Formal nights dress code - does HAL enforce?

[terrydtx]

9 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

I'm with you 100%.  The only difference for me is that I wear my normal running shoes on casual nights and I wear the leather dress shoes on dressy nights.  Perhaps I’m overdressed.

I do not own any leather dress shoes, so I would say you over dressed. I also do not own any suits or sport jackets since I retired in 2020 either. My favorite shirts to wear on a cruise for dressy nights are my Tommy Bahama Hawaiian print shirts. Here is another shirt I wore on a dressy night on our Australian cruise in January.

Edited March 18 by terrydtx

[AKJonesy]

We were on SA cruise for 31 days this winter.  On one of our "Dressy" Nights, our Cruise Director wore a polo shirt, trousers, and dress shoes with no socks.  I saw a combination of everything from formal wear and sparkly dresses to casual...like what our Cruise Director wore.  I did not see people trying to get in with shorts and flip flops on dressy nights.   

[Petronillus]

A few years back, shortly before the pandemic, I showed up at the MDR wearing shorts, on a non-gala evening. The maitre d' took me aside and very discreetly asked me to go back to the cabin to change into a pair of long pants. His comment was smoothly delivered with nothing the least bit offensive, and I took no offense. DW and the couple accompanying us were seated without delay and I was immediately escorted to our table upon my return.

On our most recent cruise tuxedos were few and far between. I did spot two gentlemen sporting kilts and full highland regalia.

[alwaysfrantic]

I thought specialty dining like PG followed the dress code of the night. 
 

 

my last cruise I saw no one really dressed up as in Tux and gown and I used to.  Most were wearing church dresses.  I only saw one man in the dining room who didn’t even try to step it up from whatever he’d worn all day. 

[FlaMariner]

On 2/14/2024 at 12:24 AM, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Grand Voyages have Formal Nighrs in addition to dressy.

 

I did not realize that.  

 

We hope to graduate to a "Grand Voyage" someday soon.....the prices per night are always much higher than our current HAL cruises....This "formal" requirement is a minor hurdle/obstacle/nuisance.

 

So.....for the Grand Voyage folks, do you know if they enforce the "formal" requirement.....If I showed up in my "dressy" attire on a "Grand Voyage" "formal" evening would I be discharged to lido?

Edited March 19 by FlaMariner

[The-Inside-Cabin]

12 minutes ago, FlaMariner said:

 

I did not realize that.  

 

We hope to graduate to a "Grand Voyage" someday soon.....the prices per night are always much higher than our current HAL cruises....This "formal" requirement is a minor hurdle/obstacle/nuisance.

 

So.....for the Grand Voyage folks, do you know if they enforce the "formal" requirement.....If I showed up in my "dressy" attire on a "Grand Voyage" "formal" evening would I be discharged to lido?

I haven't observed a need for enforcement on this world cruise.   

[FlaMariner]

16 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I haven't observed a need for enforcement on this world cruise.   

 

Thanks. 

 

Does that mean that all the men you have seen in the MDR on "formal" night are all dressed in a suit and tie or tux (no "dressy" night folks on "formal" night:  khaki pants, collared shirt, no tie folks visible?).

 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

1 minute ago, FlaMariner said:

 

Thanks. 

 

Does that mean that all the men you have seen in the MDR on "formal" night are all dressed in a suit and tie or tux (no "dressy" night folks on "formal" night:  khaki pants, collared shirt, no tie folks visible?).

 

 

Yes

[rothbury]

Was on the Eurodam March 6 - 16.  On dressy nights saw everything from tux to t-shirts and shorts.  In the MDR actually saw t-shirt and blue jeans and baseball caps a couple of times on casual nights.  There didn't seem to be any enforcement of a dress code in the dining room, fixed seating.

[YourWorldWithBill]

As someone might have mentioned, either here or on another board, on cruises with more Europeans on board, the dinner dress observed by many passengers might be slightly more formal. We found that last year on a cruise from Amsterdam to the fjords of Norway.

[mawvkysc]

2 hours ago, rothbury said:

Was on the Eurodam March 6 - 16.  On dressy nights saw everything from tux to t-shirts and shorts.  In the MDR actually saw t-shirt and blue jeans and baseball caps a couple of times on casual nights.  There didn't seem to be any enforcement of a dress code in the dining room, fixed seating.

Just so I’m understanding your wording? You saw the T-shirts and shorts on dressy night in the MDR or just around the ship?

[rothbury]

It was just around the ship on a dressy night.

[kirkc]

It’s just my opinion and interpretation of fellow passenger and crew reactions, but we always step it up on dressy nights and have definitely noticed an appreciation from both groups.

[Wehwalt]

1 hour ago, rothbury said:

It was just around the ship on a dressy night.

It's a Caribbean cruise. People will dress as they will. 

[lyndarra]

 

For me, dinner was always casual, collared, short sleeve shirt with long pants.

The only time I have worn a tie on a cruise was for Veterans meet-up when I wore my dad's WW2 regimental tie (New Guinea Air Warning Wireless Company)..

[NukeTim]

On my February, 2023 NewZealand cruise on the Noordam, the matre’d refused entry into dinner in the dining room to a man in shorts and request he go change into long pants.  Don’t remember if it was a gala night or not.  Other than long pants, anything else was accepted for dinner.

 

Edited March 20 by NukeTim

[skandsea99]

On 2/13/2024 at 9:24 PM, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Grand Voyages have Formal Nighrs in addition to dressy.    Here is the official Grand Voyage Dress Code.  
 

Suit or Tux required on formal night 
 

Not than I'm planning a Grand Voyage, but that Formal night decree takes things back at least 20 years from societal norms now.

Edited March 25 by skandsea99

[cruiser man 60]

Whilst appreciating it’s not HAL went on NCL a few years ago and in MDR nearly every American male wore shorts with 50% in baseball caps worn back to front for some reason! !

Edited March 25 by cruiser man 60

[YourWorldWithBill]

10 hours ago, cruiser man 60 said:

Whilst appreciating it’s not HAL went on NCL a few years ago and in MDR nearly every American male wore shorts with 50% in baseball caps worn back to front for some reason! !

Haven't seen that on HAL! But then, our cruises are almost never hot weather cruises.

[SetAnOpenCourse]

17 hours ago, skandsea99 said:

takes things back at least 20 years from societal norms now.

I hope I’ll always find at least a few traditions on board that don’t depend on the latest societal norms.

[skandsea99]

14 minutes ago, SetAnOpenCourse said:

I hope I’ll always find at least a few traditions on board that don’t depend on the latest societal norms.

I tried to edit my original post but failed.  I expect HAL may have to soften that policy if they want to attract younger patrons. Even to retirees who have seen the evolving dress codes in offices and at other functions, including at weddings and funerals by some attendees (yours truly NOT included)  the past number of years.

 

No problem anyone dressing up or folks embracing tradition to which they feel comfortable and in good taste.  I just think the dictation went a bit too strong.  I think I do dress well and probably would like to up it a bit and wear a jacket and tie on a dressy-suggested cruise night as I have the clothes and get little chance now. However... I'm not about to pay extra and/or lug  an extra suitcase or garment bag and worry about creasing etc. for a few hours parading in finery.

 

Folks should feel comfortable as long as they dress with reasonable decorum.  Especially from other posts in this thread that on other cruises they don't enforce codes  in the MDR like those that wear ball caps ( and that "fashion" change certainly does  irk me-not just on cruises!).

 

 

 

[taxmantoo]

13 hours ago, cruiser man 60 said:

Whilst appreciating it’s not HAL went on NCL a few years ago and in MDR nearly every American male wore shorts with 50% in baseball caps worn back to front for some reason! !

A bit of an exageration, maybe???  I've never even seen anything close to those numbers, even in the Lido!

Edited March 25 by taxmantoo

[Wehwalt]

 

52 minutes ago, skandsea99 said:

I tried to edit my original post but failed.  I expect HAL may have to soften that policy if they want to attract younger patrons. Even to retirees who have seen the evolving dress codes in offices and at other functions, including at weddings and funerals by some attendees (yours truly NOT included)  the past number of years.

 

No problem anyone dressing up or folks embracing tradition to which they feel comfortable and in good taste.  I just think the dictation went a bit too strong.  I think I do dress well and probably would like to up it a bit and wear a jacket and tie on a dressy-suggested cruise night as I have the clothes and get little chance now. However... I'm not about to pay extra and/or lug  an extra suitcase or garment bag and worry about creasing etc. for a few hours parading in finery.

 

Folks should feel comfortable as long as they dress with reasonable decorum.  Especially from other posts in this thread that on other cruises they don't enforce codes  in the MDR like those that wear ball caps ( and that "fashion" change certainly does  irk me-not just on cruises!).

 

 

 

I would tend to agree. The line is increasingly getting out of the business of telling people what they should wear in order to eat in their accustomed places, and I don't think the sky will fall on account of it.

Edited March 25 by Wehwalt

[skandsea99]

7 minutes ago, Wehwalt said:

 

I would tend to agree. The line is increasingly getting out of the business of telling people what they should wear in order to eat in their accustomed places, and I don't think the sky will fall on account of it.

I might have also added that we have a short HAL coming up but have only been doing Celebrity or Princess the last  15 years, mostly Celebrity. As I recall their “smart casual” dress code was a big part of that. 

[SetAnOpenCourse]

3 hours ago, skandsea99 said:

Folks should feel comfortable as long as they dress with reasonable decorum.

That’s a good way of putting it.  IMHO it’s not about looking fancy or financially successful, but more about willingness to adjust for a special occasion.  I’ll be bringing a jacket and probably a tie for my next Caribbean cruise.  I really don’t feel like I’m impressing anyone, and I’m pretty sure I’ll have just about the least expensive clothing of anyone on board, but I’ll be neat.

Edited March 26 by SetAnOpenCourse