no more "informal" nights??

[mrspaj]

we were on HAL 2 years ago for a 7 day cruise and had 2 formal nights, 1 "informal" night and the rest were considered casual...

just got our envelope of information for our cruise in July and discovered we have 2 formal nights and the rest are casual (we're doing an alaska 7 day cruise and 3 day landtour) ...have formal and informal merged?

no biggie since I planned on wearing cocktail dresses to both this time but it caught my eye so I thought I'd ask :)

[RevNeal]

we were on HAL 2 years ago for a 7 day cruise and had 2 formal nights, 1 "informal" night and the rest were considered casual...

just got our envelope of information for our cruise in July and discovered we have 2 formal nights and the rest are casual (we're doing an alaska 7 day cruise and 3 day landtour) ...have formal and informal merged?

no biggie since I planned on wearing cocktail dresses to both this time but it caught my eye so I thought I'd ask :)

HAL no longer has "informal" nights. On a 7-day cruise there will be 2 formal nights and 5 "Smart Casual" nights. The current code, lacking informal nights, has been in place for nearly 2 years (i.e., since your prior HAL cruise).

[sail7seas]

HAL only has Formal and Smart Casual dress now. They stopped Informal Dress over a year ago.

No one would stop gentlemen from wearing a sport jacket/blazer if they wished or a lady from wearing her cocktail dress. Lots of people still dress that way.

We do when we wish.

[mrspaj]

i knew we should've taken another cruise sooner - so out of the loop! thanks for the update!!

[RevNeal]

HAL only has Formal and Smart Casual dress now. They stopped Informal Dress over a year ago.

No one would stop gentlemen from wearing a sport jacket/blazer if they wished or a lady from wearing her cocktail dress. Lots of people still dress that way.

We do when we wish.

Indeed. I usually dress up a bit more on Smart Casual Nights that are also sea days (or early departure days). Slacks, button-down shirt, jacket ... that kind of thing. I sometimes treat one of those nights as a "Semi-formal" night and even wear a tie or clericals. I'm not alone in doing this, either.

[Harry1954]

There is one more new one ... Formal Optional ... which we were shocked to read as the dress code for what would have/should have been the last formal night on our recent Zuiderdam cruise. Still scratching my head as to what that is really suppose to connote.
harry

[mrspaj]

"formal optional"? like "black tie optional"...or even better, "black tie invited"...

sigh...

one of those times i like being a girl...put me in a little black dress and heels and i could be cocktail, informal, or formal depending on the accessories lol - heck, add flip flops and it could become casual!

my poor husband is trying to decide between packing his tux or just bringing a black suit and tie...and then the shoe options...sometimes I think he's worse than I am :D

[Krazy Kruizers]

So far we haven't seen this new "Formal Optional" on our documents.

But can't help when that may soon appear on all cruises.

[kakalina]

In Feb on the Ryndam we were surprised to see two semi-formal nights listed in our first daily program. I guess it's another of those inconsistant policies.

[twinkletoes4445]

In Feb on the Ryndam we were surprised to see two semi-formal nights listed in our first daily program. I guess it's another of those inconsistant policies.

Semi-formal was also listed as the dress from dinner on one evening on our Feb. 2007, and hubby was one of maybe ten men who wore a jacket and tie. The rest of the men were dressed casually.

[Opinions]

There is one more new one ... Formal Optional ... which we were shocked to read as the dress code for what would have/should have been the last formal night on our recent Zuiderdam cruise. Still scratching my head as to what that is really suppose to connote.
harry

I was on the Zuiderdam Apri 26-May20...Formal-Optional was explained thoroughly in the Daily Program...One had the option of dressing formal or smart casual that night...Since it was a port day and there were many all day tours it seemed to be welcomed by many...Of course if one disliked it they are welcome to voice their objections...My opinion is that most people understood what HAL was saying regardless of how they felt about it.

[RevNeal]

I was on the Zuiderdam Apri 26-May20...Formal-Optional was explained thoroughly in the Daily Program...One had the option of dressing formal or smart casual that night...Since it was a port day and there were many all day tours it seemed to be welcomed by many...Of course if one disliked it they are welcome to voice their objections...My opinion is that most people understood what HAL was saying regardless of how they felt about it.

I wonder how long it will be before they'll start having "Smart-Casual-Optional" evenings?? ;)

[usha]

Maybe they'll just have "really dumb casual".

[pms4104]

Maybe they'll just have "really dumb casual".
Or perhaps Madonna nights ... underwear as outerwear.

[nchank]

What about dumb casual!:eek:

[Opinions]

I wonder how long it will be before they'll start having "Smart-Casual-Optional" evenings?? ;)

They already do...One has the option of dressing formal or informal on Smart-Casual evenings...I seem to recall that you occasionaly like to dress informaly on some of the casual evenings...I apologize if I am mistaken.

[RevNeal]

They already do...One has the option of dressing formal or informal on Smart-Casual evenings...I seem to recall that you occasionaly like to dress informaly on some of the casual evenings...I apologize if I am mistaken.

Correct ... but ... you're thinking the wrong direction. It always seems that the "option" is for going DOWN, not up, in one's dress. Hence ... Smart-Casual-Optional would have the alternative of "Stupid-Casual" ... i.e., shorts and t-shirts.

[Texas Tillie]

Correct ... but ... you're thinking the wrong direction. It always seems that the "option" is for going DOWN, not up, in one's dress. Hence ... Smart-Casual-Optional would have the alternative of "Stupid-Casual" ... i.e., shorts and t-shirts.

Would that be "Stupid-Casual" only if the t-shirt had the message "I'm with stupid" and the arrow?:D :p :D

[RevNeal]

Would that be "Stupid-Casual" only if the t-shirt had the message "I'm with stupid" and the arrow?:D :p :D

Yes ... and especially if their kid is in an orange jacket with the hood pulled up all the time. :D ;)

[Harry1954]

I was on the Zuiderdam Apri 26-May20...Formal-Optional was explained thoroughly in the Daily Program...One had the option of dressing formal or smart casual that night...Since it was a port day and there were many all day tours it seemed to be welcomed by many...Of course if one disliked it they are welcome to voice their objections...My opinion is that most people understood what HAL was saying regardless of how they felt about it.
Note that I said I wondered what it (Formal Optional) connoted .. not what it denoted .. I knew what it meant for the very reason you explain .. but that still left me wondering
harry

[RevNeal]

Note that I said I wondered what it (Formal Optional) connoted .. not what it denoted .. I knew what it meant for the very reason you explain .. but that still left me wondering

Harry,

What it connoted -- "implied or suggested in addition to the literal or primary meaning" -- was was that what should have been a Formal Night would actually be a Casual Night, for many/most would revert to the Casual Code (at best).

I've experienced "Formal Optional" once: while, I'm certain, this will vary from instance to instance, on the cruise where I experienced it most people seemed to take it as meaning either "Casual" or, as in many examples, something similar to the "Informal Code" of 2 years and before ago. Some, like me, decided to dress according to the Formal code, but we were not representative of most of the passengers.

[Harry1954]

My concern was the implication that formal is not as promoted/desirable as it use to be .. i.e., leave tux home for future and go lighter in packing - why bother dressing up, maybe I should just bring my birkenstocks and my speedo
harry

[rocknrobin]

Too funny...Rev Neal - you're on the 2nd leg of our Jan. trip - happy to hear that! We'll be "dressed" for dinner and don't want to feel like the outsiders (you know..."what, don't those two get out much?"). Geez, I better get dolled up or else my head will be handed to me for all the "cruise" clothes I'm buying (again) - yikes!

[pipedreams62]

Our Prayers have been answered


http://pipedreams62.eaph2.com/share/afunstuff/duanehansontourists21.jpg

[twinkletoes4445]

Our Prayers have been answered


http://pipedreams62.eaph2.com/share/afunstuff/duanehansontourists21.jpg

OMG, that's funny! :)

[NoNoNanette]

Our Prayers have been answered


http://pipedreams62.eaph2.com/share/afunstuff/duanehansontourists21.jpg

Hey!

They look surprisingly like 2 regular posters here on the HAL forum! Could it be? :)

[MWGuy]

We found the AK cruisers much more casual, regardless of which night, than we anticipated. Just an FYI. We even had a couple with jeans/tennis shoes/nylon jackets in the Pinnacle when we were in our finery...??

[HARLEY 2003 FATBOY]

My idea of dressing up on vacation is short sleeves VS a tank top that is why i like the eat any where any time cruises,, I do not want my picture taken,every 10 min for someone to sell it back to me.


Jeff

[NoNoNanette]

My idea of dressing up on vacation is short sleeves VS a tank top that is why i like the eat any where any time cruises,, I do not want my picture taken,every 10 min for someone to sell it back to me.


Jeff

Hi Jeff-

Where abouts in Cinci? My big bro lives off of Fields Ertel. You've got a fun town! :)

[HARLEY 2003 FATBOY]

I live in Harrison about 20 min from that exit,thats 1 busy exit lol Jeff

[RevNeal]

My concern was the implication that formal is not as promoted/desirable as it use to be .. i.e., leave tux home for future and go lighter in packing - why bother dressing up, maybe I should just bring my birkenstocks and my speedo

I understand your point, Harry. However, I have discovered that a Tuxedo weighs as much, and takes up as much room, as a suit or a pair of dress slacks and sports jacket. The only advantage of to the jacket is that it can be worn for less formal occasions.

One, of course, doesn't have to wear a Tuxedo or white dinner jacket on formal nights ... however, I will continue to do so even on Formal Nights that are labeled as "Optional."

[RevNeal]

Too funny...Rev Neal - you're on the 2nd leg of our Jan. trip - happy to hear that! We'll be "dressed" for dinner and don't want to feel like the outsiders (you know..."what, don't those two get out much?"). Geez, I better get dolled up or else my head will be handed to me for all the "cruise" clothes I'm buying (again) - yikes!

Yes, indeed. Actually, there's a whole bunch of us CCers who are going to be on the 2nd leg of your Jan cruise on the Noordam. Go to the Roll call for it and say "hi" -- if you haven't already -- and then be sure to introduce yourself to us aboard ship!