Confused on what to pack for NCL Epic...........

[Keith B]

I've researched this site and NCL's on what to wear/pack for our cruise (me & the wifey) and the more info I find the more confused I get.:confused:

 

What's the deal? Are shorts allowed in the MDR, is there a formal night, etc..?

 

What about jeans......nice ones?

 

Cruise leaves out this Saturday and need to know asap. lol

 

Thanks!

[Sauer-kraut]

No formal night unless you want to dress up for yourselves. There is a "Dress UP or Not Night" and some will dress better at that time and will have pictures taken with a more formal background.

 

Shorts....NCL states that they are not to be in the Dining Rooms for dinner. Some ppl on here have stated they've seen shorts at dinner so it seems to be up to the Maitre D' to what is actually enforced. Jeans are fine. Sometimes I have read that one MDR is not open for shorts wearing and the other one will be. You'll just have to check and see what it going on for your cruise. Start with pants/jeans/skirt/capris and then you can always change for the next night.

 

NCL has no major dress code, so don't sweat it. :)

[ColinIllinois]

Have you been on the Epic board, it has all your answers:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=609

 

Manhatten: No shorts, more upscale.

 

Taste: Nice shorts allowed.

 

Both serve the same food.

[Oldsweets]

NCL is certainly Free-style! Southewest Airlines had misplaced our luggage on one of our recent trips and wouldn't be able to get it to the ship ontime for our departure. Without question it was one of our best laid back and relaxing trips ever. We avoided going to one restaurant out of respect for the ships dress policy and just enjoyed ourselves without ever once wondering what we would wear that day. We did purchase a couple of t-shirts so we could always have something clean and we did have a small carry on bag but otherwise it was wear what little we had.

[Keith B]

No formal night unless you want to dress up for yourselves. There is a "Dress UP or Not Night" and some will dress better at that time and will have pictures taken with a more formal background.

 

Shorts....NCL states that they are not to be in the Dining Rooms for dinner. Some ppl on here have stated they've seen shorts at dinner so it seems to be up to the Maitre D' to what is actually enforced. Jeans are fine. Sometimes I have read that one MDR is not open for shorts wearing and the other one will be. You'll just have to check and see what it going on for your cruise. Start with pants/jeans/skirt/capris and then you can always change for the next night.

 

NCL has no major dress code, so don't sweat it. :)

 

 

Here is a dumb question. Is the MDR and buffet the same?

Will I be limited according to rules/policy at ANY restauraunt on ANY night if I'm in nice jeans and a polo shirt or nice shirt aka Ed Hardy t-shirt? I'm not talking about dressing like I'm headed out to wal-mart but I'm not going to the office or a funereal either. lol

 

I don't want to pack my slacks and tie's if I don't need them. That takes the relax out of the vacation for me.

 

Thanks for the replies!

[Sauer-kraut]

Buffet is not the same as Main Dining, you can even wear swimming suits there. Absolutely no dress code in the buffets.

 

Nice jeans, polo type shirt with collar will be acceptable in ANY of the dining options. I don't know who Ed Hardy is.... could come up with Andy Hardy but that really isn't current. :p

[Keith B]

Buffet is not the same as Main Dining, you can even wear swimming suits there. Absolutely no dress code in the buffets.

 

Nice jeans, polo type shirt with collar will be acceptable in ANY of the dining options. I don't know who Ed Hardy is.... could come up with Andy Hardy but that really isn't current. :p

 

Cool. Thanks for the info!

[ColinIllinois]

One minor addition. Even in the buffets you have to wear a shirt.

[collegecruiser346]

Just want to warn you -- Even on the 'dress up or not nights' people will take the 'not' too far. Last summer on the Spirit, I went to Cagney's or Le Bistro (can't remember which) on a 'dress up or not night', and there was a gentleman in ripped up shorts, a tank top and Mohawk sitting at the table next to us. Just don't think that because you dress up, others will too...

[Micchi]

I wouldn't call Ed Hardy a "nice" shirt - although perhaps Jon Gosselin would - but to each their own!

[bakerintn]

One minor addition. Even in the buffets you have to wear a shirt.

 

and shoes / sandals

[Keith B]

I wouldn't call Ed Hardy a "nice" shirt - although perhaps Jon Gosselin would - but to each their own!

 

I would. Besides it'll be clean. lol

[dockrocker]

Just want to warn you -- Even on the 'dress up or not nights' people will take the 'not' too far. Last summer on the Spirit, I went to Cagney's or Le Bistro (can't remember which) on a 'dress up or not night', and there was a gentleman in ripped up shorts, a tank top and Mohawk sitting at the table next to us. Just don't think that because you dress up, others will too...

 

I wouldn't put a mohawk in the same category as clothing -- was the guy supposed to change his hairstyle for dinner? :)

[sottovoce]

Just don't think that because you dress up, others will too...

It's called "dress up or NOT night." No reason for others to dress up just to please you.

[collegecruiser346]

I'm pretty sure I didnt say he should dress up to please me. In fact, I'm 100% sure that I did NOT say that, as I just read it again. What I did say, is that, and I quote " Just don't think that because you dress up, others will too... " I was simply letting the OP know that not everyone will dress up. Thanks for allowing me to clarify that point. :-)

[ibz1492]

More responders here seem to suggest that you get away with all that you can while dressing for dinner, etc. If wear a pair of slacks, chinos is your idea of working, then maybe you should not be on a cruise with a couple thousand others. Respect yourself first, and dress properly; and respect the fact that many of us, young and older, don't appreciate people trying to test the limits of dressing down. I have on a few occasions, asked the Maitre'd to not seat a couple or a single guest because they were clearly either brain dead or first time on our planet. We, your fellow passengers, are not on board to make YOUR trip the mostly comfortable; we are on board hoping that everyone works to make the entire experience as close to perfect as possible for ALL of us. :o

[sottovoce]

More responders here seem to suggest that you get away with all that you can while dressing for dinner, etc. If wear a pair of slacks, chinos is your idea of working, then maybe you should not be on a cruise with a couple thousand others. Respect yourself first, and dress properly; and respect the fact that many of us, young and older, don't appreciate people trying to test the limits of dressing down. I have on a few occasions, asked the Maitre'd to not seat a couple or a single guest because they were clearly either brain dead or first time on our planet. We, your fellow passengers, are not on board to make YOUR trip the mostly comfortable; we are on board hoping that everyone works to make the entire experience as close to perfect as possible for ALL of us. :o

Now there we have an utterly unpleasant and uncalled-for rant. The OP asked whether jeans or shorts were allowed in any of Epic's dining rooms...a perfectly legitimate question. In response, he gets this nasty rant. If NCL says jeans and/or shorts are proper, then they are proper. What ibz has to say is irrelevant. And telling the dining room's maitre d' how to do his job is about the rudest behavior I can imagine. Boorish to the max. Clothes do not make one a boor...behavior does. If anyone is looking for an example of "bad taste," ibz1492 has given us an outstanding one.

[Keith B]

More responders here seem to suggest that you get away with all that you can while dressing for dinner, etc. If wear a pair of slacks, chinos is your idea of working, then maybe you should not be on a cruise with a couple thousand others. Respect yourself first, and dress properly; and respect the fact that many of us, young and older, don't appreciate people trying to test the limits of dressing down. I have on a few occasions, asked the Maitre'd to not seat a couple or a single guest because they were clearly either brain dead or first time on our planet. We, your fellow passengers, are not on board to make YOUR trip the mostly comfortable; we are on board hoping that everyone works to make the entire experience as close to perfect as possible for ALL of us. :o

 

Well I certainly hope if we are on the same cruise and by chance decide to eat at the same time the staff will honor your snobbish request and seat me elsewhere. I would certainly hate to ruin your cruise because I didn't dress to your standards. I have all the respect one could have for oneself but I have none for someone as asinine as you. Maybe freestyle cruising should be abbreviated as FU instead of FS. I can promise you I'm not there to make your trip pleasant nor am I there to make it unpleasant. I am there enjoying my trip and minding my own business on my dime not yours. I would hate to know that I couldn't enjoy myself because someone I don't even know is not dressed to my standards. What a sad life. If I came from such royalty and high standards as you apparently feel that you do I wouldn't belittle myself by cruising with such mere peasants. I would take the family yacht!

 

I see where you posted earlier today that you and some guest were "manhandled" for trying to bring aboard alcohol on a previous cruise. Personally I could give 2 sh*ts about it but I wonder if you made some other arrogant snob have an unpleasant cruise moment by showing "no respect" for yourself, fellow cruisers (peasants), or the cruise line. Surely your not a habitual rule bender? The family name would be tarnished.

[sottovoce]

I see where you posted earlier today that you and some guest were "manhandled" for trying to bring aboard alcohol on a previous cruise.

Ah, what delicious irony! Thanks for digging this bit of naughty behavior up, Keith, and have a great cruise. Don't let the ibz1492's of the world take away from it.

[Keith B]

Ah, what delicious irony! Thanks for digging this bit of naughty behavior up, Keith, and have a great cruise. Don't let the ibz1492's of the world take away from it.

 

Yes the ol' glass house and rock throwing quote come to mind. lol

[ColinIllinois]

Maybe Mr Howell ought to go back to cruising on the SS Minnow.

[dockrocker]

Maybe Mr Howell ought to go back to cruising on the SS Minnow.

 

Hey, hey, hey, now--step off my man Thurston. As I recall, Mr. Howell was always kind to others and would never have denigrated them out of rank insecurity, the way whatsizzname is doing here. He may have been floating in cash, but he was the very definition of respect for others.

[DAGVBSB]

I've researched this site and NCL's on what to wear/pack for our cruise (me & the wifey) and the more info I find the more confused I get.:confused:

 

What's the deal? Are shorts allowed in the MDR, is there a formal night, etc..?

 

What about jeans......nice ones?

 

Cruise leaves out this Saturday and need to know asap. lol

 

Thanks!

 

Ok, lets' sum it up in one neat package...

 

Buffet & Blue Lagoon: anything is allowed as long as it is something that covers the bottoms. I don't know about the shoes and shirts part.. on the POAm a couple weeks ago, there were people in the buffet without shirts or shoes on.

 

Specialty Restaurants: Resort casual accepted every night. No need to dress up. Polo shirts, kahki's, tennis shoes, Nice jeans are permitted. Shorts are usually not permitted but that varies based on how strict the maitre'd is.

 

Main Dining Rooms: One will allow resort casual only BUT not jeans or shorts. (this will be posted at the entrance. Liberty MDR, for example, on the POAm, Venetian/Versailles on the Dawn/Star.)

 

The other main dining room will allow nice jeans and usually nice shorts.

 

Again, enforcement is very hit & miss throughout NCL's fleet because some maitre'd's and hostesses are afraid of negative confronations with passengers.

 

The dress up or not nights are fading. Recent reports are less than 30% of the passengers are dressing up at all. The dressing up ranges from shirt/ties to a very few tuxes.

 

Hope that sums it up in one little post.

[DAGVBSB]

Just want to warn you -- Even on the 'dress up or not nights' people will take the 'not' too far. Last summer on the Spirit, I went to Cagney's or Le Bistro (can't remember which) on a 'dress up or not night', and there was a gentleman in ripped up shorts, a tank top and Mohawk sitting at the table next to us. Just don't think that because you dress up, others will too...

 

The ripped shorts and tank tops are an example of what I was talking about as far as Maitre'd's not being consistant in enforcement. That gentleman could easily have gone to another venue that same night on the same ship and have been turned away. That is what creates the issues and the questions....inconsistant enforcement.

 

 

Now, of course, there was nothing wrong with the Mohawk. When dress codes move to dictate how someone expresses themselves with their hair or make-up, I will have a real problem with it. I have personally stood up for some young people who were being discriminated against because of their hair style. I personally didn't like the hair style...but I wasn't the one wearing it and what others wear doesn't bother me. (as long as they are following the written or set RULES, not norms.)

[DAGVBSB]

More responders here seem to suggest that you get away with all that you can while dressing for dinner, etc. If wear a pair of slacks, chinos is your idea of working, then maybe you should not be on a cruise with a couple thousand others. Respect yourself first, and dress properly; and respect the fact that many of us, young and older, don't appreciate people trying to test the limits of dressing down. I have on a few occasions, asked the Maitre'd to not seat a couple or a single guest because they were clearly either brain dead or first time on our planet. We, your fellow passengers, are not on board to make YOUR trip the mostly comfortable; we are on board hoping that everyone works to make the entire experience as close to perfect as possible for ALL of us. :o

 

 

And it is not our job to cater to how you think everyone should behave or dress.

 

Is a cruise going to be ruined because someone wears a t-shirt to dinner? I certainly hope not becuase if so, then you have bigger problems with yourself than what those at the next table are wearing.

 

A wise person once told me that those who worry about what everyone else is wearing are either a.) insecure about their own clothing or how they look or b.) a noisy, snob, busybody who thinks they are more important than they really are.

 

 

 

You and I would have have a maitre'd in a tizy if we ever ended up with a table between us!!

 

I was at a restaurant one time and our waiter had several tables. He was very good and we had had him before. He was African American, wore "dreds" (when that was a fairly new concept) and several earings and a small stud nose ring. His arms and hands were clear of jewelry and he was clean. A lady and her friend sat at the table next to ours. The waiter took their drink order but before he could come back, she asked the manager to come over. She informed the manager that she did not think the young man was appropriate to be waiting tables and asked that he be removed from the dining room. (yes I happened to overhear her.) The manager said that he would have the young man moved to the back and that is when I spoke up.... I called the Manager over and told him that I wanted the young man to continue to be my waiter. He said that he wanted to make the lady comfortable and that the young man bothered her. I spoke up loudly and said, "well her racism bothers me and Steve is a good waiter." She heard me, stood up, put her hands on her hips and said: "do you know who I am?" I said: "obviously nobody because racists are nobodies." She looked at the manager and said, loud enough for all to hear: "if this is the way I am going to be treated, then I won't be back" and she started storming toward the door. The other patrons applauded as she left.... it was priceless!!

 

On second thought... maybe I want to be in a dining room with ibz.. snobbish, busybodies like him need to be applauded as they are leaving.