Formal nights on NCL - help me understand

[jkgourmet]

We have a 21 days cruise booked on NCL beginning on Jan 8th. One of the reasons we booked this cruise was because we did not HAVE to bring formal wear.

 

That said, we might want to dress up one or two nights. And we have other formal night questions as they relate to NCL:

 

1. What does formal wear mean for men? Jacket AND tie? A suit? (women have it easier in this aspect, IMHO, as we can dress up a little black dress so easily.)

 

2. It is my understanding that (on the Jade) there are two MDR's. On formal nights, one is formal, while the other is not formal. Is the meal and the food the same?

 

3. What is appropriate dress in the MDR and fancier dinner areas on normal nights?

[nascargalinfla]

Great thing about NCL is freestyle, free to dress formal or not. You will see some dress up nightly, and some jeans nightly. That being said, on every NCL cruise I have been on, one dining room was for those not dressed up, and the other was for those that were and the menu was the same.

 

Straight from NCL.com

 

 

What Should I Pack?

When it comes to what to wear, you can go resort casual or get decked-out and look your best - it’s your call. That’s the freedom of Freestyle Cruising. We even have special “Dress-Up or Not Night.” It’s the perfect opportunity to get your portrait taken with your family, that special someone or even with the ship’s Captain.

Dress cruise casual anytime during the day, in the buffet and in most specialty restaurants. For women, it includes summer and casual dresses, skirts, regular or capri pants, shorts, jeans and tops. Khakis, jeans, shorts and casual shirts are fine for men. Swimwear is acceptable at the buffet and outdoor restaurant, but a shirt or a cover-up and footwear are required. Cruise casual is also allowed day and night on embarkation day.

Wear smart casual if you are eating dinner in the aft main dining room (our more formal dining room) and in Le Bistro on cruises longer than five days. For women, it includes slacks or jeans, dresses, skirts and tops. For men, it’s jeans or slacks with a collared shirt and closed-toed shoes. Traditional Bermuda shorts along with long socks, loafers and a blazer are all acceptable on a Bermuda cruise.

We want you to be comfortable, but tank tops for men, flip flops, baseball caps, visors and jeans that are overly faded, with holes or tears and worn below the hips are not permitted in main dining rooms or specialty restaurants. Kids 12 and under are welcome to wear nice shorts in all our restaurants. You may want to pack a sweater too—air conditioning can be chilly.

Since your suitcases are collected the night before we return home, don’t forget an overnight bag for prescriptions and need-to-have items.

[DCP]

We've been on the Spirit, Pearl, and Dawn, and I have not one time *dressed up*. (I don't enjoy it!) That being said, we have seen couples in gowns and suits too. The larger of the two dining rooms are the ones that those who like to dress up typically gravitate towards. I love NCL and the freestyle cruising! Dress up or not!

[Demonyte]

We have a 21 days cruise booked on NCL beginning on Jan 8th. One of the reasons we booked this cruise was because we did not HAVE to bring formal wear.

 

That said, we might want to dress up one or two nights. And we have other formal night questions as they relate to NCL:

 

1. What does formal wear mean for men? Jacket AND tie? A suit? (women have it easier in this aspect, IMHO, as we can dress up a little black dress so easily.)

 

2. It is my understanding that (on the Jade) there are two MDR's. On formal nights, one is formal, while the other is not formal. Is the meal and the food the same?

 

3. What is appropriate dress in the MDR and fancier dinner areas on normal nights?

 

Just to clarify what others have told so far:

 

1. A collared shirt and nice jeans or chinos for men work just fine even in dressier restaurants - every night. If one wants to dress up more on any given night, sky is the limit.

 

2. The restaurant dress codes are exactly the same every night, there are no formal nights as far as restaurant dress codes are concerned. Aft MDR (Tsar's palace on Jade IIRC) is the one that has a bit more strict dress code, as has Le Bistro from speciality restaurants. All other restaurans (included or speciality) have more relaxed dress code.

 

On our cruise on Jade this July they said outright that they didn't enforce the strict dress code in aft MDR because there were apparently so many ignorant passengers (in my experience there were a lot of rude passengers from Southern European countries) onboard that wouldn't honour the dress code anyway so the staff didn't even try.

 

3. As said, only restaurants requiring a bit more formal (but still quite relaxed) dress code are the MDR in the aft and Le Bistro and this applies every night.

Edited December 28, 2013 by Demonyte

[jkgourmet]

Thank you, Demonyte. Your comments in #1 answered my questions perfectly.

[hamrag]

Even on the "dress up or not nights" there are a very small number (probably only 1-2%) who dress in formal wear. Many dress very well, but few men with suits and ties. As always, the ladies are generally a "notch above" their partners in terms of dress!

 

The secret is to be yourself, that is what freestyle is about.

Edited December 28, 2013 by hamrag

[Froggitt]

Unlike some other cruise lines, no-one will bat an eye if youre in jeans or in a tux on formal night.

[sanger727]

The feeling I got on the Norweigan cruise I just came back from is that you can dress however you like any night of the cruise. Without looking at the dailies, I couldn't tell you which night was "dress up or not" on ours. Every night (except the first one) I saw probably 20% of the people walking around dressed up (I consider any dress on a woman and anything similar to a suit on a man 'formal') and photographers out taking pictures.

[Turtles06]

Without looking at the dailies, I couldn't tell you which night was "dress up or not" on ours.

 

Same here, except that perhaps folks were a bit more dressed for dinner during our winter cruise in the Med aboard the Jade. NCL simply does not have "formal" nights, and for those nights called "Dress Up or Not," they truly do mean that it's up to you.

[fabnfortysomething]

what you will find is that on "dress up or not nights" that is when the ships photographers have set up photo sets where you have the ideal opportunity for couples/family portraits done

 

I have seen people in tux/evening gowns for that but whether you wear those outfits for the dining rooms is up to you

[mypleasure]

I think the reason people get confused about freestyle is because they think that on a cruise they will be told what to do, when to do it, where to do it and what to wear while doing it.

 

Formal wear is therefore, defined as what you want it to be within the very broad guidelines for the venue you choose to dine at. For example no shorts in the nicer dining room and Le Bistro but Jeans are fine.

 

There is no formal night as such so you can stop worrying about that. Do not expect to see only people dressed to the nines in any dining room on any night. If you want to have a formal night you are free to have as many as you like. Be aware that nobody else has to conform unless they wish to. There may be slight differences in the menu between to 2 dining rooms but not much.

 

 

These items are not appropriate any night: tank tops for men, flip flops, baseball caps, visors and jeans that are overly faded, with holes or tears and worn below the hips are not permitted in main dining rooms or specialty restaurants. Other than that anything and everything is appropriate on ANY night.