A smart casual question

[Laurino]

Hi everybody!

 

We're 2 guys going on our first-ever cruise on Zuiderdam to Alaska in May. We're very excited of course! We've decided to solve the formal wear problem through renting tuxes onboard. Since we'll be flying from Europe and will be travelling in Alaska and Canada for three weeks, renting seems the only viable option. Will also be nice to have the whole formal experience for our first cruise.

 

Anyway, now we come to the actual question. We normally dress very casually, sporty or out-doorsy. HAL defines smart casual as "slacks and collared shirts for men". I suppose we could pack chinos and some shirts, but we'd prefer to be even more casual.

 

Are any pants OK as long as they're full-length and is any shirt OK as long as it has a collar? Are cargo pants OK? Are short-sleeved shirts OK? Are short-sleeved polo shirts OK? Would a nice sweater over a t-shirt be OK, or would there still have to be collared shirt underneath?

 

All this refers to both MDR, Lido and other areas of the ship during the evenings. However, is Pinnacle Grill formal all evenings?

 

Not wishing to instigate a clothing-debate, just some questions...

Thanks in advance!

[terigo]

Alaska and Canada in May can be a bit chilly (Of course if you are coming over from Northern Europe, "chilly" is a relative term... I live in Florida, so take it for what it's worth :D) Most of the time the weather will be around 55F.

I cannot imagine you would be wearing short sleeved shirts for most of the trip, anyway, based on that. Whatever you would be wearing in Sweden in May will be fairly similar.

Best thing is to layer your clothing, for all contingencies.

 

On non-formal nights you will be fine with a pullover sweater and chinos.

Don't sweat the small stuff. The fashion police are not going to be standing outside your door telling you to go back and change, and the fact that you are even worrying about it means you will not be likely to breach any "dress code"

 

Enjoy!

[Harry1954]

First, dress for Pinnacle should be a little more upscale than all else given the type of dress for that day being casual. I generally wear a sport coat with collared polo-type shirt.

 

Regarding elsewhere, I often wear the same polo-type shirt and slacks. I suspect cargo pants would work, assuming you are under y9ounger than average age of ship ...

 

hope that helps,

harry

[Pam in CA]

Short sleeved shirts, polo shirts, etc. would be fine. You won't be turned away wearing cargo pants but you'd probably be the only one wearing them. You're going to the equivalent of a fine restaurant in Stockholm and while there is a variety of dress, the vast majority dress appropriate to the occasion.

[Kittycat2009]

On our cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam in September, the only one turned away on smart casual nights was men in shorts. One night we were exhausted after a late excursion so I didn't feel like changing, both dh and I had jeans on, all was well, but the other member of our party had shorts on and he had to go back to his room to change into pants. I prefer slacks or nice capris for smart casual nights. Dh slacks and a nice polo shirt.

[canadarocks]

The Pinnacle is only formal on formal nights in the main dining room. The choices of clothing you plan on bringing will be fine!

 

Have a great cruise! You will LOVE Alaska!! :cool:

[cwn]

We just got back from a month long cruise on the Rotterdam. On casual nights in the MDR, we saw everything except shorts...and this was an older crowd with many 3 and 4 star Mariners, so you will be fine. The dress at least on this HAL ship is not nearly as dressy, any night, as some CC members imply on these threads.

 

The Pinnacle follows the MDR dress code..casual nights...many men in short sleeves and casual slacks. We also ate in the Pinnacle on the last formal night....we watched the head waiter put a coat on the backs of the chairs of three men who didn't have a jacket on that night. One of the men was in the suite next to us, I know he had a jacket as he wore it on another formal night.

 

We are fine with this practice, as many fine places do that in the States and around the world. As long as one is clean and neat what they have on does not effect our dinning experience. We are much more interested in having good food and service and enjoying the company of the friends at our table.

[fann1sh]

Just wanted to expand on the climate issue Terigo mentioned.

 

Both last year and this year, southeast Alaska has had record high temperatures. While 10 - 13C (50 - 55F) is more normal, Ketchikan had May temperatures this year which ranged from 1 - 25C (35 - 77F). However, one thing you should expect is lots of rain.

 

As someone used to winters with snow, I'd probably wear short sleeves underneath something rain proof.

[carri cruiser]

Hi everybody!

 

We're 2 guys going on our first-ever cruise on Zuiderdam to Alaska in May. We're very excited of course! We've decided to solve the formal wear problem through renting tuxes onboard. Since we'll be flying from Europe and will be travelling in Alaska and Canada for three weeks, renting seems the only viable option. Will also be nice to have the whole formal experience for our first cruise.

 

Anyway, now we come to the actual question. We normally dress very casually, sporty or out-doorsy. HAL defines smart casual as "slacks and collared shirts for men". I suppose we could pack chinos and some shirts, but we'd prefer to be even more casual.

 

Are any pants OK as long as they're full-length and is any shirt OK as long as it has a collar? Are cargo pants OK? Are short-sleeved shirts OK? Are short-sleeved polo shirts OK? Would a nice sweater over a t-shirt be OK, or would there still have to be collared shirt underneath?

 

All this refers to both MDR, Lido and other areas of the ship during the evenings. However, is Pinnacle Grill formal all evenings?

 

Not wishing to instigate a clothing-debate, just some questions...

Thanks in advance!

The debate of "casual" vs "smart casual" was discussed on the boards a year ago, and someone wrote, casual is when you wear your baseball cap with the bill backwards, smart casual is when you wear it forward!!:eek:

[Laurino]

Thanks for all the replies. So I guess we'll be acceptable in our more casual clothes, but might feel underdressed compared to others... Will consider this when packing.

[ariawoman]

Thanks for all the replies. So I guess we'll be acceptable in our more casual clothes, but might feel underdressed compared to others... Will consider this when packing.

 

Doubtful that you'll feel underdressed. As another poster mentioned, people don't dress up as much as you'd think by reading these boards. I always wore something I'd feel OK wearing to work (i work in a smart casual env) so if you feel like you'd be OK walking into a business setting in it, then it'll be fine.

 

In the Lido, you don't have to worry about shorts, FYI. The lido is the place to go if you don't feel like changing after being out on an excursion all day and you're in jeans or whatever.

[photomikey]

In my opinion...

Are any pants OK as long as they're full-length and is any shirt OK as long as it has a collar? Are cargo pants OK? Are short-sleeved shirts OK? Are short-sleeved polo shirts OK? Would a nice sweater over a t-shirt be OK, or would there still have to be collared shirt underneath?

Most clean and "nice" long pants would be ok. Most any collared shirt I can think of would be ok. I have nice cargo pants and "working" cargo pants, I wouldn't hesitate to wear the nice ones, but not ones I look like i'm hiking up a mountain in. Short sleeved shirts, yes, if they have a collar. Polo shirts are on a majority of people. A sweater over anything would be fine.

 

As others have said, people talk about it here like you need to dress for your wedding day, and I find that if you just don't look like a slob, you'll be fine.

[soldham]

- If it has a collar and buttons, regardless of sleeve you are good. It can get VERY hot in the MDR and polo shirts are often the perfect choice.

- Added to dress(y) shoes by which I mean no runners or the like, a pair of jeans makes a smashing addition to a dress shirt and jacket. I am referring to Calvin Klein, Buffalo, Parasuco, etc not your garden variety Levi's.

 

We dress following the 'guidelines' but certainly do not worry too much about be over/under dressed. After all - it is a vacation.