A few questions

[dreslercarie]

We are going on our first cruise May26-June2. There is 7 of us in three cabins. Will we have one or two elegant evenings? Also my son will be 13 will Khaki shorts be ok for MDR or does it need to be pants? Kids clubs are they safe? Is the menu different every night in the MDR? 

 

Sorry for the question overload.

[Schoifmom]

It would be helpful to know which line you are cruising.

 

I am making the assumption that since you refer to "elegant evenings," you are cruising on Carnival.  

 

On a cruise of that length, there will be two elegant nights.  Normally, they are the first actual sea day and the next to last day (this may vary for some itineraries).  

 

There is a different menu every night in the MDR, although there will be some items that will always be offered.

 

Khaki shorts are fine in the MDR for casual evenings.  Shorts are against the dress code for cruise elegant evenings.

 

I can't help you with kids clubs, but I have always heard wonderful things about them.  You should be aware that, at 13, he will be able to check himself out of the clubs at his own discretion.

[SPacificbound]

2 hours ago, dreslercarie said:

We are going on our first cruise May26-June2. There is 7 of us in three cabins. Will we have one or two elegant evenings? Also my son will be 13 will Khaki shorts be ok for MDR or does it need to be pants? Kids clubs are they safe? Is the menu different every night in the MDR? 

 

Sorry for the question overload.

 

What cruise line?

[dreslercarie]

Carnival cruise line out of Baltimore 

[zqvol]

3 hours ago, dreslercarie said:

We are going on our first cruise May26-June2. There is 7 of us in three cabins. Will we have one or two elegant evenings? Also my son will be 13 will Khaki shorts be ok for MDR or does it need to be pants? Kids clubs are they safe? Is the menu different every night in the MDR? 

 

Sorry for the question overload.

 

The answers to your questions are cruise line dependent. You can get the most accurate answers by posting gin the subforum for your particular cruise line, or let us know your cruise line and we can try to help here on this sub forum.

[Essiesmom]

I believe the dress code for Carnival specifies long pants for men for dinner in the MDR.  But I have never seen it enforced, including on elegant nights.  EM

[OCruisers]

1 hour ago, Essiesmom said:

I believe the dress code for Carnival specifies long pants for men for dinner in the MDR.  But I have never seen it enforced, including on elegant nights.  EM

 

We've never seen it strictly enforced either.  

[skrufy]

11 hours ago, dreslercarie said:

We are going on our first cruise May26-June2. There is 7 of us in three cabins. Will we have one or two elegant evenings? Also my son will be 13 will Khaki shorts be ok for MDR or does it need to be pants? Kids clubs are they safe? Is the menu different every night in the MDR? 

 

Sorry for the question overload.

There will be one elegant night. Your son will be fine with those shorts. Have never heard of problems with the kids clubs. The menu changes each night, there are some items that are always on it. Just a suggestion, if all 7 are planning on eating together and not signed up for anytime dining, call Carnival and link all the reservations together and you will all be seated together. You need the three booking numbers to do it.

[dreslercarie]

3 hours ago, skrufy said:

There will be one elegant night. Your son will be fine with those shorts. Have never heard of problems with the kids clubs. The menu changes each night, there are some items that are always on it. Just a suggestion, if all 7 are planning on eating together and not signed up for anytime dining, call Carnival and link all the reservations together and you will all be seated together. You need the three booking numbers to do it.

 

Thank you so much! Thanks for the info about dinning I would have never know that about linking reservations. 

[mjkacmom]

The teen club is more of a meet up place on cruise ships, then they tend to roam in packs.

[cb at sea]

Carnival has no "formal" nights....no worries about attire!  The menu is somewhat different nightly...there are always "everyday" options, like chicken, beef, pork, and fish.  They add daily "specials"  to change it up nightly.

The kid's clubs are VERY safe...especially if they are teens!  (which a 13 year old is!)   

[bury me at sea]

Welcome to Carnival, my cruise line of choice.  It offers something for every age group.

 

My suggestions:

 

Start checking immediately to be sure everyone has or will have the proper paperwork to board the ship.  You have plenty of time.

 

Research the ports.  Some you might want to book excursions, and some you might want to visit on your own.

 

Don't try to plan each sea day.  Your group will have various interests, based on what's listed in each day's schedule of activities.

 

The camps are safe. And though you didn't ask, it's easy to keep track of each other on the ship.  Post-it notes do wonders.

 

Don't over pack.  Leave some room in your luggage for the things you will inevitably buy.

 

Cruising is a great vacation.  Take some time to relax.

 

Dinner in the main dining room is a fun experience.  It's also a good time to rehash the day and make tentative plans for the next day.

 

Come over to the Carnival board for specific questions, and to read questions posted by others.  You will learn a lot.

 

Happy sailing.

 

[jlp20]

On 11/15/2018 at 10:32 AM, dreslercarie said:

... my son will be 13 will Khaki shorts be ok for MDR ...

Because cruises are aimed at adults, you might be in for a surprise. 13 is not really a kid, give him the ability to be treated as an adult. Invest in dress pants, longer than need and hemmed for a years wear, and a blue or black dress shirt with tie. Give him free reign when ordering MDR, worse case he goes to buffet afterwards. 

[pacruise804]

On 11/15/2018 at 1:32 PM, dreslercarie said:

We are going on our first cruise May26-June2. There is 7 of us in three cabins. Will we have one or two elegant evenings? Also my son will be 13 will Khaki shorts be ok for MDR or does it need to be pants? Kids clubs are they safe? Is the menu different every night in the MDR? 

 

Sorry for the question overload.

Congratulations on your first cruise 🙂 

 

Carnival Pride typically has two elegant evenings - Monday night (first sea day) and Friday night (leaving Freeport).  Based on the dress code on Carnival's website, shorts are prohibited in the specialty restaurants any evening and in the MDR on elegant evenings.  Athletic shorts are prohibited all evenings, so the khaki shorts would be fine for casual nights.  Jeans are also on the prohibited list for elegant MDR (but allowed in specialty) but permissible casual evenings.

 

It's not a bad idea to have a pair of dress pants, and the same pair could be worn both nights.  It's also fine to go to the buffet - many even prefer it to MDR. 

 

The menu does vary each evening, but also has some items always on the menu.  You should easily find menus with a search.

 

I'm not familiar with the kids clubs.  I have no reason to think they aren't safe (any more than any other public area), but enjoyment and comfort level will vary from individual to individual. 

[KmomChicago]

My family hates dressing up for elegant night and the Main Dining Room in general (to my disappointment, but what are you gonna do), so we are cruise casual every evening and mostly have supper in the buffet.  You will see people all over the ship dressed all sorts of ways during and after dinner on elegant night, from sweats, shorts and jeans, up to and including full length gowns and tuxedos.  We do make an effort not to be the worst dressed people aboard on elegant nights - at least slacks and nice blouse/polo or simple dresses.  Nice shorts are certainly fine for regular nights in the dining room; avoid sport shorts or other super casual play clothes type attire, though you will see all of that.

 

A lot of people take advantage of the photographers on elegant night for a family portrait, so if that is of value to you, keep in mind how you'd like everyone to look in what could be a once-in-a-lifetime photo memory.

 

Kid's clubs are fine and at 13 he has full run of the ship - be sure to bring him to the welcome meet and greet at the teen club on the first night of the cruise, where loyal tribes tend to form early and stay together for the duration.  There are many young teens moving around alone or in pairs or groups at any and all hours of the day and night, so you probably want to determine your own curfew, make sure he knows how to find his way around and find the wall maps, and make sure you all have the Hub App for texting and frequent check-ins.

 

As others mention the MDR menu changes nightly and similar entrees are often found in the lido buffet each night, though the quality and preparation is sometimes different for the steam-table version rather than individually finished and plated to order version in the dining room.  On the other hand, it's fast and it's now, which is what my family likes. We apparently are not people who "dine" but rather people who chow and move along.

[Schoifmom]

On 11/22/2018 at 7:44 AM, KmomChicago said:

My family hates dressing up for elegant night and the Main Dining Room in general (to my disappointment, but what are you gonna do), so we are cruise casual every evening and mostly have supper in the buffet. 

 

Fortunately, on Carnival, there is no real "dressing up" required.  The dress code for the MDR is pretty basic.  No sports attire, no shorts on elegant night will pretty much get you there.  Your "at least slacks and nice blouse/polo or simple dresses" is perfectly fine for the MDR, even on elegant night.