first time cruising, help with dress code

[ozzibean]

we are cruising on the new regal princess, sailing out of barcelona to venice. I read that there are 2 formal nights and that men have to dress in jackets, or suites for dinner. Being ozzies, we are a bit casual, and my husband does not wear ties, bows or jackets, will we have to hire something, or will nice black pants and collared dress shirt we OK?

Also my husband is worried he wont be able to get his favourite jonnie walker black label on the drinks package, does anyone know if it comes under the $10 cut off price? thanks in advance, ozziebean

[big al]

we are cruising on the new regal princess, sailing out of barcelona to venice. I read that there are 2 formal nights and that men have to dress in jackets, or suites for dinner. Being ozzies, we are a bit casual, and my husband does not wear ties, bows or jackets, will we have to hire something, or will nice black pants and collared dress shirt we OK?

Also my husband is worried he wont be able to get his favourite jonnie walker black label on the drinks package, does anyone know if it comes under the $10 cut off price? thanks in advance, ozziebean

 

Beware, you have THEE most debated, most heated question on Cruise Critic!! Some DRB's ( Dining Room Bullies) will tell you you MUST follow the cruise line rules STRICTLY..MOST cruise lines do not enforce the formal dress code, that is, although you may feel a bit out of place, Princess will not stop you at the dining room entrance, and say, "go back & dress formally"..you have a few options here..1) Just wear the nice black pants & collared shirt & go...2) Buy a cheap sports jacket , no tie, & go...3) On the formal night, dine at a specialty restaurant, like the Crown Grill, or Sabatini's..and of course 4) Buy some formal wear & have your husband uncomfortable on his cruise vacation ( BTW, if you choose that option, you can ALWAYS go back to your cabin after dinner & change to casual wear..)..we do that all the time..wearing formal attire after 29 cruises on my CRUISE VACATION is not my idea of fun...BUT, that's MY opinion, and no doubt the DRB's will flare me...I have NEVER been turned away on any formal on any ship for dressing too casual ..I too, wear nice pants & nice shirt to the dining room always ( including Tommy Bahama's Aloha shirts)...as far as the Johnnie Walker stuff, that I can't help you with...have a great cruise, and don't worry about the formal night thing too much, its waaaaayyy over debated....

 

Big Al

[KirkNC]

Welcome to Cruise Critic. I would suggest posting this on the Princess forum as well. My personnel opinion is if you don't want to put on a jacket, sail on a line that does not require one.

[JBM]

As posted, there are other options for dinner on formal nights.

 

As for the main dining room.......my husband would be uncomfortable with the slacks and shirt, but that's just him. His solution is to wear nice slacks, a golf shirt (a knit shirt with 3 buttons) and a sport jacket. You can pick up an inexpensive sports jacket and save it for cruising :)

 

As was also stated, after dinner, many, many people change into more comfortable clothing.

 

So the bottom line is ... how important is it to eat in the MDR those evenings? We have not done the Mediterranean but we have done Alaska. That cruise was so port intensive with so much activity during the day that we really had no desire whatsoever to dress in the evenings! So take that into consideration as well.

 

Whatever you decide, don't worry, you will be well fed!

 

We are sailing on the Regal in December to the Caribbean . On our last Princess cruise, the Ruby, we found the buffet in the evening to be so good and varied, with just about the same choices as the MDR that we only went to the buffet. Good choice on our part, because when we found something we really liked we could have more, without holding up the other diners at a table in the MDR. So in December we chose Anytime Dining so we would have the choice of sitting in a dining room or doing the buffet.

 

When making your decision , know my thoughts above are based on the fact that we have cruised many times. When making decisions it is always good to have lots of info!

 

As for JW Black, I'm sure someone will have the answer for you.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic and ask any questions and read, read read! Have fun!

[trish1c]

Princess is a formal cruise line. My father wore a nice suit on formal night & felt under-dressed. My husband was in a tuxedo. You can probably get a nice suit for a cheap price on a site like e-bay or in a consignment shop.

 

I doubt Johnny Walker Black is included in the drinks package. That's one of the problems with those packages; they rarely include the good stuff. Because of that you may want to consider ala carte.

[Treven]

I'm one of those underdressed you will see in the MDR on formal nights. I'll be dressed In a pair of slacks and a long sleeved dress shirt. My job didn't require a suit so I didn't have one, so I'm not going to buy one to wear on formal nights a couple nights out of the year. I don't even have a suit to be buried in! :D

 

There's nothing that says you HAVE to dine in the MDR on formal nights. Go to the buffet, that's what I often do.

[iancal]

We have cruised numerous times. We no longer enjoy formal nights as we did in the past. Perhaps because on many cruise lines formal nights is about dressing up....the meal is a little dressed up but is still nothing but banquet food.

 

Now that we are retired we combine land trips with cruises. We have also joined the more is less crowd when it comes to luggage. We are doing carry on-for a week or for several months.

 

So we do not really bother with formal nights in the MDR any more. We will either go to the buffet or attend an alternate pay dining venue. Celebrity and Princess are great for this. HAL not so much...you need to go the the buffet AND it starts shutting down at 7 for an 8PM close (their alternative dining venues request formal attire on formal nights). We have found no issue on Celebrity, Princess, Carnival, NCL or RCI in not attending MDR on formal evenings. We cannot be bothered with what seems so artificial nor do we want to carry along clothing that we will only use for several hours, two or three days, out of a longer trip. No percentage for us.

 

Others enjoy this immensely so it depends on your outlook. I had years of wearing suits, ties, etc. so dressing up on vacation is the farthest thing from my mind. The really good cruise lines provide viable and enjoyable alternatives for both.

Edited July 31, 2014 by iancal

[Life is Good Cruising]

This is your vacation, you paid for it with your money, wear what you feel comfortable in and enjoy.

[Husky61]

Welcome to Cruise Critic. I would suggest posting this on the Princess forum as well. My personnel opinion is if you don't want to put on a jacket, sail on a line that does not require one.

 

Princess doesn't "require" a jacket. I have been in the MDR during formal night with a shirt and slacks and didn't have a problem nor did I feel uncomfortable. I guess I don't allow other passengers to dictate how I dress.;)

[schlot]

On our Princess cruise a few years ago we simply didn't eat in the dining room on the formal night, BUT we still dressed nicely even when eating at the buffet for dinner. I think it's generally encouraged to do so.

 

Khakis and a dress shirt doesn't hurt anyone in my opinion.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Beware, you have THEE most debated, most heated question on Cruise Critic!! Some DRB's ( Dining Room Bullies) will tell you you MUST follow the cruise line rules STRICTLY..MOST cruise lines do not enforce the formal dress code, that is, although you may feel a bit out of place, Princess will not stop you at the dining room entrance, and say, "go back & dress formally"..you have a few options here..1) Just wear the nice black pants & collared shirt & go...2) Buy a cheap sports jacket , no tie, & go...3) On the formal night, dine at a specialty restaurant, like the Crown Grill, or Sabatini's..and of course 4) Buy some formal wear & have your husband uncomfortable on his cruise vacation ( BTW, if you choose that option, you can ALWAYS go back to your cabin after dinner & change to casual wear..)..we do that all the time..wearing formal attire after 29 cruises on my CRUISE VACATION is not my idea of fun...BUT, that's MY opinion, and no doubt the DRB's will flare me...I have NEVER been turned away on any formal on any ship for dressing too casual ..I too, wear nice pants & nice shirt to the dining room always ( including Tommy Bahama's Aloha shirts)...as far as the Johnnie Walker stuff, that I can't help you with...have a great cruise, and don't worry about the formal night thing too much, its waaaaayyy over debated....

 

Big Al

 

Actually there are other options on Princess ships. The only dress requirement for eating in the Horizon Court would be shoes plus whatever outfit you want to wear (any bathing attire would have to be dried and under a cover up if coming in from the pool area). The buffet will have some of the same food items as the MDRs. You can also go to the pool area and get your dinner from the poolside grill or pizzeria. You won't have to cover up your bathing suit.

 

You can also get a light meal from the International Cafe, which is on many ships in the Piazza (the Plaza deck in the grand atrium, midships).

 

As posted, there are other options for dinner on formal nights.

 

As for the main dining room.......my husband would be uncomfortable with the slacks and shirt, but that's just him. His solution is to wear nice slacks, a golf shirt (a knit shirt with 3 buttons) and a sport jacket. You can pick up an inexpensive sports jacket and save it for cruising :)

 

As was also stated, after dinner, many, many people change into more comfortable clothing.

 

So the bottom line is ... how important is it to eat in the MDR those evenings? We have not done the Mediterranean but we have done Alaska. That cruise was so port intensive with so much activity during the day that we really had no desire whatsoever to dress in the evenings! So take that into consideration as well.

 

Whatever you decide, don't worry, you will be well fed!

 

We are sailing on the Regal in December to the Caribbean . On our last Princess cruise, the Ruby, we found the buffet in the evening to be so good and varied, with just about the same choices as the MDR that we only went to the buffet. Good choice on our part, because when we found something we really liked we could have more, without holding up the other diners at a table in the MDR. So in December we chose Anytime Dining so we would have the choice of sitting in a dining room or doing the buffet.

 

When making your decision , know my thoughts above are based on the fact that we have cruised many times. When making decisions it is always good to have lots of info!

 

As for JW Black, I'm sure someone will have the answer for you.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic and ask any questions and read, read read! Have fun!

 

Just to clarify this post, even if you have traditional (assigned) seating, you can still choose to sometimes eat in the buffet or specialty restaurant. Just let your tablemates and waitstaff know if you plan to eat elsewhere the next night so they won't be waiting for you. The one thing you shouldn't do is to go crash the anytime dining room as it's not fair to those with a.d.

 

The dress code and menu are the same for both traditional and anytime dining.

 

And even though many people will report that they have seen this or that in the MDRs, it doesn't mean that you won't encounter a maitre'd who sticks with the Princess guidelines.

[Winnigirl]

Don't even consider buying a tuxedo and renting one is a pain - especially if it doesn't fit right. Besides tuxedos are going the way of the dodo bird. I'd say go with the nice black pants and dress shirt. Buy or borrow a tie - that will be totally fine. Or as others have said - buy a "cruising" sports coat - if you plan on more cruises it's a good investment. Princess is certainly a nice cruise line, but it isn't formal like Cunard. If you don't want to do that, then try one of the specialty restaurants where the black pants and a golf shirt will be just fine. Then, like the majority of the rest of us, head back to your cabin after dinner and change into something comfortable! Relax and enjoy!:D

[schlot]

I had the opposite experience with a tuxedo. On the Holland cruise I forwarded my measurements and the tux fit fine, and I'm 6'4" with an athletic cut so finding clothes isn't always that easy.

 

Since the last time I wore a tuxedo was in High School it was kind of fun.

[Koshlong]

We cruised with a very traveled Aussie couple on a 35 night cruise. They didn't want the weight of a jacket etc. on their flights so they headed for a thrift shop when they landed, bought a very suitable jacket for peanuts, and left it behind when they departed.

 

I thought that it was a very creative way to deal with the problem!

[Husky61]

Beware, you have THEE most debated, most heated question on Cruise Critic!! Some DRB's ( Dining Room Bullies) will tell you you MUST follow the cruise line rules STRICTLY..MOST cruise lines do not enforce the formal dress code, that is, although you may feel a bit out of place, Princess will not stop you at the dining room entrance, and say, "go back & dress formally"..you have a few options here..1) Just wear the nice black pants & collared shirt & go...2) Buy a cheap sports jacket , no tie, & go...3) On the formal night, dine at a specialty restaurant, like the Crown Grill, or Sabatini's..and of course 4) Buy some formal wear & have your husband uncomfortable on his cruise vacation ( BTW, if you choose that option, you can ALWAYS go back to your cabin after dinner & change to casual wear..)..we do that all the time..wearing formal attire after 29 cruises on my CRUISE VACATION is not my idea of fun...BUT, that's MY opinion, and no doubt the DRB's will flare me...I have NEVER been turned away on any formal on any ship for dressing too casual ..I too, wear nice pants & nice shirt to the dining room always ( including Tommy Bahama's Aloha shirts)...as far as the Johnnie Walker stuff, that I can't help you with...have a great cruise, and don't worry about the formal night thing too much, its waaaaayyy over debated....

 

Big Al

 

Well said, especially the part about the DRB's.:)

[big al]

Well said, especially the part about the DRB's.:)

 

Thanks, LOL..quick story: when my wife & I cruised on HAL in 2006, we had early dining ( before MTD or anytime,etc..) on a formal night..I wore a jacket & tie ( one of the last times I did) to dinner..after dinner, we went back to change into casual wear. We needed to connect with a Scottish couple we had met on the cruise who had late seating, to set up a cabin tour I had arranged..they told us what table they were sitting at, so we went to find them...OMG, you SHOULD'VE seen the looks we got from the HAL passengers!! I thought perhaps Charles Manson or Jeffrey Dahmer was standing behind me,LOL...another time I read about a guy who wrote that "my cruise was RUINED as soon as I saw that teenage boy wear a baseball cap & jeans to dinner, OMG!!" he said..seriously?? Your cruise was "ruined"??....after 29 cruises and 14 TA's as a child, I'm still amazed at what some people find important...

 

Big Al

[CPT Trips]

We cruised with a very traveled Aussie couple on a 35 night cruise. They didn't want the weight of a jacket etc. on their flights so they headed for a thrift shop when they landed, bought a very suitable jacket for peanuts, and left it behind when they departed.

 

I thought that it was a very creative way to deal with the problem!

 

Couple that with the A tie purchased at the Oz equivalent of the Dollar Store, Euro Store or Loonie Toonie and you'll be set. ;)

[jan can]

We cruised with a very traveled Aussie couple on a 35 night cruise. They didn't want the weight of a jacket etc. on their flights so they headed for a thrift shop when they landed, bought a very suitable jacket for peanuts, and left it behind when they departed.

 

I thought that it was a very creative way to deal with the problem!

 

 

I wish I could convince my husband to think like this. I'd be willing to do it too. He would likely have a fit.

 

How is the consignment shopping in Australia? :)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[chris_j_doherty]

We have cruised a few times now, mostly on RCL and Celebrity out of the UK. Many people like to dress up, some like to dress up and do it very badly, but it's their holiday so good luck to them. I'll wear a suit which my wife quite likes as she doesn't see me 'dress up'. My wife on the other hand does not do gowns. She will wear trousers, blouse and a jacket. No one bats a eye. If anything Celebrity, marketed as the more upmarket of the two, is the more relaxed.

 

I suspect that some of the upset about everyone else's strict adherence to dress code is just insecurity anyway.

 

As cruisers get younger then I suspect the dinner jacket and posh frock will go the way of the black forest gateaux and prawn cocktail. Relics of a bygone era.

[ozzibean]

G'day and thank you all for your good advice. I now feel confident about doing our own thing. Don't laugh "jan can" but what does consignment shopping mean? regards ozzibean :confused:

[Co_Cruisers]

I am an American who was lucky enough to spend some months in Oz and had to ask this question in reverse! In Melbourne they called them "op shoppes" - gently used merchandise.