JIM GRAY TRAVEL ADVISOR

CRUISE ATTIRE WHEN TRAVELING

 

 

 Dressing For a Successful Cruise 

 

 Being prepared with the right clothing during your vacation will mean the difference between a bad to mediocre trip and a fun filled exciting trip that will create an enjoyable memorable lifetime experience.

Through experience, James Gray has learned that what you pack for your cruise attire depends on several factors such as:

•  Your destination and how you are being routed,
•  Special clothing for flight, auto, and special travel accommodations,
•  Activities you plan to be involved in during your trip,
•  Climate to and from your destinations,
•  Meetings you will be attending in route for personal or business,
•  Special lunches and meals,
•  Formal ship crew occasions and etc.

All of the above criteria plus many others will dictate what you will need so you will want to make certain that you pack the correct type of cruise cloths. All of the above activities can be broken down into four basic types of clothing requirements: Casual, Simi-Dressy, Formal and Activity Related.

Shoes

During your cruise you will be doing a tremendous amount of walking and you should not forget the importance of taking along shoes that fit the occasion but that are also comfortable and supportive for your feet.  Your feet will thank you and you will have a much more enjoyable vacation as a result. 

Casual

If you plan to fly or drive to meet your ship, then you will no doubt want something reasonably light and casual depending upon the weather conditions when you begin your travel. 

Obviously, spring and summer travel will dictate lighter clothing then will be needed during fall and winter.  You will also need to keep in mind that the type of clothing and the amount taken will affect the amount of luggage that you will need to pack and cart around.  Generally, limiting yourself to one or two sets of carry on clothing prior to boarding your cruise ship should be adequate because once on board, the ships pre-set climate will determine what you need to be comfortable. 

Once on board and when you arrive at your destination you will also need to consider any special activities that you plan to participate in and dress accordingly for those occasions. (i.e. dancing, special functions, shows, swimming, hiking, boating, and etc) 

Simi-Dressy

Prior to boarding your cruise ship, if you are attending any special functions such as meetings or evening shows, then you will want to have something a little more dressy and appropriate for those occasions.  

During your cruise, you will be seated for special dining events and most cruise lines have a specific cruise dress code that they expect to be followed during certain meals.  For example, during normal dinner meals in the main dining rooms, you will be expected to wear something dressy. 

Generally, shorts and jeans may not be appropriate or allowed depending upon the cruise line rules.  A tip on what to wear during these travel occasions would be for you to wear the same type of clothing as you during a normal business meeting.

Formal

Nearly all cruise lines sponsor at least one formal dining night and often have a special "Captain’s Dinner".  During these social events you will be expected to dress in more formal attire closer to tuxedo style dress styles. Cruise clothes for women also requires a similiar professional cruise attire. 

Activity Related

You will definately want to consider clothing that you will need for any special activities that you plan to be involved in, such as swimming, hiking, boating and etc.

Depending on where you go and the activities that you plan to be involved in, you will want to make sure that you have clothing that is comfortable and that fits the occasion. If you happen to forget or miss-pack for your trip, you can always purchase clothing and supplies on board the ship, however, expect to pay a luxury price and possibly a tax on these items at cruise clothes outlets. 

During the travel planning stages of your cruise, a great tip for you is to check with your travel agent regarding the cruise formal dress code. They will have this information at their fingertips and will be glad to share it with you so that your cruise will be more enjoyable.

There is nothing more embarrassing and frustrating than feeling out of place because you didn’t bring the right attire.

Being prepared with the right clothing during your vacation will mean the difference between a bad to mediocre trip and a fun filled exciting trip that will create an enjoyable memorable lifetime experience.

Tags: cruise attire, cruise clothes, cruise dress, cruise dress code, cruise formal dress

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 9th, 2010 at 8:53 pm and is filed under It's Just Good Business, Travel Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.