Dawn Princess "formal nights" dress code for men

My question is how "formal" is formal for men on these nights? Am trying to keep luggage weight reasonable and jackets/suits etc take up space only to be worn on three nights. Would a long sleeve shirt with tie and long pants be OK or is this being terribly under dressed?

My Hubby always wears a jacket or suit...If you are flying...make him wear it on the plane ;) We are off to Alaska and sailing baack to Australia we have paid extra for luggage...

I haven't been on the Dawn in quite a while but if it's anything like the other ships it'll be fine without the jacket.

My question is how "formal" is formal for men on these nights? Am trying to keep luggage weight reasonable and jackets/suits etc take up space only to be worn on three nights. Would a long sleeve shirt with tie and long pants be OK or is this being terribly under dressed?

We cruised Sydney to Dover last year on the "Dawn" and most men wore a suit. My husband wore his tux and we each had 23 KGS of luggage as we had to fly home.

I haven't been on the Dawn recently, but other Princess ships accept long sleeve button shirts and slacks on formal nights. You will see many men dressed without coats and ties.

I haven't been on the Dawn recently, but other Princess ships accept long sleeve button shirts and slacks on formal nights. You will see many men dressed without coats and ties.

Well, with all due respect...define "many."

You and I were just on the same Coral cruise. Since this topic always recurs (and recurs and recurs), I usually take a look around the MDR (late trad). On the Canal cruise, I would say "very few" (5% at most) men there were wearing neither jacket or tie. In the Atrium or theater, sure. But in the dining room, I'd stand by "very few." Though, since I'm pro-dress-code, maybe we see what we want to see?

BTW, on this cruise (as opposed to my last one), I also witnessed the dining room host enforcing the code, turning away one man in a tank top and requiring another man to take off his stupid ball cap before entering the dining room. Kudos!

My question is how "formal" is formal for men on these nights? Am trying to keep luggage weight reasonable and jackets/suits etc take up space only to be worn on three nights. Would a long sleeve shirt with tie and long pants be OK or is this being terribly under dressed?

Princess's outlook on dressing has been expressed on Facebook as "It is paramount to Princess that her passengers are relaxed, enjoying their vacation and not judged" .

Princess clearly doesn't care what passenger wear as long as it's within reason & they're happily spending money and enjoying themselves.

He will be underdressed and in a small minority but he won't be turned away. In spite of what you read here, the vast majority of men respect the request to dress up on formal nights.

Remember those formal nights are about one-quarter (plus) of the nights of your cruise. He will appreciate being dressed per the guidelines rather than chancing the "will it work for this Maitre'D" issue.

Besides aren't you worth him getting well dressed for you ??? I bet you are.

They suggest a tux or suit, we wear our tux. Formal is formal. Casual is casual. :)

You can hire a tux and shirt and tie for the duration of the cruise and have it delivered to your cabin for $100. Excellent value I thought and saves luggage hassles, dry cleaner bills etc. it is nice to honour the dress code.

Otherwise there is the horizon court you can go to for dinner where you don't have to dress up on formal nights.

Princess's outlook on dressing has been expressed on Facebook as "It is paramount to Princess that her passengers are relaxed, enjoying their vacation and not judged" .

Princess clearly doesn't care what passenger wear as long as it's within reason & they're happily spending money and enjoying themselves.

Not buying into the Citizens United corporations-are-people argument, I'm not sure "Princess" can care about anything. But if Princess could "clearly not care," there clearly wouldn't be a dress code in the first place, no?

What "Princess" clearly doesn't do is enforce its own rules/guidelines in a consistent manner. On my next-to-last cruise, the HW told me he did care about men wearing ballcaps in the MDR, but declined to do anything about it. On this past cruise, I watched as a man at the dining room door was asked to remove his cap before entering, which he did - a sixty-year-old who had to be schooled in the social conventions as though he were ten. A number of men clearly think that wearing a cap to dinner is "within reason." "Princess" clearly does not...sometimes. "Princess" is like a parent who sets the rules, but then sometimes lets things slide.

Yes, underdressed men will get into the MDR on formal night. On my last cruise, I was seated with a very nice man who wore open-necked print sport shirts under a sportcoat, while the rest of us (including his wife) were in tuxes, suit-and-tie, and gowns. He said he didn't own a necktie, didn't even know how to tie one. I sensed a certain pride in that statement, but I found it just a wee bit sad, like he was a 60-year-old who refused (at least in this instance) to grow up. As someone who likes roller coasters and rock and roll, I fully understand the appeal of immaturity. But if I'm going to be a nonconformist, I prefer it be for something that matters, not underdressing for dinner or avoiding card-check at the muster drill.

We sail Princess not because of any one particular thing but because of various reasons and not necessarily in any particular order, being price vs quality, perks, better food, casualness of dress, liberal liquor policy and finally the new smoking policy. Why switch to any other cruise line because they have a more lenient dress policy only to lose out on all the other pluses?

My question is how "formal" is formal for men on these nights? Am trying to keep luggage weight reasonable and jackets/suits etc take up space only to be worn on three nights. Would a long sleeve shirt with tie and long pants be OK or is this being terribly under dressed?

On formal nights men can get by with as little as athletic shoes, Docker pants and a long sleeved dress shirt. I have heard of them accepting short sleeved shirts as well. While most may be in a suit, there will be a number of men less dressed.

Well, with all due respect...define "many."

 

You and I were just on the same Coral cruise. Since this topic always recurs (and recurs and recurs), I usually take a look around the MDR (late trad). On the Canal cruise, I would say "very few" (5% at most) men there were wearing neither jacket or tie. In the Atrium or theater, sure. But in the dining room, I'd stand by "very few." Though, since I'm pro-dress-code, maybe we see what we want to see?

 

BTW, on this cruise (as opposed to my last one), I also witnessed the dining room host enforcing the code, turning away one man in a tank top and requiring another man to take off his stupid ball cap before entering the dining room. Kudos!

There is a vast difference between tank tops and button up shirts. Also, I don't know how ball caps got into this discussion.

I was seated at a table for eight, and was the only one there who wore a coat and tie, so I took them off. I looked around the room and saw "many" without coats and ties. My definition of many does not fit with the "made up" statistics that I have seen posted.

I sailed another Princess ship in January this year, and was encouraged by crew to go to the dining room on formal night with a button up shirt and slacks because I had not taken a coat and tie on that trip.

I think it is wrong to use these boards to furnish false information to those who come here asking questions. They should be told the true story, and let them make their choices from there.

The true story is the Princess ships I have sailed allow button up shirts and slacks into the MDR's on formal nights.

Not buying into the Citizens United corporations-are-people argument, I'm not sure "Princess" can care about anything. But if Princess could "clearly not care," there clearly wouldn't be a dress code in the first place, no?

 

What "Princess" clearly doesn't do is enforce its own rules/guidelines in a consistent manner. On my next-to-last cruise, the HW told me he did care about men wearing ballcaps in the MDR, but declined to do anything about it. On this past cruise, I watched as a man at the dining room door was asked to remove his cap before entering, which he did - a sixty-year-old who had to be schooled in the social conventions as though he were ten. A number of men clearly think that wearing a cap to dinner is "within reason." "Princess" clearly does not...sometimes. "Princess" is like a parent who sets the rules, but then sometimes lets things slide.

 

Yes, underdressed men will get into the MDR on formal night. On my last cruise, I was seated with a very nice man who wore open-necked print sport shirts under a sportcoat, while the rest of us (including his wife) were in tuxes, suit-and-tie, and gowns. He said he didn't own a necktie, didn't even know how to tie one. I sensed a certain pride in that statement, but I found it just a wee bit sad, like he was a 60-year-old who refused (at least in this instance) to grow up. As someone who likes roller coasters and rock and roll, I fully understand the appeal of immaturity. But if I'm going to be a nonconformist, I prefer it be for something that matters, not underdressing for dinner or avoiding card-check at the muster drill.

Where is that clapping icon...because I would surely be using it right now. Great post! ;)

There I was seated at a table for eight, and was the only one there who wore a coat and tie, so I took them off. I looked around the room and saw "many" without coats and ties. My definition of many does not fit with the "made up" statistics that I have seen posted.

 

I sailed another Princess ship in January this year, and was encouraged by crew to go to the dining room on formal night with a button up shirt and slacks because I had not taken a coat and tie on that trip.

 

I think it is wrong to use these boards to furnish false information to those who come here asking questions. They should be told the true story, and let them make their choices from there.

 

The true story is the Princess ships I have sailed allow button up shirts and slacks into the MDR's on formal nights.

Not made up statistics.

Not false information.

True responses from a much larger Cruise Critic population than those who post regularly.

Will you see exceptions and/or variances based on itinerary or ship? Absolutely. Some are more formal, some less. Certainly the poll included a count of those who dress casually.

Where is that clapping icon...because I would surely be using it right now. Great post! ;)

::bows::

There is a vast difference between tank tops and button up shirts. Also, I don't know how ball caps got into this discussion.

Just an example of how enforcement varies, one I might not have fully explained. On the Grand I sat across from a man in a baseball cap and shades, there was another guy at dinner with a sleeveless "muscle shirt," the HW didn't do squat. On the Coral, a man in a cap wasn't even allowed into the dining room without be asked to take it off and a man in tank top was turned away.

Clear now?

Just an example of how enforcement varies, one I might not have fully explained. On the Grand I sat across from a man in a baseball cap and shades, there was another guy at dinner with a sleeveless "muscle shirt," the HW didn't do squat. On the Coral, a man in a cap wasn't even allowed into the dining room without be asked to take it off and a man in tank top was turned away.

 

Clear now?

Perhaps you need to re-read the OP's question. Tank tops and baseball caps have nothing to do with his question.

I answered the question, and see no need to continue senseless discussions that are off topic.

My question is how "formal" is formal for men on these nights? Am trying to keep luggage weight reasonable and jackets/suits etc take up space only to be worn on three nights. Would a long sleeve shirt with tie and long pants be OK or is this being terribly under dressed?

John - if you don't eat in the MDR (either traditional or anytime dining) on 'formal' nights you don't need to be dressed 'formally.' We tired of dressing up but are respectful of others' feelings so we schedule dinner in one of the specialty restaurants (which are always smart casual) on those nights. There's also the buffet which is always casual. You won't go hungry:p.

John - if you don't eat in the MDR (either traditional or anytime dining) on 'formal' nights you don't need to be dressed 'formally.' We tired of dressing up but are respectful of others' feelings so we schedule dinner in one of the specialty restaurants (which are always smart casual) on those nights. There's also the buffet which is always casual. You won't go hungry:p.

While it's true that the OP won't go hungry he might be disappointed when he does see the style of dress being accepted in the dining room when he eats at the buffet. He'll no doubt have some dressy, although casual clothing, that would suffice in the situation to gain entrance to the DR for the better meals.