Should formal and semi-formal nights end?

[Jennifer777]

I love formal night but on our last cruise, we walked into the MDR and realized hardly anyone dressed up in formal attire. It made us feel awkward, I actually thought for a minute we may have made a mistake and dressed up on the wrong night or missed a memo that it was canceled because almost all the other tables were just dressed cruise casual. After that I feel like they should either do it or cancel it altogether.

 

[Sir William]

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.

A few years ago I had a similar thought of having those who wanted to dress up be on their own rotation, but I quickly realized it wouldn't work. It'd be a logistical nightmare to put together and you'd still have those who wanted to dress one way being assigned to an MDR that was dressed another way.

Disney is not a luxury line. It's a premium line, much like Celebrity and Princess. But given the general trend of dressing down from even cruise casual we are giving serious consideration to cruising on Cunard and possibly Crystal in the future instead of Disney.

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.

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.

I wear my tux for both formal and semi-formal night. I bring two shirts, and both a vest and cumberbund, so that I can have a slightly different look both nights. I like to wear it twice to help justify the space and weight it takes up in my luggage, and also because we think dressing up for diner on a cruise adds to the ambiance and overall cruising experience.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

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 like formal night and semi formal night. Cruising was supposed to be higher class and now it just feels so dumbed down.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

It does not ruin my experience if people do not dress up when requested, but it does show that they have little respect for the cruise staff, cruise line, and fellow passengers. It is also smacks of teenage rebellion. I'm not talking about spending large amounts of money on clothes. You can find stuff at old navy that qualifies in most cases. I would not endorse forcing people to dress up, but for me if the cruise line asks or suggests you to dress up on a particular night, what is the big deal? It is not a political statement or anything. Or maybe for some people it is.

But that's the thing. When I tell my dining staff I won't be at dinner on formal night out of respect & not wanting to dress that way THEY are the ones who pitch fits all but begging us to come wearing anything we want. I don't. But I don't think it offends them.

 

[michellekcm]

To be honest, I wouldn't miss them if they disappeared. My daughter would wear princess dresses regardless, I would still bring nice pants and a top for Palo, and then I wouldn't have to make room for dresses or more tops in my suitcases. We do wear semi-formal clothes both nights currently though.

For those saying that these clothes don't take much more room in a suitcase, or it's only a checked bag, etc., not everyone is from the US, which makes a difference. We get limited luggage coming from Australia, and by the time I add in nappies (diapers), a princess dress for my daughter, clothes to cover different weather eventualities (we travel for 4-6 weeks at a time, so might do Wisconsin and Florida in the same trip in May, very different weather), make sure we have room for souvenirs to take home (more darn princess dresses probably! ), room for the shoes we buy because they're half the price in the US....then adding those extra few tops or dresses makes a huge difference.

That's also why you will often find my husband in shorts in the MDR, or both of us in jeans. We pack as lightly as possible to fit everything in. That means minimal outfits and lots of laundry, and clothes that work for parks and cruises and hanging out with friends etc.

 

[texas disney mom]

But that's the thing. When I tell my dining staff I won't be at dinner on formal night out of respect & not wanting to dress that way THEY are the ones who pitch fits all but begging us to come wearing anything we want. I don't. But I don't think it offends them.

Thats probably just because you are nice people.

 

[mmouse37]

I just got back from the 2 week Panama Canal cruise and I had 2 suitcases. One was for my clothes (including nice stuff for formal and semi formal) and the other for my pirate outfit, Halloween costume and accessories and other miscellaneous stuff. I easily could have taken only one without the pirate and Halloween stuff. Bringing nice stuff for formal night is easy and not anymore cumbersome to pack than other clothing. I bring a nice pair of black palazzo pants and two different sparkly tops. I bring a comfy pair of dressy shoes and some bling and I am done. The rest of my clothes are capris, nice tops, tee shirts, undies and swim suits, sun dress, some other pairs of shoes. I don't find it hard at all to bring formal and semi-formal wear and hope they don't do away with those nights.

MJ

 

[southerngirl528]

MMouse37, you sound like my kind of gal! Your packing list sounds very much like mine!! It truly is not hard to wear something besides shorts, tees and/or jeans to the nightly MDR.

 

[jpeppers]

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.

I'm with you! I've been wearing a uniform to work for the last 27 years so the last thing I want to do is dress up on vacation.

 

[Uncleromulus]

As has been stated it's pretty well optional anyway and based on last weeks experience on Fantasy, about half the folks don't bother dressing "up".

To ME anyway, people should be able to dress as they wish ,provided there is no actual "code".

 

[mmouse37]

I would say MOST people dressed up on Formal and Semi formal on the Panama cruise. Everyone looked fantastic all dressed up. Also, about 90 percent of the guests (adult and children) had dressed up on Halloween and on Pirate night too. It was great!

MJ

 

[anricat]

I love seeing all the people dressed up for pirate and Halloween, even more than dress up for semi formal and formal. I walked into Fathoms for the adult Halloween party and nearly screamed, "MY PEOPLE!!!" Disnerds + Halloween nerds = happy me.

 

[DisneyNurse19]

We are from the UK and have to fly when going on a Disney Cruise so that means a suitcase each weighing 23 kilo. On our last 7 night cruise my daughter and i both took 6 long dresses each (2 were beaded) and 1 Pirate costume each. All of my dresses have been bought in the sales so you do not have to spend a lot of money. I must admit i am disappointed when i see others not making an effort but that is their choice.
My Son is 27 and does not like dressing up and would much rather wear jeans or shorts but i have bought him up to know what is the right way to dress for each occasion.

 

[tinkerone]

recently back form a fantasy b2b and as tight as those tables are, your almost sitting in the person at the next tables lap, i could not tell you what anyone wore. it never ever occurs to me to look at what someone is wearing. it always surprises me that other people do notice. as long as dh and i have on clean clothes i'm happy. the only time i will ever notice you is if you smell and that has happened. to me clean is more important than the clothes. i'm not going to judge anyone by what they are wearing nor are they going to ruin my vacation. i also don't think its disrespectful or rude to not wear formalwear. i doubt very much the staff is going to bother discussing what i have on. i'm not that important.
i also have a pair of black palazzo pants and an assortment of tops to go with them. they only come out when we cruise and they fold up into a tiny packing cube. certainly not 'formal' but its what i take.
there seems to be many thoughts on this subject and it has come up many times. my thought is since its not mandatory then to each their own.

 

[southerngirl528]

I'm one of those guys who wears shorts and a tshirt to formal nights on a cruise. Why? Cause I can. Same reason you can dress up. Individual choice is a lovely thing.

Just out of curiosity, not at all to cause a ruckus, if someone comes into where you work in a tee shirt and shorts do they get to stay?

My only pushback on the "dress as you will, including wear-to-the-gym-wear), is that the same folks at home would likely not want to pay to go to a very nice restaurant where there is a dress code requested and have folks sitting in their tees and shorts next to them…… jus' sayin'…….

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

My partner very much wants us to do our first Disney cruise next year (on the Fantasy.) I run my own business and I never, ever wear a tie. Unless someone else wants to pay for our cruise fare and formalwear rental, their opinion or desires regarding our attire is of no importance on our own vacation. I don't mean that in a mean sense, but it's true nonetheless. If we're comfortable and DCL is comfortable, that's all that matters. Anyone who wants an enforced dress code that badly or who is so put out by a sport coat and no tie on formal night (or a family's jeans and shorts, for that matter) has other premium cruise-line options besides Disney. It's DCL, not Cunard.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

Just out of curiosity, not at all to cause a ruckus, if someone comes into where you work in a tee shirt and shorts do they get to stay?

My only pushback on the "dress as you will, including wear-to-the-gym-wear), is that the same folks at home would likely not want to pay to go to a very nice restaurant where there is a dress code requested and have folks sitting in their tees and shorts next to them…… jus' sayin'…….

The point though is that there is no hard dress code in the MDRs, only a suggestion of attire. That's why the servers tell you to come as you please anyway. The only actual dress codes, which are enforced, are at Palo and Remy.

 

[tinkerone]

Just out of curiosity, not at all to cause a ruckus, if someone comes into where you work in a tee shirt and shorts do they get to stay?

My only pushback on the "dress as you will, including wear-to-the-gym-wear), is that the same folks at home would likely not want to pay to go to a very nice restaurant where there is a dress code requested and have folks sitting in their tees and shorts next to them…… jus' sayin'…….

isn't there a big difference here though? if the dress code is 'requested' then you should be prepared for anything. knowing that, expect what you get on a cruise that only suggests what the dress code is. if it doesn't suit you then don't pay to go on the cruise or to the restaurant at home for that matter.
now if its a restaurant like palo or remy that has an actual dress code then i can see the fuss about dressing down……but its not.

 

[southerngirl528]

The only actual dress codes, which are enforced, are at Palo and Remy

Yep, I've cruised with DCL many times. I totally get where you're coming from Mikedoyleblogger. And I absolutely agree that guys need not wear a tie anymore than I need to wear a dress. Because I am NOT wearing a dress in almost every circumstance. As myself and lots of other posters have said, it doesn't take a tux or cocktail dress to be "dressy". Heck, I'm the queen of putting on dress slacks, a cute top and accessorizing and pulling of a look that blends in nicely without truly being "after 5" at all.

Bottom line for me, I am going to enjoy my table mates' company regardless of what they choose to wear. But my strong opinion is that it shows respect for others to wear something just a bit of a step up from tees and shorts in the MDR's for dinner. For example, IMO a guy could wear a dressy pair of shorts and a nice top (think country club wear) and still look pretty good. A pair of chinos and either a dressier polo or a nice button down sport shirt works too. And how comfy are those? Comfy! Just as a gal can wear a simple, comfy sundress for instance, and take a cute little cardigan or wrap, a couple of accessories (like earrings and maybe a bracelet?), and a little pair of sandals and look very smart. I think folks are hearing "semi-formal" and "formal" and thinking that means they MUST wear after-5 attire. I disagree. It is entirely possible to look nice and still be very comfortable and not take "dressy" clothes if you will. JMHO.

 

[hoffman1]

My husband and I decided not to participate in formal night on our last cruise. I did not want the hassle of packing extra items (especially any more shoes--we were already bringing water shoes, flip flops, sandals, and tennis shoes for each of us). Instead, we ordered room service. But for some reason we had to go to one of the desks on the 4th floor that night (I forget why). My husband felt extremely out of place and was upset because we kept getting dirty looks from the cruisers who were dressed up. I mean really hard stares. We were in t-shirts and shorts. We were only down there 15-20 minutes tops. But I don't see why it bothered people so much that we weren't dressed in formal wear. We were not participating in MDR dinner or the Captain's Gala. We didn't jump in and photo bomb their formal pictures. I don't think we even went to the show that night. We were just trying to take care of some business and get out of there.