# What is appropriate to wear on a cruise? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 17, 2011, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994 "2011-01-17T21:05:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/21 "2011-01-19T13:45:04Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > You’re not saving twenty seats in the bleachers of a ball game; you’re saving one chair for yourself. Its still a dick move. Use the chair for its purpose, or don’t use it. On the plus side, a lot of resorts and cruiselines are starting to see this as rude, and putting an end to it by removing unattended personal items themselves. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/22 "2011-01-19T14:15:03Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Its still a dick move. Use the chair for its purpose, or don’t use it. > > On the plus side, a lot of resorts and cruiselines are starting to see this as rude, and putting an end to it by removing unattended personal items themselves. Yeah, I almost got in a fist fight with a jackass whose wife left her stuff on a pool chair for over an hour before I finally moved it off. He and his wife came back a couple of hours later and were outraged that my wife “took” _her_ chair. Sheesh. Jerk. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/23 "2011-01-19T14:48:59Z")
The buffet is OK and you can certainly live off of it, but I always go to the dinner. My wife and I do get into the whole formal thing and enjoy it, but I would never skip eating in the formal dining room even if I were the only one not dressed up. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/24 "2011-01-19T14:57:07Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > You’re not saving twenty seats in the bleachers of a ball game; you’re saving one chair for yourself. And her SO? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/25 "2011-01-19T15:14:46Z")
> [@PoorYorick](#): > > Yeah, I almost got in a fist fight with a jackass whose wife left her stuff on a pool chair for over an hour before I finally moved it off. He and his wife came back a couple of hours later and were outraged that my wife “took” _her_ chair. > > Sheesh. Jerk. Really? A fist fight? Why didn’t you just call Gopher over and get him to do his purser thing? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/26 "2011-01-19T15:42:07Z")
Hijack to a different subject: ordering dinner in the dining room (based on my Carnival experience). There may be a half dozen entrees. The portions are on the modest side. If you or your hubby want a good-sized meal, or you really want both the fish and the steak, this is the thing to know: you may have more than one. Heck, you can get three of one and two of another, or four different ones. However, it’s MUCH easier if you order it all at the get-go, rather than ordering a second plate after the first arrives. Likewise for appetizers/salads/desserts, etc. Some people leave the dining room hungry and/or frustrated because they think they’re limited to one item. Don’t be one of them. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/27 "2011-01-19T15:43:58Z")
> [@DivineComedienne](#): > > Next month I am going on my first cruise - a business junket for my SO and just a short one (leaves Friday - returns Monday) and I have NO IDEA what to pack. This is a Royal Carribean cruise from Florida to Nassau. The info I received says: > > The first night: > 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm – Welcome Cocktail Reception > 8:30 pm -10:00 pm – Dinner > > The second night: > 7:30 pm-8:30 pm – Cocktail Networking Reception > 8:30 pm – 10:00 pm – Dinner (Attire - Formal Night: suits/ties or tuxedo, cocktail dresses) > > How dressy is this? Tuxedo?!?!? Is this like The Love Boat dressy, or like going to a wedding? Should I be all spangly, or is just a simple LBD okay? If I’m wearing a cocktail dress the second night, how dressy is the first night? I don’t want to be under- or over-dressed, and I don’t want to spend a fortune on fancy dresses if I can avoid it. My SO is not bringing a tux, just a suit. > > And what about daytime, can I just wear shorts and a tee with sandals, or do I have to get all dolled up for that, too? Can some of you with cruise experience enlighten me? I’ve been on a couple of Royal Caribbean cruises and, believe me, you don’t have to agonize over attire. RC recommends certain attire for certain nights, but they’re not too strict about it. They won’t 86 you from the dining room if you’re wearing jeans on formal night, for example. Expect attendees to the Networking reception, which is a smaller affair, to be more formally attired than the general passenger complement who attend the formal dinner afterward. > [@DivineComedienne](#): > > Ay-yi-yi, I had no idea this was so complicated! I just thought I’d hang out and read a book by the pool all day, have a quiet casual dinner at night and go to bed. You know, relax! No makeup for four days! Now I come to find there are excursions, activities, etc. > > So I don’t have to get a gown for the second night, maybe a New Year’s Eve-type dress? And something a little less so the first night. Thanks for the help! You can hang out at the pool all day if you like. This is Royal Caribbean, not Azamara, or even Celebrity. Relaxation is what this cruise line is all about. > [@Bumbershoot](#): > > You don’t have to eat dinner in the Dining Room if you don’t want to get all dressed up on Formal night. You can have dinner at the buffet if you prefer to keep it casual. This is correct. You can even have room service if you like and eat out on your balcony, above the calming waves and below the stars, assuming you will have a balcony. > [@ladyfoxfyre](#): > > A cocktail dress is fine, or you can avoid the whole affair and just read a book by the pool. You’ll still be able to get food at the 24-hour buffet. Royal Caribbean’s buffet is not 24 hours on any of their ships as far as I’m aware. Depending on the ship, there may be one or two small eateries where you can get a quick bite. Your best option for 24 hour dining is room service. > [@lindsaybluth](#): > > OP, also make sure you bring a small pool bag you don’t mind stolen (worst case scenario). Here’s why: during the day when you’re poolside, you wanna go right after breakfast (or before, if you sleep in) to get a good chair poolside. You want to claim it with your bag; a towel can be tossed aside, a bag must be picked up and moved which people won’t/don’t do. This is actually a bad idea, especially on Royal Caribbean, as they’ve instituted a policy of not saving deck chairs after many, many complaints. They will now move your stuff. > [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > Oh, and don’t forget the rechargeable 2-way radios. Don’t rely too heavily on 2-way radios. Some of Royal Caribbean’s ships are getting a little long in the tooth and have many metallic obstructions a radio signal can’t get around or through. Also, many 2-way radios are LOS (line of sight) and any obstruction whatsoever will prevent communication with your party. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/28 "2011-01-19T15:56:03Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > You’re not saving twenty seats in the bleachers of a ball game; you’re saving one chair for yourself. And the pool does not have bleacher-style stadium seating, it has a few dozen chairs that are meant to be used by people who are actually…uh…at the pool. Still a dick move. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/29 "2011-01-19T16:15:04Z")
Few dozen chairs? I obviously haven’t been on the chintzy cruises you have. Mine have always had hundreds of chairs surrounding 3 or more pools as well as various decks and sunny spots; there are literally enough chairs for every single person on board. I wasn’t aware Royal moves things for people lately. Obviously that changes things. Also, to those recommending multiple dishes, are you nuts? The only people who I’ve seen eat multiple dishes are teenage boys and the morbidly obese. Cruise food alone makes the average person pack on a few pounds in a week (though the OP should be safe in just a few days). ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/30 "2011-01-19T17:49:37Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Really? A fist fight? Why didn’t you just call Gopher over and get him to do his purser thing? Well, slight hyperbole on my part. Picture two slightly overweight guys in their 40’s in a shouting match. More like that. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/31 "2011-01-19T17:56:01Z")
> [@PoorYorick](#): > > Yeah, I almost got in a fist fight with a jackass whose wife left her stuff on a pool chair for over an hour before I finally moved it off. He and his wife came back a couple of hours later and were outraged that my wife “took” _her_ chair. > > Sheesh. Jerk. You 'fessed up? I play dumb. Oh, it was there when I arrived (or missing if I turned it in to lost and found. Can’t trust entitled assholes to not start screaming at you. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/32 "2011-01-19T18:04:02Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > Few dozen chairs? I obviously haven’t been on the chintzy cruises you have. Mine have always had hundreds of chairs surrounding 3 or more pools as well as various decks and sunny spots; there are literally enough chairs for every single person on board. If there are plenty of chairs for everyone, there is no reason to save one. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/33 "2011-01-19T18:07:07Z")
Chintzy? You’re a class act all around. There’s roughly 2,000 passengers on most major cruise lines. I guarantee there are not 2,000 seats next to the pool, no matter how vehemently you try to defend your dickish behavior. If there are so many seats, you wouldn’t have to go claim your territory before breakfast so you have somewhere to lay around all day. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/34 "2011-01-19T18:17:58Z")
> [@ladyfoxfyre](#): > > Chintzy? You’re a class act all around. There’s roughly 2,000 passengers on most major cruise lines. I guarantee there are not 2,000 seats next to the pool, no matter how vehemently you try to defend your dickish behavior. If there are so many seats, you wouldn’t have to go claim your territory before breakfast so you have somewhere to lay around all day. Large ships hold twice that. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/35 "2011-01-19T18:22:08Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Large ships hold twice that. I was just throwing out one figure that I knew to be the case based on the past couple cruises I have been on. But I doubt there are 4,000 lounge chairs next to the pool either 😉 ---
**Author:** ![expectopatronum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/expectopatronum/32/173_2.png) [@expectopatronum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/expectopatronum)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/36 "2011-01-20T00:33:22Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > I’ve been on a couple of Royal Caribbean cruises and, believe me, you don’t have to agonize over attire. RC recommends certain attire for certain nights, but they’re not too strict about it. They won’t 86 you from the dining room if you’re wearing jeans on formal night, for example. Expect attendees to the Networking reception, which is a smaller affair, to be more formally attired than the general passenger complement who attend the formal dinner afterward. this has pretty much been my experience on carnival, i’ve done 4 cruises with them. don’t fret over what you’re going to wear to dinner, some people go all out with the evening gowns and tuxes and others will dress more casually. i think their biggest preference is that you not wear shorts or flip flops to the dining room, but enforcement is pretty casual. not complicated at all, just dress comfortably and enjoy. if anyone’s counting, i agree that leaving your stuff on a deck chair and coming back later is a dick move. there may well be enough chairs for everyone aboard(i’ve never counted) but they sure won’t all be poolside. there’s some chairs on the upper decks as well, but those spots are much less crowded than by the pool and there’s usually no problem finding a chair. i kind of preferred those areas for sunbathing, actually, they were much quieter. also, everyone’s experiences varies, of course, but ordering multiple dishes at dinner has never been limited to the obese and teenage boys on the ships i’ve been on. pretty much everyone does it, from what i’ve seen. for appetizers especially, portions are on the small side, so it’s not like you’re chowing down 3 appetizers the size of what you’d get at chilis or applebees or something. order what you want, have a good time, and maybe have a salad for dinner when you get home. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/37 "2011-01-20T01:07:31Z")
Hey! I _was_ a bag picked up laying on a poolside chair… ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/38 "2011-01-20T01:51:36Z")
> [@ladyfoxfyre](#): > > I guarantee there are not 2,000 seats next to the pool, no matter how vehemently you try to defend your dickish behavior. > [@ladyfoxfyre](#): > > But I doubt there are 4,000 lounge chairs next to the pool either 😉 Awww, somebody needs a little hooked on phonics! > [@lindsaybluth](#): > > Few dozen chairs? I obviously haven’t been on the chintzy cruises you have. Mine have always had hundreds of chairs surrounding 3 or more pools as well as various decks and sunny spots; there are literally enough chairs for every single person on board. What that means in 3rd grade English is _there are hundreds of chairs poolside_ and _there are enough chairs for every single person on board_. Not “there are thousands of chairs by the pool”. Getting back to the OP…don’t forget slide-on or thong sandals for the pool! You’ll be walking a distance from your room to the pool, so you don’t want to take your slingbacks with ya 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/39 "2011-01-20T03:23:47Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > Also, to those recommending multiple dishes, are you nuts? The only people who I’ve seen eat multiple dishes are teenage boys and the morbidly obese. Cruise food alone makes the average person pack on a few pounds in a week (though the OP should be safe in just a few days). Finally! I’d be lucky to finish one plate…three? OK, I guess to pick a little off this one and a little off of that one as a sampler, but what a waste of food. Sharks in the sea-lanes must eat well. But my one horrible vice… Dear Og, I loved having a balcony off of our room!!! The splash of the wake, the smell of the water, the winking lights from distant ships, the clarity of the stars…and the privacy to enjoy them alone or with a SO, possibly with a bottle of wine… “I wonder where we’ll end up?” “Away from the things of man, my love. Away from the things of man…” ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994/40 "2011-01-20T03:46:17Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > What that means in 3rd grade English is _there are hundreds of chairs poolside_ and _there are enough chairs for every single person on board_. Not “there are thousands of chairs by the pool”. There are certainly not enough chairs for every man, woman, and child on board. Of my 8 cruises, the least-populous was 1,700ish people, the most-populous 3700 or so. And there are _not_ anywhere near that many chairs on the outside decks. If there were enough chairs out and about for everyone, you wouldn’t need to save one the way you do. It’s a totally rude thing to do, and on both RC and Carnival they _will_ move your things after about half an hour. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-appropriate-to-wear-on-a-cruise/567994.md?page=3)