Teens Dress Code

[cruisinitaly]

I'm wondering about the dinner dress code for teenagers. Before you bash me for what is appropriate and not for dinner, I'm trying to figure out what is acceptable and not acceptable for my 13 year old daughter and 15 year old son on our upcoming Mediterranean cruise without breaking the bank.

 

My son is a sporty kid and ONLY wears basketball shorts and shirts every single day of his life. He literally owns one pair of jeans and the rest are shorts. Yes, we all know kids like this. While I'm ok making him dress up and not wear tshirts, do I really have to go buy him an entirely new wardrobe that he will never wear again and will outgrow before a year is up for one week at sea? Are teens expected to be in jackets on formal nights or could they wear khaki's and a button down shirt? how about sandals or sports shoes? Or do I have to go buy him shoes he will never wear again too.

 

I'm assuming that teen girls can wear stylish jeans or capri's on the non formal nights with cute dressy tanks??? On formal nights I assume a cute sundress would be enough?

[Desert Cruizers]

Hello I would recommend for your son, nice pants and a shirt, no sandals, sports shoes probably be fine as long as they are nice looking. Your daughter a nice dress or slacks and blouse. From my readings they appear to be going less formal on formal nights, and my DH & I don't get all dressed up but he does wear a suit and tie on formal nights, myself a nice pair of black slacks and fancy top.

[livylotte]

Teens (and adults!) on a Med cruise do tend to dress up.

 

Not everyone wears dinner suits on formal night but a lot do (including boys). He'd be fine in long trousers and a smart shirt but I doubt you will see anyone wearing shorts - not even teens. The last formal night seems to be more casual, where you will see more people without jackets.

 

Girls are a little easier, a nice dress would be ok.

 

If your kids really don't want to dress up then they could go to the Windjammer. On our first ever cruise, my teens went up on deck on formal night just before dinner to meet some friends and were back in our cabin 2 minutes later getting changed. They took one look at all the people dressed in their finery and fled!

[cruisinitaly]

How about on the non formal nights...any boys wear shorts on those nights? i'm ok buying him one or two pairs of nicer clothes for the formal nights, but I am hoping he can get away with less on the non formal nights. Otherwise he may be wearing the same thing over and over again :) We are touring for another week after we get back so I'm also trying to save on luggage space since we'll be pulling it all through italy after the cruise.

[Langley Cruisers]

No one is going to "bash" you as I believe you are asking in sincerity. You may, however, receive unsolicited parenting advice later in this thread; dress code threads for children seem to bring that out in people. ;)

 

Having said that, teens are not exempt from the suggested dress code; it is the same for all passengers of all ages.

 

Shorts are not permitted in the Dining Room at dinner, any night (even the casual ones); your son could purchase some casual pants, maybe even the kind that unzip into shorts if that helps. Basically, it comes down to this: pants for your son. He'll need to get some if he is to dine with you in the Main Dining Room, or he could certainly enjoy dinner in the Windjammer Buffet. The WJ is casual at all times.

 

Jeans are not mentioned at all in the suggested dress code; some people say that means yes, wear them and some say no, do not. I'm saying they are not specifically mentioned.

 

Enjoy your Med cruise. :)

[Familygoboston]

There is no rule that says he has to wear a different shirt and pants every night. I'd get him one good outfit and he can wear it like a costume... when he's "on stage" ( in the MDR ) he wears it, and when he's " off stage" he's going to take it off the second he leaves the MDR. So stick it on a hanger and wear it again. If it starts to get ripe, launder it mid week, but how sweaty can it get for 2 hours a night?:eek:

I have a fussy dresser and this is what we do- "costumes" appropriate for whatever the event is, no money wasted on a whole wardrobe of stuff she will never wear again. And if he gets tired of the dress up deal, he's probably big enough to grab a burger on his own and meet you later!

Good Luck!

[kassimer1]

If I were you I would do like I do. go to a thrift store so you dont waste alot of money . get one pair of black slackes and some polo shirts and one button down shirt. No one can tell if he has one pair of black or multiple pairs in the same color. DS puts it on right before dinner and as soon as dinner is done he changes back to his 'cool' clothes. as for shoes we actually bought all black leather athletic sneakers and with the long pants thay look good and he uses them for everyday sneakers too. Then when cruise is over redonate them to the thrift store - Recycling is good for the environment :)

[isdoo]

No one is going to "bash" you as I believe you are asking in sincerity. You may, however, receive unsolicited parenting advice later in this thread; dress code threads for children seem to bring that out in people. ;)

 

Having said that, teens are not exempt from the suggested dress code; it is the same for all passengers of all ages.

 

Shorts are not permitted in the Dining Room at dinner, any night (even the casual ones);

 

 

Rubbish - shorts are fine. Okay short shorts might get an odd look (especially those usually worn at a soccer match) - but longer style shorts are 100% okay.

 

Jeans are fine as well.

 

It is not a requirement to dress up - if you wish to fine, but remember it is your holiday and it is your money being spent.

[bouhunter]

Rubbish - shorts are fine. Okay short shorts might get an odd look (especially those usually worn at a soccer match) - but longer style shorts are 100% okay.

 

Jeans are fine as well.

 

It is not a requirement to dress up - if you wish to fine, but remember it is your holiday and it is your money being spent.

 

There have been reports here of people being turned away from the MDR wearing shorts. It's more likely they'd let him in wearing shorts, but he'll be one of few:rolleyes:

[Loralie]

My boys will be 16 and 14 when we go on our cruise next year. I plan on buying them one pair of black slacks each and one button down shirt each and have them wear that with a tie for the formal nights. We will have 2 formal nights on our 9 night cruise and they can wear it twice. For the casual nights in the MDR I plan on letting them wear nice dark jeans (no rips) and polo shirts. I think that will be good without breaking the bank. :-) No use spending so much money on a suit or dressy clothes they will only wear for one week.

 

Loralie

[famcampers]

On our spring break cruise the last week of March I was a little suprised at the number of teens dressed up. There were close to 1300 kids on our cruise -- and lots of high school kids. At times the Promenade looked like Homecoming!! There were also kids on formal nights in khaki's and a long sleeve shirt. Our son wore a suit on the first formal night and took it off immediately after dinner to go hang out with his new friends he met on the cruise. Within minutes he was back to put the suit back on due to the fact that all the kids he had met were staying dressed up for the evening. They even had formal pictures taken as a group. Very cute! But not what we expected. I think this was prompted by the girls in the group;). Most of the people we saw in the MDR were wearing nice clothes (long pants for men and teen boys -- I did see some middle school and younger boys in the MDR in shorts with polo shirts - but not on formal nights. Our son wore the same khaki pants and either a polo shirt or a long sleeve shirt on non-formal nights. He wore leather shoes with the khakis. The adults were also very dressed up on this cruise -- I was suprised after reading posts here but I would put the number of people following the suggested attire at around 50% on non-formal nights. I did think the MDR was less crowded on formal nights. Hope this helps.

[gerif]

Rubbish - shorts are fine. Okay short shorts might get an odd look (especially those usually worn at a soccer match) - but longer style shorts are 100% okay.

 

Jeans are fine as well.

 

It is not a requirement to dress up - if you wish to fine, but remember it is your holiday and it is your money being spent.

 

I think you are totally wrong. Even "dress" shorts are clearly on the unacceptable list, never mind the athletic shorts the OP suggested. Yes, it is your vacation, but if you don't want to abide by the cruiseline's rules, perhaps this is not the vacation for you. It is disrespectful not only to the cruiseline but to your fellow passengers.

 

To the OP - as noted, European cruises are usually more dressy than, say, a Caribbean cruise. I think your son might be embarrassed, not only if he is denied entry to the dining room but also if he is not dressed like the other teens on the ship.

[msmayor]

My son is a big shorts-wearer too...but we still insisted he dress appropriately based on what was requested.

 

After all, its a good lesson for everyone (not just kids) that when a host makes a reasonable request, we meet it.

 

We took two pair of khakis for him, and packed a Tide-To-Go stick for any spots that might occur. He had nice golf shirts to wear with them.

 

As for formal nights, our son actually ASKED if we would rent him a tux. I gladly sprung for that cost because it showed me he wanted to treat it as the special night it was, especially since we all were dressing up.

[Langley Cruisers]

Rubbish - shorts are fine.

 

Gosh, like to stir the pot much? :rolleyes: We were having a perfectly lovely conversation until you played the "shorts are fine card". Ha! :p

 

Whatever.

[nvr2manycruises]

if you go to this link http://www.royalcaribbean.com/beforeyouboard/whatToKnow/whatToPack.do

RCCL clearly explains the dress code. it is mostly strictly followed by all guests, as it should be.

"Casual: Sport shirts and slacks for men, sundresses or pants for women

Smart Casual: Jackets and ties for men, dresses or pantsuits for women

Formal: Suits and ties or tuxedos for men, cocktail dresses for women"

hope this helps!

[BaileyandBella]

I also shop at Goodwill or eBay, saves a TON of money. Everything gets washed real well, no problems.

[dfgf]

Here's the exact wording from the Cruise Compass:

 

"Please note that bare feet, short pants and tank tops are not permitted at dinner."

 

Seems crystal clear to me, but we always end up with a 50-page response/argument about it here on CC.

 

If your son wears jeans and a t-shirt he WILL be admitted to the MDR, even on formal night. I've seen adult men on formal night in jeans and tshirts. Do they look out-of-place? Absolutely. But are they following the rules? Absolutely.

 

I've seen one person turned away from the MDR because of shorts. But that was an adult, and since then I've seen perhaps 70 to 80 people wearing shorts in the MDR and haven't witnessed anyone turned away.

[ehfl]

I would print out the dress code and give it to your teens.

 

Let them decide if they want to eat in the main dining room, or if they prefer to eat in one of the other more casual venues. It's really not worth fighting over. While most kids are taught how to dress up a little when appropriate, not everyone is going to get this lesson.

 

So just let them eat at one of the more casual venues if that's what they want. There's nothing wrong with the parents enjoying a nice dinner in the dining room, while the kids have pizza or eat at the buffet.

[cruisinitaly]

Wow, I guess I should have known this would stir the pot. Truthfully, my son is NOT a disrepectful kid. He is one of the kindest teenagers I know, gets great grades, makes good choices, so what if he feels more comfortable in shorts. This is not about a kid not wanting to follow the rules, I just think that I don't need to buy a whole new wardrobe that won't be worn again. Thanks to those of you for the ideas that he can just wear the same thing several times. And thanks for the vallidation that a suit won't be a "requirement". I'm fine buying a couple pairs of pants and a couple nice shirts and tie.

 

And to be honest with you, for the NON formal nights, I think that shorts can look just as classy and appropriate as clothes that technnically fit the standard. I've seen lots of totally tacky and age inappropriate clothes on kids. I'd rather see my daughter in a pair of nice shorts and a nice shirt than some of the homecoming dresses that are out there these days. Just a thought....

[Merion_Mom]

Wow, I guess I should have known this would stir the pot. Truthfully, my son is NOT a disrepectful kid. He is one of the kindest teenagers I know, gets great grades, makes good choices, so what if he feels more comfortable in shorts. This is not about a kid not wanting to follow the rules, I just think that I don't need to buy a whole new wardrobe that won't be worn again. Thanks to those of you for the ideas that he can just wear the same thing several times. And thanks for the vallidation that a suit won't be a "requirement". I'm fine buying a couple pairs of pants and a couple nice shirts and tie.

 

And to be honest with you, for the NON formal nights, I think that shorts can look just as classy and appropriate as clothes that technnically fit the standard. I've seen lots of totally tacky and age inappropriate clothes on kids. I'd rather see my daughter in a pair of nice shorts and a nice shirt than some of the homecoming dresses that are out there these days. Just a thought....

 

Is it possible that some shorts may be appropriate for the main dining room?

 

Not according to Royal Caribbean.

 

And even if you actually believed this, I CANNOT believe that you think that BASKETBALL SHORTS would fall into the category of appropriate for the main dining room.

[aussiefam]

I have to agree with the OP - we have twin sons that will be almost 14 when we cruise - I am really torn as to what they will wear - they dont own formal wear and would have no other occassion to wear such clothes -but I wish to eat in the MDR every night -while a buffet is OK I prefer to have my dinner served to me, given the choice. I have prepaid gratuities for this service, I shouldnt have to pay for a specialty restaurant!

 

I have bought them dress shirts and they will probably wear them with new dark jeans - I may buy black pants, but that will involve new shoes as well :( and as they are twins (read -same size, no hand me downs) they will be outgrown and never worn again! Clothes here are also more expensive!

 

Note also we are travelling from Australia and need to pack for hot and cool climates, we do not wish to carry dinner jackets for three weeks, so DH will probably only wear dress slacks and shirt with a tie.

 

Although I do embrace the concept of dressing for dinner, and I look forward to getting out the bling and high heels for myself and daughter - it really is difficult for early teen boys! My family will dress as we would for any nice restaurant!

 

Maybe "tux" night should move to one of the specialty restaurants.

[isdoo]

Wow, I guess I should have known this would stir the pot. Truthfully, my son is NOT a disrepectful kid. He is one of the kindest teenagers I know, gets great grades, makes good choices, so what if he feels more comfortable in shorts. This is not about a kid not wanting to follow the rules, I just think that I don't need to buy a whole new wardrobe that won't be worn again. Thanks to those of you for the ideas that he can just wear the same thing several times. And thanks for the vallidation that a suit won't be a "requirement". I'm fine buying a couple pairs of pants and a couple nice shirts and tie.

 

And to be honest with you, for the NON formal nights, I think that shorts can look just as classy and appropriate as clothes that technnically fit the standard. I've seen lots of totally tacky and age inappropriate clothes on kids. I'd rather see my daughter in a pair of nice shorts and a nice shirt than some of the homecoming dresses that are out there these days. Just a thought....

 

If he likes shorts, then let him wear them - but what type of

 

Please do not feel intimidated by others who tell you what you can and cannot do, because of their interpretation of the 'rules'.

 

Are we asking babies to wear full length trousers - of course not.

 

I am not saying people should look messy and should make an effort - but many countries have knee length shorts for work - if these are good enough for business, they are good enough for a dining room. Maybe not on the formal night - but 100% okay for the casual nights IMHO.

 

"Please note that bare feet, short pants and tank tops are not permitted at dinner." was quoted and I am not disagreeing with that, but shorts are not necessarily 'short pants' - they are simply not full length trousers - a big difference between short and knee length for example, which is probably showing less leg than many skirts. Are cropped trousers wrong as well for women?

 

Perhaps the issue here is what people call shorts and what RCCL call shorts. You would not play sport in longer shorts for example.

 

Allowing women to show their legs in the restaurant and not men is wrong - or should men wear a skirt or kilt to appease the fashion police?

[galavant3]

I'm wondering about the dinner dress code for teenagers. Before you bash me for what is appropriate and not for dinner, I'm trying to figure out what is acceptable and not acceptable for my 13 year old daughter and 15 year old son on our upcoming Mediterranean cruise without breaking the bank.

 

My son is a sporty kid and ONLY wears basketball shorts and shirts every single day of his life. He literally owns one pair of jeans and the rest are shorts. Yes, we all know kids like this. While I'm ok making him dress up and not wear tshirts, do I really have to go buy him an entirely new wardrobe that he will never wear again and will outgrow before a year is up for one week at sea? Are teens expected to be in jackets on formal nights or could they wear khaki's and a button down shirt? how about sandals or sports shoes? Or do I have to go buy him shoes he will never wear again too.

 

I'm assuming that teen girls can wear stylish jeans or capri's on the non formal nights with cute dressy tanks??? On formal nights I assume a cute sundress would be enough?

 

I would encourage you to discuss this with your son (if you haven't already done so). Kids can be funny at that age and many times they don't want to stand out one way or the other. Also, some kids would feel uncomfortable wearing shorts since they are specically prohibited (and so posted at the entrance to the dining room). And, let him know that if he wears shorts there is the possibility that he might be asked to change.

 

I have two boys as well and even if you end up buying a pair of pants or two, you son is getting to the age where he will probably need pants. At 15 they start attending sports and awards banquets etc, interviewing for jobs, maybe joining you for dinner out on special occasions....

[griffy116]

We just returned from a short cruise on Monarch and we will be on the FOS in July. My 17-yr old Grandson took khaki cargo pants for casual nights. Only 2 pairs (1 greenish, one tan), which he switched out, and a pair of slip-on canvas shoes, with a polo for dinner. Shorts are just fine for breakfast and lunch. He rotates the polo shirts and changes back after dinner. He has a suit because of homecoming and prom, but a pair of slacks and dress shirt with tie would be fine with us. He is taking a friend with us in July who will be carrying the same. I've seen a few teens in shorts in the MDR on caribbean cruises, but Med is a bit more in line with the suggested dress code. I don't recall ever seeing basketball shorts and a t-shirt at dinner. We have seen people asked to change but not often. He and his friend will adhere to the dress code, but only because WE (parents and Grandmother) would be uncomfortable with him in shorts. The decision, however, is entirely yours.

[sailawayjack]

:confused:Sorry Mom, but any fault here lies with you. You booked the cruise. You should have know what expected of not only you, but your children. Then to make matters worse, you booked a European Cruise. They are always more formal than others. While your son does not need a suit for formal night, it does say "NO SHORTS". I don't give a rats a-- if they are long, short, basketball, or dressy. SHORTS ARE SHORTS. It's all on you MOM.:mad: