What to wear on vacation is surprisingly useful to figure out in advance, especially if you are packing light and trying to avoid checking a bag. For beach vacations, the concept is easy: a swimsuit and a cover-up. For ski trips, parkas and ski suits. But if you’re taking a cruise, the terrain is a little less understood. Are you supposed to dress up for dinner? Should you bring something warm for chilly evenings? This article from USA Today is here to rescue us and explain everything we need to know about how to dress for success (and pleasure!) on our cruise.
First, yes: dinners are dress-up affairs and, in the past, people were denied entry into the formal dining rooms if they were wearing shorts, for instance. However, as with most things since the pandemic began, regulations have eased. Check your particular cruise line for its dress code, but in general “smart casual” is the norm. But you can still wear your tux or your floor-length gown with pearls if you wish—and some cruise lines do have gala evenings to encourage people to embrace old-world elegance. However, if you want to skirt (haha) clothing expectations altogether, try the buffet or other casual dining area instead.
All right, so what does smart casual entail? For women, it would be a dress or a blouse paired with a long-ish skirt or dress pants. For men, pants that aren’t jeans—chinos are okay, plus a collared shirt and even a sports jacket just in case. On some cruise lines like Carnival, a longer dress short is okay for anyone. In general, you’re looking to “step up” from your usual casual running-around-the-ship attire.
Which clothing items are usually banned for the dining room or restaurants on board? Get ready, it’s a long list: T-shirts, jeans, shorts, gym shorts, bathing suits, tank tops, baseball hats, pants worn below the hips and distressed clothing in terms of faded fabric or rips/tears, even if intentionally designed that way. Hopefully, no one’s style gets cramped and you can sport these garments before or after dinner. And yes: bring a sweater or light jacket for catching breezes after sundown.