Having worked on the Zaandam the last 5 months I can tell you what I experienced. My job required smart casual during the day and a coat after 6pm, and formal nights a tux. In reality I wore smart casual all day everyday and formal I wore a normal suit.
I would say all the above advice holds true. On most days people wore "normal" everyday attire. Jeans, t-shirts, polo shirts, dockers, sun dresses, etc... just nice presentable clothes. On formal nights you had the full gamut. Some wore tuxes and had their lovely ladies wearing formal gowns, and others wore suits and their ladies complemented them with nice slacks and a nice blouse. I have seen dress kilts (and dont ask them what they wear under them :-) ) and I have also seen dress military uniforms on formal nights.
I would say the ONLY thing I saw enforced was a coat is required in the MDR on formal nights. They have coats available to loan you if you do not have one. I saw a man in a motorized wheelchair that wore sweatpants and a sweatshirt at all times (perhaps due to his condition and for comfort) and on a formal night when he arrived at the MDR they simply provided him a sport coat to put over his sweatshirt. So they are very forgiving yet they want to provide a nice atmosphere for those who enjoy the glitz and glamour and use your judgement.
Appropriate dress on HAL ships
in Holland America Line
Posted
Having worked on the Zaandam the last 5 months I can tell you what I experienced. My job required smart casual during the day and a coat after 6pm, and formal nights a tux. In reality I wore smart casual all day everyday and formal I wore a normal suit.
I would say all the above advice holds true. On most days people wore "normal" everyday attire. Jeans, t-shirts, polo shirts, dockers, sun dresses, etc... just nice presentable clothes. On formal nights you had the full gamut. Some wore tuxes and had their lovely ladies wearing formal gowns, and others wore suits and their ladies complemented them with nice slacks and a nice blouse. I have seen dress kilts (and dont ask them what they wear under them :-) ) and I have also seen dress military uniforms on formal nights.
I would say the ONLY thing I saw enforced was a coat is required in the MDR on formal nights. They have coats available to loan you if you do not have one. I saw a man in a motorized wheelchair that wore sweatpants and a sweatshirt at all times (perhaps due to his condition and for comfort) and on a formal night when he arrived at the MDR they simply provided him a sport coat to put over his sweatshirt. So they are very forgiving yet they want to provide a nice atmosphere for those who enjoy the glitz and glamour and use your judgement.