Spoiled by NCL's "Freestyle"

[NoNoNanette]

I hate going to the casino in my formal wear with my man with his tux on looking very Bond like and sit next to someone who changed into jean shorts....

 

How tacky. :eek: Why bother getting dressed up in the first place. :rolleyes:

 

 

the cruiseline is the host and the host suggests a certain attire...

 

 

You folks absolutely KNOCK ME OUT!

Firstly, if one likes to sit in the casino looking very Bond-like:rolleyes:, perhaps one should find a cruiseline that caters to those that don't wear horrid jeans!

 

Secondly. "Tacky"???? Give us a break, kiddo. You've taught us all how "tacky" one can be on another thread. I'd be amused to compare our on-board charges. :rolleyes:

 

Thirdly..... if the "host" invited me to their party, great.... I'd dress as they requested. However, I pay to go on a cruise. I'm a PAYING CLIENT. How silly of you to draw such a parallel. (When my "host" foots the bill, I'll be more acceptive of "suggested" dress)

[Tricia724]

There is another factor that is entering into the dress code....or lack of dress code....situation that I haven't seen addressed before.

 

We are just back from an Amazon adventure on the Veendam which was a 34 or 30 day cruise depending upon port of embarkation. The passenger demographic was a very senior group for the most part.....which, frankly, I expected to be a very traditional group of cruisers. I was quite surprised when I saw many people who did not meet the minimum dress code.

 

I started getting a better understanding when I attended a presentation of the future cruise consultant. She mentioned that on our cruise, there were 800+ people who had requested early seating dinner! Since that was an impossibility for the cruiseline, it meant that many people were assigned late seating dinner who did not want it.

 

The end result was that a very large group of people were eating dinner in the Lido every evening. I ate there once and was surprised at how busy it was. And people eating dinner in the Lido are inclined to dress very casually. There is something about pushing your tray through a cafeteria type line that does not equate to tuxedos and sequins.....even on formal night. And who is going to go to their cabin and change into dressier clothes for the evening around the ship? I can tell you.....not many. So....there were many people wandering around the ship every evening in extremely casual outfits.

 

Some people are doing the best they can. Some people just don't care. But there seems to be a lot of people who are stuck somewhere in the middle. This is a tough situation for both the passengers and the cruiseline.

[kittygrace]

I didn't mean to get everyone so worked up about the dress code ... We are not looking to wear cut-off denim shorts on formal night, I really just wanted to know if a sport coat and tie would be ok or if my DH should rent a tux. I appreciate all the input and I'm feeling fine with letting him wear the sport coat. Thanks everybody!

[navybankerteacher]

Formal wear is only "requested" - not required. Unfortunately, some people are too self-absorbed to consider these requests - which are, in fact, part of the reason many people choose HAL: they like the formal touch, the air of something special on those evenings. If you insist on jeans and tee shirts, you would probably be happier on Norwegian or Carnival; do not sail on HAL unless you like what HAL represents. I personally prefer not to sail on Norwegian any more because so many wanted "comfort" that they made the dining room look like a McDonalds -- baseball caps (some backwards), logo tee shirts. some cut-off jeans. As a result, the entire atmosphere suffered -- people act up - or down - in response to their environment. I do not really care what people wear, but I do appreciate an occasional formal environment -- and find it hard to understand why some are so obtuse as to book themselves into a more traditional environment and then rebel against it.

[tonykj1]

Here is what the Holland America website has to say about this matter at:

 

http://www.hollandamerica.com/guests/category.do?category=packing&topic=dressCode

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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.)

------------------------------------------------------------------

 

So in answer to the original question, a jacket and tie is perfectly acceptable according to Holland America, even if not by all the passengers.:D

 

Have a great time!!

[AAAAmerican]

I do hope , no matter what YOU wear, that at least your clothes are AMERICAN MADE!:cool:

 

American Workers need your support and have much better products too.

Suits, Tuxedos (where do you think the name came from>?) Answer: From a Dinner Party near me here in Tuxedo, NY., Blue Denim Jeans, American Cotton Products (Best COTTON in the WORLD!), etc.. etc..

 

You may pay a little more for American Made with much better quality but knowing its American Made makes you Proud!

[RevNeal]

Firstly, if one likes to sit in the casino looking very Bond-like:rolleyes:, perhaps one should find a cruiseline that caters to those that don't wear horrid jeans!

 

We found such a cruise line: it was called the Holland America Line.

[PRINSENDAM]

 

Thirdly..... if the "host" invited me to their party, great.... I'd dress as they requested. However, I pay to go on a cruise. I'm a PAYING CLIENT. How silly of you to draw such a parallel. (When my "host" foots the bill, I'll be more acceptive of "suggested" dress)

 

 

 

You are completely wrong. Any restaurant or club or hotel or whatever can enforce a dress code if they so wish. It matters not a red cent if you are paying to be there or not.

 

 

 

BTW... I may be silly sometimes but at least I don't ride a broom!

[dakrewser]

Secondly. "Tacky"???? Give us a break, kiddo. You've taught us all how "tacky" one can be on another thread. I'd be amused to compare our on-board charges. :rolleyes:

 

Boasting about your spending is right up there at the height of tacky....

[AAAAmerican]

,Inc.

:eek:

 

We found such a cruise line: it was called the Holland America Line.

[RevNeal]

I didn't mean to get everyone so worked up about the dress code ... We are not looking to wear cut-off denim shorts on formal night, I really just wanted to know if a sport coat and tie would be ok or if my DH should rent a tux. I appreciate all the input and I'm feeling fine with letting him wear the sport coat. Thanks everybody!

 

That's quite alright, kittygrace. This is a very old, very touchy subject on this board. We can go for weeks or even months without much being said on the subject, then WHAMMO, it'll hit.

 

To respond to your original question: YES, a jacket, slacks, dress shirt and tie is fully within the line's minimal requirements for gentlemen on formal nights. On informal nights the tie can be left in the cabin, and on casual nights so can the jacket. And that's about it. Simple. A large number of men will be in suits and ties, and some (30 - 50%, depending upon the ship, the itinerary, and the time of year) will be attired in Tuxedos. And, yes, some men will be dressed in slacks, dress shirt, jacket and tie ... and, they will be just fine.

 

If a man attempts to enter the main dining room on formal night dressed in casual wear (sans coat and tie) a "request" that such men return to their cabins to correct their fashion faux-pax will often be issued even before they make it to their tables. This is a "request" only in as much as the staff won't make offenders walk the plank ... they simply won't be served dinner until they do.

[RevNeal]

Formal wear is only "requested" - not required.

 

I could point you to numerous anecdotal occasions of inappropriately clad men, on formal night, being "asked" to return to their cabins to put on a coat and tie before being seated in the main dining room. While the language of "request" is usually used, in point of fact such men who refuse to do so are simply not served. And, indeed, sometimes the ship's program is even upfront about how such "polite requests" are actually "requirements" when it comes to the minimal standards :

 

 

That came from a program on the Zaandam in 2004.

 

I do not really care what people wear, but I do appreciate an occasional formal environment -- and find it hard to understand why some are so obtuse as to book themselves into a more traditional environment and then rebel against it.

 

Some people just enjoy being revolting. :) :eek: They like to push our buttons and see our responses. They remind of of naughty children, picking on their peers in an attempt to "get a rise" out of them.

[RevNeal]

,Inc.

:eek:

 

I fail to comprehend why that would be of such importance that you would mention it in a post. Perhaps it's just your eccentricity come out again? ;)

 

Most of us went to HAL because HAL was precisely the kind of line being spoken of ... a line where we could sit in the casino on formal night and look very "Bond-like" without being made to feel out of place by the lout in cut-off jean-shorts and a muscle shirt plopping himself down on the seat next to us. Sadly, having found HAL we were subsequently followed here by just such a group of people ... people who demanded that the rest of us "dumb-down" our dress standards to a lower common denominator in order for them to not feel "put upon" or made to feel "uncomfortable" by forcing them to dress nicely while on their vacation. Amazingly, when we say we don't like it that such has occurred, those very same people have the tumidity to suggest that we should leave and go find another Line! I call that "unmitigated gall." And, for those who are wondering, that's NOT a good trait.

[Seago2]

Everyone?

So, if I were to cruise Princes I would be conspicuous and made to feel out of place if i were to stay in my formal attire for the evening??

 

I think I'll not cruise Princess. I don't like changing after dinner until I ready to retire for the night.

 

Rev: do you wear traditional formal wear or your rev clothes (collar)?

[Seago2]

I just don't understand what the problem is. How hard is it to wear a suit? I wear one to work every day- after a while, it feels like I work at McDonalds- it's a uniform, day in and day out. It's easier for me to wear a suit than to be "informal."

 

My husband looks great in a suit and he rarely wears one at home. It's great to see him in one and I know he feels good in it.

 

Seriously, how difficult is it to bring a suit and put one on? You can pick up a good 3 season suit for under $200 bucks. And guess what: you can wear the SAME SUIT on all of your formal nights. Same goes for the ladies- who is going to care if you have on the same formal dress?

 

Keep in mind that you are required to wear formal dress after a long, hard day of: nothing. So...... what's the problem?

 

The only reason that I have been prone to change out of my dress after dinner is if my feet are killing me. And I definitely need to wear some kind of structured undergarment, such as control top hose, with some of my very nice dresses and gowns. So that limits my footwear to say the least.

 

Freestyle is fine. It's hardly the chaotic jeans-filled mess that some people think it is. You could definitely tell it was formal night and the people wearing jeans, etc, were rushing by in the common areas, eyes averted, not exactly feeling like a million bucks. MOST people were formal until about 10pm.

[caribbeanchickie]

Here we go again with the dress code.....:cool: Brings back not so fond memories......:(

 

I had suffered anxiety attacks prior to my OCT 15 Westerdam cruise over the dress code. Bought very formal outfits only to see that at least 60% ( Maybe more) of the PAX had shorts, jeans, t's, nothing close to formal throughout the ship. With that said, did they change after dinner? I don't know and highly doubt it. I felt way over dressed and feel the dress code is HIGHLY over-rated.

 

I did witness on one night a couple arrived to the D/R with SHORTS on and our head waiter asked them to leave. :)

 

One of our table-mates wore black jeans on 2 nights and was never asked to leave. My opinion, this falls under "Jeans" whether they be black, blue, tan etc..... :rolleyes: Very disrespectful to the others at the the table who all wore appropriate attire. "Pfffft"

[bottomrung]

I believe the biggest issue with formal clothes on a cruise is packing the darn stuff in your suite case. You need to pack,

The Bulky Jacket.

The Extra Shirts, just don't cram them in like your other shirts, they have to be folded just right.

Your pair of Dress Slacks,

The extra pair of Shoes,

Special socks,

The Horride Tie.

Did I miss anything:confused:

After you pack all this then your DW puts in twice that much, you have one suite case set asside for a few hours on your cruise. Yea I do it but only for my DW.

[jtl513]

It should be noted that the HAL dress code is for the evening, and not just dinner.

HAL requests that all guests remain dressed to code until retiring for the night as long as they are in the public areas.

 

Well, it looks like I'll be retiring even earlier than I have in the past then!

 

My main interests in cruising are the ports and scenery, not the ship, and would skip formal nights altogether if that wasn't when the best food was served. And yes, I know I could get that in the Lido too, but my DW prefers the dining room.

 

So that's what cruising is "all about" for me Stephen! :)

[kryos]

How tacky. :eek: Why bother getting dressed up in the first place. :rolleyes:

LOL ... only so that they could gorge themselves in the dining room. :) Don't forget ... most formal nights have special things on the menu ... like lobster. :) Most people wouldn't want to miss that, and I don't think you can get the lobster in the alternative dining venue on Princess.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

I believe the biggest issue with formal clothes on a cruise is packing the darn stuff in your suite case.

And that's exactly why I think at some point in the next year or so, formal nights are gonna become optional on HAL. With airline weight regulations getting tougher and tougher in this age of budget airline travel, some people just can't haul all that stuff to the cruise port. In past years, often the airlines may have ignored that bag that was over limit, but not today. They will sock you with an overweight fee faster than you can say Bon Voyage. So, if people have to fly to get to the ship, they may have to sacrifice the formal wear in order to get all the other necessary stuff into the suitcase without exceeding their weight limits. Thus, the formal night requirement is a real "con" when evaluating the pros and cons of selecting a cruise vacation over some other type of land resort. Cruise lines ... including HAL ... will respond to this negative by eliminating the requirement for formal dress ... I'd say within the next year or so.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

I had suffered anxiety attacks prior to my OCT 15 Westerdam cruise over the dress code. Bought very formal outfits only to see that at least 60% ( Maybe more) of the PAX had shorts, jeans, t's, nothing close to formal throughout the ship. With that said, did they change after dinner? I don't know and highly doubt it. I felt way over dressed and feel the dress code is HIGHLY over-rated.

While I can't say I saw anyone in shorts on formal night (with the exception of one guy sitting in the Ocean Bar), I do agree with you. Formal is not what it used to be and there is no reason to fret over it, going out and buying all kinds of fancy clothes. I've mentioned on this board before ... about my reinstone studded black tee-shirt. That's my formal top. And guess what? I was dressed just as nicely as anyone else at our dining room table.

 

As I said before, people are limited today in what they can haul to a cruise. The fancy formal wear is the first thing that gets left behind today. There's just too many other things ... necessities ... that have to be crammed into that suitcase. Fifty pounds gets reached pretty quickly ... long before the formal wear makes it into the bag.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

Princess is not any differant than HAL......you are supposed to stay in your evening attire all evening.

 

The "Personal Choice Dining" only refers to you picking the time you want to eat...you still are supposed to adhere to the requested attire for that evening.

I wasn't comparing personal choice with traditional dining. The dress code for dinner is the same in both dining rooms. But ... I beg to differ in that on Princess, the evening's dress code is for the dining rooms only. After dinner, people are free to change into more comfortable clothing. On HAL, the dress code is considered as the code for the entire evening on all public decks, with the obvious exception of the Lido.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

Everyone?

So, if I were to cruise Princes I would be conspicuous and made to feel out of place if i were to stay in my formal attire for the evening??

Certainly not. Some people opt not to bother going back to the cabin to change. You really get a mix.

 

I'll probably not sail Princess any more either ... but for different reasons. HAL's food is so much better and since food is pretty important to me on a cruise, I'd rather spend my money on HAL.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[gizmo]

Here we go again with the dress code.....:cool: Brings back not so fond memories......:(

 

I had suffered anxiety attacks prior to my OCT 15 Westerdam cruise over the dress code. Bought very formal outfits only to see that at least 60% ( Maybe more) of the PAX had shorts, jeans, t's, nothing close to formal throughout the ship. With that said, did they change after dinner? I don't know and highly doubt it. I felt way over dressed and feel the dress code is HIGHLY over-rated.

 

 

Everytime I read something like this I really wonder what is going on. I am not questioning what you posted by any means, so please don't take my post wrong.

I have never seen this. 60% is a very high percentage to be strolling around in short, jeans, t's on formal night. Is it possible this occurs more on Vista ships?

My last cruise I would say about 75% of the guys had on a tux. Ladies were dressed nicely. Yes, I saw a couple of people wandering around in shorts and Ts shirts. Maybe 1%.

[gizmo]

And that's exactly why I think at some point in the next year or so, formal nights are gonna become optional on HAL. With airline weight regulations getting tougher and tougher in this age of budget airline travel, some people just can't haul all that stuff to the cruise port. In past years, often the airlines may have ignored that bag that was over limit, but not today. They will sock you with an overweight fee faster than you can say Bon Voyage. So, if people have to fly to get to the ship, they may have to sacrifice the formal wear in order to get all the other necessary stuff into the suitcase without exceeding their weight limits. Thus, the formal night requirement is a real "con" when evaluating the pros and cons of selecting a cruise vacation over some other type of land resort. Cruise lines ... including HAL ... will respond to this negative by eliminating the requirement for formal dress ... I'd say within the next year or so.

 

--rita

 

Kryos,

 

I realize this is your "mantra" and you firmly believe it, :D but I don't think this is going to happen. :)