Dinner attire on Greek cruise

[megs193]

We are taking a cruise to Greece next August when the temperature will likely be super hot. Would golf shorts and polo shirts be appropriate dinner attire for my husband and 2 sons?  We are traveling through Italy prior to the cruise and carrying our luggage all around so I am trying to pack as light as possible.

[CynBeth6]

We were recently on a Med cruise not to Greece and saw everything in the MDR from shorts and t-shirts to dresses and nice shirts and pants.

[Cruise5life]

47 minutes ago, megs193 said:

We are taking a cruise to Greece next August when the temperature will likely be super hot. Would golf shorts and polo shirts be appropriate dinner attire for my husband and 2 sons?  We are traveling through Italy prior to the cruise and carrying our luggage all around so I am trying to pack as light as possible.

I’ll also be on a Greek isle cruise next Aug think it’s the 4th.    
I plan to pack as light as possible.   No pants.  All shorts and button up dress shirts for dinner.     

[Toddcan]

Don't forget the windex. 😉 

[Joseph2017China]

Just so you know, it is extremely rare to see an adult male, wearing shorts at dinner in Greece and many European countries.  

 

Also, the temperature has nothing to do with what to wear.....I'm wearing long pants and it is now in the upper 90's.  I have no issue with it.  

 

I'm pointing both items out, because on a USA based message board, you will always get the same answer and that is wear what you want.  

 

Personally, I follow the general local area and follow what is normal for the area out of a level of respect for local customs.  However, we all know, Caribbean wearing shorts etc is normal.  So I dress per local area, and not what a message board says.

[little britain]

You really won’t see men wearing shorts in restaurants when out to dinner in Europe.  
European men are generally smart, irrespective of temperature. 
What happens on board is different. 

[shipgeeks]

I find the AC on a ship to be cold enough to wear long pants, long sleeves, etc. onboard all evening. Just because it is hot outside doesn't mean it is hot indoors.

[fla33023]

1 hour ago, Joseph2017China said:

Just so you know, it is extremely rare to see an adult male, wearing shorts at dinner in Greece and many European countries.  

 

Also, the temperature has nothing to do with what to wear.....I'm wearing long pants and it is now in the upper 90's.  I have no issue with it.  

 

I'm pointing both items out, because on a USA based message board, you will always get the same answer and that is wear what you want.  

 

Personally, I follow the general local area and follow what is normal for the area out of a level of respect for local customs.  However, we all know, Caribbean wearing shorts etc is normal.  So I dress per local area, and not what a message board says.

I appreciate your response. As someone who doesn't do a lot of international traveling, I'm not sure this is something I would have even thought about. 

[gail-s]

We were just on the Enchantment from Barcelona to Rome, you see everything from shorts and tshirts to suits in the MDR.  DH wore nice polo shirts or button downs and either shorts or kahki style pants most nights.  No one flinched when he wore a light button down and nice shorts to Chops one night.  It was almost empty so they were happy to have people there.  We did get dressed up for the formal night and did the Chef's table which was amazing.  Highly recommend.  Talking to the staff on the ship since it's a US based company 75% of the guests minimum are from the US.  All of the staff speak English and they cater to the American travelers.  If you've cruised RCL in other areas, you'll find it very similar in the Med.  We were surprised by that.  In the cities the men definitely dress differently.  Most of them wear long pants even in the 100 degree temperatures.  

[Tin can]

1 hour ago, gail-s said:

Talking to the staff on the ship since it's a US based company 75% of the guests minimum are from the US.  

 

I'm not disputing what you were told but that is a high percentage of American guests. All our European cruises have had a lot of different nationalities and whilst US citizens make up the majority they account for  30 - 40% of the total passengers. 

[roomba920]

5 hours ago, megs193 said:

We are taking a cruise to Greece next August when the temperature will likely be super hot. Would golf shorts and polo shirts be appropriate dinner attire for my husband and 2 sons?  We are traveling through Italy prior to the cruise and carrying our luggage all around so I am trying to pack as light as possible.

I would say it's no different than any other warm destination. The temps onboard are comfortable with a/c.

[trippen texan]

some churches over there you have to cover knees and shoulders to go inside

[Biker19]

6 hours ago, Tin can said:

I'm not disputing what you were told but that is a high percentage of American guests.

This is from RCL's SEC filing last quarter. That is only revenue, not actual passenger count and is for all RCG lines, not just RCI.

 

[zimmerman]

3 hours ago, Biker19 said:

This is from RCL's SEC filing last quarter. That is only revenue, not actual passenger count and is for all RCG lines, not just RCI.

 

Where were those cruises in Q2?

 

How many of those cruises were in Europe versus the US for example? Surely that’s going to skew that data?

[Hogbay]

16 hours ago, megs193 said:

We are taking a cruise to Greece next August when the temperature will likely be super hot. Would golf shorts and polo shirts be appropriate dinner attire for my husband and 2 sons?  We are traveling through Italy prior to the cruise and carrying our luggage all around so I am trying to pack as light as possible.

No for your husband he should be dressed appropriately to acoplamento his beautiful wife to dinner .  Ship is Air conditioned . How old are your son's . Golf shorts are for playing golf 🏌️‍♂️⛳

[crazyank]

3 hours ago, Hogbay said:

No for your husband he should be dressed appropriately to acoplamento his beautiful wife to dinner .  Ship is Air conditioned . How old are your son's . Golf shorts are for playing golf 🏌️‍♂️⛳

Baloney!!  He should dress comfortably.  Golf shorts and polo shirts are fine,  including in Europe.

[RobInMN]

[Biker19]

9 hours ago, zimmerman said:

Where were those cruises in Q2?

 

How many of those cruises were in Europe versus the US for example? Surely that’s going to skew that data?

You might think that but here are the numbers from the Q3 filing last year when a bunch of ships were in Europe. The numbers don't change that much with the varied home porting of ships.

 

[Hogbay]

5 hours ago, crazyank said:

Baloney!!  He should dress comfortably.  Golf shorts and polo shirts are fine,  including in Europe.

No thank you ,off the bone leg ham .

[BirdTravels]

20 hours ago, trippen texan said:

some churches over there you have to cover knees and shoulders to go inside

 

9 hours ago, Hogbay said:

No for your husband he should be dressed appropriately to acoplamento his beautiful wife to dinner .  Ship is Air conditioned . How old are your son's . Golf shorts are for playing golf 🏌️‍♂️⛳

 

But shorts are perfectly acceptable in the dining rooms, all nights, including "formal nights". You are on vacation and don't need to dress up for anyone. Ignore the fashion police who create their own rules. 

[Joseph2017China]

21 hours ago, trippen texan said:

some churches over there you have to cover knees and shoulders to go inside

 

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

 

 

But shorts are perfectly acceptable in the dining rooms, all nights, including "formal nights". You are on vacation and don't need to dress up for anyone. Ignore the fashion police who create their own rules. 

You made a statement but I don't think you understand what you said.  This is not being discussed as the USA, but rather in Europe, and yes, the fashion police, in churches will stop you at the door, if you are not dressed respectful, and yes, I am using the word respect because, the opinion that I'm on vacation, so I will do what I want, is not an acceptable excuse while traveling internationally.  So, Respect is important, and even on a cruise, generally speaking, men do not go to evening dinner wearing shorts.  

 

Before, you lecture me on this, and my use of the word respect, I do wear shorts at dinner, where, it is normal to do so, but I don't on international trips, while eating evening meals.  I certainly respect churches and other places of worship, and when I know I will visit, I dress in long pants for the day, regardless of the heat etc.  

 

I have watched many times, people who dressed with disrespect, denied entrance into places. Those people did not think it mattered, and it did.  So, yes, most men will wear long pants on the ship.  Why, because, it is normal, and acceptable way of doing it.

 

The original poster had a very good question, since they have limited travel internationally.  It is good to ask questions, and the answers should never be opinions, just the facts.  Such as a fact that most men (which includes male kids) will wear long pants when in certain situations.  It is just the way it is.  Not an opinion.  

Edited July 18, 2023 by Joseph2017China

[taglovestocruise]

Royal has several Swim With The Pigs excursions, keep a eye out for the upcoming dining with the pigs. Wife beater shirt and baseball cap allowed

Edited July 18, 2023 by taglovestocruise

[Tin can]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

 

 

But shorts are perfectly acceptable in the dining rooms, all nights, including "formal nights". You are on vacation and don't need to dress up for anyone. Ignore the fashion police who create their own rules. 

 

Absolutely, you should wear what you want on holiday.

 

I think though you will be turned away from most church's in Italy or Greece in shorts, it may be different in the US?

 

You may also find that a higher proportion of Europeans choose to dress formally on a European cruise than the traditional folks vacationing on a Florida cruise not because of any 'fashion police' or rules but because they choose to.  

[crazyank]

34 minutes ago, Joseph2017China said:

So, yes, most men will wear long pants on the ship.  Why, because, it is normal, and acceptable way of doing it.

Nope, the vast majority on our last Med cruise wore shorts.

13 minutes ago, Tin can said:

I think though you will be turned away from most church's in Italy or Greece in shorts, it may be different in the US?

Nope,  of all the churches we have visited in both countries exactly two did not allow shorts.

[Tin can]

11 hours ago, crazyank said:

Nope, the vast majority on our last Med cruise wore shorts.

 

 

I guess it depends on the demographic. Our FB group for our upcoming Greek Isles cruise is made up of a lot of first time Italian cruisers. If the 400 odd members are a representation of the overall ship when we sail then its going to be a week long formal fashion parade.

 

It might be quite nice to see to be honest, I might dust the cobwebs off the tux 😄