Is Norwegian Cruise Line too "casual"

[meltingmoments]

Lucky you!!! Maybe another time?

 

Who knows.....maybe one day we'll be aboard the same ship! :) :)

[fabnfortysomething]

Thongs = flip flops.

 

 

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thank you for clearing that up-in the UK thongs refer to a very brief item of female underwear!

[terrydtx]

After 8 HAL cruises which some consider to be a more upscale cruise line we are sick and tired of lugging along that extra suitcase with formal clothes just to wear for 2 nights to eat diner and enjoy the common areas of the ship. We are trying our first NCL cruise this year because we do not want to play dress up anymore while on vacation specially in hot climate cruises like the Caribbean. I got news for you, shorts can be seen on almost any cruise line even HAL at diner as I think no cruise line wants to offend those passengers who pay their paychecks. :D

 

Have you even been to an upscale land all inclusive resort that required a dark suit for men for diner when the outside temperature is over 90? I have been to several of them and shorts and resort wear can be worn anywhere any time of day, so why shouldn't a cruise be no different? I live in the south and most upscale restaurants do not require a coat and tie for men to dine either. I was in the advertising business for 20 years and wore a coat and tie every day to work and I sure as heck didn't like them for a cruise. Now that I am not in that industry I have one suit that I keep for weddings and funerals and no long will need for a cruise as long as I like NCL.:p

[Waterloomarc]

thank you for clearing that up-in the UK thongs refer to a very brief item of female underwear!

 

Here too mostly. In fact I'd think underwear is by far the more common use of the term these days.

 

 

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[punkincc]

I see nothing wrong with those sandals ..I think he would feel more "dressed" in those than the other pair :D

 

I agree, those sandals seem to be the best choice:), but since no one has pointed it out yet, the NCL dress code, informal as it may be, does specify that "close toed shoes" for men must be worn in the aft main dining room in the evenings. I have heard anecdotes here of men turned away for wearing sandals. It does seem a little discriminatory, since women can of course show their toes. He can wear them in the midship dining room though, or any of the specialties except Le Bistro.

[Markanddonna]

Lots of people seems to think that the main reason to only bring casual clothes is to avoid extra baggage fees to the airline. They can afford to fly and cruise but they can't pay for an extra bag? I understand if people wants to bring as little baggage as possible and I have once done a short cruise, with formal clothes, with only a carry on myself but to skip formal wear to save money seems extremely strange to me.

 

It certainly isn't the extra fee for the luggage, it is who has to schelp the bags around? I am over 60 and when we take a cruise to Europe or another interesting port, we stay there a while too. A transatlantic cruise is a whole different bag as often you need to pack for a range of temperatures: the Carribean and then a cooler Europe, so that adds more clothes in the mix. An Alaskan cruise is sort of the same way. Personally, I would love the "lumberjack" look to be considered the standard dress code for dress up night in Alaska. That plaid flannel shirt would be so much easier to pack.

 

On our last cruise (HAL), there were no porters around at the check in, so once again, who had to schelp the luggage? For most of us, cruising isn't packing your trunks and letting your chauffeur and then private butler handle things...

[jaja]

I agree, those sandals seem to be the best choice:), but since no one has pointed it out yet, the NCL dress code, informal as it may be, does specify that "close toed shoes" for men must be worn in the aft main dining room in the evenings. I have heard anecdotes here of men turned away for wearing sandals. It does seem a little discriminatory, since women can of course show their toes. He can wear them in the midship dining room though, or any of the specialties except Le Bistro.

 

Just in case..have a pair of brown socks in your pocket !! :rolleyes:

[PureLuck347]

does specify that "close toed shoes" for men must be worn in the aft main dining room in the evenings. I have heard anecdotes here of men turned away for wearing sandals. It does seem a little discriminatory, since women can of course show their toes.

 

Maybe if you have your husband paint his toenails a nice shade that compliments his shirt, they will allow him to enter. Better yet, you BOTH wear open toed shoes, his toes painted, yours not, and if they try to turn him away, casually mention that it is a bit discriminatory to turn him away, but not females. He is not serving food, so there shouldn't be an issue with food safety!

 

 

 

 

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[PureLuck347]

Oops, forgot to mention that it does state men can wear shorts in the AFT dining, on Bermuda Cruises, as long as they wear Bermuda styled shorts, button or polo shirt, AND LONG SOCKS... I think I would rather see a guy in khakis & nice leather sandals than the shorts w/tall socks ensemble.

 

 

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[terrydtx]

Oops, forgot to mention that it does state men can wear shorts in the AFT dining, on Bermuda Cruises, as long as they wear Bermuda styled shorts, button or polo shirt, AND LONG SOCKS... I think I would rather see a guy in khakis & nice leather sandals than the shorts w/tall socks ensemble.

 

We have a neighbor who moved here from NJ and he mows his lawn in shorts black socks and black shoes, the Bermuda look you describe. :eek: It seems strange that NCL makes this accommodation for only Bermuda cruises but I guess it is because of the majority of NE originating passengers. Here in the Hot Humid South we wear shorts everywhere all summer, Fall, Spring and warmer winter days, so why not on a Caribbean cruise?:p

[MAMATAMA]

When I go out to dinner with my family I do not study what anyone is wearing...expensive or not... I dress for myself and enjoy the company of my family and the great food....Who cares what if some one has a gown on or shorts....just enjoy the family time and the great food.....

[bakerintn]

We have a neighbor who moved here from NJ and he mows his lawn in shorts black socks and black shoes, the Bermuda look you describe. :eek: It seems strange that NCL makes this accommodation for only Bermuda cruises but I guess it is because of the majority of NE originating passengers. Here in the Hot Humid South we wear shorts everywhere all summer, Fall, Spring and warmer winter days, so why not on a Caribbean cruise?:p

 

I think that difference is due to the Bermudian dress tradition where shorts are acceptable business dress when accompanied by long socks and collared shirts and a jacket.

[terrydtx]

I think that difference is due to the Bermudian dress tradition where shorts are acceptable business dress when accompanied by long socks and collared shirts and a jacket.

 

Thank you for the clarification. On one of our HAL Europe cruises we had a large group of passengers from Scotland and on the formal nights many of the men wore full traditional Kilts, which is considered formal wear in their home country.

[graphicguy]

Because the airlines are charging for luggage, per suitcase & weight, people will tend to pack lighter. This might result in formal wear being replaced by a more casual wardrobe.

 

Only on our first cruise did I bring a gown, and DH a dark suite. Now, I might bring dressy tops & pants, and he'll wear a dress shirt and slacks.

 

Barb...I hear you. I know on my first cruise, the (then) wife packed a gown, and I packed a tux. We had one suitcase just for those two items, and the associated garnishments that went with them. That was the only way we could pack them to assure that they didn't arrive looking like we had slept in them.

 

Then, further on, when the move to Elegant/Formal nights moved towards suits, I still had to find an acceptable suitcase for a suit so it would arrive in decent order.

 

Fast forward until now, the cruise I took last month, I brought a sport coat, but didn't wear it.

 

My upcoming cruise next month, I'm not even bringing a sport coat.

 

I will fit everything for week long cruise into a roll-aboard carry on. This will be the first time I won't have to check ANY luggage.

 

It's a vacation....a cruise, no less. THere are other venues and ocassions anyone can play dress up if they like.

 

Personally, I still don't understand the need for some to be so worried about what others wear.

[TravelDiva88]

I agree, those sandals seem to be the best choice:), but since no one has pointed it out yet, the NCL dress code, informal as it may be, does specify that "close toed shoes" for men must be worn in the aft main dining room in the evenings. I have heard anecdotes here of men turned away for wearing sandals. It does seem a little discriminatory, since women can of course show their toes. He can wear them in the midship dining room though, or any of the specialties except Le Bistro.

 

That was kind of my point. The Five Fingers fit the definition of closed-toe shoe, and are a heck of a lot uglier than the sandals.

[drockman]

May come off as rude but why would any one care how one dresses while on vacation? Everyone is there to have a good time. You do you and they do them and everyone should be happy:)

 

 

I think the question is really - what sort of atmosphere do you want at dinner? If you heard that a cruise ship had a main dining room with the ambience of the food court at the local mall - plastic chairs, crappy tables, plastic utensils, etc. that would be a negative. Even if the food is good, most of us expect, and are paying for, a classier setting. I'm not advocate of requiring jackets or ties at dinner, but at least you want your fellow passengers to dress decently. If someone is dressed in a faded t-shirt and ripped shorts, suitable for cleaning the gutters or changing the oil, they are spoiling the overall atmosphere of the main dining room. If you can't dress in decent clothing, then go to the buffet, and don't sit down for table service.

[SMerritt]

I would think the dressy sandals would be acceptable. Especially if he is wearing pants and collared shirt!

 

The question does this person wear socks???:rolleyes:

 

This was my question also? :D

 

I really do not care what anyone wears on NCL - You could wear the same outfit every day and I wouldn't notice..

 

but for the MDR, I think socks might be added to the sandals

[sverigecruiser]

It certainly isn't the extra fee for the luggage, it is who has to schelp the bags around? I am over 60 and when we take a cruise to Europe or another interesting port, we stay there a while too. A transatlantic cruise is a whole different bag as often you need to pack for a range of temperatures: the Carribean and then a cooler Europe, so that adds more clothes in the mix. An Alaskan cruise is sort of the same way. Personally, I would love the "lumberjack" look to be considered the standard dress code for dress up night in Alaska. That plaid flannel shirt would be so much easier to pack.

 

On our last cruise (HAL), there were no porters around at the check in, so once again, who had to schelp the luggage? For most of us, cruising isn't packing your trunks and letting your chauffeur and then private butler handle things...

 

I really understand if someone skip the formal wear to avoid to carry lots of luggage. That's not strange at all.

 

What I think is strange is when someone say that they don't want to bring formal clothes because they don't want to pay the fee for extra luggage.

[Warm Breezes]

I really understand if someone skip the formal wear to avoid to carry lots of luggage. That's not strange at all.

 

What I think is strange is when someone say that they don't want to bring formal clothes because they don't want to pay the fee for extra luggage.

 

I don't think that is strange. I personally do not like spending money on things I don't want or need, no matter what the cost. DH and I are both like that, which is one of the reasons our only debt is a mortgage with well less than 10 years on it, we can pay for both of our kids college educations without them taking out loans, and our funds for retirement are all set even though we have at least 10 years+ of working before we retire.

 

If I don't want to have my family dress "formal" (have enough cruise pics and don't need to impress anyone, even ourselves) and I'm sailing on a line where "formal" (suits/tuxes/gowns) is not required, then I don't want to pay for the extra suitcase needed to bring those "formal" clothes along. DH and DS are 6'5" and 6'8" respectively and wear size 15 shoes. Formal clothes for them take up a lot of space and would require an extra suitcase and that's not counting gowns for DD and myself. That is one of the reasons we prefer NCL and CCL...there is no need to bring formal clothes if we don't want to. The other positive is that DH and DS absolutely hate dressing up formally (I don't think either of them even have a jacket that would fit anymore) and now the most they have to do is a dress shirt/khakis and DD and I can still dress it up a little more with a cocktail dress if we wanted to or even a sun/maxi dress if we didn't. Everyone is happy. Being frugal about spending money on things not wanted or required is not strange in my world....it's a way of life.

[gra2172]

We dress up on the dress up or not nights, and when we want to have a date night. If Im wearing a cap, it comes off when I enter the restaurant. I would say the majority of people in the main dining rooms will at least be business casual and "restaurant ready". Theres always some knucklehead who thinks he can be a beach bum, but he looks as out of place as you would imagine.

 

Ive found on longer cruises, people figure that theyve paid a lot for this, so they will make it worth it. Its the short weekend cruises that you find a dining room full of beach bums. :p

[fiedav]

May come off as rude but why would any one care how one dresses while on vacation? Everyone is there to have a good time. You do you and they do them and everyone should be happy:)

 

 

I think the question is really - what sort of atmosphere do you want at dinner? If you heard that a cruise ship had a main dining room with the ambience of the food court at the local mall - plastic chairs, crappy tables, plastic utensils, etc. that would be a negative. Even if the food is good, most of us expect, and are paying for, a classier setting. I'm not advocate of requiring jackets or ties at dinner, but at least you want your fellow passengers to dress decently. If someone is dressed in a faded t-shirt and ripped shorts, suitable for cleaning the gutters or changing the oil, they are spoiling the overall atmosphere of the main dining room. If you can't dress in decent clothing, then go to the buffet, and don't sit down for table service.

 

Here's the difference - if there are "plastic chairs, crappy food, plastic utensils," that's a decision of the management of the eating place.

 

If you wear a "faded t-shirt and ripped shorts," that is your decision.

 

Incidentally:

 

 

 

Both OK for any cruise line dining room?

[Sheils65]

To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't notice what anyone else is wearing because I don't pay attention to that sort of thing. I am there for me and mine and to have a good time. Now if a naked man came strolling into the MDR I might notice!! ;o)

 

 

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[roger001]

When I purchase a cruise, I agree to the conditions stated in the contract, including the dress code for the ship. I will adhere to those requirements and will not see if I can get away with anything not permitted by the agreement. I purchased this cruise because of these known required cruise conditions. Part of my expectation is that all persons on the cruise will meet the stated requirements, including dress code. That dress code is so flexible in dress requirements, that there is ample opportunity for all to feel as comfortable, dressing up or down, as we wish, with a venue being provided for everyone to dine in the level of dress of your choice. If you elect to cruise though, then just adhere to the particular (NCL) set of rules and don't individually challenge them. My opinion.

[itravelalot]

Barb...I hear you. I know on my first cruise, the (then) wife packed a gown, and I packed a tux. We had one suitcase just for those two items, and the associated garnishments that went with them. That was the only way we could pack them to assure that they didn't arrive looking like we had slept in them.

 

Then, further on, when the move to Elegant/Formal nights moved towards suits, I still had to find an acceptable suitcase for a suit so it would arrive in decent order.

 

Fast forward until now, the cruise I took last month, I brought a sport coat, but didn't wear it.

 

My upcoming cruise next month, I'm not even bringing a sport coat.

 

I will fit everything for week long cruise into a roll-aboard carry on. This will be the first time I won't have to check ANY luggage.

 

It's a vacation....a cruise, no less. THere are other venues and ocassions anyone can play dress up if they like.

 

Personally, I still don't understand the need for some to be so worried about what others wear.

 

We have followed the same path.. from full gowns and tuxes, to sport coats and now it's in the air. DH may bring one sport coat because we are cruising over NYE but who knows. We always look "dressed" but to be honest my focus isn't on others clothing choices....

[cruisecritiquer]

I haven't read any posts except for the first page so I'm not responding to anyone in particular.

 

Ok...so...

 

When I'm on vacation...you know that time you take from the hustle and bustle of life to just relax...I don't want to be forced to dress up to the 9's. I think it's great to have the opportunity if you want to do that but I'm thankful for a casual cruise atmosphere. I'm sure there are still some cruise lines out there that focus on elegance and wardrobe but why does every cruise line have to be that way. I am thankful for options.

 

I always bring a cocktail dress and evening gown in the event I feel like dressing up but if I've just spent all day in the heat climbing slippery rocks, parasailing, or swimming with the sting rays...plans tend to change. Suddenly, a shower, comfortable clothing and some sandals are the perfect attire to help me relax. I don't mind giving up a meal at the MDR for a little comfort and relaxation.

 

I'm not knocking anyone who enjoys dressing up but I really don't understand the pretentious and self-important views where everyone should be forced to where certain apparel on a vacation that they paid for. :p And no, I'm not saying that everyone who dresses up is pretentious or self-important. I'm saying that the people who try to force their plans on other paying passengers have some sort of social stratification issues.