The virtues of formal nights & why we like them

My (now) husband and I met in 2006 in May. And went on our first cruise that fall. At Christmas, I surprised him with a Christian Dior tux (gently used from E-bay--such a deal). He looks like a million bucks in it 11 years later. I have velvet pants and a fabulous collection of high-end (last call clearance from Neiman Marcus, ladies!) tops.

We love formal nights--something about dressing up is romantic and makes a cruise feel special.

And I like to go sit and watch all the little boys in their suits, the tweens in their first kitten heels, the guys in Zoot suits, and the women who still wear high heels! It is a parade of America. And makes me happy.

To each his own, but cruising without formal nights? I would be sad.

 

 

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Wow he fits in his tux 11 years later.... Bravo! Impressive. I shop just like you and love finding high quality great fitting clothes at a reasonable price.

I love your description of what makes formal nights special and feel the same way. Thanks for your post.

Maybe they want a change from the weekly routine. I notice so many of the formal night fans on this thread love to dress up because they rarely get to do so in their everyday lives. So maybe your parents are just like that but in reverse. They want something completely different from home for their vacation experience.

 

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Possibly. My wife and I have discussed it at length, and while my parents have never actually said it, we get the impression that they believe formal night to be a far more regal affair than it is. They see themselves as simple people, and don't think they'd fit in. Maybe they've seen too many movies. We're not really sure where they've gotten the idea, if that is indeed the reason, but that is what it seems to be.

We did manage to get them into the MDR on their last cruise, so they were able to see what it is actually like on a non-formal night. They've also seen pictures from our last two cruises, and how my wife and I dressed on formal night. We're hopeful that they'll be more open to participating next time, but if not, that's fine too. They still have a good time, and that's the important part.

wishfulone, did you see my earlier post about Camilla? Page 2, I think.

 

Superlight (under 220g) for full length silk crystal embellished kaftans. They are fantastic for cruising. :) And they don't crease!.

Loving your beautiful new Camilla. :)

I've got two more - one reminds me of a South Pacific island beach with the colour shading from a sandy blue/green to a deeper shade at the top, just like if you stood in the shallows with your back to the water and the colours were mapped onto the fabric. Plus it has the characteristic crystal sparkles on the top.

How do you explain the fact of how many people on Princess are dressed casually on formal nights in the DR?

Could it be that they all just breaking the suggested rules? ;p

my experience after over 500 days on Princess over 95 percent of the people were dressed according to the real guidelines on the Princess website (the real guidelines|)

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my experience after over 500 days on Princess over 95 percent of the people were dressed according to the real guidelines on the Princess website (the real guidelines|)

 

People dressed casually are within the guidelines no matter what you quote as a percentage.

my experience after over 500 days on Princess over 95 percent of the people were dressed according to the real guidelines on the Princess website (the real guidelines|)

 

The quoted statistics are not supported by facts.

 

The cruise line employees on the ships determine e what attire is acceptable, and that is the real determining factor.

 

They have made a wise business decision.

 

The quoted statistics are not supported by facts.

 

The cruise line employees on the ships determine e what attire is acceptable, and that is the real determining factor.

 

They have made a wise business decision.

The formalists in the group just can't seem to grasp that concept.

People dressed casually are within the guidelines no matter what you quote as a percentage.

You know this is not true - why do you insist on posting your agenda?

Princess guidelines

Princess.com - booked guests - helpful links - pre-cruise info - what to pack - clothing recommendations

I'm not a fan of formal and just skip it because I can.

I would agree. Some of us just don't like the aura of it all!

A few years back we were seated at a table where one man was dressed casual on formal night. I asked him why he was not dressed formal. He answered - I just tell them at the door that the luggage with my tux was lost and they let me in - I do it all the time. We excused ourself and were seated at a different table

On our last Princess cruise a man came to dinner,on formal night, in a black leather sport jacket, jeans and a shirt. They let him in to the main dining room. Like I said earlier, we'd prefer country club casual, but we follow the formal night conventions. I agree with the poster who said that guests should follow the rules laid out by Princess. We will be going on an Alaska cruise with Princess. I hear that formal nights are more casual on Alaska cruises. Can anyone speak to that?

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On our last Princess cruise a man came to dinner,on formal night, in a black leather sport jacket, jeans and a shirt. They let him in to the main dining room. Like I said earlier, we'd prefer country club casual, but we follow the formal night conventions. I agree with the poster who said that guests should follow the rules laid out by Princess. We will be going on an Alaska cruise with Princess. I hear that formal nights are more casual on Alaska cruises. Can anyone speak to that?

 

 

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In 2012 we took our first Princess cruise. I too had read that formal nights are more casual on Alaska cruises so I told dh he would be fine just wearing a nice shirt with tie. We were quite surprised that almost all of the men were wearing at least sport coats. Every cruise is different because of the customers on the ship. We are going back to Alaska next year and I am sure he will be bringing his sport coat or tux.

On our last Princess cruise a man came to dinner,on formal night, in a black leather sport jacket, jeans and a shirt. They let him in to the main dining room. Like I said earlier, we'd prefer country club casual, but we follow the formal night conventions. I agree with the poster who said that guests should follow the rules laid out by Princess. We will be going on an Alaska cruise with Princess. I hear that formal nights are more casual on Alaska cruises. Can anyone speak to that?

 

 

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All the Princess cruises I have sailed (including Alaska) have welcomed me into the MDR wearing a long sleeved shirt and slacks. On the Alaska cruises, I saw some gjests wearing jeans and plaid flannel shirts.

You can ignore the incessant posts that copy the published dress sugvesting because they have not been applied for several years.

You know this is not true - why do you insist on posting your agenda?

The truth is that casual attire is regularly accepted in the MDR ON formal nig hts..

What in NOT TRUE is the information in the published dress codes because that has not been applied for many years.

Many cruise lines have realized that they can retailn their market share by catering to the wishes of the majority of their guests.

It seems tt only a few on these boards are fidated on their attempts to han onto rules that are not applied.

On our last Princess cruise a man came to dinner,on formal night, in a black leather sport jacket, jeans and a shirt. They let him in to the main dining room. Like I said earlier, we'd prefer country club casual, but we follow the formal night conventions. I agree with the poster who said that guests should follow the rules laid out by Princess. We will be going on an Alaska cruise with Princess. I hear that formal nights are more casual on Alaska cruises. Can anyone speak to that?

 

 

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We took the Island on a Voyage of the Glaciers itinerary May 2016. Hubby in the tux and I in floor length gowns (there were sequins involved :)). We were not in the minority by any means and had a blast. You will also find that there are those dressed less formally and you should dress how you feel most comfortable. I personally hope that my fellow cruisers would show a modicum of respect for the dress code on formal night, but in the end it isn't about other people at all. DH is so incredibly gorgeous in his tux I only have eyes for him. I think he feels the same way about me judging by how he looks at me:hearteyes:.

As a statistician, it is my opinion that the empirical evidence regarding percentage of passengers dressed up or not is biased by the attitude of the observer. In one scenario, people like me who are positive and focusing on just my partner will only notice those that support my "cinderella" evening so will tell you that the majority of passengers were dressed in tuxes and gowns. Whereas someone who is focused on others and looking for dress code offenders (or looking for support in not upholding the formality of the evening dress) will probably see more passengers who support the desired outcome and will report that back on these threads.

Without a study using a true randomly selected group of passengers on a random selection of cruises that includes collection of lurking variables we really will never know. While I can't do the random selection of cruises, if I get bored on formal nights I can do a fairly good SRS of passengers. I've done a lot of primate studies and this is really no different. But given how DH looks I seriously doubt I would ever be bored on formal night!

How do you explain the fact of how many people on Princess are dressed casually on formal nights in the DR?

Could it be that they all just breaking the suggested rules? ;p

Most pax on our Regal cruise pretty much at least had a sport coat & tie. Yes, there were some pretty casual(no shorts, though, just smart casual)There were some tuxes as well. Kind of middle road. More suits than casual/sport coats or tuxes.

The truth is that casual attire is regularly accepted in the MDR ON formal nig hts..

 

What in NOT TRUE is the information in the published dress codes because that has not been applied for many years.

 

Many cruise lines have realized that they can retailn their market share by catering to the wishes of the majority of their guests.

 

It seems tt only a few on these boards are fidated on their attempts to han onto rules that are not applied.

If that is SO true, then why do I see most pax still making an attempt to follow the formal night dress code in the MDR "within reason"? I'm sorry, but your statement that the casual set in the MDR is the majority, is total bunk. The dress on board after dinner does become more casual is true, but at dinner in the MDR it still is far more dressy on formal nights than you & most of your friends are willing to admit. One can go to YOU TUBE & certainly see for yourselves.

The truth is that casual attire is regularly accepted in the MDR ON formal nig hts..

 

What in NOT TRUE is the information in the published dress codes because that has not been applied for many years.

 

Many cruise lines have realized that they can retailn their market share by catering to the wishes of the majority of their guests.

 

It seems tt only a few on these boards are fidated on their attempts to han onto rules that are not applied.

Then explain why I saw men get turned away on the royal in March 2017 for not dressing appropriately???? Maybe you should call Princess and tell them they do not have a dress code

How do you explain the fact of how many people on Princess are dressed casually on formal nights in the DR?

 

Could it be that they all just breaking the suggested rules? ;p

I'm curious where all these casually dressed people are. I find that most people very dressed up on formal night.

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I agree - those that want to cruise casual should go to Carnival - the Princess guidelines are very clear on formal dress contrary to what the poster states -

The problem is with Princess for not enforcing the dress code. People will always try to buck the system, it's general nature.

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...Could it be that they all just breaking the suggested rules? ;p

Yes, and sadly Princess allows it.

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I'm curious where all these casually dressed people are. I find that most people very dressed up on formal night.

 

 

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Some people just see, read, and hear what they want to hear - A lot of CC followers believe what they read hear, however, there is a lot of misinformation posted.

I'm curious where all these casually dressed people are. I find that most people very dressed up on formal night.

 

 

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This is certainly true. lot of pax, however will change after dining in the MDR. When I say MDR I really mean the "traditional ding room" The others seem to allow more casual dress. I'm basing this on our experiences on the Regal, which has 3 dining rooms(not specialty rest.)The other 2 dining rooms have "anytime dining ". If there is a lot of pax who want traditional seating, they then accommodate them in one of the other rooms as well. We still saw a lot of pax who chose to stay pretty well dressed after dinner. As many have said, the line doesn't enforce much of a dress code after dinner. In 2016 we were on a 14 day B2B on the Regal. The first week was Super bowl week. The Carolina Panther fans even by Casual" standards were pretty disgusting. Bathing suits at night were rampant. Wife beater T shirts or those tacky sports teams(insert your team "name" here)shirts were everywhere! Felt like I was at a flea market! By the second week they were gone & the ship was much more what I expected Princess to offer. In all our years of cruising I've NEVER seen pax drink & party like that. No barfing,well I'm sure it occurred, but I never saw it! If that continued, We'd never consider Princess again. The second week was MUCH. They had lots of kids(all VERY well behaved)on the second part of the trip. With Celebrity Eclipse been repositioned in South America, the 14 day trips will be less. That & amazing food quality declines this year have us looking at the Regal/Caribbean Princess for potential trips. Also looking at Oceania as well. YES! I know about the "Country Club" dress code(shorts are NOT allowed at dinner, however), but we're also "foodies". The decline in food quality is a real issue for us as well.