Dress Code for Evenings

[Darspurs]

As it will be my first HAL cruise can someone confirm to me whether there are semi formal nights ( or what most cruise lines tend to call Informal - weird to an Englishman).

 

These days some of the cruise lines seem to be getting away from the middle dress code between formal and casual, so it would be helpful to know whether to expect 2 formal nights and 5 casual or the old 2, 3 and 2 combination.

[RuthC]

Most of the time a 7-day cruise will have 2 formal, 1 informal, and four casual evenings. The breakdown for your cruise will be listed in your documents, but is also subject to change once on the ship.

That's been known to happen.

[Krazy Kruizers]

And there will soon be some poping onto this thread telling you that they will follow the dress code for dinner, but afterwards change into more casual attire for the rest of the evening.

 

Just for the record - if it said "Formal" for the evening, we stay dressed that way until we retire. And the same for informal and casual. This is just us.

[Darspurs]

And there will soon be some poping onto this thread telling you that they will follow the dress code for dinner, but afterwards change into more casual attire for the rest of the evening.

 

I couldn't agree with you more - I have never changed my clothes after dinner on any cruise. Mind you we always eat on the latest seating possible so I suppose I can understand those that are finished eating by 7pm who may want to change.

[Tinknock50]

As it will be my first HAL cruise can someone confirm to me whether there are semi formal nights ( or what most cruise lines tend to call Informal - weird to an Englishman).

 

These days some of the cruise lines seem to be getting away from the middle dress code between formal and casual, so it would be helpful to know whether to expect 2 formal nights and 5 casual or the old 2, 3 and 2 combination.

 

I have always thought "informal" was an odd word to use, too.

Always sounded like the opposite of formal.

 

Even though it is clearly defined in all the docs, I think "semi-formal" is an instantly recognizable description.

 

Actually, wouldn't mind if it were eliminated, since all it requires for men is a sport coat (no tie required). Sport coats just take that much more room in your luggage......and if you have a tux for formal night, a tux coat would look weird on infomal night.

[lougee1043]

i too follow the dress code for the entire evening

 

i rent a tux on board so i dont have to carry a suit and becasue of that i dont have a problem packing a sports jacket-----------by doing it this way i am actually ahead of the packing game -- because i dont have to pack suit pants

[RevNeal]

As it will be my first HAL cruise can someone confirm to me whether there are semi formal nights ( or what most cruise lines tend to call Informal - weird to an Englishman).

 

These days some of the cruise lines seem to be getting away from the middle dress code between formal and casual, so it would be helpful to know whether to expect 2 formal nights and 5 casual or the old 2, 3 and 2 combination.

 

 

Darspurs, welcome to the HAL board! I hope your upcoming cruise on the Westerdam is a joy for you! She's a lovely ship, and if you'd like to see some photos of her you can check her out here:

 

http://homepage.mac.com/revneal/westerdam05/Menu61.html

 

As for your question -- HAL has a well defined dress code published on their website and in the "Know Before You Go" booklet, which you will receive with your documentation. And, as Ruth has already mentioned, your cruise documents will define how many days will be formal, informal, and casual. As stated, 2 formal, 1 informal, and 5 casual are pretty common on most 7-day cruises, but that has been known to change aboard ship (usually, and unfortunately, down).

 

Here is HAL's Evening Dresscode as found in the current "Know Before You Go" Booklet:

 

Evening dress falls into three distinct categories. Each night a daily program will be delivered to your stateroom announcing the suggested dress for the following evening. Comfortable, relaxed clothing is fine for evenings designated as casual; however, T-shirts, swimsuits, tank tops and shorts are not allowed in the dining room, Lido restaurant, or public areas during the evening hours. During informal nights, dresses or pantsuits for women and jackets (tie optional) for men are standard.

 

On festive formal evenings, women usually wear cocktail dresses or gowns and men usually wear business suits or tuxedos. There are approximately two formal nights per week. (Gentlemen: Although business suits or tuxedos are suggested attire for formal evenings, they are certainly not required. You are welcome to wear a jacket and tie on formal nights.) Formalwear for ladies and gentlemen can be pre-ordered for your use for the duration of your cruise. Just call Cruise Line Formalwear at 800-551-5091 to reserve and it will be ready in your stateroom when you board.

 

In order to complement your fellow guests, Holland America asks that you observe the suggested dress code throughout the entire evening.

 

And, I agree with you and others on this board that the nomenclature: "informal" is really not reflective of what the Line means ... they intend "semi-formal" and I wish they would change the terms.

[RevNeal]

Just for the record - if it said "Formal" for the evening, we stay dressed that way until we retire. And the same for informal and casual. This is just us.

 

KK, it's not just you ... or your preference. It's what the Cruise Line asks of us ... as can be seen in the last paragraph of the dress code which I have cut-and-pasted above. That some people don't observe it doesn't mean that it's not a part of the code. :)

 

But, of course, people have to make such decisions for themselves.

[Tinknock50]

And there will soon be some poping onto this thread telling you that they will follow the dress code for dinner, but afterwards change into more casual attire for the rest of the evening.

 

I couldn't agree with you more - I have never changed my clothes after dinner on any cruise. Mind you we always eat on the latest seating possible so I suppose I can understand those that are finished eating by 7pm who may want to change.

 

I agree too. After going through all the trouble of dressing formal for dinner and the elegant atmophere it creates, it seems like more trouble to change again to go to a show.

[RevNeal]

Actually, wouldn't mind if it were eliminated, since all it requires for men is a sport coat (no tie required). Sport coats just take that much more room in your luggage......and if you have a tux for formal night, a tux coat would look weird on infomal night.

 

I avoid having to pack a sports coat by simply wearing mine in transit to the ship. Since I more often cruise in the winter months it relives me from having to carry a coat that, other than transit to and from home, would be useless aboard. Also, it's an easy matter to take the jacket off and drape it over a bag or put it in the overhead compartment if I get too warm.

 

Of course, I often dress up a bit more for informal night than most -- I will frequently wear clerics or a tie for that evening simply because I prefer dressing up a bit more. :) Indeed, I also wouldn't mind it if the line did away with informal nights ... but ONLY if they replaced them with formal nights. :D

 

(No, I'm not trying to start a war ... just stating my preference).

[RuthC]

I also wouldn't mind it if the line did away with informal nights ... but ONLY if they replaced them with formal nights.

Works for me, Greg! Just to ease into it they could start by doing away with some of the casual nights and replacing them with informal. Keep first/last nights casual, then split the rest of the cruise with the dressier code.

Then enforce it.

[RevNeal]

Works for me, Greg! Just to ease into it they could start by doing away with some of the casual nights and replacing them with informal. Keep first/last nights casual, then split the rest of the cruise with the dressier code.

Then enforce it.

 

Ruth, you're a lady after my own heart! Want a chocolate!?

[The Tsar]

"Of course, I often dress up a bit more for informal night than most -- I will frequently wear clerics or a tie for that evening simply because I prefer dressing up a bit more. :) Indeed, I also wouldn't mind it if the line did away with informal nights ... but ONLY if they replaced them with formal nights. :D"

 

I will would go one step further - Replace both the "Informal" and the "Casual" nights with "Formal" nights.

 

"(No, I'm not trying to start a war ... just stating my preference)."

 

Maybe...! :D

[Tinknock50]

i too follow the dress code for the entire evening

 

i rent a tux on board so i dont have to carry a suit and becasue of that i dont have a problem packing a sports jacket-----------by doing it this way i am actually ahead of the packing game -- because i dont have to pack suit pants

 

That wouldn't work for me because I am one of those poor cruisers on a limited budget. Better for me to bring the tux or my dark suit which have lots of miles left on them since I seldom wear them at home. $80+ is a big expense for me.

 

Come to think about it , $80 is the price of a cool excursion in Ketchikan I was thinking about "splurging" on. Think I would rather enjoy that than save space in my suitcase.

 

Now after saying this, on my budget cruise September 8th, I will only be bringing my sport coat and dress pants and tie for formal night. My mom needs assistance eating so we will be using the lido "table cloth service"

for dinner every night and won't be using the dining room. Seemed weird being the only one wearing my dark suit in the lido on my last cruise.

[Darspurs]

Thank you for the link to your photos, they are certainly some of the best photos I have seen of a cruise ship and we also have an SS suite.

 

The funny thing is we are only doing this Cruise because my wife wants to see Barbara Streisand in concert ( not my scene to be honest). I looked for her where she was on and it is in several cities.

 

So I said if she wanted to go all the way from England for a concert we might as well turn it into a short holiday. As I saw the concert is on in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday 28th October, I looked to see what cruises were going out of F/L or Miami on the Sunday and the Westerdam looked like a great option.

[Tinknock50]

Ruth, Revneal,

 

I wouldn't mind seeing informal go formal as an alternative to deleting informal nights. I just don't see that informal does much to add to the elegant ambiance, so would just as soon see it gone.

 

But yikes! on easing into it with MORE infomal nights!:eek: LOL

[AlohaPride]

Anyone know of a place where I can get my DH a sports jacket? I was just planning on having him wear a button up shirt and khakis on the semi-formal/informal nights. But if he needs a jacket, we need to get him one...It shouldn't be too expensive because he will only be wearing it on cruises...

[papadave]

Anyone know of a place where I can get my DH a sports jacket? I was just planning on having him wear a button up shirt and khakis on the semi-formal/informal nights. But if he needs a jacket, we need to get him one...It shouldn't be too expensive because he will only be wearing it on cruises...

 

Try Ebay

[happy cruzer]

Anyone know of a place where I can get my DH a sports jacket? I was just planning on having him wear a button up shirt and khakis on the semi-formal/informal nights. But if he needs a jacket, we need to get him one...It shouldn't be too expensive because he will only be wearing it on cruises...

 

Hye, the cruise fashion board is alot of fun. And they will know exaclty where to go and how to help. they do a lot of shopping. I don't. I was wanting advice on tshirts and nice shorts for "promenading" in. They fixed me up.

[Tinknock50]

Anyone know of a place where I can get my DH a sports jacket? I was just planning on having him wear a button up shirt and khakis on the semi-formal/informal nights. But if he needs a jacket, we need to get him one...It shouldn't be too expensive because he will only be wearing it on cruises...

 

Do you have a Savers where you live? They have nice second hand clothes. Afterall, DH will only wear it once on a cruise and it will spend most of the cruise hanging in the closet.

[RuthC]

But yikes! on easing into it with MORE infomal nights!:eek: LOL

Sean, it isn't that I want more informal nights so much as I want fewer casual nights. This whole casual thing has gotten way too sloppy too much of the time.

HAL could decrease the number of casual nights and have more formal nights. That would work, too. ;)

[bdcbbq]

Anyone know of a place where I can get my DH a sports jacket? I was just planning on having him wear a button up shirt and khakis on the semi-formal/informal nights. But if he needs a jacket, we need to get him one...It shouldn't be too expensive because he will only be wearing it on cruises...

 

Sometimes Goodwill or the Salvatian Army can have great looking sports coats and suits. Years ago while in college, I bought several very nice suits for $5 or so. I couldn't afford anything else. They were all in great shape. I think occasionally I would have to have them altered for a few dollars. You do have to pick through things.

[Tinknock50]

Sean, it isn't that I want more informal nights so much as I want fewer casual nights. This whole casual thing has gotten way too sloppy too much of the time.

HAL could decrease the number of casual nights and have more formal nights. That would work, too. ;)

 

Agree, would much rather see a 3rd formal night and see the informal night eliminated.

 

But I also think "informal" is something that has lost its purpose in adding to the elegance of cruising and I would not miss it if it is discontinued.

 

We need to hear from our ship historians on the origin of informal nights. This is my uneducated guess: In the golden age of transatlantic voyages, every night was formal night. At some point, it was decided to ease up a bit, especially when ships were increasingly put to use on cruises instead of crossings, and "informal" was born. (probably looked very casual to people at the time). Casual wasn't even considered at that point. Then things relaxed even more and casual came along. Somehow informal kind of hung on so now it is a throwback to another time.

 

Ok, history buffs, how close am I ?

[AlohaPride]

Sometimes Goodwill or the Salvatian Army can have great looking sports coats and suits. Years ago while in college, I bought several very nice suits for $5 or so. I couldn't afford anything else. They were all in great shape. I think occasionally I would have to have them altered for a few dollars. You do have to pick through things.

 

I never shop at Savers, Goodwill, or Salvation Army because my allergies ALWAYS act up! Maybe I'll send DH and DM to get the jacket. They don't have allergies...

[RevNeal]

Anyone know of a place where I can get my DH a sports jacket? I was just planning on having him wear a button up shirt and khakis on the semi-formal/informal nights. But if he needs a jacket, we need to get him one...It shouldn't be too expensive because he will only be wearing it on cruises...

 

Mary,

 

What will he be wearing on formal night? If a suite, then don't bother with another jacket ... just have him dress the suit down (a different shirt with no tie). OR .... have him wear the jacket from the suit with a non-match pair of slacks and presto! Automatic Sports Jacket!!!!

 

If not, and you're planning on him wearing a Tux, but if he has a suit, have him bring the suit. :) There's nothing that says you HAVE to wear a sports jacket. A full suit on informal night is fine, too.