Sea Princess: The long, slow death of Formal Night.....

[MizzNewbie]

We just returned from ten days on the Sea Princess. This was the first cruise I'd been on in over 20 years, and the first cruise with my hubby (his first ever cruise.). I had read some of the heated threads here about dining attire.

 

We both made the effort on both formal nights. I wore nice dresses and hubby wore a black suit and bow tie.

 

On the second formal night, a person arrived at the first seating in lime green, plaid shorts and a lime green top. This person was admitted to the dining room.

 

I was surprised. It didn't spoil my evening, but it was a real eye-opener. Why on earth would they let someone in looking like they just spent the day clam-digging? Are they afraid of lawsuits or something?

 

:confused:

[WeBeGone]

I think it may depend on the ship and the person at the door. On our recent Emerald Princess cruise, we saw numerous men turned away at the dining room for not having on a jacket.

[coiran]

I don't agree but there are some alleged very experienced cruisers on this forum who state there is no "dress code".

I don't understand why the doorman would let someone in even on a casual night dressed like that. He was probably testing the system and will be posting bhere bragging about it.

Ron

[paul929207]

We just returned from ten days on the Sea Princess. This was the first cruise I'd been on in over 20 years, and the first cruise with my hubby (his first ever cruise.). I had read some of the heated threads here about dining attire.

 

We both made the effort on both formal nights. I wore nice dresses and hubby wore a black suit and bow tie.

 

On the second formal night, a person arrived at the first seating in lime green, plaid shorts and a lime green top. This person was admitted to the dining room.

 

I was surprised. It didn't spoil my evening, but it was a real eye-opener. Why on earth would they let someone in looking like they just spent the day clam-digging? Are they afraid of lawsuits or something?

 

:confused:

I hoped you complained on the customer survey at the end of the cruise.

[BalconyGal]

That's interesting however I am very happy that you didn't let it ruin your evening.

[flamomo]

Yeah, Ron! Give it a few days and the post will probably appear, and he'll be very proud of himself for "doing it his way".

I love sailing with Princess, but I DO wish the maitre 'ds would uphold the recommended dining room attire standards. Otherwise, I can see,over time, it becoming "anything goes", and people will be there in the ragged cutoffs, T-shirt with the sleeves ripped off, and beat up flip flops every night. That will be sad when it gets to that. Some of the lustre of cruising will be gone.

[peterv]

Yes of course. Everyone knows that dressing up in uniform and marching into the dining room in lockstep makes the food oh so much more tastier. :p:eek:

 

Cheers,

Peter

[LadySpoilt]

I think it may depend on the ship and the person at the door. On our recent Emerald Princess cruise, we saw numerous men turned away at the dining room for not having on a jacket.

 

WeBeGone,

I am curious about your recent cruise, and men being turned away without jackets. We too (two couples) are cruising the Emerald in October, and have after thinking long and hard about it, decided to leave the tux jackets at home. Both men are/were going to take their tux shirts and ties, but forgo the jacket, due to the new dratted airline restrictions, and the fact that they both try to shed the jackets right after supper, rather than roasting in them while dancing.

Now my question, the men that were turned away, with the exception of a jacket, were they dressed "appropriately" (for lack of a better word), or were they dressed in shorts and polos?

Spoilt

[MaryPoppinz]

I think, by now, the dining room management has seen it all. So have I. Including the Elvis impersonator who technically was wearing an "elegant pant suit" and was, therefore, consistent with the women's formal evening guidelines.

 

There is nothing in the dress code addressing tacky, garish, ill-fitting, threadbare or dirty clothing, so I'm not going to lose much sleep over someone who didn't wear a gown on formal night.

[Colo Cruiser]

We just go and enjoy ourselves, to heck with the slobs in lime green, plaid shorts and a lime green top!!! :mad:

[MizzNewbie]

To the board regulars.....

 

Come on guys, can't this wait until Monday??? :D:D:D

 

Sorry, I'm new here! (Does that make me irregular?) ;)

 

Is there a "No Trouble Allowed On Weekends" rule? :)

[Ethel5]

Sorry, I'm new here! (Does that make me irregular?) ;)

 

Is there a "No Trouble Allowed On Weekends" rule? :)

 

MizzNewbie.....

 

Welcome to the boards! And not you are NOT irregular :)

 

There seems to be a trend regarding dress code threads that usually start on Monday and get quite heated by midweek and then die off on the weekend. that's all I was referring to.

[rcacace]

WeBeGone,

I am curious about your recent cruise, and men being turned away without jackets. We too (two couples) are cruising the Emerald in October, and have after thinking long and hard about it, decided to leave the tux jackets at home. Both men are/were going to take their tux shirts and ties, but forgo the jacket, due to the new dratted airline restrictions, and the fact that they both try to shed the jackets right after supper, rather than roasting in them while dancing.

Now my question, the men that were turned away, with the exception of a jacket, were they dressed "appropriately" (for lack of a better word), or were they dressed in shorts and polos?

Spoilt

 

On the Emerald the guys can usually get in the DR on formal night without a jacket but sometimes have to have a jacket if they're wearing a short sleeve shirt. I suppose they feel the short sleeves stand out more so than long sleeves do. My self, I just wear a short sleeve shirt (Golf/polo) & carry the jacket for insurance. Once past the door check they can always just hang it on the chair back & get comfortable.

On my next trip I've invested in a long sleeve shirt so I can forgo the jacket routine & save the room the the suitcase for something more important.

[Ethel5]

Hey Poppinz....

 

Thanks for the apology! :D:D

[MizzNewbie]

MizzNewbie.....

 

Welcome to the boards! And not you are NOT irregular :)

 

Thanks for the welcome!

 

We usually travel by RV. Cruising is so very different. They both have pros and cons. On this cruise, we traveled with friends who want to go on another cruise with us. I know this forum will be a gold mine of information.

[mii]

Thanks for the welcome!

 

We usually travel by RV. Cruising is so very different. They both have pros and cons. On this cruise, we traveled with friends who want to go on another cruise with us. I know this forum will be a gold mine of information.

 

As you now can tell formal wear, jeans etc. is a very hot topic around here. For future use just go to the top where the page numbers are and where it says "Search this Forum" just put in formal wear, or smoking or whatever you are interested in. All sorts of info is on this site and that might help you.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

Marilyn

[Ethel5]

Thanks for the welcome!

 

We usually travel by RV. Cruising is so very different. They both have pros and cons. On this cruise, we traveled with friends who want to go on another cruise with us. I know this forum will be a gold mine of information.

 

Cruising is very different than an RV vacation. I like not having to cook and clean so RVing isn't my cup of tea, altho' I have done it!

 

These boards are very valuable in answering questions and giving advice. Take most with a grain of salt.:)

[chipmaster]

We just returned from ten days on the Sea Princess. This was the first cruise I'd been on in over 20 years, and the first cruise with my hubby (his first ever cruise.). I had read some of the heated threads here about dining attire.

 

We both made the effort on both formal nights. I wore nice dresses and hubby wore a black suit and bow tie.

 

On the second formal night, a person arrived at the first seating in lime green, plaid shorts and a lime green top. This person was admitted to the dining room.

 

I was surprised. It didn't spoil my evening, but it was a real eye-opener. Why on earth would they let someone in looking like they just spent the day clam-digging? Are they afraid of lawsuits or something?

 

:confused:

 

That would have "made" my evening :D

 

Who cares what others wear; enjoy the menu, the food, the service of the waiters, the conversation of your dinner mates, matter little what others come in NO, unless the somehow end up in your photos :eek: I'd have actually asked for a photo with the fool in lime green shorts, with the maitre'd matter of fact!

[Times Prince]

Thanks for the welcome!

 

We usually travel by RV. Cruising is so very different. They both have pros and cons. On this cruise, we traveled with friends who want to go on another cruise with us. I know this forum will be a gold mine of information.

yes it is, just take opinions for what they are. Facts about cruises are just that.

 

As you now can tell formal wear, jeans etc. is a very hot topic around here. For future use just go to the top where the page numbers are and where it says "Search this Forum" just put in formal wear, or smoking or whatever you are interested in. All sorts of info is on this site and that might help you.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

Marilyn

Because of this I recently posted a poll on what men really wear. it is at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1006188

 

The crazy guy in lime green, plaid shorts and a lime green top is definitely in the minority ;).

[MizzNewbie]

As I wrote, it didn't bother me. I was just surprised. We were seated near the main entrance and got to watch everyone come in to the dining room. There were plenty of beautiful dresses and great suits. Only a few tuxedos.

 

Some of the formal night photos in the gallery were gorgeous!

[woodofpine]

The crazy guy in lime green, plaid shorts and a lime green top is definitely in the minority ;).

 

AHH! Lime green... If it had been any other color shorts and top, I'd be appalled, but Lime Green makes just about any clothing appropriate anywhere, anytime... (just ask my 16 yo DD) :D

 

Sort of makes me pine for my early-mid '70's tux... a splashy bright electric blue on black paisley number with the white ruffled shirt (ruffles edged in electric blue of course!) - those threads and the Jackson Brown haircut...

 

Yes - memories of the better fashioned 'good old days' is a-coming on strong with this formal dress thread... I JUST FEEL IT!!

 

Michael Jackson - where are you when formal night a-calls! :D:(:D

[wilfros]

I worried about this issue before our cruise also. We ended up with me renting a tux and (of course) DW bought 2 outfits just for the formal evenings.

 

We sailed on CB June 2nd and I must say, after now going on a cruise, that, IMHO, Formal Wear is not dead. It was Alive and Well on our cruise. We were not out of place in the slightest, as a matter of fact I could see, if one had any sense at all, they would feel out of place not dressed up.

 

Yea! It was Great!

 

We did not sit by the door the the MDR on any of those nights so I didn't get a chance to view what some (out of place) people were wearing. This observation is based on what I saw in the Public Rooms during the evening.

[5:00_Somewhere]

First to the OP, thanks for the amusing story and I, too, am glad it didn't "ruin your evening." We enjoy dressing up for formal night, but it doesn't really bother either of us all that much if others don't; it would be nice, but que sara sara. Sort of on the other end of the spectrum, though, I have to admit we've also been intrigued in recent years to see the numbers of young (and not so young) ladies who seem to think "formal" means "dress like a hoochie mama as long as it's black". :eek: Seriously, I can't believe some of the short, short, short skirts, and see-through tops I see on formal nights. But, again, doesn't "ruin" my evening; just interesting. Then again, half the fun of formal night is the people watching. ;)

 

Sort of makes me pine for my early-mid '70's tux... a splashy bright electric blue on black paisley number with the white ruffled shirt (ruffles edged in electric blue of course!) - those threads and the Jackson Brown haircut...

 

Yes - memories of the better fashioned 'good old days' is a-coming on strong with this formal dress thread... I JUST FEEL IT!!

 

Michael Jackson - where are you when formal night a-calls!

 

You just gave me a great idea! Halloween occurs during our next cruise, and a bunch of people on the roll call are talking about dressing up. What a hoot it would be if I could find a tux like the ones I wore to my junior and senior proms in the '70s (very much like the one you describe, only variations on the colors depending on the year -- always with the white ruffled shirt, of course, with matching edging.) ;)

 

Methinks it's time to go thrift shop hunting. :D

[Ethel5]

Michael Jackson - where are you when formal night a-calls! :D:(:D

 

I suspect he'll be dressed appropriately from now on.

[jhannah]

I'm tempted to ask why they don't just drop the formal nights since they have relaxed formal to include a suit (NOT formal by any definition) and allowed lesser dress than that. But the way we've collectively pushed the formal envelope, just imagine what would be done to the definition/requirements of casual!