All your P&O dress code comments and queries.

[WestonOne]

We are on Arcadia for a 'back to back.' On the first, the itinerary advestised 4 formals but there were only three.  On the second, 10 July had been advertised as a formal beforehand, but wasn't, so I think it will the same: advertising 4 but only 3 in practice.

[mrshorsy]

We are totally at fault for not noticing the dress code stipulations. We saw a last minute cheap deal and booked without checking the small print. We usually cruise with NCL who are very casual. We probably won't bother with the formal. It wouldn't bother me to wear a nice dress but the last thing my other half would want to do would be to put a suit on on a hot evening so I am sure there are other options for dining we can choose. 

My question is, in the other restaurants and on non formal nights are tailored shorts permitted in the evening?

[FangedRose]

1 hour ago, mrshorsy said:

We are totally at fault for not noticing the dress code stipulations. We saw a last minute cheap deal and booked without checking the small print. We usually cruise with NCL who are very casual. We probably won't bother with the formal. It wouldn't bother me to wear a nice dress but the last thing my other half would want to do would be to put a suit on on a hot evening so I am sure there are other options for dining we can choose. 

My question is, in the other restaurants and on non formal nights are tailored shorts permitted in the evening?

As far as I'm aware no shorts anywhere in the evening.

 

As to wearing a suit in hot weather, the temperature inside the ship is constantly cool, if not decidedly chilly.

 

 

[Britboys]

1 hour ago, mrshorsy said:

We are totally at fault for not noticing the dress code stipulations. We saw a last minute cheap deal and booked without checking the small print. We usually cruise with NCL who are very casual. We probably won't bother with the formal. It wouldn't bother me to wear a nice dress but the last thing my other half would want to do would be to put a suit on on a hot evening so I am sure there are other options for dining we can choose. 

My question is, in the other restaurants and on non formal nights are tailored shorts permitted in the evening?

Generally speaking, P&O has not allowed shorts in the evening. Recent reports do however suggest that things might be changing on the bigger ships. If you are in warm weather and at one of the deck bars in the evening I doubt anyone would make a fuss. Probably best to ask once on board about restaurants etc.

[Shrewsbury on Tour]

Good evening…

Just been following a 4 episode blog on YouTube and shorts are being worn every night in all restaurants apart from the formal night. This was on Arvia. The 2 larger ships are definitely going in a different direction. Only 2 formal nights on 2 week cruise, sooner or later that will be none.

Cheers 

[Shrewsbury on Tour]

Sorry apart from Main dining room and the Epicurean. 

[mrshorsy]

44 minutes ago, FangedRose said:

As far as I'm aware no shorts anywhere in the evening.

 

As to wearing a suit in hot weather, the temperature inside the ship is constantly cool, if not decidedly chilly.

 

 

Think this may be shaping up to be our first and last P&O ! Meanwhile I may be off to buy my husband a pair of trousers to wear, however I draw the line at a suit !!!

[AlixN]

From the p & o website, it now says ' Plus, if you’re travelling on a fly-cruise, you could pack your best tailored shorts, as these will be allowed in certain venues around the ship.'

 

so for the Azura in the Canary Islands you can wear shorts, but for the Canary Islands cruise departing from Southampton you can't? Make it make sense. 

[carlanthony24]

1 hour ago, AlixN said:

From the p & o website, it now says ' Plus, if you’re travelling on a fly-cruise, you could pack your best tailored shorts, as these will be allowed in certain venues around the ship.'

 

so for the Azura in the Canary Islands you can wear shorts, but for the Canary Islands cruise departing from Southampton you can't? Make it make sense. 

Maybe this means when you reach the canaries then they will allow it. They use to do this on the Caribbean transatlantic. Once they reached hotter climates they cancelled formal nights relaxed dress codes more.   

[snaefell]

On Arcadia back in May in the Med the mix in the buffet for dinner had all sorts including shorts & a lot of people in suits,DJ's & gowns on formal nights.

[Angel57]

11 hours ago, mrshorsy said:

Think this may be shaping up to be our first and last P&O ! Meanwhile I may be off to buy my husband a pair of trousers to wear, however I draw the line at a suit !!!

I think it depends what ship you are on and where you are (Caribbean and fly cruises are often a little more relaxed).

To be honest with the air conditioning in certain venues,  your husband may well need long trousers! 🤣

 

[Harry Peterson]

11 hours ago, mrshorsy said:

Think this may be shaping up to be our first and last P&O ! Meanwhile I may be off to buy my husband a pair of trousers to wear, however I draw the line at a suit !!!

Give it time. P&O has changed immeasurably in so many ways over the last few years, and formal dress will disappear at some point as the old traditionalists cease to use it. The process has started, and the conclusion is inevitable. The only question is when.

[mrshorsy]

Just now, Angel57 said:

I think it depends what ship you are on and where you are (Caribbean and fly cruises are often a little more relaxed).

To be honest with the air conditioning in certain venues,  your husband may well need long trousers! 🤣

 

We’ve cruised many times and I can tell you this man will not want to wear trousers especially when as a woman I can go to a restaurant in a short dress or even a dress shorts co-ord. We’re sailing out of Southampton to Spain ad Portugal. I get the idea of formal night and am quite happy for those who enjoy that and it brings something to their holiday to suit up but it feels old and a little frumpy to us. I also feel that a pair of tailored shorts with a smart polo shirt (his preferred evening wear when on holiday) is way smarter to a pair of dark jeans which has been suggested by others.

Also somewhere long up thread I’n sure someone used the argument would you go to a really smart uk restaurant in the UK in shorts and the answer is yes if its hot! 

The video that was posted up stream gives me hope as the guy was in shorts quite a bit of the time 

[Slugsta]

8 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Give it time. P&O has changed immeasurably in so many ways over the last few years, and formal dress will disappear at some point as the old traditionalists cease to use it. The process has started, and the conclusion is inevitable. The only question is when.

 

Sadly, I fear that you are right.

[Angel57]

3 minutes ago, Slugsta said:

 

Sadly, I fear that you are right.

Sadly, I agree.

[Fionboard]

Hopefully not on the two small ships full of us "old traditionalists" !

[mrshorsy]

Also (while I’m on the rant sorry) 100% this would be acceptable wear in the evening as I checked 

[Harry Peterson]

10 minutes ago, mrshorsy said:

We’ve cruised many times and I can tell you this man will not want to wear trousers especially when as a woman I can go to a restaurant in a short dress or even a dress shorts co-ord. We’re sailing out of Southampton to Spain ad Portugal. I get the idea of formal night and am quite happy for those who enjoy that and it brings something to their holiday to suit up but it feels old and a little frumpy to us. I also feel that a pair of tailored shorts with a smart polo shirt (his preferred evening wear when on holiday) is way smarter to a pair of dark jeans which has been suggested by others.

Also somewhere long up thread I’n sure someone used the argument would you go to a really smart uk restaurant in the UK in shorts and the answer is yes if its hot! 

The video that was posted up stream gives me hope as the guy was in shorts quite a bit of the time 

With you absolutely, but this is a minority view still in these forums. I remain absolutely convinced that the only reason P&O still cling to this is to enable them to create an absolutely false impression of luxury and high end cruising.

 

As to Michelin starred restaurants, very few give a damn what you wear. I asked the question of one such place and received the very sensible answer that they didn’t mind what their customers wore - so long as they were comfortable.

[Angel57]

2 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

Hopefully not on the two small ships full of us "old traditionalists" !

 

2 minutes ago, mrshorsy said:

Also (while I’m on the rant sorry) 100% this would be acceptable wear in the evening as I checked 

To me that is for a tennis court….🎾🤣🤣🤣🤣 (only joking).

[zap99]

1 hour ago, mrshorsy said:

We’ve cruised many times and I can tell you this man will not want to wear trousers especially when as a woman I can go to a restaurant in a short dress or even a dress shorts co-ord. We’re sailing out of Southampton to Spain ad Portugal. I get the idea of formal night and am quite happy for those who enjoy that and it brings something to their holiday to suit up but it feels old and a little frumpy to us. I also feel that a pair of tailored shorts with a smart polo shirt (his preferred evening wear when on holiday) is way smarter to a pair of dark jeans which has been suggested by others.

Also somewhere long up thread I’n sure someone used the argument would you go to a really smart uk restaurant in the UK in shorts and the answer is yes if its hot! 

The video that was posted up stream gives me hope as the guy was in shorts quite a bit of the time 

If he is jealous that you can wear a short dress, the answer is obvious.🤣

[mrshorsy]

35 minutes ago, zap99 said:

If he is jealous that you can wear a short dress, the answer is obvious.🤣

To be fair he could wear a dress and say that he identifies a woman !

[AndyMichelle]

I'm all for people enjoying their holiday how they want, but if I wanted to wear shorts in the main dining room, I would book a different cruise line. 

Not saying the policy is right, but it's the policy. 

If shorts were allowed, I would probably be the one wearing them, but they are not. 

Andy 

[zap99]

1 hour ago, mrshorsy said:

To be fair he could wear a dress and say that he identifies a woman !

That's probably the easiest option.😉

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, AndyMichelle said:

I'm all for people enjoying their holiday how they want, but if I wanted to wear shorts in the main dining room, I would book a different cruise line. 

Not saying the policy is right, but it's the policy. 

If shorts were allowed, I would probably be the one wearing them, but they are not. 

Andy 

They seem to be accepted on Princess, there were a few in the MDR last night. However the men in shorts looked quite respectable, however a few of the girls would have looked better in a bell tent, shorts displayed way, way, way too much flesh.

[Snow Hill]

5 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

Give it time. P&O has changed immeasurably in so many ways over the last few years, and formal dress will disappear at some point as the old traditionalists cease to use it. The process has started, and the conclusion is inevitable. The only question is when.

Hopefully that will be the case, other lines have ceased formal nights, others have optional “Dress to impress night”. It’s only a matter of time before P&O do the same, won’t happen overnight, the number of formal nights will be reduced and the venues it applies to will be reduced. Then what is defined as formal wear will change, until formal becomes smart casual.