Formal night

[IntrepidFromDC]

The last 2 Carnival ships I have been on, there have been people in shorts, t-shirts, sandals, etc., on elegant night. Nobody was turned away that I could tell. Maybe in bathing suits, but I don't know. I just know what I saw in the MDR on the 2 elegant nights. It was numerous people like this, not just 1 or 2 kids.

 

I believe you, of course. But given both our reported experiences, I still don't agree not to worry and just wear shorts, because you don't know which path he'll encounter.

 

It's kind of like wearing seatbelts. From habit, some people don't wear them after wearing them for years - and it's true that seatbelts may only be needed one time your entire life, but you never know which time it will be. :)

[Doggielover68]

Ok, what do you tell your husband when he announces he's not packing any long pants?

 

 

 

This is our first vacation flying in nearly a decade. And he's trying to pack the mere minimum. T-shirts, underwear, swim trunks and a few pairs of shorts. Me? I don't relish the thought of eating all my meals on the Lido. And I want my elegant night lobster. And eating separate is out of the question.

 

 

 

Come on, one nice top and one pair of pants isn't going to kill him. Plus a bottle of Tide to Go. Right?

 

 

Don't tell him anything. Just pack a pair of pants yourself ;-)

 

 

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[riclop]

You don't have to be formal.

[easyboy]

Don't tell him anything. Just pack a pair of pants yourself ;-)

 

 

The best way!

 

 

 

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[LadyBeBop]

Don't tell him anything. Just pack a pair of pants yourself ;-)

 

I guess that makes sense. However, due to the nature of the cruise, I'll probably pack a lot more for me. Or at least have to take home.

 

One positive. We're flying in from the Midwest in October. Hoping it's cold enough that he'll have to wear long pants.

[CdrescherRBL152]

I think we should be able to dress for dinner how ever we want ! Captain's dinner or not ! We are the ones paying for the cruise !

 

 

 

The rules regarding dress on those one or two nights are known before hand. Yes it is your vacation but it is also everyone else's onboard and everyone needs to obey the rules. If you don't want to dress accordingly go to the lido deck for dinner!!!!!

 

 

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[Crusin Hogs]

I wear nice jeans and a polo shirt ..never a problem , and Yes we see shorts in MDR on elegant night ..They do not bother us

[A&Jfamily]

Ok, what do you tell your husband when he announces he's not packing any long pants?

 

This is our first vacation flying in nearly a decade. And he's trying to pack the mere minimum. T-shirts, underwear, swim trunks and a few pairs of shorts. Me? I don't relish the thought of eating all my meals on the Lido. And I want my elegant night lobster. And eating separate is out of the question.

 

Come on, one nice top and one pair of pants isn't going to kill him. Plus a bottle of Tide to Go. Right?

 

Well IF my DH did not want to take and wear a pair of long pants for elegant evenings so I could eat in the MDR, I would tell him that he would not be renewing his membership in the balcony club.....;p

[bosoxfan5]

There was a couple at our table on our last cruise. The husband only packed shorts. He was not allowed in MDR on elegant night. I know this because the wife came to dinner (dressed appropriately) and that was her explanation as to why he wasn't there. They stopped him at the door. I would suggest just packing a pair of pants for him to be on the safe side.

[maryred]

To me threads like this are like any of the other "better to it and not need it then need it and not have it" ones.

Yes you will have people that are successful at traveling internationally on a cruise with minors without getting parental permissions/medical forms signed, or taking their custody papers to show sole guardianship.

Yes there are some with different last names on their photo ID than their birth certificate, that are allowed to board without name change papers.

Yes some Maitre'Ds will allow passengers on Elegant Evening wearing shorts, but on my 12 Carnival cruises none of the MDR nor specialty dining hosting staff I have met has ever allowed shorts on Elegant Night in the restaurants, unless the passenger was under 5 and with appropriately dressed adults.

 

The question you have to ask your DH is if he wants to risk missing perhaps the best non up-charge meals on board just because on vacation he refuses to wear khakis and a polo shirt for a 2 hour meal. Afterwards he can do what my husband usually does, head back to the cabin and put a pair of shorts on to go to the the evening's entertainment venues. Outside of the sit down restaurants none of the rest of the ship has any special dress code for those nights.

[chumley28540]

I usually change clothes right after dinner.

 

 

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[nhsails]

Let's be clear, there is no formal night and hasn't been on Carnival for years. Guidelines are quite clear on the web site for their recomnendations. Some people choose to be an adult and follow them, some choose to not. Safe journeys

[Purvis1231]

I was under the impression it was more than dinner for some reason. Thanks for clarifying

 

On the ships I have sailed the ship's officers have a meet and greet before the dinner and many people like to have pictures taken with various backdrops by carnival's professional photographers (for a charge for the pictures.)

[cb at sea]

Few cruise lines observe "formal" nights nowadays. Dress decently, and you'll be fine. It is only in the MDR....and it's not a huge deal anymore. Although, we enjoy dressing up and lookin' good!

[notjackbauer]

Elegant night seems really goofy to me.....Its the same restaurant you wore shorts in the night before. You are in the Caribbean in the summer months and on vacation. Numerous posters have stated that it doesn't kill anyone to wear pants for two hours. Also, some seem disgusted that someone would have the audacity to wear shorts at dinner. Newsflash, while sitting at a table you really can't tell what others are wearing, so when someone walks by in shorts just close your eyes and count to 15, not 10 because they might be slow walkers and you may have to look at.....gasp....someone wearing shorts.

 

Why does anyone want to wear pants in 90 degree weather only to change clothes right after dinner to enjoy the rest of the night?

 

Why does anyone care if someone else is wearing shorts to dinner while on vacation? Confucius say, "worry about yourself because the MDR is not a 5 star Michelin restaurant." Dress up if you want, wear shorts if you want; I don't care what other people wear.

 

Carnival here is my opinion that no one asked for, treat the MDR like a golf course dress code for its simplicity; collared shirts, no jean shorts, and no swim trunks. Very easy to enforce if you must and very easy for most to comply with.

[Crusingdiva62]

There's always the lido deck

 

 

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[summersigh]

Why does anyone want to wear pants in 90 degree weather only to change clothes right after dinner to enjoy the rest of the night?

Maybe wearing pants to dinner a night or 2 aboard a ship is not really that big a deal because the insides of a ship are totally air conditioned ... so it's the same temp in there summer or winter.

 

Throwing on a pair of khakis and a polo shirt isn't really asking for a lot - DH says his lightweight khakis are actually more comfortable than jeans.

 

At least with a dress code - some folks who might otherwise drift into the MDR straight from a day in the heat outside may be inclined to shower when changing for dinner. In those cases it just might improve the dining experience of those seated around said "drifters" :D

And yes, this comment is based in experience with some table-mates a couple of years ago :eek:

[Doggielover68]

How hard is it to go to your room to put on a pair of pants? It's not like you have to drive there. Besides, with the amount of food you are about to stuff yourself with, it doesn't hurt to take a walk.

 

 

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[First and Ten]

How hard is it to go to your room to put on a pair of pants? It's not like you have to drive there. Besides, with the amount of food you are about to stuff yourself with, it doesn't hurt to take a walk.

 

 

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Exactly....It isn't too much trouble. The issue is with the entitled mindset. the "I want to do what I want to do and I shouldn't have to follow any rules that I don't want to....this is MY vacation"....

[bUU]

Be careful, though: That only goes so far: Expecting other people to exceed the requirements of the dress code is far MORE assertion of entitlement than people just barely meeting the requirements of the dress code.

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

[A&Jfamily]

 

 

 

 

Carnival here is my opinion that no one asked for, treat the MDR like a golf course dress code for its simplicity; collared shirts, no jean shorts, and no swim trunks. Very easy to enforce if you must and very easy for most to comply with.

 

 

But the point is people can't even do this! What you describe IS casual evenings dress code and I have seen grungy dirty pool t shirts, sweaty baseball caps and men in tank tops eating at night in the MDR. It's gross and belongs poolside on the lido.

 

People are constantly trying to dumb down and bend the rules and before you know it they will be in PJs and bathrobes...oh wait...seen that at breakfast in the MDR.

 

 

 

 

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[coevan]

why not just say something, go to the Maitre'd and say the guy on table X is wearing a tank top and this is clearly against Carnival's rules. I surely do not want to see a guy's armpits while eating dinner. I, for one, always speak up.

[Heelyeah30]

To me threads like this are like any of the other "better to it and not need it then need it and not have it" ones.

Yes you will have people that are successful at traveling internationally on a cruise with minors without getting parental permissions/medical forms signed, or taking their custody papers to show sole guardianship.

Yes there are some with different last names on their photo ID than their birth certificate, that are allowed to board without name change papers.

Yes some Maitre'Ds will allow passengers on Elegant Evening wearing shorts, but on my 12 Carnival cruises none of the MDR nor specialty dining hosting staff I have met has ever allowed shorts on Elegant Night in the restaurants, unless the passenger was under 5 and with appropriately dressed adults.

 

The question you have to ask your DH is if he wants to risk missing perhaps the best non up-charge meals on board just because on vacation he refuses to wear khakis and a polo shirt for a 2 hour meal. Afterwards he can do what my husband usually does, head back to the cabin and put a pair of shorts on to go to the the evening's entertainment venues. Outside of the sit down restaurants none of the rest of the ship has any special dress code for those nights.

Perfectly said! Why this argument still goes on after so many years is laughable at best. Just pack a dang pair of slacks and be done with it. They will be worn for 2 hours max! Then go back to your cabin, take a dump, and back into your shorts you go! ;) The second "semi" elegant night is not as stringent and shorts will be fine!

[coevan]

never heard of a "semi" elegant night. If you sat next to me I would get the Maitre'd and have you put on slacks. The biggest question is WHY? Are you just trying to push buttons? Many have said on the thread, how hard is it to put on pants for anhour or so.