Delayed honeymoon - alaskan cruise??

dappledachsie · March 2012

FI and I are planning to take our honeymoon approx 6 months after the wedding. Its not ideal, but we can't get vacation time earlier than that from our employer.

Anywho...we would love to go to Alaska and were looking into cruises. I have been on one cruise before to the Carribean, he's enver been on a cruise. I'm familiar with the "dress code" thats usually required for dinner...which is where I've run aground. I have plenty of dresses/skirts/sweaters/etc that I can wear for dinner, however FI doesn't own anything past jeans/shorts/etc. as he has no need for dress slacks or anyother type of pants. His jeans are in very good condition (no holes or worn/torn heels, dark color wash) and he wears them with nice boots.

So I'm wondering if anyone knows of a cruise line that offers more casual evening dining or if we'll be stuck with the added expense of clothing for him? Obviously we can honeymoon elsewhere or fly directly to Alaska, but we really liked the concept of the cruise (all inclusive, different ports, etc etc) and the costs that appear (at least initally...) cheaper.

So any thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions??

THANK YOU!

LeiselEB · March 2012

Is this information available on cruise line websites? I'd just find some lines that you like, dress code notwithstanding, and then inquire about the dress code before booking.

In my opinion, it never hurts to have a pair of dress pants on hand and you can find good sales on men's dress clothes all over - maybe if you can't find something you like with a more lax dress code, you could just buy one pair of dress pants?

dappledachsie · March 2012

I agree that is a good idea to have a pair...however he doesn't see a need and he didn't grow up in a family where they went to events/occasions/church/etc where he needed any. So he only wear jeans. He is wearing a tux for the wedding (his own choice) but past that he sees no purpose or point to slacks.

I continue to work on the issue (don't we always get what we want if we want it bad enough?) but am ust trying to research just in case. I didn't know if anyone had first hand experience with a cruise line that offered less formal dining.

LeiselEB · March 2012

I understand that, I just meant that if you find a honeymoon that looks absolutely perfect and it's exactly what you had in mind, having to buy a pair of pants seems like a small price to pay in order to go on that cruise

SuMmErKuTiE · March 2012

Ditto pp's it's a good idea for him to have a pair of nice pants regardless of going on the cruise. He'll need them for other occasions such as weddings, funerals, milestone parties, etc.. Every man should have a suit and/or dress pants with a nice shirt and tie just like every woman should have at least one cocktail dress and/or LBD.

As far as the cruiselines are concerned, Norwegian is known for their freestyle and casual dining (no formal nights). But regardless of the cruiseline, you can always opt to order room service (always free) or go up to the buffet for dinner and skip the formal night(s). One of my favorite parts of cruising is the dinnertime dining experience though. It's a 3 course meal, and the waitstaff are always beyond wonderful.

Your FI will be fine wearing nice jeans and a polo or nice shirt on most nights in the dining room, but on the formal nights he should be wearing dress pants or a suit.

RYLZ · March 2012

We've cruised with Carnival several times and except for the formal nights (when women are in evening dresses and such) I'd say he'd be able to get into the formal dining room in khakis. Just buy him a pair and he can wear them with his boots. They may even let him in with jeans, if he has a buttoned-down shirt and/or blazer.

In any event, there's always the buffet, where he can go in his shorts and flip flops if he wants to. Only the formal dining-room has a dress code.

Enjoy the cruise!

JCWhitey · March 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_delayed-honeymoon-alaskan-cruise?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:76d598b1-5dd2-498e-bcf2-7083f4f38bb2Post:67c19f11-aa93-4c7d-8200-166a0bebb031">Re: Delayed honeymoon - alaskan cruise??</a>:
[QUOTE]If he insists on only wearing jeans, don't go on a cruise. People who get dressed up for formal night get unhappy at someone who flouts the dress code. On many lines, he will not be allowed in the diningroom at all wearing jeans. It is a grown up world and he needs to dress for it. Norwegian has the most casual dress code. I have been on 2 Alaska cruises, and we are going again this year.
Posted by CMGr[/QUOTE]

<div>This. I'm sorry, but this bothers me. You can afford to go on a cruise but you can't afford to go to Good Will and pick up a $50 suit? He doesn't need a tux. Just a nice suit and tie. It's just considerate since cruisers tend to take these formal dinner seriously and really do get annoyed when someone shows up in jeans. I know some cruiselines, like Royal Caribbean, also do tux rentals onboard and they're pretty affordable. At least on our cruise tux rentals were only $88.</div><div>
</div><div>But if you absolutely cannot afford a $50 Good Will suit you can always eat your dinners in the buffet area on most ships and avoid the MDR altogether. Hey, then you don't have to tip a waiter, either, so it saves you even more money if that's a concern!</div>

dappledachsie · March 2012

Ok so for starters, I don't believe I ever said anything about the cost of a suit or not being able to afford a suit. The cost of a suit is not even remotely a concern. I would really like for him to have a suit and have asked him several times to try them on when we have been at the tux shop looking at the tuxes for our wedding. HE doesn't see a NEED for a suit in HIS opinion. All the weddings or funerals he's been to, jeans were the norm for his family. The churches he attended as a child...again were casual and everyone wore jeans. So its not a matter of cost, its he doesn't see a need for a suit and says if someone can't accept him for the way he is and what he wears, then he doesn't need to be there.

Second of all, I'm aware that people get offended and side eye those who aren't in formal wear at the dinners...hence why I asked if anyone could recommend a cruiseline that offered more casual dining. I really appreciate how instead our financial situation was assumed or attacked that he doesn't see a need for a suit with his past lifestyle and the way in which he was raised.

I will look into Norweigian cruises, and THANK YOU for the suggestion! I was under the impression that even in clean, starched, ironed jeans (yes I said starched and ironed, helps them last longer and stay cleaner longer) and a button down or polo that the dinning room would be out of the question, even for the non-formal nights on any cruise line.

And finally, FI and I discussed it last night and he said if the dress code for dinner was the only thing that would be a roadblock...we could go shopping for some khakis or dress slacks. He also said he would look into the free suit option that comes with the bridal party rentals for the wedding. So again, cost not the issue, I was just inquiring as to other's experiences, suggestions based on those experiences, and not an etiquette lesson.

RYLZ · March 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_delayed-honeymoon-alaskan-cruise?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:11Discussion:76d598b1-5dd2-498e-bcf2-7083f4f38bb2Post:ff802b37-8b6d-4cbd-8090-aa3871840eb1">Re: Delayed honeymoon - alaskan cruise??</a>:
[QUOTE]... Second of all,<strong> I'm aware that people get offended and side eye those who aren't in formal wear at the dinners</strong>... hence why I asked if anyone could recommend a cruiseline that offered more casual dining. <strong>.....I was under the impression that even in clean, starched, ironed jeans (yes I said starched and ironed, helps them last longer and stay cleaner longer) and a button down or polo that the dinning room would be out of the question, even for the non-formal nights on any cruise line</strong>. ...<strong> I was just inquiring as to other's experiences</strong>, suggestions based on those experiences, and not an etiquette lesson.
Posted by dappledachsie[/QUOTE]

1. I think on the formal nights he would need a suit to avoid the side-eye. There are only 1 or 2 formal nights anyhow so if he deons't get a suit, I think you could just do the buffet those nights.

2. for the formal dining-room (but on non-formal nights), he totally could get away with the outfit you describe above.

3. Yep, this is based on my experience on Carnival. We've been on 3 in the past 3 years. We eat in the formal dining-room every night and hubby only wears a suit on the formal night(s). Every other night it's either jeans and a button-down or khakis and a polo shirt, so I think you will be fine.

dappledachsie · March 2012

Thank you bezlu! I appreciate your comments!

bellabananas · March 2012

We went on an Alaskan cruise with Holland America. They had two formal nights, and we were able to rent a tux for I think $85. That being said we can both recall seeing people that were not in dress code. I think FH was more peeved that he was in a penguin suit and the other smucks got away with less. Honestly the formal nights ended up turning into a PITA for us, but we suffered through them for the family. I'm not sure your age bracket but we were some of the youngest adults on the cruise. It felt like being with a retirement community the entire time. The ports were all the same and the weather was consistently blah. But that may have just been with Holland America.

Jen6862 · March 2012

Ditto Norwegion, I did a google search and found this:

Save the Tie for the Boardroom
Freestyle Cruising is not too dressy, not too casual. We call it 'resort casual.' You'll call it being on vacation. By day, almost anything goes. Khakis, skirts, jeans, casual tops, shorts, or whatever are all fine. Casual is perfect in NCL's restaurants too. Even if you've just been at the pool and don't feel like changing, no worries. Swimwear with a cover-up is fine at the buffet and outdoor restaurant. At night, it's relaxed all over the ship. When you're ready for dinner, it's collared shirts and pants or nice jeans for guys. Slacks or jeans, dresses, skirts and tops are perfect for women. Kids 12 and under are welcome to wear nice shorts in NCL's restaurants whenever. If you want to dress up and add a little glamour when you dine out, feel free - we've reserved a restaurant just for that. And remember to pack a sweater - air conditioning can be chilly.

More cruise info found:http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=545

Delayed honeymoon - alaskan cruise??

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