Does anyone know why...

[98Charlie]

Let me try, again, to get things back on topic....

 

The airlines baggage charges is what I believe a factor in the relaxed formal night dress code.

 

Sorry, but I saw dress codes for formal nights going more relaxed at least a year or so before the airlines started charging higher fares for luggage.

 

Airline baggage charges is a great excuse perhaps, but I'm more inclined to think that cruise lines are catering to their pax's wishes more than anything else.

 

By the way, have sailed Carnival, NCL and Princess in the last year and have seen dress codes more relaxed on all three lines.

 

Dianne

[nolaAlive]

Carnival changed the dress code in the dining rooms? Was it due to complaints or them trying to be a more casual line?

 

They changed it to reflect reality. People are going to wear what they wish.

 

Carnival has figured out that the Me Me Me people who try to get others to dress in uniforms aren't the majority of their customer base.

 

It never was a dress code, whatever the rhetoric.

[ikelmay]

The review of evening wear and the trials started way before the new airline policies on baggage. My 2c is that the feedback from customer comment cards has been overwhelmingly in favour of relaxing the dress code.

 

I know there's a segment of CC that is supportive of formal nights, but I would hazard that the majority of comment card responses has been in favour of a more easygoing dress code.

[Magic City Cruiser]

I'm not sure what the big deal is one way or another. From what I have read and observed, people are gonna dress however they want to dress and it's rare that any cruise line maitre 'd will make an issue of "improper" dress on "formal" night. So, if there is one night or all that is recommended as "formal" or whatever word they use for it and you enjoy dressing up, go for it.

It irks me to no end to see people with ballcaps at the table or anything other ticky tacky thing but as my Mama said, I didn't take 'em on to raise. If it severely impacted my cruise, I'd find somewhere else to vacation.

Why did Carnival change it? I'd also like to know what Carnival might have to say about it. But, I'm not gonna get bent out of shape if they choose not to answer and/or I don't like their answer.

Good question, OP.

[sunnylasvegas]

MissSnoopy.....I think you asked a very HONEST, sincere question!

We were on the Elation out of San Diego Oct. 13. We're a couple in our 50's who have cruised before out of Miami. I felt that "Elegant Night" was truly elegant----cocktail dresses, sport jackets---lots of bling and lots of sequins!! We loved sitting on the Promenade deck watching people walk by "dress to the nines"---usually for the pro. photographers.

Unfortunately, on other nights in the dining room, it wasn't very formal at all. Our table, I'm happy to say, dressed nicely and appropriately for a beautiful dining room. We treat the dining room as if we're going out for a nice dinner in a nice rest. We live in S. Fla. and here you can go into a NICE restaurant in shorts and a collared/polo shirt for men, women in nice outfit. That's what I ripped, blue jeans and white t-shirts, baseball HATS on backwards!! At a table near us, one guy (late 20's) was dressed in his "TACO KING" Workshirt---or some such taco shop---another in his "KWIK E MART" WORKSHIRT. OUr table of "old fogies" named these groups the "Gangsta Boys." Funny thing is the young women they were with were dressed in cute sundresses.

We had to discuss WHY these young men dressed in this manner in a nice restaurant. We came up with one reason: they were NEVER taught any different.

So, now, on Mar. 22 BF and I are booked on the 14-day "repositioning" cruise from Long Beach through the Panal Canal and on to Miami. I am very curious to see what the dress CODE is like on this cruise. Somehow, I doubt if the "Gangsta Boys" will be with us!

So, I have to say, at least on the Elation out of San Diego, there was obviously NO DRESS CODE whatsoever in the dining room. It was very sad.

Guys, at the very least, take your dirty baseball caps off!!

[nolaAlive]

Shorter cruises are almost always less formal and more party.

 

I am not the guest of any other cruiser nor are they my host and neither is Carnival.

[marty30907]

Ok, who has the popcorn?:D

 

My DW and I like to dress up for formal night, but others do not. Maybe Carnival was just trying to satisify most of their guest.

 

Just MHO.

[Mikel1733]

Ok, who has the popcorn?:D

 

My DW and I like to dress up for formal night, but others do not. Maybe Carnival was just trying to satisify most of their guest.

 

Just MHO.

 

Given the current business environment they will take whoever they can get :eek:

[amyh1028]

Even though they relaxed the dress code those who wish to get dressier still can right? I plan to wear "my little black dress" on my upcoming cruise and figured that would be just fine. Anyone who wants to wear an evening gown and a tux can still do so I assume.

As far as regular dining room wear, I plan to either wear nice slacks or a skirt. My daughter will do the same.

[Vanessa L]

I do not know why Carnival changed the dress code.

 

What I do know is that enforcement of the dress code, formal AND casual, was PITIFUL, at best. In fact enforcement would have to double or triple to get all the way up to pitiful.

So the reality was that they had NO dress code.

 

Yet,

 

Formal nights showed a better than 80% compliance with the formal dress code. Sport jacket and tie, suit, or tux.

Even tho they honored the dress code to that degree, did they complain on the comment cards? None of us here know that.

 

So Carnival changed to the "Cruise Elegant BS". It takes no effort whatsoever to comply, yet it too, is ignored by customers and dining room staff from Maitre D' on down.

 

Why change if enforcement remains at zero?

 

If they are not going to DO a dress code, why HAVE a dress code?

 

Dan

 

I have to agree with Dan on this one. I have never seen the dress code enforced beyond not allowing shorts/bathsuits in the dining room. However, on "formal" night I have seen everything from jeans to khakis and a polo shirt--hardly "formal". I have also seen men show up in "wife beater" tanks, women in "house cleaning" type attire and similar on "casual" nights. It seems sort of futile to even assign a dress code at all if they are not going to enforce it. Just MHO

[nolaAlive]

Even though they relaxed the dress code those who wish to get dressier still can right? I plan to wear "my little black dress" on my upcoming cruise and figured that would be just fine. Anyone who wants to wear an evening gown and a tux can still do so I assume.

As far as regular dining room wear, I plan to either wear nice slacks or a skirt. My daughter will do the same.

 

It was always acceptable to do so and still is.

[Dee777]

Ah, who cares what others are wearing? I don't go to dinner to look and see what everyone else is wearing, I wear what pleases me, enjoy my meal and leave to go do whatever comes next, I am on vacation!!! And, I am not out to impress anyone.

 

The "loosen the bone, Wilma" had me in stitches, LOVE IT!

 

Dee

[Vanessa L]

Ah, who cares what others are wearing? I don't go to dinner to look and see what everyone else is wearing, I wear what pleases me, enjoy my meal and leave to go do whatever comes next, I am on vacation!!! And, I am not out to impress anyone.

 

The "loosen the bone, Wilma" had me in stitches, LOVE IT!

 

Dee

 

I agree that I could care less what people wear to eat in the dining room. But the point of having a dress code is moot if you aren't going to enforce your own rules.

[arush5268d]

I just joined this forum - but I'm already sick of all the threads started about Carnival's dress code.

[MrPete]

I thought it was all about letting Bubba into the dining room.

 

Most people haven't changed the way they dress. And they don't need a cruiseline to tell them how to.

[luckycruzer]

a "skinhead" topped with a dirty ball capped young man that looked like he just tried to swallow a squirrel ( "beard"),baggy torn dirty jeans and flip flops, an obscene Tee with huge armholes that showed his axillary hair to me from across my table, sneaked in the back way of the DR..he was ratted out, and told to leave, but could return with a sleeved shirt. He found his way to the front of the DR, and returned the same way,wearing the cap, but removed it.. to join his table mates that were all nicey dressed. So the MD did his job I feel..and I didnt have to look at hairy pits

[Kurbanfan]

Why don't you write and ask them:confused:

 

No the response the kurbanfan posted was not nice.....period.

 

 

Not nice:confused: Please enlighten me......

[futaba951]

I just joined this forum - but I'm already sick of all the threads started about Carnival's dress code.

 

Yeah, you, me and thousands of others. If someone can't get past what someone else is wearing, that is a deep personal issue that is probably rooted in insecurities about economic and social status. If they can't have a good time at dinner, it is no ones fault but their own.

[trock]

Shorter cruises are almost always less formal and more party.

 

I am not the guest of any other cruiser nor are they my host and neither is Carnival.

 

Perfect.. could not have said it better myself.. Carnival can call us guests all they want... reality is we are the paying consumer.. and they will give their consumers what they want;)

[trock]

Even though they relaxed the dress code those who wish to get dressier still can right? I plan to wear "my little black dress" on my upcoming cruise and figured that would be just fine. Anyone who wants to wear an evening gown and a tux can still do so I assume.

As far as regular dining room wear, I plan to either wear nice slacks or a skirt. My daughter will do the same.

 

OF course! Dress up!!

[trock]

I thought it was all about letting Bubba into the dining room.

 

Most people haven't changed the way they dress. And they don't need a cruiseline to tell them how to.

 

 

Mr Pete,

Clinton was on your cruise????

[ladycaveat]

This is just my personal opinion, but I think Carnival changing from "Formal Night" to "Cruise Elegant" was a combination of things . . . some people just don't enjoy dressing up even one night while on vacation (but feel that since they paid for eating in the dining room . . . they're gonna eat in the dining room), others . . . in this day and age of financial hardships for so many familys, they just can't afford to buy formal attire that they may only wear once . . . and finally, with the airlines charging for anything over 50 pounds for one bag and extra for a second . . . it's just a lot less expensive to forgo heavy suits and beaded gowns.

 

I've always dressed very formal (it's the only time I get to do so anymore) for the two "formal" nights on my cruises) . . . however, on my cruise in January, I plan to pack one pair of those lightweight "flyaway" pants and two very lightweight, feminine, whispy tops with beautiful jewlery (at least I think it's beautiful) to match each outfit . . . :p

[quickrate]

Ah, who cares what others are wearing? I don't go to dinner to look and see what everyone else is wearing, I wear what pleases me, enjoy my meal and leave to go do whatever comes next, I am on vacation!!! And, I am not out to impress anyone.

 

The "loosen the bone, Wilma" had me in stitches, LOVE IT!

 

Dee

 

Ditto!

[dan40]

yikes....loosen the bone Wilma

why not have a dress code and not be rigid about enforcing it? What's the big deal?

 

It is just another symptom of our near total lack of self control and self discipline prevailing in our society today. And if we do not get our act together, we will vanish.

If we lack the strength to rule ourselves, others WILL rule us.

 

Dan

[futaba951]

It is just another symptom of our near total lack of self control and self discipline prevailing in our society today. And if we do not get our act together, we will vanish.

If we lack the strength to rule ourselves, others WILL rule us.

 

Dan

 

The others are already trying to rule us. Their whining, "wear a tux, wear tux, it's not about YOUR vacation, it's about MINE." You know, it's odd that I've never quite equated the end of the world with a relaxed dress code. I've always thought that guns and bombs would be the last sound we ever heard, but now I realize that it will be that whiny voice croaking "look at that low life bastard wearing jeans in the dining room. I can't believe that they would dare ruin my vacation like that. Well I never!!"