A Young Man's Cruise Wardrobe

This thread may be more for the parent's of young men...I've seen so many questions regarding what is appropriate for the young men to wear...I thought that I would share what I have helped my young man select for our up-and-coming cruise. :rolleyes:

We are sailing Carnival...the Fascination out of Jacksonville...5 nights...Ports are Nassau and Half Moon Cay (cruiseline's private island)...2 Sea Days...1 Elegant Night. This is our third cruise as a family.

Carnival allows "dress shorts" in their dining room. They do NOT allow gym shorts or any other sport related shorts, according to their website FAQ. Our previous cruises were with Royal and Celebrity. They did NOT allow shorts for dinner in the dining room. We have decided to take advantage of this more casual dress code, packing smaller and more lightweight clothing. I have decided that dress shorts have a button and zipper (no all elastic waists), belt loops, and the ability to hold an ironed crease in the legs as per normal dress slacks. Additionally, the fabric is that which is more typical in dress pants.

We are driving to the port...but still, we are trying to not over pack.

DS is 13 years old. Eighth grade. He's a musician, composer, and BIG TIME gamer, as in online computer gaming. He actually likes to dress up and has had a collection of ties since the age of 5. He doesn't currently own a suit...has no reason to...and therefore will not be wearing a coat on elegant night. The majority of clothes that he is bringing are clothes that he also needs for some other reason.

I hope that the way that I think will somehow benefit another parent. It is my motivation for sharing. Here goes:

Bottoms for the dining room:

DS had no "dress shorts" according to my definition. I hit Goodwill and found these two pairs for him. The black is Tommy Bahama brand 100% silk. The brown is Perry Ellis brand Cotton/Rayon blend. One pair was $5.25 and the other was 50% off that. He will wear each pair of shorts twice. The pants are also from Goodwill, but he does need these dress pants for participating in honor band and Midfest (another band activity) for performances. They are black with a thin light gray pin stripe. They are also Perry Ellis. Also $5.25.

As I said...this is our third cruise. It has always been fine for DS to rewear his bottoms. For the 7-nighter...there were 2 formal nights. We also brought just 3 MDR appropriate bottoms. Formal, Dark colored, and Lighter colored. Each is worn 2X with one being worn 3...whichever one has survived the best.

Shirts for the dining room:

From right to left: The black shirt is a washable linen. It had white and brown in the plaid. This is the nicest shirt, planned for wearing on the first night when people might be more inclined to have fun dressing up. Then you see a selection of knit polo shirts. DS likes these colors! LOL. The shirts are ironed...the collars crisp. They all pretty much go with either short.

Having fresh shirts for each night seems to be the key. Except for the button down...these are all shirts that DS would wear to school. It's likely that they would also be fine to wear again for daytime, if needed.

The rest:

Elegant night is the second night. DS has to have a plain white dress shirt for the previously mentioned performances. (I will tell you that I picked his dress up at Target for $25.00. It's a poly/cotton blend. It irons like a dream and washes well. I highly recommend this Merona brand shirt for young men for their dress needs.) DS likes the crisp black and white look. This is the tie he picked for this cruise. It is a J. Garcia brand. I usually find fun ties at Goodwill. This was 50% of the $2.92 normal price.

Casual shorts on the right are the black/blue print and blues/black plaid. Two pairs of swimming shorts on the left are orange print and blue plaid. Casual shirts for during the day include the gray/blue stripe polo and the rolls down the middle. From the top down:

• brown graphic tee
  
• burgundy graphic tee
  
• orange technical fabric tee
  
• blue technical fabric tee
  
• blue rash guard
  

The technical fabric shirts are for wearing with the swim trunks to and from the pool and also for walking around Nassau where we might work up a sweat and/or get hit by the 80% chance of rain. The fabric will dry quickly and feel better on wet than cotton. The rash guard is because we plan to rent kayaks in HMC and also because we will be at the beach all day that day...it's good sun protection.

I realized that I didn't show his shoes:

I think boys, men in general, can get a bum deal for dining room appropriate footwear. Ladies have much more selection in shoes that don't require socks but are still appropriate. Anyway...I found these boat shoes in Kohl's that are canvas and described as for sockless. They aren't DS' normal style, but they will function like sandals for him to wear with his shorts in the MDR. Dress black shoes are self explanatory.

This picture also shows how his shorts are actually packed. And I added a pair of athletic short and underwear for walking around Nassau in the rain. And the big bundle on the far left is underwear.

Not pictured, but to be packed are:

White dress shirt

Dress belt

Dress socks

Casual socks

Undershirt

Pajamas for 5 nights

Walking shoes

For travel day...we are driving from Atlanta area to Jacksonville. DS will wear:

Same brand of casual shorts mentioned before and the aqua colored polo. He'll wear Teva sandals.

This is actually quite a bit of clothing for 5 nights. It equates to 2 shirts per day and rotating between 4 day time appropriate bottoms and 3 night time appropriate bottoms. This is more than what he'll need...BUT...it is appropriate for our DS. It is all very packable and not too much volume because it is summer wear.

Like I said...this is our third cruise. DS was 11 (fifth grade) for the first. The second was earlier this year, so still 13 years old, but 7th grade. We leave tomorrow! But if anyone wants to discuss wardrobe's for young men...I've started this thread for that discussion.

Although this subject does not really apply to me, I just wanted to compliment you on such a fantastic guide for mothers of young men. Well done!

Anita's got it down to a science!

Everything is perfect and age appropriate. My DS, wears almost the exact same things. The only difference is that instead of the boat shoes he wears "skater" type shoes. He also takes a pair of rubber flip flops for the pool, beach, and to use as slippers in the cabin and he takes a couple of baseball-type hats for sun protection on the ship and in ports. He does NOT wear them into the MDR (he learned that lesson a couple of cruises back when he didn't listen to me and got quite embarrassed when he was asked by the staff in the MDR to remove it).

You can't go wrong with a fashion plan like this. ;)

Our DGS (18) is a vest & bow tie guy, whose all time favorite color is orange. I made the mistake of introducing him to vests when he was 13--I created a monster. At last count he had 15 vests & not sure how many bow ties. He & his team won first place in the international Imagination Destination, we think it was because of his orange duck tape tuxedo (his idea, his design, he did say it was really hot...) The rest of his team had duck tape tuxedos as well, but not orange.

Agree with Anita on the Merona brand of dress shirts. They also have them at Kohls. Best part is they come in a slim cut & extra long at no additional cost. DGS loves to get dressed up, as do his friends.

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Our DGS (18) is a vest & bow tie guy, whose all time favorite color is orange. I made the mistake of introducing him to vests when he was 13--I created a monster. At last count he had 15 vests & not sure how many bow ties. He & his team won first place in the international Imagination Destination, we think it was because of his orange duck tape tuxedo (his idea, his design, he did say it was really hot...) The rest of his team had duck tape tuxedos as well, but not orange.

 

Agree with Anita on the Merona brand of dress shirts. They also have them at Kohls. Best part is they come in a slim cut & extra long at no additional cost. DGS loves to get dressed up, as do his friends.

 

 

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Had to share pix of orange tux

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Great thread!

I have a 15 yr old DS so his packing list is almost identical to the OP's son. The only difference is I pack two dress shirts and ties for him because we normally eat out at a speciality restaurant in addition to formal night. DS isn't a fan of dressing up but he cleans up so nicely! He's been in JROTC for last two years of HS so he's gotten very meticulous with presentation since they do uniform inspections once a week. It's helped it all not be such a struggle.

DS is also an avid gamer and prefers a wardrobe of themed tshirts (mostly Star Wars) and khaki shorts. I do pack a few button up plaid shirts from Old Navy that I get on sale that he wears with a plain tshirt and nicer khaki shorts and Sperry boat shoes into the MDR for dinner.

I have a Goodwill right down the street that I will stop in to look for dress pants. DS is in the middle of a growth spurt so the pants I bought him for our Breeze cruise at beginning of summer don't fit now. I don't want to pay $40-60 for a new pair. I'm crossing my fingers that I can find a nice pair to pack for our first Princess cruise next week. I know they tend to dress more formally on that line.

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Great Job !!!

Son & Nephew (both 13 yr) had almost the same cloths as you describe above. I hit the goodwill & sales racks as well.

In my experience, people do not specifically dress up on the first night. Many haven't even unpacked yet.

Great job on the thread!

Just had to say, I LOVE your crown moulding and ceiling!

This is the OP again...

We're getting ready for a 7-night Southern Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Summit out of San Juan!! Woot! Woot! We leave tomorrow!

I don't have time to take photos of what we have packed for DS, now 14...at the end of his eighth grade year. Funny enough...some things we took on the prior cruise are coming on this cruise too...so technically, I suppose there are some pictures...

But I plan to take photos that I would be willing to share and do a sort of report of what DS is wearing. Meanwhile...I will include the list.

Pertinent information:

7 nights. 2 formal nights. 1 non-formal night specialty restaurant. 2 catamaran shore excursions. 1 beach day. 2 other shopping ports. 1 sea day. Traveling on embarkation day and debarkation day.

Traveling outfit:

1 pair of MDR appropriate pants. Washable linen. Elastic waist. Drawstring. VERY resort and very comfortable.

Shirt of choice.

MDR appropriate shoes. These happen to be brown leather lace ups in a casual sneaker inspired look but not sneakers. Clarks brand.

In the suit case:

Sport Coat

Black dress slacks

White dress shirt

Light bluegray dress shirt

Black bow tie

2 other fun neckties

Black dress shoes

Black belt.

Another pair of linen pants. Button up slacks style.

4 polos for MDR.

3 shirts for day time.

2 pairs of shorts.

2 swim trunks.

1 rashguard.

2 quick drying technical fabric shirts.

1 pair sport sandals. Tevas.

Appropriate underwear/shirts and sleeping garments.

Formal nights and the specialty restaurant will see the sport coat...DS will repeat one dress shirt.

Unique shirts for MDR dining. Plan to change into a fresh shirt for dinner on travel day but have worn the pants/shoes appropriate (sail away is 8:30pm so dinner will be the first meal on the ship). These shirts could also be worn during the day; DS likes to wear polo shirts on a regular basis.

The technical fabric shirts will be good in port (especially if the rashguard is still wet when we are heading back to the ship).

The rest will be for mix and match day wear as needed.

Like I said, we leave tomorrow...and I'll be taking some photos to share...so stay tuned...I'm doing a lot of travel in the next 2 months, but will definitely post again. Meanwhile, perhaps this list will help someone. (I know that these postings help me when I look back to see what we did and how well it went!)

This is my young man on embarkation day.

We traveled from Atlanta airport to San Juan. Flight was in the 11 o'clock hour. He is wearing his shoes that are "MDR appropriate" for every night. He also has a pair of black dress shoes packed. The pants are washable linen...they have a draw string waist...super comfy...but also "resort." DS likes wearing polos...so this shirt isn't necessarily planned for the MDR...BUT...it would work just fine, as it is a collared polo style shirt.

You may notice the beard...but my DS is 14...January birthday. I'm sharing because of all the questions regarding the teenagers' wardrobes. DS is currently finishing up his 8th grade year.

Thanks for the detailed info! My 15-year-old is very low maintenance and likes to be hassle-free on vacation. Me and DD like to dress up for dinner and take photos, so I need to find a happy medium.

Where did you get the linen pants and sports coat? Do you have a pic of the sports coat?

The linen pants are Cubavera brand. We found them at Dillards a couple years ago. They are a very nice pant for men for Celebrity (or any other pants required MDR), especially for cruising in warmer weather. Both DH and DS have a pair. These are them:

http://www.cubavera.com/pants/drawstring-linen-pant/C8FB0147DS.html

We picked up the sport coat at Kohls. The coat is very fun, very appropriate for a young man...and when I posted on another thread, I learned that another young man purchased the same coat. It isn't bright IRL:

These are dress slacks. Also a Kohls purchase. They are black slacks. One night, DS wore a light bluegray colored shirt with a fun neck tie with an abstract guitar design (DS is a musician). And on the other formal night, DS wore a white shirt and a black bow tie. Here he is signing on the band Karaoke night:

And just in case anyone was wondering...he's a bass singer and he sang "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra.

Anita has done a good job - the appropriate clothing and the fine son!

Light linen pants and a seersucker jacket are my 'go-to' cruise must-haves, but for a teen today your selection looks to be perfect.

Encourage your son to add dancing to his musicality - even if it's just basic Waltz and Swing.

Our teen wore a polo-style shirt to dinner in the MDR, with khaki or dark shorts that were any style BUT cargo.

Formal night, khakis or black pants, long sleeved dress shirt and tie.

He wore clean, dark-colored tennis shoes with all. For us, if the clothing is fresh and unwrinkled, (and tucked in!) it's more important than whether he's wearing a jacket or not.

Same for shoes, all parents understand the difficulty of keeping boys in shoes... as long as they are dark/black all over, its not even noticeable.

Freshly showered/shaved, in my opinion, is just as important.

This is the OP again...

We're headed off another cruise vacation, so I thought I'd share again...

This cruise is:

4-nights Bahamas

Enchantment of the Seas

Coco Cay Day (Private Beach Day)

Nassau Day (City Touring)

Sea Day

One formal night

Refresher: DS is 14. He's now a Freshman in high school. He's been in school now for two months and we are headed off on Fall Break! Woo hoo!

DS likes to look nice. He doesn't mind dressing up...but he wants to look like what he is. A very creative young man (he's a musician). He also looks a lot older than he is...he's had a beard since 7th grade and has been a true bass singer since 7th grade as well.

Generally, he trims his beard to about 1/4" or so and shaves a clean neckline. (I only mention this because of the PP's comment regarding showered/shaved). My DS is well groomed/showered but he has facial hair (groomed).

I always feel for my guys on formal night because men get the short end of the stick with regards to flexibility in formal/elegant clothing. Ladies can tailor their outfits to the weather and dress appropriately, but the standard formal dress for men varies only in fabric...there are still all the layers for the actual outfit, including undershirt, long sleeved shirt, neckwear (optional), and coat. If you can get a lightweight jacket, that might be nice...but I was thinking that we could get away with something less traditionally formal for this short cruise.

A comment on another thread had me doing research and we have settled on my men (DS and DH) wearing traditional Mexican wedding shirts (Guayaberas) for formal night. This is the shirt:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LUMC3JI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

DS is going through a black phase, so I got him a black one. DH got a deep blue one. They will wear them like normal dress shirts with the sleeves down. But these shirts are detailed and styled so that they will be worn untucked. *gasp* They will still wear undershirts. Both men are wearing dress pants of linen.

http://www.amazon.com/Cubavera-Mens-Single-Pleat-Dress-Pant/dp/B003DKWTG2/ref=cts_ap_1_cts

Both are wearing normal leather dress shoes and socks.

This is very in keeping with my own outfit for formal night. We will look like tropical formal family IMO (I'm wearing a "sprarkly top" and a lace skirt).

This is what DS is taking for the 4-nighter:

1 dress pant (natural linen blend)

1 casual pant (drawstring natural linen)

1 Guayabera LS shirt (formal night)

3 button down SS shirts (linen blends...for MDR)

2 tech fabric SS shirts (we are expecting rain, especially on our Nassau day)

4 t-shirts (daywear)

2 pairs shorts (long cargo style...daywear)

1 pair tech shorts (golf style...daywear)

1 swim trunks

1 rash guard (we are pale people and need the sun protection for our beach day!)

sleepwear

underwear

socks

This is a bit of overkill for a 4-night trip...BUT...with a young man, it is much better to have too much than too little. Again, IMO.

I'll share some pictures when we get back! We leave early Monday.

OP, this is a really nice thread. My teen has now turned into a man, and at 22 he just does not travel with us anymore. We have, over the years, taken him on many cruises. This kid was a gosh darn weed in terms of his growth (he is now 6'4") and so I was a careful shopper since he never stayed in anything very long before we needed to buy new sizes.

His evening wardrobe for cruising was simple: 3 prs of slacks (Khaki, navy and brown), a couple of mix and match dress shirts that went with all his pants, 2 ties, a couple of polo shirts and 1 pr of brown dress shoes.

Nice job OP! We taken the boys cruising since they were young and your list can translate into just about any boy or teen's "style" simply with different brands or different colors or textures. It's an excellent teaching opportunity also, for the kids to learn how to dress appropriately in any situation and a lesson that lasts a lifetime. For formal nights the guys just wore navy sport coats, shirts, ties, pants, etc. Every man of any age can get by with just a well made navy sportcoat in almost every situation but black or white tie.

Thank you for this thread. We have our first cruise later in the year and I was concerned about appropriate clothing needs for my two boys (13 & 10). I was going to miss the formal nights due to not wanting to buy formal suits and having to drag them around for 5 weeks after the cruise. This type of wardrobe will be perfect for them :)

Which cruiseline and which itin? On some the boys won't even need a jacket, just a dress shirt and tie.

Dark sneakers would work instead of dress shoes. (In the '80s all the guys would buy new black slip on Vans for our dances.)

We will be on Ruby Princess end of November cruising along Mexico :)

It doesn't matter about shoes - as part of their school uniform policy they have to wear black shoes that can be polished so they'll have them. I was thinking of geting black pants/slacks/trousers made out of a heavier material that can be also used for the colder weather on the east coast. Dress shirts and ties are also easy to pack.

Before reading the (many) threads on CC re: formal wear, I was all set with black pants/shirt and tie for the boys. Now I'm a little worried as I would hate them to be made to feel uncomfortable because they are not wearing a dinner jacket.

(I'll be packing two black cocktail dresses for myself, and my DD10 has a wardrobe of suitable dresses to wear).

This is the OP again...

I'm glad this thread is helpful to you! I haven't cruised Princess so I don't know how dressed up the ship will be for sure...but generally, there is a wide range of formality on the ship. You may see men dressed in khakis and polo shirts to full on tuxedos.

If I were you, I would consider the idea of a vest, or what used to be called a waistcoat (might be helpful for searches). The vest doesn't have to match exactly. For instance, if your boys have black dress pants, then the vest/waistcoat could be a black background with some sort of pinstripe. This is an on trend look for young men these days and would be entirely appropriate for your boys' ages.

Anyway, the vest would be much easier to pack than a coat...it would help elevate the shirt/tie combo...and not that it would necessarily be cold on your cruise in November...but still, the vest would help with warmth for the air conditioned dining room, theater, etc.

Here is Angelina Jolie's 12-year old son at the premier of Maleficent:

His outfit looks a bit more like a 3-piece suit without a jacket (these suits are coming back in a big way), but still, I don't believe it would be necessary to have a perfect match in the pants and vest if you were dealing with basic black background and having one piece or the other have a black pattern.

Also...it is tradition to not button the bottom button of a waistcoat, so that unbuttoned button is proper. Also...the key fit element of a waistcoat is that it actually covers the waist and that there is no hint of shirt peeking out in-between.

Seen plenty of men on the Princess Mexican Riviera cruises not wearing jackets. The West Coast is extremely relaxed.