need is a poll on which subject ignites more controversy on CC?

 

1 Dress on formal night/MDR

 

2 Smuggling

 

3 kids on a cruise

 

Smoking, booze smuggling kids in tank tops and overalls who hog pool chairs on elegant night.

[MissDiva1]

if your line of logic is right' date=' and your assumed results of the phone polls are correct, then why did Carnival choose to retain a dress code for the dining room on both Elegant Night and regular nights?[b'] It seems like they would have just done completely away with any kind of dress code if you and your cohorts are correct.[/b] Maybe it's because (and I'm using your own point here) the cruise line DID follow the wishes of the majority and as a result retained Elegant Nights and the other dress restrictions? :cool:

 

Because this is what the majority wants and this is how they dress. It is only in your mind that the majority want to dress like slobs.;)

They didn't retain "Elegant night" they eliminated "Formal night".

[Rottweiler Puppy]

I live in Florida and frankly you have me stumped . So name the places that have a dress code because I live in sarasota which is a very wealthy area and I can not think of one and I have been to most of the restaurants .

 

I cant speak for Sarasota.

 

As far a places with dress codes in south Florida? There are simply too many to name. I will just have to names the last ones I at at this weekend. Seasons 52 and Brio.

 

While you don't need suits, upscale casual is expected. To walk into places like that while looking like a slob is classless.

[Rottweiler Puppy]

Please reread my post. Is "class" the word of the day? Number one class isn't dictated by dress. Number two where did I say that people shouldn't follow a dress code. The thing people can't accept is that the cruise lines allow the casual dress and no amount of bickering and name calling here is going to make that different. Nor will you be able to convince anyone to change their mind.

 

As I have said before, these threads are like rocking chairs, you're moving but you aren't getting anywhere.

 

Sorry for putting words in your mouth and yes its like a rocking chair.

 

 

Some like to meet standards and respect the wishes of establishments, and some don't. (not saying thats you)

 

Thats about it I guess.

[trailercruiser]

There was a poll done by carnival internally. The poll showed that 73% of cruisers preferred NO elegant night and that 78% showed they preferred casual dress. This is where the Nose in the air crowd says that polls mean nothing.;)

[Sargent_Schultz]

Carnival discontinued the idea of formal nights several years ago now. The "elegant" night they have now has a lower dress standard and is not "formal" by any means.

 

Bingo.

 

Because this is what the majority wants and this is how they dress. It is only in your mind that the majority want to dress like slobs.;)

They didn't retain "Elegant night" they eliminated "Formal night".

 

Bingo.

 

The cruiselines conduct their own polls to determine what the majority likes......thus the reason for anytime dining and more casual wear in the dining rooms.

We have gotten several of these phone polls before anytime dining was implemented.

 

Absolutely. And those polls are actually done scientifically by people who know what they are doing. The majority has spoken. The suggested dress will continue to be modified to reflect reality as more and more people cruise. Don't be surprised when one elegant night is dropped and perhaps even the other. Dead lobster doesn't know or care what someone is wearing :p

[OneNewTexan]

I spoke with a maitre'd on the Triumph and he indicated that they were instructed to go lax on enforcement of the dress code, especially on casual nights. I don't know if that instruction came from ship management or home office management. I see that as a problem on the part of Carnival. If there are rule and guidelines, they should be enforced. Can the safety guidlines be subject to lax enforcement too? I guess you are OK on Carnival as long as you do not enter the dining room wearing a speedo, a bathrobe, or coming in naked. But anything better than that, you probably will be admitted.

 

As for other aspects of our trip on the Triumph that helped us to decided to scratch Carnival from our list of future cruise options, here is a brief list:

 

I'll start with the positives --

 

1) We enjoyed the evening entertainment in the theater. The ship's band and the theater dancers were quite good. The singers were good too. the entertainment on the ship met or exceeded our expectations.

 

2) The food in the main dining room, overall, was good. There were a few misses, but generally, we were all pleased with the MDR food and service.

 

3) Ship debarkation went very smoothly.

 

4) The cabin steward was outstanding and was one of the most friendly and attentive of all of our cruises.

 

Now here are some negatives ---

 

1) Our cabin had an odor of sewage that would come and go for several days upon leaving New Orleans. We pointed this out to the cabin steward and he indicated that there have been some problems and he was aware of it. We also heard some other passengers on our deck griping about the same problem. To help remedy it, the cabin steward periodically sprayed some air freshener in the cabin to negate the smell. After that, the smell wasn't so noticeable. He reported that the smell was caused by the periodic listing of the ship that allowed sewage gas to come into the rooms via the plumbing. I don't know if this is true or not, but that is what he told us.

 

2) We attended the "Thank You" reception for returning passengers. It was billed in the daily program as lasting 45 minutes in the main theater. Drinks and some simple snacks were offered. They closed the curtains after 37 minutes (I looked at my watch), and kicked everyone out of the theater after 45 minutes. They said they needed to clean the theater for the next event (probably another bingo game). It was the lamest thank you reception I have ever been to. I've attended several "Captains Club" events on Celebrity and they were far superior with a buffet and dessert spread, lasting far longer than 37 minutes. Carnival's thank you reception was so poor as to be insulting to repeat passengers.

 

3) We had a billing descrepancy on our room bill part way through the trip that we brought to the attention of Customer Service. This involved different prices for the same cocktail from different bars on the ship. We did not know which drink bills were correct and which were wrong. We finally received a lame explanation from Customer Service and one of the managers, and we went on our way [no billing correction offered]. It was clear to us that there was no attempt to maintain customer satisfaction. Carnival admitted that their pricing policy caused the confusion (they do have different prices for the exact same 'double' cocktails depending on which bar you make your purchase), but their curt explanation was a real put off.

 

4) On day one, we inquired about getting a galley tour for my wife and I and our three kids. We had a great galley tour on the Celebrity Solstice in March of 2010 so we wanted to do the same thing on Carnival. Celebrity did not charge anything for the galley tour and it was open to all passengers, regardless of whether it was your first voyage or you were Elite. We found out on Carnival that we would need to purchase the behind the scenes tour at $95.00 per person to get a galley tour. Well, that tour would cost us a whopping $475.00 for the five of us so we passed on it. I did inquire of Customer Service if we could get just the basic galley tour, and we were told that this tour was only available to Platinum passengers. Thanks Carnival, snubbed again.

 

5) I've already discussed our disappointment with the adherence with the MDR "Elegant Night" dress code, so I won't repeat it again.

 

6) The food in the Lido buffet was mediocre at best and the selection was limited in my opinion. Much better selection on Celebrity, quality better too. The Lido was exceptionally crowded and getting a table was not so easy during main meal times. The layout of the buffet was not user friendly and required multiple trips to multiple stations. Never once did a waiter come by to offer more coffee, water, or anything else. It was truly, self-service. The late night "Mexican Buffet" offered tastless desserts (the flan was the blandest I have ever tasted) and the rest of the food was so unappealing as I decided to pass on it.

 

7) Carnival's ship decor is hard to describe. It reminded me of the old, out of date, cheap casinos in downtown Reno, Nevada, or the cheap casinos far from the main theme hotels on the Las Vegas strip. Tacky and garrish is one way to describe Carnival decor. Comparing Carnival's decor to Celebrity's (e.g., Solstice), well, it is like comparing the Four Seasons Hotel to Motel 6 or the Days Inn.

 

8) During the sea days, we missed the adult activities like wine tasting and wine pairing that Celebrity offered. Playing bingo or joining in a trivia contest did not interest us. My son did enjoy the pools and our daughters did keep themselves entertained on sea days, but we found more upscale activities lacking.

 

9) Drinks are more expensive on Carnival. Same for photos. It seems Carnival gets you on board with an attractive price, but then makes it up with more expensive drinks, photos, and higher priced shore excursions.

 

OK, flame away.

[Sargent_Schultz]

The market cap of MCD is more than twice that of CCL, which is still many billions more than puny Royal. Would you like fries with that? :D:p:)