Packing Question & Men's Wear for Formal Night

[Husker Cruzer]

Need suggestions on how you pack your formal dresses and men's suits so they don't end up all wrinkled. Also, will be traveling with college age boys and husband that aren't excited about wearing a suitcoat. Is it appropriate for them to wear dress slacks, dress shirt & tie or do they need a suit coat?

[jaco944]

For me it is so much easier to rent the formal wear online, do it before the cruise and all of your formal wear will be waiting in your cabin when you get there. It is a little pricey between $80-$120, but you don't have to worry about packing any of it..plus it's fun to go with the James Bond look a couple of times a year, very few people actually wear a tux on formal nights, mostly sports coats or shirt and tie. I am basing this on Royal Caribbean only I can't speak for any of the other lines.

[Happy ks]

Plastic dry cleaner bags, over and under, you won't have wrinkles.

 

Your boys can "get away with" (not your words, I know, I've just read it here many times on these threads :) ) a shirt and tie, no coat, but it is not formal.

 

My suggestion would be to dress to compliment each other. It would be a shame for the women to be dressed to the nines and have their male counterparts in shirtsleeves looking like they are on their way to the water cooler. If you are in more casual clothing, the no suit coat look will not stand out so much.

[In_need_of_a_vacation]

Need suggestions on how you pack your formal dresses and men's suits so they don't end up all wrinkled. Also, will be traveling with college age boys and husband that aren't excited about wearing a suitcoat. Is it appropriate for them to wear dress slacks, dress shirt & tie or do they need a suit coat?

 

I suggest investing in a good garment bag, not a cheap one from Walmart. I put several outfits inluding formal wear in mine. My clothes came out wrinkle free.

[CowPrincess]

If your formalwear is a natural fabric, steaming it should work. I take along a sturdy hanger and steam my formalwear once on board (in the bathroom -- run the shower till the room is steamy, hang up the dress in the bathroom, and the wrinkles steam out). I only EVER take one suitcase, so everything gets jammed into it, and the steaming works well for me.

[cruisinelsewhere]

I pack all of my things in dry cleaning bags in a garment bag....rarely do I have a wrinkle. I do have 2 dresses that I know will not travel well...save the room in the garment bag, fold it up and have it pressed on board...I have my husband's tuxes rented and delivered on board...I bring the vests, cumberbunds, studs, ties etc.

[Wineguys]

For me it is so much easier to rent the formal wear online, do it before the cruise and all of your formal wear will be waiting in your cabin when you get there. It is a little pricey between $80-$120, but you don't have to worry about packing any of it..plus it's fun to go with the James Bond look a couple of times a year, very few people actually wear a tux on formal nights, mostly sports coats or shirt and tie. I am basing this on Royal Caribbean only I can't speak for any of the other lines.

 

I agree with you, my partner and I do this on all of our cruises - THAT LEAVE FROM FLORIDA! On our recent HAL cruise in and out of New York, it was a total fiasco, with cumberbunds missing, pants sizes totally out of whack (as 32 instead of a 52), missing shirts.....

 

It is the same company for all the lines, but they are based in Florida and have a problem with their "other" offices. No problem on our previous cruises out of FLL or MIA.

[cb at sea]

I know a suitcoat takes up a bit of space, but it's no harder to wear if you've already got the shirt and tie on! Just slip it on! And think how nice they'll look!

Formal does call for either a tux or a dark suit.

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Need suggestions on how you pack your formal dresses and men's suits so they don't end up all wrinkled. Also, will be traveling with college age boys and husband that aren't excited about wearing a suitcoat. Is it appropriate for them to wear dress slacks, dress shirt & tie or do they need a suit coat?

 

What cruiseline and what length of cruise?

Seriously, they should wear at least a suit jacket, but it really makes a big difference on the cruiseline (and short or long cruise) on whether they'll stick out like sore thumbs or not...

[tangles00]

We are departing Venice on 4 May 2008 on MSC Musica. Coming from

Australia, we would like to carry as little as possible. We girls are ok with our dresses, they aren't too heavy or a problem to pack but the boys don't want to take suits. My husband does have a nice dark suit but the other male travelling doesn't have any sort of jackets at all...not a suit type of person.

 

Are there ways of hiring suits / jackets when we get there or on the ship?

 

:D :D :D

[GORDONCHICK]

We are departing Venice on 4 May 2008 on MSC Musica. Coming from

Australia, we would like to carry as little as possible. We girls are ok with our dresses, they aren't too heavy or a problem to pack but the boys don't want to take suits. My husband does have a nice dark suit but the other male travelling doesn't have any sort of jackets at all...not a suit type of person.

 

Are there ways of hiring suits / jackets when we get there or on the ship?

 

:D :D :D

 

I'm not for sure on MSC, but you need to "order" the tuxes before you board the ship on the other major lines.

[Happy ks]

We are departing Venice on 4 May 2008 on MSC Musica. Coming from

Australia, we would like to carry as little as possible. We girls are ok with our dresses, they aren't too heavy or a problem to pack but the boys don't want to take suits. My husband does have a nice dark suit but the other male travelling doesn't have any sort of jackets at all...not a suit type of person.

 

Are there ways of hiring suits / jackets when we get there or on the ship?

 

:D :D :D

 

I looked at the site for MSC and could not find a tux rental area. You might contact them or your TA directly to ask, there was no search function on their web site. Many cruise lines offer tuxedo rental, not sure of this one.