Dinner dress advice needed
 

We are taking our 12 yr old daughter with another family with children ages 14, 12 & 7 on Carnival's Elation 7 day cruise in July from Los Angeles to Mexico. I know about "formal night" and we will be dressing appropriately for those nights, but can someone please tell me what the proper dress is for the regular dinner sittings? It will be awfully hot in Mexico during this time. Are shorts ok or are long pants more the order of the day? Kind of a dumb question, but this is our first cruise. Thanks for your advice. <BR>Joe

Joe, <BR>Definitely NO shorts in the main dining room at dinner even on Carnival. No tee shirts, or halters either. Please dress casually with long pants, open-necked or polo shirt, decent shoes, etc. Women - cotton skirt, long pants, etc. It is air-conditioned. <BR>

Cash, <BR> <BR>Thanks for the info. Now I know.

Just a bit of advice, sometimes the dining rooms are very chilly. A sweater is a must for the ladies with sundresses or formal dresses that are a bit open on top. Have a great time!

Sun dresses are very common for the young ladies at dinner.

On Carnival there is practically no dress code for dinner. Most diners don't even dress up for formal nights any more. People sitting at dinner with baseball caps, jeans, etc. It AIN't like it used to be MaGee.

<BR>Well, it is true that there are some people who do come to dinner dressed WAY down on Carnival, but I have to tell you, they look awfully out of place. They are also usually the ones who call the waiters 'Hey you' and cry out for ketchup for their lobster. And pick their teeth. Just because they have no class, dosen't mean the rest of us have to sink &lt;g&gt;!

Joe, <BR>When we cruised on Carnival everyone was decently attired in the dining rooms, even on non-formal nights. Dresses or slacks/blouse combos on women, slacks or chinos on men, open neck shirts, etc. NO jeans or shorts were in sight thankfully. In the "informal dining areas" you will see that. At lunch, if you eat in the formal dining rooms, shorts are OK but I would not try and go in barefoot. Even kids were nicely dressed when we went, casual, but nice if you know what I mean -- on formal nights some of the kids were adorable as they were all dolled up, however real formal is not necessary either - a suit or sport jacket for men is fine and a nice pair of summer pants (or long skirt) and top can surfice for women. Dining rooms are chilly at times so a sweater or shawl can come in handy. I think Carnival gets a bum rap - not everyone who cruises Carnival is a slob, not is everyone who cruises other lines extremely wealthy. I think you will be surprised at the mix of people, ages, backgrounds etc. Go and enjoy!

Thanks again everyone. I appreciate all your advice.

Dress code? Don't think so. Why should I be told what to wear? I'm going to relax so I'll wear what I want.

<BR>Hi Joe, <BR> <BR>We always dressed our daughter in dresses on formal night from age 3 and up. Most other nights she wears those dressy shorts that look like skirts. She is now 11 and still dresses the same. <BR> <BR>Teenagers are difficult to dress without the grunge look. <BR> <BR>For those that do not care to dress I believe they are attempting to make a statement. You can view their photos in the photo gallery and they do stand out. I for one wish they would eat in the buffet where they belong. <BR> <BR>My opinion entirely. <BR> <BR>Paul

Paul, <BR>I second your opinion, but thats just my opinion

People..this post is well over a year old..I dont think it matters anymore.