formal nights

[Bazrat]

This subject keeps going around in circles if P&O had two identical restaurants one for formal one informal,you could guarantee there would still be those who would want to go in the formal dining room in casual clothing.

[AndyMichelle]

4 minutes ago, Mim Lloyd said:

I'm beginning to wish I hadn't booked a P&O cruise now. Four nights of OTT formal dressing is four nights too many for me. I don't wear dresses or fancy frocks, my husband will not contemplate travelling off to the Caribbean carting 'proper' shoes and his funeral suit. And to read that there are staff that will bar you entry to some bars because they consider you improperly dressed is appalling. On RCI and Celebrity it is very comfortable to dine in the MDR on formal nights clad in nice trousers and top (me, but definitely no sparkles or bling!) and long trousers with smart open neck shirt (him, and one shirt he has actually cost over £90!). I'd say half dress like this and the other half does more formal attire, and no one bats an eyelid or cares. As long as you look clean and have made some kind of effort It's all that matters. It's off putting to think that we'll feel forced to hide away in the buffet and feel judged by others if we want to drink in particular bars.

As you mentioned yourself, other lines do not enforce the formal dress code, so why book P&O?

I don't book Celebrity or RCI because I don't want to sit next to a guy in jeans while I have made the effort.

We all have choices with plenty of options.

I am not against casual dining if everybody does it, but I don't like the two being mixed.

Just my opinion of what suits me, I hope you can still enjoy your cruise.

Andy

[Josy1953]

1 hour ago, Mim Lloyd said:

I'm beginning to wish I hadn't booked a P&O cruise now. Four nights of OTT formal dressing is four nights too many for me. I don't wear dresses or fancy frocks, my husband will not contemplate travelling off to the Caribbean carting 'proper' shoes and his funeral suit. And to read that there are staff that will bar you entry to some bars because they consider you improperly dressed is appalling. On RCI and Celebrity it is very comfortable to dine in the MDR on formal nights clad in nice trousers and top (me, but definitely no sparkles or bling!) and long trousers with smart open neck shirt (him, and one shirt he has actually cost over £90!). I'd say half dress like this and the other half does more formal attire, and no one bats an eyelid or cares. As long as you look clean and have made some kind of effort It's all that matters. It's off putting to think that we'll feel forced to hide away in the buffet and feel judged by others if we want to drink in particular bars.

I can't  comment on RCI as I have never cruised with them but I will say that on our Celebrity cruises there were far more formally dressed passengers than not.  I would even say that the Celebrity passengers were generally more smartly dressed than P&O passengers.

Edited July 9, 2019 by Josy1953

[Josy1953]

 Duplicate post

Edited July 9, 2019 by Josy1953

[peteukmcr]

2 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

As you mentioned yourself, other lines do not enforce the formal dress code, so why book P&O?

I don't book Celebrity or RCI because I don't want to sit next to a guy in jeans while I have made the effort.

We all have choices with plenty of options.

I am not against casual dining if everybody does it, but I don't like the two being mixed.

Just my opinion of what suits me, I hope you can still enjoy your cruise.

Andy

Could it possibly be that the itinerary, price point, port of departure, ports to be visited and ship were more important than the dress code which made the poster choose P&O?  

 

You obviously haven’t sailed Celebrity nor RCI (because as you said you wouldn’t book them) so as someone who has (and still does) as I provided examples earlier, not everyone on these lines wear jeans at dinner on formal nights. It’s a myth perpetuated by those on P&O threads who have not sailed these lines to try and belittle those who question the dress code on P&O. 

[peteukmcr]

1 hour ago, Josy1953 said:

I can't  comment on RCI as I have never cruised with them but I will say that on our Celebrity cruises there were far more formally dressed passengers than not.  I would even say that the Celebrity passengers were generally more smartly dressed than P&O passengers.

Thank you for supporting the comments I’ve made in the past (and been ridiculed for) regarding those who still dress more formally on cruise lines that invariably those on the P&O boards have, and will not sail on because of the continual misinformation posted by those who have not experienced other lines. 

[peteukmcr]

3 hours ago, Bazrat said:

This subject keeps going around in circles if P&O had two identical restaurants one for formal one informal,you could guarantee there would still be those who would want to go in the formal dining room in casual clothing.

And why not, they’ve paid the same as everyone else and as such should not be denied access to specific areas of a ship just because of the way they are dressed. It could be argued that if you wish to have areas where only those dressed formally are allowed access, that they should pay a supplement for the exclusivity and ambiance those places offer just like an elegant resort or suite hotel. 

[Eglesbrech]

17 minutes ago, peteukmcr said:

And why not, they’ve paid the same as everyone else and as such should not be denied access to specific areas of a ship just because of the way they are dressed. It could be argued that if you wish to have areas where only those dressed formally are allowed access, that they should pay a supplement for the exclusivity and ambiance those places offer just like an elegant resort or suite hotel. 

Primarily because those are the rules that P&O have in place at the moment. That may of course change in future but for now if you book with them that is what you can expect.

 

If you apply the same logic why are smokers restricted to only certain areas when they want to smoke, as they paid the same as everyone else. They are restricted because that is the rules laid out by the company.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Eglesbrech]

1 hour ago, Josy1953 said:

I can't  comment on RCI as I have never cruised with them but I will say that on our Celebrity cruises there were far more formally dressed passengers than not.  I would even say that the Celebrity passengers were generally more smartly dressed than P&O passengers.

 I would agree that Celebrity is dressy on formal nights, some amazing outfits.

[Bazrat]

7 hours ago, Josy1953 said:

I can't  comment on RCI as I have never cruised with them but I will say that on our Celebrity cruises there were far more formally dressed passengers than not.  I would even say that the Celebrity passengers were generally more smartly dressed than P&O passengers.

More smartly dressed is a matter of opinion, if two sets of passengers wear DJ/smart suits your than basing your opinion on the wearer not the clothes.

[Bazrat]

5 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

 I would agree that Celebrity is dressy on formal nights, some amazing outfits.

I rather thought that the event we went to on P&O was rather classy,but obviously I lack the experience you have of cruising.

[NSWP]

On 7/9/2019 at 12:00 AM, terrierjohn said:

I wonder if we should grade black tie nights, grade 1 would require DJ or dark suit, grade 2 would allow a smart jacket and tie as an alternative, for both grades DJs and dark suits would of course be OK. Just a thought.

Noooooooooooooo, too complicated.  'Jacket night' only went out of the porthole a couple of years ago, that was a god send on tropical cruises.

 

I was on Noordam - Holland America a couple of months ago, their formal night dress requirements have gone out the window, sorry port hole.   There were tuxes, suits, T shirts, jeans, the full monty, crazy.

Edited July 10, 2019 by NSWP

[brian1]

16 hours ago, snaefell said:

We always have a table for 2 so they probably wouldn't be that close,even if they were I would like to think that when packing for holidays they would at least pack clean overalls,the person inside is far more important than the clothing IMO,but then we would be getting in to the way some people behave as well as dress!

Being a retired plumber,I'll have to retreive my "formal" boiler suit from the shed.Have it dry cleaned of course.My biggest problem is what colour tie can I wear with navy blue.

[terrierjohn]

We really are going over and over the same ground on this thread which certainly upholds the saying that you can't please all the people all the time. Personally I quite like wearing my DJ, but would be happy not to need to wear it as often as currently on P&O, but I certainly prefer the MDR to the buffet unless it's curry night, so I just have to grin and bare it.  We will be on RCI later this month with younger son and family and we men will just be wearing a smart jacket on formal nights, maybe with a tie, it will be interesting to see if we feel under or over dressed.

[snaefell]

9 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

 

 

If you apply the same logic why are smokers restricted to only certain areas when they want to smoke, as they paid the same as everyone else. They are restricted because that is the rules laid out by the company.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you suggesting that dressing up is as bad for you as smoking?

 

We don't choose a cruise line by its' dress code,for loyalty points or anything like that,we just choose a cruise going somewhere we fancy going at a time convenient to our schedule,same as any holiday.

[Eglesbrech]

3 hours ago, Bazrat said:

I rather thought that the event we went to on P&O was rather classy,but obviously I lack the experience you have of cruising.

 

I did not indicate that they were not?

 

I just confirmed that yes people do actually dress for the formal nights on Celebrity, some of the US passenger outfits are quite unusual from a British perspective and quite stunning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sunbedsue]

On our next cruise we have 7 formal nights. My husband does not like “dressing up” for these but does so as that is P&O rules and we were aware of this before booking.  He also does not do Tropical!!!.  I have long scars on both legs from 5 major knee operations and prefer to cover these in the evenings as get lots of “looks” during the daytime when in shorts or swimsuit which makes me feel uncomfortable, but doesn’t stop me wearing them.   I also cannot wear any shoes with a heel so wear flats or sandals for formal nights without any problems.  

[Eglesbrech]

6 minutes ago, snaefell said:

Are you suggesting that dressing up is as bad for you as smoking?

 

We don't choose a cruise line by its' dress code,for loyalty points or anything like that,we just choose a cruise going somewhere we fancy going at a time convenient to our schedule,same as any holiday.

 

Re the smoking no, just that there are rules and people need to follow them if the choose a cruise line. 

 

I am the same, I choose a cruise for the ports of call, timing etc and we like to try different lines for different shows, food offerings, facilities  etc which is why we have travelled with many of the lines over the years. With that comes an acceptance that the rules on each ship are different and we have to adhere to these rules of the line we are on at the time.

 

[snaefell]

Now if this was an RCI forum we would have long since seen the cartoon with a man with a whip & a dead horse!

[brillo]

Just one thing to say if you don't like the product don't buy it, do not expect those who do like it to change just for you !  rant over

 

 

[Gazza64]

While I agree with your statement it’s also a case that products and services evolve based on customer feedback and market demands, otherwise nothing would ever change.

It’s worth remembering that a lot of people don’t research their holidays, they just go to their travel agent and book a cruise relying on the information they are given, this probably doesn’t include any details about formal nights. It will then come as a bit of a surprise that they are expected to dress up on several occasions, especially if they don’t find out until on board.

Personally, I hate dressing up but have done my homework and know what is required.

 

It seems one of the biggest issues is that people don’t like the option of being restricted to the buffet, this is probably more to do with the experience itself rather than the food or location – everybody knows that cruise ship buffets can be a bit of a nightmare at times.

If this was a bit more civilized maybe there wouldn’t be such an issue with dress code – I’ve often wondered why the cruise companies don’t do the same as hotels do for buffet breakfast i.e. seat you at a table and then let you help yourself – might be a nicer experience, maybe even just on formal nights!

[john watson]

2 hours ago, Gazza64 said:

While I agree with your statement it’s also a case that products and services evolve based on customer feedback and market demands, otherwise nothing would ever change.

It’s worth remembering that a lot of people don’t research their holidays, they just go to their travel agent and book a cruise relying on the information they are given, this probably doesn’t include any details about formal nights. It will then come as a bit of a surprise that they are expected to dress up on several occasions, especially if they don’t find out until on board.

 

 

A general misconception which people who have never previously cruised is that they would not like it because "you have to dress up every night".  This is no longer the case insofar as cruise lines tend not to have first and second class passengers.  The idea is however firmly embedded in many people's minds.  I think the vast majority of passengers who book are going to have a look at the brochure or website.  These generally have a montage of pictures showing all aspects of the ship and the cruise.  The photos and descriptions for evening entertainment generally show people in formal wear in and around bars.  If they showed everyone wearing lederhosen at the evening venues people would immediately ask because they do not look like people we generally see at our local Wetherspoons. Travel agents should point out the basics if people seem a bit green and people on the internet should do a bit more research as it is not a cheap holiday option.

 

Regards John

[SargassoPirate]

I am a first time reader on the P&O board, mainly because I am considering P&O for a world cruise and want to get a flavor of the line. We have 40 + cruises amongst  Celebrity, Princess, Royal, and HAL.  We have experienced the slippage in formal night attire - something I attribute to lack of enforcement for fear of getting a bad post-cruise review.

 

I'm always amused that the rationale for not dressing up is due to luggage weight and airline fees.  How much does a sport coat or a suit weigh and how much space do they really take up?

 

We did a crossing on the QM2 after four weeks on land in Europe. On formal nights I wore a pair of black slacks, a black T-shirt, and a black sport coat and never felt underdressed.  She Who Must Be Obeyed wore black slacks, a variety if sparkly tops and accessorized with some pashimas.

 

We had, at times, worn all of these items on our land journey.

 

Like it or not, clothes announce who and what you are.  You can look elegant or you can look like a slob.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 10, 2019 by SargassoPirate

[snaefell]

48 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

 

 

Like it or not, clothes announce who and what you are.  You can look elegant or you can look like a slob.

 

 

 

 

Looks can be deceptive!

[peteukmcr]

49 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

I'm always amused that the rationale for not dressing up is due to luggage weight and airline fees.  How much does a sport coat or a suit weigh and how much space do they really take up?

Always my point exactly regarding the false argument on taking formal clothes.

If you don't take a 'formal' shirt to go with your tux, don't you take another shirt to wear?

If you don't take formal pants, don't you take another pair?

The only weight benefit I can see is if you don't pack a jacket. Hardly an extra 10lbs is it?