Thread: Confused about clothes to wear for evening meal.

I'm am confused about the dress code for the evening meals. Causal, informal etc. Does causal mean dress shirt and slacks ( no tie ) for men or polo shirt and nice slacks ? Do women wear pant suits or dresses like you would for church ? This packing thing is driving me crazy !! :frustrate
We have already had to take the luggage back that we bought for the cruise because of the size restrictions on the airlines. Can you tell we really are new at this traveling thing ? LOL. We have alot to learn. Any advice would greatly be appreciated.

Hi daleann, You're right for the men, dress slacks or dockers, polo or short sleeve shirts. no jeans, t-shirts or shorts!! On casual, smart casual, I bring sundresses, more comfy, and a church dress is appropriate too!!

Whew ! Thanks Sue. It has really been confusing to me. I'll be glad when I'm old hat at this ! Thanks for your help.

Daleann, my DH even has a Hawaiian shirt and a pair of khakis that he wears on Caribbean night. Polo shirt is great for casual nights. The pants don't get dirty, so they can be worn 2-3 times. That also helps to cut down on the packing. Suit and tie for formal nite, and shirt/tie/sports jacket for semi-formal. Men are so easy to pack for!!!

For informal night I usually wear a long Hawaiian print dress, and then on casual night it is khakis (any long pant would be fine) with various casual tops. On one formal nights I have a long fancy dress (that I got for a little amount of $$ after Christmas, and then velvet pants with a sparkly top for the other. A nice dress that you wear for church would be appropriate, too.

Some other packing advice:

• We leave our hanging things on hangars, put dry cleaner bags over them and then when we get on the ship, I just pull them out, hang them up and they have no wrinkles! I also don't have to take my precious cruising time re-hanging them on the hangars.
• Cross pack! After you have your suitcases organized, take half of your DH's clothes out of his and put it in your's and vice-versa. That way if, Heaven forbid, one of your suitcases doesn't make it, you both still have some clothes for the week.
• Pack one of each kind of outfit, as well as swim suit, in your carry-on. That way if ALL of your luggage doesn't make it, (even more stressful, to say the least) you will have SOMETHING to wear!
• Bring one of each formal outfit, including shoes and accessories, in a carryon. Wouldn't want to be w/ out those either.
• Bring only one pair of formal shoes that works with both formal outfits.
• You won't change clothes during the day as much as you think you will. Don't pack to many shorts outfits. I usually bring 4 pair of shorts with different tops. You can always buy more t-shirts while at ports. They are cheap!
• Bring 2-3 swimsuits. Nothing is yuckier than putting on a wet swimsuit.

Don't forget to pick up a waterproof camera before you go. You can get them on the ship and in port but they are SOOOO expensive there.

You are going soon! Have a fabulous cruise!

Happy to help!! Being a new cruiser it can make you nuts, but we can help. Ask away, we love to help!! By the time you go, you will be a pro!!

You didn't say which line you were on. That can make a difference sometimes. For example, on Cunard, formal night is really formal, while the other nights are more casual but still quite formal.

Originally Posted by Sheffie

Daleann, my DH even has a Hawaiian shirt and a pair of khakis that he wears on Caribbean night. Polo shirt is great for casual nights. The pants don't get dirty, so they can be worn 2-3 times. That also helps to cut down on the packing. Suit and tie for formal nite, and shirt/tie/sports jacket for semi-formal. Men are so easy to pack for!!!

For informal night I usually wear a long Hawaiian print dress, and then on casual night it is khakis (any long pant would be fine) with various casual tops. On one formal nights I have a long fancy dress (that I got for a little amount of $$ after Christmas, and then velvet pants with a sparkly top for the other. A nice dress that you wear for church would be appropriate, too.

Some other packing advice:

• We leave our hanging things on hangars, put dry cleaner bags over them and then when we get on the ship, I just pull them out, hang them up and they have no wrinkles! I also don't have to take my precious cruising time re-hanging them on the hangars.
• Cross pack! After you have your suitcases organized, take half of your DH's clothes out of his and put it in your's and vice-versa. That way if, Heaven forbid, one of your suitcases doesn't make it, you both still have some clothes for the week.
• Pack one of each kind of outfit, as well as swim suit, in your carry-on. That way if ALL of your luggage doesn't make it, (even more stressful, to say the least) you will have SOMETHING to wear!
• Bring one of each formal outfit, including shoes and accessories, in a carryon. Wouldn't want to be w/ out those either.
• Bring only one pair of formal shoes that works with both formal outfits.
• You won't change clothes during the day as much as you think you will. Don't pack to many shorts outfits. I usually bring 4 pair of shorts with different tops. You can always buy more t-shirts while at ports. They are cheap!
• Bring 2-3 swimsuits. Nothing is yuckier than putting on a wet swimsuit.

Don't forget to pick up a waterproof camera before you go. You can get them on the ship and in port but they are SOOOO expensive there.

You are going soon! Have a fabulous cruise!

Great advice...I always "crosspack" We haven't lost luggage yet...but you never know.

I also bring clothes that coordinate...only a few pairs of shorts...with different shirts to match all of them! I am really a great packer. My dh is the one that packs too much.

I'm going to have to remember those packing tips once we get ready to pack. Being a newbie, i know i'm going to ask for advice again on packing.

patty

daleann...don't stress! You will find you are on the right track! And then you'll wonder why you got so worried! Enjoy every moment of the preparation and have a wonderful time on your trip!

I understand HAL can be pretty dressy. You may wish to pose this question on the HAL board if that's going to be your next cruise. I know with Princess, the destination can affect the tone of dress. On our Alaskan cruise we saw more jeans than on other cruises (tho' maybe not in the dining room). On our Hawaiian cruise, many people wanted to show off their new Aloha wear. There was a lot of prints in the dining room on casual nights.