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Which cruise lines strictly enforce their dress codes?

calikak

By calikak,
in Cruise Fashions & Beauty

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calikak

calikak

Posted
Posted

After reading the bazillionth thread debating the merits of dress codes, I started to wonder if there are any cruise lines where dress codes are strictly enforced, especially with respect to formal night. Anyone been on a cruise where literally everyone in the dining room was in formal wear? I think that would be a useful bit of info for people who really like an all-formal environment on formal nights.

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SailAways

SailAways

Posted
Posted
After reading the bazillionth thread debating the merits of dress codes, I started to wonder if there are any cruise lines where dress codes are strictly enforced, especially with respect to formal night. Anyone been on a cruise where literally everyone in the dining room was in formal wear? I think that would be a useful bit of info for people who really like an all-formal environment on formal nights.

 

I thought it was so strange that in five or six days, there are no responses to this question. It certainly is a valid one.

 

From what we all read on these boards, it would seem that it is becoming

more and more difficult to enforce dress codes as people are determined

to interpret formal, casual, resort casual, semi-formal, etc., to fit their

individual tastes. That is a sad statement upon our rapidly deteriorating

dress code.

 

If there truly is a dress code, it should be enforced by the individual

cruise lines. But, adversely, they are finding it more and more difficult

to deal with the general public in this regard.

 

It would be interesting to know if any cruise line is able to enforce

their dress code. Perhaps on some of the higher end cruises, it is not

a problem at all. It would seem that folks who are willing to pay top

dollar for a cruise, certainly would be more likely to adhere to evening

dress code for formal gatherings.

 

It is difficult to believe that even the mass market cruise lines

cannot do a better job in enforcing dress code. Shorts, cut offs, tank

tops, or dirty clothing should never be allowed in the restaurants in the

evening. Some people like to say that someone else's mode

of dress is no one else's business, and if you don't like it, look the other

way. That is just a simplistic cover up.

 

Those who appreciate dressing up should continue to do so, and perhaps

one of these days, the pendulum will swing again. Personally, I am

really tired of sloppy dressers everywhere - not only on cruise lines.

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carlmm

carlmm

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On Cunard's Queen Elizabeth II people tend to adhere to the dress code. Even there is was not alway enforced though. Yet, on my cruises on the QE2 and another Cunard ship there were more than 90% of passengers in tuxedo and evening gown on formal nights and almost everybody else in other formal dresses.

Also on informal night almost everybody wears jacket and tie respectively cocktail dress as requested.

Even casual night means for a major number jacket and tie, maybe in lighter colours than on informal nights.

 

Nevertheless, as said, sadly they do not always enforce the dress code, and that means those few in sloppy dress stick out even more.

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calikak

calikak

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I absolutely am NOT trying to be a smart aleck, but do ANY of the cruise lines enforce the dress code?

 

Exactly my question! :) I've never seen it enforced personally on any of the cruises I've been on, but I've only been on Princess. I'm wondering if there are any particular lines that are strict, or if it just depends on the Maitre'D.

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SailAways

SailAways

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Having been on Princess several times, what is your feeling about how they are doing with enforcing the dress code?

We have only been on NCL, and feel that their enforcement is lax. We are

considering Princess for a Panama Canal cruise next year.

Thanks, SailAways:)

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calikak

calikak

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Having been on Princess several times, what is your feeling about how they are doing with enforcing the dress code?

We have only been on NCL, and feel that their enforcement is lax. We are

considering Princess for a Panama Canal cruise next year.

Thanks, SailAways:)

 

I would say it's a matter of serious debate among Princess cruisers, just check out any of the threads about it on the Princess boards! :) Overall, I think most people keep to the dress code, with the notable exception being jeans at dinner time. I tend to cruise to cold weather places (Alaska, British Isles, Pacific coast repositioning cruises) and there are always at least a couple of people in the dining room at dinner who wear jeans on casual night. On formal nights, I'd say about 1/3 are in very formal wear (tuxes/full-length gowns) and the rest are in suits (or sports coats and slacks), or cocktail dresses. Some women just go with a nice sundress, not really a cocktail dress. You rarely see guys without a tie or in short sleeves. Whether folks follow the dress code because of enforcement or because people just follow it, I'm not really sure. I've never seen anyone turned away from the dining rooms, but I haven't really watched for it either.

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Happy ks

Happy ks

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The only time I've seen anyone turned away from any dining room on any ship was for a specialty restaurant on NCL Star. They stated no jeans were allowed into Le Bistro and they meant it. This was 3 years ago, so I wonder if they're still enforcing it.

 

The staff onboard cruise ships are far too gracious to turn people away. You really get more attitude here on CC than you will onboard a cruise ship. I do sometimes wonder what the staff must say behind the scenes. I'm sure many of the people employed onboard cruise ships think of the pax as very wealthy and cannot comprehend the lack of decorum shown by some. Or, perhaps they really don't notice at all, they are very busy.

 

I do wonder about the comments about people wanting to be comfortable and not dressing formally. 1. If your clothes actually fit you, they will be comfortable. 2. I would not be comfortable in less than what is requested, I would feel like I'm sticking out like a sore thumb if everyone around me was formally dressed and I was casual.

 

I don't let what someone else is wearing or not wearing affect my experience, with the exception of being a bit amused by a few choices. I adore people watching!

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Jane110

Jane110

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I absolutely am NOT trying to be a smart aleck, but do ANY of the cruise lines enforce the dress code?

 

 

NCL enforces it in the specialty restaurants and RCI won't allow men in tank tops in the dining room.

 

So far that's all we know. Everyone else is just giving opinions, not facts.

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teegeezfun

teegeezfun

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my husband was turned away from the dining room at lunch for a tank top. but other than that i didn't see much enforcement of dresscode. especially on formal night.

 

i felt really out of place in my beaded gown. most ladies had on black street length dresses, silk pants or summer dresses for formal night. left up to interpretation, this is what most come up with.

 

i sold my gowns on ebay this past fall and am bringing silk pants and beaded tops for formal on my upcoming rc empress cruise. no more long dresses for me until i see that the dress code will be enforced.

 

even on tv the other night, they show a couple leaving their cabin for captains formal night on rc and the man had on just a sport jacket and tie and the woman had on silk capri pants set that i would have thought fit into CASUAL description, but she wore it for formal. so go figure.

 

people on these boards will try to convince you to go really formal and i agree that in a perfect world formal means formal...but beware because in my experience, once you get on the ship you will stick out like a sore thumb if you are too formal for formal night.

 

it's disappointing...

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SailAways

SailAways

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beware because in my experience, once you get on the ship you will stick out like a sore thumb if you are too formal for formal night.

 

it's disappointing...

 

I agree completely.

Dress code is too lax all over - not only on cruise lines.

Not long ago, while dressed in a nice suit, heels, and my hubby in a

sports coat, no tie, we were asked if we had been to a funeral or something similar.

Honestly, we were just dressed to go shopping, and were enjoying ourselves.

Too bad, that when a lady looks nice, and a guy isn't sloppy, someone would assume that they had been to church, funeral, or wedding.

 

We live in Montana, where everyone (except us) wears jeans all of the time, so any chance we have to get away from them, we take it.

 

It seems that the days of truly formal - long gowns, etc., are becoming

a thing of the past. So sad to see this bit of culture wash away with so

many other mannerly traits.

 

Must say though, if I still enjoyed dressing in a long gown, and my hubby

in a tux, that is exactly what we would be doing on formal night. We did

see many on our last cruise dressed just so. They were beautiful, and we

complimented them. They shined!

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calikak

calikak

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I think it would be good if this thread could stick to being about instances when the dress code was enforced, rather than instances when it wasn't. I've seen so many informative threads turn into ugly arguments over the merits of dressing up or not--not that this thread has become that, but I worry that it will, and then the useful information gets lost in the argument. Just a thought. :)

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calikak

calikak

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On Celebrity, can one wear jeans at any time in the dining room?

 

Coleridge

 

Not sure, but on Princess, the answer is yes, they're allowed anytime but dinner (although that rule is usually not enforced).

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momofmeg

momofmeg

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Celebrity would not allow my DH into the theater on Formal night because he had taken off his jacket and tie and left them in the cabin after dinner. Had to go get them:(

 

We booked Celebrity Zenith because I was wanting to try out a little nicer line. Then I read posts that on Zenith things are lax-people wearing jeans to dinner etc. and not really "dressing " for formal night. The person that posted this felt this was because the cruise was shorter.

 

Then another person posted that those same things happened on their Celebrity Constelliation cruise.

 

Well I still plan to dress nice for my cruise. On casual nights I plan to wear either wear a nice pantsuit or a skirt, blouse and blazer. I am wearing a dressier skirt and blouse and blazer for informal night and a little "black dress" spiffed up with jewelry and a cute little formal wear capelet for formal night.

 

I have hubby dressing nice too. I guess I will not let it bother me what others do. I plan to enjoy my cruise.

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SailAways

SailAways

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I think it would be good if this thread could stick to being about instances when the dress code was enforced, rather than instances when it wasn't. I've seen so many informative threads turn into ugly arguments over the merits of dressing up or not--not that this thread has become that, but I worry that it will, and then the useful information gets lost in the argument. Just a thought. :)

 

I don't quiet understand this request. Naturally, the very

question you posed on this thread will bring out many different responses.

 

Seems it is running along smoothly, and for one, I have been

enjoying it tremendously.

 

Have you ever seen a thread which sticks "exactly" to the question?

 

Just curious, and not trying to be argumentative. An observation, and bit of curiosity as to what exactly prompted your latest comment.

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momofmeg

momofmeg

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I don't quiet understand this request. Naturally, the very

question you posed on this thread will bring out many different responses.

 

Seems it is running along smoothly, and for one, I have been

enjoying it tremendously.

 

Have you ever seen a thread which sticks "exactly" to the question?

 

Just curious, and not trying to be argumentative. An observation, and bit of curiosity as to what exactly prompted your latest comment.

 

 

I agree with you-I love it when thread get off topic for the most-I have learned alot here. I almost always find it entertaining here.

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