Should formal and semi-formal nights end?

[mom4fun]

With so many saying they now feel uncomfortable dressing up on a formal night, is it now time to just make it all optional dress-up nights and not have formal and semi-formal?

 

[Smeece]

IMO, dress up nights are part of some peoples cruise experience and I totally have no problem with that. I think Disney should still have formal and semi-formal nights for those people but I don't want to be judged if on "my vacation" I decide I want to wear a nice pair of shorts and a polo shirt to the MDR.

 

[jdb in AZ]

IMO, dress up nights are part of some peoples cruise experience and I totally have no problem with that. I think Disney should still have formal and semi-formal nights for those people but I don't want to be judged if on "my vacation" I decide I want to wear a nice pair of shorts and a polo shirt to the MDR.

I agree. Live and let live. If someone wants to dress up, fine, as long as they don't look down their noses at those who wish to go casual. OTOH if someone wants to go casual, they shouldn't thumb their noses at those who wish to dress in the traditional cruise formal wear.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

With so many saying they now feel uncomfortable dressing up on a formal night, is it now time to just make it all optional dress-up nights and not have formal and semi-formal?

I agree that formal nights are a part of the cruising ambiance that I like. I don't really understand the mindset of "I want to cruise, but I don't want to participate in those things that are part of cruising". I don't "look down my nose" at them, I just don't get it.

 

[Smeece]

"I want to cruise, but I don't want to participate in those things that are part of cruising

Well, the way I look at it, I'm in the military and for 27 years I've been told what I'm going to wear and how I'm going to wear it so when I get a chance to get away and go on a vacation with my family I would like to dress in a way that makes me comfortable. If Disney was to come out with a new policy saying on formall nights you "had" to dress up I would simply eat at the BBB instead of the MDR. I have no problem with that.

 

[dclpluto]

It is optional. By law Disney can't kick you out of the mdr unless they have a really good reason because you paid for it in your cruise. In palo and remy they can and will kick you out because you didn't pay for it in your cruise.

 

[MommyP]

I say they need to get rid of it completely - optional isn't the same as the whole ambience is ruined...

 

[MunFam]

I like formal dining. There are so few opportunities to dress up now days and I like that cruising still honors decades past.

I think it would be nice if they created a special dining rotation called "formal dining" or something like that and did indeed enforce a dress code and offer a special formal menu with surf and turf options. Will it happen? Nope. I think the dressing up will remain on Cunard and Crystal and will dissolve on DCL. What strikes me as odd is that Disney tries to position themselves as a luxury cruise line but really does not follow suite with what the other luxury cruise lines offer or demand from their clientele. They really are an over-priced version of RCCL or NCL when you do a line item comparison.

 

[LSUfan4444]

With so many saying they now feel uncomfortable dressing up on a formal night, is it now time to just make it all optional dress-up nights and not have formal and semi-formal?

I would be all for the reverse and go to an enforced semi formal/formal dress code every evening and even thought I prefer early dining and getting dressed up, I would be fine to keep late dining "dressier" and early as casual.

 

[mom4fun]

It is optional. By law Disney can't kick you out of the mdr unless they have a really good reason because you paid for it in your cruise. In palo and remy they can and will kick you out because you didn't pay for it in your cruise.

Yes, you are right that it is optional. I just mean on the 3 or 4 night cruises it says "optional dress up night". Where on the 7 night or longer it says "formal and semi-formal". This is confusing.

 

[anricat]

I thought it was optional anyway? So what's the problem if other people want to dress up? It's like pirate night. Participate or not.

 

[piccolopat]

I agree that formal nights are a part of the cruising ambiance that I like. I don't really understand the mindset of "I want to cruise, but I don't want to participate in those things that are part of cruising". I don't "look down my nose" at them, I just don't get it.

To a lot of people, getting dressed up is not something they are used to, not something they want to do or something they would have to shop for and don't want the expense. In addition, with having to limit what you pack in your checked luggage, does it really make sense to add formal attire that will only be worn once on a cruise?

 

[LSUfan4444]

does it really make sense to add formal attire that will only be worn once on a cruise?

It isn't like people don't know what the suggested attire is before they book.

 

[bumbershoot]

when I get a chance to get away and go on a vacation with my family I would like to dress in a way that makes me comfortable

It is possible to choose formal clothes that are comfortable. Get them in nice fabrics, make sure they fit, have them tailored to you... If you're getting uncomfortable formal-wear (that isn't forced upon you), change that!

By law Disney can't kick you out of the mdr unless they have a really good reason because you paid for it in your cruise.

By what law, exactly?

optional isn't the same as the whole ambience is ruined...

Oh I disagree. I'm paying attention to one group of people, and they are the people that I live with. If we all dress up, that's all I care about. If people at my table do, that's nice, too. If they don't, doesn't bother me!

 

[2-pointdoe]

This is exactly how I feel. I can't wait to be dressed up as a family. Likely as not, DD will dress up every night. Someone commented that about how much stuff you would have to bring. Really an extra checked bag is a very minor cost in comparison to the rest the trip.

I like formal dining. There are so few opportunities to dress up now days and I like that cruising still honors decades past.

I think it would be nice if they created a special dining rotation called "formal dining" or something like that and did indeed enforce a dress code and offer a special formal menu with surf and turf options. Will it happen? Nope. I think the dressing up will remain on Cunard and Crystal and will dissolve on DCL. What strikes me as odd is that Disney tries to position themselves as a luxury cruise line but really does not follow suite with what the other luxury cruise lines offer or demand from their clientele. They really are an over-priced version of RCCL or NCL when you do a line item comparison.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Someone commented that about how much stuff you would have to bring.

I've traveled on trips (that included many formal/fancy dress opportunities) of up to 29 days. I bring along a dressy cocktail dress, a pair of dress black pants and a couple of sparkly blouses. Doesn't take up much room. For shorter trips, I only bring one dressy item, and accessorize differently if there is more than one fancy dress opportunity.

Others onboard the ship are not going to care (or even be aware) that you wore that same dress for formal night as well as semi-formal night.

 

[ForMyBoys]

I hope the don't cancel it. I don't get many opportunities to get nice formal pics of my family and its fun. I wouldn't want to dress up every night but 2 nights on the cruise doesn't bother me at all. It does not bother me if some don't wish to participate, but on our last cruise many did participate and it was awesome.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We love formal night. On other cruises my husband brings a tux and I bring a gown, on Disney we quickly learned THat people don't go that formal. But my husband still brings a sport coat for palo and the formal night. I bring cocktail wear. But I usually dress in cocktail wear every night. Of the cruis. I feel much better when I'm dressed nice. The kids enjoy getting dressed up. I don't mind casual wear at dinner but I do think men could wear long pants and something besides a tshirt. But thwts just me. I hope they just leave it the way it is...it's a suggestion to go formal and many of us enjoy it.

 

[holula]

IMO, dress up nights are part of some peoples cruise experience and I totally have no problem with that. I think Disney should still have formal and semi-formal nights for those people but I don't want to be judged if on "my vacation" I decide I want to wear a nice pair of shorts and a polo shirt to the MDR.

I wish that they had one "formal" dining rotation, where dressing up on formal and semi formal nights were mandatory. It does ruin the ambiance when you see people in flip flops and shorts when the majority of people are dressed up. You don't even need to be super formal to fit in on Disney.

 

[jenmiller114]

I didn't realize this is something they were fazing out but on our 5 night Wonder sailing in May, they did not have an optional formal night. I thought that was just because it was a repo and the itinerary was different. But maybe it is.

I am sailing on the Wonder on December 18, 6 nights, and I just received an email saying that there is no formal or semi-formal dining on that cruise. I am hugely disappointed. I enjoy dressing up and I love having my boys wear a nice shirt and tie. I take a pic of them with a character in their formal wear on every cruise and we hang it on our wall. I don't really care that not everyone else is dressed up but I do enjoy seeing people who enjoy the experience and who have fun with it as much as we do. If I am being honest, I do wish people enjoyed dressing up for dinner as much as they enjoy dressing for pirate night. I guess I am just old fashioned and I don't get out that much

That being said, I know we still have the option to dress up but it seems pointless if we are the only people on the ship. And my boys would probably kill me!

Jennifer