No suit jacket for a 16 year old boy on formal night?

[quincytoo]

Our 15 year son wore dress shirt and dark pants on our Diamond Princess Mex Riv cruise last Nov, we saw one teenaged buy dressed in a tux, (now our son wants one for the next cruise), but most of them were dressed in long shirt and khakis or dockers. I think we saw one wearing a suit.

 

It was our first cruise and we were not sure of what to bring for him, turns out what we bought seemed to be right as all the others teen boys but two were wearing what seemed to be the same outfit....dress shirt and dockers or khakis usually darker colors. We didn't see anyone refused entry to the dining rooms nor were any dirty looks flashed.

 

The teen girls did dress up and looked so pretty!!!! Which is why I think our son wants a tux next time....not sure of the posters names who posted about the teen girls liking it when the teen boys wore tuxs and suits but our DS's friend who wore the tux sure had a lot of girls hanging off his arm formal nights!!! Our son took note...;)

[cruisemom42]

My 15 year-old son does not enjoy dressing up and eats at the buffet on formal nights. He did report to me that one of the friends he made on our May CB cruise was turned away from the dining room on formal night because he did not have on a jacket.

 

I'm glad -- at least DS realizes I'm not just blowing hot air when I tell him he can't eat in the dining room unless he's appropriately dressed!

[cruisePRN]

Relax, he'll be fine in a shirt and tie fit right in. Why would anyone want to eat in the buffet on formal night because of a silly jacket. I want my lobster and baked alaska parade :D Enjoy your cruise. In general cruises are getting more and more informal and many of the luxury lines like Azamara (an RCCL luxury line) are always smart casual. They did away with formal altogether. If your neat and clean son's attire bothers anybody they have big problems.

[ReadyToCruiseAgain]

Can't see what an Alaskan cruise has to do with making formal night less formal. In my mind, Formal Night is just that...why try to find excuses. I've been on Alaskan cruises and could see no difference in the way people dressed in the evening from a cruise going to some other destination.

 

If parents decide to take their children on a cruise vacation, then the rules or regulations apply to them as well...it's time to stop pandering to someone just because he is a teenage boy.

 

Have him wear his jeans and smile at the person who made the post quoted above !

[MercedMike]

...In any cruise dining room, there will be hundreds of people there. Many of whom care very much about the attire of the person sitting at the table next to them, particularly on formal nights. It's a matter of respect. Passengers pay good money to go on a cruise and a certain level of decorum is expected...

 

Wow -- you mean that I wear a tux on formal night because other people have paid good money to see me in it? I am highly complimented! Does that make me a professional model? Do you think HAL owes me royalties for entertaining the other passengers in my tux?? I may be onto something here! Do you think I can demand a refund on my cruise fare for the number of people who were in the dining room without a tux? After all, I paid good money! If some of them are teenagers just in ties, do you think I would deserve less of a refund than I get for the adults who are not dressed properly? There are all sorts of vital questions here -- let's discuss them!

 

>:-)

[MercedMike]

The teen girls did dress up and looked so pretty!!!! Which is why I think our son wants a tux next time....not sure of the posters names who posted about the teen girls liking it when the teen boys wore tuxs and suits but our DS's friend who wore the tux sure had a lot of girls hanging off his arm formal nights!!! Our son took note...;)

 

BINGO! Let the OP show this to her son and it should decide the question!

 

:D

[iancal]

Lighten up, it is the west coast and things are more relaxed. Don't drag all that extra gear along in his suitcase. In our experience, Alaska cruises are more informal that Caribbean and especially Med. cruises. Live and let live, enjoy your vacation. Don't ruin it by worrying in advance. The worst thing that may happen is he is eating in the buffet. Oh, Oh, based on our last Star voyage the buffet is a bit of a punishment! We have 2 children, they are just past the teen stage and we have taken them on a number of cruises. The question to ask yourself is this....if you were at a table for eight and someone's sixteen year old son turned up well scrubbed, in a shirt and tie, would you be offended if he did not have a jacket??? We certainly would not, as long as he was well mannered and joined in the conversation. We tend to be more interested in the people we meet, not what they are wearing, or not wearing as the case may be.

[fti]

I understand your concern and question - but we were on the Sapphire recently and did see some people turned away from the dining rooms for inappropriate attire.

 

You didn't proceed to say what the "inappropriate attire" was that they were wearing. Was it what the OP was describing?

 

Look on the AK forum for a trip review thread started by UTVOLS. Twice they ASKED politely at the dining room re: their inappropriate dress (they knew they were underdressed) and were more than accommodated in the dining room.

[fti]

Kidding, right?

 

This isn't a deal where the rules only apply to those who choose to follow them. The rules apply to everybody.

 

You are kidding right? As has been discussed ad nauseum, Princess does not dictate the dress code, only suggests it.

[English Tim]

My 15 yr old son wanted to wear a dinner suit, so we tried to hire one. It would have cost $270 (£135), so he went to a charity shop and bought a dinner jacket for $23. He's now looking for the remaining items.

 

On last years cruise he didn't take any formal clothing and was happy to 'chill' with the other teenagers, but missed out on the 'teens' formal dinner, so he was dtermined to be properly attired this summer. Good for him!

[Happyladi]

Now my husband and son are talking about buying him a suit. My husband says a decent suit would be $300.00. I don't mind paying it if he can wear if for several years, but I think he might still be growing. How easy is it to let out sleeves?

 

I looked into Tux rental, that is $85.00.

[dosi]

My husband is ALWAYS warm and really doesn't like to wear his suit jacket. He usually carries it over one arm the whole evening. He escorts his jacket into the dining room, drapes it over the back of his chair during dinner and then escorts it out of the dining room once again. Just have your son carry one of his dad's suit jackets and no one will be the wiser!!!;)

[land lover]

My husband is ALWAYS warm and really doesn't like to wear his suit jacket. He usually carries it over one arm the whole evening. He escorts his jacket into the dining room, drapes it over the back of his chair during dinner and then escorts it out of the dining room once again. Just have your son carry one of his dad's suit jackets and no one will be the wiser!!!;)

 

I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

After almost 20 cruises with and without our kids(they always dress for formal night), I still am amazed when this subject comes on the boards

'cause..I am just to busy eating and socializing to even notice what people are wearing....

[Hondu]

Some will tell OP it is necessary to buy a jacket or a suit. From experience, it is not true for teens. On five previous cruises our two teen boys wore suits for formal night. But they out wear them too quickly. My boys (14 & 12) have long arms and it is hard to find the correct sleeve length off the rack. So no more suits period. On our recent Alaska cruise two months ago on the Dawn Princess, they wore dress long sleeve shirts with tie, black slacks and black shoes. Absolutely no problems and this is what we will do in the future.

 

You 16 yr. old will be just fine.

[Cruisin' Chick]

As someone suggested, you can check out Goodwill, etc. I had to buy my daughter a dress and a winter coat for a play this last month (winter coats aren't in stores here...and she just has a jacket) and we went to Goodwill for these items.

 

Maybe he'll be able to wear the jacket again when he goes job hunting and get a better job than other teens (who don't bother to wear a suit). Or take a girl out on a nice date.

[vince_g]

Kidding, right?

 

I'm certainly not the most uptight person in the world, but I recognize that I'm not the only person who matters. In any cruise dining room, there will be hundreds of people there. Many of whom care very much about the attire of the person sitting at the table next to them, particularly on formal nights. It's a matter of respect. Passengers pay good money to go on a cruise and a certain level of decorum is expected. Formal nights are formal nights - period. If you don't want to dress up, get your dinner at the buffet or from room service. This isn't a deal where the rules only apply to those who choose to follow them. The rules apply to everybody.

 

Get a life!!! You know what you can do with your decorum!! And in regards to the rules, they don't matter if the cruiseline isn't willing to enforce them.

[MercedMike]

Get a life!!! You know what you can do with your decorum!! And in regards to the rules, they don't matter if the cruiseline isn't willing to enforce them.

 

Well, the basic question from the OP concerns exactly what the rules are and how the cruise line enforces them.

 

The answer to THAT question is that the rules are vague and the cruise line enforcement is erratic!

 

The other unspoken question, about what the formalwear police squads will whisper behind their hands, or enforce by glaring in your direction, is what all these other posts have been about!!!

 

>:-)

[TwinCruiserMom]

My son lives in jeans, but he does have some black slacks and a white shirt. My husband can lend him a tie. He has some black shoes. He doesn't have a suit jacket. Do I need to get him one or will they let him in without one?

 

We are cruising on the Sapphire in Alaska later this month.

 

On the Caribbean Princess, I noticed that people were dressed more casually that I thought they would be. I know I stressed myself out because I had to arrange outfits for all five in my family including two 12 year old boys. They wore dress pants every night with a polo or short sleeved button down shirt and a dress jacket and tie on formal night. They looked more dressed up each night than most of the adult males :rolleyes:

 

I even saw men dressed in slacks and a polo shirt or hawaiian shirt on formal night. One table of 8 couples that were acquainted had all the men looking nice in suits or dress shirt/tie except one guy in a wrinkled polo shirt. And they were taking some group pictures at their table. He stuck out like a sore thumb.

 

I did find my boys' jackets at a goodwill store and they were in excellent condition. I know they enjoyed dressing up on formal nights and they looked wonderful.

 

Do your best to look nice and dress according to the dress code, BUT do not stress and worry that you won't be dressed nice enough. There will be plenty of people in the dining room who are dressed more casually than you are!

[Crown Prince]

A major point that might interest your son about all this is that the teen age girls LOVE to dress up for formal nights. They get their hair done, put on makeup, nice jewelry, high heels -- and love it.

Now ask your son this question: Considering that the girls are all dressed up like for the prom -- which boys do you think they are going to pay attention to? The ones that dress up to complement them, or the ones that think putting on a tie is all a girl wants??? HMMMM???

Why not rent him a tux? The girls really go for the boys who do that!;)

 

My Grandson (18) is a Tennis Hunk. Check it out.

He has had his own Tux since he was 12. We just had the pants & sleeves let out each year!

He is now 6-foot tall and an etourage follow him!

Dad rented his own Tux on the Emerald Grand Med recently, but Steven only rented his dress shoes. He insisted on bringing his own Tux + his White 3-piece suit.

His Mum is a Packing Genius - still had only one checked bag each. It Can be done, with a little creativity.

;)

[grandsix]

Get a life!!! You know what you can do with your decorum!! And in regards to the rules, they don't matter if the cruiseline isn't willing to enforce them.

 

 

As paying GUESTS, we beilieve in adhering to the cruise lines suggested dress code........

[LinkinUK]

^ I agree. I personally find it irritating to get dressed up for a formal night only to find other guests waltzing in clothes that look like they slept in them.

[MercedMike]

...One table of 8 couples that were acquainted had all the men looking nice in suits or dress shirt/tie except one guy in a wrinkled polo shirt. And they were taking some group pictures at their table. He stuck out like a sore thumb...

 

BUT -- rather than glaring at him and ostracizing him, apparently after dining with him several nights they liked him enough to include him in their photos! I guess the formalwear police can't getcha if you have a winning personality.

>:-)

[sackman]

Get a life!!! You know what you can do with your decorum!! And in regards to the rules, they don't matter if the cruiseline isn't willing to enforce them.

 

The cruise line isn't willing to enforce the rules, in most cases, for fear of annoying a guest. The problem is that by doing so, they invariably annoy several other guests. Hey, it's simple, if it's formal night, wear a suit and tie or a tuxedo. If you don't want to follow those rules, eat somewhere else. Those are your choices. Don't give me this "get a life" BS. It sounds to me like you're one of those folks who doesn't think the rules apply to him. Here's a newsflash - the rules apply to everybody whether you agree with them or not and whether the cruise line chooses to enforce them or not.

[prarie cruiser]

Hmmmmm.....we don't hesitate to spend oodles of money to dress the teenage girls in formal attire but we don't want to buy a teen boy a jacket because he might outgrow it??????

 

I really don't care how other diners are dressed, you can wear your jeans while I wear more formal clothing. I am even an advocate of reducing the number of formal nights. However, I do think formal night is a golden opportunity to teach young people about the need to dress up at appropriate times.

But, if it causes too much stress on your family, don't bother. Dark pants and shirt are worn by lots of the teens.