Dress code

[Red Leicester]

20 minutes ago, dgs1956 said:

.... or maybe they just realise it is a boring and worn-out discussion and have left it to the small number of people that keep knocking away with the feint hope that P&O will introduce a dress code that will require us to wear t-shirts, shorts and flip-flops. 

Only boring and worn-out if you've been through it before, and I and others haven't and it has been fascinating reading and getting different views.  So thank you to everyone's inputs.  It's been balanced.

 

If you go back 50 / 60 years though, or even longer what we wear during the day would have been unspeakable back then.  Shirt and ties would have ruled during the day I reckon.  I don't see many wishing for those days to come back.  Or do they...

[dgs1956]

1 hour ago, Red Leicester said:

Only boring and worn-out if you've been through it before, and I and others haven't and it has been fascinating reading and getting different views.  So thank you to everyone's inputs.  It's been balanced.

 

If you go back 50 / 60 years though, or even longer what we wear during the day would have been unspeakable back then.  Shirt and ties would have ruled during the day I reckon.  I don't see many wishing for those days to come back.  Or do they...

Its certainly been more balanced than it used to be when both sides to the argument came out with excessively aggressive comments. I keep saying we're all entitled to an opinion and we should be able to express that in a reasonable manner. Thankfully that has been the case this time round. Personally, I am in favour of the dress code as it is. There used to be an additional level of "semi-formal" that meant wearing a jacket and I was really pleased when that level was dropped.

[Adawn47]

2 hours ago, davecttr said:

I do I do. On formal night it is a flashy shirt, black chinos and black trainers

With a flashing, rotating bow tie😁

Avril

[Ja21]

11 hours ago, wowzz said:

I've only been posting here for seven years or so, but the feeling about formal nights does seem to be changing. Fortunately, the discussions are not as vitriolic as on some of the US forums !

For what it's worth, I like the fact that P&O try  and keep a smart casual ambience on non formal nights. No shorts, wife beater vests, baseball caps etc.

However, I do think a move away from formal nights to a 'dress to impress' format is overdue. Black tie for those who wish to do so, or just something a bit more blingy for the rest. And once a week is enough.

What on earth is a wife beater vest????

[Megabear2]

27 minutes ago, Ja21 said:

What on earth is a wife beater vest????

A sign of old age!  Think Marlon Brando On the Waterfront.

[lincslady]

I asked some time ago - a low necked t shirt with wide shoulder straps, no sleeves, presumably thought to be worn by men who beat up their wives.  Pretty well what we would call a man's vest.

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, Ja21 said:

What on earth is a wife beater 

Basically a singlet,  normally worn by man with a half smoked cigarette and a tin of Special Brew !

Edited October 11, 2022 by wowzz

[kalos]

16 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Basically a singlet,  normally worn by man with a half smoked cigarette and a tin of Special Brew !

National costume is allowed and on posh night wear a jacket ..Nae bother !😉

 

   

[davecttr]

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said:

A sign of old age!  Think Marlon Brando On the Waterfront.

Or Onslow

[Megabear2]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

Basically a singlet,  normally worn by man with a half smoked cigarette and a tin of Special Brew !

A bit like this? 

[wowzz]

9 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

A bit like this? 

That's the one !

[Dermotsgirl]

6 hours ago, Eddie99 said:

Yes.  That’s plenty

2 in a 14 night cruise is bearable, and probably justifies taking a DJ etc.  after that it gets a bit weird.  2 on a 19 night would also suit me but after that …?

Our last cruise was a lovely 35 nighter.  We really, really didn’t need 10 dress-ups.  It felt like everyone was bored.  As I sat, in the MDR,  next to a guy in his best bib & tucker eating his fish & chips (it was probably described a bit more up-market than that on the menu) I though that even the executive chef had had enough!

That’s how I feel. On the longer cruises, the formal nights seem like a bit of a chore.

 

We were going on a 55 night cruise on Arcadia to the Amazon and Caribbean and had planned to opt out of most of the formal nights. 

[davecttr]

8 hours ago, davecttr said:

Or Onslow

Onslow was obviously harmless  but Daisy was a serial husband cuddler 😲

[pete14]

9 hours ago, Dermotsgirl said:

That’s how I feel. On the longer cruises, the formal nights seem like a bit of a chore.

 

We were going on a 55 night cruise on Arcadia to the Amazon and Caribbean and had planned to opt out of most of the formal nights. 

I can well understand that about 15 formal nights on a 55 night cruise (based on 2 per week) would become a chore and lose the feeling of being special rather quickly. However, I think reducing formal nights on all cruises to 1 per week would sound the death knell for the formal night. How many would pack suits and sparkly dresses for one formal night on a 7 night cruise, or even two formals on a 12-14 nighter?   

[Splice the mainbrace]

When I first started cruising 30 years ago in my late 20s / early 30s I disliked the black tie evenings but over the years now look forward to the sense of a special night. 2 a week seems about right to me otherwise hardly worth packing it or for newbie’s not worth the expense of buying or renting.

Even after all these years of cruising I still get excited and find it special to go on a ship to cruise unlike other fly holidays, it’s more than just a holiday to me and is also a sense of occasion. 

[Jennizor]

12 minutes ago, Splice the mainbrace said:

When I first started cruising 30 years ago in my late 20s / early 30s I disliked the black tie evenings but over the years now look forward to the sense of a special night. 2 a week seems about right to me otherwise hardly worth packing it or for newbie’s not worth the expense of buying or renting.

Even after all these years of cruising I still get excited and find it special to go on a ship to cruise unlike other fly holidays, it’s more than just a holiday to me and is also a sense of occasion. 

My thoughts entirely, plus over the years I have spent quite a lot on sparkly dresses. My earlier ones were strappy and not really suitable as I got older. I want to get my money’s worth out of the ones I wear now. 

[wowzz]

3 hours ago, pete14 said:

However, I think reducing formal nights on all cruises to 1 per week would sound the death knell for the formal night. How many would pack suits and sparkly dresses for one formal night on a 7 night cruise, or even two formals on a 12-14 nighter?   

I can understand that point of view. But on a 7 day cruise, as the formal nights are not on the first and last nights, it does mean that the two formal nights are squashed together, and subsequently loose their "exclusivity".

How about one per seven day cruise, and three per fourteen  day cruise ? I know that will cause issues with those cruises sold as either 7 or 14 days [from Malta, Barbados, Tenerife], but it might be a workable compromise.

[Red Leicester]

I think as soon as you have to pack something for just once it becomes a what's-the-point.  Why I stopped packing the suit altogether.

[Megabear2]

3 hours ago, Red Leicester said:

I think as soon as you have to pack something for just once it becomes a what's-the-point.  Why I stopped packing the suit altogether.

Compromise needed by all on this one. Cannot understand why people get so vexed either way.

 

We've had three big family weddings this year and all those that "made an effort" who were not part of the bridal parties were the under 35.  It was a shock to see so many beautiful dresses on the girls and smart, mainly checked, three piece suits on the boys.  Put a lot of the older generation in their seen better days suits and dresses to shame.  The younger generation do like to dress up but want to do it by choice not being ordered.

[davecttr]

12 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Compromise needed by all on this one. Cannot understand why people get so vexed either way.

 

We've had three big family weddings this year and all those that "made an effort" who were not part of the bridal parties were the under 35.  It was a shock to see so many beautiful dresses on the girls and smart, mainly checked, three piece suits on the boys.  Put a lot of the older generation in their seen better days suits and dresses to shame.  The younger generation do like to dress up but want to do it by choice not being ordered.

Is that the essence of the issue?

[Red Leicester]

49 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Compromise needed by all on this one. Cannot understand why people get so vexed either way.

 

We've had three big family weddings this year and all those that "made an effort" who were not part of the bridal parties were the under 35.  It was a shock to see so many beautiful dresses on the girls and smart, mainly checked, three piece suits on the boys.  Put a lot of the older generation in their seen better days suits and dresses to shame.  The younger generation do like to dress up but want to do it by choice not being ordered.

A fairer compromise would be to have at least one eating and drinking venue that is black tie and one that isn't.  Front of the ship black tie, back of the ship isn't that sort of thing.  No mans land in the middle where those who want to mix can.  Those who don't like to see non-formal can avoid non-formal areas.

Edited October 12, 2022 by Red Leicester

[Megabear2]

5 minutes ago, Red Leicester said:

A fairer compromise would be to have at least one eating and drinking venue that is black tie and one that isn't.  Front of the ship black tie, back of the ship isn't that sort of thing.  No mans land in the middle where those who want to mix can.

That would be impossible on some ships I think.  They're pretty much designed with no front restaurants and the public areas such as bars being in the middle.  You'd be banning half from the theatre and half from the show lounge on Britannia for instance!

[Red Leicester]

New designs!  You get my point though I hope.  

[Megabear2]

13 minutes ago, Red Leicester said:

New designs!  You get my point though I hope.  

Which ships are you sailing on as a matter of interest?  I've sailed four lines this year and it's pretty much standard layout on every ship.  I don't think your idea would work. P&O are the closest to what you are suggesting.  The big US ships are mostly casual, Princess a few dress up but the majority are smart casual whatever that is, Cunard are stiffly formal, Celebrity is smart casual with a dress to impress night where a few wear formal wear but the majority don't.  The high end lines boast they are country club casual.  Why are you so keen to pick P&O if there is all this choice to wear what you want? 

[Red Leicester]

I'm no cruise ship designer.  I've done Oriana, Arcadia, Iona and Britannia.

 

Many reasons I pick P&O.  It suits my needs, expectations and has holidays to places I want to tick off.  Fellow passengers (in the main) are my kind of people and I can keep myself to myself.  And I can wear what I want.