Black Tie

[Bridget31]

We were on Aurora before Christmas. We invariably use the self service area and on the second formal night it was so busy that there were long queues most of the time we were there. It can be a good idea to use the hot tubs when other people are dining and they are more likely to be empty!

[Wiltonian]

Goodness me this 'peacock' thing is getting out of hand. If you read my OP you will see that I said 'WE have to dress up like peacocks'. I was not insinuating that OTHERS were peacocks. Get a grip!

 

No; it was indicative of your attitude to formal dress. And there's no need to tell people to get a grip - whatever that means in this context.

[marylizcat]

And which are they??

 

 

 

Well, probably all the lines which are higher level than P&O. For example, Celebrity are the next step up, maybe half a star. Then Azamara and Oceania, then above them, the likes of Silversea and Regent.

 

All American lines, even those with formal nights, actually tend to have only partial compliance with dress codes and do not enforce them.

 

Of the cheaper American lines, NCL and Carnival are very casual.

 

Cunard, of course, has formal dress codes as its USP.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[DS_Dean]

I can echo what davecttr said. I don't do the whole dress up thing either and Oceana has alot of options seeing as it is only the main dining rooms and a tiny bar "Magnums" that have dress codes. For the rest of the ship there is no dress code. In terms of places to eat you can eat in Buffet or Cafe Jardin or Horizon Grill / Beachhouse. Lots of options :). The theatre and showlounge also have no dress code.

 

Oceana is a great ship, my favourite and I think it is infact the most relaxed.

 

A vast majority of people will be dressing formally though. As long as you don't mind not doing it, its fine.

[pamela17]

Thank you very much. That's helpful. I am new to cruising and I have already learnt quite a bit about what happens on this little thread!!. Unless you have a lot of free time which I don't it, is quite difficult to get unbiased info. But I appreciate your response you are obviously well travelled.

[pamela17]

I can echo what davecttr said. I don't do the whole dress up thing either and Oceana has alot of options seeing as it is only the main dining rooms and a tiny bar "Magnums" that have dress codes. For the rest of the ship there is no dress code. In terms of places to eat you can eat in Buffet or Cafe Jardin or Horizon Grill / Beachhouse. Lots of options :). The theatre and showlounge also have no dress code.

 

Oceana is a great ship, my favourite and I think it is infact the most relaxed.

 

A vast majority of people will be dressing formally though. As long as you don't mind not doing it, its fine.

 

 

Thanks so much!

[jeanlyon]

Are you saying that Silversea, Regent and the like are casual, because I can assure you they are not!

[majortom10]

Are you saying that Silversea, Regent and the like are casual, because I can assure you they are not!

 

Regent has a dress code of "Elegant Casual" which with regards to males is only collared tie and trousers and you dont have to wear a tie or jacket it is optional even on classed Formal nights.

[marylizcat]

Are you saying that Silversea, Regent and the like are casual, because I can assure you they are not!

No, I didn’t say that. I was saying that they do not have P&O style formal nights. You won’t find 90 per cent of men in DJs!

[CarlaMarie]

We are going on our first sea cruise for 28 days on board the Oceana in February. We thought this was a 'casual' ship......that's why we chose it and are mortified to find out that we have to participate in '7 Formal nights' where we have to dress up like peacocks. We have spent our whole working life doing this and we have no interest in doing this now. My husband is NOT going to take his Dinner jacket. What are the options on board for us??? Booo hoo!

 

This link should help tell you the areas that are exclusively black tie. There are also further sections that give you suggestions on clothing for the dress codes.

 

https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/life-on-board/enforced_dresscode

 

Oceana is a beautiful and very friendly ship, and ideal for a first cruise. I hope you have a wonderful time.

[davecttr]

This link should help tell you the areas that are exclusively black tie. There are also further sections that give you suggestions on clothing for the dress codes.

 

https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/life-on-board/enforced_dresscode

 

Oceana is a beautiful and very friendly ship, and ideal for a first cruise. I hope you have a wonderful time.

 

The P&O guide to black tie venues is confusing because it lists some venues that are evening casual! The ones I have experienced personally are the Yacht & Compass bar on Oceana and the Glass House on Azura and Ventura.

[dwhe]

I'm thinking of booking the Britannia but some of the posts on here have scared me.

I've cruised with Celebrity, Carnival, Princess and RC and have always used the same suit for formal nights which is a mid grey colour, does it have to be a dark suit?

[sparky43]

I'm thinking of booking the Britannia but some of the posts on here have scared me.

I've cruised with Celebrity, Carnival, Princess and RC and have always used the same suit for formal nights which is a mid grey colour, does it have to be a dark suit?

 

No your suit sounds just fine. We did two weeks on Britannia a couple of years ago and did not attend any of the formal nights and we did not eat in the MDR. The theatre, casino, buffet and other bars are all available to use. But if you want to go formal your suit will be fine.

[DS_Dean]

I think P&O need to re-work how they describe formal nights and the dress code on the website as it confuses alot of people. For instances it says it applies the "majority of areas" on a ship, but it certainly doesnt on Oceana.

 

Some people whilst on board think there is a dress code for the entire ship and in venues such as theatre etc but this is not the case. This ends up upsetting people who think they don't have to dress up, and at the flip side, upsets those who think the dress code should apply 100%.

 

A tricky thing to solve, of course, as many different opinions on this subject and P&O have almost impossible task of keeping everyone happy. But if they just sorted out the website wording to be a bit more what the reality is it would help first time cruisers alot.

 

I've heard Oceana been described as being a casual, more relaxed ship before, and clearly the OP also had same impression as first time cruiser, so this feeling about the ship must be coming from somewhere.

[marylizcat]

Yes, it is strange that people think this about Oceana. We have cruised on her twice, as well as all the other P&O ships apart from Britannia, and I did not feel there was any difference in dress or atmosphere, (apart from the obvious one of children on some ships and not others). Oceana was no more casual and relaxed than the others!

[janny444]

We have only cruised on Oceana....our first cruise....loved it....Azura and Ventura and apart from size of ship we too found no difference in "ambience" between the three. To be honest all of them are quite relaxed and even on formal nights they can be "worked" round and if you really don't want a DJ then a suit will suffice and for yourself black trousers and glittery top will be acceptable on formal nights. On our last cruise on Azura in September I could count on one hand how many ladies wore ball gowns....it was more cocktail style dress or trousers and nice top. Maybe the "child free" ships will be more formal but I don't know as I have never cruised on a child free ship....just a thought.

[davecttr]

I think P&O need to re-work how they describe formal nights and the dress code on the website as it confuses alot of people. For instances it says it applies the "majority of areas" on a ship, but it certainly doesnt on Oceana.

 

Some people whilst on board think there is a dress code for the entire ship and in venues such as theatre etc but this is not the case. This ends up upsetting people who think they don't have to dress up, and at the flip side, upsets those who think the dress code should apply 100%.

 

A tricky thing to solve, of course, as many different opinions on this subject and P&O have almost impossible task of keeping everyone happy. But if they just sorted out the website wording to be a bit more what the reality is it would help first time cruisers alot.

 

I've heard Oceana been described as being a casual, more relaxed ship before, and clearly the OP also had same impression as first time cruiser, so this feeling about the ship must be coming from somewhere.

 

P&O have a tricky marketing problem. Oceana has 14 public venues where dress codes apply and only 3 of them are formal including 2 essentially identical restaurants. For Azura and Ventura there are 16 venues of which 7 are formal and 5 of those are restaurants with 3 essentially identical. Hardly the majority!. I have cruised on all P&O's fleet except Adonia and it is entirely possible to cruise casual on them all. Even the most formal Oriana has 13 venues, 5 of them formal with 2 identical.

[Josy1953]

I just fell across this whilst wandering around the P&O website. This may explain why the OP thought that Oceana is a casual ship.

 

Oceana - family-friendly, mid-size ship

Your holiday begins the minute you step into Oceana's bustling atrium with its Caribbean-vibe palm trees and brass, glass-fronted lifts. On board you'll enjoy a welcoming informal atmosphere with plenty to keep kids entertained. Adults can indulge in the spa, hedge bets in the casino or relax with a cocktail on the terrace.

[john watson]

We are going on our first sea cruise for 28 days on board the Oceana in February. We thought this was a 'casual' ship......that's why we chose it and are mortified to find out that we have to participate in '7 Formal nights' where we have to dress up like peacocks. We have spent our whole working life doing this and we have no interest in doing this now. My husband is NOT going to take his Dinner jacket. What are the options on board for us??? Booo hoo!

 

What jobs did you and your partner do where you had to dress up like peacocks?

 

Regards John

[davecttr]

I just fell across this whilst wandering around the P&O website. This may explain why the OP thought that Oceana is a casual ship.

 

Oceana - family-friendly, mid-size ship

Your holiday begins the minute you step into Oceana's bustling atrium with its Caribbean-vibe palm trees and brass, glass-fronted lifts. On board you'll enjoy a welcoming informal atmosphere with plenty to keep kids entertained. Adults can indulge in the spa, hedge bets in the casino or relax with a cocktail on the terrace.

no more palm trees!

[NSWP]

I'm thinking of booking the Britannia but some of the posts on here have scared me.

I've cruised with Celebrity, Carnival, Princess and RC and have always used the same suit for formal nights which is a mid grey colour, does it have to be a dark suit?

 

Grey suit is fine, that is what I wore on Aurora/Oriana in 2016 and on QM2 in March this year. Do not let the Dinner Jacket/Black Tie Brigade scare you. Enjoy.;)

[terrierjohn]

Grey suit is fine, that is what I wore on Aurora/Oriana in 2016 and on QM2 in March this year. Do not let the Dinner Jacket/Black Tie Brigade scare you. Enjoy.;)

There may be the odd few who fit that category, but in the main passengers are fairly relaxed over dinner, we certainly do not turn our noses up if someone joins us who is not in a DJ. But on formal nights on P&O most passengers in the MDR's do wear a jacket and tie, so anyone in shirt sleeves might feel out of place, just as I might if I was the only person on the table wearing a jacket.

[jeanlyon]

My husband always wears a jacket. He just likes to wear a jacket. So sometimes he is the only one on the table!

[tartanexile81]

Thank you very much. That's helpful. I am new to cruising and I have already learnt quite a bit about what happens on this little thread!!. Unless you have a lot of free time which I don't it, is quite difficult to get unbiased info. But I appreciate your response you are obviously well travelled.

 

It's obvious that you chose this ship on the basis that it was casual so it's a pity that your TA didn't provide you with better advice. You should really take it up with them. P&O is very well known for its formal dress codes and they should have advised you accordingly. You very often see Rob Brydon, his 'wife' and all the passengers dressed up in the P&O ads.

 

Whilst there are areas on Oceana where evening casual as a minimum is acceptable on formal nights, I've done the equivalent cruise several times now on Oceana and in my experience at least 90% - 95% of passengers will conform to the formal dress code. Many people do see dressing up as part of their enjoyment of P&O.

 

Most of the formals are on the sea days between the UK and the Caribbean then the same in reverse. There is however a minimum standard of dress to which you must conform every evening after 6:00. It is smart casual which means collared shirt and full length trousers for men and equivalent, or dress / skirt for ladies. Dark jeans are allowed but no shorts, football shirts, t-shirts, trainers or ripped jeans. That applies across the ship in all the bars, dining rooms and entertainment venues. As others have said you don't have to dress formally on formal nights as long as you avoid the designated formal spaces.

 

Anyway good luck for the cruise; I think you're very brave to do a Transatlantic with so many sea days as your first cruise :'):')

[NSWP]

There may be the odd few who fit that category, but in the main passengers are fairly relaxed over dinner, we certainly do not turn our noses up if someone joins us who is not in a DJ. But on formal nights on P&O most passengers in the MDR's do wear a jacket and tie, so anyone in shirt sleeves might feel out of place, just as I might if I was the only person on the table wearing a jacket.

 

True John, we have done half a dozen cruises wih P&O UK inc half worldie on Arcadia, Sydney to Soton in 2012, plus one on QM2 last year. Dress standards are quite high and 99% comply.:halo: