Carnival Cruise Lines offer cruises as short as three days, or your cruise can last more than two weeks. Destinations include Europe, Alaska, Hawaii and Mexico. You can even take a "cruise to nowhere". It's a great vacation for a family or a romantic trip for two. One of the biggest questions that someone preparing for a cruise has is what to wear. Relax, Carnival has made the dress code easy.
Daytime
Daytime is casual on a Carnival cruise. Jeans, shorts, T-shirts and tank tops are perfectly acceptable. Carnival suggests that you wear flat, rubber soled shoes for walking around the ship; there will be more walking than some people realize and blisters can ruin a vacation. You'll also want comfortable walking shoes for shore excursions. Pack your bathing suit and a cover-up but remember that Carnival offers family cruises, so please use discretion when it comes to swimwear.
Casual Dining
Most evening meals on Carnival Cruise Lines ships are considered "casual dining". Men can wear jeans, long dress shorts (but no cut-offs), slacks and a sports shirt with a collar. Women can wear sundresses or other causal dresses, skirts, dress slacks, long dress shorts and a blouse. Not permitted in the dining room for casual dining are shorts (except for long dress shorts), bathing suits, flip flops, baseball hats and men's sleeveless shirts. Carnival Cruise Lines also has a more causal restaurant on board, called Lido, where shorts and flip flops are allowed. Shirts and footwear must be worn at all times in Lido Restaurant.
Elegant Dining
Carnival used to have formal dining, but they've replaced it with "Elegant Dining". The number of elegant dining nights differs, depending on the length of the cruise. If passengers want to dress to the hilt in tuxedos and evening gowns, that's perfectly acceptable for elegant dining, but it's not a requirement. Men are asked to wear dress slacks and a dress shirt, and a sports jacket is suggested but not required. Women are asked to wear dress pantsuits, cocktail dresses or a dressy shirt and blouse. Again, no baiting suits, baseball caps, flip flops or sleeveless men's shirts are allowed.
Other Considerations
Since weather will always be a factor, consider bringing a light jacket and a raincoat. Plan to dress in layers so that you won't be surprised by an early morning chill. Passengers cruising to Canada, New England or Alaska should also bring a heavy sweater or two, especially for glacier cruises. Carnival also recommends that passengers check for dress codes if they plan to visit religious sites on shore excursions. If you plan to use the ship's fitness center, pack comfortable workout clothes. Finally, parents need to know that shoes with a wheel in the back (often known as "Heelys" even if it's a different brand) are not permitted on board.
Tags: Carnival Cruise, Carnival Cruise Lines, Cruise Lines, dress shorts, flip flops, long dress
