Question about menus?

[AmberTeka]

My husband will put on a suit. He enjoys the people we have dinner with and then as quick as dinner is over, he is in the room and changes back into casino going clothes. That is where he heads. And if you eat on the Lido--that is lovely. The views are great, it is the same food, the service is good and lots of people eat there too. They also have really good room service and as you have a balcony, those two nights might the two for a romantic dinner.

You are going to have such a good time. You sound like you have worked hard all of your life and now can enjoy a few luxuries. So go to the Trivia games and the enrichment lectures and enjoy the shore trips and just forget about that suit.

And Holland America will deliver what they are serving in the dining room to your cabin. And after dinner, they dip chocolates in the Explorer's Lounge or so I have read and I intend to check that out.

[InTheWASide]

I've never thought to go to the Explorer's for the chocolates which sucks because I've known about them since before I went on the Westerdam cruise...

 

Just shorter cruises and too much to pack into them I guess.

[m steve]

segregate the ship. Have 1 dining room with people who follow the dress code and another for the jeans and sweatsuit set. One pool for nude swimmers and one for those in bathing attire. One set of pool lounges for chair hogs and another that will automatically flip off the contents unless someone sits on then at least once every half hour. Part of the ship for smokers and the other side for non smokers. (gee they already do this) and a special area for booze smugglers with ice and mixer machines. This way everyone can be happy but you have to choose your selection when you book the cruise and no switching.:cool:

[OldinJersey]

I am suprised by the hostility to this post! I am very similar to the original poster. Why would we book HAL instead of NCL, Carnival etc? Because we rated what mattered to us.

Affordable price -both for the cruise and the airfare getting there.

good food rating

time that matched our schedule

good food rating (g)

type of cruisers. (no hairy chest contests)

handicapped room availability - I need a scooter

(at the time I think our ages 54, 51, 25, 20 and 16). My family prefered "nice" food to a ton of folks their age. They liked dressing up. I dread it.

First off, though folks are not in jeans, it is not 1956. I would say most people wore suit jackets/dresses, not gowns/tuxes, though my girls did.

I did bring two dresses. Last cruise I brought black pants, flat black shoes and a blouse on some sort. I HATE dressing up and always did.

The Lido is open on dress up night because tons of folks don't do the formal nights on HAL and on any cruise. Otherwise it would be closed due to lack of interest. Because most of the posters here go to formal night they have not spent time with all the folks who skip it.

Since we did them I don't know if the food is exactly the same, but we found the food in the Lido to be as good as in the dining room.

Room service matches the dining room. The 25 year old would eat a nice filet then go to the room and order another one. (g)

My suggestion is one of the nights eat dinner on the verandah, and one night to to the Lido. You'll find lots of company! Also see what the real dress code is for the Pinnacle Grill. The food there is lovely.

As to age, when they said older, they do mean older. We went at Christmas when there were many families and still I would say over 70 was the largest age group. I understand on some it is almost everyone. That said, they were interesting, well spoken, fun folks.

We did a princess cruise last fall and their buffet food was just yucks compared to what was served on HAL. We were "forced" to eat in the formal rooms each meal. It was a 9 day cruise and I wore a dress once.

[jtl513]

it is the same food,

Is that 100% true? Like lobster on the 2nd formal night?

[donh1]

and another thing...maybe this will get some responses.

 

My wife and I are working class people. I don't wear a tie to work and she doesn't wear dresses. We can afford this cruise...but it offends me that two nights I'm supposed to wear either a Tux or a suit and tie. I don't wear them to work and I don't plan to take them on my vacation. We plan to either eat in the LIdo restaurant tor order room service those two nights. I've read many posts where people seem offended that many didn't adhere to the dress code on formal nights.

 

Whatever...and I'm sure I'm going to get slammed for this... but I'm paying the same as everyone else (we've reserved a Verandah) yet there are two nights that we either have to dine in the Lido restaurant... or order room service. We picked HAl because you can order from the dining room menu for room service but it doesn't seem fair to me that we are not allowed to dine in the Rotterdam Dining Room those two nights.

 

I'm not taking a suit and tie for this cruise and we're paying a price for it. I'm sure many will disagree. Please feel free to rip me a new one. But that's how I feel.

 

Best regards.

 

Robert

.........

Our society would simply collapse if we allowed each person so follow their own conscience and make their own rules. Your standard seems reasonable to me and likely tolorable. To someone else it may seem offensive. His conscience may allow him to simply throw the rule breaker overboard. In a society without imposed standards and rules what would stop him from imposing punishment as he saw fit.

In your post you have now imposed a new standard (yours). I don't think you would be tolerant of a table mate wearing a mussel shirt with a swastika on the front or maybe someone with a big hairy chest coming directly from the pool to the dining to eat shirtless. He eats that way at home so why not on the cruiseship. He paid for a balcony and should get what he wants.

We have rules because they are for the common good. Again I don't think your standard is unreasonable but we definitely cannot leave it to each individual passenger to set the standard.....

[Hobbit]

I'm trying to find the interesting notes about the food. I caught that there's hand-dipped chocolates in the Explorers Lounge after dinner? How yummy is that?

 

Thanks for posting the link to the sample menu's Cool Cruiser. One suggestion: don't look at the menus when you're sitting at home and you're hungry. (Why is it that it's always when I'm hungry that I think going on a cruise would be REALLY FUN........?) :rolleyes:

 

Here's a cool suggestion Robert. The first night you're on the ship you aren't expected to adhere to a dress code because after all, not everyone has gotten their luggage yet to be able to change. But the Pinnacle Grill is a little desperate to get warm bodies into the restaurant on the first night, because nobody wants to go to the fancy restaurant on the first night. So when you get onto the ship, go get a reservation at the Pinnacle Grill for that night and show up in whatever you want. My husband and I may be showing up in dirty, smelly, cycling clothes at the Pinnacle Grill on the first night after cycling from Anchorage to Seward; if they don't get our luggage to us before dinner.

 

Question to all and sundry: How was the fresh fish selection at dinner in the dining room on the Alaska cruises? Can I have yummy fresh caught fish every night? Or is it their regular menu?

 

Let's talk about FOOD!!!!! :p

 

Hobbit

[barbon2]

Ok, I think I figured this out. The people who post in regard to dress code, eg. "is it ok if I wear jeans on formal night", etc., post to these boards to get reassurance that it is ok to do so. That is why we see so many threads on this topic presented in so many ways. Perhaps by posting on these board and getting responses takes the guilt out of not following the ship's requested dress code.

I think the people who really do not give a "hoot" one way or another do not post the question to these boards because they really don't care how they dress or look or if they fit in or not.

Just had to add one more thought.

Barbara

[RevNeal]

Interesting thought, Barbara. There are, however, those who just like to stir the pot. They're the kind of people who used to knock over the bee hive to see what would happen. Remember Foghorn Leghorn in the Loony Toons cartoons? He used to amble up to "Barnyard Dawg" while the dog was sleeping, paddle the dog's behind eight times with a plank of wood, and then run away as fast as he could as the dog chased him until the dog ran out of line. That's what they're doing. And, yes, that makes me the dog. :D

[barbon2]

Rev....Cute answer. You got a chuckle out of me. Now am I just wondering if my black "crocks" are suitable for formal night :)

Barbara

[RevNeal]

Rev....Cute answer. You got a chuckle out of me. Now am I just wondering if my black "crocks" are suitable for formal night :)

 

I know of crock pots, crocodiles, and crocks of scheiße ... but what are these "black crocks" and where do you wear them??????

 

:D

[Happy HALer]

I know of crock pots, crocodiles, and crocks of scheiße ... but what are these "black crocks" and where do you wear them??????

 

:D

A picture is worth at least 5 words.

[barbon2]

Rev,

They are those plastic looking clogs with the holes in them. They come in all colors, a lot of them bright...A lot of medical personnel wear them, they are also used a beach shoes. Now go run out and buy a pair for your next cruise, they make them for men also

[RevNeal]

Rev,

They are those plastic looking clogs with the holes in them. They come in all colors, a lot of them bright...A lot of medical personnel wear them, they are also used a beach shoes. Now go run out and buy a pair for your next cruise, they make them for men also

 

Are they comfortable?

[george/patricia]

Robert:

 

I also hate wearing a jacket and tie and that is the reason I have booked Oceania for cruises. The reason I've booked HAL is that it has the cruise I want for a certain time period. If my wife would let me I probably would eat at the Lido 90% of the time and not waste precious hours in the GDR. When we cruise we usually travel before and after the cruise and the last thing I want to do is lug around extra formal wear. Don't worry about this issue as many people agree with us.

 

George.

[luvcruisn']

revneal: At the indoor swimming pool that I work at many of the lifeguards wear "crocs" instead of flip flops on deck while they are guarding. They're supposed to be much more comfortable than flip flops. I haven't tried them yet, but the guards wear them for several hours a day and like them.

[Cruisin Suzi]

The crocs also come in flip flop style and slip on style, with a band going across the top (sorry, not a very good description!). Anyway, my DH and several others at our marina wear them and just love them. They're very cushy, the piece between the toes doesn't rub funny like some flip flops, and they're waterproof. These are the only flip flops DH has ever been able to wear. They're sold at almost every Hallmark store (I know, doesn't that seem strange??) and some other shoe stores for $29.99, but they have a website you can check out too. Last week I bought him another brand, but he said no way, take them back and get me another pair of crocs!

[cnvh]

Big Croc fan here... I have the flip-flops, regular "holey" kind, and a hole-less pair that I wear in the winter. They are SOOOO comfortable, like walking on air... they're waterproof... fully washable with soap and water... they float... there's plenty of room for wide feet... what's not to love?

 

I would never consider wearing a pair to the dining room, but you will definitely see me wearing mine around in port and by the pools in the daytime!

[bermuda triangle]

Are they comfortable?

 

Noah and friends of ours (2 Physicians Assistants, hubby and wife) all have pairs that they wear to the hospital for work. They are on their feet for 10+ hrs a day and love them. Plus Noah has shoe issues.

Laura

 

Here is the company website http://www.crocs.com/