Elegant night dress code in specialty restaurants

[travelerblue]

This will be our first Carnival cruise coming up. We are not use to having to dress up for any of the dining rooms on NCL. If we book the steakhouse for the 2nd elegant night, are we required to dress up or is that just for the MDR? Thank you!

[KLD1019]

its just for the MDR. the 2nd elegant night, we went to the italian place and wore what we'd normally wear on a normal night in the MDR.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

its just for the MDR. the 2nd elegant night, we went to the italian place and wore what we'd normally wear on a normal night in the MDR.

 

 

So you can wear shorts to the specialty restaurant on elegant night?

 

Bill

 

 

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[KLD1019]

So you can wear shorts to the specialty restaurant on elegant night?

 

Bill

 

 

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oh, i dont know if you can or not. we never wore shorts to the MDR. we always dressed up a bit, but not to the extent of elegant night. besides, its COLD in those places. i wouldnt want to be in shorts! LOL ;)

[travelerblue]

Shorts...that's a good point because our friends usually wear nice shorts. Do they allow those in the steakhouse?

[Disconnections]

Shorts...that's a good point because our friends usually wear nice shorts. Do they allow those in the steakhouse?

 

Although pretty much anything goes on Carnival, they like to deny access to those wearing jeans to the steakhouse on Cruise Elegant evening. I wouldn't press my luck to wear shorts there on Cruise Elegant night.

[riffatsea]

You don't really have to "dress up" much on Carnival for elegant night even in the MDR. All they require is long pants and a shirt with a collar. That is not really very dressy! I'd expect the specialty restaurants to be the same. Just shorts could be worn to buffet areas but I'd not wear them into the MDR or into the steak house on a special night.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

You don't really have to "dress up" much on Carnival for elegant night even in the MDR. All they require is long pants and a shirt with a collar. That is not really very dressy! I'd expect the specialty restaurants to be the same. Just shorts could be worn to buffet areas but I'd not wear them into the MDR or into the steak house on a special night.

 

I wouldnt wear shorts on elegant nights unless it was allowed, but on casual nights you can bet i'll be wearing shorts to the MDR

 

Bill

[JLee1973]

They will turn you away if you yet and wear shorts on any night to the steakhouse other the the first night do to late luggage arrival.

 

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[jandb6266]

I just went over this same question a couple of days ago and so many people jumped all over me for what i said. My answer is still the same. When your in port under a thached hut drinking an island drink wear shorts. Also at the buffett. When you are in a nice restaurant wear your big boy pants. The steak house is comparable to a five star restaurant so you dress properly.

 

I can't for the life of me understand why grown adults think you should not dress proper for the venue you are in. Just because carnival said you can wear shorts on the nights that are not elegant i think common sense should tell you how to dress.

 

Anyway happy sailing to everyone even the ones that disagree with me.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I just went over this same question a couple of days ago and so many people jumped all over me for what i said. My answer is still the same. When your in port under a thached hut drinking an island drink wear shorts. Also at the buffett. When you are in a nice restaurant wear your big boy pants. The steak house is comparable to a five star restaurant so you dress properly.

 

I can't for the life of me understand why grown adults think you should not dress proper for the venue you are in. Just because carnival said you can wear shorts on the nights that are not elegant i think common sense should tell you how to dress.

 

Anyway happy sailing to everyone even the ones that disagree with me.

 

Thanks for the happy sailing comment and the same to you.

 

While the steakhouse "might" be comparable to a 5 star restaurant but I beg to differ about the MDR.

 

Sorry if my lack of common sense bothers you or anyone else.:)

 

Bill

[south-carolinagirl]

When we went to steakhouse on the Dream, they told us to dress as if elegant night in the MDR

 

 

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[JLee1973]

I just went over this same question a couple of days ago and so many people jumped all over me for what i said. My answer is still the same. When your in port under a thached hut drinking an island drink wear shorts. Also at the buffett. When you are in a nice restaurant wear your big boy pants. The steak house is comparable to a five star restaurant so you dress properly.

 

I can't for the life of me understand why grown adults think you should not dress proper for the venue you are in. Just because carnival said you can wear shorts on the nights that are not elegant i think common sense should tell you how to dress.

 

Anyway happy sailing to everyone even the ones that disagree with me.

 

I will agree with you on the steakhouse dress but the MDR on none elegant nights I won't.

 

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[travelerblue]

Hmmmm....so many different answers. Thank you everyone for each of your opinions and thoughts

 

We could have a problem since I know our traveling friend will not have any pants in his suitcase. Never an issue before so I guess we didn't realize it would be an issue on Carnival as long as we weren't in the MDR on elegant nights. I will let them know and we may be eating at the steakhouse alone. :(

 

Bill, I think we are on the same page as you. We are on vacation in the Caribbean! We dress up for work. We are not dressing up for a Caribbean vacation any more than is necessary. I am not sure why people worry so much about what others are wearing. Happy sailing!!

[nodogkisses]

You can wear shorts any night to the MDR except the two Elegant nights. And, shorts are never permitted in the steakhouse, even on casual nights. Ties are never required. This is Carnival's policy. You can go pretty casual, just as long as you have long pants on. I saw people turned away from the MDR on the second casual night in shorts. And my son was asked to change into long pants on the first night in the steakhouse.

 

 

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Edited August 19, 2014 by nodogkisses@comcast.net

[riffatsea]

We live in a very informal city! Here in San Diego one can go into any restaurant no matter how fancy, and be seated while wearing shorts. I can understand how folks going to the Caribbean would get into that relaxed mindset and find it confusing to have to change it on the ship. One of the reasons we cruise on Carnival is that you don't really have to "dress up" at all and there is good food in the MDR which we didn't find on our 1 NCL cruise.

Just bringing one pair of slacks(or black jeans that look like slacks) is not that difficult and even my very informal husband can just about manage to do that.

Your friend will have to make his own decision as of course everyone travels differently.

 

[bitemyfly]

We eat in the steakhouse multiple times on a 7 day

And my standard on a ship is tommy Bahama shorts, collared shirt and loafers

We have never been turned away from a steakhouse. And we have been on many ships

[skiwee]

We ate at the steakhouse 6 days in a row on the Pride. The dress code was always business casual. Nice slacks and collared shirt. One night a family

had to wait at the podium while dad ran back to the room to change from shorts to pants.

 

 

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[winddawn]

This will be our first Carnival cruise coming up. We are not use to having to dress up for any of the dining rooms on NCL. If we book the steakhouse for the 2nd elegant night, are we required to dress up or is that just for the MDR? Thank you!

The only thing I see on Carnival's website for guidance states:

 

"Dress Code is Cruise Elegant. Jeans allowed on Cruise Casual evenings."

 

https://secure.carnival.com/Activities/Controls/SteakhouseRequest

 

I also see that Carnival states that shorts are not even allowed in the Main Dining Rooms, but I've seen people wear them there.

 

"Not permitted in the dining room during the Cruise Casual dinner for ladies and gentlemen: shorts, gym shorts, basketball shorts, beach flip-flops, bathing suit attire, cut-off jeans, sleeveless shirts for men and baseball hats."

 

http://www.carnival.com/Core/FAQ.aspx?faq=wear

Edited August 19, 2014 by winddawn

[KLD1019]

when we ate in the steakhouse, there was a guy in a tanktop. another guy in shorts and tennis shoes. obviously, neither got turned away.

 

 

as i said in a PP, we dressed up everynight for dinner, even though we could be casually dressed. But, thats what we do at home when we go out to eat.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

The only thing I see on Carnival's website for guidance states:

 

"Dress Code is Cruise Elegant. Jeans allowed on Cruise Casual evenings."

 

https://secure.carnival.com/Activities/Controls/SteakhouseRequest

 

I also see that Carnival states that shorts are not even allowed in the Main Dining Rooms, but I've seen people wear them there.

 

"Not permitted in the dining room during the Cruise Casual dinner for ladies and gentlemen: shorts, gym shorts, basketball shorts, beach flip-flops, bathing suit attire, cut-off jeans, sleeveless shirts for men and baseball hats."

 

http://www.carnival.com/Core/FAQ.aspx?faq=wear

 

You edited out this part though:

Cruise Casual Dining Dress Code: Gentlemen - Sport slacks, khakis, jeans (no cut-offs), dress shorts (long), collared sport shirts; Ladies - Casual dresses, casual skirts or pants and blouses, summer dresses, Capri pants, dress shorts, jeans (no cut-offs).

 

I can only guess when they say shorts, they are talking about shorts, they are talking about daisy dukes and the like .

 

I wear docker shorts and a polo to dinner on cruise casual nights and I'm by no means alone dressing this way.

 

Bill

[MasterMason]

Carnival lays out the rules, but there will always be some that ignore it.

 

Personally, I live in NY, and would never go to a restaurant the same caliber as the MDR in shorts, let alone the steakhouse. But that's just the way I like to carry myself (I also wear bowties!). :D

 

About the only places I would go wearing shorts that has a waitstaff would be something like Applebee's or City Island. Other than that, when in Rome, do as the Romans.

 

Besides, it makes me feel "special" to dress like a Grown Man.

P.S., just know that dressing "against the grain" will probably make you the subject of dinner conversation! :D:D

[kylenyc]

On Splendor I was NOT allowed into the Pinnacle Steakhouse even in clean dark jeans. I too am used to NCL and was caught off guard by this. Check the dress code on Carnival.com and pack accordingly. You don't want to miss Pinnacle Steakhouse if your ship has one.

 

Carnival's dress code is stupidly inconsistent. If you don't allow jeans, then you shouldn't allow sneakers or hats etc. either. Yet sneakers and hats were allowed while clean jeans were not. Personally i find hats at the dinner table more offensive (cowboy hats and the big women's sun hats sheesh) than jeans you won't see under the table. I was rather shocked, worried, and then irritated looking around at what others were allowed to wear but luckily the nice manager Marina eventually called her manager for permission to slip me in the side door ;)

Edited August 19, 2014 by kylenyc

[Disconnections]

On Splendor I was NOT allowed into the Pinnacle Steakhouse even in clean dark jeans. I too am used to NCL and was caught off guard by this. Check the dress code on Carnival.com and pack accordingly. You don't want to miss Pinnacle Steakhouse if your ship has one.

 

Carnival's dress code is stupidly inconsistent. If you don't allow jeans, then you shouldn't allow sneakers or hats etc. either. Yet sneakers and hats were allowed while clean jeans were not. Personally i find hats at the dinner table more offensive (cowboy hats and the big women's sun hats sheesh) than jeans you won't see under the table. I was rather shocked, worried, and then irritated looking around at what others were allowed to wear but luckily the nice manager Marina eventually called her manager for permission to slip me in the side door ;)

 

Judging by what you said, it appears you did not visit the Pinnacle Steakhouse on Cruise Elegant evening. It's surprising that you were denied entry, considering jeans are only prohibited in the steakhouse on Cruise Elegant night and are allowed on the evenings that Carnival seems to think are considered "Smart Casual."

[kylenyc]

Judging by what you said, it appears you did not visit the Pinnacle Steakhouse on Cruise Elegant evening. It's surprising that you were denied entry, considering jeans are only prohibited in the steakhouse on Cruise Elegant night and are allowed on the evenings that Carnival seems to think are considered "Smart Casual."

Link to my Splendor review in my signature with pictures of Pinnacle Steakhouse. I was there three nights one of which was Elegant Night which was the one night I was told to leave and change. I was eventually allowed in with jeans after getting secondary approval from the restaurant manager's manager because I didn't pack any slacks. Meanwhile there were people in there with shorts, sneakers, and hats on this very night. Hence IMO a "stupidly inconsistent" or inconsistently enforced dress code. They should allow clean/dark jeans and nix the sneakers, shorts, and hats.

 

I had no problems wearing jeans in Pinnacle on the other two (non-elegant) nights.

Edited August 19, 2014 by kylenyc