My FORMAL NIGHT Experience...(AND RANT)

[startwin]

<snip>

 

Formal night on HAL cruises are the same for me. Part of what makes them special and enjoyable is seeing so many people dressed up and enjoying themselves in elegant surroundings. Some people don't LIKE to dress up, and HAL accommodates them by allowing for dining options that are more casual. Great--a win for all sides! Or at least it would seem, but for some reason people here at CC still get all bent out of shape...

 

I totally agree with that. The problem however is that according to many here on CC, you cannot be seen anywhere on the ship in casual attire on formal night! Not sure how you are supposed to get from your cabin to the Lido without being seen, however:D

[Laminator]

HAL's ships hold approximately 23,400 pax a week. When you look at the amount of people on here that complain about the dress code it really is quite minimal. Less than a half percent out of the total HAL weekly pax base. Now I am not a smart businessman at all but I would rather sell my product to 99 out of 100 people than 1 out of 100.

 

Even if 10 people out of 100 were up in arms I would still rather sell my product to 90 out of 100.

 

It's a simple numbers game. They need to fill their ships.

 

Does anyone think this may also be HAL's philosophy?

[RichNY]

HAL's ships hold approximately 23,400 pax a week. When you look at the amount of people on here that complain about the dress code it really is quite minimal. Less than a half percent out of the total HAL weekly pax base. Now I am not a smart businessman at all but I would rather sell my product to 99 out of 100 people than 1 out of 100.

 

Even if 10 people out of 100 were up in arms I would still rather sell my product to 90 out of 100.

 

It's a simple numbers game. They need to fill their ships.

 

Does anyone think this may also be HAL's philosophy?

 

If Hal was smart it would be...:D

 

 

We just came off the Veendam and the attire of the passengers in the dining room was a nice mix. Some tux's, some suits some with ties and some without. The dress code was not adhered to through the entire ship and thats the way it should be. It should be removed from the "code". The most important thing was that passengers were comfortable and did not not look like total slobs..

 

I wore a suit on formal night and chose to leave my tux home. I don't dress up for amusement of other passengers, except my wife, ;) nor do I expect them to dress to amuse me...

 

Maybe some of you fashion zealots should back off, you are not helping HAL bring in customers.

[hapzfl]

Do the "alternative" restaurants like the Lido serve the same food as the "formal" dining rooms?

 

If not, than they are not an alternative. After all, we all pay quite a fortune for these cruises and I would fell quite discriminated against if I am provided with less quality food only because I do not want to dress in formal garb. I am retired; I have had to wear "formal" daily for 40+ years; now I want to just relax and not to be forced into formalities again.

 

Why not have separate sections in the same MDR; one for formal, one for casual. After all, they now have sections for "pre-set" and flexible seating, something that was unheard of just a couple of years ago. If done cleverly, the "formal" crowd wouldn't even have to look at us casuals.

[MATHA531]

Do the "alternative" restaurants like the Lido serve the same food as the "formal" dining rooms?

 

If not, than they are not an alternative. After all, we all pay quite a fortune for these cruises and I would fell quite discriminated against if I am provided with less quality food only because I do not want to dress in formal garb. I am retired; I have had to wear "formal" daily for 40+ years; now I want to just relax and not to be forced into formalities again.

 

Why not have separate sections in the same MDR; one for formal, one for casual. After all, they now have sections for "pre-set" and flexible seating, something that was unheard of just a couple of years ago. If done cleverly, the "formal" crowd wouldn't even have to look at us casuals.

 

Generally anything available in the MDR is available in the Lido; thus on formal nights when they serve lobster in the mdr, you will find lobster in the lido!

[hapzfl]

Generally anything available in the MDR is available in the Lido; thus on formal nights when they serve lobster in the mdr, you will find lobster in the lido!

 

It is not just the lobster. Isn't the Lido buffet style?

[iancal]

We have found that the lobster on most cruise ships is nothing to write home about. It is usually overcooked and tough.

[photomikey]

HAL's ships hold approximately 23,400 pax a week. When you look at the amount of people on here that complain about the dress code it really is quite minimal. Less than a half percent out of the total HAL weekly pax base. Now I am not a smart businessman at all but I would rather sell my product to 99 out of 100 people than 1 out of 100.

 

Even if 10 people out of 100 were up in arms I would still rather sell my product to 90 out of 100.

 

It's a simple numbers game. They need to fill their ships.

 

Does anyone think this may also be HAL's philosophy?

99 out of 100 people would agree with you, and I think you'd find an interesting commonality with that 1 out of 100. :-)

[photomikey]

And doesn't that make you feel like a real Man?

Huh?

[world~citizen]

Nothing good ever comes out of a dress code thread. :D

 

Smooth sailing...

[Laminator]

99 out of 100 people would agree with you, and I think you'd find an interesting commonality with that 1 out of 100. :-)

 

That is why I enjoy HAL. Because 99 out of 100 people I meet I am quite positive I am going to enjoy.

[I_r_a]

Hi T,

 

>WHAT WAS THE POINT???? In the dining room were men wearing tuxes, suits, sport coats, or just shirts with tie and no coat. Also, men with open neck shirts and coats, and others who had removed their coats and placed them on the back of their chairs, ....<

 

I agree.

 

Did they prevent you from removing the offending jacket and putting it on the back of the chair?

 

Ira

[zumbajewlz]

ROFLMAO! Seriously! If HAL gave everyone who showed up in proper formal attire a raffle ticket for a free cruise to be given away the night of the formal dinner I am sure all the whining would end and there would be a lot less "non-comformists"!

 

And...

 

Boo hoo! The women only have to put on a little black dress, well, yes, and heals, shave thier legs and armpits, hope thier bra stays in place, get a pedicure, apply make-up, and wear Spanx (oops, I forgot the demographics here) I mean... a girdle! Thats a lot of work! But, hey, my man doesn't complain that I do it for him! Nope, no complaints, only wows, oohs, ahhs, and "here let me get the door for you..."

 

Come on guys! GQ it up for the rest of us! Who cares about whether or not there is a rule that is maybe or maybe not enforced. Cheers and see ya at the Formal!

[Down-Unders]

Well done HAL now please address feet on chairs and robes being worn outside of cabins and I will award you your deserved " Signature of Excellence "

[Krazy Kruizers]

We are home from 2 weeks on the Ryndam.

Dress Code on formal nights was NOT enforced. We saw men in the dining room wearing neither a suit, a jacket or a tie -- just a plain sports shirt and slacks. Also saw people wearing jeans on formal night in the dining room.

And smart casual -- JMO -- Pinncale Grill -- again jeans!! Just doesn't cut it for me.

[iancal]

There seems to be an assumption that it is always the men who do not want to bother with formal evenings. This is not the case with us. Depending on the cruise, DW does not want to pack clothes that may be worn only 2 or 3 days out of a six week trip. And I don't blame her.

[Randyk47]

We are home from 2 weeks on the Ryndam.

 

Dress Code on formal nights was NOT enforced. We saw men in the dining room wearing neither a suit, a jacket or a tie -- just a plain sports shirt and slacks. Also saw people wearing jeans on formal night in the dining room.

 

And smart casual -- JMO -- Pinncale Grill -- again jeans!! Just doesn't cut it for me.

 

 

Me neither KK....all I'll say is "ugh". :(

[anniegb]

We are home from 2 weeks on the Ryndam.

 

Dress Code on formal nights was NOT enforced. We saw men in the dining room wearing neither a suit, a jacket or a tie -- just a plain sports shirt and slacks. Also saw people wearing jeans on formal night in the dining room.

 

And smart casual -- JMO -- Pinncale Grill -- again jeans!! Just doesn't cut it for me.

 

That concurs with my recent experience on the Ryndam.

 

What people wear does not offend me; but as HAL clearly does not enforce the dress code - why have it?

[GeriatricNurse]

That concurs with my recent experience on the Ryndam.

 

What people wear does not offend me; but as HAL clearly does not enforce the dress code - why have it?[/quote]

 

Because the "policy" only "suggests" what to wear, (so how can a "suggestion" be "enforced")?;)

[FightOnRon]

Hey everyone,,,thanks for a great read, gave me some fun this morning.

 

I haven't been on a HAL ship since 2009 and probably won't be going agian until 2012. So since I have no cruises coming up I generally stay away from this board. But the other day I got food poisoning so while recovering I decided to break out some old web surf sites and came here. This is great.

 

This year, since my money is tight, I took a 4 night cruise on Carnival. I spent a lot of time reading thier forum on CC preparing for the Walmart cruise line as many have called it. I was pretty nervous after sailing 5 times on HAL so I wanted to see what I was getting in to. I found out and this is the number one fun thing to discuss (dress code), the number 2 is smoking and more smoking. And I guess number three is smuggling booze aboard. I never thought on the HAL forum this discussion would take place. Fun, fun fun.

 

My take,,I don't care what the line is,,I follow the rules period. What they say to do I do, what they say to not do I do not do,,,and I don't go by the rule that if it isn't written (like it's not okay to blow smoke in someones face as mentioned a few pages back) it must be okay to do (and no I don't smoke, just an example).

 

I'm off to look for booze smuggling threads now.

[GOLDENBONNY]

Do the "alternative" restaurants like the Lido serve the same food as the "formal" dining rooms?

 

If not, than they are not an alternative. After all, we all pay quite a fortune for these cruises and I would fell quite discriminated against if I am provided with less quality food only because I do not want to dress in formal garb. I am retired; I have had to wear "formal" daily for 40+ years; now I want to just relax and not to be forced into formalities again.

 

Why not have separate sections in the same MDR; one for formal, one for casual. After all, they now have sections for "pre-set" and flexible seating, something that was unheard of just a couple of years ago. If done cleverly, the "formal" crowd wouldn't even have to look at us casuals.

 

yes!!! THEY DO serve same food in Lido.and I odnt really understand why people would buy cruise with formal nights if they dont wont to go formal or use altrnative restaurants for this nights???

[iancal]

Are you suggesting that the only reason to take a HAL cruise (or another similiar line) is because they have formal nights????

 

I think that HAL has a good number of other attributes to recommend it to someone who does not particularly want to attend formal evenings in the MDR.

 

We do not attend formal nights in the MDR if we are not dressed accordingly. This does NOT, however, stop us from attending the other venues on formal evenings dressed in business casual. We are hardly going to stay in our cabin all night becsause of that minor detail.

[FightOnRon]

yes!!! THEY DO serve same food in Lido.and I odnt really understand why people would buy cruise with formal nights if they dont wont to go formal or use altrnative restaurants for this nights???

 

Actually,,my last cruise was in the Baltic and after a 10 hour excursion day we didn't want to dress for dinnerone night. We mentioned to our waiter the night before we would not be at dinner the next night (and it was lobster) so our waiter slipped a MDR menu under the door for us during the day and we ordered room service off that menu and ate in our cabin. That's the way to go ,,a service a lot of other lines don't offer (I assume HAL still does).

[anniegb]

That concurs with my recent experience on the Ryndam.

 

What people wear does not offend me; but as HAL clearly does not enforce the dress code - why have it?[/quote]

 

Because the "policy" only "suggests" what to wear, (so how can a "suggestion" be "enforced")?;)

 

A lot of HAL cruisers want it enforced!

 

Not me!

[hapzfl]

yes!!! THEY DO serve same food in Lido.and I odnt really understand why people would buy cruise with formal nights if they dont wont to go formal or use altrnative restaurants for this nights???

 

Because of the itinerary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!