Jeans Are Allowed...

[Don Haynes]

I have notice that hats and caps have been mentioned. There are long standing proper rules for wearing a hat, and its okay to wear a hat or cap in a fine resturant when the following situation exists: no hat check in, no hat rack, or no empty chair to place the hat. Its up to the restaurants to provide the accommodations for a hat, including the empty chair. When a restaurant doesn't provide the empty chair, its okay for the hat wearer to wear the hat in a sign of disgust.

 

Hats are accessories similar to a lady's purse. The option of not wearing a hat to the restaurant is not an option any more than a lady not bringing her purse!

 

On my last cruise I did do formal, wore a tux and a top hat, and I had to wear my top hat during the entire meal in the restaurant because the restaurant did not provide any of the accommodations for my hat.

 

So before anyone blasts anyone for wearing a hat or a cheap cap in any of the restaurants at NCL, in my opinion, none of the restaurants aboard any NCL ship are first class five star restaurants, not even Le Bistro. If they won't accommodate a $250 top hat, do you really think they will accommodate a cap?

[LaJollaCruiser]

[....]

So before anyone blasts anyone for wearing a hat or a cheap cap in any of the restaurants at NCL, in my opinion, none of the restaurants aboard any NCL ship are first class five star restaurants, not even Le Bistro. If they won't accommodate a $250 top hat, do you really think they will accommodate a cap?

 

Who has seen anything other than a baseball cap worn in a dining room?

 

Leave that "hat" in your stateroom and you won't have to worry about a "hat rack".

[KeystoneCruiser]

Because wearing jeans in the dining rooms ruins the ambiance for fellow diners.

 

 

and dining with stuck up snobs in tuxes ruins the ambiance of a relaxed vacation dinner for me.

[Don Haynes]

I guess I'm old fashioned. Finally my wife convinces me to dress to the nines and pay for Le Bistro, and when I do, the Le Bistro fails to provide an empty chair.

 

By the way,I usually wear a fedora when I wear a suit. I have a cowboy hat as well, along with a few caps. In my small town the finest restaurants do provide a empty chair, unfortunately, many places don't. Count NCL as one of those places who don't.

[Retired not Expired]

If there is anyone who needs the ambiance of everyone dressed formal in order to enjoy their meal, the answer is very simple. There are cruise lines that offer that and enforce it. Book with them and be happy.

 

Why anyone would get bend out of shape because one cruise line does not offer it is beyond me unless they are a control freak and don't want anyone else to have a choice.

 

Same with those who do not wish to dress formal. Either book with a cruise line that does not either require it or enforce it or if you do, eat in the buffet on formal nights.

 

To expect everyone on every cruise line to fall into place for you is rediculous. Giving others a choice won't hurt anyone.

[Globaliser]

If there is anyone who needs the ambiance of everyone dressed formal in order to enjoy their meal, the answer is very simple. There are cruise lines that offer that and enforce it. Book with them and be happy.

NCL used to do something (at least on the Sun) which was perfect. On "formal night" (which was, of course, entirely optional) the Four Seasons was the designated formal dress main restaurant. So anyone who wanted to dine in a main restaurant had a choice between a restaurant with a formal dress ambience and one which was normal "resort casual", both serving identical food.

 

I thought that sort of choice was what Freestyle is all about. Ideal for a cruise where one would want the fun of dressing up one night in the week, if others were going to do the same.

 

On my last Sun cruise, last month, that had been done away with. Between that and the cancellation of the captain's formal night cocktail party, we are all now thinking that we won't bother in the future. A choice - dining in a formal dress ambience restaurant on formal night - has actually been taken away from us.

[Retired not Expired]

NCL used to do something (at least on the Sun) which was perfect. On "formal night" (which was, of course, entirely optional) the Four Seasons was the designated formal dress main restaurant. So anyone who wanted to dine in a main restaurant had a choice between a restaurant with a formal dress ambience and one which was normal "resort casual", both serving identical food.

 

I thought that sort of choice was what Freestyle is all about. Ideal for a cruise where one would want the fun of dressing up one night in the week, if others were going to do the same.

 

On my last Sun cruise, last month, that had been done away with. Between that and the cancellation of the captain's formal night cocktail party, we are all now thinking that we won't bother in the future. A choice - dining in a formal dress ambience restaurant on formal night - has actually been taken away from us.

 

Yes, that did work well back when half the cruisers would dress formal. It was not NCL who change it but the cruisers. Less and less opted to dress formal and it ended up with one dining room being underused and one over used, causing problems. NCL had no choice but to stop doing it.

 

Still, if that formal ambience is what someone has to have, there are cruise lines that have it. There's still a choice.

[Globaliser]

Still, if that formal ambience is what someone has to have, there are cruise lines that have it. There's still a choice.

Yes - that's true.

 

But it's not a choice being offered any more by NCL, for all the reasons you give. I'm sure that the rumoured changes are a logical extension of what's already happened. But IMHO we shouldn't pretend that every NCL passenger still has every choice that they used to have.

[F5Loar]

The last time I cruised NCL (2 years ago?) they had the split DRs with one being held as formal the other casual on formal night. On my week it was the opposite. You had a long wait line in the formal room so we ended up going to the casual DR in formal attire. Saying they dropped it because they had empty DR on formal night because they enforced(yeah rigth)the formal dress code in that DR is not so. They would still allow you into either as many didn't understand the difference. The many I speak of are usually first time cruises that not only wear ball caps to dinner but wear them backwards during the meal. Even if they had a hat check girl as you come in these people wouldn't know what to do with their hats. What happens on one ship one week to one cruiser is not necessarily going to happen the same way when your week to go comes up. That's just a fact we all face.

You might have a week full of NASCAR fans going to the Carribean to see Ricky Bobbie at a resort on an island or heck Ricky might be on the ship as a promotion that week and the next week it might be full of the national Brooks Brothers annual cruise vacation for top salesmen(I bet the majority dress proper that week!). Remember this when picking your cruise: You can pick the ship to go on, the places to go to and date you want to go but you will never be able to pick the other 2000 +/- people going with you!

And heaven help you if you pick a spring break week in the Carribean!

[electricron]

Yes - that's true.

But it's not a choice being offered any more by NCL, for all the reasons you give. I'm sure that the rumoured changes are a logical extension of what's already happened. But IMHO we shouldn't pretend that every NCL passenger still has every choice that they used to have.

 

I don't recall NCL advertising your choice to dine in a formal "only" dining room?

[Retired not Expired]

Yes - that's true.

 

But it's not a choice being offered any more by NCL, for all the reasons you give. I'm sure that the rumoured changes are a logical extension of what's already happened. But IMHO we shouldn't pretend that every NCL passenger still has every choice that they used to have.

 

There's no cruise line that is everything to everybody. I can't go to Celeb or RCCL and get Freestyle dining. And yes, things will change.

 

A couple of years ago on RCCL, formal nights would see most men in a Tux. No one casual. Now you see about 10% in a Tux and may see someone with leather pants and a wife beater shirt. Hal's looking at a form of Freestyle.

 

But the thing is, throughout the cuise industry, most can find what they want. We just can't demand that every cruise line be a clone of the others and give always what we want.

[Globaliser]

I don't recall NCL advertising your choice to dine in a formal "only" dining room?

Freestyle Daily, Sunday 24 October 2004, Norwegian Sun (see the entries for the Four Seasons and the Seven Seas):-

 

[F5Loar]

While it was printed (in fine print) I don't doubt he didin't see it as being one DR as formal attire and the other DR as optionial or casual okay. That's been the problem with all the cruise lines. They changed the dress codes and what and wheres so much it's down right confusing. And there are those that don't read those daily papers. And there are those that read it but don't quite "get it" if you know what I mean because they read "formal attire" in the Four Seasons and still show up wearing casual on formal night. I'll stand by by original post in that if NCL and other lines can't do formal night properly and well, formally, then don't do it at all.

[mbisson]

While it was printed (in fine print) I don't doubt he didin't see it as being one DR as formal attire and the other DR as optionial or casual okay. That's been the problem with all the cruise lines. They changed the dress codes and what and wheres so much it's down right confusing. And there are those that don't read those daily papers. And there are those that read it but don't quite "get it" if you know what I mean because they read "formal attire" in the Four Seasons and still show up wearing casual on formal night. I'll stand by by original post in that if NCL and other lines can't do formal night properly and well, formally, then don't do it at all.

 

I'm not exactly sure what you mean. If by formal, you mean a tux, you're correct, (a dark suit-or was it a jacket & tie for men?- was also acceptable). I was on the Sun a couple months after Globalizer and I can say that there was a door attendant and if somebody showed up and didn't quite "get it", they didn't quite get in the door! Personally, as I said earlier, at least on my cruise I thought it worked well and was a bit surprised that they didn't do that on my Jewel and Sun cruises in '05&'06. To me, it wasn't a hardship to give up one dining room on one night.

 

jmo

 

-Monte

[jmcdon7230]

How about making one of the smaller speciality restaurants......for instance, Le Bistro....formal EVERY night? Formal in this case meaning tux or coat and tie for men, gowns (forgive me Keystone, ha ha) or cocktail dresses for the ladies.

[Pisti]

Just got off the Dawn this morning. The sign for no jeans is still outside the Venitian Dining Room, I didn't notice anyone wearing jeans but to be honest I wasn't looking. My general impression was everyone was nicely dressed. The second day of the cruise ie the first sea day was optional formal with the requisite lobster tails being served. There were many tux and gowns as well as very dressy cocktail dresses,same on New Year's Eve. First time freestyle for our family and we loved it.

The previous posters who mentionned rude passengers were right on! We were appalled at how pushy and inconsiderate many of the passengers were and worse than that how rude and arrogant they were to staff who were always so polite and helpful. This is the first time we have seen this and wondered why so different from our previous cruises. I asked a crew member if there was a large charter group from the former USSR and she told me no that they were US citizens. They were dressed to the nines but that didn't do anything for their attitude or manners.:eek: Give me polite, good humoured jean wearers any day.

[Down-Unders]

Because wearing jeans in the dining rooms ruins the ambiance for fellow diners.

 

Now... what style were those Prada $500 Jeans?

 

Agree with you surfgirl it does ruin the ambience of the dining room. :):)

[newmexicoNita]

How about making one of the smaller speciality restaurants......for instance, Le Bistro....formal EVERY night? Formal in this case meaning tux or coat and tie for men, gowns (forgive me Keystone, ha ha) or cocktail dresses for the ladies.

that is probably the best idea I have seen posted here. NMNita

[Down-Unders]

I wrote to NCL and to final make sure what is going on with all the new policies. Sinec I saw more designer Jeans then ever on my last cruise on the Norwegian Pearl. JEANS ARE ALLOWED in the dining roms as long as they are not ripped or with holes.

There will be also no "Optional Formal" nights anymore and basically everybody can wear a Tuxedo or a pair of Jeans as they like.

 

You will also find the new freestyle dailies very interesting!

 

The no shorts, Tank Top policy in main dining rooms (except buffet) is still on.

 

Enjoy your excellent cruises on this brilliant cruise line!!!

 

King Marcus

 

 

If this is true lets change it. The worldwide trend is the minority rules the majority, if good men/women sit back and do nothing........ :) :)

[Barb Nahoumi]

I'll just put on my formal jeans, then! ;)

 

Yes. Wear a tuxedo jacket with diamond-studded jeans.

 

Barb

[KeystoneCruiser]

If this is true lets change it. The worldwide trend is the minority rules the majority, if good men/women sit back and do nothing........ :) :)

 

But who says the majority doesn't want the dress code to include jeans?

 

People on here think that the majority wants to keep the stuffy formal nights, but I believe that the majority is happy with Freestyle and that NCL stopped designating one dining room as formal only because they couldn't fill it. Sounds to me as if the majority wants the new code.

 

 

And, don't plan on any specialty restaurant going to formal only for every night. NCL won't risk not filling it every night. Too much of a financial loss.

[Down-Unders]

But who says the majority doesn't want the dress code to include jeans?

 

People on here think that the majority wants to keep the stuffy formal nights, but I believe that the majority is happy with Freestyle and that NCL stopped designating one dining room as formal only because they couldn't fill it. Sounds to me as if the majority wants the new code.

 

 

And, don't plan on any specialty restaurant going to formal only for every night. NCL won't risk not filling it every night. Too much of a financial loss.

 

??????????????

[electricron]

Freestyle Daily, Sunday 24 October 2004, Norwegian Sun (see the entries for the Four Seasons and the Seven Seas):-

 

2004 was a long time ago. ;)

[Down-Unders]

and dining with stuck up snobs in tuxes ruins the ambiance of a relaxed vacation dinner for me.

 

They say the mind is like a parachute

it works better when open. :) :)

[Host CMLA]

Thanks for participating everyone. I've had to remove disruptive and insulting posts several times a day from this thread. So it's time to close it. I hope we all got our "Jeans are OK" feelings out there. :)