Conference abbott::cruise_travel

    Lori-
    I think you've got it about right...
    
    Some minor clarifications/add'l info, some of which are just my
    observations and/or opinions.
    
    Dining rooms for breakfast/lunch- anything except a bathing suit
    without a cover-up (of course, I'd advise against formal-wear :)
    
    "Theme" nights - If you opt not to C&W, go casual OR semi-formal
    I believe that if you DO "go" country, shucks, I'd wear the jeans and
    hat to dinner.
    
    It's EASY to overpack on the formal wear.  If I'm going to bring any
    extras on my next Caribbean Cruise (RCCL in 12/93, can't wait!) I want
    to have plenty of casual/beach wear.  I do  NOT like spending time on a
    ship in the laundry! 
    
    BTW, consider a light sweater/jacket or 2 for the evenings, even in the
    Caribbean, while at sea on deck (or in some over-AC'd areas...it can get 
    60-70ish.
    
    Enjoy!
    
    Steve S.

    Thanks Lori for starting this topic.
    
    I am going on my first RCCL cruise to the western Caribian on Sunday,
    August 29th, we leave at 8:26am for Florida to pick up the Majesty of
    the Seas.
    
    I was wondering about clothing also.
    
    The secretary I work with goes on a cruise almost every year and has
    informed me on what to bring.  She has also been kind enough to lend me
    3 dresses that can be worn either for Formal or Semi-formal nights
    depending on the accessories that you ware with the dress.  I may also
    bring a really nice tea-lenght teal blue dress that I wore for my
    brothers wedding for the Captins Dinner which is a Formal night.
    
    I also plan on bringing a few pairs of shorts tops to go with them and
    a pair or two of jeans.  Comfortable walking shoes, sneakers, and of
    course dress shoes to go with the outfits.  I am also bringing a couple
    of casual dresses/skirt-sets to ware on the casual nights.
    
    
    Can't wait for the 29th to get here.
    
    
    liz

    The percentage of people who dress for the theme nights is less
    than majority. If you do country or whatever just wear it to
    dinner, most people will. When you finish dinner you usually like
    get over to the show to get good seats, don't want to waste
    time changing.
    
    As far as formal/informal. Most women are really dressed fancy on
    formal, informal, I can't remember exactly. Some wear fancy pant
    suits etc. I would think pants
    would be fine. Casual is really casual, but not too many with shorts.
    
    The sweater is a definite, some public rooms can get chilly sometimes.
    My wife always has a sweater when we go out to shows etc. Seems like
    Sovereign last year was not chilly in most areas, could easily change.
    We have been on cruises where public rooms could get pretty chilly.
    
    If I am short on anything it is just like 467.1 mentioned, it is
    casual stuff and shorts etc. Remember from beginning of day till dinner,
    it is all shorts and bathing suits. Some people wear bathing suits all
    day especially at sea. They eat breakfast and lunch and a windjammer
    cafe (think that was name). 
    
    Two dressy ones should be fine. I've been on Sovereign, like most
    7 nighters, 2 are formal.
    
    Note on masquerade, about 1/2 the people who participate bring their
    stuff, the other 1/2 use materials that cruise staff provides for
    no charge. If you are creative, you do not have to bring anything.
    Regardless of participation make sure you watch, some people come
    up with wild ideas, fun to watch or participate.
    
    If I am short on anything it is usually shorts etc. They do have
    laundry and dry cleaning on board. There are other notes they
    just may be scattered around.
    
    did you try things like
    	dir/title="*wear*" *.*			;;;;;20.24 109.8 246.4
    			then look at the other replies
    
    	dir/title="*formal*" *.*
    
    	dir/title="*dress*" *.*		;;;;;;183.3  
    			then look at the other replies
    			
    		etc.
    
    		maybe you can find some more info.
    
    I've been on 8 cruises and always manage to pack incorrectly.
    
    If your into aerobics they have a pretty good program on Sovereign.
    
    If you have a hula hoop then practice for 50/60's nite.
    
    Have fun !!!
    
    			harold c.
    

    On most ships, shorts are not allowed in the dining room at dinner, even
    on casual nights and bathing suits (uncovered) are not ever allowed
    there.  I am sure that applies to RCCL.  As for formalwear,
    have FUN!  You will see lots of sequins, spandex and even some
    see-through!  
                                                            

    You've definately got enough stuff to take with you...  Women
    always have to pack more because of the accessories.  I say the
    dressier the better, where else can you go to dress up??  I've
    seen some of the most elegant clothing outside of Dynasty and
    Dallas on the ships...  It's bathing suits (on deck only) all day, and 
    backless, strapless, black chiffon at night.  The more severe and elegant
    you can be, the better!  There are several photographers on the
    ship who will be taking photos of you and your fellow passengers
    that you will have an opportunity to purchase every few days a 
    new flock of pictures will appear somewhere near the ship's 
    shop.  If you dress well and the pictures turn out nice, it's a
    bonus and a really great souvenir of your trip!  Besides,  it's
    a really nice fantasy to pretend that you're part of the "rich
    and famous" for a week!
    
    There are some formalized photo sessions prior to "meeting the
    Captain and having your complimentary cocktails" that are posed
    that somehow always turn out very well.  So dress your VERY best
    and relax.  (Men usually hate this part <dressing up>)
    
    I think it's really fun to plan ahead for the theme nights.  You
    can usually figure out something to wear that is PERFECT that doesn't
    take up too much room.  Ferinstance, for 50's night, a poodle skirt
    would be great.....  do you have one?  Let the guys wear the jeans.
    Saddleshoes and bobby sox -- the whole bit.  Right down to chewing
    a giant wad of gum.  For country and western, do you have a cowboy
    shirt that fringed and beaded (you know the Dolly Parton look....)
    Well you better start shopping!! :^)
    
    Have a ball.
    DFC

    I just returned from a cruise on Celebrity Cruise lines (NYC to
    Bermuda) where I was a guest lecturer on wardrobing/accessorizing and
    scarf tying.  This is how I packed (and I needed to be pretty pulled
    together all the time!!):
    -stick to two basic colors..navy and white, red and black, gold and
    brown.  That way, you only need bring one pair of flats and one pair of
    heels in the same color to go with everything.
    -Have all evening wear be the same color scheme (see above) and even
    wear the same "little black dress" several times but use different
    scarves. earrings to change the look..still, however, using the same
    shoes and bag for all nights.
    -Take a rain coat and use it if it rains as well as a beach coverup to
    the pool.
    -Take a minimal amount of solid shorts/slack/skirts/etc and change the
    tops each day.
    -One piece bathing suit can also be used with tights to excersize in.
    -Leave the costumes at home unless you can work them into your everyday
    apparel..c&w outfit can look good to arrive on the ship in as well as
    wear to the costume night.  My rule of thumb is I want to be able to
    wear it two or more times or I leave it at home.
    
    Just a few thoughts to pack lighter..bon voyage and good luck!!
    Caryl Sullivan

    
    My husband is having a fit about packing for a cruise.  We leave in
    5 days!  He hates that he has to dress up!  He is taking one double
    breasted suit that he will use for all three dressy nights, since he
    doesn't have a sports coat.  It is the casual nights he is concerned
    about.  Are jeans allowed for dinner on casual nights?  How about
    collarless shirts?  How about dressy shorts?  He has some nice navy
    blue shorts that look good with a collarless, striped shirt he has.
    Is this acceptable?
    
    Also, on the semi-formal night, is a jacket really necessary?  He only
    has his double breasted suit which is probably overdoing it.
    
    Karen
    

    Well, you can _really_ wear what you want on any night, but...
    
    Nice suit on a formal nightt is fine...and nobody will really care (or
    probably notice) that it's the same suit.
    
    I'm not really sure what is meant as a casual night. On all of the
    cruises I've been on (including RCCL SOA) there were formal nights,
    theme nights (i.e., Western or similar) and "other". MOST men wear
    slacks & short, maybe a third wear a tie. Shorts for dinner I don't
    recall seeing...MIGHT be a "rule" precluding, but even if not, would
    probably cause some self-consciousness. Collarless shirts...sure, why
    not, tho I'd bring 1 or 2 shirts with collars myself. Best bet (if
    available/affordable) would be to pack a couple of
    pairs of slacks, and a casual sport coat or blazer, along with a some
    casual shoes (tassel loafers, mocs, or similar). 
    
    Daytime on the ship can be very casual, but the evenings are MUCH more
    dressy. Probably one reason why my SO enjoyed Club Med so much
    recently... VERY casual ALL the time. I like cruising mysel, tho.
    
    On my SOA cruise, of course, I had the benefit of wearing whatever I
    wanted for most of the cruise, including shorts in the dining room, but
    only because they'd lost most of my luggage! 
    
    SteveS

��    <<< Note 467.8 by PARVAX::SCHUSTAK "My clients are mostly Martians!" >>>

��    Well, you can _really_ wear what you want on any night, but...

    This has not been my experience, on all cruise lines.

    It it's RCCL, wear whatever you want.   You can always claim
    that the cabin was so small, you couldn't bring formal wear.

    On both Royal Cruise Lines, and Princess, I've seen men
    stopped while entering the dining room over their attire.
    I believe they were asked to return with a tie.

    I suppose you could make a stink about being the customer,
    etc., but that would seem to me to be sort of unpleasant.

    Karen, 

    This close to your cruise you should have received your documents
    which should include a booklet with suggestions for evening attire
    for formal, semi-formal, theme nights, and casual nights.  You might
    want to check your documents for these suggestions.

    When my husband and I cruised on the Song of America last year, we 
    found it to be an older crowd that "dressed" for the evening.  We 
    enjoy the formal attire so my husband wears his tuxedo for the formal
    evenings and his white dinner jacket for the semi-formal evenings.
    Many of the people we met dressed similarly but we also saw men wearing
    nice suits on the formal and semi-formal evenings.  Casual and theme 
    nights, my husband wore a sports jacket or nice slacks with a collared 
    shirt.  Our brochere stated no shorts in the dining room in the evening 
    but they were allowed during lunch in the dining room.   The only night 
    I remember seeing anyone in jeans was "country and western" night on 
    another cruise.  

    You will see all types of attire and should, of course, dress how you feel 
    comfortable within reason..  Don't let clothing put a damper on your cruise.
    ....and don't overpack!

    Have a wonderful time,
    Patty    
    
    

    

   I just got back from a Carnival Cruise in the Caribbean and dress was casual
except for "no shorts form MEN" at dinner, 2 dress-up meals and 2 cocktail
parties.  On those nights not deemed dress-up/formal jeans were not excluded.

   Otherwise T-shirts and shorts were the "uniform of the day". Of course the
outside deck areas were a mix of swim suits and shorts and everything else.

   If you're willing to skip the dining room and the cocktail parties, then
no need for any long pants or jackets or ties, but it would truly be a shame
to miss dinner... (I gained 10 pounds in the 7 days.)