Cruises offer a brilliant way to unwind and enjoy a week navigating the open waters with countless opportunities for scrumptious dining and incredible cultural adventures. Nevertheless, there’s one important rule you must bear in mind if you want to avoid the embarrassment of being refused entry to dinner.
The majority of cruises maintain a casual dress policy, with the odd evening requiring more sophisticated clothing. Should you wish to participate in one of these occasions, it would serve you well to check the dress code beforehand. Cruise goers have recounted tales of themselves or travel companions being denied access to these more upmarket evenings for wearing shorts — even when those shorts were matched with a smart shirt and expensive shoes.
“My husband got turned away from the main dining room on Celebrity Equinox (about four years ago) for wearing nice shorts with a collared polo shirt,” one person posted on Reddit.
“It was the first night when they usually are more lenient because not everyone’s luggage has been delivered to their stateroom by the time they go to dinner. He just went and changed and it was fine but they weren’t budging on their rules.”
This proved to be a recurring pattern in the discussion, spanning various cruise operators.
Another individual mentioned their dining companion had been sent away from the restaurant due to his shorts whilst aboard the Carnival Princess vessel.
A further person said they were rejected twice during Norwegian cruises — initially for their shorts and then for switching to jeans.
However, one person said they had successfully talked their way into a Norwegian Cruise dining room while wearing shorts after arguing that other people had been allowed in while wearing them.
“I won that argument and got to eat. lo and behold, nobody cared once I sat down,” they claimed.
Although it may be tempting to try and argue with the staff member denying you access, it’s not recommended as it is poor etiquette. Dressing incorrectly is one of the most common mistakes made on a cruise.
Etiquette expert Grant Harrold explained that this is just one of several mistakes first-time cruise-goers may make.
“This is really important,” he saidsaid. “It’s making sure you’re dressed in the right outfit in the right area.
“On a lot of the big ships you will be given notice of formal evenings or casual evenings, so casual evenings can be anything from jeans and t-shirts to smart shirts, jackets and chinos to the formal evenings where it’s going to be black tie or national dress and officers wear their uniforms.”