Change in Dress Code - calling Rotterdam

[marco]

Jeanne S, I'm sure if you use your own discretion, you'll be fine. I have seen some "cocktail dresses" that would be appropriate for a "formal" evening, and some more appropriate for an "informal" evening. By the same token, I have seen some floor length dresses that are more appropriate for "informal", than "formal" just because they are long, does not necessarily mean they are dressier. I'm sure you will look stunning in whatever you choose. We are looking forward to a July trans-At sailing.

[Ken_W]

Just wondering if anyone else got a chuckle from some of the heritage plaques around the ship, specifically the ones located (I think) behind Illuminations that have historical quotes about dressing for dinner. It seems in the 20's and 30's the debate raged just as it does today, only in reverse.

There's a quote from an etiqueteer, such as Emily Post or someone like that, from the 1920's, staing that no lady would wear a ballgown on a ship, that instead she wears what's called the "little dinner dress", which isn't a reference to its size but to it's scale. That would be the dress the lady of the house would wear, say, on a Wednesday night, at home, with the family and perhaps a friend or two present. Another quote gets quite livid about gentlemen wearing white tie on a ship, that it only proves they have nowhere else to wear it. Especially true today, I suppose, unless one is an orchestra conductor.

I also notice several gentlemen in tuxes on the 4th night of the crossing (listed as informal), perhaps as a genteel protest - or else they didn't read the ship's dailys. [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]