Formal - Gala Night; lets stop the pretense

[JennysUncle]

This January on the Oosterdam and the Nieuw Amsterdam there were very (very) few tuxedos, but also not a lot of jacketless men at the MDR. However, the latter were not turned away. Clearly the trend is now to sport coat and tie, with an occasional suit.

 

One thing that could be done to promote the gala feeling, at least for those who do like to dress up, would be to segregate the MDR. While the upstairs seating is fixed, half the passengers use the open seating downstairs, and they are assigned to tables as they come in. The dressy people could be put on one side, and the dress-down people on the other. That would avoid, for instance, one table we were at with a man in a full suit and another in a sportshirt.

 

There is an additional reason that should be considered for a more honest description of the dress code. Nowadays when I see a tuxedo, I am not sure whether it is an old cruiser upholding tradition, or a first timer who thought that dinner jackets were still de rigeur, and had gone to needless trouble and expense, and perhaps was feeling silly.

[sppunk]

Whatever. I will still dress for dinner, and accordingly for "gala" night. And my DH will still wear his suit. We'll be happy. Now can we stop flogging this poor horse?

 

+1

 

I'll wear my jacket sans tie, slacks and Ecco's and you and I will both be happy, comfortable and content.

 

This isn't hard, yet people make it out like nominating a Supreme Court justice. :)

Edited February 14, 2016 by sppunk

[taxmantoo]

Nowadays when I see a tuxedo' date=' I am not sure whether it is an old cruiser upholding tradition, or a first timer who thought that dinner jackets were still de rigeur, and had gone to needless trouble and expense, and perhaps was feeling silly.[/quote']

 

The other option, which I much prefer, is that it is person who likes to dress well, is comfortable in his clothes, likes to please the person they are with and cares very little about what other people wear.

p.s. I have never felt silly wearing proper clothes ;)

[CowPrincess]

Many people don't have the need for fancy attire in their lives; therefore, do not have those clothes to pack on a cruise.

 

>SNIP<

 

Also with so many airlines charging for bags, why pack fancy attire when you might be able to have 1 less bag to pay for before you even get to the cruise.

 

This is the reality in which a vast majority live in. & more than a few chose a cruise vacation because it is affordable.

 

>SNIP<

 

I have no need for anything resembling even the most basic, nice clothes in my day to day life. At home, I live in jeans, t-shirts and fleecies, many of which are pretty worn out. Being on vacation gives me a chance to actually wear nice clothing, which is something I enjoy. Jewelry! Dressy-ish shoes! Accessories! :D I buy my cruise wardrobe at thrift shops, so there's not even much cost associated with it.

 

My DH and I usually travel for around 17 days, and we each take one checked bag and one carry on. He wears a suit on gala nights, I wear a dress. Leaving a suit, a couple of dresses, three shirts and ties at home would not free up enough luggage space that we could manage with only one checked bag.

 

Not saying that what works for you is wrong for you, just that it isn't what works for everyone.

 

And believe me, I am mindful of costs. I save more than our baggage fee long before we board, watching pricing on every component of our vacation.

[cruz chic]

This January on the Oosterdam and the Nieuw Amsterdam there were very (very) few tuxedos' date=' but also not a lot of jacketless men at the MDR. However, the latter were not turned away. Clearly the trend is now to sport coat and tie, with an occasional suit.

 

One thing that could be done to promote the gala feeling, at least for those who do like to dress up, would be to segregate the MDR. While the upstairs seating is fixed, half the passengers use the open seating downstairs, and they are assigned to tables as they come in. The dressy people could be put on one side, and the dress-down people on the other. That would avoid, for instance, one table we were at with a man in a full suit and another in a sportshirt.

 

There is an additional reason that should be considered for a more honest description of the dress code. Nowadays when I see a tuxedo, I am not sure whether it is an old cruiser upholding tradition, or a first timer who thought that dinner jackets were still de rigeur, and had gone to needless trouble and expense, and perhaps was feeling silly.[/quote']

 

Can you imagine how much work this would create? I do dress up and not just a sparkly top. I'd be just as happy if Hal ended gala nights and made it smart casual nightly. I'm not a fan of the wishy washy policy.

[sppunk]

Can you imagine how much work this would create? I do dress up and not just a sparkly top. I'd be just as happy if Hal ended gala nights and made it smart casual nightly. I'm not a fan of the wishy washy policy.

 

The policy isn't wishy-washy though. You can dress in the nicest tuxedo on earth, or khakis, a shirt and maybe sports jacket if the dude prefers. That allows both ends of the spectrum to do as they desire and solves all questions for everything in between.

 

It's really very simple IMO.

[saxon6732]

I do not think that the cruise lines, HAL included, are concerned about offending anyone.

 

I think that times and preferences have changed from 20 years ago. I suspect there are more and more people like us who do not care about formal evenings one way or the other. We do not dress for them, we do not pack for them, but we certainly do not care if others do. More power to those folks who enjoy dressing up.

 

I think that it is more about moving with customers changing wants and demands than it is about offending people. Like it or not times and customs change over time.

 

I totally agree. My wife and I travel all over and have seen that even the 5-star restaurants are adjusting their dress codes. Most only requiring business casual attire to dine in their restaurants. I for one after many years of working for a company that required wearing suits I am glad to see the change. If you wish to dress more formal on Gala night or any other night I have no problem with you doing so.

[RocketMan275]

I totally agree. My wife and I travel all over and have seen that even the 5-star restaurants are adjusting their dress codes. Most only requiring business casual attire to dine in their restaurants. I for one after many years of working for a company that required wearing suits I am glad to see the change. If you wish to dress more formal on Gala night or any other night I have no problem with you doing so.

 

 

I'm truly sympathetic for those who see a cruise as an opportunity to dress as they never have at home. I'm even more sympathetic with those who have had more than enough 'opportunities' to dress up and now only wish to be as comfortably casual as they please.

 

The best way to describe Gala Nights is "Formal Optional, Smart Casual Required". It's a big dinning room with room for both.

[SLOTheta]

We are going on our first cruise this summer where our friends are getting married. My husband and I are in our 30s/40s and I was looking forward to the more formal nights. I used to live in San Francisco where there were many gala and formal events, but now live in a city where there are only a few events a year that require q tux. Since the wedding will be a formal affair, he will have his tux for "gala" nights, but we love seeing everyone else dress up, too. A bit sad that cruises are moving away from truly formal nights.

 

 

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[Karennella]

We are going on Konsingdam in Europe in May and there are a lot of shore excursions in Dutch and Spanish. Does anyone have a idea if Europeans tend to dress up more or less than English speaking passengers?

Business dress in Sydney is still reasonably formal (Asian influence I imagine) and everyone from the plumber to the merchant banker is attired in black, it seems, be it a suit or t-shirt and shorts.

But leisure dress is pretty casual and my husband would only wear a suit to a wedding or funeral and not everyone does.

On our last cruise five years ago there were South Americans dressed up to the hilt and that is why I was wondering about Europeans.

[pv girl]

 

The best way to describe Gala Nights is "Formal Optional, Smart Casual Required". It's a big dinning room with room for both.

 

After all the dress code threads and unending opinions and comments - I have never seen it put so succinctly and perfectly. Thank you!

[RocketMan275]

After all the dress code threads and unending opinions and comments - I have never seen it put so succinctly and perfectly. Thank you!

 

You're welcome. Gala Nights are only complicated if you want them to be.

[ithaca gal]

The best way to describe Gala Nights is "Formal Optional, Smart Casual Required". It's a big dinning room with room for both.

 

Unfortunately ....... many people have NO IDEA what SMART casual is. Casual, yes. SMART casual? No idea. Some people think it means "as long as you are extremely comfortable".

 

(We just returned from a 7 day cruise on the Eurodam. We did not see a single gentleman in the MDR without a jacket. Not a single one. We did see some men in T-shirts (with writing on them) and jeans on "Smart casual" nights. We were curious as to what their "Gala Night" attire would be but they skipped dinner in the MDR on those nights.

 

Also, the second Gala Night was the evening with the "dressed chairs" and surf and turf. Something new this cruise on Gala Night was a folded 6 x 6 (?) card that had GALA printed on the front that served as the menu and it was inserted into the folded napkins on the table. Nice touch.)

[cruz chic]

The policy isn't wishy-washy though. You can dress in the nicest tuxedo on earth, or khakis, a shirt and maybe sports jacket if the dude prefers. That allows both ends of the spectrum to do as they desire and solves all questions for everything in between.

 

It's really very simple IMO.

 

To you it may not be wishy washy but Hal is not taking a stand either way. That is wishy washy. You could dress in a tux on a casual line, so that's pretty simple.. There is no rule against it so I really don't understand your post.

Edited February 15, 2016 by cruz chic

[sppunk]

To you it may not be wishy washy but Hal is not taking a stand either way. That is wishy washy. You could dress in a tux on a casual line. There is no rule against it so I really don't understand your post.

 

My point is HAL has a policy that allows people to dress as they choose with little requirements. There is nothing confusing or questionable about this policy, it's worded clearly.

 

They are taking a stand indeed. They are saying clearly that a cruise is a vacation and people today have vastly different approaches to how they wish to dress. Instead of alienating ether side they are openly welcoming both. It's a stand of being versatile and in time with the wide generational gaps that are sailing/have widely different ideas of dress.

[lahlah57]

So I guess the the cabin thick flanel robe with a sparkly pin on the lapel would be out of the question?:o

[SLOTheta]

[quote

 

(We just returned from a 7 day cruise on the Eurodam. We did not see a single gentleman in the MDR without a jacket. Not a single one. We did see some men in T-shirts (with writing on them) and jeans on "Smart casual" nights. We were curious as to what their "Gala Night" attire would be but they skipped dinner in the MDR on those nights.

 

 

 

Also, the second Gala Night was the evening with the "dressed chairs" and surf and turf. Something new this cruise on Gala Night was a folded 6 x 6 (?) card that had GALA printed on the front that served as the menu and it was inserted into the folded napkins on the table. Nice touch.)

 

 

I'm glad to hear that people still dress on the Eurodam and there was an attempt to make Gala night a tad special. Is there anything else you can share about the Eurodam? We are going this summer.

 

 

 

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[POA1]

People were even dressed gala-ly :D in the Canaletto. I think the word is getting out.

 

The word you're looking for is:

 

Galalicious. The adverb form is Galaliciously.

 

However, if the outfit is really sparkly, Galactic is also appropriate. On the other hand, Crocs, even when decorated with Jibbitz embellishments, are Galasinine.

[POA1]

We are going on Konsingdam in Europe in May and there are a lot of shore excursions in Dutch and Spanish. Does anyone have a idea if Europeans tend to dress up more or less than English speaking passengers?

 

More in my experience. Not necessarily more tuxedos, but definitely more suits.

[KirkNC]

the word you're looking for is:

 

Galalicious. The adverb form is galaliciously.

 

However, if the outfit is really sparkly, galactic is also appropriate. On the other hand, crocs, even when decorated with jibbitz embellishments, are galasinine.

 

lol!

Edited February 15, 2016 by KirkNC

[iancal]

There is nothing gala about it. And there has not been for some time notwithstanding the name change IMHO.

 

The food is not gala. The entertainment is not gala.

 

Why on earth would the cruise line expect people to believe that it is gala unless it is their first rodeo and they believe all of the bumph in the brochure.

 

It is really make believe 'Alice in Wonderland'. Some people are tired of the pretense-especially when the cruise line is doing little or nothing to enhance it.

Edited February 15, 2016 by iancal

[gigianne]

When the cruise director reminds passengers early on the Gala day - "so wear your tuxes and your sparkles" what are you to expect. HAL needs to choose what side of the fence they are on - to some gala means more then formal. I overheard a man telling the assistant DR manager that he did not bring a jacket and would not be dining in the MDR the next gala night. The manager told the gentleman that what ge had on was perfect attire - a short sleeved, collared, plaid shirt and chinos. I guess the MDR ass't manager understands what the CD doesn't.

[cruz chic]

The word you're looking for is:

 

Galalicious. The adverb form is Galaliciously.

 

However, if the outfit is really sparkly, Galactic is also appropriate. On the other hand, Crocs, even when decorated with Jibbitz embellishments, are Galasinine.

 

Hilarious :D.

[cruz chic]

My point is HAL has a policy that allows people to dress as they choose with little requirements. There is nothing confusing or questionable about this policy, it's worded clearly.

 

They are taking a stand indeed. They are saying clearly that a cruise is a vacation and people today have vastly different approaches to how they wish to dress. Instead of alienating ether side they are openly welcoming both. It's a stand of being versatile and in time with the wide generational gaps that are sailing/have widely different ideas of dress.

 

I said it was wishy washy, not questionable or confusing. I'm saying wishy washy as defined in the dictionary as not having strong beliefs about something or being weak and not able to act. Right next to it there is a picture of Hal:D. I have no idea how confusing and questionable got pulled into it. If this works as well as you suggest why are we having so many threads about this?

[RocketMan275]

I'm not sure what the complaint is all about?

 

Are people upset because there was a change to the dress code or because Gala doesn't seem to be an appropriate name? Do you want to change the code back or do you want a different name or do you just want to go to smart casual?