MDR dress code for kids?

[SunniLicious]

Our son used to wear dressy (dark colored, tailored, bermuda length) shorts with a polo in the MDR, but we haven't cruised in almost 2 years. He's 12 now. Does he need pants for the MDR?

[renza]

No he doesn’t need pants for regular nights, u may want him in pants on formal night but still he would be fine in nice shorts and a polo shirt. 

[Hogbay]

32 minutes ago, SunniLicious said:

Our son used to wear dressy (dark colored, tailored, bermuda length) shorts with a polo in the MDR, but we haven't cruised in almost 2 years. He's 12 now. Does he need pants for the MDR?

He's still a child ,I'm sure you will have him looking nice even in shorts . There will be adults on formal night in shorts like 12 year old's so don't worry. 😇

[smokeybandit]

Same as adults. As long as you don't look like you came straight from the pool or beach you're fine. 

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, SunniLicious said:

Our son used to wear dressy (dark colored, tailored, bermuda length) shorts with a polo in the MDR, but we haven't cruised in almost 2 years. He's 12 now. Does he need pants for the MDR?

Adults can wear shorts in the MDR all nights, including formal nights. And they do. So, your son is fine in any shorts and a polo. 

Edited August 29, 2021 by BirdTravels

[broadwaybaby123]

Casual pants (not jeans) and a polo shirt should be fine for casual nights.  On formal nights, he may want to dress up a bit.

[coldflame]

5 minutes ago, broadwaybaby123 said:

Casual pants (not jeans) and a polo shirt should be fine for casual nights.  On formal nights, he may want to dress up a bit.

 

Have you cruised in the last decade? Bermuda shorts are fine all nights -- including formal nights, specially for kids. The "strict"  dress code of the 70s and 80s and before that are relics of a bygone era.

[broadwaybaby123]

9 minutes ago, coldflame said:

 

Have you cruised in the last decade? Bermuda shorts are fine all nights -- including formal nights, specially for kids. The "strict"  dress code of the 70s and 80s and before that are relics of a bygone era.

Yes I have, I was on a cruise the week before cruising was shut down.  Most cruise lines I've been on don't allow jeans in the MDR.  I said he MAY want to dress up for formal night, not that he HAD to.

Edited August 29, 2021 by broadwaybaby123

[coldflame]

1 minute ago, broadwaybaby123 said:

Yes I have, I was on a cruise the week before cruising was shut down.  Most cruise lines I've been on don't allow jeans in the MDR.  I said he MAY want to dress up for formal night, not that he HAD to.

 

Neither Royal, nor Disney nor NCL have any dress code on their MDRs other than "no swim wear". Most people including myself wear shorts or jeans in the MDRs the duration of the cruise. The only time I wear slacks and long sleeve shirt is when in DCL and we go to Remy or Palo which are upscale/upcharge and do explicitly require dressier attire. That said OP and anyone can wear what they please, simply noting the strict dress code in MDRs -- at least in "mainstream" cruise lines -- is gone.

[broadwaybaby123]

5 minutes ago, coldflame said:

 

Neither Royal, nor Disney nor NCL have any dress code on their MDRs other than "no swim wear". Most people including myself wear shorts or jeans in the MDRs the duration of the cruise. The only time I wear slacks and long sleeve shirt is when in DCL and we go to Remy or Palo which are upscale/upcharge and do explicitly require dressier attire. That said OP and anyone can wear what they please, simply noting the strict dress code in MDRs -- at least in "mainstream" cruise lines -- is gone.

Ok, I'll give you that.  

Edited August 29, 2021 by broadwaybaby123

[davekathy]

1 hour ago, broadwaybaby123 said:

Casual pants (not jeans) and a polo shirt should be fine for casual nights.  On formal nights, he may want to dress up a bit.

That is formal wear on RC. 

[broadwaybaby123]

8 minutes ago, davekathy said:

That is formal wear on RC. 

For some, maybe. Khakis, generally, are not considered formal wear, they are generally considered "business casual".  Dress pants (like the kind that typically comes with a tux) is generally considered formal wear.

Edited August 29, 2021 by broadwaybaby123

[davekathy]

3 minutes ago, broadwaybaby123 said:

For some, maybe. Khakis, generally, are not considered formal wear, they are generally considered "business casual".  Dress pants (like the kind that typically comes with a tux) is generally considered formal wear.

RC and Celebrity both do. When was your last RC and Celebrity cruise? 

[broadwaybaby123]

14 minutes ago, davekathy said:

RC and Celebrity both do. When was your last RC and Celebrity cruise? 

2019 RC, 2018 Celebrity.  2020 was NCL (which I hated).  Been cruising Celebrity since 1993 and RC since 1999.  

 

I still dress for formal nights, even though I know a lot of people (adults included) don't dress.  For me, it's the 1 or 2 nights a year where I can dress, so it's something I look forward to.  I like to get all gussied up, since I never get to do it back home.

 

And I never said shorts weren't appropriate.  It's semantics.

Edited August 29, 2021 by broadwaybaby123

[davekathy]

3 minutes ago, broadwaybaby123 said:

2019 RC, 2018 Celebrity. 

For us two RC cruises in 2019 (B2B) and one Celebrity cruise in 2019 (14 nights). I wore dockers with golf/polo style shirt every evening (except the first evening on all three cruise I wore shorts and a golf/polo style shirt) in the MDR.

 

Then you already now what they allow on any evening. Doesn't matter what you, I or anyone else believes/considers proper wear in the MDR on any given evening no matter the time of year or itinerary.  We have also dressed formally on casual evening in the past. 

[broadwaybaby123]

3 minutes ago, davekathy said:

For us two RC cruises in 2019 (B2B) and one Celebrity cruise in 2019 (14 nights). I wore dockers with golf/polo style shirt every evening (except the first evening on all three cruise I wore shorts and a golf/polo style shirt) in the MDR.

 

Then you already now what they allow on any evening. Doesn't matter what you, I or anyone else believes/considers proper wear in the MDR on any given evening no matter the time of year or itinerary.  We have also dressed formally on casual evening in the past. 

Dressing formal on casual night sounds like fun! 😄

[davekathy]

24 minutes ago, broadwaybaby123 said:

2019 RC, 2018 Celebrity.  2020 was NCL (which I hated).  Been cruising Celebrity since 1993 and RC since 1999.  

 

I still dress for formal nights, even though I know a lot of people (adults included) don't dress.  For me, it's the 1 or 2 nights a year where I can dress, so it's something I look forward to.  I like to get all gussied up, since I never get to do it back home.

 

And I never said shorts weren't appropriate.  It's semantics.

Where did I say anything about shorts in post #13? 

[broadwaybaby123]

3 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Where did I say anything about shorts in post #13? 

You didn't I was just clarifying.  I've met people who don't consider shorts and pants the same thing.

[davekathy]

Just now, broadwaybaby123 said:

Dressing formal on casual night sounds like fun! 😄

We even got a rude (behind our backs) comment I heard from a busybody behind us while waiting in line for MTD. Of course I quietly let her know what I thought of her comment. Her husband nudged her. My wife and I were seated, order our wine, made a toast, had a laugh about the remark and said we should do this more often and enjoyed our evening. 🍷

[broadwaybaby123]

3 minutes ago, davekathy said:

We even got a rude (behind our backs) comment I heard from a busybody behind us while waiting in line for MTD. Of course I quietly let her know what I thought of her comment. Her husband nudged her. My wife and I were seated, order our wine, made a toast, had a laugh about the remark and said we should do this more often and enjoyed our evening. 🍷

I'd be right there with you in my spaghetti strapped sparkling black and grey swirled dress!

[Thenagers]

40 minutes ago, davekathy said:

RC and Celebrity both do. When was your last RC and Celebrity cruise? 

Just off RCL.  My son, 18, wore shorts and a button down on formal night?  Honestly, they now call it dress your best.  Plus no buffet for dinner so they have to be flexible!  

[davekathy]

2 minutes ago, broadwaybaby123 said:

I'd be right there with you in my spaghetti strapped sparkling black and grey swirled dress!

As you should be. IMO, it's the cruise lines I blame for not following their own published guidelines. One morning we were walking into the MDR for breakfast on RC. I told the staff member we'd like to be seated in the are set aside for diamond and above. As we started in the host asked me to remove my ball cap. No problem. But I guess he didn't see the lady in front of us wearing hers. 😉

[broadwaybaby123]

4 minutes ago, davekathy said:

As you should be. IMO, it's the cruise lines I blame for not following their own published guidelines. One morning we were walking into the MDR for breakfast on RC. I told the staff member we'd like to be seated in the are set aside for diamond and above. As we started in the host asked me to remove my ball cap. No problem. But I guess he didn't see the lady in front of us wearing hers. 😉

I wonder why.  I've worn a blinged-out (can you tell I love my sparkles?) "CRUISE" hat (it literally says "CRUISE" right across the top) at least a dozen times in various restaurants and never got asked to remove it.

[davekathy]

7 minutes ago, Thenagers said:

Just off RCL.  My son, 18, wore shorts and a button down on formal night?  Honestly, they now call it dress your best.  Plus no buffet for dinner so they have to be flexible!  

And who could tell once he was seated. If the staff is cool with that, that's all that really matters. 

[davekathy]

14 minutes ago, broadwaybaby123 said:

I wonder why.  I've worn a blinged-out (can you tell I love my sparkles?) "CRUISE" hat (it literally says "CRUISE" right across the top) at least a dozen times in various restaurants and never got asked to remove it.

Possibly it's a no, no for us dudes (?). 🤠 I've also seen others wearing hats in the MDR in the morning. Consistently, inconsistent. Crazy thing is the hat I was wearing was one of the C&A hats they use to give us. 😂To be honest I was too busy making the request and not remembering to remove my hat. If I'm wearing one (usually I don't until going ashore) I take it off before entering the MDR. 

Edited August 29, 2021 by davekathy