Confusion about Formal Night in the Baltic

[keep on cruising]

Let me start out by saying we want to follow the suggested dress guidelines and are actually looking forward to formal night. DH has rented a tux and is planning on packing a suit for informal nights, I have purchased several new formal and informal outfits. The other couple going with us has done basically the same.

 

The confusion lays with HAL. We are doing a 12 cruise on the Rotterdam on July 2nd. Our documents say there are 3 formal nights and 2 informal nights so that is what we planned for.

 

One of our party called HAL today to find out when the formal nights are. She was told there are now only 2 formal nights - one of which is on the night we over night in St Petersburg. The ship will be half empty with people going to the evening events off ship!!

 

One of the two informal nights is when we are in Germany and half the ship will be on the way back from Berlin or at least off the ship at dinner time.

 

So basically we will be on board for only one formal night and one informal night and the rest will be casual.

 

None of us want to pack clothes we aren't going to wear and would like to return some of the formal clothes that still have the tags on.

 

Has anyone who has sailed on the European cruises or on the Rotterdam heard of them making changes like this? Are we being given the correct information?

[HAL92]

I don't think that they would make these changes, as all 12 night cruises have 3 formal nights, 2 informal nights, and 7 casual nights. Usually the night in St. Petersburg would be a casual night, because the ship would be only half full. HAL may be making these changes for this one specific cruise or route, but I would double-check before I assumed that it was changed.

 

You will love the Rotterdam and the Baltic.:)

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Cruising Illini]

On several of our recent cruises we have ended up with only 1 informal night -- a 12 day cruise -- and also the formal nights seemed to have 2 that were described as formal and the third with formal as an option but not mandatory. The problem is that having such port intensive cruises in Europe there is a problem with passengers not getting back to the ship early enough for fancy dress. I would call passenger relations re. this but then it still may change by the time you are on the ship. We will be taking the Rotterdm in October but doing b2b for 10 day each and imagine that is going to be completely different from the 12 day trips. I have only taken two formal outfits and repeated one if necessary and the same for the informal. Of course many informal can be worn as nice casual also so no major decision. Sorry to sound so confusing but it is a problem. The daily program for the first day will list the dress suggestions for the entire cruise and I try to keep it for reference BUT I still read it daily in case they change again. Have fun == EC

[serendipity1499]

The formal, informal, & casual nights are decided by the ships officers..They are subject to change..On our Amsterdam cruise to SA I called ships services two weeks before departure & was given the list that was faxed to them by the ship..Even when we boarded, there were changes to that list.:confused: .Be sure to check with ships services (not reservations) & double check their list..Goodluck & have a great trip..

[trubey]

For what it's worth, last fall my two week Mediterranean cruise had 3 formal nights.

 

None were scheduled for the more "important" ports. But I think because we had late dining, the day's activity had less impact on us than if we had had to hurry back to the ship to change clothes.

 

Also, you may wear the same formal item more than once. There is no rule against that. susan.

[emmalbrent]

In April were on Rotterdam; Venice/Venice; Italian Enchantment. Info said 3 (THREE) formal nights. Only had 2. Very port intensive cruise. Our tablemates did not dress for the first formal night. But he did wear a suit and tie the 2nd one.

[Krazy Kruizers]

It's been a few years since we did a Baltic cruise on HAL, but we did not formal night when we overnighted in St Petersburg or informal night while in Germany.

That schedule you were given doesn't sound right.

[Classynfun1]

I just did two b2b on the Rotterdam in the Med/Europe. One the first cruise(10 days), we only ending up having 2 formal nights (were listed to have 3) and they were both on the sea days. On the second cruise(12 days) we had all three formal nights...one when we were in Monte Carlo and the others on the sea days. We did have an overnight in Barcelona on the second cruise and that night was listed as casual, though I wasn't on the ship during dinner.

 

I know that doesn't help answer your question, but I thought I'd tell you anyway.

 

Have a great trip! The Rotterdam is beautiful and the crew is great.

[AirGorilla]

Hope this little insight helps. We returned from a Baltic cruise on the Crystal Symphony exactly one week ago. We stayed docked in St. Petersburg for three days and two nights. Due to all the evening activities ashore, both nights in port were casual in the main dining room. We departed at 6:00 pm on the third day, and that evening was informal. I would guess that Holland America would have their evenings in St. Petersburg arranged in a similar fashion.

 

If you're not going ashore for the evening, it would be a good evening for the Pinnacle Grill.

 

Enjoy!!!

[LesLebo]

We are sailing on the Westerdam (Baltic) 6/30. I called and was told that the formal nights would be:

2nd night (7/1)

7th night (7/6)

and last night ?? 7/9....weird. They also said it was completely subject to change by the ship.

 

I'm going to assume the first two formals are correct, and that they may either eliminate or change the third. It does make it a tad more difficult to pack.

 

I also can't imagine them making the St. Petersburg port nights as formal, what with people taking long exhaustive tours and perhaps even going to shows the first evening. I guess I'll find out very soon!:)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Having done that cruise - I know - a few years ago - it just doesn't make sense to have a formal night in St Petersburg - we didn't - Maasdam.

[keep on cruising]

It does make it very difficult to pack. As a lapsed member of overpackers annonymous, I pledged this trip would be different. It just makes it very had to pack when we were planning on 5 dressier nights and now (because of our off ship activities) may be down to 2.

 

By the way it was ship services we talked to. Haven't been able to call them back to confirm with another rep because they aren't open on the weekend.

 

Because, of my work schedule, I need to do most of my packing tomorrow. I guess I'll just pack what I had planned originally and not stress over it.

[RevNeal]

That 12-day cruise on the Rotterdam is, essentially, the same cruise Christopher and I are looking at for next year -- with a July 4 departure date. There are 3 sea-days on that cruise -- the first day, the fifth day, and the last day. I doubt they'd ever make the last day a formal night. As for the other two, those would be logical formal nights. A third formal night would make sense for the day the ship is at Stockholm; that's a 6 pm departure. Of course, the same could be said for the day the ship leaves St. Petersburg, but it would make greater sense for a "good-bye" formal night to be held on the last evening before the last day of the cruise.

[RuthC]

I guess I'll just pack what I had planned originally and not stress over it.

Good idea! As stated above, which night is which "dress" is decided on the ship---not in Seattle. The breakdown for the cruise is in your documents, and the list will be available in your cabin when you board. Even then it's not cast in stone.

You can always wear an "informal" outfit on "casual" night---they shouldn't be all that different in degree.

 

I've spent many a night on the Rotterdam, and sailed the Baltic on her on the trans-Atlantic two years ago. She's a lovely ship, and the Baltic has some of the best ports I've been to.

Pack and relax.

[keep on cruising]

First and most important it was a great cruise. I highly recommend it. I love HAL and really enjoyed a smaller ship.

 

Our documents showed three formal nights and two informal nights, when we called Ship Services (twice) we were given different info. We were told it was actually two formal nights (one when we were docked in St Petersburg) and two informal nights (one if which was when we were off the ship in Berlin)

 

I'm sure glad I listened to all your advice that this didn't sound right. When we arrived on the ship, we were told there were 3 formal nights and 3 informal nights - none of which were the St Petersburg nights or Berlin.

 

I did notice by the third formal night, the attire (especially on the women) was less and less formal. Do you think they called HAL and got the same info so left most of their dress clothes at home?