Formal nights on Sun Princess

[Amster12345]

I'm getting on the ship on the November 9th sailing.  There are supposedly two formal nights during the week.  How formal are they?  Are slacks and a dress shirt okay for a guy or do you need a suit?  I'm trying to decide whether I need to spend the money on a suit for my 24 yr old son.

[NownZen]

1 minute ago, Amster12345 said:

I'm getting on the ship on the November 9th sailing.  There are supposedly two formal nights during the week.  How formal are they?  Are slacks and a dress shirt okay for a guy or do you need a suit?  I'm trying to decide whether I need to spend the money on a suit for my 24 yr old son.

You should at least have nice shorts for him. I have never taken and suit and stopped taking a sport coat years ago. Recently on a cruise in the Caribbean there were an appreciable number of shorts and not much more than that with coats. Slacks and a long sleeve shirt will be more than fine. 

[Wishing on a star]

For a young guy in his twenties, I think some nice slacks and a button down dress shirt would be fine.  I wouldn't buy a suit or suit-jacket if he does not really want to do that.

Assuming they are nice slacks and a dress shirt, maybe you can get him to decide to borrow a tie from you.   But, def. not necessary.

 

My husband wears slacks (like suit pants) with a dress shirt and a tie...  but even if he does want to go all out and wear a jacket, it usually comes off at dinner!

 

Not sure where the reference to shorts comes in, but long pants/slacks are appropriate unless one is doing casual dining.  I believe long pants are requested for formal nights. Which, some people do casual dining, as they do not want to 'dress' for the dining room.

 

Edited October 12 by Wishing on a star

[NownZen]

10 minutes ago, Wishing on a star said:

For a young guy in his twenties, I think some nice slacks and a button down dress shirt would be fine.  I wouldn't buy a suit or suit-jacket if he does not really want to do that.

Assuming they are nice slacks and a dress shirt, maybe you can get him to decide to borrow a tie from you.   But, def. not necessary.

 

My husband wears slacks (like suit pants) with a dress shirt and a tie...  but even if he does want to go all out and wear a jacket, it usually comes off at dinner!

 

Not sure where the reference to shorts comes in, but long pants/slacks are appropriate unless one is doing casual dining.  I believe long pants are requested for formal nights. Which, some people do casual dining, as they do not want to 'dress' for the dining room.

 

On a Caribbean cruise in July we did our obligatory one night in the MDR. It happened to be formal night. I watched the dress of the incoming people we saw. There were roughly twice as many suits or coats as there were shorts. That being said, probably 70% were in pants (jeans or slacks) and a variety of short and long sleeve shirts. The ladies, as usual, tended to dress a bit nicer than the men. I do not remember seeing any backwards baseball caps.

People should dress how they are comfortable. 

[Amster12345]

Thanks for all the replies! 

[Retired-N-Happy]

1 hour ago, Wishing on a star said:

Not sure where the reference to shorts comes in, but long pants/slacks are appropriate unless one is doing casual dining.  I believe long pants are requested for formal nights. 

Dress shorts are just fine each and every night.  Spent 14 nights on the Discovery in April of 2022 in the Mexican Riviera and California Coastal.  Spent another 14 in Alaska in May/June of 2023 on the Majestic.  

Wore dress shorts (Izod or Dockers) all 28 nights with no problem. Ate in the MDR 25 nights and specialty 3 nights.

 

Things have gotten much more casual since the shutdown.  I'll be on the Sun starting on 10/26 for 14 nights.  Plan on wearing shorts each and every night.  Will have a single pair of long pants if needed for Crown Grill by an overzealous Maitre'D.

Edited October 12 by Retired-N-Happy

[dog]

8 hours ago, Amster12345 said:

I'm getting on the ship on the November 9th sailing.  There are supposedly two formal nights during the week.  How formal are they?  Are slacks and a dress shirt okay for a guy or do you need a suit?  I'm trying to decide whether I need to spend the money on a suit for my 24 yr old son.

No need to buy a suit.

slacks and a dress shirt are okay.

[NownZen]

7 hours ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

Dress shorts are just fine each and every night.  Spent 14 nights on the Discovery in April of 2022 in the Mexican Riviera and California Coastal.  Spent another 14 in Alaska in May/June of 2023 on the Majestic.  

Wore dress shorts (Izod or Dockers) all 28 nights with no problem. Ate in the MDR 25 nights and specialty 3 nights.

 

Things have gotten much more casual since the shutdown.  I'll be on the Sun starting on 10/26 for 14 nights.  Plan on wearing shorts each and every night.  Will have a single pair of long pants if needed for Crown Grill by an overzealous Maitre'D.

So the dress shorts require black socks?

[arizonaperson]

12 hours ago, Amster12345 said:

I'm getting on the ship on the November 9th sailing.  There are supposedly two formal nights during the week.  How formal are they?  Are slacks and a dress shirt okay for a guy or do you need a suit?  I'm trying to decide whether I need to spend the money on a suit for my 24 yr old son.

There are a ton of dress code suggestions threads on cruise critic out there ,so the only thing I’m going to say is yes to  what you already said… for your 24 year-old son & any men traveling with you.

A nice pair of pants( could be a dark color) and a dress shirt would be absolutely fine on formal night in the main dining room.. No need to go out and buy a suit coat if he does not have one already. 
The smart casual nights think polo/ golf shirt and khakis ….somewhere along the line of that.

Edited October 12 by arizonaperson

[Retired-N-Happy]

5 hours ago, NownZen said:

So the dress shorts require black socks?

Only with open toed sandals.

[IMNiles]

Ooh, this is brave, asking about formal nights on Cruise Critic 😜 !  As a male regular cruiser who remembers when formal nights were truly formal, I can confirm what most folks have said, which is that slacks and a collared shirt will be fine.  Bonus points for a sport coat but it is by no means required (I tend to pack just one).  Ditto for a tie.  Definitely not required, but an easy way to dress up an outfit or make the second wearing of a single shirt seem new.  I’ve learned I can stick a couple pre-tied bow ties in my shoes for safe and easy transport (as long as I remember to take them out before wearing the shoes!).

 

I won’t judge other people’s choices except to say that I appreciate it when folks make an effort, since it makes the night feel more special to me.  I truly enjoyed the formal nights on a recent Cunard transatlantic, where even tuxes were very well represented.  The only real “trigger” for me on this topic would be ball caps or tank tops on men.

 

All of this said, I have a formal night on Sun tonight, and am happy to report back what I see 🙂

 

[Oxo]

This topic should be eliminated from all Cruise Line Cruise Critics forums. 

 

We get the same replies, responses, postings. It is a complete waste of time. 

 

Wear what you want. If they turn you back or question your dress at the MDR, then go and change. That's the bottom line. 

 

Happy Cruising!

[rmsmith]

from the princess site:
https://www.princess.com/en-us/faq/pre-cruise#clothing-recommendations

Worth noting they label the header as "recommendations"

 

We just left the Sun Princess yesterday and dined mainly in the reserve dining room. I don't think I saw any shorts in there for dinner other than the last night.  Formal night dress was a mix of jeans and polo shirts to full tuxedos.

 

Cruising does seem to be getting more and more casual, and I'm included in that. I no longer take a suit (mine no longer fits and I won't buy one for a cruise), but I generally wear khakis and a button shirt on formal nights.  same thing or jeans and a polo, button shirt, etc for regular nights.  Last night of the cruise is an exception, pretty much anything goes due to packing.

 

It has been many many years, but I have seen princess turn cruisers in shorts away from the dining room. I suspect that doesn't happen these days, maybe on a formal night depending on the Maitre D's mood?

 

[offtopic]

Similar, but a little different question, on the upcoming 7 night Caribbean cruises, does anyone know which nights will be the formal nights? We are doing Eastern Caribbean in November with Premiere+ and Sanctuary restaurant. We have 5 of 7 nights booked into specialty but want to go to the Sanctuary restaurant on the 2 formal nights if possible as they will likely have the nicest meals those nights (in my mind).

[mtnesterz]

18 hours ago, Amster12345 said:

I'm trying to decide whether I need to spend the money on a suit for my 24 yr old son.

He is 24 years old. Show him the Princess clothing recommendations and let him decide what to wear. 

I must add, some here advocate shorts. Shorts are, "not welcome," in the guidelines. I have twice seen men refused at the door for wearing shorts. Your son would be one embarassed, not the poster.

[mtnesterz]

4 hours ago, offtopic said:

Similar, but a little different question, on the upcoming 7 night Caribbean cruises, does anyone know which nights will be the formal nights? We are doing Eastern Caribbean in November with Premiere+ and Sanctuary restaurant. We have 5 of 7 nights booked into specialty but want to go to the Sanctuary restaurant on the 2 formal nights if possible as they will likely have the nicest meals those nights (in my mind).

Have to know the itinerary for sure, but generally, the first formal night is on the first full sea day. Never the first night because people haven't received their luggage. The last is usually the second to last night. It will not be the last night because people set out their luggage for the stewards.

As far as restaurant choice, the second formal night is Captain's dinner in the MDR and on our most recent this year, things like escargot, lobster... really special.

We go Standard so if you've bought Premier+, well, that sort of changes things. Someone else might know, but I don't think Specialty restaurants change menus on formal nights.

About all you're really getting is that dress code, the subject of this thread, is always smart Casual in Specialty Dining.

[Retired-N-Happy]

4 hours ago, offtopic said:

Similar, but a little different question, on the upcoming 7 night Caribbean cruises, does anyone know which nights will be the formal nights? We are doing Eastern Caribbean in November with Premiere+ and Sanctuary restaurant. We have 5 of 7 nights booked into specialty but want to go to the Sanctuary restaurant on the 2 formal nights if possible as they will likely have the nicest meals those nights (in my mind).

Nights two and six are usually the formal nights on most 7 night cruises 

[Retired-N-Happy]

3 hours ago, mtnesterz said:

I must add, some here advocate shorts. Shorts are, "not welcome," in the guidelines. 

You do realize that cruising has changed since the shutdown and has become much more  informal on all of the mainstream cruise lines.

It is a recommendation, not a policy.  I will be wearing dress shorts on 10/14 nights on the Sun and will happily debate any overzealous Maitre'D if he tries to turn the recommendation into his own policy. 

In 2022 on the Discovery there was a party of eight and three out of the four men were wearing baseball caps in Sabatini's,  which IMHO is more of an egregious mistake than wearing a pair of Izod shorts.

[mtnesterz]

21 minutes ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

You do realize that cruising has changed since the shutdown and has become much more  informal on all of the mainstream cruise lines.

It is a recommendation, not a policy.  I will be wearing dress shorts on 10/14 nights on the Sun and will happily debate any overzealous Maitre'D if he tries to turn the recommendation into his own policy. 

I was quoting the guidelines and said exactly that. I was surprised this April how many were in dressed up. I didn't bring jacket or tie, but I was surprised.

I not only used the word recommendations, I italicized it.

I don't want a new cruiser, assuming new here, and her son to be advised one way, then have a bad first experience. Wouldn't phase you or I as retirees. New cruiser and 24? Maybe it would. I don't want that for either of them. 

If you, a veteran Princess cruiser, want to argue and rant about shorts or ball caps and get your blood pressure up with the Restaurant Manager, Maitre'D or whatever they're called now, you just go right ahead.

[Retired-N-Happy]

30 minutes ago, mtnesterz said:

I was quoting the guidelines and said exactly that. I was surprised this April how many were in dressed up. I didn't bring jacket or tie, but I was surprised.

I not only used the word recommendations, I italicized it.

I don't want a new cruiser, assuming new here, and her son to be advised one way, then have a bad first experience. Wouldn't phase you or I as retirees. New cruiser and 24? Maybe it would. I don't want that for either of them. 

If you, a veteran Princess cruiser, want to argue and rant about shorts or ball caps and get your blood pressure up with the Restaurant Manager, Maitre'D or whatever they're called now, you just go right ahead.

I'm not going to rant at all unless some Maitre'D attempts to not let me into a venue because of how I'm dressed.  Had no problems on any of our previous Princess cruises which were all post shutdown.  It's not like we're cruising on Cunard and their stuffy requirements.

[Over from NZ]

It's real simple. The dress rules in the MDR are the same formal night as any other night. Shorts will be fine. That said.. he'll no-doubt have a pair of jeans in his luggage in case it gets cold.. and if for some strange reason, you happen to board the only ship in the fleet turning the clock back 2 or 3 years and demanding long pants be worn (totally the opposite of what's been reported all the time).. then he could go put his jeans on. Next. 

[IndyKid]

Several years ago I was part of an extended family trip on Royal Caribbean. It was my very-first cruise ever. My sister-in-law, who had previously cruised, insisted we had to bring formal wear for the 2 formal nights in the MDR. I threw a HUGE fit, as it's vacation and NOT a business trip. But I finally gave in and brought a suit & tie. The first of the formal nights there was a gut dressed like a beach bum. And of course nothing was said to him. From then on I swore I will NEVER bring anything more than a pair of khakis and a polo shirt for formal nights. 

[IndyKid]

9 hours ago, Oxo said:

Wear what you want. If they turn you back or question your dress at the MDR, then go and change. That's the bottom line. 

Doubtful that they would even say anything. You could go dressed like Tim Curry in Rocky Horror Picture Show and nothing would be said...

[dog]

I have seen a man turned away on Sapphire out of Southampton Uk.

He got a loaner  jacket from maitre’d to carry on his arm to get entry to MDR on formal night.

 

another man got in wearing a woolen skirt & vest. Rumours about what was or wasn’t under it was the talk all evening!

Edited October 13 by dog

[rcmaheather]

15 hours ago, mtnesterz said:

Have to know the itinerary for sure, but generally, the first formal night is on the first full sea day. Never the first night because people haven't received their luggage. The last is usually the second to last night.

I wasn't the poster, but am also trying to predict this for our upcoming cruise.

 

My guesses, and where I'm not at all sure:

1. Embarkation day - no

2. Princess Cays 9a-4p - no

3. Sea day - yes

4. Jamaica 8a-4p - no

5. Grand Cayman 7a-4p - ??

6. Cozumel 10a-7p - ??

7. Sea day/final night - no

8 Back to reality 😭

 

It's days 5&6 I'm hedging on... I would have guessed day 6, except that's the latest port departure. I was first assuming day 7, but based on multiple threads, sounds universal that they don't do it on the last night.

 

Obviously not a huge deal to find out onboard, but we're looking forward to getting a little more dressed up than usual and doing the MDR those two nights, and planning SD two nights (Day 1 and TBD...). And planning is my happy place!