Shorts in MDR and Specialty Restaurants?

[Rickgina]

Hello,

Doing a 7-night Boston to Bermuda shortly and haven't cruised Norwegian in a number of years. What's the policy (and/or what have you seen) in regard to dress shorts and a collared shirt with boat shoes in the MDR for specialty dinners? I've worn Dockers in the past then always went back to the cabin to change into shorts for the rest of the evening, but it's such a waste of time and it means packing more. I feel it's still in the spirit of Freestyle cruising to be dressed well and comfortable at the same time. Thanks

[bkrickles1]

17 minutes ago, Rickgina said:

Hello,

Doing a 7-night Boston to Bermuda shortly and haven't cruised Norwegian in a number of years. What's the policy (and/or what have you seen) in regard to dress shorts and a collared shirt with boat shoes in the MDR for specialty dinners? I've worn Dockers in the past then always went back to the cabin to change into shorts for the rest of the evening, but it's such a waste of time and it means packing more. I feel it's still in the spirit of Freestyle cruising to be dressed well and comfortable at the same time. Thanks

I sailed Encore in January, 2020 and only wore shorts at dinner.

As you said, dress shorts with a collared shirt.

We ate in all 3 mdr's without issue, although I've read on here that men are supposed to wear pants in the Manhattan mdr. I did not and many others did not either.

As far as specialty dining, we ate in Q, Los Lobos and Teppenyaki and I wore shorts and it was fine.

My understanding is that shorts are frowned upon in Le Bistro and Onda, but I don't know that for sure.

Last summer, on Joy, I wore shorts to Cagney's too.

I'm sailing Joy again in 11 days and will bring a couple of pairs of pants as I'm getting older and sometimes get a little cold in the evenings. Lmao!

Enjoy your cruise!

[mjkacmom]

I think it was on the jewel in the bigger MDR that my 12 year old short wearing son was asked his age, he was a tall 12, but he was allowed in due to his age at the time.

[ggTexasGal]

Generally speaking, if you do not go to the larger of the dining rooms, nice shorts are allowed.

(Avoid wearing torn, soiled, and/or short shorts.)

[js]

We sail Haven and my dh only wears dress shorts and a golf shirt for dinners.

We eat in the specialties, including LeBistro (although they did seat us in the seating area

outside the restaurant, although inside the ship) and Haven restaurant.

 

 

[brookie848]

Generally, there are two dining venues on each ship where long pants are required (jeans are okay). That is often one of the main dining rooms and Le Bistro. On some newer ships there might be one other restaurant that requires long pants.

 

My husband wears shorts to dinner every night unless he chooses to dress up for some weird reason.

[vacation44]

The Manhattan Room required pants for men on the Epic in March; however the Joy did not when we were on her last September.

 

I still say a nice pair of dress shorts is a nicer look than torn jeans and sweats, but that is my opinion.

[Maleficent's Dad]

The only issue we saw was a young man being told he could not enter Ocean Blue in shorts.  This was last week on the Joy.

[The Traveling Man]

3 hours ago, Rickgina said:

Hello,

Doing a 7-night Boston to Bermuda shortly and haven't cruised Norwegian in a number of years. What's the policy (and/or what have you seen) in regard to dress shorts and a collared shirt with boat shoes in the MDR for specialty dinners? I've worn Dockers in the past then always went back to the cabin to change into shorts for the rest of the evening, but it's such a waste of time and it means packing more. I feel it's still in the spirit of Freestyle cruising to be dressed well and comfortable at the same time. Thanks

Please, not another Cruise Critic discussion thread about dress codes.  The policy is that certain venues prohibit shorts, sandals, or shirts without a collar.  The current terms are spelled out on NCL's website.  In practice, however, shorts generally are allowed.  It seems to be up to the discretion of the individual crew members on board.  It is reasonable to assume that most crew would rather let a passenger slide by while wearing something outside of the stated policy rather than challenge the customer and possibly cause a confrontation. There have been many reports on Cruise Critic of examples of each course of action, yea or nay.  YMMV but you know you can't go wrong by fully complying with NCL's published policy.

[Two Wheels Only]

21 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

The current terms are spelled out on NCL's website

 

Not exactly. 

 

The website gives general information but the ship's dailies give the specific information for each sailing. For example, some ships have a MDR that requires long pants and some other ships allow shorts in all MDRs. 

 

 

[sharonann24]

The only dining rooms/restaurant that we have encountered that adhere to the long pants are Le Bistro consistently.  We saw an extremely irate man being told that and he was not a happy camper, but that is their policy.  My DH always wears long pants at dinner, except for the first and last night.  So it really doesn't bother us one way or another.  We will be on the Prima in two weeks and I wonder if the climate will impact those decisions.

[The Traveling Man]

1 hour ago, sharonann24 said:

The only dining rooms/restaurant that we have encountered that adhere to the long pants are Le Bistro consistently.  We saw an extremely irate man being told that and he was not a happy camper, but that is their policy.  My DH always wears long pants at dinner, except for the first and last night.  So it really doesn't bother us one way or another.  We will be on the Prima in two weeks and I wonder if the climate will impact those decisions.

And yet on a different sailing, probably on a different NCL ship, I saw a man seated in Le Bistro while wearing scruffy looking shorts, sandals, and a T-shirt.  YMMV.

[The Traveling Man]

3 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Not exactly. 

 

The website gives general information but the ship's dailies give the specific information for each sailing. For example, some ships have a MDR that requires long pants and some other ships allow shorts in all MDRs. 

 

 

It seems that you are correct and that I'm stuck in the past.  NCL used to spell out their dress code policies on their website, but I'll be darned if I can find it there today.  I even went to the chat function on their website to inquire.  The "Chatty Cathy" asserted that NCL had dropped its dress code years ago.  I'm not sure how much confidence you can place in the accuracy of the reports received from their chatters, but apparently all bets are off, at least on a company-wide basis.  I suppose you are right that passengers need to check the Freestyle Daily for up-to-date info.  Thanks for the heads up.

[Two Wheels Only]

11 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

It seems that you are correct and that I'm stuck in the past.  NCL used to spell out their dress code policies on their website, but I'll be darned if I can find it there today. 

 

NCL currently has....

 

Cruise Casual: the Freedom of Freestyle Cruising

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.

 

Be sure to pack a sweater - the air conditioning can be chilly. Kids 12 and under are welcome to wear shorts in all our restaurants.

 

Please Note: 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.

 

All Decked-out: Smart Casual

Dress smart casual in our more upscale specialty restaurants. 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. Kids 12 and under are welcome to wear shorts in all our restaurants.

 

 

What NCL used to have was...

 

Cruise Casual: the Freedom of Freestyle Cruising

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.

 

Be sure to pack a sweater - the air conditioning can be chilly. Kids 12 and under are welcome to wear nice shorts in all our restaurants.

 

Please Note: 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.

 

All Decked-out: Smart Casual

Dress smart casual in our more formal dining room or in our more upscale specialty restaurants. 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. Kids 12 and under are welcome to wear nice shorts in all our restaurants.

 

 

...but even after the slight adjustment to the "Smart Casual" section, there are still cases where the code for the actual restaurant differs from what is listed on the site. 

[The Traveling Man]

12 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

NCL currently has....

 

Cruise Casual: the Freedom of Freestyle Cruising

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.

 

Be sure to pack a sweater - the air conditioning can be chilly. Kids 12 and under are welcome to wear shorts in all our restaurants.

 

Please Note: 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.

 

All Decked-out: Smart Casual

Dress smart casual in our more upscale specialty restaurants. 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. Kids 12 and under are welcome to wear shorts in all our restaurants.

 

 

What NCL used to have was...

 

Cruise Casual: the Freedom of Freestyle Cruising

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.

 

Be sure to pack a sweater - the air conditioning can be chilly. Kids 12 and under are welcome to wear nice shorts in all our restaurants.

 

Please Note: 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.

 

All Decked-out: Smart Casual

Dress smart casual in our more formal dining room or in our more upscale specialty restaurants. 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. Kids 12 and under are welcome to wear nice shorts in all our restaurants.

 

 

...but even after the slight adjustment to the "Smart Casual" section, there are still cases where the code for the actual restaurant differs from what is listed on the site. 

Thanks for finding this.  I could have sworn that a pre-COVID version specified even stricter requirements for Le Bistro, the seafood restaurant, and the larger of the main dining rooms.

[BirdTravels]

9 hours ago, Rickgina said:

Hello,

Doing a 7-night Boston to Bermuda shortly and haven't cruised Norwegian in a number of years. What's the policy (and/or what have you seen) in regard to dress shorts and a collared shirt with boat shoes in the MDR for specialty dinners? I've worn Dockers in the past then always went back to the cabin to change into shorts for the rest of the evening, but it's such a waste of time and it means packing more. I feel it's still in the spirit of Freestyle cruising to be dressed well and comfortable at the same time. Thanks

If you are leaving out of Boston, I assume you are on a small ship. In that case, long pants (dockers or jeans are fine) are required in the aft main dining room and Le Bistro. 

[Rickgina]

Thanks all for responding. I found a copy of the Freestyle in a review of my cruise, and it does say it's "Smart Casual" after 5 pm, which means jeans or pants. I'll plan on taking Dockers but playing to the crowd if I can get away with it. I promise not to be that guy in ripped or stained shorts, I pride myself on my fasion sense! lol

[FLAHAM]

I see plenty of passengers in shorts, jokey t-shirts and ball caps (often backward) in all NCL dining venues.

[gizfish]

7 hours ago, Rickgina said:

Thanks all for responding. I found a copy of the Freestyle in a review of my cruise, and it does say it's "Smart Casual" after 5 pm, which means jeans or pants. I'll plan on taking Dockers but playing to the crowd if I can get away with it. I promise not to be that guy in ripped or stained shorts, I pride myself on my fasion sense! lol

That cannot be a recent freestyle or a review of an NCL cruise.  NCL NEVER has an evening dress code for the whole ship.  The dress code quoted above from the NCL site is accurate.  You could even skip the collated shirt and wear a tee shirt with your shorts in any dining room other than le bistro, the seafood restaurant and the one MDR that is smart casual each night (and depending on the ship they often don't require smart casual in any MDR.)

[TrumpyNor]

Summer 2022 both on the Gem and the Escape this sign was outside restaurants on board:

[vwwolfe]

The Norwegian Encore dailies state "DRESS CODE:  Resort casual (tank tops and baseball caps are not permitted) Shorts are allowed in all dining venues except Ocean Blue & Le Bistro after 5:00 PM.  Shoes and shirts must me worn."