How to Dress on a Cruise

[Sailfish]

While getting ready to lead another group cruise, I was looking at giving advice to some of my new to cruising people about how to dress. I thought some of my observations might help those still a little unsure on what to pack. Although cruises in general have gotten more casual over the years, it's important to note that the time of year one travels and the length of the cruise really are what will determine how you will want to dress as opposed to the cruise line's published dress code. I've begun to notice a trend that has little to do what the cruise line will allow you to wear in the dining room. Although you should always take what people on the internet say with a grain of salt (that includes my input, as I am no expert on this subject), I am hoping my gentle words of wisdom will help those still confused about how to dress on a cruise.

 

Note the Differences in Cruise Lines

 

Because Carnival, Royal Caribbean and NCL have a reputation in catering to families and offer shorter length cruises, the dress code tends to be more casual. It's common to see men and women in jeans and nice casual clothing at night in the formal dining rooms on non-formal nights. Formal nights tend to be more low key, and although you will see people in formal wear, you will meet others dressed in more casual attire. The idea that anything goes on formal night is really not true, as the majority of guests still do dress up. But you don't see long ball gowns or many men in tuxedos anymore.

 

The exceptions tend to be on voyages during the week of New Years (where passengers still dress to the nines regardless of cruise line) or on trips longer than a week where you tend to see fewer families with young kids. As a rule, you will probably see a higher percentage of people dressing nicer on non-formal nights, but as these cruise lines promote a more casual ambiance, you will always see people wearing nice casual wear as opposed to dressy outfits.

 

Longer Cruises of 8 Days or more vs. 7 Days or Less

 

The longer the cruise, the more you will encounter an older crowd, who tends to dress more conservatively at dinner. You'll also see fewer kids, as I noted (a total of 25 kids to be exact) on our 10 night November 10th Princess cruise aboard the Emerald. This was the case on last year's scuba cruise aboard the Carnival Miracle as well, an 8 day cruise in November 07.

 

Even on these longer voyages, passengers on Carnival and the others listed earlier tend to dress more casually at dinner as opposed to longer cruises on Princess or Celebrity for example. As resort casual is the norm on non-formal nights on all mass market cruise lines, you may not see many in jeans out there, but you will see people dressing down more now than ever before.

 

Princess & Celebrity

 

During school holidays you will still see many kids and young families on these cruises, but as a rule, you'll encounter more middle aged couples and older folks in a slightly more upscale environment. So, a country club casual ambiance is what you will see on non-formal nights on nearly all longer voyages, and a more dressy atmosphere on formal nights. Though both cruise lines tend now to emphasize the casual, you'll see fewer jeans and more nice resort wear in the dining rooms at night. It's absolutely true that fewer men are wearing tuxedos on formal night, you will, however, see the vast majority of guys still dressing up in suits on formal night. Ladies tend to dress up more in the evening on non-formal nights - wearing casual dresses with sandals as opposed to jeans or pants.

 

Current Trends

 

As I said earlier, I am by no means an expert on the subject. I tend to favor a more casual experience on my cruises, but I also enjoy dressing up occasionally. We do one major group cruise every year, but we also cruise on our own a few times a year with the cruise lines I mentioned earlier. I am in my early 40's and have to dress professionally when I am not on vacation, so I for one can appreciate dressing down while being on vacation!

 

From what I can tell, all the major cruise lines tend to be reflecting the more casual attitude in the US. So, it should come as no surprise that the way people dress on cruises reflects who they are. The younger the crowd, the more casual the cruise; the longer the cruise, the older the crowd.

 

I am seeing more knee length cocktail dresses as opposed to brides maids type outfits or floor length holiday dresses on formal nights on all the lines. That doesn't mean that people don't wear long dresses; it's just I don't see as many doing so as I used to. News Years Eve is the exception - doesn't seem to matter how long the cruise as everyone dresses up and you see lots of floor length gowns! More men wear suits than tuxedos on formal nights, and one sees quite a few guys in shirts and ties especially on Carnival and Royal Caribbean. I tend to see fewer people in casual dress on formal nights on longer cruises, and one sees more people in casual dress on NCL these days.

 

Thanks to all the limits the airlines are placing on checked baggage, one has to be more creative in what we pack. Caribbean vacations tend to be easier to pack for, but if you are going on a longer cruise, it still will mean dressing for dinner. I have found investing in a nice pair of black sandals that go with everything, packing light weight sun dresses and limiting my accessories to two small purses and resort wear to work out well. My husband still packed his suit on our last cruise, and was happy he did, as the majority of guys on our 10 night cruise did so as well. Though the atmosphere is indeed more casual these days, passengers still seem to be dressing for dinner. You should too!

 

That's it for now. Please share your input - the more the better!

 

Good luck!

 

Suzi

[cb at sea]

I'm not really sure why anyone would be confused or not know how to dress! I mean, cruising isn't something different than any resort-type of vacation! (Aside from a beach town or Vegas, shorts are not really "the thing" for dinner in most restaurants!)

And each cruiseline clearly states their dress requirements in their literature...

 

But, you're right--the longer cruises are "dressier" (for dinner) than the shorter "party" cruises.

[All4fun1]

What you're saying seems to be in line with other posters observations about how people are dressing on cruises now. I appreciate the input, as I still have to pack for my cruise embarking in just a few days!

[Jane110]

Current Trends

 

As I said earlier, I am by no means an expert on the subject. I tend to favor a more casual experience on my cruises, but I also enjoy dressing up occasionally. We do one major group cruise every year, but we also cruise on our own a few times a year with the cruise lines I mentioned earlier. I am in my early 40's and have to dress professionally when I am not on vacation, so I for one can appreciate dressing down while being on vacation!

 

Suzi

 

You're right. The way people dress certainly is a reflection on who they are.

 

One thing you left out is the fact that the less expensive the cruiseline, the more it attracts those that prefer to be sloppily dressed. Unfortunately, many people simply don't understand the difference between casual and sloppy. Some people walk around in clothing more suited to cleaning the garage than being on a cruise ship - even a casual one.

 

Look at Oceania - the most casual of cruiselines. There are no formal nights, not even formal-optional nights. It's casual all the way. It's also expensive and no one would show up to dinner in cut off shorts or raggy jeans and beach sandals. Most passengers are nicely dressed 24/7.

 

Like you, I prefer a casual environment. I dress up enough at home and would prefer not to bring formal wear on a cruise. However, if we go on a ship w/ formal nights, we dress formally. IMHO, it's the right thing to do.

But even during casual hours, I'm still nicely dressed.

 

The younger the crowd, the more casual the cruise; the longer the cruise, the older the crowd.

 

Yes, the shorter the cruise, the younger the crowd in general, simply because they often can only take a short time off from work, or they want a childless get-away and leave the kids w/ Grandma & Grandpa.

Older people usually have more time, and more discretionary income at their disposal.

 

But in terms of younger people more casual than older people......I don't necessarily agree with ya' here. I know there are lots of women in their 20's & 30's who relish the chance of wearing their finery as often as they can - whether it was bought for a friend's wedding, or other occasion. And I've met many in their 60's & 70's, now retired and have little use for formal wear and would rather not bother to get dressed up, and often say, "I'm done with that. Did that 30 years ago, don't care to do it now".

 

Some people like to "dress" and some don't. I don't necessarily think it's an age thing. Just my thoughts..........

[krystalkruzer]

Even more of a reflection on who people are is how they view other people. As a repeat cruiser on Carnival, one of the less expensive lines, I have not seen sloppily dressed people. How can Oceania be classified as the most casual when they advertise white glove service for breakfast? I would have to say that Carnival is among the most casual of lines.:)

[Jane110]

Even more of a reflection on who people are is how they view other people. As a repeat cruiser on Carnival, one of the less expensive lines, I have not seen sloppily dressed people. How can Oceania be classified as the most casual when they advertise white glove service for breakfast? I would have to say that Carnival is among the most casual of lines.:)

 

Oceania is casual in dress, not in service. Though I've been on a few Oceania cruises and I don't recall the waitstaff wearing white gloves for breakfast.....or even dinner. The waitstaff wears tuxedos at dinner - but passengers don't. I was on the inaugurual cruise and at a Q&A session, the president of the line said that anyone in a tuxedo will be assumed to be a waiter and put to work. :) But the term "white glove service" often means "fine service" as opposed to literally wearing white gloves. For breakfast, we tend to eat at the buffet, and the waiters will take your tray from the buffet line to the table. That may be what they're referring to with the term "white glove service", I honestly don't know for sure. But I can tell you it definitely has a casual dress code and there are no formal nights.

[Sailfish]

I'm not really sure why anyone would be confused or not know how to dress! I mean, cruising isn't something different than any resort-type of vacation! (Aside from a beach town or Vegas, shorts are not really "the thing" for dinner in most restaurants!)

And each cruiseline clearly states their dress requirements in their literature...

 

But, you're right--the longer cruises are "dressier" (for dinner) than the shorter "party" cruises.

 

Well, there were enough people in my scuba group who had not been on a cruise recently or not at all, so it prompted me to write this.

[Sailfish]

You're right. The way people dress certainly is a reflection on who they are.

 

One thing you left out is the fact that the less expensive the cruiseline, the more it attracts those that prefer to be sloppily dressed. Unfortunately, many people simply don't understand the difference between casual and sloppy. Some people walk around in clothing more suited to cleaning the garage than being on a cruise ship - even a casual one.

 

Look at Oceania - the most casual of cruiselines. There are no formal nights, not even formal-optional nights. It's casual all the way. It's also expensive and no one would show up to dinner in cut off shorts or raggy jeans and beach sandals. Most passengers are nicely dressed 24/7.

 

Like you, I prefer a casual environment. I dress up enough at home and would prefer not to bring formal wear on a cruise. However, if we go on a ship w/ formal nights, we dress formally. IMHO, it's the right thing to do.

But even during casual hours, I'm still nicely dressed.

 

 

 

Yes, the shorter the cruise, the younger the crowd in general, simply because they often can only take a short time off from work, or they want a childless get-away and leave the kids w/ Grandma & Grandpa.

Older people usually have more time, and more discretionary income at their disposal.

 

But in terms of younger people more casual than older people......I don't necessarily agree with ya' here. I know there are lots of women in their 20's & 30's who relish the chance of wearing their finery as often as they can - whether it was bought for a friend's wedding, or other occasion. And I've met many in their 60's & 70's, now retired and have little use for formal wear and would rather not bother to get dressed up, and often say, "I'm done with that. Did that 30 years ago, don't care to do it now".

 

Some people like to "dress" and some don't. I don't necessarily think it's an age thing. Just my thoughts..........

 

One has to be a little carefull in the way we define sloppy. I believe that some styles that come across sloppy to some might simply be better defined as casual. Younger crowds tend to dress more trendy, and depending on where you are from, it might simply be a style of dress you are interpreting as being sloppy!

 

I am definitely genralizing when I say that older cruisers who sail mass market lines tend to dress more conservatively than their younger counterparts; but you and I both know there are going to be exceptions. Also a genralization, but pricing on mass market lines are not all that far apart. I wasn't comparing how people dress on the more expensive cruises to those on cheaper ones. I just think, people need to take into consideration the length of the cruise and the time of year more than the cruise line itself. I didn't come out and say it, but we all know that Celebrity and Princess cater slightly more to adults and couples than to families, so as a consequence they will attract a more mature crowd - again, there are exceptions. I guess we can add in HAL too.

 

Regardless, I had enough group members who weren't sure what to pack, so to make it simple, I came up with this.

[Sailfish]

But in terms of younger people more casual than older people......I don't necessarily agree with ya' here. I know there are lots of women in their 20's & 30's who relish the chance of wearing their finery as often as they can - whether it was bought for a friend's wedding, or other occasion. And I've met many in their 60's & 70's, now retired and have little use for formal wear and would rather not bother to get dressed up, and often say, "I'm done with that. Did that 30 years ago, don't care to do it now".

 

Some people like to "dress" and some don't. I don't necessarily think it's an age thing. Just my thoughts..........

 

I think what concerned some people in my group is they wanted to dress appropriately and to fit in with the other passengers. I found that more people dressed up every night at dinner aboard the Emerald Princess - but not in suits and dressy clothes. Ladies wore more dresses than pants. Gentlemen wore nice casual pants and golf shirts or shirts with collars than jeans or shorts. I wouldn't define nice walking shorts or jeans as sloppy, but what I saw nightly on non-formal evenings was a lot more dressy or conservative than what I have seen on 7 night itineraries. We had virtually no kids on the voyage and definitely a more mature, albeit active, passenger. My group for the most part consisted of 30-50 year olds and if I had to guess, the average age on the ship was probably 50-60.

[JanineM]

You're right. The way people dress certainly is a reflection on who they are.

 

But in terms of younger people more casual than older people......I don't necessarily agree with ya' here. I know there are lots of women in their 20's & 30's who relish the chance of wearing their finery as often as they can - whether it was bought for a friend's wedding, or other occasion. And I've met many in their 60's & 70's, now retired and have little use for formal wear and would rather not bother to get dressed up, and often say, "I'm done with that. Did that 30 years ago, don't care to do it now".

 

Some people like to "dress" and some don't. I don't necessarily think it's an age thing. Just my thoughts..........

 

Absolutely right, Jane. It is such a false generalization that those who are younger do not want to dress up. Although I'm in my 40s now and I guess I can't be classified as young, I have seven nieces in their twenties and all of them love to dress nicely. They wear cocktail dresses to bars and nightclubs every month of the year, they have nice shoes and great accessories. And even when they are dressed casually, they are hardly sloppy because they take time to make themselves look their best.

 

I do think that most of us have a bias towards the way we prefer to dress, and our postings and advice will gently nudge people to our way of thinking. The OP has stated that she prefers a casual style of dress so her advice reflects that. However I'm on the other end of the spectrum and would always encourage my co-travelers to lean towards the dressier end of the spectrum. It's been my experience that we're not in the minority, at least not on the 7-night RCCI sailings or any sailings on Celebrity. One day I hope that the market recovers enough that we can try the elegantly casual experience of one of the upscale lines.

[Jane110]

One has to be a little carefull in the way we define sloppy.

 

Hmmm....seems fairly easy to me. Sweatsuits and sneakers in the dining room at diiner. At any time: out of shape faded tee's shirts, shorts that fit at one time but no longer do, a "baseball" cap worn indoors (esp. w/ the brim backwards) and generally clothes that look like they were ready for the dumpster last year! :eek:

 

 

I believe that some styles that come across sloppy to some might simply be better defined as casual. Younger crowds tend to dress more trendy, and depending on where you are from, it might simply be a style of dress you are interpreting as being sloppy!

 

Well, I guess if a person is still not accustomed to people not tucking their shirts in, as well as other accepted forms of dress, it could seen as sloppy as opposed as trendy.

 

I am definitely genralizing when I say that older cruisers who sail mass market lines tend to dress more conservatively than their younger counterparts; but you and I both know there are going to be exceptions.

 

Absolutely. Agree.

 

I just think, people need to take into consideration the length of the cruise and the time of year more than the cruise line itself.

 

Time of year, yes. Cruiseship guidelines, yes. Length of of cruise....hmmm, I don't think so, personally. Why would one dress differently if the length of the cruise was 4 nights or 14 nights?

 

I didn't come out and say it, but we all know that Celebrity and Princess cater slightly more to adults and couples than to families, so as a consequence they will attract a more mature crowd - again, there are exceptions. I guess we can add in HAL too.

 

Well, you've taken more cruises than I have so I'll bow to your expertise. However, on my Celebrity, Princess and HAL cruises I saw plenty of kids and know that the ships had special activities and staff just for them.

 

I think that Carnival and RCCL cater more to "family fun" and make cruises feel more like a theme park and less like being at sea having a cruise experience. With the addition of pizza parlors, chain food restaurants (like Johnny Rockets), stores galore, mall-like architecture (RCCL's "Main Street"), one almost doesn't even really be at sea to have the experience. Perhaps it's the theme park, circus performers, neon lights, and fast food restaurants that give people the impression that cut-offs are appropriate for dinner in the dining room???

 

Regardless, I had enough group members who weren't sure what to pack, so to make it simple, I came up with this.

 

I'm sure they're helpful and your clients appreciate them. :)