Touchy subject.... appropriate dress?

[clo]

2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

I agree that wearing hats is not generally acceptable in “a fine dining establishment”,  but do cruise lines’ MDRs qualify any more?    The cost cutting, which has attracted many who have brought the “more modern relaxed approach” to cruising, has pretty well erased that “fine” bit of the dining experience.

Would this room qualify for taking off of hats?   🙂

[GUT2407]

On 8/2/2019 at 12:05 PM, MrsRoper said:

I tried to search this topic as I am sure it has been beaten to death but couldn’t find specific answers.  Hoping some veteran cruisers can help...

 

Sailing on Princess .... my husband and kids have never cruised.... 

 

Two teen boys - do they have to have a jacket for formal nights?  I am hoping for just dress pants and shirt and tie?

 

Also - my husband does not wear pants from May 2-4 to December so getting him out of shorts for the formal nights will be difficult - can he wear dress shorts and button up, collared shirt in the MDR or specialty restaurants on non-formal nights?  

 

And last - but most important - my husband never goes anywhere without a hat on his head.  He has high anxiety about it.  I know most formal places don’t want hats but if he wears a nice fedora or a Panama hat (on our Panama Cruise!) Would that be offensive or allowed?  I fear that I will not be eating anywhere but the buffet if the answer is no..... lol!

 

thanks for your help ... and please don’t argue 😊

The boys will be fine, hubby may have problems, but enforcement is consistent in only one regard, its inconsistency, sound like the buffet for you.

 

[GUT2407]

2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

I agree that wearing hats is not generally acceptable in “a fine dining establishment”,  but do cruise lines’ MDRs qualify any more?    The cost cutting, which has attracted many who have brought the “more modern relaxed approach” to cruising, has pretty well erased that “fine” bit of the dining experience.

I was bought up that the hat came off indoors. And my dad put his hat on just wo walk to the letter box, or when we had an outside toilet, for that short trip.

[GUT2407]

Oh and forgot to add your boys outfit sounds fine.

[donaldsc]

48 minutes ago, clo said:

Would this room qualify for taking off of hats?   🙂

 

Why do you think that it might be an exception to the "no hat" rule?

 

DON

[clo]

1 minute ago, donaldsc said:

Why do you think that it might be an exception to the "no hat" rule?

 

Not what I said.  Bless your heart.

[QueSeraSera]

17 minutes ago, clo said:

Bless your heart.

 

Love that expression and the compassion it carries (thought we only said that in the South)

 

22 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

Why do you think that it might be an exception to the "no hat" rule?

Hey Don, looking at clo's picture, I'm thinking maybe I need to bring a sport coat after all...

[clo]

3 minutes ago, QueSeraSera said:

Love that expression and the compassion it carries (thought we only said that in the South)

 

I grew up in Atlanta 🙂

[clo]

3 minutes ago, QueSeraSera said:

Hey Don, looking at clo's picture, I'm thinking maybe I need to bring a sport coat after all...

His name is "Hairy (note the spelling) Red Dog."

[navybankerteacher]

4 hours ago, clo said:

Would this room qualify for taking off of hats?   🙂

If it were on a ship (or other facility) with a dress code and sufficient respect for diners to enforce it by, at the least, telling the oafs who came in wearing hats to take them off.

 

We have heard from some posters  that if someone isn’t stopped at the door, it is clear that whatever he is wearing is acceptable.

 

It isn’t the room, or the decor, it is the attitude of the people who manage it and fill it.

[navybankerteacher]

4 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

I was bought up that the hat came off indoors. And my dad put his hat on just wo walk to the letter box, or when we had an outside toilet, for that short trip.

Of course, being “brought up” used to mean being effectively instructed in living among people - and not always doing whatever the hell you felt like doing.  I am not sure what being “brought up” means now, but something sure is different.

[clo]

2 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

It isn’t the room, or the decor, it is the attitude of the people who manage it and fill it.

Here, here!  

 

And as I'm sure you know, that's the GRAND Dining Room on Oceania's Marina.

 

It still amazes me that people and the cruise line (mostly) refuse to show the correct "attitude."

[clo]

4 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

but something sure is different.

But I don't believe that this is AT ALL generational.  There seem to be plenty of old farts who are strident against wearing what is "suggested."  

[navybankerteacher]

3 minutes ago, clo said:

But I don't believe that this is AT ALL generational.  There seem to be plenty of old farts who are strident against wearing what is "suggested."  

Quite true - vulgarity is not a recent development.

[clo]

8 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

vulgarity

Perfect word.

[QueSeraSera]

As someone who is going on my first cruise this September, I'm no expert.  But it seemed to me one thing that differentiated the cruise lines was dress codes, both explicitly and sort of reading between the lines.  Is this true in practice - I mean, on board?   For example, if the OP (original poster, I just figured this out, I hope) had not purchased tickets already, would it be on target to recommend Norwegian CL and to avoid, say, Holland America?  And, if so, where does Princess fall along these lines?

[donaldsc]

15 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

If it were on a ship (or other facility) with a dress code and sufficient respect for diners to enforce it by, at the least, telling the oafs who came in wearing hats to take them off.

 

We have heard from some posters  that if someone isn’t stopped at the door, it is clear that whatever he is wearing is acceptable.

 

It isn’t the room, or the decor, it is the attitude of the people who manage it and fill it.

 

Wrong.  It means that either the maitre d doesn't give a damn or that they have just gotten away with it.

 

DON

[Toofarfromthesea]

15 hours ago, clo said:

Perfect word.

 

Some of us remember when using 'old farts' was considered vulgar.

[navybankerteacher]

52 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

Wrong.  It means that either the maitre d doesn't give a damn or that they have just gotten away with it.

 

DON

Why  do you say:  “Wrong” ?

 

Isn’t the maitre d’ not giving a damn a problem with the attitude of the people who manage the dining room as I stated?

 

There are  posters who claim that if the maitre d’ does not stop them, it means that the management is giving the OK.

Edited August 6, 2019 by navybankerteacher

[navybankerteacher]

33 minutes ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Some of us remember when using 'old farts' was considered vulgar.

Wouldn’t that depend upon what you were using them for?

[ldubs]

2 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Some of us remember when using 'old farts' was considered vulgar.

 

Yes, the polite term would be 'geezer'.  😀

[davekathy]

2 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Some of us remember when using 'old farts' was considered vulgar.

Some of old farts can be vulgar at times. 😜

[brillohead]

On 8/5/2019 at 3:14 PM, navybankerteacher said:

I agree that wearing hats is not generally acceptable in “a fine dining establishment”,  but do cruise lines’ MDRs qualify any more?    The cost cutting, which has attracted many who have brought the “more modern relaxed approach” to cruising, has pretty well erased that “fine” bit of the dining experience.

While it is more relaxed than it used to be, the cloth tablecloths, cloth napkins, separate cutlery for various courses, etc., still set MDR cruise dining apart from your local Applebee's, Chili's, or Big Boy chain restaurant, IMO.

[Icon901]

The trend toward a more casual lifestyle is one that extends FAR beyond the cruise lines. 

Offices are moving toward more casual attire, with much ado being made about the trend of Patagonia vests being de regeur in C-Suite corporate world, vs the suits and sportcoats of yesteryear. 

 

Dining ashore is moving that way as well, with the number of "Jacket Required" restaurants dwindling rapidly. 

 

Like all things, I think it's a matter of maturity/responsibility. There will always be those who will attempt to get by with as little effort or decorum as possible. They are the people wearing sandals to the office, or sportcoats to black tie affairs. 

When the cruises had formal nights, I'm sure there were people trying to get by with khakis and a polo shirt. Now that the cruises have relaxed with the times, it's not surprising to see some folks trying to continue to lower the bar, now wearing shorts, T-shirts, or other inappropriate evening attire. 

 

Edited August 8, 2019 by Icon901

[RocketMan275]

What difference does it make?

Why get so worked up about some one's else's pants?

Your life will be much happier if you pay attention to yourself and ignore what others do.

Edited August 8, 2019 by RocketMan275