Selecting clothes to take on a cruise trip seems to be a rather daunting decision for most people. Cruise travel agents and veteran cruisers are often asked questions relating to this by most first-timers and the answer to these questions have changed down the ages, as our society has taken on a rather informal and relaxed air. Casual dressing once frowned upon in offices has been deemed acceptable. Dressing was viewed as a pathway to success, and back in the 1980s, women CPAs were often asked to dress professionally, in other words, told to wear a gray suit with a white blouse. Business casual dress was first allowed on Fridays in the year 1999 and in the following year, one wore it to work daily, other than when required to attend meetings with clients who did not prefer casual dressing to work. This trend of “dressing for success” has changed over the decades in the work-place and similarly, the concept of dressing for cruises has undergone a transformation.

There is a general drift towards informal dressing on board and many cruise liners have begun to feature ‘country club casual’ dressing every other night. However, it is still quite important to show up for a semi-formal dinner on the liner wearing a tie to avoid awkward circumstances. If one decided to go informal wear totally, he/she might opt for small sailing vessels like the Windjammer, or have their dinner in the unfussy casual buffets of mainstream liners.

Liners controlled by the American Safari Cruises have allowed casual dressing on board along with many other sailing ships. Most cruise lines have decreased the number of formal nights, which would amount to about two nights on a seven day cruise, and made donning the formal attire required for such occasions optional. Oceania, Norwegian Cruise Lines and Princess Cruises have slackened their dinner dress code preference and have opted for a more relaxed atmosphere when it comes to the seating arrangement.

One must always read up flyers, brochures and schedules relating to the ship/liner that he/she is considering. The pictures of the dining halls listed on most websites give an inkling of whether one should carry one’s semi-formal attire for the trip. Men must carry their white suit, dinner jacket or tuxedo while women may choose between cocktail dresses or other such ornamented clothing. Another option would be to mix-and-match clothing and hence carry just a few formal dresses, since most liners have imposed suitcase weight guidelines which cannot be breached. This also suits women who dislike packing in excess stuff.

Before heading for a cruise-liner trip, one should verify the dressing regulations thoroughly, if the prospect of dressing up formally acquires such importance. Confirming the dress-code for dinner shall also reduce hassles after booking. The travel-agent or cruise-line concerned should be able to furnish these details beforehand.

This issue of dressing up for a cruise holds no significance for some and the best advice that can be dispensed to them is that they should plan their cruise according to their budget and destination.

With so many options available everyone has their needs catered to, thus leaving no opportunity for complaint.