Future of Formal Nights

[TeamBozo]

We have noticed a significant reduction in the number of formal nights during our last 2 HAL cruises and were told that HAL is considering phasing them out or making them optional. Has anyone else heard anything along these lines? I have mixed feelings-- I always bring a tux, but the idea of leaving it home doesn't sound too bad. It seems like fewer and fewer people are bothering with it anymore and the dress code has become quite liberal.

 

I apologize if this topic has been previously discussed. Have you heard anything about this???

[CruiserBruce]

Could you elaborate on the "significant reduction" in number of formal nights? Have sailed with HAL for 20 years, and haven't seen a decrease in the standard number- 2 for 7 day, 3 for 10 day, etc.

 

Have heard of an occaisional 2 formal nights on 10 days, when the cruise is very port intensive. But hasn't happened to us.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I haven't seen any reduction in the number of formal nights on any of our cruises.

Last cruises -- 10 days -- 3 formal nights. 11 days -- 3 formal nights.

Looked at our documents for an upcoming cruise -- 25 days -- 7 formal nights.

[califgary]

Just off the beautiful and elegant Statendam (shout out to Capt Franz!) on a 14 day cruise and we had 4 formal nites. I admit Im seeing more folks not opting to participate in the dressing up those evenings but they still advertized the 4 nites as formal.

[IRL_Joanie]

.... when someone comes onto the boards here and asks the question almost word for word as you.:)

 

Not being snarky just telling you what has happened over the last few months. No one in the real know has mentioned it, no one from HAL has mentioned it, only passengers like you and I asking this question.:)

 

Joanie

[TeamBozo]

Our last 2 cruises were 35 days (Sept. 2011 and 17 days (Dec. 2011). Our boarding documents for the 35 day cruise indicated 10 formal nights, but there were only 7 and the 17 day cruise had 3 formal nights plus an "optional" 1. I'd never seen that before.

 

At any rate, 10 formal nights in 52 days is only slightly more than one per week on average. A couple we had dinner with said HAL was considering eliminating them altogether. I find that hard to believe, but I wonder what others have heard.

 

By the way, I don't care what other people wear to dinner. I didn't mean to stir up that debate.

[jtl513]

IMO we will begin to see more formal optional nights. We've had one.

[cmdchiefthom]

IMO we will begin to see more formal optional nights. We've had one.

 

That's the way is started on NCL maybe 10 years ago, and now its jeans and tee shirts almost anywhere, anytime onboard their ships:eek:

[RMLincoln]

To me the best thing about formal night in the MDR is the better food selections. I wouldn't want that to go away. m--

[kazu]

We have noticed a significant reduction in the number of formal nights during our last 2 HAL cruises and were told that HAL is considering phasing them out or making them optional. Has anyone else heard anything along these lines? I have mixed feelings-- I always bring a tux, but the idea of leaving it home doesn't sound too bad. It seems like fewer and fewer people are bothering with it anymore and the dress code has become quite liberal.

 

I apologize if this topic has been previously discussed. Have you heard anything about this???

 

Actually on the last two 20 day cruises that we did, there were supposed to be 5 formal night. We had four. Are they toning them down? I don't know.

 

I understand that these are the captain's discretion. I loved it. 4 is enough IMO:D don't get me wrong, we like to dress up - not much chance here. but once every five nights was the perfect solution. JMO:)

[SwissMyst]

On our last cruise was one night designated "optional formal" night and lo and behold easily 80-90% showed up in full dress. When HAL passengers were given a choice on this cruise, they chose to do it up right. Formal is alive and well among this group of HAL passengers who do it anyway, even when they don't have to. Even "casual nights" were special too - the dining room setting just seemed to make people want to take it up a notch to get full enjoyment from the experience.

[startwin]

I tend to agree with Joanie...,. only time I've heard anything about it is when someone asks the question on here. It's not been mentioned at any of the Q&A's of my past cruises.

[Typhoon1]

Oh goody, (another) formal night/wear thread! :D

 

Here we go again.

[Pettifogger]

Formal nights are one of the many things that differentiate HAL from the mass market lines.

 

A formal optional night which assigned the formal to one dining room and those who chose the informal to another dining room would give the passengers one more choice, a good thing, but maybe a logistical challenge.

 

Mixing the formal and the informal at individual tables would be monstrous, portions of two different things joined unnaturally, like a bird and a woman to make a harpy. The fact that some may have already tried it and no one at the table voiced their displeasure is not a valid test. I wouldn't speak up any more than I would point out that someone at the table was even uglier than I am; I'd just go elsewhere.

 

I don't necessarily enjoy lugging formal clothes half-way around the world, but if HAL decides that most of its passengers don't want to bother, it would do far better to just eliminate formal nights. (I'd prefer that no one tell my wife that I made that statement.)

[iancal]

We have already eliminated them...on HAL and any other cruise line we happen the be on.

[sail7seas]

We go with the flow on this topic.

As long as HAL has formal nights, we will dress according to their description as a minimum.

 

If they discontinue them, we will 'roll with it.'

We admittedly have done so many formal nights for so many years and as we've gotten older, we are less interested in them than we used to be.

 

However, we are respectful of crew/Officers/staff/fellow guests and would never be so rude to not abide by dress code as long as we choose to sail HAL.

 

[bozemanman]

Personally really GLAD TO SEE yet another DRESS CODE THREAD:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[sail7seas]

:cool: Always the choice to not open it and 'move right along' without ever reading a word of it. :) Seems some of us never tire of the conversation. :eek: :D

 

[iflyrc5]

Our documents show 8 formal nights on our upcoming 30 day on the Rotterdam with 12 sea days. It will be interesting to see if we end up with all 8 or if they cut some out.

[GeriatricNurse]

We have already eliminated them...on HAL and any other cruise line we happen the be on.

 

Count me in too! ;)

[GeriatricNurse]

We go with the flow on this topic.

As long as HAL has formal nights, we will dress according to their description as a minimum.

 

If they discontinue them, we will 'roll with it.'

We admittedly have done so many formal nights for so many years and as we've gotten older, we are less interested in them than we used to be.

 

However, we are respectful of crew/Officers/staff/fellow guests and would never be so rude to not abide by dress code as long as we choose to sail HAL.

 

So, Judy, following this logic, are you suggesting that on all formal nights I should dress formally even if I choose to dine in the Lido? :confused: Boy, wouldn't I stick out like a sore thumb if I were to be so foolish! :p

[tangerinebunny]

I've never done one of the European cruises, but it sounds as though they're port intensive with busy, tiring days. Are the formal nights well received?

 

I wouldn't miss them in Alaska where packing is an issue, but people appear to really enjoy them in the Caribbean.

 

I enjoy formal nights but they're not why we cruise.

[G&G]

Another formal night thread; 5000 and counting but I will add my two cents. It appears formal nights are going the way of the rotary phones; disappearing.

 

We just returned from a RCL cruise to the Western Caribbean (2nd time on RCL). RCL dress code for formal nights in the MDR is basically the same as HAL. There were two formal nights. I estimated less than 50% of the passengers wore tuxs, jackets or even ties in the MDR. The clothes for formal night included for men, golf shirts, hawaiian shirts and yes tee shirts. My issue is either enforce the dress code or make everything casual.

 

Oh I forgot, on RCL, casual night, shorts, tee shirts and baseball caps were abundantly present.

[kazu]

I've never done one of the European cruises, but it sounds as though they're port intensive with busy, tiring days. Are the formal nights well received?

 

I wouldn't miss them in Alaska where packing is an issue, but people appear to really enjoy them in the Caribbean.

 

I enjoy formal nights but they're not why we cruise.

 

On the European cruises I have been on, formal nights are very well received. In fact there are often a slightly higher percentage of tuxes on these:D

[mescat4]

E bound TA on Nieux Amsterdam, W bound on QM2- in between flying Barcelona-Geneva-London on Easy jet (20 kilo limit). Could get by with a sports jacket on HAL but definitely need a black suit or tux on QM2 for their 3 formal nights as well as sports coat for 4 casuals. Suit and tux weigh the same.-

Just bought a new Samsonite 29" spinner that weighs 10#- about 5# less than current luggage- that should help.

 

As long as Cunard is the only alternative to go TA were stuck

 

Ev