IOTS Dress Code and Tea/Coffee Making Facilities

[cruise-fan, Wirral]

Folks,

Soon to be cruising on IOTS for first time and understand the formal nights dress code (e.g. black tie / tux) and the casual nights dress code (trousers & collared shirt) but had a question about "smart casual" ... understand it is shirt and tie but do I have to pack another jacket for those nights or do people generally just go in shirt & ties?

Also, are there tea/coffee making facilities in the junior suites? Would taking a jar of coffee in your suitcase result in it being confiscated?

Thanx

[Wilba]

No tie is required for Smart Casual and many do not bother with a jacket, smart open neck shirt and trousers are fine.

Kettles are provided on IOTS whilst it sails out of the UK.

You can take coffee if you like, it won't be confiscated...........Wilba

[cruise-fan, Wirral]

Many thanks

[JFP, LANCASHIRE]

independence out of southampton, summer school holidays
dress code for the formal nights was adhered to by probably 3/4 of the diners, and it does make for a special evening, shame it can't be made compulsory, if you want to wear a cartoon t-shirt why not eat in windjammer for once?

casual evenings, well more or less whatever you want seemed to be the order of the day.

shorts are not allowed in the dining room, but you will get in with trousers that end just below the knee, so every one can see the football club tattoo on your shin, similarly, cap sleeve t-shirts to allow one and all to admire biceps that could crack walnuts, and yet more tattoos, including the almost obligatory stars on the inside of your wrist to show how much you love your offspring, who are off spoiling someone elses holiday with their behaviour - swearing and ripping up games in the games room, food fights in the windjammer, going through security guards pockets whilst he's trying to talk to them - i kid you not, and of course a low front and back to the shirt to give us a couple of final thrills, roses on the chest and dolphins / sun burst on the back. the husbands tend to make do with football shirts.

don't let this put you off, it's a great holiday, with great staff (handy hint - if you're nice to them, they're nice to you, obvious really, but not to everybody) food is excellent, superior to what you get in 99% of uk restaurants, but it is more benidorm than brighton, more calais than cannes!

jonny

[Lynn, Newton le Willows]

independence out of southampton, summer school holidays
dress code for the formal nights was adhered to by probably 3/4 of the diners, and it does make for a special evening, shame it can't be made compulsory, if you want to wear a cartoon t-shirt why not eat in windjammer for once?

casual evenings, well more or less whatever you want seemed to be the order of the day.

shorts are not allowed in the dining room, but you will get in with trousers that end just below the knee, so every one can see the football club tattoo on your shin, similarly, cap sleeve t-shirts to allow one and all to admire biceps that could crack walnuts, and yet more tattoos, including the almost obligatory stars on the inside of your wrist to show how much you love your offspring, who are off spoiling someone elses holiday with their behaviour - swearing and ripping up games in the games room, food fights in the windjammer, going through security guards pockets whilst he's trying to talk to them - i kid you not, and of course a low front and back to the shirt to give us a couple of final thrills, roses on the chest and dolphins / sun burst on the back. the husbands tend to make do with football shirts.

don't let this put you off, it's a great holiday, with great staff (handy hint - if you're nice to them, they're nice to you, obvious really, but not to everybody) food is excellent, superior to what you get in 99% of uk restaurants, but it is more benidorm than brighton, more calais than cannes!

jonny

erm.................
I have no tattoo's anywhere on my body nor do I have any unruly Children, will they still let me board the Ship?
Lynn

[Scottish Cruiser]

read somewhere that on formal night an open neck shirt and waistcoat with smart trousers was fine for men and casual collared shirt with smart trousers was fine for smart casual. I don't think you can get refused if you are dressed smartly it's just if you have sportswear or beachwear on.

Elaine

[cruise-fan, Wirral]

Many thanks

Very amusing post :-) ... many thanks ... so glad you finished on a positive note!

BTW, no tattoos her either and normally smartly dressed ... just wanted to know if I needed to pack the extra jacket for smart casual ... apparantly not!

[Dolphinblu, Lowton Cheshire]

Just returned and had a fab time must have been on a alternative hols as can honestly say we didn't come across the tshirts at dinner or the bad behaviour. In fact never saw anyone drunk, throwing up or acting unsociable perhaps more Marbella than Benidorm. Agree that the vast majority of people did dress up on formal evenings I'd say 50/50 of the gents were in either a suit or black tie and younger boys in shirts with ties. Ladies and girls in lovely dresses. We never saw gents in anything other than trousers at dinner ( could be due to the fact we ate at 8.30). Agree with Jonny that it is a brilliant holiday, with great facilities, services and we meet some lovely people as did our 14 yr daughter. O hubby just said need to confess that he was the middle aged guy in the Man U shirt on match day in Studio B mind you he has wore it at 10 Downing Street too!

[karenjoy, nottingham]

Phew dolpinblu was just thinking of cancelling!!

makes me wonder how anyone described in jfp's post could afford a cruise holiday!

costing me a fourtune to go next april!!

[Dolphinblu, Lowton Cheshire]

Hi kj, we really did have a great two weeks, the cruise provided something for each of us. We met some lovely people as you'd expect in the summer hols quiet a lot of families was lovely though seeing 3 or 4 generations of the same family enjoying the experience together. The ship is magnificent, staff hard working, friendly and really helpful. So much to do but no pressure if you didn't want to. In was a real doubting Thomas about cruising and am now hooked. Embarkation and disembarkation was a beeze compared to the airport. We stayed in an interior cabin and to be honest I'd do so again - already contemplating a return next year (something we rarely do). Have a fab time.

[karenjoy, nottingham]

Great news doplpinblu!

I cant wait we are saling on the 11th April next year!! xx

[AJB1970, Queenie]

We met some lovely people... The ship is magnificent, staff hard working, friendly and really helpful. We stayed in an interior cabin and to be honest I'd do so again - already contemplating a return next year (something we rarely do). Have a fab time.

I agree - we cruised on IoTS in July 2008 (just after the launch) and again in September 2009 - simply because we'd had such a great time onboard, that we wanted to do it all over again, but this time my parents travelled with us. We even did the same itinerary!! We don't have any kids but there was plenty onboard to keep them entertained. Everyone dressed up for the formal nights and the parades on the Promenade deck are fab. I was hooked on cruising before I stepped foot on the IoTS - but she made sure that I'd never go too long without cruising again....

[CrazyDaizy, Wolverhampton, UK]

I'm probably a bit late responding here, but when we went on Jewel of the Seas in the summer I was "scared" of the Dress Code. I think I felt I may be sent back to my cabin to change if I wore the "wrong" thing!! But even on the Formal nights not everyone dressed in tuxedo. It was all quite relaxed and you could dress how you wanted really. I don't know why I fretted so much!!

[Smee, Burntwood]

I came across a peculiar situation on cruise ships regarding tea and coffee making facilities. On P&O you get these facilities just as you would expect in a decent hotel room yet on Princess cruises you don't. I asked the Princess staff why, they said because a kettle in the cabin is unsafe......