Why is Dress Code Only Adhered To In The Dining Room...???

[kazu]

Having worked on many different cruise ships and lines for the past 30+ years, it is very clear that cruise passengers behave better and spend far more money when they are all dressed up.

On formal nights, the number of domestic disputes and mis-behaving drunks is far lower than on other nights - even though passengers tend to drink more on formal nights.

 

Those reasons alone are worth the trouble to keep formal nights as long as we can.

 

Macys in Manhattan - the largest department store in America - no longer carries formal wear. They told me that Americans have no interest in buying formal wear anymore, so there is no reason to carry it.

 

Unfortunately, if nearly everyone on a cruise insists on dressing like a slob, it does not matter what the cruise line says or does. Ultimately the passengers decide what the rules will really be (if the cruise line wants to stay in business).

 

Wow! this is a really sad statement. We enjoy dressing up and enjoy the formal nights but that's just us. But whether dressed up or not, I would like to think everyone would have a bit of decorum and resist the disputes or disagreements. I've never seen it (and don't want to thank you very much)

 

As long as the passengers in the jeans are not permitted in the MDR on formal night, I have no issue with how others dress in other venues. It's not a big deal to us. May take a bit away from the ambience but why let someone else upset your cruise?

 

As long as the dress code is respected in the MDR, I think that is the best anyone can hope for;)

[iancal]

We must be on the wrong ships...we have never seen any passenger entertainment like that.

[kazu]

I think Krazy Kruizers and Kazu are two different people! :eek:

 

Unfortunately true - I wish I had all her knowledge:D and it was her quote:D

[GeriatricNurse]

So what is the suggested dress code for the Lido on formal nights?..If I follow it for the entire evening as HAL asks will that be correct?

 

The dress code for the Lido on formal nights is smart dress casual. :) That being said I have seen couples wearing formal attire and people wearing t-shirts & shorts as well! :eek:

[BruceMuzz]

Everyone needs to realize that the logistics of operating a cruise ship do not leave us too many options here.

We could turn away 500 people from the dining room for dressing poorly. And I think we should.

But we still need to feed them somewhere.

 

In the evening, most of the cooks and waiters from the Lido and Room Service are needed for production and service in the Main Galleys and Dining Rooms.

If several dozen, or several hundred, poorly dressed passengers are turned away from the Dining Rooms, they will either be heading to the Buffet or calling Room Service.

 

But we do not have enough cooks or waiters to serve bigger numbers in the Buffet and Room Service, while simultaneously serving a full dinner in the Dining Rooms.

Something has to give.

 

We have four choices:

1. We can let the Buffet and Room Service spin out of control with many complaints and unhappy passengers.

 

2. We can pull waiters and cooks from the Main Dining Room and send them to the Buffet and Room Service. Your dinner service in the Dining Room will then take 3 or 4 hours, and you will miss the evening show.

 

3. We can let the slobs into the Dining Room, receive complaints about them, and feed everyone in a timely manner.

 

4. Triple the price of the cruise (like Crystal Cruises) and lose most of the people who cannot or will not dress properly. But with those prices we cannot fill our ships and cannot make a profit.

 

What would you do?

[pambo]

I have to agree with scopewest too. I can honestly say that I do not look around to see what other people are wearing nor do I care.

 

Their attire does not affect the quality of my meal nor my enjoyment of the vacation.

[Jemima]

The dress code for the Lido on formal nights is smart dress casual....

 

Huh? The dress code for Lido dinner is the same on all nights. Smart casual isn't required there on any night. Shorts and tanks aren't supposed to be worn there for dinner, but some are seen.

[Globaliser]

What would you do?

5. Revert to not opening the buffet at dinner time, and suspending room service until after the dining room service is over; and post a large sign at the dining room entrance saying "DRESS UP OR STARVE".

 

;)

 

Seriously, though, thanks for the insight. Even without the numbers, that explains a lot.

[Richie2pies]

"What would you do?"

 

I would eliminate the archaic practice of formal night, as some lines already do. Those who wish to dress, can, and those who don't won't have to. As long as they are neat and have bathed. I don't think it will be too many years before they change the "formal" night practice, just like they have updated the smoking policy.

[fcorey]

Because HAL is becoming ( if it hasn't already) a mass market line.

 

If you want style and elegance don't use HAL.

There are other choices.

 

Personally I'm having my doubts about the others too.

 

Gramps

 

We have become a very casual society. I have tried several lines over the last 10 years. NCL is by far the most casual, probably more so than even Carnival :eek: If you want formal then you need to pay for a luxury line like Oceania, Regent, Seaborne, or possibly Cunard. With the economy the way it is most lines are doing whatever they can to attract people and being less formal is likely part of that

[SwissMyst]

.....(Many good points about what to do from the ships perspective) .....

What would you do?

 

Let them in the main dining room, but make them sit at the Little Kids Table.

Maybe on Formal Night, reserve the Upper Dining Room for Formal Dress only and send the rest of them down to Anytime -Anyhow - Dining.

[skydancing]

Oh dear what am I letting myself in for. This will be our first time cruise but not our first time in Europe. We noticed when on holiday last time in Europe we dressed more casually than most but it didn't make any difference to others we were dining with or being with and we certainly didn't mind the very over dressed people dining as well. We were bathed, clean looking, non swearing, non-arguing and hardly drinking but still fun people!!

 

All I can say is when we go on vacation, which is what our cruise is about, we do NOT want to dress up and be judged or be under dressed and be judged. We want to be able to enjoy ourselves without worrying what others are thinking about our dress code. We understand about the MDR jacket requirement etc on formal night but I am not going to buy a gown/dress that I might only ever wear once just to please others.

 

Perhaps we didnt do our homework before we booked our cruise but then we didnt book it for its dressing up aspect but for its service, its itinerary etc.

 

WE do not belong to country clubs, golf clubs - just the odd service club here and there which are obviously much more informal here than frm whereever most of you are from. Give us a break if we do not meet your high standards - you might find you enjoy dancing next to us, playing the casino with us. Wow you might even like us even though we arent dressed like you.

[Sargent_Schultz]

We have just returned from out 1st HAL cruise and was rather disappointed at the lack of other guests who actually wore DJ’s or TUX during formal nights.

 

We understand that this is probably due to baggage allowance restrictions imposed by many airlines – this we can accept – and in the dining room, guests still looked smart and men worse shirt/ties.

 

No pants?

 

Years ago, the biggest complaint on HAL dealt with wheel chair collisions. Change happens.

 

Realty check - the only reason there are "formal" nights is to sell more pictures and to complete the Camelot illusion/fantasy.

 

Becoming a mass market line is required for survival for most cruise lines.

[Sargent_Schultz]

Let them in the main dining room, but make them sit at the Little Kids Table.

Maybe on Formal Night, reserve the Upper Dining Room for Formal Dress only and send the rest of them down to Anytime -Anyhow - Dining.

 

On any mass market cruise line I think formal dining is the one that will be restricted - perhaps to an extra pay venue where the full fantasy may be fulfilled. Of course, once you step outside, welcome to realty. ;)

[SwissMyst]

Oh dear what am I letting myself in for. This will be our first time cruise but not our first time in Europe. We noticed when on holiday last time in Europe we dressed more casually than most but it didn't make any difference to others we were dining with or being with and we certainly didn't mind the very over dressed people dining as well. We were bathed, clean looking, non swearing, non-arguing and hardly drinking but still fun people!!

 

All I can say is when we go on vacation, which is what our cruise is about, we do NOT want to dress up and be judged or be under dressed and be judged. We want to be able to enjoy ourselves without worrying what others are thinking about our dress code. We understand about the MDR jacket requirement etc on formal night but I am not going to buy a gown/dress that I might only ever wear once just to please others.

 

Perhaps we didnt do our homework before we booked our cruise but then we didnt book it for its dressing up aspect but for its service, its itinerary etc.

 

WE do not belong to country clubs, golf clubs - just the odd service club here and there which are obviously much more informal here than frm whereever most of you are from. Give us a break if we do not meet your high standards - you might find you enjoy dancing next to us, playing the casino with us. Wow you might even like us even though we arent dressed like you.

 

Wow, chill a bit and think of the easy possibilities:

 

1. You can rent formal wear on the ship for one time use.

2. You can buy a sparkly jacket, wear a colorful shawl, add some flashy costume jewelry to a simple dress (ships shops sells some very nice dressy accessories for $10 each item)

3. You can shop on ebay for perfectly good cruise dress up items for pennies on the dollar.

4. And always keep in mind you are doing this for yourself to enjoy the evening along with those that also planned to make this evening into something more special

5. Yes, choosing HAL does mean you are cruising with others who do enjoy these few dress up nights

6. Formal evenings are typically only four hours out of your entire cruise.

7. The dining room looks special, the waiters are dressed more formally, and it is a lovely sea going tradition that today is extremely easy to accommodate, easy to pack for and once you find what works for you to make this all as easy as putting a "smart casual" outfit together, you may find yourself enjoying these evenings more than you expected. Try it at least once.

[skydancing]

I do intend to "dress up" for at least one night - after all I have talked my husband into buying a new jacket lol. But I am afraid it will be a fairly simple dress done up a bit. I just cannot justify what we would call a ballgown.

 

Yes I could rent a dress but any spare money I have I would rather splash on fun things to do and I am such a difficult shape lol.

 

I know I should "chill" but I dont like it when people say things about others who may be dressed differently. As I said what does it matter really what someone is wearing when dancing or in the casino? Be there for the moment - look into your partners eyes while dancing instead of looking at someone's unkempt jeans lol.. hell there is more to life than clothes.

 

That person who scrimped and saved for their holiday is probably having far more fun than those who may stick with rituals for their holidays. Not meant in a nasty way okay.

[erewhon]

I do intend to "dress up" for at least one night - after all I have talked my husband into buying a new jacket lol. But I am afraid it will be a fairly simple dress done up a bit. I just cannot justify what we would call a ballgown.

 

Yes I could rent a dress but any spare money I have I would rather splash on fun things to do and I am such a difficult shape lol.

 

I know I should "chill" but I dont like it when people say things about others who may be dressed differently. As I said what does it matter really what someone is wearing when dancing or in the casino? Be there for the moment - look into your partners eyes while dancing instead of looking at someone's unkempt jeans lol.. hell there is more to life than clothes.

 

That person who scrimped and saved for their holiday is probably having far more fun than those who may stick with rituals for their holidays. Not meant in a nasty way okay.

 

skydancing,

 

Please remember that the people posting on this thread are a small percentage of the passengers on board each ship.

You do not need a gown.

I am sure your dress with nice accessories will be quite suitable.

 

It is not too long now until your cruise, I hope you will have a wonderful holiday.

[world~citizen]

Get a life! In a few years, there will no longer be formal nights. Will that stop you from cruising?

 

Seems a bit ungenerous. :eek:

[skydancing]

Thank you Erewhon. Yes it is close and I have been having a few anxious moments about this whole thing but this holiday means so much to my husband and myself.

 

We are hoping to have a magic wonderful time together before the cruise as well so that we have some lovely memories of our son, wife and grandson before the cruise and for when we get home. Very very special and probably the last holiday like this we will ever have together.

 

life is more precious than clothing for sure.

[world~citizen]

We like formal nights but it has been suggested that the resistance we perceive onboard represents a trend against them.

 

If true, I suspect that in time, the trend will reverse - as trends will.

 

HAL's dress code seems clear enough to me, if not in letter certainly in spirit. As noted thoughtfully by another contributor, HAL is between a rock and a hard place with respect to enforcing it. I think people well understand that.

 

Those who have strong opinions one way or the other will not be swayed by contrary argument. HAL is doing a good job just riding through what is for the most part a tempest in a teapot with a policy that seems to work for most.

 

Not everyone is happy, but that is an impossible standard to meet.

 

Smooth sailing...

[lovetocruise2020]

Come now,

Not only in this post but ALL over the HAL boards, I see rude comments like the one below, (I would have quoted it, but I am on my phone)

 

"Get a life! In a few years, there will no longer be formal nights. Will that stop you from cruising"?

 

Everyone is entitled to how they feel about a matter.

I really wish the members of this board would try a little harder to be polite and treat others how they wish to be treated.

 

It makes me (and I am sure others) wonder, is this how HAL cruisers treat others?

Frankly, I am very tired of seeing the rude comments. To be fair, I have seen much worse than the one above.

 

Can we all lighten up a bit? Geeze.

[1 HappyCruiser]

Let them in the main dining room, but make them sit at the Little Kids Table.

Maybe on Formal Night, reserve the Upper Dining Room for Formal Dress only and send the rest of them down to Anytime -Anyhow - Dining.

 

Thank you for one reasonable solution that might work. :)

[centuryguy]

The wife and I could really care less about formal nights and it would not hurt my feelings if they were done away with. I'm required to wear a coat and tie everyday at work, so I really don't want to bring a suit on vacation. That being said, we know it is part of the experience, and a very important part for some people, so we acquiesce and adhere to the dress code and still manage to have a good time.

 

I do foresee formal nights becoming a thing of the past as we baby boomers move into our "golden years." I don't think it's as important to us as a generation. For example, when I was growing up, everyone went to church in a coat and tie. Now, most adults dress smart casual (I won't get into how some teenagers dress). To the 1950s it seems as though people dressed up just to leave the house. It's just the times moving on.

[world~citizen]

... It's just the times moving on.

 

Perhaps.

 

As they say though, the more things change, the more they stay the same so who can tell what the future will bring.

 

I think its down to two nights over a week though. To hear some people converse about this topic, you would think it was the reverse.

 

I'll tell you what I really genuinely don't get. If formal nights are so few and we know that many cruisers enjoy them, why would anyone campaign to eliminate them completely?

 

Is it all about: "I paid my money to get it my way" and no more thoughtful than that?

 

Hope not.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Wow, chill a bit and think of the easy possibilities:

 

1. You can rent formal wear on the ship for one time use.

2. You can buy a sparkly jacket, wear a colorful shawl, add some flashy costume jewelry to a simple dress (ships shops sells some very nice dressy accessories for $10 each item)

3. You can shop on ebay for perfectly good cruise dress up items for pennies on the dollar.

4. And always keep in mind you are doing this for yourself to enjoy the evening along with those that also planned to make this evening into something more special

5. Yes, choosing HAL does mean you are cruising with others who do enjoy these few dress up nights

6. Formal evenings are typically only four hours out of your entire cruise.

7. The dining room looks special, the waiters are dressed more formally, and it is a lovely sea going tradition that today is extremely easy to accommodate, easy to pack for and once you find what works for you to make this all as easy as putting a "smart casual" outfit together, you may find yourself enjoying these evenings more than you expected. Try it at least once.

 

You make it sound easy. And it is!!

 

I have a couple of vintage designer gowns that I bought on ebay, and I love them. Another good source of gently used formal wear is a local consignment or charity shop. Some of them have some surprisingly upscale stuff.

 

And formal night does NOT require a "ball gown," with a wide skirt and a thousand crinolnes under it. I have a seen a few of those from time to time, and I wondered how on earth the wearer packed it. But with so many knit and "easy care" fabrics in use now, it should be possible to find something affordable, packable, and wearable.

 

And to the poster who said they only do formal night to sell more pictures, I have no problem with that. It's a great way to get a nice portrait taken. No sitting fee, and if you don't like any of the shots, it doesn't cost a thing.