All your P&O dress code comments and queries.

[CliveJ]

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

I’m absolutely no lover of formal dress on cruise ships, but there is a very simple answer. If P&O requires a particular dress code, take whatever clothes are necessary to meet the requirements. No fuss, no arguments, no doubt that way. If, like me, you don’t want to dress formally (and a dark suit is quite sufficient), avoid any cruise lines that require it.

OK, Sir, may as well lay into your post, since at least one of the folk I was 'debating' with has deleted all his conversations.

Afraid what, among a fair few other things, you DON'T find when you're you're offered an excellent no-fly solo price on a cruise are the details which the line in question might later present as requirements (once of course you've given them your money).

Not sure that, in these days of 'inclusivity', most people would be expecting to be 'excluded' from an event simply on the basis of what is deemed 'acceptable' to wear( & please don't harp on about swim trunks etc., that's not the issue here)...and I fear, from a fair bit of research in the last few weeks, that some of the 'traditional' passengers may feel a little more strongly about such things as 'formal wear' than the cruise company themselves.

A good few recent passengers/bloggers/vloggers have suggested that with a respectable shirt/tie (which I'll for sure be wearing) there will be NO problem getting into the MDR/Chef's Table of 'celebration' night. A few others, without suggesting that they're recent cruisers, have informed me that if I don't like the policy I should book somewhere else.

I'm not actually debating who's right or wrong any more - it's a 'never the twain shall meet' scenario; I'd just like to know what's actually going to happen in a week's time when I turn up at the MDR on Mar. 6th.

So, if anyone can spare me the contempt clearly owing to anyone who dares flout the conventions that they hold so dear, MIGHT I GET IN, PLEASE ?!

[CliveJ]

13 minutes ago, snaefell said:

What we are expected to wear on board never comes into how we choose a cruise,where it sails to,when it departs,the price & how good a value it seems are what matters.

I really don't care what everyone else is wearing,as long as I am comfortable is all that matters,I would never get annoyed about what anyone else wears,that is their choice,or at least it should be!

 

Wow - you wouldn't like to start a cruise line, would you ? Yours is an approach that perhaps a few others, including P&O, might consider - 'comfortable'/'their choice'...as long, of course as it's not genuinely offensive !

[Fionboard]

1 minute ago, CliveJ said:

Wow - you wouldn't like to start a cruise line, would you ? Yours is an approach that perhaps a few others, including P&O, might consider - 'comfortable'/'their choice'...as long, of course as it's not genuinely offensive !

You don't need a tuxedo or even a suit. Trousers, shirt, tie and a jacket will be fine. As long as you look smart.  Please relax, don't worry and enjoy your holiday. 

[Harry Peterson]

21 minutes ago, CliveJ said:

OK, Sir, may as well lay into your post, since at least one of the folk I was 'debating' with has deleted all his conversations.

Afraid what, among a fair few other things, you DON'T find when you're you're offered an excellent no-fly solo price on a cruise are the details which the line in question might later present as requirements (once of course you've given them your money).

Not sure that, in these days of 'inclusivity', most people would be expecting to be 'excluded' from an event simply on the basis of what is deemed 'acceptable' to wear( & please don't harp on about swim trunks etc., that's not the issue here)...and I fear, from a fair bit of research in the last few weeks, that some of the 'traditional' passengers may feel a little more strongly about such things as 'formal wear' than the cruise company themselves.

A good few recent passengers/bloggers/vloggers have suggested that with a respectable shirt/tie (which I'll for sure be wearing) there will be NO problem getting into the MDR/Chef's Table of 'celebration' night. A few others, without suggesting that they're recent cruisers, have informed me that if I don't like the policy I should book somewhere else.

I'm not actually debating who's right or wrong any more - it's a 'never the twain shall meet' scenario; I'd just like to know what's actually going to happen in a week's time when I turn up at the MDR on Mar. 6th.

So, if anyone can spare me the contempt clearly owing to anyone who dares flout the conventions that they hold so dear, MIGHT I GET IN, PLEASE ?!

Whatever you choose to do, or wear, may I wish you a happy holiday and a great cruise.  I'm sure you'll enjoy it, and the staff onboard will do their very best for you.

[zap99]

25 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Whatever you choose to do, or wear, may I wish you a happy holiday and a great cruise.  I'm sure you'll enjoy it, and the staff onboard will do their very best for you.

I'm sure some folk enjoy dressing in a nonconformist way just to make an ' look at me, statement of their own '.🤔

[devonuk]

4 hours ago, CliveJ said:

Always good to hear opinions...but - am boarding Iona in 5 days...& neither from P&O or, definitively, from ANY forum online, can I tell if with a decent shirt/tie I will get into the MDR/Chef's Table on 6th/16th of March. No fault of anyone here...but actually makes a complete nonsense of expectations.

Absolutely NO point in being told 'Well, it depends on the attitudes on the night'. I have no wish to disrespect anyone, or any traditions, but as a solo cruiser, to pack a formal outfit to dine, on my own as likely as not, for a couple of hours on 2 evenings, makes NO sense whatsoever. On my preferred line, MSC, there would be NO debate.

I shall turn up to the MDR on Mar. 6th and, very simply, if turned away, will NEVER cruise with P&O again.

Personal opinion - not interested in being told what a pillock I am - but, I'm afraid, a valid comment on the prevailing 'indecision'  as to whether 'celebration' MUST exclude those who'd prefer to stay 'smart casual' on THEIR holiday.

Absolutely no way will you be turned away 👍

[CliveJ]

11 minutes ago, zap99 said:

I'm sure some folk enjoy dressing in a nonconformist way just to make an ' look at me, statement of their own '.🤔

And some just wish to be seated quietly in a corner with a 'please DON'T look at me' statement of their own.

Edited February 27, 2023 by CliveJ

[CliveJ]

6 minutes ago, devonuk said:

Absolutely no way will you be turned away 👍

Gee...hope you're right, Sir !

[devonuk]

8 minutes ago, CliveJ said:

Gee...hope you're right, Sir !

Recently in an Iona MDR on a formal night my family group of 7 were ‘dressed to the nines’ and a table away another group were at best wearing what I would describe as smart sportswear. Smart being a matter of opinion, we were happy with our ‘dress’ and no doubt they were too with theirs 🤷‍♂️

Specifically though the Daily Horizon does state no trainers 😬

Edited February 27, 2023 by devonuk
Error

[CliveJ]

7 minutes ago, devonuk said:

Recently in an Iona MDR on a formal night my family group of 7 were ‘dressed to the nines’ and a table away another group were at best wearing what I would describe as smart sportswear. Smart being a matter of opinion, we were happy with our ‘dress’ and no doubt they were too with theirs 🤷‍♂️

Specifically though the Daily Horizon does state no trainers 😬

Oh, wow, I don't laugh 'out loud' much nowadays, but in the context of what's been debated here all evening, that restriction is as ludicrous as anything I've heard in a fair while !

Only travelling in the one - brand new - smart pair of 'trainers'(pricier & smarter than many a pair of acceptable shoes)...so by that criterion likely to be denied dining if anyone looks down when I turn up at 6p.m. ! Terrific !

Edited February 27, 2023 by CliveJ

[davecttr]

2 hours ago, devonuk said:

Specifically though the Daily Horizon does state no trainers 😬

But what is the definition of a trainer? It is not what an athlete would wear for training but a big chunky garish fashion shoe. I have a pair of comfortable black 'trainers' which i wear in the evenings, not big and chunky though and cost £16. I only wear them on a ship. I have never been called aside over not wearing 'proper' shoes.

[terrierjohn]

13 hours ago, CliveJ said:

Sorry - is this a reply to my post ?

In which case...yes, I know what it says on the P&O site, and I know what a fair number of recent cruisers have said actually happened in their experience...but I have NO clue what I'm actually going to find arriving at the MDR on Iona at 6p.m. on Mar. 6th.

But if you follow that dress code then you won't be disappointed.

[crompton21]

11 hours ago, CliveJ said:

Oh, wow, I don't laugh 'out loud' much nowadays, but in the context of what's been debated here all evening, that restriction is as ludicrous as anything I've heard in a fair while !

Only travelling in the one - brand new - smart pair of 'trainers'(pricier & smarter than many a pair of acceptable shoes)...so by that criterion likely to be denied dining if anyone looks down when I turn up at 6p.m. ! Terrific !

I once knew someone who went on holiday taking only one new pair of shoes, after a few days he was hopping mad 😠 

[Dermotsgirl]

13 hours ago, CliveJ said:

 

I'm not actually debating who's right or wrong any more - it's a 'never the twain shall meet' scenario; I'd just like to know what's actually going to happen in a week's time when I turn up at the MDR on Mar. 6th.

So, if anyone can spare me the contempt clearly owing to anyone who dares flout the conventions that they hold so dear, MIGHT I GET IN, PLEASE ?!

The thing is, nobody has a crystal ball, so no one is able to definitively answer your question.

 

Also, despite what you may think, nobody particularly cares what other passengers are wearing - whatever you turn up in, nobody will really notice.

 

if you want a definitive answer, you’d best ask P&O, 

 

The dress code is such a minuscule part of the cruise experience, it’s just not worth getting agitated about. 

[wowzz]

I tell you what, keeping up with this thread last night was even more exciting than the cricket!

[zap99]

15 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I tell you what, keeping up with this thread last night was even more exciting than the cricket!

Nothing like a good dress code thread, but this one isn't. 

[Harry Peterson]

Come back Roger - all is forgiven. 😉

[Cruising Nomads]

To CliveJ.  I think you are fully aware of what the guidelines are and also you know that nobody can answer  your question of will you get into the MDR on any specific date. It just seems that you are willing to push the boundaries as far as possible and then come back and gloat that you were allowed entry if you do get in. My view is that the guidelines are set and have been relaxed over time to try and accommodate as many passengers as possible. But I also think its totally unfair on the restaurant staff to put them in a position to have to offend passengers by having to refuse entry.

[Cruisemeister2002]

Seconds out, ROUND TWO. Formal or no formal. Where people have stated the cost which can be restrictive there are ways around this. My first cruise back in 2002 I didn't know whether I would like it or not. So I hired a tux. Suffice to say I fell in love with cruising and bought a very good quality tux jacket from the ship we were on. Have to say the quality of one's available on the ships now are nowhere near the quality. Whilst some will say " I don't do charity shops" which I have already had aimed at me by another forum writer you can get very good tuxedo's from charity shops. I have a black one which cost me £15. My wife has picked up several cocktail type dresses costing new several hundreds of pounds for £20-£30. I have bought brand new shoes for a fraction of their original price. In fact probably 8 or 9 years ago I got a pair of Loakes brogues for £69. Retailing at just under £200 and recently bought a very smart blue suede jacket with black lapels which still had the price on it for £80. Cost the seller £149.  I have also bought cumberbands, patent shoes etc for a fraction of their original price. So cost really shouldn't come into it. Which I see is isn't the case with everyone. Some just either don't want to or cannot be bothered with the hassle of getting something that's going to be worn a few times on a cruise and dependant on whether you cruise more than once a year, maybe only a few times per year. Some obviously would be content for formal to be scraped, but then many still enjoy the chance to look dapper. 

[TigerB]

22 minutes ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

Seconds out, ROUND TWO. Formal or no formal. Where people have stated the cost which can be restrictive there are ways around this. My first cruise back in 2002 I didn't know whether I would like it or not. So I hired a tux. Suffice to say I fell in love with cruising and bought a very good quality tux jacket from the ship we were on. Have to say the quality of one's available on the ships now are nowhere near the quality. Whilst some will say " I don't do charity shops" which I have already had aimed at me by another forum writer you can get very good tuxedo's from charity shops. I have a black one which cost me £15. My wife has picked up several cocktail type dresses costing new several hundreds of pounds for £20-£30. I have bought brand new shoes for a fraction of their original price. In fact probably 8 or 9 years ago I got a pair of Loakes brogues for £69. Retailing at just under £200 and recently bought a very smart blue suede jacket with black lapels which still had the price on it for £80. Cost the seller £149.  I have also bought cumberbands, patent shoes etc for a fraction of their original price. So cost really shouldn't come into it. Which I see is isn't the case with everyone. Some just either don't want to or cannot be bothered with the hassle of getting something that's going to be worn a few times on a cruise and dependant on whether you cruise more than once a year, maybe only a few times per year. Some obviously would be content for formal to be scraped, but then many still enjoy the chance to look dapper. 

 

If I could walk into a charity shop and find a decent tuxedo to fit a fat knacker like me, I wouldn't think twice about buying it. I wouldn't be surprised if many in those types of shops have only been worn once.

 

The argument about not wishing to pack a suit due to limitations of luggage space just doesn't wash with me.  The poster that seems adamant to argue with all and sundry, many of whom offer relevant advice, intends to present themselves at the restaurant dressed in a shirt and tie, and presumably a pair of trousers and shoes. What is the problem then in packing a jacket, which takes up no more room in a case than a pair of jeans? Yes, it will be creased when it is unpacked, but ironing facilities are provided free.

I think it's more as has been already pointed out, the poster refuses to conform and wishes to push boundaries, with everyone else but him being in the wrong.

[wowzz]

Regardless of the dress code, I find it difficult to imagine wearing the same pair of shoes, day and night, for over two weeks !

[Cruisemeister2002]

6 minutes ago, TigerB said:

 

If I could walk into a charity shop and find a decent tuxedo to fit a fat knacker like me, I wouldn't think twice about buying it. I wouldn't be surprised if many in those types of shops have only been worn once.

 

The argument about not wishing to pack a suit due to limitations of luggage space just doesn't wash with me.  The poster that seems adamant to argue with all and sundry, many of whom offer relevant advice, intends to present themselves at the restaurant dressed in a shirt and tie, and presumably a pair of trousers and shoes. What is the problem then in packing a jacket, which takes up no more room in a case than a pair of jeans? Yes, it will be creased when it is unpacked, but ironing facilities are provided free.

I think it's more as has been already pointed out, the poster refuses to conform and wishes to push boundaries, with everyone else but him being in the wrong.

Appreciate your reply. In answer to your remarks regarding being fat I am 6ft 2" and around 18.5 stones. Perhaps I was just lucky. really don't know. A few weeks ago also bought a pair of jeans from a fairly local charity shop. They still had their Maine (Debenhams) label on them at £30. Got them for £6.99. Don't get me wrong, most of my clothes are purchased new. The most expensive being a Crombie coat I paid £600 for in their January sales. Mind you the same coat is now £800 or maybe a bit more.

[terrierjohn]

Just now, wowzz said:

Regardless of the dress code, I find it difficult to imagine wearing the same pair of shoes, day and night, for over two weeks !

And wont it dirty the bed sheets as well!!!!

[Angel57]

2 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Regardless of the dress code, I find it difficult to imagine wearing the same pair of shoes, day and night, for over two weeks !

On a 2 week cruise from Southampton I usually take 8 or 9 pairs of shoes…… 🤣

[Britboys]

13 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Regardless of the dress code, I find it difficult to imagine wearing the same pair of shoes, day and night, for over two weeks !

I almost posted the same myself last night...