How Many Actually Dress Formal At Dinner?

[DarleneAnne]

We are going on the Mar 20th Western Cruise on the Magic. My husband wants to know if he needs to bring a suit, tux, and/or sports jacket. We have a 7 night trip, a formal, semi-formal and dinner at Palo planned.


If you have been on a DCL before:
1. Is it ok to go to dinner in a casual button down shirt Tommy Bahama style and casual pants on a regular or semi-formal night? I have seen several different answers out on the boards and it just raises more questions.

2. What do you think the percentage of men who dress in a suit or tux on these more formal evenings is?

Please let me know, thanks!

 

[poizenivey]

We are going on the Mar 20th Western Cruise on the Magic. My husband wants to know if he needs to bring a suit, tux, and/or sports jacket. We have a 7 night trip, a formal, semi-formal and dinner at Palo planned.


If you have been on a DCL before:
1. Is it ok to go to dinner in a casual button down shirt Tommy Bahama style and casual pants on a regular or semi-formal night? I have seen several different answers out on the boards and it just raises more questions.

2. What do you think the percentage of men who dress in a suit or tux on these more formal evenings is?

Please let me know, thanks!

Thanks for posting this question!! My hubby and I were having the same discussion last night!!!

 

[shmoogrrrl]

We do. I have a long dress and my husband owns a tux so he brings it.

 

[yogibigdog]

On 7 night sailings I see less than a handful of men wearing tuxes. Usually a jacket or a suit. The 3 and 4 night sailings are more casual no formal night. I think overall from what I see fewer people dress up.

 

[adnil530]

The girls and I enjoy shopping for our dresses which are pretty formal. My DH wears a suit w/vest...He doesn't have a Tux, which is fine. Dressing up is fun, but not all do it. I don't have a problem with that.

 

[Disneynutbsv]

What about a 3 night, I like to dress up and purchased a "semi-formal" dress for me and my daughter, my husband and son will wear shirt and ties, is this ok? Or would my dd and I be overdressing on a 3 night cruise? I just really would love a nice pic of all of us dressed up

 

[DVCconvert]

What about a 3 night, I like to dress up and purchased a "semi-formal" dress for me and my daughter, my husband and son will wear shirt and ties, is this ok? Or would my dd and I be overdressing on a 3 night cruise? I just really would love a nice pic of all of us dressed up

Generally on the shorter cruises even a smaller % of guests get all dolled up.
That said - 'don't worry, be happy'....if you want to get some formal wear & have photos...'just do it'! It's your vacation do what you like! Don't worry about what anyone else is or isn't doing or feeling out of place...make it you're own place!

HTH

 

[tigger2002]

If you have been on a DCL before:
1. Is it ok to go to dinner in a casual button down shirt Tommy Bahama style and casual pants on a regular or semi-formal night? I have seen several different answers out on the boards and it just raises more questions.

2. What do you think the percentage of men who dress in a suit or tux on these more formal evenings is?

Please let me know, thanks!

I started a thread some time ago with pictures so that people could get a better idea of what other people wear on formal night.

>>>> http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2073975&highlight=not+another+formal

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[Disneynutbsv]

Generally on the shorter cruises even a smaller % of guests get all dolled up.
That said - 'don't worry, be happy'....if you want to get some formal wear & have photos...'just do it'! It's your vacation do what you like! Don't worry about what anyone else is or isn't doing or feeling out of place...make it you're own place!

HTH

Thanks!

 

[EJ'sMom]

My Husband will be wearing a shirt and tie. Me a knee length strapless dress I had in my closet and decided last minute to throw it in. Semit Formal, he will likely wear a similar outfit and I will wear a sundress. NO tux's here.....for us (well him mostly)that is not vacation fun!

 

[mammacaryn]

This year for Formal night Hubby is wearing a suit and tie, son wearing shirt and tie and my daughter and I wearing nice dresses.

Semi formal daughter and I dresses and the boys polos and kakhis (not kakhi colored either )


Its all whatever makes you comfortable!

 

[brucechase]

I'll answer your questions:

1. Yes, you will be fine. You will not be denied seating in the main dining room if you wear what you described.

2. For Formal night - On the Wonder - I saw maybe 1 or 2 in a tux and about 10% in suits and 40% in a dress shirt or shirt and tie and maybe 40% in just casual clothes.

For formal night - On the Magic - I saw maybe 10 in tuxes and 50% in suits and maybe 30% in nice shirts and/or ties and a few (maybe 10%) in jeans/dockers and polo shirts


Just a note of caution about the responses, there are approximately 7,000 people sailing every week on the Disney ships and only an extremely small percentage here on the disboards. Many of the responses you've seen in the past (that has caused you confusion) are only opinions of HOW you should dress. The fact is you could show up to the main dining rooms in shorts or jeans and you will still be seated and treated like any other guest. There might be one or two people who will look at you and make comments under their breath about how you dress, but no one else really will care, they are there to enjoy their vacation, not worry about someone elses fashion.

 

[disney-akj]

Hello!! Since we are on the same cruise : ) I can tell you what my husband plans on doing. My husband will probably wear what you described most evenings. On the formal he will wear his black suit (which he owns already) and the semi-formal he will wear the pants from the suit with a shirt and tie.

 

[lmb]

We always dress formally. My DH bought a tux for our wedding so the cruises are nice because he can get some use out of it. I wear a dress that's on par with the tux.

 

[DarleneAnne]

Hello!! Since we are on the same cruise : ) I can tell you what my husband plans on doing. My husband will probably wear what you described most evenings. On the formal he will wear his black suit (which he owns already) and the semi-formal he will wear the pants from the suit with a shirt and tie.

Hi Michele,
Thank you, and we are incolved with the FE you and Angela have organized. So I look forward to meeting you, maybe at dinner too. We have the Main seating. I think my husband will be bringing a sports jacket and nice slacks after reading all of the comments. I plan to wear a full length gown to the formal night, but it is not super formal in style. See you in a coiple of weeks! Darlene

 

[DarleneAnne]

I really appreciate all of the advice and pictures! Hope all of you who are cruising in the future have great trips!

 

[DarleneAnne]

Thank you for the pictures. Really nice!

 

[TnRobin]

We always dress up for formal nights on the 7 night cruise, but never for the shorter cruises. By dressed up, I mean the tuxes and full lenght evening dresses. It is just something I love to do. I never have the opportunity to get totally dressed up in real life, so formal night on the cruise is my one night to play princess for one evening. DH doesn't like the tux, but he loves me and does it for me.

On 3 and 4 day cruises, I take a "Sunday" dress for the dressier night. I think just wearing pantyhose makes it dressy. The rest of the week I wear slacks or a casual dress (sans hosiery). DH and DS wear dockers and polos.

 

[MrsPMC00]

We are on the same cruise too - My husband will also be wearing his black business suit for formal night and probably the suit with no tie for semi formal night, or the tie and no jacket.

Hello!! Since we are on the same cruise : ) I can tell you what my husband plans on doing. My husband will probably wear what you described most evenings. On the formal he will wear his black suit (which he owns already) and the semi-formal he will wear the pants from the suit with a shirt and tie.

 

[pugmom626]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Finally, a thread where the majority of people dress up and LIKE it! We dress up for formal and semi-formal nights AND dress sharp for the other dinners. I was so tired of the threads where the jist of the conversation was about how to dress down as much as possible and still be somewhat within the guidelines. Just beacuse the CMs will not likely send you back to your stateroom to get dressed for dinner, doesn't mean that you look "perfectly fine" in your "nice" shorts and sequin tank top. I was beginning to worry about DCL going "WalMart"


Treat your fellow posters with respect. We all have our own opinions and all opinions are welcome as long as they are posted in a respectful manner. It is also helpful to read an entire thread before posting. What might have been a heated discussion on the first couple of pages might have been resolved later on and just posting to the original post just frustrates the other posters. Remember that what is right for one poster and their situation might not be right for others.

Please keep the DIS guidelines in mind when posting. Saying that DCL is 'going WalMart' because not everyone dresses for dinner in the same manner as you is not being respectful.