Review of Formal Nights

[ger_77]

I would not like to see the demise of Formal / Gala night on HAL ships. DH and I love to dress up on such evenings, and I don't care if the dining room is serving the same thing as they did last night, it feels different when waiters are attired in tuxedos, and I can look across at my DH of 38 years and see him as my James Bond. Whether or not the airlines are lowering limits on carry-on luggage makes no difference to us; we will continue to dress in our finery on special evenings.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[summer slope]

Need a like button!!!

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

It's been my opinion for a while that the mass market lines are keeping formal nights alive solely for the income opportunities from the photography department. I also wonder at what point, as the cruising demographic changes and some of us age out of cruising, the tidal wave of "selfies" will do in cruise photographers.

 

I agree with this comment and I have noticed less and less people getting photos taken on formal/gala night. Most of the photographers are standing around looking bored.

[take us away]

Excellent observation about the ship photographers & formal night picture taking;) . You have hit that nail square on its head;) .

 

Interesting comment - on the last WC there were something like >14 formal nights and the photographers could 'work the dining room' in less than 30 minutes as so few people were even interested in having their picture taken. We sat close to the doors and one photographer was stunning and hard to miss so we definitely noticed!

[cruz chic]

We abide by the rules and dress accordingly.

 

Hal are not abiding by the rules though. It is supposed to be a GALA night. The food is not Gala. It is the worst night for food in the MDR. IMHO.

 

Is that ever true about the food. Agree, it's the weakest menu on a cruise now.

[galensgrl]

Hi everyone. My DH and I took our first HAL cruise this past May. We loved it so much we have booked the 9 day leg of the Atlantic Coast cruise out of Boston next April, we can hardly wait.

 

On our last cruise, DH brought a new suit and I brought a couple of "fancy" dresses for formal night, we even ordered corsages and boutonierres, we wanted to get all gussied up! It was good, but when we went to the Main Dining room, we saw females in sundresses and flip flops, one young lady was even wearing the cheap rubber flip flops you get at the dollar store. Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed dressing up and we did see many who dressed for the occasion, but there were also people dressed for lunch by the pool lol. I would say from what I saw, that formal night has become no big deal for many people. We still had an awesome dinner and evening, but I was a little disappointed to see many don't bother making an effort. To each his own, and dinner still tasted good lol

In April we will still bring our "dress up" clothes, we thought the dining room looked amazing and it was a good meal on each formal night. Also we have the luxury of driving to Boston to embark and driving home from Montreal, so far no airline luggage fees to deal with. Can't wait to get back on the Veendam and do it again.

 

Lorie

Edited August 4, 2015 by galensgrl

[POA1]

I an eat at Per SE next to a guy in a toga and not have it interfere with my dining experience.

 

Banquet food isn't lending to refined ambiance. Feel free to dress to the nines, I'm sure you look great. Or dress in a polo shot and jeans, I'm sure you'll also look great.

 

I can't care less either way.

 

Unless you've booked the entire restaurant, you and your toga wearing neighbor aren't likely to be dining at Per Se. They're pretty strict on their dress code. It's not really even open to interpretation. :)

[sppunk]

I can, however, care less about those who flaunt the rules and conventions. But I don't.

 

HAL's rules now eliminate a jacket or tie being necessary. So no rule breaking is required.

 

I will add we have, for every trip, participated in formal night because it isn't much to throw a jacket in a bag. It's just silly IMO.

 

But I'm of the younger generation where we don't place any emphasis on dress equaling class or dignity. YMMV.

[AncientWanderer]

HAL's rules now eliminate a jacket or tie being necessary. So no rule breaking is required.

 

I will add we have, for every trip, participated in formal night because it isn't much to throw a jacket in a bag. It's just silly IMO.

 

But I'm of the younger generation where we don't place any emphasis on dress equaling class or dignity. YMMV.

 

Come again? I'm confused. Doesn't the new guideline from HAL say that jacket and tie are appropriate for gentlemen on Gala Nights? Am I missing something here?

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Unless you've booked the entire restaurant, you and your toga wearing neighbor aren't likely to be dining at Per Se. They're pretty strict on their dress code. It's not really even open to interpretation. :)

 

From the Per Se Website

 

"Kindly note that jackets are required for both lunch and dinner service. While ties are optional we ask that gentleman wear long pants."

 

And if you thought the $18 corkage fee was steep! Try $150

 

"Guests are welcome to bring wines that are not represented on our wine list; we allow up to three bottles at the table for a fee of $150 per each 750ml bottle."

[serendipity1499]

I would not like to see the demise of Formal / Gala night on HAL ships. DH and I love to dress up on such evenings, and I don't care if the dining room is serving the same thing as they did last night, it feels different when waiters are attired in tuxedos, and I can look across at my DH of 38 years and see him as my James Bond. Whether or not the airlines are lowering limits on carry-on luggage makes no difference to us; we will continue to dress in our finery on special evenings.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

'

 

You took the words right out of my mouth!:D We enjoy Formal AKA Gala nights.. It's the only time we get to really dress up in our fanciest duds!

 

Don't understand the big deal about the airlines lowering limits.. After all we spend thousands of dollars on a cruise, so it's no big deal to spend $25, $50 or even $100 more on an extra bag.. When we have to fly to a port, we're very happy to pay for an extra bag, in order to take our formal clothes.. And like you we can always find something on the menu to appeal to us.. After all I'm thrilled that I don't have to shop for groceries & don't have to cook or clean dishes & pots/pans for the duration of the cruise.:D

 

Come again? I'm confused. Doesn't the new guideline from HAL say that jacket and tie are appropriate for gentlemen on Gala Nights? Am I missing something here?

 

You're not missing anything.. HAL's guidelines state exactly that!

Some people just want to put forth their own ideas & are deliberately misconstruing HAL's guidelines!

:rolleyes:

Edited August 4, 2015 by serendipity1499

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Going on a cruise is a contract between you and the cruise line.....you agree to give them money and comply with a myriad of rules. They agree to provide you the advertised cruise experience - which includes enforcing their rules across the board - including Gala Night.

 

My beef is not with the passengers who choose to disregard the rules of their choosing, but with HAL who doesn't enforce the rules and hold up their end of the contract.

 

Being part of a larger group that chooses to share the same experience - e.g Gala Night - is very enjoyable. This is why fans wear team apparel at games, sharing the experience, sharing the values of the group. When people think your experience is "silly" it is not helping and I would rather not go somewhere where people not only don't enjoy the experience but belittle the experience.

 

When people choose not to participate - it is distracting, decreases the value of the Gala night experience and makes the vacation less enjoyable than it could have been because the cruise line didn't deliver on one of their commitments.

 

This is what separates a cruise line like HAL, from a cruise line like NCL. When I was on NCL in Hawaii, the Pride of America, it was nothing more than a floating hotel with different restaurants. There was little camaraderie amongst the passengers BUT that was what I expected and that is what I wanted and that is what NCL delivered.

 

HAL advertises a different experience and they should deliver that experience by making simple dress codes and enforcing them.

Edited August 4, 2015 by Pete and Judy

[Beejay4016]

I disagree. Some of us enjoy the formal experience. It is one of the few opportunities to wear formal dress. .

 

Totally agree. We are in our 50s and love the formal nights, and it is quite apparent that plenty of people in their 20s and 30s feel the same way. Why is dressing up such an issue for some people? It makes you feel good before you even step outside your stateroom. If you don't like it, don't go to the MDR. It really is that simple.

[possumtop]

I will never - ever - understand why others give a flying flip what someone else wears.

 

At our church there is everything from three-piece suits to board shorts and flipflops. My rule is if God doesn't care, I can't either.

 

Isn't it ironic that this post asks for opinions, and then you get slammed by all the super "classy" people who are so concerned with "keeping it classy".

 

I personally think this bullying attitude is why more people don't participate in discussions.

I agree with you, btw, we were interested in attending formal night on our upcoming trip, but after reading so many Gala night dress code topics, I think we will pass.

[CaveDiving]

I am sorry to see the slow fading away of the cruise formal dining experience on HAL. For us, genteel dining has always been a part of the cruising experience. We enjoy dressing up, along with jewelry, for the entire evening. This often has included a nice show after the evening meal.

 

It has gotten to the point now that I have started to feel embarrassed about wearing a tux. On the grand Med cruise this year on the Prinsendam, which is often referred to as one of the more formal HAL cruises, on one “Gala” night I saw only one other tux in the entire MDR while on another “Gala” night I saw no other tuxes.

 

In the past, I have traveled with both a white and a dark tuxedo jacket as well as several sport jackets. I’m afraid this will probably not happen on the World Cruise next year.

 

It has gotten to the point that the only time we feel comfortable dressing up is for the President’s Club dinners with the ship’s senior officers and HAL upper management. Here, at least, the truly formal dining experience is alive and well.

 

This disappearance of formal dining is really sad in our opinion. We see the experience fading away into the mist. Just something to relate to our grandchildren.

 

Scott & Karen

[The-Inside-Cabin]

When I first moved to Oklahoma, I went to a party which called for "Cowboy Cocktail".

 

Not sure what cowboy cocktail was, I went to the nearest Cowboy clothing store and they set me up.....

 

I wear what is appropriate for where I am visiting, not where I am from.

 

Are kids wearing tuxes to proms anymore? Or are those "wear anything" affairs nowadays? Youngsters who rode horses in the day near Claremore, Oklahoma still seemed to enjoy dressing up a few years back when I lived there.

Edited August 4, 2015 by Pete and Judy

[sppunk]

Come again? I'm confused. Doesn't the new guideline from HAL say that jacket and tie are appropriate for gentlemen on Gala Nights? Am I missing something here?

 

From the express docs, it now says:

 

For gentlemen, jacket and tie are appropriate

 

Appropriate /= mandatory.

 

Many posts the past few months have indicated they are no longer stopping non-jacket wearing men from attending dinner. Shorts in the MDR are being allowed, the horror. A rule is only a rule of enforced strictly and routinely.

 

I'll once again say I dress formally. I simply don't care what anyone else does.

Edited August 4, 2015 by sppunk

[POA1]

From the Per Se Website

 

"Kindly note that jackets are required for both lunch and dinner service. While ties are optional we ask that gentleman wear long pants."

 

And if you thought the $18 corkage fee was steep! Try $150

 

"Guests are welcome to bring wines that are not represented on our wine list; we allow up to three bottles at the table for a fee of $150 per each 750ml bottle."

 

The jacket requirement isn't unusual for Manhattan. Dinner at Per Se, with wine, will set you back around $500 per person.

Edited August 4, 2015 by POA1

[sppunk]

The jacket requirement isn't unusual for Manhattan. Dinner at Per Se, with wine, will set you back around $500 per person.

 

It's the best meal I've ever devoured (in 2007, I hea it's kinda worn out now). Worth every penny.

[POA1]

It's the best meal I've ever devoured (in 2007, I hea it's kinda worn out now). Worth every penny.

Rest assured, it's not worn out. It's still one of the hardest reservations to get in the city.

 

You're killin' me here. ;) If it's the 13 games separating NYY and BOS, just remember that we lived in Maine for a long time. (Brady was robbed!)

Edited August 4, 2015 by POA1

[Stratheden]

'

 

You took the words right out of my mouth!:D We enjoy Formal AKA Gala nights.. It's the only time we get to really dress up in our fanciest duds!

 

Don't understand the big deal about the airlines lowering limits.. After all we spend thousands of dollars on a cruise, so it's no big deal to spend $25, $50 or even $100 more on an extra bag.. When we have to fly to a port, we're very happy to pay for an extra bag, in order to take our formal clothes.. And like you we can always find something on the menu to appeal to us.. After all I'm thrilled that I don't have to shop for groceries & don't have to cook or clean dishes & pots/pans for the duration of the cruise.:D

 

 

If we just cruised it would not be a problem as far as baggage is concerned.

 

Earlier this year we were away from Australia for 8 weeks. 22 days cruising on the Zuiderdam, 3 weeks in Italy and 2 weeks in Turkey. We were only allowed 20Kg of luggage on 3 internal flights in Turkey. We really had to decide what clothing/occasion was important to us. Do we take a warm puffer jacket to go ballooning at 5.00am in Turkey or are we going to take a suit jacket to eat dinner.

 

This is the way we always travel - our flights are so long to get anywhere that we combine lots of tours/cruises into one trip.

 

We always try to be as well dressed as possible.

[JPH814]

Isn't it ironic that this post asks for opinions, and then you get slammed by all the super "classy" people who are so concerned with "keeping it classy".

 

 

 

I personally think this bullying attitude is why more people don't participate in discussions.

 

I agree with you, btw, we were interested in attending formal night on our upcoming trip, but after reading so many Gala night dress code topics, I think we will pass.

 

 

It sounds like you only want opinions that agree with yours. Contrary opinions are considered slams and bullying. Too many say they ask for opinions on this topic and what they really want is some kind of permission not to follow they rules they know exist.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Going on a cruise is a contract between you and the cruise line.....you agree to give them money and comply with a myriad of rules. They agree to provide you the advertised cruise experience - which includes enforcing their rules across the board - including Gala Night.

 

My beef is not with the passengers who choose to disregard the rules of their choosing, but with HAL who doesn't enforce the rules and hold up their end of the contract.

 

Being part of a larger group that chooses to share the same experience - e.g Gala Night - is very enjoyable. This is why fans wear team apparel at games, sharing the experience, sharing the values of the group. When people think your experience is "silly" it is not helping and I would rather not go somewhere where people not only don't enjoy the experience but belittle the experience.

 

When people choose not to participate - it is distracting, decreases the value of the Gala night experience and makes the vacation less enjoyable than it could have been because the cruise line didn't deliver on one of their commitments.

 

This is what separates a cruise line like HAL, from a cruise line like NCL. When I was on NCL in Hawaii, the Pride of America, it was nothing more than a floating hotel with different restaurants. There was little camaraderie amongst the passengers BUT that was what I expected and that is what I wanted and that is what NCL delivered.

 

HAL advertises a different experience and they should deliver that experience by making simple dress codes and enforcing them.

 

This entire post is excellent, but the bolded paragraph is the one I want to comment on. For those who like formal nights, it feels as if HAL is selling one thing and delivering something else. They need to figure out what/who they are and stick to it. I'd like to have formal nights where everyone complies, but if HAL doesn't want to do that, I would still sail with them, just pack differently.

[jimmy2x]

It sounds like you only want opinions that agree with yours. Contrary opinions are considered slams and bullying. Too many say they ask for opinions on this topic and what they really want is some kind of permission not to follow they rules they know exist.

 

One of the top ten posts I've read hear.:) FWIW, and more directed at new cruisers, the vast majority of folks that you will actually see in the MDR are dressed nicely, if not "formally". The few outliers stand out like a sore thumb.

[serendipity1499]

Totally agree. We are in our 50s and love the formal nights, and it is quite apparent that plenty of people in their 20s and 30s feel the same way. Why is dressing up such an issue for some people? It makes you feel good before you even step outside your stateroom. If you don't like it, don't go to the MDR. It really is that simple.

 

Thankyou!

 

If we just cruised it would not be a problem as far as baggage is concerned.

 

Earlier this year we were away from Australia for 8 weeks. 22 days cruising on the Zuiderdam, 3 weeks in Italy and 2 weeks in Turkey. We were only allowed 20Kg of luggage on 3 internal flights in Turkey. We really had to decide what clothing/occasion was important to us. Do we take a warm puffer jacket to go ballooning at 5.00am in Turkey or are we going to take a suit jacket to eat dinner.

 

This is the way we always travel - our flights are so long to get anywhere that we combine lots of tours/cruises into one trip.

 

We always try to be as well dressed as possible.

 

I understand that there will be exceptions, but there are some who travel just for the cruise & make statements about not taking formal outfits due to airline restrictions.. :( That's hogwash! Just because you take the longer vacations, is not a reason for HAL to cancel Gala/Formal nights.. There are many who still enjoy dressing up & can do it without a problem..

 

When we flew, my DH always took at least one jacket or suit with a tie & wore it on the plane... I was required to be dressed in a suit or dress with hose, when we were Non Revenue on our carrier as well as all other carriers around the world.. It was only much later in my career, that I was even permitted to wear a pantsuit.. To this day, we must be appropriately dressed if we want to fly Non-Rev, especially in First or Business class.. Our Son was so proud at the age of 13 when he was dressed in a suit & was able to fly first class..

 

We've also met many Europeans, Asians & Australians as well as young people from all over the world, who have been able to take the appropriate clothes without a problem.. See the post I quoted above from Beejay who is from your area..:)