If we could settle one issue forever...

[Shipkicker]

[quote name='rferr']I'm for eliminating format nights.[/QUOTE][size=3][font=Times New Roman]I’m for keeping things the way they are. Princess suggests passengers wear formal attire at certain times but does not make it a requirement. A vast number of passengers obviously enjoy formal nights and this policy allows for that as well as us non-formal passengers.[/font][/size]

[rferr]

Most cruises are mass market cheap vacations and they should stop pretending to be anything else. I guess there still some "elegant" cruise lines but the mass market ones aren't. Not to say that they are not nice and that I don't like them but it is too much pretense for what it actually is. Most passengers don't own tuxedos and don't rent them unless they are in a wedding if then. I pay four times as much for a land based all inculsive and they don't have formal nights at exclusive resorts. Not to mention the absurdity of being in the tropics (where we cruise) wearing a tuxedo of all things. I have been on seven cruises or so and I have yet to be on one where even 30 percent of the people were in formal attire on formal night. In my experience they are the ones out of place now, even on formal nights.

[DoniaG]

[b]Hey, Steve, did it ever occur to you when you started this thread that it would turn into yet another formalwear debate? There were some great choices on your poll. Maybe we could move on to a discussion of Guarantee vs. Assigned Cabin - ya think? Donia [/b]

[LARGIN]

[quote name='rferr']Most cruises are mass market cheap vacations and they should stop pretending to be anything else. I guess there still some "elegant" cruise lines but the mass market ones aren't. Not to say that they are not nice and that I don't like them but it is too much pretense for what it actually is. Most passengers don't own tuxedos and don't rent them unless they are in a wedding if then. I pay four times as much for a land based all inculsive and they don't have formal nights at exclusive resorts. Not to mention the absurdity of being in the tropics (where we cruise) wearing a tuxedo of all things. I have been on seven cruises or so and I have yet to be on one where even 30 percent of the people were in formal attire on formal night. In my experience they are the ones out of place now, even on formal nights.[/QUOTE]
[color=darkred]I disagree that most cruises are mass market cheap vacations.. Since you have never been on one that has more than 30% dressing up for formal nights, perhaps you should try Princess. You do not need a tuxedo as a nice dark suit will do and in the tropics, a nice white dinner jacket is quiet spiffy. As for the all inclusives, you are correct.. No formal nights.. Reason because there are on some island, hot all day and night, where bathing suits and light clothing are the norm and and are the suggested attire. As for 4x the price for a land based all exclusive... Try clubmed or sandles.. they are a whole lot cheaper.. [/color]

[rferr]

I have been on Princess, on the Grand Princess last July and I would say on that cruise that MAYBE 50 percent were and 50 Percent were not in formal attire OR suits. As for Clubmed and Sandals, they aren't cheaper than what I pay for an average cruise.

[coiran]

Steve - you sure opened up a giant can of worms here.

On the 13 Princess cruises we have been on - most of them in the tropics - the attire for men that I hve observed is:

30% tux

60% dark suits

10% sport jackets

I have never seen anyone in the dining rooms with casual attire.

Ron

[rferr]

We saw everything including shorts last July on the Grand Princess.

[LARGIN]

[quote name='coiran']Steve - you sure opened up a giant can of worms here.

On the 13 Princess cruises we have been on - most of them in the tropics - the attire for men that I hve observed is:

30% tux

60% dark suits

10% sport jackets

I have never seen anyone in the dining rooms with casual attire.

Ron[/QUOTE]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS]I tend to go on longer cruises so the percentage is a bit higher on tux's. I have never seen anyone in shorts in the dining room in the evening. If on the formal night I did, it would have been brought to the attention of the maitre d'.[/font][/b]

[cynbar]

I thought the point here was to discuss whether the cruise lines should enforce whatever dress code they decide on --- NOT to debate the merits of observing formal nights?? If Princess would consistently turn away casually dressed passengers from the DRs on formal night, most of us formal lovers would be quite satisfied -- then the casual dressers would know what to expect, and could either eat at the Horizon Court or in the cabins. And all of us could choose our cruise line with this in mind --- just a thought!

[LARGIN]

[quote name='cynbar']I thought the point here was to discuss whether the cruise lines should enforce whatever dress code they decide on --- NOT to debate the merits of observing formal nights?? If Princess would consistently turn away casually dressed passengers from the DRs on formal night, most of us formal lovers would be quite satisfied -- then the casual dressers would know what to expect, and could either eat at the Horizon Court or in the cabins. And all of us could choose our cruise line with this in mind --- just a thought![/QUOTE]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=darkred]You are correct.. I plan to discuss this issue next week with maitre d' friend when I am on the Coral. [/color][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=darkred]Nuff said.. I am gonna wander to the store and buy my lotto ticket. Tonights draw is $100 million..[/color][/font][/b] :D

[sue d. miller]

UGH. Would I love to win that. I would have enough to charter ALL the Princess ships for ALL the CC gang!! :)

[LARGIN]

[b]Sue.. I have different thoughts.. One Princess ship for my special friends.. :D :D :D [/b]

[Shipkicker]

[color=black]It just amazing! “..should enforce whatever dress code they decide on…” Princess has decided, and they made that decision a long time ago. Formal attire is not required. It’s as simple as that. The current policy not requiring formal attire is being enforced. If Princess did turn away a “casually dressed” passenger, they would be violating their own policy. [/color]

[color=black]Before someone writes about the shorts prohibition, let me say, yes I understand the prohibition on shorts, jeans (although Princess conflicts themselves), etc. I have never indicated that anyone should be allowed into the dining room on formal night wearing shorts, tank top, torn jeans, thong, bathing suits, bra and panties or their birthday suit, etc., etc. That would be in violation of the cruise lines policy. [/color]

[color=black]“…either eat at the [/color][color=black]Horizon Court[/color][color=black] or in the cabins.” Kind of reminds me of when some of us had to sit in the back of the bus and use separate bathrooms (dining rooms).[/color]

[Fab]

Hi All,

This is another thread that will go on and on with no resolve. It has been done before and I am sure we will see this again in another thread.

I am therfore giving you the choice...sort of like Host for a Day.
1) Either we shut it down - Close it so no new replies can be added
2) Remove it altogether
3) Move on to a new topic - formal night is settled

I will check back on Sunday morning and tally up the votes.

Please do not ask for any other option other then the above ones. they are the choices.

Fab

[coiran]

Shut It Down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DoniaG]

Make that another vote for shutting it down.

I went away and thought about this a minute and came back to say thank you for the way you're handling this, Host Fab.:)

[srphnx]

[b][color=red]As the OP, I feel there were many non-argumentative replies to the post before it got hijacked. [/color][/b]
[b][color=red][/color][/b]
[b][color=red]I don't feel it should be tossed because it offers much prior to that point. Locking it it fine with me, asking those who ignored reqests to cease arguing wasn't effective at the voluntary level. Perhaps a more direct approach would be.[/color][/b]

[b][color=red]This thread was fun and pleasent until that point. I don't want to throw out the baby with the bath water.[/color][/b]

[coiran]

Steve - your OP was "Formal means Formal" - I think this is where the thread got sidetracked - please explain what "formal means formal" means. (is that an oxymoron?)

[Shipkicker]

[quote name='coiran']Steve - your OP was "Formal means Formal" - I think this is where the thread got sidetracked - please explain what "formal means formal" means. (is that an oxymoron?)[/QUOTE][font=Times New Roman][size=3]Corian, I agree! [font=Times New Roman]I’m a bit surprised and extremely pleased that one of the hosts decided to approach this irresolvable issue in the matter that the host did. Good job host! I vote to shut it down, not delete it, just shut it down.[/font][/size]
[/font]

[sue d. miller]

Close it. Don't delete it, please!! Thank you for the choice!! :)

[Shipkicker]

[quote name='LARGIN'][b]Sue.. I have different thoughts.. One Princess ship for my special friends.. :D :D :D [/b][/QUOTE][font='Times New Roman']Does that mean I will be denied boarding?[/font]

[sue d. miller]

Never Ship!! And you can sit at my table!! :D That is if I get to go!! :eek:

[LARGIN]

[b][color=red]No sue.. You are on the "A" list. It will be an all formal cruise. :D [/color][/b]
[b][color=#ff0000][/color][/b]
[b][color=#ff0000]I vote to shut this thread down.[/color][/b]

[srphnx]

[quote name='coiran']Steve - your OP was "Formal means Formal" - I think this is where the thread got sidetracked - please explain what "formal means formal" means. (is that an oxymoron?)[/QUOTE][b][color=black]Actually the original post had several options and asked what you would like to see resolved, "formal means formal?" note the question mark. I didn't state an opinion or ask anyone else to. I don't believe it got sidetracked until much later when some posters could not contain there zealousness, and no it wasn't only one. [/color][/b]

[b][color=black]I was showing several of the more common debates, hoping to get a concensus on what should be done and over with so we could [color=red]AVOID[/color] the bickering.[/color][/b]

[b][color=black]Then after the bickeriing started anyway I asked repeatedly that it be stopped, to no avail. [/color][/b]

[b][color=black]If it is not too late I would love to add to my vote to lock it... and to [i][u]remove the bickering posts[/u][/i], I feel some people just love to see the debate in print, take that away and they lose steam.[/color][/b]

[Shipkicker]

[quote name='LARGIN'][b][color=red]No sue.. You are on the "A" list. It will be an all formal cruise. :D [/color][/b]

[b][color=#ff0000]I vote to shut this thread down.[/color][/b][/QUOTE]Steve, do I get to go?