My FORMAL NIGHT Experience...(AND RANT)

[IRL_Joanie]

The issue is surely that HAL does not consistently enforce 'their' dress code. Why is that? Commercial reasons?

 

People book HAL because of itinerary not because of a 'dress code'. Traditional cruise line - you are kidding? What traditions ? Afternoon tea - made in a cup?

 

The world is a changing.

 

People need to get a life and stop trying to bully other passengers/clients.

 

Get a life - there are far more important issues to get worked up over.

 

 

Amen

 

Au Contraire! I book not only for the itinerary but also for the elegance of not only the ship itself but the "Old World" style and elegance of my fellow cruisers.

 

The argument that "I pay for my vacation, I will dress as I wish," just does not wash with me. I pay for my vacation and expect to get elegance and or ambiance. I do not pay to see people dressed as slobs.

 

Let's see, if you go to the Opera, will you wear jeans and a 'nice cardigan' that matches?? I do not think so.

 

If you pay to belong to a Country Club and they have a Formal affair/party, will you dress in jeans and a nice matching cardigan?? And How ticked off will you be that you pay for the right to be there, but are refused entry because of your attire??

 

Look at HAL ships as being Country Clubs and Formal Nights as being a Country Club Formal affair/party.

 

I wonder why I see no one screaming at the dress code to get into view the White House... They have a dress code that must be complied with, or you are denied entrance, and that is a semi public building (kind of)

 

I know that there are other lines to cruise. If and I repeat IF I can ever convince my Son In Law to cruise with us, we will have to go on ... shudder... a Princess or Disney style ship, since he and my daughter wear jeans for everything.

 

I would not knowingly insult my fellow HAL cruisers by wearing jeans or other non suggested clothing on those nights they are inappropriate for.

 

I believe Fannish said it best!!

 

Joanie

[navybankerteacher]

The issue is surely that HAL does not consistently enforce 'their' dress code. Why is that? Commercial reasons?

 

People book HAL because of itinerary not because of a 'dress code'. Traditional cruise line - you are kidding? What traditions ? Afternoon tea - made in a cup?

 

The world is a changing.

 

People need to get a life and stop trying to bully other passengers/clients.

 

Get a life - there are far more important issues to get worked up over.

 

 

Amen

 

HAL is more traditional than other lines: many small touches, no big glitzy things like skating rinks, ice bars, climbing walls, bowling alleys, wave riders, carousels, etc. Sorry you are too uninformed or self-absorbed to recognize it. Many of us do specifically choose HAL because of what it is -- so we do have the right to protest the have-it-my-way-slobs.

 

Perhaps if HAL's staff were encouraged to "bully" (your term) people who do their own bullying by ignoring what is requested of them, they would be living up to the implied comittmentments they make to their passengers.

 

Go enjoy the wet tee shirt and hairy chest contests available on more up-to-date lines.

[Cruising-along]

I wonder why I see no one screaming at the dress code to get into view the White House... They have a dress code that must be complied with, or you are denied entrance, and that is a semi public building (kind of)

 

Joannie, has there been a very recent change?? As far as I can tell there still is no dress code to get in the White House, been there, done that.

 

The only thing I can find online are bogus sites with ridiculous claims that "anyone with a ..... must wear a suit"...... (I won't type the word as I'm pretty sure CC would delete it. :eek:

[anniegb]

I do not own any jeans or many T-shirts.

 

When I do go to the opera, I wear smart casual.

 

OMG - you guys are so easily wound up - relax - you are on holiday - or meant to be!

 

If the British Royal family can survive on a cruise without formal nights - so should we all.

 

I repeat - I decide on a cruise ship primarily on itinerary.

 

Amen

[Laminator]

I think you can blame the majority of this on HAL. All they need to do is use the phrase "are required to wear" but they don't. And lets not kid ourselves for one second. Their legal counsel knows exactly what terminology to use.

 

So everyone here goes back and forth when the responsibility ultimately falls back on HAL.

[serendipity1499]

I wonder why I see no one screaming at the dress code to get into view the White House... They have a dress code that must be complied with, or you are denied entrance, and that is a semi public building (kind of)

 

Joannie, has there been a very recent change?? As far as I can tell there still is no dress code to get in the White House, been there, done that.

 

The only thing I can find online are bogus sites with ridiculous claims that "anyone with a ..... must wear a suit"...... (I won't type the word as I'm pretty sure CC would delete it. :eek:

 

We took our boat into DCA for the Fourth of July festivities in 2000..Our Congressman secured tickets for us to visit the White House on July 5..There was no dress code then & I believe that most people wore shorts since it was very hot..Also according to the official Govt. WEB site, I see no restriction on dress other than ladies purses, cameras, sharp objects, personal grooming items, guns knives etc. are not permitted.

http://www.nps.gov/whho/planyourvisit/white-house-tours.htm

However if one was invited to visit with the President, IMO men should wear a suit & women wear a dress or business suit out of courtesy..I seem to remember when a group of teens were invited for a Presidential visit a few years ago, one of them wore flip flops & was criticized in the press...

Cheers.....:)Betty

[startwin]

Au Contraire! I book not only for the itinerary but also for the elegance of not only the ship itself but the "Old World" style and elegance of my fellow cruisers.

 

The argument that "I pay for my vacation, I will dress as I wish," just does not wash with me. I pay for my vacation and expect to get elegance and or ambiance. I do not pay to see people dressed as slobs.

 

Let's see, if you go to the Opera, will you wear jeans and a 'nice cardigan' that matches?? I do not think so.

 

If you pay to belong to a Country Club and they have a Formal affair/party, will you dress in jeans and a nice matching cardigan?? And How ticked off will you be that you pay for the right to be there, but are refused entry because of your attire??

 

Look at HAL ships as being Country Clubs and Formal Nights as being a Country Club Formal affair/party.

 

I wonder why I see no one screaming at the dress code to get into view the White House... They have a dress code that must be complied with, or you are denied entrance, and that is a semi public building (kind of)

 

I know that there are other lines to cruise. If and I repeat IF I can ever convince my Son In Law to cruise with us, we will have to go on ... shudder... a Princess or Disney style ship, since he and my daughter wear jeans for everything.

 

I would not knowingly insult my fellow HAL cruisers by wearing jeans or other non suggested clothing on those nights they are inappropriate for.

 

I believe Fannish said it best!!

 

Joanie

 

Good for you. But they are not, so don't expect everyone else to buy into your opinions and beliefs. Clothes do NOT maketh the man!

[Cruising-along]

We took our boat into DCA for the Fourth of July festivities in 2000..Our Congressman secured tickets for us to visit the White House on July 5..There was no dress code then & I believe that most people wore shorts since it was very hot..Also according to the official Govt. WEB site, I see no restriction on dress other than ladies purses, cameras, sharp objects, personal grooming items, guns knives etc. are not permitted.

 

http://www.nps.gov/whho/planyourvisit/white-house-tours.htm

 

However if one was invited to visit with the President, IMO men should wear a suit & women wear a dress or business suit out of courtesy..I seem to remember when a group of teens were invited for a Presidential visit a few years ago, one of them wore flip flops & was criticized in the press...

 

Cheers.....:)Betty

 

Thank you Betty, this is what I thought. And I agree totally about the dress code if visiting the President. :)

[iancal]

HAL ships a country club???? I think not. Perhaps a retirement community.

[startwin]

I wonder what gives some people on here the right to tell others that they should not be cruising HAL. I also wonder what HAL would think about people being told they should go to another cruise line. (Definitely not good for business:eek:) My experience on all my cruises with HAL is that they welcome everyone onboard. I have seen many more incidents of snobbery on here, on this topic, than I ever did in all the years I lived in the UK.... where snobbery is supposedly rampant:rolleyes: Certain posters should remember that they cannot control the clientelle, and HAL certainly would not want them to, LOL.

[fann1sh]

I wonder what gives some people on here the right to tell others that they should not be cruising HAL. I also wonder what HAL would think about people being told they should go to another cruise line. (Definitely not good for business:eek:) My experience on all my cruises with HAL is that they welcome everyone onboard. I have seen many more incidents of snobbery on here, on this topic, than I ever did in all the years I lived in the UK.... where snobbery is supposedly rampant:rolleyes: Certain posters should remember that they cannot control the clientelle, and HAL certainly would not want them to, LOL.

 

 

OTOH, HAL doesn't want people to book a HAL cruise then bad mouth the line here - or anywhere - because their false expectations weren't met.

 

I wouldn't recommend HAL to someone who:

 

- has kids and it's important to them the ship have waterslides, or

 

- likes clubbing, and it's important to them to dance all night, or

 

- is a non-smoker/has health issues, and it's important to them their cabin wasn't smoked in the last cruise.

 

The key words here are "important to them". It's up to the person to whom something is important to do their homework.

 

HAL is what it is.

 

What it is: a line which still has a dress code 2 nights a week in the main dining room.

 

You can always dine casually in the Lido on the same menu, if clothes don't matter. If however if casual clothes DO matter - if it's important to you to dine every night in the MDR in those casual clothes...isn't it up to you to pick a ship that fits?

 

Isn't it reverse snobbery to insist the ship (and everyone on it) accommodate someone's preference for casual dress, despite a posted code to the contrary?

 

Sorry to post and run, but I don't think I'll be following this thread after this. The OP posted he knew the dress code before cruising, didn't see the need to pack/dress accordingly, and felt the need to post a rant when forced to wear a jacket in the MDR. That was the info I was curious about.

 

No one has ever changed a mind on a dress code thread, IMO.

[krewzin]

 

My experience on all my cruises with HAL is that they welcome everyone onboard.

 

 

 

Well apparently you've never tried getting into the MDR wearing a cardigan on formal night.

[IRL_Joanie]

I wonder why I see no one screaming at the dress code to get into view the White House... They have a dress code that must be complied with, or you are denied entrance, and that is a semi public building (kind of)

 

Joannie, has there been a very recent change?? As far as I can tell there still is no dress code to get in the White House, been there, done that.

 

The only thing I can find online are bogus sites with ridiculous claims that "anyone with a ..... must wear a suit"...... (I won't type the word as I'm pretty sure CC would delete it. :eek:

 

Yes, it is old and seldom enforced though... One such was just last week when the White House staff tried to keep the son of a War Veteran from entering to attend a function in the afternoon that was honoring hie father or grandfather (the son was wearing shorts.)

 

Several years ago, I was told I had to wear dress slacks in order to tour the White House. I decided, at that time to forgo the inside tour. (This was before jeans became an approved form of dress.)

 

Joanie

[startwin]

Well apparently you've never tried getting into the MDR wearing a cardigan on formal night.

 

LOL, no I haven't.... but I did say welcomed them onboard, not specifically the MDR.:D

[caite]

Oh, I never tire of these formal night discussions...lol

Yes, some want HAL to due away with these guideline, and many do not, but since Hal has not, follow them or be prepared to "pay the price".

 

Bottom line, the author decided to ignore the guidelines and is mad that he got called on it. Did other get away with it? Maybe, maybe not, but you know what, just be concerned on what you did.

If you don't want to follow the formal night guidelines, then don't. Eat at the Lido or get room service and eat in your PJs if you wish.

[LMB01]

The argument that "I pay for my vacation, I will dress as I wish," just does not wash with me. I pay for my vacation and expect to get elegance and or ambiance. I do not pay to see people dressed as slobs.

 

 

I would not knowingly insult my fellow HAL cruisers by wearing jeans or other non suggested clothing on those nights they are inappropriate for.

 

 

I totally agree! We were pleasantly surprised on our recent 12 day O'dam cruise. Many gentlemen in tuxedos; the women were a little more casual (I guess it was the girl with the pony tail directly in front of me every night, formal or not!). It seemed if folks did not wish to dress, they ate elsewhere on the formal evenings.

[lady_cruiser]

You will forgive me...I very much understand the formal vs not formal and I dress accordingly when on a HAL ship, but nobody has addressed the part where he was given an ill fitting/food stained jacket to bring him into compliance? Is an ill fitting/food stained article of clothing really better than what he was already wearing? So, it doesn't matter the condition of the tux as long as it is a tux?

 

While I have not sailed on HAL, I do plan on sailing on them when I do my B2B Panama Canal Cruise upon my retirement. And I do have to agree with the above statement about the "ill fitting/food stained jacket." I feel that loaning the gentleman a tie would have made a more pleasant dining experience not only for the OP but also for the people he was sharing a table with.

[IRL_Joanie]

While I have not sailed on HAL, I do plan on sailing on them when I do my B2B Panama Canal Cruise upon my retirement. And I do have to agree with the above statement about the "ill fitting/food stained jacket." I feel that loaning the gentleman a tie would have made a more pleasant dining experience not only for the OP but also for the people he was sharing a table with.

 

I hope that this is not the case, but could it be that the Matre d' was trying to make a point??

 

Or could it be that they did offer the OP a tie, but it did not match his color coordinated cardigan and jeans?

 

Or could it be that others like the OP had gone through the stock of ties at the MDR already, and nothing else was left??

 

Or could it be that the OP is playing us all for fools since he states that he KNEW ahead of this cruise what the proper attire for that night was, and blatantly chose to 'thumb his nose' at the dress code?

 

I quote from the OP's first Post for this thread: "We had sailed Holland 4 years ago in the Baltic and enjoyed it." Unquote. So, the OP was quite well aware of the Dress Code for Formal Nights. No excuse for trying to bypass it and getting caught and then coming here to stir us all up.

 

If the jacket was so ill fitting, and stained, he could have (with a little common sense) have;

 

A.) gracefully refused the offer and gone to the Lido for dinner.

 

B.) taken the jacket off, as suggested by another CC member, and placed it on the back of the chair.

 

I believe we are all responding, yes myself included, to an OP who just wanted to literally stir the pot.

 

Joanie

[sajeffc]

I am probably going to book a HAL cruise for this summer after two RCCI cruises. I am glad that they enforce the dress code. As long as you know what the standard is, you can make accommodations.

[DizzyDallasDi]

Or could it be that they did offer the OP a tie, but it did not match his color coordinated cardigan and jeans?

 

He said he was wearing trousers, not jeans.

[room010]

Whether the OP is making mischief or not on this perennially Hot Topic we all seem to be in agreement that HAL's lack of consistency in applying their own rules is the source of the problem, not people who deliberately or inadvertantly ignore those rules. If I had cruised HAL before and seen that people were being admitted to the MDR on formal nights in more "casual" clothes, even very smart/expensive ones, then I think I might take a risk and try to do so myself. However, I certainly wouldn't complain if I was turned away. It's not as though there aren't alternative places to dine on those nights. As it is, I like an excuse to frock up for dinner and would happily do so every night just like they did in the Good Old Days ;)

[startwin]

If this topic did not draw so much hostility, there wouldn't be a pot to stir:D And I don't believe that was the OP's intention, having read previous posts of his. Seems a perfectly regular guy to me.

 

I think the term "formal night" should be dropped altogether. It seems to bring out the worst in people. On land, we know how to dress when we go to a fine dining restaurant. If others don't, it's their problem and the maitre d' should simply enforce the code consistently.

[anniegb]

If this topic did not draw so much hostility, there wouldn't be a pot to stir:D And I don't believe that was the OP's intention, having read previous posts of his. Seems a perfectly regular guy to me.

 

I think the term "formal night" should be dropped altogether. It seems to bring out the worst in people. On land, we know how to dress when we go to a fine dining restaurant. If others don't, it's their problem and the maitre d' should simply enforce the code consistently.

 

Totally agree! Relax everyone!

[iceman93]

I think the term "formal night" should be dropped altogether. It seems to bring out the worst in people. On land, we know how to dress when we go to a fine dining restaurant. If others don't, it's their problem and the maitre d' should simply enforce the code consistently.

 

No, I don't agree. It's not the term "formal night" that causes the problems, it's the somewhat vague definition of it and wildly divergent enforcement.

 

Your comment about land-based restaurants is right on. Although there are fewer and fewer establishments, even expensive, classy ones that still have a dress code, those that do enforce them strictly (and civilly).

 

I am lucky enough to have some friends who are members of The Magic Castle, a private club in Hollywood. They have a coat-and-tie dress code that is non-negotiable. They explain this dress code clearly on their website and again when you call to make a reservation. And of the many guests I've brought with me to enjoy the experience, almost universally they point out how pleasant it is, for one evening in our casual, hectic culture, to see everyone dressed and behaving well. That elegance is part of the experience.

 

There is one restaurant at Disney World (yes, THAT Disney World) that requires coat and tie for gentlemen. It happens to be widely regarded and voted as the best restaurant in central Florida and I wholeheartedly agree that it is an outstanding experience from start to finish. Part of what makes the restaurant special is the dress code; simply dressing up seems to put people on their best behavior, and reminds all of us what a special experience it is. Sometimes friends and coworkers of mine, when told about this place, react with anger that they would NEVER bring a suit on a Disney vacation. I calmly reply that it's their choice--no one is forcing them to go to Victoria & Albert's. But for those of us who do enjoy it, it is well worth the negligble inconvenience.

 

Formal night on HAL cruises are the same for me. Part of what makes them special and enjoyable is seeing so many people dressed up and enjoying themselves in elegant surroundings. Some people don't LIKE to dress up, and HAL accommodates them by allowing for dining options that are more casual. Great--a win for all sides! Or at least it would seem, but for some reason people here at CC still get all bent out of shape...

[marvin]

I used to bring a Tux along with a Dinner Jacket and a suit and sport jacket, I loved to dress up. The problem that I have now is the weight restrictions and cost of having too many pieces of luggage. Being 6'2" and 240 lbs all my clothes are large and of course heavy. The only solution I could come up with was to just bring 1 sport jacket and matching trousers and shirts. I am going on an Azamara cruise this January primarily as it has a policy of resort casual dress. I hope this is the beginning of a trend. Marvin