Why is there a dress code if it is just a suggesting

[gems4me]

Sailed on Explorer of the Seas from April 24 through May 3. There was a table of women, I think mother and daughters that sat beside our table and they definitely wore shorts during dinner. They had nice blouses on but still had shorts on.

[autumnquest]

My husband has a shirt given him by a friend in two colors that says "I pooped today!" One is brown for casual nights and the other is black with white lettering for formal nights. Can he join you guys? Bwah ha ha ha ha!

 

I have seen these threads for years on here and never said anything...that is about to change.

 

Seriously, the gall of someone to insinuate that because someone wishes to not dress in a manner that others think is appropriate, they are somehow "uncultured". Pay for my cruise fare and then you can tell me how to dress. And if they are so high class and cultured, why are they not sailing suites on Cunard or one of the other luxury lines? Give me a break. Life has changed. Vacation for me is casual. I won't be wearing ripped up t-shirts and pants hanging below my butt in the MDR, but what is the difference between a skirt above the knees for women (cocktail dresses sometimes come that length) and shorts for a man? It's a more casual world. And to suggest that some people cannot have a nice cruise vacation because they choose to live more casually is ludicrous.

 

My former CEO for a large advertising agency that I worked for would walk around the building in sweats and a ratty t-shirt. We all wore jeans to work...and in *gasp* conference meetings! We were there 60 hours a week. We also had pool tables and a b-ball court to blow off steam from the stress. I would dare someone to tell my Ivy League educated CEO that he was uncultured. Seriously, people need to get over themselves.

[autumnquest]

In reality, my husband will not be bringing those t-shirts with him on our cruise, but he WILL wear his tacky hawaiian shirts, cargo shorts and other t-shirts around. He is a scientist who was educated at Rutgers and has a masters in Biology. He double majored in Biology at Rutgers and art at Mason Grosse School of Art at Rutgers. He has spent days at the Louvre drawing while visiting family in France. But I guess since he'd wear shorts in the MDR, he's uncultured as well. Excuse me while I go play my banjo.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

Let me start by saying that we do second seating and have never seen anyone in shorts and t-shirts at dinner in the MDR. One of our tablemates wore jeans the last night, but paired them with a collared shirt and sports jacket. Having said that, someone dressing in shorts, ballcap, and the like in the MDR when they are specifically requested by the cruiseline to not do so says to me that they are rude, self-centered people who have absolutely no respect for their fellow cruisers who do dress appropriately. Doesn't affect my meal at all since they are not at my table, but would definitely my impression of them.

And they should care about your impression of them because?...

[autumnquest]

For the record, I also have a Masters Degree in Public Relations and happen to know what all of the utensils on a formally set table are for and what order to use them in since we're being all pretentious. ;-) These threads just stick in my craw with the assumptions that get made about people and the notion that your vacation can be affected by what other people are wearing. How sad and superficial. But to each their own. Opinions and all.

[gerif]

And they should care about your impression of them because?...

 

Of course they don't care any more than the chair hogs, seat savers or line butters - they're just too self-absorbed to think rules could possibly apply to them.

 

How much education a person has does not but them the sense to dress and act appropriately. For example, the couple of new associates who showed up at our office holiday luncheon at a posh country club in jeans and polo shirts. Thought one of the partners was going to have a coronary. He took them aside and, well, let's just say it won't happen again.

[debbs0723]

I'll also add, that I'm not asking for people to be dressed to the 9's but a shirt and chinos/trousers isn't too much trouble for men. And a skirt and blouse/ dress/ trousers for women is just courtesy. It's not Disneyworld where we all lounge around in shorts and tshirts eating hotdogs and popcorn.

 

A little effort isn't difficult.

 

 

It is all relative. I do not doubt that soon someone will get on here and disagree with you and tell you that your shirt and blouse, dress and trousers for women are extremely inappropriate on formal night and that if you are not dressed in true formal wear then you, too, should not eat in the MDR.

 

P.S. I hate formal night. I've always followed the guidelines because I was dumb and thought they were rules. NO MORE. I will still dress nice every night I eat in the MDR. Kind of like I would dress in a restaurant here in Houston. I'm not putting on my 5" heels though on my vacation. Sorry….. I'm just not.

 

Debbie

[debbs0723]

I Excuse me while I go play my banjo.

 

 

HANDS DOWN… the funniest sentence I've ever read on cruise critic.

 

I love dress code threads. They truly crack me up. I think a lot of the reason is because I used to strictly follow the rules. This held trip up to my last cruise a little over a year ago. Notice I said rules. I honestly thought they were and now I laugh at myself. In the end, I might end up bringing cocktail attire just because I think my parents really enjoy seeing my daughters dressed up and I don't want to feel out of place. By out of place what I mean is with my own family. I do not care what other passengers wear.

 

I sometimes think the reason people still fight on these threads to keep things strictly formal is that they really just want to wear formal wear and I say more power to them. However, I think that they are starting to feel a little silly and out of place in their long formal gowns while the rest of us might choose to dress neat, yet not formal. ;)

 

Debbie

[deedeetoo]

I love the dress code threads. I think they are great entertainment. I still fail to understand why anyone would care what anyone else would wear, and why they think it has anything to do with manners, class, respect, chair hogging, seat saving, and line butting. I think some people just like to put others down because it makes then feel superior.

 

I won't detail my resume, but on one point in my life I did spend a lot of time with people who were old money, society types. They usually were the most underdressed people in the room. They used to say that you could always tell the social climbers because they were the ones who were overdressed. Yes they did have the tux in the back of the closet for when Grandma called and demanded their presence somewhere but for most occasions they dressed very casually, usually a step down from what the average person was wearing.

[deedeetoo]

I sometimes think the reason people still fight on these threads to keep things strictly formal is that they really just want to wear formal wear and I say more power to them. However, I think that they are starting to feel a little silly and out of place in their long formal gowns while the rest of us might choose to dress neat, yet not formal. ;)

 

I think you may have nailed it. They are starting to feel uncomfortable all dressed up while others aren't, so they are trying to humiliate people into being more dressy by associating not dressing up with all sorts of bad behavior.

[Dawn1004]

 

Seriously, the gall of someone to insinuate that because someone wishes to not dress in a manner that others think is appropriate, they are somehow "uncultured". Pay for my cruise fare and then you can tell me how to dress. And if they are so high class and cultured, why are they not sailing suites on Cunard or one of the other luxury lines? Give me a break. Life has changed. Vacation for me is casual. I won't be wearing ripped up t-shirts and pants hanging below my butt in the MDR, but what is the difference between a skirt above the knees for women (cocktail dresses sometimes come that length) and shorts for a man? It's a more casual world. And to suggest that some people cannot have a nice cruise vacation because they choose to live more casually is ludicrous.

 

themselves.

 

 

Agree with this post whole heartedly.

[Tazzybear]

here we go...i intend to wear a nice pair of "cargo type shorts" and a bahama type shirt with clean tennis type shoes to board on a carribean cruise. I agree with no tank tops and flip flops. I won't get my luggage until after we eat in the mdr the 1st night. Wife's wearing a sun dress to board. After that, it will be dockers on casual nights and a suit on formal nights. I'm not going to try and cram a pair of trousers and a polo shirt in a carryon on boarding day to get all wrinkled up. As far as i'm concerned, i'm cleanly dressed for mdr on boarding day and the great gadspy's of the world can stick their sea pass where the sun don't shine.

 

agreed!

[summersigh]

Jeans, shorts, t-shirts, flip-flops, ball caps ... all to be considered appropriate on formal night? If I don't agree I'm stuffy??? :confused:

 

Wow ... I think DH is right. Past Carnival passengers are scared to sail CCL so have come on over to RCCL. :eek:

[nascar junkie]

Anyone ever tried to play a banjo? It's not easy and takes a lot of skill. I still think this formal night thing for MDR is dying on these mass market ships. It's going to end up somewhere in the middle regarding approprite dress. Quite frankly, I rarely ever frequent a "french" type resturant unless invited by somewhere else for a special occasion. I see the snob factor and the hillbilly factor as both a minority with most of us in the middle and just wanting to enjoy a good meal in a sitdown setting instead of a buffet.

Edited May 10, 2014 by nascar junkie

[dz9yvr]

In reality, my husband will not be bringing those t-shirts with him on our cruise, but he WILL wear his tacky hawaiian shirts, cargo shorts and other t-shirts around. .

 

 

That's really too bad, I was looking forward to seeing his collection of dinner T-shirts. But if his Hawaiian shirts are really that tacky, then he'll probably still be comfortable. How does your husband fell about wearing his robe around the ship? I'm glad RCCL supplies them to the D and D+ members. I enjoy lounging around the ship in my robe. After all, it's my vacation. I hope to meet you and your husband on a future cruise.

[Memsy87]

Cargo shorts went out of style three years ago. I don't think the Tommy Bahama shirts were ever in style. ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, out of curiosity, are you saying that a $15 pair of khakis from Old Navy would be okay while a $100+ pair of jeans from Seven is not? I used to argue with my mother on that point when I starred wearing jeans to nice restaurants years and years ago and she would scrunch her nose and say "that's what you're wearing?" :)

 

BTW, I always wear wool dress pants on a cruise, though I'm on the verge of at least rotating in my designer jeans...

 

 

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Forums mobile app

 

 

I don't care where clothes are from. Jeans aren't acceptable on formal evenings. If you don't want to wear chinos, Jeans and shirt and trousers, to me, is perfectly acceptable for dinner on other evenings.

But not shorts or "cargo pants"

[Justmekaren918]

People used to wear long pants and full length skirts at the beach too. Times and cultures and tastes change. Cruise lines adapt or die. RCI could strictly enforce a dress code but they choose not to. Why do you think that is?

 

Plain and simple it is all about the pretty pretty money, and really they don't want to rock the boat because if the do may you most likely won't come back with your pretty money. That would not be good. Just off Brilliance and the older folks were dressed really nice and the rest decent. People work hard and getting dressed to the nines is not important. Doesn't mean they don't deserve the cruise.

 

Speaking of what all I heard here tell your table your not coming. Most of my 10 person table never showed, nor called or let anyone know. Maybe I was not dressed to the nines at formal, but at least I showed, and I tracked down my staff the last day to give them an extra tip.

[George C]

I remember cruise lines having jackets that they would loan to people that did not have jackets on formal nights and that was not that long ago. I also find it funny that Sandals enforces there dress code and RCCL does not ( granted not much of a dress code but shorts were not allowed in the better resturants) and that is a beach resort.

[WishIwerethere]

Anyone ever tried to play a banjo? It's not easy and takes a lot of skill.

 

OMG ! I was going to say exactly that ! I always wanted to play the banjo. Finally when I had the chance I saw how difficult it was.

 

Education, job, museums you frequent, doesn't always indicate how much "class" a person has.

 

I'm just saying I don't care to see some young girl's butt cheeks hanging out of her shorts, nor do I want to see certain people in spandex (you know who you are) or hairy armpits sticking out of a wife beater undershirt at dinner.

 

We have freedom of speech too but that doesn't mean you SHOULD always say what you are thinking.

[nascar junkie]

I've noticed a lot of the dress complaints are coming from the brits and other europeon snobs who I guess somehow think they are related to the Queen who, by the way, takes a dump the same way I do. To them, if you don't like the way it's done at times on this side of the ocean, stay across the pond.:p

[LetsGetWet!]

Royal Caribbean states the dress code for formal nights is a "suite and tie or tuxedos for men". I don't own a tux, and I get enough of wearing ties at work (makes me feel like I'm being choked). A strict adherence to that is ridiculous; however I'm not one to walk into the MDR with ripped jeans and a band shirt either. You can find a middle ground such as a dress shirt or polo with a "tasteful" pair of pants and everyone should be happy. You can still remain reasonably comfortable, while still being presentable.

Not EVEN going to wade into the dress code arguments again. But I have to note - a suite is a large cabin on the ship or a matching set of furniture, not something you wear to dinner, that's a suit and they're pronounced differently too!

 

Sent from my Galaxy S4 via Tapatalk

[Sitzmark]

Not EVEN going to wade into the dress code arguments again. But I have to note - a suite is a large cabin on the ship or a matching set of furniture, not something you wear to dinner, that's a suit and they're pronounced differently too!

 

Sent from my Galaxy S4 via Tapatalk

 

The dress code argument is beneath you, but snide comments about someone's typo isn't. :rolleyes:

[Desert Cruizers]

During our 13 day NZ Cruise all the way thru to the Transpacific, I have not seen so many people dressed in shorts for dining. many men wore the cargo shorts, while others wore slacks. Although I had brought several nicer slacks I did wear more the casual ones for dinner. Our Hawaii to Vancouver were a little more dressed up for dinner. Come formal night I had my black slacks and fancier tops even a dress for one of the nights.

[sjb317]

We just got home from our 30 day B2B Sydney to Vancouver on Radiance, had a wonderful time & loved every minute of it. Lots of people dressed up but also saw lots of shorts in the dining room, even on formal night. Lots of Hawaiian shirts! Did not change the atmosphere, service or food. :D

 

We've decided not to pack husband's tux anymore, just take a dark jacket & dress pants and I am not going to take any "formal" long dresses, just cocktail length. Not quite ready to go the "black pants/sparkly top" route yet, but getting there!:D

 

Sherri:)

[autumnquest]

HANDS DOWN… the funniest sentence I've ever read on cruise critic.

 

I love dress code threads. They truly crack me up. I think a lot of the reason is because I used to strictly follow the rules. This held trip up to my last cruise a little over a year ago. Notice I said rules. I honestly thought they were and now I laugh at myself. In the end, I might end up bringing cocktail attire just because I think my parents really enjoy seeing my daughters dressed up and I don't want to feel out of place. By out of place what I mean is with my own family. I do not care what other passengers wear.

 

I sometimes think the reason people still fight on these threads to keep things strictly formal is that they really just want to wear formal wear and I say more power to them. However, I think that they are starting to feel a little silly and out of place in their long formal gowns while the rest of us might choose to dress neat, yet not formal. ;)

 

Debbie

 

Thanks Debbie. Ha ha! I just finally felt like I had to speak up. Honestly, when I have participated in the formal nights, I did it all the way and enjoyed it greatly. I do like dressing up for occasions. This year's vacation just isn't going to be one of those occasions and considering the cost of a trip these days, I shouldn't have to. Again, I won't be wearing ratty, ripped up jeans in the MDR (Though the person who made the point of the Old Navy $20 chinos versus $100 Seven jeans had a great point which amused me greatly.) with beat up Converse tennis shoes. But I do think it gets to be pretentious and the judgmental comments don't necessarily upset me. They amuse me. That comment about being uncultured I guess was my invisible tolerance line.

 

And I'll probably do formal night again on my next cruise. I have it. I'm just choosing not to wear it this time or bring anything more formal than a pair of slacks I'd wear to work. The rest will be shorts, t-shirts, casual camis, sandals, flip flops and snorkel gear. My husband said we should come to eat in the MDR in formal wear with a snorkel and flippers on. :-)

 

We are getting very excited for our trip on Oasis in less then four weeks.