MDR Attire in Alaska

[Garycruz]

Hello everyone,

 

I will be going on my first Princess cruise in July. It is an Alaskan cruise. I'm trying to figure out what clothes I will need to pack for dinner in the MDR. I am familiar with Royal Caribbean and to a lesser extent Carnival, but have no experience with either Princess or the Alaskan itinerary. I have heard that people tend to dress more casually on Alaskan cruises, but I also believe that people tend to dress up a little more on Princess than the other two lines. 

 

I will be wearing a nice dress shirt and pants on formal night but am wondering if I need to pack a sports jacket as well. I'd rather not as space in the suitcase will be limited. Also, am I right to assume that a polo shirt and a nice pair of jeans are what most people wear for dinner on casual nights?

 

Thank you in advance for any help or suggestions.

[memoak]

You are good to go. I always wear either jeans or casual pants with a short sleeve shirt on casual nights. I wear slacks and long sleeves with sports coat but that is just me you don’t need a coat and for sure you don’t need a tie

[1965]

As memoak said, you are good to go. Enjoy your cruise & welcome to Princess. 😊

[MissP22]

42 minutes ago, Garycruz said:

I will be wearing a nice dress shirt and pants on formal night but am wondering if I need to pack a sports jacket as well.

The dress codes on both cruise lines are almost identical so you'll be fine as you described. Some people will insist that Princess is more formal but that isn't true any more.

[mtnesterz]

Both of your points are true, Alaskan cruises tend to the casual as opposed to a world cruise, but also true that Princess is more traditional than RCL and Carnival.

What you describe wearing is fine. Alaska in July, highs are in the 50's F. I suggest wear a sportcoat on the plane and roll up a tie in the pocket. Then you'll have it if you choose with no luggage space taken. If you go outside, meaning the Lido or pool deck, evenings before and after dinner you may want that sportcoat. 

[JimmyVWine]

11 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Some people will insist that Princess is more formal but that isn't true any more.

The way I would phrase it is: "Princess isn't as formal as it used to be, but it is still more formal than RCCL and Carnival."  You will not find as many tuxes and suits on Princess as you used to on Formal Night, but you certainly will see more than a few.  I don't know that you will see any on RCCL or Carnival. If one assumes that Princess started our more formal than its similarly priced competitors and all cruise lines saw an equal downward shift, then it stands to reason that Princess is still more formal, just not as much.  It's like starting with the numbers 7 and 5.  7 is greater than 5.  Now subtract 3 from each and you get 4 and 2.  4 is still greater than 2.  Princess did not drop 5 levels while the other cruise lines dropped only 3.

 

Garycruz:  A nice dress shirt and pants on Formal Night will be just fine.  There will be many people dressed just like you.  And there will be many people dressed more formally than you. But not to the point where you would stand out as an outlier.   

Edited May 17, 2023 by JimmyVWine

[phroggie]

Could someone please tell my wife that the strictly enforced dress code for women is a low-cut, sleeveless, bodycon LBD at least 12" above the knee and/or slit to the waist.

 

She doesn't believe me.

 

TIA in advance.

[Thrak]

14 minutes ago, phroggie said:

Could someone please tell my wife that the strictly enforced dress code for women is a low-cut, sleeveless, bodycon LBD at least 12" above the knee and/or slit to the waist.

 

She doesn't believe me.

 

TIA in advance.

 

Clearly you haven't seen a lot of Princess cruise passengers. A large number would not look at all good in that attire. 🤪

[BamaVol]

1 hour ago, Thrak said:

 

Clearly you haven't seen a lot of Princess cruise passengers. A large number would not look at all good in that attire. 🤪

But if his wife does, I would like a table in that section of the MDR please.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

I don't "pack" a sport coat. If I was flying in, I'd wear on the plane (and put it in the overhead bin before sitting down) and wear it for Embarkation. When we drive, same thing, I wear it for Embarkation to have more room in my luggage. I only wear the coat on Formal Nights, no tie. On regular nights I wear slacks and a dress shirt.

 

I'd never wear shorts for the MDR for dinner and don't recall seeing anyone in shorts in the MDR for dinner.

[MissP22]

10 minutes ago, scottca075 said:

I'd never wear shorts for the MDR for dinner and don't recall seeing anyone in shorts in the MDR for dinner.

You have to catch them when walking in.

Once seated no one can tell, so maybe that why Princess no longer cares.

[ldubs]

On 5/17/2023 at 10:54 AM, JimmyVWine said:

The way I would phrase it is: "Princess isn't as formal as it used to be, but it is still more formal than RCCL and Carnival."  You will not find as many tuxes and suits on Princess as you used to on Formal Night, but you certainly will see more than a few.  I don't know that you will see any on RCCL or Carnival. If one assumes that Princess started our more formal than its similarly priced competitors and all cruise lines saw an equal downward shift, then it stands to reason that Princess is still more formal, just not as much.  It's like starting with the numbers 7 and 5.  7 is greater than 5.  Now subtract 3 from each and you get 4 and 2.  4 is still greater than 2.  Princess did not drop 5 levels while the other cruise lines dropped only 3.

 

Garycruz:  A nice dress shirt and pants on Formal Night will be just fine.  There will be many people dressed just like you.  And there will be many people dressed more formally than you. But not to the point where you would stand out as an outlier.   

 

Slacks & long sleeves, with or without a sports coat,  are not formal dress.  Formal dress is pretty much a goner.  

[JimmyVWine]

49 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Slacks & long sleeves, with or without a sports coat,  are not formal dress.  Formal dress is pretty much a goner.  

But if half the men are wearing slacks and long sleeves and the other half are wearing coat and tie, or full tux, is formal dress a "goner", or only half gone?  

[FairSkySmoothSeas]

For those who have gone Up North to Alaska…I plan to wear a dark suit and tie for Formal Nights, but I was wondering if a flannel shirt is OK to wear in lieu of a polo shirt during casual nights. It being Alaska and all. Something like a Black Watch Plaid I’m thinking. Thoughts? 

[memoak]

1 minute ago, FairSkySmoothSeas said:

For those who have gone Up North to Alaska…I plan to wear a dark suit and tie for Formal Nights, but I was wondering if a flannel shirt is OK to wear in lieu of a polo shirt during casual nights. It being Alaska and all. Something like a Black Watch Plaid I’m thinking. Thoughts? 

Ok course   That would be fine as long as you button it. Just please spare me the backwards baseball cap

[FairSkySmoothSeas]

56 minutes ago, memoak said:

Ok course   That would be fine as long as you button it. Just please spare me the backwards baseball cap

Thank you for your reply. It has been ten years since my last cruise and a lot has changed. Add in the fact that this is my first Alaskan cruise and I think you can see why I asked the question.  Why would you thInk I would not button and tuck in the shirt? And why on earth would you think I would wear a backwards baseball cap?  As I said, a lot has changed in ten years. Including the rise of snarky comments on Cruise Critic.

[EDVM96]

1 hour ago, FairSkySmoothSeas said:

For those who have gone Up North to Alaska…I plan to wear a dark suit and tie for Formal Nights

That's how I do the glacial excursions, too.

[memoak]

42 minutes ago, FairSkySmoothSeas said:

Thank you for your reply. It has been ten years since my last cruise and a lot has changed. Add in the fact that this is my first Alaskan cruise and I think you can see why I asked the question.  Why would you thInk I would not button and tuck in the shirt? And why on earth would you think I would wear a backwards baseball cap?  As I said, a lot has changed in ten years. Including the rise of snarky comments on Cruise Critic.

Sarcasm. Humor 

[FairSkySmoothSeas]

30 minutes ago, memoak said:

Sarcasm. Humor 

So nothing positive to add to the conversation. Got it.

[SiliconCruiser]

3 hours ago, FairSkySmoothSeas said:

For those who have gone Up North to Alaska…I plan to wear a dark suit and tie for Formal Nights, but I was wondering if a flannel shirt is OK to wear in lieu of a polo shirt during casual nights. It being Alaska and all. Something like a Black Watch Plaid I’m thinking. Thoughts? 

Yes, a plaid flannel shirt is acceptable on any night including Formal Nights.

[ldubs]

4 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

But if half the men are wearing slacks and long sleeves and the other half are wearing coat and tie, or full tux, is formal dress a "goner", or only half gone?  

 

Only half?  That would be semi-formal!  😀

[JimmyVWine]

3 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Only half?  That would be semi-formal!  😀

Well played. 

[ldubs]

1 minute ago, JimmyVWine said:

Well played. 

 

Thanks!  I wasn't really originally disputing your post.  I was just saying the truly formal nights of the good ol days are pretty much gone.  I guess the good news is those who want can do casual and those who want can still dress it up -- without any food fights!  

[Bemidji Ty]

1 hour ago, FairSkySmoothSeas said:

So nothing positive to add to the conversation. Got it.

Some of us recognize and enjoy sarcasm and humor.  Cheers

Edited May 20, 2023 by Bemidji Ty
Sarcasm and humor

[BamaVol]

16 hours ago, FairSkySmoothSeas said:

 I was wondering if a flannel shirt is OK to wear in lieu of a polo shirt during casual nights. It being Alaska and all. Something like a Black Watch Plaid I’m thinking. Thoughts? 

We won’t start our first Alaskan cruise until September.  Are the dining rooms sufficiently warm?  Or the rest of the ships interior, for that matter.  I will have a flannel shirt, but would I be comfortable in a polo shirt?