Formal dinner night on cruises?

Question

how formal are ya supposed to dress? could i wear my dress i wore for a formal dance at school (its not like a floor length prom dress or anything hahaha) . or should i wear just something like a jean skirt???

Answer 1

You'll see a wide variety of clothing at the formal dinner.  Some people really like dressing up and they go the full 9 yards.  Others, hate dressing up and they do more of a casual business thing.  You could get away with either outfit you are considering.  Just beware wrinkles - garment bags are discouraged, and many materials will wrinkle in suitcases.  Ironing is not an option on all cruises (unless you pay their laundry), so you'll want to check with yours to find out what the policy is.  I stressed out big time on my first cruise and went and bought new dresses - complete waste.  It really wasn't that important, I had plenty of things that would work.

Answer 2

I have worn everything from long formals, to nice pants and a silk jacket. My next cruise I plan on wearing cocktail dresses on formal night. No matter what you wear, you will not be turned away from dinner, but flip flops and a denim skirt might turn heads the wrong way. Wear the skirt on a regular night and wear the party dress for formal night. Just do not wear shorts and flip flops in the dinning room. They are fine in the buffet though.

Answer 3

On formal nights on cruise ships your are REQUESTED  to wear formal clothes but you do not have to.  You can dress up as much as you want.  Women will have on all types of attire from party dresses to long floor length gowns and they can be any color or style you want.  There is no firm requirement for what you wear.  Some women do not even dress up but just wear the sports/resort casual things that they wear the other nights of the cruise.  You will not be denied access to the main dining hall, the captain's reception, the showroom or anything else if you are not dresses extremely formal.  So just dress like you want and that formal dress will be fine if that's what you want to wear.

Answer 4

Basically, dress as if you were going to a wedding.

Answer 5

Honestly, you can wear anything dressy that you feel comfortable in.  If you want to stick to the standard, it mostly depends on the cruise you're sailing.  Typical formal attire will vary based not only on the cruiseline, but on the cruise length and destination.  Longer, more distant cruises usually means an older and more formal passenger makeup.

Here are some ideas of what to expect, given my personal experiences.  (Also, I've posted a photo of a sample dress that would probably be appropriate and middle of the range):

3-5 nights, close to home (from the US, that's usually the Caribbean or Mexican Riviera) : Afternoon dress (aka Sunday dress), simple cocktail dress

http://www.megdesk.com/closet/blacksheat...

7-10 nights, close to home : Cocktail dress, short or tea-length formal gown

http://www.megdesk.com/closet/bwstraples...

10+ nights, Mediterranean/Europe : Cocktail dress, any length sleek formal gown

http://www.megdesk.com/closet/blackform-...

10+ nights, exotic (world cruise, East Asia, etc) : Tea-length to floor-length formal gown, ballgown

http://www.megdesk.com/closet/blackbeade...

I would guess that the dress from your formal dance would be fine.  In the jean skirt, you may feel a bit underdressed unless you paired it with an elegant top.  And why not take the opportunity to dress up a bit while you have the chance?  I know that most of the dresses I wear on formal nights don't spend much time out of my closet!

Answer 6

There is no specific attire you MUST wear. They will not remove you if you are not dressed in formal attire. Having said that you will feel out of place in a jean skirt. Your best bet is to wear what you wore to your formal dance, get your pictures taken and enjoy the experience. It really is an enjoyable evening.

Answer 7

you should wear the dress

Answer 8

Wear the dress you wore at your school dance. It's like a formal dance, almost like prom. Guys all dress in suites or tuxes, and you'll look under dressed in something like a jean skirt. You get your picture taken and the dinning services are usually very fancy these nights. I actually wear my prom dresses to these things, and no one thinks a thing of it. That's how formal formal night is.

Basically, if you want to get an idea, anything from prom dress to Mariposa type stuff is what you should be wearing.

Answer 9

Not a jean skirt - that's not formal.  The dress you wore for the formal dance would probably be fine.  Or you could wear a long black skirt or dressy pants with a dressy top [take two and you have both formal nights covered!].

Answer 10

I've just came back from a cruise and for the formal nights I wore my homecoming dress, it was a tea lenght white dress and I was actually a little UNDER dressed.  A lot of the gentlemen wear tuxedos and many of the women wear floor length dresses.  Not everyone gets that dressed up, but the majority of them do.  I'd deffinatley go with the dress, and I'd recommend wearing the skirt on a casual night.

Answer 11

It depends on the cruise.

Anyway, since the dinner is formal, but you have not such a formal dress (floor length dress I mean), you can try jeans skirt, to act in an original way.

Answer 12

I only went on one cruise, and just wore a cocktail dress... we saw it all though, from tuxedos and floor length gowns to guys in Dockers with polo shirts and women in dress pants, and a blouse with sandals.    We were on a Princess cruise - I believe some of the trans-Atlantic cruises are more strict about it.  Wear what you'll be comfortable in!