Dining Attire

[Getty]

http://messages.cruisecritic.com/images/smilies/smile.gif Our group will be on Amsterdam to Alaska in June. Opinon differences on attire. Experienced cruisers please advise on proper dress for formal , informal, and casual dining . Thank you.

[RuthC]

The info you want is in the Know Before You Go booklet that will come with your documents. It's also available on the HAL website.

Essentially, daywear is easy. Be comfortable; layering is the way to go. Be prepared for hot/warm/cool/cold; sunny/cloudy/drizzly/rainy. Maybe all in the same day!


Evenings are formal, informal, casual. Shorts, jeans, t-tops are never appropriate at night; at least indoors. (If you plan to be out on deck watching the scenery that's a different story.)


On casual nights think "country club casual", or a "put-together" look.


On informal nights men are requested to wear a sport coat; tie is optional. Women will be in a nice dress or nice pants set. Think nice daytime wedding attire.


Formal nights men wear a tuxedo/dinner jacket, a dark suit, or at least a sport coat and tie. Women wear gowns, fancy cocktail dresses, their best bling. ;) Think dressy evening wedding clothes.

The dress code is for the evening in the public areas of the ship, not only dining.


(and so we have the first volley in the Feb. '05 edition of the ever-popular 'dress code wars'.):rolleyes:

[Krazy Kruizers]

Ah yes - Ruth C - your response was the first shot across the bows of those who want to water down HAL's dress code.

BUT - WE AGREE WITH YOU!!!!

And that is how we dress on all cruises.

(Now you know why we don't do Princess and NCL.)

[RuthC]

KK, it's funny, I was at a HAL/Alaska presentation a week ago. There were two speakers, a nice film---basicly a great salespitch for an Alaska cruise w/tour.

The speakers talked about clothing and played down the evening dress code! HAL's own people!

It spoke volumes. Very sad. :(

[Krazy Kruizers]

Ruth C

AHHHH - I hope that is not an indication that HAL's dress code is going to end up like a couple of the other cruise lines - jeans, etc., no tuxedos, etc.

[zcat]

Right on Ruth.

[cruznon]

Ruth,
I think your discriptions of the HAL dress suggestions were terrific. :)
I happen to love dressing up for dinner and the evening aboard ship.
Can I wear long shirt and silk blouse even on the non-formal nights on HAL without looking inappropriate?:confused:
Thanks,
Peggy

[grannynurse]

blurring of boundaries for women between casual and informal nights.

I once wore cropped pants on a casual night coming into Rotterdam at the end of a transatlantic, and felt a little under-dressed.

Many veteran cruisers do dress "more than casual" on casual nights, so a silk blouse would not be out of place. I'd rather dress up than down.
As Ruth says, mix and match. I might wear the same dressy (read silky) pants on a casual night as i wore on informal, but with a less dressy top, or a nice sweater.
Try packing for over 30 days, now that's a logistical problem, especially on a cruise that has 8 formal nights.
GN

[BigDogMom]

I agree with your posting also. We adhere to the dress codes as suggested and surely wish others would too. We have sailed other lines, Royal Caribbean and NLC, because of the itinerary and we're put off by those that chose not to follow the dress codes. Just because it's formal night and you don't feel like dressing up doesn't mean you show up in the alternate restaurant in a plaid sport shirt and sneakers and your wife is in a sundress! My husband doesn't mind dressing up because he never gets other chances to do so.