Now that NCL has gone casual, do I ditch my dressy outfit altogether?

[cruisin'sz]

Does anyone dress up anymore on the Pride of Aloha or should I just leave my dressy outfit at home?

[cliffd64]

Does anyone dress up anymore on the Pride of Aloha or should I just leave my dressy outfit at home?

 

The choice is entirely up to you...it's a personal preference.

 

There will be people who dress up on formal night(s) and those that will not. The great thing about freestyle is it's all up to whatever YOU want.

[Retired not Expired]

I agree the choice is yours, but from being on the Aloha twice, I can tell you Hawaiian dress is the most popular. Shirts and dresses. In fact, many ladies who want to dress it up a bit will wear an Hawaiian dress with a lei.

 

It's very laid back.

[halos]

I wasn't sure how to pack for our first NCL cruise because we had always cruised Traditional lines and I have long dresses and my DH has a tux. We decided to stick to all resort casual wear because our cruise was a 15 day one and it would be easier to pack.

After sailing on NCL we decided that we would never go again without at least a suit for my DH.

Despite the fact that it is Fresstyle, the passengers on our cruise dressed really nicely. So, if you want to pack your more fomal stuff, go right ahead. You won't be over dressed at all.

But, as Retired stated, a Hawaiin cruise could be different, so my experience may not be of help to you.

Hawaii is NEXT on my list :D

[DAGVBSB]

I have to agree with all the other posters. Freestyle is about YOUR Choice. If you want to dress up, then go for it. You won't be alone.

If you want to leave the dressy stuff at home and go resort casual the whole time, then go for it. You won't be alone!

 

When I was on the POA, it was a pretty even split between dress on the optional formal night. About 1/3 in Hawaiian attire, 1/3 in resort casual and 1/3 was dressed up. (that ranged from 1 or 2 tuxes down to shirt/tie.)

 

Again, on NCL, it is your choice.

[sharonax3]

I am packing right now as we speak, and I am having a bit of trouble, so I packed 2 "nice" dresses and then added a bunch of capri's and nice tops. Hope this will work for me, because this will be the first time I ATTEMPT to pack light. For some reason I always take way too many clothes. I refuse to do this, this time. I only take one suitcase and I am always very close to the 50 pound rule the airlines have. lol

[coffeebean]

My very first cruise was on NCL Star which did the Hawaiian itinerary before the ships were American flagged. We dined in the Versailles dining room one evening, right next to the Captain's table. The Captain and his guests all strolled in together and to my pleasant surprise, the men were all wearing flowered Hawaiian shirts and the women were dressed in Hawaiian dresses. Very casual and loving it.

[coffeebean]

I am packing right now as we speak, and I am having a bit of trouble, so I packed 2 "nice" dresses and then added a bunch of capri's and nice tops. Hope this will work for me, because this will be the first time I ATTEMPT to pack light. For some reason I always take way too many clothes. I refuse to do this, this time. I only take one suitcase and I am always very close to the 50 pound rule the airlines have. lol

 

You can't go wrong with capris. Most women wear capris at night in the dining room. In fact, on my last three RCCL cruises (in a two month span), I wore capris every night and felt comfortable and dressed properly for the occasion. DH and I did not dine in the main dining rooms, however, on formal nights. We went to the specialty restaurants on those nights and I was perfectly dressed with capris.

[JackieL]

We will be cruising NCL for the first time next summer to Bermuda. I'm not a fan of dressing up, but I will bring at least one dressy outfit, as will the kids. I advise you to do the same....my favorite family photo EVER is the one from a cruise on CCL two years ago on formal night, in which the girls and I were glammed up. That photo made the dressing up hassle worthwhile!

 

That said, I'll be thrilled to go casual most of the time. Although I'm nervous about the whole Freestyle thing (theoretically it sounds great, but I've read the negative posts about the lines and the food), I will embrace all the positives I can (like Sailor Jack and Sailor Jill...boy, I think we all learned a LOT from them!).

[MonaCK]

We are going on NCL for the first time in just a few days. We are going to bring a couple of formal outfits with us, just in case the mood strikes us to dress up.

[Retired not Expired]

We are going on NCL for the first time in just a few days. We are going to bring a couple of formal outfits with us, just in case the mood strikes us to dress up.

Sure doesn't hurt to be prepared. Last month, my wife and I were chosen to eat with an officer on the ship. That night, we felt better dressing it up a bit.

 

Other times, we never used the dressier stuff.

[NorthernNeighbour]

Does anyone dress up anymore on the Pride of Aloha or should I just leave my dressy outfit at home?

 

Go for it -- if you want to dress up. We always dress up a bit -- not anything over the top -- on NCL.

[Down-Unders]

Does anyone dress up anymore on the Pride of Aloha or should I just leave my dressy outfit at home?

 

Take your dressy outfit we might meet on board! :) :)

[SailorJack]

We just returned from a two week cruise on NCL and they had two "dress up or not" nights. I found that many of the passengers were dressed to the 9's - suits and tux's for the men, stilletos, strapless and slit skirts for the ladies. Seated right next to them were men in polo shirts and ladies in sweaters and slacks. All had a good time.

[rxtimbo]

I'm a bit confused on the dress code thing....I see on NCL's website it says nice jeans are ok in some restaurants, but not all. I read on another website similiar to this that the dress code now allows for all restaurants to allow for nice jeans...i'm confused. We will be on the Dawn in March.

Appreciate the clarification on this!!

[SailorJack]

I'm a bit confused on the dress code thing....I see on NCL's website it says nice jeans are ok in some restaurants, but not all. I read on another website similiar to this that the dress code now allows for all restaurants to allow for nice jeans...i'm confused. We will be on the Dawn in March.

Appreciate the clarification on this!!

 

We were the Dawn last week. The Four Seasons restaurant allowed jeans at all meals - but no t-shirt at dinner. The Terraces Restaurant did not permit jeans or t-shirts for dinner. The Sports Bar and Grill (buffet) permitted jeans and t-shirts at all meals. Le Bistro did not permit jeans or t-shirts. Never had dinner at the Sun Terrace Trattoria - so don't know what their dinner policy was.

[sharonax3]

I would like to know how you fit all those clothes in your luggage. Do you take more than 1 suitcase? I am really trying to pack light, but it is so difficult for me. This is one of the reasons for me trying NCL. I was hoping because it was casual, I would need less clothes. I also don't care to dress up much on vacation, because I am dressed up everyday for work.

Maybe I should start a new thread..." how many suitcases do you take"

[wack001]

I take this quote from the blog and an excellant review.

 

"Per the Freestyle dress code, no jeans or shorts are allowed during dinner in the main dining rooms (they enforce this so be forewarned), but jeans are allowed in the pay restaurants (money always talks). I would say about 75% of the passengers were nicely dressed during the evening hours. When I walked by the buffet at night there were people eating in shorts. Also, at the buffet, shirts are required – no bikini tops or shirtless men allowed."

 

read more on this blog,

*****

[Planer's Edge]

We were the Dawn last week. The Four Seasons restaurant allowed jeans at all meals - but no t-shirt at dinner. The Terraces Restaurant did not permit jeans or t-shirts for dinner. The Sports Bar and Grill (buffet) permitted jeans and t-shirts at all meals. Le Bistro did not permit jeans or t-shirts. Never had dinner at the Sun Terrace Trattoria - so don't know what their dinner policy was.

 

Sorry, but I think you meant the Dream.:D

 

PE

[Retired not Expired]

I take this quote from the blog and an excellant review.

 

"Per the Freestyle dress code, no jeans or shorts are allowed during dinner in the main dining rooms (they enforce this so be forewarned), but jeans are allowed in the pay restaurants (money always talks). I would say about 75% of the passengers were nicely dressed during the evening hours. When I walked by the buffet at night there were people eating in shorts. Also, at the buffet, shirts are required – no bikini tops or shirtless men allowed."

 

read more on this blog,

*****

With the newer policies, you will find jeans are not allowed in one main dining room but is allowed in the other on most, if not all, NCL ships. The one it is not will have the sign and is the dining room those who want to dress up are encouraged to use.

[SailorJack]

Sorry' date=' but I think you meant the Dream.:D

 

PE[/quote']

 

You are right...might have been a subconcious desire to be on another ship;)

[Planer's Edge]

You are right...might have been a subconcious desire to be on another ship;)

 

Don't we all.:D

 

PE

[Katya4]

We will be cruising NCL for the first time next summer to Bermuda. I'm not a fan of dressing up, but I will bring at least one dressy outfit, as will the kids. I advise you to do the same....my favorite family photo EVER is the one from a cruise on CCL two years ago on formal night, in which the girls and I were glammed up. That photo made the dressing up hassle worthwhile!

 

That said, I'll be thrilled to go casual most of the time. Although I'm nervous about the whole Freestyle thing (theoretically it sounds great, but I've read the negative posts about the lines and the food), I will embrace all the positives I can (like Sailor Jack and Sailor Jill...boy, I think we all learned a LOT from them!).

 

Jackie I am reading your posts and finding myself commenting in each of them. Please feel free to contact me at katya4@sbcglobal.net if you have any questions- I have been on the Dawn twice before (7/06 & 2/07) Many people dress up and most dress as if they were going out to dinner at home at least...there are always some people who push the line. In the two cruises we always make resurvations and the most we had to wait for a table was 15 minutes (we had no reservation & that was in the smallest dining room) there were tables in the Venetian but we chose to wait. There was a piano bar right outside the restaurant and we sat down and had a cocktail before dinner. I do not understand what people are talking about with their wait. I did not see that except on lobster night. We always make reservations for the entire week and tend to eat either at 5 PM or 8PM depending on what activities we did that day.

[DAGVBSB]

if you have any questions- I have been on the Dawn twice before (7/06 & 2/07) In the two cruises we always make resurvations and the most we had to wait for a table was 15 minutes (we had no reservation & that was in the smallest dining room) there were tables in the Venetian but we chose to wait. There was a piano bar right outside the restaurant and we sat down and had a cocktail before dinner. I do not understand what people are talking about with their wait. I did not see that except on lobster night. .

 

Katy: The small main restaurant that you are talking about, Impressions (with the piano bar outside) is no longer a main restaurant. It is now "Impressions of Italy" and is a specialty restaurant. This was changed during the Dawn's drydock in early summer. The only main restaurants on the Dawn now are Venetian and Aqua.

 

I too have been on the Dawn and loved it!

[mbisson]

Does anyone dress up anymore on the Pride of Aloha or should I just leave my dressy outfit at home?

 

From my perspective---I'm still gonna take several pair of dockers, a couple polo shirts and 3 or 4 shirts that I've bought in the Caribbean (much like the Hawaiian shirts). No neck tie, no suit. But to each his own, it's all good! I may even wear jeans a night or two. Leaving home tomorrow with boarding the next day :D