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Once upon a time, it wasn't so complicated. On cruise ships and in first class on ocean liners, formal dress was absolutely required after 6 p.m. -- not just in the dining room, but in all the public rooms as well. Until the 1920's, men invariably wore white tie, and ladies evening gowns. When things gradually became less formal, it meant a switch in the post-war years from white tie to black.But, with the advent of modern cruising in the 1960's, things began to change radically. New budget cruise lines appealed to a new type of passenger that didn't own sexy wedding dresses. Meanwhile, major ships began designating formal and informal evenings. But it wasn't until the late 1990's and early 2000's that big cruise lines began to loosen their dress codes. Many made it apply only to the main dining room -- not the other public rooms at night -- while Norwegian Cruise Line, as part of its Freestyle Cruising initiative, was the first to make formal nights "optional." As different lines tried to find their way in this new landscape, it certainly created a huge increase in the dress codes variation, and placed shipboard staff in the uncomfortable position of having to deal with ever more violations from passengers who were confused or just didn't want to comply."It's my vacation and nobody is going to tell me how to dress!"
Unfortunately, it's impossible to predict just how much you'll get away with on a particular night on a particular ship, or exactly what your fellow passengers will actually be wearing -- enforcement really comes down to the whim of whomever is standing at the door at that moment, and as for others' dress, it depends on the passenger mix on your particular cruise. What we can tell you is what each cruise line says you should wear. Carnival's evening dress code is typically “cruise casual,” but one or two nights during the voyage, “cruise elegant” eveningwear is suggested. On "cruise casual" nights, the line recommends sport slacks, khakis, jeans (no cut-offs), long dress shorts and collared sport shirts for men, and casual plus size prom dresses, casual skirts or pants and blouses, summer dresses, capri pants, dress shorts and jeans (no cut-offs) for women. Cruise elegant dress means dress slacks, dress shirts and sport coat (suggested not required) for men and cocktail dresses, pantsuits, elegant skirts and blouses for women. On elegant nights, passengers may choose to dress more formally in suits and ties, tuxedos or evening gowns, but this level of dress is not required.
Nightly Casual Option: For those not wanting to dress up, the Lido restaurants are open nightly and have a casual dress code.Written Restrictions and Jeans: Shorts (including gym and basketball shorts), beach flip-flops, bathing suit attire, cut-off jeans, sleeveless shirts for men and caps are the only items of clothing never permitted in the dining room during dinner.The Code: From July 1, 2013, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines simplified its dress code to just two: Formal nights tuxedos or dark suits for men, evening dresses for women) and smart casual nights (slacks and shirts with open-neck collars for men, casual dresses for women. The dress code applies to the restaurants at dinner.Number of Formal Nights: As a guideline, there are usually three formal nights on a two-week cruise. On Caribbean cruises,wholesale prom dresses code usually comprises three formal nights, two themed nights (such as tropical or rock 'n' roll) and the rest smart casual nights.Nightly Casual Option: From a Fred. Olsen spokeswoman: "Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has announced that, with effect from 1st July 2013, it will be streamlining the various dress codes for its cruise guests in the evenings across its fleet of four ships. Fred. Olsen will continue with its traditional ‘Black Tie Formal Nights', but the dress code for the remainder of the evenings on board will be simplified to ‘Smart Casual', allowing a more relaxed feel, whilst maintaining the high standards embraced and enjoyed by guests. The previous dress code of ‘Informal' is being removed." With the new ‘Smart Casual' dress code, gentleman are at liberty to wear a jacket and tie, or equally they may prefer to opt for an open-necked shirt, with Chinos or smart, dark-coloured jeans. For ladies, the choice could be an elegant dress or casual separates. ." |
