Not my idea of Smart Casual

We sailed with Ventura in 2013 and have just got off Holland America's Noordam today. Whereas we enjoy P&O and HAL in equal measure, there is a question I would like to ask on this forum. We were really surprised on Noordam how in the Lido restaurant (the Plaza on P&O) at dinner in the evening, people were turning up in their shorts - and the same shorts they appeared to have worn all day. We questioned the restaurant manager and he said once people were on the ship, there was nowhere else except the ship in the evening to eat, and if they turned up in shorts - they couldn't be turned away. Don't flame me, but IMO that's not Smart Casual. So - is this the case with P&O these days? Are people turning up in their shorts in the Plaza at dinner?

The buffet is the one area of the ship that does not require guests to maintain the dress code. It's been that way for a while though...

On Oceana in 2012 we ate in the buffet one evening, but I still didn't wear shorts and dressed like I usually would to go to restaurant.

The buffet is the one area of the ship that does not require guests to maintain the dress code. It's been that way for a while though...

 

On Oceana in 2012 we ate in the buffet one evening, but I still didn't wear shorts and dressed like I usually would to go to restaurant.

Exactly my point.

Will never forget the family that we saw on Oceana from the Horizon Grill (by the pool area) one evening taking food from the buffet area on deck to have something to eat. They were still in very casual wear - shorts, t shirts etc

The next night we saw the same family around the pool area, with their food, but all dressed in their formal gear because it was formal night. They were still enjoying their holiday, their way, using the buffet and eating on deck by the pool.

It was lovely to watch them take a nod at the dress code in their way

Having said that, as there is no dress code in the buffet area as such then people can dress as it suits them.

:)

Will never forget the family that we saw on Oceana from the Horizon Grill (by the pool area) one evening taking food from the buffet area on deck to have something to eat. They were still in very casual wear - shorts, t shirts etc

 

 

 

The next night we saw the same family around the pool area, with their food, but all dressed in their formal gear because it was formal night. They were still enjoying their holiday, their way, using the buffet and eating on deck by the pool.

 

 

 

It was lovely to watch them take a nod at the dress code in their way

 

 

 

Having said that, as there is no dress code in the buffet area as such then people can dress as it suits them.

 

 

 

:)

Not true. Shorts are not allowed at night. Having said that I have never seen anyone at night not wear trousers of some sort. I have also read complaints from someone wanting to be casual at night and on a formal night finding the buffet full of people in formal gear. Priceless.

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Not true. Shorts are not allowed at night. Having said that I have never seen anyone at night not wear trousers of some sort. I have also read complaints from someone wanting to be casual at night and on a formal night finding the buffet full of people in formal gear. Priceless.

 

 

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Sorry, thought that they were -- I was just going on what we had seen on our cruise with some people wearing long shorts. Having said that they were sitting outside by the pool but had got food from the buffet restaurant and taken it there. Not sure what dress code that follows. :)

Yes I remember dragging my smart gear all through the Rockies then to Alaska with HAL. On the formal night I was the only penguin there - and a lot of the Yanks were in shorts and tank top. I was the one who felt completely out of place (and more than a tad annoyed) as I hate all the dressing up. But I realise with P&O that is the way it goes so I do it - my lovely Mrs loves it and always says how smart I look. But I spend every day in a suit and tie and would prefer something not quite so formal.

Anyway if you go with HAL you can ignore all the dressing up protocol.

Yes I remember dragging my smart gear all through the Rockies then to Alaska with HAL. On the formal night I was the only penguin there - and a lot of the Yanks were in shorts and tank top. I was the one who felt completely out of place (and more than a tad annoyed) as I hate all the dressing up. But I realise with P&O that is the way it goes so I do it - my lovely Mrs loves it and always says how smart I look. But I spend every day in a suit and tie and would prefer something not quite so formal.

Anyway if you go with HAL you can ignore all the dressing up protocol.

On one of the formal nights we had on HAL, two people were turned away from the Vista main dining room for wearing shorts, but the number of people in formal dress were very few. Some men didn't wear ties, jackets or even long sleeved shirts, and there were a couple of women in sparkly t-shirts and jean-like trousers. We felt distinctly overdressed. Either there is a dress code or there isn't.

No you don't have to follow the dress code for the buffet area on P&O neither on Princess.

I think that's the whole idea for having a buffet area so if you don't wish to dress one night you can still eat!!!

I'll include the link to the P&O website ..

https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/life-on-board/enforced_dresscode

No you don't have to follow the dress code for the buffet area on P&O neither on Princess.

I think that's the whole idea for having a buffet area so if you don't wish to dress one night you can still eat!!!

 

I'll include the link to the P&O website ..

 

https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/life-on-board/enforced_dresscode

yes, i often ate in the buffet in the morning, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner in my jeans and a jumper. Was handy on the rough sea days when the thought of formal dining was just too much! I may have worn shorts or a skirt if we had been in hotter climates, but this was a baltics cruise so I just wore what was worm.

I thought it was just pool attire that was banned?

One night on Ventura (when we were P&O newbies), we were too tired to 'dine out' so we went to the buffet. It was approx 6:30pm and my hubby was still wearing his long shorts. He was refused entry due to the shorts. We went back to cabin and he popped on a pair of trousers; job done. However, if he had sat and waited by the pool and I had gone into the buffet to gather provisions for him, this would have created the impression that he had been into the buffet himself - in shorts; which was certainly not the case.

In our opinion, one of the major attractions about P&O is the adherence to dress code.

One night on Ventura (when we were P&O newbies), we were too tired to 'dine out' so we went to the buffet. It was approx 6:30pm and my hubby was still wearing his long shorts. He was refused entry due to the shorts. We went back to cabin and he popped on a pair of trousers; job done. However, if he had sat and waited by the pool and I had gone into the buffet to gather provisions for him, this would have created the impression that he had been into the buffet himself - in shorts; which was certainly not the case.

 

In our opinion, one of the major attractions about P&O is the adherence to dress code.

I agree that if there is a published dress code you should adhere to it in those areas in which it is obligatory, even if you personally would prefer not to. I do not have any problem with people being refused service if they do not comply. I do however, take exception to those who seek to impose their own code and object to those who do comply with the minimum code in a venue because they would prefer a stricter code to apply. P&O set the code, not the passengers.

I agree that if there is a published dress code you should adhere to it in those areas in which it is obligatory, even if you personally would prefer not to. I do not have any problem with people being refused service if they do not comply. I do however, take exception to those who seek to impose their own code and object to those who do comply with the minimum code in a venue because they would prefer a stricter code to apply. P&O set the code, not the passengers.

Don't worry, the dress code wars seem to be a thing of the past. If i wanted to be controversal about it I could say that as Britannia is only going to have 2 dress codes like Ventura the wars must be over, with the casual side the winner. Or maybe an armistice with advantageous terms for the casual side :) P&O splitting their fleet into 2 groups helps as well.

It is interesting to see what is happening elsewhere with one specialist restaurant formal every night and no formal anywhere else.

Don't worry, the dress code wars seem to be a thing of the past. If i wanted to be controversal about it I could say that as Britannia is only going to have 2 dress codes like Ventura the wars must be over, with the casual side the winner. Or maybe an armistice with advantageous terms for the casual side :) P&O splitting their fleet into 2 groups helps as well.

 

It is interesting to see what is happening elsewhere with one specialist restaurant formal every night and no formal anywhere else.

I agree with your assessment. The fact that Britannia will operate only two codes like Ventura, and that Azura will come into line with them, clearly indicates the way that the wind is blowing.

As regards your last comment, I believe that cruise lines will abandon formal nights as we know them in favour of either making black tie purely optional (as on Regent Seven Seas and NCL), making it applicable to one restaurant only (as on Anthem of the Seas), or discontinuing it altogether (as on Star Clippers, Azamara and Oceania)

I agree with your assessment. The fact that Britannia will operate only two codes like Ventura, and that Azura will come into line with them, clearly indicates the way that the wind is blowing.

As regards your last comment, I believe that cruise lines will abandon formal nights as we know them in favour of either making black tie purely optional (as on Regent Seven Seas and NCL), making it applicable to one restaurant only (as on Anthem of the Seas), or discontinuing it altogether (as on Star Clippers, Azamara and Oceania)

That would attract us back to cruising. Not that we did formal on Ventura in the Caribbean.

We go on holiday to get some sunshine on our old bones and have cruised the Caribbean 4 times( 3 with the OV ships).

More recently we have switched to 5* land based in Egypt and Mexico where smart casual was the order of the day and the service and food were far better than any cruise we have been on.

Having said that, food was not an issue on any cruise it is just not the "fine dining" that people on this site rave about.

I think the airlines have also played a part in the attire of cruisers.

In the old days a case was a case and size and dimensions of it or of your hand luggage didnt really matter, these days it does.

So people are always making sacrifices when packing and I think its often the formal outfits that go.

In the past I have taken suits with smart shoes to wear for dinner on semi formal nights and then a tux with dress shoes for formal nights, combined they weight a lot.

These days if my luggage allowance is tight, it will probably be the suit that gets packed and the tux left at home.

We were on Ventura Christmas/New year 2012/13, hot Caribbean so my husband put on a smart pair of cropped linen trousers and short sleeved linen shirt on a non formal night and we got turned away from the buffet one evening!:confused:

We were on Ventura Christmas/New year 2012/13, hot Caribbean so my husband put on a smart pair of cropped linen trousers and short sleeved linen shirt on a non formal night and we got turned away from the buffet one evening!:confused:

Correct, no shorts in the buffet in the evening, cropped trousers are classed as shorts. He could have stayed in the pool area and you could have brought the food to him. There is no problem with that.

We were on Ventura Christmas/New year 2012/13, hot Caribbean so my husband put on a smart pair of cropped linen trousers and short sleeved linen shirt on a non formal night and we got turned away from the buffet one evening!:confused:

And I bet they cost a lot more than some of the cheap and nasty dinner suits that that we saw on Ventura.

To be fair, though, cropped linen trousers are not acceptable in all the hotels we go to except some Riu Hotels in Playacar, Mexico.

Difficult to police so easier to have a blanket no shorts ban, so wether you try pass them off as smart or cropped trousers if they are not a full length trouser then yes I guess they are shorts and the worst scenario for the poor staff taking the flak is turning someone anyway in shorts who then spots someone in the buffet in cropped trousers and then the arguments start!

Difficult to police so easier to have a blanket no shorts ban, so wether you try pass them off as smart or cropped trousers if they are not a full length trouser then yes I guess they are shorts and the worst scenario for the poor staff taking the flak is turning someone anyway in shorts who then spots someone in the buffet in cropped trousers and then the arguments start!

When visiting Italian churches the rule is that trousers should cover the knees, and shirts should cover the shoulders. What is regarded as sufficiently respectful by the Roman Catholic church should be similarly regarded in the buffet restaurant of a cruise ship. In my opinion, at least!

And I bet they cost a lot more than some of the cheap and nasty dinner suits that that we saw on Ventura.

To be fair, though, cropped linen trousers are not acceptable in all the hotels we go to except some Riu Hotels in Playacar, Mexico.

Considering they may have cost anything between £10 and £100 I'm not sure what purpose that remark serves, other than to reinforce your intense dislike of dinner suits.

And I bet they cost a lot more than some of the cheap and nasty dinner suits that that we saw on Ventura.

To be fair, though, cropped linen trousers are not acceptable in all the hotels we go to except some Riu Hotels in Playacar, Mexico.

Where do kilts come in this discussion. Would the DRM know the difference between Dress Stuart and everyday Stuart.

I cruise with P&O for a number of reasons one of the main ones being their dress code, now being a young retireree I do not get the opportunity to dress formally as I used to I look forward to the formal nights on my cruise and both my wife and I getting the glad rags on. I suspect the majority of P&O cruisers feel the same as on the formal nights 99% of passengers follow the dress code?I would not object to smart 3/4 length shorts being worn in the buffet,however no doubt some passengers would try to push this to wear normal shorts.P&O well publicise their dress code and all potential passengers are aware of this, I for one am sick and tired of those who do not wish to comply with company policy and constantly whining that P&O should change to suit them and their wants and likes, there are numerous cruise lines offering the casual dress code go with them and leave P&O to those who prefer that style of cruising there are obviously many out there going by the number I se on my numerous P&O cruises, when P&O enter the casual go as you like market I will give up cruising.I am not an old fuddy duddy and I am only to happy to dress down and chill but I like the opportunity to get the formal gear out and I believe there are plenty like me.

Sanjam Cruisers - I totally agree with you. It amazes me that the dress code creates so much discussion.

Basically the only difference between Smart Casual and Jacket Required was that a jacket was required. Simple as that. Dropping the jacket was no big deal. It does not indicate that P&O will drop the Formal Nights.