Poll: Should shorts be allowed in MDR on Casual Nights

[butterflymama]

I don't believe there is a requirement or even a suggestion to have to wear closed toe shoes to have dinner. Not sure where you learned of this. Closed toe shoes ARE generally required for a galley tour, but tennis type shoes suffice.

 

M

 

I know pants, collared shirt and closed toe shoes are the standard dress code items for many all inclusive resorts. No man toes allowed! Sneakers would qualify as closed toe...they mean no flip flops/sandals.

 

I see nothing wrong with shorts in the MDR.

[kruzerci]

I would be ok with admitting shorts in the dining room under conditions but the topic gets a little sticky. Personally, I think khaki shorts with a tucked in shirt and nice shoes is perfectly acceptable for dinner.

 

That being said, there is a thin line. If you say shorts are allowed, some will take it the way I describes as what I find acceptable but some will interpret that as being able wearing workout shorts and a t-shirt to the MDR.

 

I don't really care enough to get worked up about it changing either way. If they were to say shorts were acceptable on casual nights, I would like for them to bring back smart-casual and enforce each dress code (i.e. shorts and a collared shirt are acceptable on the two casual nights, but not acceptable on the 3 smart casual nights, and smart casual not be acceptable on the two formal nights.)

[KansasK]

When posters make the point about how nice enough shorts should not be a problem, that might well be, but the shorts I saw in the dining room are the ones someone wore all day - dirty, or stained, or very wrinkled and out of date. If people changed into clean, not too wrinkled or not stained shorts, there would less of an outcry against them.

 

The shorts I saw in the dining room on my last cruise looked like they had been worn all day or for more than one day, paired with a t-shirt that had been worn over sunscreen at the pool, or on an excursion. Maybe it is not the shorts, but change in attitude toward looking fairly fresh and clean that goes with them.

[BOLTFISH]

I guess wearing pants is now a "high-brow" experience. Who'da thunk it?

 

No, but like post before you stated... Cruising is now moving its way to a tropical style vacation. When you go to Hawaii, do you pack a suit.? Tons of vacationers look at a Caribbean or Mexican Riviera cruise as the same thing. There are so many cruise lines and so many ships within the cruise industry that the product is watered down from the high brow, upper class only type vacation... Flo Jo amigo... That is the new trend in all vacations.

[Paul65]

I live near Houston, TX where it is hot and humid nine months out of the year, pretty much like the Caribbean (if not hotter). I wear shorts exclusively during that time including in restaurants. It seems kind of odd that I have to sweat my posterior off in long pants to go to dinner on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. That being said, if that is the prevailing rule, and it is evenly enforced, I will wear said long pants.

 

In my experience, they keep the dining rooms quite well air-conditioned. I've never felt hot and sweaty at dinner even when wearing a suit, much less wearing a pair of casual slacks and a polo or "Hawaiian-style" shirt. I don't think you'll have to worry to much about your posterior sweating off.

[cjdixon4]

In my opinion, OK on the shorts in the Windjammer. Not cool in the MDR. I've got the sense enough to know that no matter what, SOMEBODY is going to test the waters and wear whatever they choose. You might as well just let people do what they want if it won't be enforced. What's the point? :confused:

[Paul65]

No, but like post before you stated... Cruising is now moving its way to a tropical style vacation. When you go to Hawaii, do you pack a suit.? Tons of vacationers look at a Caribbean or Mexican Riviera cruise as the same thing. There are so many cruise lines and so many ships within the cruise industry that the product is watered down from the high brow, upper class only type vacation... Flo Jo amigo... That is the new trend in all vacations.

 

I don't think a Royal Caribbean cruise has ever been a high-brow, upper class only type vacation.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

I don't think a Royal Caribbean cruise has ever been a high-brow, upper class only type vacation.

 

Then why do some try to "enforce" those standards.

 

I think that the reality has far outpaced RCCL's ability to update all their old standards to match what is really happening on their ships. Since I'd win the bet that the majority of cruisers don't really know what are the policies of RCCL regarding lots of issues they will continue to view the cruise through their own vacation ideals...and if that means wearing casual warm weather wear to the dining room they will do so until the overwhelming numbers forces RCCL to change their written policies. It will be interesting to re-visit this discussion in a year or so.

[4cats,1dog]

Shorts in dinning room should just remain for Carnival and Norwegian

 

I second that.

 

And I like getting dressed nice for dinner!

Edited March 23, 2015 by 4cats,1dog

[Paul65]

Then why do some try to "enforce" those standards.

 

Depends on what you're talking about. I don't think wearing a pair of pants to dinner in the main dining room is a high-brow or upper-class standard.

[LMaxwell]

In my experience, they keep the dining rooms quite well air-conditioned. I've never felt hot and sweaty at dinner even when wearing a suit, much less wearing a pair of casual slacks and a polo or "Hawaiian-style" shirt. I don't think you'll have to worry to much about your posterior sweating off.

I have the opposite experience. I was sweating bullets on our second formal night on Legend. We were sat at a different table than previous nights and it was very warm and I was quite uncomfortable. Not every section is the exact same temperature, depends what location you are at

[George C]

I have the opposite experience. I was sweating bullets on our second formal night on Legend. We were sat at a different table than previous nights and it was very warm and I was quite uncomfortable. Not every section is the exact same temperature, depends what location you are at

 

We disagree on wearing shorts, but dinning rom can sometimes be warm wearing Tux or jacket, never uncomfortable is Dockers and a collared shirt.

[BOLTFISH]

I don't think a Royal Caribbean cruise has ever been a high-brow, upper class only type vacation.

 

Cruises are cheaper than a week long trip to Hawaii taking into consideration the air fare, rental car, meals etc... Point being, cruising, regardless of the cruise line, is leaning more casual than high brow.

[clean1owner]

No

 

No

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

Maybe the question should be: what would be the end result of allowing warm weather casual wear to dinner? How would it impact the meal? What would it mean for cruising and the continued affordability of it as a vacation destination?

[LMaxwell]

Maybe the question should be: what would be the end result of allowing warm weather casual wear to dinner? How would it impact the meal? What would it mean for cruising and the continued affordability of it as a vacation destination?

All good questions. End result is everyone having more choices and some being more comfortable in casual clothes. Nothing else really changes.

 

I wonder if those saying no think shorts should be banned at breakfast and lunch too?

[Toddcan]

Did anyone notice my post where I said the "no short pants" suggestion was only in the "Specialty Restaurant" section of the Compass. The only suggestion in the MDR section was "no bathing suits or bare feet".

 

Again -10-15% were wearing shorts on casual nights in the MDR.

[Aquahound]

I live in a town where a nice meal at a somewhat expensive restaurant usually calls for nice shorts with a nice button down silk or linen shirt. To us, formal means wearing socks which, with that outfit would be a pair of low cut socks, often with boat shoes or some other type of loafers. That's Key West formal. If everyone could grasp the concept of that attire, it would not bother me one bit.

 

But not everyone can grasp looking good in shorts. Some Ohioan (where I was raised ;)) will most certainly show up in jorts and a Buckeyes t-shirt thinking he the man!!!

 

So with that thought in mind, I think I'd prefer they not dumb down the MDR to jorts and Buckeyes t-shirts.

[ryano]

Did anyone notice my post where I said the "no short pants" suggestion was only in the "Specialty Restaurant" section of the Compass. The only suggestion in the MDR section was "no bathing suits or bare feet".

 

Again -10-15% were wearing shorts on casual nights in the MDR.

 

I noticed it so much that I went and checked current Compasses online and you are 100% correct :)

 

I hope yall enjoyed your cruise Todd. :). In just 18 more days I will be headed south to catch Freedom. It will be a few days short of 3 years since I was on a cruise last! I can barely keep myself contained! Someone wearing shorts in the MDR for dinner is the last thing I would care about Lol.

[PennStateFan123]

On hot chicks yes, men no

 

 

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[Midwestgal]

A nice pair of short with a polo or something along those lines I think would be fine. Like someone else pointed out it's not Cunard or even Celebrity , It's only Royal Caribbean and its far from being an elite line.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

So..as I've read the responses to the poll the biggest concern with allowing shorts in the dining room is that people anticipate that this will lead, without hesitation, to gym shorts and graphic t-shirts, swim suits and heaven forbid maybe shorts will mean pajamas to some poor sod.

 

I refuse to tread down this fatalistic path and will give people the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. Wonder what people thought would be the end result when dinner jackets switched to sports coats and sport coats to shirts and ties? And the funny thing is...people still cruise and still go to dinner even though the "dress code" has changed over the years.

[poncho1973]

What's hilarious is that all these people who are now quite advanced in age and yelling at clouds and talking about these whipper-snappers in their shorts are the same ones that were dirty & high for most of their formative years.

 

I guess I missed the FORMAL hippie years?

Edited March 24, 2015 by poncho1973

[Paul65]

Cruises are cheaper than a week long trip to Hawaii taking into consideration the air fare, rental car, meals etc... Point being, cruising, regardless of the cruise line, is leaning more casual than high brow.

 

I haven't disputed that. I just think it's funny that so many people seem to think that a pair of pants is "high-brow." When I go into the dining room in a pair of tan, casual slacks and a polo shirt, I don't feel I'm being uppity.

Edited March 24, 2015 by Paul65

[Desertbelle]

You forgot the "I don't care one way or another" choice.:D