This summer we will be embarking on our first ever cruise as the Carnival Cruises Funnest Family so we have started planning what clothes we are going to need whilst onboard. Going on a cruise is slightly different to a normal resort holiday when it comes to what to wear and we have to plan our packing accordingly which will mean we will need to purchase a few new items.
Although some of our current holiday clothing will be fine for our days on deck and on shore we will need to also pack some outfits that are suitable for the smarter onboard restaurants. Taking some smart casual outfits for this is ideal and this is where we will need to add to our wardrobes. Below I have put together some ideas on what we can pack.
Gaming Daddy of Two
Gaming Daddy of Two spends most of his holidays in tshirts and knee length shorts so he will definitely need to pack some smarter outfits. All cruise lines have different policies but Carnival Cruise’s evening dress code is typically “cruise casual,” but with a few nights during the voyage where “cruise elegant” eveningwear is suggested. On casual nights the recommended items include trousers, khakis, jeans, long dress shorts and collared sport shirts for men. With this in mind I think I will get him a few smart polo shirts to go with the jeans he already owns. Cruise elegant dress code means dress slacks and dress shirts so he will be able to pack some of his suits and wea them without the jackets for these nights.
The Girls
Packing Smart Casual clothes for the girls is easy enough as they both have a large varied wardrobe. Elizabeth would opt for some of the different smart summer dresses that she owns and Alison would wear some of her smart trousers and matching shirts. I shouldn’t need to but them many new clothes for the cruise apart from an updated summer wardrobe for all the bits they have outgrown. We have a few holidays before the cruise so I will need to get some bits before we go anyway.
Clothing for me
Having lost a fair amount of weight since last summer I am in the fantastic position of needing a whole new summer wardrobe and I can’t wait to go shopping. Ok that is a lie, I hate shopping but I am going to get a few clothing basics and then mix and match them to make them work. A few smart tops to go over linen trousers
will work well for the smart casual dinners and I have a couple of dresses that I can take with me that should stil fit and will be perfect for the elegant dress code nights.
If you wanted to go on a cruise and not worry about needing to dress up then you could always dine in the buffet restaurants where these rules don’t apply but remember that you will still need to wear something over your swim wear when in the dining room queues so I will be adding a couple of nice kaftans to my shopping as they are the perfect thing to throw on over my swim suit when grabbing lunch or a snack.
Do you have any tips on what makes the perfect cruise wardrobe?