What happened to the dress code on formal nights?

[startwin]

I enjoy dressing up for formal night, but I do wish there was something special to dress up for. You walk through the ship from photog to photog, the meal in the MDR is nothing special, the chairs (when they are dressed) are a pain in the you-know-what, and then after dinner what is there to do apart from go to the show in your finery or the casino or some dancing on a tiny dance floor? The Black and White Ball is an exception, and well worth dressing up for, but those are only on the longer cruises.

[tandkquinn]

There are those who go on job interviews in sweatpants. Then they wonder why they didn't get the job. Like I said clueless.

 

James Bond in his tux,always beats the guy in shorts and crocs

 

That's a pretty good response.

[CruisingWalter]

I agree, more effort should be done by the staff to ensure formal night rules are adhered to. The dining room looks like classic cruising when everyone participates. If you don't want to get dressed, go to the buffet or another restaurant.

[Beejay4016]

There are those that might suggest that the clueless are those hanging on to outdated traditions, and that this is in fact the population with excess numbers.

 

Wearing ridiculous clothing rooted in sensibilities from a half century past, and inappropriate for tropical climes, would seem ample reason to well qualify oneself for serious derision by those with more rational attire.

 

Feel free to Like Ike, but Ike has been dead for four and a half decades. You might laugh at people who you think are incorrectly dressed, but a consider for a moment that lot of people might be laughing at you for dressing like an uncomfortable and, yes, clueless, monkey desperately trying to hang onto a long gone age.

 

 

Simply rude. Style never goes out of fashion.

[vicocala]

The end game is casual is the new formal, once we had casual fridays coupled with extra baggage fees, formal nights began a slow death.

 

 

My first cruise, I bought a Tuxedo just for Formal night. After seeing how others came to dinner and were admitted I felt foolish to tell the truth.

 

On my trip last month on the Monarch, I only took a pair of jeans and several pairs of shorts, if you don't know it is a four day or three day Bahama's cruise and I was traveling solo.

 

Anyways, I stayed away from the dining room except on the next to last night until I felt I needed to talk to the dining manager because I was having difficulty finding something worthwhile to eat in the buffet area.

 

Well, he suggested I come in and eat in the MDR. I told him all I had to wear were the jeans and t-shirt I was wearing. He told me that would be fine. I declined and told him I did not want to disrespect his dining room.

 

He did allow me to order a dinner to take to my room from the dining room but appeared happy that I had made that choice. It wasn't a formal night, but I still felt uncomfortable with even going to the MDR in those clothes.

[Linda&Vern]

There are those that might suggest that the clueless are those hanging on to outdated traditions, and that this is in fact the population with excess numbers.

 

Wearing ridiculous clothing rooted in sensibilities from a half century past, and inappropriate for tropical climes, would seem ample reason to well qualify oneself for serious derision by those with more rational attire.

 

Feel free to Like Ike, but Ike has been dead for four and a half decades. You might laugh at people who you think are incorrectly dressed, but a consider for a moment that lot of people might be laughing at you for dressing like an uncomfortable and, yes, clueless, monkey desperately trying to hang onto a long gone age.

Just wondering ... Do you consider the MDR fine china and linens an outdated tradition? Perhaps plastic plates and disposable utensils, along with Red Solo cups would be more appropriate. After all, if some cruisers don't want to make the effort to dress as the ship asks - why should the ship try to maintain anything slightly elegant looking in the MDR? Those same cruisers want the ship to provide upper-end foods, and all that goes with it - while wearing what THEY want.

 

If a land-based restaurant has a sign on the door saying "shirt and shoes" required, do you say "how old-fashioned - I'm eating here anyway!" :eek: If an upscale land-based restaurant says "jacket required" do you barge in and say "I'm here to eat and you can't make me do anything I don't want to."

Are we teaching our children that "we're special ... rules don't apply to us."

[Beejay4016]

The end game is casual is the new formal, once we had casual fridays coupled with extra baggage fees, formal nights began a slow death.

 

 

My first cruise, I bought a Tuxedo just for Formal night. After seeing how others came to dinner and were admitted I felt foolish to tell the truth.

 

On my trip last month on the Monarch, I only took a pair of jeans and several pairs of shorts, if you don't know it is a four day or three day Bahama's cruise and I was traveling solo.

 

Anyways, I stayed away from the dining room except on the next to last night until I felt I needed to talk to the dining manager because I was having difficulty finding something worthwhile to eat in the buffet area.

 

Well, he suggested I come in and eat in the MDR. I told him all I had to wear were the jeans and t-shirt I was wearing. He told me that would be fine. I declined and told him I did not want to disrespect his dining room.

 

He did allow me to order a dinner to take to my room from the dining room but appeared happy that I had made that choice. It wasn't a formal night, but I still felt uncomfortable with even going to the MDR in those clothes.

 

Do all US airlines charge for baggage? Phew, that's rough. We are allowed anywhere between 20 and 30 kilos per person on economy flights if we're flying one of the main airlines. Okay, on the budget flights it's carry-on only, but for Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia etc. you certainly have heaps of luggage allowance. We usually take an empty suitcase when we go to Asia just to bring back all the goodies we buy, and have never been charged excess - that would be a real bummer.

[Beejay4016]

Just wondering ... Do you consider the MDR fine china and linens an outdated tradition? Perhaps plastic plates and disposable utensils, along with Red Solo cups would be more appropriate. After all, if some cruisers don't want to make the effort to dress as the ship asks - why should the ship try to maintain anything slightly elegant looking in the MDR? Those same cruisers want the ship to provide upper-end foods, and all that goes with it - while wearing what THEY want.

 

If a land-based restaurant has a sign on the door saying "shirt and shoes" required, do you say "how old-fashioned - I'm eating here anyway!" :eek: If an upscale land-based restaurant says "jacket required" do you barge in and say "I'm here to eat and you can't make me do anything I don't want to."

 

Are we teaching our children that "we're special ... rules don't apply to us."

 

Well said.

[jkelec]

well all i can say its nice to dress up in a suit or tux for maybe just two nights of the week

and like many said if you dont want to dress up well just go to the lido then

Here in the uk sometimes more so at the weekends there are some pubs and clubs that you would not get pass the door person if you were wearing jeans and tea shirt or trainners of any kind and thats not even a resturant

so to anybody that says a suit or tux is outdated think again and if they dont want to dress up for a few hours out of there day for prob 2/3 days in one week or 2 in the whole of the year

then go take a holiday were they dont have to dress up

but also to those who get upset about other people not dressing up stop stressing yourselfs out its your holidays and if you feel comfortable and you feel good being dressed up and looking smart then cool

rules are rules yes but rules also are there to be broken too otherwise why would we have rules in the first place

[tip]

There is a huge difference between being an 'invited guest' and being a paying customer.

 

Yes, those in the hospitality business like to use the word 'guest' and those in the professional services business like to use the word 'client'. But a customer is a customer...not to be confused with an invitee.

 

People's preferences are changing. Time to get over it and move forward.

 

Very well said!

[Minoushka]

I have found because airlines now charge for baggage it is a tad difficult to pack fancier suits and clothes ...they are heavier .I now pack very elegant and glitzy cocktail dresses which are much lighter thangowns and i still look very acceptable

on Ncl people can dress up or down as they please .I have seen very elegant outfits on Epic but here there is no imposition or dress code and it works fine

on our cruise we will have 6 elegant nights and i plan to wear only short dresses orv skirts and tops or slacks ...no shlepping of gowns or long dresses

i think fancy das are soon to be of the past .I do agree fancy night should cover more than just dinner....niceshow ..or special get together

i too find photographers really intrusive on fancy nights blocking passageways and corridors ...there are far too many of them

i also find if Ac is very strong ..my elegant flimsy tops make me uncomfortably cold ...esp in the theatre ....i need to go back to my cabin to change ...or freeze

i like dressing up but i think it has come to an end .....

[Esri]

Do all US airlines charge for baggage? Phew, that's rough. We are allowed anywhere between 20 and 30 kilos per person on economy flights if we're flying one of the main airlines. Okay, on the budget flights it's carry-on only, but for Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia etc. you certainly have heaps of luggage allowance. We usually take an empty suitcase when we go to Asia just to bring back all the goodies we buy, and have never been charged excess - that would be a real bummer.

 

All except Southwest, I believe. Southwest uses "bags fly free" as their advertising slogan...

[Beejay4016]

All except Southwest, I believe. Southwest uses "bags fly free" as their advertising slogan...

 

We are definitely still spoilt that way, then, which is very nice. You pay less for your cruises, but we can bring along more luggage. I have three long dresses for our forthcoming cruise, but they are all super light anyway so no imposition. My man has actually just bought a dinner suit, and that isn't going to weigh any more than trousers and a sportjacket, so again no imposition.

[Globaliser]

We returned earlier this month from a cruise on HAL and in comparison to Princess I thought a lot of people did not make the effort to dress up. Many were dressed in smart casual or even casual which made us stand out wearing a suit and a long elegant dress.

 

On Princess I felt men and women made the effort to look special and this reflected in the atmosphere on the evening. Or maybe our understanding of formal nights in Europe is a different one?

Are you making the comparison with Princess cruises that were aimed at the UK market?

 

In our experience, those cruises on Princess have generally seen a higher proportion of dressed-up people. Many men, for example, would routinely change into a suit or jacket and tie for dinner on "smart casual" nights, with dinner suits/tuxedos reserved for formal nights.

 

Princess cruises in the Caribbean, though, have been more casual - the result, probably, of a mix of location and market. I think my recent HAL cruises have been more formal than those Princess cruises.

[Cashew14]

Are you making the comparison with Princess cruises that were aimed at the UK market?

 

In our experience, those cruises on Princess have generally seen a higher proportion of dressed-up people. Many men, for example, would routinely change into a suit or jacket and tie for dinner on "smart casual" nights, with dinner suits/tuxedos reserved for formal nights.

 

Princess cruises in the Caribbean, though, have been more casual - the result, probably, of a mix of location and market. I think my recent HAL cruises have been more formal than those Princess cruises.

 

Thank you for your post. If you saw a higher percentage of dressed-up people on European cruises then it makes sense!! I am not going to say any more than this. :rolleyes:

[RD64]

Cruisebabe - although a North American, I totally agree with your posts - the passengers on cruises that depart from European ports are very well dressed. I particularly like to see the Scottish men that dress in their kilts on formal nights. Thankfully the excessive casualness, and often types sloppiness, of North American dress has not reached the other side of the ocean.

[tip]

It's a cruise, i.e vacation, not a country club. Lighten up.

 

My thoughts exactly! I have never been a member of a country club. I will never become a member of a country club. I have no desire to pretend that I am a member of a country club!

[Wakepatrol]

My thoughts exactly! I have never been a member of a country club. I will never become a member of a country club. I have no desire to pretend that I am a member of a country club!

 

Just "pretend" you're going to a formal dinner on a cruise ship

[Cashew14]

Cruisebabe - although a North American, I totally agree with your posts - the passengers on cruises that depart from European ports are very well dressed. I particularly like to see the Scottish men that dress in their kilts on formal nights. Thankfully the excessive casualness, and often types sloppiness, of North American dress has not reached the other side of the ocean.

 

Thank you very much!!! :)

[seadancer]

Well gang theres still hope. We just got back off the Carnival Dream yesterday for the holiday cruise and the kids "teenagers" far out dressed there parents.

[alwaysfrantic]

I'm packing my pearls so please no yelling at me, but I do have a question. Is the Lido a regular buffet at night or seated with the MDR menu, just in a casual atmosphere?

[lovetocruise2020]

There are those who go on job interviews in sweatpants. Then they wonder why they didn't get the job. Like I said clueless.

 

James Bond in his tux,always beats the guy in shorts and crocs

 

OMG. I LOVE this!

[lovetocruise2020]

My thoughts exactly! I have never been a member of a country club. I will never become a member of a country club. I have no desire to pretend that I am a member of a country club!

 

The term " country club casual" is not anywhere close to formal.

People do not wear formal to a country club, unless its a NYE gala perhaps.

 

There are cruise lines that are "country club casual" but HAL is not one of them.

 

Country club casual is upscale casual wear.

[lovetocruise2020]

Well gang theres still hope. We just got back off the Carnival Dream yesterday for the holiday cruise and the kids "teenagers" far out dressed there parents.

 

That has been our experience on Carnival. The younger crowd dresses well. They are used to "formal" events.

[lovetocruise2020]

I have found because airlines now charge for baggage it is a tad difficult to pack fancier suits and clothes ...they are heavier .I now pack very elegant and glitzy cocktail dresses which are much lighter thangowns and i still look very acceptable

on Ncl people can dress up or down as they please .I have seen very elegant outfits on Epic but here there is no imposition or dress code and it works fine

on our cruise we will have 6 elegant nights and i plan to wear only short dresses orv skirts and tops or slacks ...no shlepping of gowns or long dresses

i think fancy das are soon to be of the past .I do agree fancy night should cover more than just dinner....niceshow ..or special get together

i too find photographers really intrusive on fancy nights blocking passageways and corridors ...there are far too many of them

i also find if Ac is very strong ..my elegant flimsy tops make me uncomfortably cold ...esp in the theatre ....i need to go back to my cabin to change ...or freeze

i like dressing up but i think it has come to an end .....

 

My long formal gown for my last cruise rolled up so thin (silk) that it fit in a sandwich bag.

I try to purchase cruise friendly formalwear. My moms dress (chiffon) was so lovely, i got it for $29 at Ross, (with a $179 manufacturers price tag) rolled up just as small, and had a jacket.