Formal night question

[cruisekids009]

How FORMAL are formal nights on pacific dawn?

 

If we dont dine in the main restaraunt on formal nights, how dressed up do people get to eat at the other venues?

 

I would love to do the whole glammed up thing, my son looks way too cute in his suit, but hubby and i are travelling with 2 kids, 1 of which will still be in nappies which will most likey take up a small suitcase of their own. I am not sure if i will be able to find room for formal wear for all of us.

 

one consolation is that as the nappy case empties out there will be plenty of room for souvenirs.

[mummsie]

How FORMAL are formal nights on pacific dawn?

 

If we dont dine in the main restaraunt on formal nights, how dressed up do people get to eat at the other venues?

 

I would love to do the whole glammed up thing, my son looks way too cute in his suit, but hubby and i are travelling with 2 kids, 1 of which will still be in nappies which will most likey take up a small suitcase of their own. I am not sure if i will be able to find room for formal wear for all of us.

 

one consolation is that as the nappy case empties out there will be plenty of room for souvenirs.

 

It is formal as you want it to be. Some people dress up fully in evening wear and dinner suits. Others in coctail dresses and suits and some just in nice dressy clothes and a shirt and tie. I normally just wear coctail dresses and my husband has a dinner suit. All of the restaurants are formal on formal night except for the buffet where you can wear what you like. :) mummsie

[Ruste]

I can appreciate what you are saying about space in the bags as we carried our formal gear from NZ to Brisbane for our last cruise. We dress up but this is a personal preference and something we are required to do for work so we have the gear and are used to wearing it. I think as long as you are tidy and have made an effort then that is fine.

 

We have just come off the Sun and I was amazed at what some people wore to formal night. While I can appreciate people don't want to dress in a dinner suit etc I don't think shorts and jandals could ever be considered as formal. All the females managed to dress up so surely those men could at least have stretched to a pair of black pants and a nice shirt.

 

I feel it is a shame these under dressed people are let into the dining room as I find it disrespectful to all those who did make the effort to dress up. I don't understand why if you don't want to make the effort you don't just go somewhere else for dinner that night or maybe it is all about I've paid for it so I'm having it. Now I will get off my soapbox.

[cruisekids009]

I desperatly want to dress up for the formal nights, and you will never catch me being the person who think that its ok to wear shorts and sandals to dinner no matter where i go. i was just wondering if i can wear my smart dinner clothes to one of the venues, in case i cant manage to find room for the formal gear, we are on a 14 nighter so formal stuff for 4, for 3 formal nights is going to take up a huge amount of room.

 

with the kids in tow i have so many extras that i have to take that are essential that many others wouldn't think to pack. my son has never slept without his superman/batman pillow so even the pillowcases need to come with us!

[Rasa Sayang]

We have just come off the Sun and I was amazed at what some people wore to formal night. While I can appreciate people don't want to dress in a dinner suit etc I don't think shorts and jandals could ever be considered as formal. All the females managed to dress up so surely those men could at least have stretched to a pair of black pants and a nice shirt.

 

I feel it is a shame these under dressed people are let into the dining room as I find it disrespectful to all those who did make the effort to dress up. I don't understand why if you don't want to make the effort you don't just go somewhere else for dinner that night or maybe it is all about I've paid for it so I'm having it. Now I will get off my soapbox.

 

I can understand what you are saying here, and like you, both my wife and I like to get dressed up on formal nights.

 

However, lets look at it from this "other person's" point of view, or to coin a phrase: "walk a mile in someone elses shoes"..

 

They have paid for a holiday where the advertised material said they could do this - do that - eat where they like etc.

 

It is their holiday as much as the next person.

 

There is nothing in the terms and conditions of their passage that says they have to wear formal gear on formal nights, and as such that dress standard can not be legally enforced. Suggested, yes - enforced, no.

 

Just because P&O say "X" night will be formal does not mean these people have to dress up - nor does it mean they can be excluded from dining in the main restaurant [which they have paid to do] when others choose to wear formal gear.

 

Any attempt by staff to do this would quite possibly be discrimination under Australian law.

 

As long as they are not rowdy, drunk or disorderly, and their clothing meets legal standards for modesty, they can wear whatever they like as far as I'm concerned.

 

Pesonally I agree that it is nice to dress up on formal nights should you choose to do so, but I will defend the right of the person who chooses not to, and defend their right to dine in the main dining room.

 

People go on cruises for many different reasons, and if they choose not to partake in the mainstream activities they can not be excluded from the "quiet enjoyment" of all the facilities that vessel offers.

 

I for one just love being at sea, finding a nice spot to read a book, having a quiet drink, and enjoying a pleasant meal. I have absolutely no interest in "Country & Western", "Pirate" or "Tropical" nights. Should I be banned from the dining room for not wearing the appropriate clothing for these nights?

 

Like most issues in life, tolerance is the key - Live and let live.:)

[newfarmers]

I can appreciate what you are saying about space in the bags as we carried our formal gear from NZ to Brisbane for our last cruise. We dress up but this is a personal preference and something we are required to do for work so we have the gear and are used to wearing it. I think as long as you are tidy and have made an effort then that is fine.

 

We have just come off the Sun and I was amazed at what some people wore to formal night. While I can appreciate people don't want to dress in a dinner suit etc I don't think shorts and jandals could ever be considered as formal. All the females managed to dress up so surely those men could at least have stretched to a pair of black pants and a nice shirt.

 

I feel it is a shame these under dressed people are let into the dining room as I find it disrespectful to all those who did make the effort to dress up. I don't understand why if you don't want to make the effort you don't just go somewhere else for dinner that night or maybe it is all about I've paid for it so I'm having it. Now I will get off my soapbox.

 

 

so ruste, were you with the Tower group on deck 6?

 

we went the whole way through to Rio and had a great time, also up on deck 6

[Ruste]

I agree with you Dennis, usually I don't take much notice of what people wear and for us dressing up is an individual choice. This time for some reason there were some people who seemed to want to push the boundaries as far as possible. The staff did attempt to stop them entering the dining room but like you say they can't enforce it. I did wonder how they felt when they were surrounded by nicely dressed people.

[Ruste]

Hi newfarmers, should I own up to this on the grounds it could incriminate me. Think we may have been neighbours.

 

Ruth

[Ela 2]

I desperatly want to dress up for the formal nights, and you will never catch me being the person who think that its ok to wear shorts and sandals to dinner no matter where i go. i was just wondering if i can wear my smart dinner clothes to one of the venues, in case i cant manage to find room for the formal gear, we are on a 14 nighter so formal stuff for 4, for 3 formal nights is going to take up a huge amount of room.

 

with the kids in tow i have so many extras that i have to take that are essential that many others wouldn't think to pack. my son has never slept without his superman/batman pillow so even the pillowcases need to come with us!

Hi Cruisekids009,

I note that you want to dress up for formal nights. The gear doesn't have to take up a lot of room. Your husband/partner will need long trousers to wear to dinner on smart casual nights. He could just add a jacket for formal nights. Otherwise take a suit and one or two formal shirts. He would have to wear shoes to dinner on the smart casual nights anyway. Kids could wear the same outfit to each formal night. I have seen several ladies take one formal outfit and wear that each formal night. Alternatively, take a long skirt or evening pants and a few different tops. :):)

 

Evon.

[Rasa Sayang]

The staff did attempt to stop them entering the dining room but like you say they can't enforce it. I did wonder how they felt when they were surrounded by nicely dressed people.

 

:p:)

 

Yeah, while I said I endorse their right to wear what they like, I tend to agree with the part of your statement I have quoted in bold.

 

Maybe they have very thick skins - who knows? :D

 

Even being as free spirited as I am, I know I couldn't roll up at a formal night dressed in scruffy clobber.;)

[Ruste]

For dinner my DH only took a about 4 shirts a pair of black jean type pants and a black suit. He just alternated the pants and wore his suit jacket, formal shirt and tie as required. He used to wear his shirts, hang them up to air and spray a bit of aftershave on them when he put them on again. He figured he only wore the shirts for 4-5 hours and it was airconditioned.

 

I took one black dress and just changed my jewelery the second time. We did a 12 night cruise with 2 formals and I am sure no one even remembered what I wore the first time.

[cruisekids009]

i may have to just adopt the "wait & see" approach to packing. if i make a decision now it will just end up being another excuse to buy new clothes:p. if i wait till i'm packed to decide then it will be too late to hit the shops and use up the holiday spending money.

 

oh well plenty of time left to obsess over it....

[MargnGrah]

On most Formal Nights I have worn a pair of black pants and a top with a bit of bling.....This does not take up much room..... Hubby usually just takes a coat and wears it with his normal trousers and shirts....oh and a tie.....We never have gone overboard for these nights.....Do whatever you want to do, and if you haven't the room for lots of formal clothes don't worry!!! :o

We too have seen shorts and joggers on formal night.

[Brossy]

Don't forget they have a laundry on PD so if the trousers are like my DH they can be washed if needed. No one will care if you wear the same thing twice ... only if you want to look different when they take the formal pictures.

[newfarmers]

Hi newfarmers, should I own up to this on the grounds it could incriminate me. Think we may have been neighbours.

 

Ruth

 

nah, non-English speakers one side and people we drank with on the other. we were in 6120

 

you guys all had an excellent time!!!

 

off to Asia in a couple of weeks and giving RCCL a try

[Ruste]

nah, non-English speakers one side and people we drank with on the other. we were in 6120

 

you guys all had an excellent time!!!

 

off to Asia in a couple of weeks and giving RCCL a try

 

 

Off the topic here a bit but I looked at your photos and no we weren't next to you. We were in 6153. How could you not enjoy it when everything was paid for from the time we left home. Also we we worked dam hard to get there and I think we were making up for the lousy World Cup Final. We did envy you all staying on and going to Rio.

 

Would be interested to hear what you think of RCCL

[newfarmers]

Off the topic here a bit but I looked at your photos and no we weren't next to you. We were in 6153. How could you not enjoy it when everything was paid for from the time we left home. Also we we worked dam hard to get there and I think we were making up for the lousy World Cup Final. We did envy you all staying on and going to Rio.

 

Would be interested to hear what you think of RCCL

 

 

review will be up within a week of getting home and i'll be doing another travelpod blog while we're away

 

stay tuned:)

[fairywren]

This is starting to look like a RCI/ Princess thread! :eek:

 

Just chill everyone, and enjoy yourself. No one really cares if you wear a tie or 'tux' , if what you bring to the table on the evening is a real sense of friendship and appreciation for the life we enjoy.

 

Those who want to go extra formal, go for it, kids look so cute, we are way past that...

 

You can tell we're recently retired, no office clothes any more :D