If YOU made the rules, how would we dress?

[PescadoAmarillo]

There is so much debate on this board about dress, especially for formal nights. And that's great (it's what these boards are all about). But I often wonder how many who dress appropriately formally on formal nights do so because they really want to, and how many do so because they're complying with the stated dress code (not that there's anything wrong with that)? And how many might choose to dress more formally on every night of a cruise?

 

(And just for the record, we are a couple who adher to the stated rules, right down to patent leather shoes...for both of us!)

[Druke I]

Traditionalist here. I like the current dress codes - but I would like to see fleet-wide enforcement of the codes.

 

That said, I have travelled on Oceania, where the dress code calls for "country club casual" every night. That certainly simplifies the packing.

[Shogun]

Hi There,

 

On a short cruise we do not go to the formal nights just to much hassle, to pack everything, like wise if its a last minute cheap cruise we would not bother. On longer cruises with four formal nights then we would pack everything. Now as I wear a kilt there is a fair bit of weight to pack.

 

yours Shogun

[prophotogirl]

... who dress appropriately formally on formal nights do so because they really want to ...

That would be me. :)

[BonnieSte]

That would be me. :)

 

 

Me too!

[woodofpine]

I've never quite figured this formal night makes packing "complicated" business. Throw a set of formal wear into the suit case (done). What's the big deal? It's easier than counting socks and underware.

 

Now if I was in charge you'd might have cause to work on your packing! There'd be the traditional formal nights, but one would be drag! One of the casual nights would be drag too! Rule enforced.

 

Plus there would be a mandatory, rule enforced, "Dress in a gorrilla outfit night!" too.

 

Believe me! The line would be able to lower fares too for the amount of money they'd make from photo sales!

 

 

I'm Ted Haggard and I approve this message.

[DetectiveMom]

 

 

I'm Ted Haggard and I approve this message.

 

 

Oh lordy! :eek: :D

[dchip]

Our first 2 cruises on Princess 10 years ago were the best as far as dress was concerned for ME.

 

On a 10 day cruise there were 2 formal nights, 2 semi formal nights, and 6 casual nights. Loved this assortment of choices.

 

People followed the guidelines much more than you see today. Formal was formal (tux and long dress) It was so much fun. Semi formal gave you a chance to wear all those really fancy short dresses in your closet. Casual was just that but still no shorts. Jeans were okay.

 

As far as jeans go.....if a gentleman had on black jeans and a nice shirt, how the heck do you know the pants are jeans unless you go and feel the material ;-)) I was wondering about this on our last cruise. Who can tell?? I couldn't and I looked just because of all these threads ;-))

 

Cheers, Denise....PS, I still wear a long dress on formal nights. Love it ;-))

[dchip]

Sorry Double Post....First time for everything ;-))

[japester]

But I often wonder how many who dress appropriately formally on formal nights do so because they really want to

 

Me, too!

 

I still see cruising as a throwback to a more romantic, elegant time. I know the cruise lines are trying to cater to a Motel 6 On The High Seas crowd, who want all the magic and ambience on formal night of....well, a night at the Olive Garden (:rolleyes:), but I liken it to a gala ball or an event (opening night of a play, fundraiser, etc). People have so many dining choices onboard nowadays that the complaint about "I want to relax, I don't want to pack" doesn't hold water. Heck, the buffet is very relaxing. :D

 

Formal night is everybody demonstrating that a cruise is still special. For however long that lasts.......

 

Jape

[mortysmama]

I like dressing for formal nites. I also probably overdress for "smart casual" but I do it because I like to. As another poster said..."where else would I get a chance to wear all those lovely dressy dresses that otherwise hang in my closet"? It's all part of the special feeling of cruising.

[Giorgi-one]

Me, too!

 

I still see cruising as a throwback to a more romantic, elegant time. I know the cruise lines are trying to cater to a Motel 6 On The High Seas crowd, who want all the magic and ambience on formal night of....well, a night at the Olive Garden (:rolleyes:), but I liken it to a gala ball or an event (opening night of a play, fundraiser, etc). People have so many dining choices onboard nowadays that the complaint about "I want to relax, I don't want to pack" doesn't hold water. Heck, the buffet is very relaxing. :D

 

Formal night is everybody demonstrating that a cruise is still special. For however long that lasts.......

 

Jape

 

Totally agree! Also like the idea of a few semiformal nights with sport coats.

[Debi_D]

Love the dress up part, so does the hubby...Formal nights are fun and elegant and I will keep on enjoying them....

[Giorgi-one]

Traditionalist here. I like the current dress codes - but I would like to see fleet-wide enforcement of the codes.

 

That said, I have travelled on Oceania, where the dress code calls for "country club casual" every night. That certainly simplifies the packing.

 

Not criticizing you and I could be wrong but "country club casual" does not mean wrinkled khakis and a banlon shirt. On informal nights, about half the people on a cruise ship are dressed like they are going out to mow their lawns. Looks like they spent their last dime on the cruise and haven't bought any new clothes in about 10 years. And some of the gaudy plaid and striped sport coats on formal night are horrendous - so old they probably have "made in USA labels". This is not a matter of taste - just no pride in how they dress. Flame on!

[billisd]

DH and i adhere to the dress codes -- as a previous poster said -- down to the patent shoes. However, if I had my druthers, we could do away with the formal nights. It is our choice, though, which lines to sail -- if we choose a line that has formal nights, we will abide by the suggested dress.

 

In all honesty, I don't even care which way the lines go, I just wish they would enforce whatever rules they set. It is rather a downer to have gone to the trouble to lug the formal duds and dress up only to find others blatently disregarding the suggested dress.

[miclane001]

I'm one of those who does formal because it is the dress code, but I could live without the hassle.

[augie]

We always dress up for formal nights. I rent a tux from the cruiseline, which says luggage space and allows for variations in my size without having to buy/alter my own formal wear.

 

I rarely dress to that level when I'm not on a cruise, and if gives my wife and I a chance to pose for some formal pictures, and if we like them, buy some.

 

I have never let what anyone else in the dining room wears upset or insult me. However, I do believe that it feels more "special" when almost everyone is dressed up.

 

People on a cruise are as varied a group as you are likely to find anywhere. Some of us like to dress up because it's a rare event. Some because they enjoy the elegance of doing so.

 

Some will dress to what they perceive to be the minimum standard (re: the post above about some of the "hideous" sport coats worn on formal nights), and some will wear whatever they please.

 

Maybe I'd like to see an arrangement where one dining room rigidly enforced the dress code, but there would be an alternative dining room where you could choose from the same menu, but dress less formally.

 

That way the folks that really wanted to experience the elegance of a true formal night could do so, and those that just wanted to be able to eat the dining room meals would not need to test the limits of the formal dress code in order to be able to do so.

[MaryPoppinz]

I would do a smart casual that is a lot less casual and a lot more smart. In fact, I would eliminate the word casual altogether and say "Dress smartly." Ideally, that would imply somewhat updated, stylish and clean.

[Pusniski]

Ok, we need a new hybrid answer. I hate packing so many different outfits. I know you don't like to hear that but its true. I absolutely like cruising. Right now we have day time shorts and t-shirts then we have smart casual for dinner then there is formal wear. My DH wears size 15 shoes and having to take sandals, formal wear shoes, smart casual shoes and sneakers for walking while in port takes up most of one very large suitcase. Please don't knock those that want to pack lighter. I'm trying to prevent further backaches from all the luggage carrying. LOL! I don't see any other way to lighten the load but to ship things and that's a PITA too.

 

I'd like to see more casual but not ratty casual stuff. Does that make any sense? I mean nice shirts with khaki shorts to dinner and still have formal night. :D That kind of more casual attire would do double duty - not overly dressy for on deck and okay to wear to dinner. It's about a step below the khaki pants rule that I see right now in the dining room although I saw quite a bit of jeans this past cruise. :eek: :p I'm ALL FOR formal night and would like to keep it. Kinda of strange, but packing the formal gear doesn't bother me as much. It's the shoes....the dang blasted bear feet shoes.

[Pusniski]

Ok, we need a new hybrid answer. I hate packing so many different outfits. I know you don't like to hear that but its true. I absolutely like cruising. Right now we have day time shorts and t-shirts then we have smart casual for dinner then there is formal wear. My DH wears size 15 shoes and having to take sandals, formal wear shoes, smart casual shoes and sneakers for walking while in port takes up most of one very large suitcase. Please don't knock those that want to pack lighter. I'm trying to prevent further backaches from all the luggage carrying. LOL! I don't see any other way to lighten the load but to ship things and that's a PITA too.

 

I'd like to see more casual but not ratty casual stuff. Does that make any sense? I mean nice shirts with khaki shorts to dinner and still have formal night. :D That kind of more casual attire would do double duty - not overly dressy for on deck and okay to wear to dinner. It's about a step below the khaki pants rule that I see right now in the dining room although I saw quite a bit of jeans this past cruise. :eek: :p I'm ALL FOR formal night and would like to keep it. Kinda of strange, but packing the formal gear doesn't bother me as much. It's the shoes....the dang blasted bear feet shoes.

[Pusniski]

Ok, we need a new hybrid answer. I hate packing so many different outfits. I know you don't like to hear that but its true. I absolutely like cruising. Right now we have day time shorts and t-shirts then we have smart casual for dinner then there is formal wear. My DH wears size 15 shoes and having to take sandals, formal wear shoes, smart casual shoes and sneakers for walking while in port takes up most of one very large suitcase. Please don't knock those that want to pack lighter. I'm trying to prevent further backaches from all the luggage carrying. LOL! I don't see any other way to lighten the load but to ship things and that's a PITA too.

 

I'd like to see more casual but not ratty casual stuff. Does that make any sense? I mean nice shirts with khaki shorts to dinner and still have formal night. :D That kind of more casual attire would do double duty - not overly dressy for on deck and okay to wear to dinner. It's about a step below the khaki pants rule that I see right now in the dining room although I saw quite a bit of jeans this past cruise. :eek: :p I'm ALL FOR formal night and would like to keep it. Kinda of strange, but packing the formal gear doesn't bother me as much. It's the shoes....the dang blasted bear feet shoes.

[Buddy604]

Maybe I'd like to see an arrangement where one dining room rigidly enforced the dress code, but there would be an alternative dining room where you could choose from the same menu, but dress less formally.

I truly like that idea!

 

As you can probably tell from my avatar, I used to enjoy dressing up a bit, but the luggage issue was getting out of hand. Besides, I'd show up nicely turned out in a white dinner jacket and people would mistake me for the head waiter. And, truthfully, no one today seems to understand the propriety of the formal collar - i.e. you are never supposed to wear black tie with a wing collar, yet it seems that everyone does nowdays. It's one of my pet peeves and when I show up on a formal night and see a sea of guys dressed like they're sylistically challenged 16 year olds heading for the jr. prom, it doesn't harken me back to the romantic days of cruise travel. It just looks like a mob of guys in rented tuxes. :D

 

Now, I wear a sports coat (non-plaid!) and tie, and let it all go.

[bubbadog]

id just keep it like it is,you have a choices,that way everyone can decide for themselves:));)

[UTAH]

Hmmm... I'll suggest that sometimes it's best to follow one's own way but not expect others to do the same - particularly when it hurts no one.

 

My wife and I dress up for formal night(s) and enjoy doing so. But, we do it for ourselves and as a presentation for our friends. If others are not dressed up - it takes nothing away from us. Our dinner in the main dining room will be the same regardless of whether or not the people around us are in jeans or not. No harm no foul.

 

Bill

[Bucky3]

I voted for leaving it as it is now. However, I would love to see formal nights with reservations made ahead of time for one or more of the dining rooms, depending on how many made this choice. Would like to see the same food (lobster) served no matter the dining venue. And, I don't think with the HUGE number of people now able to sail on one ship you could ever enforce the "stay dressed all evening" rule some cruisers are so adament about. We personally dress according to the rules but modifying them somewhat would be just fine with us! I guess we are one of those couples that dress to follow the rules, not necessarily because we agree or like them!! Love cruising anywhere, anytime, any ship! But now I HAVE to have my balcony cabin!