Future of Formal Nights

[kazu]

I'll bet your food even tasted better. :p

 

It normally does :D

[sail7seas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmdchiefthom

That's the way is started on NCL maybe 10 years ago, and now its jeans and tee shirts almost anywhere, anytime onboard their ships

 

 

 

 

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you. We were on the Oasis right before Christmas and the majority of people were dresssed up for the formal night. There were very few tuxes, but almost every woman had on a cocktail dress and the men were in dark suits. Maybe it was because Christmas was so close, but I was surprised and happy to see so many dressed up. It made the evening that much more special, IMO.

Kalliekae

 

 

Oasis is not NCL.

It is RCI.

Perhaps that makes a difference? I don't know as I have not sailed RCI in years and never NCL.

 

 

 

[Wakepatrol]

Can't help wondering ... if HAL were to abandon formal nights because, perhaps, a majority of passengers might wish it so ... would HAL also adjust the typical formal night menus and put an end to serving lobster tails and other specialties typical of these evenings?

 

Surf & Turf will be replaced with Hamburger Helper and

Hot Pockets.

[FrankNJ]

Yes this is wording companies often use for the clueless.

 

It's along the same line in instruction manuals... that suggest you turn off the power before working on your breaker panel.

 

Don't jack your car up on a hill and them get underneath it.

 

Don't eat the little packets that come packed with your new stereo

 

Yes it's formal night. Chairs covered, china set, live music in the background. It's "suggested" one looks good,and not show up in their Zumba workout ensemble complete with pit stains.

 

Interestingly enough , I knew a lady who did eat one of those little packets. She was without her glasses and thought the packet was a sweetener , and she put it in her

coffee. She was in her eighties. The doctor was called and he advised that the silica gel packet would do her no harm . She lived to be almost one hundred.

[iancal]

We stopped ordering lobster tails, or any form thereof, some time ago-not just on HAL but other lines as well.

 

The seemed to go downhill fast-not just in quality but also very much in preparation. It is so very difficult to prepare and serve lobster properly in the banquet style service of a cruise ship MDR. They can cut out the baked alaska at the same time, complete with undercooked marangue, as far as I am concerned.

[kazu]

We stopped ordering lobster tails, or any form thereof, some time ago-not just on HAL but other lines as well.

 

The seemed to go downhill fast-not just in quality but also very much in preparation. It is so very difficult to prepare and serve lobster properly in the banquet style service of a cruise ship MDR. They can cut out the baked alaska at the same time, complete with undercooked marangue, as far as I am concerned.

 

I have to confess the lobster tails were very good on the Prinsendam:) maybe because it's a smaller ship?

[RuthC]

I have to confess the lobster tails were very good on the Prinsendam:) maybe because it's a smaller ship?

Everything's better on the Prinsendam, because it's a smaller ship. :D

[billyelliot]

Having read all the posts on Formal wear, I am now a little worried that I will be disappointed on my 1st Hal cruise. Formal night is part of the cruise, along with the beautifully laid tables and fine food. In my opinion too many people can't be bothered to make the effort.

I look forward to the getting dressed for dinner on formal night, long gown and all..... My Husband always wears a tux. In fact I dress up every night! We have to comply with airline baggage and are never over. Formal wear doesn't weigh any more and I take shoes to match every outfit lol........

On our recent Cunnard cruise, I don't think I saw anybody not in full formal wear. Everybody looked lovely.

Oh well I think I will be more comfortable over dressed than underdressed.:rolleyes:

[RuthC]

I look forward to the getting dressed for dinner on formal night, long gown and all..... My Husband always wears a tux.

 

 

Oh well I think I will be more comfortable over dressed than underdressed.:rolleyes:

You can't be considered overdressed in long gown and tux on formal night.

Now, polish up those jewels and look good!

[scraplady]

Due to the fact that we are flying from NC to Anchorage and have a 7 day land tour prior to our cruise, we were thinking about forgoing the formal nights, as my DH does not own a tux and he didn't really want to pack his suit.

 

Is there anything else connected to formal night other than dinner? If we don't do the formal night, can we still do the shows?

 

If we do decide to try formal night, will my long blk velvet skirt and red velvet or black metallic tops suffice. I have a tea length gown, but it would not survive the packing.

[Karennella]

Our friends did a Cunard cruise from Africa to Sydney early last year and later a HAL Alaska cruise. They commented how Cunard was much more formal in dress.

I personally find the formal nights a bit pointless as nothing else really happens. You just dress up to dress up. I wouldn't mind so much if it wasn't so hard to pack for a long trip with 20kg allowance.

[kazu]

Due to the fact that we are flying from NC to Anchorage and have a 7 day land tour prior to our cruise, we were thinking about forgoing the formal nights, as my DH does not own a tux and he didn't really want to pack his suit.

 

Is there anything else connected to formal night other than dinner? If we don't do the formal night, can we still do the shows?

 

If we do decide to try formal night, will my long blk velvet skirt and red velvet or black metallic tops suffice. I have a tea length gown, but it would not survive the packing.

 

yes to both questions :D Your skirt and tops would be fine:D

[Middle Aged and Happy]

On my last cruise on the Westerdam (only a 6 day on January 2, 2012), when I printed my boarding passes it showed 6 smart casual evenings - no formal night. I called Seattle and was told that they were trying something new. When we were on the ship though, the printed program showed the fifth night as formal. Later in the morning the CD announced that it was optional formal and that casual would be admitted in the dining room.

[GeriatricNurse]

Due to the fact that we are flying from NC to Anchorage and have a 7 day land tour prior to our cruise, we were thinking about forgoing the formal nights, as my DH does not own a tux and he didn't really want to pack his suit.

 

Is there anything else connected to formal night other than dinner? If we don't do the formal night, can we still do the shows?

 

If we do decide to try formal night, will my long blk velvet skirt and red velvet or black metallic tops suffice. I have a tea length gown, but it would not survive the packing.

 

Good thought, (about forgoing the formal nights)! ;) Essentially, the only reason to dress formally on formal nights is to gain entrance to the MDR and PG for dinner! Other than that there is NO reason to dress formally, (including going to the shows)! :) Smart dress casual works for ANY evening, including all formal nights! :)

[Aruba]

Everything's better on the Prinsendam, because it's a smaller ship. :D

You've got that right, Ruth. How I would love to sail again on Prinsendam some day!

She was docked next to us in Belfast last summer. That was the first time I had seen Prinsendam since the re-do when the rooms were added to the back. I had wondered if the new design would change her classic "line" but I don't think it did.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I like formal nights. We both enjoy dressing up for an elegant evening. There is a different ambiance when everyone is in formal wear. I've done more Cunard cruises than other lines, so formal wear for dinner seems normal to me while cruising. On our last Cunard cruise, I think I saw two men in suits on formal nights. All the other men I saw wore tuxes or kilts. And women were in gowns or cocktail dresses. Not 'church dresses' or knit tops with glitter on them. And nobody went back to the cabin to change after dinner.

 

On our river cruise, there were no formal nights. Dress code for dinner was country-club casual for want of a better term. And people did dress that way--slacks (not jeans) and collared shirts (not t-shirts) for men, nice slacks or skirt and tops for women. Everyone looked nice, and that was fine. Nobody stuck out as overdressed or underdressed.

 

I don't like the "optional" route that HAL seems to be drifting toward. They want to be all things to all people. The dress code descriptions are vague, and enforcement at the MDR is variable. They need to make a decision about who/what they are and stick to it. Waffling doesn't work--the result is the gradual lowering of the sartorial limbo bar (thank you, Ruth, for that expression!). I think I would rather see HAL drop formal nights than have optional formal nights IF they would hold the line on dress to what it is on casual nights now, and not just slide downhill like NCL.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Our friends did a Cunard cruise from Africa to Sydney early last year and later a HAL Alaska cruise. They commented how Cunard was much more formal in dress.

I personally find the formal nights a bit pointless as nothing else really happens. You just dress up to dress up. I wouldn't mind so much if it wasn't so hard to pack for a long trip with 20kg allowance.

 

Yup, sure do!

 

For me, the dressing up and formal nights are part of the fantasy. I can eat dinner in jeans any time at home. But I can't dress formally for dinner at home because I'm the cook and I don't want to get bugle beads in the soup!

[RuthC]

Is there anything else connected to formal night other than dinner? If we don't do the formal night, can we still do the shows?

Formal night is the night itself, all around the public areas of the ship. It is not just dinner.

Yes, you can go to the show, in the sense that no one will refuse you admittance, but you will be underdressed for the venue if you are not dressed up at least a little bit.

If we do decide to try formal night, will my long blk velvet skirt and red velvet or black metallic tops suffice. I have a tea length gown, but it would not survive the packing.

The black velvet skirt and top sounds fine. You can wear the same outfit twice, so you won't have to bring as much.

If your husband doesn't want to bring a suit, a sport coat and tie with a dress shirt meets the code. If that's still too much to pack, then he could rent a tux. That way he would be nicely dressed without any extra packing.

[Opinions]

Formal night is the night itself, all around the public areas of the ship.

 

Isn't the Lido a "public area"?

[3rdGenCunarder]

Isn't the Lido a "public area"?

 

This is where the issue gets cloudy. HAL says that formal night is all over the ship, but the Lido does not require that the dress code be followed. Soooo, how do you get from your cabin to the Lido without "breaking the rules?"

 

And then there's the CD somebody mentioned who said it was OK to change and then go to the show. Unless things have changed, that's contrary to company policy. Or is staying dressed up all night not "policy" but just another "suggestion?"

[jkrislc]

 

I don't like the "optional" route that HAL seems to be drifting toward. They want to be all things to all people. The dress code descriptions are vague, and enforcement at the MDR is variable. They need to make a decision about who/what they are and stick to it. Waffling doesn't work--the result is the gradual lowering of the sartorial limbo bar (thank you, Ruth, for that expression!). I think I would rather see HAL drop formal nights than have optional formal nights IF they would hold the line on dress to what it is on casual nights now, and not just slide downhill like NCL.

 

Consistency is all that I ask for. I don't personally care if they go the optional route as long as I know in advance. What irks me is having a policy regarding formal night and then arbitrarily enforcing it. Make a policy and stick to it.

 

Imagine if the smoking policy was as variable as the dress code policy; now that would be an disastrous debate.

[djg541]

For what its worth re: formal nights,

Last spring on our 2 week Alaska cruise aboard the Amsterdam, we did notice the MDR would be far from full on formal nights,and overheard other passengers commenting later on what a zoo the Lido DR was the same nights.

Kind of a sad comment when people aren't willing to put on a tie or a nice dress and put on the ritz for an evening, but to each their own.They paid their fare too.

[buckirj1]

For what its worth re: formal nights,

Last spring on our 2 week Alaska cruise aboard the Amsterdam, we did notice the MDR would be far from full on formal nights,and overheard other passengers commenting later on what a zoo the Lido DR was the same nights.

 

In the end, this may be the deciding factor. When the number of Lido passengers approaches or exceeds the numbers of the MDR crowd, it'll make sense to change things. Until then, I wouldn't worry too much about it, regardless of any of our opinions of formal nights/dress.

[puli]

LOL I always wonder what all the ladies who post here that they wear a "sparkly top" on formal nights think makes their "sparkly top" formal wear. Do they tuck it into their slacks?

 

When I last looked at HAL's "suggested" dress attire for formal nights Pantsuit for women was listed first! before long gown, etc. Many such outfits are comprized of dressy black pants with a coordinated "sparkly top".

[Amuse Bouche]

Yes, it will happen sooner or later. Some folks will miss them. Some folks will not. Some folks can accept change. Some folks can not.

 

And before folks lock and load, I do wear a jacket and tie on formal nights and I packing one for our Noordam cruise which is just 13 days away!;)

 

Haha! Seriously!!!!!!!!!