Elegant/Formal Night Kaput on Carnival

[Nana & Poppa P]

Bye...........

[Rottweiler Puppy]

You sound like a snob.... Why do you care how other people dress there not in the picture with you. have fun on the other ship

 

Maybe he paid his money to enjoy his cruise and expects standards to be upheld. Evidently those particular standards were important to him. Why is it unreasonable for a paying customer to expect standards to be enforced?

 

Evidently it affects the ambiance he wanted and paid for. All the other guests who broke the rules basically said "screw everyone else I am doing what I want, the rules be damned" Yet the OP is the bad guy? why cant folks just follow extremely simple rules?

 

Until they do away with the dress code entirely, its 100% fine to expect it to be enforced. Kind of stupid to blame a man for expecting standards to be enforced. He paid his money, he should expect them enforced. Those who paid and said screw the rules, have no grounds to whine about standards. Then again, most such folks are fine with low or non existent standards it seems. They don't like meeting standards themselves so they lower them all the way around. Its easier I guess. Selfish as hell, but definitely easier. If I went to a wedding where folks expected me to dress nice I would. I certainly wouldn't dress like a bum and then get mad at folks who tried to correct me. Why would you defend folks who do similar on a cruise?

 

Now if there were no dress standards, the OP's complaint would indeed be idiotic, snobby and stuffy and the folks dressed much much more casual than him would be in the right. This is not the case however.

[Scobandit]

Again why do people care how other people dress on a cruise????? The last thing on my mind is what the other person next to me has on. i am there for fun not the fashion police...

[BeachChik]

If passengers do not wish to follow the suggested dress codes in the MDR, thats ok, just use the Lido Buffet where the dress is much more relaxed..... Pretty simple request in my eyes !

 

As I said in another post today, when you can get the exact same food in the buffet as the MDR then more people would eat there. I dress appropriate but I wouldn't care if someone showed up in jeans as long as the person looks clean. Their fare includes eating in the MDR just as everyone elses and they shouldn't be forced to eat buffet everynight just because they don't dress to your standards.

 

The reality of the situation is simple and no amount of bickering is going to change it, the cruise lines do not enforce their suggested dress code so people will dress as they allow. And after reading post after post on this subject I think that more and more people prefer to not dress up. And the cruise lines are following the majority by allowing it.

 

And I don't agree that the MDR is fine dining. I would compare it to somewhere like the Olive Garden which is casual.

[Kissyfur19]

PS - you cruised during Spring Break. 'Nuff said.

 

DITTO!!! :p

[lillian marie]

At our country club at holiday parties we rarely see men in tuxes under the age of 70. At the New Years Eve Party there were 4 or 5 elderly men in tuxes. Other men wore dark suits. My husband used to wear a tux or a white dinner jacket to these parties ten years ago and it just isn't done much anymore. My husband used to bring his dinner jacket or his tux on cruises years ago too. We cruise 3 or more times a yr. He just brings a dark suit now. Our society has become more casual. CCL is a very casual cruise line which is fine for us. It just doesn't bother me how others dress. I don't judge others by their clothing. I know several very weathy individuals who try to live a green lifestyle and buy vintage used clothing. I hope the OP finds a cruise line that meets his family's needs and makes him happy. Each of us have the right to spend our vacations $ as we wish. I just hope he enjoys his next cruise.

[Sargent_Schultz]

If passengers do not wish to follow the suggested dress codes in the MDR, thats ok, just use the Lido Buffet where the dress is much more relaxed..... Pretty simple request in my eyes !

 

Suggested dress is at best just that and certainly not required. Those who have a problem with how others are dressed in the MDR are free to eat in the Lido.

 

So obeying the rules is being snobby and classless. got it.

 

Silly me, all this time I thought those who broke the rules and didn't give a crap were the classless ones.

 

Expecting the rules to be enforced does not mean they are insulting them. Though personally, I think them to be classless as they feel the rules are not for them. Part of being a civilized human is respecting others. If the rules say how to dress, its entirely appropriate for a paying person to expect those rules to be enforced. I don't really care how folks dress. It wont make me barf up my meal or ruin my vacation, but there are folks who appreciate the atmosphere and to let folks say screw it and break the rules, it effects other peoples good time (as silly as that may be to some folks). Like I mentioned before, I see folks here whine about chair savers and stuff like buffet and tender line skippers. Why complain about that if you are willing to break the rules as well and affect another persons experience. You are just as guilty IMHO.

 

If the rules say how I have to dress on certain nights, I will dress that way. If I don't like it, I can eat elsewhere. Treat and respect others well. Is it so hard? apparently so.

 

You sound a bit like a self-righteous walk-on-water hypocrite. :rolleyes: Without change, civilization would still be feeding people to lions in the Coliseum.

 

I will dress how I please and you can mind your own business or not. But it is you who has a problem, not me.

[Chrissi242]

I see your point, but how does how others dress at dinner affect your total cruise vacation? Do you cruise just to see everyone in nice clothes?

 

My thoughts exactly!

[travelntreats]

No point adding any more defense to the OP.... some will dress appropriately per cruiseline suggestions dress code and some won't.....Just a shame that some folks abuse the guidelines more than others and perhaps take away from another passengers cruise "Dining" experience.

 

Basically "Selfish" passengers (and appears some here too !), as I see it and only worried about themselves.

[WeBeCruisin']

Suggested dress is at best just that and certainly not required. Those who have a problem with how others are dressed in the MDR are free to eat in the Lido.

 

 

 

You sound a bit like a self-righteous walk-on-water hypocrite. :rolleyes: Without change, civilization would still be feeding people to lions in the Coliseum.

 

I will dress how I please and you can mind your own business or not. But it is you who has a problem, not me.

 

Zydie, Zydie, Zydie.... calm down. So the ultra-casual McDonald's elegant night attire is a sign of the advance of civilization? :D

 

Hmmm... let's see.... what else has civilization brought us? Oh yeah, nuclear waste, atomic and hydrogen bombs, AK-47s, perpetually-ongoing wars, people being killed every day in the name of religion, the Dumbing of America, increased rudeness and incivility, increased illiteracy to the point where most Americans can barely read and write their native language..... the list is endless, but let's keep attacking those evil "upity" uncivilized snobs who realize that there is a huge difference between what is minimally "allowed" and what is "appropriate". :)

[cruisedog2011]

Yesterday, we left the Triumph in New Orleans with the conclusion that the "Elegant Night" is really a joke on Carnival. Out of 3,500 passengers on board (1,100 of them children), only about five percent made any attempt to dress well in the dining room on "Elegant Night." Most were in jeans, shorts, T-shirts, and other very casual attire. I even saw some folks wearing flip-flops and one fello wearing gym sweats to the dining room. I did see about 20 men and boys wearing a tux. My son and I were two of this 20 or so. My wife and our two daughters were dressed appropriate for a formal dinner. This was really a let down to our family and is not what we expected. I know that many of you out there like this new super-casual dress standard, but it is not for us and we will be booking our future cruises on more upscale cruise lines where the passengers dress up more. I just cancelled a NCL booking this morning as we did not want to encounter the same lax dress code as we saw on Carnival. This is an FYI to all those new cruisers looking to book future trips. I will be booking Celebrity to replace the cancelled NCL booking.

 

Wow, I was also on that cruise and was wondering if the OP ever left their cabin except to show off their formal wear?

It was spring break, and the ship was full of rug rats rolling around on the carpet, running up and down the halls/stairs at all hours of the night. Did they not notice that EVERY button the elevators were pushed but nobody was on them? I saw salt/pepper shakers that were emptied on the tables on the lido deck. Little kids around 5 or 6 that were just roaming around without any parents in sight.

 

I watched one little person, that will grow up to be a useless person in society, make/waste an ice cream cone 5 times before he decided it was good enough to eat. What?

 

I talked to several of the crew and they pretty much dreaded the spring break time frame.

 

I saw a hand full of well behaved children.

 

The OP is more concerned about what people are wearing. Are you kidding me?

 

Lesson learned never cruise during spring break.

[GayleR]

We have 3 teenagers ( 2DS, 1 DD). We have rented tuxes for our sons and DH and DD and I dressed in cocktail attire. We received many compliments and our sons LOVED the attention! In fact they stayed in their formal attire for the rest of the evening. (Both formal nights) Some of my favorite photos are of us in our formal attire.

 

We have also 'gone to the dark side' and worn nice dresses and slacks, shirt and tie for the guys.

 

Either way, we felt very comfortable. I really don't care what others are wearing. (I don't like it when they are wearing an undershirt or flip flops, but I'm not going to let it ruin my evening.)

 

To the OP, I hope you find a cruiseline that meets your expectations. Happy sailing!

[soazlaney]

Tuxes and gowns here as well - don't care what others are wearing. We have our own personal standards and we dress accordingly. It certainly does not ruin our cruise experience if others have different standards. If Carnival lets them in the dining room based on their published dress codes, no one should take issue. Our opinion is that they are not dressed properly, but doesn't affect our cruise. Plus, no one values or asked for our option so that is a mute point.

 

My husband also wears a tux and I wear a floor length gown. It is the only time we really dress up so we like to take advantage of it. We don't care what anyone else wears or if we are overdressed. The idea is to have a wonderful vacation. There have been several posts here saying that the posters dress up so I don't think "elegant" night is dead quite yet.:)

[nhraformula00]

I have been on 8 Carnival cruises over the past 30 years and can tell you that the majority of people dress nice on formal night,60% or more.I have never gone on a cruise at spring break time,and have always gone on 7 day cruises. With that being said i believe most of the shorter cruises are more of a,party type,younger crowd. Especially this time of year. My neighbor went on a 3 day cruise out of SanJuan,and needless to say they had no one that they could talk to:confused:

[RMM34667]

I don't care what anyone else wears, but I LOVE to dress up on formal night. I love the shopping and accessorizing and all that goes with it! But realize things are changing. Just paid $40 bucks to have a formal gown shortened to cocktail length (complicated hem) for my next cruise. I LOVE the dress but would have felt out of place wearing it.

 

I LOVE the formal pictures. They are priceless as my family ages. We don't do pictures except for our cruises. And the more family onboard the better!

 

Everyone else can do what they want but i will continue to making memories and getting great pictures to treasure for generations!

[plywood12]

Just returned from our second and very last voyage on Carnival. Our first Carnival experience was over the Christmas holiday in 2008 and the passengers dressed reasonably well, probably due to the holiday season. Yesterday, we left the Triumph in New Orleans with the conclusion that the "Elegant Night" is really a joke on Carnival. Out of 3,500 passengers on board (1,100 of them children), only about five percent made any attempt to dress well in the dining room on "Elegant Night." Most were in jeans, shorts, T-shirts, and other very casual attire. I even saw some folks wearing flip-flops and one fello wearing gym sweats to the dining room. I did see about 20 men and boys wearing a tux. My son and I were two of this 20 or so. My wife and our two daughters were dressed appropriate for a formal dinner. This was really a let down to our family and is not what we expected. I know that many of you out there like this new super-casual dress standard, but it is not for us and we will be booking our future cruises on more upscale cruise lines where the passengers dress up more. I just cancelled a NCL booking this morning as we did not want to encounter the same lax dress code as we saw on Carnival. This is an FYI to all those new cruisers looking to book future trips. I will be booking Celebrity to replace the cancelled NCL booking.

 

I just finished a cruise in the Valor last Sunday. While there weren't many tuxes there were plenty of dark suits, ties and beautifully dressed women. I felt that this was by far the majority in the MDR. I'm puzzled why your experience was so different. I saw NO ONE in shorts. flip flops or tank tops.

[WeBeCruisin']

I just finished a cruise in the Valor last Sunday. While there weren't many tuxes there were plenty of dark suits, ties and beautifully dressed women. I felt that this was by far the majority in the MDR. I'm puzzled why your experience was so different. I saw NO ONE in shorts. flip flops or tank tops.

 

A lot of people condition themselves to see only what they want to see. :)

[Sargent_Schultz]

Zydie' date=' Zydie, Zydie.... calm down. So the ultra-casual McDonald's elegant night attire is a sign of the advance of civilization? :D

 

Hmmm... let's see.... what else has civilization brought us? Oh yeah, nuclear waste, atomic and hydrogen bombs, AK-47s, perpetually-ongoing wars, people being killed every day in the name of religion, the Dumbing of America, increased rudeness and incivility, increased illiteracy to the point where most Americans can barely read and write their native language..... the list is endless, but let's keep attacking those evil "upity" uncivilized snobs who realize that there is a huge difference between what is minimally "allowed" and what is "appropriate". :)[/quote']

 

The one constant is that is is still all about money and always has been.

 

More people choose not to support a caste system. They refuse to play another's game. It is not dumbing down, it is enlightenment.

 

Civilization did not create cruise ships to satisfy the needs of highly judgmental fashion police but we ended up with them anyway. Just further proof of how imperfect civilization is, along with your AK47s and Boone's Farm.

[Sargent_Schultz]

A lot of people condition themselves to see only what they want to see. :)

 

A lot of people just like to complain. :p

[stewpapa]

I have to admit that we too have begun to dress down some as the dress codes have changed ......I switched from a Tux to suit a year or so ago. We still dress up, but why bother with a tux when there aren't many that dressed up. We would switch cruise lines if it got to the point that we actually felt out of place dressing nice, but we don't pay much attention to what anyone else wears and haven't felt weird dressing up so far. We do enjoy Royal Caribbean cruises off season more for the older crowd and more of the cruising atmosphere that we used to know where most people dress nice every night, as we do. To each his own and dressing up for dinner is part of cruising for us and will remain so.

[nol4am]

We cruised during Mardi Gras week on triumph also. We saw the dsame thing. Dress codes were never enforced. I understand what your saying. Cruising is not cheap and you dress for the ocassion and thats not to say that all have to go all out as some do. But it would be nice if they are going to call ir elegant nice to atleast require the slacks or even blue jeans I could agree with but when I saw the shorts and flip flops also, it just took some of the air out of it. It didnt ruin my cruise but I totally get what your saying. We also are trying different lines next time and NCL was crossed off also after reading some posts on them Good luck on your next cruise.

[Chip1]

Almost a year ago I was on the Carnival Destiny. On cruise elegant night 3 of my tablemates were allowed to eat in the mdr in shorts and t-shirts. My other tablemate was allowed in the mdr in a tank top and shorts.

[skylock]

Main line cruise lines are mass market cruise lines and that is who the target market it. The classless aristocrass who like to insult the majority are free to open their wallets and cruise with more snobbish and narrow minded cruise lines.

 

Less fun to be had on those lines too.

 

I do see your point. We were on a British P&O (so called stuffy at the time) line some years ago, and even then, people ignored the dress codes.

However, my DH and I, walk tall, carry our heads high, and dont give a monkeys how anyone else is dressed although I couldnt abide hairy armpits and smelly toes in a dining room.

Even on land vacations, we get asked "OH, you gotta special occasion today"..THAT annoys us... we dont ask them "OH, you chillin out today"..

We are who WE are. And like the OP, I have paid a damn fortune for my cruise wear over the years I totally want to enjoy them!

It wont stop me cruising, and it wont stop me dressing up to the nines. Our entire family dresses EVERY night in what many might consider formal wear. We woudnt dream of going out at night for a nice dinner, in casuals (would do for a pub meal etc but not in a fine dining restaurant)...so why would we at home.

Many years ago, a restaurant I had, developed its "own" dress code. there were no rules, but I was so proud, that people dressed up to dine in our establishment. It reflected on the service and food we gave. We didnt have any kind of dress code in place, it was just what people did when they came to dine with us...

I am always respectful most of all, of the chefs, and waiting staff..its NICE to make an effort for them. But thats not why we do it..we dress because thats WHO we are...

It wont stop me chatting with someone in jeans etc.. perhaps they spend their lives in a business suit. I live mostly every days in food industry clothing..and on vacation I get my husband to look at me and go WOW!!!!!!

Being Scottish of course he wears full highland dress..and always will on any formal/elegant night.. and my problem there, is I am wasting my time as HE gets all the attention...

(he does lilke a wee lift of his kilt to frighten the ladies in the nightclub:eek:)

If he takes that jokeshop twelve incher with him again he can go on his own:D

Celebrity incidentally, you will still find some people dressed casually. Granted, most dress up..but theres still a few who wear their jeans etc..

Who knows what is behind the reasoning.. all I know is my and mine, we like to party non stop, are dressed to the nines every night, and have a smile for everyone if they have a smile for us...

I draw the line at bare feet and vest tops (dunno wat you call them)...

And yes, it is kinda sad, some folks dont dress in accordance with the ambience of the evening...

BUT..such is life..live with it and ENJOY what YOU do!!!

 

You must be so proud of your husband's behavior. I would rather have a man in a wife beater that knew how to behave than a man dressed to the nines that didn't. just saying.

 

We cruised during Mardi Gras week on triumph also. We saw the dsame thing. Dress codes were never enforced. I understand what your saying. Cruising is not cheap and you dress for the ocassion and thats not to say that all have to go all out as some do. But it would be nice if they are going to call ir elegant nice to atleast require the slacks or even blue jeans I could agree with but when I saw the shorts and flip flops also, it just took some of the air out of it. It didnt ruin my cruise but I totally get what your saying. We also are trying different lines next time and NCL was crossed off also after reading some posts on them Good luck on your next cruise.

 

Funny thing about those of you that cross NCL off your list is that on NCL because of freestyle, there is only one dinning room that is formal and everyone in it will be dressed like you apparently like to see people dressed. On Carnival you are assigned a dinning room or your only other choice is the buffet. On NCL no one is forced to go to the formal dining room and you still have plenty of choices for a sit down service provided meal if you do not want to play the dress up game.

 

 

To the op. I am so happy to hear you will be taking your holier than thou attitude to another cruise line. Thanks for letting us all of us know the reason we will no longer see you. I hope your daughters can still have a fun trip. I can just hear them talking to each other in years to come. Something along the lines of, remember when we cruised Carnival and had so much fun, but then dad decided he did not like how people dressed to eat so we got to start going on those boring cruises. And the other one says, yeah, I remember.

[hfweather]

I wish I knew how to post links on here from other postings, but I did a search of the OP's other posts and found something very interesting. I was able to copy and paste it and here it is

 

 

We were on the same cruise on the Summit and dined at the Normandie on three nights. On the first night, one man attempted to enter the Normandie for dinner wearing shorts and a simple shirt. I was pleased to see that the restaruant staff informed the man that shorts were not appropriate attire for the Normandie and he was denied entry. I don't know if he returned later wearing appropriate dress. I overheard him inquire if a jacket was required. My wife and I dressed up on both formal nights (Tuxedo and long gown) and semi-formal for the other nights in Normandie. We too were disappointed to see how people dress in the MDR. One fellow sitting at a table next to us in the MDR wore a different hat each evening at the table and never removed it. Most evenings he wore a basic colored T-shirt and plain jeans (and the variety of hats).

 

We wish Celebrity would go back to the Formal, Semi-Formal, and Casual dress codes. There doesn't seem to be much if any dress code enforcement in the MDR.

 

 

 

If he's going to complain about how they dress on Celebrity, I doubt if he's going to be happy anywhere, but that's my opinion. I sincerely do hope the OP finds a cruiseline he is happy with how they dress.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

If passengers do not wish to follow the suggested dress codes in the MDR, thats ok, just use the Lido Buffet where the dress is much more relaxed..... Pretty simple request in my eyes !

 

is it ok to follow the dress code and still eat at the Lido buffet?:p

 

Bill