Formal Dress

[kruzfab]

Going on Sky mid February. Is formal nights still formal or has it went the same as Celebrity with some people not bothering at all.

[c-boy]

there's some nice photo's on Sky Princess threads of what has been goin' on, might give ya some visual aspect as to what to expect.

[fishnchips]

Not long off the sky ...I looked splendid in my Tuxedo and I was NOT alone wearing formal wear.

and nice to see the ship create a nice ambiance ....(part of cruising imo)

new ship and beautiful dresses and plenty of suits as well as tux's , a pleasure to see ....long may it continue !

 

[Colo Cruiser]

1 hour ago, kruzfab said:

Going on Sky mid February. Is formal nights still formal or has it went the same as Celebrity with some people not bothering at all.

Check out the Princess website for the polices, they are fleet wide  and then do what you feel is right.

During my almost month onboard there were plenty of people dressed to the nines on formal nights.

Don't worry about other people.  😉

[brisalta]

12 minutes ago, Colo Cruiser said:

Check out the Princess website for the polices, they are fleet wide  and then do what you feel is right.

During my almost month onboard there were plenty of people dressed to the nines on formal nights.

Don't worry about other people.  😉

 

From the FAQ on what to pack i

https://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/pre_cruise/bring.jsp  in thee Clothing Recommendations section :

 

"Formal
When formal nights are held, please observe the dress code in the Traditional Dining and Anytime Dining venues for the enjoyment of all our guests.

• Evening gowns and cocktail dresses for women
• Tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits with a tie for men"

This is also reiterated on page 17 of

https://www.princess.com/html/global/brochures/pc/cruise-answer-book-v4.pdf

[kruzfab]

Thanks. Dont like to offend anyone. We are elite but have been on other lines for last 3 years. Just wondered how much it had changed. Thanks again.

[voljeep]

if anything , 'formal night(s)  hashave gotten more casual over the last 3 years , from what I have observed ...

 

dress pants, a long sleeve shirt ( no tie ) for me … no jacket required - and dress echo sandals - at least in the caribbean

 

other regions may vary

[majortom10]

Whatever people might say or state what it says on Princess's website about dress code it is generally ignored by majority of people and many dont wear a tux or even a jacket in MDR on formal nights.

[grouchomarx]

Our Sky cruise had very dressy formal nights. Most people were all dressed up.  But I wonder if it being a Christmas cruise contributed to that.  We did not participate.

[Steelers36]

20 minutes ago, twodaywonder said:

Those that do not go to the dining room or specialty are not required.

Specialty restaurants have been and are Smart Casual all evenings.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

10 minutes ago, steelers36 said:

Specialty restaurants have been and are Smart Casual all evenings.

I agree. However what we were told about the first night in one. They will accept shorts and what ever because some travelers may not have received there luggage yet.

[chrysalis]

38 minutes ago, steelers36 said:

Specialty restaurants have been and are Smart Casual all evenings.

nope.....see post #94 and read the Notifications....

 

 

[Steelers36]

7 minutes ago, chrysalis said:

nope.....see post #94 and read the Notifications....

 

 

Yet another exception and inconsistency in the long line of Princess inconsistencies.  Don't recall seeing same when we were on the Crown a month earlier amd of course it wasn't something being followed to the letter.

[Steelers36]

37 minutes ago, twodaywonder said:

I agree. However what we were told about the first night in one. They will accept shorts and what ever because some travelers may not have received there luggage yet.

True... it has always been relaxed on embarkation and final night due to luggage expected in hallways.  I don't fly in shorts so never been an issue for me.

[chrysalis]

4 minutes ago, steelers36 said:

Yet another exception and inconsistency in the long line of Princess inconsistencies.  Don't recall seeing same when we were on the Crown a month earlier amd of course it wasn't something being followed to the letter.

Perhaps, but it was consistently stated in the Patter on the Crown when we were aboard for 30 days last March/April, and I also remember seeing a sign stating the same outside a specialty restaurant while on the Coral a few years ago.

[Steelers36]

7 minutes ago, chrysalis said:

Perhaps, but it was consistently stated in the Patter on the Crown when we were aboard for 30 days last March/April, and I also remember seeing a sign stating the same outside a specialty restaurant while on the Coral a few years ago.

I will freely admit that I don't read all areas of the Patter in detail any longer since I glance and see the topic dozens of times.  Very well could have said the same wording.  Cannot say about a sign as was not there on formal night.  If it all keeps up a certain level of decorum, that's fine by me.  But, no thanks to tuxes and dark business suits and gowns... fine for folks that enjoy it.  I like the flexibility on Princess and am happy if they do enforce a minimum of decorum for dinner.

[Ken the cruiser]

… and then for those of us men who don't mind dressing a little nicer for dinner on formal nights, but don't want to pack a suit or sports coat, or for those ladies who don't wish to wear a gown, there is this paragraph on the Princess website:

 

"For more formal settings, men should bring a suit and a nice pair of shoes (or, at the very least, a shirt, tie and slacks), while women may want to bring an evening dress or a skirt with a good blouse."

 

Found at this link towards the end of the last paragraph:

https://www.princess.com/cruise-tips-vacation-ideas/cruise-destinations/cruise-tips-advice-and-information/tips-on-what-to-pack-for-a-cruise.html

Edited January 3, 2020 by Ken the cruiser

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

1 minute ago, Ken the cruiser said:

… and then for those of us men that don't mind dressing a little nicer for dinner on formal nights, but don't want to pack a suit or sports coat or for the ladies that don't want to wear a gown, there is this paragraph on the Princess website:

 

"For more formal settings, men should bring a suit and a nice pair of shoes (or, at the very least, a shirt, tie and slacks), while women may want to bring an evening dress or a skirt with a good blouse."

 

Found at this link:

https://www.princess.com/cruise-tips-vacation-ideas/cruise-destinations/cruise-tips-advice-and-information/tips-on-what-to-pack-for-a-cruise.html

My wife is not going to wear a dress or skirt for medical visual reasons. She wears very nice dress slacks and a very nice blouse along with short heal shoes. I wear dress shoes, a dress shirt and slacks. Open collar. Cannot stand any shirt buttoned around the neck. So no tie. I might have a dinner jacket with that, collar out. Last time I wore a shirt tie and suit was about 15 years ago. No longer.

[MissP22]

43 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

… and then for those of us men who don't mind dressing a little nicer for dinner on formal nights, but don't want to pack a suit or sports coat, or for those ladies who don't wish to wear a gown, there is this paragraph on the Princess website:

 

"For more formal settings, men should bring a suit and a nice pair of shoes (or, at the very least, a shirt, tie and slacks), while women may want to bring an evening dress or a skirt with a good blouse."

 

Found at this link towards the end of the last paragraph:

https://www.princess.com/cruise-tips-vacation-ideas/cruise-destinations/cruise-tips-advice-and-information/tips-on-what-to-pack-for-a-cruise.html

Many people miss those instructions on the Princess website & then get themselves upset when people don't dress up for dinner in their same fashion thinking that everyone must comply.

My DH gave up on bringing his jacket years ago on any Princess ship & has never been refused entrance to the DR. (even without the ridiculous tie) 

Just a pair of dress pants & either a Polo shirt or guayabera shirt will suffice on any of their ships for the men and a simple pair of black slacks & just about any dressy top for the women. 

Edited January 3, 2020 by MissP22

[jennybenny]

 

4 hours ago, kruzfab said:

Going on Sky mid February. Is formal nights still formal or has it went the same as Celebrity with some people not bothering at all.

The formal night dress is for the MDR.  You can do buffet and specialty dining in less formal clothes and no one bats an eye. This last Christmas Eve on the Royal was the first time I've seen people in jeans turned away from the MDR on Formal night (we had 3 instead of 2 for a 7 day cruise).  It was a port day and they were recommended to change and come back. Not sure if they did.  They had a large family and it was the men who were dressed in Jeans and T shirts. There have been inconsistencies in the application of policy, but it's best to just follow Princess Guidelines.  

 

We always dress up for formal nights. There are nights on cruises we stay in our formal attire all night and some that we change right after dinner and go back out.  The kids always change after dinner.

Edited January 3, 2020 by jennybenny

[kruzfab]

We like the formal nights so glad you do too. Such a pity some people try to do there own thing in MDR when you are asked not too. 

Don't want to offend but plenty of other cruise lines casual  if you want casual.

[RocketMan275]

Princess has managed to have it both ways.  

Princess can say they have formal nights and can publish a dress code.

Princess can avoid enforcing the dress code.

This allows Princess to appeal to those who like formal dress and to those who don't.

The bottom line is this:  you can dress up if you prefer and you can follow your preferences if you don't.

[MissP22]

On 1/3/2020 at 5:36 PM, jennybenny said:

 

The formal night dress is for the MDR.  You can do buffet and specialty dining in less formal clothes and no one bats an eye. This last Christmas Eve on the Royal was the first time I've seen people in jeans turned away from the MDR on Formal night (we had 3 instead of 2 for a 7 day cruise).  It was a port day and they were recommended to change and come back. Not sure if they did.  They had a large family and it was the men who were dressed in Jeans and T shirts. There have been inconsistencies in the application of policy, but it's best to just follow Princess Guidelines.  

 

We always dress up for formal nights. There are nights on cruises we stay in our formal attire all night and some that we change right after dinner and go back out.  The kids always change after dinner.

No one bats an eye if you're casually dressed either, provided you're not wearing jeans & a T shirt on a formal night. 

[jennybenny]

37 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

No one bats an eye if you're casually dressed either, provided you're not wearing jeans & a T shirt on a formal night. 

I’m not sure why you read something sinister in my comment. If you read my full example, I explain that your specific example of jeans and t shirt is what was not acceptable in the MDR Two weeks ago. 
 

I agree with what you quoted me on, no one bats an eye 

[RMMariner]

I think you will find this topic divides along generations. The older generation (my parents and grand parents) seemed to love dressing up. I will dress up if I have to, and my sons' generation seems to completely hate dressing up. They only dress up for dinner on the cruise because they are not given an option by us if they want to eat in the MDR.

 

It makes no difference to me if you wear a tuxedo or are less formal, but I do agree that real casual wear like shorts etc. should be kept to the buffet etc. 

 

I think the older generations are just going to have realize the world has become less formal. If you enjoy dressing up, that is great, but really why do you care if others don't. 

 

Maybe make one dining room formal dress on those nights. The other could be more relaxed with dressy but not formal. And the last dining room could be anything goes. I might even visit the last dining room to see just how low some passengers would go.