Formal night dress code question

[happytravellers2]

We are cruising on Eurodam on 15 January - our first ever cruise. It will be the last week of a five week holiday in Mexico and Florida, and we will have stayed in 11 hotels before the cruise so need to travel as lightly as possible. I'm not going to pack my tux or a suit and lug them around only to wear twice.

I will take a light coloured jacket that I can wear for dinner while we are travelling and was wondering if I wore this on formal nights on the cruise would I stick out like a sore thumb?

The alternative is to buy a dark jacket in Fort Lauderdale the day before we board.

Advice please?

[euro cruiser]

Wow - sorry I can't offer you an experienced-based perspective on your question, as I'll be going on my first HAL cruise next month. My inexperienced (on this line) response is that you should be fine, but I'll be interested in reading what you hear from those who have been there, done that.

 

I'm still reeling from your pre-cruise plans. Eleven hotels in four weeks? So, on average, you'll be packing up and moving every two to three days? You may sleep through the entire cruise after all of that!

[VermeulT]

HAL's official policy is jacket OR tie is the minimum required for formal night. On our cruise 2 weeks ago - maybe 15% were in tuxes, 35% in suits, and the rest were jacket or tie (with the exception of a douche bag wearing shorts and a Margaritaville T shirt - discussed in another thread).

You'll be fine.

[happytravellers2]

5 in Mexico and 6 in Florida. 3 are only one night stops, longest stay is 5 nights in Manzanillo over Christmas

[Bakincakes]

You could probably find a nice dark jacket before you board. Though the light one would probably do if necessary.

[kazu]

Sounds like you are doing a Carribean cruise? if so, I normally find that they are less formal than Europe. As long as your husband has a jacket and tie, he should be fine. A darker jacket usually works well, however with the warmer weather, a lighter coloured suit will probably be seen as well. I think you will be fine.

[euro cruiser]

5 in Mexico and 6 in Florida. 3 are only one night stops, longest stay is 5 nights in Manzanillo over Christmas

Yikes! :eek:

 

A few years ago I spent a week with our then 13-year old, and one of her comments after the trip was "next time, can we spend at least two nights in the same place?" I hadn't really thought about it ... we had a lot of ground to cover, and only a week of vacation to do it in. Planes, trains, automobiles, horses, rafts, a monorail and a ferry, all in seven days. I'm tired just writing about it!

 

I've now gone over to the dark side ... I like to park myself in one place for a good long time, but sometimes it's just not possible.

[catl331]

HAL's official policy is jacket OR tie is the minimum required for formal night.

The official policy is:

On festive Formal evenings, ladies wear a cocktail dress or gown and gentlemen wear a suit and tie or tuxedo.

OP: you'll be in the small minority (maybe 5%) with a light colored jacket, but you'll be fine.

[sapper1]

You'll be fine with a light coloured jacket and tie but if you so wish, you can pre-order a rental tux from HAL for the formal nights.

[stever]

I just got back from the Westerdam. You will be fine and in the majority. Less than 10% wore a tux or dark suit on our 2 week cruise. Many in just a shirt and tie. On formal nights in the casino, 75% were in jeans and t-shirts.

[IRL_Joanie]

I just got back from the Westerdam. You will be fine and in the majority. Less than 10% wore a tux or dark suit on our 2 week cruise. Many in just a shirt and tie. On formal nights in the casino, 75% were in jeans and t-shirts.

 

Just got back less than a week ago (I wanna be back on board!!) and our experience was the same as you describe.

 

I saw 3 Tux's the one night I went to formal night and hubby was one of them. Most men were in Suit and Tie, a few were in Jacket and tie and 1 man wore a jacket with a dark polo or turtle necked shirt (I did not look to closely at him as I did not want to be to obvious). This same gentleman (and yes he was agentleman) did remove his Jacket while seated.

 

I think the jacket you describe should be fine as long as you do not wear jeans with them. I personally saw a few men turned away at the entrance who had Jackets with ties and blue jeans.

 

Joanie

[Krazy Kruizers]

We went to all 4 formal nights to the main dining room on our 2 weeks on the Nieuw Amsterdam. There were about 5% tuxedos and lots of suits in our area of the dining room. DH always wears a tuxedo.

You will be fine with a light colored jacket and tie.

[VermeulT]

The official policy is:

On festive Formal evenings, ladies wear a cocktail dress or gown and gentlemen wear a suit and tie or tuxedo.

OP: you'll be in the small minority (maybe 5%) with a light colored jacket, but you'll be fine.

 

Not according to the dining room manager and the Hotel Manager on the Eurodam two weeks ago. We were told (after complaining about the dress of some passengers) that jacket OR tie is all that is required - or perhaps enforced.

[VermeulT]

I think the jacket you describe should be fine as long as you do not wear jeans with them. I personally saw a few men turned away at the entrance who had Jackets with ties and blue jeans.

Joanie

 

I wish I had been on your cruise Joanie. Jeans were in the majority on every night in the dining room on the Eurodam - and the Asst Dining Room Manager had a hard time keeping the shorts out on casual night. :(

[startwin]

Not according to the dining room manager and the Hotel Manager on the Eurodam two weeks ago. We were told (after complaining about the dress of some passengers) that jacket OR tie is all that is required - or perhaps enforced.

 

Just curious about what you thought the Hotel Manager and the DR Manager should do when you complained. And what exactly was the complaint or level of dress (or undress) - was it jeans, no tie, or what?

[happytravellers2]

Thanks everybody for the advice - I now feel quite comfortable.

It sounds like the men who wear a tux stand out more than those who don't!

We used to attend at least two events a year that required a tux and so I bought one - now it's one at best.

Having said that we attended a wedding this year on a wine estate where the dress code was black tie and I must say it did contribute to a special atmosphere.

Leaving on Thursday night for our holiday - 26 hours travelling from the distant Cape!

[terigo]

Just got off Eurodam yesterday... (longer review to be posted soon) and specifically looked to see what the variety of dress was on formal nights, just so I could report back... My DH was in the traditional dark tux with vest, and he was probably in the 20% minority, but fit in as well as the men wearing dark suits.

I saw one white dinner jacket, and a variety of colored suits and jackets, mostly dark, but a few light.

Everyone looked just fine and did not "stick out like a sore thumb" except for the couple of oddballs wearing t-shirts.... However, since I do not know if they were actually going to dinner in the MDR (I saw them in the elevators) and they might have been going up for casual dining at the Lido, they get a pass.

 

I think the light jacket with a tie would be just fine.

[terigo]

my reply posted twice... so ignore this one.

[SwissMyst]

Just back from the Statendam (smaller, older HAL ship) and one now sees everything in the MRD for "formal" nights. Very few tuxes, more dark suits, and a high degree of just plain casual. Women still tended to dress up in the MDR even for smart casual nights so you want to still have fun and treat the more formal dining setting in the way it can still be used -- as a very special occasion spot this is the place to do it.

 

Glitter still counts for cruise ship wear, even if it is a glittery tee-shirt and this does add to the dazzzle factor on most nights in the MDR. I saw a lot of very clever ways to dress up very simply and still be highly packable and portable - glitter shawls, fancy bolero tops, glittery overblouses and light jackets over a simple black dress.

[RuthC]

It sounds like the men who wear a tux stand out more than those who don't!

What a sad commentary that men who are dressed formally should "stand out" on a formal night because of it.

[SwissMyst]

What a sad commentary that men who are dressed formally should "stand out" on a formal night because of it.

 

The men in tuxes, (DH included) stood out for all the right reasons on our last cruise. They looked great. And the dress-up quotient for the special "suites" guest parties was very high. Long gowns and tuxes across the board. It was wonderful additional perk. Thanks to a suggestion here, I got a great and very packable, inexpensive, light-weight long black velvet dress at Nordstrom's online. We loved having the opportunity to play Prom Night again in one the last few public settings where this is even encouraged.

[Renmar]

The men in tuxes, (DH included) stood out for all the right reasons on our last cruise. They looked great. And the dress-up quotient for the special "suites" guest parties was very high. Long gowns and tuxes across the board. It was wonderful additional perk. Thanks to a suggestion here, I got a great and very packable, inexpensive, light-weight long black velvet dress at Nordstrom's online. We loved having the opportunity to play Prom Night again in one the last few public settings where this is even encouraged.

I'm looking for a great and very packable, inexpensive, lightweight tuxedo (with all the trimmings). Please let me know if anybody comes across one.

Theo

[SwissMyst]

I'm looking for a great and very packable, inexpensive, lightweight tuxedo (with all the trimmings). Please let me know if anybody comes across one.

Theo

 

It is called HAL tux rental. Or, a very light weight summer wool tux ensemble, or a white dinner jacket with dark pants. Easy to pack a tux as it is to pack a dark suit. But the HAL tux rental option is the best of all for packing convenience. Check out Menswearhouse for reasonable tux purchase options.

[Renmar]

I hope I don't have to spell out the point I try to make.:D

Theo

[VermeulT]

Just curious about what you thought the Hotel Manager and the DR Manager should do when you complained. And what exactly was the complaint or level of dress (or undress) - was it jeans, no tie, or what?

We wanted to know why the dress code wasn't being enforced... and we also vented about other experiences that we felt were weakening the HAL brand (see thread "HAL Strategy Wrong...").

 

BTW - the level that caused us to complain was a Margaritaville T shirt, cargo shorts and flip flops at dinner.