Bought a formal gown at Goodwill for the cruise

[Suburban Drudgery]

since I didn't want to spend money on a gown I would never wear again. It's very cute by the way. DH does not own a suit (works on computers all day and wears jeans and shorts to work). I asked him to buy one at Target or something like that or borrow. I don't want him spending 300.00 for a blazer that he will never wear again. He said he doesn't need a blazer for formal nights. He said the last time we cruised, 50% of the men didn't wear a blazer, let alone a tux or suit. Should I push or leave it alone? He does have very nice shirts from Tommy Bahama that cost 150.00 each that he could wear and they are resort wear BTW.:rolleyes:

[redskin80]

Why not find a nice jacket at Goodwill for him as well. A nice sport jacket is what my DH wears for teh carribean.

[IBEEMOM]

Keep looking at the Goodwill and Thrift stores. You can find some really nice things for your cruise. After you return, you can donate them back if you don't want to keep them. Most of the men do wear a jacket on formal nights. Have a great cruise.

[born2crooz]

I was in Target the other day and noticed that they now carry men's suits.

 

I'm sure they're not super, high quality, but they looked very nice.

 

If I can remember, you can get the whole suit for under $75.00

 

I think Goodwill for a jacket would be a much less expensive option.

 

I actually own a tux and my wife several gowns (all were bought at huge discounts) but on formal nights, we can't wait to change after dinner, so I wouldn't spend too much on a jacket or suit. You probably won't have them on for long!!

[packercruising]

Can't tell if these are all female perspectives or not, but since my wife doesn't read these posts, I feel fairly safe in jumping in here. Does DH want to wear a blazer/suit if available? If he's ok with it then the suggestions given are quite fine. He could probably borrow a coat from a buddy even.

 

If DH just doesn't want to get that dressy, then I think the shirts described are already way nicer than most of the attire you will see and I would drop it.

[jw4jg1mg2eg1]

There's always the rental place onboard.:)

[momofzeke]

I would say the majority of the men wore suits or sports jackets on the Pride, with a few tuxes sprinkled in. I would do what the other posters said: look at Goodwill or Target for a bargain that would make your guy look like a million bucks! :)

[sallyb]

My DH owns one nice suit. I dress it up with different shirts & ties. We bought this suit for his aunt's funeral.:( He doesn't mind wearing it on formal nights on cruises, but he does change back to casual clothes for the later part of the evening. I enjoy dressing up and will do so even if DH doesn't.:cool:

[I Luv Crusin]

NEWS!! From Carnival website:

 

 

What should I pack?

The first thing to remember is that you're on vacation and you are aboard one of our "Fun Ships" to have a good time. The second thing to remember is to travel light. If you keep those two things in mind, you should do just fine.

Casual attire and resort wear is the order of the day both on board and in port. Shorts, slacks, sundresses, blouses, etc., are in line for women. Clothing for men is just as casual. You should bring a pair of rubber-soled sandals or sneakers to wear on deck and a pair of good walking shoes. You might also want to consider bringing along a sweater or jacket for cool evenings and inexpensive rain gear in case of a sudden shower. Women may want to bring along a hat or scarf. You'll have a chance to dress up on two nights during 7 day or longer cruises (one night on shorter cruises) for the Captain's Cocktail Party and the Gala Farewell Dinner. On the other evenings you can dress casually for dinner (no shorts or tank tops).

For those not wanting to dress up, the Lido Restaurants are open nightly and have a casual dress code. Formal Wear: tuxedo; suit and tie; sport coat, tie and slacks; evening gown; cocktail dress; pantsuit Casual Resort Wear: sport shirts and slacks; dresses; skirts; pantsuit; Capri pants NOTE: Shorts, t-shirts, tank tops and bathing attire are not permitted in the Dining Room during dinner.

[caribbean dreams]

On the 6 Carnival cruises that i have been on, I can't remember any men on formal night just wearing a button up shirt, they all have jackets on.

At the Goodwill the blazers are $5, whole suits $15.

[shallwechat]

i have recently lost 150 lbs and i am the goodwill queen.....lol there is nothing wrong with the clothes at the goodwill....many times i get complimented on the clothes i have on and i think to myself, "geees, i paid 1.00 for this outfit on .50 day at the goodwill". lol

 

keep checking your local goodwill's and thrift stores...they have really fine sport coats sometimes and noone will know different....and even if they would, who cares. your hubby will probably be the best dressed there....all for $5.10...so who gets the bigger laugh on that one!

 

good luck and good goodwillin'!

[cruise.freak]

My husband wore a suit on one night and shirt and tie on the other night. Many men on our cruise had just shirts and ties on. He has one suit and it is a deeper sage green color so he doesn't want to wear it both nights. The only times he wears this suit is on cruises so we do not want to spend the few hundred dollars to buy another suit.

[judyjbest]

I'm going to jump in and make a suggestion that others won't agree with. My DH is the same as yours ... computer nerd extreme, doesn't have to dress up. He doesn't like to dress up either. So, don't miss formal night, just because of what you're hearing here. If your DH is determined to wear a nice button up shirt with a tie, then let him. There will be others there wearing the same. While most guests will be wearing a jacket, if it doesn't bother him, don't let it bother you. (And, congrats on finding a great secondhand dress!)

 

With that said, here's what DH likes to do. He wears his black jeans with a button-down shirt, tie, and black jacket! So, if he's willing ... and only if he's willing, because it's his choice ... find him a black jacket to slip on!

 

Above all else, ignoring all opinions that your husband isn't willing to accept, enjoy your cruise. It will be fine ... don't stress!

[Snoozeman]

FYI--This thread took a long time to load--thought my browser had frozen up. Perhap some sig's have a bit too much eye candy? We don't have all that fancy high speed stuff out here in the boonies.

[momofzeke]

FYI--This thread took a long time to load--thought my browser had frozen up. Perhap some sig's have a bit too much eye candy? We don't have all that fancy high speed stuff out here in the boonies.

 

Did you know you can turn off the signatures so that you don't have to see them? :) Not everyone is aware of that. Many who do so say that it speeds up the loading by a lot. :)

[momofzeke]

With that said, here's what DH likes to do. He wears his black jeans with a button-down shirt, tie, and black jacket!

 

Ruh Roh! ;)

[gfsmith]

If he doesn't want to wear it don't make him uncomfortable, he will fit in fine. What you described will be fine.

[zydecocruiser]

Here's a nice suit available on Ebay.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/38R-MEN-70-GODAWFUL-POLYESTER-LEISURE-SUIT-VINTAGE-PROM_W0QQitemZ8396593325QQcategoryZ52399QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Binney]

I always seem to run out of time to get anything cheap...I usually end up paying top dollar like an idiot! Definitely get your DH to dress the part..from Goodwill or otherwise. You'll appreciate the great pictures.

 

By the way, if anyone is interested, I am getting rid of my "top dollar" stuff on e-Bay at:

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZbinneyQQhtZ-1

[jw4jg1mg2eg1]

sorry about the signature...lol... I turned it off for you..I'm trying to figure out how to clean it up...:)

I do hope y'all have a wonderful cruise. We tried the dining room a couple of nights (one formal night included). We just preferred the casual atmosphere of the buffet.

[Snoozeman]

sorry about the signature...lol... I turned it off for you..I'm trying to figure out how to clean it up...:)

I do hope y'all have a wonderful cruise. We tried the dining room a couple of nights (one formal night included). We just preferred the casual atmosphere of the buffet.

Thanks I appreciate it very much.

[Chexmix]

Let your DH wear what he wants. I am taking my kids on a cruise, we leave next weekend. The boys DON'T like to dress up and don't own any dress cloths.

 

I took my son (23) to a store called American Thrift. For $30 (thats with tax) we got him 2 pairs of khaki pants, 1 very nice suit jacket, 2 long sleeve dress shirts, pair of nice shorts and a bathing suit. Most were named brand that would have easily cost $25 each. He might only wear the shirts and jacket once but I get to have my son dressed up for formal night and will get great pictures too.

 

Goodwills and thrift stores are great for purchasing clothing you normally don't wear. It really saves on the pocket book. I always either machine wash or have the items dry cleaned. Even with the expense of dry cleaning it still saves a BUNDLE that can be used for other cruise items.

[PACURN]

I do this all the time (thriftstores). I can't get formal pictures in the same dress over and over. We have a fun little store call Act 2 that is a resale store for womens cloths. I have bought them there also. When I'm done I donate them back to the Goodwill for someone else to have.

We women should get together and start trading. What a thought :)

[GoodAsGold]

Back in 2002 before we sailed on the Ecstasy for an extended family cruise, I looked all over for a reasonably priced sports jacket for my husband. I couldn't find one his size in our price range. He would probably be wearing it once every few years, if that. So, I went over to the Goodwill and found a very nice, tweed sports jacket in a tannish-brown. It would look very good on him and match his Dockers. AND, when I went up to pay for it, the clerk looked at the tag and said everything with a white tag was $1.00! I couldn't believe my luck! He was happy with it and I was quite proud of my bargain purchase! :p

 

 

Why not find a nice jacket at Goodwill for him as well. A nice sport jacket is what my DH wears for teh carribean.

[GoodAsGold]

Congratulations on the weight loss! I'm impressed!

 

I agree about the Goodwill. I like the way they have their clothing color-coded. A lot easier to find. Also, I notice the main store in our downtown seems to invariably have a Mercedes or BMW parked out front. And, I've seen some very nicely dressed women in there. That's how they can afford their nice cars. :p I used to buy my grown twin girls clothes at the Goodwill and they still find some good bargains there. Unfortunately, it just isn't "cool" for my 13½ year old daughter. :rolleyes: When she was small it was okay...but she and her friends have champagne tastes on a beer budget. (Not literally, of course!) :eek: Maybe someday she'll appreciate a good deal when she sees it. Probably when she's out making her own money! :D

 

i have recently lost 150 lbs and i am the goodwill queen.....lol there is nothing wrong with the clothes at the goodwill....many times i get complimented on the clothes i have on and i think to myself, "geees, i paid 1.00 for this outfit on .50 day at the goodwill". lol

 

keep checking your local goodwill's and thrift stores...they have really fine sport coats sometimes and noone will know different....and even if they would, who cares. your hubby will probably be the best dressed there....all for $5.10...so who gets the bigger laugh on that one!

 

good luck and good goodwillin'!