what bothers me is .....

[DirtyDawg]

i fully respect those that like to dress up for the main dining room and they all do look fantastic. we do not like to dress up while on the cruise but would still like to enjoy a steak or lobster etc just as much as anyone else and i feel like that should not be an issue. we work as hard as anyone else and paid our cruise fare and paid for our way to the port and all other expenses just like everyone else..... not one person on those ships is better than anyone else. i can get a steak or lobster at a land based restaraunt without getting dressed up so why not on a ship? we like to dine on the lido deck as well and we do quite often but sometimes we would like something different without having to dress up.

 

CC members are better than everyone else on those ships!:D

 

Hey if this in really important to you organize a letter writing campaign to your favorite cruise line and see if they will change their policy for you. Action speaks louder than yapping back and forth on CC.:)

[calliopecruiser]

i can get a steak or lobster at a land based restaraunt without getting dressed up so why not on a ship? we like to dine on the lido deck as well and we do quite often but sometimes we would like something different without having to dress up.

 

You CAN get it on A ship......but not on EVERY ship. There are ships where you never have to dress up, and ships where you are required to adhere to a certain dress code every evening (though not a formal dress code). You can get what you want, just not wherever you want.

[paul929207]

i fully respect those that like to dress up for the main dining room and they all do look fantastic. we do not like to dress up while on the cruise but would still like to enjoy a steak or lobster etc just as much as anyone else and i feel like that should not be an issue. we work as hard as anyone else and paid our cruise fare and paid for our way to the port and all other expenses just like everyone else..... not one person on those ships is better than anyone else. i can get a steak or lobster at a land based restaraunt without getting dressed up so why not on a ship? we like to dine on the lido deck as well and we do quite often but sometimes we would like something different without having to dress up.

Just curious, how do you think the logistics would work for serving lobster & steak somewhere else on the ship?

 

The buffet would seem to be the place where they are not served now. But I get the impression the buffet is pretty busy on formal nights. Would it hold the additional diners?

[Nic6318]

i can get a steak or lobster at a land based restaraunt without getting dressed up so why not on a ship? we like to dine on the lido deck as well and we do quite often but sometimes we would like something different without having to dress up.

 

 

 

Hi Chris

 

As you said you can get anything you want at a land based restaurant without getting dressed up, just as some have pointed out that you have many choices in cruise lines that would serve you the steak or lobster without you having to dress up.

 

The problem with your comment is that if a land based restaurant had a dress code and you showed up in shorts and t-shirt, you can imagine that they may not allow you into their establishment no matter how good your money is.

 

That is why there are a variety of cruise lines that offer different services and you need to find the one that fits your tastes. They aren't all the same.

 

hope this helps

[moniquet]

Perhaps we are different in UK but you would not see people dressed in shorts etc in decent restaurants even though no official dress code. Pubs and McDonald type but not a proper restaurant. That goes for young people too.:D

[dickinson]

I agree with this as well. I know most of the older crowd enjoys dressing up as that's what they did "back then" and I am sure they still dress up every Sunday and go out somewhere as well. That's fine, to each their own. Personally, I am in my mid 30s and dressing up to me is torture. In fact, I don't own a suit and tie as I have no need for it. Dressing up for me for work is khaki pants and a polo. That's it. I wear jeans to work with a polo on a typical day (I am in the IT field, a software developer). I don't feel as though I should have to go out and buy a suit and tie for 2 formal nights on a boat. That is a waste of money in my book. Again though, everyone is different and to each their own. It would be nice to have the same meals available everywhere.

 

There are many people on this board who do not like to dress up. That is ok. However, I'm curious… you are in your mid 30's. Haven't you ever had to attend a wedding or Bar Mitzvah reception? Most require at least a sport coat. If you have not been invited to these types of events then you probably will be at some point in your life which means going out and buying a sport coat so you can dress appropriately for the occasion. Same thing holds true for the dining room on Princess for formal night. If you don't want to dress up then ok . No problem. You have other choices.

[KirkNC]

A few thoughts, first if you do some research you can find lines that have a dress code that suits your taste. Choose one of those lines and you are happy. Second, some lines offer most of the same entrees in the buffet as the MDR, I know HAL does, again align your selection of cruise line with these factors in mind and you are all set. Others who want different dress can align theirs as well.

[teknoge3k]

When I go to weddings, I wear khakis and a polo. That's one of the few times I "dress up".

[threetowner16]

When I go to weddings, I wear khakis and a polo. That's one of the few times I "dress up".

 

Are khakis long trousers or shorts, as to many in the UK this reminds them of when they were children ,wearing their baggy khaki shorts and clarks sandels.

[Cruise Junky]

Also agree with the OP which is why Celebrity and Oceania are getting our vacation dollars.

[teknoge3k]

Are khakis long trousers or shorts, as to many in the UK this reminds them of when they were children ,wearing their baggy khaki shorts and clarks sandels.

 

Edited April 10, 2016 by teknoge3k

[Cruise Junky]

Just curious, how do you think the logistics would work for serving lobster & steak somewhere else on the ship?

 

The buffet would seem to be the place where they are not served now. But I get the impression the buffet is pretty busy on formal nights. Would it hold the additional diners?

 

Oceania does it. Granted it's only 1,200 people vs 3,000 but they have a grill to order section of the buffet.

[sfaaa]

No, you need to put in an effort and follow the rules to get the nice treat. That's how things work in life.

[dsrdsrdsr]

When I go to weddings, I wear khakis and a polo. That's one of the few times I "dress up".

 

Funerals too?

 

Avoid the ships that chain you to an oar and make you row, avoid the ships that keelhaul you for using too many towels, and avoid the ships that make you wear a polo shirt if you want a lobster. Oh, and avoid the ships that visit Gauntanemo Bay. That way you might avoid being tortured. :rolleyes:

[Ex techie]

i know the whole dress code in the MDR has been beaten to death so i wont go there. what should happen though in my opinion is that they should offer the EXACT same food elsewhere on the ship as they do in the MDR . lobster, steak and warm melting cake should NOT only be served to those that dress up.

 

Disney have done this with turning their buffet into an extension of the MDR's of an evening for many years with table service and food cooked to order and no set dining timing.

 

But because of the rotational dining and each of the three MDR's serving different meals (apart from Formal night or Signature menu night) they offer a selection of the food served from the MDR's.

 

That in itself causes problems for those that want a buffet option (they only use half of the buffet, so "could" open the other side if staffing permitted), but also because of the theming of the MDR's, many do not want to miss out on visiting that restaurant, and that has lead to basically no dress code, eat at set times in the MDR's or anytime at the buffet now evening restaurant.

 

Maybe other lines could have a buffet with a table service option?

 

ex techie

[Ex techie]

So, you pay the same.....so what? Does that mean you get to have whatever you want when you want it, regardless of whether or not the ship wants to offer it? "I paid the same" should mean no more than that you are offered the same opportunities as everyone else -- whether or not you choose to take advantage of those opportunities is up to you. If you choose not to go to the MDR that night, that's up to you.

 

What if you wanted to have your dinner served to you pool-side? Why can't you get that....after all, you paid the same as everyone else, right?

One of the best responses ever.

 

OP, you really don't pay the same as everyone else, as cruise ship cabins are priced differently. If we follow your logic then cruise lines should have menus that reflect what you paid for your cabin. I mean really, why should someone who paid $400 for an inside cabin be allowed to eat prime rib or filet just the same as the person who paid $10,000 for a suite? If you don't want to dress up, find a cruise line where you don't have to dress up for the MDR. But don't expect cruise lines to build dining rooms for every mode of dress.

 

calliopecruiser +1

 

kitty9,

I agree! One of the best responses to this contentious topic ever.

 

ex techie