Formal nights on Princess

[Glenndale]

I haven't travelled on Princess since 2002 and then only in the Med.
I'll be travelling on Grand Princess in January to the Caribbean.
Can anyone tell me how are formal nights observed by passengers please.
Do most people dress up i.e. gentlemen in DJs or suits and ladies in their 'posh' frocks/ glittery tops ?
Are jeans allowed at dinner, not that I intend to wear them - really just wondered whether or not standards had slipped.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Hi Glenndale,

We are on the Island Princess right now and formal night was last night-you see a bit of everythng-beaded gowns, tuxedos, suite, sport coats, etc. I would say that the majority of the ladies had on dressy tops (sparkly, beaded, et) and dressy slacks and that the men had either a suit or sport coat. Each time we sail we see less and less tuxedos and gowns, although they are certainly worn.

[GloriaF]

We are recently off the Crown's Canada to FLL repo cruise (10/23-11/7), and longer cruises have older passengers. Formal nights were for the most part formal. Being an older crowd (60+, with majority 70+) there were more black slacks with glittery tops than gowns. Men were in dark suits or tuxes. Jeans are still not accepted in the dining rooms as far as I know.

Formal packing for a woman is far less cumbersome than for a man. I packed one long red gown with jewelry, shoes and evening bag, and still managed to stay under my weight limit. Packing a tux or suit is a lot bulkier, and I wonder if the standards will change as airlines charge more and more for luggage.

[drbillmc]

We were recently on the Ruby. On formal night, I would say that the great majority of men wore suits, with sportcoats next and tuxes next. There were a very few who wore just shirts and ties. One man sitting next to us on the last formal night wore just an open shirt - it wasn't even a dress shirt. Quite a few women were in gowns, but most wore glittery tops and dress slacks. No one wore jeans on formal night. However, there were quite a few men who wore jeans or shorts in the dining rooms on the other nights. This was only our 10th cruise, but I have never seen anyone turned away for not dressing appropriately. While the great majority dress appropriately, I have seen fewer people wearing tuxes, etc.

[kooljamming]

Starting back wards, dress standard has not slipped (overall manners maybe, you will see as this thread prolongs) just changed so jeans are allowed on non-formal nights. For a middle age mama, they might be demin but definitely not your daughters jeans Looking good or classy is never about thread of the fabric you wear. Elastic waist and polyester are allowed but I wouldn't touch it.

We were recently on Golden Princess in August and Sapphire Princess in February. Majority of the passengers dressed lovely and for the occasion. I observed (I kinda looked) few tuxs but mostly suits for the gentlemen. There were a few in only shirt and tie but still looking very presentable. The ladies wore gowns, cocktail dresses, glitter and gold.
I will agree with another poster, over 10 cruises I have seen less gowns and tuxs. For the majority, formal night is still about dressing-up, taking pics, and feeling like a true prince or princess or even a Queen and a movie star.

[mr green]

Princess is still 'smart' on formal night, but, not as 'formal'. Maybe ten per cent of the men wore a tux., the rest looked very neat for the most part. The ladies were on the whole a tad smarter.

john

[Glenndale]

Thanks for all the replies and pics, sounds like people still make a special occasion of formal nights.
We'll be disembarking Queen Victoria in FL and onto the Grand so will have formal wear with us, good to know we won't stick out like sore thumbs when we dress up.
Not that sticking out like a sore thumb would stop me from dressing appropriately

[Pam in CA]

Originally Posted by Glenndale

Thanks for all the replies and pics, sounds like people still make a special occasion of formal nights.
We'll be disembarking Queen Victoria in FL and onto the Grand so will have formal wear with us, good to know we won't stick out like sore thumbs when we dress up.
Not that sticking out like a sore thumb would stop me from dressing appropriately

Princess is not quite as formal as the Queen Victoria but the vast majority of the passengers observe the requested dress guidelines. In my experience, most of the gentlemen are in tuxes or dark suits (I see very few sports jackets) and most of the ladies are in either very dressy pants with a sparkling top or a gown. You don't see many ball gowns any more but I do see some.