Formal night - sneakers...

[satxdiver]

If you want to wear athletic shoes in the MDR, then do it and ignore the comments on this thread. I think the OP has the idea. Let us more on.

 

[tequilatamm]

Ah, yet another dress code thread. It reminds me of me before I went on my first cruise: "Why should I dress up one night and not the next? It's the same people in the same dining room. Stupid!"

 

Now I'm on the other side...though not so far that I'm going out and buying a tux. But I do have a very nice black linen suit I bought at Macy's for nearly nothing. It weighs very little, packs down small, and the pants can be worn on casual nights. There'll be an iron just down the corridor. And hey, it's totally comfy. I can always loosen my collar and tie after the Love Boat Dream, right?

 

Yeah, live and let live. But understand also that when you're onboard, you're part of a temporary community. Maybe you should respect that? Many of us who choose Princess rather than NCL do so in part, I bet, because on Princess, there's still an air of tradition, formality, and occasion. If you're dead set on thumbing your nose at that, next time choose NCL. Seriously.

 

Sure, there's a lot of silly snobbery adrift on these boards. But the OP - for all my bohemian, libertarian leanings - came off to me as something of a spoiled child, though I'm sure it wasn't his intention. "We want the lobster. And we won't wear a dumb old suit."

 

OK, whatever...but when people treat you parentally, it should come as no surprise.

 

Someone's already seconded Shepp's comments, so I'll third them! Very well put!

 

I don't get why someone who didn't want to participate in such things would even want to go on such a cruise... to me, it's part of the experience. I wouldn't go out of my way normally to dress up, dress-up clothes are generally not as comfortable as casual ones, but I'm willing to make the exception for these occasions.

 

Dressing up and having a fancy lobster dinner is just part of the experience, and I personally think nice food tastes better with nice clothes on and an elegant atmosphere.

 

If you don't want to dress up, then go to the buffet that night, and skip the lobster. Tough luck.

 

As for the sneakers, yes, if you must wear shoes due to medical reasons, then so be it. My mother has plantar fasciitis, and can only wear certain shoes. But she has managed to find shoes for various occasions that are acceptable.

 

If you must wear sneakers, get some in a dark colour so that they look a little bit more dressy than white or light coloured sneakers that you'd wear to the gym!

[designsbyjuju]

Dressing up and having a fancy lobster dinner is just part of the experience, and I personally think nice food tastes better with nice clothes on and an elegant atmosphere.!

 

I could be dressed like a king or queen and that lobster on board would still be gross.

 

If you want a real lobster dinner, put on shorts, a t shirt and flip flops and eat it in the rough seaside in Maine or on Cape Cod!:p Oh, and you might be more comfortable in a baseball cap to shield your face from the sun!

 

Most people use some kind of common sense and dress for the occasion. In my 38 years, I have never heard of nor witnessed anyone in a real life situation getting all caught up over this stuff. Good grief! I hope and pray these threads are not a deterrent to people cruising for the first time.

[monkeyrat100]

Someone's already seconded Shepp's comments, so I'll third them! Very well put!

 

I don't get why someone who didn't want to participate in such things would even want to go on such a cruise... to me, it's part of the experience. I wouldn't go out of my way normally to dress up, dress-up clothes are generally not as comfortable as casual ones, but I'm willing to make the exception for these occasions.

 

Dressing up and having a fancy lobster dinner is just part of the experience, and I personally think nice food tastes better with nice clothes on and an elegant atmosphere.

 

If you don't want to dress up, then go to the buffet that night, and skip the lobster. Tough luck.

 

As for the sneakers, yes, if you must wear shoes due to medical reasons, then so be it. My mother has plantar fasciitis, and can only wear certain shoes. But she has managed to find shoes for various occasions that are acceptable.

 

If you must wear sneakers, get some in a dark colour so that they look a little bit more dressy than white or light coloured sneakers that you'd wear to the gym!

 

Sorry, but a lot of people cruise for the ports, the excursions, shows, food, etc. I don't cruise so I can dress up, and I assume most people don't either. You don't need to cruise in order to dress up...you can go to church. And no, nice food does not taste better if you have nice clothes on. Good food will taste good and bad food will taste bad...your taste buds are not gonna notice based on what you wear. There is nowhere stating that the dress guidelines are strict rules rather than suggestions.

 

There are no set rules other than: Inappropriate dinner dress such as pool or beach attire, shorts, ball caps and casual jeans (with fraying and/or holes), is not permitted in the dining rooms. And footwear must be worn.

[Mom33]

Sorry, but a lot of people cruise for the ports, the excursions, shows, food, etc. I don't cruise so I can dress up, and I assume most people don't either. You don't need to cruise in order to dress up...you can go to church. And no, nice food does not taste better if you have nice clothes on. Good food will taste good and bad food will taste bad...your taste buds are not gonna notice based on what you wear. There is nowhere stating that the dress guidelines are strict rules rather than suggestions.

 

There are no set rules other than: Inappropriate dinner dress such as pool or beach attire, shorts, ball caps and casual jeans (with fraying and/or holes), is not permitted in the dining rooms. And footwear must be worn.

 

You need to reread the cruise answer book.:rolleyes:

[monkeyrat100]

You need to reread the cruise answer book.:rolleyes:

 

no, you so graciously posted it on the first page. and it supports what I said.

[rcacace]

no, you so graciously posted it on the first page. and it supports what I said.

 

What I read in the answer book was "The above is a general guide."

Thanks for guiding me Princess. I need to be shown a few thing every now & then.:rolleyes:

[Chesie]

My friend and I will be going to Alaska in July, and he absolutely refuses to dress up for formal night. He is willing to wear a dress shirt and khakis, but will not wear shoes to dinner. Considering that we are only bringing one carry-on bag each with us (refuse to bring luggage with the airline's extra charges nowadays), I'm thinking that I will just be bringing sneakers as well. If we wear a dress shirt, khakis, and sneakers, will we be able to eat in the dining room or will they turn us away? From what I have read, the recommendation for formal night are guidelines rather than mandatory. And they don't mention footwear. I wouldn't mind eating in the buffet if the food is the same, but we both want the lobster tails.

 

Couldn't you have searched the threads for this answer, which you probably already knew to begin with? You would have seen the same responses. Although, you did give me something to read on my lunch hour!:rolleyes:

[shepp]

Sorry, but a lot of people cruise for the ports, the excursions, shows, food, etc. I don't cruise so I can dress up, and I assume most people don't either. You don't need to cruise in order to dress up...you can go to church.

 

Sorry, but I assume you have no way of knowing what "most people" on a cruise want. If you go to formal night and see at least 90% of the people dressed appropriately, what would you assume then? Listen, you don't need to cruise on Princess to eat lobster and see shows. Like I said before: NCL. I hear they have some very nice ships.

 

As someone else said, if you'd really been interested in what responses you'd get, you could have done a search. Instead, you ask a question, then basically refuse to listen to anything but what you came in with. Which pretty much seems to fit.

 

You would never guess, if you knew me, that I'd be among the pro-dress-code bunch, but here I am. (And to those distressed about dissent in the ranks - understand that I, like many other people here, may not take all of this entirely seriously as a life-or-death issue. It's, like, something I do for amusement, right? Like asking a question you figure will stir things up, maybe?)

 

Meanwhile, I just have to ask: Just ***** are your friend's issues? He'll only dress in khakis? Why? Reverse snobbery? Has a skin allergy to nice fabrics? Holds stock in Dockers? Can't afford to go to a thrift store and buy dress pants? Heck, if he were an actual nonconformist, he'd at least opt for black leather, instead of the kind of pants my Dad used to wear to mow the lawn.

[monkeyrat100]

Sorry, but I assume you have no way of knowing what "most people" on a cruise want. If you go to formal night and see at least 90% of the people dressed appropriately, what would you assume then? Listen, you don't need to cruise on Princess to eat lobster and see shows. Like I said before: NCL. I hear they have some very nice ships.

 

As someone else said, if you'd really been interested in what responses you'd get, you could have done a search. Instead, you ask a question, then basically refuse to listen to anything but what you came in with. Which pretty much seems to fit.

 

You would never guess, if you knew me, that I'd be among the pro-dress-code bunch, but here I am. (And to those distressed about dissent in the ranks - understand that I, like many other people here, may not take all of this entirely seriously as a life-or-death issue. It's, like, something I do for amusement, right? Like asking a question you figure will stir things up, maybe?)

 

Meanwhile, I just have to ask: Just ***** are your friend's issues? He'll only dress in khakis? Why? Reverse snobbery? Has a skin allergy to nice fabrics? Holds stock in Dockers? Can't afford to go to a thrift store and buy dress pants? Heck, if he were an actual nonconformist, he'd at least opt for black leather, instead of the kind of pants my Dad used to wear to mow the lawn.

 

I was saying that people cruise to do other things besides dressing up. Are you saying that this is the sole reason that you cruise? Because according to the other poster, people who do not want to participate should not cruise at all. I'm assuming that you cruise for other reasons too though. I don't mind cruising on NCL, but their Alaska itinerary does not match Princess's this summer. Plus, I hear that the food and service is better on princess.

 

Contrary to what you may think, I am interested in hearing the responses. I did do a search before I posted, and I found nothing about whether you would be turned away from the MDR for wearing sneakers. If you read my question carefully, it has nothing to do with what the clothing suggestions are or what the recommended guidelines are. I asked simply if they would turn you away from the MDR for what we are planning to wear. And this thread has been very informative. Thanks to other posters, I have found that they most likely will not turn you away if you wear a dress shirt, dark pants, and sneakers.

 

You can choose to insult me or my friend by insinuating that he is poor or cheap, but that doesn't do anything other than show your own character. To be honest, he doesn't even wear khakis normally. He only wears jeans because that is what he is comfortable in. He will most likely wear dress pants for formal night, but he will refuse to wear the shoes.

[sillysailor 1955]

Sorry, but a lot of people cruise for the ports, the excursions, shows, food, etc. I don't cruise so I can dress up, and I assume most people don't either. You don't need to cruise in order to dress up...you can go to church. And no, nice food does not taste better if you have nice clothes on. Good food will taste good and bad food will taste bad...your taste buds are not gonna notice based on what you wear. There is nowhere stating that the dress guidelines are strict rules rather than suggestions.

 

There are no set rules other than: Inappropriate dinner dress such as pool or beach attire, shorts, ball caps and casual jeans (with fraying and/or holes), is not permitted in the dining rooms. And footwear must be worn.

 

Then perhaps you should cruise on NCL where the dress code is not an issue. When I am on vacation I like to dress up and have a great meal - I don't really want to look at people who are not considerate enough of the other diners - for heaven's sake sneakers are not appropriate unless its a medical issue. Dress up like a grown up. PLEASE.

[GrammieK]

"Just ***** are your friend's issues?"

 

No need to be a potty mouth.....

[Princess Chatterer]

I saw all manner of men's footwear on formal night on the Diamond a few weeks ago. Tennis shoes with coat and tie, no tie with no jacket, kids in T-shirts and jeans (that's normal on formal nights on Princess). Even though the fixed seating had suggested rules posted at the podium they didn't enforce it with one exception. They actually wouldn't seat a guy on formal night wearing bermuda shorts and tennis shoes in the dining room. On non-formal night the Princess dress code seems to be even more relaxed these days.

 

BTW: It was common to see men and women wearing bathrooms in the breakfast buffet line on the Diamond.

[luxurysailer]

Hope their carry-ons are large enough for them to take at least one complete changing of clothes. That way the other pax may not have to put up with their BO.

 

Come on guys, what charge do you get out of being slobs?

[monkeyrat100]

Hope their carry-ons are large enough for them to take at least one complete changing of clothes. That way the other pax may not have to put up with their BO.

 

Come on guys, what charge do you get out of being slobs?

 

It has nothing to do with being a slob. Does that mean that you're a slob on other nights when you're not dressed up? And you can be dressed in a tux and still have BO, lol.

[shepp]

You can choose to insult me or my friend by insinuating that he is poor or cheap, but that doesn't do anything other than show your own character. To be honest, he doesn't even wear khakis normally. He only wears jeans because that is what he is comfortable in. He will most likely wear dress pants for formal night, but he will refuse to wear the shoes.

 

Oh, sorry. I just honestly, truly don't get why someone who'd be "comfortable" sitting in a formal dining room being served lobster on china by bowing-and-scraping staff would be genuinely "uncomfortable" wearing dark trousers rather than khakis. I mean, I know I'm dense, but truly I don't.

 

As you've searched "dress code," you've no doubt found that enforcement is arbitrary, that it's a hot topic, and that anyone who brings this up always stirs up a hornet's nest. The fact that you're so doggedly pursuing this indicates there's maybe something going on here beyond choice of footwear. "(He) will not wear shoes to dinner." Once again, I ask: why? No, really, please explain it to me in simple words that even I can understand.

 

Listen, I have a very nice pair of fancy-schmansy running-style shoes done in black and silver leather (see below.). They're as comfy as sneakers, pass muster on formal night, are odd enough to make me feel like an individualist, and unlike dress shoes, can be worn on casual nights and on shore excursions. (And I know somebody's gonna flame me for wearing them on formal night.) Maybe you could look into something like that?

 

And no, of course dressing up isn't my primary reason to cruise. But - at the risk of seeming hopelessly shallow - the festive nature of formal night, even the kitsch of the Baked Alaska parade and the champagne waterfall, is something I've discovered I enjoy, and my choice of cruise lines is influenced by that. It's really one of the primary reasons that NCL hasn't yet gotten me aboard.

 

Oh, and by the way, you're right: my character is abysmal. But I do wear a jacket and tie when called for. Maybe that's something.

[rcacace]

BTW: It was common to see men and women wearing bathrooms in the breakfast buffet line on the Diamond.

 

I don't know if I said this before in this thread but my wife wore her Princess slippers during the whole cruise in the DR (she had a reason) & no one questioned her at any time. It took even me by surprise. ;)

[designsbyjuju]

I saw all manner of men's footwear on formal night on the Diamond a few weeks ago. Tennis shoes with coat and tie, no tie with no jacket, kids in T-shirts and jeans (that's normal on formal nights on Princess). Even though the fixed seating had suggested rules posted at the podium they didn't enforce it with one exception. They actually wouldn't seat a guy on formal night wearing bermuda shorts and tennis shoes in the dining room. On non-formal night the Princess dress code seems to be even more relaxed these days.

 

BTW: It was common to see men and women wearing bathrooms in the breakfast buffet line on the Diamond.

 

I was on the diamond may 16-23 and there were this man and woman we called the "bathrobe people" ..everywhere they went they were in a bathrobe. Even in the buffet..walking through the ship, getting off the elevators. But it was a little humerous when we saw it in the buffet....as was the lady on deck on rollers. We chuckled and decided these folks must have gotten on the ship in Bankok and made the ship their "home away from home"..those folks were on 39 days!

[shepp]

BTW: It was common to see men and women wearing bathrooms in the breakfast buffet line on the Diamond.

 

I know that Princess showers are on the small side, but isn't that rather extreme?

[TomCruises]

Stay in your cabin or the buffet. How ridiculous!

[LARGIN]

I see nothing wrong with wearing sneakers on formal night as long as they are formal. Here is a picture of my formal sneakers that I wear with my tuxedo. They are patent leather and multi-colored. :D:D

 

[shepp]

Here is a picture of my formal sneakers that I wear with my tuxedo.

 

So is it okay for me to wear shades on formal night?

[Grannycb]

I see nothing wrong with wearing sneakers on formal night as long as they are formal. Here is a picture of my formal sneakers that I wear with my tuxedo. They are patent leather and multi-colored. :D:D

 

 

You'd bring a lot of smiles wearing those!

[Mom33]

no, you so graciously posted it on the first page. and it supports what I said.

 

It also supports what opposing views have said to you.

 

You can dress whatever way you want. If being a minority in a crowd doesn't bother you, then go for it.

 

I think my very first post to you on this thread was on the money. I hope you have fulfilled your boredom now and perhaps a mod can put your fun to rest.

[rcacace]

It could be they were in the pool for a morning swim & put their robes on to cover up for breakfast. At least they didn't go in the Horizon with wet bathing suits on.