Formal wear?

[Itchy&Scratchy]

38 minutes ago, Snaxmuppet said:

May be but still enjoyed and the more that do the better the experience is 🙂

if you enjoy it, by all means - dress up.

[desertdwellingsailor]

My sister-in-law said that her husband was sent back to their room to change after wearing shorts on a formal night a few years back. He is pretty casual normally. I've worn a tie for formal nights on my first two cruises. This time I'll have t-shirts, shorts, jeans, and tennis shoes (and bathing suit). Probably ditch formal nights but we could test the limit with jeans and t-shirt/tennis shoes. But I don't want to bug anyone by dressing informally so we may do buffet/pizza/hamburger options.

[nasa1974]

I wouldn't wear jeans to the MDR although there are some nice dress up jeans out there. My opinion is very faded and/or a pair that has holes in them wouldn't be acceptable. I do like to put on a tux once in a while. Mostly just a nice pair of pants, a polo or button shirt for me.

I think part of the problem may be that the airlines keep dropping the acceptable weight of your luggage and the cost per bag. Unless you plan on doing laundry mid-week 40 pounds will only get so far. Something has to be left behind.

[Rick&Jeannie]

This should cover every situation:

 

[Potstech]

2 hours ago, Snaxmuppet said:

May be permitted but it certainly isn't common. A few do wear jeans but most just don't. I can see for myself that most people enjoy wearing sensible clothes to the MDR... by that I mean clothes you might wear to a quality restaurant... smart casual at a minimum. Smart casual does not and never has included jeans... that would be casual 🙂

 

I get that you are an advocate for anything goes and that is your choice but by you posting what you did I think it is you trying to enforce your standard.

 

Why is it that some people are always trying to dumb it down. 

 

Sorry but demeaning people with assumptions does nothing for your view.  Where do I advocate for anything goes? Why is the fact that people explain reality instead of personal views dumbing things down?

I am an advocate for the reality of what is allowed on a ship instead of those trying to give the impression that the past is still the future. What is common on one cruise maybe be different on others. Continue on.

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

44 minutes ago, Potstech said:

Sorry but demeaning people with assumptions does nothing for your view.  Where do I advocate for anything goes? Why is the fact that people explain reality instead of personal views dumbing things down?

I am an advocate for the reality of what is allowed on a ship instead of those trying to give the impression that the past is still the future. What is common on one cruise maybe be different on others. Continue on.

I congratulate you sir... you outed me to my face!

 

I said what I said because I felt that you were not just explaining things as they are, as you put it, but your tone was such that it was your preferred situation.

 

If not then I apologise most profusely.

 

What I find here is that people say they are just reporting it as it is but then there is often a hidden approval of what they are reporting behind the words. I just wish people would report how it is, sure, but then give their opinion on it such as... and that is the way I prefer it or that is how it is but I don't like it.

 

But I can't have everything, or anything it seems, my way so I shall just shut up now.

 

For the record... yes, I can dress up any time I like... no-one is stopping me. But it isn't as much fun if I am the only one or one of just a few. The real fun comes when everyone dresses up and it then starts to have a style of its own that can make the evening quite special. The main reason I don't dress up now is that with so few doing it it ceases to hold the attraction for me. It is quite likely now that I may never wear my tux on a cruise again and I feel that is a huge loss of history and experience.

[Rick&Jeannie]

Okay...let's everyone go to their corner and think about a topic that will not create so much animosity...like tipping or chair hogs! 😄

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

5 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

Okay...let's everyone go to their corner and think about a topic that will not create so much animosity...like tipping or chair hogs! 😄

Sorry but I feel that there is a group on the forum that is trying to guide everyone down the "no-one should dress smart for dinner any more" route at every opportunity. If they don't want to do it themselves then fine, that is their choice, but while there are people that push the dumbing down I will stand up for what I perceive as the majority that don't want jeans, t-shirts, baseball caps and sports shorts in the MDR in the evening. I certainly don't. The more people say it is OK the more people will believe it is OK and while you may actually get away with it, because the crew do not want the confrontation, that doesn't mean we should be advocating it.

 

Princess is not RCCL or Virgin and if people want that kind of cruising then they should just book with them rather than trying to change Princess into something it never has been. I fear the damage is already done. Soon it will only be the ultra-premium lines that have any standards at all.

 

I have made my point. I will not read further posts nor post to the thread any more for the sake of the other members.

 

Sorry.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

27 minutes ago, Snaxmuppet said:

I fear the damage is already done. Soon it will only be the ultra-premium lines that have any standards at all.

pearl clutching at its best. 🙂

[Potstech]

2 hours ago, Snaxmuppet said:

Sorry but I feel that there is a group on the forum that is trying to guide everyone down the "no-one should dress smart for dinner any more" route at every opportunity. If they don't want to do it themselves then fine, that is their choice, but while there are people that push the dumbing down I will stand up for what I perceive as the majority that don't want jeans, t-shirts, baseball caps and sports shorts in the MDR in the evening. I certainly don't. The more people say it is OK the more people will believe it is OK and while you may actually get away with it, because the crew do not want the confrontation, that doesn't mean we should be advocating it.

 

Princess is not RCCL or Virgin and if people want that kind of cruising then they should just book with them rather than trying to change Princess into something it never has been. I fear the damage is already done. Soon it will only be the ultra-premium lines that have any standards at all.

 

I have made my point. I will not read further posts nor post to the thread any more for the sake of the other members.

 

Sorry.

People are not changing Princess. Princess is changing itself and has been for years. Why is the fact that Princess is getting the customers it wants "damaging" them? The more Princess allows it means they condone and approve it and the crew needs no confrontation.  Princess has standards that unfortunately do not seem to conform to some peoples desires.Maybe it is time for them to seek other providers instead of trying to change what is inevitable.Too many people reject change.

[PATRLR]

2 hours ago, Snaxmuppet said:

Sorry but I feel that there is a group on the forum that is trying to guide everyone down the "no-one should dress smart for dinner any more" route at every opportunity.

What I read is people saying it's OK to wear certain clothes, not that people should NOT wear some other specific clothes.  Big difference.  

[Crookshanks]

I enjoy dressing up, as my job is jeans/tshirt on the daily.  So I'm happy to take smart clothes along for the ride.  I enjoy seeing people dressed up, too!  It's just pretty.  I also enjoy all the photos!  And there are just some fabulous poses you can do best in spiffy clothes.  I'll see if I can find a good one from our cruise a couple of weeks ago.

 

Myself, my mother and my brothers will all be on an Alaska cruise in May and we are all planning on bringing Formal wear.  Brothers may not be in Tuxes, but definitely suits. 

 

I understand that some people just don't want to take the time, effort or suitcase room to do the formal thing.  My husband pretty much hates putting on a suit, in fact in 18 years, the only time that's happened was when we got married and when we went on our first cruise.  

 

I don't get offended by those that don't dress up, nor do I feel outdone by those that do more than I do.  I also am from a generation that doesn't see a hat indoors as something that should make me angry. 

 

Of all the things to argue about, the only thing that can truly cause difficulty for me on a cruise is the chair hogging thing.  But that's because when I took my children on a cruise and couldn't sit anywhere near the pool because there were clips and towels everywhere, a group of pissy grouchy older ladies got upset that my children were 'swimming without supervision'.  I had to go to them and say, oh I'm so sorry, I guess I should have removed your towels and clips when I arrived 2 hours ago with them and you only arrived 15 minutes ago.  They didn't have anything else to say.  Sorry, off topic.  🤣  

[Crookshanks]

[MissP22]

6 hours ago, desertdwellingsailor said:

My sister-in-law said that her husband was sent back to their room to change after wearing shorts on a formal night a few years back. He is pretty casual normally. I've worn a tie for formal nights on my first two cruises. This time I'll have t-shirts, shorts, jeans, and tennis shoes (and bathing suit). Probably ditch formal nights but we could test the limit with jeans and t-shirt/tennis shoes. But I don't want to bug anyone by dressing informally so we may do buffet/pizza/hamburger options.

What you describes happened a long time ago from what I've seen in the last 2 years. Things have changed in many way since then.

Still it's a shame that you'll be depriving yourself of a decent meal substituting a hamburger & fries in it's place for the lack of wearing a pair of slacks & polo shirt.

[DHP1]

 

[desertdwellingsailor]

8 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

What you describes happened a long time ago from what I've seen in the last 2 years. Things have changed in many way since then.

Still it's a shame that you'll be depriving yourself of a decent meal substituting a hamburger & fries in it's place for the lack of wearing a pair of slacks & polo shirt.

It was pre-covid. It was just funny because my BIL dresses worse than me which is saying something. 🙂 I like the MDR food for sure. Might be fun to hang out on deck more on this cruise since it will be warmer than our last one. (Mexico versus Alaska). We will probably cave and bring some nicer clothes just in case.

[MelbTone]

I'm just off Grand Princess and my perception was that as far as men were concerned, the number wearing tuxes could be counted on two hands. I wore a dark jacket, business shirt and tie but few others did. For the most part there was next to no difference between non-formal and formal nights.

[Tonsoffun44]

1 hour ago, MelbTone said:

 For the most part there was next to no difference between non-formal and formal nights.

Every cruise I've been on (all Caribbean) sailings it's been the same.

Personally find Embarkation night the most interesting to see what people wear for dinner. Many factors can go into what people are wearing or not wearing that night.

[c-boy]

1 hour ago, MelbTone said:

I'm just off Grand Princess and my perception was that as far as men were concerned, the number wearing tuxes could be counted on two hands. I wore a dark jacket, business shirt and tie but few others did. For the most part there was next to no difference between non-formal and formal nights.

interesting 🤨  ...  I see  Yanks have infiltrated the the Grand Princess ...lol

Edited January 30 by c-boy

[Over from NZ]

19 hours ago, Snaxmuppet said:

 

 

People that only want to wear shorts short eat in the buffet.

No - you can eat in the buffet. Or perhaps in your room. If what others are wearing to dinner is causing you a problem.. that problem is with you alone. On our last cruise.. I wore a suit to the first 5 formal nights and then shorts and a polo shirt to the 6th to see what it felt like (as so many others were doing so). Guess what - my food didn't taste any different! 

[nasa1974]

I'm going on a cruise in April with my youngest daughter and her family. I'm taking my tux just because I want to. 🙂  Yes I'm going to wear it.  🙂  There is a reason why, but it's a long story. 🙂

[sherryf]

21 hours ago, Snaxmuppet said:

I can't believe how people think that jeans are an acceptable dress for the MDR on any night, let alone formal night.

 

According to the Princess FAQ:

• To reflect the suggested dress code, dinner wear such as pool or beach attire, gym shorts, ball caps and casual jeans (with fraying and/or holes), is not welcomed in the dining rooms. Shoes must be worn.

This would imply that nice jeans (without fraying and/or holes) are perfectly acceptable.  Maybe you view jeans differently, but I think that nice jeans can be just as "smart casual" as a pair of khakis.  I have jeans in lots of colors that look great paired with appropriate tops.  Unless you looked closely, you probably wouldn't even notice that they are "jeans". 

 

When traveling to Alaska, one needs to pack more warm clothing, multiple layers, rain jackets, etc.  It doesn't leave much room for formal wear, especially with airlines charging so much for checked luggage.  I have often seen jeans and hiking pants in the MDR on smart casual nights in Alaska, dressed up with nice shirts/blouses.

 

If you don't want to wear jeans, then don't.  But don't think that you look any more "smart" than I do in my nice jeans.

Edited January 30 by sherryf

[Tonsoffun44]

3 hours ago, Over from NZ said:

 On our last cruise.. I wore a suit to the first 5 formal nights and then shorts and a polo shirt to the 6th to see what it felt like (as so many others were doing so). Guess what - my food didn't taste any different! 

Personally wouldn't order the same exact thing 6 times -  Would hope chicken, beef, fish, pasta taste different - if they don't I think Passengers have a bigger issue than what people are wearing to dinner. 🤡

[Over from NZ]

4 minutes ago, Tonsoffun44 said:

Personally wouldn't order the same exact thing 6 times -  Would hope chicken, beef, fish, pasta taste different - if they don't I think Passengers have a bigger issue than what people are wearing to dinner. 🤡

Haha. Yes, I should have instead said my dinner was no less tasty.. 

[Iamcruzin]

22 hours ago, Snaxmuppet said:

I can't believe how people think that jeans are an acceptable dress for the MDR on any night, let alone formal night.

 

I know what people are saying... it isn't enforced so wear anything. But I think we are now losing something special from cruising. Princess is turning into RCCL or Disney and I for one consider that a shame.

In the US jeans have been accepted  in most situations since the 70's. It's not uncommon to see men wearing jeans with a sports jacket and loafers if they want to dress up the jeans. Ties aren't even seen in office situations any more. To be honest the cruise lines aren't even offering the same dining experience that warrants formal nights anymore. They seem to be pushing the buffet and specialty restaurants more and more. The specialty restaurants were the place to go when you didn't want to dress up for formal night. Even with the up charge it was still a better value than buying and packing formal wear that will only sit at the back of your closet when you get home.