Dress code for kids

[jessinphilly]

Hi, we are taking our 12 year old daughter with us on our first cruise! We will be on the Island Princess to Alaska. Can anyone guide me on what she should wear on board for eating in the dining room, the Horizon cafe (breakfast and dinner) and for just hanging around. I think we have formal nights covered. Thanks in advance! Jess

[willysgrandma]

For the buffets, shorts are fine. For the dining rooms at night, maybe a skirt and top or a pair of nice pants - anything but jeans in the dining room at night.

[jessinphilly]

Thanks Willysgrandma--anyone else? keep it coming!

[Jacqueline]

Skirts with tops - these can be casual and flirty- think tropical not church. Some kids get a bit trendy with this and that is fun.Also capris, if they are still in. Sundresses are nice - my kids liked Lilly's at that age.

The main thing is to look tidy and presentable. My kids love the dining room and always have. I will say that attire for dining has gotten progressively more difficult with age. They would never wear their jeans even though they retail for more than formal wear (no kidding).

[CruznMooses]

Skirts with tops - these can be casual and flirty- think tropical not church. Some kids get a bit trendy with this and that is fun.Also capris, if they are still in. Sundresses are nice - my kids liked Lilly's at that age.

The main thing is to look tidy and presentable. My kids love the dining room and always have. I will say that attire for dining has gotten progressively more difficult with age. They would never wear their jeans even though they retail for more than formal wear (no kidding).

 

With all due respect, some people should read a post and see where the person is going before they reply. If they were going to to Caribbean then the sun dress might be a good choice however on a cruise to ALASKA I would not recommend one. I am not going to even try to offer a suggestion as female fashion in not my strong suit, but I do know that when in a cooler climate a sun dress would NOT be a good choice

[Cruisin' Chick]

It tends to be cooler indoors on the ship (I think they must blast the AC on high) but if your daughter has some fun dresses, sundress or otherwise, she can pair them with a shawl or sweater and be fine. She'll probably will be wearing pants and jeans for her daytime trips into Alaska and may like the change for nighttime.

[Jacqueline]

I stand chastized for my response. But one still does wear summer clothes, with as pointed out above. a sweater, shawl etc. It may be Alaska, but even in the Cariibbean the DR can be COLD for dinner. Not too many people are going outside at night.

This is one of the few destinations that jeans are ok during the day on the open decks. Also polar fleece, and so forth..It is cold out on deck and doing the sightseeing. If you do a search on Budget Queen she will be a great help to you on Alaska.

[julieds]

I don't think a sundress is inappropriate for an Alaska cruise, unless you're going in the early spring or late fall. While it was a bit too chilly for one when we cruised in Alaska last July, friends who cruised two weeks earlier said they had beautiful warm weather and wore shorts and sundresses most of the time on board!

 

For daytime wear, I'd focus on clothes that can be layered--for both you and your daughter. Jeans or other casual slacks are fine for during the day, and you'll want at least one pair of shorts (or pants with zip-off legs) for the potential warmer day. T shirts plus long sleeves plus a sweater/sweatshirt/fleece top should meet your (and your daughter's) needs for daytime wear. Bring at least two pairs of comfortable walking/running shoes per person, as one pair is bound to get wet if you hit a rainy day...

 

As others have said, nice slacks, capris or skirts plus nice tops are fine for dinners in the dining room. And nice sandals are fine, even on formal nights... no need to pack lots of dressy shoes! Dinners in the buffet are even more casual--whatever she wears during the day (provided it's not just a swimsuit!) should be acceptable there.

[junglejane]

We went to Alaska last summer with our 10 year old daughter. We went in early August and it was definitely too cool for sundresses. She wore casual pants (cargo pants, yoga pants, etc. mostly from Limited Too) during the day with layered tops. We were on Celebrity and had traditional dining every night. For dinner in the dining room she wore dresses, skirts or nice gauchos (her favorite skirt alternative). On the two formal nights she wore her fanciest dresses. Nice pants would certainly have been fine in the dining room -- but I considered my daughter's pants too grungy. Also we were with a family reunion group and tried to dress up to please Grandma.

 

Don't worry too much. Just bring layers especially for shore excursions, and expect to encounter at least some rain. Enjoy yourselves.

 

--Junglejane