Are jackets really required for men?

[floridalover5623]

2 hours ago, abqmommyof4 said:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=636153

 

 

4 hours ago, abqmommyof4 said:

According  to a  recent review of the ISLAND,  the  dress code was being enforced.  No jacket on formal night  no service,,  just as  an FYI

 

2 hours ago, abqmommyof4 said:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=636153

 

You had better reread the review again. It was the shorts that were in question, not the lack of a jacket.

[abqmommyof4]

I read more into the review. I made a mistake.

[floridalover5623]

44 minutes ago, abqmommyof4 said:

I read more into the review. I made a mistake.

I do the same thing about a dozen times a week. 😄 

Guess it comes with old age. 😉

[pthjudy]

I’m going to put in my 2 cents worth and then promise to never comment again because unlike most other queries, there is no correct answer. Just as cruises have changed, so has how people dress. I stopped packing jackets for DH when luggage numbers and weight became a problem when flying. Others feel they vacation to get away from dressing up. Even fine restaurants have relaxed their dress codes, and when have you ever looked around in a restaurant and commented how others are dressed?  My husband wears dress shirt and tie for formal nights. Yes, more have jackets on than not, but since after 40 something cruises we don’t do formal photos, it makes no difference. Why what a stranger is wearing would impact the enjoyment of a stranger, is beyond me. And some of the dresses worn by the younger (and maybe not so young) cruisers are so short and so low cut, that makes my husband’s lack of jacket pale in comparison. (I would love to see one of those teeny boppers turned away for inappropriate dress!) Thanks for bearing with my post and wear what you want. I for one won’t even notice. 

[nukesubsailor]

Excuse me if I am misunderstanding something but I had the impression that the real purpose of a dining room was to feed people.  I know that I would never go there if there was no food.  Since it sometimes happens that food or drink gets spilled at a meal, meal time is not the optimum time to wear your best clothing.  If the purpose of a formal evening is dress in your fanciest clothing, why not have a fashion show in the atrium or theater or some other large venue where more people can see your finery and not have it half hidden by a table and table cloth.

Problem solved-----those who want to show off their formal wear can do so at the fashion show and those who want to be more casual can dine without having to worry about soiling their best clothing, or paying airline luggage fees to haul formal wear to and from the cruise.

[john watson]

The primary purpose of the Main Dining Rooms is to provide a place where people may dine with a waiter service typically as one would find in a good restaurant. It is not its exclusive purpose and canteens, cafes and buffets are examples of alternative arrangements of ways people might eat en masse.  These places also have the same primary purpose but have different secondary purposes from main dining room as part of their set up and that is why they exist.

 

The purpose of a Formal Night on a cruise, in my opinion is to create a different atmosphere some nights with a special ambience.  Some people do not understand the subtlety of this or actually get it and not everybody will.  Participation levels will vary enormously and not everybody will want to but it is not compulsory.  The cruise lines publish information on their website and distribute details of all on board events.

 

Regards John

Edited October 21, 2018 by john watson

[voljeep]

I think formal night attire should NOT be enforced for anytime dining, but STRICTLY enforced for traditional dining, as formal nights and traditional are old school cruising...

 

we do anytime dining...

[greykitty]

Are dress codes strictly enforced for the ladies?  I bet I could walk in a pair of black Chico's travelers pants, a shell top, 'dress' sandals (LOL) and a cheap necklace and pass 'code'.  Sauce for the goose and all that.....

[riffatsea]

Now that I hear that DHs guyabera may be just fine we have found a lovely jacket in his closet that we were considering bringing. Imagine my surprise to read that it has to be "dark" to qualify for being appropriate for formal night according to the Princess official info.

I am laughing because here in San Diego the idea of wearing ANY jacket to dinner makes it formal!

I think this particular pin striped blazer/sports coat has been hanging for about 30 years without any use and just as I think we may bring it out of retirement I read it still may not be right.

Funny to think of all these restrictions! We will have fun and dress nicely and still enjoy our cruise without worrying much about rules for dining!

Thank y'all for this fun,much discussed to death thread!

[floridalover5623]

1 hour ago, riffatsea said:

Now that I hear that DHs guyabera may be just fine we have found a lovely jacket in his closet that we were considering bringing. Imagine my surprise to read that it has to be "dark" to qualify for being appropriate for formal night according to the Princess official info.

I am laughing because here in San Diego the idea of wearing ANY jacket to dinner makes it formal!

I think this particular pin striped blazer/sports coat has been hanging for about 30 years without any use and just as I think we may bring it out of retirement I read it still may not be right.

Funny to think of all these restrictions! We will have fun and dress nicely and still enjoy our cruise without worrying much about rules for dining!

Thank y'all for this fun,much discussed to death thread!

Don't let the color dissuade him from wearing it. I've seen all colors on Princess. 

[floridalover5623]

6 hours ago, john watson said:

The primary purpose of the Main Dining Rooms is to provide a place where people may dine with a waiter service typically as one would find in a good restaurant. It is not its exclusive purpose and canteens, cafes and buffets are examples of alternative arrangements of ways people might eat en masse.  These places also have the same primary purpose but have different secondary purposes from main dining room as part of their set up and that is why they exist.

 

The purpose of a Formal Night on a cruise, in my opinion is to create a different atmosphere some nights with a special ambience.  Some people do not understand the subtlety of this or actually get it and not everybody will.  Participation levels will vary enormously and not everybody will want to but it is not compulsory.  The cruise lines publish information on their website and distribute details of all on board events.

 

Regards John

From your response I guess Princess might be your first choice after all. 

[CarolandNate]

When we went to Alaska a couple of years ago, we were not sure exactly what formal night would mean or if certain dress would be frowned upon in the main dining rooms.  Because we were also visiting family in the LA area, we were prepared either way.  I did notice that people were wearing jeans, shorts and t shirts in the main dining rooms and that's fine.  I am one who dresses that way all the time, even wearing shorts outside in the middle of February in New England.  Sometimes, though we just like to play a little dress up, even when we don't have to.

 

When we did the Alaska trip, we had been hoping to get picked for the Chef's Table on Princess.  Since you can't sign up until you are on board, you don't know.  We did get picked and were two of just 12 people to do so.  We did get dressed up to a certain extent, but it was because we felt like it, not because we had to. 

 

My advice is if you are not sure, keep it simple.  Business casual always works.  Don't feel like to you have to go out and spend a fortune on clothes.  You want to be comfortable.

 

[c-boy]

2 hours ago, CarolandNate said:

When we went to Alaska a couple of years ago, we were not sure exactly what formal night would mean or if certain dress would be frowned upon in the main dining rooms.  Because we were also visiting family in the LA area, we were prepared either way.  I did notice that people were wearing jeans, shorts and t shirts in the main dining rooms and that's fine.  I am one who dresses that way all the time, even wearing shorts outside in the middle of February in New England.  Sometimes, though we just like to play a little dress up, even when we don't have to.

 

When we did the Alaska trip, we had been hoping to get picked for the Chef's Table on Princess.  Since you can't sign up until you are on board, you don't know.  We did get picked and were two of just 12 people to do so.  We did get dressed up to a certain extent, but it was because we felt like it, not because we had to. 

 

My advice is if you are not sure, keep it simple.  Business casual always works.  Don't feel like to you have to go out and spend a fortune on clothes.  You want to be comfortable.

 

this reminds me of a time when a fellow cc'er signed up for the Captains table as he had done numerous times before, thinking he wouldn't get an invite. WHAM ! the invite showed, and him without a jacket and slacks. Tom (aka; c-boy) to the rescue. 

[ladocevita]

Princess has become more lax in enforcing guidelines. A shirt and dress pant will do. My husband has not brought a jacket onboard for years. We have never been turned away. 

[CarolandNate]

Didn't have a jacket, but I brought a tie or two, just in case.  Our problem in terms of clothes were that we were going to be gone for three weeks.  We had to plan for potential chilliness on the ship.  Then we did our own thing on land in Alaska up to Denali and it was in between.  We finished off with a several days in LA, where it was warm.  Rather than carry everything for three weeks all over the place, we shipped things home after Alaska.  It worked out fine and we did not feel overdressed or underdressed.

 

 

 

[CarolandNate]

That's what we found.  I liken it to a restaurant that we frequent on special occasions.  It isn't necessarily fancy and some people wear T shirts.  I look at it as special so while I don't want to be overdressed, I feel that it's a chance to look nice for a change.  The Chef's table was one of those times.  As far as regular dinners, I could have worn shorts in the dining room, I just figured, let's have a little class.

[PrincessLuver]

On 10/20/2018 at 7:47 PM, Potstech said:

Shorts are not allowed in the MDR in the evening. That most likely was why they were denied admittance.

Just off the Caribbean Princess and there plenty of cruisers who wore shorts every night.  My brother-in-law was with us and I told him they were not allowed.  He had no problem coming to dinner most nights in shorts...made me look like a Princess fool!

[satxdiver]

On 10/21/2018 at 8:51 AM, greykitty said:

Are dress codes strictly enforced for the ladies?  I bet I could walk in a pair of black Chico's travelers pants, a shell top, 'dress' sandals (LOL) and a cheap necklace and pass 'code'.  Sauce for the goose and all that.....

 

I complained once about what the females wore that they called "formal" and were admitted but more strict rules for men.  This was several years ago.  What I was told that women can wear about anything and declare it formal including flip flops but men have to dress better.  

[satxdiver]

What fellow pax wear to formal night does not impact my dinner or the enjoyment of it.  However I do like to people watch most of the time on the ship.  It can be entertaining at times.  We have been on several Princess cruises for over 200 days and I have never seen a male pax turned down at the door but don't spend my time watching.  All these posters who claim to have seen someone turned away I find interesting.  Maybe one of these days I will actually see someone turned away but in the meantime I will continue wearing my guayabera shirt and dockers on formal night.  

[sprint180]

29 minutes ago, satxdiver said:

What fellow pax wear to formal night does not impact my dinner or the enjoyment of it.  However I do like to people watch most of the time on the ship.  It can be entertaining at times.  We have been on several Princess cruises for over 200 days and I have never seen a male pax turned down at the door but don't spend my time watching.  All these posters who claim to have seen someone turned away I find interesting.  Maybe one of these days I will actually see someone turned away but in the meantime I will continue wearing my guayabera shirt and dockers on formal night.  

My husband was turned away.  He was not dressed up, just jeans and a polo.  We didn't know it was formal night,  our first cruise, we didn't realize there was such a thing.  Now we just go to the buffet.

[satxdiver]

On 10/28/2018 at 2:52 PM, PrincessLuver said:

Just off the Caribbean Princess and there plenty of cruisers who wore shorts every night.  My brother-in-law was with us and I told him they were not allowed.  He had no problem coming to dinner most nights in shorts...made me look like a Princess fool!

 

We will be boarding the CB in less than two weeks so we can see what is being admitted to the MDR while we are waiting in line to enter.  This could be a real eye opener.  I will continue to wear my usual however.  Time will tell.

[satxdiver]

1 hour ago, sprint180 said:

My husband was turned away.  He was not dressed up, just jeans and a polo.  We didn't know it was formal night,  our first cruise, we didn't realize there was such a thing.  Now we just go to the buffet.

 

If the jeans were blue jeans I imagine that will set them off however I have seen young women on formal night in blue jeans (skin tight no less).  The polo shirt might have been acceptable with docker pants.  You could have gone to one of the specialty offerings but then there is the issue of added $$$. 

[Times Prince]

satxdiver, it would be really interesting to see if your informal look at "compliance" covered both Traditional dining and Anytime dining (e.g. after 7:30) to see if there are differences.

 

I look forward to your post.

 

[satxdiver]

12 hours ago, Times Prince said:

satxdiver, it would be really interesting to see if your informal look at "compliance" covered both Traditional dining and Anytime dining (e.g. after 7:30) to see if there are differences.

 

I look forward to your post.

 

 

I have dined in both but in 2016 switched back to TD and been assigned to the aft MDR on deck 6 every time.   I started wearing my guayabera back in 2015.  Before that I wore dockers and a long sleeved dress shirt sans tie or coat.  I have never worn a tie on any cruise and stopped taking the blue blazer in the last decade.