Can HAL encourage participation in formal nights?

[RuthC]

RuthC- I haven't sailed Oceania yet, but have many friends who do. And we have sailed Seabourne which is so similar. Take the brochures with a grain of salt like Lisa said. After all, look at HAL's brochure pictures.

I'm also reading the Oceania forum, and especially looking at photos posted in various threads. I'm sure I'll have a good handle on it by the time I need to.

From what I read people do dress nicely; people do change out of their day clothes for evening.

[peaches from georgia]

I'm also reading the Oceania forum, and especially looking at photos posted in various threads. I'm sure I'll have a good handle on it by the time I need to.

From what I read people do dress nicely; people do change out of their day clothes for evening.

Yes, definetely nicely and certainly everyone changes for dinner and the evening. And then do not change back again to shorts and t-shirts. I just thought you and kazu had the impression it was 'formal' every night and that's not so. But also not less that HAL's smart casual.

[mariner]

Peaches,

 

I found some of the doyonne on Seabourn could sink in the pool during the day with their jewels in the pool.

[RuthC]

I just thought you and kazu had the impression it was 'formal' every night and that's not so. But also not less that HAL's smart casual.

Thanks. I realize it's not "formal", even by the HAL definition. The compliance level for smart casual appears higher than on HAL. I get the sense that the old HAL "informal" standard would be appropriate, too. At least for women.

[mariner]

Exactly Ruth. Adjust a level higher.

[peaches from georgia]

Thanks. I realize it's not "formal", even by the HAL definition. The compliance level for smart casual appears higher than on HAL. I get the sense that the old HAL "informal" standard would be appropriate, too. At least for women.

Perfect wording, Ruth, which I was trying to say but not as well. The compliance level is 100%. And the old "informal" would be appropriate at least on Seabourn from my experience with its "elegant casual" and even for some on resort casual nights. But I'll let you deal with that can of worms. ;)

[dakrewser]

As far as HAL promotional pictures go, my guess is that the models they use are too young to represent the typical HAL passenger by a few decades.

 

This was the newest HAL promo picture I can find. From2004, I think!

 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

This was the newest HAL promo picture I can find. From2004, I think!

 

Very nice I see they are in Country Club Casual :D

[tip]

This was the newest HAL promo picture I can find. From2004, I think!

 

 

Very good, Earl. Very good indeed!:D

[kazu]

Yes, definetely nicely and certainly everyone changes for dinner and the evening. And then do not change back again to shorts and t-shirts. I just thought you and kazu had the impression it was 'formal' every night and that's not so. But also not less that HAL's smart casual.

 

In the beautiful brochures they send (and they are nice) I see a lot of men in jackets (no tie) which made me think it was more of an 'informal' dress.

DH doesn't wear a jacket on a smart casual night on HAL:confused: (unless we are going to the Pinnacle). Thanks Peaches.

[lovetocruise2020]

I haven't been on those ships, so I don't know about those venues. I couldn't visualize any place on Maasdam or Veendam that would work for a large group. I wish they would find a way to do it, though. It would make formal night more fun.

 

One place I know doesn't work well is the atrium. That's where they held the capt's cocktail parties on Crown Princess, and it was a zoo. People at the party standing around were in the way of people who were just trying to walk through. The only way to get a drink was to figure out where the waiter station was and hover by the door to snag a drink as a waiter came out. The captain did his hello speech, but with 3 levels and such a crowd, we couldn't even see him. The crowd made it feel more like the after-thanksgiving sales than a party.

 

(don't know why the quote misbehaved, but it is from surfergirlie.)

 

 

I agree- It has to be the right place or not happen at all.

 

Something, anything needs to be done at night in general, but importantly formal night because I am tired of feeling like I just got dressed for dinner with nothing else to do afterward...

 

I believe that more people would participate if something were planned.

 

And no, not just because I want to go to a "Ball" I design them for a living, so I am ok with that. LOL.

 

Just need something to do after Formal Night dinner so guests feel like they got dressed for something...

 

Hope this makes sense.

[pdmlynek]

If they bring it down to one formal night in a seven day cruise, we will stop bringing DH's suit/my cocktail dresses/shoes/purse etc. It isn't worth it for one night IMO

We have always in a great many cruises been compliant and have always dressed to and above HAL's dress code. We will become among the group who no longer do if they reduce it to one night.

 

 

I agree. I can see myself bringing a bulky thing like a tux if I wore it for two nights. But just for one night would not make it worth it in my eyes, and we'd skip the formal night.

So, if HAL were to ask my opinion on this subject, I'd say keep 2 nights per week formal.

[pdmlynek]

On a recent cruise I took one rolling upright and one carry on. In the rolling upright I packed my Tuxedo, dress shoes, all accessories. I also packed by daytime wear clothing and a a few nice shirts for Smart Casual Evenings. I wrote slacks, polo shirt, and a sport jacket for transit. ONE bag, ONE cary-on. It CAN be done. And I'm a big guy.

...

 

I am sure that Jaguartypester was refering to having to check a luggage. The way that I read it is that if he were to bring a tux, dress shoes, and accessories, then he'd have to check a bag, but without the tux he could just do with a carry on. The "second bag" means a checked bag, not a second check bag.

Airline companies now charge for any checked luggage, so it makes sense not to check any bags when flying.

[iancal]

We would go with casual attire notwithstanding what was planned for the balance of the evening.

 

laffnvegas hit the nail on the head. When we vacation it is either all inclusives or a combination of cruise(s) and an independent land tour (why fly all that way just for a cruise).

 

In either case, we have no intention of packing anything but casual attire. We don't attend the MDR on those nights. We do not feel that we have 'missed out' on anything.

 

We are in our late fifties/and early sixties. We are retired and are now travelling frequently-two cruises and an extensive land trip before the end of the year.

 

From what we could observe over the past few years, and on our last few cruises (12-14 days), there is a growing number of people in our age group who feel the same way.

 

So, as laffnvegas says, why on earth would HAL do anything, or spend money attempting to encourage us to do something that we have no intention of doing? Unless of course, they have a different target market-which is entirely possble. We cannot tell from their current mixed messages.

[Wakepatrol]

We would go with casual attire notwithstanding what was planned for the balance of the evening.

 

laffnvegas hit the nail on the head. When we vacation it is either all inclusives or a combination of cruise(s) and an independent land tour (why fly all that way just for a cruise).

 

In either case, we have no intention of packing anything but casual attire. We don't attend the MDR on those nights. We do not feel that we have 'missed out' on anything.

 

We are in our late fifties/and early sixties. We are retired and are now travelling frequently-two cruises and an extensive land trip before the end of the year.

 

From what we could observe over the past few years, and on our last few cruises (12-14 days), there is a growing number of people in our age group who feel the same way.

 

So, as laffnvegas says, why on earth would HAL do anything, or spend money attempting to encourage us to do something that we have no intention of doing? Unless of course, they have a different target market-which is entirely possble. We cannot tell from their current mixed messages.

 

 

Your post puzzles me. You take extended vacations:confused:

 

Most cruisers don't,at most they fly in a day early take their cruise then ask on the board if they can make a return flight at 7:45 am :confused:

[iancal]

Even before we were able to take extended vacations (as we are now), our practice was always to add days, sometimes a week or more to the front or back of a cruise. So, if we did a 12 day Med cruise, we would fly in a few days early but then tack on another 10 days or so afterwards for independent land based. travel We did the same when cruising out of Florida or S. Califiornia. We had the vacation days and we never saw the point of flying so far and then no taking full advantage of it.

 

Now that we are retired and downsized we have more freedom. We are about to leave on a six month land vacation that currently includes 2 -14 day cruises and possibly a third or an A/I if the pricing works. Lots of land travel in between.

[startwin]

Your post puzzles me. You take extended vacations:confused:

 

Most cruisers don't,at most they fly in a day early take their cruise then ask on the board if they can make a return flight at 7:45 am :confused:

 

Really? Seems to me that you are making a very sweeping statement about cruisers. And why would you be puzzled at people who take extended vacations?

[Live4cruises]

If we are going across an ocean to board or depart the ship, we are going to do other things across the ocean while we're at it. This experience does not always (or ever) include waiting Towncars and porters. We know that we are going to be schlepping bags on and off trains, and sometimes very quickly. Every ounce counts, every added carry-on counts. Formal wear stays home. Granted, mine is not a problem at all, but DH's tuxedo, accessories, and shoes take volume and weight. On those cruises when we fly, hotel, ship, fly, the formal wear can come along too. We look smashing when we're all dressed up, and are happy gazing at each other regardless of what others have on. Live and let live.

Paraphrasing Hammybee (miss her additions to this forum!) I don't care what others wear unless they have a pineapple on their head!

[Wakepatrol]

Really? Seems to me that you are making a very sweeping statement about cruisers. And why would you be puzzled at people who take extended vacations?

 

Perhaps I'll make up one of those polls,since reading doesn't suffice.

[lovetocruise2020]

We would go with casual attire notwithstanding what was planned for the balance of the evening.

 

laffnvegas hit the nail on the head. When we vacation it is either all inclusives or a combination of cruise(s) and an independent land tour (why fly all that way just for a cruise).

 

In either case, we have no intention of packing anything but casual attire. We don't attend the MDR on those nights. We do not feel that we have 'missed out' on anything.

 

We are in our late fifties/and early sixties. We are retired and are now travelling frequently-two cruises and an extensive land trip before the end of the year.

 

From what we could observe over the past few years, and on our last few cruises (12-14 days), there is a growing number of people in our age group who feel the same way.

 

So, as laffnvegas says, why on earth would HAL do anything, or spend money attempting to encourage us to do something that we have no intention of doing? Unless of course, they have a different target market-which is entirely possble. We cannot tell from their current mixed messages.[/QUOVxT

 

I would think that although hal appriciates the older crowd they do have I also know that they are trying to get younger cruisers hooked. This helps them ensure the future of the line...

Only makes cent$...

[fleckle]

....... We look smashing when we're all dressed up, and are happy gazing at each other regardless of what others have on. Live and let live.

Paraphrasing Hammybee (miss her additions to this forum!) I don't care what others wear unless they have a pineapple on their head!

I must object to such blatant expression of discrimination against a defenseless minority!

 

Have you no shame. The pineapple head people are only a small, innocent group who do no harm to anyone.

As long as they adhere to cruise line standards and do not infringe on the rights of others, they have every right to observe their own customs and traditions.

 

There is no pineapple head prohibition in the dress code of any major cruise line, AFAIK.

 

What right do we on Cruise Critic, of differing backgrounds and beliefs, have to criticize or repress these well-intentioned, defenseless people, as long as their pineapples are fresh and free of mold or cooties.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up with pineapples!

 

 

(As long as it is not a pineapple from the buffet that I am planning on having for breakfast the next morning.)

 

[Live4cruises]

Laughing! Now THAT would be a theme night, wouldn't it!?:D

[kazu]

Perhaps I'll make up one of those polls,since reading doesn't suffice.

 

why not??? You and I must be reading different threads as I constantly see advice to come in early before your cruise:D

[Copper10-8]

I must object to such blatant expression of discrimination against a defenseless minority!

 

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That's a pic of Hammybee taken a while back!:)

[cruising cockroach]

This was the newest HAL promo picture I can find. From2004, I think!

 

 

I was thinking age demographics. The typical HAL passenger is probably the parent or even grandparent of the following: