Kids' attire in the MDR?

[Aladdin D Nile]

I'm sure this topic has been covered, but I tried a number of different searches and couldn't find anything.

 

I will be taking my family on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera on RCI in June. First cruise for all of us - Me, DW, DD(7), and DS(5). What should I pack for my kids to wear in the MDR on regular and formal nights? DD has lots of little girly dresses and such, but DS has mainly jeans, tshirts (some collared), and sweaters. Does a 5 y.o. boy need a tie and jacket?

 

Thanks for your input, -Rob

[brenderlou]

Honestly, I think kids should dress as comfortable as possible. I wouldn't worry about a jacket and tie at all. A nice pair of kahki pants w/ a shirt is all that is needed. I would even go w/ shorts for a 5 yr old.

Enjoy!!!

[notentirelynormal]

I'm the other way. I think the dress code applies to all but obviously kids are more lenient. With that said, you will get many compliments on him, thus making him feel special if he's dressed up. He might even feel slighted if you, DW and DD are fancy and he's not. My kids always loved dressing up. My DS knew, suit or tux for formal, jacket and tie for semi formal, shirt and tie for smart casual and they've always dressed up. My grandkids too. So, does he NEED it, probably not. Should he, to fit in with the rest of you, probably. It makes for great pictures too.

[newbiecruiser09]

I have never cruised with kids before (their first is coming up soon!) but I am going by the "church attire" rule for formal and smart casual. For your son I would do khaki pants and polo shirts (and maybe a button down shirt for formal night) or one of those really cute little boy outfits with shorts, shirt, vest and mini tie! They don't have to stay in the clothes all night either--we saw lots of kids who dressed for dinner and then went back to the cabin and put on shorts and tees for the resrt of the night.

[Liltx31]

I am bringing 1 semi formal dress for each of my girls. I found them at Nordstrom's Rack super cheap. They are different designs with the same fabric. It has zebra print and hotpink accents. The best part; they are comfy and do not wrinkle.

Other than that they will be wearing Gymboree cotton knit dresses.

The same white sandals with all of it. I am only bringing 2 of these so some nights will be repeats. I too intend to change them right after before they go to the kids club.

I am also going to pack a couple of white cardigans so they won't be cold.

 

Monica

[cb at sea]

Young kids shouldn't wear "adult style" clothing....put them in their "Sunday Best" for formal night....party dress for girls, long pants, nice shirt for the boys...at that age, they should NOT be wearing long dresses and tuxes!

If your son has a suit, that will be fine....if not, the pants and shirt (button up) will work well.

[carolinesmom]

We're taking our first cruise next month. I've been working on clothes for all of us. I let my 3 daughters (14, 12, and 5) pick out a new dress for the formal night. My son who is 9 will be wearing khakis, a blue jacket, white button down shirt, and tie. For the other nights he'll wear khakis and a collared shirt (I'm bringing two for 4 nights). The girls will wear skirts or capris with blouses.

[VillaHappy]

My son (age 9 for his first cruise) loved to wear a tie and a borrowed jacket from one of his friends! Although he didn't need to dress up, he really enjoyed it and the pics we got on formal night are awesome!

[gerif]

Young kids shouldn't wear "adult style" clothing....put them in their "Sunday Best" for formal night....party dress for girls, long pants, nice shirt for the boys...at that age, they should NOT be wearing long dresses and tuxes!

If your son has a suit, that will be fine....if not, the pants and shirt (button up) will work well.

 

Why not? The cutest thing I ever saw was two toddlers dressed in little tuxes just like dad on formal night. I'm sure they got amazing family photos, too. Little girls love looking like princesses. These things can be purchased on E-bay or from consignment shops cheaper than "new" casual clothes - when they are outgrown, just sell them back.

[boulders]

DS4 and DS14 will be going on their 4th and 6th cruises respectively in 3 months. I just ordered new blazers from Lands End. (psst they're on sale) Except for the last cruise, when somehow DS14's blazer got left behind, they've both worn blazers, shirts and ties on formal night. They look quite handsome and fit in well. On non-formal nights, they wear polo shirts and khakis.

[Liltx31]

Young kids shouldn't wear "adult style" clothing....put them in their "Sunday Best" for formal night....party dress for girls, long pants, nice shirt for the boys...at that age, they should NOT be wearing long dresses and tuxes!

If your son has a suit, that will be fine....if not, the pants and shirt (button up) will work well.

 

 

I am choosing not to pack that much but I don't see anything wrong with formals for small children. Haven't you seen small children in wedding parties? What could be wrong with that? My girls will be wearing long formals for my brother's wedding this summer the dresses are the Cinderella brand if you want to look it up. They are so beautiful and yes to the floor long. I don't see much difference between a wedding reception and a formal cruise night.

[akcruz]

I agree that there is no reason kids cannot dress up if mom and dad do. Girls usually love to wear dresses and while boys may not be as thrilled, it doesn't cost a fortune to have them look nice.

 

We usually do 2 pairs of long pants for my son (walmart or target for very few $$) one pair khaki and one pair dark. We borrow a jacket from friends (check around somebody usually has one) and match the jacket with the 2 pairs of pants for the formal nights. The other nights the same 2 pair can be matched up with polo shirts for casual dinners.

 

The kids usually get dressed for dinner, then get right back in their casual stuff to go to the kids clubs so you can easily get more than one use out of them. No need to pack a separate outfit for every night.

 

The most adorable child I saw was a toddler in a tux. Everyone was commenting on how cute he looked and he was in his glory.

[brenderlou]

I'm sure this topic has been covered, but I tried a number of different searches and couldn't find anything.

 

I will be taking my family on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera on RCI in June. First cruise for all of us - Me, DW, DD(7), and DS(5). What should I pack for my kids to wear in the MDR on regular and formal nights? DD has lots of little girly dresses and such, but DS has mainly jeans, tshirts (some collared), and sweaters. Does a 5 y.o. boy need a tie and jacket?

 

Thanks for your input, -Rob

 

 

I posted previously on this thread and do agree with all the other posters but my only concern is the comfort of the child. I know many kids that refuse to wear a collar shirt or tie which will cause a melt down.

So what I say is dress you boy the best you can. If he fusses over a tie and you know it would effect dinner, forgo it. No one will bat an eye.

I've seen children in all types of dress and I think the most important thing for dinner is for them to be comfortable and HAPPY instead of being upset over something uncomfortable.

As long as he has a nice shirt and pants on....he is fine. No need for a tie and jacket if you don't have one.

[jerin]

My kids LIKE to dress up, so my boys are in tuxes for formal nights (a few online places have them in the $50-$60 range). They always get compliments from others around us when they choose to follow the same dress.

 

If your son doesn't enjoy dressing up, then an oxford-type shirt and dockers-type slacks are completely acceptable for a 5 year old.

[Aladdin D Nile]

Thanks for all the prompt responses! There appears to be no clear concensus, but I am now confident that any of the options I was considering would be within the range of 'normal'.

 

I think I'll err toward the more casual since I think we will be using My Family Time Dining where the kids get served within 45 minutes and then leave with an AO counselor. In that scenario, there is no opportunity to return to the stateroom to get them changed out of formal clothes before play time.