What should I wear to a dinner cruise?

When a full meal is served, especially if it's a seated dinner, you are more likely to be expected to wear something more formal. Cocktail attire is probably best – so trousers and a blazer or a suit with or without a tie for men, and a short, mid, or long dress for women.



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Dinner or “smart casual” attire If you're having dinner in the main restaurant or any meal at one of the specialty restaurants, you'll follow a “smart casual” dress code on most nights. This means long pants, jeans, a dress or skirt, a stylish top, or a button-down.

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For women, the dress code may ask for sundresses, skirts and blouses, dress shorts and capri pants are acceptable. Don't wear sleeveless shirts (for men), cut-off jeans, T-shirts or gym shorts. If you want to attend a “cruise elegant” evening, bring a fancier, more formal outfit.

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Cruise Elegant Ladies: cocktail dresses, pantsuits, elegant skirts, blouses and evening gowns. Please no shorts, t-shirts, flip-flops, bathing clothes, jeans, cut-off jeans, sportswear and baseball caps.

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The rest of the week, proper dress in the evening was a polo shirt or any shirt with buttons, and long pants. And shoes. There is usually one formal dress night in the main dining room. On some cruises I've been on I can go in jeans and a pull over shirt in some of the other dining options.

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On informal nights, jackets (ties optional) for men are recommended, while women can opt for dresses or pantsuits. Tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits for men and gowns or cocktail dresses for women are suggested for formal nights.

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Dressy shoes It's a good idea to bring just one pair of dress shoes that can go with your outfits for formal nights. I like to bring a pair of gold strappy dress shoes, as they look fabulous with every color of dress (black, white, navy ect).

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Evening Chic means you dress to impress, glamorous and sophisticated in your own way, with a cocktail dress, skirt, slacks, or designer jean, an elegant dress top or blazer—some guests even pack a tuxedo or gown for onboard photos.

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Casual Dining: If your guests do not want to dress up formally for the dinner, they have the choice of casual dining. Most of the cruise lines offer casual dining which is buffet style dinner and also set up to order from the menu with table service (in the evening).

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Overall: Casual before 6 p.m., elegant casual after that. Casual wear is permitted on the final evening of the cruise. On sailings of 16 nights or longer, formal and semi-formal are optional on two evenings. Recommended for Women: Slacks or skirt with blouse or sweater, pantsuit, dress.

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Most cruise lines permit wearing clean, nice jeans in the main dining room and specialty restaurant on “casual” and “smart casual” evenings. On cruise lines where there is a formal night, jeans are not permitted in the main dining room. However, you can always eat in the casual restaurants and the buffet.

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If you like to have dinner on the table the minute you get home from work, stick to your regular routine. Choose the early dinner seating—it usually starts around 6 p.m. But if you like to lounge around a while or hit the gym after work, you might prefer a later setting, which typically starts at 8:30 p.m.

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After breakfast service ends in the late morning, all major cruise lines offer an all-day room service menu of salads, sandwiches, snacks and desserts. Most cruise lines have special in-room dining menus, separate from what you'd find that day on the buffet or in the main dining room.

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Getting on your ship means a lot of choices on how to begin your vacation, but many guests elect to start things off with lunch. Embarkation usually begins in the late morning to early afternoon, so lunch is the first opportunity to sit down for a bite to eat.

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T-shirts, swimsuits, robes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps, and pool wear are not allowed in the main restaurant or specialty restaurants at any time. In addition, shorts and flip-flops are not permitted during the evening hours.

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That depends who you ask, however, in my experience having between 4 and 6 pairs of shoes for a 7-14 day cruise is about right. You could get away with 3 pairs, if you're packing very light for a cruise.

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The main dining room and cruise ship buffet will always be included in your cruise fare, though a few specialty items might cost extra. Most upscale or sit-down specialty restaurants incur an extra fee, either a flat cover charge or a la carte pricing per item.

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I'm talking about any high heels you might feel compelled to bring for a formal dinner night. High heels are not the easiest to walk in, period, and on a big ship with varying surfaces ranging from wooden decks to busy narrow carpeted hallways, it's really awkward. Think about lower heels, block heels or wedges.

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