Formal Night for Kids

[Beans827]

We leave in two days to sail on the Glory and we're super excited. I had one question though...how formal do kids have to dress for formal nights? And since it's a 7 day cruise, it says that there are TWO formal nights. Does anyone know if those are both truly formal or is the second one a little less formal than the first?

 

Okay...that was more than just one question! :rolleyes:

[cb at sea]

On Carnival, the formal evenings run the gamut--from truly formal to just nicely dressed.

In reality, there is no "degree" of formality--formal is formal!!!

Very young children do not need tuxes and gowns! They just look silly! Teens should dress according to adult guidelines. Small children and toddlers should be in their "Sunday best"--that's fine.

[seashell36]

On our kids first cruise, 2 yrs ago, we had the same question. We took the kids Easter clothes. DD (then 9) wore a dress that she had worn in a wedding and then for Easter a week later. It was a linen dress with ribbons and a little flowers embroidered on it. DS (then 4) wore dress pants and a polo shirt. This year, DD (almost 12) has outgrown all of her nice dresses. I am going to check out the consignment shops for a nice dress for a discount - because at the rate she is growing the dress will only fit for about 2 months:eek: .

From what I've heard about the 7 day cruises - the first "formal" night people tend to dress up more. The second seems to be a little bit more relaxed - not to say shorts or jeans - just less formal.

Hope this helps

[Paumavista]

This is mainly my opinion.....(and it applies to adults as well as children)

No sandals (except for dress-up ones for women & girls)

No shorts (unless you're under 4)

No T-shirts - no exceptions

No hats

 

I don't think it's necessary for men to wear a jacket & tie (although I personally think this is what "formal" means....- but a nice collar and/or button shirt with slacks is acceptable )

 

Again....my opinion.....this is a "formal night" - a fun, dress-up evening, I encourage everyone to dress up - but if you prefer NOT to dress up there are other dining options - use them.

 

Judy - - don't shoot me.....I just posted my opinion

If you're looking for dress up clothes for your kids...try consignment stores and Ebay!!!! - great clothes at EXCELLENT prices!

[notentirelynormal]

Our kids always dressed up and had fun doing it. They wanted to dress like everyone else. Even if its a suit & tie (or vest & tie) for little guys they wear them proudly. Imagine being told you look nice by your friend. Now imagine people over and over telling your little one how handsome or pretty they look. And people will. They will receive comment after comment on their appearance. Besides them looking cute, they are made to feel very special by everyone.

[NoelsCat]

My toddler son wears a suit -- and oh the compliments he gets. He LOVES it. At the end of a formal dinner last cruise he kept saying over and over, "Wow, I'm a handsome man!" -- which was pretty darn cute, if I might say so myself. LOL.

[Beans827]

notentirelynormal - I guess I should have clarified that my kids are past the "cute:" stage! ;)

 

My ds is 11 and my dd is 8. My son absolutely HATES dressing up but will do what he has too. I just didn't know if he should wear a jacket and tie. Because, while I love the look of a vest or a suit jacket, he does NOT. So, although I know that they need to dress up, I don't want to make us all miserable in the process. I would rather go to the other dining options if that is the case. It would also be easier for packing's sake since we are stuck driving a very tiny car with little room for luggage. As for my daughter, she has totally appropriate attire and loves to dress up so that is not a problem. It more a problem with packing than anything else.

[notentirelynormal]

Well even at the older ages my kids have always dressed up. And even though they are past the "cute" stage, they will still get told they look nice. Hopefully you can convince him for one (or two) nights to dress the dress code. My kids knew that they would be dressing up for those nights. Once they knew the rules it was never a problem and they have always enjoyed the cruise experience. If you have to, skip the jacket, but I'd for sure do the shirt and tie. Whether he likes it or not, there will be times in life where he will be expected to conform to the dress code (like weddings, funerals, job interviews... maybe even work). What's one more time.

[Conrycol]

I have 3 sons (9,4,3 age of cruise last feb) who all got dressed up in tuxes for both formal nights. They liked it and they looked great!! Don't think they looked silly at all. They did receive lots of compliments those nights for their clothes and demeanor. This February they'll be dressing up again in their tuxedos. Can't wait to see them in them again.:D

[chipmaster]

notentirelynormal - I guess I should have clarified that my kids are past the "cute:" stage! ;)

 

My ds is 11 and my dd is 8. My son absolutely HATES dressing up but will do what he has too. I just didn't know if he should wear a jacket and tie. Because, while I love the look of a vest or a suit jacket, he does NOT. So, although I know that they need to dress up, I don't want to make us all miserable in the process. I would rather go to the other dining options if that is the case. It would also be easier for packing's sake since we are stuck driving a very tiny car with little room for luggage. As for my daughter, she has totally appropriate attire and loves to dress up so that is not a problem. It more a problem with packing than anything else.

 

Sounds like practicality and personal preference is driving things more then cute :D

 

Your son will be fine in slacks and a nice shirt. I see many children close to teens dressed in that that, sometimes less so too ;) If you enjoy the formal dining you should be able to do it, and do it comfortably and within your luggage and son's personal choice too!

 

Dressing to be cute and to be showered with compliments from strangers builds what kind of view of oneself and the world :eek:

[notentirelynormal]

Sounds like practicality and personal preference is driving things more then cute :D

 

Your son will be fine in slacks and a nice shirt. I see many children close to teens dressed in that that, sometimes less so too ;) If you enjoy the formal dining you should be able to do it, and do it comfortably and within your luggage and son's personal choice too!

 

Dressing to be cute and to be showered with compliments from strangers builds what kind of view of oneself and the world :eek:

 

Um, excuse me. I never said I dressed my kids so that strangers could build their egos. Thank you for insinuating that I don't do my job as a parent because my kids get dressed up and are not being slobs on a cruise. I do NOT expect other people to raise my children. As far as dressing to be cute.... what you do dress for, to look ugly? Give me a break. My kids liked to dress up to be like the rest of the family and their fellow cruisers. They enjoyed the experienced. Are you saying that if others tell them they looked nice - or I tell other people's children the look nice that it lowers their self worth or its a sick world? What kind of view? Let's see....other people appreciate another human being looking nice in a similar setting and tell them so. Sounds like you have some issues of your own.

[CanadianTwosome]

So far the only cruises my daughter has been on have been NCL, which has 'dress up or not' nights, but so far I've been able to keep that from her... so I can get her into a party dress at least once during the week!! :p I've also been able to somehow teach her that etiquette dictates that when dining in a formal dining room, it is important to dress for dinner. It's pretty much the only time of the year that I get to see her legs other than piano and dance recitals!! :p I'm hoping that as she gets older she doesn't start insisting that she doesn't need skirts in her closet at all if she has dress pants... :eek: :p

 

For those not so easily talked into dressing up - even for just a couple of hours - I see no need for a tie and jacket on a young boy... then maybe a tie for a teenager if that's the most they're prepared to 'endure'. I'm sure you'll see plenty of grown men without jackets as well, so as long as your child is dressed appropriately for church or better, they should be fine. :)

[CanadianTwosome]

On our kids first cruise, 2 yrs ago, we had the same question. We took the kids Easter clothes. DD (then 9) wore a dress that she had worn in a wedding and then for Easter a week later. It was a linen dress with ribbons and a little flowers embroidered on it. DS (then 4) wore dress pants and a polo shirt. This year, DD (almost 12) has outgrown all of her nice dresses. I am going to check out the consignment shops for a nice dress for a discount - because at the rate she is growing the dress will only fit for about 2 months:eek: .

From what I've heard about the 7 day cruises - the first "formal" night people tend to dress up more. The second seems to be a little bit more relaxed - not to say shorts or jeans - just less formal.

Hope this helps

 

I don't know what size your daughter is, but if the consignment stores don't work out, consider some of the stores that cater to teens and young adults. Our daughter, at 10, is similar in size to her 19 year old cousin. (no more hand me downs :( ) She's been in women's shoes for years now, which is also problematic because while runners are easy, dress shoes are really difficult to find in a ladies' size 10 that don't have inappropriate heels or overly mature design. Anyway, while we were scouring the stores for clothes that fit but weren't inappropriate for her age (do teens really wear skirts that short and tops that low cut?), I saw a dress on a sale rack that was a ladies' small (her size), and had good coverage, wide straps, and a cocktail length skirt. It even fit, and it cost me a total of $25, after taxes! It was the only article of clothing in the entire store that a ten year old could wear, but that was all we needed. :) From what I could tell, the dresses with the greatest discounts were left over from spring and summer's graduation and wedding lines - which are often perfect for a cruise formal night. I purchased an XS outfit for my niece once that turned out to be too short for her, but it fit my daughter perfectly. She was 7 at the time, so like I said, depending on your daughter's size, if you can't find something appropriate at consignment, it might be worth checking out, especially if you live somewhere near an outlet mall. :)

[SelectSys]

... My ds is 11 and my dd is 8. My son absolutely HATES dressing up but will do what he has too. I just didn't know if he should wear a jacket and tie. Because, while I love the look of a vest or a suit jacket, he does NOT. So, although I know that they need to dress up, I don't want to make us all miserable in the process. I would rather go to the other dining options if that is the case.

 

When we went on our first Disney cruise my son was 7 and he really didn't want to dress up for formal night. Fortunately, like your son, he will do what he is told. In this case we told him that he needed to dress up and act like a young man. Over time his level of objection to formal nights have diminished to the point of it being a non-issue.

 

I have always viewed formal night and the dining room in general as a great place and way for kids to learn social decorum and manners. Another awesome side benefit of formal night is that we have collected a series of family portraits showing the kids growing up in their "Sunday best."

[luvlake]

Our formal night with grand children was two fold.

 

Grand daughters 5 & 9 put on their pretty dresses and fixed their hair after having eaten at the buffet and joined the rest of the family (22 people) for a formal night picture. After picture they were more interested in hurrying to the kid zone for the special festivities there. They are picky eaters and would not have enjoyed the food from dining room.

 

They were happy and well taken care and rest of family was able to have a wonderful meal together! ;)

[nothriver]

We are on Celebrity which is a little more formal than some of the other cruise lines. I don't personally own any formal wear, and I haven't decided if we'll even go to the formal night. For me, while I'd love to dress up, I seriously don't know if we'll have room in the suitcase for a suit for my teen and a party dress for my preschooler. We'll be in Alsaka so we need casual clothes for daytime, jeans, rain gear, jackets, hiking boots etc, plus "smart casual" slacks etc for evenings, and I think the formal wear for 2 nights will push us over the edge as to what luggage I can physically transport for myself and 2 kids from the midwest to Alaska then back home from Canada so the ultimate decision might come down to the moment I weigh the suitcases and decide what makes the final cut, kwim?

[CanadianTwosome]

We are on Celebrity which is a little more formal than some of the other cruise lines. I don't personally own any formal wear, and I haven't decided if we'll even go to the formal night. For me, while I'd love to dress up, I seriously don't know if we'll have room in the suitcase for a suit for my teen and a party dress for my preschooler. We'll be in Alsaka so we need casual clothes for daytime, jeans, rain gear, jackets, hiking boots etc, plus "smart casual" slacks etc for evenings, and I think the formal wear for 2 nights will push us over the edge as to what luggage I can physically transport for myself and 2 kids from the midwest to Alaska then back home from Canada so the ultimate decision might come down to the moment I weigh the suitcases and decide what makes the final cut, kwim?

 

I hear ya, but keep in mind, the farthest you ever have to transport your own bags is from your car to the check in counter; from the baggage claim to your transportation; and from that transportation to the curbside at the port... then back again. Airports have handy little carts and there are stewards everywhere... and hey, you've got a teen along - surely they can handle one suitcase? Everyone who has a seat on an airplane is allowed a checked bag and a carry on... We used to be able to travel with one big suitcase and a carry on for our daughter... since we've been cruising, I have one all to myself and my daughter and husband share another one... though if she grows anymore we'll likely have to have another one for her soon, too. :p