We did something I never would have believed. Your time dining + shorts in the MDR

[fig414]

After 8 cruises on Carnival, I'm slightly disgusted but the masses have won. 14 years after our 1st cruise and I never thought we would cave but we did. Last month Pride 7 days. Actually the Anytime Dining was planned because of a certain circumstance which was self inflicted. Day 2 (formal night) was the Jet opening Monday Night football game and I felt I had to watch it. Silly, I know, but that's the way it is. Our 1st formal night missed ever and I always have worn a suit and once wore a tux and once wore a Dinner Jacket. That's seems like a joke now considering what is worn nowadays. A lot has changed on CCL in 14 years. Anyway, we had a Chef's Table rezzie one night and a Steakhouse rezzie another night, so we went in knowing we had max 4 MDRs. We said what the hell, let's try the Anytime. We really did like it. I actually would have sat at a big table to meet some folks, but they never had a big table so we went with a deuce. We sat with same staff each night which was nice even though we came in at different times. They were very nice but it really isn't the same feeling. The head waiter knew who we were but the other guys had no clue. Dinner goes way faster. Bing bing bing. It's not a good or bad thing necessarily, it is truly a preference. We kinda missed the old way, but I made sure we would be there for the singing at the end of the early seating. Pathetic, I know, but we still like it after all these years. The shorts deal really blew my mind. I always said, "I don't care what they wear, I'm still gonna wear my Dockers. I always wore them even on the 1st night and last night even when you didn't have to. It was how I was introduced to cruising by my Parents and Aunt's and Uncle's who got us into this thing we love. I caved like no one's business and it pains me. Nice shorts and a nice shirt (untucked, even worse) with, I can't believe I'm typing these words, sneakers. In the Main Dining Room no less. The 1st and last night. It wasn't easy but I made the plunge and it hurt me. By the way the Chef's Table is not to be missed. Wonderful. The funny thing (or not) about this ridiculous thread is that about 80% of people reading this will think it's dopey or old school or whatever. That's cool. I just had to clear my head on my favorite website.

[gargoyle999]

I wear dress type shorts to the MDR cause I think it's too hot in there. At least on the 2nd level of the Miracle and Spirit.

 

Guess I'll wear long pants when we do the Chef's Table on the Imagination next month though. :D

[Sargent_Schultz]

Welcome to the Promised Land and Congratulations - you have been assimilated! Glad to read you had a good time.

 

Change is the only constant. I know I don't look the same as 14 years ago.

[CWcruisers]

I love it. I belong to a group called the Spirit Dawgs, because we all cruised together for the first time on the Spirit and if you look at our roll call from 11/19/09, you will see over 30K post. This was not a cruise group, this was a group that met on this site and clicked and are doing the Spirit again on 11/20/10.

 

We planned all of our activities around the NFL schedule, and in particular, the Chargers, although this year, I am a closet Jets fan, go LT!

 

I love ATD because it had gotten to the point where we never went to the MDR and now we go most nights. O.K. I can deal with the shorts, but the sneakers? Please tell me they weren't white!:eek: At least, could we do some nice flip flops or sandels?:D

[fig414]

In the short time, I knew the new happy people would be the first to welcome me into their nether world. My one response about my footwear would be that even though my wife believes my very nice sandals look nicer than my gray sneakers I could not wear a sandal into a nice dining establishment. I also forgot to thank the women, girl, or whatever that sat in a booth directly across from us one night . She was so kind to actually sit up when her food came. She was laying across the booth with her shorts, tee shirt, and flip flops in our face like a diner at 3 AM. I was so proud of her to sit up straight for her main course. Her boyfriend/husband's baseball hat was at least on straight.

[Gazelle2]

The funny thing (or not) about this ridiculous thread is that about 80% of people reading this will think it's dopey or old school or whatever. That's cool. I just had to clear my head on my favorite website.

 

Not dopey at all Fig. We are going to try our first Anytime Dining on the Dream on October 23. I am looking forward to trying it. I am still packing my tux for the formal nights and will probably continue to do so until the pain of having people stare at me outweighs having some great formal photos from the cruise.

[pozz]

Lets hear it for shorts on a hot trip, HIP HIP HOORAY

[CWcruisers]

She was laying across the booth with her shorts, tee shirt, and flip flops in our face like a diner at 3 AM. I was so proud of her to sit up straight for her main course. Her boyfriend/husband's baseball hat was at least on straight.

 

Oh no!:eek:

 

I'm not a clothing snob and don't mind CCL's clothing code, but, please sober up before coming to dinner!:rolleyes:

 

I still think the sandles would have been a better choice. Listen to your wife.

[ancfun]

I guess that I should never say never but for now, we still enjoy getting dressed up for the MDR experience. That's how we started cruising and guess for now we will continue. It is good to know that one can survive when the time comes. Sure would make packing easier.

 

On our last cruise there were two young women that actually wore their nice elegant Carnival robes every night to the MDR. A little too much for me!

[Poomah]

Its okay fig - got to keep moving on. But it doesn't hurt to hang on to some of the old traditions - just be sure to have a good mix of the two.

 

Still "old school" here - love to dress up to "dine". Shorts/t-shirts are still for fast food for me.

[MrPete]

Next, someone will post that they wore white after Labor Day.

 

We've come such a long way in our accomplishments!

[mszula]

Resistance is apparently futile. :D

[mdrobtx]

Yep I caved also on our last Carnival cruise. Left the tux at home and only wore a collered shirt and nice slacks.

The formal night or elegant night or whatever they call it now is officially dead.:(

[maggieworkman]

We are trying YourTime dining this time instead of our usual late seating, since it is only DH & I (no kids). But I don't think I am ready for the shorts yet!! Although I might be willing to let DH bring a suit instead of his tux for formal night.

 

Maggie

[Tazwella]

I admit that I wear white after Labor Day.:eek: But in my defense, in Texas it still gets up over 100 degrees in September!!!

 

I've always done dinner in the MDR. What exactly is YTD? I'm on a cruise in January and might like to try it since I'll have an almost 3 year old with me.

 

Thanks!

[pcrum]

Nice shorts don't bother me in the least in the MDR (although DH refuses to wear shorts of any kind, but that's another story!), sandals don't bother me, but what really irks me is to see a man in any kind of hat sitting at a dinner table. To me, that is just wrong and reeks of ill manners, whether he is eating at a Denny's or in a fine restaurant!

[vfb2girls]

Nice shorts don't bother me in the least in the MDR (although DH refuses to wear shorts of any kind, but that's another story!), sandals don't bother me, but what really irks me is to see a man in any kind of hat sitting at a dinner table. To me, that is just wrong and reeks of ill manners, whether he is eating at a Denny's or in a fine restaurant!

It bugs me also when I see guys wearing caps at the dinner table but I think it should apply to women also, take the ball caps off please!

Also would like to say that this will be the first cruise we take that my husband will not bring a suit and I won't pack any formal wear, we are adopting a more laid back style.

[Traveler353]

I don't care what anyone else wears. I wear whatever is comfortable to me at the time in accordance with the suggested dress recommendations. Carnival has said in plain Standard English what is appropriate to wear in their MDR's. Frankly I don't understand why it appears to be so confusing and controversial to some.

[Kimmisuecruiser]

Okay...I want to make sure I understand. We are cruising for the first time on Monday. (Imagination from Miami to Key West and Cozumel). Does anyone know if there is a "formal" night? Is it every night? Are people wearing shorts at "formal" night? Like I said, we are first timers and DH has no desire to wear anything more formal than khaki's. Plus, we are traveling with our children and my 8yo son is following in dad's footsteps. Will be a battle to get nice shorts on him instead of basketball shorts! I really don't want to pack too much and don't want to plan for a formal night if we don't need to. I want to eat in the MDR, just not dress up too much! Please help! :)

[zqvol]

Okay...I want to make sure I understand. We are cruising for the first time on Monday. (Imagination from Miami to Key West and Cozumel). Does anyone know if there is a "formal" night? Is it every night? Are people wearing shorts at "formal" night? Like I said, we are first timers and DH has no desire to wear anything more formal than khaki's. Plus, we are traveling with our children and my 8yo son is following in dad's footsteps. Will be a battle to get nice shorts on him instead of basketball shorts! I really don't want to pack too much and don't want to plan for a formal night if we don't need to. I want to eat in the MDR, just not dress up too much! Please help! :)

 

From FAQs on Carnival.com

 

How many formal nights are onboard? Which nights are they on?Most evenings we have a Cruise Casual dress code, but there are those Cruise Elegant evenings one or two nights throughout the voyage. The length of the cruise determines the number of Cruise Elegant evenings in the Dining Room. The first Cruise Elegant evening is scheduled for the 2nd or 3rd day of the cruise; the second Cruise Elegant evening is scheduled for the 2nd or 3rd day prior to the end of the cruise, schedules permitting.

• 1-day cruise: none

• 2-day to 5-day cruise: one Cruise Elegant evening

• 6-day or longer cruise: two Cruise Elegant evenings

 

 

Both dress codes for the dining rooms are described below.

 

 

Cruise Casual Dining Dress Code: Gentlemen - Sport slacks, khakis, jeans (no cut-offs), dress shorts (long), collared sport shirts; Ladies - Casual dresses, casual skirts or pants and blouses, summer dresses, Capri pants, dress shorts, jeans (no cut-offs).

 

 

 

Not permitted in the dining room during the Cruise Casual dinner for ladies and gentlemen: shorts, gym shorts, basketball shorts, beach flip-flops, bathing suit attire, cut-off jeans, sleeveless shirts for men and baseball hats.

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!

 

 

 

Not permitted in the dining room during the Cruise Elegant dinner for ladies and gentlemen: shorts, gym shorts, T-shirts, beach flip-flops, bathing suit attire, jeans, cut-off jeans, sleeveless shirts for men, sportswear, and baseball hats. (http://www.carnival.com/cms/faq/default.aspx?icid=CC_Footer_88#q-543636)

 

 

 

 

Note that your son should not wear his basketball shorts to dinner any time. Shorts are OK, just not basketball shorts. Good opportunity to teach him to try to follow the guides provided.

 

Show him this or go to the Carnival Web site and let him read it himself. That should make it easier for you, though he may not like it anyway.

[fan1080]

OP:

 

Why didn't you continue to dress the way you like? Don't really see why it was necessary for you to change, especially seeing how it's a bit of a sore spot for you.

[Kel040]

Next, someone will post that they wore white after Labor Day.

 

We've come such a long way in our accomplishments!

 

NO WHITE ? OH NO !! :eek: I am going to have to re-think my whole packing strategy now.... :confused:

 

J/K..... I think it is written somewhere that if you are Canadian and heading any where south of Buffalo, you can indeed wear WHITE after Labour Day !! LOL.... :D

 

(less than week to go... YEAH !! )

[sharecruises]

??? I don't get it...no one made you wear shorts, or made you do the your time dining

 

Carnival gives people options....

 

isn't that great?? I think it is

[blindrid]

??? I don't get it...no one made you wear shorts, or made you do the your time dining

 

Carnival gives people options....

 

isn't that great?? I think it is

 

You might have missed something: from his post as to Anytime dining "We really did like it."

 

I don't believe he was whining about "caving in" to wearing shorts but just lamenting on how cruises have changed. That's OK and I didn't take his post as a negative, just an observation. I suppose some felt the same back when people started wearing Dockers and golf shirts in lieu of suits and tuxes :).

[MrPete]

You might have missed something: from his post as to Anytime dining "We really did like it."

 

I don't believe he was whining about "caving in" to wearing shorts but just lamenting on how cruises have changed. That's OK and I didn't take his post as a negative, just an observation. I suppose some felt the same back when people started wearing Dockers and golf shirts in lieu of suits and tuxes :).

 

Never understood how one could be influenced by others in many fields, including dress.

 

I guess there are followers everywhere.