No Dress Code Required

You need to make a distinction between cruises, cruise lines and destinations. It’s important to follow some cruise protocol so you don’t embarrassed yourself or me; if you are taking a three day party cruise for $200 you can show up for dinner in flip flops, no makeup, home made ripped jeans and no bra and nobody will noticed, but if you pretend to do the same on the Seabourn Line you will be lucky if they let you on the ship much less out of your cabin.

Cruise Duration and Price

The Short Cruise

In the United States, the cheaper the price of the cruise the shorter the cruise. On these cruises you will see more fraternities, boobs and tattoos. A formal night means that some people will dress in T-Shirts instead of cut-off shirts for the guys and your maid of honor dress for the women.

This theme seems to be more common on cruises out of the south, New Orleans and Galveston and much less from ports on the east coast.

But if that is what you are looking for and you are from the younger crowd, don’t forget spring break, college kids will fill up every cheap cabin on every 4 day cruise to drink and party all night long. Cruises out of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas are pack with spring breakers in March, dress code, optional. I’ll see you there!

The Five Day Cruise

This is the middle class cruise, cheap enough to afford it, but it will drain your wallet with a family of four. Stick to the soft drink packages and avoid the fluffy drinks with the umbrella.

Most likely you will have one formal night, younger kids don’t care, leave them by the pool and buy them pizza.

The Seven to Ten Day Cruise

The seven day cruise is full of the Over Fifty Crowd, unless it’s summer time don’t expect much action after midnight and dress code will be more formal than normal, usually two formal nights and dinner jacket all other nights. But, the cruise line you choose will make a difference whether people are dressing up or not. On the caribbean cruises you make find more relax dress code on many passengers, even on formal nights you may not see too many tuxedos. If your destination is the mediterranean, expect a more strict dress code. Bring your tuxedo or at least a black suit.

Longer Cruises

These are the cruises for the rich and the retired. You better pack two suitcases. Make sure to pick your cruise line well, you don’t want to keep showing up in shorts when everyone else is in full dress. The cruise line will be important. A Carnival cruise will be very different than a cruise on a Seabourn or Cunard Line. If you are more the casual dress as you go kind of person, Carnival will be fine, but if you love to dress up perhaps Seabourn, Cunard or Princess line will be more to your taste.

It’s important to research the dress code, don’t go by the cruise line recommendation, read reviews from actual customers or ask your travel agent.

Don’t be cheap, your lady wants to be on a nice cruise unless you both are on spring break