Freestyle dining dress code??

[furkidsmom]

We are booked on the NCL Pride of Aloha for 11/05. DH and I have cruised many times, but on Celebrity. This is a family reunion and we did not pick the ship (that's a whole different thread :( )

 

Has anyone done the freestyle dining on NCL? I am wondering if it will be classy dressing or shorts (ugh) at dinner.

[JanetMarie]

When we cruised on X, we noticed the dinner attire was a tad bit more dressier than other lines. Just a tad bit. That being said, DH and I still like to "dress up" each evening for dinner.

I wear sundresses and maybe a nice pair of black capri slacks, while DH will wear linen slacks, button-up long sleeve linen shirts, dark slacks, etc.

For us, it's an evening "out" and we like to dress! ;)

[skoolbusdrvr]

i have done the ncl wind last year to hawaii and the year before, the ncl sun to the western carib.,it is so great to be able to eat when you want, and to dress the way you want.they still have formal nights, but the other nights casual, slacks, capris but no shorts in the dinning room.i will be leaving satur. 7/17 on the glory first time on carnival, looking forward to a new experience. enjoy the pride to hawaii, it is our best cruise so far, it is so beautiful there, didnot want to come home.

[Happy ks]

I have only cruised NCL one time, on the Star in Hawaii. There is only one optional formal night, we did not dress formally and did not miss it (I thought I would). The dress in the evening is what I would consider to be dressy casual, I was very comfortable as I like to dress up a bit. Many men (and women) wore Aloha wear and fit right in. You are not allowed to wear jeans and shorts to the dining rooms, I personally witnessed a young couple turned away at the door. I took several Hawaiian dresses, DH wore silk slacks and Hawaiian shirts. There is a buffet for people who don't want to conform to suggested attire.

 

I have yet to cruise Celebrity (we will in August!) but I think you will really enjoy this cruise. Hawaii is so beautiful and a cruise is a perfect way to see a little of all the islands. You may miss the traditional dining you are used to, but the fact you are with family may overshadow this. If your group is large, a problem could ensue trying to be seated all together for dinner. You could either break into smaller groups, or try to get the restaurant manager to help out. Freestyle dining does not include a reservation system unless you are dining in their "additional fee" dining rooms. (Reading your post this may be a plus, use it as a way to get out of dining with family you don't wish to be seated with)

 

I was pleasantly surprised by our NCL cruise. We went with the attitude that it may not be as classy as what we might want, but did not find that to be the case at all. A few of the small touches I have read about re:Celebrity may be missing, but if you overlook that it will be a very positive experience.

 

To make a long post longer, we have a group of 15 cruising together to Alaska in August. We have already set ground rules for the group. We do not anticipate staying together during port stops and we do not expect everyone to be at dinner every night. No questions asked, when we see you we will have fun together, but not be dependent on each other. I've been writing a newsletter for the group for the last 6 months and have gotten very positive feedback from all regarding these rules. I think it is best for you to make your own personal plans, let everyone else know what you are doing, if they choose to join you, fine. Don't ever wait until it is a group decision, you may find a lot of time is wasted and no one gets to do what they really want to do.

 

Now, have fun planning your Hawaiian cruise!!

[CruisinMatt]

I did 15 nights South America on NCL Dream (freestyle) Barely anyone dressed up on the formal night and we got a lot of stares, but then again we dress up on casual nights too ;)

 

Have fun. :D

[carol louise]

We did two weeks on the Norwegian Dawn in April/May. The dress was overall rather casual, compared to our HAL cruises and pre-freestyle cruises on the Norwegian Wind and the Norway. And we sat near the dining room entrance most of the time and noticed that enforcement of dress code (people being turned away for improper dress) was inconsistent. Jeans tended to get by; shorts, no. We love to dress and so did many others on Dawn, but there were a few people that were shockingly underdressed. I say shockingly because the dress code and manners of the staff are conservative and proper, the decor is beautiful, and the table settings in all venues were elegant, so to see people eating in clothes that just appeared "thrown on" was jarring.

 

Formal night was maybe half and half as far as participation goes. And oddly, on the last night of the cruise, both weeks, we noticed a greater proportion of people dressed up than on other nights. It all made for fascinating people watching.

 

Carol Louise