Cruise Elegant vs. Cruise Casual: How do you feel about this?

[winddawn]

How important are Carnival's cruise elegant nights to you? Assuming the dining room food wouldn't change on cruise elegant nights if the dress code changed, do you think cruise elegant nights should continue as is, or do you think every night should be cruise casual?

[bobbismith]

I think it should stay the same. I don't dress formal. I just dress nice ( Capris pants and blouse) and enjoy the pictures that come from the evening. (Free pictures)

[teknoge3k]

I would like to see every night be the same, a casual night. Not Walmart attire, but nice shorts and a shirt. Then those who want to dress up, let them.

[bUU]

I could go either way; as long as Holland America or Princess are offering something to satisfy that desire that's enough as far as I'm concerned.

 

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[easyboy]

Maintaining Elegant night is fine with me.

 

 

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[bury me at sea]

It wouldn't make much difference to me. I dress nicely for dinner every night in what my generation used to call "church clothes."

 

My favorite thing about elegant is that they put tablecloths back on the tables.

[A&Jfamily]

I like the concept of the distinction but since there are so many that want to violate the rules and dare CCL to call them on it (which for the most part they don't - on casual evening they even allow men in sweaty baseball caps and tank tops which is just gross!) when I sail with Carnival I have seriously lowered my expectations. We dress within the code for elegant, which is still causal to us.

 

 

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[BahamaMama1214]

I say keep it. "Elegant night" isn't very elegant anyway. You can easily go in something less dressy, and there's no need to take it away from the people who enjoy it.

[JMAE]

If all the food stays it doesn't matter to me.

 

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[Cyber Kat]

It wouldn't make much difference to me. I dress nicely for dinner every night in what my generation used to call "church clothes."

 

 

 

My favorite thing about elegant is that they put tablecloths back on the tables.

 

 

 

Yes - me too! Can the tables dress up even if the people don’t [emoji16]

 

 

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[sparks1093]

I would like to see every night be the same, a casual night. Not Walmart attire, but nice shorts and a shirt. Then those who want to dress up, let them.

 

Why should they copy NCL?

[pe4all]

When we first began cruising Carnival (2005) we brought cocktail dresses with us, and dh rented a tux and all the fixings on the ship. (even shoes) We would dress for dinner, take our pictures and then change back to more comfy clothing. As the years went on we began "dressing down" a bit more - nice mix and match sequin tops and slacks for the women, and sports jacket/tie for dh. Now we are down to nice tops and leggings for women, and dh wears a button-down long sleeved shirt and slacks. I really don't mind elegant nights, but with baggage restrictions on flights, and as experienced cruisers we have slimmed down our packing a lot! Still dress nicely in dining room each evening, and a bit nicer on elegant nights. Don't miss not having elegant nights on NCL, though!

[Cruisegirl6]

Reasons why there should not be elegant night on Carnival, those who want to bash me, if you want Elegant take a cruise line that gives you elegant, there are many of them....Carnival is on the bottom of the list as being the most economical.

 

1- The food is the same and certainly not quality food, far from it too.

2- Airline restricting luggage weight

3- People don't want to dress as they do that everyday to work, surely they don't get dressed elegant, but many professionals have to wear suits to work, they want a relaxing vacation away from the feeling at work environment

4- Reading these boards for many years, many people choose Carnival for the price, its more economical to them, so why have them purchase clothing to wear for elegant night, in addition of they have children that can be a lot more costly

5- After dinner you don't have anything special to do to keep that clothing on

6- Why bring elegant clothing when most people that do wear it take it off after dinner, to bring these clothes to wear 2-3 hours just doesn't make any sense

7- Elegant clothing requires more room to fit in luggage, therefore, it be more difficult packing these clothes.

8- Service is a a hit or I should say many misses, why dress up for mediocre service

[Retired_to_Cruise]

I would like to see every night be the same, a casual night. Not Walmart attire, but nice shorts and a shirt. Then those who want to dress up, let them.

 

Hmmm, I have seen some very nice shorts and shirts and quite a few other very nice clothes being sold at Walmart. Exactly what point are you to trying to make with that comment? Why didn't you say Target, or ShopCo, or Dress for Less, or Goodwill or Salvation Army, or Flea Market or Dick's or Gander Mountain, or Penny's Outlet Mall?

[BarJen]

Even though we don't like to get dressed up, I think elegant nights should stay for those that do enjoy dressing up.

We are happy staying casual and visiting the buffet instead.

[Cruisegirl6]

You don't have to eat at the buffet, you can eat in the MDR, why have this stop you....people are allowed to wear what they want now, a guy can wear a pair of dockers and a collared shirt and a woman can wear pants/capri's and a nice top...you don't have to wear a suit, tie, dress, gown.....

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

Sometime in the last 50 years people across this great planet of ours have decided that "clothes" are no longer a symbol for much of anything. The majority of us are no longer influenced in a positive way by what others wear and we no longer think it important to keep up with the "joneses" who relied on clothing to show their superiority when their brains couldn't keep up with the masses.

 

I don't "ever" look at what people wear...I couldn't relate what anyone wore yesterday to our extended family get together. I can remember the yummy tasting food and the good conversation, the jokes and the teasing, and the way the experience made me happy. I 'think' there were some sweat pants in the mix, and an assortment of foot attire, and Grandma's beautiful necklace she received as a gift from a native American friend of hers. Beyond that, nada.

 

Going on vacation should be a chance for all of us to wear what we find comfortable. As long as our privates are hidden (something fancy dress for women doesn't always ensure) and we are clean and our smell doesn't compete with the food (ahh, fancy perfumes and moth balls) who really cares. And if we want nice fancy and overly expensive family photos showing us dressed outside of our normal comfort zone who is stopping us from doing that.

 

As in all things on a cruise....worry about yourself and your significant others and let everyone else be. They (whoever they are) can only ruin your 'vacation' if you let them.

[Cruisegirl6]

Nicely said!

[sparks1093]

You don't have to eat at the buffet, you can eat in the MDR, why have this stop you....people are allowed to wear what they want now, a guy can wear a pair of dockers and a collared shirt and a woman can wear pants/capri's and a nice top...you don't have to wear a suit, tie, dress, gown.....

 

And yet that takes up too much room in a suit case evidently:confused:. No one is pushing for anyone to exceed CCL's current requirement unless they want to. I don't overly stress about what people wear but don't want to see the MDR go the way of the buffet.

[sparks1093]

Sometime in the last 50 years people across this great planet of ours have decided that "clothes" are no longer a symbol for much of anything. The majority of us are no longer influenced in a positive way by what others wear and we no longer think it important to keep up with the "joneses" who relied on clothing to show their superiority when their brains couldn't keep up with the masses.

 

I don't "ever" look at what people wear...I couldn't relate what anyone wore yesterday to our extended family get together. I can remember the yummy tasting food and the good conversation, the jokes and the teasing, and the way the experience made me happy. I 'think' there were some sweat pants in the mix, and an assortment of foot attire, and Grandma's beautiful necklace she received as a gift from a native American friend of hers. Beyond that, nada.

 

Going on vacation should be a chance for all of us to wear what we find comfortable. As long as our privates are hidden (something fancy dress for women doesn't always ensure) and we are clean and our smell doesn't compete with the food (ahh, fancy perfumes and moth balls) who really cares. And if we want nice fancy and overly expensive family photos showing us dressed outside of our normal comfort zone who is stopping us from doing that.

 

As in all things on a cruise....worry about yourself and your significant others and let everyone else be. They (whoever they are) can only ruin your 'vacation' if you let them.

 

I do only worry about me and mine, but I don't think that we need to lessen CCL's current requirements.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

I do only worry about me and mine, but I don't think that we need to lessen CCL's current requirements.

 

So you do think that clothes affect the way people act and think and behave. It's like saying that young children act so much better when they are forced to wear their Sunday clothes so we should force that on adults to get the same kind of "sunday behavior". That is quite the archaic thinking and a great cop out.

 

Children behave as they are trained...not by what they wear. Adults, the same. Someone isn't smarter because they wear a suit, a women isn't more convivial because she wears fancy "dress" shoes, a person doesn't only display their manners when they are dressed to the nines (whatever that means).

 

"Forcing" someone to dress per a set of pre-conceived and outdated "standards" doesn't ensure that the dining room will be full of grace....an obnoxious drunk doesn't care about what clothes they are wearing. Nor is a loud and attention seeking individual more apt to act inappropriately if they are wearing a button down shirt as opposed to a golf shirt.

 

I feel that many people judge others by how the clothes they, themselves, affect the way they act. If I were someone who judged myself by my attire I may be more negative about people who dress super casually if I changed my mannerisms when I dressed "down". But since I am the same person in shorts and a tee shirt as I am in a "ball gown" that just isn't my criteria for weighing how people will act.

[sparks1093]

So you do think that clothes affect the way people act and think and behave. It's like saying that young children act so much better when they are forced to wear their Sunday clothes so we should force that on adults to get the same kind of "sunday behavior". That is quite the archaic thinking and a great cop out.

 

Children behave as they are trained...not by what they wear. Adults, the same. Someone isn't smarter because they wear a suit, a women isn't more convivial because she wears fancy "dress" shoes, a person doesn't only display their manners when they are dressed to the nines (whatever that means).

 

"Forcing" someone to dress per a set of pre-conceived and outdated "standards" doesn't ensure that the dining room will be full of grace....an obnoxious drunk doesn't care about what clothes they are wearing. Nor is a loud and attention seeking individual more apt to act inappropriately if they are wearing a button down shirt as opposed to a golf shirt.

 

I feel that many people judge others by how the clothes they, themselves, affect the way they act. If I were someone who judged myself by my attire I may be more negative about people who dress super casually if I changed my mannerisms when I dressed "down". But since I am the same person in shorts and a tee shirt as I am in a "ball gown" that just isn't my criteria for weighing how people will act.

 

Actually I have seen first hand how what people wear affects their behavior. The Petty Officer's Club on the Little Creek Naval base was notorious for the number of fights that were taking place. A new manager came in and instituted a strict dress code. The number of fights dropped dramatically in a very short time. Real world experience there.

 

In any event the MDR dress code isn't about behavior at all, it's about being presentable in a dining setting. Once can certainly wear the minimum on elegant night if one chooses to and if one chooses to forgo that minimum standard one can choose to eat at the buffet, no one is being "forced" to do anything.

[bUU]

I'd like to see Walmart, uh, Carnival maintain some modicum of civility and keep the elegant nights.

Civility should have much more to do with politeness and courtesy toward others and much less to do with adherence to a very specific, and ever-changing, set of expectations regarding attire. True civility is universal and timeless: Unless you're wearing the same thing to dinner in the MDR that the apostles wore to the Last Supper, then standards of attire are anything but universal. As such, what we're seeing isn't a loss of civility (except, perhaps, with regard to the intolerance of one passenger toward another who chooses to wear different attire) but rather is a lack of conformance, which itself is a reflection of the the ongoing change in what is appropriate attire, something which, again, has changed and will continue to change over time.

[elcuchio24]

I basically dress the same every evening anyway, which is certainly enough to fulfill CCLs minimal requirements for elegant night.

[mgasaway]

We stopped dressing 'elegant' when the airlines started charging for bags. Plus, we just don't enjoy getting all dressed up on vacation. We wear what use to be called 'church clothes' before jeans and T's became the norm at church. A black slacks and nice top for me and slacks and a button or polo shirt for him. Besides, I don't care what anyone else wears. It doesn't bear on my experience what so ever.