True Formal Standards (We have Semi-Formal Nights)

It will be interesting to see if within the next decade if a new cruise
line emerges or an existing one that goes "Casual". You can board a
ship with nothing but a couple of carryons and be set for a week. I
still see ladies on formal night greased from head to toe with suntan
oil, wearing their bathing suits rummaging thru the sale tables at the
shops. While the early seating people are emerging from their cabins to
begin their night. The well dressed ladies avoid the oiled up ladies
like they are a walking "wet paint" sign. I usually enjoy watching
this.

I have wanted to skip the formal attire on my last few cruises. I am
very much looking forward to traveling with only 1 suitcase on my next
cruise. Not to mention being comfortable during and after dinner. I
also think the level of my dress code is more representative of the
times.

In article , RICK
DAVIS wrote:

I have wanted to skip the formal attire on my last few cruises. I am
very much looking forward to traveling with only 1 suitcase on my next
cruise. Not to mention being comfortable during and after dinner. I
also think the level of my dress code is more representative of the
times.

I took a cruise on NCL last summer and skipped formal attire as they
only have what is called an optional formal evening. I did not care for
NCL but that was one aspect of the cruise I liked. I will still pack
and wear my tux on my next two cruises which are on Princess. The
reason is the majority of passengers are still dressing up and I feel
it is respectfull to do the same. When the majority does not dress up
then I probably won't either. I don't think dressing in a tux or a suit
enhances the cruise experience, although it does look nice, and it
would be fine with me if formal dress evenings go by the wayside. I
just don't feel the "time" as you have put it has arrived yet to skip
the formal attire.

--
Charles

On Sat, 22 Apr 2006 09:46:17 -0400, (RICK DAVIS)
wrote:

It will be interesting to see if within the next decade if a new cruise
line emerges or an existing one that goes "Casual".

Hi Rick,

There are already a number of "Casual" cruise lines for those that
want that type of experience. Your travel professional can assist you
in finding the one best for you. ;+)

Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
--
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com
--

"RICK DAVIS" wrote

It will be interesting to see if within the next decade if a new cruise
line emerges or an existing one that goes "Casual". You can board a
ship with nothing but a couple of carryons and be set for a week.

Another consideration is the relatively new "walk off the ship early"
program where people can disembark very early if they can physically carry
off ALL their own luggage. On the Grand Princess last month, this
disembarkation started at 7:30 AM.

I never used to care that much for formal nights but it is nice to "dress
up" every once in a while. I like Princess and NCL for this reason.

On the Caribbean Princess in a few weeks, I plan on bringing a blazer and
dress shirt and slacks. I might even wear a tie, at least through dinner.
I'll leave the suit home this trip.

ALL of the major cruise lines are becoming less formal. It used to be that
they would "request" that people remain in formal wear throughout the
evening on the designated nights, but with the addition of casual dining
alternatives, that has pretty much become a thing of the past. On the
Grand Princess last month, people did dress "up" a little more on formal
nights, but overall, the ship still had a very casual feel to it. Not much
sense in wearing a suit or tux to watch Movies Under the Stars or to eat at
the buffet.


--
George Leppla http://www.countryside-travel.com

Cruise Specials BLOG http://www.countryside-travel.com/3834677_6105.htm
October 29, 2006 - SLEAZY 4! http://cruisemaster.com/sleazy4.htm
February 10, 2007 - Valentine's Group - http://cruisemaster.com/grandeur.htm

In article , George Leppla
wrote:

Another consideration is the relatively new "walk off the ship early"
program where people can disembark very early if they can physically carry
off ALL their own luggage. On the Grand Princess last month, this
disembarkation started at 7:30 AM.

I have done the walk off the ship program twice. I had my usual 26 inch
suitcase, plus a carry on bag and a camera bag. It was no problem for
me. On one of those two cruises I had a tux and the other not. I don't
think a tux makes a difference in the amount of bags I would pack
beacuse I also pack snorkeling and camera gear.

I never used to care that much for formal nights but it is nice to "dress
up" every once in a while. I like Princess and NCL for this reason.

On the Caribbean Princess in a few weeks, I plan on bringing a blazer and
dress shirt and slacks. I might even wear a tie, at least through dinner.
I'll leave the suit home this trip.

A blazer, dress shirt and slacks would be enough dress up for me. It
has been a couple of years since my last Princess cruise, I have two
booked this year on Crown Princess, but based on my Princess cruise I
am packing the tux.

--
Charles

Ray Goldenberg wrote:



There are already a number of "Casual" cruise lines for those that
want that type of experience. Your travel professional can assist you
in finding the one best for you. ;+)


How about the flip side. Who is more formal?

"George Leppla" wrote in message
...

"RICK DAVIS" wrote



ALL of the major cruise lines are becoming less formal. It used to be
that they would "request" that people remain in formal wear throughout the
evening on the designated nights, but with the addition of casual dining
alternatives, that has pretty much become a thing of the past. On the
Grand Princess last month, people did dress "up" a little more on formal
nights, but overall, the ship still had a very casual feel to it. Not
much sense in wearing a suit or tux to watch Movies Under the Stars or to
eat at the buffet.


--
George Leppla http://www.countryside-travel.com


I think it would be bad publicity for any cruise line to enforce strict
rules concerning dress codes. Imagine the lost revenue if people who have
never cruised at all heard that the cruise lines enforce a "formal evening
attire". From what I've seen, the new class of cruisers are changing the
ideas of what the cruise lines call their formal evenings. On our last
cruise aboard NCL, which was during spring break, every one was dressed very
nicely. Not formal, but still very dressy for a vacation. I had predicted to
my wife that since there were so many college kids on board that they would
be dressed very sloppy at diner & I was completely wrong. I suppose the
sloppy kids were on Carnival.

We just came back from a cruise on ncl wind,and there were very many
sloppy dressers on formal night in the dining rooms,and show
lounge,(tank tops,cut off ragged jeans,bare feet,or flip-flops,and never
saw so many men with shoes,and no socks),or i should say this was
apparent on the whole cruise.

(.a cruise lover.)

In article , Surfer
E2468 wrote:

We just came back from a cruise on ncl wind,and there were very many
sloppy dressers on formal night in the dining rooms,and show
lounge,(tank tops,cut off ragged jeans,bare feet,or flip-flops,and never
saw so many men with shoes,and no socks),or i should say this was
apparent on the whole cruise.

Well. You were on NCL. Freestyle dining. They don't have formal nights
on NCL, except as an option. That is the way it was on the one NCL
cruise I took. So you should expected casual dress in the dining rooms.

--
Charles

Charles:
On the ncl wind,they had 1 FORMAL and 1 optional formal,but still no
matter what you can still dress comfortably,andstill look human,and not
like something from the gutter

(.a cruise lover.)