The era of FORMAL NIGHTS is fading rapidly...

Tom K wrote:


So... as far as the word "suggestion".... guess it all comes down to who's
doing the suggesting.

If it's your wife...or your boss... you going "against" the suggestion?

Wife. . .boss ? That's redundant in my family, Tom.

Nonny


--
---Nonnymus---
No matter how large your boat,
the person you are talking with will
have a close friend with a larger one.
---Observation by my son

On Oct 7, 12:10 pm, Rosalie B. wrote:
What he does
for formal nights now is wear a dark blazer with a shirt and tie and
slacks

This is what I've been noticing as becoming more prevalent on cruises.
I'm seeing fewer tuxes and suits overall and more blazers. After
dinner the blazers disappear and a handful of men remain formal. It's
what I've been tending to do as well, although we've decided to wear
tuxes in a couple of weeks on Crown Princess. But that decision could
have easily gone the other way.

In the dining room I still see quite a few men dressed "formally" on
formal nights but the alternate restaurants and buffet seem to be
getting more crowded with casually clad passengers. Just as Charles
does, I take 3 or 4 cruises a year. So, IMHO, to answer the subject
question, I say yes. Formality on ships seems to be fading rapidly.

Warren

"Lee" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 07 Oct 2007 16:43:34 -0700, Warren
wrote:

In the dining room I still see quite a few men dressed "formally" on
formal nights but the alternate restaurants and buffet seem to be
getting more crowded with casually clad passengers. Just as Charles
does, I take 3 or 4 cruises a year. So, IMHO, to answer the subject
question, I say yes. Formality on ships seems to be fading rapidly.

First, I agree with you and Charles that formality is in rapid
decline.

On the other hand, with regard to your comments about the buffet
being more crowded.

...isn't this a good thing ... for the cruiseline? It's obviously
cheaper to feed the passengers in the buffet than in the dining room.

It probably is... and now that they are moving in that direction, I find
myself having more and more meals in the dining room instead of the buffet.
Biggest advantage is portion control. In a buffet, I tend to want to start
at one end and eat everything in sight. In the dining room, I can order a
pretty big meal and still end up eating less than I would at the buffet.

I also like sitting with friends and talking over a meal... without someone
getting up every few minutes to go get something or other.... and I like
having a meal without assembling it and hauling it around while looking for
a table... then letting it get cold while I go find the coffee or iced tea,
etc.

I must be getting old... or at least, older. vbg


--
George Leppla http://www.CruiseMaster.com

January 20, 2008 - GGC2008 - http://cruisemaster.com/adventure.htm
October 26, 2008 Sleazy 5 http://www.cruisemaster.com/sleazy5.htm

I think formal nights are something the industry looks at as
stereotypical, and prone to make people think cruises are things
they've fought hard to counter. It makes sense they might actually
want to see such things phased out. Yet, despite that, there is a
quality to a much anticipated formal night aboard ship, which many
people, even younger cruisers, enjoy.

I think, in some form, they'll always exist. However, some lines will
do away with them. Others will exile them to the dinning rooms with
additional charges. Others still will see lax enforcement that render
them formal in title only.

NWLB
****************
www.RoyalCaribbeanFan.com
Forums, Blog, Chat, No Ads.

clint wrote:

I'm all for separate clases, I'd pay more not sit with the rifraft(and most
seniors would agree!)

Would that be the money you saved by not tipping? I thought as a
senior you couldn't afford such things?

Nonny, you are a silly broad(and probably senile)
"Nonnymus" wrote in message
...
On a less frivolous note, I think we need to consider exactly what
"formal" means. We need to interpret it in today's mindset and not one of
the 1930's. As mentioned by someone else, "formal" in the 1600's might
include pantaloons, wig and other silliness. I live today and not in the
30's, 60's or even the 90's. I recently bought a $1 DVD that held 4
1950's B/W horror movies. Watching it a few nights ago, I remarked to
Mrs. Nonny that all the men were wearing jackets and ties- even when
driving along a desert road. They also smoked cigarettes and the
professorial types smoked pipes. Times change, and the days of a tux or
even necktie are doomed, thank goodness.

Today, I doubt if you'd find 1% of men wearing a jacket and tie in any
setting other than some offices during working hours. Heck, you seldom
see men wearing jacket and ties in church. When I first taught in a
college setting, I was required to wear a jacket and tie, but by the time
I taught my last class, I was wearing just a shirt and slacks, and was
overdressed by many standards by then. Likewise, I once was required to
wear a suit in the office, then the dress code moved (I didn't say
"dropped") to a jacket and slacks continually, then jacket when moving
about the office or cafeteria, then just a shirt and tie, then informal
Fridays. . . you get the point.

What in the screaming Heck is the purpose of a necktie, anyway?

Just as I don't wear pantaloons and wig, codpiece with bells (after the
neighbors complained) or smoking jacket, I no longer own a tux and refuse
to rent or wear one. If someone else wants to- that's their business and
I both enjoy and respect it. However, II'm not gonna do it anymore, and I
hope that my meager tip of the hat to formal nights (shirt, tie and
jacket) does not offend any good people. However, the test of whether my
attire is appropriate will be determined by the greeter as I enter the
dining room. If I'm turned away, I'll quietly go elsewhere but I'm out of
the "dressing up" business for good.

Nonny
--
---Nonnymus---
No matter how large your boat,
the person you are talking with will
have a close friend with a larger one.
---Observation by my son

There will always be calssy ships for people of means and civility!
"Lee" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 07 Oct 2007 16:43:34 -0700, Warren
wrote:

In the dining room I still see quite a few men dressed "formally" on
formal nights but the alternate restaurants and buffet seem to be
getting more crowded with casually clad passengers. Just as Charles
does, I take 3 or 4 cruises a year. So, IMHO, to answer the subject
question, I say yes. Formality on ships seems to be fading rapidly.

First, I agree with you and Charles that formality is in rapid
decline.

On the other hand, with regard to your comments about the buffet
being more crowded.

...isn't this a good thing ... for the cruiseline? It's obviously
cheaper to feed the passengers in the buffet than in the dining room.

--
- Lee

I can arrord not to sit with blue collar jerks discussing there plumbing
busines!
"Bill" wrote in message
...


clint wrote:

I'm all for separate clases, I'd pay more not sit with the rifraft(and
most
seniors would agree!)

Would that be the money you saved by not tipping? I thought as a
senior you couldn't afford such things?

Oh, but she tells funny stories!

Ermalee

clint wrote:

Nonny, you are a silly broad(and probably senile)


"Nonnymus" wrote in message
...

On a less frivolous note, I think we need to consider exactly what
"formal" means. We need to interpret it in today's mindset and not one of
the 1930's. As mentioned by someone else, "formal" in the 1600's might
include pantaloons, wig and other silliness. I live today and not in the
30's, 60's or even the 90's. I recently bought a $1 DVD that held 4
1950's B/W horror movies. Watching it a few nights ago, I remarked to
Mrs. Nonny that all the men were wearing jackets and ties- even when
driving along a desert road. They also smoked cigarettes and the
professorial types smoked pipes. Times change, and the days of a tux or
even necktie are doomed, thank goodness.

Today, I doubt if you'd find 1% of men wearing a jacket and tie in any
setting other than some offices during working hours. Heck, you seldom
see men wearing jacket and ties in church. When I first taught in a
college setting, I was required to wear a jacket and tie, but by the time
I taught my last class, I was wearing just a shirt and slacks, and was
overdressed by many standards by then. Likewise, I once was required to
wear a suit in the office, then the dress code moved (I didn't say
"dropped") to a jacket and slacks continually, then jacket when moving
about the office or cafeteria, then just a shirt and tie, then informal
Fridays. . . you get the point.

What in the screaming Heck is the purpose of a necktie, anyway?

Just as I don't wear pantaloons and wig, codpiece with bells (after the
neighbors complained) or smoking jacket, I no longer own a tux and refuse
to rent or wear one. If someone else wants to- that's their business and
I both enjoy and respect it. However, II'm not gonna do it anymore, and I
hope that my meager tip of the hat to formal nights (shirt, tie and
jacket) does not offend any good people. However, the test of whether my
attire is appropriate will be determined by the greeter as I enter the
dining room. If I'm turned away, I'll quietly go elsewhere but I'm out of
the "dressing up" business for good.

Nonny
--
---Nonnymus---
No matter how large your boat,
the person you are talking with will
have a close friend with a larger one.
---Observation by my son

NWLB wrote:
I think formal nights are something the industry looks at as
stereotypical, and prone to make people think cruises are things
they've fought hard to counter. It makes sense they might actually
want to see such things phased out. Yet, despite that, there is a
quality to a much anticipated formal night aboard ship, which many
people, even younger cruisers, enjoy.

I think, in some form, they'll always exist. However, some lines will
do away with them. Others will exile them to the dinning rooms with
additional charges. Others still will see lax enforcement that render
them formal in title only.

NWLB
****************
www.RoyalCaribbeanFan.com
Forums, Blog, Chat, No Ads.



Maybe an interesting observation....but I found Costa to be dressier in
general than the American-oriented cruise lines. Folks got dressed up,
more chic than stuffy, and seemed to enjoy it. An interesting crowd.

Jeff