Wear Your Best. Is this the "new formal" fleet wide

[Iamcruzin]

2 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

Oh stop.  Royal doesn't care about the MDR anymore and they don't even pretend to.  They would be thrilled to fire the staff, turn that all into cabins, and sell more dining packages.  

They practically throw the food at you and don’t even think about getting a drink refill. There is no ambiance on any given night in my time dining.   

[LMaxwell]

2 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

They practically throw the food at you and don’t even think about getting a drink refill. There is no ambiance on any given night in my time dining.   

 

One other thing to consider; it seems many, many people want to dine with their own parties and not be sat with strangers...less social pressure to "fit in" when people are not really using dinner as a socializing time in the past.  Hell, plenty of married couples are both eyeball deep in their phones and don't even interact with one another.  I don't care how they dress.  They don't care how you dress.  The staff...yeah they want high ratings and for service to go without a hitch...but I am sure what you are wearing isn't even on their radar. 

[Iamcruzin]

1 minute ago, LMaxwell said:

 

One other thing to consider; it seems many, many people want to dine with their own parties and not be sat with strangers...less social pressure to "fit in" when people are not really using dinner as a socializing time in the past.  Hell, plenty of married couples are both eyeball deep in their phones and don't even interact with one another.  I don't care how they dress.  They don't care how you dress.  The staff...yeah they want high ratings and for service to go without a hitch...but I am sure what you are wearing isn't even on their radar. 

Yes I notice a lot more family occupying an 8 top on Royal compared to Celebrity and Princess which is understandable. We were a party of 6 ourselves this time. 

[Esprit]

3 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

 

  The staff...yeah they want high ratings and for service to go without a hitch...but I am sure what you are wearing isn't even on their radar. 

On our Allure B2B earlier this month our wait staff complimented us on our formal attire. There were eleven of us including six guys in tux's for all four formal nights. Best dressed table they'd had for quite a while.

We also had on the first week sitting nearby us a large group of US Police and Fire fighters dressed in kilts. They were a bag pipe band called "Guns and Hoses". Watched them perform one night and they were amazing. 

[LMaxwell]

13 minutes ago, Esprit said:

On our Allure B2B earlier this month our wait staff complimented us on our formal attire.

If you had all worn tommy bahama linen shirts and pants they would have said the exact same compliments.  They are in the hospitality business.  

[Esprit]

1 hour ago, LMaxwell said:

If you had all worn tommy bahama linen shirts and pants they would have said the exact same compliments.  They are in the hospitality business.  

You're just jealous we got complimented. You said earlier …"I am sure what you are wearing isn't even on their radar".

It's a shame people stop taking pride in their appearance and guys dismiss the notion that their partners/wives would love to dress up, but have to dress down because their other halves are uncomfortable. The only reason guys complain of being uncomfortable in formal attire is because they kid themselves they aren't so fat and persist with a jacket and dress shirt that are clearly too tight!

 

[cruisegirl1]

For the record, I am on the 7 night brilliance/Caribbean cruise. Our compass states that tonight is formal night.  I know that in the long run it doesn’t matter, but I wanted to note that they are still using the term “formal night”.
 

m

 

[davekathy]

10 minutes ago, cruisegirl1 said:

For the record, I am on the 7 night brilliance/Caribbean cruise. Our compass states that tonight is formal night.  I know that in the long run it doesn’t matter, but I wanted to note that they are still using the term “formal night”.
 

m

 

Recently saw this acronym here on CC. RCI= Royal Consistently Inconsistent.  😂

[Clarea]

4 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Recently saw this acronym here on CC. RCI= Royal Consistently Inconsistent.  😂

 

I thought it was Really Consistently Inconsistent.

[davekathy]

9 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

I thought it was Really Consistently Inconsistent.

That too...

[Milwaukee Eight]

4 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

They practically throw the food at you and don’t even think about getting a drink refill. There is no ambiance on any given night in my time dining.   

My last experience in the MDR while I was in a Suit and Tie, it was nearly impossible to get a Alcohol drink refill and we had the DP. We were with a group so we ate together each night in MDR  After first few nights of our 11 night cruise, when I needed a refill, I got up and went a got it myself at an outside bar. 
 

That was in 2016 on Serenade 11 night. The last time we have set foot in the MDR for dinner on any ship and last time in Suit and Tie (2 Formal Nights). If I feel the need to dress up, I will rent a Tux onboard. 
 

In my opinion 

Edited November 20, 2019 by Milwaukee Eight

[lovelife]

On Explorer now. Still listed in Compass as formal night.

[LMaxwell]

7 hours ago, Esprit said:

You're just jealous we got complimented.

 

Not at all.  Glad you enjoyed yourself.  Why would I be jealous of you? 

[Iamcruzin]

6 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

My last experience in the MDR while I was in a Suit and Tie, it was nearly impossible to get a Alcohol drink refill and we had the DP. We were with a group so we ate together each night in MDR  After first few nights of our 11 night cruise, when I needed a refill, I got up and went a got it myself at an outside bar. 
 

That was in 2016 on Serenade 11 night. The last time we have set foot in the MDR for dinner on any ship and last time in Suit and Tie (2 Formal Nights). If I feel the need to dress up, I will rent a Tux onboard. 
 

In my opinion 

Someone posted on the Princess board that the Tux rental company that serviced the ships went out of business.  I had to fetch drinks for my table as well. It got to the point that I would stop for coffee before heading to the MDR so that I would be able to have coffee with dessert.  Formal nights had the worst service the entire 9 days. The food was good each night with the exception of the lobster tail. 

[ReneeFLL]

On 11/15/2019 at 1:43 PM, rucruisn2 said:

My days of dressing "formal" are long gone.  I do country club casual, it this is good enough for Oceania, it is good enough for Royal.

What does Oceania call it, formal night? Our Allure this month and the Explorer cruise we are on now have it listed as formal nights.

 

On 11/18/2019 at 10:01 PM, Ptroxx said:

Guess you didn’t get it.   I’m on vacation.  
No suit.  No slacks. No shoes. 
My clothes are current ,I could care less about a formal dinner.
if they don’t let me in with what Im wearing there’s many other places to eat.   

My hubby wore a military uniform for 27 years and for the last 20 years has worn a pilot uniform for American. He is also on vacation, but he still dresses in the suggested attire. In fact he was in a tux tonight and I was in a gown. 

 

On 11/19/2019 at 1:51 PM, SargassoPirate said:

The staff at the entrance are scared to call anyone out for inappropriate MDR dress for fear of upsetting the person and receiving less than a 10.  The staff's careers live and die by the 10.  Thus, enforcement of most anything - feral children running wild, chair hogs, card players claiming tables in the buffet, and appropriate attire in the MDR has fallen by the wayside.

 

If people don't care to clean up for the MDR and follow the norms for dining attire in a more elegant setting, the buffet is always available.  

 

Clothes make the person and what one wears in different social settings speaks volumes.  

Very well said.

 

On 11/19/2019 at 6:14 PM, danv3 said:

 

Certainly people should feel free to dress formally if they wish, but I would disagree with your last sentence.  If you choose to really dress up (tux/formal gown) you will be out of place in the MDR.  On many cruises, you'll be one of maybe ten people dressed that way.  You will definitely stand out.  That doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, but no one should expect that a quarter, or even a tenth, of the diners in the MDR will be dressed in that way.  

Maybe you aren't paying to much attention, but there are plenty of people who dress formally and aren't out of place.

 

I don't understand why some people are so against dressing in something special for a few hours.

[ReneeFLL]

13 hours ago, Esprit said:

On our Allure B2B earlier this month our wait staff complimented us on our formal attire. There were eleven of us including six guys in tux's for all four formal nights. Best dressed table they'd had for quite a while.

We also had on the first week sitting nearby us a large group of US Police and Fire fighters dressed in kilts. They were a bag pipe band called "Guns and Hoses". Watched them perform one night and they were amazing. 

We were on the Allure on November 3rd. Were you on that one also? We would have loved to have seen the best dressed table. I'm sure y'all looked dashing.

 

13 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

If you had all worn tommy bahama linen shirts and pants they would have said the exact same compliments.  They are in the hospitality business.  

I totally disagree. I got a ton of compliments from the crew and some of the guest on my gown tonight. I never get those amounts of compliments when not dressed formally and I usually dress nice.

 

10 hours ago, cruisegirl1 said:

For the record, I am on the 7 night brilliance/Caribbean cruise. Our compass states that tonight is formal night.  I know that in the long run it doesn’t matter, but I wanted to note that they are still using the term “formal night”.

m

Listed as the same for the Explorer tonight.

 

4 hours ago, lovelife said:

On Explorer now. Still listed in Compass as formal night.

Also on Explorer right now. In tux and blue gown even while wearing an aircast boot. 😁

[Ptroxx]

18 minutes ago, ReneeFLL said:

What does Oceania call it, formal night? Our Allure this month and the Explorer cruise we are on now have it listed as formal nights.

 

My hubby wore a military uniform for 27 years and for the last 20 years has worn a pilot uniform for American. He is also on vacation, but he still dresses in the suggested attire. In fact he was in a tux tonight and I was in a gown. 

 

Very well said.

 

Maybe you aren't paying to much attention, but there are plenty of people who dress formally and aren't out of place.

 

I don't understand why some people are so against dressing in something special for a few hours.

I sure he feels very comfortable in a suit as he’s been in one for 47 years.  And back when he went to school. I bet he wore a suit.   
but I’m from a different world.   The clothes don’t make the person.   
Its what’s inside the person that makes the person.  So dress how you feel.  Not how they want you to look.  
 

be your own person.   

[ReneeFLL]

11 minutes ago, Ptroxx said:

I sure he feels very comfortable in a suit as he’s been in one for 47 years.  And back when he went to school. I bet he wore a suit........

No private school for hubby if that's what you're referring to so no suits in school. Some of the military and airline time did overlap so I guess it's more like 34 years. My mistake, but it has been a while of him wearing suits/uniforms.

 

I have seen men of all ages in formal wear. Young men and up.

Edited November 21, 2019 by ReneeFLL

[Ptroxx]

12 minutes ago, ReneeFLL said:

No private school for hubby if that's what you're referring to so no suits in school. Some of the military and airline time did overlap so I guess it's more like 34 years. My mistake, but it has been a while of him wearing suits/uniforms.

 

I have seen men of all ages in formal wear. Young men and up.

Lol see I did go to catholic school for 8 years.    And. I wear a uniform every day now at work.  But it’s not a suit and tie.   It’s shorts  and a button up ...

 I have 2 suits in my closet.  Death and wedding Lolol.  
but I have many very nice button ups and nice pants. Thats if I need to look nice I can.

i usually always bring some nice clothes with me if I chose to wear them.
 

 But I get it. Some people love to dress up.  Hey. Im always glad to take pictures of any couple dressed up.  

[Charles4515]

5 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

What does Oceania call it, formal night? 

 

I don't understand why some people are so against dressing in something special for a few hours.

Oceania does not have formal night. No special dress night at all. Oceania has country club casual every night. 
 

What you don’t understand is that what is special to you is not special to other people on vacation. I don’t mind dressing up for something special. The MDR on a cruise on any night is not that occasion. 

[Esprit]

5 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

I have seen men of all ages in formal wear. Young men and up.

My son, now 28, dresses up for all formal occasions. he even asked to borrow my white tux' on a cruise a few years back.

Kids here in the UK have really embraced formal attire for their prom nights , and the shops have more varieties of formal attire than I've ever seen before.

The US introduced us to dress down Fridays. Perhaps it's time for us return the favour!

[Iamcruzin]

3 hours ago, Esprit said:

My son, now 28, dresses up for all formal occasions. he even asked to borrow my white tux' on a cruise a few years back.

Kids here in the UK have really embraced formal attire for their prom nights , and the shops have more varieties of formal attire than I've ever seen before.

The US introduced us to dress down Fridays. Perhaps it's time for us return the favour!

Youth here also go above and beyond on formal occasions like Sweet Sixteen parties and Prom. It’s all new to them so it’s an exciting opportunity to walk the Red Carpet so to speak. It also involves a Limousine rental and a pre  Prom cocktail party held at one of the parents homes. There is absolutely nothing special about the MDR on formal night. I would be more likely to dress for a specialty restaurant on any given night. The irony of it all is that the specialty restaurants became popular on formal nights so people didn’t have to dress up. Even at today’s prices the specialty restaurant is a less expensive option than purchasing 2 closet classic outfits.

Edited November 21, 2019 by Iamcruzin

[rucruisn2]

4 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

Oceania does not have formal night. No special dress night at all. Oceania has country club casual every night. 
 

What you don’t understand is that what is special to you is not special to other people on vacation. I don’t mind dressing up for something special. The MDR on a cruise on any night is not that occasion. 

Exactly, country club casual! One can dress up if they want to but no pressure to do so. People wear nice clothes, Collard shirts and long pants for men, Nice outfits for ladies.  Very nice cruise line.

[LMaxwell]

10 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

I don't understand why some people are so against dressing in something special for a few hours.

 

Many people have explained their points of view.  Are you willing to accept different opinions? 

[Milwaukee Eight]

2 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

 

Many people have explained their points of view.  Are you willing to accept different opinions? 

I’m with you on this. Don’t understand how what others wear affects them?