This year we are breaking the rules

[CruiseTobey]

Are you sure about that? I would say most are still "playing dress up." I think perhaps you are just wishing that you were in the majority. :cool:

 

Yeah, I'm sure. Poll those who have been on 3 or more cruises and ask them how they really feel about the chore of packing formal clothes just to "play dress up" for a couple of hours. You will find that for most the novelty wears off fast.

[katrina915]

I really don't understand all these threads on formal night wear in MTD. I grew up in large family and wore hand me downs. I could care less what anyone else is wearing.

 

First of all, we are not at home. Every extra piece of clothing that we take goes with you and gets heavier each day.

 

Second of all, I don't eat in restaurants at home where I have to dress up. And the food in the MDR isn't any better than those places.

 

I guess it would freak some people out that I wear a $6 dress that I got from Goodwill and wear it on EVERY formal night.

 

When I go to Alaska next year, I am not even going to take a dress so I can take more important things. If RCCL turns me away from the MDR, then I will respect that.

 

But I quit sailing on HAL because they insisted on formal wear on formal night in Alaska.

[CruiseTobey]

Second of all, I don't eat in restaurants at home where I have to dress up. And the food in the MDR isn't any better than those places.

 

You hit the nail on the head here, Katrina. Yet some will continue to insist that RCI is serving gourmet, high-end food in the MDR, thus deserving of fancy attire. In reality, it's the same mass-produced stuff you can get in the Windjammer (with the exception of lobster), just served on nicer plates.

 

Nice post.

[BabyBokChoy]

I only joined CC recently and I have found these dress related threads highly informative and frankly, entertaining!

 

Over ten years ago, a co-worker of mine showed me pictures of his cruise and I was blown away by the photos, his narrative of the experience etc. Then we got to the photos of him and his lovely wife in their formal attire looking stunning. We had just gotten rid of the workplace dress code of needing to wear suit and tie, so I was surprised that he brought one on his vacation. He informed me that he brought a few because it was a requirement to enter the restaurants on the cruise ship.

 

Ah... then and there I knew the cruising is not for me based on that alone: I did not wish to meet the standard dress code for dining. So there are people like me who respect the code enough to stay completely away, off the ship even!

 

Then a few years ago my parents went on an Alaskan cruise with RCI and painted a much more relaxed picture for me. So I will be going on my first RCI cruise to Alaska with a couple of cute outfits in tow, but no cocktail dresses for me. As for DH, I hope the people around us, and more importantly RCI, will accept him with his long sleeve button down shirts and khaki pants... otherwise, we will take our vacations elsewhere, not on a cruise ship.

[CruiseTobey]

I only joined CC recently and I have found these dress related threads highly informative and frankly, entertaining!

 

Over ten years ago, a co-worker of mine showed me pictures of his cruise and I was blown away by the photos, his narrative of the experience etc. Then we got to the photos of him and his lovely wife in their formal attire looking stunning. We had just gotten rid of the workplace dress code of needing to wear suit and tie, so I was surprised that he brought one on his vacation. He informed me that he brought a few because it was a requirement to enter the restaurants on the cruise ship.

 

Ah... then and there I knew the cruising is not for me based on that alone: I did not wish to meet the standard dress code for dining. So there are people like me who respect the code enough to stay completely away, off the ship even!

 

Then a few years ago my parents went on an Alaskan cruise with RCI and painted a much more relaxed picture for me. So I will be going on my first RCI cruise to Alaska with a couple of cute outfits in tow, but no cocktail dresses for me. As for DH, I hope the people around us, and more importantly RCI, will accept him with his long sleeve button down shirts and khaki pants... otherwise, we will take our vacations elsewhere, not on a cruise ship.

 

Proof positive of why RCI does not care about the "ambiance". Job number one is to get people on the ships and buying drinks. Period. RCI has finally learned just to give people what they want.

[awhcruiser]

DH and I are in the minority as we don't get to dress up much at home. We pack formal clothes whether we fly or drive to the port. The novelty has not worn off for us.

Yeah, I'm sure. Poll those who have been on 3 or more cruises and ask them how they really feel about the chore of packing formal clothes just to "play dress up" for a couple of hours. You will find that for most the novelty wears off fast.

[johneeo]

I only joined CC recently and I have found these dress related threads highly informative and frankly, entertaining!

 

 

In due time, you will find them incredibly boring and repetetive.

[ryano]

 

 

 

Then a few years ago my parents went on an Alaskan cruise with RCI and painted a much more relaxed picture for me. So I will be going on my first RCI cruise to Alaska with a couple of cute outfits in tow, but no cocktail dresses for me. As for DH, I hope the people around us, and more importantly RCI, will accept him with his long sleeve button down shirts and khaki pants... otherwise, we will take our vacations elsewhere, not on a cruise ship.

 

Both of you will be just fine. :) RCI would NEVER turn you away for wearing anything you have described. No one will snub their nose at you either!

 

Enjoy your first cruise! Alaska cruise is on my bucket list!

 

I too have friends that have it made up in their mind that they dont want to cruise "because I have to get dressed up in a suit for dinner". That simply is NOT true!

[B-52]

Yeah, I'm sure. Poll those who have been on 3 or more cruises and ask them how they really feel about the chore of packing formal clothes just to "play dress up" for a couple of hours. You will find that for most the novelty wears off fast.

 

My feelings also....most new cruisers don't know better.....but after they become veterans they understand....not all though....

My first cruise I rented a Tux.....next cruise I brought a black suit....I have become more relaxed ever since....don't even pack a tie anymore.....

[Paul65]

You hit the nail on the head here, Katrina. Yet some will continue to insist that RCI is serving gourmet, high-end food in the MDR, thus deserving of fancy attire. In reality, it's the same mass-produced stuff you can get in the Windjammer (with the exception of lobster), just served on nicer plates.

 

Nice post.

 

If that's the head of the nail, then you don't understand social customs. The appropriate dress for an occasion has nothing to do with the quality of food served.

[Paul65]

DH and I are in the minority as we don't get to dress up much at home. We pack formal clothes whether we fly or drive to the port. The novelty has not worn off for us.

 

 

I still don't believe we are a minority. For some people, cruising itself is not that much of a special occasion, because they go on several cruises per year. If that is the case, I could see such people finding it "boring an repetitive. But that doesn't make them the majority opinion. For most of us, cruising still is and always will be a special occasion. And dressing up a bit extra on one or two nights of that special trip is no big deal for most people and even a thing to look forward to for some.

[Paul65]

My feelings also....most new cruisers don't know better.....but after they become veterans they understand....not all though....

My first cruise I rented a Tux.....next cruise I brought a black suit....I have become more relaxed ever since....don't even pack a tie anymore.....

 

On my last cruise, they had to have the C&A welcome back reception in the theater, because there was such a large contingent of return cruisers. Normally they have it in a smaller venue. Even so, the number of return guests was just over 1/4 of the total passengers.

 

So, if it's only the "veterans" are certainly not a majority of passengers. And many of us veterans still like to have the dressy nights, anyway. :cool:

[awhcruiser]

Thank you Paul. Although many posters feel they are the majority because they want to wear shorts/tshirts/jeans or whatever they feel like on formal night.

I still don't believe we are a minority. For some people, cruising itself is not that much of a special occasion, because they go on several cruises per year. If that is the case, I could see such people finding it "boring an repetitive. But that doesn't make them the majority opinion. For most of us, cruising still is and always will be a special occasion. And dressing up a bit extra on one or two nights of that special trip is no big deal for most people and even a thing to look forward to for some.

[TBone2K]

Has anyone ever been ejected from the MDR on formal night when wearing smart casual instead of formal?

 

To address this specific question, no. Formal night is only a suggested attire.

 

Having said that, DW and I usually take one of the formal nights to go to the specialty restaurant.

 

You may feel a bit out of place walking around the rest of the ship in whatever fancy attire you choose, but I always found once you get to the MDR you'll find most people still dress up.

[Travel R]

On my last cruise, they had to have the C&A welcome back reception in the theater, because there was such a large contingent of return cruisers. Normally they have it in a smaller venue. Even so, the number of return guests was just over 1/4 of the total passengers.

 

So, if it's only the "veterans" are certainly not a majority of passengers. And many of us veterans still like to have the dressy nights, anyway. :cool:

 

My last cruise, albiet a Med. cruise, had less than 400 C&A members on a ship of almost 2,000 pax. I would say that a large majority of the passengers were dressed up on formal nights and I did not see anyone in the MDR wearing shorts [and it is because of these stupid dress code posts that I was actually looking], although one girl in her 20's was wearing a very, very short skirt (and really should not have). Even those that were not in suits at least had on button dow shirts and nice slacks or something similar, while meeting the SPIRIT of formal night. Also note that there were almost 700 people from North America on this cruise, with long flights, and for those that ate in the MDR, it looks like most of us brought our suits & dresses/gowns.

 

My first cruise was 17 years ago, and there were a large number of tuxedos worn on the formal nights. There were not as many two weeks ago (but there were a bunch), but formal night still seemed to be alive and kicking in 2013.

 

Question - for those of you that see the formal code not being followed by a majority of the guests - what is the location/itinerary, the class of the ship (Vision, Freedom, etc.), and how many days? And when was your last cruise?

[CruiseTobey]

Thank you Paul. Although many posters feel they are the majority because they want to wear shorts/tshirts/jeans or whatever they feel like on formal night.

 

You people absolutely kill me. When did I ever suggest that "shorts/tshirts/jeans" are acceptable attire in the MDR? If you have to go to extremes in an attempt to prove a point, then your argument is shaky and your true motives are showing.

 

Paul, I stand by my statement that the MDR is in reality serving glorified cafeteria food. I'm not saying the food is bad, it's just not much more than you can get at your local Fridays or Applebee's. Sure, it's served on nice plates in what some might feel is a "luxurious" setting, but the same stuff is available a few decks up. Do you wear a tux in the Windjammer? Why not? It's the same food!

 

The fact is that people want to dress up in the MDR to feel "special". That's fine. But it does not give them a right to castigate the guy who prefers to look respectable, neat, and clean in a pair of khakis and a polo shirt. RCI DOESN'T CARE - why should anyone else?

 

Am I the only one who feels this way? :confused:

[Newtoncruise]

That is an interesting post. The Europeans are generally far more stylish than Americans. Not necessarily formal black tie. But very stylish in their dress sense.

[bigque]

You hit the nail on the head here, Katrina. Yet some will continue to insist that RCI is serving gourmet, high-end food in the MDR, thus deserving of fancy attire. In reality, it's the same mass-produced stuff you can get in the Windjammer (with the exception of lobster), just served on nicer plates.

 

Nice post.

 

Having worked in the food service industry (In my father's restaurants) and I managed dining facilities in the military, let me say that I beg to differ.

First everyone knows that the food in the MDR is not High End Gourmet and yes it is cooked in mass production as as you say because you cannot prepare meals for 2000 plus people depending on the ship as you would in a high end gourmet reataurant that may serve only 150 or 200 people on a given night. You cannot even compare Chefs taking their time to prepare your ticket order in high end restaurants to what the Chef's have to prepare for the MDR every night. People need to realize that the food preparation on a cruise ship for each MDR Service and Windjammer Service is an ongoing 24 hour a day operation. When we are in the bed at night snoring and farting, they are preping food items for the upcoming meals the next day.

Now even though both the Windjammer and the MDR is making food in mass production as you said, the cooking styles of each place however is different. Although they are not preparing your meal to order they are preparing the meals in such a way to try to give you a gourmet type experiance whereas the Windjammers food is prepared in the style of like a Golden Coral Buffet Restaurant or other Chain Buffet Restaurants. IMHO I believe they do a hell of a job to feed as many people that they do on a daily basis. Sure everybody is not going to like everything, but I commend them for what they do. If chain or high end gourmet land based restaurants had to prepare meals for 2000 plus people for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night meals for delivery, I guaranty you they would not be producing the same quality as they do now!

[CruiseTobey]

Having worked in the food service industry (In my father's ) and I managed dining facilities in the military, let me say that I beg to differ.

 

First everyone knows that the food in the MDR is not High End Gourmet and yes it is cooked in mass production as as you say because you cannot prepare meals for 2000 plus people depending on the ship as you would in a high end gourmet reataurant that may serve only 150 or 200 people on a given night. You cannot even compare Chefs taking their time to prepare your ticket order in high end restaurants to what the Chef's have to prepare for the MDR every night. People need to realize that the food preparation on a cruise ship for each MDR Service and Windjammer Service is an ongoing 24 hour a day operation. When we are in the bed at night snoring and farting, they are preping food items for the upcoming meals the next day.

 

Now even though both the Windjammer and the MDR is making food in mass production as you said, the cooking styles of each place however is different. Although they are not preparing your meal to order they are preparing the meals in such a way to try to give you a gourmet type experiance whereas the Windjammers food is prepared in the style of like a Golden Coral Buffet Restaurant or other Chain Buffet Restaurants. IMHO I believe they do a hell of a job to feed as many people that they do on a daily basis. Sure everybody is not going to like everything, but I commend them for what they do. If chain or high end gourmet land based restaurants had to prepare meals for 2000 plus people for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night meals for delivery, I guaranty you they would not be producing the same quality as they do now!

 

Interesting points. Thanks for the insight.

 

I too admire the way RCI is able to present tasty, well-prepared food in such a timely manner. My fault is with those that perceive it as a gourmet, high end experience worthy of the highest honor. It isn't. As you said, it is mass-produced and designed for quick service, much the same a middle-of-the-road full service land-based restaurant, like an Applebees. But the MDR is certainly not McDonald's, nor did I mean to infer that it is.

[Paul65]

Paul, I stand by my statement that the MDR is in reality serving glorified cafeteria food. I'm not saying the food is bad, it's just not much more than you can get at your local Fridays or Applebee's. Sure, it's served on nice plates in what some might feel is a "luxurious" setting, but the same stuff is available a few decks up. Do you wear a tux in the Windjammer? Why not? It's the same food!

 

That is subjective, of course, but also irrelevant. Quality of food is not the determinant of how to dress. If you were invited to a formal event, say a wedding for example, would you ask what kind of food was being served in order to determine what to wear?

 

Edit: To expand on this thought a bit more, many times the "dressiest" events are not necessarily the ones with the most gourmet food. Events like weddings or perhaps charity galas, or other such events that might be an occasion for dress-up, are often catered in a banquet style, much like the MDR (though maybe not for 2000 people at a time). High-end restaurants that serve five-star cuisine are often less dressy than these events. Some restaurants expect jacket and tie attire, but many of the best restaurants have more of a business-casual dress expectation. It's more the dress code of the venue or occasion that determine how people dress, not their expectations of how good the food is going to be.

[marielco]

regretting the title already..... sorry

Even though I meant it in a light hearted way - I am looking for opinions as a lot of the formal MDR threads are not targeted towards European cruises. ..

 

My husband and I cruised first in 2009 and in the intervening 4 years there seem to be less and less really formal wear in the MDR (long dresses and tux). Where on our first couple of cruises I would have said the gents in formal suits were in the majority the last couple of cruises they are in the minority. On our latest 13 night cruise in June on the Adventure there were only a sprinkling in the MDR. The vast majority if men were in jacks, ties and slacks or business suits. Ladies in cocktail dresses or pants. All our cruises have been in Europe. I think the airline weight restrictions are a big factor in the change.

[Travel R]

Interesting points. Thanks for the insight.

 

I too admire the way RCI is able to present tasty, well-prepared food in such a timely manner. My fault is with those that perceive it as a gourmet, high end experience worthy of the highest honor. It isn't. As you said, it is mass-produced and designed for quick service, much the same a middle-of-the-road full service land-based restaurant, like an Applebees. But the MDR is certainly not McDonald's, nor did I mean to infer that it is.

 

Although I can only speak for myself -- the quality of the food has absolutely no bearing on how/why my family "dresses up" for formal night. I am sure most people that would like to maintain formal nights would agree. It is not the food, it is appreciating and enjoying the experience.

[bigque]

That is subjective, of course, but also irrelevant. Quality of food is not the determinant of how to dress. If you were invited to a formal event, say a wedding for example, would you ask what kind of food was being served in order to determine what to wear?

 

Edit: To expand on this thought a bit more, many times the "dressiest" events are not necessarily the ones with the most gourmet food. Events like weddings or perhaps charity galas, or other such events that might be an occasion for dress-up, are often catered in a banquet style, much like the MDR (though maybe not for 2000 people at a time). High-end restaurants that serve five-star cuisine are often less dressy than these events. Some restaurants expect jacket and tie attire, but many of the best restaurants have more of a business-casual dress expectation. It's more the dress code of the venue or occasion that determine how people dress, not their expectations of how good the food is going to be.

 

Good point! I have also been to black tie galas of 200 or more people with the same type of setting and food experience that you would have in the MDR.

[Canugess]

Well I've been out and brought my posh frock and hubby a suit. I am beginning to wonder why I bothered!

 

No seriously, I am looking forward to getting dressed up for dinner. It makes a pleasant change from tea in front of the telly at home!

[mrsdoc3]

I guess it would freak some people out that I wear a $6 dress that I got from Goodwill and wear it on EVERY formal night.

 

I bought mine for $1 at a yard sale on a round-country road trip (Las Vegas to Cheyenne to Louisville to Columbus, OH to Traverse City, MI to Chicago to Mt. Rushmore to Yellowstone to Capitola, CA back to Las Vegas) in Jackson Hole, WY. I've worn it on three cruises, and I get LOTS of compliments on it.