dress code

[RRACING]

we will be doing a 3 night Bahamas cruise in November and wondered how strict was the dress code for dinner. Can my husband wear dress shorts and a golf shirt to the dining room. 

[DaKahuna]

2 minutes ago, RRACING said:

we will be doing a 3 night Bahamas cruise in November and wondered how strict was the dress code for dinner. Can my husband wear dress shorts and a golf shirt to the dining room. 

 

Not for dinner.  Long pants for men is the standard, unless you are eating in the buffet. 

 

[n1ko0]

4 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

Not for dinner.  Long pants for men is the standard, unless you are eating in the buffet. 

 

Not true. I've been on 6 MSC cruises and have never been turned away for wearing shorts. As long as he's not in swimwear or beachwear he will be fine. MSC is one of the more casual cruise lines so your husband will have no issues. Have a great cruise! 

[Best Cat Mom]

We are currently on a Seascape Caribbean cruise in Yacht Club. They have stated in the programs each day:

 

[n1ko0]

6 minutes ago, Best Cat Mom said:

We are currently on a Seascape Caribbean cruise in Yacht Club. They have stated in the programs each day:

 

I've never seen them enforce this. The only thing I've seen is men asked not to wear tanktops for dinner

[Essiesmom]

I was on Seashore last year and I think on an elegant night, saw someone turned away wearing shorts.  Slightly later I was in an elevator with an older teen and a young boy… barely school age.  The older one was telling the younger one he wouldn’t be allowed in the dining room because he was wearing shorts…as the older one had just been turned away.  I wondered why the younger one was riding the elevator alone in the first place.  The kids were not together.  EM

[Best Cat Mom]

6 minutes ago, n1ko0 said:

I've never seen them enforce this.

We've never seen this listed with the restaurant hours. It seems like a step up. I'm just giving you information. It's up to you what to do with it. 🙂

 

PS: Marian is the maî·tre d' for Top Sail on this cruise. This is our first sailing with him. A lot of what is acceptable in Top Sail depends on the maî·tre d'. Perhaps others who have sailed with him know his typical behavior and can share here.

[n1ko0]

Maybe it depends on the Maitre D in that case, but I was never turned away for wearing shorts on any of my previous MSC cruises! Perhaps luck of the draw! 

[JamieLogical]

I have seen men turned away for wearing shorts, tank tops, and open-toed shoes. Have never seen a woman turned away, even one who was just wearing silk pajamas.

[jame_g]

I almost always wear shorts and a polo shirt/Hawaiian shirt to dinner. I've never seen anyone turned away for this, except maybe gala night. They will refuse to seat those in swimwear/beachwear and tank tops. On gala night they do want long pants in the dining room, but even khakis and a polo will work. Plus there is no gala night on 3/4 night cruises.

[JamieLogical]

32 minutes ago, jame_g said:

I almost always wear shorts and a polo shirt/Hawaiian shirt to dinner. I've never seen anyone turned away for this, except maybe gala night. They will refuse to seat those in swimwear/beachwear and tank tops. On gala night they do want long pants in the dining room, but even khakis and a polo will work. Plus there is no gala night on 3/4 night cruises.

 

I have seen people successfully enter the MDR on gala night in track pants. I think "long pants" is the only requirement. The style of pants does not seem to matter.

[Best Cat Mom]

19 hours ago, n1ko0 said:

I've never seen them enforce this.

The comment I posted refers to YC attire:

 

We have zero experience with the Main Dining Room.

[Morgsmom]

20 hours ago, n1ko0 said:

I've never seen them enforce this. The only thing I've seen is men asked not to wear tanktops for dinner

I've absolutely seen them enforce this in yacht club

[JAGR]

I think bottom line, MSC is unclear and unsteady about its policies and procedures! Any of us sailing in YC more than ten times can recall instances where guests in shorts were turned away, and have also seen guests in shorts regularly at dinner. Like their IT, MSC on board rules enforcement is ethereal, at best. As some have noted, it may be a reflection of the YC director and his or her views. I also think the dining room manager has some variable control. I saw the famous Arthur turn away a guest in shorts on Meraviglia last September. I wish they had a clear policy (and even clearer enforcement of it) that long pants and shirts with sleeves were required. It doesn't take someone too much effort to put some decent clothes on for a few hours.

Edited September 18 by JAGR

[lahlah57]

On 9/17/2024 at 12:51 PM, n1ko0 said:

I've never seen them enforce this. The only thing I've seen is men asked not to wear tanktops for dinner

Hairy pits poking out from tank tops makes one lose their appetite 🤢

[MonsterJoe]

On 9/17/2024 at 3:25 PM, n1ko0 said:

Not true. I've been on 6 MSC cruises and have never been turned away for wearing shorts. As long as he's not in swimwear or beachwear he will be fine. MSC is one of the more casual cruise lines so your husband will have no issues. Have a great cruise! 

I would posit that while it is indeed the standard, that MSC just happens to find little value in enforcing unilaterally.  Moreover, from what I have read, the dining staff is given latitude to make those determinations, and one may be subject to the whims or moods of those whose job it is to shepherd a dining experience sans hairy legs and bunion feet for the rest of us.

Edited September 19 by MonsterJoe

[seasickphil]

On 9/18/2024 at 6:15 PM, JAGR said:

I wish they had a clear policy

 

As @Best Cat Mom posted in #12

Pants for gentlemen are mandatory for dinner time. In YC.

 

Is it not therefore, the people who are choosing to be non-compliant to what MSC stipulate in the daily programme.

[MonsterJoe]

The policy is clear...the enforcement is not.

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/manage-booking/before-you-go/what-to-wear

 

 

[Illbcruzn4life]

On 9/17/2024 at 11:15 AM, RRACING said:

we will be doing a 3 night Bahamas cruise in November and wondered how strict was the dress code for dinner. Can my husband wear dress shorts and a golf shirt to the dining room. 

On the Seashore you had to wear long pants only on Gala night. Since you are going on a 3 day cruise there won’t a Gala night. Not sure about other ships in the fleet.

[JAGR]

10 hours ago, MonsterJoe said:

The policy is clear...the enforcement is not.

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/manage-booking/before-you-go/what-to-wear

 

 

With all due respect, I offer a different perspective to reinforce my earlier posts. I know that Morpheous will come down hard on me for attempting to once again inject syntax and meaning, but to my mind; while I agree that ones should dress decently (long pants and collared shirt at least in the dining rooms), MSC's written "clear policy" you refer to is a guide and not a policy. I sincerely wish it was a policy and I enforce it on myself, but the section you cited as policy is overwritten in the very opening to the dress code document (note my use of Bold is by me, nod MSC and is used to support my argument):

What to wear on a cruise

We want to make sure you are always prepared when cruising with MSC. Below are some suggestions to make sure you pack appropriate clothing
for the various activities you will undertake during your cruise.

 

This header appears to negate the "requirement." A passenger would be within their rights to argue that a suggestion is just that: a suggestion only. Also, in your own citation, while it says that t-shirts, tank tops and shorts are not allowed, the lead in clearly states that "Specific restrictions may be enforced (by staff)." The "may be" phrase implies to me that even if it is a policy, it can be selectively enforces, which was my main point in my original post. Again, I am on your side in that it should be a policy. My argument is that the language is unclear on requirements (obfuscation appears to be an art form in this and almost all other MSC documents! 😉). As another example, in the section you cite, it does in fact say that shorts are not allowed, however, it specifically recommends that shorts are not allowed allowed, but are suggested as appropriate for the dining room. MSC artfully both encourages and disallows a specific style of dress for the dining room! Now the policy is "clear as mud!"

 

[JAGR]

Just now, JAGR said:

With all due respect, I offer a different perspective to reinforce my earlier posts. I know that Morpheous will come down hard on me for attempting to once again inject syntax and meaning, but to my mind; while I agree that ones should dress decently (long pants and collared shirt at least in the dining rooms), MSC's written "clear policy" you refer to is a guide and not a policy. I sincerely wish it was a policy and I enforce it on myself, but the section you cited as policy is overwritten in the very opening to the dress code document (note my use of Bold is by me, nod MSC and is used to support my argument):

What to wear on a cruise

We want to make sure you are always prepared when cruising with MSC. Below are some suggestions to make sure you pack appropriate clothing
for the various activities you will undertake during your cruise.

 

This header appears to negate the "requirement." A passenger would be within their rights to argue that a suggestion is just that: a suggestion only. Also, in your own citation, while it says that t-shirts, tank tops and shorts are not allowed, the lead in clearly states that "Specific restrictions may be enforced (by staff)." The "may be" phrase implies to me that even if it is a policy, it can be selectively enforces, which was my main point in my original post. Again, I am on your side in that it should be a policy. My argument is that the language is unclear on requirements (obfuscation appears to be an art form in this and almost all other MSC documents! 😉). As another example, in the section you cite, it does in fact say that shorts are not allowed, however, it specifically recommends that shorts are not allowed allowed, but are suggested as appropriate for the dining room. MSC artfully both encourages and disallows a specific style of dress for the dining room! Now the policy is "clear as mud!"

 

The latter section I referred to. Called Evening Wear in the MSC document:

Evening Wear

 

A more polished look is recommended for evening wear when dining in the Main Dining Rooms and Specialty Restaurants and while enjoying the entertainment in the theater, bars, and lounges. Collared shirts, tailored pants or shorts, skirts, and dresses are suggested

[nikoo.s]

On 9/18/2024 at 5:43 PM, Morgsmom said:

I've absolutely seen them enforce this in yacht club

Wow. Pay all that extra money to have stricter rules? No thanks 😅

[MonsterJoe]

1 hour ago, JAGR said:

With all due respect, I offer a different perspective to reinforce my earlier posts. I know that Morpheous will come down hard on me for attempting to once again inject syntax and meaning, but to my mind; while I agree that ones should dress decently (long pants and collared shirt at least in the dining rooms), MSC's written "clear policy" you refer to is a guide and not a policy. I sincerely wish it was a policy and I enforce it on myself, but the section you cited as policy is overwritten in the very opening to the dress code document (note my use of Bold is by me, nod MSC and is used to support my argument):

What to wear on a cruise

We want to make sure you are always prepared when cruising with MSC. Below are some suggestions to make sure you pack appropriate clothing
for the various activities you will undertake during your cruise.

 

This header appears to negate the "requirement." A passenger would be within their rights to argue that a suggestion is just that: a suggestion only. Also, in your own citation, while it says that t-shirts, tank tops and shorts are not allowed, the lead in clearly states that "Specific restrictions may be enforced (by staff)." The "may be" phrase implies to me that even if it is a policy, it can be selectively enforces, which was my main point in my original post. Again, I am on your side in that it should be a policy. My argument is that the language is unclear on requirements (obfuscation appears to be an art form in this and almost all other MSC documents! 😉). As another example, in the section you cite, it does in fact say that shorts are not allowed, however, it specifically recommends that shorts are not allowed allowed, but are suggested as appropriate for the dining room. MSC artfully both encourages and disallows a specific style of dress for the dining room! Now the policy is "clear as mud!"

 

That's a fair assessment about it being a guide, and I apparently operate the same as you (enforcing a self policy) - I will only add that I read the part that I included in my post as an addendum to the guide that clarifies/asserts that they have the right to enforce a dress code if they choose - which I infer as worthy of push-back on people who appear aghast at wearing pants or being turned away in absence of them.

[JAGR]

40 minutes ago, MonsterJoe said:

That's a fair assessment about it being a guide, and I apparently operate the same as you (enforcing a self policy) - I will only add that I read the part that I included in my post as an addendum to the guide that clarifies/asserts that they have the right to enforce a dress code if they choose - which I infer as worthy of push-back on people who appear aghast at wearing pants or being turned away in absence of them.

Agreed, but I'm not confident about someone's reading the detailed information after they read "suggested" at the start. I would love to have MSC be more consistent and definitive. Heck, if they just started with changing the Dress Restrictions first paragraph to, "Specific restrictions will be enforced by onboard staff members...."

[Mommapadraig]

1 hour ago, nikoo.s said:

Wow. Pay all that extra money to have stricter rules? No thanks 😅

For all the extra we got in the YC it was not a problem for my DH to pull on a pair of pants. But if that was requested in the MDR he’d be fine with that too. I think he had 2 pairs with and just rotated them. 

Edited September 20 by Mommapadraig