My 2 cents on cruise attire

Except your two cents had nothing to do with the topic. Your "opinion" was to complain about the thread's existence.

If you don't think my opinion was about the topic, then that is your opinion. Now let's move on. LOL

Yes and no,

 

Literally anything seemed acceptable in the MDR on our Oasis cruise and neither the staff or passengers seemed to care.

 

European cruises and particularly the UK are vert different and our Dubai one on a different level altogether with most evenings nearly completely formal.

 

It can’t be a heat and comfort issue completely as Dubai was considerably hotter than our Caribbean cruise on Oasis.

 

I just think people are different, Americans perhaps are more casual and nothing wrong with that at all.

 

 

 

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I agree 100%. I think culture and where you are from play a big role in how we dress. All in all we need to respect each other and not judge. Everyone's perception of how to dress varies.

What I usually hate about the “fashion” posts is that they give the impression that everyone dresses down and I actually once brought less dressy items because of them! It had been a while between cruises and I felt a little underdressed. IMO, those shorts in the MDR posts often do more bad than good. I therefore appreciate the OP’s more realistic assessment because, to my eye, that is how the majority of people dress. Even on the Empress, people dressed well for Chops and Chef’s Table - and that’s a fully non-formal ship.

Thank you. My assessment was just to inform cruisers what I witnessed on my recent cruise and be as realistic as possible. I also don't mean to downplay dress attire. Some posts regarding dress on cruises can be a little harsh to new cruisers so i wanted to be informative about what I saw on my cruise.

My first cruise was on the Empress back in 2002 and dress codes have changed from then. Back then I remember seeing dressier clothing on formal nights, more gowns and more men dressed in tuxedoes.

Or they can do it because it's "their vacation" forgetting it's everyone's vacation.

 

It hasn't always been a suggestion. It's evolved to that to accomodate those that whined about it the most and those that just flat out ignored it.

I saw a few people on my cruise enter the main dining room in cut off short shorts. It did not affect my meal with my family one bit.These people were clean and well mannered. They seemed to be enjoying their vacation.

For me, my cruise was about spending quality time with my family and enjoying their company. the conversations we had at dinner were memorable. So much so that I didn't even give a thought to what people were wearing in the MDR.

It was nice to see these families get together for a meal. When I got up to use the restroom, I saw a bunch of happy faces and people enjoying themselves.

With all the ugliness in this world and busy lives we lead everyday, it was nice to see so many families enjoying each other no matter what they were wearing.

To each their own and everyone should wear what they feel appropriate.

I saw a few people on my cruise enter the main dining room in cut off short shorts. It did not affect my meal with my family one bit.These people were clean and well mannered. They seemed to be enjoying their vacation.

For me, my cruise was about spending quality time with my family and enjoying their company. the conversations we had at dinner were memorable. So much so that I didn't even give a thought to what people were wearing in the MDR.

It was nice to see these families get together for a meal. When I got up to use the restroom, I saw a bunch of happy faces and people enjoying themselves.

With all the ugliness in this world and busy lives we lead everyday, it was nice to see so many families enjoying each other no matter what they were wearing.

 

To each their own and everyone should wear what they feel appropriate.

Thanks for starting this thread & relaying your observations!

My self I like dressing up it's the only time I get to dress up when am on a cruise.lol but really you can dress up any sundress are a dress with costume jewelry. make it look nice. But everyone have their thing they prefer to do. Just enjoy your self

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As a person that cruises a fair amount, I definitely think cruise attire in the MDR has become more casual both on formal nights and regular evenings. I do miss seeing the men in tuxedos and women in gowns. I personally adore dressing up. Its my princess moment to put on a luxurious gown and jewels. However, in many cases when I have brought up this topic with other cruisers they say the airlines luggage limitations and fees are the reason. Who can argue with that. I did a Bristish Isles cruise leaving out of Southampton and the vast majority of men wore a tuxedo or dress kilt and the women stunning evening attire. They said they were able to do this as no airlines were involved. So if you love to dress up, there's a cruise to consider. For those of you that make the effort to dress up especially on formal I applaud you! For those that don't I accept you and it certainly has no baring on the enjoyment of my cruise. Cruising is all about relaxing and accepting. I don't, however, think cut off shorts or tube tops should be allowed in the MDR imho.

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For those who don't like to see shorts at dinner...

If you're worried that RCI isn't exclusive enough to keep out the peasants who can't afford full-length trousers then there is a slew of other cruise lines that would be very happy to take your money.

I hear on Silversea the gents wear slacks so long there are dedicated crew members to carry the extra fabric behind them like the train of a wedding dress.

I go on RCI a lot, but I just got off the Carnival Vista. A lot of folks dressed up a lot but not tuxs. Did see many gowns tho.

 

Folks from Latino culture as well as the southern states do really like to dress up.

 

It was a fun cruise and lots of women with heels and fancy nails.

 

Then again on NCL it is expected to not dress up much. I think RCI cruisers are becoming more like NCL these days. And really most men hate tuxs and like being comfy in their clothes.

 

Also luggage fees makes one rethink how to pack as well.

Then the airlines started charging luggage fees & everything went berserk. Now - almost anything goes. Celebrity has gone so far as to call their previous formal nights "chique" or "chic" night, which just means "fashionable". Fashionable in this day & age can be interpreted so many ways! It boggles the mind!

We personally, have the old style of dress so ingrained in our minds that we follow the old rule of No Shorts after 5 PM! But we no longer pack the tux or the gown, unless we are celebrating a milestone anniversary, such as we did last year for our 40th anniversary. In stead, I usually wear a dressier blouse over black or white slacks & hubby wears the 3 button polo with black slacks & a sport coat. Yes, I will admit we look down our noses at those who wear dress shorts on "formal" night, but that's our old fart ideas, not yours. Formal nights in the MDR usually entail tablecloths & servers in formal wear, as well as the rest of the crew on the entire ship. Maybe it's just us, but being similiarly dressed simply enhances the evening! Try it, you Might just Like it!

Of course these are all just musings stating my humble opinions! Make what you will of it. Just enjoy your cruise!

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We've been on multiple cruise lines over the years & have been cruising since 1979. Boy have things changed over the years! It used to be de riguer for ball gowns & at least suits to get into the MDR! Many of the old maitre'ds fought for many years to keep the standards up, but I guess too many people complained that "it's their vacation & they'll wear what they want". The idea that you would NOT show up at a wedding dressed in shorts didn't seem to faze them. So many "every day" people started showing up for cruises, the battle was lost. Cruising used to be something only the rich could afford to do. I'm not saying this to offend, I'm just trying to explain what happened.

Then the airlines started charging luggage fees & everything went berserk. Now - almost anything goes. Celebrity has gone so far as to call their previous formal nights "chique" or "chic" night, which just means "fashionable". Fashionable in this day & age can be interpreted so many ways! It boggles the mind!

We personally, have the old style of dress so ingrained in our minds that we follow the old rule of No Shorts after 5 PM! But we no longer pack the tux or the gown, unless we are celebrating a milestone anniversary, such as we did last year for our 40th anniversary. In stead, I usually wear a dressier blouse over black or white slacks & hubby wears the 3 button polo with black slacks & a sport coat. Yes, I will admit we look down our noses at those who wear dress shorts on "formal" night, but that's our old fart ideas, not yours. Formal nights in the MDR usually entail tablecloths & servers in formal wear, as well as the rest of the crew on the entire ship. Maybe it's just us, but being similiarly dressed simply enhances the evening! Try it, you Might just Like it!

 

Of course these are all just musings stating my humble opinions! Make what you will of it. Just enjoy your cruise!

 

 

 

 

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I agree with these thoughts. My wife and I still like to dress up and tend to be dismayed with the attire in the MDR. I also realize that it is easier for me as I live in Florida and drive to the port so luggage isn’t an issue. I may thing differently if I was paying to fly and pay for luggage.

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I think itinerary has a lot to do with it too. If we are on a 3-4 night cruise, the last thing I expect nor want to do is pack a suit and wear one. I will still wear slacks and a button down. I do think it is not appropriate to be wearing shorts and a tee shirt. But its a 3/4 night getaway. Where the main concern of many is to relax and drink on get sun.

Now on a 7+ night say out of Europe I see it a bit differently. I also tend to see more people following the dress code. On a 7-night I have coming up I will pack a suit. I probably won't wear a tie honestly. But I also won't wear shorts or a tee shirt to dinner on any night.

Honestly, its all up to personal opinion and taste. Just like I think its wrong to be in the MDR on a formal night with shorts and a tee shirt, I also think its silly to be dressing in a full tux or long gown. This is not the Queen Marry or Titanic here.

To me there should be a standard set, they should not let anything go. But that standard does not need to be a suit and tie. But a person walking in dressed like they are going to the pool is IMO being disrespectful while a person dressed like they are going to a dinner at the White House is just being "silly" so there is a difference.

I think a happy medium is fine.

I wear a suit every single day for work. But I will still bring one on a longer cruise.

As a person that cruises a fair amount, I definitely think cruise attire in the MDR has become more casual both on formal nights and regular evenings. I do miss seeing the men in tuxedos and women in gowns. I personally adore dressing up. Its my princess moment to put on a luxurious gown and jewels. However, in many cases when I have brought up this topic with other cruisers they say the airlines luggage limitations and fees are the reason. Who can argue with that. I did a Bristish Isles cruise leaving out of Southampton and the vast majority of men wore a tuxedo or dress kilt and the women stunning evening attire. They said they were able to do this as no airlines were involved. So if you love to dress up, there's a cruise to consider. For those of you that make the effort to dress up especially on formal I applaud you! For those that don't I accept you and it certainly has no baring on the enjoyment of my cruise. Cruising is all about relaxing and accepting. I don't, however, think cut off shorts or tube tops should be allowed in the MDR imho.

 

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Thank you. My assessment was just to inform cruisers what I witnessed on my recent cruise and be as realistic as possible. I also don't mean to downplay dress attire. Some posts regarding dress on cruises can be a little harsh to new cruisers so i wanted to be informative about what I saw on my cruise.

 

My first cruise was on the Empress back in 2002 and dress codes have changed from then. Back then I remember seeing dressier clothing on formal nights, more gowns and more men dressed in tuxedoes.

Cruise Critic should be an "instructional" & "suggestion" blog to assist first time cruisers OR provide Helpful ideas for cruisers of all ages.

I put my 2¢ in strictly to lament about old style cruising & the changes that have occurred over the years. Absolutely people can & Will wear what they want! With that being said however, I will say this:

I Absolutely Put My Foot Down & I Will Complain Loudly If Someone Wears A Bathrobe To Breakfast in the MDR!!!!

We saw this once with our own eyes. Luckily the Hostess scooted them out of the MDR Immediately! If you feel it's "your vacation" & you feel a bathrobe in the MDR is appropos attire, then expect to be ridiculed!

Basta!

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Hmm interesting because as most people were dressed on formal nights there were very few that weren’t and were still seated in the MDR. They were not in shorts but in jeans and shoes. I guess it depends on the crew.

 

 

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Spend about 2-3 months yr cruising now, I'm a people watcher, almost always have a window seat table to myself near front of Dining room. Just stating what I have witnessed...

If people choosing not to dress up was a concern for me, I wouldn't choose a mainstream cruise line with a pretty clearly stated "Dress up, or not" policy. I would choose a smaller, more expensive line with a stricter formal dress code.

I think the days of the formal attire of main stream cruise lines are over. Years ago everyone dressed up for dinner and that was what was expected and there were no questions about it.

Today things are far less formal and the price of these cruises have gone down so now almost anyone/everyone can afford to cruise. Many of the cruisers of today would not have been able to cruise years ago and have no idea of the "olden days".

I believe that the dress code that is suggested is rarely followed these days and I believe that if shorts were listed as being ok for dinner, as an example, the dress in the MDR would decline. To one person shorts means golf type shorts, to someone else it means cut offs or for some women Daisy Duke type shorts. The same goes for shirts etc. As far as enforcing the suggestions, I don't believe that if someone complained to the head office in Miami, the employee would be backed up by the cruise line. It's easier to ignore the situation unless it is really blatant, than to risk getting a demotion or other punishment.

As far as having one dining room on formal night designated formal or casual, I don't believe we will see that as it would probably upset the tipping system because of having a different waiter perhaps for one night.

I don't care what people wear to the dining room as we either eat at our own table and it doesn't matter what those at the next table are wearing unless it is really something noticeable, or we dine in the specialty restaurants where the majority of people dress nicely. ( I have noticed that when waiting in line to see a hostess.)

These are just my opinions and I am sure there are many who disagree with me, but that's what I have noticed in years of cruising.

Personally I could not care less about what other wear to dinner on a cruise or what others think about what I wear to dinner on a cruise.

On my next cruise, I plan on wearing nice shorts and polo shirt to eat at night. On the two formal nights I will substitute the shorts for a pair of long pants. I will not be bringing a suit or tux on the cruise with me.

Baseball caps should never be worn at a dining room table. Ever.

Baseball caps should never be worn at a dining room table. Ever.

 

Love it and agree, wish rccl had some sort of a dress code and enforced it.

Except your two cents had nothing to do with the topic. Your "opinion" was to complain about the thread's existence.

I agree with you. This person is snippy and was with my comment.

Must have a short fuse.

I agree, every time these "fashion" posts come up, there always seems to be at least one person who gets huffy or agitated & wants to start an argument!

 

Cruise Critic should be an "instructional" & "suggestion" blog to assist first time cruisers OR provide Helpful ideas for cruisers of all ages.

 

Absolutely right,sadly IME that rarely happens on CC forums,first time cruisers come on asking a question & too often it degenerates into an argument,often with very nasty posts(being very polite there!),with people seeming to want to score points against one another,not helpful to the person asking for help & not what I am used to seeing on travel forums.

Also those that do mean well are often so familiar with the subject that they use a number of abbreviations in their reply which can also confuse as new visitors may not know what they mean!

After reading op’s post only, I’ll comment on that and what I witnessed in the MDR on a b2b on Freedom out of San Juan.

For the most Parton the 4 formal nights we saw tuxes and very nice suits, dresses, and pants suits. Casual and Caribbean night was a mix of dresses, jeans, khaki shorts, polos, t shirts, and gym shorts with flip flops. None of that affected me at all.

My aggravation stemmed from a woman wearing booty shorts on formal night and being allowed in dining room, men wearing baseball caps during a sit down dinner, and the people having loud conversations on Walkie talkies subjecting everyone who were peacefully dining around them to their nonsense.

In essence, most anything can go in the MDR clothes wise but to me those 3 scenarios were unacceptable and went beyond what is tolerable and respectful to other diners and waitstaff.

I agree, every time these "fashion" posts come up, there always seems to be at least one person who gets huffy or agitated & wants to start an argument!

 

Cruise Critic should be an "instructional" & "suggestion" blog to assist first time cruisers OR provide Helpful ideas for cruisers of all ages.

 

I put my 2¢ in strictly to lament about old style cruising & the changes that have occurred over the years. Absolutely people can & Will wear what they want! With that being said however, I will say this:

 

I Absolutely Put My Foot Down & I Will Complain Loudly If Someone Wears A Bathrobe To Breakfast in the MDR!!!!

We saw this once with our own eyes. Luckily the Hostess scooted them out of the MDR Immediately! If you feel it's "your vacation" & you feel a bathrobe in the MDR is appropos attire, then expect to be ridiculed!

 

Basta!

 

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I always like when somebody says "I don't care what you wear, as long as you don't wear X!" :confused:

 

My aggravation stemmed from a woman wearing booty shorts on formal night and being allowed in dining room, men wearing baseball caps during a sit down dinner, and the people having loud conversations on Walkie talkies subjecting everyone who were peacefully dining around them to their nonsense.

 

Forget cruising & the MDR I think most people,myself included,would find that pretty unnacceptable anywhere,in particular the noise part of that is what I would find most annoying,sadly too common these days when so many people seem to not be able to exist unless they are gazing into their phones,makes me laugh when they are staring at their phones while supposadly sightseeing.

 

On the subject of noise we have endured way too many MDR moments at the hands of people who have had way too much to drink,result always asking for tables for 2,sadly sometimes they are so close together it doesn't help too much,quite makes me forget what anybody is wearing!

RCI should be more concerned over it's lousy menu and absolutely chaotic service, constant upsells and "survey chats". Fix that stuff and maybe it will be a place worth getting dressed up for.