Dining Dress Code on DCL

Many people ask, "What is appropriate for dress in the dining rooms?" Well, this is a topic that is debated often. The information below is taken right from the Disney Cruise Line website. I have included my opinion as well as observations and photos below the official information.
https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faq/dining-food-beverages/dining-dress-codes/

Q. Are there dress codes or guidelines regarding dressing for dinner?

A. In general, most onboard dining locations are "cruise casual,” so casual attire, such as shorts and T-shirts, is permitted, with the exception of swimwear and tank tops. Most cruises have special theme nights that provide opportunities to dress up for a one-of-a-kind family photo. Here's a breakdown of special dress events by cruise itinerary:

3-night cruises:

• One cruise casual night—no swimwear or tank tops
• One pirate night themed deck party
• One optional “dress-up night"—jacket for men, dress or pantsuit for women

4-night cruises:

• First night is cruise casual—no swimwear or tank tops
• One pirate night themed deck party
• One optional dress-up night—jacket for men, dress or pantsuit for women
• Final night is cruise casual—no swimwear or tank tops

Pirate Night in Animator's Palate

7-night cruises:

• First night is cruise casual—no swimwear or tank tops
• One pirate night or other themed deck party
• 3 additional cruise casual nights—no swimwear or tank tops
• One formal and one semi-formal night—both give you the opportunity to dress up and take advantage of the onboard photography services. Though optional, we recommend dress pants with a jacket or a suit for men, and dress or pantsuit for women

Formal Night

Semi-formal Night (photographers did not get around to our table, but this is what we wore)

Dress Codes for Palo and Remy, Adults-Only Restaurants for Guests 18 and Older

So that we may provide an enjoyable and refined dining experience for all Guests, please be advised that tank tops, swimsuits, swimsuit cover-ups, shorts, hats, cut-offs, torn clothing, t-shirts with offensive language and/or graphics, flip-flops or tennis shoes are not permitted at Palo or Remy. We thank you for your understanding and your cooperation with the following dress requirements

At Palo: The elegant northern Italian-inspired dining venue aboard all 4 ships.

Dinner and Brunch

• Men: dress pants or slacks and collared shirt; jacket is optional
• Women: dress, skirt or pants with a blouse
• Jeans may be worn if in good condition (no holes)

At Remy: Serving sophisticated French cuisine aboard the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.

Dress to Impress

To preserve the elegant atmosphere, you are asked to adhere to a strict dress code when dining at Remy.

Dinner

At dinnertime, the following dress code is enforced:

• Men: A jacket (such as a sports, suit or tuxedo jacket) is required, with dress pants/slacks and shoes. Ties are optional. Please no jeans, shorts, sandals, flip-flops or tennis shoes.
• Ladies: Cocktail dress, evening dress, pant suit or skirt/blouse are required. Please no jeans, shorts, capri pants, sandals, flip-flops or tennis shoes.

Brunch and Dessert

During brunch and dessert, the following dress code is enforced:

• Men: Dress pants and a shirt are required for men. A jacket is optional. Please no jeans, shorts, capri pants, sandals, flip-flops or tennis shoes.
• Women: A dress or pantsuit is required. Please no jeans, shorts, capri pants, sandals, flip-flops or tennis shoes.

If you prefer more formal attire during the optional dress-up evenings, you're invited to pre-order tailored formalwear rentals and have them delivered directly to your stateroom upon arrival. To learn more, visit Cruiseline Formalwear.

My Beliefs on Dining Room Dress

• As long as you are not in offensive or skimpy clothing, you should be OK. 
• I would wear decent shoes, like you would wear at a nice restaurant (not water shoes)
• Sometimes I will wear jeans (not torn or ragged) with a nice shirt. Most of the time it's a dress or pirate wear. We usually get pictures made before and after dinner and we want to look nice.
• My husband will wear a button down or Hawaiian shirt and slacks. 
• My daughter usually dresses nice (but that's her always)
• I take a hoodie or a sweater for my daughter and myself for the main dining rooms because I get cold easily. On days I forgot, the waitstaff was nice enough to bring me a heated tablecloth to wrap up in. Some days it seems like you are eating in a refrigerator. 
• Swim suits, running shorts, and tank tops (exercise type) are not appropriate.
• A lot of people who don't feel like dressing up for formal or semi-formal night choose to eat at Cabanas or one of the quick stop places. We never skip a main dining room. Cabanas and the quick places are great for lunches, but we love the 5-star meals we get in the MDR's.
  

Just a side note...when we take cruises, we get to "fake" (LOL) that we have money, so we want to play the part the entire time! We take advantage of feeling like royalty so we dress and act that way.