surprised on people dressing up on regal

[jeromep]

I don't have an issue with formal nights. My wife always has something available that she can make look dressy. As for me I work in a shirt and tie kind of place, so I have plenty of ties, plenty of button up shirts, plenty of wool/poly blend slacks and a handful of sport jackets. It's my work uniform and not hard to put together for a formal night.

 

I've done the tux thing before, had to rent one. It was fun, but it was a lot of work hauling it with me. If it weren't for the "carrying it around" factor, I'd rent a tux every time for formal nights, but it is just too much hassle when you have to fly to the port or don't want to carry around a whole bunch of luggage.

 

A tip, if you get free laundry as Elite or by booking a suite, when you get on board, send out your suit for dry cleaning on embarkation. I've sent my jackets and pants out for dry cleaning a couple of times, and Princess' cleaners do as good a job as my normal dry cleaner and I don't look like I just unfolded my stuff out of a suitcase on the first formal night.

[yamanid]

my wife and I just came back from a cruise on regal and were really surprised at the way people dressed on the cruise. we have been reading how casual things are getting but on the 2 formal nights we saw more guys wearing tuxes and coats and ties and woman wearing cocktail type dresses than weve seen recently on other cruises. even on the other nights there were quite a few guys with sport coats and woman wearing dresses. on the formal nights there were a few who went to the buffet instead and decided to just stay in their shorts which is fine if that's what they like. everyone has a choice which is great. I will say one thing for those who are debating which way to go on the formal nights. I think at the end of the night you will wish you did the dress up thing. its just a nice experience.

 

We always dress up, regardless of the length of our Cruise, and have done so for over 25 years - it is all part of the cruise experience - people know before they book what the expected dress code is!! some people, unfortunately choose to ignore - enjoy everyone

[MissP22]

My husband & I both used to dress up until on a Princess cruise many year ago we realized that it was totally unnecessary & we were only doing it because many others were.

Not to be disrespectful but since it was our vacation after all, why should we have to bow down to what others might prefer?

We haven't conformed to the crowd mentality in many years and yes we do dine in the main dining room on formal nights and never once thought about returning to dressing up only to satisfy others.

There are plenty of opportunities in life to dress as formally as you like but a vacation shouldn't be one of them.

[yamanid]

I am a smart dresser , from the uk . Dress smart anytime of day or night . Love fashion and love dressing for an evening out

 

 

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Here here!!!!!!

 

If you are invited to a "FORMAL NIGHT" it is rude not to dress accordingly - whoever you are x

[CruiserGuyWPB]

If men and Women are supposed to be Equal...... Why are women allowed to be comfortable in a loose neck dress. But men are tied up around the neck ? Women can be loose around the body with slinky dress, but men are tied up around the body?? it makes no sense :-(

Edited February 2, 2017 by CruiserGuyWPB

[MissP22]

If men and Women are supposed to be Equal...... Why are women allowed to be comfortable in a loose neck dress. But men are tied up around the neck ? Women can be loose around the body with slinky dress, but men are tied up around the body?? it makes no sense :-(

 

That was one of the main reasons why my husband decided to be more comfortable. Not to the point of dressing sloppy but just leaving his suit & tie behind for a dressier casual look.

Princess just wants people to look decent on formal nights and not just show up in unpressed jeans & t shirts. Just about anything else is acceptable.

[CruiserGuyWPB]

That was one of the main reasons why my husband decided to be more comfortable. Not to the point of dressing sloppy but just leaving his suit & tie behind for a dressier casual look.

Princess just wants people to look decent on formal nights and not just show up in unpressed jeans & t shirts. Just about anything else is acceptable.

 

I agree, A shirt and tie are fine for men. No reason for men to be uncomfortable when women can be comfortable... After all, we we supposed to me equal :-)

[Nashna]

My husband plans to wear a sports jacket and tie. He wore tuxes for years on sea and land and wore suits to the office. We have spent the last 10 years sailing on Windstar, Azamara and Regent. Those cruise lines adopted Country club casual sailing years ago. We sailed to Bermuda on Celebrity last summer and he wore a sports jacket without a tie and was quite comfortable. He will wear the tie on the first formal night on the Regal. Dressing up is just not what it used to be for us. Cruisers who choose to continue to don formal attire should be comfortable doing so as well. As a certified "people watcher", I enjoy the show!

 

 

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[MissP22]

My husband plans to wear a sports jacket and tie. He wore tuxes for years on sea and land and wore suits to the office. We have spent the last 10 years sailing on Windstar, Azamara and Regent. Those cruise lines adopted Country club casual sailing years ago. We sailed to Bermuda on Celebrity last summer and he wore a sports jacket without a tie and was quite comfortable. He will wear the tie on the first formal night on the Regal. Dressing up is just not what it used to be for us. Cruisers who choose to continue to don formal attire should be comfortable doing so as well. As a certified "people watcher", I enjoy the show!

 

 

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The same for us. We're getting to old to care what others think about our style of dressing. We're both neat, clean & presentable. What more can you ask of us?

[Nashna]

I always felt sorry when he had to put on a heavily starched shirt. tie cummerbund , and wool tux in the tropics. The light-weight sports jacket works so much better in 80 degree temperatures.

 

 

 

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[timtrek]

I was bugging my then 10 YO DGS about dressing up. Putting on a shirt, tie and suit. He was getting pissy with me (and he never ever does that). He was bordering on rude until I put a stop to it. I told him that Grandpa and I would want to take him to nice places to eat as he grows up and that might require a suit. No! I don’t want to discuss it, he says. About an hour later I ask him again. He is adamant that he is never going to wear a suit.

 

Well, we were pushing the subject because we knew that we were taking the kids on a cruise and the rule is on cruises this family has always dressed up. My kids have been cruising since they were 7 YO and that has always been the rule. First for them and now for their children.

 

I explained to him that there will be occasions in his life where wearing a suit is necessary so he might as well get used to it. He might even have to wear one to work. I told him for weddings and funerals you also would wear a suit. It is respect for the event, that you are dressing up to show respect to the deceased or for the happy couple.

 

So, for Christmas we tell the kids about the cruise by having them open their carry on suitcases that they take with them when they go away for the weekend. It is loaded with cruise information and stuff to take on the cruise. Once he figured out that the present was a cruise he turned to me and said, “Well, Grandma. It looks like I need to buy a suit.” I couldn’t help but laugh.

 

So we are on the cruise and he dresses for the first formal night. No problem. The second formal night he was asking if he really had to dress up again. I explained to him that since it was formal night it would be disrespectful of him to look like crap while everyone else was dressing up. Did he somehow feel he was more important than everyone else and that his lack of respect should ruin the occasion for others? No, he felt he should dress up.

 

He must have been paying attention because after the cruise he had to go to an audition for a play. He wanted the main character. His mom is waiting for him to get ready and out he walks with his suit, shirt and tie on. He told her he wanted to impress them. He also chose to wear his suit when he knew he was getting an award at school.

 

We found out later his biggest objection was that the shirt was scratchy. Once he put on an undershirt he was fine LOL.

 

It makes me crazy when I hear parents asking if their 12 or 15 YO sons can wear shorts to the dining room because they just don’t like to wear long pants. Do they think that if these kids get a job their employers are going to let them wear shorts to work?

Oh, we almost always sail on Princess.

 

What awesome Grandparents. Your grandchildren are lucky to have you and their lives will be better because of your sage advice!

[antmaril]

I was bugging my then 10 YO DGS about dressing up. Putting on a shirt, tie and suit. He was getting pissy with me (and he never ever does that). He was bordering on rude until I put a stop to it. I told him that Grandpa and I would want to take him to nice places to eat as he grows up and that might require a suit. No! I don’t want to discuss it, he says. About an hour later I ask him again. He is adamant that he is never going to wear a suit.

Well, we were pushing the subject because we knew that we were taking the kids on a cruise and the rule is on cruises this family has always dressed up. My kids have been cruising since they were 7 YO and that has always been the rule. First for them and now for their children.

I explained to him that there will be occasions in his life where wearing a suit is necessary so he might as well get used to it. He might even have to wear one to work. I told him for weddings and funerals you also would wear a suit. It is respect for the event, that you are dressing up to show respect to the deceased or for the happy couple.

So, for Christmas we tell the kids about the cruise by having them open their carry on suitcases that they take with them when they go away for the weekend. It is loaded with cruise information and stuff to take on the cruise. Once he figured out that the present was a cruise he turned to me and said, “Well, Grandma. It looks like I need to buy a suit.” I couldn’t help but laugh.

So we are on the cruise and he dresses for the first formal night. No problem. The second formal night he was asking if he really had to dress up again. I explained to him that since it was formal night it would be disrespectful of him to look like crap while everyone else was dressing up. Did he somehow feel he was more important than everyone else and that his lack of respect should ruin the occasion for others? No, he felt he should dress up.

He must have been paying attention because after the cruise he had to go to an audition for a play. He wanted the main character. His mom is waiting for him to get ready and out he walks with his suit, shirt and tie on. He told her he wanted to impress them. He also chose to wear his suit when he knew he was getting an award at school.

We found out later his biggest objection was that the shirt was scratchy. Once he put on an undershirt he was fine LOL.

It makes me crazy when I hear parents asking if their 12 or 15 YO sons can wear shorts to the dining room because they just don’t like to wear long pants. Do they think that if these kids get a job their employers are going to let them wear shorts to work?

Oh, we almost always sail on Princess.

 

Good for you! I couldn't agree more! We raised our son this way and now at 30 years old, he is usually the best dressed man in the place.

[jennybenny]

my wife and I just came back from a cruise on regal and were really surprised at the way people dressed on the cruise. we have been reading how casual things are getting but on the 2 formal nights we saw more guys wearing tuxes and coats and ties and woman wearing cocktail type dresses than weve seen recently on other cruises. even on the other nights there were quite a few guys with sport coats and woman wearing dresses. on the formal nights there were a few who went to the buffet instead and decided to just stay in their shorts which is fine if that's what they like. everyone has a choice which is great. I will say one thing for those who are debating which way to go on the formal nights. I think at the end of the night you will wish you did the dress up thing. its just a nice experience.

 

That's awesome!! We always dress up on our cruises, even our two boys ages 9 and 13. They live in shorts and t shirts year round and have never questioned us about getting dressed up for dinner on our cruises. Husband just got a new tux and he looks so nice in it (the old one was looking outdated) :)

 

Given that we tend to cruise during the holidays, there are often many people who dress up as well, but it's nice to hear that on non holiday cruises people are still in the dressing up spirit. We dress up for us. We enjoy getting at least one nice family photo each cruise. While it's nice that people who don't want to dress up have the other options for dinner, we tend to change after dinner and join them in comfort after for our visits to the bars or casino :)

[Woobstr112G]

my wife and I just came back from a cruise on regal and were really surprised at the way people dressed on the cruise. we have been reading how casual things are getting but on the 2 formal nights we saw more guys wearing tuxes and coats and ties and woman wearing cocktail type dresses than weve seen recently on other cruises. even on the other nights there were quite a few guys with sport coats and woman wearing dresses. on the formal nights there were a few who went to the buffet instead and decided to just stay in their shorts which is fine if that's what they like. everyone has a choice which is great. I will say one thing for those who are debating which way to go on the formal nights. I think at the end of the night you will wish you did the dress up thing. its just a nice experience.

 

 

Agreed.....:):):)

 

Bob

[ian441672]

OP - We were probably on the same cruise before your one (B2B January 8th, 2 weeks), and we commented on how less people are dressing up these days.

 

An interesting conversation came on a formal night (we had 4, being on a 2 week B2B - too many really), when the entrance hostess remarked on how smart I looked (in a standard 'business' suit), and I replied jokingly, saying not as smart the guy next to me in a tux. He replied that he is debating next cruise whether to do it, as less and less people are, and he felt a bit of the odd one out.

 

That is exactly how I felt last time being quite conspicuous, over the years less and less people were wearing them. So much so, that I did not this year for the first time and reverted back to a regular suit, and felt more comfortable. To be fair, our Alaskan cruise last June was the least I have seen ever, and there were a few more on this cruise, but a whole lot less than say 10 years ago, or even 5.

 

He was debating, like me, whether he should and we both agreed that whilst it is a shame it becoming less, it is a choice. However, this would be his last tux cruise!

 

I feel this is probably the consensus, less rather than more people, however it is only from what I have seen, and could may well be wrong!

[Grego]

We always dress up, regardless of the length of our Cruise, and have done so for over 25 years - it is all part of the cruise experience - people know before they book what the expected dress code is!! some people, unfortunately choose to ignore - enjoy everyone

 

Exactly. We have also cruised for the same number of years and I have taken a tux with me every time. My wife thoroughly enjoys the opportunity to dress up and I enjoy making her happy. It is part of the cruise experience and back in the day you dressed up for every evening meal.

 

Anymore, these days the rules only apply to those that choose to respect them. Others will find a way to ignore them for various self-serving reasons. It would be nice if those that really don't want to pack a tux or a suit or even a sports coat would find another venue for a meal rather than the main dining room.

[satxdiver]

If men and Women are supposed to be Equal...... Why are women allowed to be comfortable in a loose neck dress. But men are tied up around the neck ? Women can be loose around the body with slinky dress, but men are tied up around the body?? it makes no sense :-(

 

Agreed. The most interesting part is when women wear flip flops with some sparkly things on them and call them formal shoes! Personally I have never worn a tie on board but have worn a blazer. Since the airlines have limited luggage charging more for the second luggage, I have been leaving the blazer at home and going with a long sleeved shirt. Many cruise lines have done away with formal night and opting for an elegant night or some other word.

[floridalover5623]

We always dress up, regardless of the length of our Cruise, and have done so for over 25 years - it is all part of the cruise experience - people know before they book what the expected dress code is!! some people, unfortunately choose to ignore - enjoy everyone

 

I follow the Princess guidelines and if you read it closely you'll notice that it doesn't really force anyone to dress all that formally.

 

"For more formal settings, men should bring a suit and a nice pair of shoes

(or, at the very least, a shirt, tie and slacks), while women may want to bring

an evening dress or a skirt with a good blouse."

[janina]

We take the same amount of clothes for seven days or thirty days. It all fits in one suitcase each and that includes a tux and two formal dresses along with other smart casual clothes. I don't get many chances to see my DH in a tux so I enjoy formal nights.

 

I sure wish you were around to pack for me....one suitcase...can't even fathom:)

[8 Westies Mom]

My kilts always come with us, because I'm really not a suit kind of person...

 

 

Kilts are always accepted and appreciated!

 

 

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[srpilo]

My experience is that how many people dress up and to what degree is highly influenced by where the embarkation port is and where the cruise goes to.

 

I've found that if the cruise requires a lot of travel by many of the passengers to the port of embarkation or if the cruise requires a lot of cold weather clothes or both cold and warm weather clothes, there are fewer people that dress up as formally. They usually bring something passable for formal night, but something that requires less packing space.

 

I think this is due to luggage issues. You can only pack so much and if something has to go, its more likely the extra dressy clothes.

 

My experience is that Caribbean cruises and cruises leaving out of California tend to be dressier on formal night.

 

Don't know what other people have experienced, this is based on my personal observations.

 

+ 1

 

 

Srpilo

[tommy47]

yes we were on the January 22nd cruise on regal.

[easyboy]

I wear a suit on formal nights before. I now wear just a jacket without tie. Feels more relaxed.

[Nashna]

I wear a suit on formal nights before. I now wear just a jacket without tie. Feels more relaxed.

 

 

I'm with you, easyboy! That is why we cruise...to relax.

 

 

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[RedEarth]

What is the general 'trend' with regards to formal wear on summer Mediterranean cruises on Princess? And by trend I'm referring to what general percentage of people dress up for formal night, rather than what they actually wear.

 

Reason for asking is that I enjoy dressing up for formal nights and have done so religiously on the two cruises I've done so far, both of which have been from Southampton which also happens to be where I live, so luggage restrictions haven't been an issue at all up until know. Also may be worth pointing out that both of these have been with P&O.

 

This summer I'm going on my first Princess cruise (Athens to Barcelona), which obviously will also be my first fly-cruise. My ideal scenario is that I'll take my tux with me and the majority of other passengers will be dressed up, and everything will be great. However if I'm the only one dressed up it'll be quite a disappointment and I'll be annoyed that I went to the trouble of transporting my formal clothes all that way, likewise if I decide to leave the posh stuff at home but arrive to find everyone else is dressed up I'll be really disappointed. So if the general consensus is that formal dress is either very popular on Med cruises or that no-one really bothers, then I can just flow with the majority and achieve the optimum amount of packing effort for minimal disappointment!!

 

If you've read this far, apologies for finding such a convoluted way to ask a relatively simple question!!! :D