Big Formal Decision in Our House.......

[sail7seas]

Trying to figure out how DH cut back to a sport jacket and 2 pairs of dress pants, a couple of shirts, a few polos, two dockers, and I had three pairs of dress pants and a few tops and still we had two big suitcases and two carry ons and one lap top and one medical bag? I'm convinced the daytime clothes take up more room than the evening ones.

 

 

I figured out it's not so much how many clothes, it is the STUFF.

 

When you pile up the umbrellas, books, hair spray, shaving cream, toothpaste, deoderants, OTC meds, hairbrushes, travel clock, flashlight, batteries, note cards/envelopes for thanks and tips, note pad, pens, spare Rx glasses, sunglasses for each, reading glassess for me, nail polish to 'patch', nail polish remover pads, cosmetic items, sun hat, visor to shade face, insurance policy and receipts for pre-booked Pinnacles/excursions etc....... the pile adds up.

 

Even when I carefully evaluate each thing going in the bags, when we get down to what for us is bare minimum it is still a lot of $^*% we are carting along.

 

Yes, the casual things accumulate, too. I send out most of DH's day clothes but most of mine, I don't. In the Caribbean, they can only be worn once. Hot water wash/hot dryer and some of my things would be ruined.

[Taxguy77]

No more tuxedo schlepping.

 

We have to lighten the load. I'm tired of packing and dragging so much with us. It's too much work and not worth it to us at this point. It's okay if I wear the same pair of slacks more than one night. DH can actually wear the same trousers a few times and HAL does a great job with dry cleaning.

 

We've joined the 'now generation', I guess. :D

 

Been there, done that!;)

DW used to pack a lot. I kept telling her the suitcase was too heavy! :( Finally my back got bad enough I told her she would have to put it in the car and get it out.:eek: I packed some dress shirts and old (don't own any new) ties for HAL and ended up eating in the Lido 3 of the formal nights, same food, better bar service and a window seat with tablecloth. :)

HAL blue bag laundry is so good, we got off the ship with almost no dirty clothes!

[kazu]

I figured out it's not so much how many clothes, it is the STUFF.

 

When you pile up the umbrellas, books, hair spray, shaving cream, toothpaste, deoderants, OTC meds, hairbrushes, travel clock, flashlight, batteries, note cards/envelopes for thanks and tips, note pad, pens, spare Rx glasses, sunglasses for each, reading glassess for me, nail polish to 'patch', nail polish remover pads, cosmetic items, sun hat, visor to shade face, insurance policy and receipts for pre-booked Pinnacles/excursions etc....... the pile adds up.

 

Even when I carefully evaluate each thing going in the bags, when we get down to what for us is bare minimum it is still a lot of $^*% we are carting along.

 

Yes, the casual things accumulate, too. I send out most of DH's day clothes but most of mine, I don't. In the Caribbean, they can only be worn once. Hot water wash/hot dryer and some of my things would be ruined.

Sail - just wondering - why not send them out for drycleaning? (assuming you are in your standard suite) - I have things I have to be careful with too and send them out for drycleaning. Everything comes back great.

 

BTW - last two cruises I marked a couple of items cold water and they were indeed done in cold water (they would have been ruined otherwise):D

[RuthC]

I'm convinced the daytime clothes take up more room than the evening ones.

I know that's true for my cruises.

I go to places where a windbreaker, sweatshirts, and some lighter-weight sweaters to go under them, are absolutely necessary. All of those take up a lot more room than t-shirts and shorts.

 

Evening wear is easy. Some nice, light-weight dresses, one pair of shoes to go with all of them, two purses (and one packs inside the other!). Those don't hardly take up any room in the suitcase.

[mamaofami]

I figured out it's not so much how many clothes, it is the STUFF.

 

When you pile up the umbrellas, books, hair spray, shaving cream, toothpaste, deoderants, OTC meds, hairbrushes, travel clock, flashlight, batteries, note cards/envelopes for thanks and tips, note pad, pens, spare Rx glasses, sunglasses for each, reading glassess for me, nail polish to 'patch', nail polish remover pads, cosmetic items, sun hat, visor to shade face, insurance policy and receipts for pre-booked Pinnacles/excursions etc....... the pile adds up.

 

Even when I carefully evaluate each thing going in the bags, when we get down to what for us is bare minimum it is still a lot of $^*% we are carting along.

 

Yes, the casual things accumulate, too. I send out most of DH's day clothes but most of mine, I don't. In the Caribbean, they can only be worn once. Hot water wash/hot dryer and some of my things would be ruined.

 

 

It is definitely the stuff: I could supply the ship with the what if non prescription medical stuff and yet one time I forgot my eye drops. Then it's the what if anti biotic, and other what if prescription stuff and the needed prescription stuff. No more books since we both load them on kindles.But all the rest of what Judy has listed. Wish there was a way around all of this. I admire those people who take one carry on. I just don't know how they do it. Every time I say I'll take less, but I think I've pared down as much as I can.:eek:

[Taxguy77]

The great debate in 'our house' has been settled....... :D

 

I agree, Sheila,,,,,,,,,,,,, we are so DONE with calling Allied Van Lines to transport our luggage for a two week vacation.

 

You remind me of my mother. We went to the mountains one year for a 2-week vacation, and I went with my father and a pickup to carry everything mother had packed. Not a lost cause, we took the horses too.

The next day we drove there in the car.

Would be hard to do if flying. :D

[sail7seas]

[/color]

 

Sail - just wondering - why not send them out for drycleaning? (assuming you are in your standard suite) - I have things I have to be careful with too and send them out for drycleaning. Everything comes back great.

 

BTW - last two cruises I marked a couple of items cold water and they were indeed done in cold water (they would have been ruined otherwise):D

 

 

I do send out capri pants/slacks for dry cleaning that I normally wash on gentle at home and they come back fine.

 

I don't send out anything white of mine for dry cleaning. It is immediately yellow. Some of the whites that call for machine wash cannot be dry cleaned. I like white jerseys and during the day wear mostly a white or black t shirt. I won't send out the blacks as they are prone to come back grey. I don't think a black t-shirt would dry clean well if it is meant to be machine washed.

** I am referring to trying to dry clean items that normally are machine wash. I don't want my machine wash things done in hot water/hot dryer.

 

 

DH's dockers go out for dry cleaning though I often machine wash them at home.

Maybe I'm totally wrong but I don't want my new jerseys ruined.... not to mention what would I wear the rest of the cruise if they got ruined at the beginning? :eek: ...seeing I'm trying to bring bare minimum I need.

[Taxguy77]

Sail ---- That's an interesting question ---- rightly or wrongly' date=' I would feel out of place if I dined with officer(s) sans tux.[/quote']

 

Interesting comment, but "When in Rome" :confused:

We were on the Royal Clipper where the dress was "No tie". One night at the Catp. table he had 4 couples; all the men wore ties EXCEPT the Capt. :D

[sail7seas]

Interesting comment, but "When in Rome" :confused:

We were on the Royal Clipper where the dress was "No tie". One night at the Catp. table he had 4 couples; all the men wore ties EXCEPT the Capt. :D

 

 

Great comment.

 

 

 

You may have noticed earlier in this thread, I wrote something along the lines that HAL says gentlemen are to wear jacket and tie on formal nights. I said if a man follows HAL description, he would be a gentleman (in that regard if not all other ways. :D)

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Good point Anne and others. I guess what I was thinking is that I don't really notice if a man is wearing a tux or a dark suit or if a woman is wearing a cocktail dress or a nice top and black pants. But I do notice shorts and T-shirts which I have seen in the Pinacle Grill at dinner. And the little kids all dressed up are really cute, I agree.

[Taxguy77]

I am in total agreement with you there. For the past 2 years I have generally avoided these threads because they usually get uncomfortable. I am sorry if my own participation added to any of the discomfort here. I posted to offer encouragement to my good friend Sail, whose choices I honor regardless.

 

I have noticed you have not been showing up as often as when I first started reading CC. As befits your experience and "Wall of parchments", I will try to follow this advice.

Please write a review if you cruise again, as they are informative and very interesting.

My first experience reading your reviews was when you went on the innaugrual of a new ship, I believe "Westerdam".

[sail7seas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RevNeal

I am in total agreement with you there. For the past 2 years I have generally avoided these threads because they usually get uncomfortable. I am sorry if my own participation added to any of the discomfort here. I posted to offer encouragement to my good friend Sail, whose choices I honor regardless.

 

 

 

I greatly appreciate your contribution here. You know DH and I did not make this 'leap' without some regret and a big dose of nostalgia.

 

Thank you, always, Greg...... :)

 

[Watson's aunt]

Hi

 

Ah see your going back to Alaska on the Amsterdam. I am going back in late June. It will be interesting to see how it is in September from your last years cruise.

[sail7seas]

Hi

 

Ah see your going back to Alaska on the Amsterdam. I am going back in late June. It will be interesting to see how it is in September from your last years cruise.

 

 

Who is going to Alaska on Amsterdam?

I scrolled back and couldn't find who you mean? :confused:

 

[Watson's aunt]

I am a female solo cruiser. Last year I was on the Amsterdam. I did dress up for formal nights but I had fancy dress slacks and fancy blouse with a extra top and long scraf. I was at a table for 8. They were two married couples where the (2) men just wore nice suits. The other man wore a tux. My did he look nice. I love tux's. But he was only a handful of men that wore one. We also had officers sit at our table twice. They did have another setting for another night but the officer was not able to attend. Not sure if I will buy a gown I have one hanging but it will not fit me and it weights a ton.

 

 

Mary

[babyher]

Please do NOT read this as any sort of criticism [it isn't] just an explanation. MANY years ago and on another line -on a "Formal-type" evening -two tables of people from the same city [which shall be nameless] came in shorts/T-shirts of the MOST 'casual' style [ "Pull-my-finger" T-shirts as I remember] and their behavior matched their attire. A FOOD fight between tables as we watched HORRIFIED,

I would never have judged what anybody was wearing before that evening -and maybe they'd have thrown food wearing suits- I have no idea. But I DO think that the GENERAL tone of a "formal" dinner -"Dress-up" evening -INVITES better behavior all the way around.

On the longer Amsterdam cruises we've been on we've seen people try to enter the diningroom in shorts/T-shirts [ this isn't 'questionable' formal -this is IN YOUR FACE casual] be stopped by the dining-room staff AT the door and the suggestion lightly/softly is "Sir - maybe you would be more COMFORTABLE elsewhere" and that puts an abrupt stop to the pushing-the-rules. BUT this is EXTREME.

The reality is that the costs of luggage and "formal" wear has figured into this debate and I believe HAL policy-makers would throw up their hands and say "WEAR what you want- just dress RESPECTFUL of your other cruise 'guests' " which is certainly OK IF the "respect" is there. "Pull-my-finger" T-shirts isn't it! ;)

Anne

 

 

On the other side of that coin . My sister used to work at a country club when she was in high school. Serveing and bussing tables that sort of thing.

 

Very exclusive club , charged astronomical membership fees and a tough application committee to make sure only the right kind of people got in.

 

Definately a "1%" kind of crowd .

 

She worked a lot of black tie only events while she was there , and I think a food fight would have been a welcome change from some of the stuff she saw from the well heeled , well dressed set.

[TheDarkestBlue]

Now I am completely torn! I was all set to go for it, I have a gown I love that needs to be worn more, plus a dinner suit for the 2nd formal night. I bought a tux for my DH online (never tried this before but the price was great) which, of course, it doesn't fit him in the shoulders, and I have returned it. I was ready to get one for my DS08, too, but after reading this thread, I'm really not sure what to do. DH will not be pleased to find he is in a very small minority of wearers, and to invest the money into a decent tuxedo, et al. is not insignificant. It just sounds like it's becoming a lost gesture, and as much as I love to get dressed up with all the trimmings, I hate to spend money just so I can wear my gown again <face-palm>

[RuthC]

Now I am completely torn! ...

It just sounds like it's becoming a lost gesture, and as much as I love to get dressed up with all the trimmings, I hate to spend money just so I can wear my gown again <face-palm>

It becomes a self-fullfilling prophesy. Some people start dressing down a bit. The cruiseline lowers the definition of "formal" to meet the lowered bar. More people dress down a bit. Eventually the bar gets lowered even further. Then, even more people dress to the lowered definition, and those who dress to the original standard start to feel out of place. That happens in increments until the majority no longer dress in true formal wear.

Eventually, everyone throws in the towel. :(

 

And then the societal pendulum swings back the other way and it starts all over again---just in the other direction this time. :D

[innlady1]

On the topic of luggage, it's the "stuff" that's the killer for us. Prescription drugs, non prescription drugs, "what if I need this" stuff, the list goes on and on. And, like Carol, we have an e-reader (I have a Nook) so not bringing reading material lightens the load...but I think I cannot lighten it any more than I have! Maybe cut back on daytime outfits and just either send them out or if on an "S" class ship, do my own (which I prefer).

[sail7seas]

Now I am completely torn! I was all set to go for it, I have a gown I love that needs to be worn more, plus a dinner suit for the 2nd formal night. I bought a tux for my DH online (never tried this before but the price was great) which, of course, it doesn't fit him in the shoulders, and I have returned it. I was ready to get one for my DS08, too, but after reading this thread, I'm really not sure what to do. DH will not be pleased to find he is in a very small minority of wearers, and to invest the money into a decent tuxedo, et al. is not insignificant. It just sounds like it's becoming a lost gesture, and as much as I love to get dressed up with all the trimmings, I hate to spend money just so I can wear my gown again <face-palm>

 

 

Darkest Blue......

 

By no means should what we choose to do urge anyone else to follow. We've worn the truly formal wear for so many cruises that I think it's lost its attraction for us but surely you should enjoy it to the fullest, the same as we once did.

 

Yes, when we first started cruising, the percentage of tuxedos was close to 90% or even higher. Those days may never return but your DH surely will not be the only one dressed formal as indicated in this thread.

 

Lots of folks still want to wear their lovely formal wear and they definitely should.

 

IMO

 

[jaguarstyper]

Ah, it saddens me to see another person fall from the ranks of the formal dressers on a cruise ship. I certainly understand it, especially with the baggage fees and the fact that formal dress seems to be falling from fashion, but it still saddens me nonetheless. Formal nights are one of the things I really like about cruises. I wear a business suit to work everyday, so for me, its not like "getting dressed up" when I wear one. Therefore, I look forward to any opportunity I get to wear my tuxedo. I find it feels good to get dressed up once in a while. And, quite frankly, I simply look great in a tux! :D

 

Oh well, I guess this, like many other traditions, will go by the wayside eventually. But I, for one, will lot let it go without a fight. I don't care if I'm the only one in a tux on formal night, I'll still wear one. And, I'll look good doing it. LOL! :p

[nana51]

Did you read my explanation yet?

 

There were some pretty hard slams to Sail for her post- just look at the one referencing boarding in our underwear.

 

When I am cruising I meet people who I can only describe as middle class, LIKE ME. In fact, I have met one other lawyer, no doctors, definitely not Bill Gates, and while I am sure many of you are extremely well off, as evidenced by your ability to travel so well, I personally have not met people who look like they go to black tie events so often that they would be scandalized if others decided not to. I have only ever met fun, comfortable, outgoing, seemingly sensible people who enjoy life, meeting others, and having fun. That clashes with a few of the other posts below.

 

Hence my Downton Abbey reference. Like it or not, there is always a hint of snobbery in the formal wear posts. I have not met any snobs cruising! Far from it. Far from it. And I am the farthest from it you will ever meet. My husband is a gardener and he looks great in a tux:cool:

so agree with this. On my first cruise I was upset because my husband refused to bring or rent a tux. He wore a charcoal gray suit and looked very nice. So I didn't worry. This was 2007. This time I went to pack his suit and he said "no way". He would wear a sports coat but that was it. I packed his suit without him knowing it. He refused to wear it. He wore his sport coat and a white turtleneck shirt:eek:I told him he may be refused at the door. Well of course he wasn't and actually was better dressed than many others. I have to admit he looked very dapper and foreign. Of course he is French. So the next formal night I shut my mouth and realized we still looked very nice and dressed up. So, for us, no more dark suit, no tux.

[RevNeal]

I have noticed you have not been showing up as often as when I first started reading CC. As befits your experience and "Wall of parchments", I will try to follow this advice.

Please write a review if you cruise again, as they are informative and very interesting.

My first experience reading your reviews was when you went on the innaugrual of a new ship, I believe "Westerdam".

 

Thank you very much ... you're very kind. Over the past few years I've greatly reduced my posting frequency and the amount of time I spend reading the board. I used to read CC several times a day, and post 10 or more times a day. Then, things changed around here and I became far less interested in spending my time reading or posting on CC ... and I certainly lost interest in all the "battles."

 

The last time I filed a "Live-From" thread was my 2010 cruise aboard the Prinsendam. That was a new ship for me, and an itinerary I had never been on. It was fun posting from the ship, and posting my review afterwards. I'm supposed to be aboard the Veendam for South America and Antarctica in January 2013, and since that's a new ship for me I may post a review of the Veendam's post-mutilation condition, but I don't plan on posting any more "Live-From" threads. I just don't feel motivated to support CC's board-traffic and ad-revenue by expending hundreds of dollars to post on CC from aboard ship.

 

I wasn't aboard the Westerdam's Inaugural Cruise. I posted "Live" from the Noordam Inaugural and the Eurodam Inaugural.

[RevNeal]

I greatly appreciate your contribution here. You know DH and I did not make this 'leap' without some regret and a big dose of nostalgia.

 

Thank you, always, Greg...... :)

 

 

I know, and I certainly understand both the decision and the process y'all went through in making it. That's a large part of the reason why I respect it, even though I'd still make a different one.

 

Blessings,

[kazu]

Now I am completely torn! I was all set to go for it, I have a gown I love that needs to be worn more, plus a dinner suit for the 2nd formal night. I bought a tux for my DH online (never tried this before but the price was great) which, of course, it doesn't fit him in the shoulders, and I have returned it. I was ready to get one for my DS08, too, but after reading this thread, I'm really not sure what to do. DH will not be pleased to find he is in a very small minority of wearers, and to invest the money into a decent tuxedo, et al. is not insignificant. It just sounds like it's becoming a lost gesture, and as much as I love to get dressed up with all the trimmings, I hate to spend money just so I can wear my gown again <face-palm>

 

 

I still wear my long gowns:D Have no fear:) If he has a nice suit he will still be a great match for you. It really depends on the cruise. I don't worry about it. And neither should you:D Wear what you like and if you like to dress up - enjoy:)