dress code

[thesparkster]

hi all.

I have never sailed with p&o before. do most people wear suits and ties, suits and dickie bows or just a smart shirt? thank you

[daiB]

hi all.

I have never sailed with p&o before. do most people wear suits and ties, suits and dickie bows or just a smart shirt? thank you

 

On formal night you will need a DJ or a dark suite or you are restricted where you can go. On informal, or sometimes called jacket required again you need a jacket and collared shirt although you now do not need the tie.

 

On Formal nights 90%+ of men will wear a DJ.

[annieuk]

On all the P&O cruises we have been on both in Europe and the Caribbean I would say over 90% of men will be wearing a Dinner Suit on a formal evening, mostly with black dinner jackets though some, particularly in the Caribbean, wear cream dinner jackets.

[dsrdsrdsr]

IMO although on formal nights it's true that over 90% will be wearing bow ties; but there won't be 90% wearing dinner jackets. A lot (like me) will be wearing ordinary dark suits and ordinary white shirts with a ready-made bow tie.

[daiB]

IMO although on formal nights it's true that over 90% will be wearing bow ties; but there won't be 90% wearing dinner jackets. A lot (like me) will be wearing ordinary dark suits and ordinary white shirts with a ready-made bow tie.

 

And perfectly acceptable.

[alvin moondust]

Having been on two cruises with P&O I can say that on our cruises almost all the Gents had Dinner suits and bowtie on, I think I would have felt quite conspicous if i had been wearing a shirt and tie:p Having said that there I saw maybe couple of dozen chaps in suits or blazers and tie and that seems quite acceptable. There were also one or two in traditional dress such as kilts

I know its not everyones cup of tea but We personally enjoy the formal nights, its a rare treat to put on the dickie bow:)

[arpster]

Love the formal nights, ball gowns and tuxedos...however I feel that P&O should lighten up and have a few more casual nights when in the Caribbean...every other night seemed to be 'shirt and jacket required'...bit of overkill considering there are 4 Black Tie nights during a 14 night cruise...

Edited January 4, 2014 by arpster

[L & S]

We have just returned from our 1st cruise with P&O, Christmas cruise on the Oceana and I was surprised by how many people dressed in casual clothing on an evening. By casual I mean, shorts, and jogging bottoms. I thought that most folks would dress up rather than down being that it was Christmas. On formal nights I saw outfits that would make you cringe. A red and black checked jacket complete with dickie bow. We dressed up most of the time, casual for us meant, nice trousers and a top for me, and hubby still wore a jacket and tie. Given that we are both in our 60's , that seems to be our code of dressing. Dressing nicely for dinner on a cruise is part and parcel of the whole thing in my opinion.:)

[adoniafan]

Shorts and jogging bottoms should not be allowed in any indoor venue after 6.30pm

[bee-ess]

Love the formal nights, ball gowns and tuxedos...however I feel that P&O should lighten up and have a few more casual nights when in the Caribbean...every other night seemed to be 'shirt and jacket required'...bit of overkill considering there are 4 Black Tie nights during a 14 night cruise...

 

.....Plus another 4 'Jacket Required/Informal' on Azura Caribbean which means only 6 Smart Casual nights. All this puts pressure on the flight luggage allowance. In the Caribbean I would suggest 2 Formal/12 Smart Casual.

Edited January 4, 2014 by bee-ess

[arpster]

In the Caribbean I would suggest 2 Formal/12 Smart Casual.

 

I'd agree with this...formal nights have a special feel to them which I always look forward to...however, too many of them tends to over-egg the pudding if you know what I mean! :)

[annieuk]

We're quite happy with the 4 formal nights on a two week cruise - each to his own opinion of course. I find on a smart casual evening there seems to be an imbalance between men and women. The women still seem to dress up - for example strappy, floaty dresses, sometimes quite glitzy tops with smart trousers. The men, quite correctly according to the dress code, very often will wear a short sleeved shirt with chino trousers. As I say this is absolutely fine and what is suggested in the dress code. It's just that when we've been sat in a bar watching people walking towards the restaurant, the two don't seem to go together - or is that just me?

 

We are off for a month's cruise shortly and I will manage with the 23kg weight restriction - it's an art but it can be done, including a linen jacket for my husband for the Smart, Jacket required evening. We will certainly be wearing things more than once!

[soobs]

that's the beauty of the Ventura you have the formal nights (only 3 of them on the pre-Xmas cruise) the rest casual we ate in the MDR most evenings and didn't any inappropriately dressed people.

 

We like the dressy up nights but don't like the in-between so Ventura works for us, I agree it put to much strain on packing

[tartanexile81]

I'd agree with this...formal nights have a special feel to them which I always look forward to...however, too many of them tends to over-egg the pudding if you know what I mean! :)

 

Agree completely with that. We're going on a 28-nighter to the Caribbean on Oceana next month and we've got 7 formal, 7 jacket required and 10 casual, so for 14 nights my OH will have to wear a jacket. We will conform to the dress code and we always do, and which we enjoy in moderation but if this isn't over-egging the pudding I don't know what it.

[daiB]

Agree completely with that. We're going on a 28-nighter to the Caribbean on Oceana next month and we've got 7 formal, 7 jacket required and 10 casual, so for 14 nights my OH will have to wear a jacket. We will conform to the dress code and we always do, and which we enjoy in moderation but if this isn't over-egging the pudding I don't know what it.

 

As that one is from Southampton there should be no problem.

 

I like the informal nights as I can wear my jackets, don't get many chances now.

[tartanexile81]

As that one is from Southampton there should be no problem.

 

I like the informal nights as I can wear my jackets, don't get many chances now.

 

I assume when you say there should be no problem you mean that we will be able to take as much luggage as we want. We are actually restricted by how many cases we can mange to get from our home in Scotland to Southampton travelling by train etc.

 

My reply and that of arpster concerned over-egging. Like I said, and I will repeat, we like P&O and we always conform to the dress code. We're happy to dress up on formal and jacket required evenings. However on an itinerary like this, on a ship which is supposedly one of P&O's most casual I think it is just too much when my OH will have to wear a jacket on half the evenings.

Edited January 4, 2014 by tartanexile81

[daiB]

I assume when you say there should be no problem you mean that we will be able to take as much luggage as we want. We are actually restricted by how many cases we can mange to get from our home in Scotland to Southampton travelling by train etc.

 

My reply and that of arpster concerned over-egging. Like I said, and I will repeat, we like P&O and we always conform to the dress code. We're happy to dress up on formal and jacket required evenings. However on an itinerary like this, on a ship which is supposedly one of P&O's most casual I think it is just too much when my OH will have to wear a jacket on half the evenings.

 

Well we travel slightly lees than you and are on the Oceana cruise before you. I do not however agree that Oceana is a less formal ship. In my experience there is very little difference between any of the ships and we have been on all of them in the last 3/4 years.

 

There is nothing less formal about Oceana.

 

To get over the problem of the traveling with luggage we use the Baggage Handling Company.

[tartanexile81]

Well we travel slightly lees than you and are on the Oceana cruise before you. I do not however agree that Oceana is a less formal ship. In my experience there is very little difference between any of the ships and we have been on all of them in the last 3/4 years.

 

There is nothing less formal about Oceana.

 

To get over the problem of the traveling with luggage we use the Baggage Handling Company.

 

Glad you use the Baggage Handling Company. Each to their own.

 

Like you I've cruised numerous times over the years with P&O and in my opinion there is an informality on Oceana and according to the P&O website "Oceana's welcoming and informal atmosphere makes her especially popular with families".

 

However this simply deflects from the main point I was making and that is that, in my opinion, there are too many formal and smart jacket-required evenings on our forth-coming cruise.

 

I know others have commented on your inability to accept criticism about P&O. You seem to take some comments about them very personally. so I'm sorry if I've upset you. I wouldn't dare tell you why for the first time in many years we've got no cruises booked with P&O after our next one :)

[arpster]

Agree completely with that. We're going on a so for 14 nights my OH will have to wear a jacket. We will conform to the dress code and we always do, and which we enjoy in moderation but if this isn't over-egging the pudding I don't know what it.

 

That really is far too many on a Caribbean itinerary imo...for me/us that would eventually make the evening meals a chore instead of the pleasurable dining experience that they should be....

[daiB]

Glad you use the Baggage Handling Company. Each to their own.

 

Like you I've cruised numerous times over the years with P&O and in my opinion there is an informality on Oceana and according to the P&O website "Oceana's welcoming and informal atmosphere makes her especially popular with families".

 

However this simply deflects from the main point I was making and that is that, in my opinion, there are too many formal and smart jacket-required evenings on our forth-coming cruise.

 

I know others have commented on your inability to accept criticism about P&O. You seem to take some comments about them very personally. so I'm sorry if I've upset you. I wouldn't dare tell you why for the first time in many years we've got no cruises booked with P&O after our next one :)

 

I do not see this a criticism of P&O at all. My comment is that whatever P&O say there is little difference between any of the ships. I like to wear a jacket on certain nights and others do not. You fall into the latter group or your OH does. I do not see how this is defending P&O.

[Denarius]

Agree completely with that. We're going on a 28-nighter to the Caribbean on Oceana next month and we've got 7 formal, 7 jacket required and 10 casual, so for 14 nights my OH will have to wear a jacket. We will conform to the dress code and we always do, and which we enjoy in moderation but if this isn't over-egging the pudding I don't know what it.

 

According to both pages 11 and 22 of the latest P&O brochure (January 2014 - March 2015) Oceana has only 2 dress codes, Black Tie and Evening Casual. She does not have Smart, Jacket Required. This appears to be at variance with the above post. Have the goalposts been moved yet again? P&O really does need to make up its mind on this vexed issue of dress codes instead of constantly spinning like a weather vane in a gale.

[daiB]

According to both pages 11 and 22 of the latest P&O brochure (January 2014 - March 2015) Oceana has only 2 dress codes, Black Tie and Evening Casual. She does not have Smart, Jacket Required. This appears to be at variance with the above post. Have the goalposts been moved yet again? P&O really does need to make up its mind on this vexed issue of dress codes instead of constantly spinning like a weather vane in a gale.

 

For some time now Oceana has reverted to the 3 dress codes in the winter.

 

As far as I can tell in September she will have 2 dress codes.

[Denarius]

For some time now Oceana has reverted to the 3 dress codes in the winter.

 

As far as I can tell in September she will have 2 dress codes.

 

Then why does the new brochure clearly state otherwise? Page 11 of this brochure, which covers all cruises from Jan 2014 to March 2015, shows Oceana only having black tie and evening casual. Page 22 lists the ships operating a smart, jacket required code - Oceana is not one of them. P&O really do need to get their act together on this!

[daiB]

Then why does the new brochure clearly state otherwise? Page 11 of this brochure, which covers all cruises from Jan 2014 to March 2015, shows Oceana only having black tie and evening casual. Page 22 lists the ships operating a smart, jacket required code - Oceana is not one of them. P&O really do need to get their act together on this!

 

Yes I agree, they should just have the 3 dress codes all the time. Much easier. :) :) ;)