New cruiser//questions about dressing

[shellsWI]

Please help!! My fiance and I are traveling on the Carnival Triumph in September for our honeymoon. We are both very casual people, is it necessary to pack formal clothes? We had planned on eating at the buffets or getting pizza for the most part. Would shorts and tank tops or t shirts be ok all the time or just during the day? Do we need to wear something a little more dressier in the evening? Any advise you can give helps. Thanks!!!:)

[cruisead]

Please take this advice: if you don't participate in the formal nights you will be very upset with yourself for not doing it. It's a very big part of the cruise experience. Once you get on board, and you see how everyone is dressed up, you could feel out of place. And no, you cannot wear jeans or shorts in the dining room for dinner---not even on casual nights, plus they discourage passengers from wearing shorts anytime in the evening. Just look at it this way---how will you feel going into the show lounge or casino on formal night wearing shorts when everyone is in suits, tuxes, long gowns or sparkly cocktail dresses? Plus, when you consider how much you're paying for the cruise, why would you want to miss so much of what you paid for if you don't go into the dining room? Regardless of what people say, the food in the buffet is in no way like the food you get in the dining room. And since this is your honeymoon, dressing up and having your formal portraits taken will be one of the best ways to remember your special cruise. You don't have to go all out in dressing and you don't have to spend a fortune. Your new husband can rent a tux on board, or bring a dark sport jacket and dress pants, shirt and tie, and you can wear a simple black dress and fancy it up with nice jewelry and fancy shoes. For casual nights, it's docker-type slacks and a collared shirt for the men and capris, slacks and a nice top or a sundress for the ladies. Believe me, in our casual, dress-down society, lots of people who don't like to dress up cruise every year, and they all really seem to enjoy the chance to get away from their usual dressing habits and dress up for cruises.

[bUU]

From what I've read, there is no problem with skipping the formal dinners at most mainline cruise lines. It really is up to you. While some may feel the experience is not-to-be-missed, you know yourself best. However, what I have also read is that tank tops and shorts, while fine for on-deck during the day, aren't what's generally expected in the restaurants, not even the buffet. Enforcement is uneven, but the expectation is a bit higher.

[98Charlie]

I have to agree that it's really a matter of your personal taste and how you want to spend your cruise time. On our first cruise we packed a blazer/dress trouser combo for me and basic dressy outfit for DW. We figured we might go to the formal dinner.

 

We enjoyed it to the extent that on cruise 2 I took the dark suit and by #3 had purchased a tuxedo. What I'm saying is that I would suggest that you take something "just in case". You may never use it. But, if you decide you want to, it's there. Next cruise :D you'll have a better idea of what to pack.

 

Bicker is absolutely correct on the uneven enforcement of dress codes on most or all of the mainstream cruise lines. On a recent cruise we saw casual dress in the dining room on formal night while "no hats in dining room" was enforced during breakfast and lunch in the same dining room.

[bUU]

Well, of course, "no hats" is a security concern, not a dress code issue.

[98Charlie]

"no hats" is a security concern

I must respectfully disagree. It is a privacy issue. If I want to smuggle a couple of drinks from my room into the dining room under my hat it's nobody's business. Besides, they charge too much and don't carry my brand. Well it's not really a brand because my buddy Homer makes it for me. At least he did before the ATF closed his shop. I think he gets out before the next cruise.

 

 

The humor impared should ignore this post.

[Shelli]

I totally agree with the posters who have suggested packing something "just in case." Truly, the dining room experience is one of the greatest pleasures of cruising, and it would be a shame to miss it. While most evenings are "resort casual," as described above, the fanciest and most elaborate dinners (lobster, for example-- and a parade of Baked Alaska!) are served on formal evenings, and I highly recommend attending. Much better choice than pizza or cafeteria-style buffet food.

[trish1c]

Leave all the jeans at home; it's too hot anyway.

 

Pack at least one outfit each that could at a minimum satisfy the bear minimums for formal night: a dress for you & a at least a jacket for him. If while you are there you want to skip formal night go ahead. If you find that you want to participate, you will have the outfit.

 

One of the best parts of a cruise is the pampering. One of the best places to get that is the dining room. Do yourselves a favor & don't preclude yourselves from that experience before you've at least tried it.

 

As people said, shorts & jeans in the dining room for dinner is a no-no.

[shellsWI]

Thanks for all of the advise, I think I will pack something more formal and we can rent a tux for my fiance if we decide to go to the formal nights. How much do they charge to rent a tux? We are going on a 7day cruise, how many formal nights are there? What is appropriate to wear on the other nights? What is appropriate to wear in the evening if we do not go to the formal dinner and want to see a show?

[Sports Mama]

ShellsWI--

Usually I try to stay away from anything about dress, because so many people have a tendency to let things get out of hand. :eek: However, I really do agree with all the above post, especially Cruisead. My DH and DS (12 years old-most kids at this age believe anything beyond dockers and a button down shirt is torcher) are not the dress up people, but they do not mind getting dressed up for dinner on a cruise. They believe that it is worth the trouble for the food and the experience. My philosophy on this is to be prepared: bring some clothes for the dinning room, go the first night, because after that you just may be hooked. The food and the experience in the dinning room is awesome!!!:D My DH and DS will take button down or golf type shirts for every casual night and about three pairs of dockers. For formal nights they will take one dark suit. Me I pack sundresses, nice slacks, and capris with sandals for casual nights. My formal nights consist of a simple black dress with pearls and a black skirt with a beaded top. If you don't like the experience after the first night then you have lost nothing excpet maybe packing a few extra items. Hey, I am one of the many overpackers on these boards. :eek: I hope you have a wonderful cruise.

 

Happy Sailing,

Sports Mama

[cowgo]

I love the formal nights. I'm bringing a tux for the first night and a kilt for the second. We're going out later this afternoon to get dresses for our three DD's.

 

One of the neat things about a cruise is the wide array of activity. In the day I can lounge on a tropical beach and do the beach bum thing, knocking back a bucket of beer. In the evening, I throw on the tux and listen to my DS say something like, "extraordinary, you can almost pass as a gentleman.."

[cruisead]

I think everyone has given you ideas on what to wear in the evening on all the nights. But to confirm, here goes:

 

Formal: Long gown, short cocktail dress, evening pants and a sparkly top for the ladies. Tux, dark suit or dark sport coat, dress slacks and tie for the men. There will be two formal nights on a 7 day cruise.

 

Casual/Smart Casual: Slacks (no jeans), shirts of any material as long as they have a collar (Hawaiian prints, golf shirts) for the men, cotton slacks, capri pants with a nice top (not just a plain t-shirt), sundresses, casual dresses for the women. Even if you don't go to the dining room in the evening on casual night, you are still expected to wear the type of clothes I wrote above. No shorts at all in the evening for the public rooms.

[Shelli]

Thanks for all of the advise, I think I will pack something more formal and we can rent a tux for my fiance if we decide to go to the formal nights. How much do they charge to rent a tux?

 

Carnival's rentals start at $75 (for the week). You can read more about that here: Carnival Tuxedo Rental

[ASM]

While never having rented a tux, I have heard that waiting until you're on board is a bad idea, that it should be done ahead. Does anyone have info on that for her?

[shellsWI]

Thanks for all of your replies, you all convinced us to go to the formal dinners. Today I bought a black dress, it is sleeveless and goes about half way down my calf. Is that going to be dressy enough? Do the dresses have to be long on formal nights? I also have a dress that is red and sleeveless that is just below the knee. Does that sound acceptable? In the evenings on non formal nights would sweater tank tops and silk tank tops be acceptable? How about Khaki and denim skirts. For men are shorts out of the question in the evening or would it be ok to wear nice khaki shorts with a polo or collared shirt? Thanks for all of your help.:)

[cruisead]

shells, shorts are NEVER acceptable in the evening for anyone, no matter the material or design. Your husband won't be allowed in the dining room wearing shorts.

 

One thing you might consider as to your sleeveless tops---cruise ships are terribly cold and if you are a freezy cat like many women are, you will be very uncomfortable unless you bring some sort of shawl. The dining room and the entertainment areas are kept very cold.

 

Your dresses sound just fine.

[Sports Mama]

Shells--

 

Dresses sound great for formal night, you can always make a dress dressier with jewelry. Same thing goes for the non-formal nights. No you do not need long gowns for formal night. I believe you will not feel out of place in what you are wearing. Cruisead is right, it does get chilly in the public areas at night. A lot of the clothes that I teach school in I can get away with for casual night. I love to wear dresses without hose :D , capris and slacks with short sleeve summer sweaters on casual nights. I am sorry but you Finance can't wear shorts in the dinning room :( . Sometimes my DS and DH will change after dinner, but most of the time they are comfortable in their dockers and shirts.

 

Happy Sailing,

Sports Mama

[JeffandMelissa]

Silly question....just for clarification really.

 

Dinner:

Doing the formals on formal night. Doing smart casual on informal nights (i.e. capris and nice blouse).

 

What I am confused about is...breakfast and lunch?

Are shorts allowed in the dining rooms for breakfast and lunch? I want to do the dining room thing a few times for breakfast and for lunch. Just didn't want to have to run back to the room all the time and change. :p For example, I'm hoping to dress in shorts and a nice top, sandals and head to the breakfast area. And dress the same for lunch. As a full-figured kind of gal, I would feel uncomfortable in a swimsuit, coverup and shorts...so I won't be doing that.

 

Best Regards,

Melissa

 

We're on the Grand Princess, personal choice dining.

[cruisead]

Shorts, capris and all that are allowed in the dining room for breakfast and lunch. The only thing they don't allow in the dining room is a bathing suit. The rules we're talking about here apply only to after 6pm.

[JeffandMelissa]

Thanks for clearing things up, cruisead!

 

Best Regards,

Melissa