Formal Night & Getting Dress Up ?

[Loyal2RCCL]

Back in the 70's and 80's the dress code for EVERY evening after 6pm was a jacket and tie and people stayed dressed that way for the remainder of the night.

I've long abandoned the formal dress for several reasons:

1. I don't wear a suit and tie to work, I'm sure not going to wear one on MY vacation. Especially just for a few hours at dinner.

2. Airline luggage restrictions and charges have me now just bringing the items I need to get through my trip.

3. The cruise lines have relaxed their dress code policies.

That said, on formal nights we do dine in the MDR, and I wear dress slacks and a button down shirt. On other nights dockers and a polo shirt or button down shirt and yes (God Forbid) on casual nights I will wear nice jeans and a polo or button down shirt.

The way I look at it is if people are going to get their noses out of joint because I'm not in a suit or tux, that's their problem.. not mine.:eek:

[Elvis1209]

[quote name='poncho1973']Hahaha! I'll offer to buy your geriatric rear-end a beer... and then assume you'll forget by the time it comes around to pay up![/QUOTE]

I'm not a beer-drinker, but if you wanted to buy me a martini I wouldn't object!

Elvis

[debbs0723]

I don't really enjoy formal nights and I don't like traveling with my formal clothes. The second is probably the main reason. That said, I dress nice for dinner whether in the MDR, Windjammer, or specialty restaurant every night. I always have a nicer dress on but will mostly wear the dressy sparkly flip flops because I have had foot surgery and anything other than my one pair of 5" platform heels are a killer on my feet. :D I should probably also mention that even though I've stated that I don't like it, I still do it. Formal is somewhat subjective though. On my last cruise I did a black lace cocktail dress and heels and my husband did the suit. My daughters wore party dresses as well.

So I guess that is my long winded way of saying it is more of an obligation but I'm not exactly showing up to any eating venue dressed down. That is just me.

Debbie Edited December 27, 2013 by debbs0723

[satxdiver]

I was on the Navigator last week. I had to meet the DW at the MDR because she had gone to do something before dinner. I went about a half your early just to see what was getting into the MDR (MTD). I saw the usual few tux, some suits, etc. What I really did see though was men wearing polo shirts, Hawaiian style shirts and/or jeans. It was not just one but several dressed casually for formal dinner. So much for any prohibited dress.

I did it again one casual night waiting for the DW at the MDR door (deck 5 on the Navigator). I saw a significant number of shorts, tshirts and/or hats entering the MDR on adults. I did see a few men with hats on sitting at tables as we entered the MDR on our way to our table. Again so much for any dress requirements.

[ditkafan]

[quote name='satxdiver']I was on the Navigator last week. I had to meet the DW at the MDR because she had gone to do something before dinner. I went about a half your early just to see what was getting into the MDR (MTD). I saw the usual few tux, some suits, etc. What I really did see though was men wearing polo shirts, Hawaiian style shirts and/or jeans. It was not just one but several dressed casually for formal dinner. So much for any prohibited dress.

I did it again one casual night waiting for the DW at the MDR door (deck 5 on the Navigator). I saw a significant number of shorts, tshirts and/or hats entering the MDR on adults. I did see a few men with hats on sitting at tables as we entered the MDR on our way to our table. Again so much for any dress requirements.[/QUOTE]

People wearing Polo and Hawaiian shirts - How did you cope? It must have been unbearable :rolleyes:

[ckfred]

What impresses me is on formal night, when a man is wearing a dinner jacket, bow tie, and kilt. There is always one guy in a kilt, even in the Caribbean. When we were on the Jewel several years ago, sailing out of Boston for New England and the Canadian Maritimes, I was surprised at the number of men in kilts.

[Paul65]

We're in the "dress up because we enjoy it category." Sometimes our level of dress-up might vary between truly formal and more semi-formal, but we enjoy the idea of having a night or two that is a little more fancy. And we usually stay in our dress attire for most of the evening.

Edit: Sorry...didn't realize this was an old, resurfaced thread that I am now helping put on life-support. Edited January 23, 2015 by Paul65

[epcopres]

We enjoy dressing up as well. Its not often that we have the opportunity to get dressed up and enjoy the evening.

[ewenix]

[quote name='PMcC1998']I cannot understand how luggage weight is an issue when people discuss dressing for dinner. To use the post above as an example, if you eliminate a suit, you still have to wear pants; a dress is a dress - doesn't have to be a formal gown; many cocktail dresses weigh less than jeans and a top. Shoes are shoes - you need them anyway! So, the only thing I can see makes a difference is the suit jacket! If you are really pushed weight-wise, the jacket could be worn on the plane!

I do not like to see shorts, baseball caps, etc. in the MDR, and respect a person's wish to dress in what they are comfortable, within reason and within the given guidelines, but I don't think airline baggage restrictions should be blamed as a major problem.[/QUOTE]

If I eliminate a suit, that includes the suit jacket, suit pants, the long sleeve dress shirt, two pairs of dress socks, two undershirts and two ties. For me it would also eliminate the dress shoes that I'd bring for wearing with the suit since the rest of the time I'd wear tennis shoes. That adds up to quite a bit if you actually weigh it.

The suits I have purchased came with a jacket and pants. You seem to be suggesting that I'll either be bringing them anyhow or I'll be wearing some other pants along with my suit jacket.

[luvscruising2007]

[quote name='cb at sea']We like lookin' good...so we enjoy dressing up! Putting on a gown or cocktail dress is no harder than putting on a sundress....and much easier than putting on slacks and top! You don't have to get "updos" on your hair...or do anything different than normal! It's really not that hard or time-consuming!

For guys, it may be a bit more work, what with tie and dressier shoes...but hey...that's what civilized folks do...they dress for the venue!![/QUOTE]

[FONT="Arial Black"][SIZE="4"][COLOR="Green"]Well said. I just don't understand what is so difficult about looking your best.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[ewenix]

[quote name='mm1251'][SIZE=3]The reason Royal went to "suggested dress" is because so many cruisers (including us) did not want to dress formally any more. Young, old, there were more and more people who would rather dress casually. Wait staffs were insisting you come on formal nights no matter how you dressed (they want you there).[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]The "suggested dress" code has worked very well. If you want to dress up, you do. If you don't, well --- you don't![/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]The only people that have a problem with it are the extremists [B][U]on both sides[/U][/B] that somehow feel a person dressed differently than them at dinner has ruined their experience. I believe this to be very few people.[/SIZE]
[/QUOTE]

Agreed.

We stopped doing formal nights a few years ago, and planned to opt for the Windjammer instead on those nights.
After the first formal night the waiter asked why we had not come (perhaps a specialty instead) and we told him
it was because we didn't bring any formal clothes. He went very much out of his way to insist that we were dressed
just fine and he wished we had come anyhow. He also brought it up again before the second formal night, so we DID go.
I had on dockers, a polo shirt and tennis shoes, can't remember what my DW wore but it wasn't a dress
(some sort of pants/nice shirt combo.)

Since then we've just gone to the MDR sans formal clothes regardless of the suggested dress. Note that we
are always at either a table for 2 or at a larger table which includes only family members. I do understand that
someone may be upset if I'm at their table and I'm an under dressed in comparison to everyone else at the table.

[Micky1]

My wife and I and our friends that we cruise with LOVE the formal nights on our cruise and totally embrace the fact that we get to put some fancy clothes on. We're not posh nor do we think we are above our station however we come from an armed forces background and find that it is just nice to get dressed up and enjoy some seriously good food and drink,with friends, we usually book one of the themed resturaunts on formal nights. On the non-formal nights we jump between dining, WJ and however we feel, To me that is one of the great appeals of cruising.

[tidygirl]

Our first cruise (2006?) we were very nervous how to dress for formal nights. We made sure the girls had long gowns (more like prom dresses) and the boys suits and it seemed like many people dressed that way. Now not so much.
We don't even eat in the MDR but on formal nights I make DH wear dress shirt and tie and dress pants and sometimes a suit and I like to wear a dressy dress! I like to get dressed up as I usually wear really casual clothes for the work I do and only dress up for church. This is why I have so much trouble packing light! I have plenty of clothes and shoes and it's hard to only pick just a few for vacation I want to pack everything!

[Luv my furbaby]

Formal night are more relaxed than my previous cruises. I am not a formal dress type of person. No, I will not wear shorts, or sweats or even jeans but I try to dress comfortable but nice. I'm sure my definition of nice is not the same as others and that is ok! Actually I am more offended by people that are too loud or smell at dinner even in their formal wear than I am seeing someone in jeans. On 1 cruise I had a woman at my table that was very dressed up, then stuck her napkin between her boobs, chewed with her mouth open then picked her teeth!! YUCK!

[SamFritz]

DW and I really enjoy the chance to "put on the ritz." Apart from cruises, we don't get to go all out like that very often. So it's a rented tux for me and gorgeous gowns for her. We love to have pictures taken at as many of the photo stations as we can find.

Now if we felt like there weren't a good number of fellow cruisers also dressing up for the formal nights, we'd probably stop too. That's part of my problem with Dynamic Dining: while there is a formal restaurant, there is no formal night. On any given night, less than a quarter (probably way less) will be dressed up. It won't feel so special or elegant without significant numbers of people doing the same.


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[travelnteach64]

What would you suggest for young twentys couple? I have some cocktail dresses that pack easily. But I'm thinking about an outfit for him. Would it be wrong to have a long sleeve shirt and tie? We are flying and I don't want to deal with a coat.

[At Sea 4Ever]

[quote name='travelnteach64']What would you suggest for young twentys couple? I have some cocktail dresses that pack easily. But I'm thinking about an outfit for him. Would it be wrong to have a long sleeve shirt and tie? We are flying and I don't want to deal with a coat.[/QUOTE]


Cocktails dresses work great and so do shirts and ties!


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[davekathy]

[quote name='travelnteach64']What would you suggest for young twentys couple? I have some cocktail dresses that pack easily. But I'm thinking about an outfit for him. Would it be wrong to have a long sleeve shirt and tie? We are flying and I don't want to deal with a coat.[/QUOTE]

The same as for a young Sixties couple.

[tidygirl]

[quote name='travelnteach64']What would you suggest for young twentys couple? I have some cocktail dresses that pack easily. But I'm thinking about an outfit for him. Would it be wrong to have a long sleeve shirt and tie? We are flying and I don't want to deal with a coat.[/QUOTE]
On our recent Med cruise Hubby (48) SIL (24) both just wore dress shirts and ties as we didn't want to drag a coat too! They were fine!
It seem people get really upset about this subject which is silly!
We only eat at WJ and not the MDR but still dress up because I like too
then I can get a family portrait.
Personally if I went to a "fancy" restaurant like the MDR I'd feel uncomfortable not dressed in my Sunday best but that's just ME I don't care how others dress!

[KansasK]

I don't buy into the luggage weight issue too much after reading threads on smuggling booze on board. There are few things we would pack that are heavier than eight rum runners or a box of wine, yet people don't complain about the weight they add to their packed suitcase.

People dress as they like now, but I still enjoy being a little more dressy than usual on formal nights.

[Natmom]

[quote name='KansasK']I don't buy into the luggage weight issue too much after reading threads on smuggling booze on board. There are few things we would pack that are heavier than eight rum runners or a box of wine, yet people don't complain about the weight they add to their packed suitcase.



People dress as they like now, but I still enjoy being a little more dressy than usual on formal nights.[/QUOTE]


I don't smuggle booze in my suitcase but I still don't want to try and pack my husbands suit jacket. It takes up half the suitcase! We bring dress shirts and ties.


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[dorisis]

I wish I could find a GOOD definition of formal.

[Aintnofun007]

when it was just my wife and I we would get dressed up, no tux for me though.. then one cruise i left my suit bag home by accident so we didn't dress up and went to a specialty restaurant instead. ever since then we've doing that on formal nights now.. my wife wears a dress and i just wear nice slacks/button down..

[DirtyDawg]

Personally I find it ridiculous to dress up for formal nights in the MDR, which if it was a restaurant on land, would not warrant more than a nice shirt and slacks.

These days I only dress up in a dark suit and tie for client meetings, weddings and funerals. And I'm overdressed at every single one of these events. :(

But hey if people want to dress up on their cruise, go for it. It's your cruise, enjoy it however you like. :)

[sjb317]

[quote name='DirtyDawg']

These days I only dress up in a dark suit and tie for client meetings, weddings and funerals. And I'm overdressed at every single one of these events. :(
:)[/QUOTE]

That's so true! The last funeral we went to was 2 years ago for my husband's mother, he wore a dark suit and I wore a dress & heels. We were so over dressed! The only other man in a suit was the minister. :D And I think I was the only dress there!

What I find really funny is people making the same comments on an old thread!:D

Sherri:)