(Semi) Formal attire for 16yr olds

[GoldenGopher]

We're traveling with two 16yr old boys on the Grand in April. Their idea of formal is a clean tee. They are fine with the buffet, but I wouldn't want them to miss the fun of the formal night in the traditional dining room. Moms want to know the minimum the boys need to wear in order to pass muster in the dining room on formal night.

[margaritawoman]

We took our teens on their first cruise at 13 & 15. Our 15 yr old son wore dress slacks, shirt & tie w/sport coat. They could get away with dress pants, shirt & tie. I feel if you are going to eat in the dining room on formal evenings you should dress for a formal dinner. You will have to decide what you feel is right.

[sblahars]

We're traveling with two 16yr old boys on the Grand in April. Their idea of formal is a clean tee. They are fine with the buffet, but I wouldn't want them to miss the fun of the formal night in the traditional dining room. Moms want to know the minimum the boys need to wear in order to pass muster in the dining room on formal night.

 

16 year olds are old enough that they should be able to dress properly for formal night.

 

A suit and tie are the minimum for formal nights.

[moski]

Hi,

I just came off Star Princess on 2/26. Both of my sons ( 16 & 19) wore suits and ties on formal nights, and khaki pants and polo shirts or button down sports shirts on other nights in the dining rooms. It is clearly stated in the Princess Patter that jeans,t-shirts, and inappropriate clothing is not allowed.

[eellsinoc]

I have a 10 year old and a 9 year old. I was planning on having them wear their nice black dress slacks, shirts & ties. They don't have sport coats. Will this be appropriate?

 

Also - on casual dinner nights can they wear a nice button up Hawaiin style shirt with longer khaki shorts and nice dress sandals? Or does it need to be fancier?

[Toto2Kansas]

I have a 10 year old and a 9 year old. I was planning on having them wear their nice black dress slacks, shirts & ties. They don't have sport coats. Will this be appropriate?

 

Also - on casual dinner nights can they wear a nice button up Hawaiin style shirt with longer khaki shorts and nice dress sandals? Or does it need to be fancier?

 

For the dining room, shorts are not allowed in the evening even on casual nights, so I would suggest taking some long pants for the boys.

[Love Boat Dream]

I have a 10 year old and a 9 year old. I was planning on having them wear their nice black dress slacks, shirts & ties. They don't have sport coats. Will this be appropriate?

 

Also - on casual dinner nights can they wear a nice button up Hawaiin style shirt with longer khaki shorts and nice dress sandals? Or does it need to be fancier?

 

I think that would be fine for both types of evenings. My son has been on many cruises and sometimes he just wears a sweater vest or a sports jacket I got for him in a consignment shop. He also has a tuxedo, but after we take a formal photo, I have him change out of that before he eats (he's only 6!)

 

Susan

[JMorrow588]

On our first cruise (on the Diamond) my then 15 year old son wore a suit for formal night. This year -- on the Grand -- for the first formal night he wore dress pants and a nice shirt. No jacket or tie. During dinner he said he wished he had worn his suit. He saw what everyone else was wearing and realized that he should have dressed up a little more!

 

It is nice for teenagers to realize these things on their own instead of the parents "forcing" them to wear a suit. For the second formal night he wore a suit!

 

My 13 year old did not attend formal nights. She attended the Kids Club activities instead.

 

Judi :)

[qcc001]

Our 3 teens wore shirts/ties and slacks and felt very comfortable on formal nights. I think you can feel confident either with or without a suit on formal nights.

[boltnut55]

My DD isn't a teenager yet, so I may not too realistic... I can still make my DD wear what I think is appropriate, and she wears a frou frou Christmasy dress for formal nights. It would be great if the boys would dress up for several nights, but if it's going to cause issues, then at a minimum, I think they should wear a dress up shirt, a tie, and slacks (or very good Dockers), and a sports jacket... which is like wearing a suit... which they might as well wear since it'll look so much nicer... :-)

[eellsinoc]

My three kids are all used to dressing up - so it won't be a problem - they kind of like it. I was just worried about the sports jackets...because neither of them have one right now that fits them.

 

I think they look great in the slacks, shirts & ties I have planned for them though!

[iowaoly]

We have two teenage boys and this will be our third Princess Cruise. They have always worn dress pants, shirt and tie and it was fine. It is too much money for the amount they would ever wear them to keep buying sports coats/suits at the rate they are growing!

[Host CJSKIDS]

My son, 13 and 15 wore dress pants, a dry cleaned white button down dress shirt and ties. They only go to the night with lobsters. We saw kids in suits but many more of them dressed just like my sons.

[lahoban]

For formal night's my son's wore black dress pant's,shirt,tie and a dark sport coat/jacket. On semi formal night's they wore their khaki's and a polo shirt. On the caribbean night they wore khaki's and a hawiian shirt. It was fun for all of us to dress up.

[Druke I]

Perhaps I am an old fogey - but I think a 16 year old should follow the dress codes, and dress as an adult would.

 

I've seen some teens in formal wear on formal nights, and they look great.

 

Absent a tux, I should think slacks, dress shirt & tie, and jacket.

[PescadoAmarillo]

eellsinoc....I hesitate to offer an opinion here, as I am generally part of the "we follow the rules, but don't concern ourselves if others do or not" group, but I really do think that shorts are not appropriate dress in the dining room at dinner for anyone except for children around 5 and younger.

[leeleemarie]

You will be turned away on casual night if you are wearing shorts.

 

Last year, on the Dawn, my 10-yr old son was wearing khaki shorts & polo shirt (he ate earlier at the buffet), when he attempted to go into the restaurant to find us to ask if he could go to a show with another family (his friends came to get him from the kids program)...they would not let him in even for just a moment....this is why we're bringing walkie talkies this year (which we will keep on vibrate so as not to disturb others).

[Pam in CA]

To me, a 16 year old is a "tweener" -- they're not a young teenager but they're also not young adults. I would draw the line at 17 (that's the age when I went away to college and considered myself quite mature.) Kids that age are still growing rapidly, particularly boys, and keeping them in jackets that fit but rarely use would be an added expense. If they have the jacket, then I think they should bring and wear it; if they don't, I think a pressed white shirt, tie and slacks are fine.

[leeleemarie]

We were also told open-toed sandals for men is not allowed either (even if you're wearing pants)...my husband couldn't comprehend why it's ok for women & not for men:confused: .

[Pam in CA]

We were also told open-toed sandals for men is not allowed either (even if you're wearing pants)...my husband couldn't comprehend why it's ok for women & not for men :confused: .

I'm sure if he were wearing open-toed sandals with 3" heels, that would have been fine.

[PescadoAmarillo]

We were also told open-toed sandals for men is not allowed either (even if you're wearing pants)...my husband couldn't comprehend why it's ok for women & not for men:confused: .

I share his confusion. Who told you this? My husband wears fisherman sandals into the dining room at dinner occasionally, and no one has ever made mention that he was out of place. Really...woman are wearing flip flips for pete's sake (albeit "dressy ones"...which would have been an oxymoron just a few years ago)...why can't men wear dressy sandals?

[ppeckham]

I'm with Pam on the fact that 16-year-olds may still be growing. I'll be sailing with my 15-year-old son in a couple of weeks. He'll be turning 16 in early April. He has dress pants and dress shirts but I can't justify purchasing a sport coat when he's changing sizes every six months.

 

A few years ago when he was much younger, I made a navy sports coat for him. He wore it only once at the first formal night and never again. So I spent money and my time making a jacket he wore for maybe 2 hrs.

 

So I don't get flamed here, perhaps we'll just do the buffet on formal nights. He'd probably be fine with that.

[ldoc31]

I think the boys look very nice in pants, dress shirt and tie and see no reason to overspend on something they will wear once. Skip the jackets until they are older.

[Host CJSKIDS]

I constantly am buying new pants and dress shirts but I can not justify buying my boys a jacket that they'll wear once and then won't ever wear again. As it is the pants and shirts don't really get worn again but that I have to purchase, sports coat I'm not going to purchase for 2 hours.

[gooselace]

I'm with Pam on the fact that 16-year-olds may still be growing. I'll be sailing with my 15-year-old son in a couple of weeks. He'll be turning 16 in early April. He has dress pants and dress shirts but I can't justify purchasing a sport coat when he's changing sizes every six months.

quote]

 

I'm at the other extreme in age, but when I was dieting and changing sizes every other month, I relied on thrift/consignment shops for evening dresses and sports clothes. Lovely dresses probably worn only once, and even some with the tags still on, were $10. Dockers for $4, brand name jackets $5-6. After the cruise, I donated them back.

 

IMHO, it's a good way to introducing growing youngsters to bargain-hunting. Great sports jackets for $5-7. Suits $10.