Formal wear on Princess Enchanted Cruise

[Steelers36]

8 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

And the people who weren't dressed up, were not?

Come on... she (@LynnSD) didn't mean that at all.  I know this can be a passionate topic, but let's not read into posts what isn't there.

Edited July 14, 2023 by Steelers36

[LynnSD]

Thanks!    Exactly.  Something for everyone.   

[Bgwest]

13 hours ago, trvlwrld said:

If you have nice jeans (most of mine cost more than a tux or a formal), you certainly will look better than some of the 70-80 crowd that takes their formal wear out of mothballs for each cruise….please don’t let the naysayers determine what you wear - it is your cruise, not theirs!

This 👆

[wilsonhold]

I guess I am confused. We are sailing Australia this coming October/November for 28 days. Is the new norm as stated in these posts or as Princess officially stated below?. I would love to not have to bring a suit,etc but at the same time do not want to bend the rules and be considered rude.

Formal
When formal nights are held, please observe the dress code in the dining venues for the enjoyment of all our guests.

• Evening gown, cocktail dress or elegant pant suit for women
• Tuxedo, dark suit or dinner jacket and slacks for men

[Bgwest]

22 minutes ago, wilsonhold said:

I guess I am confused. We are sailing Australia this coming October/November for 28 days. Is the new norm as stated in these posts or as Princess officially stated below?. I would love to not have to bring a suit,etc but at the same time do not want to bend the rules and be considered rude.

Formal
When formal nights are held, please observe the dress code in the dining venues for the enjoyment of all our guests.

• Evening gown, cocktail dress or elegant pant suit for women
• Tuxedo, dark suit or dinner jacket and slacks for men

Are you looking for the reality of what to expect in the MDR or are you looking for how things used to be (and the way many keep clawing to maintain)?

 

If you are seeking the former, believe what your fellow posters are saying. If you are seeking the later, believe the dated, very dated, information posted by Princess. 
 

The choice is yours. 

[mtnesterz]

13 minutes ago, wilsonhold said:

I guess I am confused. We are sailing Australia this coming October/November for 28 days. Is the new norm as stated in these posts or as Princess officially stated below?. I would love to not have to bring a suit,etc but at the same time do not want to bend the rules and be considered rude.

Wear what makes you feel comfortable. If you feel you will be out of place, considered rude or whatever, then listen to that. I don't know what the standard for dress is on Australian cruises, but what I'd do is wear a sportcoat on the plane and roll up a tie in the pocket. If you want it you've got it. If you don't, it didn't take any luggage space.

[Over from NZ]

5 hours ago, wilsonhold said:

I guess I am confused. We are sailing Australia this coming October/November for 28 days. Is the new norm as stated in these posts or as Princess officially stated below?. I would love to not have to bring a suit,etc but at the same time do not want to bend the rules and be considered rude.

Formal
When formal nights are held, please observe the dress code in the dining venues for the enjoyment of all our guests.

• Evening gown, cocktail dress or elegant pant suit for women
• Tuxedo, dark suit or dinner jacket and slacks for men

Aussies are rather "casual" dressers at the best of times. Putting on tidy shorts and a pair of shoes is getting dressed up for an Aussie. The new Princess is a lot different. Wear what you want.. others will be. 

[Jaaaney]

2 hours ago, Over from NZ said:

Aussies are rather "casual" dressers at the best of times. Putting on tidy shorts and a pair of shoes is getting dressed up for an Aussie. The new Princess is a lot different. Wear what you want.. others will be. 

 

In my experience Australians dress less casual than Americans.  

[MissP22]

2 hours ago, Jaaaney said:

 

In my experience Australians dress less casual than Americans.  

Maybe I'm assuming something but they sound like a fun crowd. 🥳

[trvlwrld]

You gotta love it when a lot of the posts turn into dress code debates…it’s great entertainment—open up a bottle of wine and just sit back, the show will start in 3-2-1….

[1965]

11 hours ago, wilsonhold said:

I guess I am confused. We are sailing Australia this coming October/November for 28 days. Is the new norm as stated in these posts or as Princess officially stated below?. I would love to not have to bring a suit,etc but at the same time do not want to bend the rules and be considered rude.

Formal
When formal nights are held, please observe the dress code in the dining venues for the enjoyment of all our guests.

• Evening gown, cocktail dress or elegant pant suit for women
• Tuxedo, dark suit or dinner jacket and slacks for men

I hope we are all helping end your confusion. I'll reinforce the posts above. Suits, coats, ties, tuxes, evening gowns are not required.  Anyone who likes dressing up is welcome to. Anyone who likes dressing casually is welcome to. I wear slacks & dressy top. Hubby wears slacks & collared polo shirt. This is how we dress on formal & non formal nights. We truly mean it when we say dress in the manner that is comfortable for you & makes you happy. 😊

[NewAmsterdam]

Thanks all for your messages but feel that this topic is getting alot of heat. As a first time cruiser it's a little over whelming but feel I have an understanding of what to wear. 

[Princessfan20]

13 hours ago, 1965 said:

I hope we are all helping end your confusion. I'll reinforce the posts above. Suits, coats, ties, tuxes, evening gowns are not required.  Anyone who likes dressing up is welcome to. Anyone who likes dressing casually is welcome to. I wear slacks & dressy top. Hubby wears slacks & collared polo shirt. This is how we dress on formal & non formal nights. We truly mean it when we say dress in the manner that is comfortable for you & makes you happy. 😊

 

Excellent summary.....

[susancruzs]

Once you sit down in a dining room no one notices what's on your lower half.  If crew at the door isn't enforcing so called "rules" you're good to go.  I wouldn't try shorts on designated formal, just because

there is no set following of said rules.

 

I don't care what others do or wear, does not impact me enjoying my cruise.  I like to dress up but it just involves a dressier top, nicer pants that I wouldn't wear for smart casual.   

 

 

 

[qqwer123]

On 7/13/2023 at 4:06 PM, 1965 said:

On cruises of 7 nights or more there will be formal nights. The length of the cruise determines the number of formal nights. On all Princess ships formal night attire runs from khaki slacks & polo shirt to tux. You'll see slacks, polo shirts, dress shirts, ties, no ties, jackets, no jackets, suits, tuxes for men. For women you'll see dressy capris, slacks, dressy tops, dresses, evening gowns. All are welcome. It really is your choice. If you enjoy dressing up, go for it. If you prefer more casual attire, go for it. It's preferred that shorts not be worn in the dining rooms for dinner. But I'm not sure that's enforced. On non formal nights smart casual is the norm. I occasionally see dressy shorts on non formal nights. Enjoy your cruise. 

On one of my cruises this  Feb, my daughter and I are doing a 5 day cruise and I was surprised to see it had one formal night even on that one! I Told her to bring a nice outfit so we can get a nice picture of her first cruise. 

[sboh]

Just off the Enchanted Princess but the Rome to Athens leg. We had one formal night (on Monday, our only sea day) and one called “dress to impress” which was two nights later after a half-day port stop. I wore black wide-leg chiffon pants both nights and a different dressy top each night. My sons wore suits w/ties. Many people were dressed up and I saw many more tuxedos than I expected. I thought it was nice. Also, it was nice to have a formal picture taken all dressed up.
It did seem like not as many people participated the second night.

[Bgwest]

6 hours ago, trvlwrld said:

You gotta love it when a lot of the posts turn into dress code debates…it’s great entertainment—open up a bottle of wine and just sit back, the show will start in 3-2-1….

No, not at all. Judging from the last half dozen or so "dress suggestion" threads, it appears that the fashion police have finally begun to accept reality. Not much debating any longer. 

[MissP22]

40 minutes ago, sboh said:

Also, it was nice to have a formal picture taken all dressed up.
It did seem like not as many people participated the second night.

It's probably the primary reason why many of the first time cruisers do dress up but after numerous cruises, it's get old. 

As far as people not dressing up on the second night, they see that formal clothing isn't all it's cracked up to be in order to enjoy the meal. Why bother when you can wear something comfortable without being forced to dress up for the same thing. 

[davekathy]

21 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

It's probably the primary reason why many of the first time cruisers do dress up but after numerous cruises, it's get old. 

As far as people not dressing up on the second night, they see that formal clothing isn't all it's cracked up to be in order to enjoy the meal. Why bother when you can wear something comfortable without being forced to dress up for the same thing. 

Agree. We both get a free photo each with RC and pass on that, no matter the evening. 

Edited July 15, 2023 by davekathy

[Torfamm]

18 hours ago, MissP22 said:

It's probably the primary reason why many of the first time cruisers do dress up but after numerous cruises, it's get old. 

As far as people not dressing up on the second night, they see that formal clothing isn't all it's cracked up to be in order to enjoy the meal. Why bother when you can wear something comfortable without being forced to dress up for the same thing. 

The second formal night on a cruise is now sometimes listed as “White and Gold” or “Dress to Impress”. That is another reason why formal wear is seen less often on that night. 

 

I doubt that that many of those who choose to dress formally do it because they feel forced or that they are uncomfortable. I believe the majority of them do it because they enjoy it. I think it’s very unlikely that men are running out and buying tuxedos because of the requested dress code.

[mevs904]

19 hours ago, sboh said:

Just off the Enchanted Princess but the Rome to Athens leg. We had one formal night (on Monday, our only sea day) and one called “dress to impress” which was two nights later after a half-day port stop. I wore black wide-leg chiffon pants both nights and a different dressy top each night. My sons wore suits w/ties. Many people were dressed up and I saw many more tuxedos than I expected. I thought it was nice. Also, it was nice to have a formal picture taken all dressed up.
It did seem like not as many people participated the second night.

We were just on the Rome to Barcelona Enchanted cruise and I concur with what sboh has said.  There were two formal nights on both legs of this cruise and in each case people dressed less formally than the first night.  It may be because of luggage capacity limitations.  We also thought it was nice to see so many people dressed up.  I wore a cocktail dress and my SO wore a dark suit and tie.  The majority of the people we saw were similarly dressed.  There were definitely some tuxedos.  It may be that those who chose not to dress up on those nights did not attend the Captain’s reception and did not dine in the MDR.  We enjoy dressing up on the very rare occasions that we can and we also enjoy the efforts that the ship and crew make to provide a special evening.

[Torfamm]

1 hour ago, mevs904 said:

We were just on the Rome to Barcelona Enchanted cruise and I concur with what sboh has said.  There were two formal nights on both legs of this cruise and in each case people dressed less formally than the first night.  It may be because of luggage capacity limitations.  We also thought it was nice to see so many people dressed up.  I wore a cocktail dress and my SO wore a dark suit and tie.  The majority of the people we saw were similarly dressed.  There were definitely some tuxedos.  It may be that those who chose not to dress up on those nights did not attend the Captain’s reception and did not dine in the MDR.  We enjoy dressing up on the very rare occasions that we can and we also enjoy the efforts that the ship and crew make to provide a special evening.

We were aboard for four weeks in May and June and saw the same. No one wearing a tuxedo could possibly have felt out of place.

[MissP22]

3 hours ago, Torfamm said:

The second formal night on a cruise is now sometimes listed as “White and Gold” or “Dress to Impress”. That is another reason why formal wear is seen less often on that night. 

 

I doubt that that many of those who choose to dress formally do it because they feel forced or that they are uncomfortable. I believe the majority of them do it because they enjoy it. I think it’s very unlikely that men are running out and buying tuxedos because of the requested dress code.

Whatever the reason, I'm still grateful that Princess has decided to relax their dress standards and allow people to choose for themselves what they feel comfortable wearing.

Everyone can now either go all out on formal evenings or simply, go casual.