Changes in dress codes

[dvd77]

I'm curious... for repeat cruisers who have cruised on Carnival both before and after Carnival adopted their "Cruise Casual" dress code, what changes have you seen in the MDR dinner clothing? Has there been a marked change in the level of dress? What is the prevelance of shorts being worn to dinner?

[*Mach*]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!!!

Shorts and such are in the minority... most folks dress rather nice. You will notice that the first night is almost 'anything goes' as some folks have not gotten their luggage, etc.

After that first night the dress code seems to be somewhat better enforced. I've seen the Maitre d' require a guest to remove a baseball cap, one turned away for an inappropriate t-shirt ( foul language...) and several others turned away on Elegant Evening for not meeting the dress code.

Regardless, the food is still very good and the service wonderful!

Enjoy!

:)

[H82seaUgo]

you will only see an occasional person in shorts in the mdr.

[Cruise, J.D.]

I only went on one or two cruises before the change. There was a marked change in my opinion, but it has leveled off. I have not noticed many shorts except for cruise casual night. I wear shorts on cruise casual nights. I would estimate a majority are not wearing shorts.

[dvd77]

Thanks for the info!

[MissDiva1]

We have noticed the change. There is alot more shorts on casual nights now.

[thekings23]

I only went on one or two cruises before the change. There was a marked change in my opinion, but it has leveled off. I have not noticed many shorts except for cruise casual night. I wear shorts on cruise casual nights. I would estimate a majority are not wearing shorts.

 

Isn't every dinner service either elegant night or cruise casual? I do not wear shorts to the MDR, but I do wear jeans with a dress shirt. My toddlers will wear dress shorts to dinner on the non-elegant night though.

[mimgan3]

Can't speak for the masses, but we have not changed our way of dressing since our first cruise in 2001, with the exception of embarkation day, I wear suit and tie on elegant night, the Mrs. wears a nice dress or pantsuit, on casual nights it's khaki's and polo or button down for me, sundress or capri's and nice blouse or top for DW.

 

Eventhough they have loosened up some rules, we like looking nice for dinner, and if you want, just run back to cabin after dinner and change into something more casual.

 

Welcome Aboard,

Mimgan

[dvd77]

It's been a little over 10 years since my last cruise, so I wondered how the newer dress codes would affect things.

[okgirl]

I have definitley changed how I dress....back in the day I wore a dress to dinner every evening. Now more often than not on casual nights I wear a capri set and on elegant evening I wear a nice pant outfit.

 

I don't wear many shorts but wouldn't ever wear that in the evening.

[Cruise, J.D.]

Isn't every dinner service either elegant night or cruise casual? I do not wear shorts to the MDR, but I do wear jeans with a dress shirt. My toddlers will wear dress shorts to dinner on the non-elegant night though.

 

Yeah, it is one or the other. Both nights are generally less dressy than before the changes. For example, I distinctly remember seeing a lot of tuxes on my first cruise. I've seen one tux over the past three cruises.

[conchead]

Although they are not the majority, there will be plenty of guys in shorts.

I am usually one of them.

 

I never sailed back in the "glory days of cruising" but it seems from

what I have seen and what others say, Elegant night (formerly Formal Night)

is not as dressed up as it used to be. Only a handful of tuxes, lots of

suits, some just jackets w/no ties, some ties and no jackets, some just

nice pants and shirt, and a few that manage to get in with a t-shirt.

[vfb2girls]

Just got off the Legend on Sunday and both husband and myself noticed how casual everybody was. Normally we wouldn't og paid attention to this but with all the clothes wars going on I made it a point to observed what people wore. The night we went to the Golden Fleece, both my husband and myself were dressed to the nines and they let a guy and gal in to eat and the guy was wearing a t-shirt, not with a collar either, long faded pants and the girl was dressed in a very casual sundress with flip flops. I saw more people in the dining room wearing shorts, and you guess it, both myself and husband where among them. I probably will never again haul around formal wear again, whether it is wrong or right I think husband and I are just done with it. And yes it did make my husband upset to think that he went to all the trouble wearing a suit and some guy strolls in looking like he spent the day at the beach and got served the same dinner.

[GaNavy]

Cruising is definitely less formal than it used to be, but Carnival was never that formal in the first place. There aren't as many tuxes now, for sure, but there never were that many - I have a couple of old Video Diaries (remember them? :D) from the '90s, and the guys are generally wearing suits or jackets/ties while the ladies are in nice cocktail wear. Same would go for today. I used to wear a tux, too, but now it's jacket & tie on elegant night and slacks and shirt on casual nights - I don't do jeans or shorts or t-shirts in the MDR, to each his/her own.

 

Yeah, there are more folks in shorts in the MDR on 'casual' night, but not that many. Unless you really wear shorts all the time, you're likely to feel self-conscious.

 

HOWEVER, full disclosure: I ate at the Chef's Table on my last Freedom cruise. Of eleven people, two were guys who showed up in shorts and t-shirts, and one young lady was wearing hot pants and a halter top. Yikes - I thought that was pretty rude; yes, it was casual night, but how about a little respect for the chef and staff who actually show up at this event (and that's what it is), who are all dressed in their finest whites, and who serve each diner personally. Call me old school, just don't call me late for dinner!!

[Justsyd]

I haven't noticed much of a change, and I don't think too many people bother to worry about what other people wear. Carnival sets the guidelines, and if people don't go by them, then Carnival is free to correct the issue. When we go to the MDR we go for the food and the dining experience, not to see what others are wearing. :)

[elcuchio24]

It's been a little over 10 years since my last cruise, so I wondered how the newer dress codes would affect things.

 

Haven't seen much of a change as far as level of dress in the past decade.

[gizfish]

Don't know if where you leave from has anything to do with it, but since the shorts and jeans allowed thing, we have noticed many more shorts and jeans on our cruises out of NY.

[zqvol]

I'm curious... for repeat cruisers who have cruised on Carnival both before and after Carnival adopted their "Cruise Casual" dress code, what changes have you seen in the MDR dinner clothing? Has there been a marked change in the level of dress? What is the prevelance of shorts being worn to dinner?

 

Dressing is much more casual than before. Fancy clothes are rarely seen even on "elegant" nights. While people dress nicely, few tend to dress up. You will find as many as 25% of the males wearing shorts to dinner in the MDR on cruises during the summer.

[imlulu]

Dh and my teen boys wore shorts in MDR on our last cruise. Dh and my ds will do it again on our upcoming cruise. On elegant night, they will wear dress shirt with tie and pair of pants.

 

Way too much work to lug all the dinner clothes and then right after dinner run back to cabin to change. Now we just stay in whatever we wear to dinner.

[WeBeCruisin']

Dressing is much more casual than before. Fancy clothes are rarely seen even on "elegant" nights. While people dress nicely, few tend to dress up. You will find as many as 25% of the males wearing shorts to dinner in the MDR on cruises during the summer.

 

This is wishful thinking by a proponent of McDonald's night every night. :D

 

I have been on 3 cruises since October, including two shorter ones on the Fantasy out of Charleston, SC, and on elegant nights, there are still quite a few tuxedos and probably 85 to 90 per cent of the passengers are obviously making an effort to dress up some for the occasion.

 

As for the shorts, I would say that even on the casual nights, there are no more than 10 per cent of the guys wearing shorts.

[JennLuvs2Cruise]

Well last summer was the first time I cruised since 2007, and there was definitely a change. I remember on the Elation back in 2007, most men were wearing suits & women were in gowns & stunning dresses. Last cruise, we didn't see much of that anywhere. Most people dressed casual, a little too casual in my opinon. :confused: But for me, I wear a skirt & blouse or cocktail dress for casual nights, and a dress for formal nights. DF wore polos & dress pants for casual nights, & dress pants, dress shirt & a tie for formal night.

 

All in all, definitely saw more shorts being worn in the MDR than dress pants / khakis. But everyone has different styles, and I respect that.

[MissDiva1]

Dressing is much more casual than before. Fancy clothes are rarely seen even on "elegant" nights. While people dress nicely, few tend to dress up. You will find as many as 25% of the males wearing shorts to dinner in the MDR on cruises during the summer.

 

That has been our experience of late.

[mrpayroll]

Been on Three cruises in the last fourteen months. From reading statements on here i was expecting to see lots of men wearing shorts to dinner. There were very few on all three cruises. The most were on the first night as people use the excuse that their bags weren't delivered. I have to say that most, if not all bags are delivered before the 8pm late dinner. Also on elegant night the vast majority men were still either in suits or sport coats .

[Scubamaiden]

We enjoy dressing for dinner. We always shower after our day out and regardless of the rule changes, we always still dress for dinner. Elegant night we are always in long dress and suit with tie. Regular cruise casual my husband is still in at least a shirt and jacket, sometimes no tie, depending on what we've been doig during the day. I've never worn pants let alone capris or shorts in the dinning room and neither have any of my family. We've been lucky enough to have our luggage before dinner on the first day but if we didn't then we'd go as we are which would still at least be neat.

[RobAtlanta]

We are getting ready to cruise on the Valor out of Miami next week. I was packing one of my tuxedos.... will this be a mistake??