No room for a Suit

I have been on several cruises, Caribbean and Alaska, and have enjoyed the main dining. I alway bring a suit. I am going on a 2 1/2 month European trip in September flying into London and touring around Europe. I plan on taking a carry on luggage for the entire trip. I have seen a Black Sea cruise that starts from Athens and ends in Istanbul but it only is available through August. I would like to take it in November if it is offered then. I seriously don't think I have room for a suit, shoes and accessories in my carry on just in case a last minute cruise becomes available. Would it be wrong to eat in the main dining with a nice slacks and shirt? I do enjoy the main dining than the buffet. I am trying to avoid hauling around a suit if a cruise is not booked last minute and bringing a larger suitcase that would need to be checked.

2 1/2 months !!!

And here's me thinking I travel light when I make-do with just carry-on for a week :D

Depends which the cruise line.

It certainly wouldn't work out with Cunard.

And on formal nights on some other cruise lines you'd be expelled ;) to the buffet.

But it sounds like you're being respectful and I don't see a problem with most cruise lines.

So which cruise line/s are you considering?

JB :)

You don't need a suit. Wear your 'nice pants' and a sports jacket/blazer. Ties take up no room or weight.

On many cruise lines, you can rent a tux

On many cruise lines, you can rent a tux

I was thinking the same thing...or see if you can buy a CHEAP suit, shirt, etc. right before you board and either give them to a charity or ship them home when you are finished with the cruise.

I saw the Black Sea cruise on Princess.

Were you to find a cruise you like on NCL, you wouldn't need a suit or jacket/tie.

Nice slacks and a shirt are fine for the MDR on regular nights on Princess. Add a sport coat and tie for Formal night. Not 'formal' but it would work. Or you could eat in the buffet.

Shoes-- black leather walking shoes would work touring and in the MDR.

I'll check to see if they have something similar that ends in Istanbul, since we are flying home from there. That would lighten my load. Thanks for the suggestion.

Celebrity Constellation spends some time doing Istanbul.Most ships leave the Med in Oct. for the states. Rome is common disembarkment at that time of year. Just catch a plane from there to Istanbul.

Thanks Zoncom for the heads up on the ships leaving the Med in Oct. I'll have to do some more research to see who has ships going to Istanbul in November.

I saw the Black Sea cruise on Princess.

On Princess formal nights in the MDR some do wear nice pants, a dress shirt, & tie without a sports coat. ;)

You'll be fine! :)

LuLu

Besides the buffet, there is also the option of ordering cabin service.

Thanks LuLu, good to know. Main dining is my favorite activity. haha

Slacks and a nice shirt should suffice. I don't know why you would need to rent a Tux unless you wanted to wear one. I have cruise Princess for quite a few years and I never wear a suit or tie to the MDR. If the Head waiter tells me I can't go in, then I will find a different place to dine. It hasn't happened yet.:):)

On Princess (the cruise line you'll be sailing) there is also the option of going to a $pecialty restaurant on Formal nights where long pants and a shirt with a collar (like a golf/polo shirt) are all you need. :)

LuLu

We do the same. Often we leave home on a land vacation with the intention of snagging a good offer on a last minute cruise.

We no longer bother with the MDR on those ships with formal nights. Formal is really not very formal on these ships either. In most instances a jacket, and collared shirt will easily get you admitted to the MDR. Our experience is that there is a vast difference between what some cruise lines list as requested dress on formal evenings in the MDR vs what really transpires on the ship.

Many lines like Princess, RCI, and Celebrity provide alternate pay dining venues that are very good. Casual is fine. Others, like HAL, have a casual dress code in the Lido buffet-no need for a suit and tie. We switched to carry on some time ago and could not be happier. It is so liberating.

The exception might be Cunard but we have never had a desire to try their ships. Some cruise lines such as Oceania have done away with formal entirely in favour of casual attire.

Thanks LuLu, good to know. Main dining is my favorite activity. haha

We cruise on Princess frequently and PROMISE you'll be absolutely fine. Do try one the Specialty restaurants if possible. :)

LuLu

I have been on several cruises, Caribbean and Alaska, and have enjoyed the main dining. I alway bring a suit. I am going on a 2 1/2 month European trip in September flying into London and touring around Europe. I plan on taking a carry on luggage for the entire trip. I have seen a Black Sea cruise that starts from Athens and ends in Istanbul but it only is available through August. I would like to take it in November if it is offered then. I seriously don't think I have room for a suit, shoes and accessories in my carry on just in case a last minute cruise becomes available. Would it be wrong to eat in the main dining with a nice slacks and shirt? I do enjoy the main dining than the buffet. I am trying to avoid hauling around a suit if a cruise is not booked last minute and bringing a larger suitcase that would need to be checked.

Lucky you traveling through Europe for 2 1/2 months. Jealous!:D A cool shirt or a shirt and tie should be just fine. DH has some $150-$200 shirts that are spectacular. I actually prefer him in those to the buttoned up shirt and tie and jacket that he wears to work.

... Would it be wrong to eat in the main dining with a nice slacks and shirt? I do enjoy the main dining than the buffet...

Just don't use the restaurant on Formal Night since slacks and shirt don't qualify as formal. Out of respect for fellow passengers use the buffet, room service, or alternative casual dining on Formal Nights.

Just don't use the restaurant on Formal Night since slacks and shirt don't qualify as formal. Out of respect for fellow passengers use the buffet, room service, or alternative casual dining on Formal Nights.

Please keep in mind the OP is cruising on Princess, not Cunard. ;)

LuLu

Just don't use the restaurant on Formal Night since slacks and shirt don't qualify as formal. Out of respect for fellow passengers use the buffet, room service, or alternative casual dining on Formal Nights.

Let the staff worry about this. If they turn you away then you know that you are not wearing what is acceptable on that particular ship on that particular night. Can't imagine that passengers on vacation would even notice what you are wearing and if they did then that's really sad because vacation is a time to relax and not worry about the small stuff.:) Let's face it, in today's world of unrest, someone not wearing a dinner jacket that passes through the cruise staff, IS the small stuff.

On our last cruise (on the Golden Princess) on all three of the formal nights, one man seated just a few tables away, wore a solid colored button down long sleeved shirt. No tie. Didn't see a jacket draped on his chair. My hubby wore a suit (not a dark one) with dress shirt and festive tie on those nights. Many tuxes in the MDR, but some dressed like hubby. Don't know if many were dressed like the other man.

It really depends on the maitre'd and head waiter. If you get turned away from the door and don't have the jacket or tie (if that's the reason), you can always head for the Horizon Court. Maybe check with Sabatinis or the other specialty restaurant to see if the there's an available table on the other formal night as the dress code is smart casual (even though on the night we went, it seemed diners dressed up a bit).

My husband no longer takes his tux or a suit, mostly due to problems wearing dress shoes.

He wears a sports coat and if packing space is a problem just wears it on the plane. It can usually be laid on top of the carry-ons if he doesn't want to wear it for the whole flight, but often the flight attendants will offer to hang it up.

On most lines, a shirt and slacks are fine for most nights, often even on formal nights, but that does vary.

He also wears black walking shoes because of his foot problems. Not ideal, but also acceptable

I have been on several cruises, Caribbean and Alaska, and have enjoyed the main dining. I alway bring a suit. I am going on a 2 1/2 month European trip in September flying into London and touring around Europe. I plan on taking a carry on luggage for the entire trip. I have seen a Black Sea cruise that starts from Athens and ends in Istanbul but it only is available through August. I would like to take it in November if it is offered then. I seriously don't think I have room for a suit, shoes and accessories in my carry on just in case a last minute cruise becomes available. Would it be wrong to eat in the main dining with a nice slacks and shirt? I do enjoy the main dining than the buffet. I am trying to avoid hauling around a suit if a cruise is not booked last minute and bringing a larger suitcase that would need to be checked.

The question is moot. Princess does not have such a cruise in November.