New to Princess, A few questions

[skynight]

1 hour ago, AZjohn said:

We will also will be looking for alternatives for dinning during formal nights. Are you all saying specialty dinning is always nice casual ware?

And for those that think it's OK to go to main dinner without jackets (for men), I simply don't want to down scale the special formal nights that some really enjoy. We are happy to find alternatives while they enjoy 🙂

Thanks,

John

Yes, my experience is that specialty dining is always smart casual. On formal evenings you will find some that dress up.

It is ok for men to show up on formal evenings without a jacket. You will find a small percentage in true tux, lots of men in suit & tie, sport coat and tie sport coat with no tie. But you will also see men in tropical shirts, and other nice sport shirts. A few will be even more casual.

[voljeep]

I 'almost' got turned away at the mdr on formal picture night in the atrium - was wearing a 'short-sleeve' cream colored TB silk shirt with black linen pants - 'they' did let us in but informed us that a long-sleeve shirt was more appropriate - this was on a 10 day Panama Canal trip - 2013 - Island Princess

 

long-sleeve all the way since then, no jacket, no tie, no problems ...

 

I did, and it has been awhile, see a man attired in full Bermuda shorts, socks, etc. get approached in line, and I saw him step out of line - didn't hear any of the words ...

 

just my observations - and we've seen many men in shorts in the mdr on casual nights ...

[Treasure Hunter]

4 hours ago, LinnieRed said:

Thanks for this. The answer is “never have we ever” had lobster in the MDR on NCL 😂. Bummer about the meet and greets. We’ve made some fun friends on the NCL ones.

If you do trivia, especially music or movie trivia you will make a lot of friends. People are very receptive to having you join their group and meet you next time. Great fun.

[Sprocket]

21 hours ago, wowzz said:

Sorry, but how is that formal?

At the very least a jacket with a dress shirt and tie is required. 

 

Our cruise on the Sky in 2019 did not reflect this.  Lots of men in collared shirts some with ties some without hubby wore a suit and we'll take it on our next cruises but up to him if he wants to wear the jacket or not.

[wowzz]

4 hours ago, skynight said:

But you will also see men in tropical shirts, and other nice sport shirts. A few will be even more casual.

How can you be more casual than that?

My feeling is that at the very least you should make an effort on formal night. A tie at least.  We are not in "Lord of the Flies"  territory just yet.  

[neverbeenhere]

All the cruises I’ve taken in the last year had half the crowd  in tuxedos and the other half in gowns. 

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, neverbeenhere said:

All the cruises I’ve taken in the last year had half the crowd  in tuxedos and the other half in gowns. 

In your dreams??  LOL.  What cruises have you been on the past year??!!! 

 

I guess this is a total joke post - well done!!  ROFL.

 

[Purdey16]

I will be on sky princess for 5 days in September and we will be having 1 formal night and I will be taking my long evening dress and husband will be taking his tuxedo, we always dress up for dinner on casual evenings too my husband wears long trousers and a long sleeved shirt all ways double cuffs so he wears his cuff links, after spending over a year not going to any restaurants for evening dinner it will be lovely to dress up again,  I respect those that do not want to partake in formal nights and there are plenty of other restaurants to eat in if they want to wear shorts or jeans , just like we have land restaurants here there are dress codes to adhere too if you do not want to adhere to it choose another restaurant !! Simple 

[Steelers36]

50 minutes ago, Purdey16 said:

...........and there are plenty of other restaurants to eat in if they want to wear shorts or jeans , just like we have land restaurants here there are dress codes to adhere too if you do not want to adhere to it choose another restaurant !! Simple

You were good up to the above for me.  What your husband wears on casual nights passes muster on formal nights.  And shorts are not supposed to pass even on casual nights (departure night excepted, supposedly due to people not unpacking in time for dinner).  Jeans could be left in cabin for a formal dinner I think.  Not too many land restaurants with severe restrictions anymore.  

 

Anyway, you guys are dedicated enough to take the fancy duds for one night out of five.  Have a great time!

[Purdey16]

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

You were good up to the above for me.  What your husband wears on casual nights passes muster on formal nights.  And shorts are not supposed to pass even on casual nights (departure night excepted, supposedly due to people not unpacking in time for dinner).  Jeans could be left in cabin for a formal dinner I think.  Not too many land restaurants with severe restrictions anymore.  

 

Anyway, you guys are dedicated enough to take the fancy duds for one night out of five.  Have a great time!

 

I think you have misunderstood my post  ! We dress up every night for dinner never ever wearing jeans or shorts to dinner or track suits that some like to wear and maybe if people went to their cabins first to unpack instead of drinking their time away at the bars they would be appropriately dressed for dinner 😉 always plenty of time to open cases and change out of clothes that you have worn all day travelling in and wash for dinner , we all have different standards 😁

[caribill]

26 minutes ago, Purdey16 said:

 if people went to their cabins first to unpack instead of drinking their time away at the bars they would be appropriately dressed for dinner 😉

 

True, if luggage is delivered to the cabin before dinner time which does not always happen.

[Purdey16]

2 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

True, if luggage is delivered to the cabin before dinner time which does not always happen.

Correct and also if you have arrived very late on board due to delays travelling I except that but it’s mid week formal nights I’m really talking about and then every normal dinner night we get dressed up which for some I think is chique night 

[wowzz]

4 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Anyway, you guys are dedicated enough to take the fancy duds for one night out of five.  Have a great time!

We have a 14 night cruise, hopefully, in October, so I will be packing two dinner jackets. Black for the first and last formal nights, and a white one for the two when we will be in warmer weather.

[leck57]

3 hours ago, Purdey16 said:

 

 if people went to their cabins first to unpack instead of drinking their time away at the bars they would be appropriately dressed for dinner

 

I would rather spend time at the bar, pool, my balcony, or anywhere than spend extra time getting ready for dinner. I always respect the dress code and wear business standard clothes to the MDR but taking ties and jackets on holidays is not my idea of a holiday. I wore a suit for years at work and couldn't wait to stop. I took a coat for my first cruises then realised that dragging it around on land tours etc was something I wanted to avoid.

Each to their own.

Edited May 4, 2021 by leck57

[skynight]

This has turned into another dress code discussion. To respond to the original poster's concerns, from my experience they will not be turned away from the DR on formal evenings if they are dressed smart casual.

[Reina del Mar]

Here we go again....define ‘Smart Casual’ ..............????????????

 

If only cruise lines would enforce their dress code, whatever it may be !

Suggested dress codes are a waste of time.

[c-boy]

8 hours ago, wowzz said:

We have a 14 night cruise, hopefully, in October, so I will be packing two dinner jackets. Black for the first and last formal nights, and a white one for the two when we will be in warmer weather.

ewwww, white 😵, who's the tailor ?

[voljeep]

1 hour ago, c-boy said:

ewwww, white 😵, who's the tailor ?

Jacque Pen`ne

[jwattle]

1 hour ago, c-boy said:

ewwww, white 😵, who's the tailor ?

Same as yours 🥰

[wowzz]

4 hours ago, c-boy said:

ewwww, white 😵, who's the tailor ?

That well known Paris designer, Monsieur Matalan, plus a formal shirt from Primani.

(Only UK cruisers will understand) 

[dreaminofcruisin]

....and of course....no one knows for sure what is 'required', 'advised' or will actually be worn since no cruises have happened in over a year.

 

A lot of those tuxes and suits may no longer fit after a year wearing sweatpants.....

 

just sayin'.....

😁

[caribill]

8 hours ago, dreaminofcruisin said:

 

 

A lot of those tuxes and suits may no longer fit after a year wearing sweatpants.....

 

just sayin'.....

😁

 

They may fit. After all, it is a year without a cruise ship buffet.

[Treasure Hunter]

The last time my husband wore a tux on a Princess formal night was many years ago on a Baltic cruise. We were seated next to a spiffy older gentleman who had a pink dinner jacket. We all ended up sitting together and playing trivia together for the rest of the cruise,. We learned that the couple were Ernie and Doreen Wise and he had been a well known British television star. We had a wonderful time with them. The give away was that the captain and other officers kept stopping by our table. 

[Esprit]

For what it’s worth, my personal definition of evening smart casual is a crisply ironed long sleeved shirt, jeans and always with Jeffery West shoes.

A short sleeved polo shirt I’ll happily wear in the daytime but never for evening dinner.

As for what others choose to wear I really couldn’t give a monkeys.

My wife loves dressing up, so I dress accordingly to compliment her, regardless of the suggested dress code.

And another thing!

People keep banging on about luggage weight limits as a feeble excuse not to dress up. I took 4 dinner jackets on our last 14 night Caribbean cruise. No problem keeping to the hold luggage 23 kg weight limit!

[Reina del Mar]

1 hour ago, Esprit said:

People keep banging on about luggage weight limits as a feeble excuse not to dress up. I took 4 dinner jackets on our last 14 night Caribbean cruise. No problem keeping to the hold luggage 23 kg weight limit!

Not sure I’d want four dinner jackets..but agree it is very easy to include formal dress and shoes within 23kg airline limit.