Hi, Tracey!
Congratulations on your upcoming cruise aboard the Disney Wonder to Alaska! I'm also experiencing this itinerary with my family this summer, and I've been asking LOTS of questions.
Here's what I've been told and here's what we've decided to do for my husband and 16-year-old son. Many guests will don very formal attire -- tuxedos and ball gowns -- for formal night. However, most male guests will dress in dark suits on formal night and sports coats, slacks and open-collared shirts on the semi-formal evening.
We have no intention of purchasing or even renting a tux for my husband and/or oldest son, but we are going to make sure they have a suit for formal night. Although they're not excited about the prospects of wearing a suit one night, I certainly don't want them to feel under-dressed, and I can't wait to have our family picture taken that evening. (The last time we were all dressed up and together was at a wedding, and we didn't even have our youngest child then!)
In addition, I think that a sport coat/dinner jacket will be a more essential item for your husband than even the tie for several reasons:
- The temperature drops significantly after the sun goes down. Therefore, he may enjoy the extra layer.
- I think he could get away on semi-formal and formal night with a sport coat or dinner jacket -- rather than just a tie and shirt.
- He'll need a dinner jacket/sport coat at Palo for dinner or brunch anyway -- and you've just got to try one or both of those while you're on board!
I hope I've helped you plan. Let me know if you think of anything else before you go, and I'd love to hear back from you once you've returned. You can give ME some advice! Have a wonderful day and a magical vacation. Bon voyage!
Andi