Too Casual?

[HockeyBoysMom]

I am in the process of booking a cruise to Alaska on the Star as a surprise for my husband for our tenth anniversary. I have chosen NCL because of the freestyle crusing style. My husband is very casual, and would not like the formality of two formal dining nights, etc. He doesn't even own attire that some of the other lines require. What I am wondering is how casual is acceptable at dinner. My husband would most likely wear nice dark blue or black jeans and a polo shirt. Can he get away with that, or are slacks necessary for dinner? Any advice would be appreciated. I have already gotten a lot of great information from these boards in only the few days I have been working on this project. Thanks.

[shoreguy]

Throw a couple of pair of Dockers in the suitcase for dinner or plan on eating in the Garden Cafe. Jeans are fine any other time and place

[electricron]

Yes, slacks are required for eating at any of the main and speciality restaurants after 5:30 p.m. Or he could choose to wear his jeans or shorts and eat at the buffet/cafeteria.

 

His polo shirts are okay everywhere.

 

Note: On an Alaskan cruise, which is only 7 days, there is only one "optional formal night" aboard the Star.

[joediver]

Jeans are acceptable for all restaurants on ships departing from Houston.

[Zeno]

No Jeans in the dining rooms at night but dockers style casual pants are perfectly OK (even on optional formal night)

[tinkerbelldee]

We sailed on the Sun in April and we did see someone turned away at one of the main dining rooms for wearing jeans.

It seems like it varies by ship, but I would not risk it.

[shoreguy]

Jeans are acceptable for all restaurants on ships departing from Houston.

 

Hard to go to Alaska from Houston:D

[mbisson]

Hard to go to Alaska from Houston:D

 

I saw that post and have checked several sites. I just can't find the price. However since it goes through the canal (expensive) and too Alaska (expensive) this cruise is probably double what I can afford. ;)

 

-Monte

[sheldon66]

I was on the Sun a few weeks ago and did not participate in the Formal night. The rule is no shorts, t-shirt or jeans after 5pm in any of the dining areas. I wore dockers and a polo shirt every night and felt very comfortable in the atmosphere of the other cruisers.:)

[mjohnson]

On formal night, how formal is formal? We are trying to aviod packing suits and jackets. Can you still eat in the dining room in dockers and a shirt? Should my husband wear a tie? :)

[Retired not Expired]

On formal night, how formal is formal? We are trying to aviod packing suits and jackets. Can you still eat in the dining room in dockers and a shirt? Should my husband wear a tie? :)

 

No tie necessary. Formal is optional and you will see less than 50 % dress formal. Dockers and shirt are just fine.

 

Or, if you would like to do formal, do so to the hilt, or anything in between. Either way, you won't be out of place on NCL.

[dyslexic pirate]

They really won't let you in wearing jeans after 5:30. We checked. We weren't planning on eating in the dining room but thought we'd test the rule. They do stick by it.

 

IMHO formal night on NCL is exactly the same as on RCI and Princess. For some reason people keep getting hung up on the term "Freestyle" like everyone's running around half naked in torn up tank tops and ratty shorts on NCL. All "Freestyle" really means is that you don't have a designated seating time for dinner and you aren't assigned to a certain table. The style of dress etc. is the same as on other ships for the most part.

 

I have tons of formal clothes but usually choose not to get dressed up as I hate being preoccupied during an $$ excursion about getting back to the ship to clean up just to go eat some food.

[mbisson]

IMHO formal night on NCL is exactly the same as on RCI and Princess. For some reason people keep getting hung up on the term "Freestyle" like everyone's running around half naked in torn up tank tops and ratty shorts on NCL. All "Freestyle" really means is that you don't have a designated seating time for dinner and you aren't assigned to a certain table. The style of dress etc. is the same as on other ships for the most part.

 

I have tons of formal clothes but usually choose not to get dressed up as I hate being preoccupied during an $$ excursion about getting back to the ship to clean up just to go eat some food.

 

My opinion is seldom "humble" ;) but on everything else I agree.

 

I also get confused with things such as "this ship was designed for freestyle". As far as I can tell, that just means it has more dining rooms. Now I expect to be assaulted by the purists. ;)

 

-Monte

[KeystoneCruiser]

They really won't let you in wearing jeans after 5:30. We checked. We weren't planning on eating in the dining room but thought we'd test the rule. They do stick by it..

 

 

I have to respectfully disagree. I think it varies from ship to ship. This past summer on the Star, I saw many people dining in all the dining venues that did not meet the resort casual code. Probably the worst violation I saw was on the optional formal night in one of the main dining rooms. A family of four walked in and was seated right away by the head maitre'd himself. The two teenage looking boys were wearing blue jeans and t-shirts. (and not "dress jeans" as some have suggested) The father was dressed lovely in sweats and the mother, the best dressed of the family, was wearing one of those nylon warm-up/jogging suits. It was not the only violation of the week. Really made me upset because I had first time cruising friends with me who I had briefed ahead of time on the proper attire. They then began wondering why I had been such a stickler for making them dress to the code when so many others were breaking it and getting away with it.

[Cosmopolitan]

I have to respectfully disagree. I think it varies from ship to ship. This past summer on the Star, I saw many people dining in all the dining venues that did not meet the resort casual code. Probably the worst violation I saw was on the optional formal night in one of the main dining rooms. A family of four walked in and was seated right away by the head maitre'd himself. The two teenage looking boys were wearing blue jeans and t-shirts. (and not "dress jeans" as some have suggested) The father was dressed lovely in sweats and the mother, the best dressed of the family, was wearing one of those nylon warm-up/jogging suits. It was not the only violation of the week. Really made me upset because I had first time cruising friends with me who I had briefed ahead of time on the proper attire. They then began wondering why I had been such a stickler for making them dress to the code when so many others were breaking it and getting away with it.

 

I agree, on the Dawn 2X's, we never saw jeans in the dining rooms.

 

On the Jewel, we saw passengers dining in jeans even in the speciality restaurants. We also saw passengers turned away from the speciality restaurants because of jeans.

 

Not too consistent with the rules:confused:

[Us2inFL]

Same situation on the Dec 18th Jewel. They DID NOT enforce any dress code in any of the specialty restaurants, and it pissed me off. People were seated wearing sweat pants and a t-shirts.

 

I made my feeling known on the comment card.

 

If you're going to bring only blue jeans, dine (or cruise) somewhere else!

[joemedic]

On formal night on the Sun, my husband was told he needed to weat a coat and tie in the main restaurant. He originally had a dress shirt/ dockers/ dress shoes.

[hotspur]

On formal night on the Sun, my husband was told he needed to weat a coat and tie in the main restaurant. He originally had a dress shirt/ dockers/ dress shoes.

It would seem to me that should be the case only if the restaurant you chose was the designated "formal" restaurant for the evening. I believe there should always be at least one "main" dining room where resort casual would be perfectly acceptable.

[saginaw]

We are also new to NCL and have never tried freestyle dinning. I realize that jeans are not acceptable but what about jean skirts and a blouse? I don't want to look out of place either!!

Thanks

[KeystoneCruiser]

It would seem to me that should be the case only if the restaurant you chose was the designated "formal" restaurant for the evening. I believe there should always be at least one "main" dining room where resort casual would be perfectly acceptable.

 

I am begining to believe that the Sun is the only ship that has one restaurant designated as formal only. On my four NCL cruises, I have never seen a restaurant designated as formal only. All have accepted either resort casual or formal. (or in some cases below that!). Is the Sun the only ship naming a restaurant formal only.

 

I have to agree, way to inconsistant on enforcement of the dress code, not only within the entire NCL/NCL-A fleet, but between cruises and restaurants on the same ship!

[hotspur]

I am begining to believe that the Sun is the only ship that has one restaurant designated as formal only. On my four NCL cruises, I have never seen a restaurant designated as formal only. All have accepted either resort casual or formal. (or in some cases below that!). Is the Sun the only ship naming a restaurant formal only.

In our two Dream and one Majesty cruise, we've never seen a dining room designated as "formal only."

[Cuizer2]

Jeans are acceptable for all restaurants on ships departing from Houston.

 

The OP is going to Alaska. She is not going to start in Houston.

[Cuizer2]

They really won't let you in wearing jeans after 5:30. We checked. We weren't planning on eating in the dining room but thought we'd test the rule. They do stick by it.

 

IMHO formal night on NCL is exactly the same as on RCI and Princess. For some reason people keep getting hung up on the term "Freestyle" like everyone's running around half naked in torn up tank tops and ratty shorts on NCL. All "Freestyle" really means is that you don't have a designated seating time for dinner and you aren't assigned to a certain table. The style of dress etc. is the same as on other ships for the most part.

 

I have tons of formal clothes but usually choose not to get dressed up as I hate being preoccupied during an $$ excursion about getting back to the ship to clean up just to go eat some food.

 

That is not true. Formal night on the NCL ships is OPTIONAL and only about 50% dress up. On other ships 80 - 90% of the people dress up on formal night. I do, and I hate it.

[johnql]

IMHO formal night on NCL is exactly the same as on RCI and Princess. For some reason people keep getting hung up on the term "Freestyle" like everyone's running around half naked in torn up tank tops and ratty shorts on NCL. All "Freestyle" really means is that you don't have a designated seating time for dinner and you aren't assigned to a certain table. The style of dress etc. is the same as on other ships for the most part.

This is simply not true. NCL makes it quite clear that dressing formally is optional. On traditional cruise lines, the formal dress code is "suggested" or is published as a "guideline". They don't use the word "rule" (probably to avoid alienating their passengers) but it's understood that the passengers are expected to dress up. Of course, some cruisers do choose to ignore the guideline, which is fine if you opt to dine in the buffet or in your cabin. But make no mistake - those who choose to dress casually on formal night in the main dining rooms on a traditional cruise are frowned upon.

 

This is one of the reasons why I prefer Freestyle cruising.

[hotspur]

That is not true. Formal night on the NCL ships is OPTIONAL and only about 50% dress up. On other ships 80 - 90% of the people dress up on formal night. I do, and I hate it.

On our Dream cruise to Alaska in May and Majesty cruise to Bermuda in September, I'd be surprised if 20% of the passengers dressed "formally." Resort casual is perfectly appropriate for dinner EVERY night on NCL, and don't let anyone try to tell you differently.