Princess Survey about Formal Nights

[Paula_MacFan]

If you think anything about the MDR is "fine dining" you have never been to a fine dining restaurant.

 

I totally agree with you! We don't think the MDR is anything special....food is 'ok' and it's way too loud for me. That's another reason why we love specialty dining....it just seems more civilized and quiet. That's why I'm annoyed that some reports are saying the CB is requiring formal dress in the specialty venues. I keep reading replies on this thread that 'if people don't want to dress up, there are alternative venues'.....well, yes, one alternative was specialty dining....but maybe not anymore.

 

We haven't stepped foot in the MDR on our last 3 cruises....unless you count browsing the clearance merchandise during the sea days sales:)

[RocketMan275]

Not flaming you. If your husband wears a shirt and tie that is acceptable for many. However, many of the people on here are talking about the men who wear a short sleeve shirt, polo shirt, or more casual, etc., without the tie.

 

As long as a cruise lines allow whatever, people will push the limits. Remember, for some it is 'MEEEEEEEEEEEEE.'

 

Why are those who prefer a more relaxed dress code always accused of being all about "MEEEEEEEEEEE". Aren't those who want to impose a stricter dress code also being all about "MEEEEEEEEEE"?

 

As for the polls? Who is taking the survey, what is the base, etc. Just like they did the polling at Yale in regards to the 1st Amendment. LOL

 

Fair question about polls. Here's one that is very pertinent. It's a poll of a cruise critic members, specifically Celebrity cruisers, asking them about what they think about the "Chic" (formal optional dress code) on Celebrity. I think most would consider Celebrity a fair approximation of Princess. BTW, less than 30% disapproved of the change. Amazing, very similar results to the wider poll mentioned by others.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2278817&highlight=formal+poll

[Colo Cruiser]

Not flaming you. If your husband wears a shirt and tie that is acceptable for many. However, many of the people on here are talking about the men who wear a short sleeve shirt, polo shirt, or more casual, etc., without the tie.

 

As long as a cruise lines allow whatever, people will push the limits. Remember, for some it is 'MEEEEEEEEEEEEE.'

 

As for the polls? Who is taking the survey, what is the base, etc. Just like they did the polling at Yale in regards to the 1st Amendment. LOL

 

 

I agree, me me me.

Pretty weak when you have to refer to other cruise line survey's.

[SteelMagnolia9]

Why is your "experience" (everyone dressed up) more important than the "experience" desired by the 70% majority who do not want to dress up?

 

It's not. My point is that it's just not the same dining experience, that's all.

[dickinson]

Somewhere a few pages back someone posted something about this 30% and 70%. I doubt it is accurate for Princess because if only 30% wanted formal night they would have done away with it a long time ago.

 

As I have posted before I prefer for formal night to continue. Now I am out of here and looking forward to when I can take my next Princess cruise and enjoy the ambience of a ship with most people dressed up. Makes the experience special.

[Cruise Junky]

Somewhere a few pages back someone posted something about this 30% and 70%. I doubt it is accurate for Princess because if only 30% wanted formal night they would have done away with it a long time ago.

 

As I have posted before I prefer for formal night to continue. Now I am out of here and looking forward to when I can take my next Princess cruise and enjoy the ambience of a ship with most people dressed up. Makes the experience special.

 

I doubt you'd get 70% on this board too but it depends on who they surveyed. Princess age median has now surpassed HAL they need to change that to survive so it might not matter what their current clientele want. What are new cruisers looking for? Is having a formal night a detriment to new business or an enhancement? As Pam always says, follow the money!

[partybarbie]

If you think anything about the MDR is "fine dining" you have never been to a fine dining restaurant.

 

Fine dining is more than the food on the menu. There's no need to insult me.

 

FYI - This is the definition of fine dining.

 

Fine dining restaurants are full service restaurants with specific dedicated meal courses. Décor of such restaurants features higher-quality materials, with an eye towards the "atmosphere" desired by the restaurateur. The wait staff is usually highly trained and often wears more formal attire. Fine dining restaurants are almost always small businesses and are generally either single-location operations or have just a few locations. Food portions are visually appealing. Fine dining restaurants have certain rules of dining which visitors are generally expected to follow, often including a dress code.

 

IMHO, Princess tries to follow this standard. It's a little difficult though when the passengers refuse to comply.

Edited December 20, 2015 by partybarbie

[pris993]

If you think anything about the MDR is "fine dining" you have never been to a fine dining restaurant.

 

I probably have never been to a "fine" dining restaurant and I have to agree that chicken pot pie, hamburger steak etc., is a far cry from what Princess' MDR menu use to offer... which I thought was what the comment was really about.

 

We do like the formal nights, we usually dress "informally" vs casual most nights on board. Just returned from a 14 day cruise on the Queen Mary 2, which is more formal every night and we loved it. It really is not that hard to do if people wish to do so. Unfortunately today, society has lost some of the values and class that use to be part of the norm.

 

We don't care what others do. We always get a table for 2 or a 4 top for 2 and request the traditional late time in the MDR. Do find folks dress better for the later dinner and the MDR is less crowded which we like also.

 

On some cruise lines we skip the MDR entirely because it is too crowded and noisy, especially true on Celebrity. We try to find a table that is not out in the middle of the MDR too which does help with the noise and traffic issues.

With over 50 cruises on 9 different lines we have lots of experience on how to create our own cruise atmosphere.

[Steelers0854]

Why should there be your so called "minimum standards" and not someone else's.

 

I find is strange the number of posters here who say no formal nght with dark suit as minimum for men, but in the next breath say no shorts, T-shirts flip flops and ball caps.

 

 

Because with minimum standards there is lots of room to maneuver. There always is a minimum otherwise someone is going to roll into the DR from the pool in flip flops and no shirt, and that isn't appropriate. What we are discussing is formal attire, on the upper end of the spectrum with no room for variation. Minimum standards should be enforced all the time and if some would like to dress up then by all means they have that option.

[oskidunker]

If they keep formal night, the food needs to be more special. Hyping the new chocolate Deserts by Norman Love were only served twice on a 10 day cruise we took last year. Ridiculous.

Edited December 20, 2015 by oskidunker

[kruisey]

If you think anything about the MDR is "fine dining" you have never been to a fine dining restaurant.

Its very best remembering there are usually over 3000 folks to feed 3 times a day and in between.Yes mass market.

Under the circumstances I feel Princess does a very good job.The MDR's are their equivalent of fine dining they are beautifully furnished with cotton table clothes and napkins all set up with the wine glasses in place.If one does not like a dish they will replace it immediately with one to your liking.The Head waiter and all the waiters dress up for formal nights which as I mentioned earlier are few and far between.If Princess pays for all this special clothing the employees wear in MDR to compliment we passengers on these nights surely no harm is done to anyone to keep up traditions.Next we will be voting against Canada Day plus Four of July part of our heritage and TRADITION:eek:

Edited December 20, 2015 by kruisey

[AKman2495]

I totally agree with you! We don't think the MDR is anything special....food is 'ok' and it's way too loud for me.

 

Our DD is into fine dining..We have eaten in a number of such restaurants in major cities and everyone of them was so loud you literally could not hear yourself think.

 

The MDRs on Princess are quiet and peaceful compared to them.

 

As for the food, food is subjective. What one conducers fine dining is another's garbage.

 

We find the MDRs serve a good quality meal with a variety of interesting offerings.

 

We have always found things to eat there and, while I try to control myself, my DW is not above ordering more of her favorites.

 

If you don't like the MDR, fine. But we think it is a great place to eat.

 

FWIW.

[partybarbie]

On my last Princess cruise, the dinner offerings in the MDR included Filet Mignon, veal scaloppine, lobster tails. escargot, grilled prawns, sauteed scallops, crab cakes, pheasant, souffles, floating islands, Baked Alaska, etc. It may not be the same quality as the Ritz-Carlton, but it's certainly not Golden Corral or Hometown Buffet, even though some passengers dressed like it was.

[Oxo]

On my last Princess cruise, the dinner offerings in the MDR included Filet Mignon, veal scaloppine, lobster tails. escargot, grilled prawns, sauteed scallops, crab cakes, pheasant, souffles, floating islands, Baked Alaska, etc. It may not be the same quality as the Ritz-Carlton, but it's certainly not Golden Corral or Hometown Buffet, even though some passengers dressed like it was.

 

Yes, you are 1000000% correct. Thank You!

[kennicott]

How so? How would what one is wearing affect staffing?

Probably wouldn't. I was responding to ohioblue52s question of when they may "turn the MDRs into buffets". When that occurs formal nights and formal night debate will have been long gone.

 

It costs the line a heck of a lot more to operate, staff, maintain and supply a decent MDR than it does a buffet, regardless of what people wear .

[Paula_MacFan]

On my last Princess cruise, the dinner offerings in the MDR included Filet Mignon, veal scaloppine, lobster tails. escargot, grilled prawns, sauteed scallops, crab cakes, pheasant, souffles, floating islands, Baked Alaska, etc. It may not be the same quality as the Ritz-Carlton, but it's certainly not Golden Corral or Hometown Buffet, even though some passengers dressed like it was.

 

We were just on the Caribbean Princess last month. Several nights the same things offered in the MDR were available in the Horizon Court, such as prime rib and same MDR fixings (loaded baked potatoes, asparagus, shrimp cocktail), the exact 'tom turkey and fixings' meal as the MDR; flourless chocolate cake, crab cakes, grilled scallops.....those are just a few of the things I remember quickly. Obviously no filet mignon or lobster (we had that at Crown Grill), but there were many of the same MDR things.

 

Princess' buffet isn't exactly like the MDR, but it isn't Golden Corral either.

[sonomaphil]

The MDR food in general is not fine dining food it it on a par with what you receive when a wedding is catered by a hotel. This makes perfect sense as some say with having to feed over 3000 people. There is nothing wrong with that, I enjoy the MDR very much. But it is not fine dining.

[Paula_MacFan]

On some cruise lines we skip the MDR entirely because it is too crowded and noisy, especially true on Celebrity. With over 50 cruises on 9 different lines we have lots of experience on how to create our own cruise atmosphere.

 

Your cruise style sounds much like ours. Some nights we dress up and go to the specialty restaurant for wonderful steak meal, and some nights we find a quiet table in Café Caribe and enjoy an ocean view meal. Some nights we eat pizza on the open deck while watching football and enjoying a cold beer.

 

Having these options are what keep us coming back to Princess, not formal nights.

[Jessejo]

Why is your "experience" (everyone dressed up) more important than the "experience" desired by the 70% majority who do not want to dress up?

 

I think if you read all these posts you'd find that more than 70% of those responding would vote to keep formal nights!

[kennicott]

So when people are voting to keep Formal Night as it is, are they voting to keep it as it currently is in practice (where even tank-top guy sometimes gets in) or as the idealized version in the Princess description? Personally, I think the answers will be confused but If Princess interprets the results to mean people want a stricter version that is fine with me, there are other cruise lines I haven't yet tried. The revised HAL dress code looks reasonable to me, I'm quite happy with a jacket and tie standard.

 

"I'm quite happy with a jacket and tie standard" When did you last cruise on HAL? A short sleeve polo shirt is not a jacket and tie. Read and weep:

 

Did Holland America Line change their dress code?

 

"A: Yes, some refinements were made to improve consistency and the policy now reads:

 

 

Most evenings smart casual attire is appropriate. Shorts, pool/beachwear, distressed jeans and men’s tank tops are best left to the daytime and are not permitted in fine dining restaurants.

Gala Nights evoke the grand traditions of cruising as guests dress to impress for special events on board, including our five-course gourmet dinner in the Dining Room. For gentlemen, collared shirts and slacks are required in all fine dining restaurants."

[Cruise Junky]

I think if you read all these posts you'd find that more than 70% of those responding would vote to keep formal nights!

 

The 70% comes from a cruise industry survey. not the small amount represented on this thread.

[Colo Cruiser]

The 70% comes from a cruise industry survey. not the small amount represented on this thread.

 

 

Or Princess cruisers.

[Cruise Junky]

Or Princess cruisers.

 

We have no idea what the average Princess passenger wants. And as I said earlier, they may not care. It's what the new cruiser wants.

[Colo Cruiser]

We have no idea what the average Princess passenger wants. And as I said earlier, they may not care. It's what the new cruiser wants.

 

 

Is that what they told you?

[Cruise Junky]

Is that what they told you?

 

Don't be argumentative, I said "May"