Realistically, How Many Will Wear Tuxedos on a 12-Night Panama Canal Princess Cruise?

[Lady Arwen]

2 hours ago, dandonna said:

I really dont consider bringing and wearing my or my wife’s formal attire as drama but as I stated at the beginning of my post “be you”just do me the favor and let me be me. 🙏

Your profile pic is just lovely.  You both look fabulous…..good on you!

[lahlah57]

7 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

So true.  Was Captain Kate at the helm on your voyage?  We’ve met her twice and she is delightful.  Now, there’s a lady who knows fashion.  She is stunning!  Fabulous ship, too.  It’s so nice that cruising has something for everyone’s taste.  

Yes she was and she is a beautiful fit as a captain for celebrity in bringing sailing to a more current age.

[dandonna]

What a nice compliment; thank you.

Wife loves  taking pics but those photographers are too serious and are like straight ahead, head back, arm here…. yada yada yada.

We just start doing fun poses and tell them to snap and hope we find a good one.

88 days til our next sailing so wishing you and everyone else wonderful journeys!

[dmwnc1959]

I’ll be 65 on my next cruise - 16nts Panama Canal - and I travel solo. Quit wearing suits and tuxes decades ago, it’s my choice. I do stay away from the MDR on formal nights (and for the most part any public spaces where formal night events are happening), just feels weird (and a bit disrespectful) being alongside so many people who have gone that extra mile to sparkle. Personally I mostly use the Specialty Restaurants (earliest seating), lido buffet, burger/pizza joints, or order room service on formal nights, it’s easier and quicker. Will have to use the MDR for dinner more often this next cruise since the ship has a lot fewer dining venues to ‘hide’. 

 

😁

Edited January 15 by dmwnc1959

[MissP22]

3 hours ago, lahlah57 said:

Oh no never shamed....just do not wish to go thru the rigamaroo of changing into our dressier wear. Me....shamed?!?! No way! Lazy and on vacation.....yes!

Why change into anything other than what you wear on a casual night?

Nothing more is now required. 

[MissP22]

2 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

 

When you know you know.  

Somethin tells me that I'll never know unless someone explains it to me. 

[Lady Arwen]

21 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Somethin tells me that I'll never know unless someone explains it to me. 

You are correct, you will never know lol

[MissP22]

Just now, Lady Arwen said:

You are correct, you will never know lol

Not as much as I don't really give a hoot. 😄

[dmwnc1959]

5 hours ago, MissP22 said:

So they shamed you into eating elsewhere? 

That's to bad, missing out on one of the better meals offered just to avoid formal nights when it's not at all necessary to dress up any longer. But you already knew that. 

Same here. Having not partaken of the MDR ‘better meals’ just to avoid formal night crowds - and expecting three formal nights this next cruise - I wonder what would happen if I showed up dressed in maybe some dockers and a polo shirt? I’d still want to eat solo, not much for being a ‘social butterfly’ (a complete introvert). 😎

[Over from NZ]

2 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Same here. Having not partaken of the MDR ‘better meals’ just to avoid formal night crowds - and expecting three formal nights this next cruise - I wonder what would happen if I showed up dressed in maybe some dockers and a polo shirt? I’d still want to eat solo, not much for being a ‘social butterfly’ (a complete introvert). 😎

Nothing will happen. Goodness - your meal will still taste the same. 

[arizonaperson]

On 12/10/2023 at 11:33 PM, Smokeyham said:

I would be interested in hearing, especially from those who have done a Princess Panama Canal Cruise, how many people wear actual formal wear (i.e. tuxedos) on a 12-night Panama Canal full transit?

 

We have formal wear, and while it might be fun to wear it on the three formal nights, we would not want to do so if very few people actually do so.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

So many answers for you already,but no one has the correct answer to how many( too subjective- nobody is counting for statistics )wear formal wear on-a Panama Canal cruise.

you say you have formal wear,bring it & wear it on formal nights &  don’t worry if others are not dressed up, that’s my answer/ thought.

With that being said…. Not many dress to the 9’s cruising anymore.

 

Edited January 16 by arizonaperson

[lahlah57]

3 hours ago, MissP22 said:

Why change into anything other than what you wear on a casual night?

Nothing more is now required. 

Alleluia!!!

[dmwnc1959]

23 minutes ago, Over from NZ said:

Nothing will happen. Goodness - your meal will still taste the same. 

Well, now I’m getting even more excited! All of that lobster and fancy meals I missed out on lol, can’t wait to see what the MDR menus have in store for me. The planning stages have just begun, this is going to be amazing! 😁

[MacMadame]

6 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

I’ll be 65 on my next cruise - 16nts Panama Canal

We're doing that too! And dh is absolutely wearing a suit on formal nights. I plan to dress to the nines at least one night and be at least dressy the other two. And I don't care if anyone else is. 

 

I'm a jeans and t-shirt, no makeup girl normally so when I dress up (once every few years), I dress UP. No sense going halfway IMO.

 

YMMV (and probably does LOL)

[MissP22]

12 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Same here. Having not partaken of the MDR ‘better meals’ just to avoid formal night crowds - and expecting three formal nights this next cruise - I wonder what would happen if I showed up dressed in maybe some dockers and a polo shirt? I’d still want to eat solo, not much for being a ‘social butterfly’ (a complete introvert). 😎

No one would so much as blink an eye. You would me surprised how many guys no longer dress up on formal nights in the DR and at the same time they'll be people in tuxes, suit jackets, and everything in between with the occasional people in shorts. 

My husband wore his black jeans & a T shirt for Christmas and New Years eve dinners although I will say that many people were dressed up those nights.

[Princessfan20]

11 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Well, now I’m getting even more excited! All of that lobster and fancy meals I missed out on lol, can’t wait to see what the MDR menus have in store for me. The planning stages have just begun, this is going to be amazing! 😁

 

Hope the meals do not disappoint.  We find Dress to Impress night meals are pretty average and often not that upscale.

[Broadside]

14 hours ago, MissP22 said:

Why change into anything other than what you wear on a casual night?

Nothing more is now required. 

 

Princess has - Smart Casual - nights not 'casual' 

[dmwnc1959]

35 minutes ago, Princessfan20 said:

 

Hope the meals do not disappoint.  We find Dress to Impress night meals are pretty average and often not that upscale.

My current variety of food intake is fairly average at best. I’m a simple guy, almost never dine out at restaurants, and don’t cook (everything is microwaved). So I am positive the MDR food even on regular nights will be a step up from any fast food or frozen burrito regiment I’m stuck in. Will have to see if someone will post the MDR menus later this year so I can get a feel on how much Tums to pack. 😉

[c-boy]

11 hours ago, lahlah57 said:

Alleluia!!!

you don't do formal evenings  on your favorite cruise line ?

[Esprit]

If the OP looks at the latest replies to his original question, he will have to read it again to check what he actually asked, as none of these have any relevance whatsoever🙄

[dmwnc1959]

5 minutes ago, Esprit said:

If the OP looks at the latest replies to his original question, he will have to read it again to check what he actually asked, as none of these have any relevance whatsoever🙄

You’ve been around long enough to know that thread drift is a fact of life on Cruise Critic. And after six pages of opinions, interpretations, and comments it’s safe to say threads like these really need to be locked so that someone can just start another one.
 

However, it’s really, really nice to be allowed to chime in on a thread after someone discovers they’ve deprived themselves from the pleasures of the MDR for no good reason at all. And if that bothers you, and all of the irrelevant posts make you eye-roll, then don’t read them. It is just that simple. 
 

😎

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, Broadside said:

 

Princess has - Smart Casual - nights not 'casual' 

Yes, that is the correct term but from what I've observed on what they call "Formal evenings" in the DR just about anything goes on any night, so why differentiate with a simple term. 

[lahlah57]

3 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

You’ve been around long enough to know that thread drift is a fact of life on Cruise Critic. And after six pages of opinions, interpretations, and comments it’s safe to say threads like these really need to be locked so that someone can just start another one.
 

However, it’s really, really nice to be allowed to chime in on a thread after someone discovers they’ve deprived themselves from the pleasures of the MDR for no good reason at all. And if that bothers you, and all of the irrelevant posts make you eye-roll, then don’t read them. It is just that simple. 
 

😎

🤭

[MissP22]

2 hours ago, lahlah57 said:

However, it’s really, really nice to be allowed to chime in on a thread after someone discovers they’ve deprived themselves from the pleasures of the MDR for no good reason at all.

Isn't that the purpose of having a discussion?

To inform people of actual facts, not what's printed in any literature or other hearsay.

[Smokeyham]

OP here.......

Just wanted to say thank you to those who provided feedback on how many people actually wear tuxedos on formal nights.  Looking through those answers it seems like a small number (roughly 10% to 20%).

This will help us decide whether or not we want to bring formal wear or to dress alternately on our 15 night Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles Panama Canal cruise on Princess.   I'm including those specific details in case anyone else has specific information on formal dress on this cruise.

 

Thanks again.