All your P&O dress code comments and queries.

[Paula2023]

I know this has been asked before and I understand the basics but it is my first cruise so here goes! We are sailing on Arvia in the Caribbean on 4 March and I have two questions :-

 

On formal nights if you are not on captains table do you have to wear formal wear in all the bars and restaurants? I have booked captains table on one of the formal nights but on the other formal night I have booked the Limelight club and plan on visiting other bars such as the Glasshouse after it so will we need formal wear on that night?

Also I know men must wear trousers in all but the buffet restaurant but can men then change into smart tailored shorts after food and then go to the various bars/clubs in the said shorts?

 

Thank you for your help

[Fionboard]

2 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Do they even do it post Covid ?

No Captains table but there is a Chefs table.

[Paula2023]

Lol chefs table I meant. Told you I hadn't been on a cruise before 🤣

[devonuk]

4 hours ago, Paula2023 said:

I know this has been asked before and I understand the basics but it is my first cruise so here goes! We are sailing on Arvia in the Caribbean on 4 March and I have two questions :-

 

On formal nights if you are not on captains table do you have to wear formal wear in all the bars and restaurants? I have booked captains table on one of the formal nights but on the other formal night I have booked the Limelight club and plan on visiting other bars such as the Glasshouse after it so will we need formal wear on that night?

Also I know men must wear trousers in all but the buffet restaurant but can men then change into smart tailored shorts after food and then go to the various bars/clubs in the said shorts?

 

Thank you for your help

I can unreservedly assure you that on P&O now anything goes in any restaurant even on formal nights much to my disappointment. I’m now at the point of wondering why I bother but when I see my children and grandchildren making the effort it reminds me that I should maintain my standards and not reduce them to that of others. I could give you examples of ‘formal wear’ worn in MDR’s recently, some of which was fit only for a visit to a beach or football match 🤦‍♂️ The daily dress code clearly states no trainers, football shirts etc but I think passengers read this as what should be worn even on the formal/gala nights. I know it’s not mandatory but this trend is not something that is appealing to me in the long term. 
That said it was great to see many veterans wearing their medals, Scottish wearing their full kilt rig etc. and ladies in their posh frocks and long evening dresses. 
My tin hat is on 😬

 

[wowzz]

5 hours ago, Paula2023 said:

Also I know men must wear trousers in all but the buffet restaurant but can men then change into smart tailored shorts after food and then go to the various bars/clubs in the said shorts?

In a word - No !

[devonuk]

6 minutes ago, wowzz said:

In a word - No !

Sorry to disappoint but you can now… Maitre d’s aren’t stopping it and that includes the club house, theatre etc. Didn’t think I’d ever see the like but even though it’s not widespread it is being allowed. 

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, devonuk said:

Sorry to disappoint but you can now… Maitre d’s aren’t stopping it and that includes the club house, theatre etc. Didn’t think I’d ever see the like but even though it’s not widespread it is being allowed. 

That's the problem. Southampton say one thing,  the management on board set their own rules. 

[Paula2023]

Thank you devonuk for your reply

[david63]

A bit off topic (but relevant to the OP).

 

Pre Covid there certainly was a "Captain's Table" dinner on longer cruises. It was held in Epicurean, was by invitation only (mostly suite passengers) and, if I remember correctly, was around £50 per head (less Peninsular discount, but included all drinks) and was on a formal night - with no exceptions to dress code.

[davecttr]

I don't thinl P&O have got round to publishing a dress code venuu list for Arvia yet. The one for her sister ship Iona is currently for Celebration night, one per week

 

Formal dress required for the  4 main dining rooms and the Chefs table which is an overflow venue in part of the Horizon buffet. Epicurian and Sindhu restaurants and The Crows Nest bar but probably the Sindhu bar but not mentioned. Everywhere else is evening casual. I did not see any formal dress required signs .

Edited February 19, 2023 by davecttr

[indiana123]

I cant wear long dresses, or any dresses really, but make an effort with sparkly stuff on formal nights, with really smart casual on others.

 

It's so nice to see everyone making an effort, it really doesn't have to be ballroom stuff, just an extra bit of bling or lipstick etc.  (for the ladies!)

 

It really does make a great change to the atmosphere, especially as the chances of dressing up a bit are a bit sparse in real life.  

 

It will be a sad day (for me anyway) when everyone sits in the restaurants with sports gear and the like

Edited February 19, 2023 by indiana123

[Paula2023]

Thank you so much davecttr, that is the type of information I was looking for. We have booked the limelight club for the second formal night and my OH doesn't want to be sat there in his tuxedo if he doesn't have to. He wants to be comfortable. We always dress nice for the evenings whilst on holidays anywhere in the world and no sports gear for us although on a land based holiday he will wear trousers for dinner in the hotel and then straight back to the room to change into his smart shorts and appropriate footwear as that is what he likes and feels most comfortable in.

[davecttr]

4 hours ago, Paula2023 said:

Thank you so much davecttr, that is the type of information I was looking for. We have booked the limelight club for the second formal night and my OH doesn't want to be sat there in his tuxedo if he doesn't have to. He wants to be comfortable. We always dress nice for the evenings whilst on holidays anywhere in the world and no sports gear for us although on a land based holiday he will wear trousers for dinner in the hotel and then straight back to the room to change into his smart shorts and appropriate footwear as that is what he likes and feels most comfortable in.

Be careful with the Limelight Club. I did not check it out and P&O's web site makes mistakes with venue designations. For example for years the web site has been stating that the Glass House on Azura/Ventura has a formal code on Formal nights. My experience onboard is that it is evening casual and always has been. Britannia was weird, the Glass House was formal although a transit area. I have not cruised on Azura/Ventura/Britannia for a number of years.

[scarlet ohara]

While Epicurean guests last week on Iona was almost fully formal dress, the rest of the ship were fairly casual with not many DJs amongst the men. I can understand why when it’s only one night of the holiday.,Even for 2 nights of a 2 week cruise it’s a lot of extra luggage

[carlanthony24]

6 hours ago, davecttr said:

Be careful with the Limelight Club. I did not check it out and P&O's web site makes mistakes with venue designations. For example for years the web site has been stating that the Glass House on Azura/Ventura has a formal code on Formal nights. My experience onboard is that it is evening casual and always has been. Britannia was weird, the Glass House was formal although a transit area. I have not cruised on Azura/Ventura/Britannia for a number of years.

Can confirm Glass house was still casual last year on Azura

[Britboys]

Give it another 12 months and I can see P&O doing away with the Formal Nights on Iona & Arvia "as a result of feedback from our guests"...

[Harry Peterson]

10 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Give it another 12 months and I can see P&O doing away with the Formal Nights on Iona & Arvia "as a result of feedback from our guests"...

Agreed. It’s inevitable, given the changing clientele base.

[Ardennais]

17 hours ago, scarlet ohara said:

While Epicurean guests last week on Iona was almost fully formal dress, the rest of the ship were fairly casual with not many DJs amongst the men. I can understand why when it’s only one night of the holiday.,Even for 2 nights of a 2 week cruise it’s a lot of extra luggage

My husband wasn’t wearing formal dress in the Epicurean (not formal night) and he wasn’t the only one. Most people were smart casual. 

[Harry Peterson]

2 hours ago, Ardennais said:

My husband wasn’t wearing formal dress in the Epicurean (not formal night) and he wasn’t the only one. Most people were smart casual. 

We’ve always timed our Epicurean visits to avoid formal nights, because the MDR options tended to be better on formal nights and we ate there.

 

Formal dress in the Epicurean on those nights was almost invariably smart casual. Very rarely formal. It’s akin (or used to be akin) to a one star Michelin restaurant onshore, and if you turned up even to a three starred establishment like that they’d think you were crackers! Why onboard, except of course on obligatory formal nights to comply with the rules.

[Cruisemeister2002]

On 2/17/2023 at 11:37 AM, majortom10 said:

It is not the style of shorts that sorry me it's the legs hanging from them and black socks many seem to wear.

And a tee shirt with dickie bow tie and black patent shoes.

[scarlet ohara]

4 hours ago, Ardennais said:

My husband wasn’t wearing formal dress in the Epicurean (not formal night) and he wasn’t the only one. Most people were smart casual. 

Sorry for any misunderstanding- it was formal dress mainly on the formal night(Valentines day) but smart casual the other nights we ate in Epicurean

[Cruisemeister2002]

6 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

Agreed. It’s inevitable, given the changing clientele base.

Don't get me wrong. I am certainly not a snob. But to me formal nights, whilst I don't want too many are part of the enjoyment. I am aware that to many it's perhaps old hat and they prefer a more casual type holiday. I think companies like P&O needs to decide which way they are going and stick to it. Inevitably it will alienate some whilst others will jump onboard. Perhaps an idea would be to have a ship or ships dependant on demand with formal evenings and make it clear that dressing up will need to be adhered to except in a couple of venues. Then the remainder of the fleet does away with them entirely. The only problem with this suggestion is the itinerary's may or may not be what the individual wants.

[Britboys]

Going a bit off-thread I know but - I don't get the seemingly increasing obsession that British men now have with shorts. Some wear them outdoors all year (and I'm not talking posties here) even in freezing temperatures and to restaurants etc. When my sister booked a restaurant for her birthday celebration, the first thing her son asked was "how posh is it - can I wear shorts".

I've nothing against shorts (especially when a man has the legs for them 😀) but surely there is a time and place for them...?

[Cruisemeister2002]

2 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Going a bit off-thread I know but - I don't get the seemingly increasing obsession that British men now have with shorts. Some wear them outdoors all year (and I'm not talking posties here) even in freezing temperatures and to restaurants etc. When my sister booked a restaurant for her birthday celebration, the first thing her son asked was "how posh is it - can I wear shorts".

I've nothing against shorts (especially when a man has the legs for them 😀) but surely there is a time and place for them...?

I totally agree, My wife often come's out with the comment "He must be mad" when seeing someone walking about in shorts in the middle of winter. I wear shorts and hope to in a week or so's time when we'll be in the Caribbean and on deck get a bit of much needed sun. But I won't and don't expect other passengers to be wearing shorts in the MDR. But then I am at the old fart time of life and if you don't have the crotch of your trousers near your knees and your usual attire isn't tracky bottoms then I suppose in the words of my yoof I'm not groovy man. 

[jomf]

I would prefer not to wear any formal clothes but accept that on P &O there is at least one formal night ( not sure of the dress code for the celebration evening) and will abide by the rules.

If Epicurean had been smart casual every night we would book there for the formal night, as it is not we will book on another evening as I expect the MDR menu should be better than normal on formal night. 
I can foresee a time when all cruise lines will be smart casual, which I look forward to. 
Until that time I will dress as expected, however, if others break the “rules” I will join them!