Posts from — May 2009

One of the easiest headaches to avoid during a cruise vacation is to pack properly. After all, do you want to be out to sea on formal night without the proper attire? It is a mistake that can be avoided. The clothes required for a cruise are different than for a vacation on land.

The evening meals on a cruise ship are served to passengers who respect the dress code. There may be one or more formal nights scheduled during your cruise. Your travel agent, cruise broker, or cruise line direct should give you the specific requirement.

When you are home the common question is, Whats for dinner? On a cruise ship the common question is, What is the dress code? The dress code varies from cruise line to cruise line. However, there are a few basic categories. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines has three distinct dress codes. They call their dress codes: casual, smart casual, and formal.

The casual dress code is all about nice comfort. Men should wear slacks with a nice sport short. A sport shirt usually is defined as having a collar and buttons down the front. The casual dress code for the ladies consists of sundresses or a nice shirt and slacks outfit.

The smart casual dress code category takes the casual dress code to the next level. Men should dress up their casual outfit with a jacket and tie. Women should wear a dress that is a bit nicer than a sundress. Dressy pants suits are also acceptable for women to wear. Overall think of the smart casual dress code as anything nicer than what you would wear for casual night.

The formal dress code category is exactly what the name implies ” formal. Men should wear tuxedos or suits and ties. Women are expected to wear cocktail dresses or evening dresses. Some women prefer to wear ball gowns. This is more common on the upscale cruise lines. Longer cruises have more formal nights. Women often choose to wear a cocktail dress on one formal night, and a gown on another formal night.

The number of nights dedicated to each dress code depends upon the overall length of the cruise. A really short cruise may not even have one formal night. Contrary to that, a long cruise vacation may have two or more formal nights.

Formal portraits are taken on formal night. Many of the cruise lines have professional portrait photographers and mobile studios for this service. Passengers have the opportunity to have their portraits taken through out the cruise. However, the formal night is the most popular night for picture taking. This is because the passengers are all dressed up.

Each cruise line has a dress code, so pack accordingly. Dont forget anything by using a packing checklist. Have an awesome cruise vacation!