RCCL - 7 night cruise - jackets required for men on formal n

Hi all. This July we will be sailing on Explorer, our first cruise on RCCL. If my husband does not have to bring a jacket, he would prefer not to. (We plan to eat in the main dining rooms every night). On the Explorer i'm not sure if there is or how many formal nights.
Do men ever wear a polo shirt and dress shorts in the main dining room?

Thanks for any advice!
~ Marina
6/03 - Celebrity Horizon ~ Bermuda
7/03 - Carnival Paradise ~ West. Carrib.
7/04 - Disney Wonder ~ Bahamas
7/04 - RCCL Explorer of the Seas ~ West. Carrib.
8/04 - NCL Pride of Aloha ~ Hawaii
2/05 - Golden Princess ~ Southern. Carrib.

Hello....RCCL has two formal nights in the main dining room. I hate to wear a jacket myself, however, a jacket is required for both formal nights. That does not mean your husband has to wear a tuxedo. He can wear a dark suit, or dark dress slacks and a dark sportcoat will do. Shorts are not allowed in the dining room any night. For lunch, it's OK. They might not say anything if he wears shorts on other dinner nights besides the formal nights, but I beleive that not to be the case. I have worn dockers and a polo shirt for dinner and that is fine. On dinner nights besides formal, smart casual is fine, but no shorts. If you decide not to dress up on formal night, you always have the option of dining in the Windjammer Cafe where you can where shorts, tee shirts, etc.

Hope this helps a bit. We are going on the Adventure in October. Cannot wait.

Dave

[Donna]

Hi Marina,
YEs, your husband will need a dark suit or tux for the 2 formal nights..no shorts in the dining room for dinner, but OK for breakfast and lunch. They usually have 1 semi formal night as well, where he'd need a sports coat. For the casual nights a polo shirt and some docker type pants will be fine.

[norma]

Formal nites mean that-shorts are not formal and not supposed to be worn in the dining room for dinner anytime. Certainly a jacket should be worn on formal nites. This dress is not only on Explorer but on every ship I've been on.
If he chooses not to dress formally, there are many other options for dinner.

There are many options for dinnerhowever if you are going to eat in main dining room you are expected to honor the dress code which also respects the other diners who are following the written sugestions.

[Cruiseguy]

Or you may choose to sail Carnival. On that line, formal is a pair of Levi's with no holes and a clean bowling shirt.

[cruisecrazy]

Hi Big Apple & All U Folks - gee I always have to wear a stole or sweater in the dining room especially in the evenings, 'cause with the air conditioning, it can get quite chilly - consider that when deciding whether or not to wear shorts as well as the dress code. Following same, as Big Apple suggests, is showing respect for your fellow travellers who do also. Happy cruisin'! :0)

Hi Cruiseguy,Right on with your comments.Carnival should not even suggest formal as many totally ignore as you so well put it.I do believe that the cruise lines are concerned about offending someone or getting a poor grade on the remarks card.

[Cruiseguy]

Big apple, your sooooo right!

At a minimum for Royal, dark suit for formal nights, sports jacket (possibly no tie) for informal, casual does not mean same as at home--means dockers with a golf shirt or similar. No tee shirts or sloppy wear! You'll want to fit in & within the dress code there is a wide range of acceptable. Shorts are out of that range...& as mentioned above--it's too chilly anyhow.

[bombero]

Please do not take Cruiseguy's reply serious. My wife and I just sailed Carnival for the first time on the Carnival Glory against the advise of others.. We found that all the rules on Carnival are inforced for the most part. Every negative thing we ever heard about Carnival was laid to rest on that cruise. We personally had a great time and out of 8 cruises, we put the Glory and the Golden Princess as a tie for 1st place. On formal nights every man we saw was in a suit or, jacket and tie, matching slacks.. We ate in the Platinum Dining room, 2nd level, with a view of everything. Not fond of suits myself, even though I have 4, I would have been the 1st to complain about the dress code, but the situation never arose. You can also disregard most of the other negative rumors you've heard about Carnival. They're not true either.... Carnival may have had some problems in the past, but it appears to us, that they are working overtime to correct them..... Would we cruise Carnival again? ABSOLUTELY! !
Happy Sailing, Roger.... Firefighter/Captain, newly retired...

We sail the new Caribbean Princess, June 26th... The count down begins.......

[Kuki]

We were recently on RCI's Serenade.. walking into the dining room on formal night, directly in front of us, was one couple in shorts, t-shirts and flip flops, and another with the woman in casual "crop pants" (or whatever the heck they're called).

Nothing was said to either couple, so I guess it really just depends on how comfortable you are sticking out a bit.

Until RCI starts taking their own policies seriously, it seems it's ok for the passengers dress and do pretty much whatever they like.

BTW.. the suggested dress code for that night was formal/or 70s. Go try and figure out who put that combination together. Guess they could have meant baby blue tuxedos.

Another night's suggested dress was "smart casual" (which they define as a sports jacket for the men), or Hawaiian. Another interesting contradiction <G>



Post Edited (06-07-04 16:38)

[cruisecrazy]

Ohhh Kuki I do hope u filed a complaint or talked to the maitre d' - that is disgusting behavior but if u didn't then u aided and abetted them and can't complain.

[alison1170]

I think about the only night you could get away with shorts wold be the first night since most people may not have gotten their luggage by dinner time. Heres a scenario too-lets say youre on a cruise to Bermuda and its formal night. Would Bermuda shorts be considered formal attire??? Just curious-the pastor, the photographer, and a few guests at our wedding wore them!

alison

I do believe you can answer your own questions or better yet read the written policy put out by the cruise lines.We are not all getting married in Bermuda when taking a cruise.

[Ann]

We always follow the dress code for the dining room. However, I don't care what others wear. Anyone who is upset by what strangers wear on vacation has way too much time on their hands. Just my opinion.

How about if they were at your table? --kind of sets a different tone for what should be a most elegant & special evening...I am not a gown person but try to look very dressy on formal night out of respect for the other cruisers. Until the rules change, follow the rules!

Right on with your comment.I do not want them at my table and already know we will have nothing in common.Do not care for those who will not follow the written rules.

[cruisecrazy]

I am tired of people saying - I follow the rules but don't 'care' if others don't - YAH RIGHT!!! What if some obey traffic signs & others don't, what if some use your lawn as a bathroom but others dont, what if some beat u up but others dont - GET THE PICTURE.? If the soldiers in WW 2 had said that we wld all be saluting Hitlers picture today. Please s---- or get off the pot - u either support rules & codes or u dont for heavens sake. Do u have backbones or how are u able to stand up - but u don't do u?? If u apply that to all faucets of life God will be hard pressed to help us! This is the cowards way out...I'm 'otta here - 'nuff for me with all this 'wimpy' stuff - see yah Big Apple!

1st - I hate suits.

That said, I LOVE formal night on the ships. It takes you back to the days of early sea voyage, a romantic notion that you are on top of the world, and that nothing can go wrong. I put on my tux, have a Martini (or a glass of bubbly), and look around the room at all of the high glamor.

For 50 weeks a year I go to work, play with the kids, etc. for the oportunity to "get away from it all". That includes the everyday occurances (like shorts and t-shirts).

A couple of years ago we had formal night while in port at Nassau, so after dinner we all went to the Atlantis in our tuxes and gowns. Walking into the casino I felt like James Bond! To this day we talk about that night being a highlight!

Bottom line - when you show up at dinner in shorts on formal night, you ruin that expierience for everyone. Instead of fighting it, embrace it and enjoy! (Besides, when you wife puts on one of her slinky gowns, makeup, and jewlery to the nines...when is she ever hotter? (Except for when she takes off the slinky gown...))

Oh, and yes the name is Bond, James Bond....

[norma]

IJ-you're my kind of man. You know what makes a woman feel special. There is nothing like dressing up and making it the start of an exciting nite.
Norma

Hey cruisecrazy, chill out! These are suggested guidelines, not rules or laws! Quite a jump from wearing shorts to saluting Hitler, jeesh!

Please do not go a cruise with us .I would much rather go with cruise crazy than you who thinks this is only guideline.Maybe you should switch to carnival where noone cares what you do on formal nights.Please do not ruin for those who abide by the dress code which is written or can you read?

[cruisecrazy]

Ohhhh 'ij' (alias Bond, James Bond) - Norma is so right , like Big Apple, u are my kind of guy - wish there were more of u fellas and less Bob2 types - u understand us so well....Happy cruisin' sweetie & thanks for the giggle (your wives are lucky ladies fellas..)!! :0)

[Ed]

Without rules there is chaos. If you want to go on a picnic ...or a cook out fine go. But if your in a dining room, dress up! I mean there is common sense and then there is just plain "common".

[cruisecrazy]

U are my kind of guy also Ed - very well put - very well - u nailed it in a single word 'common'!

[dalwhitt]

Perhaps I've been going on the right Carnival ships. I've sailed on four Carnival cruises and in all that time I've only seen ONE person dress inappropriately on formal night - some guy in all black leather.