Staycation Dress Code

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

I thought that the short, staycation, 3N/4N cruises had a Evening Casual dress code for all nights. I have just looked on my itinerary on the web site and one of the nights is showing Celebration Night. Have I got this wrong?

 

Does that mean on the Celebration night I cannot go anywhere in public areas without complying with the Celebration Night dress code? I have a show booked!

 

I have been on Britannia before and always dress up for the formal nights... I love them! It is the only time I get out my dinner suit so this is certainly not a complaint about formal nights... I want them very much to stay. But this is a quick 4N break after a long covid period... I thought it was going to be more casual. In fact, I read on this forum somewhere that P&O had suspended the formal nights.

[jaydee6969]

The short cruises always were to have a Gala night, but as you say this has now been renamed as Celebration night.

 

As far as restrictions, you do not have to dress up to walk about the ship, only certain areas require it.

 

From P&O FAQ:- 

 

The Dress Code applies to a majority of public areas after 6pm.The following venues are exclusively Black Tie venues when Black Tie is the Dress Code of the ship.

 

The Crow’s Nest, The Epicurean, Meridian, Peninsular, Oriental, Sindhu and The Glass House restaurants.

[Denarius]

I must admit that I am confused. The Gala Night has been replaced by the Celebration Night, but has it been  replaced or merely renamed? If so, why? And is it still a black tie night, or have P&O followed some others and moved to the more flexible "dress to impress"? Strange things happen at sea!

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

Thanks... 

 

Well, it looks like I'll be digging out my DJ then... no complaints from me. However, 4 days to go and I need to buy a shirt and waistcoat - aaagh!

[zap99]

Just now, Snaxmuppet said:

Thanks... 

 

Well, it looks like I'll be digging out my DJ then... no complaints from me. However, 4 days to go and I need to buy a shirt and waistcoat - aaagh!

Mine went in the cleaners today, after checking it still fits. First time for 3 years.🤣

[davecttr]

4 hours ago, Snaxmuppet said:

I thought that the short, staycation, 3N/4N cruises had a Evening Casual dress code for all nights. I have just looked on my itinerary on the web site and one of the nights is showing Celebration Night. Have I got this wrong?

 

Does that mean on the Celebration night I cannot go anywhere in public areas without complying with the Celebration Night dress code? I have a show booked!

 

I have been on Britannia before and always dress up for the formal nights... I love them! It is the only time I get out my dinner suit so this is certainly not a complaint about formal nights... I want them very much to stay. But this is a quick 4N break after a long covid period... I thought it was going to be more casual. In fact, I read on this forum somewhere that P&O had suspended the formal nights.

Formal dress code does not apply to the theatre and nobody is going to stop you walking about in evening casual dress even in some of the formal venues if they happen to be transit areas between different parts of the ship. I imagine Celebration night suggests something similar to Marella's 'Dress to Impress' nights. In other words dress up in your finest, not compulsory of course or any 'no go' areas.

[smollett]

I was on the 1 July Britannia cruise... took a regular suit for the formal night. 

 

Since the ship was only 1/4-1/3 full, there was never much footfall in the central atrium during the evenings - so on formal night I didn't really feel there was much of a dressy atmosphere and I regretted packing it. Others may have felt differently.

 

Incidentally I ate that night in the Epicurian and wasn't impressed. Although the dishes were a bit more showey, I didn't think the cooking was as good as the main restaurants.

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

Thanks everyone.

 

As this is just a 4N staycation we had decided not to dress up at all on this trip and to just relax after a tough period of covid but we love the formal nights and so we have decided to go prepared. So I am digging out the DJ! I don't have much occasion to use it (cruise and New Year... if I am lucky!) so I might as well make the most of it 🙂  

[jaydee6969]

7 hours ago, davecttr said:

I imagine Celebration night suggests something similar to Marella's 'Dress to Impress' nights. In other words dress up in your finest, not compulsory of course or any 'no go' areas.

 

No, just a name change, still black tie.

 

And every holiday will host a Gala Evening which has been renamed Celebration Night. You can prepare for a night of spectacular dining, entertainment and a complimentary drink to toast the occasion. Black tie, a five-course feast – Celebration Night offers some well-deserved glitz and glamour.

[jaydee6969]

1 hour ago, Snaxmuppet said:

 So I am digging out the DJ! I don't have much occasion to use it (cruise and New Year... if I am lucky!) so I might as well make the most of it 🙂  

 

Same as that, only doing 3 nights but DJ will be taken and used.  Last time it was used was a 2 night trip taking the parents and brother in law on a taster cruise in November 2019.

[Angel57]

27 minutes ago, jaydee6969 said:

 

Same as that, only doing 3 nights but DJ will be taken and used.  Last time it was used was a 2 night trip taking the parents and brother in law on a taster cruise in November 2019.

It’s great to be able to dress up and wear something different to what has been worn every day for the last 18 months.
Very envious of everyone off on a cruise and wish you all a fabulous time.

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

Thank you for all your kind and informative comments.

 

DJ is out the wardrobe... It still almost fits!!! New shirt bought and now fit and ready to go!

 

I was already excited before we decided to do formal night but even more so now... Now it feels like a real cruise instead of a floating long weekend hotel stay.

 

Thanks again everyone for helping me get in the mood 🙂

[zap99]

17 minutes ago, Snaxmuppet said:

Thank you for all your kind and informative comments.

 

DJ is out the wardrobe... It still almost fits!!! New shirt bought and now fit and ready to go!

 

I was already excited before we decided to do formal night but even more so now... Now it feels like a real cruise instead of a floating long weekend hotel stay.

 

Thanks again everyone for helping me get in the mood 🙂

No, thank you. I forgot to see if the shirts still do up without cutting off the blood supply.🤔

Edited July 8, 2021 by zap99

[Son of Anarchy]

Great to reading about dressing up on cruises again. Thank you. 

 

A timely reminder for me make sure my DJ still fits as well!!

[Bobblehat71]

Doing a 3 nighter next week. Got the DJ out last night for a quick try on .Still just about fits but will need to limit my visits to the buffet 🤣🤣

 

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

OK... now I know I have got the bug back...

 

Thanks to Amazon Prime (next day delivery) I have waistcoat, new shirt (with studs) and new bow tie coming tomorrow... now I just need to brush up on how to tie a bowtie... it took me well over an hour last cruise before I was competent... drove my wife crazy! 🤣

 

Not many wear a waistcoat or cummerbund nowadays it seems but I love wearing the full outfit... it is always very special for me.

[trollydolly]

We were on the first Britannia cruise, there were loads of DJs frocks and dressing up on the celebration night I think people were glad to be released back into the wild, it was great to see such an effort and really added to our first holiday in 20 Months, just do it who cares what others are doing we dressed up even if others didn’t but fortunately it was a very well dressed cruise

Edited July 9, 2021 by trollydolly
.

[rumbalizw]

I'm dressing up every night . Too many nice clothes have been sitting in the wardrobe unworn ,for too long

[trollydolly]

Good on ya that was our philosophy too we’ve been in pyjamas for 20 months let’s get dressed up 

Edited July 9, 2021 by trollydolly

[The Med]

I absolutely love dressing up and are very excited to be cruising again.

 

Can anyone tell me, as a percentage, how many ladies wear long gowns on gala night?
 

 

[wowzz]

2 minutes ago, The Med said:

I absolutely love dressing up and are very excited to be cruising again.

 

Can anyone tell me, as a percentage, how many ladies wear long gowns on gala night?
 

 

15 years or so ago, my wife always took long dresses. Now, she dresses in LBDs or trouser suits.  

From  this male's perspective, I would say 25% or less in long gowns,  and probably lower than that on fly cruises. 

[The Med]

It was the staycation cruises that I was enquiring about.
I’ve cruised P&O twice before but not for a few years.

 

I just wondered whether to pack 3 cocktail dress or whether to pack 2 cocktail dresses and a long dress for Gala/Celebration night.

 

 

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

What a disaster! I ordered new shirts and a waistcoat from Amazon for the cruise on Britannia starting tomorrow and they DON'T FIT! 😭

 

So, it is back to the original plan... 4 days of relaxed cruising and no formal night.

 

It is my own fault. I hate buying clothes online for this very reason. I like to walk away from a shop knowing the stuff I have bought actually fits and is what I want. OK, I can send them back for a refund but that won't help me much. I have already tried other shops in the town such as M&S, NEXT, Moss Bros etc but they just don't have my size in anything I like (has there been a run on dress shirts size 17.5 !!!). I really can't spend today hunting down shirts so we have decided to wait until our next cruise which, if it goes to plan, will be February next year in the Caribbean.

[rumbalizw]

I wear long dresses on formal night and hubby a tux 

[Purdey16]

On 7/9/2021 at 11:46 PM, The Med said:

I absolutely love dressing up and are very excited to be cruising again.

 

Can anyone tell me, as a percentage, how many ladies wear long gowns on gala night?
 

 

On the 15+ cruises I’ve been on I would say 60% would be in long dresses and the rest in cocktail dresses and trousers with sparkle tops , a mixture really I always wear a long dress because otherwise I would never wear it anywhere else , normal nights I wear trousers and sparkle tops .