How dressed up will passengers be on a 50 day cruise?

[Aelsantokie]

We will be going on our first long cruise (50 days).

 

(DH and I, and our 6 kids) and we are flying from Fort Lauderdale to Sydney. Packing for my family is daunting enough without having to factor in super dressy suits for the boys and DH.

 

How dressed up will everyone be?

[Colo Cruiser]

We will be going on our first long cruise (50 days).

 

(DH and I, and our 6 kids) and we are flying from Fort Lauderdale to Sydney. Packing for my family is daunting enough without having to factor in super dressy suits for the boys and DH.

 

How dressed up will everyone be?

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2293781

[Aelsantokie]

So based on the answers in that thread, I would assume the answer is the same for a 50 day cruise as it is for a 10 day cruise?

[moki'smommy]

You don't tell us how old the boys are. But, of any age, they can get by with a shirt and tie; no real suit needed. That said, if they have suits that fit, they will look great for dress up nights. If they have a sports coat, that's cool too. I would not go out and buy new clothes just to dress them up for a cruise. Very young ones don't even need the tie...just look decent.

 

As to "super dressy suits," I'm not sure what constitutes super dressy. You can often get a tux on e-bay or at consignment shops for $30 or less for little guys....but again, not sure I'd buy something just for them to wear it to dinner on dress up nights.

 

Whatever you choose, there will be others making the same decision.

[cb at sea]

I assume this is a multiple B2B...so you will have new folks every week or so....they will be dressed (mostly) per suggested dress code.

[Colo Cruiser]

So based on the answers in that thread, I would assume the answer is the same for a 50 day cruise as it is for a 10 day cruise?

 

 

 

If you read that thread you can see how nasty a dress thread can get here on CC. You will get answers from both ends of the spectrum. You should make your own decision. Princess has guidelines on their website, you may want to start there.

[Colo Cruiser]

So based on the answers in that thread, I would assume the answer is the same for a 50 day cruise as it is for a 10 day cruise?

 

 

Here is another current thread more along the lines of your question....

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2293522

[Kinkacruiser]

Sounds like it's the Circle Pacific cruise ex Sydney - that's a great cruise you have coming up. What I would do is to organise 2 sets of clothing to last you 5 days (5 casual day wear outfits + 5 evening). When one set is being laundered, you have the 2nd set to fall back on and break the routine.

Take mix n' match items so it won't appear your are wearing the same clothes each day (if that bothers you). Even by changing your top to wear with your black evening slacks, you create a new outfit (pack a few sparkly ones for formal nights if you plan to participate).

If you are elite, then laundry will not be a concern - even if it takes 3 days for the turnaround. Otherwise you'll need to have several laundry days over the course of the cruise.

Have a wonderful cruise!

Edited January 3, 2016 by Kinkacruiser

[Aelsantokie]

Sounds like it's the Circle Pacific cruise ex Sydney - that's a great cruise you have coming up. What I would do is to organise 2 sets of clothing to last you 5 days (5 casual day wear outfits + 5 evening). When one set is being laundered, you have the 2nd set to fall back on and break the routine.

Take mix n' match items so it won't appear your are wearing the same clothes each day (if that bothers you). Even by changing your top to wear with your black evening slacks, you create a new outfit (pack a few sparkly ones for formal nights if you plan to participate).

If you are elite, then laundry will not be a concern - even if it takes 3 days for the turnaround. Otherwise you'll need to have several laundry days over the course of the cruise.

Have a wonderful cruise!

 

That's a great advice. Yes, you have the correct cruise. I have never done such a long cruise and didn't want to offend anyone by under-dressing too much.

 

Even among 7 day Caribbean versus Alaskan cruise on the same cruise line I saw quite a bit of difference. Also, this cruise has passengers who are older and I didn't know if that meant they would be more dressed up than we normally do.

 

My kids are 14, 12, 12, 12, 12 and 4 and with flying, I didn't want to take an extra luggage just for their suits/dresses so that's why I posted this question. I think nice khaki with white shirt, and some vest will make it dress enough (assuming the older kids will even join us for dinner ;) )

 

Thank you to everyone who answered.

[Steelers36]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2293781

 

I don't think that answers the Australian locale question. And length matters too as lots of posters have written that there tends to be more formal attire on longer cruises. Maybe some Aussies will give you some real life experience info.

Edited January 4, 2016 by steelers36

[Viesczy]

As stated, just break the cruise down into portions and plan for 1 portion to repeat as needed.

 

For packing I plan as a week (mostly because that's how I do so on land!), so maybe plan 2 weeks worth of clothing and then mix/match/repeat to cover the 50 days. Okay I will admit that week 2 is typically just a flip/flop of week 1's attire X with Z rather than X with Y.

 

Finger if you cover 7 - 10 days, the rest is just rinse/repeat until the cruise is over.

 

You're going to have a killer time! You're going to get permanent sea legs!

 

So JELLY!!!

[Thrak]

My kids are 14, 12, 12, 12, 12 and 4 and with flying, I didn't want to take an extra luggage just for their suits/dresses so that's why I posted this question. I think nice khaki with white shirt, and some vest will make it dress enough (assuming the older kids will even join us for dinner ;) )

 

Thank you to everyone who answered.

 

Clothing choices aside... You are a very brave person to do a 50 day cruise with 6 kids! :D

[Aelsantokie]

Clothing choices aside... You are a very brave person to do a 50 day cruise with 6 kids! :D

 

My husband is very brave to pay for 50 day cruise for a family of 8! :eek:

 

My kids love to cruise and they have already been warned that there may not be a lot of kids on this sailing but they are ok with that. They know how to entertain themselves without annoying others or making too much noise so it should be a great summer! Only one I can't guarantee is the four year old...:o

[iancal]

Service on formal nights tends to take longer.

 

We cruise as a couple. We gave up on formal nights in the MDR quite some time ago. They lost their attraction to us. So now we only take casual clothes on a cruise. On formal evenings we dine in an alternate restaurant or in the buffet.

 

I would not spend too much time worrying about this. Just go and have a good time with your children.

[Viesczy]

My husband is very brave to pay for 50 day cruise for a family of 8! :eek:

 

My kids love to cruise and they have already been warned that there may not be a lot of kids on this sailing but they are ok with that. They know how to entertain themselves without annoying others or making too much noise so it should be a great summer! Only one I can't guarantee is the four year old...:o

 

 

Let your 4 y.o. be a little rambunctious! Children are life fountains! Anyone who is bothered by a little life, really has no life left in them!

 

You're so going to have a great time!

[Aelsantokie]

Service on formal nights tends to take longer.

 

We cruise as a couple. We gave up on formal nights in the MDR quite some time ago. They lost their attraction to us. So now we only take casual clothes on a cruise. On formal evenings we dine in an alternate restaurant or in the buffet.

 

I would not spend too much time worrying about this. Just go and have a good time with your children.

 

I've had surprisingly good luck with MDR on princess. We completely give up trying to eat together on Carnival or NCL as a family, but I love how the table on Princess is shaped, so even when we are all together its still close enough we can have conversation with all the kids, and nobody feels left out.

 

We can get through dinner in 1 1/2 hours on Princess as opposed to 2-2 1/4 hour on Carnival or NCL at which point the kids are restless, and they are just miserable. I try to take advantage of sit down dinner when cruising because it's a rarity for me to eat with my kids, seems like my boys are finished eating by the time I get to my meal after feeding the 4 year old!

[Aelsantokie]

Let your 4 y.o. be a little rambunctious! Children are life fountains! Anyone who is bothered by a little life, really has no life left in them!

 

You're so going to have a great time!

 

We try not to be that family...although we sometimes are

[KiwiFunCruiser]

You are a special mum, all the best for your cruise.:D

[peninsula_2014]

My husband is very brave to pay for 50 day cruise for a family of 8! :eek:

 

 

Brave.

 

Affluent as well

[helenb]

My kids love to cruise and they have already been warned that there may not be a lot of kids on this sailing but they are ok with that. They know how to entertain themselves without annoying others or making too much noise so it should be a great summer! Only one I can't guarantee is the four year old...:o

 

I am very jealous! I would love to cruise for 50 days at a time!

 

Regarding the kids, you can call up Princess and they will tell you how many kids are booked on this sailing. They won't give you a breakdown, but they can give you a number of passengers between ages 3 and 17. AT least that will give you some idea of what to expect!

 

FWIW, we once did a Panama Canal cruise on Coral Princess over New Year's/first 2 weeks of January. There were only 15 kids onboard, and the older teens pretty much amused themselves. The kids' club staff opened up only one room, and it was pretty much just drop in. My kids loved it, because they could go whenever they wanted, and the counsellors would do whatever activities they requested. So if they wanted to do crafts all day, or play video games or board games or watch movies... the counsellors would provide. There was no official activity schedule, but my kids loved it just the same, because of all of the personalized attention. The counsellors enjoyed it too, and they were clearly happier and more relaxed without armies of kids around (which I gather there had been the previous cruise over the Christmas holiday).

 

So even with only a few kids onboard, your children can still have a good time.

[Aelsantokie]

You are a special mum, all the best for your cruise.:D

 

Thank you :)

[Aelsantokie]

I am very jealous! I would love to cruise for 50 days at a time!

 

Regarding the kids, you can call up Princess and they will tell you how many kids are booked on this sailing. They won't give you a breakdown, but they can give you a number of passengers between ages 3 and 17. AT least that will give you some idea of what to expect!

 

FWIW, we once did a Panama Canal cruise on Coral Princess over New Year's/first 2 weeks of January. There were only 15 kids onboard, and the older teens pretty much amused themselves. The kids' club staff opened up only one room, and it was pretty much just drop in. My kids loved it, because they could go whenever they wanted, and the counsellors would do whatever activities they requested. So if they wanted to do crafts all day, or play video games or board games or watch movies... the counsellors would provide. There was no official activity schedule, but my kids loved it just the same, because of all of the personalized attention. The counsellors enjoyed it too, and they were clearly happier and more relaxed without armies of kids around (which I gather there had been the previous cruise over the Christmas holiday).

 

So even with only a few kids onboard, your children can still have a good time.

 

I had forgotten about asking Princess how many kids will be on the cruise. Thanks for the reminder! Luckily for me, my kids know how to entertain themselves (otherwise Dad will whip out the math book and take care of their "boredom" and let me tell you, they don't find mathematics fun, especially while cruising).

 

I want to take the kids on the Panama Cruise. We had one booked for December, but my dear mother passed in August and I lost all zest for planning a trip, not to mention it didn't feel right for our family at least. So far all we ever do/have done is Caribbean cruising and I want to change that. Did your kids like the more educational aspect of seeing the Panama Canal versus going to beach related excursions?

[helenb]

Did your kids like the more educational aspect of seeing the Panama Canal versus going to beach related excursions?

 

We're not really 'beach people', so while the kids enjoy playing in the sand and swimming in the ocean briefly, we normally don't do that for more than a half day on a cruise. If the cruise goes to a private island, then that's the time we do it. Sometimes we'll spend a day snorkeling.

 

So that being said, our kids are used to doing other things while onshore. On our last Caribbean cruise, we visited Mayan ruins in 2 of the ports. We've also done zip-lining and 4X4/mud driving, etc. Our kids have enjoyed all of these things. Generally they don't complain unless the day is filled with museums and it's mid-afternoon, or if the weather is extremely uncomfortable.

 

On the Panama Canal cruise, the only 'beach' day we had was in Cabo. In Acapulco we took a tour that went to the turtle sanctuary, Fort San Diego, and the cliff divers. In Costa Rica we spent the day at volcanic hot springs. We took a private tour in Panama City which drove us into the rainforest for a wildlife tour and to Fort San Lorenzo. As part of this, we got to drive across the canal (on the bridge at the extreme eastern side of the canal) and we stopped at the canal visitor's center. Then there was an entire day going through the canal. This was probably the least interesting day for the kids, as they only watched for about 20 minutes at a time, but since we were onboard, they dropped in and out of the kids' facilities in between.

 

In Cartagena we took a private tour to Fort San Felippe and explored the catacombs/escape tunnel underneath, and walked on the city walls. through Old Town and to the Palace of Inquisition (a torture museum, but our kids loved it). Our last stop before disembarking was Aruba, where we spent a day snorkeling.

 

So you can see, we did a lot of things, and didn't have much 'beach time' at all. And with the exception of the actual crossing through the canal (where the kids watched for about 90 minutes, broken up into segments throughout the day) they enjoyed all of it.

 

You may already know this, but with such a large group, I would definitely recommend private tours. For 8 people, a private tour will be cheaper than ship-sponsored excursions, plus you can customise the itinerary to the things you want to see, and avoid the lengthy bathroom stops, forced shopping stops, etc. that occur on the big bus tours. This is especially useful if you have small children and/or elderly grandparents with you, as they can rest in the car and the tour guide can change things if necessary to make sure everything is working for you.

 

I know you'll have a terrific cruise!

[Aelsantokie]

We're not really 'beach people', so while the kids enjoy playing in the sand and swimming in the ocean briefly, we normally don't do that for more than a half day on a cruise. If the cruise goes to a private island, then that's the time we do it. Sometimes we'll spend a day snorkeling.

 

So that being said, our kids are used to doing other things while onshore. On our last Caribbean cruise, we visited Mayan ruins in 2 of the ports. We've also done zip-lining and 4X4/mud driving, etc. Our kids have enjoyed all of these things. Generally they don't complain unless the day is filled with museums and it's mid-afternoon, or if the weather is extremely uncomfortable.

 

On the Panama Canal cruise, the only 'beach' day we had was in Cabo. In Acapulco we took a tour that went to the turtle sanctuary, Fort San Diego, and the cliff divers. In Costa Rica we spent the day at volcanic hot springs. We took a private tour in Panama City which drove us into the rainforest for a wildlife tour and to Fort San Lorenzo. As part of this, we got to drive across the canal (on the bridge at the extreme eastern side of the canal) and we stopped at the canal visitor's center. Then there was an entire day going through the canal. This was probably the least interesting day for the kids, as they only watched for about 20 minutes at a time, but since we were onboard, they dropped in and out of the kids' facilities in between.

 

In Cartagena we took a private tour to Fort San Felippe and explored the catacombs/escape tunnel underneath, and walked on the city walls. through Old Town and to the Palace of Inquisition (a torture museum, but our kids loved it). Our last stop before disembarking was Aruba, where we spent a day snorkeling.

 

So you can see, we did a lot of things, and didn't have much 'beach time' at all. And with the exception of the actual crossing through the canal (where the kids watched for about 90 minutes, broken up into segments throughout the day) they enjoyed all of it.

 

You may already know this, but with such a large group, I would definitely recommend private tours. For 8 people, a private tour will be cheaper than ship-sponsored excursions, plus you can customise the itinerary to the things you want to see, and avoid the lengthy bathroom stops, forced shopping stops, etc. that occur on the big bus tours. This is especially useful if you have small children and/or elderly grandparents with you, as they can rest in the car and the tour guide can change things if necessary to make sure everything is working for you.

 

I know you'll have a terrific cruise!

 

Your activities are all varied and exciting. I assume you were on a 14 day roundtrip panama canal starting on the west coast?

 

Since we have been to the same ports over and over again, having done Caribbean cruising only, it has become rather redundant and dare I say boring for the kids? Even when we book a private excursion just for the family, I can see the kids eyes glazing over...but I digress

 

Thank you for your information!

[helenb]

Your activities are all varied and exciting. I assume you were on a 14 day roundtrip panama canal starting on the west coast?

 

It wasn't roundtrip, but it was a full transit, yes. We started in Long Beach and finished in Fort Lauderdale. 14 days, IIRC. It was an almost ideal mix of port day, then sea day, then port day, then sea day, etc. It was nice to be able to exhaust ourselves in port one day, and then have the next to relax!

 

Since we have been to the same ports over and over again, having done Caribbean cruising only, it has become rather redundant and dare I say boring for the kids? Even when we book a private excursion just for the family, I can see the kids eyes glazing over...but I digress

 

I agree, I don't find much to differentiate the Caribbean ports, which is why we don't sail there as often. Or we often take Disney when we do the Caribbean, since the ports are forgettable, and with Disney you're paying extra for the fabulous facilities on the ship, so we just stay on the ship and enjoy! But one of Princess' strengths is their varied itineraries, so you can find much to enjoy in the rest of the world as well!