Formal Night Dilemma

My DH refuses to do formal night on our upcoming cruise. We have done it in the past & he doesn't want to take anything formal this time. However, I really want lobster & bitter & blanc, Both are only available on formal night I believe. What's a girl to do?

Go without him and meet up after dinner!

Can't you have it sent to your room instead?

lol Ditch him. No really, tell him its important to you.

Carnival has elegant night now and not formal night. Males can get into the MDR with as little as a nice pair of pants (e.g. dockers) and a long sleeved dress shirt. I saw less than that on my last cruise. So your DH can leave his formal clothes at home unless you have other ideas.

From Carnival website (emphasis mine):

Cruise Elegant Dining Dress Code: Gentlemen - Dress slacks, dress shirts. We also SUGGEST a sport coat. If you wish to wear suits and ties or tuxedos, by all means we invite you to do so. Ladies - Cocktail dresses, pantsuits, elegant skirts and blouses; if you‘d like to show off your evening gowns, that's great too!

My DH refuses to do formal night on our upcoming cruise. We have done it in the past & he doesn't want to take anything formal this time. However, I really want lobster & bitter & blanc, Both are only available on formal night I believe. What's a girl to do?

What's the dilemma? He won't put on a pair of pants and a collared shirt?

If he is that obstinate and you want lobster, I'd do like the others say and go by yourself. That's the least a man can do for his lady.:)

Bill

What's the dilemma? He won't put on a pair of pants and a collared shirt?

 

If he is that obstinate and you want lobster, I'd do like the others say and go by yourself. That's the least a man can do for his lady.:)

 

Bill

Lol, he might if I beg & plead. Especially of he can wear khakis & a polo shirt. I thought it needed to be more formal. In his defense, he did wear his dress blues on our first cruise. Nobody else was in dress uniform so he felt over dressed.

Lol, he might if I beg & plead. Especially of he can wear khakis & a polo shirt. I thought it needed to be more formal. In his defense, he did wear his dress blues on our first cruise. Nobody else was in dress uniform so he felt over dressed.

My husband wore khakis and we felt he was acceptably dressed compared to most.

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Sorry but I think this whole thing is silly since Carnival doesn't require anything formal at all!

Long pants and a shirt with a collar is the basic requirement so no need for everyone to get on this guy for not wanting to wear anything more formal!

Wifey can wear what she wants and so can he!

Thank him for his service for me! Can't get better than dress blues! Just the slacks and a polo will be fine. After dinner, go back to the cabin and don the shorts again.

Could you possibly just throw the Khaki's and a dress shirt in your bag, plus the shoes?

New pair of jeans and a polo will get you in MDR:D

Exactly why do people care what others wear on formal night???

We did agree not to do formal night. I just changed my mind on him! :D

Get him a nice silk hawaiian shirt that color coordinates with your formal. It's more important to be happy than to be right.

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Get him a nice silk hawaiian shirt that color coordinates with your formal. It's more important to be happy than to be right.

 

 

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He actually wanted to get a Hawaiian shirt to wear! I may try that!

I'm fine with it being changed to Cruise Elegant and to be honest the only person that caught my attention in a negative way was the man dressed in faded jeans and a Tshirt. In my opinion, dockers, polo shirt tucked in, belt and loafers all the way up to a tuxedo are all fine on elegant night.

Rent a tux onboard. This is how we got around bringing all the dress-up stuff. They even have the shoes there for you. Then you get all the pictures you want and he doesn't have to bring anything.

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Rent a tux onboard. This is how we got around bringing all the dress-up stuff. They even have the shoes there for you. Then you get all the pictures you want and he doesn't have to bring anything.

 

 

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How much is a tux rental?

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How much is a tux rental?

http://www.cruiselineformal.com/cf_pages/packages-ccl.php?c=car

I found this when looking on the carnival site.

CRUISE CASUAL SUIT

PACKAGE INCLUDES:starting @ $95.00

Tan jacket and pants (belt not included)

Soft microfiber lay down collar shirt (choice of solid white, ivory or chocolate)

1 long tie (your choice of chocolate diagonal stripe or paisley print in cocoa)

Handkerchief to match the tie

OPTIONAL UPGRADE:

You may substitute the package shirt for an upgrade Chocolate Pinstripe Microfiber Shirt for $10.00

Or you may rent it as an additional shirt for $15.00

NOTE: Currently available on Caribbean sailings only.

DELUXE UPGRADE PACKAGES

Prices starting at $130.00*DELUXE TUXEDO PACKAGE

PACKAGE INCLUDES:

Classic black jacket with matching trousers

Soft microfiber lay down collar shirt

Exclusive Calvin Klein full-back vest with matching long tie and hanky in your choice of color (see list of Calvin Klein vest selection below)

Upgrade set of elegant cufflinks (choice of silver or gold)

Prices starting at $160.00*DELUXE BLACK & WHITE TUXEDO PACKAGE

PACKAGE INCLUDES:

Classic black jacket with matching trousers and an additional white dinner jacket

Soft microfiber lay down collar shirt

Exclusive Calvin Klein full-back vest with matching long tie and hanky in your choice of color (see list of Calvin Klein vest selection below)

Upgrade set of elegant cufflinks (choice of silver or gold)

Please note: Calvin Klein vest selection available exclusively with Deluxe Tuxedo Package rental

Calvin Klein Vest Selection

black vest

Black apple vest

Apple platinum vest

Platinum rosewood vest

Rosewood vicvtorian lilac vest

Victorian Lilac

Prices starting at $110.00*CONTEMPORARY TUXEDO PACKAGE

PACKAGE INCLUDES:

Classic black jacket with matching trousers

White lay down collar shirt

Designer vest and long tie set in your choice of 7 stylish colors listed below

Elegant set of black/silver cufflinks

Prices starting at $145.00*CONTEMPORARY BLACK & WHITE TUXEDO PACKAGE

PACKAGE INCLUDES:

Classic black jacket with matching trousers and an additional white dinner jacket

Lay down collar shirt

Designer vest and long tie set in your choice of 7 stylish colors listed below

Elegant set of black/silver cufflinks

The Designer Collection vest selection

black vest

Black ice vest

Ice periwinkle

Periwinkle kiwi vest

Kiwi garnet vest

Garnet coral vest

Coral flamingo vest

Flamingo

Prices starting at $87.00*CLASSIC BLACK TUXEDO PACKAGE

Classic Black Package

PACKAGE INCLUDES:

Black jacket and matching pants

White Formal Shirt

Black Cummerbund & Bow Tie Set

Cufflinks & Studs

Prices starting at $97.00*WHITE DINNER JACKET PACKAGE

White Dinner Jacket Package

PACKAGE INCLUDES:

White Dinner Jacket and matching black pants

White Formal Shirt

1 Black Cummerbund & Bow Tie Set

Cufflinks & Studs

Prices starting at $120.00*BLACK & WHITE COMBO PACKAGE

Black and White Combo Package

PACKAGE INCLUDES:

Classic black jacket with matching trousers and an additional white dinner jacket

White Formal Shirt

1 Black Cummerbund & Bow Tie Set

1 Set of Cufflinks & Studs

OPTIONAL RENTAL GARMENTS & ACCESSORIES

$15.00*BLACK FORMAL SHOES

$7.00*BLACK FORMAL SOCKS (yours to keep)

$8.00*BLACK SUSPENDERS

$25.00*CLASSIC BROCADE PRINT VEST & BOW TIE SETS (click to enlarge)

black vest

Black burgundy vest

Burgundy silver vest

Silver blue vest

Blue emerald vest

Emerald gold vest

Gold

$30.00*DESIGNER VEST & LONG TIE SETS

black vest

Black Ice vest

Ice periwinkle vest

Periwinkle kiwi vest

Kiwi garnet vest

Garnet coral vest

Coral flamingo vest

Flamingo

$25.00*PAISLEY PRINT VEST & BOW TIE SETS (click photo to enlarge)

black & white vest

Black & White blue vest

Blue burgundy vest

Burgundy gold vest

Gold hunter green vest

Hunter Green

FORMAL ACCESSORIES FOR PURCHASE

$12.00*SILK POCKET SQUARE (click on the photo to see a larger version)

Available in Black, Burgundy, Red, Silver and White

Black

Black Burgundy

Burgundy Red

Red

FASHIONABLE CUFF LINKS & STUD SETS (click photo for a larger version)

Classic Round

Cufflink/Stud Set

with Black Stone

Silver $25.00*

Classic Round

Cufflink/Stud Set

with Black Stone

Gold $30.00*

Classic Square

Cufflink/Stud Set

with Black Stone

Silver $35.00*

Classic Octagon

Cufflink/Stud Set

with Black Stone

Gold $45.00*

Go without him and meet up after dinner!

Nailed it. :D It's called compromising. You go and enjoy yourself and he can go elsewhere. Is it really going to kill him to do it just one night? :)

Unless he's wearing gym shorts and a sleeveless T go to MDR. Formal on Carnival is mostly a thing of the past.

No need to split up for dinner, as already mentioned. Last cruise I didn't even wear a tie (just dress shirt, dress shoes and slacks) because I wanted to order the St. Louis-style ribs and they're too risky to eat wearing one. I was by far and away not the worst dressed person in the mdr. I've been on RCCL cruises where I wore a polo shirt. I mentioned this ahead of time to the maitre d' to see if this would be a problem. He said I was welcome and that would not be a problem. I do like to dress up at times (usually when I'm with a group and we all get gussied up) but it's no longer de rigueur on the mass marketed cruise lines. The worst dressed were on the MSC Divina. I was kicking myself for packing a suit.

In my opinion, one of the BEST parts of the cruise experience is formal night. While everything else has gotten SO casual, it's fun to get all gussied up and watch the parade of equally elegant dressers go by. It sort of spoils it for me, for my husband to be in a tux, and I in an evening dress and see guys wearing "a golf shirt and a pair of khakis"...that is neither elegant or formal. Just saying! Why can't the man wear a coat and tie just to make his lady happy?

On our last carnival Cruise, the Maitre'd came around the night before formal and told us that the next night was elegant night and that just meant to "wear the best thing you brought on board".