All your P&O dress code comments and queries.

[Dermotsgirl]

3 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Absolutely!  My wife complies absolutely with the rules, as do I, but she wears Doc Martens under a long dress because they're much more comfortable than traditional shoes.  Nobody sees them, but she does enjoy the occasional 'protest'!  

I’ve got a pair of boots which look like DM’s which I mostly wear with jeans and leggings. But I’ve also worn them with a winter day dress and thick black tights. Super comfortable, and ideal for me as I never wear heels ( I haven’t worn this out fit on a cruise, mostly because I haven’t been on a cruise since I bought the boots!) 

[yorkshirephil]

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

Absolutely!  My wife complies absolutely with the rules, as do I, but she wears Doc Martens under a long dress because they're much more comfortable than traditional shoes.  Nobody sees them, but she does enjoy the occasional 'protest'!  

These would be OK

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I’m not ‘getting away with anything’ though. What I described is my formal wear, I don’t wear those things on a smart casual night 

That was not the point I was making far from it, I was indicating that most ladies look very smart in the MDRs, and could wear many of their outfits on formal night and not look out of place. Whereas we men need at least a jacket and tie on formal nights.

[Harry Peterson]

40 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

These would be OK

You're not far off the mark there!  But hers are brighter and louder.  Ever since she was at school (I've known her a very long time!) she's never dressed quite conventionally - there always has to be at least one stand-out item.  Always determined never to dress like 'an old lady' as she put is, despite being in her 70s.  Mind you, my Grandma was still talking about 'helping the old ladies' when she was in her 90s.  Just an attitude of mind.  

[Vampiress88]

13 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

You're not far off the mark there!  But hers are brighter and louder.  Ever since she was at school (I've known her a very long time!) she's never dressed quite conventionally - there always has to be at least one stand-out item.  Always determined never to dress like 'an old lady' as she put is, despite being in her 70s.  Mind you, my Grandma was still talking about 'helping the old ladies' when she was in her 90s.  Just an attitude of mind.  

She sounds like a cool lady

 

We like the dressing up, my hubby and kids more so than me. We actually disliked MSC as we felt a bit odd ones out. I don’t feel like that on p&o. 
But the in laws are coming and they will not dress up at all

[Beckett]

3 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

Absolutely!  My wife complies absolutely with the rules, as do I, but she wears Doc Martens under a long dress because they're much more comfortable than traditional shoes.  Nobody sees them, but she does enjoy the occasional 'protest'!  

Me too Harry! Please tell your wife I think she has impeccable taste. Jane xxx

[Harry Peterson]

9 minutes ago, Beckett said:

Me too Harry! Please tell your wife I think she has impeccable taste. Jane xxx

Thank you, Jane, I’ll tell her [adding of course, sotto voce, ‘in husbands’].

 

Harry

[snaefell]

5 hours ago, yorkshirephil said:

These would be OK

Reminds me of a guy called Chris who ran a bar in Liverpool some years ago,he had Doc Martens in an incredible variety of colours,he used to hold 'bad taste' nights to see if anybody could outdo him,good old days,there aren't characters like him around these days😔

[happy v]

5 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

That was not the point I was making far from it, I was indicating that most ladies look very smart in the MDRs, and could wear many of their outfits on formal night and not look out of place. Whereas we men need at least a jacket and tie on formal nights.

I agree with you. On longer cruises when we have had a few very busy days. I can't be bothered with heels, and wear a comfortable dress. I have said to my husband it would take a very brave MD to tell a lady her dress isn't posh enough. Whereas men have to comply

[TigerB]

6 hours ago, yorkshirephil said:

These would be OK

 

Our lass has recently got some DM mules; she's on about taking them in June and will no doubt wear them on our only formal night.

[mrshorsy]

we have previously only cruised with NCL who are very informal. We have just booked a last minute Jul cruise on Ventura and didnt find out about the formal celebration night till reading on here.

We will not be taking formal wear on a holiday. I will have dresses that could possibly pass but there is no way in the world my other half would be donning a suit. People don't even wear suits in offices anymore.

On the formal night we will be respectful of the places that insist on formal wear and will eat and drink elsewhere 

[Jennizor]

11 hours ago, mrshorsy said:

we have previously only cruised with NCL who are very informal. We have just booked a last minute Jul cruise on Ventura and didnt find out about the formal celebration night till reading on here.

We will not be taking formal wear on a holiday. I will have dresses that could possibly pass but there is no way in the world my other half would be donning a suit. People don't even wear suits in offices anymore.

On the formal night we will be respectful of the places that insist on formal wear and will eat and drink elsewhere 

Don’t worry about it, you are entitled to make your own choices. We always do the formal nights but it’s a personal choice as is yours. Enjoy your cruise.

[Millie58]

Hi, we are on Azura in July.

We’ve cruised with Marella, Celebrity and mostly Princess. I’m a bit concerned about the dress code as it seems stricter than other lines.

Also, has anyone had an aft cabin before and if so how was it? 
Thanks

[devonuk]

9 hours ago, Millie58 said:

Hi, we are on Azura in July.

We’ve cruised with Marella, Celebrity and mostly Princess. I’m a bit concerned about the dress code as it seems stricter than other lines.

Also, has anyone had an aft cabin before and if so how was it? 
Thanks

I left a laughing reply above because the strict dress code comment tickled me. Perhaps it once was but certainly not any more. There are lots of previous thread discussions just look for them. 
I can’t relate re Marella but I can use my experiences of the other 2 and you’ve nothing to worry about. 
Had an aft suite on the Ventura and it was pretty good apart from the very tired decor and waste of time butler. 

Edited April 23, 2023 by devonuk
Error

[sandancer]

P&O dress code is no more strict than Princess. Marella (on our one and only Marella cruise) was more casual. On our recent cruise on Arvia we found that most people were nicely dressed every night. On Celebration nights it was more dressy. We wore the same outfits as we wore on our Princess cruise in November. 

[Britboys]

P&O's dress codes - if you look on the website at least - seem to be getting more blurred. Basically at present, men require a jacket & tie in the mdr's and some bars etc on the two Formal nights per week. Formal dress however is optional and you can opt out by dining at the buffet or in some other alternative dining venues.

The only other apparent difference to Marella at present is that, officially, shorts are not allowed in the evenings. There is some anecdotal evidence to suggest this may not always be enforced.

[Cloudyrain]

I don’t think that P&O is stricter, and I think much of it depends on who is on the door on the day.

 

We went on a Marella the other year and my Dad was refused entry twice on the same night for his attire not meeting standards: he was furious and barely spoke all night, we were trying not to laugh. Then we went on P&O and he purposely wore a full suit, shirt and tie and on the table next to us sat a couple both wearing hoodies, trainers and jeans. After that he stuck to the buffet 😂😂

[Grimsby Mariner]

Unfortunately P&O do not impose the rules on their dress code, certainly on Iona. On formal nights the lower decks are supposed to be for people dressing up only. Yet there is still the odd buffoon walking round in jeans and tee shirt - on our recent cruise there was someone who could not respect the dress code but was still mingling with the sole intention of getting his free glass of champagne. But no crew member made any effort to remove him.

 

In the MDR's dress code is supposed to be casual trousers and shirts. My wife and I like to dress smart and, whilst we have no problem with people not following the dress code as long as they stay out of the designated areas that is fine, but P&O still seem to allow tracksuits and football shirts in the MDR's every cruise, so there seems little point in rules. That is annoying and I still do not understand why some people feel the need to dress slovenly, if I wanted to mix  with people in shorts and tee shirts at dinner I would go to Horizon and dress similarly, so why can they not respect the smarter people on ship? 

 

Yet ironically they are very strict on not letting people in shorts in the Crows Nest. Bizarre that some rules are enforced there, yet since 18th April they now allow children in there. Clearly there are not enough bars on Iona for children that they have to ruin the ambience of the one adults only location?

[snaefell]

Wow,football shirts 'slovenly',they cost a fortune & are usually superb quality even if you do stick up for someone else,surely it is a matter of opinion what is & isn't smart & I for one really don't give a damn what anybody else around me is wearing,I just concentrate on enjoying my holiday,on our last cruise in 2019 there was a photo shoot with the Captain at 1500hrs one hot steamy day,the bar made a strange sight,half the passengers in their DJ's & Gowns & the rest in shorts & vests!

I do agree though that if P&O have rules then they should be enforced,I imagine their crews are stuck between two very differing type of cruise experience now,I get the impression that Iona & Arvia are aimed at a different clientel to the three older & smaller ships with poor old Britannia stuck somewhere in the middle!

As for aft cabins,we had an aft corner cabin on Britannia a few years ago,huge balcony,loved the view over the wake,sheltered by the superstructure when at sea,hated how far it was back to the cabin after a hard night in the Crows Nest!

Edited April 26, 2023 by snaefell

[mrshorsy]

Can understand the no football shirts to a degree I would never allow my sons or husband to rock up in a footy shirt, not that they would want to. But can never understand the need to insist on trousers when the weather is hot! Tailored shorts look equally smart. This is going to be our first P&O (we usually cruise NCL) and I’m already not looking forward to rules on what is supposed to be a holiday !

[Denarius]

To me smartly and formally are two separate concepts. It is quite easy to dress casually and appear smart. It is also quite easy to dress formally and appear scruffy. It is all about coordination and state of repair, cleanliness and presentation.

[majortom10]

7 hours ago, snaefell said:

Wow,football shirts 'slovenly',they cost a fortune & are usually superb quality even if you do stick up for someone else,surely it is a matter of opinion what is & isn't smart & I for one really don't give a damn what anybody else around me is wearing,I just concentrate on enjoying my holiday,on our last cruise in 2019 there was a photo shoot with the Captain at 1500hrs one hot steamy day,the bar made a strange sight,half the passengers in their DJ's & Gowns & the rest in shorts & vests!

I do agree though that if P&O have rules then they should be enforced,I imagine their crews are stuck between two very differing type of cruise experience now,I get the impression that Iona & Arvia are aimed at a different clientel to the three older & smaller ships with poor old Britannia stuck somewhere in the middle!

As for aft cabins,we had an aft corner cabin on Britannia a few years ago,huge balcony,loved the view over the wake,sheltered by the superstructure when at sea,hated how far it was back to the cabin after a hard night in the Crows Nest!

Football shirts might be very expensive but that doesn't make them "smart" and end of the day are still football shirts. You can buy dinner suits from many outlets for less than designer jeans but are a lot more smarter.

Edited April 26, 2023 by majortom10

[snaefell]

39 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Football shirts might be very expensive but that doesn't make them "smart" and end of the day are still football shirts. You can buy dinner suits from many outlets for less than designer jeans but are a lot more smarter.

All a matter of opinion

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, snaefell said:

All a matter of opinion

I'm not sure in what universe a football shirt can be considered smart !

Comfortable, relaxed, yes, but smart - never.

[Britboys]

10 hours ago, Grimsby Mariner said:

Unfortunately P&O do not impose the rules on their dress code, certainly on Iona. On formal nights the lower decks are supposed to be for people dressing up only. Yet there is still the odd buffoon walking round in jeans and tee shirt - on our recent cruise there was someone who could not respect the dress code but was still mingling with the sole intention of getting his free glass of champagne. But no crew member made any effort to remove him.

 

In the MDR's dress code is supposed to be casual trousers and shirts. My wife and I like to dress smart and, whilst we have no problem with people not following the dress code as long as they stay out of the designated areas that is fine, but P&O still seem to allow tracksuits and football shirts in the MDR's every cruise, so there seems little point in rules. That is annoying and I still do not understand why some people feel the need to dress slovenly, if I wanted to mix  with people in shorts and tee shirts at dinner I would go to Horizon and dress similarly, so why can they not respect the smarter people on ship? 

 

Yet ironically they are very strict on not letting people in shorts in the Crows Nest. Bizarre that some rules are enforced there, yet since 18th April they now allow children in there. Clearly there are not enough bars on Iona for children that they have to ruin the ambience of the one adults only location?

"the lower decks are supposed to be for people dressing up only" - wow, that makes you sound like a friend of Hyacinth. As far as I understand it, the evening's dress code is meant to be observed in the mdr's and certain bar/restaurant venues - regardless of which deck they are on.... On the larger ships therefore there will be spaces on most decks where those who choose not to "dress up" can still socialise.

I actually prefer a well-enforced dress code but P&O seems to be changing and "moving on". Therefore, those of us not keen on a more casual atmosphere must either accept it graciously or move on - to a different ship or cruise line. In my experience, Aurora seems to attract very few pax who prefer jeans & t-shirt (so far...).