What clothes to pack...

[banshee72]

Wife and I are going on an 8 night cruise in March. HAve only gone on one other cruise. After the last cruise we have decided that we will probably not eat in the dining room because neither one of us likes to "dress up" while on vacation. That being said, what is the dress code for breakfast and lunch in the dining room? Are shorts acceptable? What about in a speicalty restaurant like Chops?

[Donna]

If I recall, I think Chops was also the dress code for the day.. You can get by on the more dressy evenings with a dress shirt and pants and a nice dress for the ladies. Always good to pack that, just in case you decide to go to the dining room on a formal evening.

[Pootersdad]

We usually eat at Chops at least once during a cruise, and have never seen anyone there in shorts. Occasionally, I will wear a jacket and tie at Chops, but usually it's just dress pants and a golf shirt.

Shorts are OK in the main dining room for breakfast and lunch, but definitely NOT at dinner. Also, no swim suits in the MDR.

We are doing back-to-back-to back cruises on Navigator next month, and have decided to skip the MDR and eat in the Windjammer every night. We'll also go to Portofino at least once on each of the three cruises. This is a "radical" move for us, since we normally do the MDR for dinner. We just decided to do something different this time.

[Trip]

Here is wht RCI states: The evening dress codes falls into two types which are Smart Casual or Formal. Officially, swimsuits, tank tops, T-shirts, and shorts are not allowed in the restaurants or public areas in the evening.

Some people will wear shorts at night, but in the nicer alternative dining restaurants, I would follow the suggestions of no shorts, like in a better land based restaurant.

Have a great cruise!

[cruzzz1000]

I would suggest you not eliminate the main dining room. Casual and Smart casual are basically kaki slacks and a button down shirt.

The food in the Windjammer (buffet) could be good or could be disappointing.
The food in the main dining room has many options including their standard salmon, beef, and vegetable meal. You can also order many different meals each night (which I have done many times). I always order a meal and the Indian dish because I like spicy food.

Enjoy