Is formal different on different lines?

[Gwendy914]

My last two cruises have been on Carnival and formal nights didn't seem "tux" formal for all but a few people. But in reading the threads for Royal, it feels like it might be dressier than Carnival. If you've cruised both lines, can you give me a better idea? Thanks!

[cruisinfanatic]

definitely more adults who care about the way they look. Yes more dress for formal night. Tux not necessary though

[George C]

My last two cruises have been on Carnival and formal nights didn't seem "tux" formal for all but a few people. But in reading the threads for Royal, it feels like it might be dressier than Carnival. If you've cruised both lines, can you give me a better idea? Thanks!

 

I wear a Tux but my guess in just about 15 percent of the men do and that may be a little high on RCCL, we also do Hal and Princess and they all are about the same

[m32446]

I didn't notice any particular difference between the two. A very few people in FORMAL formalwear, most everyone in some version of 'dressed up', and a handful in clearly-missed-the-memo-wear.

[bigeagle12]

If you want more formal you need to go on HAL .. Carnival, Princess, Royal, and Celebrity are all becoming less and less formal.

[George C]

Hal is just slightly more formal, still under 20 percent wearing tux's, but in general they do dress better, I think that's because its a older crowd

[bigeagle12]

Yes but on HAL if you do not have a jacket .. they give you one .. you do not get in without one

 

Unlike Royal who lets people in with shorts and t-shirts

[George C]

They do not enforce that, at least sometimes a little like RCCL which sometimes enforces things and sometimes not. Once saw shorts on formal on Hal.

[kalliekae]

It's been two years since we were on HAL, but there were definitely more people dressed up for formal night on HAL than on our RCCL Oasis cruise in the same year. I don't care if someone wears a tux or not, but it's nice to see people dress up. However, if someone doesn't want to participate, that's ok in my book, too. I think people should enjoy their vacation their way.

[OCruisers]

Formal Nights on RCCL and Carnival are basically the same. Long pants and a shirt with a collar will work. ;)

 

LuLu

[bigeagle12]

On Carnival we saw quite a few shorts and nice shirts/tops .. but not near the number of shorts and t-shirts that we have seen on Royal.

[Gwendy914]

Thanks everyone!

It sounds like it will be about the same. I appreciate your answers.

[Desert Cruizers]

We have been on 1 cruise where a family came in on formal night, in nicely attired shorts and blouses/shirts, and were stopped at the door and told this was a Formal night. After about 5 + minutes, they were allowed in. Myself personally had that been our first cruise and I saw everyone dressed up I would have said to my husband, we either change or go to the WJ. The wife of the family did appear to be uncomfortable as they came in. However if we see others arriving in shorts it doesn't upset our dining as long as they are nicely dressed.

Edited June 27, 2015 by Desert Cruizers

[bigeagle12]

We prefer to adhere to the dress code .. if we do not feel like taking clothes for formal nights .. we just eat somewhere else on those nights.

[John Reid]

Thanks everyone!

It sounds like it will be about the same. I appreciate your answers.

 

I have six RCI cruises, three Carnival, three Princess, and one HAL. I have two Carnival, two RCI, and one HAL booked for the future. I mention this to indicate a basis for a comparison. I don't prefer one approach to dining room attire over the other; I'm just saying there is a difference.

 

Dress at dinner on my Carnival cruises, formal night or not, has been far more casual than any of the other three lines. For some, it was roll-out-of-bed casual! RCI and Princess were close to each other in level. On two different RCI ships on Caribbean itineraries, I was turned away at casual night dinner for wearing what would be considered "dress" shorts and a collared golf-type shirt. On my HAL cruise, I wore dress pants, shirt, and tie on formal night and was underdressed compared to the vast majority. No shorts to dinner on anyone, though one man wore Bib denim overalls to dinner on casual nights. It was quite a fashion statement.

 

I'm not making a statement of preference or criticism; just sharing what I experienced.

[jules815]

We prefer to adhere to the dress code .. if we do not feel like taking clothes for formal nights .. we just eat somewhere else on those nights.

 

We're the same. It seems like lately we've been only doing the first formal night and going to the WJ for the second. We have no problem with dressing up, but usually by the second formal night we've had a little too much sun, we're tired, and just aren't into it. Even if they'd let us in the MDR with shorts, we wouldn't do it. Common courtesy. We were also pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed the WJ at dinner. The second week of our b2b we ate most of our dinners up there. It was just so nice to be able to go have some drinks and then wander up there when we felt like it. Made for a very relaxing week.

 

Sorry for the hijack. :)

[DebJ14]

I didn't notice any particular difference between the two. A very few people in FORMAL formalwear, most everyone in some version of 'dressed up', and a handful in clearly-missed-the-memo-wear.

 

I love the "clearly missed the memo wear" part!

 

Carnival cannot be called formal by any stretch of the imagination.

 

There were still lots of tuxes and long gowns on our Princess cruise in January (older crowd).

 

Saw a guy in shorts turned away on our last RCCL cruise in 2014.

 

Last HAL cruise they were still "lending" jackets and ties to the men without them.

 

On all lines it seems to matter who the Maitre'D is and whether or not those who missed the memo manage to get past the door to their seats.

[Stitchman]

RCI after anthem I believe is going down hill on the formal front.

P&O still have big formal night turn outs.

[ScottC4746]

Some lines are very strict about it in that after 6 PM the clothing monitor shoos you back to your state room if you are not dressed correctly, others could care less. The more you pay for a cruise, in my experience, the more it is enforced. As you see from my signature, it has been a while since I cruised, and my last cruise there was Casual (slacks and collared shirt) usually the first night and the last night, Semi-Formal (suit and tie and slacks) usually the port days, and Formal (Tux) usually the at sea days. Now on RCCL they are down to two, Formal (suits black tie optional), and Casual. The trend on RCCL I have noticed on 7 nights or less is black tie is less and less popular. Ah, the days for formal nights are gone. I live for formal nights. But this isn't the rule, one very high end line, I forget the name is resort casual throughout.

[ScottC4746]

Some lines are very strict about it in that after 6 PM the clothing monitor shoos you back to your state room if you are not dressed correctly, others could care less. The more you pay for a cruise, in my experience, the more it is enforced. As you see from my signature, it has been a while since I cruised, and my last cruise there was Casual (slacks and collared shirt) usually the first night and the last night, Semi-Formal (suit and tie and slacks) usually the port days, and Formal (Tux) usually the at sea days. Now on RCCL they are down to two, Formal (suits black tie optional), and Casual. The trend on RCCL I have noticed on 7 nights or less is black tie is less and less popular. Ah, the days for formal nights are gone. I live for formal nights. But this isn't the rule, one very high end line, I forget the name is resort casual throughout.

To correct something I said, I mentioned my last cruise had three dress categories, that was the cruise before. The last cruise was a 3 nigher to Ensendada and everything went including t-shirt and jeans int he main dinning room.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I love the "clearly missed the memo wear" part!

 

Carnival cannot be called formal by any stretch of the imagination.

 

There were still lots of tuxes and long gowns on our Princess cruise in January (older crowd).

 

Saw a guy in shorts turned away on our last RCCL cruise in 2014.

 

Last HAL cruise they were still "lending" jackets and ties to the men without them.

 

On all lines it seems to matter who the Maitre'D is and whether or not those who missed the memo manage to get past the door to their seats.

 

Carnival does not even call it formal night anymore so i don't know why you'd expect it to be.

 

for cruise elegant night the dress code is dress pants and dress shirt. Jackets and ties optional.:)

 

Bill