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Dress code evening dining NCL/Escape - kids


duchesslt
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My 12 year old grew 5 inches and gained 30 lbs in 6 months :eek:. I am hesitant to invest in a lot of clothes but want him to be dressed appropriately for Escape restaurants.

 

Are plaid/madras shirts with dress shorts ok for restaurants such as Bayamo, etc? Or do I need to go buy him long pants and button downs?

 

He wears a lot of adiddas and under armour athletic sets but I don't think that is appropriate for dinner?

 

Thanks for helping me out!

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He'll be fine in the under armour sets too. Just so long as they aren't falling off his butt and have sleeves, look decent.

 

I dislike sloppy looks! I thought a couple of restaurants were dressier but I guess for adults - not kids.:)

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Our last cruise my son was 14. On his first cruise, when he was 12, dress shorts and polo shirts were fine for the main dining room (one of the few that requires long pants for men). On the second cruise, they were not. We didn't pack any dress pants for him, so he ate in grey lounge/sweat pants and a polo.

 

I would recommend getting at least one pair of khaki pants or the pants that convert from pants to shorts just to play it safe. Any kind of shirt is fine, polos, madras, etc.

 

Hope this helps.

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Our last cruise my son was 14. On his first cruise, when he was 12, dress shorts and polo shirts were fine for the main dining room (one of the few that requires long pants for men). On the second cruise, they were not. We didn't pack any dress pants for him, so he ate in grey lounge/sweat pants and a polo.

 

I would recommend getting at least one pair of khaki pants or the pants that convert from pants to shorts just to play it safe. Any kind of shirt is fine, polos, madras, etc.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks! I hate paying $60 - $75 for pants that likely won't fit in another 3 months but I guess it is the price tag of having children. Vineyard Vines here I come.

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Thanks! I hate paying $60 - $75 for pants that likely won't fit in another 3 months but I guess it is the price tag of having children. Vineyard Vines here I come.

 

 

Why are you paying that much for pants he will only wear a couple of times?! Hit Target or Old Navy for a pair of khakis and you will be all set.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Why are you paying that much for pants he will only wear a couple of times?! Hit Target or Old Navy for a pair of khakis and you will be all set.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

I think that is what I should do and then justify the expense on a better bottle of wine :). The trekking pants are a great idea too - I guess "dressed up" for a Norwegian restaurant just means no shorts, no jeans.

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I think that is what I should do and then justify the expense on a better bottle of wine :). The trekking pants are a great idea too - I guess "dressed up" for a Norwegian restaurant just means no shorts, no jeans.

 

The rules can be found here. https://www.ncl.com/faq#packing

 

Per the NCL rules, kids 12 and under are ok with shorts.

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Thanks! I hate paying $60 - $75 for pants that likely won't fit in another 3 months but I guess it is the price tag of having children. Vineyard Vines here I come.

 

 

#FirstWorldProblems

 

There's lots of options out there cheaper than Vineyard Vines. [emoji23]

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The rules can be found here. https://www.ncl.com/faq#packing

 

Per the NCL rules, kids 12 and under are ok with shorts.

 

Says shorts are OK for any ages except in aft MDR and Le Bistro.

 

Just goes to show where I shop lol. Never heard of Vineyard Vines.

 

I just go to to Sears or JC Penney and get docker pants for $35 a pair.:eek:

 

Bill

Edited by S.S.Oceanlover
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Says shorts are OK for any ages except in aft MDR and Le Bistro.

 

Just goes to show where I shop lol. Never heard of Vineyard Vines.

 

I just go to to Sears or JC Penney and get docker pants for $35 a pair.:eek:

 

Bill

 

Vineyard Vines is the millennial version of preppy Polo or Tommy. It's like someone said cruise casual and God replied "Let there be Vineyard Vines". The polo horse has been aptly substituted with a whale which causes made in China to be marked up an additional 5k percent.

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Ds17 was 12 on his first NCL cruise. Once they did ask his age in the MDR (he was about 5'6"), we told them he was 12, and it wasn't an issue.

 

As for pants, don't waste your money on expensive khakis at this age. I must have purchased every combination of sizes for ds17 during those growing years, starting at 28x28, and settling in at 34x34 (I hope!). If he got two wears out of them, I was happy (same with dress shoes). Ds12 is smaller, so I doubt he'll get through all of the sizes, but at least I have them.

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Ds17 was 12 on his first NCL cruise. Once they did ask his age in the MDR (he was about 5'6"), we told them he was 12, and it wasn't an issue.

 

As for pants, don't waste your money on expensive khakis at this age. I must have purchased every combination of sizes for ds17 during those growing years, starting at 28x28, and settling in at 34x34 (I hope!). If he got two wears out of them, I was happy (same with dress shoes). Ds12 is smaller, so I doubt he'll get through all of the sizes, but at least I have them.

 

So it wasn't an issue for your DS17 to go in shorts when he was 12 years old? That's great!

 

I really would hate to see a couple dressed to the nines at Bayamo or Le Bistro expecting an elegant and romantic dinner and in I walk with DS looking like he's ready for gym class which is how he looks most of the time these days.

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So it wasn't an issue for your DS17 to go in shorts when he was 12 years old? That's great!

 

I really would hate to see a couple dressed to the nines at Bayamo or Le Bistro expecting an elegant and romantic dinner and in I walk with DS looking like he's ready for gym class which is how he looks most of the time these days.

 

I did have him wear nicer shorts/shirts than usual. Ds12 wears soccer jerseys and basketball shorts/track pants, so I get the uniform. He has one pair of black pants for choir and dressier occasions - that's it. Ds17 dresses in khakis/button downs every day now, plus sweaters (and is a Vinyard Vines fan). How they change!

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I'm not trying to be snarky, but I'm a grown woman that can put together classy looks from Target, Kohls, and the clearance racks of department stores. Order a $12 pair of khakis on black friday and donate them after the cruise.

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So it wasn't an issue for your DS17 to go in shorts when he was 12 years old? That's great!

 

I really would hate to see a couple dressed to the nines at Bayamo or Le Bistro expecting an elegant and romantic dinner and in I walk with DS looking like he's ready for gym class which is how he looks most of the time these days.

 

 

I've only dined at Le Bistro a total of 5 times, but I've never seen anyone "dressed to the nines". It barely looks different than dining anywhere else.

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I was on a cruise and one night women were in evening gowns and men in jackets. My son 10 at the time was in khakis and I was in a more casual dress so I decided to not be seated - we ordered sandwiches and sat outside. Thanks for letting me know because now I'm re planning my packing not just for him but for me too! I thought bayamo and bistro would be more cocktail dress type places but if I can leave behind my heels and spanx all the better!

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I was on a cruise and one night women were in evening gowns and men in jackets. My son 10 at the time was in khakis and I was in a more casual dress so I decided to not be seated - we ordered sandwiches and sat outside. Thanks for letting me know because now I'm re planning my packing not just for him but for me too! I thought bayamo and bistro would be more cocktail dress type places but if I can leave behind my heels and spanx all the better!

 

Its Freestyle..... YOU don't have to dress to the nines no matter what other people are wearing. That is the whole premise behind NCL's casual take on cruising. So those other people were dressed up, since there is no standard dress code they dressed the way they wanted and you were more than dressed well enough to eat in the same dining room as them. Don't worry about what the others are wearing, and they shouldn't worry about what you are wearing.

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My son is 12 and he lives in track pants and athletic shorts. For the cruise in 4 days (wow!) I'm bringing a few pair of khaki shorts and a few collared shirts. He probably won't join us in the MDR and definitely not at the nicer restaurants but I wanted him to have a dressier option. I just hit Kohls for shorts ( he has outgrown what fit this last summer) and I got them for 4.80 a pair. They had plenty of clearance slacks as well all for about 10-12.00 a pair. I have never heard of Vineyard Vines...but that's just as well. It might breach my 10$ per item max clothing rule.

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Just off a 7 day cruise on NCL. We have always dressed resort, and dining/restaurant attire for the main dining room. NCL has changed evening dining attire, there were men and women in shorts, t-shirts, flip flops and beach ware, not at all like our previous 5 sailings. I was a little surprised they allowed this for the evening dining in the MDR, no one was turned away. We will continue to dress as if we were going out to dinner. We also had small children running around using the back of my husbands chair to "swing past" between tables. We love kids, have many between us, along with grandchildren. So let your children wear, behave and act as they like. It goes for the adults also, drink, be loud and wear your shorts to the MDR. NCL has become the new Carnival. You will be comfortable however you choose to dress your family.

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