Formal night dress?

[Esprit]

Even if Princess dropped the suggested dress code nights we'd both dress up. I love my slim fit formal jackets and they weigh so little. I took four on our Caribbean cruise in 2019. The hold luggage weight excuse to me is pretty lame!

 

We'll dress up smartly when dining out here in the UK and take no notice of what others choose to wear. The wait staff often comment kindly on our attire and acknowledge it by offering us a complimentary drink at the end of the meal.☺️

 

Having worked in the clothing industry when I was young, dressing up came easy to me. I get it that others would rather not.

[PORT ROYAL]

6 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

What other cruise lines haven't changed to a more relaxed dress code?

Other than Cunard. 

One only made a comment on an observation [deck shoes with socks], not as a precursor to a debate.

[1965]

8 hours ago, rjp50 said:

I'm still a bit confused.  Is there a difference between European cruises and Caribbean cruises?  We will be on a 2 week cruise on the Regal on the Mediterranean but will have about a week before and after doing land travel that involves schlepping suitcases through train stations and walking to hotels.  If I can get by without even a sports jacket that will ultimately be a wrinkled mess it would be a major relief to me.  Dressing to the nines may be great for someone who flies to the port gets on the ship and then flies home, but for those of us who add land travel where you need to handle your own luggage it is a major and unnecessary pain.

There is no need to pack a jacket. We've  done Princess cruises all around Europe, eat in the mdr on formal night, & my husband very seldom wears a jacket. It is not a problem. 

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, PORT ROYAL said:

One only made a comment on an observation [deck shoes with socks], not as a precursor to a debate.

It wasn't meant to turn into a debate. 

I was just trying to say that there are no cruise lines that haven't changed their dress standards to be more casual other than Cunard. 

Princess seems to be the only holdout and that's only on their website. 

They should really change their information so that some folks aren't so disappointed. 

[wowzz]

42 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

It wasn't meant to turn into a debate. 

I was just trying to say that there are no cruise lines that haven't changed their dress standards to be more casual other than Cunard. 

Princess seems to be the only holdout and that's only on their website. 

They should really change their information so that some folks aren't so disappointed. 

P&O still have a formal night. Last night, on Arcadia, every male in the MDR wore at the least, a jacket and tie, with 90% wearing a tuxedo.

And no shorts allowed in public areas after 18:00 hours.

[majortom10]

54 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

It wasn't meant to turn into a debate. 

I was just trying to say that there are no cruise lines that haven't changed their dress standards to be more casual other than Cunard. 

Princess seems to be the only holdout and that's only on their website. 

They should really change their information so that some folks aren't so disappointed. 

Well that is where you are wrong because Cunard have relaxed their dress code recently it is still formal dress i.e .dinner suit/tuxedo or dark suit and tie on formal night and dress shirt and trousers on Smart Attire evenings where a jacket is no longer required. But if you tried to get into MDR on Cunard on a formal night wearing polo shirt and jeans or shorts on any other night I am afraid you would be refused entry which IMO is the right thing to do. It is just a pity Princess dont do the same as it ruins what is a good cruise line for me and the only downside.

[MissP22]

9 minutes ago, wowzz said:

P&O still have a formal night. Last night, on Arcadia, every male in the MDR wore at the least, a jacket and tie, with 90% wearing a tuxedo.

And no shorts allowed in public areas after 18:00 hours.

They seem to be catering to the UK crowd which have always leaned towards being more formal. 

Maybe that's why there are people from the UK who are a little shocked when cruising in the Caribbean. 

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, MissP22 said:

They seem to be catering to the UK crowd which have always leaned towards being more formal. 

Maybe that's why there are people from the UK who are a little shocked when cruising in the Caribbean. 

No reason why dress codes should be any different in the Caribbean. You are eating in an air conditioned MDR, not having a picnic on the beach.

[MissP22]

1 minute ago, majortom10 said:

Well that is where you are wrong because Cunard have relaxed their dress code recently it is still formal dress i.e .dinner suit/tuxedo or dark suit and tie on formal night and dress shirt and trousers on Smart Attire evenings where a jacket is no longer required. But if you tried to get into MDR on Cunard on a formal night wearing polo shirt and jeans or shorts on any other night I am afraid you would be refused entry which IMO is the right thing to do. It is just a pity Princess dont do the same as it ruins what is a good cruise line for me and the only downside.

That's news to me as I don't follow Cunard. 

It's still to formal for my taste. I'll be sticking with Princess,  NCL and maybe some day even HAL. 

 

[majortom10]

1 minute ago, MissP22 said:

That's news to me as I don't follow Cunard. 

It's still to formal for my taste. I'll be sticking with Princess,  NCL and maybe some day even HAL. 

 

Well it is true but still wish Princess would remove all false information about their formal dress code and stop pretending that they have a dress code they either have one or the other.

[MissP22]

2 minutes ago, wowzz said:

No reason why dress codes should be any different in the Caribbean. You are eating in an air conditioned MDR, not having a picnic on the beach.

By that logic people should be dressing for breakfast and lunch as well.

Either way, Princess has finally morphed into a cruise line that we're satisfied with.

Now if they would only bring back the late night comedy shows. 🤣 

[MissP22]

1 minute ago, majortom10 said:

Well it is true but still wish Princess would remove all false information about their formal dress code and stop pretending that they have a dress code they either have one or the other.

They seem to want to entice people from both sides to keep profits up.

So far it's working without offending to many people. 

 

[trvlwrld]

You definitely do not need a jacket or tie...question answered

The OP wanted an answer, not the tired dress code debate

Times change, be flexible and go with the trending informality...life is too short to get caught up in others annoyances

[c-boy]

3 hours ago, sundaypeople5 said:

For those of us where this is a special once-in-a-lifetime cruise, dressing up is part of the fairy tale. This will be our 33rd anniversary gift to ourselves. (And only the 2nd vacation ever taken alone together.) My husband and I have enjoyed the experience of picking out our fancy clothes for the magical formal nights.  When we booked the cruise, the formal night experience was one of the major selling points for us.  It is disappointing to read that some folks want to participate in the formal night meals without dressing up as suggested.  Arn't there other venues on board for the people who don't want to dress up?

We celebrated our 20th. anniversary  and birthdays on our  last  cruise... good times. 

 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by c-boy

[voljeep]

@MissP22 if you do post formal night pics ... please make them "unbiased and without a personal agenda"  as in people see what they want to see ...

[MissP22]

26 minutes ago, voljeep said:

@MissP22 if you do post formal night pics ... please make them "unbiased and without a personal agenda"  as in people see what they want to see ...

How about a photo of the whole DR from a distance?

[mtnesterz]

The OP and an early poster describe what they wore, or want to wear on Formal Night. What they describe is what I would call work attire. Who wants to wear work clothes on vacation?

The formal wearers here all describe or post photos of tuxes or dinner jackets. A dinner jacket or tuxedo are party wear for men. Princess is in the business of making the ordinary special and memorable and that's why formal nights are offered.

A tip to the casual crowd, do not wear your work clothes on formal night. The mind forms patterns. You're there to enjoy yourself, not work. No wonder some people resent dressing for dinner! At one time I didn't get it, but I do now.  Wearing a tux or dinner jacket makes a difference in the experience.

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, mtnesterz said:

A tip to the casual crowd, do not wear your work clothes on formal night

Yeah right.

As long as Princess allows it , why not.

[Princessfan20]

6 hours ago, sundaypeople5 said:

For those of us where this is a special once-in-a-lifetime cruise, dressing up is part of the fairy tale. This will be our 33rd anniversary gift to ourselves. (And only the 2nd vacation ever taken alone together.) My husband and I have enjoyed the experience of picking out our fancy clothes for the magical formal nights.  When we booked the cruise, the formal night experience was one of the major selling points for us.  It is disappointing to read that some folks want to participate in the formal night meals without dressing up as suggested.  Arn't there other venues on board for the people who don't want to dress up?

 

We have done hundreds of days/ nights on Princess ships and attended many formal nights but for the life of me I cannot think of them being really any more special than any other night in the MDR's?  Magical formal nights.....that's a stretch??

Edited April 1, 2022 by Princessfan20

[sundaypeople5]

4 minutes ago, Princessfan20 said:

 

We have done hundreds of days/ nights on Princess ships and attended many formal nights but for the life of me I cannot think of them being really any more special than any other night in the MDR's?  Magical formal nights.....that's a stretch??

That wasn't very kind.  Yes, this voyage for us is to be magical...especially the formal nights.

[Ken the cruiser]

On formal nights I follow the Princess "at the very least" guidance as noted in the link below, as I have no desire to bring let alone wear any type of suit or dress coat while on a cruise. 

 

"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."

 

Tips on What to Pack for a Cruise - Princess Cruises

 

[stoneharborlady]

7 hours ago, MissP22 said:

Oh,  I agree that it won't make some people happy but cruising is changing and Princess has to change with the times or lose business to the new generations. 

People who enjoy dressing up still have the option of dressing up as much as they care to.

Perhaps it's time to have both a formal and casual DR so people can choose for themselves which one they prefer. 

(and not the buffet)

It really was time for that a long time ago.  Then both sides would be happy.  

[rjp50]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

On formal nights I follow the Princess "at the very least" guidance as noted in the link below, as I have no desire to bring let alone wear any type of suit or dress coat while on a cruise. 

 

"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."

 

Tips on What to Pack for a Cruise - Princess Cruises

 

Thanks for the link.  It will make our packing much easier.  I get those who enjoy dressing up and I'm glad they have that opportunity.  However, when your packing includes the need for hiking boots, walking sticks and warm weather gear for the mountains it's hard to also include formal attire.

Edited April 1, 2022 by rjp50

[Kineticoh20]

My thoughts on this subject have changed over the years. We used to always wear tuxedos and long formal dresses, it’s a lot to pack and let’s face it a little uncomfortable. Last few years I have ditched the ties for a pair of nice slacks and shoes with a silk button down shirt. Wife wears a cocktail dress.

[Potstech]

3 hours ago, mtnesterz said:

The OP and an early poster describe what they wore, or want to wear on Formal Night. What they describe is what I would call work attire. Who wants to wear work clothes on vacation?

The formal wearers here all describe or post photos of tuxes or dinner jackets. A dinner jacket or tuxedo are party wear for men. Princess is in the business of making the ordinary special and memorable and that's why formal nights are offered.

A tip to the casual crowd, do not wear your work clothes on formal night. The mind forms patterns. You're there to enjoy yourself, not work. No wonder some people resent dressing for dinner! At one time I didn't get it, but I do now.  Wearing a tux or dinner jacket makes a difference in the experience.

That is your definition of work clothes.  Fortunately many others have a different definition of the same.  Tip will be ignored by many.