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The era of FORMAL NIGHTS is fading rapidly...



 
 
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  #21  
Old October 7th, 2007, 06:09 AM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Thumper
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Posts: 277
Default The era of FORMAL NIGHTS is fading rapidly...

On Sat, 06 Oct 2007 20:50:08 -0400, Charles
wrote:

In article . com,
wrote:

No. Ties and slacks are business attire in the Northeast. Suits died
out in the 60's as "standard".


They are wearing suits as business attire in New York and Washington.
They are wearing suits on Wall Street.

I agree, it's not putting on airs, but a cruise ship vacation is not
the place to be puttin' on the tux.


That is you opinion. Most of the cruise lines say a cruise ship
vacation is the place to be putting on a tux.

How would you know that? If true then just why is their a discussion
about it? Everyone would just dress formal.

The fact is that even at wakes nowadays people are dressing informally
and many are dressed in work clothes. For many on a cruise it's an
expensive annoyance to dress formally.
Thumper


And most passengers are
wearing a dark suit or tux on the formal evenings that the cruise lines
still have on most cruise ship vacations.

You and Rick may dress differently but you are a small minority. As I
have said in other posts over the years it does not bother me if people
don't wear a dark suit or tux on formal evenings. It does not make me
uncomfortable. But I would feel uncomfortable myself dressing that way.
Not that I like wearing a dark suit or tux. I would prefer not wearing
them. Loved the dress on Azamara Journey where there were no formal
evenings. But the dress request is still being adhered to by the
majority on the cruise lines that have formal evenings and at this
point in time I don't feel like being a rebel.


  #22  
Old October 7th, 2007, 06:14 AM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Thumper
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Posts: 277
Default The era of FORMAL NIGHTS is fading rapidly...

On Sat, 06 Oct 2007 18:07:48 -0700, Rick wrote:

On Oct 6, 7:12 pm, Charles wrote:
In article . com, Rick
Suits and ties are still standard business attire in the Northeast.

Charles, Where are suits and ties standard business attire in the
NE?


Vacations are another matter. The formal dinner evenings have been a
cruise vacation tradition. Certainly they would not be part of a
camping vacation. To me the old saying of when in Rome do as the Romans
applies. I find that people are still wearing suits or tuxes on formal
evenings, 95% are doing that--- so I am still wearing my tux. If you
want to be a rebel, fine. I don't care. I choose not to be a rebel in
this matter at this time.


I never said you should change the way you are comfortable
dressing.
You want to dress in a tux then by all means do it. It was also
cruise
tradition to have seperate classes of service, should we go back to
that?
Of course not. Why? Because we've evolved from that.

Why would dressing up be putting on airs or trying to impress anyone?


Becaue 99% of the public doesn't own a Tux in real life or wear
one on any kind of regualr basis. Why should they on a cruise
vacation?


I thought Charles just told us that he doesn't dress formally on
formal night.

He would however if the majority wore tuxes. Charles is also guilty
of dressing down, just not as far down as others. He's using a
sliding scale.
Thumper
  #23  
Old October 7th, 2007, 06:15 AM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Thumper
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Posts: 277
Default The era of FORMAL NIGHTS is fading rapidly...

On Sat, 06 Oct 2007 21:44:35 -0400, Charles
wrote:

In article . com, Rick
wrote:

I never said you should change the way you are comfortable
dressing. You want to dress in a tux then by all means do it. It was
also cruise tradition to have seperate classes of service, should we go
back to that? Of course not. Why? Because we've evolved from that.


Separate classes were more of an ocean liner tradition than a cruise
vacation tradition but that has nothing to do with the subject at hand.
Cruise tradition has not evolved from having formal evenings. If it did
evolve from having formal evenings that would be fine with me. But it
has not happened yet. That is why I wear a tux or dark suit. I never
said I wanted to dress in a tux.


A dark suit is not "formal."
Thumper
Becaue 99% of the public doesn't own a Tux in real life or wear
one on any kind of regualr basis. Why should they on a cruise
vacation?


Because it is expected on a cruise vacation to wear a dark suit or tux
several evenings.


  #24  
Old October 7th, 2007, 07:12 AM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Brian K[_1_]
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Posts: 712
Default The era of FORMAL NIGHTS is fading rapidly...

On 10/6/2007 2:08 PM Ike consulted a Magic 8 Ball and declared:
There was a time when virtually 100% of the men attending a
profesional baseball game wore a suit and a hat. "Sport shirts" were
for sports, and "tennis shoes" were for tennis.

And in those years, when the grand liners of history served only the
affluent, EVERY night was formal night. "Dressing for dinner" was
mandatory in the prime of the Queen and on the superb Cunard ships,
and men who never asked the cost of anything would arrive with luggage
that included several tuxedos or dinner jackets plus a box of their
favorite cigars, as their wives brought an array of splendid gowns.
They often traveled with their servants...

Today, the vast majority of people who go cruising don't own formal
wear. Many don't even have suits, and if they did retain something
from their business history it probably no longer fits. And some of
today's cruisers ARE servants - on vacation...

I think the days of "formal nights" are numbered, and the dress code
will be ignored more and more frequently. Eventually, most lines will
go the way of Oceania, which gives up nothing in food, service, and
ambience and diners are welcome in khakis and a golf shirt. That
environment is certainly pleasant, just less pretentious.

Of course, there are some who truly enjoy "dressing for dinner", and
for them there will be ships - or perhaps specific cruises - that
promote formal dining and the supposed elegance that goes with it.

As for my wife and me, we're about to spend almost two weeks on an
Oceania cruise, with a few days ashore at each end. We'll each use ONE
small rolling bag - that will handle my dress khakis, and her sequin'd
jeans suit.

Ike
...tuxless - it'll never fit again!

Times change, fashion and custom does as well. Were it not the case
we'd all be dining above or below the salt. We'd all be wearing volumes
of clothing including furs. Our eating utensils would be a knife and
our bare hands, or if we were Frankish a two pronged fork and a knife.
Table scraps would be tossed to those too lowly to sit below the salt,
or two dogs.

People get squeamish about Speedos by the pool. I wonder what they'd
react to men with ornate codpieces with bells on them? This is a brief
outline of what a "formal dinner" would be like for those lucky to dine
within a castle banquet hall in the Middle Ages.

If things hadn't changed we could still be clanking about in ceremonial
armor at a formal do. A Transatlantic crossing would be aboard a
longboat with somebody named Lars the One Armed or Olaf the Giant at the
helm. Time of arrival would not be guaranteed.

I think that if Formal Nights are on the way out, then so be it. It
doesn't really make sense on a Caribbean or tropical climate cruise.
After spending a whole day being active in the tropical sun and burning
despite maximum sunblock, to then have to don a tux or equally
restrictive dark suit? On a vacation it's unfortunate enough to get
sunburned but then to have to block any means of heat release by wearing
restrictive clothing...it's not my idea of a good time.

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951
  #25  
Old October 7th, 2007, 07:26 AM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Brian K[_1_]
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Posts: 712
Default The era of FORMAL NIGHTS is fading rapidly...

On 10/6/2007 6:43 PM Val Kraut consulted a Magic 8 Ball and declared:
Casual Fridays are now Monday thru Friday. Why, because the
days of the white shirts and ties are long gone. Even at IBM!


This is a Human Resourse trick to lower your self esteem so they can pay you
less.



Huh? I'm a retired computer programmer. I was paid by my work quality
and timely delivery -- not by what I wore. There's something wrong with
the picture if self-esteem can be lowered by working in a casual
office. It may be a "Cosmo Girl" thing to get an emotional boost by new
DKNY business suits. But it's not really a guy thing. So, where are you
coming from with this observation?

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951
  #27  
Old October 7th, 2007, 11:47 AM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Charles[_1_]
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Posts: 3,112
Default The era of FORMAL NIGHTS is fading rapidly...

In article , Thumper
wrote:

How would you know that? If true then just why is their a discussion
about it? Everyone would just dress formal.


Huh? It is the cruise line that requests formal dress. That is how we
know when to dress formal.

--
Charles
  #28  
Old October 7th, 2007, 11:48 AM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Charles[_1_]
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Posts: 3,112
Default The era of FORMAL NIGHTS is fading rapidly...

In article , Thumper
wrote:

I thought Charles just told us that he doesn't dress formally on
formal night.


I don't think you are reading the discussion. I do dress formal. In a
tux on formal night.

--
Charles
  #29  
Old October 7th, 2007, 11:52 AM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Charles[_1_]
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Posts: 3,112
Default The era of FORMAL NIGHTS is fading rapidly...

In article , Thumper
wrote:

A dark suit is not "formal."


On a cruise a dark suit is formal since the cruise lines who set the
formal evenings request a dark suit or a tux.

--
Charles
  #30  
Old October 7th, 2007, 01:19 PM posted to rec.travel.cruises
George Leppla
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Posts: 1,219
Default The era of FORMAL NIGHTS is fading rapidly...


"Thumper" wrote

The fact is that even at wakes nowadays people are dressing informally
and many are dressed in work clothes.


There are also regional variances. Here in the south, blue jeans are worn
everywhere... even to church. Not only blue jeans, but shorts. Yes, I wear
shorts to church and so do about half the men (the ones not wearing jeans).
You would be hard pressed to find anyone wearing a suit and tie to work.

Next week I'll be on the Freedom of the Seas and I will pack my suit. The
last time I wore it was the last week in April... on the Carnival Pride.

If it weren't for cruises, my "formal" clothes might rot on the hanger.


--
George Leppla http://www.CruiseMaster.com

January 20, 2008 - GGC2008 - http://cruisemaster.com/adventure.htm
October 26, 2008 Sleazy 5 http://www.cruisemaster.com/sleazy5.htm


 




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