Formal Night Question

[will work to cruise]

I'm probably going to get slammed, but here it goes. We are looking at cruising on the Caribbean Princess in June 2008, a B2B. How formal is formal night? I understand that plenty of people like to get all decked out and that's great, but I wear a suit and tie all week and my wife wears dresses or pants suits. We don't really want to get "dressed up" on our vacation. Could I get away with a pair of Dockers and a dress shirt and my wife with a nice Sun Dress for dinner. Will we be frowned upon or even denied entry to the dining room? What do you normally see in the dining room on formal night? Thanks for any input.

[stephenandrew]

I'm probably going to get slammed, but here it goes. We are looking at cruising on the Caribbean Princess in June 2008, a B2B. How formal is formal night? I understand that plenty of people like to get all decked out and that's great, but I wear a suit and tie all week and my wife wears dresses or pants suits. We don't really want to get "dressed up" on our vacation. Could I get away with a pair of Dockers and a dress shirt and my wife with a nice Sun Dress for dinner. Will we be frowned upon or even denied entry to the dining room? What do you normally see in the dining room on formal night? Thanks for any input.

 

 

My experience is that you will not be turned away. Will you be forwned upon--I don't think the cruise staff will care--some of the formally dressed passengers may--I doubt anybody would say anything, and I suspect everyone will be very pleasent/nice, but I think some folks will have misgivings about your attire.

[donna5]

If you have to ask if you can get away with it, then you already know the answer.

[ajpd2]

:cool: If you don't want to be part of formal nights then go to the buffet or where ever, ie room service etc. My wife and I seldom do formal nights for the same reaosn you stated but I respect those that want to do the formal thing for what ever deranged reason and so we just keep to ourselves on those nights and try to keep a low profile. Saying all that however I still would consider it rude to show up in the dinning rooms on formal night if you weren't all decked out. :D :D

[Toto2Kansas]

On the Caribbean Princess, the best nights for seafood at the Cafe Caribe are on formal nights. Skip the dining room that evening and head upstairs (behind the horizon court). Everyone we talked to onboard said they wished they would have done the same.

We dress nice, even for the Cafe Caribe, but just not in a suit and formal gown.

[bdjam]

The official Princess stance is that formal attire is required for entrance to the dining rooms on formal evenings...however there are casual alternatives available. I have seen people turned away from the dining room on formal evenings when not dressed appropriately.

That being said, I've not sailed Caribbean Princess but have heard she is a much more casual ship (where the phrase "Dumb Casual" attire was coined) and so you might just get away with Smart Casual (which is what you describe) on a formal night.

[will work to cruise]

:) Thanks all. You answered my question. The buffet will be our choice for formal night. I'm just going to have to do without the lobster I guess:rolleyes:

[landyn]

I wouldn't worry about it. What you wear to dinner should have no effect on anyone elses dinner. I always wear a pair of dress pants and a dress shirt and never had a problem. In fact that's what I'll be wearing on our upcoming cruise (Caribbean Princess 1/28). Sure hope that doesn't offend anybody. Oh, and i will be changing back to shorts after dinner.

[Rob & Beckys mom]

I wouldn't worry about it. What you wear to dinner should have no effect on anyone elses dinner. I always wear a pair of dress pants and a dress shirt and never had a problem. In fact that's what I'll be wearing on our upcoming cruise (Caribbean Princess 1/28). Sure hope that doesn't offend anybody. Oh, and i will be changing back to shorts after dinner.

 

We always get gussied up for formal night & then change right back into casual! LOL! Never had a problem yet:D I understand that Tahitian Princess is much more casual on formal night, true?

 

Jan

[Toto2Kansas]

:) Thanks all. You answered my question. The buffet will be our choice for formal night. I'm just going to have to do without the lobster I guess:rolleyes:

 

Nope, Lobster is alive and well and living at the Cafe Caribe, at least it was the two times we sailed on the CB. ;)

[Toto2Kansas]

I understand that Tahitian Princess is much more casual on formal night, true?

 

Jan

 

We had heard the same thing before we sailed on the TP, only to find out differently when we got there. Since most dining is assigned on the TP, not many alternates. Most dress just as formal as they do any other cruise. In fact, I think I saw more men in Tuxedos on the TP then any other cruise we have sailed on.

[cruznon]

DH and I are some of those deranged folks that enjoy formal nights! Since we'll be on our first Princess cruise in April, it's good to hear that formal nights are truly formal on Princess. I love the ambience of the ship on formal nights.

(However on one of our cruises, we had a very laid-back day and chose not to take part in formal night, so we had room service on our balcony.That's a nice alternative too.)

[gomomgo]

I'm glad we're not the only ones who are not gung-ho for formal nights. The thought of packing a suit has kept my DH from doing a cruise for years. When I told him we didn't have to participate in formal nights, he was ready to go. "I'm not going to wear a suit on vacation" is his motto. It looks like we'll have some company on those nights:D

[CruznMooses]

Well I might get a bit of crap for this but here I go anyways. Some of us do not have many occasions to get dressed up to go to dinner, my wife and I are really looking forward to getting dressed up for dinner. In fact we will probbaly even get decked out on one of the semi-fromal night just because we want to... However that is not the point of this post, if on one of the formal nights I was at my dinner table and one of my table mates showed up to the table in less than formal attire my wife and I would be a little upset, in my case I would more than likely say something to to that couple, and as usual put my foot in my mouth.

When you go on a Princess cruise you know up front that there will be 2+ formal nights (dependong on the length of the cruise) in the dinning room, if you do not wish to get dressed up then for the sake of others that do want to and are dressed up, then don't try and fake it or cheapen it for others, dine elsewhere!

Brent

[disney_leonard]

I've been on about 25 cruises now. Started back in the early 1980's. Now retired we have been on 3 or 4 cruises a year the last couple of years. We don't do formal nights anymore. No offense to those who enjoy it I wore a suit and tie or uniform for 33 years. Now my saying is something I heard from a frequent Regency passenger- "The only people who should be wearing tuxedos on a cruise is the help". I sometimes will wear a sport coat with a shirt and open collar but that's it. On the CB and last year on the Tahitian Princess no coats at all. Way too warm anyway. We were on the CB in November with six couples. None of the men even brought a jacket. We were not refused admittance to the dining room and if anyone frowned I didn't notice it. By the way, they had king crab legs in the dining room one night but in the Horizon Court four of the seven nights! Lobster was only one night in the dining room but we ate more than our share.

[shopinful]

Well I might get a bit of crap for this but here I go anyways. Some of us do not have many occasions to get dressed up to go to dinner, my wife and I are really looking forward to getting dressed up for dinner. In fact we will probbaly even get decked out on one of the semi-fromal night just because we want to... However that is not the point of this post, if on one of the formal nights I was at my dinner table and one of my table mates showed up to the table in less than formal attire my wife and I would be a little upset, in my case I would more than likely say something to to that couple, and as usual put my foot in my mouth.

When you go on a Princess cruise you know up front that there will be 2+ formal nights (dependong on the length of the cruise) in the dinning room, if you do not wish to get dressed up then for the sake of others that do want to and are dressed up, then don't try and fake it or cheapen it for others, dine elsewhere!

Brent

 

I personally feel that formal or dressy attire is appropriate. A skirt and sweater, a fancy long dress, nice slacks, suit, tux or shirt and tie. What is not appropriate is jeans, T-Shirts, and sloppy attire. A cruise is to enjoy and some people have to dress up all the time for work or do formal things all the time. Others never get to and want to on the cruise. It is purely an individual thing and if I was dress nicely but not fancy and a tablemate made a comment to me that I didn't fit their image of dressy.....I would tell them that their opinion was theirs but not to expect me to meet their expectation for this was a cruise I completely paid for. But if they were so inclined to reimburse me for my cruise payment, I would be happy to dress for them the next formal night with a smile on my face. I would have no problem putting on a long fancy dress for a free cruise!!! My husband and I have been on about 15 cruises and have enjoyed them all. We go on cruises to totally relax from our hectic life. Other's may go to party or dress up......I have no problem with that. If something so insignificant would spoil my dinner then I would be eating at home. There are always tables for two!!

[steve20832]

I'm probably going to get slammed, but here it goes. We are looking at cruising on the Caribbean Princess in June 2008, a B2B. How formal is formal night? I understand that plenty of people like to get all decked out and that's great, but I wear a suit and tie all week and my wife wears dresses or pants suits. We don't really want to get "dressed up" on our vacation. Could I get away with a pair of Dockers and a dress shirt and my wife with a nice Sun Dress for dinner. Will we be frowned upon or even denied entry to the dining room? What do you normally see in the dining room on formal night? Thanks for any input.

 

If you wear a suit all week at work, why can't you wear one for 4 hours or so on formal night? I wear a suit one night and a tux the other night and fit right in with everyone else.

[shopinful]

If you wear a suit all week at work, why can't you wear one for 4 hours or so on formal night? I wear a suit one night and a tux the other night and fit right in with everyone else.

Because it is called Vacation.....relaxation and enjoyment. If I feel like dressing up I will, but if I don't feel like getting real dressed up I will wear dressy casual. That is what vacation is all about. You obviously feel that your vacation is fun with getting on your best attire. That is fine but your choice may not be mine.

[shopinful]

Dockers and a dress shirt and your wife's sun dress or nice pants will be just fine. enjoy yourself and don't worry about it. That is the beauty of cruises!!

[Pam in CA]

As others have said, you know in advance that there are at least two formal nights on your cruise. Relax, enjoy your cruise and please respect the 90% of the other passengers who (while "deranged") enjoy dressing up.

[willysgrandma]

When we were on the Crown, my estimate is that about 60% of men and women were totally decked out on formal night. About 35% were semi-formal - men in jackets, some without ties and in Dockers and women in dressy pants and a top or a dressy skirt and top.

 

And maybe 5% weren't dressed up at all - I saw Hawaiian shirts and jeans. Those were the ones who stuck out like a sore thumb, but they weren't turned away from the restaurants and they didn't seem to feel self concious either.

 

If you don't want to dress formal, you can go to the buffet or an alternate restaurant. I would at the very least take a jacket for you, even if you don't wear a tie.

[kywildcatfanone]

We went on our first cruise over Thanksgiving week on the Caribbean Princess, and did go to formal night dining the 1st formal night in a suit and tie, but we decided not to do that on the 2nd formal night, and just went to the buffet instead. I don't mind dressing up, but we wanted to go to a 7:30pm show in the theatre and I wanted to be in more casual clothing to sit through that, so we went to the buffet instead. Not as glamorous, but we enjoyed it.

In fact, I just booked a cruise this morning for March, and we will not be going to either formal night. I don't want to hassle with the extra clothes. Just my .02 cents worth:)

[miclane001]

I'm not crazy about formal night, though I always dress up and go because my teenage daughter loves it. I would, however, feel too self conscious to show up for formal night in casual clothes. If I chose not to dress appropriately, I'd make other arrangements for dinner.

[bdjam]

Because it is called Vacation.....relaxation and enjoyment. If I feel like dressing up I will, but if I don't feel like getting real dressed up I will wear dressy casual. That is what vacation is all about. You obviously feel that your vacation is fun with getting on your best attire. That is fine but your choice may not be mine.

Princess offers alternatives so that you can dress casually on formal night if you wish, however you may not be able to access the dining rooms as stated in the pre-cruise information you receive and the publications on board the ship. If you truly do not want to have to deal with any dress guidelines, Princess is not the cruise line on which to buy passage. Even if the staff does not specifically enforce guidelines, the majority of the passengers on board will adhere to them. I realize those who purposefully ignore the guidelines don’t care if they are out of place, but it is something to be aware of. It’s not as free – dress as you want on formal night – as some would like to believe.

[gomomgo]

So, if I can get my husband to wear a long-sleeve dress shirt and tie, will that be enough for formal night? Or perhaps a sport jacket but falling short of the suit?

 

Also, on "smart casual" nights, are dockers and a polo shirt appropriate attire for him? You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy.