Shorts in the MDR

[parentsof5]

I was just reading John Heald's latest blog, and thought this answer to a readers observations about shorts in the MDR was interesting.

 

"I am so very glad that you had such a great time on your Carnival Dream and I will certainly pass on your kind words to those mentioned. I am interested in your comments on the dress code in the dining room. I know that we have a relaxed dress code on the first night because of luggage delivery but unless guests have lost luggage shorts should not be allowed in the dining rooms after that. T-shirts……..well that’s a different story and as long as the shirt is not a tank top then yes we do allow them if they are well presented. Please let me know about the shorts and when you saw people wearing them."

 

I have not been on a cruise since these changes took place, but from reading on here I had not thought this was being seen only on the first night, but all during the week. Maybe I misunderstood.

[pnjkeith]

Yes you will see shorts and flip flops all week. Now they advertise jeans allowed in steakhouse.

 

Coming soon new motto will be cruisin with rednecks.

[parentsof5]

Don't you think it is interesting that John Heald doesn't seem to think they should be allowed after the first night?

[laumicmah]

I saw a teenaged-college aged boy, with his mom and sister(I assume), who had on shorts for elegant night. They told him he had to go change into pants and mommy dearest bitched and moaned(saying they "didn't know and therefore did not pack pants" and "what a shame he'll have to sit in the cabin by himself while we eat...not fair") until the MD came over. We were ahead of them waiting for our table (your-time-dining). As they were leading us to our table, I could see the MD leave with the boy. We were seated and the boy's mom and sister were seated at the table next to us and...what do you know...the MD came in the back entrance with the boy (still in shorts) and seated him with his family. Mom had on a mini skirt and sis had on a legging type outfit. I don't really care what folks wear, but why have rules if you aren't going to enforce them. Seems silly. Fun for me to check out who's wearing what, though.

[pnjkeith]

I saw a teenaged boy ,wih his mom and sister, who had on shorts for elegant night. They told him he had to go change into pants and mommy dearest bitched and moaned untilthe MD came over. We were ahead of them waiting for our table (your-time-dining). As they were leading us to our table, I could see the MD leave with the boy. We were seated and the boy's mom and sister were seated at the table next to us and...what do you know...the MD came in the back entrance with the boy (still in shorts) and seated him with his family.

 

 

That is the problem. Maitre d always fails to enforce some type of dress code. Carnival seems to be after that crowd now.

[pnjkeith]

I saw a teenaged boy ,wih his mom and sister, who had on shorts for elegant night. They told him he had to go change into pants and mommy dearest bitched and moaned untilthe MD came over. We were ahead of them waiting for our table (your-time-dining). As they were leading us to our table, I could see the MD leave with the boy. We were seated and the boy's mom and sister were seated at the table next to us and...what do you know...the MD came in the back entrance with the boy (still in shorts) and seated him with his family.

 

 

That is the problem. Maitre d always fails to enforce some type of dress code. Carnival seems to be after that crowd now.

[Crusin Hogs]

I wear shorts every night except elegeant night , and the

people in long pants do not bother me at all!!:D:D

[Dee777]

I am not quite understanding why it makes any difference to anybody what other people wear? I like to dress up on the "elegant nights", as does my husband. Actually, every night we eat in the MDR (which is every night except when we eat at the specialty restaurant) we "dress up". But, it does not make or break my evening if someone were to be seated at a table next to ours wearing short or jeans. Just saying... I dress well because it makes me feel good. I am indifferent to the style preferences of others.

[Sargent_Schultz]

John must be having a senior moment because shorts are allowed.

[In2why]

John must be having a senior moment because shorts are allowed.

 

 

I think luggage weight has a lot to do with it. None of the men in our group brought suits to our cruise because it would have cost too much in overweight luggage fees at the airport. They wore khakis and button down shirts both elegant nights, and shorts the other nights.

 

I think the tradition of formal dressing is a dead issue on Carnival, for better or worse.

[Frank12]

John must be having a senior moment because shorts are allowed.

 

That's what I was thinking!

[BallFour4]

John must be having a senior moment because shorts are allowed.

 

Correct for $1000 Alex...

 

Travel agents, web based travel sites and fellow passengers promote the casual atmosphere aboard a Carnival ship, and the shorts policy has been in place for well over a year without any cruise director starting their own dress policy. As long as the posted guidelines exist for shorts to be allowed no cruise director would risk the claim of misrepresentation by advertising in a decision to not permit shorts.

 

I can give you a 10 day old observation from our journey aboard the Conquest for a week long cruise that departed on December 26, 2011. A significant number of cruisers are skipping the MDR for meals. We observed this in July aboard the Ecstasy, and again last summer aboard the Conquest.

 

Dress varies from the very casual of t-shirts and shorts along with an occasional hat to the resort casual on non-elegant nights.

 

Elegant night dress policy was described by the maitre d as "please gentlemen, no shorts and no hats." He got about 2/3 of the guests at their tables that night and most of the men had a jacket or tie. Even on the holiday cruise few wore a tux. I talked to our maire d about this one the slowest night in the MDR and he shared that too many are deleting tips from their accounts if they are challenged about dress policy. Once a person is ticked at the MDR staff the chances of seeing them again for the duration of the cruise goes down.

 

One thing I did learn is the wait staff and maitre D often get only one port where they can get off the ship. I asked them both what day that was and rather than wait until the end to give the MD a tip I gave him a $20 with the comment "let me buy you lunch in Cozumel." He was at our table that evening sharing his day, and a very happy camper.

 

A large percentage of passengers spend their entire cruise in shorts and casual clothes. Many of them never step foot in the MDR and as a result attend the shows, patronize the casino and shops in very casual clothes.

 

Finally, I observed a age variable based on attire on our most recent two cruises. The teens and 20 somethings were the most casual, followed by those in their 30's and some estimated to be in their 40's in shorts and casual clothes.

 

For guys like me in their early 50's a few had on jeans or khakis at dinner and were more likely to wear a suit or tux to dinner on elegant night.

 

I promised my wife I would take long pants and a dark suit for photos and am glad I did. On our departure from Cozumel night I wore shorts and a madras style collared shirt. I had good company.

 

 

.

 

 

 

[Onearmbandit]

Don't you think it is interesting that John Heald doesn't seem to think they should be allowed after the first night?

 

I wouldn't be surprised if he really doesn't know that they are allowed........

[S.S.Oceanlover]

 

Correct for $1000 Alex...

 

Travel agents, web based travel sites and fellow passengers promote the casual atmosphere aboard a Carnival ship, and the shorts policy has been in place for well over a year without any cruise director starting their own dress policy. As long as the posted guidelines exist for shorts to be allowed no cruise director would risk the claim of misrepresentation by advertising in a decision to not permit shorts.

 

I can give you a 10 day old observation from our journey aboard the Conquest for a week long cruise that departed on December 26, 2011. A significant number of cruisers are skipping the MDR for meals. We observed this in July aboard the Ecstasy, and again last summer aboard the Conquest.

 

Dress varies from the very casual of t-shirts and shorts along with an occasional hat to the resort casual on non-elegant nights.

 

Elegant night dress policy was described by the maitre d as "please gentlemen, no shorts and no hats." He got about 2/3 of the guests at their tables that night and most of the men had a jacket or tie. Even on the holiday cruise few wore a tux. I talked to our maire d about this one the slowest night in the MDR and he shared that too many are deleting tips from their accounts if they are challenged about dress policy. Once a person is ticked at the MDR staff the chances of seeing them again for the duration of the cruise goes down.

 

One thing I did learn is the wait staff and maitre D often get only one port where they can get off the ship. I asked them both what day that was and rather than wait until the end to give the MD a tip I gave him a $20 with the comment "let me buy you lunch in Cozumel." He was at our table that evening sharing his day, and a very happy camper.

 

A large percentage of passengers spend their entire cruise in shorts and casual clothes. Many of them never step foot in the MDR and as a result attend the shows, patronize the casino and shops in very casual clothes.

 

Finally, I observed a age variable based on attire on our most recent two cruises. The teens and 20 somethings were the most casual, followed by those in their 30's and some estimated to be in their 40's in shorts and casual clothes.

 

For guys like me in their early 50's a few had on jeans or khakis at dinner and were more likely to wear a suit or tux to dinner on elegant night.

 

I promised my wife I would take long pants and a dark suit for photos and am glad I did. On our departure from Cozumel night I wore shorts and a madras style collared shirt. I had good company.

 

 

.

 

 

 

 

I'm 54 and wear shorts every night but elegant night. Also like you stated we skip the MDR most nights.

 

Most items in the MDR can be found in the buffet so we usually eat there.

 

I do put on a pair of slacks and button down shirt for elegant night for lobster since they don't have that in the buffet.

 

Bill

[onmiown3]

On the first "Elegant Night" of our 12/23/10 Dream cruise, our 2 1/2 year old son was rushed to the medical bay about 40 minutes before our dinner.

 

Earlier that night, the son in question had decided he did NOT want to wear a dress shirt for dinner, and in his efforts to escape our efforts to dress him he ran across the cabin, and fell down. His arm bore the burnt of the fall and he twisted his wrist rather severely. He could not hold the wrist upright and it hung limply at his side.

 

While my husband went to the medical bay with him, I took my eldest son to dinner with my parents and sister, stepping out of the Scarlett dining room periodically to check on the progress in Medical via the phone by the aft elevators on that deck.

 

About an hour into the 6 pm seating the x-rays were done and medical released my son and husband. Luckily my son had only a badly strained tendon and an ace bandage wrapped tightly solved the problem.

 

My husband showed up at the Scarlett dining room to share the news. My husband was still in his polo top and shorts from earlier that day, and my son was in a white dress top with shorts.

 

The Maitre d, upon hearing us talk about the injury at the front of the dining room asked what happened. Then he INSISTED that my husband and son join us despite their dress and later had chocolate covered strawberries delivered to our room to cheer up my ailing son.

 

Sadly, we got dirty looks in the Scarlett dining room over the state of their dress. I know our story on why we fell outside the Elegant Night dress code is not your average tale, but I still felt that the level of judgment was unwarranted.

 

Kim

[Onearmbandit]

On the first "Elegant Night" of our 12/23/10 Dream cruise, our 2 1/2 year old son was rushed to the medical bay about 40 minutes before our dinner.

 

Earlier that night, the son in question had decided he did NOT want to wear a dress shirt for dinner, and in his efforts to escape our efforts to dress him he ran across the cabin, and fell down. His arm bore the burnt of the fall and he twisted his wrist rather severely. He could not hold the wrist upright and it hung limply at his side.

 

While my husband went to the medical bay with him, I took my eldest son to dinner with my parents and sister, stepping out of the Scarlett dining room periodically to check on the progress in Medical via the phone by the aft elevators on that deck.

 

About an hour into the 6 pm seating the x-rays were done and medical released my son and husband. Luckily my son had only a badly strained tendon and an ace bandage wrapped tightly solved the problem.

 

My husband showed up at the Scarlett dining room to share the news. My husband was still in his polo top and shorts from earlier that day, and my son was in a white dress top with shorts.

 

The Maitre d, upon hearing us talk about the injury at the front of the dining room asked what happened. Then he INSISTED that my husband !and son join us despite their dress and later had chocolate covered strawberries delivered to our room to cheer up my ailing son.

 

Sadly, we got dirty looks in the Scarlett dining room over the state of their dress. I know our story on why we fell outside the Elegant Night dress code is not your average tale, but I still felt that the level of judgment was unwarranted.

 

Kim

 

Wow what a night! Did you get him checked by your doctor? I ended up in the infirmary a couple weeks ago on the Spirit.....took a tumble and they x-rayed and said it was a sprain.....got home and went to my orho doc because it wasn't getting better and found out my wrist was broken:mad:

Now sporting a nice cast up to my elbow:(

[Katie John]

I am not quite understanding why it makes any difference to anybody what other people wear? I like to dress up on the "elegant nights", as does my husband. Actually, every night we eat in the MDR (which is every night except when we eat at the specialty restaurant) we "dress up". But, it does not make or break my evening if someone were to be seated at a table next to ours wearing short or jeans. Just saying... I dress well because it makes me feel good. I am indifferent to the style preferences of others.

 

I agree with this also. I will wear what I feel comfortable in, which is dressed up, but I couldn't care less what others are wearing. If I hadn't found cruise critic I don't think I would give it a second thought.

[MrPete]

Never in a million years would I have thought people would learn how to dress on Cruise Critic, cruise pamphlets, or cruise blogs.

[jzcruiser57]

That is the problem. Maitre d always fails to enforce some type of dress code. Carnival seems to be after that crowd now.

Maitre ds are not going to enforce the rules and risk losing a tip. Little do they know our Maitre d didn't receive a tip from us in May on the Freedom. We were sitting across from two couples in their fourties wearing shorts, that were extremely drunk, loud and obnoxious. At one point they were dropping things over the rail into the lower part of the dinning room. We and several other couples complained to the Maitre d and he did nothing. As a mtter of fact fifteen minutes after all the folks complained he was over there yuckiing it up with the two couples and of course in their state, they were promising big tips for the Maitre d and the wait staff. He never even asked them to keep the noise level down. We know, we were directly across the isle and could hear what was said.

The best part was he missed our tip and the two couples that we know never came back ( we asked our waiter and he never saw them the rest of the cruise). I am sorry to say, that cruise was for eight days and had some of the most disrespectful, me people on it I have ever seen. From the chair hogs to folks who couldn't even wait there turn in line for anything that thought they were so self important that rules applied to everyone else. Carnival does nothing to rectify the situation. That is becoming the bigger problem.

[H82seaUgo]

Maitre ds are not going to enforce the rules and risk losing a tip. Little do they know our Maitre d didn't receive a tip from us in May on the Freedom. We were sitting across from two couples in their fourties wearing shorts, that were extremely drunk, loud and obnoxious. At one point they were dropping things over the rail into the lower part of the dinning room. We and several other couples complained to the Maitre d and he did nothing. As a mtter of fact fifteen minutes after all the folks complained he was over there yuckiing it up with the two couples and of course in their state, they were promising big tips for the Maitre d and the wait staff. He never even asked them to keep the noise level down. We know, we were directly across the isle and could hear what was said.

The best part was he missed our tip and the two couples that we know never came back ( we asked our waiter and he never saw them the rest of the cruise). I am sorry to say, that cruise was for eight days and had some of the most disrespectful, me people on it I have ever seen. From the chair hogs to folks who couldn't even wait there turn in line for anything that thought they were so self important that rules applied to everyone else. Carnival does nothing to rectify the situation. That is becoming the bigger problem.

 

actually, i,m the opposite.

 

if the md is not doing his job, i put a note in his envelope telling him why he didn`t get a tip from us. i let others know as well.

 

they want to turn the mdr into a cafeteria, fine. i`ll honer someone else.

[Onearmbandit]

If there is a dinner or an event that specifically addresses the kind of dress (as cruislines do) then of course one should dress accordingly. Carnival has made it a casual atmesphere and they are just trying to get the word out via dress code.

No different then being invited to a wedding and the host prints that the affair is casual........

That is far from being a learning tool......

[Cruisin Christi]

I am not quite understanding why it makes any difference to anybody what other people wear? I like to dress up on the "elegant nights", as does my husband. Actually, every night we eat in the MDR (which is every night except when we eat at the specialty restaurant) we "dress up". But, it does not make or break my evening if someone were to be seated at a table next to ours wearing short or jeans. Just saying... I dress well because it makes me feel good. I am indifferent to the style preferences of others.

 

^^^^ This is a wonderful attitude! :D:D I wanna cruise with this girl. It should be fun for you and other's attire should not make or break your good time.

[capndinghy]

Then people wonder why Carnival has such a bad reputation with some (snobby)people.

 

The problem is,there is always someone who will push the limit. Shorts are allowed..next thing you know they show up in Ratty shorts and Wife Beater Shirt.

I do not think it is too much to require slacks in the MDR. Fortunately most people dress well when they dine.

[jzcruiser57]

Then people wonder why Carnival has such a bad reputation with some (snobby)people.

 

The problem is,there is always someone who will push the limit. Shorts are allowed..next thing you know they show up in Ratty shorts and Wife Beater Shirt.

I do not think it is too much to require slacks in the MDR. Fortunately most people dress well when they dine.

I couldn't agree more. IMO Carnival needs to step up and make a concerted effort to keep the dinning room standards in tact. No flip flops that I have seen and the shorts and t-shirts you talk of.

[MrPete]

I am not quite understanding why it makes any difference to anybody what other people wear? I like to dress up on the "elegant nights", as does my husband. Actually, every night we eat in the MDR (which is every night except when we eat at the specialty restaurant) we "dress up". But, it does not make or break my evening if someone were to be seated at a table next to ours wearing short or jeans. Just saying... I dress well because it makes me feel good. I am indifferent to the style preferences of others.

 

Why?

 

To those trying to read up and see what's "required" of them, pack, feeling they're "ready", and then finding it was all for naught.

 

Reminds me of a family cruise. I watched as a cousin of mine was arguing with her kids about dress up night. "Why", followed by an adult trying to rationale with a 9 and 7 year old.

 

Followed them into the MDR, and there a few "non conformists". I walked away when I saw a family war about to break out.

 

Of, course, this was back when formal nights were in place.

 

Ultimately, if it's just a guide, it should say so.

 

But for restrictions to be ignored, like shorts, jeans, ball caps, and wife beaters on elegant night, it's the beginning of the slippery slope.