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Dinners - What do people REALLY wear?


TheRoll

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Hi all!  RC newbie here and we've done a cruise in the past on Carnival and people wore basketball shorts and t-shirts to dinners.   I'm traveling with teen boys and wondering what RC has people wear for their main dining room dinners?  Also, how about formal nights?  Are ties a must for all men/boys?
 

I don't want to spend a ton pre-cruise for specialty clothing but also want to be prepared when packing!

 

Thanks all!

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We skipped formal night, on the other nights we saw everything from jogging pants, jeans, t shirts, dress shirts/pants etc. I like to wear golf shirts and dress shorts and did so without feeling too judged. I got a few looks but wasn't worried about it.

 

I'm sure shorts offends some but I feel like that is dressy enough for vacation. 

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1 hour ago, TheRoll said:

Hi all!  RC newbie here and we've done a cruise in the past on Carnival and people wore basketball shorts and t-shirts to dinners.   I'm traveling with teen boys and wondering what RC has people wear for their main dining room dinners?  Also, how about formal nights?  Are ties a must for all men/boys?
 

I don't want to spend a ton pre-cruise for specialty clothing but also want to be prepared when packing!

 

Thanks all!

During the holiday season, many people dress nicely on formal nights.  That is a relative term, but my teen age son always wore a shirt and tie with a sports coat.  He really loves to wear bow ties.  You can get away with less formal attire, and there are no repercussions, but adults tend to pay attention on formal nights.  (At least a majority do.)  When we lost our suitcases and wore casual clothes on a formal night, we explained our predicament and were served graciously by our wait staff. Ties aren't required, as others have stated.  Royal is very flexible, but they also publish guidelines for all restaurants.  The Main Dining Room often has a theme night, e.g., tropical shirts, especially on Caribbean cruises.  Attire has gotten a tad more relaxed in the last 15 years -- I no longer pack my tux--and most of us are so tired of COVID that we just want to cruise and not worry about anything at all.  Whatever you choose, have a great cruise.

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I wear slacks and a sport shirt most nights in the dining room.  On formal nights... I usually eat somewhere else.  Folks that enjoy dressing up have every right to expect others will follow suit.   I respect that.

I have been pressured to join in on formal night, wearing sport/casual clothes, and I am never comfortable doing so.

 

Being in the Pacific Northwest, we fly to the East Coast for our cruise.  Connections cause us to get there a day or two early, with very large and very full suitcases.  I just don't want to have to pack dress clothes in addition to vacation clothes.  

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Welcome to perhaps the most hotly debated topic among cruisers. 

There are two camps on this: Some people want to feel like they're in the old days of cruising and want dinner to be a special occasion where everyone gets dressed up like they're going to the homecoming dance each night and dinner is truly an elegant event. Other people feel that they're on vacation -- a tropical vacation, no less -- and don't want to have to dress up just to get the dinner they've paid for. Besides, it's really annoying with airlines charging for checked bags these days to have to bring all sorts of separate dressy clothes that need to be packed and cared for more seriously than, say, a t-shirt and shorts.

I'm somewhere in the middle. I don't want to have to bring really nice clothes on my vacation, and I don't want to have to wear a jacket and tie to dinner. However, these are legitimately beautiful dining rooms with wait staff that are dressed up as to create the aura of a nice restaurant. And there are lots of people who do want it to feel upscale. For that reason, I don't think it's respectful to go in a sleeveless t-shirt and basketball shorts. But, for me, I think a nice pair of shorts and a polo shirt is fine. It doesn't offend the people who want to treat it like an upscale dining experience, but it's not uncomfortable or annoying to pack. 

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I wear a polo/short sleeve button up and slacks/jeans to dinner. I don't mind wearing a tie on formal nights (I'll do it for our generational cruises) but my preference is to not wear one. 
 

I'm probably about average in terms of dress on board, but the main thing you should takeaway is that I wore what was comfortable for me. 

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6 hours ago, TheRoll said:

Hi all!  RC newbie here and we've done a cruise in the past on Carnival and people wore basketball shorts and t-shirts to dinners.   I'm traveling with teen boys and wondering what RC has people wear for their main dining room dinners?  Also, how about formal nights?  Are ties a must for all men/boys?
 

I don't want to spend a ton pre-cruise for specialty clothing but also want to be prepared when packing!

 

Thanks all!


‘You’ll see many guys at dinner in nice jeans or dressy shorts and a untucked polo shirt on formal nights.  The same goes for specialty restaurants on those nights.  You’ll probably also see some snooty people stick up heir nose at that, but they’re not paying for your vacation.

On the regular nights, a nicer t-shirt and shorts are fine for teenagers ….. even a lot of younger men dress that way as well on regular nights.

 

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We're still pretty traditional. Long pants (the only time I wear them during the cruise (including most days in Alaska) and a collared shirt for me and something comfortable but not "beachy" for my wife most evenings. We opt to dress for the evenings previously known as "formal night." 

The main thing is to not be offended if others choose attire that is less than what you and your party are wearing.

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I personally wear jeans and a collared shirt (frequently a Hawaiian shirt) to dinner and dark sneakers for shoes.  On formal nights, I'll put on some nice pants. If my wife and I planning on getting a picture, then I'll put on a tie as well.

I'm less dressy than average, but not dramatically so.

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15 hours ago, ChessE4 said:

During the holiday season, many people dress nicely on formal nights.  That is a relative term, but my teen age son always wore a shirt and tie with a sports coat.  He really loves to wear bow ties.  You can get away with less formal attire, and there are no repercussions, but adults tend to pay attention on formal nights.  (At least a majority do.)  When we lost our suitcases and wore casual clothes on a formal night, we explained our predicament and were served graciously by our wait staff. Ties aren't required, as others have stated.  Royal is very flexible, but they also publish guidelines for all restaurants.  The Main Dining Room often has a theme night, e.g., tropical shirts, especially on Caribbean cruises.  Attire has gotten a tad more relaxed in the last 15 years -- I no longer pack my tux--and most of us are so tired of COVID that we just want to cruise and not worry about anything at all.  Whatever you choose, have a great cruise.

Thanks for the great info!  How do we know if our cruise has theme nights?  Obviously, we need to know before packing but I haven't a clue where to find that info!

 

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20 minutes ago, steverk said:

I personally wear jeans and a collared shirt (frequently a Hawaiian shirt) to dinner and dark sneakers for shoes.  On formal nights, I'll put on some nice pants. If my wife and I planning on getting a picture, then I'll put on a tie as well.

I'm less dressy than average, but not dramatically so.

Good to know!  My kids  and my wallet thank you!  LOL 

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14 hours ago, jeffmw said:

Welcome to perhaps the most hotly debated topic among cruisers. 

There are two camps on this: Some people want to feel like they're in the old days of cruising and want dinner to be a special occasion where everyone gets dressed up like they're going to the homecoming dance each night and dinner is truly an elegant event. Other people feel that they're on vacation -- a tropical vacation, no less -- and don't want to have to dress up just to get the dinner they've paid for. Besides, it's really annoying with airlines charging for checked bags these days to have to bring all sorts of separate dressy clothes that need to be packed and cared for more seriously than, say, a t-shirt and shorts.

I'm somewhere in the middle. I don't want to have to bring really nice clothes on my vacation, and I don't want to have to wear a jacket and tie to dinner. However, these are legitimately beautiful dining rooms with wait staff that are dressed up as to create the aura of a nice restaurant. And there are lots of people who do want it to feel upscale. For that reason, I don't think it's respectful to go in a sleeveless t-shirt and basketball shorts. But, for me, I think a nice pair of shorts and a polo shirt is fine. It doesn't offend the people who want to treat it like an upscale dining experience, but it's not uncomfortable or annoying to pack. 

Perfect!  We settled in the middle and got the kids some nice shorts and short sleeve button down shirts for regular nights and I'm making them drag their homecoming outfits for formal night.  Might as well wear it more than once!  I won't tell them they could have gotten away with less until afterwards! 😉

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21 minutes ago, TheRoll said:

Thanks for the great info!  How do we know if our cruise has theme nights?  Obviously, we need to know before packing but I haven't a clue where to find that info!

Best thing to do is look at a Cruise Compass from a sailing on the ship you will be on to get an idea. Most of the 7 night cruises the only theme I really see is Caribbean usually. Although the last Harmony cruise I was on had a 50s and 60s night, but I didn't see a lot of participation for that.

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Like ChrisK said,  you are the one that's paying for the vacation, not the ones that turn their nose up because you are not dressed to their standard.  Most nights I dress in long pants (jeans) and a button up shirt (mostly to keep the wife happy)  You will see everything from shorts, flip flops and tee shirts to Tuxedos.  Your on vacation,  dress like you want!

 

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1 hour ago, TheRoll said:

Perfect!  We settled in the middle and got the kids some nice shorts and short sleeve button down shirts for regular nights and I'm making them drag their homecoming outfits for formal night.  Might as well wear it more than once!  I won't tell them they could have gotten away with less until afterwards! 😉

 

If you're going to dress up I would really recommend you get the photo package, if you're not already planning to. Every night before dinner there were tons of opportunities for great, posed photos. On Symphony, they provided several different designed backdrops each night on top of also taking pictures on staircases, etc. You end up coming out with all sorts of great professional photos that can be used for printing and hanging, holiday cards, etc. Even if you're not dressing up, I'd still recommend it just for the sheer number of opportunities there are to get professional photos.

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18 hours ago, jeffmw said:

Welcome to perhaps the most hotly debated topic among cruisers. 

I think its only debated as much because those that dress up to the nines dont want to be seated next to someone in shorts because it ruins their evening and therefore ruins their whole cruise experience! 

Each to their own i say 🙂

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When we started cruising formal nights meant formal. That was more than 40 years ago so things have changed. When we first took our kids on a cruise we made them wear shirts/ties for the boys, dress for my daughter on formal nights.  A couple years ago we took my now adult kids on our 40th anniversary cruise. All of them and their spouse wanted to dress up. They remembered our old cruises as being special. We still dressed up on formal nights i.e. sport coat and ties, usually dockers and button down or polo shirts other nights though one of my sons dressed in a coat and tie every night but one (tropical shirt night). He and his wife don't get a chance to get out much at home so they made the best of it.

 We recently took them again on a cruise. It wasn't as formal this time but dresses for the women, button downs and slacks for the guys. Coats and ties on "dress your best" night.  We did have one other night in a specialty dining and we all dressed up, just because.  There was only one "dress your best" night on the 7 day cruise but there were a lot of people who dressed up another night or two.  

I'm getting old and find the AC in the dining room cold sometimes. Even when we cruise by ourselves I pack a sport coat (usually a blue blazer) and a pair of tan dockers and wear them either with a button down and tie on formal nights or with polo, open collar or Hawaiian shirt other nights. It can be sporty, casual or more formal depending what you wear the jacket with.

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46 minutes ago, Ray said:

I think its only debated as much because those that dress up to the nines dont want to be seated next to someone in shorts because it ruins their evening and therefore ruins their whole cruise experience! 

Each to their own i say 🙂

You're right, but it's difficult to simply say "everyone should just do what they want to do and not worry about anyone else" because, while I definitely don't want to dress formal on a cruise ever, I can see why it's off-putting to come dressy and be sitting next to a dad in a tank-top, mesh shorts, and flip flops.

But I believe there's a very reasonable middle-ground here. I believe there should be minimal dress requirements for the MDR but that they should be just that: minimal. Just be reasonable: Nothing tattered or dirty. No tank tops or for guys. No bathing suits (which I believe may already be a rule.) I'd say we can probably do without mesh shorts. Just enough to preserve a reasonable level of decency without forcing anyone to dress formal on their vacation.  

 

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My son and I wear pants (khakis, slacks) and a collared shirt usually untucked (including short sleeve, flowery /tropical shirts or basically anything with a collar) on regular nights.  On "formal" or "dress your best" we wear anything from suits to dress pants with long sleeve dress shirts right up to three piece suits and ties.  Not once I have ever really cared what anyone thought about what we were wearing....that's the great thing about cruising.  I have to agree that I don't really care what others wear but with the said it just strikes a chord when you see somebody in shorts and tank top in such a classy looking venue.    

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17 minutes ago, mac66 said:

When we started cruising formal nights meant formal. That was more than 40 years ago so things have changed. When we first took our kids on a cruise we made them wear shirts/ties for the boys, dress for my daughter on formal nights.  A couple years ago we took my now adult kids on our 40th anniversary cruise. All of them and their spouse wanted to dress up. They remembered our old cruises as being special. We still dressed up on formal nights i.e. sport coat and ties, usually dockers and button down or polo shirts other nights though one of my sons dressed in a coat and tie every night but one (tropical shirt night). He and his wife don't get a chance to get out much at home so they made the best of it.

 

When I was a kid the formal night was more of a publicized thing onboard and pretty much everyone followed it. I have photos from formal nights with my parents on Nordic Empress and Majesty.

But it's just unreasonable with how big the cruising industry has gotten to expect everyone who takes a cruise to bring formalwear. Now that I've been on cruises with my kids (6 and 8 the last time we went), we've learned that the room is not our friend. It's just too small to contain all four of us for very long. The idea of having to head back to the room a couple hours before dinner with enough time for everyone to shower and get ready, keep the kids happy in that tiny stateroom for all that time, and get all dressed up for a dinner that's going to last 45 minutes (kids just don't sit for hours), is just too much stress for a vacation. Even just the idea of having nice clothes that need to stay impeccably clean and wrinkle-free in that little room with a week's worth of luggage, other crap we pick up along the way, and 2 adults and 2 kids bouncing around is a bit much.  

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I usually go business casual with a little more emphasis on the casual for dinners at the specialty dining. 

I will wear a nice pair of slacks and a matching polo shirt. or a matching button down shirt without a tie. 

Even for formal nights I don't reually go to a tie. It also depends on the group I am with. If the group really wants to dress up then I will put on a suit but for the most part mostly business casual.  

With our kids we put them in nice pair jeans and a polo shirt. They are 5 &7 and will run around as long as they aren't creating too much trouble i think its ok. 

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21 hours ago, mac66 said:

 

I'm getting old and find the AC in the dining room cold sometimes. Even when we cruise by ourselves I pack a sport coat (usually a blue blazer) and a pair of tan dockers and wear them either with a button down and tie on formal nights or with polo, open collar or Hawaiian shirt other nights. It can be sporty, casual or more formal depending what you wear the jacket with.

I have been known to wear said blazer and slacks on Day 1 just in case my luggage is lost.  I keep shorts in my carryon so I can swap clothes quickly when our room is ready. 

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I am still unsure what I would want to wear. I was thinking nice dress pants and a collared polo shirt as I do not have a suit, have no idea how to even find the right size. I might go with a dress shirt with no jacket as for a tie, I don't have one and I have no idea how to put one on so that will be a pass for me.

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30 minutes ago, Strife said:

I am still unsure what I would want to wear. I was thinking nice dress pants and a collared polo shirt as I do not have a suit, have no idea how to even find the right size. I might go with a dress shirt with no jacket as for a tie, I don't have one and I have no idea how to put one on so that will be a pass for me.

Either of those will be perfectly acceptable.  You will not feel out of place.  Enjoy and don't stress about it.  🙂

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 12/14/2021 at 7:36 PM, Strife said:

I am still unsure what I would want to wear. I was thinking nice dress pants and a collared polo shirt as I do not have a suit, have no idea how to even find the right size. I might go with a dress shirt with no jacket as for a tie, I don't have one and I have no idea how to put one on so that will be a pass for me.

 a blue blazer goes with just about anything from shirts and ties to jeans, polo shirts etc. you can dress up or dress down with it. It's the multitool of clothes.

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On 12/14/2021 at 7:36 PM, Strife said:

I am still unsure what I would want to wear. I was thinking nice dress pants and a collared polo shirt as I do not have a suit, have no idea how to even find the right size. I might go with a dress shirt with no jacket as for a tie, I don't have one and I have no idea how to put one on so that will be a pass for me.

A skill you might want to develop.  There will be times in your life where a suit/jacket and tie are really necessary (not on the cruise but there will be times).  Best not to wait til it’s the last minute.  You can find YouTube videos on how to tie a tie, not really that hard.  As for suit size, like any article of clothing, go to a store & try some on! Rite of passage!

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17 minutes ago, mac66 said:

 a blue blazer goes with just about anything from shirts and ties to jeans, polo shirts etc. you can dress up or dress down with it. It's the multitool of clothes.

Plus it never goes out style (that much).

I had to replace mine recently.  Not because it went out of style, too many cruisers expanded my belly.  

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Other than our middle son’s wedding, the only times I’ve worn a tie since I got out of the service have been on formal nights onboard.  
 

It’s fun to play dress up with my wife, even if I have to Google “How to tie a tie” each time.  

Non-formal nights, I’ve been known to wear khaki shorts and a polo shirt in the MDR. 👀

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I have been cruising for a lot of years and leaned a long time ago that I should not worry about what others think.  My normal dinner attire is blue jeans and a polo shirt.  On the formal nights I do dress shoes, Khaki Pants and a button up shirt (no tie).  My mother never let us wear shorts at the dinner table, so I choose to not wear shorts or t-shirts.  

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Here’s a pro tip. Nobody cares what you wear to dinner. In coastal last night our 14 y/o wore a sweatshirt and spandex shorts. Little boy with dad and grandpa at next table was in tshirt and bathing suit bottoms and carrying half eaten ice cream cone. Dad was in tshirt and pants. They serve you no matter what you are wearing. 

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My DH wears slacks (not jeans, either dockers style or dress slacks), polo shirt or short sleeve button up for casual with deck shoes, dress slacks with dress shirt & blazer + dress shoes. for formal or specialty dining.  We're going on an 11 day (fingers crossed), and he'll probably have 1 pair dress slacks, 3 pr dockers, & will probably wear jeans onboard (it's January).  He's not big on dressing up, but won't wear shorts to dinner when we cruise.  DD's & I will have dressy slacks or sundresses for dinner, I have a jacket or bolero sweater to go over mine.

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