18 years after our 1st cruise we have officially given it up. The masses have won.

[Holders3]

The clue is in your header.....the masses have won. No business can survive if it doesn't cater to the majority.

Many do not own Tuxes, good suits, gowns, cocktail dresses and the shoes and things that go with them. We don't, never have. Blue collar workers we don't socialize like that and neither does anyone we know. We will be clean and neat but we aren't going to buy formal/elegant clothes that won't get worn anywhere else ever again.

I think that elegant night might be better done in the added specialty restaurants for those that want to and have the items to really dress up and leave the MDR for the rest of the masses.

[Corgiboy]

My DH loves to dress up, he wears his Tux and doesn't care if he is the only one. On our last cruise (a Princess) he was complimented so much it went to his head

[echo]

Originally Posted by VirtualCEO

eating in the mdr is like eating at a chain restaurant. I eat at much nicer restaurants on a daily basis. Jeans for me!

Sure you do.

[echo]

Nothing like going to diner on "elegant" night dressed up and your tablemates wearing thier tanks, shorts, flip flops and baseball caps.

[halos]

If you happen to be able to catch one of Carnival's rare longer sailings, there will be more people dressed formally on elegant night than you would expect.
On our 15 day Hawaii cruise, the passengers were awesome...everyone was happy. No one was obnoxious, nobody was complaining or being rude to the crew and everyone dressed beautifully.

If I didn't see the funnel and wasn't searching desperately for a live band, I would have sworn I was on another cruise line

[Fla Mike]

Originally Posted by Holders3

The clue is in your header.....the masses have won. No business can survive if it doesn't cater to the majority.

Blue collar workers we don't socialize like that and neither does anyone we know.

I beg to differ, my family and my wife's family are strictly ring around the Blue Collar.
We are, and have been, sanitation workers, police, fire, auto body, and contractors.

We like to dress up.

Truth be told, my Tux is used, and bought on line, looks new and looks good.

No, we don't socialize at high class places, but on a cruise we enjoy being "Prince Charming and Cinderella" one night...

...especially after dinner.

[dave_k63]

Just wondering what some of the people would think if the cruise lines let the waiters and waitresses dress down. I've seen them getting off the ship for a few hours of well deserved time off - they all wear jeans and tee shirts and I'm sure they wouldn't mind not getting dressed up to serve the passengers who don't care what they wear. It's only my old person opinion, but I like the idea of dressing up on formal night - making it a special occasion for my wife and me. I own a tux and take it on cruises.

[SMSACE6]

Originally Posted by fig414

I truly miss it though. We really loved the old style. It's not necessarily a bad thing. We pack way less. I now wear nice shorts and flip flops to dinner in the MDR. I was truly happy to see 2 guys getting turned away with sleeveless shirts on the 1st night. When jeans started to get through it pissed me off. I happen to think a nice short with a nice shirt looks better than jeans and sneakers, but that's just me. On my first cruises I actually wore a tux twice and a Dinner Jacket once on formal night. I LOVED it. Last week, I swear to you I saw not ONE tux on our Valor cruise. So sad. Mostly everyone was dressed very nicely on Elegant nights with many suits and, of course, the women went full out. Nary a bum in the MDR. Yet my outfit of slacks and dress shirt with no tie or jacket matched every other guy. My previously every night dress has now become "elegant". Forget about formal. I, of course, realize I can still dress to the nines. I just miss the tuxes. It's really strange. In my 30's I didn't want to get dressed up and I did. And in my 50's I want to get dressed up and I don't. Pathetic. Someone bring back tuxes PLEASE. I don't want to go on a stuffy line. Our line was way fun and we still dressed up. Oh well....

We can all outgrow, and often do outgrow certain types of vacation. Many moons ago, I was hooked on one particular Caribbean island, and would vacation there every year, and sometimes twice or three times a year. It practically became my second home. Then as the years passed, the quaint charm of the place began to fade. Changes occurred, (what some would call progress), but I dont. After about 20 years, I stopped going there. Still miss the old place, but it just aint what it used to be. I outgrew land vacations on that particular island, and began to venture out to others, and was glad for the change. I have been cruising now for 12 years, and am certainly not done with it yet, but the shine is starting to wear off. Just me though. Perhaps you just outgrew cruisng, or need to take a rest for a bit.
Cruising still some of the best vacation deals on the go in my opinion though.

[thunter1224]

I stand corrected on Carnivals elegant night..

Rev. Tom

[miched]

Originally Posted by loxley

They don't really want to do it, they just want to moan because things are not like they used to be. But what is really? I remember my dad wearing a suit to go to the fair every year. When is the last time you saw men wearing suits at the fair?

Look at the real old movies and news reels and you will see people standing in the soup line wearing suits.

The old bums, tramps and hobos wore suits.

All of the old comedians in the movies wore suits, Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and they were never representing class.

Specatarors wore suits to baseball, hockey, football and basketball games, the coaches on the side lines wore suits and overcoats.

I remember having to wear a suit to go to a theater and really thought that was idiotic to have to wear a suit to sit in the dark watching a movie. That was one of the main reasons for taking my date to a drive in theater, didn't need to dress up.

[C Cruise Dude]

Originally Posted by echo

Nothing like going to diner on "elegant" night dressed up and your table mates wearing thier tanks, shorts, flip flops and baseball caps.

I sailed the seas of Freestyle and have never seen this in the MDR. Does it really happen or is there some exaggeration here (seriously)?

[SMSACE6]

Originally Posted by C Cruise Dude

I sailed the seas of Freestyle and have never seen this in the MDR. Does it really happen or is there some exaggeration here (seriously)?

Im not saying it hasnt happened, but it should not happen on cruise elegant night! These things are clearly listed as not acceptable on elegant night. Unfortuneately you will see some of this on the other nights in the MDR, but most people do dress nicely.

[ducklite]

Originally Posted by susie8862

I think you are misunderstanding. Not just this thread, but every thread pertaining to casual as opposed to a more "dressy" outfit (excluding ball gowns). When you use weight as an excuse.....how is one outfit heavier than the other? I really cannot stand this as an excuse. You have to wear something..right? So I have 7 dresses instead of 7 slacks and 7 shirts. Do you understand what I am trying to say? Again,..I do NOT care what anyone wears....I just hate this excuse.

Exactly!

[Cruiser_201505]

Why do so many let what others do on there vacation that they have paid for to be there effect them? Its kind of mind boggling i know nothing is perfect but to let what others do effect you is just strange.

[Cruiser_201505]

Originally Posted by SMSACE6

Im not saying it hasnt happened, but it should not happen on cruise elegant night! These things are clearly listed as not acceptable on elegant night. Unfortuneately you will see some of this on the other nights in the MDR, but most people do dress nicely.

Maybe you should let Carnival do the policing and not you and others? What a novel idea.

[sharecruises]

Originally Posted by miched

Look at the real old movies and news reels and you will see people standing in the soup line wearing suits.

The old bums, tramps and hobos wore suits.

All of the old comedians in the movies wore suits, Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and they were never representing class.

Specatarors wore suits to baseball, hockey, football and basketball games, the coaches on the side lines wore suits and overcoats.

I remember having to wear a suit to go to a theater and really thought that was idiotic to have to wear a suit to sit in the dark watching a movie. That was one of the main reasons for taking my date to a drive in theater, didn't need to dress up.

LOL>> that's true....men also wore hats. "Ladies" wore hats, nylons, gloves
Look at old movies....

When I first moved to Florida bank employees wore suits...now they wear polo shirts with the bank logo

In fact when we see someone in a dark suit, white shirt here it is a wedding,
a funeral or someone is going to court.

Times change

Here's an example of cruising in the 1940's LOL (Now Voyager)

[ncshp955]

I sometimes really wish I had a tux but will wear a jacket and tie on formal nights and just to make a third formal night will do the steakhouse. I am also one of those that wish more people would dress up on every night in the MDR. Not always a shirt and tie but at least a pair of slacks and collared shirt. To me the MDR is a place that you would go to enjoy the china and service and want to look your best. I would love the idea on the larger ships that have 2 MDR's that one the rules would be enforced and the other more freestyle and you would get to choose which one you want. My better half and myself don't get to go out as much as we would like to and dress to the 9's and really look forward to the formal nights as a chance to at least pretend for a short time that we are out on a really nice date. I understand that a lot of people look to a vacation cruise as a chance to get away from having to wear suits and dresses to work each day but then some of us look at it as a way to get the chance to dress up and enjoy the experience. I would not let someone eles's style ruin my cruise or make me not take one but I really do hope that our table mates would want to dress up also. Would make the evening more enjoyable.

[SMSACE6]

Originally Posted by Cruiser_201505

Maybe you should let Carnival do the policing and not you and others? What a novel idea.

If I had wanted to police anything, I would have become a police officer. No thanks, done enough crappy jobs in my life! I dont give a rat's patootie what anyone wears or does not wear to the MDR. My blinders work well. Was just responding to other poster's question. And yes was just my opinion and my observations on recent cruises. We all have opinions here,. so you can prepare yourself, since you only have so few posts, to see lots of differing opinions than yours here. right back at you!

[twindaddy]

Originally Posted by fig414

I truly miss it though. We really loved the old style. It's not necessarily a bad thing. We pack way less. I now wear nice shorts and flip flops to dinner in the MDR. I was truly happy to see 2 guys getting turned away with sleeveless shirts on the 1st night. When jeans started to get through it pissed me off. I happen to think a nice short with a nice shirt looks better than jeans and sneakers, but that's just me. On my first cruises I actually wore a tux twice and a Dinner Jacket once on formal night. I LOVED it. Last week, I swear to you I saw not ONE tux on our Valor cruise. So sad. Mostly everyone was dressed very nicely on Elegant nights with many suits and, of course, the women went full out. Nary a bum in the MDR. Yet my outfit of slacks and dress shirt with no tie or jacket matched every other guy. My previously every night dress has now become "elegant". Forget about formal. I, of course, realize I can still dress to the nines. I just miss the tuxes. It's really strange. In my 30's I didn't want to get dressed up and I did. And in my 50's I want to get dressed up and I don't. Pathetic. Someone bring back tuxes PLEASE. I don't want to go on a stuffy line. Our line was way fun and we still dressed up. Oh well....

I mean this with all sincerity, and not to be a smarta$$$, as you seems like a really nice person I would love to have a drink with. But absent tank tops and baseball caps, why do you care so much what other people wear?

One of the most elegant nights of my life was my first time in a tux, for the junior prom, my date looked radiant in her expensive dress, I was with about 20 others high schoolers who were all dressed to the nines, and where were we to eat? The Olive Garden, I dont have a clue what anyone else was wearing. I was focused on us (and on my dates dress )

I am confused as to why you say you dont want a stuffy line, but you want to wear tuxes.

Sorry, but after this video, I will never have respect for the Carnival dining room again. If some fool can do this, I can wear jeans on casual night.. Polos and khakis for me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7ynKu_Rptg

[Cruiser_201505]

Originally Posted by SMSACE6

If I had wanted to police anything, I would have become a police officer. No thanks, done enough crappy jobs in my life! I dont give a rat's patootie what anyone wears or does not wear to the MDR. My blinders work well. Was just responding to other poster's question. And yes was just my opinion and my observations on recent cruises. We all have opinions here,. so you can prepare yourself, since you only have so few posts, to see lots of differing opinions than yours here. right back at you!

I Lukred long before i joined and joined just to ask a question. Assumptions get you in trouble.