Clueless first-timer needs advice about cruises please

Bob Thomas wrote:
I think this makes it clear that you don't understand cruises (or rather,
mass market cruises). Cruising to travel is a little absurd, unless there
is no other option.

Not necessarily. I'm doing the Baltics, and in order to achieve the
objective of minimising hotel changes (and thus luggage movement) and
to see the number of different locations, this is really the best
option. I know there are many who cruise just for the cruise, but this
isn't to say that they should dominate those who don't.

On what cruise line. This doesn't sound like a standard mass market cruise,
so the rules may be different. Although it is in Europe, which is, if anything
more formal than the Caribbean. What has your travel agent told you, and what
cruise line/ship will you be on?

Cruising, as you will discover, is primarily about the ship, even on the
port intensive cruises. And it is primarily about the society on the ship,
the entertainment, the venues.

I wouldn't drag others around old churches or expect to have to sit
out my time in a coffee shop. Similarly, I wouldn't ask anyone *not*
to wear a tux, and I'd just like the courtesy reciprocated.

You do realize that the dress code does not mandate tux? At most it
mandates slacks (which you are already planning to bring) and a jacket. It ma
y be just slacks and a shirt with a collar.

Tuxes are always mandatory.


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

Bob Thomas wrote:
I think this makes it clear that you don't understand cruises (or rather,
mass market cruises). Cruising to travel is a little absurd, unless there
is no other option.

Not necessarily. I'm doing the Baltics, and in order to achieve the
objective of minimising hotel changes (and thus luggage movement) and
to see the number of different locations, this is really the best
option. I know there are many who cruise just for the cruise, but this
isn't to say that they should dominate those who don't.

On what cruise line. This doesn't sound like a standard mass market cruise,
so the rules may be different. Although it is in Europe, which is, if anything
more formal than the Caribbean. What has your travel agent told you, and what
cruise line/ship will you be on?

Cruising, as you will discover, is primarily about the ship, even on the
port intensive cruises. And it is primarily about the society on the ship,
the entertainment, the venues.

I wouldn't drag others around old churches or expect to have to sit
out my time in a coffee shop. Similarly, I wouldn't ask anyone *not*
to wear a tux, and I'd just like the courtesy reciprocated.

You do realize that the dress code does not mandate tux? At most it
mandates slacks (which you are already planning to bring) and a jacket. It ma
y be just slacks and a shirt with a collar.

Tuxes are always mandatory.


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

Bob Thomas wrote:
I think this makes it clear that you don't understand cruises (or rather,
mass market cruises). Cruising to travel is a little absurd, unless there
is no other option.

Not necessarily. I'm doing the Baltics, and in order to achieve the
objective of minimising hotel changes (and thus luggage movement) and
to see the number of different locations, this is really the best
option. I know there are many who cruise just for the cruise, but this
isn't to say that they should dominate those who don't.

On what cruise line. This doesn't sound like a standard mass market cruise,
so the rules may be different. Although it is in Europe, which is, if anything
more formal than the Caribbean. What has your travel agent told you, and what
cruise line/ship will you be on?

Cruising, as you will discover, is primarily about the ship, even on the
port intensive cruises. And it is primarily about the society on the ship,
the entertainment, the venues.

I wouldn't drag others around old churches or expect to have to sit
out my time in a coffee shop. Similarly, I wouldn't ask anyone *not*
to wear a tux, and I'd just like the courtesy reciprocated.

You do realize that the dress code does not mandate tux? At most it
mandates slacks (which you are already planning to bring) and a jacket. It ma
y be just slacks and a shirt with a collar.

Tuxes are always mandatory.


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

Bob Thomas wrote:
On Wed, 4 Aug 2004 12:10:35 +0000 (UTC), Juliana L Holm
wrote:


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

That's my point entirely - "Neat Casual" is to me a perfectly suitable
arrangement, without making people feel awkward because they didn't
pack a tux.

Not a single person has said ever in this thread that you MUST have a tux.
Why is that what you always return to? It's not true that you must have
a tux. It may be true you need slacks and a jacket. Or just slacks.
t
--
Julie
**********
Check out my Travel Pages (non-commercial) at
http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm

Bob Thomas wrote:
On Wed, 4 Aug 2004 12:10:35 +0000 (UTC), Juliana L Holm
wrote:


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

That's my point entirely - "Neat Casual" is to me a perfectly suitable
arrangement, without making people feel awkward because they didn't
pack a tux.

Not a single person has said ever in this thread that you MUST have a tux.
Why is that what you always return to? It's not true that you must have
a tux. It may be true you need slacks and a jacket. Or just slacks.
t
--
Julie
**********
Check out my Travel Pages (non-commercial) at
http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm

Charles wrote:
That's my point entirely - "Neat Casual" is to me a perfectly suitable
arrangement, without making people feel awkward because they didn't
pack a tux.

If that were the arrangement. Whether country club casual or formal
dress evenings should be the arrangement can be argued. But on most
cruise lines the arrangement is that there are formal evenings. If you
did not pack a tux or suit on cruiselines that have formal evenings
most normal people will feel awkward--if they use the main dining room.
However most cruiselines have added alternatives dining venues in the
last few years for those who don't pack a suit or tux.

A jacket and slacks has been usually sufficient on the cruises I have been
on.

--
Charles

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

Charles wrote:
That's my point entirely - "Neat Casual" is to me a perfectly suitable
arrangement, without making people feel awkward because they didn't
pack a tux.

If that were the arrangement. Whether country club casual or formal
dress evenings should be the arrangement can be argued. But on most
cruise lines the arrangement is that there are formal evenings. If you
did not pack a tux or suit on cruiselines that have formal evenings
most normal people will feel awkward--if they use the main dining room.
However most cruiselines have added alternatives dining venues in the
last few years for those who don't pack a suit or tux.

A jacket and slacks has been usually sufficient on the cruises I have been
on.

--
Charles

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

On Thu, 05 Aug 2004 12:14:02 +1000, Bob Thomas
wrote:

On Thu, 05 Aug 2004 01:17:36 GMT, "Tom & Linda"
wrote:


I don't think it's too much to expect someone to put on slacks and a golf
shirt for dinner to go in a fancy dining room.

If you want to wear shorts... then just go to the buffet, a pizza place, a
burger joint (like Johnny Rockets) on board, or order room service. You
always have those options if you want to stay in shorts. Just not the fancy
dining room.

Aaaaaaaaaaaarrgggghhhhhh ........

Ahh ... that's better.

Just for the record ... one more time .... I was never on about shorts
(that was another poster). I don't even carry shorts with me on this
cruise!

I just want to be able to dress casually without any pressure to wear
a suit!

Bob T.

I'm afraid you'll find most European lines rather more formal than
suits you (no pun). In fact, you will find many European restaurants
are that way, also. Not a tux, usually a suit but many times simply a
sports jacket and tie.

I've found that packing two pairs of slacks (Dockers or the like, one
dark, one light) will do the trick. I wear them for dinner and
nothing else. Of course, this is in the Caribbean.
--
dillon

When I was a kid, I thought the angel's name was Hark
and the horse's name was Bob.

Charles wrote in
d:

In article , Otis
McNatt wrote:

Now I know that I must look incredibly uninformed, but what do
the people eat who don't want to participate in such a formal
dinner? Are there other alternatives?

Howard explained the dress code but I would add that Century is
not one of those ships that has good alternatives to the regular
dining room. They do have alternative dining and a sushi bar in
the lido area but I don't recomend it.


Do they have complimentary room service?

--
----Sagittaria----

"Just think how boring life would be if everyone liked and respected
everyone else."
cmsix wrote in a.s.s.d on 4/17/04

Charles wrote in
d:

In article , Otis
McNatt wrote:

Now I know that I must look incredibly uninformed, but what do
the people eat who don't want to participate in such a formal
dinner? Are there other alternatives?

Howard explained the dress code but I would add that Century is
not one of those ships that has good alternatives to the regular
dining room. They do have alternative dining and a sushi bar in
the lido area but I don't recomend it.


Do they have complimentary room service?

--
----Sagittaria----

"Just think how boring life would be if everyone liked and respected
everyone else."
cmsix wrote in a.s.s.d on 4/17/04