Clueless first-timer needs advice about cruises please

Actually no, the cruise line itself requests the passengers observe a certain
dress code for the evening, some nights its casual, some nights its formal. If
you have a problem with that, perhaps you are booking on the wrong line, imho.
You shouldn't expect other passengers to appreciate your willful noncomformity
with the guidelines on dress code.

This snippet is from the Celebrity web site:

Evening Wear

Celebrity Cruises' elegant, formal evenings include the Captain's Welcome
Cocktail Party and Dinner, the Captain's Farewell Dinner, and a third or fourth
"formal" night for those cruises sailing more than seven nights. The daily
program, delivered to your stateroom and available at the Guest Relations Desk,
will be your guide to the appropriate attire each evening.

Note that term carefully -- "your guide to the appropriate attire each
evening." You mention "I'd be happy enough to dress up if they provide the
clothes on board"... Yes, they've thought of this, for the gentlemen at least.
Again, from the web site:

Tuxedo Rental

Why miss out on elegant evenings by not planning ahead? Cruiseline Formalwear
will deliver formal wear directly to your stateroom. Perfect style, perfect fit
-- ready to wear. To reserve a tuxedo, call 800-551-5091 or 305-252-8572.

It's not about live and let live, it's about a certain ambience on board that
most passengers are paying good money to be a part of....aka, the "appropriate
attire each evening".

There are rules in life, and if you don't happen to like these particular rules
that's dandy, but there are other cruiselines which may be more suited to the
type of experience you desire to have.

Jeff

However, to expect everyone to play dress-ups
is just as bad as expecting everyone to wear shorts.

Actually no, the cruise line itself requests the passengers observe a certain
dress code for the evening, some nights its casual, some nights its formal. If
you have a problem with that, perhaps you are booking on the wrong line, imho.
You shouldn't expect other passengers to appreciate your willful noncomformity
with the guidelines on dress code.

This snippet is from the Celebrity web site:

Evening Wear

Celebrity Cruises' elegant, formal evenings include the Captain's Welcome
Cocktail Party and Dinner, the Captain's Farewell Dinner, and a third or fourth
"formal" night for those cruises sailing more than seven nights. The daily
program, delivered to your stateroom and available at the Guest Relations Desk,
will be your guide to the appropriate attire each evening.

Note that term carefully -- "your guide to the appropriate attire each
evening." You mention "I'd be happy enough to dress up if they provide the
clothes on board"... Yes, they've thought of this, for the gentlemen at least.
Again, from the web site:

Tuxedo Rental

Why miss out on elegant evenings by not planning ahead? Cruiseline Formalwear
will deliver formal wear directly to your stateroom. Perfect style, perfect fit
-- ready to wear. To reserve a tuxedo, call 800-551-5091 or 305-252-8572.

It's not about live and let live, it's about a certain ambience on board that
most passengers are paying good money to be a part of....aka, the "appropriate
attire each evening".

There are rules in life, and if you don't happen to like these particular rules
that's dandy, but there are other cruiselines which may be more suited to the
type of experience you desire to have.

Jeff

However, to expect everyone to play dress-ups
is just as bad as expecting everyone to wear shorts.

"Bob Thomas" wrote in message
...


I haven't yet embarked on my first cruise ... but I must say I find
the "dress" aspect to be the most offputting. My idea of a holiday is
to relax and enjoy myself, and if there are those who are so full of
it that a relaxed person in shorts "cheapens" their experience, then
I'd have to say there is something inherently wrong with that approach
to holidaying.

This, to me, is the same as those who treat waiters as some sort of
sub-species, instead of ordinary people doing a valuable job.

Sorry if *this* offends ... but really, snobbishness gets up my nose!


There are cruises (like NCL) that allow casual dress every evening... albeit
with long pants and a nice shirt (like a golf shirt). They do not have
formal nights like other lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess,
Celebrity, etc.).

If putting on a pair of slacks (dockers, etc.) for dinner in a fancy dining
room is too much of a hassle... perhaps you should look elsewhere. A cruise
might not be your cup of tea.

IMO, enforcing the long pants kind of forces people to shower and clean up
for dinner, rather than showing up sweaty, full of sun tan oil, from the
pool area.

--Tom

"Bob Thomas" wrote in message
...


I haven't yet embarked on my first cruise ... but I must say I find
the "dress" aspect to be the most offputting. My idea of a holiday is
to relax and enjoy myself, and if there are those who are so full of
it that a relaxed person in shorts "cheapens" their experience, then
I'd have to say there is something inherently wrong with that approach
to holidaying.

This, to me, is the same as those who treat waiters as some sort of
sub-species, instead of ordinary people doing a valuable job.

Sorry if *this* offends ... but really, snobbishness gets up my nose!


There are cruises (like NCL) that allow casual dress every evening... albeit
with long pants and a nice shirt (like a golf shirt). They do not have
formal nights like other lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess,
Celebrity, etc.).

If putting on a pair of slacks (dockers, etc.) for dinner in a fancy dining
room is too much of a hassle... perhaps you should look elsewhere. A cruise
might not be your cup of tea.

IMO, enforcing the long pants kind of forces people to shower and clean up
for dinner, rather than showing up sweaty, full of sun tan oil, from the
pool area.

--Tom

"Tom & Linda" wrote in message
t...
There are cruises (like NCL) that allow casual dress every evening...
albeit
with long pants and a nice shirt (like a golf shirt). They do not have
formal nights like other lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess,
Celebrity, etc.).
If putting on a pair of slacks (dockers, etc.) for dinner in a fancy
dining
room is too much of a hassle... perhaps you should look elsewhere. A
cruise
might not be your cup of tea.

IMO, enforcing the long pants kind of forces people to shower and clean up
for dinner, rather than showing up sweaty, full of sun tan oil, from the
pool area.

Tom, I agree with all the above except that they do have formal nights in
the dining room on NCL if you wish to participate. If you don't, you can go
smart casual to the buffet area where they have set up tables with
tablecloths and crystal and have the same menu as the main dining room. At
least this was the way it was on the 15 day Norwegian Crown that we took to
South America last November...

--Jean

"Tom & Linda" wrote in message
t...
There are cruises (like NCL) that allow casual dress every evening...
albeit
with long pants and a nice shirt (like a golf shirt). They do not have
formal nights like other lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess,
Celebrity, etc.).
If putting on a pair of slacks (dockers, etc.) for dinner in a fancy
dining
room is too much of a hassle... perhaps you should look elsewhere. A
cruise
might not be your cup of tea.

IMO, enforcing the long pants kind of forces people to shower and clean up
for dinner, rather than showing up sweaty, full of sun tan oil, from the
pool area.

Tom, I agree with all the above except that they do have formal nights in
the dining room on NCL if you wish to participate. If you don't, you can go
smart casual to the buffet area where they have set up tables with
tablecloths and crystal and have the same menu as the main dining room. At
least this was the way it was on the 15 day Norwegian Crown that we took to
South America last November...

--Jean

In the newer NCL ships, they have multiple main dining rooms (sometimes with
slightly differnt menus) and one will be the formal room, and another will
be less formal. So you can have the china and crystal and formal service without
the suit, as I think is Jean's point.

Julie

Jean O'Boyle wrote:

"Tom & Linda" wrote in message
t...
There are cruises (like NCL) that allow casual dress every evening...
albeit
with long pants and a nice shirt (like a golf shirt). They do not have
formal nights like other lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess,
Celebrity, etc.).
If putting on a pair of slacks (dockers, etc.) for dinner in a fancy
dining
room is too much of a hassle... perhaps you should look elsewhere. A
cruise
might not be your cup of tea.

IMO, enforcing the long pants kind of forces people to shower and clean up
for dinner, rather than showing up sweaty, full of sun tan oil, from the
pool area.

Tom, I agree with all the above except that they do have formal nights in
the dining room on NCL if you wish to participate. If you don't, you can go
smart casual to the buffet area where they have set up tables with
tablecloths and crystal and have the same menu as the main dining room. At
least this was the way it was on the 15 day Norwegian Crown that we took to
South America last November...

--Jean



--
Julie
**********
Check out my Travel Pages (non-commercial) at
http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm

In the newer NCL ships, they have multiple main dining rooms (sometimes with
slightly differnt menus) and one will be the formal room, and another will
be less formal. So you can have the china and crystal and formal service without
the suit, as I think is Jean's point.

Julie

Jean O'Boyle wrote:

"Tom & Linda" wrote in message
t...
There are cruises (like NCL) that allow casual dress every evening...
albeit
with long pants and a nice shirt (like a golf shirt). They do not have
formal nights like other lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess,
Celebrity, etc.).
If putting on a pair of slacks (dockers, etc.) for dinner in a fancy
dining
room is too much of a hassle... perhaps you should look elsewhere. A
cruise
might not be your cup of tea.

IMO, enforcing the long pants kind of forces people to shower and clean up
for dinner, rather than showing up sweaty, full of sun tan oil, from the
pool area.

Tom, I agree with all the above except that they do have formal nights in
the dining room on NCL if you wish to participate. If you don't, you can go
smart casual to the buffet area where they have set up tables with
tablecloths and crystal and have the same menu as the main dining room. At
least this was the way it was on the 15 day Norwegian Crown that we took to
South America last November...

--Jean



--
Julie
**********
Check out my Travel Pages (non-commercial) at
http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm

"Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message
...

"Tom & Linda" wrote in message
t...
There are cruises (like NCL) that allow casual dress every evening...
albeit
with long pants and a nice shirt (like a golf shirt). They do not have
formal nights like other lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess,
Celebrity, etc.).
If putting on a pair of slacks (dockers, etc.) for dinner in a fancy
dining
room is too much of a hassle... perhaps you should look elsewhere. A
cruise
might not be your cup of tea.

IMO, enforcing the long pants kind of forces people to shower and clean
up
for dinner, rather than showing up sweaty, full of sun tan oil, from the
pool area.

Tom, I agree with all the above except that they do have formal nights in
the dining room on NCL if you wish to participate. If you don't, you can
go
smart casual to the buffet area where they have set up tables with
tablecloths and crystal and have the same menu as the main dining room. At
least this was the way it was on the 15 day Norwegian Crown that we took
to
South America last November...


On Norwegian Dawn it was different. That ship has about 9-10 different
dining rooms/restaurant options. She was built for Freestyle, not just
refitted for it (like the Crown).

Dawn has 3 main dining rooms, each free and with the exact same menu as the
other 2 that particular night. Only one was designated as formal. The
other 2 were designated casual.

You didn't have to go to the buffet for casual.

--Tom

"Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message
...

"Tom & Linda" wrote in message
t...
There are cruises (like NCL) that allow casual dress every evening...
albeit
with long pants and a nice shirt (like a golf shirt). They do not have
formal nights like other lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess,
Celebrity, etc.).
If putting on a pair of slacks (dockers, etc.) for dinner in a fancy
dining
room is too much of a hassle... perhaps you should look elsewhere. A
cruise
might not be your cup of tea.

IMO, enforcing the long pants kind of forces people to shower and clean
up
for dinner, rather than showing up sweaty, full of sun tan oil, from the
pool area.

Tom, I agree with all the above except that they do have formal nights in
the dining room on NCL if you wish to participate. If you don't, you can
go
smart casual to the buffet area where they have set up tables with
tablecloths and crystal and have the same menu as the main dining room. At
least this was the way it was on the 15 day Norwegian Crown that we took
to
South America last November...


On Norwegian Dawn it was different. That ship has about 9-10 different
dining rooms/restaurant options. She was built for Freestyle, not just
refitted for it (like the Crown).

Dawn has 3 main dining rooms, each free and with the exact same menu as the
other 2 that particular night. Only one was designated as formal. The
other 2 were designated casual.

You didn't have to go to the buffet for casual.

--Tom