Am I the only one who misses formal ?

I've been cruising the the mid 60s and I do remember getting dressed up and having fun doing so. The last time we went formal was in the early 90s when we cruised to Europe for the first time. It was amazing fun! But we took a break from cruising at one point and when we came back...wow! We were really surprised at how casual people were dressing. We just excepted the change and went with the flow. We don't wear any kind of formal clothing at all. If we did go on a cruise where it was required...we'd definitely would dress up again.

Basically we abide by the dress code of whatever ship we're sailing on. Most of them are very casual now and we're fine with that. We too sail for the itinerary and not for dressing up.

I miss the idea of formal nights on most cruise lines. One of the main reasons that my wife and I choose Cunard is the elegance of formal wear. We are going on Crystal on our next cruise and I will still take a tux for black tie optional night -- even on a seven night cruise. I know that comfort and casual attire is now what the majority of people seem to strive for, but I believe that there is still a place for formality in style. I just know that if more people could see how spectacular my wife looks in her formals, they would appreciate formal nights much more. I certainly do. I always tell people to just imagine a tall, slender, beautiful, graceful, elegant, platinum blonde in her formal. It just doesn't get much better than that. To top it all off, she is also an amazing dancer. It's certainly worth it to me to carry 5 extra pounds of luggage for the privilege of spending an evening with such an extraordinary woman wearing her finest.

Jerry of Jerry and Lady Kathryn

Jerry,

I certainly hope Lady Kathryn reads what you wrote! That is such a lovely sentiment! Lucky Lady!

Cathy

We're doing east and westbound TAs on Cunard next year and we'll have 50% formals. We also find formals are really well respected on all the British lines (except on weekenders) but I think it is very hard for men on Cunard. The QM2 is on an Ocean Liner not a cruise ship but we're spending our holiday on her and my OH has to wear a jacket every night we're onboard and that's a bit too formal for him. I should maybe explain that we sail with Cunard because I don't fly and we like to holiday in the US!

Jerrymanos, what a lovely thing to say about your wife! She is a lucky lady:)

We live near enough to drive to the port and don't have any luggage restrictions. We both enjoy dressing up. Hubby looks very handsome in his DJ and I don't scrub up too badly in a long dress. I am so glad that our usual cruise line still observe formal nights.

Formal nights are alive and well on Celebrity! I love to see my dh in his tux or dinner jacket, for a longer cruise we go "old school" and there is the tux, dinner jacket, dark suit and navy blazer.

Our cruise to Alaska - I think I will leave the tux home and just go with the dark suit and I'll stick to blingy cocktail dresses. That is my going "more casual" for us. :D

cb_at_sea never comes back after posting. She's a post-and-run type. I don't think she was trying to be rude. It's just her posting style.

But if you call her out on it, she'll report you and you'll have posts removed.....Don't ask me how I know this. We're not allowed to talk about the board on the board;)

I miss the idea of formal nights on most cruise lines. One of the main reasons that my wife and I choose Cunard is the elegance of formal wear. We are going on Crystal on our next cruise and I will still take a tux for black tie optional night -- even on a seven night cruise. I know that comfort and casual attire is now what the majority of people seem to strive for, but I believe that there is still a place for formality in style. I just know that if more people could see how spectacular my wife looks in her formals, they would appreciate formal nights much more. I certainly do. I always tell people to just imagine a tall, slender, beautiful, graceful, elegant, platinum blonde in her formal. It just doesn't get much better than that. To top it all off, she is also an amazing dancer. It's certainly worth it to me to carry 5 extra pounds of luggage for the privilege of spending an evening with such an extraordinary woman wearing her finest.

 

Jerry of Jerry and Lady Kathryn

Jerry,

We have been on four world cruise on Cunard ships. Hope we will meet in the future on one of the Queen.

Best regards

Marie

But if you call her out on it, she'll report you and you'll have posts removed.....Don't ask me how I know this. We're not allowed to talk about the board on the board;)

I guess I've been lucky since I've called her out many times.:D

I usually get crucified for my opinion on formal…

I am rather happy that I am not forced to pack formal clothes now. As I travel solo, I pack so that I am able to handle all my luggage myself on all modes of transportation I may encounter. Having to pack something that I will only wear for 2-3 hours is wasteful. I'll never cruise on Cunard (just not my thing), so I don't worry about that scenario. I don't cruise for the ship - I cruise for the ports and destinations. With that in mind, I pack for the ports and destinations. If I must sequester myself in my cabin to avoid "ruining the cruise" for others because I do not bring a prom dress, a MOD dress, or the flowy pants/sparkly top combo, I will do that. I just have no desire to "dress up" for a faux formal experience in a banquet room. On most of the cruises I have taken, people ditch the formal wear right after dinner and the ship returns to normal, so it is more a faux formal night in the MDR, not a "formal night" on the ship. I know some like to do the photo stuff - go right ahead if you enjoy that. I've seen some very nice photos of folks on formal night. I just do not have the need/desire to have a photo taken of myself.

I've done just fine with what I pack - my little black Tshirt dress and black multi-purpose flats have served me well for years in any evening setting I've gone to.

I guess I've been lucky since I've called her out many times.:D

The only time I see her post is someone else references; she is on my black list [emoji16]

Did you find the flights? I'm too excited [emoji1]

KK

M

I usually get crucified for my opinion on formal…

 

I am rather happy that I am not forced to pack formal clothes now. As I travel solo, I pack so that I am able to handle all my luggage myself on all modes of transportation I may encounter. Having to pack something that I will only wear for 2-3 hours is wasteful. I'll never cruise on Cunard (just not my thing), so I don't worry about that scenario. I don't cruise for the ship - I cruise for the ports and destinations. With that in mind, I pack for the ports and destinations. If I must sequester myself in my cabin to avoid "ruining the cruise" for others because I do not bring a prom dress, a MOD dress, or the flowy pants/sparkly top combo, I will do that. I just have no desire to "dress up" for a faux formal experience in a banquet room. On most of the cruises I have taken, people ditch the formal wear right after dinner and the ship returns to normal, so it is more a faux formal night in the MDR, not a "formal night" on the ship. I know some like to do the photo stuff - go right ahead if you enjoy that. I've seen some very nice photos of folks on formal night. I just do not have the need/desire to have a photo taken of myself.

I've done just fine with what I pack - my little black Tshirt dress and black multi-purpose flats have served me well for years in any evening setting I've gone to.

Hopefully no one here will crucify! It makes sense to be able to handle your luggage yourself. Really good point! Even though I love formal night and don't feel it's wasteful at all to bring special clothes for it, I wouldn't want anyone to feel they had to hide out just because they don't like it. I say, live and let live. I only hope they keep it an option, so I don't feel really overdressed someday.

The only time I see her post is someone else references; she is on my black list [emoji16]

 

Did you find the flights? I'm too excited [emoji1]

KK

 

M

Getting on it today.:)

KK

Actually thought I'd miss dressing truly formally on ships ... but I don't .

Doing so at home for charity events is also getting old ... but we still have to do that from time to time.

LuLu

The only time I see her post is someone else references; she is on my black list

Unfortunately she is one of the buzzkillers on here who has a gazillion posts but never really adds anything to a conversation. Must be a treat to travel with.

Formal nights give us a chance to dress up when we may not have as many chances at home - and is fun in the way in that it's a throwback to another era where people used to dress more formally on a regular basis

OP, Slugsta and Porthopper,

I want to thank you for your kind words. I guess some people don't enjoy dressing up so much, but it's nice to know that we're not the only ones who appreciate it on cruises. We really have no opportunities to dress formally where we live. Lady Kathryn has 5 or 6 formals and I own 3 tuxedos. On some cruises I wear my white tie and tails. I find it as comfortable as slacks and a sport coat anyway. I make sure that my clothes are tailored so that I am not uncomfortable when I dress up. Alterations don't seem that expensive in the grand scheme and since we enjoy dancing, it's important to me to be able to move comfortably.

Porthopper,

I hope to meet you on a future cruise also. We do enjoy the Queens. We have not done a world cruise, but we have enjoyed the Panama Canal, a Caribbean, and several transAtlantics on Cunard.

Regards, Jerry of Jerry and Lady Kathryn

Even though I love formal night and don't feel it's wasteful at all to bring special clothes for it, I wouldn't want anyone to feel they had to hide out just because they don't like it. I say, live and let live. I only hope they keep it an option, so I don't feel really overdressed someday.

I think that's really the key -- to each his/her own. I don't mind if anyone else wants to dress up in formal attire, but hope other feel likewise and I don't want someone complaining that I don't dress up that way (as long as I conform to any dress code, which I always do). Sadly, I am frequently hearing from those that like to dress up that they want others to do the same, and that's where I have a problem. I always conform to the dress code (otherwise I wouldn't have bought a ticket), but within that code I will probably be on the less-formal edge of the acceptable range.

I got my panties in a wad about having to pack/dress formal, so our most recent cruise was our first where we skipped out, just dined in the buffet on those nights.

Didn't miss it a bit. At the same time, seeing others enjoy it is great.

Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk

We mainly sail DCL these days, (but that is changing as we have shifted to Celebrity). I always got the chance to dress formally on DCL at least once in a formal environment when we go to dine in the adult only Remy. Formal night in the MDR is anything but formal!

I come from a background of formal dining on a regular basis and cocktail parties and formal luncheons so had to dress the part but since moving to the US it has become a lot less as folks don't dress up the same here (apart from all the lovely ladies on here of course).

Looking forward to putting a dress and heels on 3 times in the next 5 days as we are hitting some of the decent steakhouses in Orlando with some visiting family! That's as formal as it gets at the minute. Even Christmas Day at the Ritz, we saw some really scruffy gits!

Yeah, I feel like the 'formal outfits' are very late 80's / early 90's. I almost find really formal a little tacky...

Suppose it depends on someones lifestyle but I could not disagree more.

I am guessing you haven't cruised formally a lot or attended many really formal gatherings to think this?

Horses for courses:D

I always say nice people dress nicely on nice ships.I weighed my sort of formal dresses last cruise. 3 dresses weighed 2 lbs. Less than sports wear .Pair of strappy sandals and you re all set.

I always say nice people dress nicely on nice ships.I weighed my sort of formal dresses last cruise. 3 dresses weighed 2 lbs. Less than sports wear .Pair of strappy sandals and you re all set.

That is a rather harsh statement to make. Just because some prefer not haul the true formal wear, they are not "nice"??? It is these kind of statements that upset and anger me. I mean, I'm not out there wearing Daisy Dukes and a tank top, looking like I come out of the woods to shop at WalMart for all my needs.

Plus, it's not the weight of the clothes that matters most of the time, it is the space they waste when packing small. I would rather bring another set of day wear than something I'm going to wear for 2 or 3 hours one night.

If you aren't concerned with being able to handle your luggage yourself through airports, onto trains and busses, in a very compact car, or up flights of stairs, over cobblestones, down walkways for a half hour or so, you can certainly have more options on what and how much you bring.

For what it is worth, I think I am dressed quite nicely when I wear my little black Tshirt dress (I bring either my Eileen Fisher or my Sahalie one) and my earrings and necklace that I made myself with Sterling Silver findings and Swarovski crystal. I'm sorry that you think that, because you may not consider it "formal" enough, I'm not a nice person :rolleyes:

I would love to dress more formally...but I travel with my DS14.

And we all live in the same little cabin for however long our cruise is...

And quite frankly, there is something lost in the whole business of getting all dressed up when you are juggling the time for primping with two other people (DH and DS) in the room...and when you get to primp for an audience (because I do prefer to put my make up on in front of the mirror in the cabin rather than in the dark bathroom)...

And I wouldn't want to be left all alone in the cabin to get ready anyway because at this point and time in life...the cruise is all about being on a FAMILY vacation.

NOW...when it's DH and myself...and we are Diamond...and he could get ready in the flash that it takes HIM to get ready...and then hit the lounge to wait for me to make my grand appearance...well...THEN I'll be ready to enjoy dressing more formally again...

Because frankly, I feel ridiculous in truly formal clothes without going through all the motions...the shower...the drying off in the room (because I prefer a hot shower)...the lotion...the makeup...the hair...etc etc.

This is the joy of the cruising industry for me though...there is flexibility in the dress code. And really, a wide range of "nicer than normal" is valid for formal/elegant night.

We went the route of "Tropical Formal" this time around...a 4-night Bahamas cruise on Enchantment. I thought we looked great. And we were all very comfortable. We stay in our formal clothes all evening long...so we were wearing them for about...well?...6 hours?

I always say nice people dress nicely on nice ships.I weighed my sort of formal dresses last cruise. 3 dresses weighed 2 lbs. Less than sports wear .Pair of strappy sandals and you re all set.

"Nicely" is not the same as formal. What you said is "sort of formal", but that is a whole different thing than truly formal - which is also about more than just the clothes you're wearing. I dress nicely on "black tie optional" nights, but I'll admit it's a couple of degrees below black tie - and even further from formal white tie (but even formal events on land rarely go to white tie).

We are mum, daughter and friend cruising on Celebrity next February and we are all looking forward to dressing for dinner and formal nights, we have been on some lovely shopping trips looking for dresses! For us it is all part of the cruising experience.

We are in a suite so will not be using the MDR but will still be dressing for formal nights.

I was a protocol officer for 30 years. True formal is not what you tend to see on ships anymore. We've gone the gamut from Texas formal (clean, pressed jeans, a cashmere jacket, bolo tie with tux shirt & Stetson to full tuxedo). I'm still trying to get DH into a white dinner jacket for the Caribbean.

Wear what you are comfortable in & feel good in (especially shoes) be that a formal ball gown or LBD.

I tend to wear black or bronze silk pants with either beaded or chiffon jackets (or as my DH says, my work uniform) & yes Anita, my pants & jackets have pockets [emoji6])