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Formal Attire?

Z

Zysoclaplem

Diamond Member
One of the nights on the cruise they have a dinner that "formal attire" is recommended for.
I don't have a suit. Never needed one. Will nice slacks, a nice shirt and nice shoes work for that?
 
Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
One of the nights on the cruise they have a dinner that "formal attire" is recommended for.
I don't have a suit. Never needed one. Will nice slack, a nice shirt and nice shoes work for that?
Click to expand...

When I went on a cruise, they had the formal night thing at dinner. Most people wore suits and ties, and there were some who wore khakis and a button down.

As long as you don't wear sweat pants, you'll be fine. It's a cruise, you're there to have fun and relax.
 
Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
One of the nights on the cruise they have a dinner that "formal attire" is recommended for.
I don't have a suit. Never needed one. Will nice slack, a nice shirt and nice shoes work for that?
Click to expand...

When I went on a cruise, they had the formal night thing at dinner. Most people wore suits and ties, and there were some who wore khakis and a button down.

As long as you don't wear sweat pants, you'll be fine. It's a cruise, you're there to have fun and relax.
Click to expand...

I disagree, some places won't let you in formal night if you don't look up to snuff. However, nice slacks, a dress shirt, and a tie will suffice. A suit is highly recommended but not necessary.
 
Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
One of the nights on the cruise they have a dinner that "formal attire" is recommended for.
I don't have a suit. Never needed one. Will nice slack, a nice shirt and nice shoes work for that?
Click to expand...

When I went on a cruise, they had the formal night thing at dinner. Most people wore suits and ties, and there were some who wore khakis and a button down.

As long as you don't wear sweat pants, you'll be fine. It's a cruise, you're there to have fun and relax.
Click to expand...

Yes, but I don't want to stick out like a sore thumb. I have nice black slacks, nice shoes and a nice shirt with a long black tie. That will be plenty?
 
Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
Originally posted by: LoKe
Dress pants and button down shirt. Possible tie.
Click to expand...

I can do that. But a jacket is not required for it to be formal?
Click to expand...

I wear one, but it's not required.

I've been on 3 cruises, 2 with Carnival and 1 with Princess. Most men wore suits, but there were plenty with nice pants and a dress shirt. Don't worry about it too much.
 
Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
One of the nights on the cruise they have a dinner that "formal attire" is recommended for.
I don't have a suit. Never needed one. Will nice slack, a nice shirt and nice shoes work for that?
Click to expand...

When I went on a cruise, they had the formal night thing at dinner. Most people wore suits and ties, and there were some who wore khakis and a button down.

As long as you don't wear sweat pants, you'll be fine. It's a cruise, you're there to have fun and relax.
Click to expand...

Yes, but I don't want to stick out like a sore thumb. I have nice black slacks, nice shoes and a nice shirt with a long black tie. That will be plenty?
Click to expand...

Yup, that should be fine. No need to buy a suit.
 
Originally posted by: LS20
"formal" = not just suit, but a tuxedo

but youre on a cruise, on vacation, so who cares
Click to expand...

That's what I thought too. Never been on a cruise so it may be different.

On a side note, how can you not own a suit?
 
Originally posted by: slsmnaz
Originally posted by: LS20
"formal" = not just suit, but a tuxedo

but youre on a cruise, on vacation, so who cares
Click to expand...

That's what I thought too. Never been on a cruise so it may be different.

On a side note, how can you not own a suit?
Click to expand...

I have never needed one. So I just don't.
 
This is part of the reason I don't like cruising. I have no desire to wear a tie or get dressed up on my vacation. I want to wear as little as possible on vacation if you know what I mean. Suits and such are for work and formal occasions....this is dinner on my vacation. I'm firmly convinced that the reason why they do this is because they just so happen to offer the service where you can rent a tuxedo from them for an astronomical price. Just like most things on cruises, it's just a method to get more money out of you.

It was about 30% people in tuxes, 10% in polo or button down shirts and 60% suits when I went.
 
Originally posted by: MrChad
On a cruise, formal means a suit and tie or tuxedo for men.
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QFT

While a tux might be a bit pretentious to some it is the correct attire for a "formal" event - though a black or dark gray suit with tie is normally OK. Since a lot of people on vacation assume that slobbery is ok even away from the beach/deck I suppose you could try to fit in with the herd, but why? It's a lot harder to look out of place over-dressed at a formal dinner than you will macking pleated (shudder) khakis and a polo.

If you fit somewhere along the lines of average (32-38" waist, 30-38" inseam, 38-44 jacket) you can pick up a surprisingly nice suit, tie and shirt on the cheap at Target of all places. They tend to cut to a more slim/athletic build so I actually think their standard fit looks better off the rack than the suits I have in the back of my closet from Bachrach and Men's Warehouse.
 
I thought formal usually meant tux, semi-formal meant suit + tie, "smart casual" meant nice pants + shirt with/without a tie.

I guess that's no longer the case. I'd just listen to the guys who have been on the cruise before. 😛
 
The cruises I've been on I believe wouldn't let you in the dining room on formal nights if you weren't wearing a jacket. Which line are you going on?
 
Formal means "White Tie"
Semi-Formal means "Black Tie"
Unless it is before 6, in which case it means a morning coat.

Unless you are military -
Full Dress is Formal
Mess Dress is semi-Formal

Unless you are royalty -
varies by country


These days, it is normally perfectly acceptable to wear black tie to most event labeled formal because what folks usually mean is normally semi-formal. I don't own a tail coat and white tie, but I have had occasion to wear them a few times. I have a few friends who own a set. However, most of the men I grew up with do own at least a black Dinner Jacket.
 
Components of formal dress
For men's white tie:

Tailcoat
Formal trousers, (with satin stripes on the left and right sides) which are never cuffed
White pique bow tie
White (black on some occasions) pique vest
White pique-front shirt
Cufflinks and studs
Black patent leather shoes (or, as has been the norm more recently, black dress shoes)
Suspenders may also be worn
For men's black tie:

Tuxedo jacket or dinner jacket
Formal trousers, (with satin stripes on the left and right sides) which are never cuffed
Formal shirt, which may have a wing collar, a standard collar, or a band collar, and may have a pleated, standard, or pique front (or may have a ruffled front)
A bow tie or neck tie
A vest (worn with either a bow tie or a long tie) or a cummerbund (worn only with a bow tie)
Black patent leather shoes (or, as has been the norm more recently, black dress shoes)
Cufflinks and studs
Suspenders may also be worn
 
Those of you saying formal is tuxedo wear type are absolutely correct it's just that on a cruise they put formal so people won't wear jeans/beach gear. Cruise is formal is way different than normal dinner party formal.

OP, you will be fine with what you described.
 
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