I’m confused - difference between dressy and gala attire??

[GroomsportGirl]

We are just about to board the statendam and the temperamental navigator app has been updated with evening dress codes.  Does anyone know what the difference is between dressy and gala attire?  Most evenings are casual but we have one night gala attire and one night dressy????

 

[CruiserBruce]

There are two different nights. Smart Casual and Gala. I would expect "Dressy" would be the same as "Gala".

[SilvertoGold]

On Alaska cruises we saw more "anything goes" with Dressy.   A tux , a few suits, polo shirts;  a few cocktail dresses, dresses, nice slacks and ordinary tops.  Gala used to bring out a lot more fancy dressing.

Edited July 4, 2022 by SilvertoGold

[GroomsportGirl]

13 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

There are two different nights. Smart Casual and Gala. I would expect "Dressy" would be the same as "Gala".

So that is what I am assuming!  It is funny how they are listed as different dress codes on different nights….

[taxmantoo]

[NSWP]

HAL dressy/gala nights these days.

And the way it used to be on HAL.

Edited July 5, 2022 by NSWP

[VMax1700]

Interestingly (or not!) the 'Smart Casual' is now listed as 'Casual' on Oosterdam.  I don't remember if it was the Where & When or the Nav App, but one of them had dropped the 'Smart'.

[Tbay]

It has been several years, but Alaska is the only cruise I have been on where they had 'loaner'  jackets/sports coats for those men not wearing one.  I know you wouldn't see that today.

[MISTER 67]

We've given up on all the changes with dress codes on the various cruise lines and have decided to dress in what you would call Country Club or Smart Casual. Nice cotton or wool slacks with a polo shirt and loafers for me and a pant suit with flats for DW.

[SargassoPirate]

1 hour ago, MISTER 67 said:

We've given up on all the changes with dress codes on the various cruise lines and have decided to dress in what you would call Country Club or Smart Casual. Nice cotton or wool slacks with a polo shirt and loafers for me and a pant suit with flats for DW.

Which way should I wear a ballcap?  Bill forward or backwards?  

 

Actually, Mister67, that's about what we do.  We gravitated to that style years ago when combining extended land travel with cruises.  We use quick dry clothing and a mix and match wardrobe. 

[Hlitner]

6 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

Which way should I wear a ballcap?  Bill forward or backwards?  

 

Actually, Mister67, that's about what we do.  We gravitated to that style years ago when combining extended land travel with cruises.  We use quick dry clothing and a mix and match wardrobe. 

For you, we have a solution 🙂

 

Hank

 

[Sir PMP]

Dressy:

 

Gala:

 

 

 

[RedneckBob]

1 hour ago, SargassoPirate said:

Which way should I wear a ballcap?  Bill forward or backwards?  

 

 

Good point, but you should know that wearing your bill tells a lot about you.

 

Bill forward is Old School

Bill backwards is New School

Bill sideways is No School 😳

[4966and556]

Men always look good in a proper suit with a solid colour shirt  and a tie.

Women  can wear a black dress with accessories to match the "night".  On Gala night, wear pearls (real or fake) On a "regular" night, wear a nice gold chain. (real or fake), or any other accessories.  

 

[*Miss G*]

Ruh roh

[Hlitner]

4 minutes ago, 4966and556 said:

Men always look good in a proper suit with a solid colour shirt  and a tie.

Women  can wear a black dress with accessories to match the "night".  On Gala night, wear pearls (real or fake) On a "regular" night, wear a nice gold chain. (real or fake), or any other accessories.  

 

You are living in a dream world of have not cruised on many ships.  Seeing men in "wife beater" shirts with backwards baseball caps (even in the evening) is not unusual on many lines such as RCI and Princess.  As to women, we now think that many do not even own a dress.  It is not uncommon to see women (are we even allowed to call them "women") wearing Daisy Dukes (which do not flatter women who are 100 pounds overweight) and sleeveless tops to dinner.

 

I have adjusted to the new less formal dress codes.  Even on our last Seabourn cruise (March-April) I did not take my Tux (the first time I ever left that home).  On our December Enchanted Princess cruise I think I could have worn my swim suit into the dining room which would have improved on some of the stuff worn by a few other men.  Cruise lines, in theory, have different rules for men and women.  So it is OK for women to wear shorts into the MDR (at dinner) but men are supposed to wear long pants.  But these days I guess a man could wear short-shorts and simply "identify" as a woman (what are your pronouns?)  And if the ladies room has a long line what is to stop a woman from "identifying as a man" and just using the mens room?  It is truly a "world gone mad" and I think many folks are beginning to realize that a world without etiquette, manners, and some dress code rules, is not such a good thing.

 

Hank

[albingirl]

Good point.  They, them, it, whatever.Crazy upside down world.  Please don't flame me.  Or, feel free.  Who cares.

[gilboman]

3 hours ago, Hlitner said:

You are living in a dream world of have not cruised on many ships.  Seeing men in "wife beater" shirts with backwards baseball caps (even in the evening) is not unusual on many lines such as RCI and Princess.  As to women, we now think that many do not even own a dress.  It is not uncommon to see women (are we even allowed to call them "women") wearing Daisy Dukes (which do not flatter women who are 100 pounds overweight) and sleeveless tops to dinner.

 

I have adjusted to the new less formal dress codes.  Even on our last Seabourn cruise (March-April) I did not take my Tux (the first time I ever left that home).  On our December Enchanted Princess cruise I think I could have worn my swim suit into the dining room which would have improved on some of the stuff worn by a few other men.  Cruise lines, in theory, have different rules for men and women.  So it is OK for women to wear shorts into the MDR (at dinner) but men are supposed to wear long pants.  But these days I guess a man could wear short-shorts and simply "identify" as a woman (what are your pronouns?)  And if the ladies room has a long line what is to stop a woman from "identifying as a man" and just using the mens room?  It is truly a "world gone mad" and I think many folks are beginning to realize that a world without etiquette, manners, and some dress code rules, is not such a good thing.

 

Hank

all for the better to me..but then i'm relatively "young" at low 40s so i think it's been long time coming to not differentiate what's deemed proper appearance based on one's gender, age or w/e.  there shouldn't be different standards on what someone can wear just based on their gender whatever it maybe (or not be) and really doesn't impact me one bit. it may not look good to me, but i'm not one wearing it. 

 

i don't like it when people push their values/beliefs on to me be it political, religious or w/e..so how they dress is no different. if they want to be in wife beater, flipflops and cargo shorts...or just as bad a suit/jacket that's not tailored or a cut that's from like 2000's (those oversized cuts).. good for them, doesn't really impact me (or at least it shouldn't).

 

even better is post covid (or post people caring), i don't even need to wear khakis and button up for work on days i do go in. Lulu lemon ABC joggers and a dri fit polo is as formal as i need to get. 

 

 

[Suslor]

I guess maybe we are old school but we “dress” every night for dinner. Most of one big suitcase is dinner clothes, shoes, accessories. For us it makes cruising special and dinner not just a meal but a celebration. Just the way we roll🤪

[fsdj1097]

When we started cruising HAL, in the mid '90s, it was formal nights, which meant suit and tie for men, and cocktail dresses for women....at a minimum.  We looked forward to dressing for dinner and having the photo ops for a cruise memory.  We remember taking DW's brother and wife on an HAL Alaska cruise in the early 2000's, providing them with the 'Know before you go' booklet and advising them of the MDR rules and regs.  When we stopped by their cabin on the first 'formal night' they came out dressed in blue jeans and matching denim shirts!  We just returned from our Koningsdam Alaska cruise last month, and neither of us even bothered packing 'formal' clothing.  It was black slacks and a dressy top for DW, and khakis and button-up shirts for me.  We just rolled with it and had a great cruise!

[BetsyS.]

1 hour ago, Suslor said:

I guess maybe we are old school but we “dress” every night for dinner. Most of one big suitcase is dinner clothes, shoes, accessories. For us it makes cruising special and dinner not just a meal but a celebration. Just the way we roll🤪

I agree with you!! 😊

[Suslor]

Thanks 😊 

[BetsyS.]

On 7/5/2022 at 1:44 PM, Suslor said:

I guess maybe we are old school but we “dress” every night for dinner. Most of one big suitcase is dinner clothes, shoes, accessories. For us it makes cruising special and dinner not just a meal but a celebration. Just the way we roll🤪

Years ago on the Veendam, some people would come to the Lido buffet for 

breakfast and lunch wearing BATHROBES!!   I can see that if you are by the pool, 

but not at the buffet line. I ate dinner in the MDR, so I don't know if bathrobes 

were allowed at the Lido buffet after 6 PM. I would hope that was not the case.

I enjoy dressing for dinner in the MDR, so I am "old school" like you.  I did see 

one woman wearing jeans with holes in them in the MDR for dinner on a gala 

night. She was in a Neptune Suite and no one asked her to leave.

[Hlitner]

11 minutes ago, BetsyS. said:

Years ago on the Veendam, some people would come to the Lido buffet for 

breakfast and lunch wearing BATHROBES!!   I can see that if you are by the pool, 

but not at the buffet line. I ate dinner in the MDR, so I don't know if bathrobes 

were allowed at the Lido buffet after 6 PM. I would hope that was not the case.

I enjoy dressing for dinner in the MDR, so I am "old school" like you.  I did see 

one woman wearing jeans with holes in them in the MDR for dinner on a gala 

night. She was in a Neptune Suite and no one asked her to leave.

Oh My,  we still see "Robe People" on all of our cruises (even on Seabourn).  These folks think it is fine to wear their ship-provided robes as "cover ups" whenever and wherever they happen to be on the ship.  I imagine some of these folks go shopping in their supermarket or local mall in a bathrobe.  Since we are now in the era that has left "good taste" in the dust, I imagine bathrobes will soon be accepted for formal wear in the MDR.

 

Hank

[PACD_JG]

We saw an old couple (the dude had oxygen tubes up his nose) with bathrobes in the Lido for breakfast on the Koningsdam a week ago.  We found it off-putting, but I'm going to guess that they couldn't give a F what others thought.