Dress Code- The Big Debate

[Dug720]

The group flying atttire has not changed much for is those people flying on an airline employee ticket. Most of those require at least business casual - even for kids - and it is made clear what is expected. And as the girls flying on those tickets on United found out, it IS enforced.

 

[RedSox68]

I really miss the old "relaxed" feeling at the airports -- where there was no security to go through and you just walked to your gate and showed your ticket! And people could go to the gate with you to say goodbye. Last time my MIL visited, my DH had to jump through hoops to get permission to go through security to meet her at the gate because she was handicapped.

 

[Chirple]

We are on the Dream leaving PC June 21-25. This will be our first ever cruise. My DH has read a little bit about the cruise and about the dress code for dinning (cruise casual). His definition of cruise casual is shorts, and either a tshirt or polo. Will he feel out of place in shorts instead of pants at dinner? Are shorts at dinner more common place now? He says he's on vacation and wants to relax and not have to worry about dressing up for dinner. Ugh!!

Back to the OP's question, my DH and I have both worn nice shorts/jeans and shirts in the MDR. For Palo dinner or formal night, I will wear fancier dresses; he will wear a button down shirt and nice pants (no tie). I personally would not mind if he wore a tie with his shirt on formal night; I think he looks really nice dressed up.

We both work from home, and I go to the gym right after work 3-4 nights during the week. I wear my gym clothes all day so getting a bit dressed up for dinner when I feel like it is nice. Since we used to fly for all of our DCL cruises (leaving out of NY has cut down on that part), we also had to be mindful of luggage weight. When I was plus-sized, my clothes took up a lot more room in my suitcase so I basically stuck with one outfit for the whole day. Now that I am smaller, I can fit more clothes into my checked bag.

There have been times when we've rushed back from excursions with no time to change into nicer clothes. Our tablemates did not judge us for this, nor did we judge them if they chose to stay casually dressed.

 

[RedSox68]

Back to the OP's question, my DH and I have both worn nice shorts/jeans and shirts in the MDR. For Palo dinner or formal night, I will wear fancier dresses; he will wear a button down shirt and nice pants (no tie). I personally would not mind if he wore a tie with his shirt on formal night; I think he looks really nice dressed up.

We both work from home, and I go to the gym right after work 3-4 nights during the week. I wear my gym clothes all day so getting a bit dressed up for dinner when I feel like it is nice. Since we used to fly for all of our DCL cruises (leaving out of NY has cut down on that part), we also had to be mindful of luggage weight. When I was plus-sized, my clothes took up a lot more room in my suitcase so I basically stuck with one outfit for the whole day. Now that I am smaller, I can fit more clothes into my checked bag.

There have been times when we've rushed back from excursions with no time to change into nicer clothes. Our tablemates did not judge us for this, nor did we judge them if they chose to stay casually dressed.

ARRGGHHH, I hate how much more room my clothes take up than my adult daughter. She could fit a whole week's worth of her clothes in a carry on LOL

 

[Chirple]

ARRGGHHH, I hate how much more room my clothes take up than my adult daughter. She could fit a whole week's worth of her clothes in a carry on LOL

Having been on both sides of that coin, I feel that pain. I do fit a whole week's worth of clothes into a carry-on when I have an out-of-town business trip (and have to fly).

 

[Aanna]

I really miss the old "relaxed" feeling at the airports -- where there was no security to go through and you just walked to your gate and showed your ticket! And people could go to the gate with you to say goodbye. Last time my MIL visited, my DH had to jump through hoops to get permission to go through security to meet her at the gate because she was handicapped.

The first time my husband saw me was as he was waiting at the gate to meet my plane. If you ask him, the heavens opened, light streamed around me, and he instantly knew that I was his future wife.

He might exaggerate.

If he hadn't been allowed to the gate, would we ever have been married?!! Security ruins relationships!!! LOL

This story really does have a link back to the thread topic! That day, he wore the most HIDEOUS purple t shirt to meet me at the airport. In his rebellious, 20-something mind, he figured that anyone who would judge him on the clothes he wore was not worth his time -- so he wore that t shirt on purpose.

While I still believe that to be true, that the outside of a person should mean nothing in the big scheme of things, I have grown older, more experienced, and more cynical. Most people in a position to ease our travel day only meet us for a few minutes: certainly not long enough to get a peek into our inner selves. What they judge us on is what they see. Is it fair? Is it right? *Should* it be that way? No. But, time and again, I have seen the truth in the chestnut, "Dress the way you want to be treated."

At this point in my life, I'd rather dress nicely/respectfully and be treated nicely/respectfully than dress down and take my chances as to how insightful the folks around me are. I'm too lazy and have seen too much to fight it anymore.

 

[DLM1980]

I really miss the old "relaxed" feeling at the airports -- where there was no security to go through and you just walked to your gate and showed your ticket! And people could go to the gate with you to say goodbye. Last time my MIL visited, my DH had to jump through hoops to get permission to go through security to meet her at the gate because she was handicapped.

I have a friend who works at MKE and he says the grand plan is to make EVERYONE go through security downstairs and make upstairs a secure area but everyone flying or not will be able to go to the gates and send off and greet loved ones again.....time will tell on this, the airport is under consideration right now

On another note I'm surprised in the difference between USA security and Canadian Secuirty. Landed in Toronto went through customs and back to the gates back through security... just a metal detector and bag scanner. No removal of shoes, belts, etc. Loved It!

 

[DCLDVC1]

You would never see anything like that on DCL. They'd be wearing matching Mickey ears and carrying a Duffy bear as well.

And have the Duffy seated at their table and take a bunch of pics of it pretending to eat.

 

[lklgoodman]

And have the Duffy seated at their table and take a bunch of pics of it pretending to eat.

Sevaral years ago on our Alaskan cruise we encountered this. There was a group of guys who had a stuffed bear that they dressed in different outfits. They had their pics with the bear taken with all the different characters. That bear was better dressed than a lot of people on the ship, lol. My dd and l started to look forward to seeing what outfit the bear would wear each evening.

 

[Dug720]

And have the Duffy seated at their table and take a bunch of pics of it pretending to eat.

There was a family across the walkway from us in Lumiere's on the Magic in Feb whose kid had a stuffed Stitch they took all over. The last night (I assume other nights, but this was the first time we saw them as we did Palo on Pirate Night which was also Lumiere's), Stitch had his own booster seat, and the servers made a big deal of tying the napkin around his neck and adjusting a straw for him. It was precious!

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

There was a family across the walkway from us in Lumiere's on the Magic in Feb whose kid had a stuffed Stitch they took all over. The last night (I assume other nights, but this was the first time we saw them as we did Palo on Pirate Night which was also Lumiere's), Stitch had his own booster seat, and the servers made a big deal of tying the napkin around his neck and adjusting a straw for him. It was precious!

I will admit to taking my Stitch plush on cruises as an adult. I will also admit to taking him to some photo ops with Stitch cause his reaction is always so funny. I will admit to Stitch accompanying us to dinner a couple times due to time constraints with said photo ops. I would not expect the staff to treat him as a "guest" though.

 

[Dug720]

I will admit to taking my Stitch plush on cruises as an adult. I will also admit to taking him to some photo ops with Stitch cause his reaction is always so funny. I will admit to Stitch accompanying us to dinner a couple times due to time constraints with said photo ops. I would not expect the staff to treat him as a "guest" though.

My guess is the staff was doing this because he was accompanying the child of the family. It was adorable.

 

[RedSox68]

I will admit to taking my Stitch plush on cruises as an adult. I will also admit to taking him to some photo ops with Stitch cause his reaction is always so funny. I will admit to Stitch accompanying us to dinner a couple times due to time constraints with said photo ops. I would not expect the staff to treat him as a "guest" though.

I travel with my small Eeyore plush -- but I don't take him to dinner or photo ops, he is mostly to keep me calm during flights and take off and landing -- that and the bone breaking holding of my poor DH's hand