Dinner Wear - Confused! Help!

[DisneyFr33k]

Ok, I've been on two 7 night DCL cruises and one 3 night DCL cruise, so I shouldn't have to ask this question. But, I got an e-mail from the DCL reminding me of our upcoming Alaskan cruise (May 3) saying this for dinner attire:

"Nice dining attire (no jeans or shorts at dinner, please)
Optional formal attire"
So, does this mean we don't have to pack suits and dresses? Can we get away with slacks and nice shirts/blouses? That would be awesome!

Past cruises it seemed more a a requirement that we had to dress for formal nights. Are they loosening this on future cruises?

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

The last cruise I took although it said formal night, over half of the people just had khakis, dress slacks and nice shirts on. That was in 2008.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Sorry, just realized your's was a DCL cruise, I was on Carnival.

[Mom2threeboys]

We were just on the Dream for a 3 night in February. I wore a dress each night, but my kids just wore khaki's and a nicer shirt and were fine. I saw people in jeans and even shorts.
Have a great time!

[DisneyFr33k]

Thanks!

I just e-mailed my travel agent and she replied:

"Cruise lines are loosening up on the “formal” (tux and cocktail dress) dress code and have gone to “resort casual” which will be a button down shirt and kahki’s for the men and skirt/dress or a nice pant outfit for ladies."

So, yeah! No more packing suits, dresses, etc.

[Christine]

I worried about this too. My hubby and I are NOT foo-foo fancy people and we really didn't want to be in prom attire like some of the pictures we've seen of folks on cruises. but we were happily surprised that a nice simlple dress and a polo or button down and khakis (even khaki walking shorts) were acceptable and widespread! There were still the prom/oscar red carpet attired folks, but we didn't feel out of place at all. I wouldn't want to see it casualed down TOO far, but cruise casual is a good thing! Especially since you're in those clothes for a while if' you're going to the show afterwards (we had early seating). Here is my hubby and myself at Enchanted Garden on the Dream in March:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lNfD_eOYy2...oto-780761.JPG

Have a great time and enjoy!

[MarkC]

Thanks for posting the photo!! We are cruising next April and packing a suit usually means an extra bag with more fees, etc. I don't mind some slacks and a couple of nice shirts, but I am on vacation-- not applying for a job.

I do see the other side as well-- if I'm in a nice restaurant I don't want to see people dressed like they just came from the pool either.

[Christine]

Exactly!! You want to be "neat and pretty" as Mickey would say, but not all the hullabaloo of a formal! That's the whole idea I think in cruising!

[ElenitaB]

I do see the other side as well-- if I'm in a nice restaurant I don't want to see people dressed like they just came from the pool either.

And that's exactly what we saw at the table next to ours on formal night: an entire table of young adults in tank tops and cut-offs on formal night. It was pretty disappointing.

[DisneyFr33k]

I am on vacation-- not applying for a job.

And that's exactly what we saw at the table next to ours on formal night: an entire table of young adults in tank tops and cut-offs on formal night. It was pretty disappointing.

Really? I thought they had rules "no jeans or shorts at dinner, please". So they don't ask you to leave and go change?

[ElenitaB]

Really? I thought they had rules "no jeans or shorts at dinner, please". So they don't ask you to leave and go change?

Apparently not! And on our second cruise, there were more than one family in which the mom and dad and older siblings were dressed appropriately but had kids along in t-shirts and shorts (and not khaki shorts but more like athletic shorts).

Each to his own but both times I found it disappointing. But that's just me.

[tigmickey]

I took a 7 night last January and there were lots of families that did not get the memo about the dress code. My family and I always put on nicer clothes for dinner so it was just another night for us. You can't let someone's inability to read a dress code wreck your vacation. They probably think we were over dressed.

[PrettyMinnie]

We have always stayed on the moderate side of things as far as dress code. Meaning every night we looked nice and put together but not really that formal, even on the "formal" nights. That being said, I don't understand how you can wear inappropriate clothing or allow your kids to do so when you are clearly dining in a somewhat elegant environment. What are they thinking?

[DisneyFr33k]

Apparently not! And on our second cruise, there were more than one family in which the mom and dad and older siblings were dressed appropriately but had kids along in t-shirts and shorts (and not khaki shorts but more like athletic shorts).

Each to his own but both times I found it disappointing. But that's just me.

I agree, it is disappointing. But I guess Disney can't refuse service as "the guest is always right".

[baldburke]

I agree that it's nice not to have to go too over the top, but I also agree with those who say you don't want to look like you just came in from the pool. Most folks aren't dressed too fancy, jackets certainly aren't the norm for guys. But I'd like to think that seeing other folks dressed decent when coming to dinner would inspire the rest.

[DisneyFr33k]

But I'd like to think that seeing other folks dressed decent when coming to dinner would inspire the rest.

That is if they packed nice clothes to wear! It would be hard to believe someone would go to the trouble to pack nice dinner clothes and then choose to wear shorts and t-shirts to dinner!

[deedeenmickey]

We just returned from a 4 night cruise. The first night we all dressed up for dinner. My daughter and I in dresses and hubby in nice slacks and collared shirt. The next night my 16 year old dd wanted to wear shorts and I let her. There were other people in shorts and I choose to pick my battles. I didn't want her to go to dinner mad and then point out all of the other people in shorts. My hubby and I still dressed up and enjoyed ourselves very much.

[DisneyFr33k]

We just returned from a 4 night cruise. The first night we all dressed up for dinner. My daughter and I in dresses and hubby in nice slacks and collared shirt. The next night my 16 year old dd wanted to wear shorts and I let her. There were other people in shorts and I choose to pick my battles. I didn't want her to go to dinner mad and then point out all of the other people in shorts. My hubby and I still dressed up and enjoyed ourselves very much.

Being a middle school teacher and having a teenager, I 100% understand. Picking battles is key to survival! I don't think anyone would think badly about you or your family. I think those that posted above addressing this issue would agree it is entire families that come in cut off jean shorts, t-shirts and flip flops that could attract criticism.

[TracyL]

We chose to dress up for formal night (DH in a suit, me in a "little black dress") and enjoyed the evening more for having done so. On our 4-night DCL cruise the formal night was when they put out multiple backdrops and photographers, so we were able to get several nice pictures that we used as gifts for family/friends (it was close to Christmas) and are very nice keepsakes (DH usually is not big on having his pic taken, and for that matter neither am I; being dressed up made us more willing to do it). I would have felt underdressed in casual clothes, but that's a personal thing I think. I saw plenty of people in khakis and buttondowns ("business casual") and thought they looked perfectly fine for formal night. It's a vacation -- within limits (agreed that pool wear and shorts are not appropriate esp. for the adults), be comfortable!

[DisneyFr33k]

Having just gotten back from a cruise on the Wonder, man, have things changed since we cruised in 2009! Cruise Casual was 5 nights and semi-formal was 2. Cruise Casual allowed us to wear what we had on, jeans included! Semi formal nights - some dressed up in nice suits/dresses, but most dressed in khaki's/knit shirts for men and dress pants/blouses for women.

I was happy to see they relaxed their dress codes.