All your P&O dress code comments and queries.

[Fionboard]

4 minutes ago, snaefell said:

Perhaps they should try an approach once described by Joshe Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age about a restaurant where he grew up in Palm Springs frequented by the likes of Dean Martin where it was a requirement to wear a jacket to enter,they had a supply of jackets at the entrance which would be given to those without,a member of staff would accompany them to the table,remove the jacket & return it to the front door,kept somebody in a job!😎

Saw exactly that happen once on Ventura. 

[majortom10]

40 minutes ago, snaefell said:

Perhaps they should try an approach once described by Joshe Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age about a restaurant where he grew up in Palm Springs frequented by the likes of Dean Martin where it was a requirement to wear a jacket to enter,they had a supply of jackets at the entrance which would be given to those without,a member of staff would accompany them to the table,remove the jacket & return it to the front door,kept somebody in a job!😎

They used to have similar on Cunard in the late 90s a gentleman tried to get in MDR on Informal night without a tie on and restaurant manager opened a draw full of ties and lent him one. In those days on Cunard there were only 2 dress codes Formal and Informal, Formal was dinner suit and black tie/dark suit and tie or Informal was any suit or jacket with a tie.

[Britboys]

5 hours ago, snaefell said:

Perhaps they should try an approach once described by Joshe Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age about a restaurant where he grew up in Palm Springs frequented by the likes of Dean Martin where it was a requirement to wear a jacket to enter,they had a supply of jackets at the entrance which would be given to those without,a member of staff would accompany them to the table,remove the jacket & return it to the front door,kept somebody in a job!😎

P&O did the same thing regularly in the olden days...😁

[terrierjohn]

On 3/1/2023 at 10:51 PM, zap99 said:

Morris dancers?.

I already said that in # 171

[bobstheboy]

Arvia now allowing tailored shorts in the MDR on Informal Nights. I am assuming it's because they are in the Caribbean. 

[wowzz]

32 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

Arvia now allowing tailored shorts in the MDR on Informal Nights. I am assuming it's because they are in the Caribbean. 

And that then leads to the big question - how do you define "tailored" ?

[Angel57]

2 hours ago, bobstheboy said:

Arvia now allowing tailored shorts in the MDR on Informal Nights. I am assuming it's because they are in the Caribbean. 

Sadly, in my opinion ( and I appreciate many will disagree) allowing shorts, albeit “tailored” ones on informal nights in the MDR, is a very slippery slope. 
However, I am not at all surprised at this.

[Britboys]

3 hours ago, bobstheboy said:

Arvia now allowing tailored shorts in the MDR on Informal Nights. I am assuming it's because they are in the Caribbean. 

 

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

And that then leads to the big question - how do you define "tailored" ?

And it also leads to the question "what about the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean in summer"...

[Denarius]

3 hours ago, wowzz said:

And that then leads to the big question - how do you define "tailored" ?

Something like this perhaps.

[wowzz]

5 minutes ago, Denarius said:

Something like this perhaps.

I'd agree, but as Angel57 said, it is a slippery slope. Before you know it, men will be trying to enter with sports shorts. Why not allow shorts anywhere in the ship, but not the MDR ?

[Slugsta]

1 hour ago, Britboys said:

 

And it also leads to the question "what about the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean in summer"...

And how about a hot summer in the UK and northern Europe? . . .

[Britboys]

1 hour ago, Denarius said:

Something like this perhaps.

And the man behind in the pink stripy shirt would say "but these are designer shorts that cost a fortune"...

[Snow Hill]

3 hours ago, Denarius said:

Something like this perhaps.

I have about 3 pairs like that, brought them when we went to Kos on a land based holiday as tailored shorts were permitted in the Dining Room. not sure about the jacket and tie though.
 

So if it becomes an option I am already prepared. 

[Satellite city]

IMO the only slippery slope is that tailored shorts look ridiculous with a jacket and tie.  They make grown men look like they are off to boarding school at age 5

 

I honestly see no need for dress codes, I don’t do formal nights due to invisible disability and therefore either have to send a load of info to p and o to be allowed in mdr and stared at, or go where permitted.

 

Some will ask if it is so hard to wear a tie- for some it is, and we shouldn’t be tarring those that don’t as won’t, when some can’t 

Edited March 19, 2023 by Satellite city

[WestonOne]

On 3/19/2023 at 12:30 AM, Satellite city said:

I honestly see no need for dress codes

There is no NEED.  Plenty of other lines are out there which do not have dress codes.  However P+O have taken a judgement over the years that they get a higher income with some formal nights.  That may change over time, probably towards less formals, but perhaps in the other direction, who knows?

So if you want to express it as a need, it is entirely with the business trying to maximise its returns.  Not the 'needs' of passengers.  On the other hand, it seems enough passengers want to dress up it is something P+O are willing to go along with.

 

[crompton21]

16 hours ago, WestonOne said:

There is no NEED.  Plenty of other lines are out there which do not have dress codes.  However P+O have taken a judgement over the years that they get a higher income with some formal nights.  That may change over time, probably towards less formals, but perhaps in the other direction, who knows?

So if you want to express it as a need, it is entirely with the business trying to maximise its returns.  Not the 'needs' of passengers.  On the other hand, it seems enough passengers want to dress up it is something P+O are willing to go along with.

 

 

If the judgement of P&O is that formal nights generate income, surely they would do more of them and not less?  I think it's more to do with their perception of what customers want (which this thread clearly proves to be an impossible conundrum)

[WestonOne]

27 minutes ago, crompton21 said:

 

If the judgement of P&O is that formal nights generate income, surely they would do more of them and not less?  I think it's more to do with their perception of what customers want (which this thread clearly proves to be an impossible conundrum)

Indeed it is exactly that perception that sets the number of formal nights where it is.  Their assessment is that having more would put off people who would regard it as too much fuss, and reducing the number might lose people who like them.

It is a business judgement, which may be right or wrong.

Edited March 24, 2023 by WestonOne

[Britboys]

Business/finance will always trump any decision. In this case though, I would like to think that P&O are keen at present to hang on to the sizeable minority of pax who still prefer a more traditional cruise style, which includes the Formal Nights. We all know they are in a state of change with the new ships with which they are attracting the new to cruise market, many of who probably just want a package holiday hotel experience but on a ship.

The day I feel Aurora has become a package holiday hotel only is the day I will be jumping ship.

[wowzz]

I'm not sure that the formal nights generate that much extra revenue for P&O.

After all, the photographers are independent of P&O,  so only a small part of the revenue will trickle down to the bottom line.

I suppose people may push the boat out (sic) with better/more drinks, which could be profitable.

But, for once, I think P&O have probably gauged their market correctly - there is a demand for formal evenings from the majority of passengers, although perhaps less so for the new generation trying Iona and Arvia. 

[zap99]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

I'm not sure that the formal nights generate that much extra revenue for P&O.

After all, the photographers are independent of P&O,  so only a small part of the revenue will trickle down to the bottom line.

I suppose people may push the boat out (sic) with better/more drinks, which could be profitable.

But, for once, I think P&O have probably gauged their market correctly - there is a demand for formal evenings from the majority of passengers, although perhaps less so for the new generation trying Iona and Arvia. 

We have started to skip formal nights, but eat in  "allowed  " speciality restaurants instead. More revenue for them when we opt out.

 

[Fionboard]

Love formal nights. One of the reasons I stay with P&O. Never dress up at home so makes a change, which is what a vacation is all about for me. 

[windra06]

I'm in the position of needing  to update my wardrobe - what is the norm now for formal nights?
The last time I cruised was Celebrity in 2016 in my 20's and i'm sure things have moved on since then!

I was snubbed on my last cruise for wearing a knee length satin dress, and while i like to buy new clothing i have no need for overly formal wear and would rather take something i will wear again.

What can i get away with? I'm doing Scandinavia (Britannia) in September so i assume it will be fairly cold also.

Edited March 24, 2023 by windra06

[Host Sharon]

9 minutes ago, windra06 said:

I'm in the position of needing  to update my wardrobe - what is the norm now for formal nights?
The last time I cruised was Celebrity in 2016 in my 20's and i'm sure things have moved on since then!

I was snubbed on my last cruise for wearing a knee length satin dress, and while i like to buy new clothing i have no need for overly formal wear and would rather take something i will wear again.

What can i get away with? I'm doing Scandinavia (Britannia) in September so i assume it will be fairly cold also.

Much as I love formal nights I do tend to take more cocktail dresses now rather than full-length gowns, but that is as much to do with my mobllity issues. I think a nice cocktail dress or pair of trousers can look as good on a formal night, specially with heels and a pretty bag.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

I'm not sure that the formal nights generate that much extra revenue for P&O.

After all, the photographers are independent of P&O,  so only a small part of the revenue will trickle down to the bottom line.

I suppose people may push the boat out (sic) with better/more drinks, which could be profitable.

But, for once, I think P&O have probably gauged their market correctly - there is a demand for formal evenings from the majority of passengers, although perhaps less so for the new generation trying Iona and Arvia. 

I believe the supportive posters are assuming that P&O having a more formal dress code system leads to higher cruise sales.  I think they may have a point, since P&Os dress code does encourage all MDR diners to dress up, whereas when Celebriry dropped the dress code and changed formal nights to evening chic, the numbers dressing in black tie formality dropped significantly, mainly IMO because they didn't want to become a minority.

[wowzz]

20 minutes ago, windra06 said:

I'm in the position of needing  to update my wardrobe - what is the norm now for formal nights?
The last time I cruised was Celebrity in 2016 in my 20's and i'm sure things have moved on since then!

I was snubbed on my last cruise for wearing a knee length satin dress, and while i like to buy new clothing i have no need for overly formal wear and would rather take something i will wear again.

What can i get away with? I'm doing Scandinavia (Britannia) in September so i assume it will be fairly cold also.

20 years ago my wife would wear a full length dress. Now she wears a lbd, or equivalent, or floaty dress trousers and a sparkly top.

Don't worry about where the cruise is going. The temperature in the ship remains the same.