Spoiled by NCL's "Freestyle"

[Desdemona01]

 

Some people just enjoy being revolting. :) :eek: They like to push our buttons and see our responses. They remind of of naughty children, picking on their peers in an attempt to "get a rise" out of them.

 

LOL!!!! Once again, Reverend Neal, your gift of filtering through the noise has shown through--kudos!!!:D

Des

[vpoopsy]

Boy, it's funny how what you are going to wear for a cruise pushes alot of folks buttons. I agree with most of the posts that we should "follow the code" when we are dining, but again, if we ate in the dining room on formal night and someone else ate in the lido and didn't follow the code, who would know which one of us went back to our room and "got more comfortable" for the evening show?

 

I just believe there more important things in life to worry about then if they guy next to you has a tie on or not. Yes, I think we should show respect and not dress "down", but who's going to lose sleep over the fact that someone didn't meet YOUR expectatations (or HAL's).

 

My DH and I have had a really tough year and all we want is to get away and enjoy ourselves. Let's hope everyone else has that same goal on our cruise. Life is too short.

[jtl513]

I have never seen this. 60% is a very high percentage to be strolling around in short, jeans, t's on formal night. Is it possible this occurs more on Vista ships?

My last cruise I would say about 75% of the guys had on a tux. Ladies were dressed nicely. Yes, I saw a couple of people wandering around in shorts and Ts shirts. Maybe 1%.

 

Maybe the itinerary makes a difference. On our only two Vista cruises, in Europe, tuxes ran around 50% on all formal nights and we saw very, very few jeans/shorts/tees. Less than 19 (1%) for sure!

[mdaven]

What do folks wear on the ship when boarding? We are on the Noordam this winter, and I'm just curious what people actually wear getting on the ship? Especially when leaving out of NYC, since it's colder. Jeans? I like to travel comfortably, and would think most people do, so I'm curious what embarking is like.

[gizmo]

Maybe the itinerary makes a difference. On our only two Vista cruises, in Europe, tuxes ran around 50% on all formal nights and we saw very, very few jeans/shorts/tees. Less than 19 (1%) for sure!

 

My cruises were all Caribbean 10 days and 14 on my last cruise.

[jtl513]

What do folks wear on the ship when boarding?

 

Anything and everything! :D The same kind of mix that you'd see on an airplane these days!

[RevNeal]

Rev: do you wear traditional formal wear or your rev clothes (collar)?

 

Sometimes I wear my Tuxedo:

 

 

And other times I like to be decked out in what we call "clerics":

 

 

Most often it depends upon my status aboard ship: if I'm serving as chaplain on that particular cruise I almost always dress in clerics for formal and informal nights. If I'm aboard as just a passenger, then I can go either way ... it frequently depends upon if I'm trying to be "incognito" or am I with a group of people that knows I'm clergy and/or I don't mind them knowing. I will sometimes wear clerics on formal and informal nights that fall on Sundays even if I'm not serving as chaplain. When I'm just a passenger I will often wear a Tuxedo on formal nights, but on informal nights I'll wear suit and clerics (though, usually not formal clerics, just a tab or neckband clergy shirt without a formal vest).

[RevNeal]

I believe the biggest issue with formal clothes on a cruise is packing the darn stuff in your suite case. You need to pack,

The Bulky Jacket.

The Extra Shirts, just don't cram them in like your other shirts, they have to be folded just right.

Your pair of Dress Slacks,

The extra pair of Shoes,

Special socks,

The Horride Tie.

Did I miss anything:confused:

After you pack all this then your DW puts in twice that much, you have one suite case set asside for a few hours on your cruise. Yea I do it but only for my DW.

 

If packing is an issue for some guys, they should keep the following options in mind:

 

1. Regarding the "bulky jacket" -- if you want to go the minimal route, WEAR your jacket in transit to and from the ship. If it's wrinkled by transit, have it dry cleaned or pressed immediately after you board ... it WILL be ready for you by the first formal night. Wearing the jacket actually makes a lot of sense in winter-time cruising ... chances you'll be leaving home in cold weather. Why bring a heavy coat when your jacket will do for the short time you'll be in cold weather?

 

2. Regarding the "extra shirts" -- I don't understand this qualm that some men have, nor do I understand the "folding" issue. Bring ONE white HANGING dress shirt in the dry-cleaner bag that you picked it up from the cleaners in ... that should be sufficient for a 1-week cruise. The shirt will NOT wrinkle in such a bag, and having it on a hanger keeps it nice and straight. Wear it your first formal night and, then, if it needs cleaning, send it out to be cleaned the next morning. You'll have it back before the next formal night. 1 shirt isn't going to kill anyone in the packing department.

 

3. Regarding the dress slacks -- Wear your dress slacks to the ship along with your jacket. OR, pack them ... you'll need at least a couple pair of slacks for the evenings of your cruise anyway (casual evening wear now allows jeans, but jeans are HEAVIER and take more space than slacks anyway ... so what's the big deal? Instead of bringing nice jeans for casual evening wear, bring slacks that can do triple-duty between casual, informal, and formal nights).

 

4. Regarding the dress shoes -- wear them in transit to the ship, if you don't want to pack them. But why not pack them?? They will be as bulky as the other shoes you're going to pack anyway -- and less bulky than boots -- and you can wear you dress shoes on all the evenings and look snazzy! Guys ... women bring bunches of shoes and have to pack 'em; we need 3 pair (dress, casual, and run-around-exchursion-tennis-type shoes). Big deal.

 

5. Regarding the "special socks" -- how special? A pair of black dress socks is all one needs. They'll stuff in any nook or cranny of your bag and will NOT break your back when you lift them. HECK ... wear them in transit to and from the ship! They'll look good with your dress shoes.

 

6. Regarding the "horrid tie" -- again, it's s strip of cloth a few feet long. BIG DEAL. Roll it up and put it in a corner of your bag. It weighs less than one of the 5 different print t-shirts you were planning to bring. Bring one less t-shirt and TWO ties and TWO pair of dress socks. Your fellow passengers will thank you for it and your DW will be pleased with how you look!

[mdaven]

Thanks for the quick reply JTL......so then I'm assuming that people change for dining that evening in the dining room? (thinking that jeans aren't acceptable there? or are they okay the first night? or am I wrong?)

[Oceanwench]

My daughter and her husband [in their 20s] just returned from their honeymoon aboard NCL's Star last month.

I know I posted elsewhere about their experience, but I just wanted to post again in this thread.

 

They both agreed they preferred HAL for the elegance, the traditional dining and the pampering they feel they received from the crew. And they both said HAL's food is way better than NCL's.

 

They enjoyed dressing for dinner on their HAL cruise in 2005, and they dressed up every evening on NCL as well.

 

They did not pack jeans, because to them, that's what they wear to the mall, walking the dog, going to football games, etc. They view cruising as anything but mundane ... and that is why they didn't want to wear everyday, ordinary clothes.

 

HAL has another generation of fans coming up through the ranks!

DH and I are looking at HAL cruises for 2007, and my daughter and son-in-law definitely want to come along!

[RevNeal]

What do folks wear on the ship when boarding? We are on the Noordam this winter, and I'm just curious what people actually wear getting on the ship? Especially when leaving out of NYC, since it's colder. Jeans? I like to travel comfortably, and would think most people do, so I'm curious what embarking is like.

 

When I boarded the Noordam this past February (for her Inaugural cruise out of New York) I was dressed in black suit and clerics. When I boarded the Zaandam this October out of San Diego I was wearing a pair of kaki Dockers, a blue dress shirt, and a black jacket (i.e., informal night garb). Here's a picture of myself and laffnvegas (and her hubby) standing in front of the Oosterdam pre-cruise in January 2005.

 

 

I always dress like this, or better, in transit to and from the ship. For me, this kind of clothing is "comfortable." Jeans would be thick, binding, and uncomfortable for a plane flight or in transit from hotel to pier. Also, wearing it to the ship is a good way of getting a jacket aboard without having to add its weight to one's luggage. I'm thick-skinned, so in cold weather I don't have a problem just wearing a jacket like that ... and particularly not for the very short time I'll be between taxi and heated terminal. AND, it keeps me from having to bring a heavier coat that I won't wear again until I disembark.

[jtl513]

Thanks for the quick reply JTL......so then I'm assuming that people change for dining that evening in the dining room? (thinking that jeans aren't acceptable there? or are they okay the first night? or am I wrong?)

 

Yes, the first night is always "casual" but again jeans are frowned on. However, sometimes baggage doesn't make departure!! But in that case most people would opt to eat in the Lido, I think.

 

I have a friend whose bag didn't make sailing on his honeymoon! Until it caught up to him 4 days later he was re-using traveling clothes and things he was able to get on board or in ports ... and even clothes borrowed from table-mates who were completely understanding and sympathetic!

[Seago2]

Sometimes I wear my Tuxedo:

 

 

And other times I like to be decked out in what we call "clerics":

 

 

Most often it depends upon my status aboard ship: if I'm serving as chaplain on that particular cruise I almost always dress in clerics for formal and informal nights. If I'm aboard as just a passenger, then I can go either way ... it frequently depends upon if I'm trying to be "incognito" or am I with a group of people that knows I'm clergy and/or I don't mind them knowing. I will sometimes wear clerics on formal and informal nights that fall on Sundays even if I'm not serving as chaplain. When I'm just a passenger I will often wear a Tuxedo on formal nights, but on informal nights I'll wear suit and clerics (though, usually not formal clerics, just a tab or neckband clergy shirt without a formal vest).

 

OK, Rev- just a thought: these two pictures are waaaay better than your avatar! You should switch it. You look very handsome in the tux.

[RevNeal]

Thanks, Carla ... but, how "way better??" I like my current avatar, though it IS time to change it again.

 

Firstly, keep in mind that an avatar has a maximum size (80 x 80 pixels).

 

Secondly, I've used a smaller cut of the one of me in clerics as my avatar in the past. That was me about 100 pounds heavier than I am now ... I prefer the shots of me thinner.

 

Thirdly, I've used tux images before ... and had people complain that they wanted RevNeal in his clerics. :) Go figure! ;)

 

I've been meaning to do some cropping of some of the formal photos from last month's cruise so that I can use one or two as Avatars ... perhaps I'll do that tonight.

[newmexicoNita]

To the OP and others that love freestyle dining, I agree with you, it is the best. I also feel it is important to abide by the cruise lines policy and if that is formal, so be it. We will dress accordingly and stay in the same clothes for the evening. DH doesn't really mind wearing his tux as he wears it sometimes around here for special events, but we do mind lugging all that stuff with us. I feel the same about dressing up for the evening, I really enjoy it on occassion but hate to think of all the extra clothes, shoes etc. In fact we are starting to get things together for our cruise in a couple of weeks and I am trying to decide how I can cut back on shoes. They are so heavy if nothing else.

 

Again, I too am spoiled by freestyle, but will dress according to the suggested attire for the evening each night. Our cruising partners will not be dressed quite as formally as us. He will wear the dark suit and I am not certain if Marilyn is wearing a formal or not. I will, for one night only. The other is a skirt and top (after 5 look) NMNita

[dakrewser]

Thus, the formal night requirement is a real "con" when evaluating the pros and cons of selecting a cruise vacation over some other type of land resort. Cruise lines ... including HAL ... will respond to this negative by eliminating the requirement for formal dress ... I'd say within the next year or so.

 

Wishful thinking, Rita. Only the possibility of sailing with empty cabins would force a line to change policy like that. And HAL has few, if any, sailings with empty cabins.

[kryos]

Wishful thinking, Rita. Only the possibility of sailing with empty cabins would force a line to change policy like that. And HAL has few, if any, sailings with empty cabins.

They'll change it as they find more and more people ignoring the dress code ... as we are starting to see now. Some people on this board have reported seeing people in the dining room on formal night in jeans and all manner of clothing that could in no stretch be considered even informal attire. Why do you think those people even make it into the dining room? Why do you think they are not being stopped at the door and sent back to their cabins for something more appropriate? Because there are too many of them and the dining room captains are having a very hard time enforcing the dress codes because of it.

 

My guess is that HAL will come up with some sort of a compromise ... perhaps a special roped off section of the dining room to be used on formal nights for those folks who want to dine in their formal finery and wish to be surrounded by others who do as well.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

Again, I too am spoiled by freestyle, but will dress according to the suggested attire for the evening each night.

I wish I could get enthused about NCL and Freestyle, but it scares me. What happens if you are a solo? Also, how is the food on NCL.

 

I wouldn't be adverse to trying an NCL cruise someday ... especially since NCL sails some Bermuda itineraries right out of the Port of Philadelphia. But the whole Freestyle thing puts me off. Seems like it would only be a good alternative if you were cruising with a friend. Also, NCL doesn't give any break on single supplements whatsoever. I actually had my TA price a five-day Bermuda sailing right out of Philly for me and the cost was double for a solo in the cabin.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[cruisnfool]

Kyros......beg to differ but no where on Princess Patters does it say you may change your clothes after dinner....it always says the attire for the EVENING is.....

 

This is my first HAL and one of the things that brought me here was the discussion about preserving tradition.

 

I sail frequently on RCI, Princess, Celebrity and Costa and the dress codes are no differant. Attire is for the evening and the Lidos are for the people who want to be causal for dinner. Unfortunantly if you allow people to go to a venue in casual attire they will also be around the ship all evening in casual attire....so to give the people what they wanted in casual dining we have to accept casual attire throughout the ship.

 

I too disagree with the 60% casual.....Theres more than that in the formal picture lines...Ha! Ha!

 

I would wager that the people who want to preserve formal dress started cruising years ago and don't like change. The revolters are the newer cruisers that "want it their way".

 

The argument over dress codes reflects our society. People today do not differentiate they attire for anything. Look when you go to church or a resturant or a wedding......people seem to think all the same "grubbys " are ok!

I am appaulled at what some parents will allow the children to wear to church...I know people say as long as they come....oh give me a break...its about teaching your children that you wear differant clothes to differant occasions.

 

Will the code go away....I hope not. But people do fill out comment cards and cruiselines do listen.

 

I do the packing and packing a suit is no differant than a tux......we just came back from a 11 day Alaska with the proper formal clothes and stayed within the weight limit of the airlines.....

 

I am looking forward to HAL for many reasons.

[newmexicoNita]

I wish I could get enthused about NCL and Freestyle, but it scares me. What happens if you are a solo? Also, how is the food on NCL.

 

I wouldn't be adverse to trying an NCL cruise someday ... especially since NCL sails some Bermuda itineraries right out of the Port of Philadelphia. But the whole Freestyle thing puts me off. Seems like it would only be a good alternative if you were cruising with a friend. Also, NCL doesn't give any break on single supplements whatsoever. I actually had my TA price a five-day Bermuda sailing right out of Philly for me and the cost was double for a solo in the cabin.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

Rita, you are right about the single supplement, HAL offers the best for sure. As for cruising solo, I think it works fine if you make a point of going to a meet and greet party the first night or singles get together. On our transatlantic last fall (2005) we had a couple of different singles who had a blast. One was a gal, probably in her mid to late 30s and the other a man in his 50s. Both were accustom to solo traveling and NCL btw. That being said, I do think traditional dining works better for solo cruisers. As much as I love NCL and freestyle, I think Princess offers the best plan; choice. The feature I like about NCL is the huge selections of dining options, not only the choice as to when you dine. NMnita

[jeffs55]

I get a bit frustrated with fellow passengers not following the dress code. When I book HAL or Celebrity I expect a certain ambiance. If getting dressed up is not for you maybe you should stick with NCL. (And I enjoy NCL also, I just have different expectations when I book with them.)

Jeff

[RevNeal]

The argument over dress codes reflects our society. People today do not differentiate they attire for anything. Look when you go to church or a resturant or a wedding......people seem to think all the same "grubbys " are ok!

I am appaulled at what some parents will allow the children to wear to church...I know people say as long as they come....oh give me a break...its about teaching your children that you wear differant clothes to differant occasions.

 

I understand what you're saying and I DO agree that the argument over dress codes reflects what we can see in our society. And, indeed, part of me wishes that more people respected Church and dressed accordingly. However, the simple fact is that I AM very much happy that some people are simply in church. I am one who would rather have them in church than not, and don't consider clothing a viable reason for them not coming (or feeling as if they were not welcome).

 

Most of the men in my congregation dress according to the HAL "informal" schedule ... slacks, nice shirt, and jacket (in the winter), and a few even wear ties. In the summer the jacket frequently stays home (though, interestingly enough, not the tie!), but at least most of the men are respectfully dressed. I DO have some men, most of the youth, and many kids who simply dress like slobs ALL THE TIME. Again, I would rather them be in church that not ... and, I haven't (and won't) say anything about clothing to them. However, I DO wish that at least some of them would pay better attention to what they're wearing when coming forward to serve as Lay Scripture Reader, Usher, or Eucharistic Assistant. One youth came up to read the Old Testament Lesson last week dressed like an MTV brat ... big, black baggy pants buckled so as to be almost falling off his hips and a black t-shirt that read "I'm gonna get ya, suckka!" It was printed on his shirt's back, and so while the congregation didn't see that while he was reading ... I, my Associate, the organist and the choir did. I thought his mother was gonna have a heart attack! But ... then ... part of me wanted to ask her: "you knew he was appointed to read today ... didn't you pay any attention to what he was wearing when y'all left the house?"

 

For a real juxtaposition in visual images ... realize that this kid (17 years old) comes forward to read. He bows to the altar, turns and reads ... does an EXCELLENT job. Then, upon leaving the chancel, bows to the altar again and then returns to his place on a rear pew. The boy KNOWs how to behave in church, knows what is expected of a lay reader in terms of being able to read the passage and how to act in the chancel area ... but, for whatEVER reason he doesn't seem to know how to dress??

 

It's not just the youth and young adults who lack any sense of clothing respect. Yesterday I looked out on my congregation and noted several men -- adult men in their 50s and 60s -- who were dressed in worn-out-jeans and print or colored t-shirts. The sad thing is that I KNOW every single one of them COULD have dressed in slacks and golf shirts or button down shirts ... and I KNOW that several of them could have worn jacket and tie because I've seen 'em do it before. Why not to church?

[bottomrung]

The formal nights has to be a money issue with the cruise lines. When my income was a little more stable I rented the tux outfit, i believe it cost about 100 bucks, 100 guys 100 bucks, adds up fast.

[vpoopsy]

Rev,

 

Sounds a little like "legalism" to me!! But that's for another place and another time......

[newmexicoNita]

They'll change it as they find more and more people ignoring the dress code ... as we are starting to see now. Some people on this board have reported seeing people in the dining room on formal night in jeans and all manner of clothing that could in no stretch be considered even informal attire. Why do you think those people even make it into the dining room? Why do you think they are not being stopped at the door and sent back to their cabins for something more appropriate? Because there are too many of them and the dining room captains are having a very hard time enforcing the dress codes because of it.

 

My guess is that HAL will come up with some sort of a compromise ... perhaps a special roped off section of the dining room to be used on formal nights for those folks who want to dine in their formal finery and wish to be surrounded by others who do as well.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

I think you are right, like so many aspects of cruising or life in general, things do change as people demands change. Just because there are a handful or maybe more out there who love, say, formal and traditional dining, there are more who want change. The cruise lines, like all businesses look for and want to give the consumer what they want. NMnita