Booked my first ever p and o cruise! Hints and tips?

[Francisdrake]

7 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

I am wondering whether to leave my DJ  at home for our next 2 cruises, both of which are on Iona. I would probably take my light coloured jacket and wear a tie for formal nights, but It does seem a bit pointless taking a DJ for just two of them, and it would mean 2 fewer items in the luggage.

When we were on Iona in May we got turned away from the dining room on formal night because 1 stubborn member of our party had decided not to bring suit jacket or tie so they do sometimes enforce the dress code.

[purplesea]

4 hours ago, picsa said:

 

On my recent Azura cruise I was in the MDR so didn't use the booking app, but chatting to another couple as to how it was going they said they hadn't bothered with it and just turned up and had the old "would you like to share" and were immediately shown to a table (although whether choosing to share is a good idea at the moment is a personal decision).

 

 

We were on Azura in April and the app wouldn't work in our cabin, so  I just didn't use it to book anything, we just turned up at the dining room and were asked if we were prepared to share, said yes and were shown to a table!

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, Ardennais said:

It doesn’t bother me really, as long as people have changed from their swimwear! On Princess, even the formal nights weren’t really that formal (as in traditionally formal) but I thought that many men looked sharper and smarter in modern suits, sometimes without ties. 

Agreed. As long as people make an effort.  The problem is, that making an effort means different things to different folk.

[davecttr]

10 hours ago, picsa said:

If you count ‘required’ as you need to wear a jacket P&O will lend you for the 30 second walk to the table and then take it off and hand it back as ‘required’ then yes it is - but looking around the MDR at the number of men not wearing jackets and the answer might be considered somewhat different.

 

And then comes the question of what is a jacket? All sorts of comedy DJs are accepted as jackets. A suit jacket on its own with casual trousers seems to be considered a jacket. A casual jacket seems to be considered a jacket. So is anything worn over a shirt that opens at the front a jacket?

 

And as for the ties, anything sort of tied, or more likely half tied, around your neck seems to pass muster.

Years ago they used to have Formal and Jacket required evenings. On an Arcadia cruise to the Baltic the Jacket required evenings looked like a tramps tea party. Every sort of jacket except Donkey but that did not matter as there were pre WW2 with original gravy stains. Heavy tweed in the height of summer and those broad striped boating jackets. I felt over dressed in my lightweight linen jacket. Evening casual evenings looked better. They dropped the jacket required code soon after. 😁

 

On a 'proper' formal dinner if some of the gentlemen guests are showing distress because of high temperatures the host should announce that he will be removing his jacket and others may do the same. Cue a mad stampede to get rid of the **oody things 😉