What's the Deal w/ Formal Night?

[sapper1]

I'd be more concerned with the available dresser and closet space in the cabin. Hopefully you will have enough space so you can store everything without having to live out of the luggage.

My husband and I take four large suitcases full of clothes and have no problem unpacking them. There is ample drawer and closet space. Look for the hidden drawers under the bed and if the steward has things stored there, have him remove them. On the Eurodam I found drawers under the sofa. I don't know if that is standard, fleet wide, as I found them quite by accident on that cruise. I will have to look on future cruises.

Another thing we do is to take the bathrobes off the large hooks in the cabin and put them on the hook behind the bathroom door. This leaves the large hooks for hanging formal wear, but I use dry cleaning bags over them so they won't get snagged as the steward works around them.

I use the stool by the dressing table to hold dirty clothes.(The lid lifts off).

Fortunately for our next two upcoming cruises we won't be affected by Air Canada's announced charge for a second bag as we booked early enough to be grandfathered under the old rules. Even when we do have to pay in the future, it is a small amount compared to the overall cost of the vacation.

I really would not bother with cruising if formal nights were to be done away with. It is a big part of the attraction.

 

I should add that suitcases are easily stored under the bed.

[oofroggie]

I have spent 158 days on board a HAL ship including 1 world cruise of 114 days and am leaving on my next world cruise another 114 days on Jan 6th. I have seen some very good answers to your questions. The same formal wear can be worn on both formal nights or 1 pair of black pants and a couple of tops that glitter. smart casual can be same black pants with some not so fancy tops. You will only be wearing these clothes for a few hours so no need to wash after each wearing,also don't forget the fabreeze for a quick refreshing of clothes. As you pack think of me with 16 formal nights and 98 smart casual nights. The answer to all the questions is a few pairs of bottoms and a lot more tops.For all my clothes I am only taking 3 large suitcases of less that 50# each.

[mll1013]

Are you traveling to the ship barefoot? ;)

 

Point taken! :o

 

Based upon what you've written, you'll only be packing TWO pair of shoes. Yes, men's shoes are bulky, but dispersed through two bags (or even in just one) they're not THAT bad. It's the women folk who seem to bring a lot of shoes.

 

Here's my packing list my most recent Alaska Cruises (edited to remove clergy-specific apparel):

 

I will say that I was certainly more concerned with the shoes x4... But... I will confess that the kids are likely to wear the same dress shoes for both formal and smart casual wear, so it will probably be pretty easy for them.

 

BTW, thanks for sharing your packing list... great reference for us first-time cruisers! :)

[donaldsc]

 

What this means is that I have to pack not just one week of outfits for a family of four, but twice the amount, since we'll have our casual wear during the day and our formal attire in the evenings. Oh, but wait... even on the non-formal nights, there's this "smart casual" thing too. 4 people, 7 days, 3 types of dress... 4 X 7 X 3 = 84 outfits?!?!?!

 

 

mll1013

 

Why do you need to change clothes every day? 4 people, 7 days, 3 changes for during the day, 2 changes for casual dinners, 1 outfit for both formal nights =

 

4x3 (day wear) + 4x2 (casual nights) + 4x1 (formal) = 20 outfits.

 

The logic of your math is also completely incorrect. First of all, you have incorrectly calculated that you have to wear formal clothes every night. Also, if there are 2 formal nights, you do not need casual dining clothes for 7 nights but for only 5 nights.

 

Therefore, if we grant that you REALLY have to change your outfits EVERY day, the calculation should be

 

4x7 (day wear) + 4x5 (casual dining) + 4x2(formal dining) = 56 (not 84 as you have calculated).

 

DON

[Mary Ellen]

Don - this miscalculation was covered earlier. The OP has already realized his error.

[donaldsc]

My husband and I take four large suitcases full of clothes and have no problem unpacking them.

 

Two people w 4 large suitcases. How long are you gone for - 4 months? There are washing facilities on board the ship.

 

I did 2 months in Australia with my wife and we each took one medium sized suitcase that weighed 28# each,

 

DON

[SwissMyst]

One of the things that had to go for me were my heavily beaded/sequinned jackets which I love for formal nights, but they are just too darn heavy for just a few nights use. However, since we are driving to our departure port for the upcoming Christmas cruise on the Oosterdam, back in the suitcase they go.

 

Maybe we should all donate these heavy dressy jackets to the HAL formal dress rental department, so they find new lives on new cruises. Just like some formal restaurants used to keep a selection of jackets for men who showed up without them.

[sparky-elpaso]

I have spent 158 days on board a HAL ship including 1 world cruise of 114 days and am leaving on my next world cruise another 114 days on Jan 6th. I have seen some very good answers to your questions. The same formal wear can be worn on both formal nights or 1 pair of black pants and a couple of tops that glitter. smart casual can be same black pants with some not so fancy tops. You will only be wearing these clothes for a few hours so no need to wash after each wearing,also don't forget the fabreeze for a quick refreshing of clothes. As you pack think of me with 16 formal nights and 98 smart casual nights. The answer to all the questions is a few pairs of bottoms and a lot more tops.For all my clothes I am only taking 3 large suitcases of less that 50# each.

 

Wow - 114 days. Do you have room for me in your suitcase? Have a great cruise.

[RevNeal]

I will say that I was certainly more concerned with the shoes x4... But... I will confess that the kids are likely to wear the same dress shoes for both formal and smart casual wear, so it will probably be pretty easy for them.

 

BTW, thanks for sharing your packing list... great reference for us first-time cruisers! :)

 

Thank you, and you're welcome. I find that drawing up a packing list always helps me to (1) not forget anything I will need, and (2) not take too much. The problem is that, when I actually start packing I usually catch myself putting more in the bags than I have figured on my list. It can cause real problems ... "hey, the bag isn't filled, why not take it?" For me, the problem is that if i fill the bag up all the way it will be overweight! AAAAAH! That 50 pound limit is dang annoying; while I don't mind paying more for an overweight bag if I absolutely need what I'm taking, I'd rather not have to if I can avoid it. And, by making a list and checking it twice while loading items into my bags, I can usually keep their weight down to just under the 50-pound limit. This also enables me to pack items I've bought on the trip and, if that takes one of my bags over the limit, well ... that's part of the price for buying those items.

 

I have found that I usually don't need to take something that I will only wear once (other than something like a tie/cummerbund). I try to parcel out my clothing so that I re-wear everything at least twice over the course of a cruise; if I can't identify the two occasions on which I'll wear something on a cruise, I think carefully about bringing it ... and, if possible, I don't bring it and just "make do" by wearing something else.

 

The last cruise I took was an 18 day trip, but due to the pre-cruise tours I had booked I needed to pack for 23 days. The cruise had 4 formal nights. I packed for it the way I would for any cruise longer than 10 days, sent out laundry, and enjoyed myself.

[HEYJUDE1]

One of the things that had to go for me were my heavily beaded/sequinned jackets which I love for formal nights, but they are just too darn heavy for just a few nights use. However, since we are driving to our departure port for the upcoming Christmas cruise on the Oosterdam, back in the suitcase they go.

 

Maybe we should all donate these heavy dressy jackets to the HAL formal dress rental department, so they find new lives on new cruises. Just like some formal restaurants used to keep a selection of jackets for men who showed up without them.

 

Very good idea!

[sapper1]

Two people w 4 large suitcases. How long are you gone for - 4 months? There are washing facilities on board the ship.

 

I did 2 months in Australia with my wife and we each took one medium sized suitcase that weighed 28# each,

 

DON

We just had two cruises on the Eurodam, 26 and 14 days respectively. There are no self serve facilities aboard the ship and I do not send my good clothing to the ship's laundry. We also "dress" for dinner every night so that requires more clothing.

[donaldsc]

Don - this miscalculation was covered earlier. The OP has already realized his error.

 

I missed that post. Sorry.

 

DON

[pipedreams62]

[suse]

Someday, I will have it down to a science. It would be unreal to be going on a 100 day cruise. I will be very, very old by then and won't need much clothing anyways since I will shrink. I will be 100 years old and not like that very mean old lady in the nursing home.:)

[momofmeg]

The OP could book NCL. The Pearl is a decent ship, sure I prefer the HAL vista class, but this is a pretty good ship,and formal nights are optional on the Pearl. Just don't eat in the Summer Palace restaurant, if you don't want to do formal. The indigo Room offers the same exact food, and the two restaurants share a galley.

 

NCL is designed for families. HAL isn't, and to be honest, I would think the OP's children would prefer the Pearl. (kiddie slide, bowling alley, rock climbing wall. Junk food at the Blue Lagoon for kids)

 

The OP should save HAL for when it is just she and hubby.

[sapper1]

 

So good to have you back. :D

[SwissMyst]

So good to have you back. :D

 

Ditto. You get off a few good one line zingers too, sapper. Also appreciated. Loved your speedo contribution.:p

[treker54]

I was on the Eurodam for 7 days in November with 2 formal nights. The easiest way to handle this is with Chico's Traveler's line of black pants (2) and several co-ordinating tops with a shawl. This way you can mix and match. I also took 1 pair of 'sparkly' shoes, flip-flops (for the Carribean) and sneakers (gym and walking). My non-Chico clothes were microfiber which allowed me to reduce the total amount as microfiber can be washed, wrung out and dry overnight.

[rjm1cc]

I wear the same suit or each formal night. No need to have a sperate out fit for evey day so pack light.

[SwissMyst]

Re-stating the obvious, but people really only see what you wear that is above the table so changing tops with a basic skirt or pants is certainly the easiest way to go.

 

There are so many wrinkle proof, light weight, stretchy sparkly tops out there today that that little bit of extra packing for the formal nights is really easy to achieve. And it does make those formal evenings glow just a little bit more the more people who participate.

[mll1013]

The OP could book NCL. The Pearl is a decent ship, sure I prefer the HAL vista class, but this is a pretty good ship,and formal nights are optional on the Pearl. Just don't eat in the Summer Palace restaurant, if you don't want to do formal. The indigo Room offers the same exact food, and the two restaurants share a galley.

 

NCL is designed for families. HAL isn't, and to be honest, I would think the OP's children would prefer the Pearl. (kiddie slide, bowling alley, rock climbing wall. Junk food at the Blue Lagoon for kids)

 

The OP should save HAL for when it is just she and hubby.

 

Thanks for the pointer, and I will admit that we did look at the Pearl out of Seattle, but we opted for HAL for several reasons:

 

1) We aren't quite the traditional family, in that our children aren't easily outgoing... it takes them longer than a week to get comfortable with new social settings. As a result, they are likely to hang out with us, and not utilize the children's programs much anyway.

 

2) We are a pretty quiet family, so we think the more sedate nature of HAL will be more enjoyable. My son is mildly autistic and he is a bit sensitive to loud noises, so a younger, louder crowd might be less enjoyable to him.

 

3) We simply couldn't pass up the excellent deal on the 3rd/4th passenger that HAL is offering now.

[momofmeg]

Thanks for the pointer, and I will admit that we did look at the Pearl out of Seattle, but we opted for HAL for several reasons:

 

1) We aren't quite the traditional family, in that our children aren't easily outgoing... it takes them longer than a week to get comfortable with new social settings. As a result, they are likely to hang out with us, and not utilize the children's programs much anyway.

 

2) We are a pretty quiet family, so we think the more sedate nature of HAL will be more enjoyable. My son is mildly autistic and he is a bit sensitive to loud noises, so a younger, louder crowd might be less enjoyable to him.

 

3) We simply couldn't pass up the excellent deal on the 3rd/4th passenger that HAL is offering now.

 

Well,then you need to accept that HAL is a more formal line and NOT terribly "family friendly". There is a reason why there are so many lines out there. If they were all the same, we would only need one line. You need to do the research and make sure a line is a good fit for you- good price or not-you can't change what the line is about who they cater to for their clientele, just because they offer the best price. I still say the Pearl would have been a better choice for you.

 

I agree that price is important, but not the most important. Even if you got a great price, if your kid's hate the week, what difference does that make? There is more to value than price. Not a good value, if you are miserable all week.

[mll1013]

You need to do the research and make sure a line is a good fit for you

 

We did do the research. We knew intricately the differences between HAL, NCL, Princess, and Carnival. Our TA also listened to us for about 1/2 hour, and she steered us towards HAL or Princess for the reasons that I had already mentioned above. I had listed three reasons, and only one of them was price.

 

if your kid's hate the week, what difference does that make? There is more to value than price. Not a good value, if you are miserable all week.

 

Exactly! I don't think we disagree here. We decided that HAL was likely to be better for us, because of our familiy's quiet nature, our desire to enjoy the peace and grandeur of AK, and our son's autism and issues with loudness. I posted those reasons earlier.

 

Not all families are created equal, so I don't think it's fair to generalize that a family with pre-teens will be miserable if they don't have an overload of stimulus. For example, our family vacations almost always consist of scenic driving, tent camping, and hiking... and our kids love it! Only once every 5 years do we splurge on a resort-type vacation or amusement park, and 2010 is that year! Since this is our first-ever cruise and visit to beautiful AK, I think it will be pretty hard to not have a wonderful experience.

[CowPrincess]

our son's autism and issues with loudness

 

If you are going to be viewing glaciers, be aware that when they calf can be LOUD!!!! Prepare your son, there will be a sound very like a shotgun blast, and that is perfectly normal. Then a hunk of glacier splashes into the water, and waves are created. If you are close enough, the ship may rock.

 

And the kittiwakes (sp?????) in Glacier Bay can make a lot of high-pitched noise, too, depending on how close they are to the ship.

 

I'd check youtube and see if you can find videos with sound of glaciers calving. And the kittiwakes squawking :)

[momofmeg]

We did do the research. We knew intricately the differences between HAL, NCL, Princess, and Carnival. Our TA also listened to us for about 1/2 hour, and she steered us towards HAL or Princess for the reasons that I had already mentioned above. I had listed three reasons, and only one of them was price.

 

 

 

Exactly! I don't think we disagree here. We decided that HAL was likely to be better for us, because of our familiy's quiet nature, our desire to enjoy the peace and grandeur of AK, and our son's autism and issues with loudness. I posted those reasons earlier.

 

Not all families are created equal, so I don't think it's fair to generalize that a family with pre-teens will be miserable if they don't have an overload of stimulus. For example, our family vacations almost always consist of scenic driving, tent camping, and hiking... and our kids love it! Only once every 5 years do we splurge on a resort-type vacation or amusement park, and 2010 is that year! Since this is our first-ever cruise and visit to beautiful AK, I think it will be pretty hard to not have a wonderful experience.

 

I am sorry about your son. I do have empathy. I have family with Aspergers, myself. However, I still find it hard to believe, you did the research, if you had, you would have known about formal night.

 

I don't understand why you feel your son would be better off on HAL. You don't have to put him in the kid's club. He does not have to go rock climbing or on the slide. As far as bowling, you would do that as a family more than likely, not with others. I don't think he would be any more uncomfortable than he would at home. But perhaps, your other children would enjoy those choices, which they will not have on HAL.

 

You do realize HAL, chances are, will seat you with others at dinner. Will your son be comfortable with that? The Pearl had plenty of smaller tables and they only seat you with your family group, unless you request differently. Of course you could eat in the lido, and if you eat there, you need not worry aobut formal night. it does not apply there.

 

The previous poster is right about the glaciers calving. Fortunately, HAL has the Crow's Nest Lounge which is high up and will give you good views, and the Pearl has a similar lounge high up with lots of glass also which is great for views. If your son is afraid of loud noises, I recommend you take him there and then perhaps you and your husband can take turns, going out to listen to the calving, while one stays with him.