HAL Relaxing Dress code again?

[Donship]

My brother who is a travel agent, in on the Noordam now.

 

He just emailed me and indicated that, from what he can see from the Dress code schedule, there is 3 Formal nights and the rest casuals...no informal nights!

 

By the way he is a HAL 5 star agent, so he knows what he is taliking about!

 

He is investgating further and will get back to me later....

[gizmo]

Your brother is correct. Hal has dropped the informal nights. :)

[kakalina]

I posted the new dress code several weeks ago. It wasn't supposed to go into effect until May however.

[Donship]

My brother booked us on the Noordam in November, and we had 5 casuals , 2 informals and 3 formals. I only like casual nights for PORT days, all At Sea days and days we leave port early ,say, 1 or 2 PM should be formal and informal. Except for the last night, casual.... ofcourse.

[RevNeal]

Don,

 

That describes how things were on the Noordam in January. However, HAL announced that there would be a change in the dress code this Spring. It wasn't supposed to start going into effect until May (between May 2 and May 20 all vessels were supposed to phase it in), but apparently some vessels have already begun with the new code.

 

Check HAL's website here for information on the change. Effectively, however, here's the new code:

 

Evening dress falls into two distinct categories; Formal or Smart Casual. Smart Casual can be defined as slacks and sports shirt or sweater for men and skirt or trousers and sweater or blouse for women. Printed T-shirts, swimsuits, tank tops and shorts are not allowed in the restaurants or public areas during the evening hours. On festive Formal evenings, ladies usually wear a cocktail dress or gown and gentlemen usually wear a suit and tie or tuxedo. There are approximately two formal nights per week. Formalwear for ladies and gentlemen can be pre-ordered for your use during your cruise by calling Cruiseline Formalwear at 800-551-5091. Your formalwear will be in your stateroom when you board.

 

It won't effect how I dress, however. I'll still dress more according to the informal code most casual evenings.

[mamaofami]

Just got off the Noordam yesterday. We had two formal nights, one informal or formal (your choice) and the rest were casual. However, maybe because people didn't know and didn't pack correctly, many were dressed more informally than casual. I even saw some jackets on the men on casual nights.

[sail7seas]

You Certainly should feel free to wear your jacket with or without a tie on Casual nights. No one is ever going to ask you to remove your jacket. You will not be the only gentleman dressed nicely for dinner in the lovely HAL dining room.

 

My husband would never go to Pinnacle without a jacket no matter casual night or not.

 

 

 

[innlady1]

Just got off the Noordam yesterday. We had two formal nights, one informal or formal (your choice) and the rest were casual. However, maybe because people didn't know and didn't pack correctly, many were dressed more informally than casual. I even saw some jackets on the men on casual nights.

 

Yes, in San Juan, it was Dress: Informal (Formal Optional).

 

I, too, saw more informal dress than what I consider "casual" on casual nights. The first night, when we'd gotten up at 4 AM to be ready for the limo at 5 AM, we were just way too tired to change...couldn't have anyway because all of our bags hadn't arrived yet so we hadn't attempted to unpack...we planned to do that after dinner as we hadn't eaten since "breakfast on the road!" So, we had a lovely dinner in the Lido after watching us sail past Lady Liberty.

 

I assume others did the same throughout the cruise: If they didn't feel like dressing for dinner, they ate in the Lido. There seemed to be a fair share of empty tables in the dining room on any given night. I don't recall ever seeing anyone dressed inappropriately in the Vista Dining Room.

[PRINSENDAM]

Don,

 

 

 

It won't effect how I dress, however. I'll still dress more according to the informal code most casual evenings.

 

 

 

Hi Rev Neal!

 

Greetings from Sydney! Hope you are keeping well.

 

I agree with you completely. Ruth and I will still have our 'informal' nights. I cannot imgine going into Pinnacle without a jacket and tie in the evening!

 

Stephen

[PRINSENDAM]

Yes, in San Juan, it was Dress: Informal (Formal Optional).

 

.

 

 

 

 

OCEAN MONARCH!!!!!!!!!!

Now there is a name from the past! New York-Bermuda cruise in the early 1960's? Lovely little ship. AKA OCEAN COMOTION or OCEAN MANIAC!

I knew several people who worked on the MONARCH. Captain Marshall, Alan Davidson, 2nd Officer, Derek taylor, Purser.....

Do you remember the dress codes on that cruise?

Stephen

(from Bermuda)

[twinkletoes4445]

We just got off the Zuiderdam and the dress was much more causal than I had expected. On the "informal" night I think I saw a dozen or so men in jackets, the rest were in casual.

 

The "casual" nights were so much more casual than I thought they would be (which was fine). I'm glad I brought along extra capri sets because that's what I ended up wearing. Hubby wore Docker's and a polo-type shirt, which he prefers anyway.

 

I was also surprised at how few men wore a tux. Hubby decided at the last minute that he wanted to wear a dark suit, so he did. But if I had to guess, I'd say 15% or less were wearing a tux.

 

But I do agree with the others, if we'd gone to the Pinnacle (which we didn't), we'd have worn more dressier clothing, including a tie and coat for hubby.

[lysolqn]

We were on the Westerdam in December, just prior to HAL's recently published change in the evening dress code; there were two formal nights, the remainder were casual. That was our 36th cruise, second on HAL and hands down, it wins as having the most slovenly attired passenger load we've yet to encounter - so much so, that my husband opted not to wear his tuxedo on the second formal night because he felt so out of place wearing it the first. I can only speak from our experience, but it appears that as the cruise industry moves more toward a casual evening dress evironment, many passengers tend to interpret "smart casual" as back yard sloppy - jeans, shorts, sweatsuits, sneakers, flip-flops, caps...even on nights designated as formal. I guess the cruise lines are listening to the masses but it appears to be a very slippery slope (or should I say, slop!).

[Chivalrygirl]

OCEAN MONARCH!!!!!!!!!!

 

Now there is a name from the past! New York-Bermuda cruise in the early 1960's? Lovely little ship. AKA OCEAN COMOTION or OCEAN MANIAC!

 

I knew several people who worked on the MONARCH. Captain Marshall, Alan Davidson, 2nd Officer, Derek taylor, Purser.....

 

Do you remember the dress codes on that cruise?

 

Stephen

(from Bermuda)

 

She used to do the UK - NZ/Aussie run also didn't she? Slow Starvation & Agony! I don't remember there being any particular dress code back then, we were the generation that always dressed conservately and properly. Did they lay it on more when cruising?

Val

[PRINSENDAM]

She used to do the UK - NZ/Aussie run also didn't she? Slow Starvation & Agony! I don't remember there being any particular dress code back then, we were the generation that always dressed conservately and properly. Did they lay it on more when cruising?

Val

 

 

Val,

 

I think the poster was talking about THE 'Ocean Monarch'... not Savill's rust bucket!!!! :eek:

 

The original Ocean Monarch was built 1951 for Furness Bermuda Line's New York to Bermuda service... known back then as the 'Millionaire's Run'

 

A smallish ship... 13,654 GRT she could accommodate just 414 passengers... all in First Class. She was awarded a gold medal for design.... all of her cabins were outside.

 

Sadly when Furness left the Bermuda run in 1966 she was withdrawn and laid up. Sold to the Bulgarians she became VARNA. Eventually she burned and sank in Piraeus.

 

Savill's OCEAN MONARCH was the former Canadian Pacific EMPRESS OF ENGLAND. Some of the staff from the Furness Ocean Monarch ended up on the Savill's ship. Shaw Savill was owned by Furness.

 

What a pity Savills and Furness didn't get their act together at the right time. They could have been major players in today's cruise market. They had the expertise but made too many poor business decisions.

 

Stephen

[Sam D.]

Hello

I have been reading your posts since booking a cruise on the Noordam. It appears that we will have a wonderful cruise. We will be on the 11 day sailing on 3-31 (Way too excited!).

My husband and I would like to make reservations for the Pinnacle Grill based on many wonderful reveiws posted here.

I was wondering if you could tell me the order of formal/casual nights for this 11 day sailing?

Thanks in advance,

Sandy

[sail7seas]

This is the dress code from the 11 day Noordam cruise that embarked on January 6, 2007. If, indeed, they have eliminated Informal Nights, then I suppose you substitute casual for the Informal.

 

Day 1, New York Casual

Day 2, At sea Informal

Day 3, At sea Formal

Day 4, Tortola Casual

Day 5, St. Thomas Casual

Day 6, Dominica Casual

Day 7, Barbados Formal

Day 8, St. Maarten Casual

Day 9, San Juan Informal

Day 10, At Sea Formal

Day 11, At Sea Casual

 

Have a GREAT Cruise.

 

 

[Sam D.]

Thanks for the quick reply Sail7seas!

Sandy

[Schplinky]

On Westerdam in January, there were 5 casuals and 2 formals. The cruise documents had said that there was to be an informal but we never did have one.

 

I thought that on formal nights, folks went the extra mile on HAL. It was clear that this is a crowd that enjoys dressing up and folks weren't just pulling out their all-ourpose church/wedding/funeral outfits. It was very nice to see.

 

I think that despite the explanations, the term "informal" confuses many. We had it on Celebrity and it was barely distinguishable from casual nights.

[Schplinky]

On Westerdam in January, there were 5 casuals and 2 formals. The cruise documents had said that there was to be an informal but we never did have one.

 

I thought that on formal nights, folks went the extra mile on HAL. It was clear that this is a crowd that enjoys dressing up and folks weren't just pulling out their all-purpose church/wedding/funeral outfits. It was very nice to see.

 

I think that despite the explanations, the term "informal" confuses many. We had it on Celebrity and it was barely distinguishable from casual nights.

[innlady1]

OCEAN MONARCH!!!!!!!!!!

 

Now there is a name from the past! New York-Bermuda cruise in the early 1960's? Lovely little ship. AKA OCEAN COMOTION or OCEAN MANIAC!

 

I knew several people who worked on the MONARCH. Captain Marshall, Alan Davidson, 2nd Officer, Derek taylor, Purser.....

 

Do you remember the dress codes on that cruise?

 

Stephen

(from Bermuda)

 

Oh, my, yes I do! Ocean Commotion or Ocean Maniac are appropriate names...1st time I've heard that. Way back when, in the 60's, a lot of college kids did the Ocean Monarch cruise to Bermuda for Spring Break.

 

I was one of them!