Holland America Formal Night Dress Code

[treesah]

My better half has the following question:

Are men allowed in the dining room on formal nights wearing only a shirt and tie in addition to pants, shoes and socks? No suit coat or sport coat?

 

He likes formal nights, but doesn't want to drag a coat with him.

[NoobCruise]

From what I understand, it depends on the ship and who's in charge of the dining room that night. Some say people are turned away if not dressed appropriately. We got our nights mixed up and thought formal night was the 5th night. On the 4th night we dressed in smart casual and went to dinner. DH had on slacks and a long sleeve dress shirt open at the collar, no tie and no jacket. I had on black jeggings, a pink lace tshirt, and casual flat-heeled knee high black suede boots. They didn't blink an eye when they seated us and never indicated we weren't dressed appropriately. It was only after we were seated that we realized it was formal night. However it was an odd mix. Some were formal in tux and cocktail dresses, some were in dressy "church" clothes. I only noticed one long gown. Some women were in slacks and what we would call "business casual" blouses. That was the Westerdam in Alaska in September. I've read the Alaska cruises tend to be more casual and relaxed attire then other itineraries.

 

He may or may not get in. If he wants to eat in the MDR that night, it might be safer to take a jacket.

[mamaofami]

We were told by one of the dining room managers that as long as the man wears the jacket into the MDR, they don't care if they remove it when they sit down. They also have a few jackets that they lend out, but you can't count on being one of the men who gets there in time to get it. Maybe he can wear the jacket on the plane and then it won't take up any suitcase room.

 

I do think Alaska tends to be less casual than the Caribbean or European cruises..

Edited November 29, 2012 by mamaofami

[RevNeal]

He likes formal nights, but doesn't want to drag a coat with him.

 

Tell your husband not to drag his coat ... that's a sure fire way of getting it dirty and tattered. It's better to wear the coat. If he doesn't want to pack it, have him wear it in-transit from home to the the port of embarkation.

 

:)

[PathfinderEss]

Tell your husband not to drag his coat ... that's a sure fire way of getting it dirty and tattered. It's better to wear the coat. If he doesn't want to pack it, have him wear it in-transit from home to the the port of embarkation.

 

:)

 

Very good RevNeal.:D

I think he will feel more appropriate wearing a jacket. As others have said he may or may not get by without it on formal night. If he really doesn't want to do it, you could just choose to eat in the Lido instead of the MDR.

Edited November 29, 2012 by PathfinderEss

[KirkNC]

My better half has the following question:

Are men allowed in the dining room on formal nights wearing only a shirt and tie in addition to pants, shoes and socks? No suit coat or sport coat?

 

He likes formal nights, but doesn't want to drag a coat with him.

 

The answer is maybe, sometimes yes, sometimes no.

[Krazy Kruizers]

It really depends on the ship and dining room manager.

I have seen where men showed up at the dining room, were given a jacket bbut they just put it on the back of the chair once they got to their table.

To be safe -- have your DH pack his jacket.

Personally I would not want to wear something that someone had worn.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Dress Code from HAL's site:

Is There A Dress Code?

 

The right clothing can make a big difference in the enjoyment of your cruise. First and foremost, dress for comfort. Daily life aboard ship and in ports of call is relaxed and casual. Warmer climates call for clothing made of lightweight, breathable fabrics. For cooler climates, we suggest casual clothes that can be layered easily and possibly a raincoat and waterproof hat or umbrella and gloves. Certain shore excursions may require particular attention to clothing. For example, certain churches or other places of worship may not allow tank tops or short pants. Bring a swimsuit as all of our ships have pools and whirlpools. You may wish to bring more than one outfit for the water. We ask that you wear shoes and a cover-up over a bathing suit when walking through the interior of the ship. If you would like to jog on the sports deck or work out in the fitness center, bring workout gear. Footwear should include comfortable walking shoes for visits ashore and sandals or rubber-soled shoes for strolling on deck.

Evening dress falls into two distinct categories: Formal or Smart Casual. Smart Casual can be defined as slacks and collared shirts for men and casual dresses, slacks and informal evening wear for women. T-shirts, swimsuits, tank tops and shorts are not allowed in the restaurants or public areas during the evening hours. On festive Formal evenings, ladies may wear a suit, cocktail dress, gown or fancy blouse/top with slacks and gentlemen wear a jacket and tie, dark suit or tuxedo. There are approximately two formal nights per week.

In order to complement your fellow guests, Holland America Line asks that you observe the suggested dress code throughout the entire evening.

Formalwear for ladies and gentlemen can be pre-ordered on select cruises by calling Cruiseline Formalwear at 800-551-5091 or make your reservations online. Your formalwear will be in your stateroom when you board.

[lovetocruise2020]

We saw jackets handed out at the MDR on the Eurodam recently.

[Hlitner]

........

He likes formal nights, but doesn't want to drag a coat with him.

 

In other words he likes when other people dress appropriately on formal nights and he prefers not to bother? Enough said.

 

Hank

[kkorman]

We skipped formals last week on westerdam. Though we did walk by the dining room via promenade and saw people walking in with polo shirts and also just dress shirts.

 

But it sounds like it depends on the ship.

[innlady1]

My better half has the following question:

Are men allowed in the dining room on formal nights wearing only a shirt and tie in addition to pants, shoes and socks? No suit coat or sport coat?

 

He likes formal nights, but doesn't want to drag a coat with him.

 

I would have him wear a sport jacket (navy blazer, etc.) on the plane...therefore, it doesn't need to be packed...that's what my DH does. He no longer brings a suit but wears a navy blazer and dress pants instead.

[vcdarty]

Unless you wish to appear as an unhappy teenager, shirt and tie _without_ jacket is never appropriate. Either skip the tie or wear the jacket. Or look like that imposed-upon kid.

 

J

[tangerinebunny]

He may or may not be turned away sans jacket. Will it make him angry if he is? Will it embarrass you?

[treesah]

Unless you wish to appear as an unhappy teenager, shirt and tie _without_ jacket is never appropriate. Either skip the tie or wear the jacket. Or look like that imposed-upon kid.

 

J

 

I think there is an element of truth in the above reply;);)

 

Thanks to everyone for your replies.

[kyriecat]

On my Zuiderdam cruise last year, they allowed men not wearing jackets into the dining room on the first formal night. One of our tablemates showed up in Dockers and a plaid button-down shirt without a jacket and tie. On the next two formal nights there was a sign posted outside the dining room stating that a jacket was required at dinner. We didn't see any men not wearing a jacket on those nights. I'm not sure if the staff was offering jackets to men who did not have one or just turning them away. Our tablemate did not have a jacket so his group did not show up on the other formal nights.

[PatsyAnne]

My better half has the following question:

Are men allowed in the dining room on formal nights wearing only a shirt and tie in addition to pants, shoes and socks? No suit coat or sport coat?

 

He likes formal nights, but doesn't want to drag a coat with him.

On some cruises the public areas can be pretty cool, so the coat might be good for comfort. I do have a couple of friends who are never cold, but that's another story.

[generichandle]

Cannot Holland themselve simple post their 'Formal' policy here with a 'sticker' to keep it, so we would not have thousands of threads about this stuff? Gets old.

 

Doug

[lovetocruise2020]

I would have him wear a sport jacket (navy blazer, etc.) on the plane...therefore, it doesn't need to be packed...that's what my DH does. He no longer brings a suit but wears a navy blazer and dress pants instead.

 

I like the classic navy blazer collared shirt tan pants look

[Cruisergal1208]

Just off the Westerdam and saw the staff bring several black jackets out of a closet and kept them at the check in station to the MDR. Still saw lots of men with no coats or ties admitted in the Anytime Dining section on formal night.

[EDLOS]

I like the classic navy blazer collared shirt tan pants look

For 40 + years, I have worn a Blue Blazer when traveling. It keeps my Passport, Boarding Tickets, Pen for Declaration Forms etc at hand.

I have been upgraded to Business/First Class inumerable times when coach is overbooked because of my "attire" I travel mostly solo !

I have worn it to formal nights with a tuxedo shirt and tie and charcoal slacks. casual nights with tan slacks.

It drives me nuts when I see a woman in a sequined dress and her husband with his shirt hanging out having their picture taken. DUH!!

[dvcmember]

Call me traditional, but I am glad HAL has a strict dress code. I am tired of seeing people dressed frumpy and unkept when spending thousands of dollars on a cruise.

 

I'm almost 30, and I was brought up to dress when you go out to eat because it shows you respect yourself and those around you.

 

First HAL cruise December 2013. Can't wait!!!

[Beejay4016]

On the Volendam in January we certainly saw jackets being handed out at the entrance to the MDR on formal nights. And, oh, it is so nice to sit in a room where people are all nicely dressed. It doesn't make the food taste better, but it does give a really nice sense of something a little special. What's the big deal with carrying a jacket? It's not a load of bricks or a ton of lead; it's a jacket.

[B Russo]

On the Volendam in January we certainly saw jackets being handed out at the entrance to the MDR on formal nights. And, oh, it is so nice to sit in a room where people are all nicely dressed. It doesn't make the food taste better, but it does give a really nice sense of something a little special. What's the big deal with carrying a jacket? It's not a load of bricks or a ton of lead; it's a jacket.

i agree with you on this, Except that I think it makes the food even taste better. LOL :D Bill

[Northshorecruisers]

On our Zuiderdam cruise to Alaska, men were turned away on formal evening if they didn't have a jacket. I had never seen this before - even though I know it's the policy.

 

One gentleman in a group of 4 was offered a jacket, and he declined. The crew member was very nice and told him that without a jacket he could not be seated. The passenger turned into a jerk. As he was walking away he was making comments that he'd never been treated so badly and that he paid money to enjoy the diningroom and it's no one's business what he wears. Ugh!!

 

The rest of us that were dressed appropriately got over it pretty quick. We knew we'd be eating in the diningroom that night :D