Alternative Take on Dress Codes

[z44212]

You have not established a causal link between how passengers are dressed and the quality of the food service.

 

The correlation is to be found in the cruise cost and profit margins of the line.

[mcd2745]

No. This post is backwards. What do you consider outdated cruising?

 

Thinking that you should dress to the nines to go to a dinner venue half a notch above the Outbacks and Olive Gardens of the world - that is an outdated norm.

 

The cruising industry has evolved greatly. Why is it so difficult for some to accept that? No one wants to take away anyone's rights or abilities to dress as formally as they want. But you have this other faction who wants anyone not wearing a tux banished to the buffet.

[Familygoboston]

I apologize if somebody has made this observation before.

1. There seem to be many complaints about the decline in food.
   
2. There seem to be many complaints about the decline in service.
   
3. There seem to be many who believe the old way of dressing up is going the way of the rotary phone.
   

Question: What's the point of providing 5-star food and service to a group of patrons happy to dress for fast-food dinning? Are these food/service declines not just a reversion to the lowest common denominator? After all, it seems universal that specialty restaurants (where you typically find the dress and atmosphere nicer) do the dining experience better.

 

Said another way: In my experience, eating establishments with higher standards for their patrons also apply higher standards to their food and service.

 

Said yet another way: Why would any cruise line whose patrons can't distinguish between beach wear and formal wear assume they can identify (or even want) a fine dining experience?

 

Remember this the next time you want to complain about your small, overcooked lobster as you leave the dining room wearing cargo shorts and a Coors Light t-shirt.

 

In advance, any response that contains "it's my vacation" or a discussion of "suggested versus required" need not apply.

 

Before you post the usual response, seriously think about this and decide if we are simply now sleeping in the bed we have made?

 

Sorry, not buying, out of 1/2 dozen cruises in the last two years, the two with the best service and best food, not a soul wore a suit jacket, much less a blazer, most often the gents were in nothing more than golf shirts- service and food blew away anything you get on any mass market cruise. They sell em cheap and you get what you pay for...it doesn't matter what the passengers are wearing.

[Blue Line]

Wow- very well put!!! You definitely see this in the specialty restaurants... You really hit the nail in the head!

[Blue Line]

I have never been in a 5-star restaurant where the wait staff sang and twirled towels.

 

Literally LOL!!!! Hahahah!

[PLEIKU68]

:D:D let me see if I have this straight..if we all dress like Thurston Howell III and Lovey,we will be treated better ,enjoy our food more and the cuise will be marvelous!!!.......this is one interesting thread:cool::cool:

 

 

Better than dressing like Gilligan ! :)

[jessicalorene]

[/color]

Wait! You think women in dresses "behave" better?

 

 

Yeahhhh I read this and did a little :rolleyes: myself. What an utterly stupid comment on so many different levels.

[Ocean Boy]

I agree with this. I have also always thought that the decor of the dining room demands better dress than jeans or cargo shorts. I find it difficult to understand why the servers are better dressed than many of the dining guests. I also believe that people behave better when they are dressed up, especially women when they wear dresses.

 

What is so difficult about understanding what it means to be an employee and dressing in the uniform required of your employer?

[mein18]

Not the worst idea, although I don't see the need to eliminate the screens on deck.

 

Alternatively, I would suggest that just as you choose a first or second seating for dinner, you could also choose "formal" or "casual" and split the MDR into two sections. For the "casual" side, my version of the dress code would be that shorts are allowed (but not jean shorts or running/basketball shorts)...swimwear, tank tops and flip flops would also not be allowed and men would be required to wear a collared shirt of some kind. The rules on the formal side (whatever they are - I wouldn't care since I'd never be there) can then be enforced very strictly, although it shouldn't really be necessary since those people chose that side.

This really may work except that omce you say shorts are allowed then some will try to get away with wearing bikinis and speedos to dinner:eek:

[D&L Thomas]

Today, I would guess (it is my guess, you go make your own guess) with life revolving around Taco Bell, McDonald's etc. People EAT. I truly doubt most folks know the definition fo the word Dining when it comes to a fine restaurant, on land or sea.

I would love to know the number of folks that have actually spent an evening... Dining.

 

I love the CC complaints that Dinner took 2 hours!! The Horror! My personal comment to them is that Taco Bell is only 5 minutes away from the KOA Camp Site.

****************************************************************************

 

As a couple who recently joined the ranks of RV ownership, I have to say this remark is offensive. Have you actually been to a campground lately, KOA or otherwise? I would wager you'd see vehicles there that cost more than your house. Campsites can be $75-$100 per night . . . Less than I have paid for some lucky cruise deals.

 

When we go "glamping" we don't go to Taco Bell either. We eat at least as well as we do on a cruise and much healthier too.

 

We spent Memorial Day weekend in Williamsburg, Virginia and attended concerts at the Virginia Festival of the Arts each evening.

 

So enough disparaging of camping! But guess what: we don't dress up on cruise ships. Prom might was long ago and we are over it. Formal nights will find us very happy and comfortable in the WJ or "smart casual" in a specialty.

 

To each their own and why such haters?

[A&L_Ont]

In advance, any response that contains "it's my vacation" or a discussion of "suggested versus required" need not apply.

 

My favorite excuse to read is "been there done that":confused:

what the heck does that really mean or have to do with dressing up on formal night. so you cruised one or twice and now you paid your dues.

my friends and I cruise a lot more than most and always, i mean always, dress proper on forma nightl. check out the dia+ cruisers and even the pinnacle on formal night. 99.9% of them are dressed to the nines.

so how can you say---"been there done that" :confused::confused:

JUST A LAME EXCUSE---------

 

Easy, those cruisers have been there and done it. When I become D+ in 2 years you won't see me dressed formal on formal night. You also will not see me in the Diamond lounge. I do go to the CL, but you won't see me dressed up but I will be dressed appropriately. There is a difference between formal and appropriately dressed.

 

I have cruised more than one or two times. I have had enough of formal wear. When I wear suits daily, I don't want them on my holiday. It is nice that you and your friends get to cruise regularly and dress up, it is your choice. From your comment I didn't realize that that D+ and Pinnacle cruisers were so special because they dressed better. Using clothing to "measure" the people you see on a cruise to see who is better is not the way to judge people.

 

The choice of dress is an individual's choice. I do feel that clothes with rips and tears are not proper. Clean and proper is the way to go. We have never worn the wrong dress clothes to eating venues VS the suggested clothing attire for the evening.

[Babygirl08]

So many posts to respond to.

1. This is not a typical dress code thread because I am not raising the issue of what should be worn. I am questioning how we got here. I am on record that I don't care who wears what on a cruise. My family and I choose to go tuxedo on formal night because I never get to wear one and we like to get a nice family picture. If you sit with me at dinner in your "good" NASCAR tee and baseball cap, I just don't care. I'm there for my family and with my family. The rest is just noise. I, too, wear a suit and tie for work and that has no bearing on what I choose to wear on vacation. A mentor of mine once asked me if I shaved on the weekends and I told him "no" because it was the weekend and I have to shave all week for the office. He told me he shaves every day because if his colleagues and clients are good to enough to shave for, his family certainly is, too.
   
2. I am not hinting that better dress means better food and that people dressed better behave better. As a wedding DJ for years I have seen many people misbehaving in their Sunday best. What I was asking is what another poster accurately identified as "what came first, the chicken or the egg?" Is the decline in food service/quality a result of a lessened expectation of the consumer or have the cruise lines lessened the expectation by declining the food service quality. Further, whichever came first, aren't we telling the lines by our minimizing the dining experience and treating it like the school cafeteria that we really just want floating amusement parks with a place to get chicken nuggets, fries, and self-serve ice cream?
   

Making up some numbers, let's say 20 years ago it was $5,000 for a single cruise fare and that came with all the bells and whistles of a great dining experience, chocolates on your pillow, towel animals, etc., etc., etc., and lines could fill 1000 passenger ships. I agree, there is a huge financial component to the evolution of offerings in the cruise industry. The question is, did the lines decide they could make more money by lowering quality and getting more passengers, or did the passengers lower their expectations so the lines lowered their quality? That is, instead of $5,000 for 1000 passengers, they went the way of $1,000 for 5000 passengers. Where does the dress code fit in? Patrons who don't "dress up" and who want to be in-and-out of the MDR so they can get to the hot tub, the casino, or the club, simply aren't expecting (and therefore aren't going to be given) a "dining" experience.

 

Me, I love the dining experience. My family and I do 2+ hour dinners with wine, after dinner drinks, entrée sharing, and lively discussion of the days events. I enjoy seeing my wife, daughter, family, and friends dressed up. It doesn't make a damn bit of difference what's going on around me. However, I do feel that what's going on around me is influencing what's being offered to me and that is a shame.

[bostonfred]

the only thing everyone should be required to wear in the MDR is a smile:D:D:D:D:D

[A&L_Ont]

So many posts to respond to.

1. This is not a typical dress code thread because I am not raising the issue of what should be worn. I am questioning how we got here. I am on record that I don't care who wears what on a cruise. My family and I choose to go tuxedo on formal night because I never get to wear one and we like to get a nice family picture. If you sit with me at dinner in your "good" NASCAR tee and baseball cap, I just don't care. I'm there for my family and with my family. The rest is just noise. I, too, wear a suit and tie for work and that has no bearing on what I choose to wear on vacation. A mentor of mine once asked me if I shaved on the weekends and I told him "no" because it was the weekend and I have to shave all week for the office. He told me he shaves every day because if his colleagues and clients are good to enough to shave for, his family certainly is, too.
   
2. I am not hinting that better dress means better food and that people dressed better behave better. As a wedding DJ for years I have seen many people misbehaving in their Sunday best. What I was asking is what another poster accurately identified as "what came first, the chicken or the egg?" Is the decline in food service/quality a result of a lessened expectation of the consumer or have the cruise lines lessened the expectation by declining the food service quality. Further, whichever came first, aren't we telling the lines by our minimizing the dining experience and treating it like the school cafeteria that we really just want floating amusement parks with a place to get chicken nuggets, fries, and self-serve ice cream?
   

Making up some numbers, let's say 20 years ago it was $5,000 for a single cruise fare and that came with all the bells and whistles of a great dining experience, chocolates on your pillow, towel animals, etc., etc., etc., and lines could fill 1000 passenger ships. I agree, there is a huge financial component to the evolution of offerings in the cruise industry. The question is, did the lines decide they could make more money by lowering quality and getting more passengers, or did the passengers lower their expectations so the lines lowered their quality? That is, instead of $5,000 for 1000 passengers, they went the way of $1,000 for 5000 passengers. Where does the dress code fit in? Patrons who don't "dress up" and who want to be in-and-out of the MDR so they can get to the hot tub, the casino, or the club, simply aren't expecting (and therefore aren't going to be given) a "dining" experience.

 

Me, I love the dining experience. My family and I do 2+ hour dinners with wine, after dinner drinks, entrée sharing, and lively discussion of the days events. I enjoy seeing my wife, daughter, family, and friends dressed up. It doesn't make a damn bit of difference what's going on around me. However, I do feel that what's going on around me is influencing what's being offered to me and that is a shame.

 

Now I love your philosophy. Sadly, I too don't shave on weekends. :)

[Ocean Boy]

Me, I love the dining experience. My family and I do 2+ hour dinners with wine, after dinner drinks, entrée sharing, and lively discussion of the days events. I enjoy seeing my wife, daughter, family, and friends dressed up. It doesn't make a damn bit of difference what's going on around me. However, I do feel that what's going on around me is influencing what's being offered to me and that is a shame.

 

You know what is being offered on Royal Caribbean. You simply need to decide if it meets your vacation needs or not. You love the dining experience. Maybe if you find a cruise line, or other vacation, with like minded people where the company invests more resources into the dining experience you will be happier. I would hate for RCI to cut back on all those others things going on around the ship that people can't wait to get out of the dining room to take part in. If RCI built and operated ships geared toward eating at the expense of the other things they offer for activities then I would be sailing a different line.

 

I, too, look forward to a week spent with my family with no pagers, no interrupted dinners to go to the hospital, and them not having to share me with people who they don't know. But we are quite happy discussing the days events and catching up with each other while we have dinner in the Windjammer which may last 45 minutes or 1.5 hours depending on how we feel. We enjoy climbing the rock wall and flow rider together which is just as much of our cruise experience as "dining".

[davekathy]

the only thing everyone should be required to wear in the MDR is a smile:D:D:D:D:D

 

The opinions on this whole evening dress code (strike code) evening dress guidlines puts a smile on my face. Glad I've never come in contact with any of this crap while on a Cruise!! I just consider the source on these forums.

[Babygirl08]

You know what is being offered on Royal Caribbean. You simply need to decide if it meets your vacation needs or not. You love the dining experience. Maybe if you find a cruise line, or other vacation, with like minded people where the company invests more resources into the dining experience you will be happier. I would hate for RCI to cut back on all those others things going on around the ship that people can't wait to get out of the dining room to take part in. If RCI built and operated ships geared toward eating at the expense of the other things they offer for activities then I would be sailing a different line.

 

I, too, look forward to a week spent with my family with no pagers, no interrupted dinners to go to the hospital, and them not having to share me with people who they don't know. But we are quite happy discussing the days events and catching up with each other while we have dinner in the Windjammer which may last 45 minutes or 1.5 hours depending on how we feel. We enjoy climbing the rock wall and flow rider together which is just as much of our cruise experience as "dining".

 

Not asking to stop the other activities. Believe me, we take full advantage of everything from trivia, to line dancing, to clubs, to pools. I do know what I am getting. The only thing I don't do much on the ship is sleep.

 

Just raising the thought that food decline might be related to dress decline.

[Babygirl08]

the only thing everyone should be required to wear in the MDR is a smile:D:D:D:D:D

 

Cheers!

[Babygirl08]

Now I love your philosophy. Sadly, I too don't shave on weekends. :)

 

 

If you keep it just between us, I'll admit to slipping up once or twice myself...

[Ocean Boy]

Not asking to stop the other activities. Believe me, we take full advantage of everything from trivia, to line dancing, to clubs, to pools. I do know what I am getting. The only thing I don't do much on the ship is sleep.

Just raising the thought that food decline might be related to dress decline.

 

We have much more in common than I originally thought!:D

[phish tales]

Easy, those cruisers have been there and done it. When I become D+ in 2 years you won't see me dressed formal on formal night. You also will not see me in the Diamond lounge. I do go to the CL, but you won't see me dressed up but I will be dressed appropriately. There is a difference between formal and appropriately dressed.

 

I have cruised more than one or two times. I have had enough of formal wear. When I wear suits daily, I don't want them on my holiday. It is nice that you and your friends get to cruise regularly and dress up, it is your choice. From your comment I didn't realize that that D+ and Pinnacle cruisers were so special because they dressed better. Using clothing to "measure" the people you see on a cruise to see who is better is not the way to judge people.

 

The choice of dress is an individual's choice. I do feel that clothes with rips and tears are not proper. Clean and proper is the way to go. We have never worn the wrong dress clothes to eating venues VS the suggested clothing attire for the evening.

 

 

if you read my thread, there is no where i used the term that dia+ and pinnacle were so special because they dress better. those are your words you added for what reason i will never know. my point is we cruise a lot and still follow the dress code. we don't use the lame excuse ----BEEN THERE DONE THAT. you dress however you like.

but don't put words into my thread that come from you made up theory.

happy cruising :):):)

[Ocean Boy]

if you read my thread, there is no where i used the term that dia+ and pinnacle were so special because they dress better. those are your words you added for what reason i will never know. my point is we cruise a lot and still follow the dress code. we don't use the lame excuse ----BEEN THERE DONE THAT. you dress however you like.

but don't put words into my thread that come from you made up theory.

happy cruising :):):)

 

Your thread?

[ssb]

Your thread?

 

I believe post was intended not thread. :)

[Alphadah]

Sorry but I can't buy the relationship between casual and the decline of food. If that logic applies the reason airlines have stopped serving food and taken away legroom and pretty much any other amenity that used to come with flying is because people stopped dressing up to fly. Its about the money and thats all.

[asylum575]

Living in the NY metro area, there are several choices of cruise lines.

 

NCL and RCCL have similar itineraries. NCL prices are normally a bit lower than RCCL, but the difference is negligible because we would choose more specialty dining. Le Bistro on NCL is a favorite of DW for a dinner without the kids.

 

So, if we go with RCCL, I bring the tux. If we go NCL, I can pack for a week in a large duffel bag.

 

No problem. We eat well either way and fall well within the guidelines.

 

FL cruises are a totally different situation with the luggage on airplanes.