Very First Cruise-Dress Code Help, Please

[SnorkelMoose]

Why are the dress code posts pages long? It’s really simple: HAL has their dress code posted. Follow the rules. If you don’t want to, then eat in the buffet or in your room.

[bUU]

Why are the dress code posts pages long? It’s really simple

Well, actually, it isn't simple, and that is why such threads are pages long. As much as I strongly disagree with those who choose to wear shorts to the MDR on formal nights, and as much as I strongly disagree with those who disparage those who wear rolled collared shirts and dress pants from Wal-Mart to the MDR on formal nights, the extreme views we see coming from both sides aren't coming from left field. Standards of hospitality, customer satisfaction and recovery practices, and vagaries within the dress code itself combine to make valid a broad range of different, and even conflicting perspectives.

[SnorkelMoose]

Well, actually, it isn't simple, and that is why such threads are pages long. As much as I strongly disagree with those who choose to wear shorts to the MDR on formal nights, and as much as I strongly disagree with those who disparage those who wear rolled collared shirts and dress pants from Wal-Mart to the MDR on formal nights, the extreme views we see coming from both sides aren't coming from left field. Standards of hospitality, customer satisfaction and recovery practices, and vagaries within the dress code itself combine to make valid a broad range of different, and even conflicting perspectives.

 

 

 

The issue is that the employees are sometimes too afraid to enforce the dress code, because they don’t want passengers to complain about them. They could lose their jobs. If passengers would just adhere to the dress code in the first place, the employees wouldn’t be put in that awkward situation.

[RocketMan275]

The issue is that the employees are sometimes too afraid to enforce the dress code, because they don’t want passengers to complain about them. They could lose their jobs. If passengers would just adhere to the dress code in the first place, the employees wouldn’t be put in that awkward situation.

No, the issue is the cruise line doesn't want to alienate a large number of customers by enforcing the dress code. If the cruise line would just adjust the dress code to reflect the wishes of the cruising public, the employees wouldn't be put in that awkward situation.

[bUU]

The issue is that the employees are sometimes too afraid to enforce the dress code, because they don’t want passengers to complain about them.

Why would a manager punish an employee for enforcing a rule that the manager wants enforced? My comment is rhetorical: The employees are doing what their managers want them to be doing: NOT enforcing the dress code. This goes back to what I wrote to you earlier this afternoon: It's the cruise line's customer satisfaction and recovery practices. They determine the dress code and how much to enforce it based on what's best for their business.

 

If passengers would just adhere to the dress code in the first place, the employees wouldn’t be put in that awkward situation.

Of course, but again, posters often note that they saw far fewer people violating the dress code than other posters led them to believe. I think it is a safe bet that we see a good number of false reports of violations of the dress code from people who, in actuality, are simply angry with how casual the formal dress code is. There's an Internet meme that applies to such complaints: TTIUWP (this thread is useless without pictures). Luckily, we actually have pictures. I love YouTube videos people post of their cruises, and there are lots of videos that include scenes from the dining room on formal night. I just picked one at random, and in it I can see a couple of dozen of the diners in the dining room. Every single one was dressed significantly more formal than the dress code.

[Florida_gal_50]

Why would a manager punish an employee for enforcing a rule that the manager wants enforced? My comment is rhetorical: The employees are doing what their managers want them to be doing: NOT enforcing the dress code. This goes back to what I wrote to you earlier this afternoon: It's the cruise line's customer satisfaction and recovery practices. They determine the dress code and how much to enforce it based on what's best for their business.

 

Of course, but again, posters often note that they saw far fewer people violating the dress code than other posters led them to believe. I think it is a safe bet that we see a good number of false reports of violations of the dress code from people who, in actuality, are simply angry with how casual the formal dress code is. There's an Internet meme that applies to such complaints: TTIUWP (this thread is useless without pictures). Luckily, we actually have pictures. I love YouTube videos people post of their cruises, and there are lots of videos that include scenes from the dining room on formal night. I just picked one at random, and in it I can see a couple of dozen of the diners in the dining room. Every single one was dressed significantly more formal than the dress code.

 

Let me see if I'm understanding what you are saying. If anyone reports that people are dressing in shorts, t-shirts etc they are saying that because they are angry about the change to a more casual policy by Hal. I'm not a fan of "dressing up" and would be happy if Hal went to smart casual every night. I've also reported people dressing in t-shirts, distressed jeans and yoga pants on gala nights so your theory isn't working in my case. I'm close to a 5 star on Hal so it's safe to say I've done a number of cruises on Hal. I've seen all sorts of dress. It seems you are saying people comply from pulling up YouTube videos and not actually stepping foot on a Hal ship. Interesting.

[VennDiagram]

....

It seems you are saying people comply from pulling up YouTube videos and not actually stepping foot on a Hal ship. Interesting.

 

+1 No kidding.... I agree with you completely. "Interesting" is right! (y) Ludicrous to think that a youtube video is any kind of substitute for actual experience.

Edited November 3, 2017 by VennDiagram

[kazu]

Let me see if I'm understanding what you are saying. If anyone reports that people are dressing in shorts, t-shirts etc they are saying that because they are angry about the change to a more casual policy by Hal. I'm not a fan of "dressing up" and would be happy if Hal went to smart casual every night. I've also reported people dressing in t-shirts, distressed jeans and yoga pants on gala nights so your theory isn't working in my case. I'm close to a 5 star on Hal so it's safe to say I've done a number of cruises on Hal. I've seen all sorts of dress. It seems you are saying people comply from pulling up YouTube videos and not actually stepping foot on a Hal ship. Interesting.

 

+1 No kidding.... I agree with you completely. "Interesting" is right! (y) Ludicrous to think that a youtube video is any kind of substitute for actual experience.

 

Spot on ladies :) ;);):D

[bUU]

Let me see if I'm understanding what you are saying. If anyone reports that people are dressing in shorts, t-shirts etc they are saying that because they are angry about the change to a more casual policy by Hal.

I didn't say that. I said that some online reports are that the complaints about violations are overblown and I believe those reports because the videos corroborate those reports.

 

It sounds like you want the complaints to matter more than reports from other passengers that say that the complaints are overblown, even though the latter are supported by more evidence.

 

+1 No kidding.... I agree with you completely. "Interesting" is right! (y) Ludicrous to think that a youtube video is any kind of substitute for actual experience.

 

Actually, videos are pretty strong evidence by themselves, but combined with the reports from other passengers that the complaints are overblown make your comment and Kazu's "ludicrous".

 

Some people clearly want their complaints to drown out more balanced and evidentiary consideration of the matter. Tsk. That's one of the biggest challenges with getting our information online, being able to tell which of the conflicting reports to believe. As with most things, the truth is likely somewhere in the middle.

Edited November 3, 2017 by bUU

[Florida_gal_50]

For the life of me buu I can't understand what you are trying to say, but I can't say that I care. I don't embellish on what I see. For the most part I'd believe most posters on CC over videos on YouTube. I've only cruised once on carnival about 10 years ago. I wouldn't be able to tell you what goes on dress wise on that line even if I watched a YouTube video :').

[bUU]

For the life of me buu I can't understand what you are trying to say, but I can't say that I care.

I suspect the two things (understanding and caring to understand) are related.

 

Some people clearly want their complaints to drown out more balanced and evidentiary consideration of the matter. Tsk.

 

Hopefully, newbies will rely on a variety of different sources of information rather than just one small group.

Edited November 3, 2017 by bUU

[Lizzie68]

For the life of me buu I can't understand what you are trying to say, but I can't say that I care. I don't embellish on what I see. For the most part I'd believe most posters on CC over videos on YouTube. I've only cruised once on carnival about 10 years ago. I wouldn't be able to tell you what goes on dress wise on that line even if I watched a YouTube video :').

 

I totally agree, but sadly it just opened yet another long-winded response. I prefer to go by my own experience together with that of other long-time HAL cruisers such as yourself and trust that newbies learn to recognise the advice they can trust.

[taxmantoo]

For the life of me buu I can't understand what you are trying to say, but I can't say that I care.

 

I totally agree, but sadly it just opened yet another long-winded response. I prefer to go by my own experience together with that of other long-time HAL cruisers such as yourself and trust that newbies learn to recognise the advice they can trust.

 

Couldn`t agree with both of you any more!

For my part, I have long put away any importance or credence in anything written on CC by someone who has chosen to identify their interests on Cruise Critic as ``arrogant know-it-all and moralizing codger`, in their own words. Check it out, it`s on their profile.

[bUU]

For someone some claim so stridently to ignore, they seem to spend a lot of time actively not ignoring. Little things, like suggesting that people should consult several different sources of information, and different kinds of information, seem to get in the way of ignoring. Tsk.

 

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[VennDiagram]

Couldn`t agree with both of you any more!

For my part, I have long put away any importance or credence in anything written on CC by someone who has chosen to identify their interests on Cruise Critic as ``arrogant know-it-all and moralizing codger`, in their own words. Check it out, it`s on their profile.

 

Thank you! A (sometimes) wise woman (me) recently advised another poster to stop feeding out the attention some posters so desperately crave. I'm going to take my own advice. It is time for me to stop feeding ;) (y) :D

[sapper1]

For the life of me buu I can't understand what you are trying to say, but I can't say that I care. I don't embellish on what I see. For the most part I'd believe most posters on CC over videos on YouTube. I've only cruised once on carnival about 10 years ago. I wouldn't be able to tell you what goes on dress wise on that line even if I watched a YouTube video :').

Well you know how the old saying goes——-if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance then baffle them with bu******.:)

[innlady1]

I totally agree, but sadly it just opened yet another long-winded response. I prefer to go by my own experience together with that of other long-time HAL cruisers such as yourself and trust that newbies learn to recognise the advice they can trust.

 

 

I find it baffling that such long-winded responses are written by someone with only 10 days on a HAL ship...the Noordam almost 10 years ago... in February of ‘08. I know...I was on that cruise...difference is, we have been on many HAL cruises since. He has not...yet purports to be an expert. With such limited experience, I guess he needs to rely on YouTube videos.

 

 

 

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Edited November 4, 2017 by innlady1

[KroozNut]

For someone some claim so stridently to ignore, they seem to spend a lot of time actively not ignoring. Little things, like suggesting that people should consult several different sources of information, and different kinds of information, seem to get in the way of ignoring. Tsk.

 

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Okay, I'll speak for a lot of folks. You're responses are typically totally BS.

[bUU]

Actually, if that were true, the ladies really would ignore them. The don't (can't?) because they actually raise valid points that the ladies don't like but for which they have no legitimate response.

 

I get it. You want an unrebutted soapbox for the opinion shared by a specific set of posters. But when they have to start contending that videos lie and their opinions are more valid than what people can see with their own eyes, it is a bit telling. And this has been going on since at least 2008: Even back then there were a set of "enforced" opinions that weren't borne out by the onboard experience. Again, I suggest everyone seek out lots of perspectives and not take any one opinion as gospel.

 

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[Lizzie68]

Liking this before I add said poster to my ignore list.

 

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[taxmantoo]

Okay, I'll speak for a lot of folks. You're responses are typically totally BS.

Let`s be fair now ... that only applies to the ones we can read without laughing :D

[KroozNut]

Let`s be fair now ... that only applies to the ones we can read without laughing :D

This is true! ;)

[bUU]

Let`s be fair now ... that only applies to the ones we can read without laughing :D

That bit about how people should believe a certain set of negative online reports over other more balanced online reports, corroborated by videos that people can see with their own eyes, had me in stitches. :D

 

 

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[kazu]

For those that think smart casual = a Tshirt, do NOT sail on Oceania or other such cruise lines where the dress code is "smart casual/country club casual". I can assure you that those people dress nicely and a T shirt will stick out like a sore thumb. As it will on HAL on many cruises.

 

Fridays were "smart casual" at work, and I can assure you that Tshirts are NOT considered smart casual and would not be permitted.

 

But, since those of us with many days on HAL know not of what we talk, you do as you want. I am sure you will anyways ;p

[bUU]

Fridays were "smart casual" at work, and I can assure you that Tshirts are NOT considered smart casual and would not be permitted.

They tell me that every day is now smart casual at work in many workplaces, and as that has changed so has what is considered smart casual.

 

But, since those of us with many days on HAL know not of what we talk, ...

I think the insistence that nothing can change without their permission is limited to a much smaller group. I bet a lot of people with many days on the cruise line couldn't care less about what others make a big fuss about.

 

Me, though, I'm typically overdressed. But that doesn't mean others are underdressed. Some folks seem to think it would.

 

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