Clueless first-timer needs advice about cruises please

"Bob Thomas" wrote in message
...
I think, in time, this sort of pretentiousness will become less
popular as the younger age groups turn to cruising and the old school
dies out. One can hope so anyway.

Bob T.

I know we're in the minority but if it's any consolation, I'm with you Bob.

Rich

"Bob Thomas" wrote in message
...
I think, in time, this sort of pretentiousness will become less
popular as the younger age groups turn to cruising and the old school
dies out. One can hope so anyway.

Bob T.

I know we're in the minority but if it's any consolation, I'm with you Bob.

Rich

Bob Thomas wrote:

I've read a lot of cruising comments, and a lot of negativity about
the penguin nights. I'll be happy to avoid those nights by eating at
an alternative venue, but it would be fairer if the options were not
so biased in favour of what is, in many ways, an anachronistic habit.
I notice that many ships are changing this approach these days, just
as a suit and tie is no more the standard for office wear.

You notice that because it is people who dislike it who post. I like to get
dressed up on shipboard, and my husband bought a tux to take along on cruises.

I stay that way the whole night; I admire other folks clothes, I go dancing
(If Ballroom dancing happens on a ship, it is usually on formal night), I
hit the casino and drink champagne feeling very elegant.

That said, I practically don't notice if the guy next to me is in shorts or
jeans. For me that matters not, and I am just fine on NCL, which I've taken
several times, and probably will again.

One issue I have with this discussion is that everyone seems focused on either
suits-and-tuxes or shorts-and-jeans. The fact is that very few of us are
that extreme. Very few of us (as I read it) want to wear shorts in the dining
room. A larger number, but not a majority, want everyone on formal night in
suits (or jackets, a light sport jacket works just fine) and an even smaller
amount are wedded to tuxes.

Julie

--
Julie
**********
Check out my Travel Pages (non-commercial) at
http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm

Bob Thomas wrote:

I've read a lot of cruising comments, and a lot of negativity about
the penguin nights. I'll be happy to avoid those nights by eating at
an alternative venue, but it would be fairer if the options were not
so biased in favour of what is, in many ways, an anachronistic habit.
I notice that many ships are changing this approach these days, just
as a suit and tie is no more the standard for office wear.

You notice that because it is people who dislike it who post. I like to get
dressed up on shipboard, and my husband bought a tux to take along on cruises.

I stay that way the whole night; I admire other folks clothes, I go dancing
(If Ballroom dancing happens on a ship, it is usually on formal night), I
hit the casino and drink champagne feeling very elegant.

That said, I practically don't notice if the guy next to me is in shorts or
jeans. For me that matters not, and I am just fine on NCL, which I've taken
several times, and probably will again.

One issue I have with this discussion is that everyone seems focused on either
suits-and-tuxes or shorts-and-jeans. The fact is that very few of us are
that extreme. Very few of us (as I read it) want to wear shorts in the dining
room. A larger number, but not a majority, want everyone on formal night in
suits (or jackets, a light sport jacket works just fine) and an even smaller
amount are wedded to tuxes.

Julie

--
Julie
**********
Check out my Travel Pages (non-commercial) at
http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm

Bob Thomas wrote:

I've read a lot of cruising comments, and a lot of negativity about
the penguin nights. I'll be happy to avoid those nights by eating at
an alternative venue, but it would be fairer if the options were not
so biased in favour of what is, in many ways, an anachronistic habit.
I notice that many ships are changing this approach these days, just
as a suit and tie is no more the standard for office wear.

You notice that because it is people who dislike it who post. I like to get
dressed up on shipboard, and my husband bought a tux to take along on cruises.

I stay that way the whole night; I admire other folks clothes, I go dancing
(If Ballroom dancing happens on a ship, it is usually on formal night), I
hit the casino and drink champagne feeling very elegant.

That said, I practically don't notice if the guy next to me is in shorts or
jeans. For me that matters not, and I am just fine on NCL, which I've taken
several times, and probably will again.

One issue I have with this discussion is that everyone seems focused on either
suits-and-tuxes or shorts-and-jeans. The fact is that very few of us are
that extreme. Very few of us (as I read it) want to wear shorts in the dining
room. A larger number, but not a majority, want everyone on formal night in
suits (or jackets, a light sport jacket works just fine) and an even smaller
amount are wedded to tuxes.

Julie

--
Julie
**********
Check out my Travel Pages (non-commercial) at
http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm

Bob Thomas wrote:

On Tue, 03 Aug 2004 21:10:33 GMT, "Tom & Linda"
wrote:

There are cruises (like NCL) that allow casual dress every evening... albeit
with long pants and a nice shirt (like a golf shirt). They do not have
formal nights like other lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess,
Celebrity, etc.).

... and if those cruises don't happen to be going where you wanted to
go ???

If putting on a pair of slacks (dockers, etc.) for dinner in a fancy dining
room is too much of a hassle... perhaps you should look elsewhere. A cruise
might not be your cup of tea.

ARE you against putting on long pants and what we would call a polo
shirt (knit like a t-shirt but with a collar) or a woven fabric sports
shirt to eat dinner in? If not, I suggest that this is a straw man.
Do Australians wear shorts THAT much that you NEVER wear long pants?

A cruise is exactly my cup of tea .... but it would appear that you
prefer to dictate to those who prefer coffee ... or soft drink .. or
even plain old water. I cruise to get to places, to see new countries
and to enjoy the benefits of having my hotel go with me. Of course

I haven't been on a cruise yet either, other than my own boat, and the
things I like about being on my own boat are those things that you
mention - getting to see new places up close and personal without
having to pack and unpack.

But one of the things that has always kept me from taking a cruise
(other than the cost) is the lack of time at the various ports. The
cruises I'd REALLY like to go on are still too expensive for us - I'd
really like to do Alaska or South America or do one of the river
cruises.

So maybe what you will have to do is wait and explore more options.
My alma mater is having a cruise to Antarctica this coming winter for
instance.

there are those who simply cruise for the social life and to be
pretentious, and for them appearances may be an end it itself. Sad,
really, that those who want to perform insist that their audience wear
costumes as well.

Do you have some kind of phobia about men in suits?

When we travel, my husband usually wears nice slacks and a sports
jacket or blazer with a white shirt and tie. He seems perfectly
comfortable that way (He doesn't complain at all-he's never been one
to object to a tie - maybe it is because he has a thin neck or maybe
it is because he served as an officer in the Navy for 20 years+), and
it enables us to sit in first class if there is space there. (Our
daughter is a pilot so we sometimes fly non-rev and the airline has
strict rules about dress for non-rev passengers.)

I personally try to wear the most bulky items I have brought on the
plane. It's one of my packing strategies. I don't usually take more
than 2 carry-ons when I fly somewhere for 2 weeks.

IMO, enforcing the long pants kind of forces people to shower and clean up
for dinner, rather than showing up sweaty, full of sun tan oil, from the
pool area.

Now you're being silly ...... it is a quantum leap from sweaty and
smelly to dinner suite and tie. The words "neat, casual" come to mind.

What people are trying to say I think is that neat casual will work.

grandma Rosalie

Bob Thomas wrote:

On Tue, 03 Aug 2004 21:10:33 GMT, "Tom & Linda"
wrote:

There are cruises (like NCL) that allow casual dress every evening... albeit
with long pants and a nice shirt (like a golf shirt). They do not have
formal nights like other lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess,
Celebrity, etc.).

... and if those cruises don't happen to be going where you wanted to
go ???

If putting on a pair of slacks (dockers, etc.) for dinner in a fancy dining
room is too much of a hassle... perhaps you should look elsewhere. A cruise
might not be your cup of tea.

ARE you against putting on long pants and what we would call a polo
shirt (knit like a t-shirt but with a collar) or a woven fabric sports
shirt to eat dinner in? If not, I suggest that this is a straw man.
Do Australians wear shorts THAT much that you NEVER wear long pants?

A cruise is exactly my cup of tea .... but it would appear that you
prefer to dictate to those who prefer coffee ... or soft drink .. or
even plain old water. I cruise to get to places, to see new countries
and to enjoy the benefits of having my hotel go with me. Of course

I haven't been on a cruise yet either, other than my own boat, and the
things I like about being on my own boat are those things that you
mention - getting to see new places up close and personal without
having to pack and unpack.

But one of the things that has always kept me from taking a cruise
(other than the cost) is the lack of time at the various ports. The
cruises I'd REALLY like to go on are still too expensive for us - I'd
really like to do Alaska or South America or do one of the river
cruises.

So maybe what you will have to do is wait and explore more options.
My alma mater is having a cruise to Antarctica this coming winter for
instance.

there are those who simply cruise for the social life and to be
pretentious, and for them appearances may be an end it itself. Sad,
really, that those who want to perform insist that their audience wear
costumes as well.

Do you have some kind of phobia about men in suits?

When we travel, my husband usually wears nice slacks and a sports
jacket or blazer with a white shirt and tie. He seems perfectly
comfortable that way (He doesn't complain at all-he's never been one
to object to a tie - maybe it is because he has a thin neck or maybe
it is because he served as an officer in the Navy for 20 years+), and
it enables us to sit in first class if there is space there. (Our
daughter is a pilot so we sometimes fly non-rev and the airline has
strict rules about dress for non-rev passengers.)

I personally try to wear the most bulky items I have brought on the
plane. It's one of my packing strategies. I don't usually take more
than 2 carry-ons when I fly somewhere for 2 weeks.

IMO, enforcing the long pants kind of forces people to shower and clean up
for dinner, rather than showing up sweaty, full of sun tan oil, from the
pool area.

Now you're being silly ...... it is a quantum leap from sweaty and
smelly to dinner suite and tie. The words "neat, casual" come to mind.

What people are trying to say I think is that neat casual will work.

grandma Rosalie

From: "RichC"

I didn't see anything in the brochure about showering. ;o)


Woo Hoo ... my kind of cruise ...

Be seeing you
In the Village
Number 6

From: "RichC"

I didn't see anything in the brochure about showering. ;o)


Woo Hoo ... my kind of cruise ...

Be seeing you
In the Village
Number 6

"Tom & Linda" wrote in message et...

What if the ownership's consideration of "appropriate" is different than
yours?

You don't own the ship. They do.

--Tom

I've been to many land-based restaurants that require men to wear a
jacket and tie. They simply will not seat you in the dining room if
you aren't dressed according to their rules. We can always choose to
eat at a different restaurant if we don't want to abide by their
request (requirement) just as cruise passengers can choose a different
dining venue or cruise line if they don't think they'll be able to
comply with the restaurant's (in reality, the dining room is a
restaurant) attire guidelines.

I really can't get over the "me, me, me" mentality of those that
refuse to dress appropriately calling those of us that do, snobs. Get
real!

Lee