What if you don't like formal wear?

[madison quest]

hi rosebaskets,

 

thanks for your kind reply, i didn't know about manchester airport facilities for autistic youngsters. great information we will bear this in mind :).

 

we do enjoy our cruises though, and so does our son, he is a bit older at 21 years, so he doesn't use the kids clubs. as weather is his "thing", he is more than happy to be perched at the rear of the ship watching the waves and dolphin spotting, as well as tracking the little map on the cabin t.v. system..;)

[loobs40]

I've read this thread with interest. I am hoping to go on the P&O 3 night Derren Brown cruise from Southampton in Sept 09.

 

One of my friends has always wanted to try a cruise, but money is a bit tight for her at the moment. This cruise is looking very cheap and would be the ideal opportunity for her to try cruising without having to fly abroad . It will be a real treat for her after a few difficult years

 

I am a bit nervous of the formal nights it has to be said. I don't own any expensive upmarket clothes, so I am hoping a smart dress might do the trick. My friend certainly can't splash out on anything too expensive.

 

So there in a nutshell is the answer to the question 'why go on a P&O cruise if you not prepared to dress up'.

 

Money !

 

Incidentally I love cruises. Really looking forward to our family cruise on RCL Voyager this summer

[Johnthed0g]

Hi Loobs...no need to worry about it, all ladies need is to look elegant no need for posh frocks & men only really need a dark suit & tie. It will only be one night probably the 2nd but it could be the last night on such a short cruise. Don't tell anyone, but between us we get a lot of stuff in charity shops!!

[2sunny]

We are a family of four going on our first ever cruise on Ventura this July. We are really looking forward to it but ..... , neither my husband or I enjoy "dressing up" and don't have any clothes that would meet the dress code for the formal evenings.

 

I can see we are in the minority here and most cruisers love dressing up!

 

Is there going to be anywhere we can get food and spend the evening if we are not in formal dress? I am worried we are going to be trapped in our cabin for four evenings!

 

You will not be "trapped" if you follow the rules. IF you do not like the rules of this cruise line, why not choose a cruise line that does not requires you to dress up - such as Carnival?

 

It would be like asking to visit the Queen - and then saying "is it OK that I smell, I don't like to bath, is it OK that I don't wash or comb my hair - it is SO much trouble, is it OK that I wear my torn and dirty jeans and tennis shoes, anything else is SO much trouble.......

 

WHAT are you people thinking?

[2sunny]

I've read this thread with interest. I am hoping to go on the P&O 3 night Derren Brown cruise from Southampton in Sept 09.

 

One of my friends has always wanted to try a cruise, but money is a bit tight for her at the moment. This cruise is looking very cheap and would be the ideal opportunity for her to try cruising without having to fly abroad . It will be a real treat for her after a few difficult years

 

I am a bit nervous of the formal nights it has to be said. I don't own any expensive upmarket clothes, so I am hoping a smart dress might do the trick. My friend certainly can't splash out on anything too expensive.

 

So there in a nutshell is the answer to the question 'why go on a P&O cruise if you not prepared to dress up'.

 

Money !

 

Incidentally I love cruises. Really looking forward to our family cruise on RCL Voyager this summer

 

 

Our Wal-mart stores, here in the USA sell men's black suits for $99.00 USD and ladies fancy dresses for much, much less. Now you can purchase this over the Internet or have someone in the US buy them for you and mail them to you. This is very, very cheap when changing your British Pound to our USD. You can probably afford that, and then when you fall in love with cruising you will always have a lovely dark suit and fancy dress.

[ROSEBASKETS]

Our Wal-mart stores, here in the USA sell men's black suits for $99.00 USD and ladies fancy dresses for much, much less. Now you can purchase this over the Internet or have someone in the US buy them for you and mail them to you. This is very, very cheap when changing your British Pound to our USD. You can probably afford that, and then when you fall in love with cruising you will always have a lovely dark suit and fancy dress.

 

What kind of fancy dresses do they sell? like Snow White or Naughty Nurse? and are these acceptable on formal nights?

 

PS you're paying too much for your black suits at Wal-Mart, here in Blighty Tesco do them for £25!

[Fred66]

I have been almost horrified by the outpouring of opinion my question has provoked but 2Sunny's comment is so outrageous it has spurred me into a reply. The comparison you make is frankly ludicrous, comparing choice of clothing for four evenings out of 14 evenings out of 14 days to choice of clothing for one meeting!

 

I wasn't asking - or expecting - people to tell me I have chosen the wrong cruise, clearly it is really unhelpful to be told that. I maintain I have chosen the right cruise for my family and this is supported by many of the more constructive replies that have been posted. All I wanted to know is whether there is a place we can eat without dressing up. I am not intending to not comply with the dress code, my question was to establish if there are places we can eat if we do not. As it happens, I have now borrowed a dress that will be suitable so we are going to try one of the formal evenings and, if we enjoy it, may go to the others too.

 

2Sunny, it's nothing about it being too "much trouble" to dress up, it is about the fact that I personally don't like to. Please respect my right to have a choice about it.

[LibraLass41]

Enjoy your cruise,

[Iain1873]

As someone who is crusing for the 1st time the snobbery and holier than thou attitiude of some posters in here beggars belief , i wear a collar and tie 5 days a week x 48 weeks per year , in the two weeks of the year i have a summer holiday i certainly do not want to get dressed up and cart a full suit about with me , it's about relaxing away from your normal surroundings , i appreciate for some people it's part of the holiday and great i hope you enjoy it , but the judgements from people on here towards folk that don't harks back to the Victorian era and the horrible class system our country gave to the world , thankfully i have booked with Thomsons (Butlins at sea i believe is the s******ing joke from some in here) still i bet the holiday makers on ships such as these won't be s******ing or looking down on those who don't dress formally unlike many who choose to travel with P&O , quite frankly those views are what puts many off Cruising , still you'd be glad of not having sone riff-raff on board wearing jeans - my goodness the very fabric of civilised society could be torn asunder should that happen !!!!

[History addict]

Hi Iain1873

 

You'll have a great time with Thomsons - I've been on 3 of their ships and the people who cruise with them are lovely, friendly and on the whole in the older age bracket which rather puts paid to the myth of the ships being full of lager louts. The entertainment on their ships is the best I have seen to date.

 

Like many others I have been checking out these forums to see which cruise line will have my custom next. I really wanted to cruise the Norwegian Fjords and P and O seemed my best option. However if this board is representative of P and O cruisers then they shan't be getting my custom. Unfortunately if they don't cater for people like us who can afford their product but are put off by the attitude then they may end up attracting exactly the type of people the most despise.

 

By the way, I've just looked up the overall view of P and O as a cruise line in the latest Berlitz guide and it is pretty uncomplimentary about their product describing it as being aimed at "the high street traveller", "not quite keeping up with the better quality cruise experience" and offering "end of pier entertainment". It doesn't sound as though we're missing anything special!

 

I am personally considering Princess Cruises instead and a Baltic cruise - at least the passengers seem to be happy people on the whole

[Gerrym]

By the way, I've just looked up the overall view of P and O as a cruise line in the latest Berlitz guide and it is pretty uncomplimentary about their product describing it as being aimed at "the high street traveller", "not quite keeping up with the better quality cruise experience" and offering "end of pier entertainment". It doesn't sound as though we're missing anything special!

 

I am personally considering Princess Cruises instead and a Baltic cruise - at least the passengers seem to be happy people on the whole

 

 

That's great news, I hope you like Princess. Personally I love the end of pier experience of P&O but only if I can wear a tuxedo to enjoy it.

 

You are correct, you are not missing anything special, try another line instead!

 

 

:D

[Beckyfaye-2008]

I say each to there own, I have done one P&O cruise, due to do another in 6 days and next March we will be doing a cruise with Thompson's. The only difference I can see is P&O have 2 Formals a week & Thompson's one Formal.

In P&O's Holiday Information Booklet that arrives about 10 weeks prior to your cruise it states the following.

"When on Board, your daily newspaper details the dress code for each evening which are encouraged throughout the ship from 6pm and to ensure we can maintain the unique atmosphere we kindly ask that you adhere to these.

The dress code is applicable to all passengers of 18 years or over and we request that on formal evenings children's wear, as a minimum Smart Casual dress, however on these occasions dark denim is not permitted."

 

The above are not my words but P&O's word in a booklet sent to all those who have booked a cruise with them, and as I say above arrives about 10 weeks prior to your cruise. It also describes the various dress codes.:)

[ROSEBASKETS]

You are correct, you are not missing anything special, try another line instead!

 

 

 

Ah quite right, straight from the horses mouth, or should that be "eqqus ferrum os" for you older P&O passengers, set in the ways of the past

[daiB]

Ah quite right, straight from the horses mouth, or should that be "eqqus ferrum os" for you older P&O passengers, set in the ways of the past

 

 

I think you will find that these are indeed the ways of the present, on P&O where on formal nights 95% of men will wear a DJ and the rest a dark suit.

 

So thats 2000 passengers and 6 ships every 2 weeks, which is 12,000 people who are wrong and errrr you are right.

 

As has been said if you do not like it as you clearly have said then do not book P&O, but do not try to put down the thousands of P&O passengers who do like the P&O experience.

 

Quite clearly there should be choice but P&O have found a market and would be daft to change it to accommodate others form outside that market, unless of course it is to provide a different line with a different experience of cruising.

 

P&O through Carnival did this with OV. Now they have decided to get out of that market for a reason not clear.

 

P&O is as it is and there are many more people who would be upset by a change than those who want it to change.

 

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

 

:cool:

 

 

Dai

[LibraLass41]

Ah quite right, straight from the horses mouth, or should that be "eqqus ferrum os" for you older P&O passengers, set in the ways of the past

 

 

Gerry isn't that old, he just understands what p&o is about, as do I.

 

Its a formal cruise line, if you can't accept some cruiselines are different thats pretty sad,

 

There are plenty of casual cruise lines for you, so perhaps you better go and find them and stop trying to change us !

[LibraLass41]

As someone who is crusing for the 1st time the snobbery and holier than thou attitiude of some posters in here beggars belief , i wear a collar and tie 5 days a week x 48 weeks per year , in the two weeks of the year i have a summer holiday i certainly do not want to get dressed up and cart a full suit about with me , it's about relaxing away from your normal surroundings , i appreciate for some people it's part of the holiday and great i hope you enjoy it , but the judgements from people on here towards folk that don't harks back to the Victorian era and the horrible class system our country gave to the world , thankfully i have booked with Thomsons (Butlins at sea i believe is the s******ing joke from some in here) still i bet the holiday makers on ships such as these won't be s******ing or looking down on those who don't dress formally unlike many who choose to travel with P&O , quite frankly those views are what puts many off Cruising , still you'd be glad of not having sone riff-raff on board wearing jeans - my goodness the very fabric of civilised society could be torn asunder should that happen !!!!

 

 

So you are not booking a PandO cruise then?

[MattyBarlow]

C'mon P&O just re-brand Oceana and Ventura and be done with it. Keep everyone happy! (everyone happy..in this board..lol yeah right)

 

Seriously though i do wonder how Carnival Corp can justify the investment in Aida when they are closing OV down. Wouldnt it have been a prudent measure to have tried getting rid of the current OV fleet and replace it with one of the new Aida ships? From my German colleagues at work, the ships are fantastic.

[David&Heather]

I think you will find that these are indeed the ways of the present, on P&O where on formal nights 95% of men will wear a DJ and the rest a dark suit.

 

Would be very interesting to know how many would not if they had the opportunity and how many do so under protest.

 

So thats 2000 passengers and 6 ships every 2 weeks, which is 12,000 people who are wrong and errrr you are right.

 

As has been said if you do not like it as you clearly have said then do not book P&O, but do not try to put down the thousands of P&O passengers who do like the P&O experience.

 

Like it or not us soon to be ex OV customers are getting the P&O hard sell and many will be on 'your' cruise ships very soon.

 

Quite clearly there should be choice but P&O have found a market and would be daft to change it to accommodate others form outside that market, unless of course it is to provide a different line with a different experience of cruising.

 

That market is being changed by P&O see above and also how else are they going to fill all the extra cabins on the new ships without attracting more non-traditional cruisers? Not enough cruise dinasaurs to fill all those cabins.

 

P&O through Carnival did this with OV. Now they have decided to get out of that market for a reason not clear.

 

At least we agree on something.

 

P&O is as it is and there are many more people who would be upset by a change than those who want it to change.

 

Assuming the status quo pre Ventura you are probably right, however P&O are in the process of significantly altering their customer base so I am not sure if your statement applies now, even less so in the future.

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

 

:cool:

 

 

Dai

 

P&O appear to be upsetting a lot of us at the moment by trying to merge chalk with cheese:mad:

[David&Heather]

Gerry isn't that old, he just understands what p&o is about, as do I.

 

Its a formal cruise line, if you can't accept some cruiselines are different thats pretty sad,

 

There are plenty of casual cruise lines for you,

 

Not as many as you suggest and one less from October 2010:mad:

 

so perhaps you better go and find them and stop trying to change us !

 

It is not us (by us I assume you mean ex OV cruisers?) that are trying to change you it is your beloved P&O who are doing this.

[MattyBarlow]

It is not us (by us I assume you mean ex OV cruisers?) that are trying to change you it is your beloved P&O who are doing this.

 

If it was the ex OV customers chaning it then you wouldnt even be allowed onboard unless you sported a football top and at least two tattoos!!:rolleyes:

[David&Heather]

If it was the ex OV customers chaning it then you wouldnt even be allowed onboard unless you sported a football top and at least two tattoos!!:rolleyes:

 

Better cancel our next caribbean cruise with OV as we have none of those:)

[ROSEBASKETS]

Now now, calm down, won't someone please think of the children.

 

Everyone who isn't set in their ways, pompous, supercilious, set in their ways, haughty, unwilling to change, set in their ways, accept new ideas, bumptious and of course set in their ways please leave the dinosaurs alone. Let them trundle into the 20th Century. In 10 years time they may evolve, but for now there is no room for innovation.

 

Their blinkers will soon be removed when the asteroid hits iafter 2010. :eek:

[MattyBarlow]

A bit of a what if but i wonder what would have happened to the cruise industry if "Traditional" cruising was the only product avaliable? I guess it's all down to supply and demand.

[bridmo]

Hi all

 

I'm new to cruising and will be on my 1st in October on the Oceana but I'm so confused. The brocure and web site state that on formal evenings, formal wear is across the board. Restuarants, bars everything.... is this not the case..........

[tom_uk]

A bit of a what if but i wonder what would have happened to the cruise industry if "Traditional" cruising was the only product avaliable? I guess it's all down to supply and demand.

 

I imagine that those who didn't like that, wouldn't cruise. Of course, if there were enough people who wanted something different then very quickly the cruise industry wouldn't be 'Traditional' only.