Formal nights

[anjo]

Good Morning,

I know there are lots of opinions on this.

Going around Australia on Coral Princess in October, I  know we tend to be more informal down under, but does my Husband need to take a suit, or will a jacket, or a long sleeved shirt and nice tie suffice for Formal nights.

I also know we don't  have to go to the main Dining room for Formal nights, but we would like to without feeling uncomfortable. 

TIA  Anjo.

[Aus Traveller]

Yes - a jacket will be fine. Also if he prefers, a long-sleeved shirt and a tie would be OK. There will be others in the dining room similarly dressed. Things are more relaxed post COVID.

 

It's good to go to the dining room on formal nights as there are special items on the menu.

Edited October 1, 2023 by Aus Traveller

[lyndarra]

Suit - no, jacket - no, long sleeve shirt - no. Tie - no.

For me it's a nice collared shirt, clean jeans or trousers. Never feel uncomfortable in MDR on formal nights. No need to dress to impress others. Also keeps packing to a minimum.

Others can do what they like or feel comfortable with. 

[Jean C]

A few years back on Diamond Princess my companion was denied entry to the MDR on formal night, wearing long trousers and a smart cotton short sleeved summer shirt - their rules were that it had to be long sleeves.  To add insult to injury, a guy with a long sleeved "jacket" was allowed in - the jacket was a windbreaker not unlike this picture!!!!!!!!!!!

[possum52]

25 minutes ago, Jean C said:

A few years back on Diamond Princess my companion was denied entry to the MDR on formal night, wearing long trousers and a smart cotton short sleeved summer shirt - their rules were that it had to be long sleeves.  To add insult to injury, a guy with a long sleeved "jacket" was allowed in - the jacket was a windbreaker not unlike this picture!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't remember what my husband wore on the Diamond, but on other Princess ships he has worn chinos and short sleeved shirts without a problem. He looks neat and tidy. Once on Voyager of the Seas, we weren't going to go to formal night as my husband forgot to pack his suit. Our waiter insisted what DH wore to the MDR each evening was fine to wear to formal night so that's what he did. We had an Englishman sitting at the table right next to us in a dinner suit, no-one cared what anyone else was wearing. 

[Jean C]

That's good to hear. We were pretty miffed by our experience and now make sure, for hot weather cruises, there's a long sleeved shirt and tie - no jacket when flights are involved.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Rolf confuses people on non-formal nights as he often wears a light linen jacket to dinner. He feels the cold more than I do and sometimes if he gets cold it triggers a sneezing fit. One old guy, dressed in well worn jeans but a decent polo shirt, got quite snarky about Rolf's outfit on one of our cruises. 🤣

[possum52]

4 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Rolf confuses people on non-formal nights as he often wears a light linen jacket to dinner. He feels the cold more than I do and sometimes if he gets cold it triggers a sneezing fit. One old guy, dressed in well worn jeans but a decent polo shirt, got quite snarky about Rolf's outfit on one of our cruises. 🤣

That's really just like a woman wearing a jacket or cardigan as I do quite often. Sometimes the DRs can be cool.

[Over from NZ]

He can wear a pair of shorts to the MDR on FORMAL NIGHT if he wishes! The rulebook has been thrown away. On our recent Princess cruise with 6 formal nights (3 B2B cruises as some would say).. I wore my suit for the first 5 and observed shorts and t-shirts in all of them. On the 6th.. I too joined them in shorts and t-shirts. It was ME that felt uncomfortable initially (but I got over it lol).. feeling a bit self-conscious. I don't think anybody else noticed. Wear what he wants.. that's the new look. Started when they ditched traditional dining.. it's very much pitched at casual now. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

3 hours ago, possum52 said:

That's really just like a woman wearing a jacket or cardigan as I do quite often. Sometimes the DRs can be cool.

Exactly. Rolf was wearing navy chinos with a similar colour linen jacket, so totally different fabrics, but the old guy thought it was a suit. I laughed at him.

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, Over from NZ said:

He can wear a pair of shorts to the MDR on FORMAL NIGHT if he wishes! The rulebook has been thrown away. On our recent Princess cruise with 6 formal nights (3 B2B cruises as some would say).. I wore my suit for the first 5 and observed shorts and t-shirts in all of them. On the 6th.. I too joined them in shorts and t-shirts. It was ME that felt uncomfortable initially (but I got over it lol).. feeling a bit self-conscious. I don't think anybody else noticed. Wear what he wants.. that's the new look. Started when they ditched traditional dining.. it's very much pitched at casual now. 

We still dress up on formal nights because we enjoy doing that. I don't really care what other people wear but it is nice to have others around you making the effort too. Perhaps Princess should have one of the MDRs for dressy dinners and one for more casual diners.

 

Even Cunard seems to have relaxed its dress code. I was looking it up the other night and normal evenings are just shirt and trousers for men, no jacket or tie required. Rolf is very disappointed. He has a collection of very special (and expensive) ties that he bought while he was still working and he was hoping to get a chance to wear them again. He might take them anyway and wear them. 

[yes!yes!yes!]

When I was on the Coral last year for 4 cruises I saw Men turned away from the dining room at dinner in shorts. This applied on any night, not just formal night. A friend, who loves dressing down, asked the concierge at the door if he could wear shorts in the dining room at dinner and he said no.

I love dressing up and love looking at well dressed men.

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 minutes ago, yes!yes!yes! said:

When I was on the Coral last year for 4 cruises I saw Men turned away from the dining room at dinner in shorts. This applied on any night, not just formal night. A friend, who loves dressing down, asked the concierge at the door if he could wear shorts in the dining room at dinner and he said no.

I love dressing up and love looking at well dressed men.

It seems to depend on the ship. I don't recall seeing anyone in shorts on Coral last year but I did see a guy in shorts and a scruffy looking tshirt in the MDR on Grand in March. 

[JohnGc]

I don't wear my suit on formal nights, the first time I wore it was at my wedding 61 years ago and now it wont fit me. 😂

[Hogbay]

Not for me " to dress like a slab" and the same hand full push their want and it's the  younger ones wanting "too dress up " go to the horse race carnivals , mighty fine filly's there .

[arxcards]

6 hours ago, JohnGc said:

I don't wear my suit on formal nights, the first time I wore it was at my wedding 61 years ago and now it wont fit me. 😂

I have a tux that fits me, but it is hard to justify the luggage space. Unless I am on Cunard, I am happy to dress comfortably, and definitely meet the dress standard with trousers/chinos, long sleeve collared shirt + a tie if I feel like it. 

 

I am not one to judge and am amazed at how polarising this topic can be. I would hope that a collar, a pair of shoes and a brush through the mop isn't too much to ask though. We have it easy here, as the US is a bit more insistent about dress standards. I was asked to leave the PES lounge on an Alaskan cruise. It was formal night, the clock struck 5 and my casual wear was no longer good enough. I have nice friends, as they all stood-up and left as well.

[Over from NZ]

10 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

We still dress up on formal nights because we enjoy doing that. I don't really care what other people wear but it is nice to have others around you making the effort too. Perhaps Princess should have one of the MDRs for dressy dinners and one for more casual diners.

 

Even Cunard seems to have relaxed its dress code. I was looking it up the other night and normal evenings are just shirt and trousers for men, no jacket or tie required. Rolf is very disappointed. He has a collection of very special (and expensive) ties that he bought while he was still working and he was hoping to get a chance to wear them again. He might take them anyway and wear them. 

Good for you. Now that I've joined the casual team.. I won't be packing a suit ever again! Liberating haha. But each to their own. Good that we have choice 🙂 

[NSWP]

The new Princess Formal night attire…

 

Edited October 2, 2023 by NSWP

[Cruisers47]

We have been on Cunard and dressed appropriately but now are still dressing nicely for dinner on the other ships, but more casually.   If you have had a day on an excursion it’s nice to come back and have a shower and different clothes, for dinner.

 

as I have all these lovely dresses I used to wear on the boats not anymore but we are on Celebrity Edge over Christmas so I am taking a nice dress and although my husband is now not taking a suit he will have a nice shirt and trousers for that day.

 

no shorts and thongs in the dining room but then I am old.

 

Eileen

[yes!yes!yes!]

2 hours ago, arxcards said:

I have a tux that fits me, but it is hard to justify the luggage space. Unless I am on Cunard, I am happy to dress comfortably, and definitely meet the dress standard with trousers/chinos, long sleeve collared shirt + a tie if I feel like it. 

 

I am not one to judge and am amazed at how polarising this topic can be. I would hope that a collar, a pair of shoes and a brush through the mop isn't too much to ask though. We have it easy here, as the US is a bit more insistent about dress standards. I was asked to leave the PES lounge on an Alaskan cruise. It was formal night, the clock struck 5 and my casual wear was no longer good enough. I have nice friends, as they all stood-up and left as well.

You scrubbed up just fine on Coral.

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, yes!yes!yes! said:

You scrubbed up just fine on Coral.

Thank you Ms J.

[ceeceeDee]

Oh, my sainted aunt, Les. A safari suit!!! What on earth were we thinking back in the day?!!! And usually made of polyester.😬Consider my mind well and truly boggled and my gast terminally flabbered. 😂

Edited October 2, 2023 by ceeceeDee

[anjo]

Thankyou everyone for your helpful comments. Transpires my husband is more bothered by it than me. Says he will take his suit otherwise he will feel uncomfortable.Can't  win.😁

Anjo.

[valantine80]

On our  last cruise on Princess in Feb 2020, we were turned away from the dining room on the first night as my husband was wearing shorts. We protested they were allowed first and last night's. Maitre d said "Not on Princess". Well hello we are elite. Several years previously on P&O were denied entry as he was wearing sandals, otherwise dressed in long pants and good shirt. We protested that a person at our table the previous night was wearing sandals. Response was "We can't check everybody". How things have changed".

[joejoe 59]

44 minutes ago, valantine80 said:

On our  last cruise on Princess in Feb 2020, we were turned away from the dining room on the first night as my husband was wearing shorts. We protested they were allowed first and last night's. Maitre d said "Not on Princess". Well hello we are elite. Several years previously on P&O were denied entry as he was wearing sandals, otherwise dressed in long pants and good shirt. We protested that a person at our table the previous night was wearing sandals. Response was "We can't check everybody". How things have changed".

Yet a female can wear sandals  or sparkley thongs & it's OK.