Formal night atire and other questions

[Crowsnesters]

We will be sailing on the Caribbean Princess out of San Juan on Feb. 12. We have said for 6 years we must take another Princess cruise and now it is about to happen. We plan to go with carry ons only so DH is not taking tux, suit or jacket. We will not eat in the dinner room on formal nights, but if we want to venture out of Lido deck public areas after dinner would it be OK if DH wore a long sleave white Giabbera shirt or would a regular shirt with tie be better? Obviously he would wear dress slacks. I would wear floral organza mid lenght skirt and black plain but dressy top or navy rayon shirtwaist dress with small floral design. Would that be OK?

How late is the Horizon Court open on embarkation day? Also can you get room service that evening?

Also I heard about a "yummy breakfast sandwhich" on another thread. Is that available on the regular room service breakfast menu?

Thank you.:)

Coral Princess - Panama Canal 2005

Queen Mary 2 - NY to LA via Cape Horn 2006

QE2- SF to Sydney 2007

Queen Victoria - Maiden Canary Island Cruise - 2007-8

M.S. La Diamont - Antarctica 2008

River Odyssey - Budapest to Asterdam 2008

Louis Cruise Line Aquamarine - Greece Island Cruise 2009

Queen Elizabeth Mediterrean Premier + QM2 - TA - 2010

Paul Gauguin - Society Islands and Tutumotus - 2011

[1 HappyCruiser]

The way you described being dressed will be good enough for the main dining room no less any other parts of the ship. The Horizon buffet changes over to dinner menu at around 5:30 or 6 but up till them has a lunch menu.

On the Emerald last cruise they even allowed ordering anything off the dining room menu if you really like eating in your cabin although that isn't something I like doing unless I had a suite and that's not about to happen anytime soon.

[2little time]

We will be sailing on the Caribbean Princess out of San Juan on Feb. 12. We have said for 6 years we must take another Princess cruise and now it is about to happen. We plan to go with carry ons only so DH is not taking tux, suit or jacket. We will not eat in the dinner room on formal nights, but if we want to venture out of Lido deck public areas after dinner would it be OK if DH wore a long sleave white Giabbera shirt or would a regular shirt with tie be better? Obviously he would wear dress slacks. I would wear floral organza mid lenght skirt and black plain but dressy top or navy rayon shirtwaist dress with small floral design. Would that be OK?

How late is the Horizon Court open on embarkation day? Also can you get room service that evening?

Also I heard about a "yummy breakfast sandwhich" on another thread. Is that available on the regular room service breakfast menu?

Thank you.:)

 

Coral Princess - Panama Canal 2005

Queen Mary 2 - NY to LA via Cape Horn 2006

QE2- SF to Sydney 2007

Queen Victoria - Maiden Canary Island Cruise - 2007-8

M.S. La Diamont - Antarctica 2008

River Odyssey - Budapest to Asterdam 2008

Louis Cruise Line Aquamarine - Greece Island Cruise 2009

Queen Elizabeth Mediterrean Premier + QM2 - TA - 2010

Paul Gauguin - Society Islands and Tutumotus - 2011

You need not dress up just to walk around the ship on formal evenings. The HC is very casual. The breakfast sandwich is the only hot item on the non-suite menu for breakfast and is very nice.

[cnd crsr]

If you decide not to eat in the MDR, there is another venue that is nice - Cafe Caribe, this is located just behind Horizon Court. It is also buffet style.

 

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[grandegal]

We are on the same cruise, and we plan to pass on the formal night too. When we have done this in the past, we walk around the ship in casual closthes and don't feel uncomfortable at all. In fact, a lot of people change back to casual after dinner, and others just stay dressed in formal. Just enjoy the evening however you want.

[Crowsnesters]

Thank you for your replys . Does the Cafe Caribe have a different menu than the Horizon Court ?

[caribill]

Thank you for your replys . Does the Cafe Caribe have a different menu than the Horizon Court ?

 

Only one of the two will be open each evening.

[shepp]

The way you described being dressed will be good enough for the main dining room no less any other parts of the ship.

 

I'm really not sure a guayabera shirt (which is, I assume, what the OP was talking about) qualifies as "formal wear" in the Princess context. If the wearer is from a culture - the Philippines, say, or Cuba - where it's actually worn on formal occasions, it would probably qualify as "foreign culture's formal garment," same as a kilt. Yes, since we're all agreed that dress code enforcement is whimsically spotty, a guayabera worn by your average non-Latin white guy might well make it past the headwaiter. But an open-necked shirt worn untucked is really not up to code.

 

And, IMO, someone wearing a shirt and tie without a jacket looks like he forgot to finish dressing. But likewise, he'll probably get in.

[Nebr.cruiser]

He will probably be fine. My husband seldom brings his tux or a suit anymore, but he does normally bring a blazer and wears it with dress slacks, shirt and tie. But, I do see men wearing just a shirt and tie and the type of shirt you mentioned.

 

If we are carrying on luggage (we don't usually) my husband just wears his blazer on the plane, which saves packing room.

[Genessa]

Thank you for your replys . Does the Cafe Caribe have a different menu than the Horizon Court ?

 

we found on the Emerald last summer, that, as someone else posted, when Cafe Caribe was open, Horizon Court was closed.

 

We skipped formal wear and ate in Cafe Caribe on both formal nights. I was totally surprised how much I liked it - wasn't keen on the idea when hubby first proposed it.

 

The food was set up more elegantly, with appetizer, soup sections, entree section, dessert station, etc.

 

The tables were set with linen and the wait staff was dressed more formally.

 

we enjoyed it so much that I don't think we will do formal night ever again - unless we are sailing for a special occasion.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

we found on the Emerald last summer, that, as someone else posted, when Cafe Caribe was open, Horizon Court was closed.

 

We skipped formal wear and ate in Cafe Caribe on both formal nights. I was totally surprised how much I liked it - wasn't keen on the idea when hubby first proposed it.

 

The food was set up more elegantly, with appetizer, soup sections, entree section, dessert station, etc.

 

The tables were set with linen and the wait staff was dressed more formally.

 

we enjoyed it so much that I don't think we will do formal night ever again - unless we are sailing for a special occasion.

 

Welcome to the Club.

 

Isn't it liberating!:)

 

Bill

[Genessa]

Welcome to the Club.

 

Isn't it liberating!:)

 

Bill

 

it is liberating!

 

I am not a buffet lover ... but I was impressed by the dinner buffets, especially in Cafe Caribe and when added to not having to pack formal clothes and the accessories that go with the formal clothes - wonderful!!

 

On our upcoming cruise with a couple we have cruised often with, we were pleased that they want to go the same route. Especially when you are doing a port-intensive cruise with overseas flights, I'd rather not pack heavily!

[coolbreeze2]

Princess has lower its standards on formal night in the dining rooms.

 

Just finished 14 days on the Grand Princess. The last week of the cruise had about 1,000 "Concerts at Sea" guests. This is a R & R oldies music cruise.

Paul Revere and the Raiders was the Headline band. On both formal nights, I noticed guys in shorts and jeans in the dining room. One unique outfit had a guy

wearing shorts with a navy blue blazer.

[swedish weave]

I just finished a trip on the Golden, and planned to eat at the buffet on formal nights because I didn't pack a suit and tie. I was encouraged by some of the waitstaff to wear a long sleeved shirt on formal night and would not be turned away. It worked out very well and I was not questioned on any of the formal nights. Of course, I also wore long pants !!

[lachaffin]

The worst part of a cruise for me is formal night. My whole working career I have worn suites and attended black tie functions. I know lots of you don't get this opportunity often and enjoy the dress up nights. My idea of a "relaxing" good time is shorts, tshirt wherever we go. A couple of years ago we went to Alaska, which is as rustic as it gets, and it just doesn't seem right that a tux should be worn in Alaska.

Whatever you wear...enjoy your trip and don't feel bad about not wearing a tux or jacket.

[gracie65]

The OP never stated they intended to wear the described clothes in hopes to be allowed into the MDR on formal night. They stated they were bringing that to wear on that evening and would they look out of place or uncomfortable walking around deck, buffet etc.

Op you will be just fine, enjoy your cruise!!!

[travelgenie]

We will be sailing on the Caribbean Princess out of San Juan on Feb. 12. We have said for 6 years we must take another Princess cruise and now it is about to happen. We plan to go with carry ons only so DH is not taking tux, suit or jacket. We will not eat in the dinner room on formal nights, but if we want to venture out of Lido deck public areas after dinner would it be OK if DH wore a long sleave white Giabbera shirt or would a regular shirt with tie be better? Obviously he would wear dress slacks. I would wear floral organza mid lenght skirt and black plain but dressy top or navy rayon shirtwaist dress with small floral design. Would that be OK?

How late is the Horizon Court open on embarkation day? Also can you get room service that evening?

Also I heard about a "yummy breakfast sandwhich" on another thread. Is that available on the regular room service breakfast menu?

Thank you.:)

 

Coral Princess - Panama Canal 2005

Queen Mary 2 - NY to LA via Cape Horn 2006

QE2- SF to Sydney 2007

Queen Victoria - Maiden Canary Island Cruise - 2007-8

M.S. La Diamont - Antarctica 2008

River Odyssey - Budapest to Asterdam 2008

Louis Cruise Line Aquamarine - Greece Island Cruise 2009

Queen Elizabeth Mediterrean Premier + QM2 - TA - 2010

Paul Gauguin - Society Islands and Tutumotus - 2011

 

 

We are on this cruise as well and will not be taking "formal wear", my DH will have a sports jacket and dressy khaki's, shirt and tie and I will have black silky pants and a top with a little bling and would not think about missing formal night. I think if your husband takes a shirt and tie and your outfit you described, you will be fine for formal night. The ship's recommended attire is just that, a recommendation and not a mandatory requirement. I think most people know not to wear shorts, tank tops, etc. on formal night. Old die hard cruisers will argue this point death as these boards will show, times have changed, like it or not. Have a wonderful cruise!

[Times Prince]

We will be sailing on the Caribbean Princess out of San Juan on Feb. 12. We have said for 6 years we must take another Princess cruise and now it is about to happen. We plan to go with carry ons only so DH is not taking tux, suit or jacket. We will not eat in the dinner room on formal nights, but if we want to venture out of Lido deck public areas after dinner would it be OK if DH wore a long sleave white Giabbera shirt or would a regular shirt with tie be better? Obviously he would wear dress slacks. I would wear floral organza mid lenght skirt and black plain but dressy top or navy rayon shirtwaist dress with small floral design. Would that be OK?

How late is the Horizon Court open on embarkation day? Also can you get room service that evening?

Your plans for evening wear are fine, and will fit in well for the general ambiance of the evening for this cruise.

 

We were on the Caribbean Princess out of San Juan for Christmas and there were a great many people from Puerto Rico on the ship. For that cruise a tuxedo was a rarity, although all were well dressed. We probably had a higher percentage due to the Christmas holiday than you will encounter, but the ship had a more relaxed feel than any other we've been on. I wore a suit, and we dined in the Cafe Caribe for one formal night and MDR for the other (Christmas Eve).

 

 

 

From Wikipedia:

The guayabera /ɡwaɪ.əˈbɛrə/ is a men's shirt popular in Mexico, Latin America, the Caribbean (especially Cuba), Southeast Asia, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Zimbabwe. It is also more recently known as a "Mexican Wedding Shirt."