Dress codes on a cruise ship

I've lost track of the times someone has asked me about dress codes on cruise ships; what they were expected to wear and when. Whilst I've never minded explaining to people what the different dress codes are and when and where you have to wear them it occurred to me that there might be a lot of people out there thinking the same thing but not wanting to ask, so todays post will be about dress codes on cruise ships.

The first and most important thing to remember with a cruise ships formal nights is that the dress code is only ever for the main dining room, so if at any point you don't feel like dressing up just use that night to try one of the other restaurants. The only real down side with this is that most people leaving the restaurants won't go back to their cabins to get changed so if you're mingling later that night in a bar you may feel a bit out of place in your jeans and t-shirts if everyone else is dressed up.

So what are the different dress codes you can expect on a cruise ship?

Formal: Formal wear will mean black tie/tuxedo for the men and a cocktail dress for the ladies although increasingly just a dark suit for the men and a trouser suit for the ladies is becoming acceptable, so don't worry if you don't own a tux.

Semi formal: Semi formal for the men normally means a jacket or tie although depending on the cruise line a jacket and an open necked shirt is acceptable. Rather unfairly to the ladies onboard the cruise though, semi formal for them again means a cocktail dress or trouser suit. Perhaps a less showy one for this night?

Informal:  This one you'll really need to play by ear as it really will depend on the cruise line your traveling with. For some of the more formal cruise lines informal might be open collared shirt and trousers, for some of the more relaxed cruise lines it may even mean just jeans and t-shirt.
If you're ever in don't just speak to your travel agent about the cruise line you're booking with.

This then is for anyone that's ever been on a cruise, which do you prefer? The formal or informal nights? Are you glad, or appalled, by the fact that formal nights are becoming 'less formal'. Let me know what you think here.

Happy Cruising