Generally, it’s not difficult to follow the dress code onboard cruise ships. Most of the time, cruisers are simply asked to adhere to “cruise casual” standards when dining onboard.
For example, guests aren’t allowed to only wear their swimwear in the buffet or main dining rooms. Instead, men need to wear a shirt and ladies need to wear a coverup of some sort.
That said, comfortable and easy attire like shorts, T-shirts, jeans, and sundresses are generally all acceptable.
On formal night – which typically happens at least one per sailing to allow guests to dress up and pose for once-in-a-lifetime pictures – ups the ante beyond a typical meal.
While the days of dressing to the nines with tuxedos and long evening dresses or ball gowns have largely become a thing of the past, guests are still encouraged to look their best – such as with nice button down tops or a fancier blouse and skirt.
Of course, a nice pair of shoes, such as a loafer, fashion boot, high heel, or dress sandal can complete the look. But what happens if you’re not able to wear standard “formal night” shoes?
An anonymous guest sought out Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald for advice after she was bashed online for her formal footwear choices, which she selected in order to accommodate a medical condition.
“I have a condition with my feet that does not allow me to wear any dress shoe or tennis shoe. Not for a long period of time anyway. I wear flip flops and sparkly style sandal style flip flops at dinner each night in the MDR and if we go to the steak restaurant for supper,” the recent guest messaged Heald on Facebook.
“I was called ‘trash’ and worse.’ I do not understand why people just cannot deal with it or turn the other way. My flip flops have a cushioned bottom on the inside also so they don’t make noise unless they get wet. I was told that I should not wear these because I am a rule breaker and wearing my shoes is ‘disgusting.’ Help please John, what is the answer,” continued the passenger.
Heald’s sympathetic response encouraged the cruiser not to worry so much about what other passengers may think.
“The answer is wear them. Your feet are under the table, nobody can really see them and if they can and your trotters are encased in a pair of sparkling sandals or a pair of knee high rumpy pumpy boots made of Cleveland leather…who cares, really,” replied Heald.
The comments section proved that Heald’s followers are largely in agreement with the brand ambassador.
Comfort Comes First – Until Crocs Are Involved
In the less than 24 hours since Heald shared the shoe controversy to his Facebook page, the post has garnered more than 1,700 comments – the majority of which sided with Heald and the distraught messenger.
“I also have a medical condition making wearing heels a non-option. I’m medically handicapped due to it. Wear the sandals. Someone will always have an opinion. Let them walk (or stroll) a mile in our shoes and they will realize that’s the least of our concerns,” said one empathetic commenter.
“Wear what makes you comfortable. This is your vacation,” added another.
“I don’t understand why people need others’ approval. She needs to walk in that steakhouse like she owns it!!!,” replied a third.
Read Also: How to Truly Enjoy Your Dining on 3 Major Cruise Lines
That said, not all sandals are created equal. While commenters were generally supportive of the first cruiser, some had less love for passengers who dare to don Crocs Sandals – stirring up a whole new controversy.
“On your shoe post there are people saying they wear Crocs on formal night. IMHO, crocs are just too ugly to wear unless you’re under the age of ten, or have foot problems that make wearing any other shoes extremely uncomfortable. Just saying,” wrote a person named David, who Heald called out in a secondary post.
“Thanks mate, I don’t usually post the names of people but in this case I had to so I could say, please David get a pair of Crocs so I can call you …Davy CROCKett…Oh FFS. Hands up. Who has a pair of Crocs that they wear on their cruises?,” Heald wrote below David’s message.
The post, which has over 1,500 comments after just about 10 hours, has earned a mixed response. Many cruisers sided with David, and made their distaste for Crocs known.
“Never owned a pair and never intend to. And I’m with OP. If you have a medical problem…ok. But I’m sure, like many other things…people that are perfectly fine will just say they have a problem,” replied one person.
“I hate the way classic crocs look and I am sad they have made a come back,” added another user.
On the other side of the spectrum, some responders were big fans of Crocs.
“I pretty much live in croc flops. My son lives in crocs. IYKYK. Mind ya business!,” wrote one commenter.
But even among those who did like Crocs, many felt that they did not belong in the main dining room – and certainly not on formal night.
“I have multiple pairs and styles of Crocs that I wear, but I would not wear any into MDR,” one commenter asserted.
And finally, another sector felt it was none of their business what other passengers chose to wear or found comfortable.
“I have to say that what other people are wearing has never played a role in my cruise enjoyment. Unless it’s a lack of deodorant, abundance of perfume. That has definitely been an issue on my elevator enjoyment,” said one woman.
“How about we just don’t judge each other. What anyone else wears has no effect on me or my cruise,” added someone else.
At the end of the day, guests should elect to wear the shoes that make them feel good. If there are any questions about dress code stipulations, it’s best to refer to the cruise line website or check with crew members onboard rather than turning to other guests – who may potentially offer strong opinions over correct information.
