Cruise Ships Relax Formal Dinner Dress Code

A few years ago, most cruise line dinner was considered a formal affair every night. Even when it wasn't a formal or elegant night, people would dress for dinner.

It was a tradition that built to formal nights, where men donned tuxedos and women wore gowns. People relished the opportunity to dress up, take pictures, and wear clothes that they rarely got to put on when they were on land.

That time is gone. The traditional way of dressing up has slowly died as more and more people decided that they did not want to go through the hassle of dressing for a wedding on their cruise. They loosened up and the cruise lines had to go along.

Technically, both Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean have dress codes for the main dining room and offer a variation of a formal night, but the reality is that they have bent to the will of their passengers.

Or at least most of them. Not everyone is happy about it.

On Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald's Facebook page, Robert Dornner regularly ask the question about how the cruise line enforces its dress code.

"Why is the attire for elegant night not more strictly enforced? If you're not dressed for it you should be redirected to the Lido Marketplace," he suggested.

The Lido Marketplace is Carnival's buffet. In the buffet, the cruise line does not allow bathing suits without a coverup and requires that passengers wear shoes (flip-flops and sandals are fine).

The social media staff of Heald answered politely but did not tell Dornner what he wanted to hear.

"Thank you, they are dress code suggestions and I would truly hope that what someone else is not wearing or someone else is wearing will not affect the enjoyment and fun that you have on board," Heald staff wrote.

Carnival does offer Elegant Nights on its cruises, but they're more "dress up if you want to nights" than "you have to meet a certain standard for admission to the main dining room.

The cruise line even offers tips as to what passengers should wear on Elegant Night:

• Men: Dress slacks, dress shirts, and we also suggest a sport coat; men may also wish to wear a suit and tie or tuxedo
• Women: Cocktail dresses, pantsuits, elegant skirts and blouses; ladies may also wish to wear an evening gown

Those are just suggestions, however, and the reality comes in where the cruise line draws the line on what's not allowed in the main dining room.