HAL Survey-Re: Evening Attire, Mariner Society Rewards, Fly/Cruise

[sammiedawg]

I would love to have received the survey. Thanks for sharing.

I would vote no formal attire d/t the airline luggage issues. It is expensive to check bags or to have an overweight bag. One airliine is even charging for carry on. I see more and more people skipping the dining room on formal nights. We have considered this option but the dining room food is better than the same thing served in the buffet. I like the food hot.

 

I doubt cruise lines will totally drop formal night, they sell lots of photos. But I would be fine if they did.

[MadManOfBethesda]

I would love to have received the survey. Thanks for sharing.

I would vote no formal attire d/t the airline luggage issues. It is expensive to check bags or to have an overweight bag. One airliine is even charging for carry on. I see more and more people skipping the dining room on formal nights. We have considered this option but the dining room food is better than the same thing served in the buffet. I like the food hot.

 

I doubt cruise lines will totally drop formal night, they sell lots of photos. But I would be fine if they did.

 

Not to pick on this particular poster, but I always get a little chuckle when I see this excuse. I suppose this means that if the airlines were to do away with the luggage fees then all of a sudden the number of cruisers dressing for formal nights would increase exponentially, right?

 

Right?? :rolleyes:

[bcd2010]

...if the airlines were to do away with the luggage fees then all of a sudden the number of cruisers dressing for formal nights would increase exponentially, right?

 

:d:d:d

[Opinions]

Not to pick on this particular poster, but I always get a little chuckle when I see this excuse. I suppose this means that if the airlines were to do away with the luggage fees then all of a sudden the number of cruisers dressing for formal nights would increase exponentially, right?

 

Right?? :rolleyes:

 

No, the number of cruisers dressing for formal night would probably not increase...That's because they have found out it's much easier leaving the formal clothes home...Whether luggage fees are a excuse or a reason they have changed how many look at formal night forever.

[RevNeal]

Not to pick on this particular poster, but I always get a little chuckle when I see this excuse. I suppose this means that if the airlines were to do away with the luggage fees then all of a sudden the number of cruisers dressing for formal nights would increase exponentially, right?

 

Right?? :rolleyes:

 

Sarcasm aside, I also find the argument specious. They have to wear something on those Nights that were once Formal Nights ... right? I mean, they're not going to walk around nude, are they? This means that they'll have to pack SOMETHING ... something Smart Casual ... for those evenings anyway. Yes, what they pack can be worn on other evenings too, but in truth there's only so far that such a tactic will go ... and it's not very far.

 

On a 7 day cruise you have 5 Smart Casual Nights and 2 Formal Nights. If you had 7 Smart Casual Nights you would need to bring MORE Smart Casual clothing to cover the two additional Smart Casual Nights. Face it: those 5 days worth of outfits won't be enough ... particularly if all you really have for those 5 nights is 2 nights worth of outfits that you're mix-matching and then rotating around to create 3 complete outfits that you're spacing out so that when you re-wear two of them people won't notice. You can get away with that on a 7-day cruise with 5 smart casual nights interrupted by 2 Formal Nights because time is on your side. But if those 2 formal nights also have to be covered by Smart Casual clothing, those 2 complete outfits that are being mixed-matched to create 3, and then rotated to give a different look every night, will not suffice. You'll need, at minimum, an additional Smart Casual outfit with which to mix-match with the other 2 to create 5 outfits that you can then rotate among the 7 nights. So ... no matter what you do, you'll be having to add at least some extra clothing into your bags to cope with those 2 additional Smart Casual evenings.

 

Add to this the reality that the extra-bag fees are "small change" when one considers how much one has paid for their cruise. I'm sorry, I'm not buying it when people who don't bat an eye at paying $5000 a couple for a week in a Deluxe Suite, plus airfare and onboard expenses, are whining over $30 for a checked bag.

[Copper10-8]

Holy Moly!:eek:

[RevNeal]

Holy Moly!:eek:

 

The Feast Day of St. Moly coincides with Formal Nights. :D

[Copper10-8]

The Feast Day of St. Moly coincides with Formal Nights. :D

 

Yeah sure, but is that feast considered specious and does one require a roadmap?

[buckirj1]

But you'd wear clericals if Holy Moly fell on a non-formal night, right? I had to read your post several times before I could figure it out. I see you pay as much attention to "What to Wear" as you pay to "What Not to Wear." That's all fine, but I like my way better: Formal Night? Ain't gonna. See you at the buffet. The End.

 

No excuses, no apologies, just...ain't gonna. But I don't expect to flaunt my non-formal wear all over the place, either. No sense in offending somebody's delicate sensibilities.

[taxmantoo]

That's all fine, but I like my way better: Formal Night? Ain't gonna. See you at the buffet. The End.

 

No you won't ;)

[RevNeal]

Yeah sure, but is that feast considered specious and does one require a roadmap?

 

A feast is never specious, and while Saint Moly might be irregular she is never wrong. :D

 

As for road maps, I prefer a TomTom. :D

[RevNeal]

But you'd wear clericals if Holy Moly fell on a non-formal night, right?

 

Well, there are clericals and then there are formal-clericals. :D

And, as I said, the feast of Saint Moly coincides with Formal Night ... so ... ;)

 

I had to read your post several times before I could figure it out. I see you pay as much attention to "What to Wear" as you pay to "What Not to Wear." That's all fine, but I like my way better: Formal Night? Ain't gonna. See you at the buffet. The End.

 

While you almost certainly won't see me at the buffet for dinner on any evening, I'll be happy to "do lunch" or a "late night snack" in the Lido. :D As for the rest ... it is most certainly your decision. My response was to the matter of those who lean upon airline luggage fees as their rationale for not "doing Formal Night." For those who don't want to "do Formal Night," your approach seems better ... at least it's more honest and forthright. You don't wanna, so you ain't gonna; it doesn't need to be any more complicated than that. And that is what the Lido is for during the evening hours ... those who don't wanna and ain't gonna "do formal night."

 

No excuses, no apologies, just...ain't gonna. But I don't expect to flaunt my non-formal wear all over the place, either. No sense in offending somebody's delicate sensibilities.

 

Even though I enjoy formal nights, I both respect and appreciate your attitude.

[mamaofami]

If they do away with formal nights, what would I do with all the clothing I've purchased for those occasions?

[Cuizer2]

If they do away with formal nights, what would I do with all the clothing I've purchased for those occasions?

 

You can still wear it, unless there is a rule I missed that says formal clothing can ONLY be worn on formal night. Is there such a rule?

[buckirj1]

Well, there are clericals and then there are formal-clericals. :D

And, as I said, the feast of Saint Moly coincides with Formal Night ... so ... ;)

 

I like the look of gilets and rabats as much as the next girl (so long as I don't have to wear 'em). :) I also like the look of a clerical shirt worn under bib overalls, as did my rector at a recent church event.

 

Even though I enjoy formal nights, I both respect and appreciate your attitude.

 

As I do yours.

 

Still don't have the hang of that multiple quote thing. Oh well, folks'll get the gist of it.

[Opinions]

So ... no matter what you do, you'll be having to add at least some extra clothing into your bags to cope with those 2 additional Smart Casual evenings.

 

.

 

So how many cruises have you taken where there were no formal nights?...I have cruised since the 60's...The early cruises had formal nights...I have taken several recently that had no formal nights...I assure you I took much less clothing on those cruises...Instead of a suit or tux,dress shoes, etc., two casual shirts help me "cope" with those 2 additional Smart Casual evenings...It's not "extra clothing"...The casual slacks I normally bring are sufficient...My most recent cruise was on HAL and I packed more clothing because of the formal nights.

[RuthC]

You can still wear it, unless there is a rule I missed that says formal clothing can ONLY be worn on formal night. Is there such a rule?

Yeah, there is. It's a society rule: It's as much a faux pax to be overdressed as it is to be underdressed.

[Cuizer2]

Yeah, there is. It's a society rule: It's as much a faux pax to be overdressed as it is to be underdressed.

 

Well, I would rather be overdressed than undressed.

[iancal]

Maybe one extra shirt. That's it.

[Rutland Gate]

I can afford to dress well, and I will. They can tax my tux and I'll still wear it. If ties are out, I'll buy more, and wear them all. If shorts are the item of the day, I'll still not wear them. I get to be me.

[maxout]

I can afford to dress well, and I will. They can tax my tux and I'll still wear it. If ties are out, I'll buy more, and wear them all. If shorts are the item of the day, I'll still not wear them. I get to be me.

 

Well said!

[G&G]

Though there are many different opinions concerning formal nights on HAL it is important that HAL is requesting input from it's passengers. Formal nights have changed significantly since our first cruise 32 years ago when most everyone dressed in formal wear on formal night. Today, things are much different and many passengers are opting out of formal nights by dining in the Lido Restaurant.

 

On our recent 33 day Hawaii/South Pacific cruise on the Rotterdam, there were seven (7) formal nights. I felt this to be 3-4 formal nights too many since half our cruise was spent in the Summer of the Southern Hemisphere. The Lido Restaurant was so crowded for dinner on formal nights that one time we had to eat on the "crew" dining side of the Restaurant. I asked the manager of the Lido Restaurant how many passengers were dining on formal nights and he stated between 350-400 passengers or over 25% of the total passengers.

 

Times are a changing !

[RevNeal]

You can still wear it, unless there is a rule I missed that says formal clothing can ONLY be worn on formal night. Is there such a rule?

 

Some people were born with the Embarrassment gene, and are mortified by even just the thought of being found not appropriately dressed for any given occasion. This goes in both directions: underdressed and overdressed. Believe it or not, most of us who really enjoy playing dress up on formal night do not relish the though of being conspicuous.

[RevNeal]

Maybe one extra shirt. That's it.

 

I can't imagine going on a week long cruise with only 3 shirts and 2 pair of pants. I suppose some people aren't bothered by the thought, but I just can't see myself ever doing that. Hence, I have trouble conceiving of it for others. But ... if you say so.

 

Be that as it may, if one wears a blazer in-transit to and from the ship, and puts a couple of ties in their jacket pockets, and makes one of those shirts which they packed a white dress shirt ... shazaam! ... you've got sufficient clothing to dress for HAL's formal night without actually adding anything significant to one's packing regimen.

[RevNeal]

On our recent 33 day Hawaii/South Pacific cruise on the Rotterdam, there were seven (7) formal nights. I felt this to be 3-4 formal nights too many since half our cruise was spent in the Summer of the Southern Hemisphere.

 

Why would that be a factor? The interior of the ship should still be air conditioned, right? White dinner jackets are highly appropriate for warm-weather/tropical cruises. :)