MDR dress for men on Caribbean cruises

[philv]

How about Sabatinis and Crown Grill? I’d feel more comfortable with a jacket.

[MissP22]

10 minutes ago, philv said:

How about Sabatinis and Crown Grill? I’d feel more comfortable with a jacket.

There are many guys that go to Sanatini's or the Crown grill on formal nights to avoid wearing a jacket. 

[c-boy]

1 hour ago, geoherb said:

I was on the Caribbean Princess last week. I did not see any men in shorts in the dining room at night. On formal nights, I'd guess about 10% of the men wore tuxedos, 30% wore suits, 30% wore sport coats and long pants, 25% wore long pants with dress shirts, and 5% wore long pants with casual shirts. 

on our next cruise I'm gonna bring on a new look

[USCcruisecrazy]

9 hours ago, MadMouser said:

I'm usually kilted for formal nights, but decided to have some fun on the Christmas cruise we're about to do. This is what I'll be wearing. And if they don't like it, there's room service and the buffet. Because my wife's dress is equally off the wall and it made her happy for me to join in the fun instead of putting her on guard duty fending off the ladies who try for a quick grope.

 

https://www.opposuits.com/christmas-suit-santaboss.html

That's an awesome suit!!  I have a buddy that has one for every occasion. Personally, around Christmas on a cruise ship I enjoy wearing a Christmas tie about every night...formal or casual.  And I never care what people wear...I wear what I want because I like looking good and I think your attire at dinner says a lot about a person!

[Bgwest]

6 hours ago, philv said:

How about Sabatinis and Crown Grill? I’d feel more comfortable with a jacket.

The vast majority are not wearing jackets but if that’s your thing, there’s nothing in the world preventing you from wearing one. 

[jwattle]

2 hours ago, c-boy said:

on our next cruise I'm gonna bring on a new look

Do tell...

[c-boy]

37 minutes ago, jwattle said:

Do tell...

Oh ya, when I walk past Rip VanWinkle he'll wake up.

[Steelers36]

8 hours ago, jwattle said:

Do tell...

 

8 hours ago, c-boy said:

Oh ya, when I walk past Rip VanWinkle he'll wake up.

Are you two within eyesight of each other during these repartees?  Inquiring minds .... 

[c-boy]

11 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

 

Are you two within eyesight of each other during these repartees?  Inquiring minds .... 

 

I'm trying to get a date.

[jwattle]

23 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

 

Are you two within eyesight of each other during these repartees?  Inquiring minds .... 

Actually at work, different locations.😁😂

[Hlitner]

I can add some comments based on our current Enchantment cruise (have been aboard since Nov 30).  They have been generally enforcing a No Shorts in the MDR on formal nights.  On other nights there has been very little enforcement of any dress code.  As to the Crown Grill and other alternative restaurants we have seen some men with jackets and many without.  I ate in the Crown Grill last evening and wore a dress shirt with nice dress slacks and was in the majority of diners.  We did see a few other men wearing Blazers or Sport Jackets (no ties).  
 

Hank

 

[MissP22]

18 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I can add some comments based on our current Enchantment cruise (have been aboard since Nov 30).  They have been generally enforcing a No Shorts in the MDR on formal nights.  On other nights there has been very little enforcement of any dress code.  As to the Crown Grill and other alternative restaurants we have seen some men with jackets and many without.  I ate in the Crown Grill last evening and wore a dress shirt with nice dress slacks and was in the majority of diners.  We did see a few other men wearing Blazers or Sport Jackets (no ties).  
 

Hank

 

Glad to hear that nothing much has changed for the dress code since the beginning of the pandemic. Shorts in the dining room on formal nights has pretty much always been the rule for Princess. 😄

[mtnesterz]

On 12/15/2021 at 7:14 AM, MissP22 said:

There are many guys that go to Sanatini's or the Crown grill on formal nights to avoid wearing a jacket. 

Thanks for your other post on women's wear in the MDR. Mrs. Mtnesterz agrees with you.. In return I'll let you know that some guys are like Brad, the rebel without a clue from the Progressive Insurance Rebel TV commercials. (Youtube) Guys will own at least a sportcoat, which lasts for years and worn on or off the ship. They'll wear that jacket on the flight to the ship, so it doesn't take up luggage space.  Then spend $25/$29 pp for Sabatini's/Crowne Grille, to avoid wearing the jacket they own and brought. Same thing for shorts. Of course they own and brought long pants.

[iancal]

I wear slacks and a collared shirt for dinner.   Have done so for 15 plus years ever since DW looked at me on the second of three formal nights on a Caribbean cruise and said enough is enough. We did not come fly down for some R&R and warm sunshine  to get dressed up for make believe night. 

 

That was it.  From then on we skipped formal nights in favor of alternate venues.  Since retiring ten years ago the very last thing that we want to do is carry clothes with us that are only used for a few hours on one or two days.  

Edited December 17, 2021 by iancal

[Hlitner]

6 minutes ago, iancal said:

I wear slacks and a collared shirt for dinner.   Have done so for 15 plus years ever since DW looked at me on the second of three formal nights on a Caribbean cruise and said enough is enough. We did not come fly down for some R&R and warm sunshine  to get dressed up for make believe night. 

 

That was it.  From then on we skipped formal nights in favor of alternate venues.  Since retiring ten years ago the very last thing that we want to do is carry clothes with us that are only used for a few hours on one or two days.  

I am very slowly beginning to see your point.  On our current Enchantment cruise I have my Tux (4 formal nights) but while I find it fun it is not necessary.  On a future Seabourn cruise (27) days I will forget the Tux and just pack a blazer which will also serve me fine as we trek around Europe.  But some of us still do have fun with formal wear.  One man on the Enchantment actually wore tails which looked terrific as he danced 

with his wife.  
 

I get the casual thing, but there is still something about dressing formal that makes an ordinary occasion something special.

 

Hank

[iancal]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

I am very slowly beginning to see your point.  On our current Enchantment cruise I have my Tux (4 formal nights) but while I find it fun it is not necessary.  On a future Seabourn cruise (27) days I will forget the Tux and just pack a blazer which will also serve me fine as we trek around Europe.  But some of us still do have fun with formal wear.  One man on the Enchantment actually wore tails which looked terrific as he danced 

with his wife.  
 

I get the casual thing, but there is still something about dressing formal that makes an ordinary occasion something special.

 

Hank

The amusing thing, to us at the time, was the comments on the HAL board to my post.

 

One person actually suggested that I change my mind to please DW.  Showed up their age (probably the same as ours) and the attitude towards women.  

 

Several suggested that we should remain in our cabin all night on formal evenings and dine in the Lido or do room service.  As if.   We simple avoided the MDR.

 

I think it is great that some people enjoy dressing up.  More power to them.  Differences are what makes the world go round.    It would be a very boring old world if everyone did the same thing, acted in the same way.

 

The difference for us, now in retirement, is that we may do 6 week pre or post cruise land travel.  Certainly not a problem now that most lines have gone to a casual dress code.

Edited December 17, 2021 by iancal

[nocl]

On 12/14/2021 at 9:38 PM, MadMouser said:

I'm usually kilted for formal nights, but decided to have some fun on the Christmas cruise we're about to do. This is what I'll be wearing. And if they don't like it, there's room service and the buffet. Because my wife's dress is equally off the wall and it made her happy for me to join in the fun instead of putting her on guard duty fending off the ladies who try for a quick grope.

 

https://www.opposuits.com/christmas-suit-santaboss.html

Looks very similar to what two guys were wearing on the Majestic a couple of weeks ago.  Matching similar outfits every day.  Matching similar suits on formal nights.

[Bgwest]

Saw another guy in CC dining in the MDR last night wearing shorts. 

The earth is still spinning and no one died. More power to him. This fellow being there in shorts didn’t distract from our enjoyment of the evening. Not one little bit. 

 

 

Edited December 17, 2021 by Bgwest

[iancal]

25 minutes ago, Bgwest said:

Saw another guy in CC dining in the MDR last night wearing shorts. 

The earth is still spinning and no one died. More power to him. This fellow being there in shorts didn’t distract from our enjoyment of the evening. Not one little bit. 

 

 

We feel the same way.  Very much MYOBers.

 

Besides...this is your decision to make.  Will you let someone else wearing shorts for dinner detract from your dining pleasure.  Up to you, not up to them.

[Bgwest]

4 hours ago, iancal said:

We feel the same way.  Very much MYOBers.

 

Besides...this is your decision to make.  Will you let someone else wearing shorts for dinner detract from your dining pleasure.  Up to you, not up to them.

Yet there are those who continually get all bunched up over it. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[iancal]

1 hour ago, Bgwest said:

Yet there are those who continually get all bunched up over it. 🤷🏼‍♂️

I learned a long time ago not to 'sweat' the small stuff or to worry about or focus on things over which you have no control.

[Cshells]

A few years ago on the Royal,  when i was waiting outside MDR for dinner,  a big group of people were in front of us.  I saw two gentlemen in that group run away quickly.  Apparently,  the one in shorts was asked to go get change but he didn't even bring any pants. 😅  Kind of embarrassing! After a bit of discussion, his new friend decided to give him one to use in the cruise.  

 

Maybe it's nice just to prepare for the special occasions! 😊

[PrincessLuver]

The real problem I see on all the Princess cruises we have done is there is absolutely nothing SPECIAL happening in the MDR's on Formal Night other then they want people to spruce-up for whatever reason?

It is a meaningless attempt to create a bygone tradition of cruising.  I hope they move to a name like "Elegant Night" instead of "Formal Night!"

Edited December 18, 2021 by PrincessLuver

[MissP22]

9 hours ago, PrincessLuver said:

The real problem I see on all the Princess cruises we have done is there is absolutely nothing SPECIAL happening in the MDR's on Formal Night other then they want people to spruce-up for whatever reason?

It is a meaningless attempt to create a bygone tradition of cruising.  I hope they move to a name like "Elegant Night" instead of "Formal Night!"

Princess is obviously making more money on formal nights in the DR due to people having formal photo's taken, special wines & drinks being sold & hanging on to the illusion of still being a "formal cruise line" which entices additional bookings for those first time cruisers.

If they followed the other major cruise lines & relaxed their dress code it wouldn't do anything to improve their bottom line, so why bother?

They prefer to leave things the way they are & let people decide for themselves on how formal to make the evening. (provided they don't try to wear shorts in the DR) 😄

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, MissP22 said:

Princess is obviously making more money on formal nights in the DR due to people having formal photo's taken, special wines & drinks being sold & hanging on to the illusion of still being a "formal cruise line" which entices additional bookings for those first time cruisers.

If they followed the other major cruise lines & relaxed their dress code it wouldn't do anything to improve their bottom line, so why bother?

They prefer to leave things the way they are & let people decide for themselves on how formal to make the evening. (provided they don't try to wear shorts in the DR) 😄

I think what you say is out of date.  In the MDR there are no longer wine stewards pushing wine.  Many have drink packages (I.e. Princess Plus) which gets them glasses of wine (very limited selection) which waiters must get from a bar tender.  We see very few tables

where folks have bought bottles.  Even in the Crown Grill there was no attempt to push bottled wine.  As to the photographers, they are still everywhere (and annoying) but do not seem to do much business on formal nights.

 

As much as DW and I enjoy formal nights we would agree that the current half baked hybrid formal nights are a ridiculous waste of effort.  At this point Princess just as well allow bikinis and bare feet in the MDRs.

 

Hank