Could be in BIG trouble with DW - formal dining

[Winchester Ranger]

So my DW is currently shopping for designer cocktail dresses and high heels for our upcoming cruise - she loved "formal nights" on our other cruises, but the more I learn about Freestyle dining I have this nightmare vision of her sitting there in Versace while everyone else is in shorts and a ballcap.

 

I just posted another thread about specialty dining and I now plan on doing that every night, but I'm still scared because she knows Karate.

 

Help, am I doomed or is there a dress-up option !!!!

[lizwil10]

Its called "dress up - or not" night. You can do either!

 

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[boopsahoy]

Its called "dress up - or not" night. You can do either!

 

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Exactly! I have seen gowns and tuxes and shorts that night. Feel free to dress up-or not!

[vols_159]

Your wife look lovely in her dress. But I'll be in my shorts polo shirt no ball cap we can both eat and have a lovely dinner

 

 

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[trish1c]

Freestyle means you can dress however you want when ever you want. Very few people dress up on formal night which is now called NCL's night out or something equally silly. DH is often one of the only men on board in a tux. That said, he & I dress up almost every night for dinner because that it was we enjoy. We don't care if the person sitting next to us is in a ball cap & shorts. Your wife shouldn't either.

Edited March 5, 2014 by trish1c

[weltek]

Pshaw, you are only in a LITTLE trouble. ;)

 

There might very well be people roaming the ship in baseball caps and jeans shorts...they'll be headed to the buffet.

 

There WILL be some people in the dining room dressed in more casual clothes on the "formal" night. This might include people in jeans (but not baseball caps). Make sure you go to the more formal dining room with the more stringent dress code, or you'll encounter a good portion of cruisers in casual wear. What ship are you on?

 

In my experience, you wife will be in a comfortable minority, meaning she'll be in the 20% of MDR diners dressed to the hilt on "formal" night. She'll get a lot of positive attention for it, I'm sure. I would say another 30% will be in dresses or skirts that are a little more casual, another 30% in business casual (e.g., slacks and a nice top), and 20% in casual wear (but ok for NCL rules in the MDR).

 

So, she'll be a class act and shouldn't feel awkward about it. I don't bring formal wear, but I wear dresses or skirts almost every night for dinner. I do it because it fits the atmosphere, I like how I feel dressed up and it makes the night feel special.

 

 

From NCL FAQs:

Wear smart casual if you are eating dinner in the aft main dining room (our more formal dining room) and in Le Bistro on cruises longer than five days. For women, it includes slacks or jeans, dresses, skirts and tops. For men, it’s jeans or slacks with a collared shirt and closed-toed shoes. Traditional Bermuda shorts along with long socks, loafers and a blazer are all acceptable on a Bermuda cruise.

 

We want you to be comfortable, but tank tops for men, flip flops, baseball caps, visors and jeans that are overly faded, with holes or tears and worn below the hips are not permitted in main dining rooms or specialty restaurants. Kids 12 and under are welcome to wear nice shorts in all our restaurants. You may want to pack a sweater too—air conditioning can be chilly.

[Izzybeff]

On the cruise we took a few weeks ago, we didn't even realize it was the formal or not night, that's how few people were dressed up. We kept waiting for it to happen later in the week and it didn't, so we missed it.

 

On my cruise at the end of the month, I'm not even taking dress up clothes. Part of what we like about NCL is not having to dress up.

[punkincc]

So my DW is currently shopping for designer cocktail dresses and high heels for our upcoming cruise - she loved "formal nights" on our other cruises, but the more I learn about Freestyle dining I have this nightmare vision of her sitting there in Versace while everyone else is in shorts and a ballcap.

 

I just posted another thread about specialty dining and I now plan on doing that every night, but I'm still scared because she knows Karate.

 

Help, am I doomed or is there a dress-up option !!!!

 

The specialty dining rooms are great, but actually, the MDR ( and Le Bistro ) are more formal than the other venues. No shorts and ball caps for men there. We ate recently in Cagney's and Moderno, and for the most part everyone looked very nice, but you may see some shorts there. She will not feel out of place in her cocktail dresses however.

[spidybabe]

Don't worry...you and your wife will be fine. I dress for dinner every night... I just like to, You will see many different forms of dress on the cruise. It always amazes me how some people are wearing sweaters and boots, and some are in shorts and flip flops. You will see it all from casual to formal. Just be happy and enjoy yourselves, don't worry about others.

Safe sailing

[samiam0403]

Don't worry...you and your wife will be fine. I dress for dinner every night... I just like to, You will see many different forms of dress on the cruise. It always amazes me how some people are wearing sweaters and boots, and some are in shorts and flip flops. You will see it all from casual to formal. Just be happy and enjoy yourselves, don't worry about others.

Safe sailing

 

This ^^^. I also dress for dinner every night - heels and dresses. I wear combat boots and a uniform every day and enjoy dressing up when I cruise. Haven't gotten anything but a positive response from anyone on NCL and never felt out of place. Go, enjoy and don't worry about your wife whipping out her karate skills on you. :)

[philip_eunice1]

I always take my ball cap off when I eat my dinner it's just good manners

 

 

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[Warm Breezes]

The dress code on NCL is the same every night. On their Norwegians Night Out nights the only difference is the abundance of photographers taking formal pictures. The venues will have the different dress codes. The Aft MDR and the Le Bistro will have a stricter dress code than the other MDR and the other specialty restaurants. You will see people dressed from shorts to tuxes almost every night....but the shorts will not be in the Aft MDR or the Le Bistro so I would suggest taking your wife there if you don't want to see them while you are dining.

[lara_lox]

I also dress for dinner every night - heels and dresses. I wear combat boots and a uniform every day and enjoy dressing up when I cruise. Haven't gotten anything but a positive response from anyone on NCL and never felt out of place.

 

It's exactly the same for me, I always dress up due to wearing a very unladylike uniform for work! I don't care if people think I'm overdressed, I love wearing nice outfits and heels, so I do. I say your wife should go for it and enjoy!

[Winchester Ranger]

Thanks for the replies - and I love you ladies who dress up and just don't care !!

 

That'll be us too :)

[TravelinFam]

So my DW is currently shopping for designer cocktail dresses and high heels for our upcoming cruise - she loved "formal nights" on our other cruises, but the more I learn about Freestyle dining I have this nightmare vision of her sitting there in Versace while everyone else is in shorts and a ballcap.

 

I just posted another thread about specialty dining and I now plan on doing that every night, but I'm still scared because she knows Karate.

 

Help, am I doomed or is there a dress-up option !!!!

 

I love dressing up for dinner when we are on vacation...it makes the night special and romantic...regardless of what anyone else is wearing.

 

***Though, I was more curious to see what most readers had to say about your DW knowing Karate...lol...it sounds like something my DH would say for comic relief...lol

[PrincessJen]

Let her go for it! When I did my NCL cruise out of Hawaii my friends and I were among the few dressed up on formal night....we received compliments all evening. :D It's not too often I get to pull out the formal wear.

[Ewoodspark]

So my DW is currently shopping for designer cocktail dresses and high heels for our upcoming cruise - she loved "formal nights" on our other cruises, but the more I learn about Freestyle dining I have this nightmare vision of her sitting there in Versace while everyone else is in shorts and a ballcap.

 

I just posted another thread about specialty dining and I now plan on doing that every night, but I'm still scared because she knows Karate.

 

Help, am I doomed or is there a dress-up option !!!!

My Wife would never have entertained going on a cruise if the set up had have been "dressing up" in cocktail dresses and penquin suits and being told to dress in certain colours on certain evenings as on other cruise lines. That would have been a definate no-no. When I advised her that it was only NCL who had freestyle cruising and not being faced with dining with complete strangers at set times, she agreed to a cruise for the first time.

She enjoyed most of the cruise and now agreed to a second.

[TravelinFam]

My Wife would never have entertained going on a cruise if the set up had have been "dressing up" in cocktail dresses and penquin suits and being told to dress in certain colours on certain evenings as on other cruise lines. That would have been a definate no-no. When I advised her that it was only NCL who had freestyle cruising and not being faced with dining with complete strangers at set times, she agreed to a cruise for the first time.

She enjoyed most of the cruise and now agreed to a second.

 

That's what I love about NCL and DCL...we all that the option. I love seeing my DH dress up in suits and (as you mentioned) penquin suits...lol

He dresses down for work...he works for the city of NY...

He cleans up so nicely...and we dont get a chance to go out to nice dinners. Even our DS likes to wear his suits.

 

NCL Freestyle is great in that aspect...

[Cruise_More_Often]

There are photographers in the Atrium most evenings, and you might see people dressed to the nines on any cruise night. It's your choice, and it's the reason many of us chose this ceuiseline in the first place.

[beachmonkey]

We have not packed a suit for the last few cruises. Personally, we like to dress business casual if we are eating in a main dining room or one of the specialty restaurants. I would not mind if we were only eating in the buffet or O'Sheehan's. If we want pictures we look nice and yet we are still quite comfortable.

 

It is just personal taste. I would not hesitiate to wear a suit/dress formal if I wanted to...that is the beauty of NCL. I am sure your wife will look beautiful and enjoy "putting on the Ritz".

[beachmonkey]

We have not packed a suit for the last few cruises. Personally, we like to dress business casual if we are eating in a main dining room or one of the specialty restaurants. I would not mind if we were only eating in the buffet or O'Sheehan's. If we want pictures we look nice and yet we are still quite comfortable.

 

It is just personal taste. I would not hesitiate to wear a suit/dress formal if I wanted to...that is the beauty of NCL. I am sure your wife will look beautiful and enjoy "putting on the Ritz".

[Medtech2]

So my DW is currently shopping for designer cocktail dresses and high heels for our upcoming cruise - she loved "formal nights" on our other cruises, but the more I learn about Freestyle dining I have this nightmare vision of her sitting there in Versace while everyone else is in shorts and a ballcap.

 

I just posted another thread about specialty dining and I now plan on doing that every night, but I'm still scared because she knows Karate.

 

Help, am I doomed or is there a dress-up option !!!!

I only have eyes for my DH, and your DW should only have eyes for you. Whatever makes YOU both comfortable is all that should matter!

[rsato]

On land, aren't those that are underdressed supposed to feel out of place? I don't think I've ever been in a restaurant and felt "overdressed" no matter who was next to me (or sitting with me.) Why should it be different at sea?

 

I love NCL because you have the choice. Going on 3 European cruises with NCL representing nearly 6 weeks away from home, it is quite hard given airline baggage restrictions to pack formal wear and shoes for only one or two nights! It just doesn't make sense given other needs! Sure, if I lived in NYC and hopped on the Breakaway it would be no problem - but flying makes it a big deal.

 

Plenty of people dress formal, have great pictures taken, and have a good time. Enjoy!

[suometar]

Thanks for the replies - and I love you ladies who dress up and just don't care !!

 

That'll be us too :)

 

But we ladies do care -- that's why we dress up! :D

[deladypilot]

Don't feel uncomfortable at all. On our last cruise, I saw women in long dresses, cocktail dress, Sunday dresses and slacks. Men in Suits, slacks and in jeans. Some stood and had their photos taken and others did not.

 

In the main dining room should not see shorts at dinner time but you will see slacks and jeans. I do think they get a little less formal on the Caribbean end of things but have not experienced those cruises so can not give you a correct answer.

 

Go and have fun, what ever fun is to you. You will be fine