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Dress Code Question


ScottC4746
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6 Apr 2019 7 nights Mexican Riviera Eurodam

So, on the above cruise just a question on the dress codes.  This is my first time on a HAL cruise coming from RCCL where it seemed my last cruise with them was as long as it is street legal.

I found this on HAL's website:

A: Yes, some refinements were made to improve consistency and the policy now reads:

  • Most evenings smart casual attire is appropriate. Shorts, pool/beachwear, distressed jeans and men’s tank tops are best left to the daytime and are not permitted in fine dining restaurants.
  • Gala Nights evoke the grand traditions of cruising as guests dress to impress for special events on board, including our five-course gourmet dinner in the Dining Room. For gentlemen, collared shirts and slacks are required in all fine dining restaurants.

 

Q: Why the change from “Formal” To “Gala” night?

A: To many, the “Formal” term was misleading as it implies a specific type of dress (black tie or tuxedo) that has never been a requirement. “Gala” still implies festive or dressy without misleading guests to bring attire the majority of guests don’t wear.

Q: What about ladies’ gala attire?

A: Dressy attire is appropriate. Dresses, skirts, and slacks are all acceptable.

Q: Are a jacket and tie required for men?

A: Jacket and tie is the preferred attire in all fine dining restaurants on Gala Nights, though it is not required. Guests without a jacket and tie were allowed in the fine dining restaurants before the new wording so this is not a policy change.

Q: Are jeans allowed?

A: Jeans without holes, tears or embroidery are welcome on most evenings in all restaurants, but on Gala Nights jeans are only allowed in the casual dining restaurants.

Q: Can I wear shorts in the main dining room?

A: Not at dinner. The dining room is considered a fine dining restaurant and shorts are not permitted.

Q: Is the dress code the same on Grand Voyages?

A: Yes. The policy applies to all Holland America Line voyages.

 

So I read this as Gala Nights collard shirts and slacks are fine but I would probably feel more comfortable in a suit?

I also read this as apparently Black Tie is overkill?

 

While my experience on RCCL was the daily schedule says to please stay in that evening's attire for the entire evening, people bolt to the stateroom after dinner and go back to jeans for the showroom.  Is this the norm on HAL or dare I say nowdays on cruises?

 

While this is more specific to restaurants and this question comes from someone socially awkward who always feels he sticks out, what should I plan for day times, in ports, or evenings in the showroom?

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You will find that many men wear slacks, collared shirt on Gala nights just like they wear on smart casual nights.  Even in the specialty restaurants.  Ladies wear nice slacks or skirts with a nice top or a dress.

 

Many people are no longer dressing up because of having to fly and weight limits.

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As to the showroom part of your question, remember that the people who prefer to keep it casual for dinner in the lido aren't dressing up for dinner or the show on gala night so you will see people in a wide variety of attire if you are out and about the ship on gala night. I don't dress any differently for gala night than any other night and we do eat in the MDR. If you want to feel "dressy" then bring your suit, but you won't stick out if you're not wearing one either.

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Mrs. Dogstar just gave me the 👍🏻 to leave the jacket at home, for the first time ever, for our upcoming cruise. I may feel naked with just a “shirt & tie” for Gala Nights ... but I’m willing to risk it. Freedom! 🤣

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Thanks for sharing the text of HAL’s guidelines!  For my recent Transatlantic I brought ties, but never wore any of them.  I wore a dark sportcoat and slacks on a couple of the Gala nights, and skipped the jacket on another.  After reading this, going forward  I’ll wear my ties on at least some Gala nights, if not all.  Unless printed guideline are changed.

 

I was under a different impression due to CC threads on this topic.  Thanks again.

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Sadly, like on land, the good old days of dressing up are gone.  Look at old films of Disneyland in the late 50's when it first opened compared to the way they dress now.  As cruise line have evolved to reach to newer and pardon the phrase here, not as elite, clientele, the dress code has had to relax. Not everyone has formals and to stress over renting or doing Tux by Sea and praying everything fits has added to this.   The Downton Abby days of wearing at least 6 different outfits a day are gone.  As Krazy Kruzers pointed out, with airline restrictions on number of bags and weight are implemented, and getting stricter, the need to lighten the load necessitates losing the formal.  For women it was a gown, handbag, and shoes...but men had it worse with the tux shirt, the tux jacket, the tux slacks, the suspenders, the cummerbund, the cuff links, the studs, the bow tie, the patent leather shoes...that all took space and weight and a lot of time getting dressed.  It takes a long time to get into a tux or does me...time I would rather spend in the social quarters of the ship and not in my stateroom.  Maybe I am trying to hang on to the past of Emily Post and clothing, but we are in a new century now with travel.  Even plane and train travel people don't dress like they used to.  Just like I refuse to wear short in the dining car on a train at night, I refuse to wear shorts in the evening on a cruise ship.  Whether that is required or not on a ship, I don't know, but personal preference.  I am also one who won't go parading down the corridor on a ship or hotel to the pool shirtless.  Again, personal preference.  

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8 hours ago, SetAnOpenCourse said:

Thanks for sharing the text of HAL’s guidelines!  For my recent Transatlantic I brought ties, but never wore any of them.  I wore a dark sportcoat and slacks on a couple of the Gala nights, and skipped the jacket on another.  After reading this, going forward  I’ll wear my ties on at least some Gala nights, if not all.  Unless printed guideline are changed.

 

I was under a different impression due to CC threads on this topic.  Thanks again.

 

I think you were speed reading. 😉. Re-read the 1st section.  Ties are NOT required.

 

Info you have read here has been correct and the rules have not changed.

 

Further down it invites you to wear ties and jacket but it is NOT required.  Nothing wrong with wearing a tie if you so choose (DH usually does) but it is not mandatory. 😉 

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I wear a jacket, sometimes a tie, sometimes not. Jacket is good when the MDR is cold.

Ties are often bold, with a colored shirt. We take longer cruises, I find ties are ok early and fade with time.

 

I have finally grown beyond the flowered shirts.

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That will probably be a more casual cruise. I'd bring a jacket, but I prefer to err on the side of being over-prepared. (I can always leave my sport coat in the room if it's not needed. I can't conjure one out of thin air if it turns out that the cruise is dressier than expected. ) A collared shirt and nice slacks will probably be fine for all nights if you want to keep things simple.

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4 hours ago, kazu said:

 

I think you were speed reading. 😉. Re-read the 1st section.  Ties are NOT required.

 

Info you have read here has been correct and the rules have not changed.

 

Further down it invites you to wear ties and jacket but it is NOT required.  Nothing wrong with wearing a tie if you so choose (DH usually does) but it is not mandatory. 😉 

Thanks for clarifying, Kazu.  However, what I’m trying to say is that now I realize that jacket and tie is preferred. Yes, it is clear that they are not mandatory but I’d like to wear what is now documented as preferred for Gala nights.  After dinner, though, I’ll likely take off my tie, if returning to my cabin is convenient.

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4 hours ago, onthelake said:

So if my husband and son wear suits, they will be in the minority?

In my experience of 6 cruises, yes definitely in the minority on non-Gala nights and part of a larger minority on gala nights.

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Times have sure changed and so has dress codes in the cruise industry. It seems about 10 years ago I remember reading threads on CC with posters being appalled over people wearing jeans in the MDR for any dinner. If you wanted to blow up a thread just dare say you would wear jeans in the MDR.  :classic_tongue:

 

We are doing our first Alaska cruise and land tour next year and with the fickle Alaska weather over 12 days it would be very hard to have enough room in my luggage for any formal wear. The DW says I still need to bring a sport coat, but I will show here this thread to change her mind.  I wore business suits every day for over 40 years and have never liked the idea of wearing one on a vacation cruise.

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My experience is this night is all about the photos.  If you want a terrific picture dress up!  How often do you get a chance to really put on your finest and mingle among the "swells" (I've been watching a lot of TCM lately).  It's fun to dress but many don't.  I live in Las Vegas and go to many shows, I always dress up and usually sit near someone in shorts and tee shirt.  It is up to you.

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DH used to wear a tux on our cruise gala nights and a suit or sport coat on the other nights, but stopped about 8 years ago. He now wears good slacks with silk tropical shirts, no jacket, no tie, etc. We live in FL and cruise out of FL ports only, so not a question of flying and worrying about luggage weight limits. We cruise on Carnival most of the time at tables for two, but on our HAL cruises our last four (and upcoming 5th) cruises we have had/will have a Neptune Suite and we prefer to have the concierge order our dinners so we can eat in our suite. Saves having to bring any dressy clothes at all. Works for us. 

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Not disputing the 'five courses'.

 

Very much disputing the 'gourmet' or is this part of the make believe?  Who is kidding whom? This is banquet style food, has been for some time, and the quality is variable.  Not just HAL, on all mass market lines.  They do not evoke any memories for us which is why we started skipping formal night in MDR's some time ago.  The place settings are very nice but for us they are offset by the incredible amount of noise in some MDRs.

 

The bottom line.  IF you were at home and you were going out for a similar dinner who you select a mass market cruise line MDR or a local restaurant?  Gourmet and great family owned establishment.   Not to mention the noise. 

 

We have had some very good meals in MDR's.  No question.   But from our perspective they became fewer  and farther between.  For our tastes they do not have to be gourmet.  They just have to have quality ingredients, prepared properly, served hot, in a quieter setting. 

 

Edited by iancal
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Hello!

 

Just like some others have mentioned, not many people dress up anymore.  When first cruising with HAL in 2004 in Alaska, everyone dressed fancy for Gala nights. Then went back to cruising this March to the Panama Canal after a 10 year cruising hiatus and most people now dress more causally for Gala nights.  Technically, tuxes and formal wear are required but I only saw maybe 2 men wearing tuxes this past 10 day Cuban Explorer cruise on the Veendam (got back on Monday).  While by the front desk of the ship, they had an example of what Gala attire looked like and had a mannequin torso in a tux.  But no one enforces the policy.  For men, collared shirt with nice slacks and shoes are fine.  For women, "little black dress" or skirt/blouse/slacks is fine.  For me, I tend to dress up more for dinner even on smart casual days (when else am able to wear formal wear? and I'm a 29 year old female.)  For smart casual nights, I've seen guests wear souvenir t-shirts which I feel are way too casual.

 

Just as my preference, I like to stay in my dinner wear  the rest of the evening until I go back to the room. But some change into jeans for the show. 

Edited by worldtravelerforlife
typo
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2 hours ago, worldtravelerforlife said:

Hello!

 

Just like some others have mentioned, not many people dress up anymore.  When first cruising with HAL in 2004 in Alaska, everyone dressed fancy for Gala nights. Then went back to cruising this March to the Panama Canal after a 10 year cruising hiatus and most people now dress more causally for Gala nights.  Technically, tuxes and formal wear are required but I only saw maybe 2 men wearing tuxes this past 10 day Cuban Explorer cruise on the Veendam (got back on Monday).  While by the front desk of the ship, they had an example of what Gala attire looked like and had a mannequin torso in a tux.  But no one enforces the policy.  For men, collared shirt with nice slacks and shoes are fine.  For women, "little black dress" or skirt/blouse/slacks is fine.  For me, I tend to dress up more for dinner even on smart casual days (when else am able to wear formal wear? and I'm a 29 year old female.)  For smart casual nights, I've seen guests wear souvenir t-shirts which I feel are way too casual.

 

Just as my preference, I like to stay in my dinner wear  the rest of the evening until I go back to the room. But some change into jeans for the show. 

It seems you misunderstand what is required now.  If you read the first post of this thread again, I think it should get you up to date on the dress code.

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