So confused about the dress code, help!

[kjbacon]

We are on a 7 day Alaska cruise in a week (yay!) and I'm confused about the different nights. First, we are new to Holand America and second, we understand their dress code has just changed. We plan to eat in the MDR or Pinnacle Grill every night. What is the best choice for Gala, Smart Casual, and informal nights?

[Fouremco]

You should have received a document from HAL titled "Know Before You Go". it provides the current dress requirements for Gala and other nights. The document is also available here:

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/assets/cruise-vacation-onboard/KBYG.pdf

[SilvertoGold]

Two "nights" only:

 

1. Gala is just a version of the old Formal Night but generally not as formal (up to you to decide) and 2. all the rest are Smart Casual.

 

Alaska is even more casual than other itineraries (ie very few tuxes).

 

Many pax dress up a bit for the Pinnacle.

 

Have a great cruise!!!

Edited August 14, 2016 by SilvertoGold

[SweetP2]

We are on a 7 day Alaska cruise in a week (yay!) and I'm confused about the different nights. First, we are new to Holand America and second, we understand their dress code has just changed. We plan to eat in the MDR or Pinnacle Grill every night. What is the best choice for Gala, Smart Casual, and informal nights?

 

You cannot go wrong with Smart Casual...on HAL is what you are comfortable...just not jeans or shorts for dining in both venues.

 

There will be peeps in gala wear who are perfectly comfy and happy, and there will be the smart casual diners perfectly comfy and happy too! Master dining room is great, and the Pinnacle is more up scale...again, Smart Casual will work for both. You will still receive same service, same food wearing gala or smart casual. :D

 

Enjoy the fabulous service on HAL!

/sweet

[Boytjie]

You cannot go wrong with Smart Casual...on HAL is what you are comfortable...just not jeans or shorts for dining in both venues.

 

Jeans are OK in the dining room for dinner on Smart Casual nights; I don't know what the situation is with Gala Nights regarding jeans.

[OlsSalt]

You should have received a document from HAL titled "Know Before You Go". it provides the current dress requirements for Gala and other nights. The document is also available here:

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/assets/cruise-vacation-onboard/KBYG.pdf

 

HAL should include their policies about verandah door and toilet disposal restrictions under a section called "cabin comfort". Plus remind people they are now entering a shared environment, where even their inadvertent actions can impact others, even though a cabin feels like a private cocoon of comfort.

[Krazy Kruizers]

On our 21 day spring cruise, very, very few men dressed up on Gala nights. Most wore slacks and a collared shirt. Ladies wore dresses or slacks and tops.

HAL is no longer as formal as they used to be.

[taxmantoo]

HAL is no longer as formal as they used to be.

 

In fact, HAL still is ... their dining room stewards look better and more formal in the new uniforms than they did in the past.

It is the passengers that are not as formal as they used to be ;)

[OlsSalt]

I always sensed the waiters appreciated it when people continued to dress up on Formal or even Gala night - they try to make the dining room special and it is a way of saying thanks for the extra effort. But since I am fan of dressing up so ...perhaps ...I am reading more into this. They just seemed to add a little more fuss to makes sure the evening is memorable.

[Barrheadlass]

I returned last week from doing the Boston to Rotterdam leg of the Voyage of the Vikings. I did not see a single man during gala nights who was not wearing at least a sport coat. I was truly amazed. Very very few jeans on regular evenings. Most women were dressed up at least a little...I wore a dress each gala night.

[SilvertoGold]

I returned last week from doing the Boston to Rotterdam leg of the Voyage of the Vikings. I did not see a single man during gala nights who was not wearing at least a sport coat. I was truly amazed. Very very few jeans on regular evenings. Most women were dressed up at least a little...I wore a dress each gala night.

 

This is good to hear!!!

The VOV is a premium cruise and a little longer than most; what you describe is what we have experienced on this type of HAL cruise.

[Boytjie]

HAL should include their policies about verandah door and toilet disposal restrictions under a section called "cabin comfort". Plus remind people they are now entering a shared environment, where even their inadvertent actions can impact others, even though a cabin feels like a private cocoon of comfort.

 

And this relates to dress code... how? ;)

[OlsSalt]

And this relates to dress code... how? ;)

 

Sorry, that was quite a leap, wasn't it. I read the link for the info for passengers that included the "what to wear" section -- but also saw this important info about "cabin comfort" was missing in this passenger info sheet - I was in my own thoughts here. (And my own campaign for HAL to be more aggressive about getting this info out to arriving passengers about plumbing and A/C systems)

Edited August 15, 2016 by OlsSalt

[CanuckinSMA]

Since we'll be going the end of August (next year!)...it's still summer...but on an Alaskan cruise, is it advised to dress more warmly on the ship? I guess you'll be warm enough in the dining rooms and bars, but if you want to step outside, should you always have a heavy sweater with you? Would you be warm enough in capris, short sleeve blouse and sandals?? I see a lot of info on what to wear off ship for excursions (layers, boots, hats, gloves etc.) but wondering about in general if you were to say, spend a day on board the ship?

[jtl513]

...but on an Alaskan cruise, is it advised to dress more warmly on the ship? I guess you'll be warm enough in the dining rooms and bars, but if you want to step outside, should you always have a heavy sweater with you? Would you be warm enough in capris, short sleeve blouse and sandals?? I see a lot of info on what to wear off ship for excursions (layers, boots, hats, gloves etc.) but wondering about in general if you were to say, spend a day on board the ship?

It depends on your preferred temperature. :) At home we keep our AC set at 78 or 79 all summer, and find the insides of HAL ships often too cold for our liking, particularly the MDR for early seating. We add a sweater/jacket/wrap to eat and often step out to the promenade afterward to get warmed up ... even in AK! :) We grew up in New England and when we first moved to FL 36 years ago we laughed at people who called 60 degrees cold. Now we are them. ;)

.

Edited August 15, 2016 by jtl513

[Hlitner]

The Gala night dress issue does seem to vary depending on the cruise. We suspect that the longer the cruise...the more dressy are the passengers. Perhaps this is because the long itineraries attract a higher percentage of older cruisers...many of use set in our formal ways :). But the bottom line is that there is room in the MDR for everyone...as long as they meet the minimal smart-casual standard. We were pleased to note, that on our recent 24 day Zuiderdam cruise...the cruise staff did enforce the smart-casual standards (we saw a few men in T shirts offered jackets....and one man was refused entrance until he removed his baseball cap).

 

On our Grand Med Cruise (March 11) we would estimate that 80% of the men wore jackets on Gala Nights. And further, a majority of those men were in either tuxes or dark suits. DW and I (both of whom still wear formal wear) were surprised that so many passengers opted to continue with formal wear.

[Alberta Quilter]

Since we'll be going the end of August (next year!)...it's still summer...but on an Alaskan cruise, is it advised to dress more warmly on the ship? I guess you'll be warm enough in the dining rooms and bars, but if you want to step outside, should you always have a heavy sweater with you? Would you be warm enough in capris, short sleeve blouse and sandals?? I see a lot of info on what to wear off ship for excursions (layers, boots, hats, gloves etc.) but wondering about in general if you were to say, spend a day on board the ship?

 

That will depend on a number of factors like the weather outside, and your own preferences. For example, I am almost always hot. I could easily step outside in Alaska in capris and sandals. But many people cannot. Your best bet is to dress in layers and add/remove as necessary. I've been in Alaska when it was +20C and quite lovely. A friend got sunburned in Glacier Bay in May.

[Boytjie]

Sorry, that was quite a leap, wasn't it. I read the link for the info for passengers that included the "what to wear" section -- but also saw this important info about "cabin comfort" was missing in this passenger info sheet - I was in my own thoughts here. (And my own campaign for HAL to be more aggressive about getting this info out to arriving passengers about plumbing and A/C systems)

 

That's funny! :)

 

As for plumbing: I have heard them mention what not to flush down the toilets at the muster drill and without fail someone doesn't listens and screws the plumbing up.

[OlsSalt]

Since we'll be going the end of August (next year!)...it's still summer...but on an Alaskan cruise, is it advised to dress more warmly on the ship? I guess you'll be warm enough in the dining rooms and bars, but if you want to step outside, should you always have a heavy sweater with you? Would you be warm enough in capris, short sleeve blouse and sandals?? I see a lot of info on what to wear off ship for excursions (layers, boots, hats, gloves etc.) but wondering about in general if you were to say, spend a day on board the ship?

 

We were seated near a window and a "back door" in the far corner the Zuiderdam upper dining room on our mid-summer Alaska cruise. It was a bit cold and drafty back there so I did need a wrap indoors, but the views were worth the drawbacks of this dining room location.

[seapointer]

On a 10 day Caribbean cruise, how many "dress up" evenings are scheduled?

[azcruise]

On our Grand Med Cruise (March 11) we would estimate that 80% of the men wore jackets on Gala Nights. And further, a majority of those men were in either tuxes or dark suits. DW and I (both of whom still wear formal wear) were surprised that so many passengers opted to continue with formal wear.

 

We leave next week for 24 days on Eurodam out of Venice. We are taking formal kit - thank goodness for lifetime elite status on the airline=free baggage!!

[VennDiagram]

Since we'll be going the end of August (next year!)...it's still summer...but on an Alaskan cruise, is it advised to dress more warmly on the ship? I guess you'll be warm enough in the dining rooms and bars, but if you want to step outside, should you always have a heavy sweater with you? Would you be warm enough in capris, short sleeve blouse and sandals?? I see a lot of info on what to wear off ship for excursions (layers, boots, hats, gloves etc.) but wondering about in general if you were to say, spend a day on board the ship?

 

It really is going to depend on what the weather is and how cold or warm you are by nature whether or not you will be warm enough. You cannot rely on someone else's experience IMO, you will need to try it for yourself.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

I would say that the sweet spot for Gala night is coat and tie for men. You still see men in Tuxedos and some without a tie. Very few, without a jacket, but not unheard of.

 

If you want to wear what most everyone else wearing - go coat and tie. If you prefer to dress up or down, wear a tux or lose the tie. Either way, you will have a great time and 95% of other passengers won't care either way.

 

For women, any kind of a dressy top, with either a skirt or pantsuit or cocktail dress. Very few gowns, but not unheard of either.

 

I always wear a tux and feel very comfortable fitting in.

 

I will be on the QM2 in a few weeks to check out some "old school" formal nights!

[VennDiagram]

Thanks for that summary Inside-Cabin! DH will appreciate it :)

[SilvertoGold]

We were seated near a window and a "back door" in the far corner the Zuiderdam upper dining room on our mid-summer Alaska cruise. It was a bit cold and drafty back there so I did need a wrap indoors, but the views were worth the drawbacks of this dining room location.

 

Happened to me on a 24 day cruise. I nearly froze with the draft from the fire escape door on my back. Luckily I had a couple of big scarves and now take an assortment of light wraps/large scarves, just in case.

 

Always a good thing to take a wrap of some sort, as you never know if it will be warm+ or cool+ in the DR.