If Only HAL Would Stop the Formal Nights

 

That is the way it is. Anything else is a pipe dream from an era long past when most people who cruise today could never afford to cruise.

Very true. Of course the real 'pipe dream' comes from HAL itself. The $99 per day passengers are expected to stay out in the bars and party all day. Yes? They want the same passengers to spend money in the shops....

"This exclusive jewelry boutique offers a luxury shopping experience paired with unprecedented designs. Selected for their beauty and timeless elegance, ..."

How about the Persian rugs?

The expensive watches?

The $250 bottles of wine with the meat loaf?

etc. etc.

The notion that people not dressed to the formal wear code will stay in their cabins all night long on formal nights is well......think about it. Not going to happen.

 

Besides, HAL does NOT want us in our cabins. HAL wants us out and about spending money generously in the bars, in the shops, and in the casino.

 

That is the way it is. Anything else is a pipe dream from an era long past when most people who cruise today could never afford to cruise.

I agree. Very well said.

I also would add that the dress code is a suggestion, not a rule.

You can't be put off the ship at the next port for not dressing up on formal night!

Wow, the ad hominem responses... just :eek: and people wonder why of all creatures made the worst of the lot is Man! :eek:

Anywho... we always dress up on formal night. Not to follow the rules but because I love colors and love to wear them.

That said, I don't care what someone else wears on those nights.

Honestly, many shouldn't dress "up" in their suits/dresses that were last in style when Reagan was president and last accurately fit when Carter was president.

laughter here.....that would describe me :)

When you sign the Cruise Contract, you agree to the rules of the cruise line. Find a cruise contract you can live with.

Having never cruised before I find myself confused. I have no problems with dress code one way or another but find it disconcerting that the stated code, whatever it is, is not enforced. If you (HAL) want me to wear a tuxedo and that is stated ahead of time then so be it. I would prefer not to , to be honest, if only because I don't own one because I have never needed one. I find that these days a well tailored suit suffices in many places, with those in full black tie a minority and I am loathe to purchase something that I probably wouldn't use otherwise. They are rapidly becoming an anachronism and I think the trend is clearly to dress down rather than the other way, unless fashions make a marked change in the future.

Sure I could rent a dinner jacket etc, and if it were mandatory I would do so without complaint. But it sounds like there is a bit of a free for all and I would hate to spend money to find out that most people don't anyway. Of course I could be entirely wrong and find the opposite. If I do, and if we find we like cruising enough to repeat the experience, I will invest accordingly but until then I'm reserving my judgement on that issue until I have seen for myself.

Having said all of that I am not going to let another's judgement of my attire spoil my experience and I fail to see how anybody else dresses affects me in any shape or form.

Having never cruised before I find myself confused. I have no problems with dress code one way or another but find it disconcerting that the stated code, whatever it is, is not enforced. If you (HAL) want me to wear a tuxedo and that is stated ahead of time then so be it. I would prefer not to , to be honest, if only because I don't own one because I have never needed one. I find that these days a well tailored suit suffices in many places, with those in full black tie a minority and I am loathe to purchase something that I probably wouldn't use otherwise. They are rapidly becoming an anachronism and I think the trend is clearly to dress down rather than the other way, unless fashions make a marked change in the future.

 

Sure I could rent a dinner jacket etc, and if it were mandatory I would do so without complaint. But it sounds like there is a bit of a free for all and I would hate to spend money to find out that most people don't anyway. Of course I could be entirely wrong and find the opposite. If I do, and if we find we like cruising enough to repeat the experience, I will invest accordingly but until then I'm reserving my judgement on that issue until I have seen for myself.

 

 

 

Having said all of that I am not going to let another's judgement of my attire spoil my experience and I fail to see how anybody else dresses affects me in any shape or form.

May I suggest you not purchase a tuxedo.

I am about the most traditional cruiser I could be and have sailed HAL so many times, I've watched the evolution for years.

My DH always wore tuxedo and brought a collection of bow ties and cummerbunds for every cruise. A number of formal shirts and he dressed very finely. I always wore long dresses with appropriate shoes/sandals and evening purse.

As each cruise we saw fewer people dressing anything that looked like true formal, we followed HAL's description of 'acceptable for formal night' and began wearing dark suit for him (even just a jacket and tie occasionally) and cocktail dresses for me. No more long gowns but now dresses to the knee. Even still, we were dressed just fine as the culture/cruisers have changed so much there is no more true formal on HAL ships. You will see a very small percentage of 'formal wear' particularly on shorter cruises.

We dined with Captains, Hotel Directors, Chief Engineers, GRM's etc dressed in our 'HAL description of formal" and did not feel the least uncomfortable. Only the Officer was dressed truly formal. No tuxedos at any of those tables in recent years.

 

My wife and I are going to enjoy the splendor of the Med in the Summer without dressing up for dinner and the BB Kings. We plan on dining and dancing in comfort. Please accept my apologies if it offends you but that is your problem, not mine. I'm the one in comfortable slacks and a dress polo shirt. By the way, you are seeing more and more of people like me each year.

 

You would be welcomed to join my wife and I. We do not judge books by their cover. We have met some great people, but if judged them on the style of their shirt or cut of their hemline we would have been only doing a disservice to ourselves. Certainly you should be entitled to see the magnificent ports of the world in comfort and style without a curmudgeon moaning about "the contract" because last I checked you are not a HAL employee.

Sequined.

It's what you wear with your "dressy" jeans and flip flops, of course.

I also hate wearing clothes that are uncomfortable. That's why I make sure that my clothes; including shirts, ties, suits, jackets, tuxedo suit, dress pants, jeans, shoes, parkas, even baseball caps; are all selected so they fit properly (and altered if necessary).

 

They are all quite comfortable.

I was thinking of saying the same. Many men tease their wives or girlfriends about not buying shoes of the proper size. To be comfortable men need to buy clothing - especially shirts - that are slightly larger than needed. I don't care for the choking feeling of a tie that is too tight. But I also feel uncomfortable without one in an elegant restaurant.

Regarding those who moan about formal wear - the number of formal nights is only two per week, for goodness sake. That's not enough for me, but I will accept a certain amount of dumbing down in the interest of reducing the amount of moaning. Even Cunard has reduced the number of formal nights from four to three on a seven-day Atlantic crossing.

If formal actually meant formal I would enjoy wearing white tie and tails, but I appreciate that most men wouldn't share my enthusiasm for a strict interpretation of the Queen's English. I can accept the less formal definition of dinner jacket or "tux" as it is often referred to on this forum. Having said that, I am pleased that I am not expected to wear a morning suit at breakfast. I do embrace a certain degree of casual.

 

The OP seems to be very opinionated & hopes to garner agreement on this thread, but it looks like many of the posters don't agree.. Maybe a Poll about Formal Nights would give us a better idea of the general feeling of most CC posters..

 

If I ever had to sit at a table with the OP, I might request a change of tables & also tip the Maitre d' :D

There have been multiple polls on formal nights. I expected them to be overwhelmingly in favor of formal nights but that wasn't the case. That besides, the real issue is not the percentage of CC posters who favor/disfavor formal nights but the percentage of cruisers in general. Not sure those are the same groups.

But, here's one done for Holland. Five years old but...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1166737

FWIW, I've read some posts from those who favor formal nights that would cause me to ask to move as well.

Thank you Sail7seas. I appreciate your experience/ insight on the issue. As I said I have no problem but am loathe to acquire another thing that will gather dust in my closet, especially if we choose not to cruise again.

Thanks for informing others not to tell you what to do while at the same time telling others what they should do. You should get exactly what you want while others should not and you have certainly forewarned them not to disagree with you.

 

The arrogance and self-importance is abundantly clear.

And, if I may add, a true sense of entitlement.

And, if I may add, a true sense of entitlement.

I missed the part where OP is telling others what to do. OP is saying everyone should decide what they enjoy best and do it. I find it difficult to twist that into telling others what to do.

I have a "cruise" closet full of evening gowns. We have been sailing for 20 years. We are tired of the formal nights! Prom was fun when we're teenagers but we don't like hauling the formal stuff all over the world. We were on the Rydam last fall for 17 days in the Med.....we didn't pack our formal clothes. We dressed country club casual every night...no jeans or golf shirts. Well, we looked like everyone else in the dining room. We would have been out of place in our formal wear. We loved the Ryndam and had a wonderful time.

Sailing in the Haven next month on the Breakaway. I will be bringing my country casual clothes and will have a wonderful time!

I would like to see theme nights instead of formal nights!

I would like to see theme nights instead of formal nights!

Like a toga night, or a Harley-Davidson night, or a Daisy Duke night? Sounds like it's back to high school or college again :rolleyes:

I know I should stay away from this thread but......

I missed the part where OP is telling others what to do. OP is saying everyone should decide what they enjoy best and do it. I find it difficult to twist that into telling others what to do.

I agree, I do not see the OP stating this at all.

I have a "cruise" closet full of evening gowns. We have been sailing for 20 years. We are tired of the formal nights! Prom was fun when we're teenagers but we don't like hauling the formal stuff all over the world. We were on the Rydam last fall for 17 days in the Med.....we didn't pack our formal clothes. We dressed country club casual every night...no jeans or golf shirts. Well, we looked like everyone else in the dining room. We would have been out of place in our formal wear. We loved the Ryndam and had a wonderful time.

Sailing in the Haven next month on the Breakaway. I will be bringing my country casual clothes and will have a wonderful time!

I would like to see theme nights instead of formal nights!

Di, good for you. You will love the Haven. I had a Haven suite in November on the Jewel but the Breakaway Class is actually much better for the Haven. I too had nothing but Country Club Casual my last cruise on the Jewel but what was funny we actually saw more people dressed Formal for the one dress up night on NCL than we did our last few HAL cruises :D I got to the point on our last Jewel cruise that I lost count of the number of men in Tuxes. Everyone look well dressed that night even those of us in Country Club Casual ;) Those not dressed Formal are not telling those that are they cannot do so.

My next cruise is in about a month and only because we feel we have to we are bringing Formal wear and DH is bringing his tux. But I agree with the OP I wish HAL would give up on Formal nights as well because such a large majority are NOT dressing up. So my feeling is if you can't beat them, join them. As noted HAL would much rather have you out and about spending money and not hiding up in your cabin. I really do not see those of us that want to see Formal Nights reduced or go away telling those that want to dress up that they cannot :confused:

The days have been long gone when everyone on HAL was dressed to the nines on Formal night. I remember doing a live from back in the day when the Captain still Greeted you at the entrance to the show lounge on the first formal night and numerous people were wearing shorts and t-shirts.

We were on several cruises that had a White out nights...you could wear a white shirt etc...it was quite fun. I guess I'm too young to remember toga, Daisy Duke etc nights. Western night might be fun...

Well, if you want formal and enjoy.... try Saga. Formal required from 6pm until bedtime.... throughout the ship... including Lido and any other public space. Of course dark suit can work for formal... in practice.. minimal for tux. Saga passenger expect the formal. Several years ago they tried their 'adventure' cruise ship.. for casual. As soon as passenger came on board they demanded formal. It was explained that it was a casual cruise. They insisted and within a few months they eliminated the casual. Once in a while shirts only when in port.... at sea, jacket minimal.

Here is what they say in their brochure:

What to wear

It’s the number one question we hear from first-time guests...

More customers contact us asking about what they should pack for a cruise than any other question.

So to lend a helping hand, we've created a guide to packing for your cruise...

Relax on board

For a relaxed time spent at the bar or when chatting to friends, light-weight trousers and a smart top make for the perfect combination.

And ladies, to set off your outfit why not try a scarf or a little jewellery to add that extra zing?

Dress for dinner

If you’re off to dinner choose a stylish dress and smart jacket or cardigan.

For the gentleman, chinos and a smart short-sleeved shirt and jacket are just the ticket.

The height of glamour

Most, but not all, Saga cruises feature a couple of formal nights where it is impossible to overdress!

A glamorous long dress and sequined shrug or pashmina are perfect partners for an elegant champagne dinner.

And a tuxedo and bow-tie are the ultimate in sophistication (although a dark suit or dinner jacket would also be just fine!).

Of course, every cruise varies a little. The weather, destinations and themes all mean there are no hard and fast rules regarding dress code – except one:

Wear a big smile and everything else will be plain sailing!

You would be welcomed to join my wife and I. We do not judge books by their cover. We have met some great people, but if judged them on the style of their shirt or cut of their hemline we would have been only doing a disservice to ourselves. Certainly you should be entitled to see the magnificent ports of the world in comfort and style without a curmudgeon moaning about "the contract" because last I checked you are not a HAL employee.

Sorry, I think you miss the point. No one today has complained about formal v casual. The 'curmudgeon moaning about the contract'.... is the OP is "cruiser4801" !!!!!

Sorry, I think you miss the point. No one today has complained about formal v casual. The 'curmudgeon moaning about the contract'.... is the OP is "cruiser4801" !!!!!

Many complaints in this thread and not by OP. They've tried the various ways and made a decision best for their tastes. Nothing curmudgeonly or moaning about it. I trust OP to dress sensibly based on their original post and as such have no worries or issues that they woukd be out of place. Like I said, if no one else here will have them they are welcomed to join my wife and I. So is anyone in formal wear for that matter if they've got a positive outlook. A journey is something to be enjoyed and everyone may choose what they wish. Society is getting more casual. I understand some don't like that. But I can't do anything about it one way or the other except to enjoy myself. I hope you enjoy yourself. I hope OP enjoys themselves

[emoji568]

Many complaints in this thread and not by OP. They've tried the various ways and made a decision best for their tastes. Nothing curmudgeonly or moaning about it. I trust OP to dress sensibly based on their original post and as such have no worries or issues that they woukd be out of place. Like I said, if no one else here will have them they are welcomed to join my wife and I. So is anyone in formal wear for that matter if they've got a positive outlook. A journey is something to be enjoyed and everyone may choose what they wish. Society is getting more casual. I understand some don't like that. But I can't do anything about it one way or the other except to enjoy myself. I hope you enjoy yourself. I hope OP enjoys themselves

 

[emoji568]

Perhaps you are not reading his post. It seems he is the one with a 'problem'!

"If only HAL (and some of you) could see things differently.

Please don't tell me to go to another cruise line if I don't like the dress policy as I'm frankly tired of you telling me something else I should do."

I missed the part where OP is telling others what to do. OP is saying everyone should decide what they enjoy best and do it. I find it difficult to twist that into telling others what to do.

Read the OP's 2nd or 3rd post in this thread.

EDITED: Sorry I reread and see that while he did not come right out and say the words, his 2nd post insinuates it.

Joanie

It's what you wear with your "dressy" jeans and flip flops, of course.

Uh, nope. I'm pretty much an all-jeans-all-the-time girl, myself. I pretty much wear jeans and turtlenecks (or tee shirts) wherever I go and whatever I'm doing. The clothes I wear on cruises are the same I wear to work, and church, and wherever else I might go. Much simpler that way, instead of compartmentalizing your clothes into "casual", "dressy", "formal", etc. Those words don't have much meaning these days.

Perhaps you are not reading his post. It seems he is the one with a 'problem'!

 

 

"If only HAL (and some of you) could see things differently.

 

Please don't tell me to go to another cruise line if I don't like the dress policy as I'm frankly tired of you telling me something else I should do."

The line above that you quoted from the OP in his 2nd post to this thread is the one I read as an insinuation that he can criticize but we hasd best not dare criticize him for telling us what he plans....

If he did not want us to criticize or comment why in Hades did he start this thread???:confused:

Joanie