Dinner Wear

[misslissa]

Are jeans, skorts and capris ok for dinner????

 

[Anal Annie]

Here is the dress code copied from the DCL website:

What should I wear to dinner?

Dining Dress requirements vary by venue or theme night on your cruise. In general, most meals are "Cruise Casual" -- no shorts, swimwear or tank tops. Most cruises also have special theme nights with additional attire requirements. Here's a breakdown of these events by cruise itinerary.

On 3-night cruises:

First night: cruise casual — no shorts, swimwear or tank tops
Second night: pirate or tropical deck party
Final night: "dress-up night" — jacket for men, dress or pantsuit for women

On 4-night cruises:
First night: cruise casual — no shorts, swimwear or tank tops
One pirate or tropical night (deck party)
One "dress-up night" — jacket for men, dress or pantsuit for women
Final night: cruise casual — no shorts, swimwear or tank tops

On 7-night cruises:
First night: cruise casual — no shorts, swimwear or tank tops
Three additional "cruise casual" nights — no shorts, swimwear or tank tops
One pirate or tropical night (deck party)
One formal and one semi-formal night — formal wear for men: tuxedo or suit; for women: gown or dress; semi-formal wear for men: suit/jacket; for women: dress or pantsuit.
Dress for dinner at Palo on all cruises:
Men: dress shirt or jacket
Women: dress or pantsuit

I would say jeans are not the norm....IMO they are a bit TOO casual....most opt for capris and docker type slacks on the casual nights....

 

[daisy112878]

You'll be fine in any of those! I wore my dressy jeans with heels and a nice top to dinner on both my cruises. Never felt out of place. You will see it all in the dining rooms.

 

[misslissa]

Both my husband and I regularily get to go to work in jeans, dress shoes and nice tops. So, we have rather nice jeans, etc. Would jeans be ok for my husband at dinner too?

 

[jenseib]

I've not been on Disney, but on other cruises people wore jeans and shorts. Whats with the jacket for men though. I hate that. DH doesn't wear them ever. He owns one that my dad gave him, but why is this neccessary? After a busy day, not everyone wants to dress up. And alot of womens dresses are tank top type dresses?

 

[Anal Annie]

OK, here come the flames!

If you read thru the DCL dress code you will see that MOST nights are what they call "cruise casual" which is sort of "business casual". That's not dressy dressy but it's not sloppy either. Capris, skorts, sun dresses, polo type shirts and dockers are perfect for most nights. Depending on the length of the cruise you are asked to dress up one or two nights. That really isn't such a big deal - it's actually sort of fun to get dressed up and feel special. You are dining in a nice restaurant on the ships, not Applebees and you are being served and waited on hand and foot by your servers who go out of their way to make your dining experience a memory for you.

You can wear shorts, swim suits, tank tops and flip flops all day but they just ask that you look nice for dinner. What is wrong with looking nice for dinner? Why is our society so bent on being casual 365 days a year these days? A cruise is a special kind of vacation for us. We don't normally dine in "nice" restaurants in our every day life but if we did I would certainly dress for the place if that was required. My DH doesn't own a suit either (he works for a lumber yard) so on our 7 n cruise we rented the tux - and he looked sharp. He has 1 sport coat & that will do for the 3/4 n cruises & Palo.

The dress code is a touchy subject on the boards for some reason but I am just one of those who feels if you don't want to follow the suggested DCL dress code then you should order room service or dine in Topsiders / Beach Blanket where more casual dress is acceptable. IMO that is where you should go if you want to wear jeans & shorts. That's why those restaurants are there and that's why there is a dress code. I know some people will wear anything to dinner and yes, you will see a little bit of everything - I just don't think that makes it right.

 

[peteysmom]

I never wore anything nicer than capris and nice tops, even on the formal nights. Our waiter told us to come to dinner on the formal night when we told him we would not be there due to no nice clothes. He said people would be in all ranges of dress. I am glad we did not skip the meal as atleast half the people were dressed as we were.

 

[trimix]

I never wore anything nicer than capris and nice tops, even on the formal nights. Our waiter told us to come to dinner on the formal night when we told him we would not be there due to no nice clothes. He said people would be in all ranges of dress. I am glad we did not skip the meal as atleast half the people were dressed as we were.

And on the other end of the spectrum...
I would feel I was being disrespectful to fellow passengers and to my wife by not dressing formally on formal night. And I would be extremely offended by my wife if she was contemptuous enough to not dress appropriately when I have done so. Obviously, people have very different opinions on this board.

On a related note, what do people here think of doing Palo on formal night? I was planning formal night in the regular dining room, but I am simply not comfortable with the idea of my family dressing formally and the other family at our table in shorts and t-shirts. I would be disappointed to not eat that evening with the kids, but if there is a real risk of the others at my table being unwilling to dress and behave appropriately for a formal dinner then I would be much happier in a location where the dress code is enforced.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

OK, here come the flames!

If you read thru the DCL dress code you will see that MOST nights are what they call "cruise casual" which is sort of "business casual". That's not dressy dressy but it's not sloppy either. Capris, skorts, sun dresses, polo type shirts and dockers are perfect for most nights. Depending on the length of the cruise you are asked to dress up one or two nights. That really isn't such a big deal - it's actually sort of fun to get dressed up and feel special. You are dining in a nice restaurant on the ships, not Applebees and you are being served and waited on hand and foot by your servers who go out of their way to make your dining experience a memory for you.

You can wear shorts, swim suits, tank tops and flip flops all day but they just ask that you look nice for dinner. What is wrong with looking nice for dinner? Why is our society so bent on being casual 365 days a year these days? A cruise is a special kind of vacation for us. We don't normally dine in "nice" restaurants in our every day life but if we did I would certainly dress for the place if that was required. My DH doesn't own a suit either (he works for a lumber yard) so on our 7 n cruise we rented the tux - and he looked sharp. He has 1 sport coat & that will do for the 3/4 n cruises & Palo.

The dress code is a touchy subject on the boards for some reason but I am just one of those who feels if you don't want to follow the suggested DCL dress code then you should order room service or dine in Topsiders / Beach Blanket where more casual dress is acceptable. IMO that is where you should go if you want to wear jeans & shorts. That's why those restaurants are there and that's why there is a dress code. I know some people will wear anything to dinner and yes, you will see a little bit of everything - I just don't think that makes it right.

My wife and I feel the same way

Rob

 

[MassDisLovers]

OK, here come the flames!
The dress code is a touchy subject on the boards for some reason but I am just one of those who feels if you don't want to follow the suggested DCL dress code then you should order room service or dine in Topsiders / Beach Blanket where more casual dress is acceptable. IMO that is where you should go if you want to wear jeans & shorts. That's why those restaurants are there and that's why there is a dress code. I know some people will wear anything to dinner and yes, you will see a little bit of everything - I just don't think that makes it right.

I agree with you 100%. Thanks for saying it first!

 

[Jeninpa]

And on the other end of the spectrum...
I would feel I was being disrespectful to fellow passengers and to my wife by not dressing formally on formal night. And I would be extremely offended by my wife if she was contemptuous enough to not dress appropriately when I have done so. Obviously, people have very different opinions on this board.

On a related note, what do people here think of doing Palo on formal night? I was planning formal night in the regular dining room, but I am simply not comfortable with the idea of my family dressing formally and the other family at our table in shorts and t-shirts. I would be disappointed to not eat that evening with the kids, but if there is a real risk of the others at my table being unwilling to dress and behave appropriately for a formal dinner then I would be much happier in a location where the dress code is enforced.

I agree!! If you have money to cruise on DCL then how difficult is it to go buy a dress/ dress shirt / kakhi's from a clearance rack at the mall? lol Luckily there are 6 in my family so we don't get stuck at a table with people who are rude enough to not follow the dress code. I think it is all part of the experience!

BTW, I got a beautiful purple dress/gown to wear at the "Deb" store in our mall for only $10 (reg $75!),lol.

 

[misslissa]

.

 

[DAD AT DISNEY]

I guess we will not wear jeans for dinner on regular nights then?! I had no idea people would be so touchy about this subject.

DH and I have quite prominent jobs, he is lucky to make over 100 k per year. It isn't a matter of not wanting to dress up (we love to dress up!!!! ), or not having clothes (we had a fine dining meal last night after a long week).

It is simply our first cruise, and I thought the fine folk on the DISboards wouldn't mind giving me a few tips. I guess instead of packing our regular vacay gear, we'll be putting in our regular clothes too!!!!!!!!!!!!

What does your husband making over 100K have anything to do with this post?

Who cares!!!

 

[Anal Annie]

Misslissa - slow down! Nobody is trying to insinuate that you can't afford to dress up or anything like that...and you certainly CAN wear jeans if that's really your thing (esp. on the Wonder which is less formal) because some people WILL wear them... But some of us were just trying to answer your orig. question which mentioned jeans and we were saying that the dress code does not include jeans as being appropriate for the dining rooms. Some people will do it - that doesn't mean it's appropriate. I copied the dress code for you directly from the DCL website in my original post. You should read it thoroughly and decide for yourself how to interpret it. Some of us do not include jeans ("dressy" or otherwise) as recommended attire in the dining rooms (they're OK say for "Pirate Night"). Yet you will get answers from some who say to "go for it" because THEY did it. I still don't consider that to be the right attitude and the ships DO provide casual dining rooms if you choose to be more casual.

Regardless of what you choose to do have a great time!

 

[chpmnkfan]

I'm confused here...Could somebody clarify this for me?? In Annie's post she pasted the Disney dress code info and it did not say that jeans were not acceptable on casual night. Did I miss something? I am not trying to argue with anyone, I am confused.

 

[ragdoll]

I'm confused here...Could somebody clarify this for me?? In Annie's post she pasted the Disney dress code info and it did not say that jeans were not acceptable on casual night. Did I miss something? I am not trying to argue with anyone, I am confused.

Jeans have been acceptable for dinner on DCL for around two years now. DH and I have been wearing them since DCL started to allow them. We do not feel out of place. If you want to wear jeans please do. What is not acceptable is shorts, swimwear or tank tops.

 

[MGM94]

Misslissa - slow down! Nobody is trying to insinuate that you can't afford to dress up or anything like that...and you certainly CAN wear jeans if that's really your thing (esp. on the Wonder which is less formal) because some people WILL wear them... But some of us were just trying to answer your orig. question which mentioned jeans and we were saying that the dress code does not include jeans as being appropriate for the dining rooms. Some people will do it - that doesn't mean it's appropriate. I copied the dress code for you directly from the DCL website in my original post. You should read it thoroughly and decide for yourself how to interpret it. Some of us do not include jeans ("dressy" or otherwise) as recommended attire in the dining rooms (they're OK say for "Pirate Night"). Yet you will get answers from some who say to "go for it" because THEY did it. I still don't consider that to be the right attitude and the ships DO provide casual dining rooms if you choose to be more casual.

Regardless of what you choose to do have a great time!

You know, you knew this would turn into a big deal and you went there anyway. Why??? Someone asked a question and you were the first person to respond by playing it safe and just posting the rules, not your personal opinion. That was safe ground and answered the question. Then you guys opened the flood gates of hell with your personal opinions.

"Why is our society so bent on being casual 365 days a year these days?" What does that have to do with anything? Are you for real? To you along with others who replied to the question. I'm not going to quote all of you, so for the record this is addressed to more then just (Anal Annie).

What's wrong with a society who is hell bent on keeping people from wearing jeans on a cruise ship? By the way that question / comment sounds just as moronic whether you are pro or con on the subject.

Why do you people feel the need to intimidate and confuse someone planning a trip with anything more then the FAQs? Or give the person asking your personal beliefs on life and society on a whole. Who gives a rats what you think and or question on society.

DCL ALLOWS JEANS. EVERYONE SUCK IT UP AND MOVE ON. IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, TRAVEL SOMEPLACE ELSE.

This message is brought to you by someone who doesn't even wear jeans in the dining room. But if it's allowed it's up to each individual to decide, without 20 peoples personal belief systems along for the ride.

Slam me if you all want but my blood pressure would pop and kill me if I didn't speak my mind.

 

[bobbi565]

You know, you knew this would turn into a big deal and you went there anyway. Why??? Someone asked a question and you were the first person to respond by playing it safe and just posting the rules, not your personal opinion. That was safe ground and answered the question. Then you guys opened the flood gates of hell with your personal opinions.

"Why is our society so bent on being casual 365 days a year these days?" What does that have to do with anything? Are you for real? To you along with others who replied to the question. I'm not going to quote all of you, so for the record this is addressed to more then just (Anal Annie).

What's wrong with a society who is hell bent on keeping people from wearing jeans on a cruise ship? By the way that question / comment sounds just as moronic whether you are pro or con on the subject.

Why do you people feel the need to intimidate and confuse someone planning a trip with anything more then the FAQs? Or give the person asking your personal beliefs on life and society on a whole. Who gives a rats what you think and or question on society.

DCL ALLOWS JEANS. EVERYONE SUCK IT UP AND MOVE ON. IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, TRAVEL SOMEPLACE ELSE.

This message is brought to you by someone who doesn't even wear jeans in the dining room. But if it's allowed it's up to each individual to decide, without 20 peoples personal belief systems along for the ride.

Slam me if you all want but my blood pressure would pop and kill me if I didn't speak my mind.

Well stated!! Dress code is dress code. Disney has recommended what they feel is acceptable and what is not. They have indicated "no swimwear, shorts, or tank tops." Jeans are fine, and no posters on this board have the authority to tell you they are not, misslissa. Sorry some agressive types on this thread made you feel defensive enough to reveal your salary level, which is none of their business! Enjoy your vacation; DCL wants you to, and the "fun junkies" will be onboard to try to help make sure you do!

 

[misslissa]

Well, actually...

I came on this board to ask a simple question about whether jeans are acceptable or not. Of course, being the Disboards, it turned into something more than that. I haven't been on the DCL before, so I have a few questions... and that's all that they are. I'm not asking you to sum up your personal values and beliefs for everyone... I'm asking a simple question.

Personally, I have decided that we won't wear jeans, but I just hadn't thought of it before. And, it popped into my mind the other night when I was going over our shopping list.

And, I apologize for bringing salary into it if it made anyone uncomfortable. But, this isn't the first time that I have felt that I have been called "cheap" by a member of the board by asking a simple question, in this case, the member I was responding to. How is anyone actually "cheap" if they are going on a Disney cruise? Really? It was a simple question, not a question of the level of manners you have or how "cheap" you are.

 

[Anal Annie]

The whole subject of jeans being acceptable in the dining rooms or NOT really cracks me up. It has nothing to do with money but judgement. I mean, to me it's just a matter of using common sense on it or choosing to buck the system. I think the basic root of the problem is that DCL does nobody any favors by not spelling it out and leaving it up to personal interpretation. They will let you in wearing jeans but I still don't think they're appropriate on any night except maybe Pirate Night. And that's the key I think for some of us. It's not whether or not they're "allowed" it's whether or not it's "appropriate".

If you look at the dress codes used in corporate America today a lot of them these days are now "business casual" on Monday thru Thursday or Friday. That means they no longer require coats & ties for men or panty hose and closed toe shoes and sleeves for women (yes - that used to be a policy in a place I worked at once upon a time - some of you are too young to remember how we USED to have to dress for work). ANYWAY, then there are the corporate dress codes that single out Friday as "jeans day". I have to believe that this is still singled out as a special day because jeans are still considered to be MORE CASUAL than docker type pants. And it's why people still make a big deal out of whether or not they get to wear jeans on Friday. I mean, really. There ARE still places out there who don't allow it. The other problem with jeans these days is that the styles are so varied. People pay extra money to buy them with holes in them so in their minds, because they paid a premium price they call them their "good jeans". This lack of good judgement on when & where they are appropriate leads to why some of us still think they're more casual and should not be allowed at certain times.

I would wear them to Ruby Tuesdays or TGI Fridays or The Outback but I would not wear them to Ruth's Chris or The Capitol Grill or Morton's. Kudos to MassDisLovers, Mickeyhugger & trimix for being on the same page and upholding good values. Misslissa - sorry if you felt put on the spot. You now have a variety of opinions (and attitudes) and are certainly capable of making up your own mind on the subject.