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HAL no longer requires formal dress


Jade13
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Well, not exactly ANY way you wish. Hopefully it will be a while before we start to see shorts, t-shirts with slogans or bathrobes in the MDR on 'Gala' nights.

I couldn't agree more. It would be nice to think that this isn't a long, slippery slope and that the downwards slide will stop here. I suspect, however, that the old adage of "give 'em an inch and they'll take a mile" holds true.

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Or HAL could choose to not be part of the herd and try and have a unique brand. I have said repeatedly that HAL can't out Walmart Walmart or in this case Carnival or NCL. If you want to be the same, collapse the company into another subsidiary.

 

Amen!

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:mad:

Or HAL could choose to not be part of the herd and try and have a unique brand. I have said repeatedly that HAL can't out Walmart Walmart or in this case Carnival or NCL. If you want to be the same, collapse the company into another subsidiary.

Last time I looked, HAL was a subsidiary... of Carnival. 'Nuff said! :eek:

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Very interesting. Our docs were re-issued last week to reflect the change from waitlisted for early dining to confirmed for early dining. I didn't bother to compare them until now. On both boarding passes, it says 2 formal nights, 5 smart casual. The old docs had the old wording, including "formal nights." The new docs have the new wording, including "gala nights."

 

The new docs are also missing this long-time blurb, which was in my old docs:

 

In order to complement your fellow guests, Holland America Line

asks that you observe the suggested dress code throughout the entire

evening.

 

So now changing out of daytime shorts and flip flops is only to get into the MDR and then people can go put them on again. We won't change after dinner. It's too much of a bother, and our formal clothes are comfortable--if we bother to take them.

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This is the wording from our 8/2/15 Express Documents:

 

"Clothing. Daytime dress is casual.* Pack appropriately for the climate in which you’re sailing. We suggest clothes that can be layered and possibly a raincoat, waterproof hat or umbrella for time ashore. Shirts/cover-ups and footwear are required at all times in the ship’s interior.

 

Most evenings smart casual attire is appropriate.* Pool/beachwear, distressed jeans and men’s tank tops should be left to daytime and poolside.

 

Gala Nights evoke the grand traditions of cruising as guests dress to impress for special events on board, including a five-course gourmet dinner in the Dining Room. For gentlemen, jacket and tie are appropriate, collared shirt and slacks are required in all restaurants except those on Lido Deck which permit jeans, shorts and T-shirts"

Edited by qsuzi
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The thought of a previous poster of assigning those dressing formally in a different section of the dining room is an interesting one. Would be easy to do for "As You Wish Dining". For traditional seatings, unless there was an availability to request such when one selects dining, that first formal night could be ackward with me in my tux and my dining companions in their collared shirts (hopefully) and slacks. Then, the DR Manager would have more work to do to re-arrange people.

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Very interesting. Our docs were re-issued last week to reflect the change from waitlisted for early dining to confirmed for early dining. I didn't bother to compare them until now. On both boarding passes, it says 2 formal nights, 5 smart casual. The old docs had the old wording, including "formal nights." The new docs have the new wording, including "gala nights."

 

The new docs are also missing this long-time blurb, which was in my old docs:

In order to complement your fellow guests, Holland America Line

asks that you observe the suggested dress code throughout the entire

evening.

So now changing out of daytime shorts and flip flops is only to get into the MDR and then people can go put them on again. We won't change after dinner. It's too much of a bother, and our formal clothes are comfortable--if we bother to take them.

 

If what you describe in your last paragraph comes to pass, the "Signature of Excellence" slogan, becomes more of a tired, dated slogan than I now think it is becoming.

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We just booked another cruise on HAL, and after the reservationist told me that I knew so much I should consider working for them, she said she had information that I may not know.

 

I was told that effective immediately, no jackets or ties are required in the dining room on "formal nights" which are now optional. HAL will only require collared shirts and pants. I told her good because we were no longer bringing formal wear.

 

I asked if this was something that would be effective in the future such as January 2016, and she said no, it would be an immediate change and company wide.

 

When I stated that I had not heard anything, I was told that they were just advised of the change yesterday.

 

Happy. :)

 

Looking forward to our upcoming Prinsendam cruise even more now.

Edited by RJ2002
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Our e-docs for our September 2015 cruise say:

 

Again, I see no (reasonable) room for interpretation: jackets and ties are appropriate but not required while collared shirt and slacks are.

 

While the change has been reflected in the e-docs for a number of weeks, and some of us have flagged this change for a while, HAL employees are only now starting to confirm the inevitable result: no formal dress requirement. Of course, as my chat posted earlier in this thread shows, apparently not everyone in HAL knows yet, even their front-line staff.

 

Fouremco, the disagreement over the subject on this thread is exactly why I called HAL today. Their reservations staff works on Saturday and until she did some research in an email she hadn't fully read, she wasn't sure if this was true or not. After reading the document, she validated what the original poster stated that a collar shirt and slacks is fine for the men - so is a jacket and tie. She said the document was recent and that this was an official document from HAL. So, the official change announcement may not have been read by all of the staff yet. She was kind enough to put me on hold to inquire about my question to some other agents. She had no idea when this might officially be put on their web site. Your statement above seems to agree with all of this information. So for those people that are calling another department on Monday, you may need to keep asking......

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Count me in as another that is thrilled with this change. ( I knew it was coming but surprised it happened this quickly) It certainly does NOT mean that if someone wishes to dress formal they cannot. I think you will find for a very long time there will continue to be those that bring dress up clothes. My last several NCL cruises which do not require formal wear we would always see plenty of gents in suits and even some tuxes. I feel we always dress quite nicely but now it will be a bit more relaxed to not have the formal wear.

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I hear you! I would be surprised if you did not take jackets (formal wear) with you to Alaska or any other itinerary.

 

I'm sure we'll take dress clothes regardless.

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I ran a comparison of the old and new versions of KBYG.pdf from the HAL site, and the language regarding Formal Nights has definitely changed and certainly supports the OP's contention. So, I apologize if I came across as snarky. There have been "no more dress code" threads before, and I've seen people turned away from the MDR for not following the dress code on formal nights. Did they read about the lack of a dress code on CC? Did they simply fail to read their cruise docs? I don't know. Either way, I would have felt terrible telling someone information that denied them entrance to the MDR on formal nights.

 

That said, the new language in the Know Before You Go clearly outlines the requirements for the nights formerly known as Formal, now called Gala Nights:

Gala Nights evoke the grand traditions of cruising as guests dress to impress for special events on board, including a five course gourmet dinner in the Dining Room. For gentlemen, jacket and tie are appropriate,
collared shirt and slacks are required in all restaurants except those on Lido Deck which permit jeans, shorts and T-shirts.
(Emphasis mine.)

 

Holland America - We'd appreciate it if you wore long pants. :D

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Fouremco, the disagreement over the subject on this thread is exactly why I called HAL today. Their reservations staff works on Saturday and until she did some research in an email she hadn't fully read, she wasn't sure if this was true or not. After reading the document, she validated what the original poster stated that a collar shirt and slacks is fine for the men - so is a jacket and tie. She said the document was recent and that this was an official document from HAL. So, the official change announcement may not have been read by all of the staff yet. She was kind enough to put me on hold to inquire about my question to some other agents. She had no idea when this might officially be put on their web site. Your statement above seems to agree with all of this information. So for those people that are calling another department on Monday, you may need to keep asking......

 

I guess one has to wonder, will itineraries past nov 2016 be posted first or will the new dress code:D;).

 

I used to like formal nights and would always dress for them. I'm not likely to do that anymore. The "gala" dinners are the worst menus of the cruise.

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We're packed and have a jacket for me and nice dresses for the wife-and it's heavy load I have to bear. I don't mind the wearing of a suit but the airlines are making a lot of profit from baggage and people don't like to be gouged or overcharged.

People can look nice in a pair of slacks and shirt but I agree that jeans or Levis are out of order if one is civil. It's only common respect.

 

As a side note, I remember one cruise we took perhaps Celebrity? That a guy with long stringy hair and poorly dressed took a bottle of wine off of the display in the Lido and thought he'd gotten by with the deed-but it was filmed and in the out briefing they had a film of the events and happenings that occurred over the cruise and behold! The guy had been filmed by security cameras and it was displayed for all to see. I've always remembered the out briefing.

Now back to the subject matter, sorry to distract the original intent of the OP.

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On our April/May Med cruise I believe they may have been following these new requirements.

 

As mentioned before, my DH did not take a Dinner/Suit/Sports Coat with him - he took a casual warm jacket as we were away for 8 weeks and had a small luggage allowance on internal flights in Turkey.

 

He wore good pants, business shirt and a tie to the 4 Gala Dinners and was prepared to put on a loaner jacket if asked. Not once was he asked - the jackets were there at the entrance but I did not see anyone being asked to put one on.

 

There were several men in shirt and tie present on all four evenings. There were very few Tuxedos, a few long dresses, mostly nice slacks or skirts and dressed up tops.

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Thanks to the OP for posting this. I had printed out our edocs 2 weeks ago and they have the original formal wording. Just rechecked our edocs online and now they have the new "collared shirt & slacks" wording. I've now reprinted page 9!

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I didn't realize that spiffing up once or twice a cruise was such an imposition. I'm a casual guy after years of working in a coat and tie, but I look too good in a tux to not want to wear it once or twice a cruise!!

 

Thank you blizzardboy for wearing a tux. IMO, a man in a tux is pure eye candy.

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I hope that this is true that a suit and tie are not required but only optional. I have no problems with a suit EXCEPT when I have to pay airlines for another suitcase and then schlep this thing around Europe before I get on a ship as on our next TA.

 

If this turns out to be true I will still take a nice jacket, my cruising ties and white shirts but will leave the formal shoes and suit at home......won't have that nice Tux that some look great wearing but I will compliment them for their effort.

 

PLEASE CONFIRM THIS HAL...............and THank you

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Fouremco, the disagreement over the subject on this thread is exactly why I called HAL today. Their reservations staff works on Saturday and until she did some research in an email she hadn't fully read, she wasn't sure if this was true or not. After reading the document, she validated what the original poster stated that a collar shirt and slacks is fine for the men - so is a jacket and tie. She said the document was recent and that this was an official document from HAL. So, the official change announcement may not have been read by all of the staff yet. She was kind enough to put me on hold to inquire about my question to some other agents. She had no idea when this might officially be put on their web site. Your statement above seems to agree with all of this information. So for those people that are calling another department on Monday, you may need to keep asking......

Yes, I agree, the staff may take a while to absorb the changes, and calls on Monday may not get the same answer. We'll all need to be patient. :)

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Or HAL could choose to not be part of the herd and try and have a unique brand. I have said repeatedly that HAL can't out Walmart Walmart or in this case Carnival or NCL. If you want to be the same, collapse the company into another subsidiary.

 

 

 

Have you sailed NCL recently?

You might be very surprised.

 

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:mad:

Last time I looked, HAL was a subsidiary... of Carnival. 'Nuff said! :eek:

 

 

 

Actually, it is not "NUFF" said until it is said accurately.

 

HAL is owned by Carnival Corporation as is Carnival Cruise Line, Costa, Cunard, Princess and Seabourn. They are not subsidiaries. They are individual cruise lines.

 

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I guess one has to wonder, will itineraries past nov 2016 be posted first or will the new dress code. :D ;).

 

<snip>

 

 

:D I really did LOL........ :D

Edited by sail7seas
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