Tux or not

[bluewater63]

We are about to begin the packing process for our departure on Thursday. My husband usually takes his tuxedo, but there seem to be fewer and fewer men wearing them. We will be on the Ruby Princess for a B2B, and no tux would mean more room in the suitcase.

Thanks ever so much!

[billco]

Not taking a tux would leave room for a dark suit.

[Buck Turgidson]

I bring my tux and my suit from the Slim Whitman collection;) I don't see many tux's either except on Cunard. There is always the rental's.

[KruzeKrazy!]

I've never bothered with a tux for a cruise. I do have one but don't want to commit the packing space for it. I find 10% or less of men wear tuxes.

 

I take a dark suit, dark tie and white plus colored shirts. That way one set serves as (a) my tux substitute on formal nights with the white shirt/tie and (b) my sport coat sans tie with a colored shirt on smart casual nights.

 

Sufficient and efficient!

[eandj]

Skip the tux. The minority will be in tuxes or shirt and tie with no jacket.. The majority in either suit or a sport coat with dress pants. DH wears navy blazer with charcoal pants. "Suitably"dressed and he can wear the pieces separately or without a tie on other nights or while on our land portion of our time away. Leaves the full suits at home most recently.

[OCruisers]

For the first time ever on a Princess cruise DH will not be taking his tux for our two week cruise in January.

He always takes a navy sports coat anyway so will leave to tux at home.

Like it or not, things are just not as formal as they once were. ;)

LuLu

[paul929207]

My tuxxedo has joined me on every cruise

[kiwipete]

My tuxxedo has joined me on every cruise

 

And mine, Paul. Nice to get dressed up once in a while!

[birdiebill]

I have taken my tux on all of our cruises and will do so in the future. It actually takes less space than a sport coat. I do not take tuxedo shoes because we ballroom dance. My light weight dance shoes suffice for wear with my tux.

 

My wife and I like to dress up, and I love to see her dressed up the way we are when we ballroom dance at a formal dance.

[geoherb]

I sometimes bring my tuxedo and sometimes go the sports coat route when we take cruises. Our upcoming back-to-backs are short and won't have formal nights, so that is an easy choice. When there are formal nights, a lot depends on how we are getting to the port. When we drive or fly on Southwest (with free checked bags), it's easy to bring the tuxedos.

[compozer]

We like to get dress up and I really don't see how a sport jacket, shirt and slacks take up less room than a tux. It really is the same amount of clothing! And you can wear it to every formal night on a long cruise. Hubby use to bring three sport jackets - now that took up more space.

Now my gowns take up a lot more room than just a short dress and the beaded ones certainly don't help the weight issue in my suitcase but if I need a second suitcase, so be it.

[OCruisers]

DH always takes his navy sports coat even when he takes his tuxedo. ;)

LuLu

[KruzeKrazy!]

Simple formula: 1 sportcoat/suit equals less room than 1 sportcoat/suit plus 1 tux...

[Potstech]

I never take a Tux or Suit Coat. I alwaz wear a long sleeve shirt , tie, nice pants and tennis shoes. Never had a problem.

[Gallivanting Souls]

Flying Southwest so hubby will be taking Tux with 2 different color vest/tie combos. Probably when we advance to an itinerary like the Mediterranean and have to pay luggage fees, DH will just go the dress shirt/tie route. (And I will have to go a more simple dress not gown). For now, we are having the fun and dressing up!

[BRANDEE]

Flying Southwest so hubby will be taking Tux with 2 different color vest/tie combos. Probably when we advance to an itinerary like the Mediterranean and have to pay luggage fees, DH will just go the dress shirt/tie route. (And I will have to go a more simple dress not gown). For now, we are having the fun and dressing up![/quo

 

We found our Mediterranean cruise to be more "formal" than Caribbean, Mexican, Hawaiian, Alaskan and New England cruises. The Europeans were very dressed up. Don't recall anyone just wearing pants, shirt with tie (except teens).

 

We traveled two weeks prior our cruise, living out of our one 28"suitcase and small carry on each. My DH's tux was in the dry cleaner's plastic bag folded over all the other clothes in his checked suitcase. No wrinkles in the jacket and pants..wish I could say that about everything else in the suitcase.

 

My DH used his tux as a suit (no vest /tie combos) the last few cruises. Loved the dark shirt with gray tie. Sadly, according to my husband, the dry cleaner shrunk his tux the last time, :rolleyes:, so he bought a new black suit for our next b2b cruise in March in the Caribbean.

 

Going on our first NCL cruise in July to Bermuda. The suit will stay home. (For the first time in 20 years of cruising)

Edited December 1, 2014 by BRANDEE

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

I never take a Tux or Suit Coat. I alwaz wear a long sleeve shirt , tie, nice pants and tennis shoes. Never had a problem.

 

The long sleeve shirt seems to be almost a requirement on the Royal if you don't have the jacket although there were some guys who slipped by the radar with short sleeves.

[Wehwalt]

We like to get dress up and I really don't see how a sport jacket, shirt and slacks take up less room than a tux. It really is the same amount of clothing! And you can wear it to every formal night on a long cruise. Hubby use to bring three sport jackets - now that took up more space.

Now my gowns take up a lot more room than just a short dress and the beaded ones certainly don't help the weight issue in my suitcase but if I need a second suitcase, so be it.

 

They probably don't take up less room, but depending on how you do it, you probably have more multiple-use items.

 

I really don't bother with formal night, personally (except my one sailing on the QE2). As I'm on the 50th anniversary cruise a year from this week, I'll probably bring the minimum just to be able to attend the Captain's Circle parties and so forth.

Edited December 1, 2014 by Wehwalt

[MCC retired]

75+ cruises on many cruise lines , some no longer around , and always bring a dark suit , never a tux and always felt comfortable doing so on formal nights.

[dandonna]

Do whatever makes you happy but I always wear a tuxedo on formal nights.

I could careless if anyone else wears one or not but to me making the wife smile is all that matters. Have a great cruise.

[JimmyVWine]

I find 10% or less of men wear tuxes.

I don't think this is even close to being the case, if you are referring to the population in the MDRs. Perhaps if you added up all of the men on the ship you might be close. But if one is dining in an MDR on Formal Night, one will see a higher percentage than 10%. Tuxes are in the minority, to be sure. But when added together with men in suits and ties, I think you are now in the majority.

 

OP: Bring what you are comfortable with, while respecting the guidelines of the cruise line. And remember that "comfortable with" includes physical comfort, packing comfort, and emotional comfort. Some people are uncomfortable being the most dressed up person in a room, and some people are uncomfortable being the least dressed up person in the room, even though both sets of attire might be within the permitted boundaries. Only you can figure out this last part.

[Husky61]

I take neither a tux or a suit, and haven't for years. If others want to dress formal they can do so, and in fact they can dress formal every night if they wish.

 

But personally I don't cruise to dress up.:)

[jeffdal]

Just got back from Emerald Princess from Houston. I was surprised to see a nice number of tuxedo's. I wore a dark suit but may consider taking a tux in the future.

[TWA4Ever]

I hate getting involved in tux/formal discussions, but here's my two cents (and I know I'll regret it in the morning!).

 

I dressed in a suit and tie for 40 years of my working life, and never tired of it. Tux on all six of my past cruises, along with a sport jacket, a couple of dress shirts and ties.

 

You want to bring a tux, not bring a tux (or suit) - that's up to you. But for us, a cruise is an experience and a memory, not just a mode of transportation.

[Potstech]

The long sleeve shirt seems to be almost a requirement on the Royal if you don't have the jacket although there were some guys who slipped by the radar with short sleeves.

 

What radar? In order get into the MDR you are seated by those at the door. So how would they slip by some unknown radar?