Do you HAVE to dress for formal night?

[Sablerose]

Put all the little worries like this out of your mind and concentrate on what a great cruise you're going to have! Then go to this site and plan what extra entrees and deserts you'll want to order ;).

 

http://community.webshots.com/album/231083491RrRMfu

 

John

 

Ha! Thank you, John! See, the hubby gets home and I dig down deep and find all my spit and vinegar and feisty attitude. It's amazing how I can get all guts and glory just having my man home. :p

 

At this rate I'm gonna have to play my extra entrees and desserts AND how many "Drinks Of The Day" I'm going to need to de-stress! :D

[Leo Jay]

It seems that part of the reason these questions always invite such bickering back and forth is that people are asking and answering different questions.

 

1. What are the cruiseline's dress guidelines for formal night?

2. How will MOST people probably be dressed for formal night on my particular cruise/ship?

3. I want to wear X -- what percentage of the people will dress like that?

4. Will I feel uncomfortable wearing X when other people will be wearing Y?

5. How likely is it that the maitre d' will bar me from the dining room if I'm wearing X?

 

Most of these questions can be answered fairly objectively. And #4 can be answered only by yourself. Everything else is babble.

 

:rolleyes:

[big_duck]

Big_Duck

 

I am new and I agree with you.

 

I hope you get your toaster.

 

Actually I gave up trying to recruit after reading one of these threads on the HAL board. :eek:

[gsb]

I just absolutely shudder when I read about people showing up to formal night without dressing up, .

Later on talked about cringing--Hope if I ever have the need to shudder or cringe it's to do with something more serious than how people are dressed!:D

[beavismom]

We just got off of a 7 day cruise and we only did one formal night. The 2nd formal night we just ate at Tiffany's. It is all your personal preference whether you are missing anything. If you want to do the formal thing can you just ship a box of stuff home when you get off the ship?

[glrounds]

1. tux or suit w/tie

 

2. 20% tuxedoes, 60% suits w/tie, and 20% not meeting "guidelines" (my experience and rough estimate, your mileage may vary)

 

3. See #2

 

4. Who knows ? Depends on his/her background. On my first PRIDE cruise there was a man who was always dressed in boot jeans and cowboy boots - ALWAYS. The jeans always seemed clean (even had a pressed seam) and the boots looked like my $300 Justins. Spoke with him several times during the cruise, he seemed like a very likeable person. Saw him standing in the dining room line on formal night in jeans and cowboy boots with a hat, which he later removed as the line started to move. My guess, he grew up in a casual western environment of stables and tack rooms where his Mother's rule was "clean body, clean clothes, nothing else really matters". I would have been the VERY LAST person to suggest to this man that he wasn't dressed appropriately. :rolleyes:

 

5. Not likely

 

In the case of the "cowboy" of #4, it was maybe his first cruise and he probably didn't know any better. My guess is, on his next cruise he'll have the fanciest western suit money will buy ! ! :)

[phinfan63]

I just absolutely shudder when I read about people showing up to formal night without dressing up, .

Later on talked about cringing--Hope if I ever have the need to shudder or cringe it's to do with something more serious than how people are dressed!:D

 

Amen gsb. If all I had to worry about was what other people were wearing and even went so far as to let it ruin my experience - I would hope someone would tell me to get a life!

[PrincessJen]

I look forward to the formal nights & usually stay in my gown the rest of the night. It's a fun experience for me plus my boyfriend does not dress up often so when he does I drag it out.:)

[4yanx]

I hope I am at Rose's table. Or, Jen's. We could split the tip ! ;)

[Sablerose]

Amen gsb. If all I had to worry about was what other people were wearing and even went so far as to let it ruin my experience - I would hope someone would tell me to get a life!

 

Wanna talk to me about "all I had to worry about?" I think I've worried more in the last three months than most people have to worry in their entire lives. Wanna tell me to get a life? Then maybe you should buck up and just tell me instead of a backhanded passive-aggressive comment.

 

Perhaps being a military family and being surrounded by rules and guidelines makes it easier for me to swallow that if there are rules and guidelines, they are meant to be followed. That's why people don't smoke in movie theatres, that's why there's basic etiquette and courtesy, and that's why I think it's only right that if the cruiseline is going to provide guidelines, people should follow them.

 

If I'm bending over backwards to follow them because I accept it as part of the experience, I don't see anything wrong with hoping others have the same courtesy. And I'm not going to apologize for my desires in that instance.

[Sablerose]

I hope I am at Rose's table. Or, Jen's. We could split the tip ! ;)

 

Absolutely! What's my share? :D

[Leo Jay]

[sarcasm deleted] :D

[L2J]

Wanna talk to me about "all I had to worry about?" I think I've worried more in the last three months than most people have to worry in their entire lives. Wanna tell me to get a life? Then maybe you should buck up and just tell me instead of a backhanded passive-aggressive comment.

 

 

Ok, I gotta say this. We know that hubby is in the AF and was "across the pond" but the fact of the matter is he's NOT the only one and let's face it...any ground pounder that's ever been to an AF base will tell you the quality of life is much better there. I have a family member and since I'm also a Vet, I have friends over there as well as I suspect many folks on CC do.

 

Side note...the AF is the only branch of service that issues it's male personnel umbrellas.:rolleyes:

[glrounds]

deleted

[Sablerose]

Ok, I gotta say this. We know that hubby is in the AF and was "across the pond" but the fact of the matter is he's NOT the only one and let's face it...any ground pounder that's ever been to an AF base will tell you the quality of life is much better there. I have a family member and since I'm also a Vet, I have friends over there as well as I suspect many folks on CC do.

 

Side note...the AF is the only branch of service that issues it's male personnel umbrellas.:rolleyes:

 

Hey, they don't call it the Chair Force for nothing, right? Doesn't change the fact that I'm not sitting around here doing my nails and eating bonbons and ***looking for things*** to get my panties in a wad about, and that was the umbrage I took with the comment.

 

I never said he was the only one, and have never said he was the only one, and any time someone has asked me to thank my husband, I've made a point of stating that there are lots of other families that are in the same situation we were in that also deserve peoples' thoughts, prayers, and courtesy.

 

However, as a Vet you can also testify that even though the quality of life living on a base can be pretty good depending on the base, it's not exactly everyone's dream to have their loved ones, friends, family or otherwise, abroad while they're holding down the fort at home. That's why there's not a waiting list to get into the military.

 

I (and since now I feel obligated to say so, "and every other military spouse, military member, person who has a family member in the armed forces, or anyone who has a loved one near them who is a part of this country's military) have lots and lots of things in my life that give me MOUNTAINS of perspective on what is important and what isn't important, what is a crisis and what isn't, what is something worth getting freaked out about and what's worth leaving alone, and true "life and death" matters. This was a discussion about following the rules and guidelines, not about finding something to be a drama queen about.

 

And I have every right to resent the implication, especially in the way it was posed to me.

 

Please don't make it sound like either I am fluffing up the importance of my husband's (or anyone's mother, sister, daughter, son, father, grandfather, great great uncle twice removed, etc.) service to this country. I haven't, I don't, and I certainly don't sit around feeling sorry for myself or looking for things to get riled up over. Although by the looks of this post, apparently I've sure let myself get worked up over this. It's probably time for me to just walk away for a little while before I get any more angry.

 

Criminy.

[big_duck]

Side note...the AF is the only branch of service that issues it's male personnel umbrellas.:rolleyes:

 

Those are only used to push reluctant grunts out of the airplane. :p

[phinfan63]

Wanna talk to me about "all I had to worry about?" I think I've worried more in the last three months than most people have to worry in their entire lives. Wanna tell me to get a life? Then maybe you should buck up and just tell me instead of a backhanded passive-aggressive comment.

 

 

I never once said that you sit around waiting to get your panties in a wad nor did I mean it that way.

 

I am constantly reading these threads where people get so worked up about what other people are wearing and yes, I think it is ridiculous. I do follow the dress code guidelines so I'm not one of the people that think they can wear whatever they want BUT I also did not once notice what anyone else was wearing on my cruise. It is absolutely not worth getting that worked up over!

[L2J]

And I have every right to resent the implication, especially in the way it was posed to me.

 

Please don't make it sound like either I am fluffing up the importance of my husband's (or anyone's mother, sister, daughter, son, father, grandfather, great great uncle twice removed, etc.) service to this country.

 

I will agree with that 100% and I appologize for my comments but something about the way you said that rubbed me the wrong way.

 

I'm not. They're ALL important which was what I was trying to say and obviously didn't do a very good job of it.

 

Those are only used to push reluctant grunts out of the airplane

 

Nope...the person behind them does that don'tchaknow:p

[Sablerose]

I never once said that you sit around waiting to get your panties in a wad nor did I mean it that way.

 

I am constantly reading these threads where people get so worked up about what other people are wearing and yes, I think it is ridiculous. I do follow the dress code guidelines so I'm not one of the people that think they can wear whatever they want BUT I also did not once notice what anyone else was wearing on my cruise. It is absolutely not worth getting that worked up over!

 

Thanks, Phin. I'm sorry I took your comment and got so defensive with it. I hope you can forgive me. It's certainly not my intention to make any enemies here. And! Since you follow the dress code guidelines, why don't you sit at our table? We're splitting the tip! :D

[Sablerose]

I will agree with that 100% and I appologize for my comments but something about the way you said that rubbed me the wrong way.

 

I'm not. They're ALL important which was what I was trying to say and obviously didn't do a very good job of it.

 

Liv, apparently today I have on my brillo pad attitude and I've rubbed a couple of people the wrong way with it. Please accept my apology in return.

 

For what it's worth, I guess the homecoming has brought out my emotional side a little bit and I'm just taking everything a little too personally.

 

Truce? :) I'll even share my hubby's umbrella with you, if we're ever caught in the rain together. :D

[phinfan63]

Thanks, Phin. I'm sorry I took your comment and got so defensive with it. I hope you can forgive me. It's certainly not my intention to make any enemies here. And! Since you follow the dress code guidelines, why don't you sit at our table? We're splitting the tip! :D

 

Not a problem Rose. Glad your hubby is home and hope ya'll enjoy your cruise!

[Emelar]

Unfortunately, most Americans have become way too casual in the way we dress. Most would only wear shorts, blue jeans, t-shirts and tennis shoes ALL THE TIME. In most other countries, including Europe, people still like to dress well. Personally I find wearing a cute skirt and top actually more comfortable than shorts. Seems like we have become a rather sloppily dressed society. You will notice the difference in Europe .... they don't usually dress as casual as we do.

 

Dressing for formal night should be looked upon as going to a special party. If you were invited to a New Year's Eve formal party, would you even consider showing up in shorts??? If you were invited to a wedding, would you sneak into the bathroom and change into shorts for the reception?? Is it going to kill you to dress for formal night and stay that way all evening. It adds to the overall ambiance and festiveness of the evening.

 

I'm in favor of formal nights and actually wish there were more.

 

Mary

[gsb]

I look forward to the formal nights & usually stay in my gown the rest of the night. It's a fun experience for me plus my boyfriend does not dress up often so when he does I drag it out.:)

 

That's probably why he doesn't do it that often.;)

[Eliot Ness]

.......Side note...the AF is the only branch of service that issues it's male personnel umbrellas.:rolleyes:

:eek: What's the deal here? I never got issued an umbrella! Oh well, maybe back in that era it was the pre-umbrella days ;) .

 

John

[big_duck]

:eek: What's the deal here? I never got issued an umbrella! Oh well, maybe back in that era it was the pre-umbrella days ;) .

 

John

 

We AF types are the only ones smart enough to come in out of the rain. ;)