Change to Dress Codes

[Kenmo1]

QB - I accept that you can dress up or down on any cruise line but I wouldn't want to stand out like a sore thumb by being either overdressed or underdressed - perhaps that is my problem but I prefer to blend in.

Maureen

[Dancing Queen]

Well Bob you were the one that said you didn't understand what I meant by 'don't want it' so to clarify what I don't want is the Ocean Village type of cruising, I along with many others pay a huge amount of money to enjoy a certain ambience which does not include the shorts/t-shirt and flip flop brigade .. apologies if that upsets you but I have been on such cruises and yes it does alter the whole atmosphere

I also said 'unfortunately not everyone interprets casual in the same way' ( as stated above ) I have no problem with anyone wearing smart casual I happen to have some very nice casual wear as does my husband and as no doubt you do, what I don't find acceptable is a female wearing leggings and a rugby shirt ( yes perfectly true she was sat at my table !! ) sorry if that offends you and I'm quite aware that everyone has the choice to dress as they please it just isn't my idea of 'acceptable'

[Mervyn and Trish]

On Britannia they only have the two dress codes. On the Maiden, there were four black tie nights, as there have been for a 14 night cruise on the ships with the three tier code, and adherence was high. The connection between cruising and dressing for dinner, QB, goes back to their history where everyone dressed for dinner every night and they choose to continue the tradition, on a lesser scale, which I and many others enjoy. It is part of what makes P&O what it is. There is of course no such tradition on the other Johnny-come-lately cruise lines which offer a more casual style for those who prefer it.

I don't mourn the passing of the middle dress code, which I always found confusing, and am happy with the simpler code, but was happy to wear a jacket on smart casual nights, as and when it suited me. Generally on the Britannia Maiden smart casual was also interpreted well, with only a very few people wearing their gardening clothes! But the day P&O drop the posh nights is the day I'll take myself elsewhere, though I don't see it being any day soon.

[Manoverboard]

luckily there are enough different cruise lines to suit every taste.

Maureen

So why do those who don't like dressing up for dinner go on cruises which have a more formal dress code, and then moan about it? I expect I would get short shrift if I went on NCL or Ocean Village, for example, and then complained there were no formal nights.

We don't mind dressing up at all, quite enjoy it if truth be told, but are reluctant to do so for a Spag Bol evening meal or just for the sake of it ... regardless of the Cruise Line.

As always ... itineraries are for us the driving force rather than dress codes.

[Dark Knight]

2 dress codes makes more sense than having a 3rd which is not one thing or the other
Everyone booking a cruise knows what dress code is expected, so why moan about it?
if you don't want to dress up then either pick a casual cruise line with no dress code or eat in the buffet and accept the prevailing dress code and the venue restrictions that go with it

[barr0ld]

To throw my four penn'orth in (inflation strikes again), I normally wear jeans and tee shirts unless I'm at work.

But I like to dress up occasionally, and formal nights are a big part of cruising for me. If others don't want to dress up, that's fine, but as P&O have a dress code for formal nights, I think it should be enforced, at least in the MDRs.

One formal night was spoiled for me by a guy at our table who was wearing a black shirt, lace tie, black trousers, and cowboy boots! His wife was clearly embarrassed, as she kept apologising, whilst he just countered with "nobody's going to tell me what I can and can't wear when I'm paying.

As far as I'm concerned, somebody should have done exactly that; the maître should have refused him entry to the restaurant.

That said, I won't bemoan the passing of "jacket required" nights, even if it means I'll never wear the sports jacket that I bought for Aurora. I only ever wear it on board.

[Quizzical Bob]

Well Bob you were the one that said you didn't understand what I meant by 'don't want it' so to clarify what I don't want is the Ocean Village type of cruising, I along with many others pay a huge amount of money to enjoy a certain ambience which does not include the shorts/t-shirt and flip flop brigade .. apologies if that upsets you but I have been on such cruises and yes it does alter the whole atmosphere

I also said 'unfortunately not everyone interprets casual in the same way' ( as stated above ) I have no problem with anyone wearing smart casual I happen to have some very nice casual wear as does my husband and as no doubt you do, what I don't find acceptable is a female wearing leggings and a rugby shirt ( yes perfectly true she was sat at my table !! ) sorry if that offends you and I'm quite aware that everyone has the choice to dress as they please it just isn't my idea of 'acceptable'

DQ, thanks for clarifying your viewpoint. I have to say that after a year of cruising on 8 different P&O ships I have never come across the shorts/T-shirt/flip-flops that you describe. Like you, I would not expect to see a branded sports shirt for an evening meal but I would not be bothered by it.

[lioness]

Hee hee, my husband wouldn't be seen dead without a jacket, so he will wear one, albeit without a tie on casual nights. I think it's a shame. I rather enjoyed the "informal nights" wearing a nice dress and other half in a blazer. But so be it.

[Gill W]

Hoorah, it's about time the jacket required nights have been abolished.

Much better to let the chaps wear a jacket if they feel like it, rather than have it as a requirement, especially on longer cruises.

We had a 24 night cruise on Azura when she had the three codes, and there were about 10-11 jacket required nights, which was a lot of evenings.

[david63]

The "semi formal" dress code became diluted when it morphed into "jacket required" - which was/is neither one thing nor the other. To me the jacket required code is little different than smart casual.

[Onelife]

In my experience whenever dress codes are relaxed/ left open to interpretation it inevitably leads to falling standards. Perhaps the tide has changed but for me formal and smart-casual evenings are an essential part of my cruise experience. If for any reason l can't enjoy this tradition l will jack cruising in and spend more time at my tin can in Wales.

[Dennis The Menace]

I'm personally a little disappointed but, as others have said, we can still chose to wear semi-formal/jacket and tie etc when we want to and we will do exactly that.

But I think the main concern of the traditionalists (for want of a better phrase) is that the more casual the specified dress code is - and the more often it applies - then the more often/likely it will descend to the level DQ describes above ( as we also witnessed on Ventura).

Shame - I thought splitting the fleet equally (ish) so that some ships had the more casual 2 dress code system, and the rest having the more traditional 3 dress code system, worked well and kept everyone happy.

[Dennis The Menace]

In my experience whenever dress codes are relaxed/ left open to interpretation it inevitably leads to falling standards. Perhaps the tide has changed but for me formal and smart-casual evenings are an essential part of my cruise experience. If for any reason l can't enjoy this tradition l will jack cruising in and spend more time at my tin can in Wales.

Sorry Keefy, your post wasn't there when I started typing and we seem to have made the same point Great minds etc

D

P.s. I thought your tin can floated off down the Bristol Channel a good few floods back

[Onelife]

In my experience whenever dress codes are relaxed/ left open to interpretation it inevitably leads to falling standards. Perhaps the tide has changed but for me formal and smart-casual evenings are an essential part of my cruise experience. If for any reason l can't enjoy this tradition l will jack cruising in and spend more time at my tin can in Wales.

Sorry Keefy, your post wasn't there when I started typing and we seem to have made the same point Great minds etc

D

P.s. I thought your tin can floated off down the Bristol Channel a good few floods back

Hi Menace

The way its been blowing today it may well be sited in Aberdovey by tomorrow....l'll let you know when l get back

Regards

Keith

[Ginny-T]

I've never really understond the 'middle' dress code. I know exactly where I am with formal, and I interpret smart casual as more smart than casual, but 'jacket required' says precisely what is required of the men, but what about us girlies?

[Gill W]

but what about us girlies?

I think it's a lot easier for us, as our dresses are more interchangeable.

I've worn dresses that I bought for 'jacket required nights' on formal nights and on casual nights, and dresses that I bought for formal nights have been worn on 'jacket required nights'. Likewise, dresses that I bought for casual nights have been worn on 'jacket required nights'. Although I haven't worn casual dresses on formal nights.

I don't think anyone would dare challenge a woman on her interpretation of the dress code ( as long as she wasn't in beach attire in the evening).

That's why I'm pleased to see the back of the jacket required code as it'll give the gents more freedom choose how they want to dress, and still enjoy the whole ship, and not be confined to the buffet.

[Ginny-T]

I too will be glad to see the back of it, for the reasons given previously.

Now, I still have to sort out five middling codes for our cruise in July! No doubt I'll do my usual smart casual, emphasis on the smart

[CaroleF]

My husband sometimes wears a jacket on casual nights. On our recent Oceana cruise I was surprised to see how many men opted to wear a jacket on some casual nights - not a vast majority or anything - but enough to make John feel he wasn't the odd one out - not that he'd have cared if he was. Even Cunard have done away with their tie requirement although I believe men have to wear a jacket every evening on Cunard.

Hopefully things will settle down now and it will be accepted that there are two dress codes on P&O - Formal with Black Tie or Lounge Suit and Casual which does not mean blue denim jeans with holes in! I did see one man on Oceana who looked as though he'd got his work jeans on with the low-slung builder's waist if you know what I mean but most men were dressed according to the dress code.

[colwill]

For my beloved's sake, I'm delighted to see the back of jackets on most evenings. The problem, for him anyway, is the level of heating on board being set for the ladies who are (mostly) wearing very little, while he gently steams.

Anyone squabbling over the central heating thermostat at home will know that men feel the heat...

[Mervyn and Trish]

....... for the ladies who are (mostly) wearing very little...

How did I not spot them?

Should have gone to Specsavers.

[sadgit2]

What a lot of fuss about dress codes , I personally like to don the dinner jacket from time to time and their have been nights when i could not be bothered but not a problem i just go to the buffet for dinner that way everyone is happy ,of course you always come across the people who dig their heals in with the words "nobody tells me what to wear " I for one will make the effort and don the DJ , i have plenty of casual dinners at home.

[Dancing Queen]

....... for the ladies who are (mostly) wearing very little...

How did I not spot them?

Should have gone to Specsavers.

Ahhh you obviously only have eyes for the lovely Trish Merv

[Mervyn and Trish]

...... you always come across the people who dig their heals in with the words "nobody tells me what to wear " .......

And no-one forces them to book the cruise lines which have formal dress codes. That's the bit I don't understand. Why spend all that money on something you know you won't enjoy? I wouldn't book a casual line then moan about it and insist on being the only one to wear a dinner jacket.

[Quizzical Bob]

...... you always come across the people who dig their heals in with the words "nobody tells me what to wear " .......

And no-one forces them to book the cruise lines which have formal dress codes. That's the bit I don't understand. Why spend all that money on something you know you won't enjoy? I wouldn't book a casual line then moan about it and insist on being the only one to wear a dinner jacket.

Oh for goodness sake, not again! You can enjoy everything about a cruise apart from the formal nights, one of the big drawbacks is all the pretentious dressing up. Everything else about the cruise is fine. I know perfectly well what the dress code is: I just don't happen to like it. Despite what some people maintain there is not a great choice of 'other' cruise lines.

For those that like dressing up, fine, no problems, you can dress up all you like.
For those who prefer a more relaxed experience there is not the same option.

And for those who say 'go to the buffet', why should anyone miss out on their sit-down waiter-served dinner? The food won't taste any different and the evening's experience will be exactly the same no matter what anyone is wearing. And on Arcadia it is not possible to do the syndicate quiz in casual gear on formal nights.

[Mervyn and Trish]

...... you always come across the people who dig their heals in with the words "nobody tells me what to wear " .......

And no-one forces them to book the cruise lines which have formal dress codes. That's the bit I don't understand. Why spend all that money on something you know you won't enjoy? I wouldn't book a casual line then moan about it and insist on being the only one to wear a dinner jacket.

Oh for goodness sake, not again! You can enjoy everything about a cruise apart from the formal nights, one of the big drawbacks is all the pretentious dressing up. Everything else about the cruise is fine. I know perfectly well what the dress code is: I just don't happen to like it. Despite what some people maintain there is not a great choice of 'other' cruise lines.

For those that like dressing up, fine, no problems, you can dress up all you like.
For those who prefer a more relaxed experience there is not the same option.

And for those who say 'go to the buffet', why should anyone miss out on their sit-down waiter-served dinner? The food won't taste any different and the evening's experience will be exactly the same no matter what anyone is wearing. And on Arcadia it is not possible to do the syndicate quiz in casual gear on formal nights.

I accept we will never agree on this QB but I have the same right to my opinion as you do. Cruises are not pick and mix. They are a complete package which you can choose to buy or not. Of course you can opt out of parts if you want to. But you have no right to spoil it for those who have chosen it because they want the whole deal. If they have booked a cruise with the promise of formal nights it is entirely reasonable to expect to spend those nights with like minded people and not have to put up with others turning up in casual wear. It is not unreasonable to expect those preferring a casual experience to use the casual dining options on those nights. And you may not get it but for many of us who do enjoy the formality of the black tie nights it does spoil it if others are in polo shirts. It is not just about the food.