Formal night dress on HAL?

[COLGATE]

A point of curiosity. Based on your experience, what percentage of gentlemen use tuxes (as opposed to dark business suits) on HAL formal nights? Thanks.:confused:

[seadrifter]

Our experience on HAL is only on the Westerdam 10 day Baltic in July of 2005 and the Oosterdam Mexican Riviera last Jan/Feb. Gentlemen wearing a tux were definitely in the minority. Hard to put a percentage on it, but definitely less than 35 percent would be my guesstimate. Those who do wear a tux look outstanding. My DH has never had any interest in wearing one on a cruise and his dark suit looks fine and definitely fits in well. I expect that certain cruises attract a more formal crowd and tuxes may be more prevalent. Definitely holiday cruises would be more formal.

Happy cruising,

Virginia

[grannynurse]

Hi,
It usually depends on the ship, the length of the itinerary and the itinerary. World, European, holiday, South America, and transatlantic cruises are more formal with 90% or more of the men wearing tuxes. Caribbean, south Pacific island and Alaska cruises tend to be less formal but you'll see a higher number of men on HAL wearing tuxes than on most lines other than Cunard. I haven't been on Seaborne so I can't comment but I'd bet the rate would be high on the premium lines too.
Our 11 day New Year's cruise on Zaandam to the Caribbean had 95% of the men in tuxes. Most women do wear long dresses.
GN

[RuthC]

That can vary from week to week even on the same ship/same itinerary. Then throw in longer cruises, Europe itineraries, maybe another variable or two, and ---it's hard to say.
In my experience the majority of men wear either a tux or a dark suit. The majority of the remainder wear a sport coat w/tie (that is within the code).

Certainly, a gentleman always looks good in a tux or dinner jacket. Certainly, he's always "dressed up" in a suit.

[serendipity1499]

A point of curiosity. Based on your experience, what percentage of gentlemen use tuxes (as opposed to dark business suits) on HAL formal nights? Thanks.:confused:

That's a great question for a poll, but since I don't know how to start a poll, can only tell you about our "Prinsendam" Amazon Explorer cruise..
Our Docs stated 6 formal & 5 informal but on the ship one of the formal nights was changed to informal..There were lot's of Tux's but the % escapes me..At our table for 6 we had one in a Tux, one in a Dark Suit & one in a Sport Jacket w/tie..All our men & ladies looked well dressed..

Believe there were more Tux's on our South America trip on the Amsterdam 2 1/2 years ago..

[Moogy]

I tried to estimate these numbers last week. I assured my husband that he HAD to wear a suit and tie, so I was taking a quick inventory to be sure I didn't overstate the necessity.

Mens Wear:

On formal nights, I think only 15%-20% of the men were wearing tuxes (they looked GREAT), maybe 70% dark suits, a few sportscoats and a very few without any jackets at all (hey, maybe their luggage got lost...maybe they gained weight from all the food, and the jacket no longer fit! :D )

On the one informal night, maybe 50% were in dark suits with ties, a few in dark suits with no tie, 30% sportscoats, the remainder in shirt/tie or shirt/sweater. I only saw one or two in shirt without tie on informal night. I was afraid hubby and Papa would feel overdressed on informal night, since they didn't bring sportscoats, but there were lots of guys who opted for suits both nights.

In our area of the country, a nice dress shirt with a tie is considered more dressy than a sportscoat with no tie. Maybe this has something to do with the extreme HEAT in Texas....

Anyway, we had planned to just eat at the Lido on informal night, but the main dining room menu was so tempting that my husband decided it was worth dressing up again.

Womens Wear:

For the first formal night, my guess is that only 10-15% of the women at the early seating were wearing long formal dresses. I saw lots of sparkly tops with pants or skirt, and quite a few short cocktail dresses. A few women were wearing "nice church dresses." At the second formal night, I think there were more long formals.

Just my unscientific research, with not very carefully tabulated results. :rolleyes:

Moogy

[TrojanCruiser]

A point of curiosity. Based on your experience, what percentage of gentlemen use tuxes (as opposed to dark business suits) on HAL formal nights? Thanks.:confused:

On our recent Alaska cruise on board the Ryndam, I would estimate 15% of the gentlemen wearing tuxes for each of the 2 formal nights. I purchased a tux to use on this cruise and on future cruise formal nights. Actually, the tux jacket came in handy as one of the originally scheduled casual nights got changed to informal. Since my cruise docs said 2 formal and 5 casual nights, I didn't bring a sportcoat. I simply used the tux jacket with one of my Hawaiian shirts- the fashion police weren't going to stop me from eating in the dining room that night...:)

[Aussie Gal]

We always take longer cruises or more exotic cruises and therefore we have found that more than 80% of the men wear formal wear and the rest are in lounge suits.

On our 21 day cruise around South America and to Antarctica in January nearly every man on our four formal nights wore "dinner suits".

We have been on a number of European cruise on HAL and again most of the men were dressed in formal wear and if not then in lounge suits.

I expect on a Caribbean holiday for 7 days people may feel differently. Perhaps people who pack holiday gear do not want to lug their formal gear along for one or two nights.

We are going on a short 12 day trip from Sydney to Sydney in January, and the dress code for the two "dress up" nights is lounge suit or jacket and tie. As it is a cruise to islands, P&O must realize that a lot of people do not want to dress up as much as normal.

Jennie

[lougee1043]

i rent a tux for onboard use --that way i dont have to pack and carry a suit- shirts =ties for formal nite

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have done short and long cruises. And we have noticed that over the years the number of men wearing tuxedos on formal nights has declined no matter the length of cruise.

But DH will still be wearing his!

[Randyk47]

Going back to 1995 I'd say that on my first HAL cruise on the Ryndam (10-day Southern Caribbean) 80-90% of the men wore tuxes. By 2004 on a 7-day Western Caribbean cruise on the Oosterdam it was down to 15-20%. Our 10-day cruise this past February on the Volendam was back up a bit, maybe something like 30-40% but so was number of guys wearing dark (non-tux) suits. I bought my tux years ago because of my job and the formal events connected with it so it wasn't a special expensive or effort to go out get one just for cruising. Luckily it has held up well, and so have I so far, so it still fits and looks good. Only gets used for cruising now but I love wearing it on the cruise.

[babytraveler]

On Alaska cruises, do women really wear long gowns? I have a nice one, but it takes up so much luggage space. Is it worth lugging it along, or just wear a stretchy cocktail dress that can also be used more casually when not formally accessorized?

The reason I ask, is we went to a resort once that advertised itself as elegant and brochure showed people in long gowns dining in luxury. When we went, it was 95% people bussed from retirement homes, wearing track suits. We figured the brochure was the resort being a wannabe!

Anyway, if we were driving I'd bring a gown and what difference would it make. But lugging all that luggage? Is it worth donating that much space for a gown?

[Randyk47]

Mrs. K thinks it's worth it and takes 2-3 gowns depending on the number of formal nights. She's built up quite a collection, around 6 gowns I think, and takes the ones that are lighter materials that take up less room. We take two bags each. Each of us takes a 28 incher and a wheeled garmet back. We've gotten pretty good at packing and clothing selection and keep each bag below the 50 pound limit.....not by much but we make it. :)

[caviargal]

On Alaska cruises, do women really wear long gowns? I have a nice one, but it takes up so much luggage space. Is it worth lugging it along, or just wear a stretchy cocktail dress that can also be used more casually when not formally accessorized?

The reason I ask, is we went to a resort once that advertised itself as elegant and brochure showed people in long gowns dining in luxury. When we went, it was 95% people bussed from retirement homes, wearing track suits. We figured the brochure was the resort being a wannabe!

Anyway, if we were driving I'd bring a gown and what difference would it make. But lugging all that luggage? Is it worth donating that much space for a gown?

I love formal nights and always wear a long dress. I have quite a few to choose from that are easy to pack and do not wrinkle.

I did not see any track suits on my recent HAL cruise :D and have only seen such attire on Carnival (even though many were in gowns on that cruise also).

[Brown Eyed Gurl]

On our 10-day Panama Sunfarer cruise last month, I'd say only 5-10% of men had tuxes on and the rest wore dark suits. I only recall one man wearing a dinner jacket during main dining.

[nanashirl]

Is one of the Formal nights considered to be more formal than other?
I noticed in posts that long dresses were more prominent on second formal night. Just curious if this was so.

[Randyk47]

Maybe somebody else feels differently but typically we've only been on 10-day or shorter cruises and those usually only have two formal nights. Given the choice my wife has the tendency to focus on the second/last night to wear the best of the gowns she's brought...if indeed there really is a difference in the gowns, I think it's actually what color suits her fancy....as that's the night they have the fancier meal (i.e., surf and turf....lobster and steak). We did take a 12-day cruise on another cruise line and there were 3 formal nights on that cruise. Not to worry though....it was our one chance so far to drive to a port and DW took full advantage of not having to worrying about weight or number of bags. :eek:

[Krazy Kruizers]

If all goes well, I will be taking along 2 gowns for our Alaskan cruise.

We do not travel light - we each take a 28 inch suitcase and a 26 inch suitcase in addition to our carry-ons.

[Marbella]

On our recent 2 week Statendam cruise a good percentage of the men wore tux's. At our table for 8, 3 of the men wore tux's. A dark suit with a nice white shirt is quite appropriate as well. I was also amazed at the number of gowns worn. I find it easier to pack "separates" and mix and match.

As to what to wear the first formal night--the most 'fitting' dress as things tended to get a little :rolleyes: ahem...snug by the end of the cruise!!!!

[caviargal]

Is one of the Formal nights considered to be more formal than other?
I noticed in posts that long dresses were more prominent on second formal night. Just curious if this was so.


In all of my cruising, I have never noticed this to be true.

I decide which gown to wear while I am getting dressed. Whether it is the first or the second formal night is irrelevant as the dress code is the same.

My SO wears a tux both nights, with different accessories.

[NoNoNanette]

On our 10-day Panama Sunfarer cruise last month, I'd say only 5-10% of men had tuxes on and the rest wore dark suits. I only recall one man wearing a dinner jacket during main dining.

I can't tell you how much it DELIGHTED me to read your estimate of 5-10%! I posted something similiar several months ago, relating what a cruise buddy had told me about the VOLENDAM Southern Caribbean itinerary. (Her husband wore his tux the first night, then changed to a suit on the 2nd, as he felt over-dressed)

My post was met with disbelief and negativity.

As I have NO REASON to doubt my friend, I'm happy to see someone else report the same. :)

THANKS! :D

[sail7seas]

....:) And I am happy to report that I, personally, (not through anyone else's eyes but my own), can report that at least 75% of the Gentlemen with whom we sailed on Volendam in October and then again mere months later in January, 2006 were finely attired in their tuxedos on formal nights. The ladies were just as appropriately attired and the vast majority looked lovely.

It made for a lovely ambience and the effort people put forth to be courteous to their fellow guests was greatly appreciated. It was a very nice group of people on both cruises IMO

Certainly, there are always a few exceptions. ;)

[NoNoNanette]

I shall report back after our December return! ;)

*edited to say that I still have NO REASON to doubt my dear friend's report*

[caviargal]

....:) And I am happy to report that I, personally, (not through anyone else's eyes but my own), can report that at least 75% of the Gentlemen with whom we sailed on Volendam in October and then again mere months later in January, 2006 were finely attired in their tuxedos on formal nights. The ladies were just as appropriately attired and the vast majority looked lovely.

It made for a lovely ambience and the effort people put forth to be courteous to their fellow guests was greatly appreciated. It was a very nice group of people on both cruises IMO

Certainly, there are always a few exceptions. ;)





It was the same on my recent HAL cruise and made for a delightful experience.:) 75% in tuxes, then the rest in suits with a few sports coats here and there. The women were mostly in gowns.

I was also pleased when four gentlemen in my dinner party were sent back for jackets when they showed up for their reservation at PG on informal night. They were politely but firmly told that the dress code was jackets for the evening.

I was on Sovereign of the Seas on a 3 nighter over the weekend and that cruise had about 10% of the men in tuxes and most of the rest in suits and ties, an unexpected occurence which certainly contributed to the ambiance of the evening, as always.

[RevNeal]

In November aboard the Westerdam for two weeks (eastern/western b2b cruises) I noticed that the group on the first week was somewhat more dressy than the group aboard for the second week. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 75% of the men were in Tuxedos on formal nights during the first week. The percentage had dropped to somewhere in the 50% range for the second week. To put this another way, the percentage of men dressed in Tuxedos can vary from week to week even on the 7-day itineraries ... and just because one percentage was true on one cruise, it does not automatically follow that it absolutely will be true on any other cruise (even an immediately subsequent cruise).

On a prior thread, many months ago, I wrote the following to Nanette:

I would counsel a bit of caution with regard to such observations as your gal friend. It may very well have been true that only 10% of the men had tuxedos on ... but that is not indicative of every HAL cruise. On the Oosterdam last month the number of men in Tuxedos was at least 50%, if not higher. Those men who were not in Tuxedoes were, mostly, in suits or slacks, jacket and tie. Only a tiny handful of men could be seen wandering around while not dressed according to Code. They were in the extreme minority and, for the post part, they looked like they were feeling a bit uncomfortable. Their eyes kept darting around and the expressions on their faces were mostly indicative of "shock." I overheard one guy tell his wife: "I didn't realize that most men would be dressing up this much!"

In short, I would be careful about accepting such observations as your gal friend's and assuming that such is absolutely going to be the case on your cruise. Every cruise is different.

My counsel still stands. I do not doubt that possibly as few as 10% of the men on Brown Eyed Gurl's cruise were attired in Tuxedos (if that's what's she saw, that's what she saw ... though I would contend that she might have missed some in the other seatings and that the total might have been closer to 20%), and the same is quite probably true for Nanette's gal friend. But, even when the percentage of Tuxedo wearing men is lower than normal (and anything less than about 40% is lower than "normal" on most HAL cruises ... and particularly 10+ day cruises), it doesn't follow that those men not wearing Tuxedos were dressed casually (as is sometimes implied). MOST -- and I mean 95%+ -- will be dressed in at least a jacket and tie on formal night, with an overwhelming majority of these being in dark suits and tie or Tuxedo. Brown Eyed Gurl's observation was that only about 5-10% of those whom she saw were in Tuxedos ... with the rest being in dark suits. This does NOT equate to MOST men being dressed casually on formal night, or that it must follow that most men don't dress in accordance with the code (again, as it is sometimes erroneously contended). Quite the contrary ... the vast MAJORITY clearly did dress in accordance with the code; it's just that a smaller percentage than usual dressed in Tuxedos.

I will dress in a Tuxedo and/or a white dinner jacket on most formal nights. The only time I wear just a black suit on formal night is when I'm wearing clerics. I would never suggest that a man should wear, or would be comfortable in, anything less than a jacket and tie on formal night. My observation is that anything less will put them in an extreme, highly conspicuous minority. Some guys don't care ... but many guys do.

[sail7seas]

I shall report back after our December return! ;)

*edited to say that I still have NO REASON to doubt my dear friend's report*


:) We have good friends on that cruise. I'll be interested to see if your perceptions and theirs are the same.

That'll be fun to compare.

Volendam is a great ship. Hope you enjoy your cruise.

[NoNoNanette]

Thanks.... we're really looking forward to trying the line, the itinerary and experiencing the much loved Volendam. :)

[NoNoNanette]

Brown Eyed Gurl's observation was that only about 5-10% of those whom she saw were in Tuxedos ... with the rest being in dark suits. This does NOT equate to MOST men being dressed casually on formal night, or that it must follow that most men don't dress in accordance with the code (again, as it is sometimes erroneously contended).

I don't believe that anyone has contended anything of the sort on this thread. :rolleyes:

For that matter, I don't recall anyone contending that anything less than a sport jacket and tie is acceptable for a FORMAL NIGHT. (My Dom prefers a handsome suit, rather than jacket)

[RevNeal]

For that matter, I don't recall anyone contending that anything less than a sport jacket and tie is acceptable for a FORMAL NIGHT. (My Dom prefers a handsome suit, rather than jacket)

Acceptable, no. Observed and claimed as being "plenty," yes.
I, like your Dom, prefer a handsome suit over a jacket, and I am sure he will be very handsome in his suit. I generally reserve the jacket for informal nights and some casual nights when I want to "dress up" a bit.

The Volendam is a wonderful ship and a fantastic crew. As Sail has "Her Maasdam," I have "MY Volendam." :) If you check the ship's library you'll find one or both of my books there ... I gave them to the ship and I know that they were still in the Library as recently as 6 months ago. I would hope that the expansion of the Library with the addition of the Exploration Cafe didn't result in them getting pulled. :)

[zaandam_2]

I can't tell you how much it DELIGHTED me to read your estimate of 5-10%! I posted something similiar several months ago, relating what a cruise buddy had told me about the VOLENDAM Southern Caribbean itinerary. (Her husband wore his tux the first night, then changed to a suit on the 2nd, as he felt over-dressed)

My post was met with disbelief and negativity.

As I have NO REASON to doubt my friend, I'm happy to see someone else report the same. :)

THANKS! :D

I don't want to burst your bubble, but when i took the sunfarer at least 80% were in tuxes. same for both my HAL cruises.

[NoNoNanette]

I don't want to burst your bubble, but when i took the sunfarer at least 80% were in tuxes. same for both my HAL cruises.

You're not bursting MY bubble, baby! ;)

I "go with the flow".

T'was just reporting what a dear friend had told me.

To each his own, kiddo. :)