We are sailing on the Prinsendam in June, this is only our second cruise ever. The first was a short 3 day cruise to Mexico. This will be a 14 day cruise and we are getting excited about it. Dress code has been a topic I have seen many a debate on here and other sites.

Has anyone read the "new" dress code description on the HAL website? I guess, to me, it seems that the coat and tie (or even just coat ) for men is not required on any night except a FORMAL night when it will be suit or Tux. So what does everyone think about this. It seems from reading on this site that HAL seemed to be one of the more formal cruise lines, is that changing? Also, if you have read the info, is it effective from May and on, not only in May.

Just another question out to veteran cruisers, do many people change to "real casual" after dinner because they don't like to dress up. Can you even walk out on the deck at night in shorts and a tshirt?

I don't know about other lines, but Princess requests that you remain in your evening attire, be it smart casual or formal if you go into the lounges after dinner. However I have not seen that strictly enforced.
I would think on deck and in the pool areas anything would be o.k.

We sail HA more than the other lines and have only done one formal night. We eat at the Lido and attend all the shows dress casually. For the shows I would say at least 1/3 (made up mostly from the early seating) change into more casual attire.

As f-mattox noted, Princess (and also HAL, in my experience) request that you remain dressed up after dinner on formal night, but they can't really "enforce" this. Most people did, especially on the Princess cruise we were on, but some changed into casual attire.

On Princess I'll usually meet them halfway on the formal nights - I'll ditch the jacket after dinner and stay in the shirt and tie.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Beers:
On Princess I'll usually meet them halfway on the formal nights - I'll ditch the jacket after dinner and stay in the shirt and tie.

Dave, Just tell me you don't unbutton your pants and go for the second hole on your belt. I have seen that done in public.

By the way, I have seen formal nights give way to some pretty oddly dressed individuals. We are at a cultural low-point in our society where the concept is almost lost entirely due to fast food and dining in baseball caps.

By the way, Dave, your "free tickers" are looking kind of funny!

I guess Tom is still working on the free tickers.

I never adjust my pants in public!

I ditch the tie and keep the jacket;
that way I can discretely adjust the pants.

I've been known to kick off the high heels and replace them with tennis shoes. (It was a rough sailing.) No one can see them under a gown, anyway.

Seriously though, it does surprise me that HAL has gone more casual. I suppose it does clear up some confusion about what they meant by "informal" prior to this change -- but rather than clarify it, it sounds like they may have elminated it!

You know how the pendulum is always swinging and young people are always setting new trends?
Well, I predict that in the not-to-distant-future cruising well become SO casual that the young people will start dressing up, thinking they have stumbled onto something new!
Of course I also predicted Satrbuck's would never go anywhere; and that by 2003 everybody would be buying their groceries on-line!

I am 53 years old and wear a suit to work each and every day along with attending too many black tie affairs during the course of a year. When we am on vacation, both my wife and I, enjoy remaining smart casual. We respectfully do not go to the dining room on formal nights opting for the buffet instead. However, we do attend all the shows and after hour activities and as the night wears on, as I previously noted, especially on the Vista class HA ships, I find many people lose the formal wear for more casual attire.

One reason I have decided to ditch the tux for cruises is that I never felt comfortable in it and got tired of trying to enjoy my evenings feeling like I was trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey.

On my favorite cruise lines of RCI and Carnival, I'll totally lose the suit after dinner and spend the night in some dockers and a polo.

There you go! Well said.

quote:

Originally posted by arckac:
There you go! Well said.

My favorite cruise line is Carnival, and my wife and I love to take advantage of the formal nights to dress to the 9's and stay that way. However it is a Fun Ship and many pax get unformal after the dinner. I don't mind I get plenty of attention in my full battle array Kilt

I got tired of renting a tux that most of the time didn't fit right and the shoes coud be very painful. So I bought my own tux and dinner jacket and had it fitted to me. My wife loves it because she can buy me a cumberbun and bow tie to match the dress that she will be wearing. It's kind of a nice touch. But if we go out dancing after dinner I normally lose the tie and loosen the top botton of the shirt.