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  • Are shorts at dinner on ships too casual?


    Disney Cruise Line's new policy that allows cruise passengers to wear shorts in the line's main restaurants conjures up an image of a lot of people dressed like Mickey Mouse. But it also signals a trend.

    Cruise vacations are getting more casual, in response to cruise passengers showing an increasing preference for not dressing up.

    Even Cunard, a favorite of the proper British set, recently dropped its requirement that men wear ties at dinner on casual nights, although jackets are still required.

    While it remains to be seen whether other lines will loosen their policies, a can of worms may have been opened.

    One issue: Dress codes often lack enforcement.

    A few years ago, a fellow at a table next to mine on a Carnival ship ignored the line's dress code and wore a muscle shirt, jeans and a baseball cap to dinner. I spent much of the meal staring at his various tattoos, well on display.

    Carnival's policy, according to a line spokesman, is that the maitre d' and dining room restaurant hosts check dress codes. Enforcement may be another matter.

    Most cruise lines send the same basic message when it comes to appropriate casual dining room attire.

    Carnival: "Shorts, gym shorts, basketball shorts, beach flip-flops, bathing suit attire, cut-off jeans, sleeveless shirts for men and baseball hats" are banned at dinner in main dining rooms. The line also bans the use of "any footwear with wheels" anywhere on its ships.

    For Royal Caribbean, shorts, t-shirts and bathing suits are not allowed in main dining rooms. The line suggests instead: "Sport shirts and slacks for men, sundresses or pants for women."

    In main dining rooms, Norwegian Cruise Line does not allow "tank tops for men, flip flops, baseball caps, visors and jeans that are overly faded, with holes or tears and worn below the hips." Kids age 12 and under can wear shorts and for men on Bermuda cruises, "traditional Bermuda shorts along with long socks, loafers and a blazer are all acceptable."

    Those who want to dress down on any of the lines have the option of the buffet restaurant. Conversely those who want to dress up are free to do so, especially on formal nights.

    While Americans tend to be more relaxed, when I asked British cruise writer John Honeywell (who blogs as Captain Greybeard) his opinion in allowing shorts in shipboard dining rooms, he responded "Shorts are simply a step too far and one likely to provoke an epidemic of Heimlich maneuvers in a restaurant full of diners choking on their consommé."

    He added, "Perhaps we should be grateful Disney did not follow Donald Duck's example – he never wears pants."

    By Fran Golden, Special to USA Today

    For more cruise news & articles go to http://www.cruisecrazies.com/index.html

    Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more

    http://www.cruisecrazies.com




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    You know, there are "shorts" that can be considered "business casual" attire. Just ask any Bermudian! I remember being docked in Hamilton, Bermuda years ago and staring in amazement as I watched businessmen, dressed in shirts with ties, black business shoes and sporting very classy looking Bermuda shorts. These shorts were knee high and looked like normal business type pants that were cut to the knee. They were not insulting to the rest of the attire at all. I feel that shorts like these would be acceptable. I still agree that tank-tops and swim suits should still be banned. If you want to impress someone by your looks and want to dress that way for meals onboard, feel free to do it topside at the buffet!!! JMHO..........

    Similarly Aloha shirts in Hawaii is ok as business wear in many cases.

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    No shorts in the dining room please. It just seems part of the cruising tradition to dress for dinner.

    It certainly would not ruin my cruise but it shows a certain amount of the all too prevalent attitude of "rules are for everyone else but not for me - I'm above that"

    But when the rules allow it the concept that 'rules are for everyone else' goes out the window.

    I DO believe that the changes in the dress codes are a response to what the cruise lines are seeing on the ships. People showing up at dinner dressed in shorts and such... it's easier for them to lower the standards than enforce the ones they have.

    To me, it's a lot like the smoking issues... the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Smokers simply aren't a vocal about how they're treated as non-smokers are. Rather than being concerned with making sure that everyone can their cruise they bow to the highest noise level...

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