jeans at dinner?

[gabbysmom04]

I'm sorry I think people should look nice for dinner, But that is not to say that it has to be formal. Disney is a family cruise line! I for one am cruising with two children under two so spending hours getting ready for dinner is not going to happen for me. I am amazed by the people who say that people who are not as dressed as they are ruin their meal. Who cares what other people wear. I also don't think that if you don't wear formal gowns you should eat in one of the buffets. Gosh, I guess I think a lot today. I am pregnant so it might be my crazy side talking.

 

[lds0191]

sorry you feel that way, also. we had a great time and will definately do disney again. i know it's not for everyone but it would be a shame to start you cruise w/such a negative attitude over something so unimportant. dinner only lasts about an hour so that leaves 23 hours everyday to enjoy everything else at your fingertips. hope you can start your cruise w/an open mind......

 

[TheWog]

I love the Tom Hanks movie, "Big". His first Oscar nomination,if you recall. Wonderfully directed by Penny Marshall.

So for those who recall the movie, which I watched last night w/ DS to get our minds off the Braves' numbing 18 inning loss (guess I don't have Monday night plans to go to game #5 after all...), visualize----

That Liberace-esqe rhinestoned White tie and white tails outfit he wore to the company party.

....

I remember, I remember... hehehe that would be funny. And like you no game 4 plans here. There's always next year.

 

[GhostlyHitchhiker]

I think the point about the tropics is the greatest point in your post. I conversations about what "cruising" is becomming amuses me. In the day of the cruising tradition, the grand-class cruises were for trans-Atlantic travel for the well-to-do. Roll forward and now were are island hopping with our family and friends.

Also keep in mind the kind of attire that was common back in those days. For wealthy people who could afford to cruise, men wore suits every single day to work and women wore long dresses that covered every inch of their bodies. (Let's not talk about "bathing suits" back then either.) It wasn't "dressing up" for dinner, it was how they dressed all the time.

Times change, styles change, cultures change. Disney is just changing with what the majority of todays cruisers want. They most certainly wouldn't have changed the guidelines if it were a small percentage that wanted it changed. Today's cocktail dresses would have the people of "traditional cruising" gasping/fainting at the indecency.

 

[Amberle3]

I think the problem that many people have is not so much the whole "OMG, that person is wearing JEANS!" issue, but the fact that as things become more and more casual a lot of atmosphere is lot, a there's a general tendancy for courtesy to be lost as well.

Movie theatres also used to be something that were "an event" to go to. Not that you'd dress in your finest, but there were general rules that were followed. Over time those rules have relaxed and now it's at the point where I don't even like to go to a theatre anymore - I'm tired of people around me talking all through the movie, cell phones ringing, people not watching or controlling their kids. It's become a gigantic livingroom.

Air travel used to be something that people dressed nicely for, and now you have people pushing the envelope and wearing some of the most questionable things. And as the dress code has relaxed the "me, me, me - it's all about me" attitude of the passengers has increased (whether or not one has caused the other I can't say, just that both have happened in the same time span) and there's more hostility and aggression on airplanes than before.

The Disney restaurants may not be 5-star, but there can be no doubt that they do present a more elegant atmosphere than your corner McDonald's. I've yet to have a waiter at McDonald's come and take my drink order or bring me an appetizer/cocktail/whatever.

Now that jeans are allowed, the question that I think worries some the most is: How much further will the envelope get pushed now? Bathing suits? Bikini tops? Worn/torn/grubby items? Is the attitude of "I shouldn't have to dress nicely for dinner" going to lead to "I should be able to wear WHATEVER I want to dinner"?

As someone mentioned, dressing nicely doesn't have to cost a lot of money. I just bought a complete outfit at Target (pants, top & shoes) for just over $10 total.

 

[Mortlives]

You know, when I stopped and thought about what Par8hed was saying, he wasn't being offensive. He was just stating that dining with people in jeans is not what he cruises for, so he will cruise elsewhere. That's fine. He wasn't saying anything nasty about wearing jeans to dinner or the people that do so, it's just not the experience he's paying for. It's unfortunate that he's going to be disappointed on this cruise, but I hope the rest of the experience makes up for it.

I myself don't really worry about what other people wear, but that's because I spent years dressed far more formally than most of the people around me (old school goth is not a casual look). However, years in the software industry have dumbed down my wardrobe. Still, I'll have to see what I can come up with for our cruise. Should be fun.

 

[Par8hed]

Thank you for the laugh. I guess it would be nice if we all had your money to be cruising on a regular basis for 30 years, but unfortunatly many of us are "common folk" who really don't have that much free time to care or worry about what others are wearing.

Where exactly did I make even the slightest reference to my or anyones financial status? Where did I imply anything that warranted your presumtuous comment? I did not degrade a single person. My whole comment centered on my regrets that the elegance of cruising is being lost. And it is. If that does not bother you fine. But I feel it's a shame. I feel that jeans and sneakers are inappropriate in the dining room but I'm aware DCL has stated otherwise. I never once said people should not wear what it is now permitted or that they were somehow inferior. What I did say was that I don't like the new policy and... I don't. I stand by my comment that when sharing a table with other cruisers....if half are dressed to the nines and the other half is quite casual, then yes, the atmosphere is impacted negatively.

Thank you Mortlives for actually reading my post.

 

[anty30]

Can't we all just get along?

This is getting out of hand. Everyone has their own opinions and we should respect that. Let it go already.

 

[mrsltg]

I think the problem that many people have is not so much the whole "OMG, that person is wearing JEANS!" issue, but the fact that as things become more and more casual a lot of atmosphere is lot, a there's a general tendancy for courtesy to be lost as well....

Now that jeans are allowed, the question that I think worries some the most is: How much further will the envelope get pushed now? Bathing suits? Bikini tops? Worn/torn/grubby items? Is the attitude of "I shouldn't have to dress nicely for dinner" going to lead to "I should be able to wear WHATEVER I want to dinner"?

EXACTLY! I was thinking about this on my way home last night. This is essentially the "lowest common denominator" argument. "I can do whatever I want" is really a bad reason to do most things. I enjoy a good swim in the buff... it won't impact your vacation if I swim that way (well, it may ) but I won't do it because it's not appropriate for the surroundings. I like kids. It wouldn't bother me if DCL allowed them in the adult pool, but it would bother others. Granted, DCL has changed their rule. I think it was a bad move. I think it will lead to people pushing the envelope. I still remember a family that was on my honeymoon cruise with fond nostalgia -because they gave my DH and I something to laugh about each and every time we saw them, right down to the "I'm with stupid" matching tee-shirts! Who knows, maybe someone will show up in a wholly inappropriate outfit and give us something to laugh about for the next 7 years???!!!

Erin

 

[Skallywag]

What makes us sad is that when we booked after reading the board many people said how wonderful it was to have the dress code. This especially because of the Disney ships being built in the style of the old liners such as the Queen Elizabeth and Mary and they do resemble those beautiful old vessels.

It seems very strange that they have relaxed the dress code while making so much of the ambiance of the old fashioned cruise ships and feel this is what many people expect.After reading the comments hope Disney take note and restore the appropriate dress code as befits such a beautiful vessel.

On the point of cost - it really does not have to be that expensive to dress correctly and as for packing jeans take up so much room in a suitcase I am surprised that anyone would bother to take them.

 

[BethC1952]

I don't like the new dress code either. However, it is obvious to me that many people do. DH and I will continue to dress up for dinner every night (not just on "dress up night")--we also dress up to go out to dinner at home, even just to the local diner. We do it because our time together is special to us, and we dress accordingly. That way, any time we go out together it's "date night". We've been married almost 33 years, so we must be doing something right!

It would be a bit disappointing to us if people we were seated with were "dressed down". Part of our dining experience is the atmosphere. So far, it hasn't happened. We haven't cruised since the new "suggested attire" has been in effect.

We'll be having dinner at Palo for the first time on our second cruise in November, and DH will be wearing a jacket and tie, and I'll be wearing...something dressy (have lost some weight recently, and none of my really nice clothes fit!), including real shoes (not sandals). And we can't wait.

So, if you choose to "dress down" for dinner, please enjoy yourselves. I hope we don't make you too uncomfortable by having to be seated with us "old folks" who like dressing up for each other!

 

[dwkwootton]

I'm so disappointed that Disney gave up on trying to enforce the dress code! Why would you want to wear the same outfit to Lumiere's as you would wear to Burger King? That's what Topsiders is for! We all know the financial argument is bogus. Maybe its the same principle as in the grocery store express line, there's always those who have to have a couple more items than what is requested for express checkout. They might as well close Topsiders. Maybe someone should start a thread about what could be put in place of Topsiders. A casino? A clothing optional pool? Cigar bar?

 

[Bee]

We are planning on doing our lifestyle portraits in all denim. I was concerned that I wouldnt be able to wear the outfits to dinner.. but, now, I am going to wear the outfits to dinner because it is our vacation.. We wont look bad.. I think we will look cute.. we just didnt want to do our lifestyle portraits in formal wear.. we are not that kind of people.. so.. flame away.. I will wear jeans.. lol

 

[gabbysmom04]

I plan on dressing myself and family in what is suggested for dinner. That being said, I think it is a bit of a jump to think that people allowed to wear jeans is one step away from people coming in wearing a bathing suit and no shoes. Not everyone is as formal as others. Regardless of what disney ships may be designed after it is still disney, a family cruise line. I think it might be a little unfair to come down on people because they are not wearing a tux or formal gown to dinner.

 

[Amberle3]

I think it might be a little unfair to come down on people because they are not wearing a tux or formal gown to dinner.

Except that we're not talking about formal wear vs casual wear. We're talking "business casual" or "dressy casual" vs "fast-food casual".

Disney has never expected that folks will wear formal wear to dinner every night. Their policy until recently was no jeans, no shorts. It wasn't an unreasonable policy, it didn't require cocktail gowns and jackets and tie. All it said basically was that folks should wear something a little nicer than jeans to dinner.

 

[mwaldron]

Uh....That's a bit of a stretch; going from allowing denim, to suggesting that a clothing optional pool bar is next. I spent my first 22 years up North, and when I moved to the South, I was shocked that in all but the very fanciest of restaurants, denim was ok. Over the years I have come to experience in this example, as well as many others, that just as cultural norms vary from country to country, they vary within our great country. I would never wear a bathing suit, shorts, and flip flops to a sit down restaurant: But I feel VERY comfortable in my nice jeans, nice shoes, and a pretty blouse or sweater. That is culturally aceptable, at least in my "neck of the woods". Disney is, after all, a family label, not one of exclusion or stuffiness.

 

[delo4]

I'm sorry, I have read most of this thread and I am not sure what the big deal is about. I think people should wear what they want within the guidelines suggested by Disney. If some people want to wear jeans, so be it. If others want to wear more dressy attire, why not. What others wear does not impact my dinner enjoyment. I am just glad to be there, enjoying time with my family.

Isn't that what the world should be all about - differences - and tolerance of those who opinions may be different than mine. We have bigger things to worry about than what someone may or may not wear to dinner.

 

[GhostlyHitchhiker]

To steal a quote from the other thread:

Even back in the beginning, DCL was more casual than other cruise lines. We've done 45 cruises since 1998, and even back in the "day," when it was specifically requested that jeans not be worn, we always saw plenty of them. Now that the dress code has been officially relaxed, I haven't even noticed that big of a chance.

Barb has been on more DCL cruises than anyone I know. According to her, there hasn't been much of a change since jeans were allowed.

I really think the people who want to enforce stricter rules because of what a small percentage of people *might* do is ridiculous. There will ALWAYS be those who think they are above the rules. Why do you think there are white-collar prisons? It's a joke, but half serious. There are people you will never get to follow guidelines so making them more stringent for those of us that actually follow them isn't the way to go.

Whether you like it or not, DCL has changed the guidelines. They listen to costumer feedback, so the majority of people cruising must have asked for it. Again, I speak only about "Cruise Casual" nights, not formal/semi-formal.

We've now taken this debate to two threads and it's getting hard to remember which debates are where...


Edit to applaud delo4:

I'm sorry, I have read most of this thread and I am not sure what the big deal is about. I think people should wear what they want within the guidelines suggested by Disney. If some people want to wear jeans, so be it. If others want to wear more dressy attire, why not. What others wear does not impact my dinner enjoyment. I am just glad to be there, enjoying time with my family.

Isn't that what the world should be all about - differences - and tolerance of those who opinions may be different than mine. We have bigger things to worry about than what someone may or may not wear to dinner.

 

[dharma517]

This is just something I have noticed during this thread but it seems that younger families (like mine with 3 children 4 and under) are grateful just to actually be able to eat dinner...lol. I don't think I have actually "dined" in about 4 years. Usually at about 8pm DH and I look at each other and ask "Did you eat?"...lol So maybe it is also an age/family status type thing. I am not looking to go on a cruise for the "dining experience". My goal is to actually sit down together and have a fun time at dinner...ie..not crying, whining etc. So what other people have on has no bearing on my time...I am just concentrating on actually eating and making sure my children eat and don't spill a drink on the folks next to us. Maybe in about 20 years or so I will worry about "dining"!
Jenn
Disclaimer: I know that other families eat in peace and get dressed up...ok now no one will have to post about that.

 

[Rena75]

Wow, with all that is going on in the world, it's amazing that someone has the time to worry about what someone else is wearing!

As you can see in the picture below, my daughter and I are wearing jeans - Oh, the shame of it all!!!

Next thing you know, we'll be knocking over liquor stores! LOL

People, get a grip - who cares what someone else is wearing. Here in California, jeans are considered evening wear and I've seen them everywhere - including major awards shows.

Relax.