New Cruiser - Dress code questions

[Ohio-C-Luver]

Thanks to everyone who provided helpful insight and advice. It looks like I'll probably try to get him a couple of little dress shirts and tie or two, although I probably better go with a bow tie instead of a long one. I can just imagine the lovely assortment of food stains that the long one would accumulate. Perhaps I should just go with a kilt. He already has one thanks to an uncle who lives in Scotland. I'm sure we'd probably get just as many looks from the kilt as from anything else.

 

I have to say that my first impression of cruisers is that they fall into two categories: those who just want to enjoy themselves and not inflict their problems on the rest of the world and those who are walking around with a chip on their shoulders looking for things to complain about.

 

Thanks to those of you in the first group for helping out.

Hope you have a great cruise! Sorry there is always someone to try to spoil it for you, but just ignore them. Just have fun, and enjoy being with your precious son and DH. I'm sure if you look around at some sales, you'll find the shirts with the bowtie or suspenders! Please that's all ties are for most men, bibs! :D I used to let other peoples opinions bother me, but am older and wiser now. Please don't let these boards get to you, take them with a grain of salt. RCI just likes formal night so they can get all the extra bucks from all the pictures they take! I'm sure it's just another marketing ploy for the ship! Everyone seemed to enjoy formal night at different levels, so enjoy the evening with your family!

[kbknepp]

Is that why wide ties seem to keep coming back around - they keep more of your shirt clean?

[dougp26364]

Agree or disagree, RCI has no dress code. They have suggested dress but it's not enforced. We are just off Vision of the Sea's from our recent Alaskan cruise. On formal night, most people were dressed nicely, suits for men and nice dresses for women.

 

However, I did see one young man (14 or 15 maybe) that was in dirty shorts and a dirty t-shirt and another young adult in a button down casual shirt without a collar, kaki cargo pants that were about 2 inches to long, sandels and a sport coat and tie that looked like they were straight off the rack at Goodwill. The sport coat of coarse did not fit properly. In short, he'd have been MUCH better off without the sport coat and tie.

 

I know that some people get up in arms about dressing for dinner and I personally feel that people should at least make an attempt to look nice for the main dinning room (it's not called the formal dinning room by RCI). However, the fact is, RCI doesn't care. People can wear pretty much what they want when they want. The only listed exclusions were no shorts, no muscle shirts and no bare feet. Since I did see shorts in the dining room on formal night, I'm guessing that even the "rules" aren't enforced.

 

Now I'm not saying this is a good or bad thing. I'm not saying I agree or disagree with what people do or how they dress while on vacation. I am saying the RCI seems to have gone to the casual in the extreme. Only the cruising public can decide if this is or is not a good thing.

[Alexis]

Thanks to everyone who provided helpful insight and advice. It looks like I'll probably try to get him a couple of little dress shirts and tie or two, although I probably better go with a bow tie instead of a long one. I can just imagine the lovely assortment of food stains that the long one would accumulate. Perhaps I should just go with a kilt. He already has one thanks to an uncle who lives in Scotland. I'm sure we'd probably get just as many looks from the kilt as from anything else.

 

I have to say that my first impression of cruisers is that they fall into two categories: those who just want to enjoy themselves and not inflict their problems on the rest of the world and those who are walking around with a chip on their shoulders looking for things to complain about.

 

Thanks to those of you in the first group for helping out.

 

There are men who post on here that wear kilts to formal night. I have seen their posted pictures and they look fabulous.

That would be a head turner and people would love it.;)

 

I too feel that some people on here that think just because they wear a formal gown gives them manners and courtesy, should realize that the way they speak to others, just proves that they have none of either.

 

Enjoy your cruise and post pictures. :D

[Guest cvbart]

There are men who post on here that wear kilts to formal night. I have seen their posted pictures and they look fabulous.

That would be a head turner and people would love it.;)

 

I too feel that some people on here that think just because they wear a formal gown gives them manners and courtesy, should realize that the way they speak to others, just proves that they have none of either.

 

Enjoy your cruise and post pictures. :D

 

Wow, thank you for the post.

 

I always hope I meet people like you when I cruise.

 

You have quite a lot of wisdom I think.

[dougp26364]

No one is saying people can't afford clothing. It's one thing to save money for a cruise. It's a whole 'nother issue to say to someone that they must spend extra money to buy/rent clothing to wear for one or two meals on the ship.

 

To rent a tuxedo, costs around $100 or so. For people who save all year for their vacation/cruise, spending and extra $100 just for clothes they may wear one night, when the cruise is costing them $500 or $600 seems rather extreme.

 

From the RCL Website:

 

Formal: SUITS AND TIES or tuxedos for men, cocktail dresses for women. (my emphasis).

 

Excuse me again!!! If suits and ties are considered appropriate by RCL, then they should be OK for snobs!

 

 

But you have to remember that it's only SUGGESTED by RCI and it's certainly not required nor is it enforced. People might not like it but that's the way it is.

[Chawoobie]

But you have to remember that it's only SUGGESTED by RCI and it's certainly not required nor is it enforced. People might not like it but that's the way it is.

 

That's my point! Dress code is suggested. This isn't Iran where Ahamdinejad wants to have everyone in Iran dress in the same type of clothing.

 

Life is way too short to get upset because someone isn't wearing a tuxedo.:)

[kbknepp]

So would you all say that the majority of women dress in long or short dresses on formal night? My in-laws usually wear dressy pantsuits, but I'm not a pants kind of gal, no matter how dressy they are. Since I'll have to buy something for the trip anyway, I might as well ask what the majority seems to do.

[PhoenixCruiser]

Wow, we haven't had a heated dress code thread since what? Sunday ;)

 

I still really don't understand how a cruise can be ruined by what some of their fellow passengers are wearing :eek:

 

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[wrp96]

So would you all say that the majority of women dress in long or short dresses on formal night? My in-laws usually wear dressy pantsuits, but I'm not a pants kind of gal, no matter how dressy they are. Since I'll have to buy something for the trip anyway, I might as well ask what the majority seems to do.

 

It's a mix. Where what you are more comfortable with. If you enjoy long dresses wear those. If you are more comfortable in a short dress wear that.

[kbknepp]

Just for the record, I really was hoping this wouldn't turn into a heated debate since there's already one flying around as we speak. It's actually what got me to thinking about what to do about our son. I just thought I'd ask what people thought would be appropriate. Little did I know the can of worms I was opening. I guess you can't ask those kinds of questions without upsetting someone.

 

I guess its a good thing I didn't ask if its okay to save chairs by the pool. JUST KIDDING!!!

[Host Kewlguy]

No one is saying people can't afford clothing. It's one thing to save money for a cruise. It's a whole 'nother issue to say to someone that they must spend extra money to buy/rent clothing to wear for one or two meals on the ship.

 

To rent a tuxedo, costs around $100 or so. For people who save all year for their vacation/cruise, spending and extra $100 just for clothes they may wear one night, when the cruise is costing them $500 or $600 seems rather extreme.

 

From the RCL Website:

 

Formal: SUITS AND TIES or tuxedos for men, cocktail dresses for women. (my emphasis).

 

Excuse me again!!! If suits and ties are considered appropriate by RCL, then they should be OK for snobs!

 

If I'm not mistaken no one here is stating a dark suit is inappropriate for the dining room. We were talking about shorts/dirty tee shirts and jeans. I don't wear a tux and don't consider myself a snob for expecting passengers to follow the dress code.

[wrp96]

Just for the record, I really was hoping this wouldn't turn into a heated debate since there's already one flying around as we speak. It's actually what got me to thinking about what to do about our son. I just thought I'd ask what people thought would be appropriate. Little did I know the can of worms I was opening. I guess you can't ask those kinds of questions without upsetting someone.

 

That's the problem, some people see dress code and go apes (doesn't matter which side they support - strict adherence vs. it's my vacation I'll wear whatever I want) no matter what the exact question is.

 

I personally am pleased to see the people that want to try and conform to the dress code ask questions in advance to see what it means instead of making an assumption that is incorrect either way. Which is the way I interpreted your question - you want to know how to conform to the dress code in a reasonable manner instead of how to get around the dress code (like the other thread).

[dougp26364]

Just for the record, I really was hoping this wouldn't turn into a heated debate since there's already one flying around as we speak. It's actually what got me to thinking about what to do about our son. I just thought I'd ask what people thought would be appropriate. Little did I know the can of worms I was opening. I guess you can't ask those kinds of questions without upsetting someone.

 

I guess its a good thing I didn't ask if its okay to save chairs by the pool. JUST KIDDING!!!

 

I think if you just have your son in clean clothes he'll be fine. The only things I've seen that actaully bothered me a little bit was what I posted before. A young man in dirty clothes (complete lack of respect IMO and it is only my opinion) and the other young man whose parents apparently tried to follow the dress code of a sports coat and tie and would have been better off just letting him wear what he had on underneath that coat and ditch the tie. He would have looked better and I bet he would have been more comfortable.

 

There really is no reason to get overheated about something that doesn't exist on RCI and that's a "dress code." RCI really doesn't care.

 

FWIW, I ran into a woman on one of our excursions that insisted you MUST sit in the EXACT SAME SEAT for dinner every night. When I told her that it's not a rule and that we change seats frequently, she actually got pretty upset and started telling me I was wrong, that it was written down somewhere and that the head waiter and wait staff would correct me if I even thought about trying it.

 

No I didn't argue with her but I did tell her that I'm sure she was glad she wasn't our tablemate. I'm sure I'd have given her a heart attack when I change seats on her just to see if the staff could do CPR or not.

 

I'm always amazed at how some people can take something as written in stone when, if they looked around, they'd see it isn't so. Wanting something to be a certain way and it actually being that way are two different things. In this case, RCI has no dress code, only a suggestion.

[Host Kewlguy]

FWIW, I ran into a woman on one of our excursions that insisted you MUST sit in the EXACT SAME SEAT for dinner every night. When I told her that it's not a rule and that we change seats frequently, she actually got pretty upset and started telling me I was wrong, that it was written down somewhere and that the head waiter and wait staff would correct me if I even thought about trying it.

 

No I didn't argue with her but I did tell her that I'm sure she was glad she wasn't our tablemate. I'm sure I'd have given her a heart attack when I change seats on her just to see if the staff could do CPR or not.

 

I'm always amazed at how some people can take something as written in stone when, if they looked around, they'd see it isn't so. Wanting something to be a certain way and it actually being that way are two different things. In this case, RCI has no dress code, only a suggestion.

 

The first night we choose the seats we wish to be seated at for the entire length of the cruise. And yes, we do get upset if we arrive for dinner the second night and our table mates are in our seats. Maybe I'm old fashioned but that's the way it is.

[Chawoobie]

If I'm not mistaken no one here is stating a dark suit is inappropriate for the dining room. We were talking about shorts/dirty tee shirts and jeans. I don't wear a tux and don't consider myself a snob for expecting passengers to follow the dress code.

 

No. I was responding to the posts that seemed to suggest that not dressing Formal - tux/evening gown was somehow rude, inconsiderate, or bad manners.

[kbknepp]

I guess they don't realise that just putting someone in a pretty package doesn't mean you'll add any class.

[DonnaK]

The first night we choose the seats we wish to be seated at for the entire length of the cruise. And yes, we do get upset if we arrive for dinner the second night and our table mates are in our seats. Maybe I'm old fashioned but that's the way it is.

 

We feel this way too. At a large oval table, it makes a difference if a family of 4 or more sits around bottom or the top of the oval rather than across the side. The latter way, we are spread too far apart, especially if one in our party is elderly and a bit hard-of-hearing. My father was deaf in one ear and needed a certain placement at the table in order to hear, otherwise he'd feel isolated and left out of the conversation.

[Brandyman]

Thanks to everyone who provided helpful insight and advice. It looks like I'll probably try to get him a couple of little dress shirts and tie or two, although I probably better go with a bow tie instead of a long one. I can just imagine the lovely assortment of food stains that the long one would accumulate. Perhaps I should just go with a kilt. He already has one thanks to an uncle who lives in Scotland. I'm sure we'd probably get just as many looks from the kilt as from anything else.

 

As someone who is proud to wear a kilt I will certainly be doing so on our pending cruise despite the many looks I may get.

 

Great invention the kilt. If you have the right tarten the food stains blend in and are unnoticable.

 

The other great thing about the kilt is that you can argue its a skirt and hences falls within the suggested dress code. Might get accused of being a cross dresser but heck, who cares, you're on a cruise.

[sea-cruise]

DH gained weight...We gave both of his tuxedos and a white dinner jacket away. He will not buy one until he loses some of the weight. He will be wearing a dark suit on the upcoming cruise.

(If he wanted to wear a light colored suit, or a blazer and trousers, it would be his choice).

I have written this on another thread but I'll write it again...I made our grandsons wear jackets and ties one night, and they ripped them off as soon as we were seated.

BTW, my husband will also wear a suite to Portofino's, but I don't care if you wear a polo shirt. I give up. I'm so busy enjoying my cruises, who gives a flip what a stranger wears?

[Keksie]

The first night we choose the seats we wish to be seated at for the entire length of the cruise. And yes, we do get upset if we arrive for dinner the second night and our table mates are in our seats. Maybe I'm old fashioned but that's the way it is.

We have always been at a table for 6 with 2 other couples. Being early people we seem to always arrive at the table first so we change where we sit. That way we get a different view and get to talk with different people, since many times you talk to the person next to you more than across the table. If it bothered the other couples then I guess they would make more of an effort to be there first and thus have the pick of where to sit.

[SilkieGirl]

There are men who post on here that wear kilts to formal night. I have seen their posted pictures and they look fabulous.

That would be a head turner and people would love it.;)

 

I too feel that some people on here that think just because they wear a formal gown gives them manners and courtesy, should realize that the way they speak to others, just proves that they have none of either.

 

Enjoy your cruise and post pictures. :D

 

I too would love to see some kilt's! If we had a kilt, my dh would probably do the whole formal thing. As it stands, he'll have his "butt" in the windjammer.

 

Your second paragraph was so short, sweet and to the point. Well said.

Mary

[SilkieGirl]

I still really don't understand how a cruise can be ruined by what some of their fellow passengers are wearing :eek:

 

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I have grown to realize, there are people out there who refuse to be happy, no matter what. They are constantly looking for a target to complain and bitch about. These are the same people who wouldn't be totally happy no matter what their circumstances. There is no way I'll let other people ruin my cruise.

 

Mary

[SilkieGirl]

I personally am pleased to see the people that want to try and conform to the dress code ask questions in advance to see what it means instead of making an assumption that is incorrect either way. Which is the way I interpreted your question - you want to know how to conform to the dress code in a reasonable manner instead of how to get around the dress code (like the other thread).

 

Right. The one chick wanted to know what was appropriate for her son, and then I asked just how formal a dress should be for me to wear. I'm sorry, but my lifestyle doesn't call for dressing up, sadly. I do like to dress to the nines, (and I'm also nice to boot, so it's a great package <g>) I just never have the opportunity. I'm a mountain girl! That's when someone had to have a tizzy sending a post about what don't we understand about FORMAL. Ya know, I was just making sure. I had one dress in mind and then after talking to people, I realized that dress just wasn't dressy enough. So that would give me options BEFORE I came on the cruise. Actually, it isn't worth it anyway. I'm going to leave ALL dresses at home, and bring my dirty scuzzy shorts I guess, and eat somewhere else, where they left all pretention back at home.

 

Mary

[sea-cruise]

Dear SilkieGirl,

We would be honored to have well mannered people such as you at our table. You know...You can put a pig in a tuxedo but he is still a pig. ;)