OK, what's really needed dress code wise?

RAD

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Dec 15, 1999
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DW and I are doing the DVC members cruise next month. We're confused on what clothes we really need to bring (we aren't doing Palo's). The DVC site put up a check list of things to bring and they said for men a suite/dress coat and dress/pants suite for women. I though I've read where they've relaxed the dress code a bit on the cruise for dinners so can someone please tell us what we really need to bring? Thanks - Rick
 
It really depends on you. There is a formal night and I have seen people dressed to the nines and people dressed like they just woke up. Are you sure about the no Palo's thing? That place is amazing!
 
HebeJebe said:
Are you sure about the no Palo's thing? That place is amazing!

Yep, not into the fancy dinner thing, I'm a meat and potatoes kind of guy. So what night is a formal night on a 4 night cruise? I really don't want to have to pack a sports/suit coat and dress shoes, this is vacation!
 

There is no formal night on the 3/4 nighters. So you'll be fine with casual for the whole thing as long as you're not doing Palo.
And they actually have realaxed the dress code for casual to include jeans and a nice top as well. So go casual, and enjoy!!!

-Christal
 
pwade said:
is shorts and a tee acceptable? Thanks

Acceptable, or allowed in? No, and yes. There was a couple on our cruise who wore shorts and tee shirts most nights, and sweatsuits on formal nights. Needless to say, they always stood out.
I suspect they had no clue what a cruise was about, or that they NEVER go out at home. He sent back dinner one night saying "everyone knows gravy goes on mashed potatoes, not on meat".
 
Shorts and a T are fine for the buffet/Topsiders. I would not wear them to the dining room for dinner (even on casual night.) It says no shorts please on the Navagators. On our 3 night we saw people very dressed up in the Tritons dining room so I guess it depends. I wore a short cocktail dress and DH wore a shirt and tie so less formal than a semi-formal night but still a bit dressy.
 
We were just on the 3 Day Wonder 8/11. The dress code is casual neat in all three restaurants and more formal in Paolos. Men were in collared polo shirts and pants. Women were in everything from dresses to pants and nice tops. Same for the kids. I did see a few men in Docker-like shorts at dinner, but they were very few and far between. :banana:
 
RAD said:
DW and I are doing the DVC members cruise next month. We're confused on what clothes we really need to bring (we aren't doing Palo's). The DVC site put up a check list of things to bring and they said for men a suite/dress coat and dress/pants suite for women. I though I've read where they've relaxed the dress code a bit on the cruise for dinners so can someone please tell us what we really need to bring? Thanks - Rick

Rick...

The dress code is truly casual neat for all dining rooms except Palo, you will not need a jacket or tie for any dining room, including Palo. For dinner, khakis and a polo shirt are fine. You could even wear jeans and a polo shirt. For your wife, pants/capris and a top are fine for dinner. Our tablemates on our cruise this past may wore jeans and shirts to dinner every night. (not tshirts, just regular collared shirts).

If you choose to eat in Topsiders shorts and a tee are definately fine for dinner, as they let me in, no problem dressed like that one night when I wasn't feeling so hot.

For Palo all you need is dress pants and a collared button up front shirt..tucked in, no Tommy Bahama style shirts (the ones that hang over mens pants). Although some of those look better than most dress shirts, so not sure what is up with that.

Please, don't over pack..go casual. It is fantastic!
 
Webray, thanks for the detailed answer, which is the one I was hoping for!
 
On our 7 nighters I took 1 sport coat 2 dress shirts and 2 ties, then just dockers and polo shirts. Sport coat and dockers were fine on formals polo and dockers are good for all others........
 
At Palo's my husband wore a jacket and tie although the jacket was not required (and I assume the tie, now). I wore a black two piece skirt and top and felt very at ease. For the restaurants, we always adhered to the suggested dress code: no tank tops, shorts, etc. It was painless and we felt so great dressing for dinner. Sure, there were some at dinner who couldn't care less about dressing up. OK, that's their choice but they sure stood out in their disregard for the suggested code. Hey, they paid their money and they made their choice! No problem for me with whatever their wardrobe. Just hoping everyone had a great time, that's all!
 
I just got my docs for the western caribbean 7 night cruise on the Magic. It states: "A jacket for men and a dress or pantsuit for women are suggested in the evening at Lumiere's and Palo only. Alll other dining rooms recommend resort casual wear; no shorts, jeans or tank tops please."

So it doesn't look like there is a formal night on the magic anymore. But oddly there was a booklet about renting formal wear in my packet.
 
kymma--what cruise are you on? We are on 9/24/05 Magic. Can't wait to hear about someone receiving their documents!
 
kymma said:
I just got my docs for the western caribbean 7 night cruise on the Magic. It states: "A jacket for men and a dress or pantsuit for women are suggested in the evening at Lumiere's and Palo only. Alll other dining rooms recommend resort casual wear; no shorts, jeans or tank tops please."

So it doesn't look like there is a formal night on the magic anymore. But oddly there was a booklet about renting formal wear in my packet.


A jacket is not needed for Lumiere. The 7 nights do still have formal night..whether or not your choose to participate is up to you.
 
I read that in the cruise docs too. I was wondering about all the people that don't know about the disboards and just read that in their docs. It seems like there is no formal or semi-formal night for everyone at once. We're bring DH's suit so it's no big deal. DCL should really be more clear with this.
 
daisy112878 said:
I read that in the cruise docs too. I was wondering about all the people that don't know about the disboards and just read that in their docs. It seems like there is no formal or semi-formal night for everyone at once. We're bring DH's suit so it's no big deal. DCL should really be more clear with this.


I agree! You can't very well blame a family for not dressing up on formal night when the documents aren't really clear about what they expect. Sounds to me like unless you've previously cruised on the Magic, or you know about DIS, you really could easily be mislead into believing that there is no need to pack formal wear. :confused3
 
I think there's some confusion in this thread because some posts are in regard to 3- and 4-night cruises on the Wonder and others are about 7-night cruises on the Magic.

Here's what the official DCL website says in the Onboard Dining FAQ.

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

This is a big change from the attire guidelines in previous years:

  • DCL is now using the word "requirements"
  • DCL no longer says "no jeans please"
  • On the Wonder, DCL no longer promotes "jacket recommended" for Triton's; instead, the Wonder now has one "dress-up night"
  • DCL now gives definitions for "formal" and "semi-formal"
 

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