Dress Categories. RCI makes another mess!!!

[pcur]

I haven't figured out the Formal vs Semi formal, your either formal or your not. This is how my husband & I dress for dinners. On non formal nights, myself ( wife ), I wear nice slacks and top with accents, Formal I wear black slacks & fancy top with accents. My husbands wears for non formal nights, regular mens slacks and a shirt, no tie, formal night he wears a suit. That is our basic attire for a cruise.

 

Like she said..........

[macruisefan]

Well balcony smoking and rum runners was already being discussed so I suppose another dress code thread was in order.

 

All kidding aside, I actually started writing this when I saw the bit about formal attire also being "appropriate" as a sincere inquiry, since this seems to be a change since the last time I cruised.

 

The funny thing is, in all the details, I forgot to ask my question!

 

So, have people noticed, is there a preponderance of formal attire in the specialty restaurants on formal night like the MDR? Or does it still seem to skew towards smart casual (or whatever they like to call it)?

[orville99]

I haven't figured out the Formal vs Semi formal, your either formal or your not. This is how my husband & I dress for dinners. On non formal nights, myself ( wife ), I wear nice slacks and top with accents, Formal I wear black slacks & fancy top with accents. My husbands wears for non formal nights, regular mens slacks and a shirt, no tie, formal night he wears a suit. That is our basic attire for a cruise.

 

Technically, formal means black tie and tails, semi-formal means a tailless "dinner" jacket. Since the entire concept has devolved over time, semi-formal now is often defined as a suit and tie, and formal is defined as a tuxedo. Probably because true formal wear is virtually impossible to find anymore.

[epcopres]

You know, on all the cruises I have been on and even the 1st cruise I went on, I have never had a problem with dress code as much as alot of people on this site. Its pretty much common sense, dont dress like a slob, look presentable, and on formal nights wear something like you would wear to church or a wedding. Its Easy.

[markadele]

Thats why I wear whatever I want when I go to dinner (but not shorts, t shirts or a baseball hat), usually dockers, shoes, and a collared shirt. Dont bring suits anymore.

 

Mike

 

Totaly agree with you thats is the same thing I do

[A&L_Ont]

All kidding aside, I actually started writing this when I saw the bit about formal attire also being "appropriate" as a sincere inquiry, since this seems to be a change since the last time I cruised.

 

The funny thing is, in all the details, I forgot to ask my question!

 

So, have people noticed, is there a preponderance of formal attire in the specialty restaurants on formal night like the MDR? Or does it still seem to skew towards smart casual (or whatever they like to call it)?

 

From all of our cruises as of late I would say smart casual was the popular choice for speciality restaurants. It might appear to be that the cruisers who go frequently like to dress SC, compared to formal. JMHO, or my view is skewed. SC is all we take and will continue to take.

 

Two years ago we did go formal to 150 on formal night and we were one of the more dessed up couples. DW was in a dress and I was in a suit. No tuxes and the majority were SC. It did not ruin our evening, or our dining experience. I guess for us it is a combo of been there done that and we want to travel with less luggage.

 

For all of our sailings on Oasis and Allure we have yet to eat in the MDR. I feel like we need a badge for that. :D We also try to avoid the WJ, but we have been there a few times. With so many options for eating it is easy to do this on the Oasis class. It also makes the dress code for dining easy for us.

[macruisefan]

For all of our sailings on Oasis and Allure we have yet to eat in the MDR. I feel like we need a badge for that. :D We also try to avoid the WJ, but we have been there a few times. With so many options for eating it is easy to do this on the Oasis class. It also makes the dress code for dining easy for us.

 

 

I have that badge too! I do eat breakfast in the WJ, but I am a very early riser, and it's quiet when I'm in there. As for lunch, I wouldn't go to the WJ if you paid me. I'm not interested in navigating that zoo...

[Giorgi-one]

Thats why I wear whatever I want when I go to dinner (but not shorts, t shirts or a baseball hat), usually dockers, shoes, and a collared shirt. Dont bring suits anymore.

 

Mike

 

Just wondering if anyone (not saying you) can disregard dress codes, would you mind if someone was smoking in the next cabin or in a nonsmoking area or being a chair hog or saving seats in the theater or wearing shorts and a baseball cap to dinner, so that we just choose the regulations we agree to follow? Sort of like a free-for-all cruise philosophy! It's your vacation and do whatever you want!

[oneputt18]

So, have people noticed, is there a preponderance of formal attire in the specialty restaurants on formal night like the MDR? Or does it still seem to skew towards smart casual (or whatever they like to call it)?

 

I haven't seen a lot of formal wear in specialty restaurants. Most people go there on formal night to avoid dressing formal.

 

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[B-52]

I'm perfectly fine. One of the problems with forums like this is that it's sometimes hard to convey tone. I am more laughing at this than anything else.

 

It does kind of make me wonder though. It really surprises me that an operation as big as RCI would continue to have areas where there is this kind of incongruency.

 

 

They're attempting to be all things to all people so as not to scare anyone away and loose bookings....

You can't please all the people all the time....but they're trying.

[B-52]

Just wondering if anyone (not saying you) can disregard dress codes, would you mind if someone was smoking in the next cabin or in a nonsmoking area or being a chair hog or saving seats in the theater or wearing shorts and a baseball cap to dinner, so that we just choose the regulations we agree to follow? Sort of like a free-for-all cruise philosophy! It's your vacation and do whatever you want!

 

 

Most people misinterpret what he dress codes actually are....

Smoking in a non smoking area clearly is breaking the rules....

 

Most people understand that there is a "Suggested" attire, and then there is a "Dress Code"

 

They're not suggesting you don't smoke in a non smoking section, or suggest you don't save seats, or wear shorts in the MDR, etc, etc....

Aside from the actual dress code, which is the same every night...everything else is suggested....

 

I don't believe people here actually want to dress like slobs, etc...I think the real issue is pushing the buttons of those who feel they better than others, and feel it is there way or no way....

At least that is what I get from dress code posts...watching peoples reactions and showing their true colors....

 

I remember back in the 60's when we started to let our hair grow long...we weren't breaking any rules, but boy did we get some reactions...which made us want to do it even more!

[hellsop]

It THOUGHT, on previous cruises, that specialty restaurants were "smart casual" every night. Boy have they made a MESS of this!! Here are the dress suggestions for the restaurants on my upcoming cruise:

 

 

150 Central Park

We suggest smart, semi-formal attire - slacks for men, dresses or pantsuits for women. (No jeans, shorts, or sneakers, please.) On formal evenings onboard, formal attire is also appropriate in the restaurant; which includes suits and ties or tuxedos for men and cocktail dresses for women.

 

Chops

We suggest smart casual attire in Chops Grille - jackets for men, dresses or pantsuits for women. On formal evenings onboard, formal attire is also appropriate in the restaurant; which includes suits and ties or tuxedos for men and cocktail dresses for women.

 

Izumi

We suggest smart, casual attire-slacks for men, dresses or pantsuits for women. No jeans, shorts or sneakers, please. On formal evenings onboard, formal attire is appropriate in the restaurant-suits and ties or tuxedos for men and cocktail dresses for women.

 

Chef's Table

We suggest smart casual attire – jackets for men, dresses or pantsuits for women. On formal evenings onboard, formal attire is also appropriate in the restaurant; which includes suits and ties or tuxedos for men and cocktail dresses for women.

 

I see what you're talking about; "smart casual" changes between just "slacks" and "jacket" on apparently a venue-by-venue basis.

[RevSmith]

I dress how I dress. I don't dress down and I don't dress up, simply middle of the road. I'm happy with that and so far no one else has complained.

[mjldvlks]

. . . One of the problems with forums like this is that it's sometimes hard to convey tone. . . .

 

Especially with that thumbs down emoticon they force you to use.

[Giorgi-one]

Most people misinterpret what he dress codes actually are....

Smoking in a non smoking area clearly is breaking the rules....

 

Most people understand that there is a "Suggested" attire, and then there is a "Dress Code"

 

They're not suggesting you don't smoke in a non smoking section, or suggest you don't save seats, or wear shorts in the MDR, etc, etc....

Aside from the actual dress code, which is the same every night...everything else is suggested....

 

I don't believe people here actually want to dress like slobs, etc...I think the real issue is pushing the buttons of those who feel they better than others, and feel it is there way or no way....

At least that is what I get from dress code posts...watching peoples reactions and showing their true colors....

 

I remember back in the 60's when we started to let our hair grow long...we weren't breaking any rules, but boy did we get some reactions...which made us want to do it even more!

 

I do not think it has anything to do with people feeling they are better than others. I am not trying to start a dress code thread. Just wondering why some people choose to ignore certain guidelines but get really upset when others ignore guidelines they care about. I realize that when some people see the words "suggested dress code" they read it as "wear whatever you want". Kind of sounds stupid doesn't it. If RCL really meant "wear whatever what you want" why wouldn't they just say it. Reason is that for adults guidelines are all that should be necessary. Saying do this or else is more for children. If you receive an invitation to a formal wedding, do you say to yourself "I really don't have to follow that, I can wear whatever I want". I am just wondering how people in general justify the attitude "it's my vacation and I will do what I want". In case you have not noticed, the entire cruise experience is basically degrading as this attitude becomes more prevelant.

[halos]

I think the issue in the post is smart semi formal is suggested as slacks and smart casual suggests jacket....sounds a bit backwards to me

That's what I took from the post....I don't know if people just skipped over it and just jumped on the Op, or they didn't know to catch the mistake that RCI made here.....

[Maryscooking]

I do not think it has anything to do with people feeling they are better than others. I am not trying to start a dress code thread. Just wondering why some people choose to ignore certain guidelines but get really upset when others ignore guidelines they care about. I realize that when some people see the words "suggested dress code" they read it as "wear whatever you want". Kind of sounds stupid doesn't it. If RCL really meant "wear whatever what you want" why wouldn't they just say it. Reason is that for adults guidelines are all that should be necessary. Saying do this or else is more for children. If you receive an invitation to a formal wedding, do you say to yourself "I really don't have to follow that, I can wear whatever I want". I am just wondering how people in general justify the attitude "it's my vacation and I will do what I want". In case you have not noticed, the entire cruise experience is basically degrading as this attitude becomes more prevelant.

 

I think that you are not distinguishing between suggested attire and a required dress code...there is a big difference. If a restaurant states "jacket required," or "jacket expected," then don't expect that men will get in the door without one. But if they "suggest" a certain attire, it is only that, a suggestion - meaning you are free to do it or not.

 

"No smoking" is not a guideline or a suggestion - it is a rule, and is more in line with a "jacket required" dress code - which Royal Caribbean obviously does not have.

[Giorgi-one]

I think that you are not distinguishing between suggested attire and a required dress code...there is a big difference. If a restaurant states "jacket required," or "jacket expected," then don't expect that men will get in the door without one. But if they "suggest" a certain attire, it is only that, a suggestion - meaning you are free to do it or not.

 

"No smoking" is not a guideline or a suggestion - it is a rule, and is more in line with a "jacket required" dress code - which Royal Caribbean obviously does not have.

 

Why would any venue say that a jacket is suggested but mean you can wear anything you want. Are you saying that if they did not say jacket was suggested, I could not wear one? If I can wear whatever I want, then why say anything.

 

Here is what they and RCL really mean. "This is a formal night you should wear formal attire as suggested. We understand that there are some people who will do whatever they want. We would prefer to say formal attire is required and exclude them from all venues on formal nights as used to be the custom. However, we do not want to lose them as customers. We know that most people will follow formal guidelines and hope that you will ignore those who do not. Understand that having them on board to fill cabins does reduce your fare."

[Colorado Babe]

I say, wear dockers and a nice shirt and you'll be fine. That is what my husband wears and we've never been thrown out! Enjoy!:D

[CruiseTobey]

Totaly agree with you thats is the same thing I do

 

Right on brother. Glad to see another one join the club! :D

[BabyBokChoy]

Right on brother. Glad to see another one join the club! :D

 

You give me hope even though I don't doubt that DH will be accepted into the MDR in his long sleeve button down shirts and khaki pants.

[halos]

:o

Ok...I like to dress as suggested...honestly. My issue with all this is from the Op's post (the part they took from RCI's web site), I am confused as to what is suggested.

They have semi-formal and resort casual flip-flopped....so it's a bit confusing.

[oneputt18]

I dress how I dress. I don't dress down and I don't dress up, simply middle of the road. I'm happy with that and so far no one else has complained.

 

You mirror my attitude.

 

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[hellsop]

I do not think it has anything to do with people feeling they are better than others. I am not trying to start a dress code thread. Just wondering why some people choose to ignore certain guidelines but get really upset when others ignore guidelines they care about. I realize that when some people see the words "suggested dress code" they read it as "wear whatever you want". Kind of sounds stupid doesn't it. If RCL really meant "wear whatever what you want" why wouldn't they just say it. Reason is that for adults guidelines are all that should be necessary. Saying do this or else is more for children. If you receive an invitation to a formal wedding, do you say to yourself "I really don't have to follow that, I can wear whatever I want". I am just wondering how people in general justify the attitude "it's my vacation and I will do what I want". In case you have not noticed, the entire cruise experience is basically degrading as this attitude becomes more prevelant.

 

I think a big part of it is that it's rough feeling like you're being told you're unwelcome in a place you normally are because someone else decided that it's time to do something you're ill-prepared to do. I do own a tux, though it's an old and unflattering one, but replacing it would cost about a thousand dollars, and so I travel with that one for cruises. Other people ... don't. Frankly, a lot of people now don't own a suit that fits them properly and they're going through life hoping nobody invites them to a wedding. They own one ice-blue clip-on tie and normal "goin' to church" is khakis and a sweater. To be told "It's formal night and you don't dress well enough -- go eat in the 'Jammer" stings some.

[Giorgi-one]

I think a big part of it is that it's rough feeling like you're being told you're unwelcome in a place you normally are because someone else decided that it's time to do something you're ill-prepared to do. I do own a tux, though it's an old and unflattering one, but replacing it would cost about a thousand dollars, and so I travel with that one for cruises. Other people ... don't. Frankly, a lot of people now don't own a suit that fits them properly and they're going through life hoping nobody invites them to a wedding. They own one ice-blue clip-on tie and normal "goin' to church" is khakis and a sweater. To be told "It's formal night and you don't dress well enough -- go eat in the 'Jammer" stings some.

 

I also have the tux I wore for my wedding in 1971. Still fits perfectly. You proably remember After Six tuxedos. One of my best friends was manager of the factory in Philly. When I got married, the whole wedding party went to the factory and got tuxedos.

 

I bought a black suit and now use that for formal nights with tux accessories. Way less than $1000.