So confused about men's dress code

[JamesInOhio]

I'm traveling with extended family on Liberty of the Seas, five day cruise to Bermuda, in less than two weeks. After scouring all kinds of info, both official from RCCL and various posters, I must say I'm confused as ever on what the "real" dress codes are.

 

If I process the info right, I come to the conclusion I'll need both a business suit for the Formal Night, and a sport coat (with or without tie) for the Smart Casual nights. Do I have this right or all wrong?

 

Many thanks!

[cruisinfanatic]

I'm traveling with extended family on Liberty of the Seas, five day cruise to Bermuda, in less than two weeks. After scouring all kinds of info, both official from RCCL and various posters, I must say I'm confused as ever on what the "real" dress codes are.

 

If I process the info right, I come to the conclusion I'll need both a business suit for the Formal Night, and a sport coat (with or without tie) for the Smart Casual nights. Do I have this right or all wrong?

 

Many thanks!

Just dress up on formal night. Smart casual is no big deal as far as dress

[John&LaLa]

I always bring a tux for formal, but treat every other meal as casual. Khakis and a polo

[LMaxwell]

 

If I process the info right, I come to the conclusion I'll need both a business suit for the Formal Night, and a sport coat (with or without tie) for the Smart Casual nights. Do I have this right or all wrong?

 

You have it both right and wrong.

 

Right in the sense that the clothes you describe fit the theme of the evening.

 

Wrong in that it is needed or required.

 

The baseline for men is pretty much Khakis and Polo.

[bouhunter]

You have it both right and wrong.

 

Right in the sense that the clothes you describe fit the theme of the evening.

 

Wrong in that it is needed or required.

 

The baseline for men is pretty much Khakis and Polo.

 

Perfect answer:) It's possible there will be 50 more opinionated posts, but you can stop reading here.:D

Edited June 16, 2015 by bouhunter

[ryano]

Perfect answer:) It's possible there will be 50 more opinionated posts, but you can stop reading here.:D

 

Just 50? Surely you jest :D

[Queen of Oakville]

I can tell you what my hubby wears

 

Formal - two piece suit with shirt and tie.

 

All other nights - dress pants with either a dressy (nice) golf shirt or dressier tommy-Bahama style shirt.

 

 

you won't see too many sports coats on the smart casual night.

[WhenIsLobsterNight]

Just got off the Indy. Here is what I saw:

 

Casual nights - You will see everything including people in t-shirts and shorts who could care less how they look. There was no enforcement of a dress code that I saw. The majority of men are wearing khakis though with some nice jeans also mixed in. Most women are in a light summer dresses or some type of khakis/jeans/pants/skirt with a nice shirt.

 

Formal Nights -You will see a small number people in nice dress shorts and a tucked in shirt on the lowest end. Most men are in a suit or slacks with a sport coat. Others will look like they are going to church in a pair of slacks and a nice dress shirt with no sport coat. Women are most often in nice dresses or some type of slacks outfit.

[myklemire@hotmail.com]

I am a guy. This is what I have found. Dinner on the embarkation night is the most casual, I saw folks in shorts at dinner.

 

Formal night is essentially a theme. Polo and slacks or nice jeans are accepted on every night including formal. It is up to you on how much you want to follow the request. A tie and jacket is never required.

 

Just be aware. On formal night there are several photograph areas set-up to take photos of you in your fancy duds.

 

Some folks want everyone to dress up, some folks don't care. Kind of like life. I just hope you enjoy your cruise.

[Newtoncruise]

I thought I would bring an Englishman's perspective.

 

Formal Night. Black Tie

Other nights. Jeans or Chinos with long sleeved shirt.

 

Decent shoes.....No trainers.....no hats.....or caps

 

Khakis and polos are for golf!

 

That is about right.....in my opinion. Other opinions available and welcomed......

 

Whatever your choice...and it is really your choice. Have a great cruise.

[cb at sea]

Golf or polo shirts are a "style"...not sport-specific! Most men will be wearing one or the other on casual nights!

[smallwaves]

Just got done with a royal caribbean cruise in the caribbean (I think cruises in Europe tend to be more formal). I didn't bring any jackets or ties. I just wore dark wool pants and a fitted shirt w/ no tie on formal night. Nobody said anything to me and honestly it probably looked better then some of the grossly mismatched suits/ties many were wearing. But really nobody cares, so I would say if your travel companions all want to dress up really nice together then go for it, but if that doesn't sound fun to you just relax and enjoy the cruise. I really enjoyed the food, but the food quality is in no way comparable to a restaurant that would require a jacket for men so I would never feel compelled to wear one.

 

Edit- But if your the type who will feel self-conscious sitting at a table w/o a coat eating with someone else who may possibly be wearing a tux then I would definitely bring a jacket. It just doesn't bother me.

Edited June 16, 2015 by smallwaves

[Paul65]

Yes, despite what you hear from some people, formal nights tend to be fairly dressy (though not everyone participates in dressing up, and it is not a requirement). So-called "smart-casual" nights, on the other hand, tend to be virtually indistinguishable from the "casual" nights.

[markeb]

In case you hadn't figured it out, you walked into one of the 3-4 topics on CC that is guaranteed to get a response: "Dress code", tipping, smoking, and booze smuggling.

 

I think you've got the serious answers already, but formal night is a coat and tie or tux, smart casual a jacket, casual is casual. Reality is: On formal night, many will be in a coat and tie or tux; many will not. Smart casual has in my experience become rare, and I'd be surprised if there even was one on a 5 night cruise. Almost everyone treats it as just another casual night; the jackets are on men who ALWAYS wear a jacket, by choice. For a 5 day cruise, the first night will be "thank you, everyone has clothes on", the last night will be "thank you, everyone didn't pack their entire wardrobe", the second night will probably be formal, and the other two will be "casual".

 

Relax and enjoy the cruise!

[phish tales]

Just got off the Indy. Here is what I saw:

 

Casual nights - You will see everything including people in t-shirts and shorts who could care less how they look. There was no enforcement of a dress code that I saw. The majority of men are wearing khakis though with some nice jeans also mixed in. Most women are in a light summer dresses or some type of khakis/jeans/pants/skirt with a nice shirt.

 

Formal Nights -You will see a small number people in nice dress shorts and a tucked in shirt on the lowest end. Most men are in a suit or slacks with a sport coat. Others will look like they are going to church in a pair of slacks and a nice dress shirt with no sport coat. Women are most often in nice dresses or some type of slacks outfit.

 

What are dress shorts??:confused::confused: (when is says outside the dining room----"NO SHORTS"--after 5 pm

Edited June 16, 2015 by phish tales

[Paul65]

What are dress shorts??:confused::confused: (when is says outside the dining room----"NO SHORTS"--after 5 pm

 

I know some people object to the term "dress shorts," but there are definitely some shorts that are dressier than others. So I'm not particularly bothered by the term (though I was tempted to object once, when I saw someone mention "dress cargo shorts", as I don't think cargo shorts count as dress, but I just let it slide.

 

That said, despite many claims of lots of people wearing shorts to dinner, I have seen it only as the occasional exception, on the cruises I've done.

[F27TW]

You have it both right and wrong.

 

Right in the sense that the clothes you describe fit the theme of the evening.

 

Wrong in that it is needed or required.

 

The baseline for men is pretty much Khakis and Polo.

 

 

VERY true .. we are just off Indy and never felt uncomfortable on formal nights .. where we wore just wore long pants (khakis or nice black jeans) and a polo with some docksiders.

 

I have ZERO interest in putting on a dress shirt, tie, jacket, suit or tux while in the Caribbean in summer ..( or any other time on vacation).

 

You don't need to dress up unless you want to. I saw many, many people dressed as we were in the MDR .. the only thing I didn't see on formal nights was shorts of any kind .. I think that's where they draw the line.

 

Just go, be comfortable and enjoy .. don't let anyone make u feel like u have to fuss ... you are on vacation!

[sky0000547]

I thought I would bring an Englishman's perspective.

 

Formal Night. Black Tie

Other nights. Jeans or Chinos with long sleeved shirt.

 

Decent shoes.....No trainers.....no hats.....or caps

 

Khakis and polos are for golf!

 

That is about right.....in my opinion. Other opinions available and welcomed......

 

Whatever your choice...and it is really your choice. Have a great cruise.

 

Translation to American English 'No sneakers'

[Desert Cruizers]

My husband wears a suit coat & tie & slacks, rest of evenings a shirt and slacks. More & more are dressing less formal and being relaxed. As long as one is nicely dressed that is all that is important. During the day shorts are fine in the main dining room but not during the evening although some have been dressed in shorts. I do believe the majority won't pay any attention to how one dresses as long as the person is neatly dressed.

[h20skibum]

I always bring a tux for formal nights. That being said, there will probably be only 1% to 2% of the men in tuxes. You may have another 40% to 50% in sport coat and ties. The remainder may be in more casual clothes and will end up in the Windjammer on formal nights.

 

For casual nights, it is generally khakis and a polo for me.

 

You will see a much higher percentage of women dressed in gowns on formal nights, so much will depend on how the men in your party feel about being underdressed compared to the women.

[ryano]

Translation to American English 'No sneakers'

 

Thanks :o I had to google chinos. Come to find out, they seem to be the same as khakis to me which the OP said were for golf but chinos are ok for the MDR. I was a little confused.

[Paul65]

Thanks :o I had to google chinos. Come to find out, they seem to be the same as khakis to me which the OP said were for golf but chinos are ok for the MDR. I was a little confused.

 

I didn't get that part, either, as I think of khakis and chinos as being interchangeable terms. According to the Orvis website:

 

One of the distinct differences between the two, and an easy trick to use when shopping or pairing an outfit, is the stitching. Stitching on khakis is visible, whereas it is concealed on chinos. This gives chino pants a more finished look, which in turn makes them a little more “dressy”.

 

The second, less obvious and less reliable rule of thumb for telling the difference between the two is the weight of the fabric. Chino pants are often made of a lightweight 100% cotton or cotton-blend fabric, while khakis are often constructed of a heavyweight 100% cotton fabric.

 

Third, chino pants are often cut slimmer with a closer fit than khakis, adding to their formal appeal.

 

http://www.orvis.com/news/products-we-love/chino-vs-khaki-do-you-know-the-difference/

 

So, chinos are apparently a little dressier, but I don't think most Americans recognize the difference, so if we were wearing a pair of chinos, we'd likely call them khakis.

Edited June 16, 2015 by Paul65

[Ramblin' Ma'am]

I saw a couple comments from people who were just on Indy. I was on at the end of May, and noticed that shorts were no longer on the banned list for dinner. Not in the Cruise Compass, not on the signs outside the dining room, nowhere. I wonder if they're trying this out on a few ships. The only banned items were swimwear and tank tops. I did see a lot of guys wearing shorts on the casual nights.

 

I don't personally feel comfortable wearing shorts to dinner in the MDR, but it doesn't bother me if other people do. That doesn't affect my meal. On the other hand, at the table next to us was a large family who were dressed to the nines every night, yet regularly showed up 30 minutes late. That DID affect my meal since it threw the waitstaff off. I'd rather have other diners be casual but punctual.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[papaflamingo]

I'm traveling with extended family on Liberty of the Seas, five day cruise to Bermuda, in less than two weeks. After scouring all kinds of info, both official from RCCL and various posters, I must say I'm confused as ever on what the "real" dress codes are.

 

If I process the info right, I come to the conclusion I'll need both a business suit for the Formal Night, and a sport coat (with or without tie) for the Smart Casual nights. Do I have this right or all wrong?

 

Many thanks!

 

 

Here us the current dress code copied and pasted from RCCL website:

 

"Onboard Dress Code

 

Smart Casual: Ladies: Skirt or pants (no holes, rips or tears) with a blouse. Gentlemen: Pants (no holes, rips or tears) with a collared shirt.

 

Formal: Ladies: Cocktail dress or pantsuit. Gentlemen: Suit (black tie is optional)

 

Note: Swimsuits, robes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps and pool wear are not allowed in the main restaurants or specialty restaurants. T-shirts, shorts and flip-flops are acceptable for lunch.

 

Note: Smart Casual is allowed on Boarding Day at The Grande Restaurant (should only be included where we are speaking about The Grande)"

[chocho712]

You'll get a lot of opinions.

 

If its formal a tux is great, so is a suit. You won't be entirely out of place depending on where the cruise originates if you don't dress up to this(Europe tends to be dressier, USA not so much).

 

On the other hand, casual is not that big of a deal. You will see at least some people wearing shorts/sandals/whatever they don't recommend, especially in a warm weather itinerary. Never seen someone get kicked out for not following the dress code on a casual night. You probably want to dress up on formal nights, but wear whatever you want on casual.

Edited June 17, 2015 by chocho712