Swimsuits in the Lido--dress code in general

[csg99]

We just got off of the 5/21 Zui cruise and we noticed more and more people walking around the Lido restaurant in swimsuits--no cover ups or shorts. One day we saw 4 people in less than 5 minutes--all well over 60! They weren't just dashing in to get food and take back to the pool area--they sat near us (at different tables) and spent quite a bit of time in there. I get really turned off standing in line for food next to a guy who keeps reaching over me with his armpit in my face....

 

Also, it was overwhelmingly apparent that the "suggested" dress code is not working. They ask you to remain dressed according to the suggestion for the entire evening--we went to the shows on formal nights we saw a large number of people in tank tops, shorts, sandals...DH wasn't happy because he would have preferred to change into a comfy pair of khakis and a polo shirt. We don't mind following the suggested daily dress code, but what's the point?

[doone]

When I was on the Volendam, I saw one man go into the Lido with just his bathing suit on, no shirt or shoes, he was asked to go put on a shirt and shoes.

 

When I was on the Zuiderdam, I didn't notice anyone in the Lido without shoes and a cover-up, but I could have missed them also.

[RuthC]

Don't people have any manners anymore? I can't imagine why anyone would think it's all right to enter a restaurant without being dressed. :eek: They shouldn't need to have a sign posted, either. :rolleyes:

 

It's about time that HAL did something to either enforce a dress code or get rid of it altogether.

This trying to please both camps isn't working.

[jhannah]

It's about time that HAL did something to either enforce a dress code or get rid of it altogether.

I wholeheartedly agree. It simply isn't fair to have a standard and not enforce it for everyone. I don't want them to eliminate the dress code as that would degrade the whole experience for me and many other cruisers. But if they're not going to enforce it uniformly, then scrap it.

[RuthC]

I'm with you there, Jim. I, too, would hate to see HAL eliminate the dress code, but if they did at least they could be considered as making a decision. I hate this mamby-pamby/try to please everybody and please nobody stuff.

 

And for the record, if HAL were to eliminate (or further lower) the dress code I would be looking for a new cruiseline.

[cheshire999]

Oh yeah, I forgot to post about the shirtless guy I saw in the Lido. I swore to my dh that if I saw him again I was going to tell him that I really didn't appreciate having to see his man boobs while I was eating my lunch.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I agree that the dress code should be inforced.

On the last several cruises we have seen people (not many) go into the Lido and sit down with their lunches wearing bathin suits - and no cover-ups.

And you are so right about the shows - more and more we see people come into the showroom wearing tank tops, sandals, etc. I am assuming that the didn't go to the dining room like - although we have seen people wear shorts at dinner time in the dining room and nothing was said to them. I assume that they ate in the Lido and that there aren't any dress codes there in the evening??? I don't know as we have never had dinner in the Lido.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Love it - Patty - Love it!!

[paradisegal]

Oh yeah, I forgot to post about the shirtless guy I saw in the Lido. I swore to my dh that if I saw him again I was going to tell him that I really didn't appreciate having to see his man boobs while I was eating my lunch.

 

LOL!!!!!!!! I'm with ya there Patty...TOO funny! Now, I did change after dinner on formal night before the show, into something nice ,but I had to get out of my heels...foot surgery...heels are not my friend. Wasnt intended to offend anyone, just what I had to do.

[Oceanwench]

We just got off of the 5/21 Zui cruise and we noticed more and more people walking around the Lido restaurant in swimsuits--no cover ups or shorts. One day we saw 4 people in less than 5 minutes--all well over 60! They weren't just dashing in to get food and take back to the pool area--they sat near us (at different tables) and spent quite a bit of time in there. I get really turned off standing in line for food next to a guy who keeps reaching over me with his armpit in my face....

 

Also, it was overwhelmingly apparent that the "suggested" dress code is not working. They ask you to remain dressed according to the suggestion for the entire evening--we went to the shows on formal nights we saw a large number of people in tank tops, shorts, sandals...DH wasn't happy because he would have preferred to change into a comfy pair of khakis and a polo shirt. We don't mind following the suggested daily dress code, but what's the point?

 

I saw exactly what you saw on my 5/14 cruise on the Zuiderdam.

I have not seen such widespread disregard for the "suggested" dress code on previous HAL cruises.

 

My two daughters pointed out every infraction to me, as I had drilled it into their heads that they were not to pack jeans, nor were they to wear shorts at night! :p

 

If HAL did away with the dress code, I would still sail HAL.

Maybe someone should do a poll on the topic.

[trubey]

I'm curious:

 

Has anyone here ever commented directly to the offenders? What happened?

 

Has anyone here ever reported this to the appropriate staff? What happened?

[csg99]

I'm curious:

 

Has anyone here ever commented directly to the offenders? What happened?

 

Has anyone here ever reported this to the appropriate staff? What happened?

 

one of my favorite movie quotes is "our society has lost it's finesse".....

 

Because of the confrontational nature of many people nowadays, I was not comfortable confronting these people directly (the sense of "entitlement" many people have makes them feel impervious to the rules most of us follow). As far as complaining to HAL staff, if they were standing there seeing what I was seeing, I didn't really see any point....

[michmike]

I have no problem with the dress code in the dining room... and agree that one should have footwear and a cover-up, at minimum, in the lido... I don't understand what the objection is to folks who opt to change after dinner to go to the show or for those who opt to eat dinner more casually in the lido or via room service to go to the show dressed in the manner that was appropriate for that choice..

 

but then again, I don't spend much of my trip worrying about what others are doing.. as long as I'm having a good time.. and quite honestly, having someone at my table in tshirt and shorts while I'm in a tux, isn't going to ruin my cruise.. but that's just me.. *fire at will*

[RuthC]

I don't understand what the objection is to folks who opt to change after dinner to go to the show or for those who opt to eat dinner more casually in the lido or via room service to go to the show dressed in the manner that was appropriate for that choice..

And that's the problem, exactly. People who don't understand, don't understand. They don't recognize that for others it spoils the ambiance of the entire setting.

I have no problem with people dining in more casual clothes in the more casual setting of the Lido, if that is their choice. But when they venture to the show, lounges, or casino thusly dressed they set off a jarring note in what is otherwise a pretty melody (and boy, did I ever nice'n that one up!)

 

And for people to walk around undressed---except for the immediate area of the pool---is flat-out boorish.

[Oceanwench]

but then again, I don't spend much of my trip worrying about what others are doing.. as long as I'm having a good time.. and quite honestly, having someone at my table in tshirt and shorts while I'm in a tux, isn't going to ruin my cruise.. but that's just me.. *fire at will*

 

I agree. No flames from here! ;)

 

It's up to HAL to enforce its own policy; it's not the passengers' responsibility.

Can you imagine if we had to police the dress code?

 

Pax A: You're wearing shorts in the Vista Lounge.

Pax B: So?

Pax A: It's formal night.

Pax B: So? What are you gonna do about it, lady?

Pax A: Um ... well ... it's against the rules.

Pax B: And you know what you can do with the rules.

 

:eek:

[csg99]

I have no problem with the dress code in the dining room... and agree that one should have footwear and a cover-up, at minimum, in the lido... I don't understand what the objection is to folks who opt to change after dinner to go to the show or for those who opt to eat dinner more casually in the lido or via room service to go to the show dressed in the manner that was appropriate for that choice..

 

but then again, I don't spend much of my trip worrying about what others are doing.. as long as I'm having a good time.. and quite honestly, having someone at my table in tshirt and shorts while I'm in a tux, isn't going to ruin my cruise.. but that's just me.. *fire at will*

 

You know, I almost didn't start this thread because I knew that I'd get the "I don't spend much of my trip worrying about what others are doing" response. I am not someone who "worries" about those things....I just don't understand why, when it's pretty clearly spelled out before sailing and during sailing, some people think that they don't have to comply. So, if someone in a tshirt and shorts wouldn't spoil your meal, how about a swimsuit? or a large man with no shirt and man boobs? My point is that everyone has a threshhold of what is acceptable to them--the entire point of the suggested dress code is so that people can have a reasonable expectation of what they will be experiencing.

 

My overall disappointment was probably less with HAL and more with my fellow human beings. It's hard to vacation anymore where people actually appear to care about their appearance--I was disappointed that it's also carried on to the nicer cruise lines like HAL...

[Oceanwench]

You know, I almost didn't start this thread because I knew that I'd get the "I don't spend much of my trip worrying about what others are doing" response. I am not someone who "worries" about those things....I just don't understand why, when it's pretty clearly spelled out before sailing and during sailing, some people think that they don't have to comply. So, if someone in a tshirt and shorts wouldn't spoil your meal, how about a swimsuit? or a large man with no shirt and man boobs? My point is that everyone has a threshhold of what is acceptable to them--the entire point of the suggested dress code is so that people can have a reasonable expectation of what they will be experiencing.

 

My overall disappointment was probably less with HAL and more with my fellow human beings. It's hard to vacation anymore where people actually appear to care about their appearance--I was disappointed that it's also carried on to the nicer cruise lines like HAL...

 

These threads always end up the same way as the "smuggling liquor" and "diapers in pools" threads do ... nothing is resolved and everyone gets his/her knickers in a twist!

 

I saw some of the things you described, bathing suits in the Lido, people barefoot, etc. I agree, it is against the policy ... probably also a health violation. But it is HAL's policy to enforce, and it was obvious to me that it was not being enforced.

 

I think what michmike was saying was that he does not allow others' inability to follow the dress code to negatively affect his cruising experience.

 

I chose to follow the dress code, but I was quite surprised at how many people did not follow it on the 5/14 cruise. However, I did not let it affect my enjoyment of the cruise.

Of course no one with man boobs sat near me! :D

[HAL92]

I think that HAL needs to enforce the dress code more strictly. Noone should go anywhere outside of the pool area with a bathing suit on, but people sholud be able to dress casual in the Lido. In all of the Main public areas(casino, dining room, shops, shows, bars, etc.), people should be forced to follow the dress code. I also think that on the Zuiderdam and all of the Caribbean and warm-weather iteneraries, people tend to dress more casual. I went on an Alaskan cruise on the Oosterdam and everyone dressed more formal, as the cold-weather cruises have a more formal atmosphere.

[KellyJ]

DH an I took our first cruise Nov. 04. On Princess, and had a wonderful time.

 

Please don't assume that newbie cruisers don't like the rules. I stressed to him- You can wear jeans on the plane, but they are not to be seen on the ship. I am 38 DH is 40.

 

He was not pleased that his jeans/jean shorts had to stay at home. He was not thrilled to dress up for dinner everynight, but he did. We bought a tux for him for formal nights. The only exception, we dressed casually to watch the Movies Under the stars. It was a warm evening, so hubby wore khaki shorts. We realized we were not supposed to go to the Dining Room dressed that way, so we didn't. We ate at the buffet that evening, since we didn't know exactly what time the movie would let out and didn't want to change to dress. We tried to follow the dress codes. Even in the evening we stayed in our dining attire, except for the night we got in the hot tub for sail away from San Juan, but we didn't go to any public areas. Now I have to say, he is so glad we dressed according to dress code. He says now it makes dining and being on the ship much more special.

 

If we ate in the buffet area, we would usually change into shorts/t-shirts before we went in, (I hate to eat in a wet bathingsuit), but there were a few at sea days where we got our food from the poolside grill and took it to our lounge chairs to eat. No chair hogs here. Even when just grabbing our food, I wore my cover up and hubby put on his shirt.

 

I always thought by having manners and dressing appropriately was the way to show others how much you respect them. I did see people dressed inappropriately, but I do have to say, that Princess did a good job by suggesting to those passenger, that they would happily seat them in the dining room when they were dressed in the suggested dining room attire, or if they did not wish to change, they may enjoy the menu in the buffet.

 

Kelly j

[michmike]

thanks for the support..*S* as you say, NOTHING is ever resolved on these particular issues and so it seems fruitless to beat them to death.. then again, I spend all day working with convicts, so the behavior of even the most boorish on board seems mild by comparison..

 

We always travel with long time friends and the 4 of us are intent on having FAR too much fun to worry about being the fashion police.. as others have said, if HAL elects to enforce it they will and if not, no amount of anguish here on the boards is going to change it..

 

Those who are absolutely intent on being able to control every aspect of the cruise and the behavior of others may have to consider chartering a yacht with a select group of friends in order to avoid the "barbarians"..

 

and as for "man boobs" *L* even I might have to draw the line at that!

 

Contemplating Feb '06 on the Volendam (for those of you who want dinner partners receptive to shorts and Ts *S*)

[Scrumpy]

We saw several blatant dress code violations in the dining room. One of our table mates wore shorts to dinner one night. We also saw blue jeans in the dining room, but at least the guy was wearing a blazer with them. DH wore a tux to formal night and was the only one at our table and one of very, very few in the dining room. The two nights that we went to Northern Lights, I do not think that anyone except us was still following the dress code. It looked like mostly jeans, cargo pants and Capris, but that didn't concern me because it was a disco mostly full of people who were dancing. A few of the women were wearing skirts. I think the only one that bothered me was the guy at our table wearing shorts, but he was not very personable or well-mannered anyway.

[MSC]

I have no problem with the dress code in the dining room... and agree that one should have footwear and a cover-up, at minimum, in the lido... I don't understand what the objection is to folks who opt to change after dinner to go to the show or for those who opt to eat dinner more casually in the lido or via room service to go to the show dressed in the manner that was appropriate for that choice..

 

but then again, I don't spend much of my trip worrying about what others are doing.. as long as I'm having a good time.. and quite honestly, having someone at my table in tshirt and shorts while I'm in a tux, isn't going to ruin my cruise.. but that's just me.. *fire at will*

I'm with you michmike. I always follow the dress code in the dining room but if I'm going to the show afterwards I usually will change into something more comfortable (capris or pants with a nice shirt). I really don't see anything wrong with that. :)

[Candy]

We observe the dress codes (to the best of our abilities) every night. Occasionally Jim will change into a tropical shirt and khakis for the show, but I can't play craps in shorts. Something about that game just screams slinky dress (I watch too much TV), so I won't change.

 

Here's a photo of Naked Lido Guy. :eek:

[jhannah]

Goodness gracious! That's truly boorish.

[finest14]

Love the pic of "Naked Lido Guy." Seeing that made me think (and I'm half Naked Lido Guys age), in what restaurant is that type of "attire" acceptable?

 

I live in Arizona. It's hot here. After sitting by the pool all day, I'd at least put a shirt on before entering even a Burger King. Dress code or not, Naked Lido Guy just ain't right. :cool: