[quote cruisebuddy]Cruizer - cool off a little. ITA with sheilauk, though I might not go to the extreme of getting someone removed from the dinning room, I still feel her passion reagrding proper dress for formal nights. It was obvious by your post that you agree with her (to an extent), so why bash her when she obviously has a good point? Your assertion that you would not want to sit with her is contradictory to your willingness to observe the dress code. She and her guest are dressed properly, you and your guest are dressed properly, so what more would you want?
Formal night is a long-standing tradition in the cruise lore, and one that I hope continues for a long time to come. I might not say anything to the person at my table, but I would say something to the matre' d following the meal. Sheilauk is spot on - SAY SOMETHING! And I plan to.
Force RC to either publicly relax their policy OR enforce it. I don't think that is too much to ask.
And Sheilauk, the offer still stands - I'll sit at your table ANY cruise![/quote]
Just because I choose to follow the rules does not mean that I agree with Sheilauk's passion. Her willingness to make others feel bad so that she can feel superior shows that nice clothing does not equal class. Such a nose in the clouds attitude shows how little class she has, while pretending that she is better than those who for whatever unknown reason are not dressed formally. The one very positive thing I have to say about NCL is their relaxed dress code. Now only if they would allow jeans in the dining room I would be really happy.
And for the record, I don't think she has a good point. How someone is dressed has no effect on how my food tastes or the quality of the service I receive. I could care less what someone else is wearing or not wearing, as long as safety standards are maintained. Given that there are children in the dining room, a little modesty is also appreciated.
To go to the extreme of making a scene to get someone thrown out of the dining room just because you don't like the way they are dressed shows a complete lack of class, and would affect my dinner if I was seated anywhere near by. Class people do not act in this manner. Class people would either ignore the issue completely or would talk to the person quietly and point out the issue.
I was in a restaurant with a very strict dress code once. A gentleman came in, took off his jacket and sat down. Within seconds a staff member whispered in the gentleman's ear. The man stood up, put back on his jacket and sat back down. This did not bother anyone else in the room, and the person was not thrown out for violating the rules. This is the class way to handle something like this.
I will guarantee you this, and I'll try and make this as clear as possible so that there is no confusion. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD I WANT TO BE SEATED WITH SHEILAUK. If someone acted as she is suggesting, I would asked to be moved to a different table that very night.
What you don't understand is that my desire to observe the dress code is my own personal choice. It is not something I am willing to force upon anyone else. As far as I am concerned, that is something the staff should do before the person enters the dining room. Once the person is in the dining room, the issue is closed as far as I am concerned. No passenger has the right to act as Sheilauk suggests.
On the Freedom of the Seas cruise just last month my sister wanted to know if her two young sons could wear shorts in the dining room for dinner. I pointed out the rules to her. On the first night she asked the waiter if it would be okay. He told her it would. There was never any further discussion about it the rest of the cruise. Not from me, not from any other passengers and not from the staff. In fact, I don't remember what they wore to the dining room because I didn't care. They were dressed nicely for both formal nights, as were we all. However, I did not that there were less people in the dining room for the second formal night then there were for the last night when tips are handed out (and those that don't want to tip usually don't show up).
As for me, I hope they do away with formal nights or at least make it optional. I really like my "formal" night photos from the NCL Star, where I was wearing a Hawaiian shirt (the cruise was to the Mexican Riviera). I go on vacation to get away from work, not to dress like I am still at work. This is the reason I will not be cruising on Crystal. As highly rated as their ships are, and even though I would like to give them a try, their strict dress code is too much for me. Since Regent has a more relaxed dress code, and is also highly rated, I'll give them a try.
