Formal Nights? I'M ALL FOR IT

[Karennella]

Amazara and Oceania are both popular here with Australians as they do not have formal nights. It is so difficult packing for a several week trip across different climate zones without having to find formal clothes. I had a good look at those lines for this year's cruise but the itinerary on HAL won out (now changed because of the trouble in Egypt!)

So it will be variations of black for the formal nights, which tends to be our national colour for clothes, for some unknown reason!

[Plnrboy]

H-Dan,,, it is just a sore subject...as a person who dress up 5 days a week i personaly hate ties and stuffy clothes, my wife makes me wear them on our cruise but i have seen others not and really have no problem with it. I don't make assumptions that their "generation" is bad or ruining things. It seems i have heard every generation declaring the younger one is wrecking things and are the "me" first generation. Maybe they just don't want to "dress up".

 

It seems there are a lot who do and so be it. no one is telling them not to. But the we must abide by the tradition thing is getting old. Slippery slopes are abundant also when making analogies about not wanting to get wet when swimming. Let people be is my motto and everyone have agreat time. no matter what they wear. we have to live on the big blue ball togather and imposing others beliefs/traditions is not friendly. I know i will get flamed for saying this but i mean no harm or am i calling anybody names so please keep it nice. :cool:

[iancal]

We have no issue with formal evenings on HAL. HAL provides us with an alternate casual dining venue on those nights.

 

HAL just needs to tweek their suggested dress code so that it is clear that formal wear is for the MDR only.

 

Well, maybe they do not need to tweek it because it appears to me that they have made a corporate decision either not enforce it or enforce it very liberally on an extremely haphazzard basis.

 

In any event, there is room for everyone on a HAL ship.

[buckirj1]

With all the debates about Formal Nights I would like to share my experience with you.

 

Last year when I was on the Oosterdam, Sea of Cortez, I wore a tux the first time in my life.

 

On one of the formal evenings I was leaving towards the entrance of the MDR after finishing my dinner with my wife. I noticed that there was a server quick-walking towards me with a full tray of dinners. I tucked myself next to a serving table to get out of his way and got separated from my wife. After he passed I quickly tried to catch up. Having taken no more than two steps, a lady stopped me and asked sweetly:- "Captain, can you bring us more butter?"

 

Being Oriental in a tux on a Formal Night can be fun. :rolleyes:

 

Tom

 

This was the first post I read on the HAL board, and it made my day! How on earth did you respond to the butter-requesting fellow passenger?!

 

Thanks for bringing more light than heat to a topic over which some folks lose all sense of humor.

[pdsgt]

My wife and I respect everyone's wishes for formal night, but we choose NOT to participate! We enjoyed them for our first 40-45 cruises but the last few years we have elected not to participate. Out of respect we generally enjoy dinner in the buffet and usually limit our evening activities to the casino or our room. We are finding that more and more frequent cruisers share our same views on the matter

Roger & Vicki

Arcadia, Calif.

[Plnrboy]

It would be interesting to see if there is a decline in numbers of diners on formal nights. Past posts on this subject have indicated that the numbers are down. If that is the case, how low would the numbers have to go before HAL does do away with mandatory "dress up"? If the Lido and room service get overrun with diners and the MDR is 50% maybe that would change or alter the thoughts of some. Just a thought i had since the poster above has done 40-45 cruises and now doesn't go to dinner on formal nights. seems a shame to me.

[3rdGenCunarder]

It would be interesting to see if there is a decline in numbers of diners on formal nights. Past posts on this subject have indicated that the numbers are down. If that is the case, how low would the numbers have to go before HAL does do away with mandatory "dress up"? If the Lido and room service get overrun with diners and the MDR is 50% maybe that would change or alter the thoughts of some. Just a thought i had since the poster above has done 40-45 cruises and now doesn't go to dinner on formal nights. seems a shame to me.

 

My recent experiences on HAL didn't show a drop on formal nights. We had early fixed dining, both to Bermuda and in Alaska. Business suits far outnumbered tuxes, especially on the Alaska cruise, but the dining room didn't seem deserted on the formal nights.

[FLACRUISER99]

My wife and I respect everyone's wishes for formal night, but we choose NOT to participate! We enjoyed them for our first 40-45 cruises but the last few years we have elected not to participate. Out of respect we generally enjoy dinner in the buffet and usually limit our evening activities to the casino or our room. We are finding that more and more frequent cruisers share our same views on the matter

Roger & Vicki

Arcadia, Calif.

Good post, I feel the same way.

[iancal]

We feel exactly the same way.

 

And to stem off the tide of comment, no we don't wear tshirts, dirty jeans with holes in them, baseball caps, shorts, flip flops or all the other variants that some people would lead posters to believe is the only alternative. We go business casual...dockers, collered shirts, etc.

[dockrocker]

We feel exactly the same way.

 

And to stem off the tide of comment, no we don't wear tshirts, dirty jeans with holes in them, baseball caps, shorts, flip flops or all the other variants that some people would lead posters to believe is the only alternative. We go business casual...dockers, collered shirts, etc.

 

Most people in the Lido on formal night are in business casual. It's a clean little secret we keep from the folks who're convinced that it's a dinner jacket or it's a marinara-stained "wife beater," and that there's nothing in between. ;)

[jjfromsd]

My recent experiences on HAL didn't show a drop on formal nights. We had early fixed dining, both to Bermuda and in Alaska. Business suits far outnumbered tuxes, especially on the Alaska cruise, but the dining room didn't seem deserted on the formal nights.

My experience aboard the Oosterdam on my recent Mexican Riviera cruise was quite similar, and I had the late fixed dining. Most men (myself included) wore dark business suits and it seemed that there were more people in the MDR during formal nights than there were in smart casual nights.

 

I should admit that one of my biggest concerns as a first-time and a solo cruiser was formal nights. I initially thought that such events would be more suitable for couples and groups and as a solo cruiser, I would be out of place. I had not planned on packing my suit and tie, but I changed my mind at the last minute. Tell you what, I'm glad I did. I actually met my dinner companions for the first time on our first formal night (I didn't feel well on the first night of the cruise), and everyone was extremely gracious, open, and friendly. I had not planned on taking a portrait photo by the atrium, but was urged by a CC member and his travel companions. In fact, they were next and they allowed me to get my picture taken before them so that I can make my dinner show time. And then there were comments from the ladies aboard the ship complimenting on how handsome I looked and how I wore a suit and tie well. I was extremely humbled. My last minute change of heart paid off well and I had a really great time on both formal nights.

 

What is my opinion on formal nights? Well, I believe whether one wants to participate or not is their personal choice as there are alternate dining venues that do not require formal wear. After all, it is YOUR cruise. You paid for your cruise and you should be able to enjoy your cruise. My decision to bring my suit and tie and participate was based on the belief that formal nights were part and parcel of the HAL cruising experience, a belief formed after reading many threads and posts from experience HAL cruisers about this subject.

[iriemon]

Make it optional, that way everyone is happy. Something for everyone I say.

 

It is really optional, if you don't go to the MDR you don't need to be formal. We usually get dressed up for at least one formal night, but there are times we just want to "veg out" and we will go to the lido for dinner. Remember this is a vacation for everyone and you should be able to do what you want on vacation, you worked hard enough for it. If more people worried about themselves and what they want to do instead of what everyone else is doing wouldn't it be a happier place? (BTW before another gets on their soap box, I am not a gen y or x, I am a babyboomer and did not grow up in the "I and Me" time frame.

[fatcat04]

After seeing the title I was fully prepared to respond with "How did you find the can of worms and why did you open it?" but your story gave me a good giggle. Quite a priceless moment. ;)

[Plnrboy]

so i guess it isn't a decline in numbers just a decline in numbers of tuxes. So to go one step further...not trying to enrage anyone by doing this, i am just asking. if dark suits are the formal wear now, and that is lax for some, what happens when it is a jacket and no tie? or it isn't a dark jacket but a blazer and casual pants?

 

I say this only to bring up what many have said here. who cares what others wear? dress up or don't. we really should not judge others by what they wear but who they are. I really think that is what bugs everyone. Many people skip the MDR on "formal" night but why? because they don't meet the other peoples expectations??? To each his/her own.

[Winters in NZ]

Make it optional, that way everyone is happy. Something for everyone I say.

That would make too much sense.