Formal Nights

[Brisbane41]

On 10/16/2019 at 7:01 PM, Mostonian said:

My wife and I are on the Ruby out of Sydney next month sailing to Fiji and New Caledonia. We have been on Princess many times and have always participated in the Formal Nights, even in Australia and NZ.  However it’s over three years since we have been ‘down under’ and have never been to these islands. What I would like to know is will passengers tend to participate in the Formal Night events, or should we leave our gladrags at home and go for a smart casual look.  Would like to think that passengers still took the trouble to dress up but if the trend is otherwise will follow suit.

I still take my formal wear. I keep wearing it for formal nights even if it makes the people in non formal feel uncomfortable. The only way to force change or to keep the standards at what you like is to keep at it and keep wearing formal on formal nights. That way others will start to feel more confident.

[cruisegal415]

Do formal nights only apply to MDR? Not a fan of formal nights and wondering if we should book the specialty restaurants those nights, or would we be expected to dress formal there also?

[c-boy]

book it Danno

[oskidunker]

On 10/29/2019 at 9:09 AM, satxdiver said:

 

Princess is swimming upstream on this one.  The other mass market cruise lines have already gone to something other than formal night such as elegant night etc.  One is free to wear formal clothes if desired but it is not a requirement.  As the cruise market expands to fill the ever increasing larger ships and number the pressure on Princess is going to increase.  The most likely response today is to simply ignore the formal night requirement.  

 

We will be on a RCL cruise early next year.  Our last cruise was in 2013 and even then  I saw jeans, shorts, tshirts and the much maligned baseball caps worn on regular nights and not much better on dress up nights.  It will be interesting to see what is worn on the next RCL cruise. 

 

For the "traditionalists" they need to move to a more traditional cruiseline like Cunard or Seabourn in the Carnival family of cruiselines.   There pax wear formal clothes all night not just at dinner.  

Just booked 14 night Cunard for this reason. Anxious to try something new. 

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, cruisegal415 said:

Do formal nights only apply to MDR? Not a fan of formal nights and wondering if we should book the specialty restaurants those nights, or would we be expected to dress formal there also?

They apply to the DR only but since the DR dress isn't really that formal at all you'll be missing on some of the better meals they have on the ship. Formal on Princess can be interpreted as no jacket or tie, with dress slacks & a dress shirt or even a Polo on some ships. 

You'd be better off going to a speciality restaurant on some evening when the DR menu isn't that appealing.  

There is no formal dress code expected in any of the specialty restaurants. 

[Brisbane41]

On 10/22/2019 at 3:55 AM, Kimba2 said:

I have never seen anyone without a jacket and tie be told that they can't enter the main dining room.  Can't see Princess doing this as they don't want to upset the casual crowd.

They generally don't want to upset anyone.

 

The problem is that for men I have seen too many men making rather juvenile mistakes regarding attire even when not on formal nights. If people cannot get casual dress right then they will not get formal dress right.

 

One example for men is that too many are making the juvenile mistake of not knowing when to tuck or leave un-tucked a dress shirt and yes there is a rule to follow on this. If the shirts hem or rim at the base of the shirt is a straight line around the waist then that kind of shirt is designed to be worn out but can also be tucked. If the rim of the shirt is curved then that shirt is definitely meant to be tucked in and only usually young boys would make that mistake but these days too many grown men are making it without the basic knowledge of any dress sense. This type of shirt goes back to military style attire so most people who have served would know this. If you wanted to keep your uniform sharp and straight then you would attach braces to the base of the shirt which would then hook on to pulled up socks under your trousers keeping the shirt pulled down and sharp. When designers make men's shirts they generally design them now that if the rim is curved that it is always meant to be tucked as it lacks the aesthetic appearance to be not tucked in. The other rule of thumb with tucking is that if the man has a shirt that is too long that is designed to be un-tucked then it should be tucked in. Examples are the rim of the shirt below the crotch line. You generally do not want it more than one hand span reaching below the belt line.

 

If only Princess staff would police this policy....... joking.

[Iamcruzin]

16 minutes ago, Brisbane41 said:

They generally don't want to upset anyone.

 

The problem is that for men I have seen too many men making rather juvenile mistakes regarding attire even when not on formal nights. If people cannot get casual dress right then they will not get formal dress right.

 

One example for men is that too many are making the juvenile mistake of not knowing when to tuck or leave un-tucked a dress shirt and yes there is a rule to follow on this. If the shirts hem or rim at the base of the shirt is a straight line around the waist then that kind of shirt is designed to be worn out but can also be tucked. If the rim of the shirt is curved then that shirt is definitely meant to be tucked in and only usually young boys would make that mistake but these days too many grown men are making it without the basic knowledge of any dress sense. This type of shirt goes back to military style attire so most people who have served would know this. If you wanted to keep your uniform sharp and straight then you would attach braces to the base of the shirt which would then hook on to pulled up socks under your trousers keeping the shirt pulled down and sharp. When designers make men's shirts they generally design them now that if the rim is curved that it is always meant to be tucked as it lacks the aesthetic appearance to be not tucked in. The other rule of thumb with tucking is that if the man has a shirt that is too long that is designed to be un-tucked then it should be tucked in. Examples are the rim of the shirt below the crotch line. You generally do not want it more than one hand span reaching below the belt line.

 

If only Princess staff would police this policy....... joking.

While this was the rule in the past, fashion has no rules. There is men's shirt website called UNTUCKit. The shirts are basically curved at the bottom but cut shorter so you can't tuck them in.

https://www.untuckit.com/

[BIGADORF]

I am so hoping that Brisbane41’s message is a joke. What happened to live and let live? This is Cruise not a military dress inspection

 

[Brisbane41]

15 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

While this was the rule in the past, fashion has no rules. There is men's shirt website called UNTUCKit. The shirts are basically curved at the bottom but cut shorter so you can't tuck them in.

https://www.untuckit.com/

I would suggest it is probably best to debate that with the people who design the clothes as they would know.

 

I would say there are rules in fashion. There are definitely colours and styles I would not mix and match with other styles.

[Brisbane41]

17 minutes ago, BIGADORF said:

I am so hoping that Brisbane41’s message is a joke. What happened to live and let live? This is Cruise not a military dress inspection

 

Cue the people who don't do formal nights.........

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, BIGADORF said:

I am so hoping that Brisbane41’s message is a joke. What happened to live and let live? This is Cruise not a military dress inspection

 

Some people do take it seriously but thank goodness Princess is beginning to see the light in the last few years.

They'll still offer their formal nights for those that care about them a while longer until they deem it unnecessary & unprofitable. 

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, Brisbane41 said:

Cue the people who don't do formal nights.........

They already do in the Horizon buffet but it relatively easy to go around them. 

[BIGADORF]

Cue the people who believe “ my way or the highway”.

“Fair winds and following seas”

Ideas are like your kids, Yours are always the best.

And I am out of this topic.😁

[jennybenny]

We are in our 40's and enjoy formal night.  I do think that a 7 day cruise should only have 1, but I think 2 for a 10 day and 3 for a 15 is fine and that's just my opinion. My kids, 16 and 11 also enjoy dressing up.  I know it's not for everyone.  I just don't understand why everyone get so aggressive over it. 

So, we all know Princess doesn't always "police" it, if you don't want to dress up, TRY the MDR and if that doesn't work, (how many times has it not worked???) there's the buffet, the grill, and specialty dining.  We walked into the Crown Grill once, on Christmas, when ATD has a long wait and were seating in less than 5 minutes.  

There are some strong advocates for both formal and non formal.  I don't want to go to a different cruise line, why should I? and why should people who don't want to dress up?  Just keep doing what Princess does...

and be happy with your choices 🙂

[c-boy]

there's  semi casual, (google it ) formal and the unforgettable Florida funk look.

[jennybenny]

3 minutes ago, c-boy said:

there's  semi casual, (google it ) formal and the unforgettable Florida funk look.

I had to google it. Never heard of semi casual before 😂  Looks close to if you google business casual.  Oh how fun that debate could be!  lol

[Steelers36]

4 hours ago, Brisbane41 said:

They generally don't want to upset anyone.

 

The problem is that for men I have seen too many men making rather juvenile mistakes regarding attire even when not on formal nights. If people cannot get casual dress right then they will not get formal dress right.

 

One example for men is that too many are making the juvenile mistake of not knowing when to tuck or leave un-tucked a dress shirt and yes there is a rule to follow on this. If the shirts hem or rim at the base of the shirt is a straight line around the waist then that kind of shirt is designed to be worn out but can also be tucked. If the rim of the shirt is curved then that shirt is definitely meant to be tucked in and only usually young boys would make that mistake but these days too many grown men are making it without the basic knowledge of any dress sense. This type of shirt goes back to military style attire so most people who have served would know this. If you wanted to keep your uniform sharp and straight then you would attach braces to the base of the shirt which would then hook on to pulled up socks under your trousers keeping the shirt pulled down and sharp. When designers make men's shirts they generally design them now that if the rim is curved that it is always meant to be tucked as it lacks the aesthetic appearance to be not tucked in. The other rule of thumb with tucking is that if the man has a shirt that is too long that is designed to be un-tucked then it should be tucked in. Examples are the rim of the shirt below the crotch line. You generally do not want it more than one hand span reaching below the belt line.

 

If only Princess staff would police this policy....... joking.

You forgot the cover the French Tuck.  Half in and half out.  Tuck the front flap in and leave the rear hanging out.

 

[40yearcruiser]

We've been cruising since the early 1970s so remember when you were expected to dress for dinner every night on a cruise--not necessarily a tux and evening gown but at least a suit and cocktail dress. However, good or bad, times have changed and our culture is much more casual. I still feel that some standard of dress should be expected in the evenings in the MDR. I was happy to see last year on a Norwegian ship the staff turn away a young woman who showed up at the dining room in a bathing suit and another in shorts so short they were barely there with her boyfriend in board shorts and a tank top (they did all apologize and go change clothes to something more presentable). My personal feeling is that the cruise loses some of it's special feel when people come to the dining room looking like they just came off the beach. We did 25 days on Cunard this summer and enjoyed seeing everyone make the effort to dress nicely and celebrate the cruise as a special occasion. We don't expect this on Princess but it's not too much to ask for long trousers for the men and a nice dress or pantsuit for the ladies in the evening. 

[Credit 00]

Yes, well just finished a 5 weeker from the land down under and can confirm that Formal is still a thing there and everywhere. I just wear a suit as if I still work in an office and with that said,,, It was way too hot to be comfortable in this though I'm still going along with the tradition. It's not like people dress like trash on regular nights and I do feel that princess needs to deliver on the quality of food based on the fact that you put so much effort into entering the restaurant, not just deliver "Lobster" like it's the richest food type mankind has ever known.

 

I think this tradition will vanish reasonably soon, or at least on summer cruises.

[Brisbane41]

4 hours ago, BIGADORF said:

Cue the people who believe “ my way or the highway”.

“Fair winds and following seas”

Ideas are like your kids, Yours are always the best.

And I am out of this topic.😁

haha, the origins of tucked and un-tucked style shirts explanation does not imply things must be a military parade on a ship.

 

For information many phrases originate from Naval or military origins. "pull your finger out" for example, a naval phrase and definitely not something rude, mind your P's and Q's is another naval phrase.

 

I do not get how suggesting how part of the origin of a tucked design shirt comes about implies a strict dress sense on a ship.

 

Though Princess is dropping standards lately. Allowing people in wet swimmers in public lounges is one bad habit they should hit hard, also telling people with their feet on lounge seats to get their filthy bacteria traps off them is another policy they should implement. The juvenile mistake men make re un-tucked shirts is rather trivial in the scheme of things.

[Trevor Fountain]

Back in the day the dress code on the Liners (British) was as follows;

 

Formal (Black Tie i.e. bow tie with Dinner Suit (Tux) for Men, Evening Dress or Cocktail Dress for Ladies).

 

Informal ( Lounge Suit for Men, Cocktail Dress or Trouser Suit for Ladies)

 

Casual ( Collared Shirt and Long Trousers for Men,  Dress for Ladies, No Beachwear, No Flip Flops)

 

Everybody accepted this and it was really special to see everybody in their finery on formal nights.

 

Now I accept times change, and I full accept that there ought to be choice.  It's terrific that NCL started freestyle where almost anything goes, and people have that choice either to cruise with them or not. The problem I have with the likes of Princess, is it is neither one thing or the other. If you are going to have a formal night, then have one, and enforce the dress code. Don't bow down to those who don't want to conform. The ambiance is totally ruined for those who enjoy a formal evening.

I would be perfectly happy to have Princess never having a dress code, but please stop trying to pander to all, and make your mind up what sort of cruise line you are.

 

[Potstech]

On 10/29/2019 at 7:11 PM, Brisbane41 said:

I still take my formal wear. I keep wearing it for formal nights even if it makes the people in non formal feel uncomfortable. The only way to force change or to keep the standards at what you like is to keep at it and keep wearing formal on formal nights. That way others will start to feel more confident.

Not uncomfortable at all if passengers want to wear formal wear.  That is their decision.  Mine is not to wear it and still eat in the MDR.  I am confident with that decision as I am sure many others are with theirs.

Edited October 31, 2019 by Potstech

[Potstech]

13 hours ago, Brisbane41 said:

They generally don't want to upset anyone.

 

The problem is that for men I have seen too many men making rather juvenile mistakes regarding attire even when not on formal nights. If people cannot get casual dress right then they will not get formal dress right.

 

One example for men is that too many are making the juvenile mistake of not knowing when to tuck or leave un-tucked a dress shirt and yes there is a rule to follow on this. If the shirts hem or rim at the base of the shirt is a straight line around the waist then that kind of shirt is designed to be worn out but can also be tucked. If the rim of the shirt is curved then that shirt is definitely meant to be tucked in and only usually young boys would make that mistake but these days too many grown men are making it without the basic knowledge of any dress sense. This type of shirt goes back to military style attire so most people who have served would know this. If you wanted to keep your uniform sharp and straight then you would attach braces to the base of the shirt which would then hook on to pulled up socks under your trousers keeping the shirt pulled down and sharp. When designers make men's shirts they generally design them now that if the rim is curved that it is always meant to be tucked as it lacks the aesthetic appearance to be not tucked in. The other rule of thumb with tucking is that if the man has a shirt that is too long that is designed to be un-tucked then it should be tucked in. Examples are the rim of the shirt below the crotch line. You generally do not want it more than one hand span reaching below the belt line.

 

If only Princess staff would police this policy....... joking.

Ever notice those pushing a formal dress requirement for all seem o want to insult others in an attempt to try to convince others to do things according to their agenda.

[MissP22]

2 minutes ago, Trevor Fountain said:

Back in the day the dress code on the Liners (British) was as follows;

 

Formal (Black Tie i.e. bow tie with Dinner Suit (Tux) for Men, Evening Dress or Cocktail Dress for Ladies).

 

Informal ( Lounge Suit for Men, Cocktail Dress or Trouser Suit for Ladies)

 

Casual ( Collared Shirt and Long Trousers for Men,  Dress for Ladies, No Beachwear, No Flip Flops)

 

Everybody accepted this and it was really special to see everybody in their finery on formal nights.

 

Now I accept times change, and I full accept that there ought to be choice.  It's terrific that NCL started freestyle where almost anything goes, and people have that choice either to cruise with them or not. The problem I have with the likes of Princess, is it is neither one thing or the other. If you are going to have a formal night, then have one, and enforce the dress code. Don't bow down to those who don't want to conform. The ambiance is totally ruined for those who enjoy a formal evening.

I would be perfectly happy to have Princess never having a dress code, but please stop trying to pander to all, and make your mind up what sort of cruise line you are.

 

But how can Princess satisfy everyone at the same time & still turn a profit? If they did enforce the dress code to its fullest description they would lose the business of lots of folks. I'm not talking about wearing Dockers & a Polo or black slacks & a fancy top on a formal night but if it were enforced to true "formal", not many of the people sailing today would quality to eat in the DR.

It would in effect become a "Cunard" cruise line.

That's OK for some people but Princess does have a more casual following & they just might lose customers to the competition and in today's more casual environment losing business to the more casual cruise lines (of which they are many) just might not work.  

We're happy with the way Princess interprets their dress code today. Neither formal nor sloppy but just casual enough for us to eat in the DR without all the pretentious clothing which doesn't do a thing for the meal itself.  Let the people decide for themselves if they want to dress more formal since not following the crowd doesn't take away anything from them.

 

[Trevor Fountain]

Miss P, I respect totally what you are saying, but why then bother to print on the front of Patter, what this evenings dress code is? No point. Just leave it blank and let everybody dress as they wish, with the minimum of restrictions.