Dressing for dinner the first night

[Cakelady]

We will be on the Oasis in March. If we get on the ship early any want to use the pools during the day, will our luggage be delivered before dinner so we can shower and change before or 5:30 dinner time?  

[Brobbins246]

It's possible, but don't count on it.  If you had a late dinner time, it'd be more likely to have everything before getting ready for dinner.  For an early dinner time, I recommend packing your dinner clothes and toiletries in your carry on bag just to be sure you have them.  

[DandA]

It's a good chance your luggage will be delivered before dinner, you may have to look down the hallway and grab it as soon as you see it.  I've only been on three cruises and perhaps I have been lucky but I've been able to grab/find my bags shortly after rooms open at 1:00 and be unpacked before muster drill.  Make sure you don't pack any contraband in your bags.  If all your bags don't arrive before dinner, the MDR  will allow you eat in everything but a wet swimsuit.  

[DD6334]

Agreed ... most of the time but not always you should have access to or be able to find your bags before early dinner.
Worst case scenario, you could change back into whatever you were wearing when you walked onboard after your done swimming. Never had to do this, but it has always been a back up plan. 

[GregD]

I have not had an issue either of having our bags early enough. They have always been by our room, or in the hallway by the time rooms open.

[HeWhoWaits]

Definitely a case of "usually" there before it's time to get ready for dinner, but on our last cruise we didn't get ANY bags until after dinner (and one of them came at 10:00 p.m.

And type of cabin doesn't seem to matter - the earliest we ever had our bags was an oceanview cabin and the late time was a suite.

[Buzzard05]

On our cruise on Oasis over New Years, the first night was called "casual" or "resort casual" or something.  It was basically, "Wear what you have because we know we probably haven't gotten your luggage to you yet."

[melmar02]

My bag was sent to the naughty room on our last cruise - the cord on my curling iron is over 4 feet long, and it looked like an extension cord on the scanner. I had to go down after dinner to get it from security on the 1st deck.  We planned on swimming so we knew we would want showers to wash off the sunscreen before we ate. We packed a change of clothes and toiletries in our carry ons in case we didn't get our big bags by dinner, so it wasn't a big deal. I sure missed my hair dryer that first night though.

[NEbluebird]

As long as you don't come in shorts and a tank top you will be fine.  Seldom have we ever change for dinner our first night.

[CrimsonCruiser]

I wouldn't worry too much about not having your luggage before dinner. RC knows that it may take up to 10 pm to get all the luggage out to people so the first night in the MDR is casual - even says so on the cruise compass!

Just don't wear your swimsuit in, and you'll be fine.

Alternatively, packing simple clothes in your carry on will help alleviate some concerns. I often throw a hard-to-wrinkle sun dress in my carry on bag so I can swap into that.

[HeWhoWaits]

On ‎1‎/‎23‎/‎2020 at 10:41 AM, NEbluebird said:

As long as you don't come in shorts and a tank top you will be fine.  Seldom have we ever change for dinner our first night.

On our last cruise we all went to dinner in what we wore at boarding - all in shorts and a sleeveless top for one member of the party.

[Okgladgal]

The first night is really casual, pretty much a free-for-all. Throw a few things into a backpack to change into just in case your luggage doesn't make it before dinner. I've found backpacks are easier to carry than totes, especially at the airport for "hands free". From airport to hotel to ship, a backpack is one of the best things I've ever bought. 

[sabarwolf]

If you have something particular you'd like to wear to dinner on the first night, pack it in your carry on--just in case your luggage doesn't arrive. As said in another thread, if your luggage arrives early, count your blessings. Don't expect it.

[fonemanbob]

We have been lucky that our bags are in our room way before dinner.  The room hair dryers are a travesty. Wife always packs hers.  Their is no rhyme or reason as to when luggage will show up.