Clueless first-timer needs advice about cruises please

Juliana L Holm wrote:

They advertise Freestyle including wearing whatever you like to dinner. Like I
said some of the dining rooms enforce a dress code (always filled by a polo and
pair of slacks at the most picky) but there is invariably another dining room
with the same menu that will let you in. Their upscale restaurant, Le Bistro,
will require slacks, also.

In my two NCL Cruises I frequently saw shorts in the formal dining rooms. I
won't wear them, but I have seen them. They don't bother me.

I know what they advertise, but I would of thought that wearing shorts
was pushing the envelope a bit. If shorts are considered ok, they
wouldn't bother me, but I doubt I would wear shorts to dinner myself.

sue

Juliana L Holm wrote:

They advertise Freestyle including wearing whatever you like to dinner. Like I
said some of the dining rooms enforce a dress code (always filled by a polo and
pair of slacks at the most picky) but there is invariably another dining room
with the same menu that will let you in. Their upscale restaurant, Le Bistro,
will require slacks, also.

In my two NCL Cruises I frequently saw shorts in the formal dining rooms. I
won't wear them, but I have seen them. They don't bother me.

I know what they advertise, but I would of thought that wearing shorts
was pushing the envelope a bit. If shorts are considered ok, they
wouldn't bother me, but I doubt I would wear shorts to dinner myself.

sue

Ray Goldenberg wrote:

On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 11:14:42 -0400, Sue and Kevin Mullen
wrote:


I know about Freestyle Dining, but never knew that you could wear shorts
in the dining rooms on NCL.


Hi Sue,

I would not gather from the following that shorts are acceptable at
dinner.
Quote from NCL brochu
Q: What is appropriate dinner attire?
A: We don't require you to wear a tie or other formal attire to
dinner. We do request however that guests wear "resort casual" attire
to dine in any of our specialty or main restaurants.
Q: What exactly is "resort casual attire?
A: Resort casual is a much more comfortable way to dress for dinner.
Basically, it's slacks, a dress or skirt for women.

This is more like what I thought it was like,

sue

Ray Goldenberg wrote:

On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 11:14:42 -0400, Sue and Kevin Mullen
wrote:


I know about Freestyle Dining, but never knew that you could wear shorts
in the dining rooms on NCL.


Hi Sue,

I would not gather from the following that shorts are acceptable at
dinner.
Quote from NCL brochu
Q: What is appropriate dinner attire?
A: We don't require you to wear a tie or other formal attire to
dinner. We do request however that guests wear "resort casual" attire
to dine in any of our specialty or main restaurants.
Q: What exactly is "resort casual attire?
A: Resort casual is a much more comfortable way to dress for dinner.
Basically, it's slacks, a dress or skirt for women.

This is more like what I thought it was like,

sue

From your descriptions I'm not sure any cruise ship would be as fun for you
as a week at club med or at a resort or condo in Hawaii. You mention you
like working out and relaxation. And you'd like good meals in places you
can wear shorts.

Cruise ships have gyms, but don't have much room for working out. They do
have weights, but not necessarily free weights, and often have stair
climbers and other aerobic machines. If you want to run the running tracks
are around 5 or 6 laps per mile. The pools are too small for laps. The
port times wouldn't give you enough time for a run on the beach and then a
trip back to the ship for a shower and then an excursion. Most ports do
have some sort of opportunities for hiking or snorkeling or some type of
active excursions, but seldom do the excursions offered by the ship require
the passengers to be in good shape. So you may have trouble getting your
heart rate up on them.

As for relaxation, you are on a ship with tons of other folks. On sea days
they are all on the ship with you, and most seem to want to lay by the pool.
If you can relax on a crowded pool deck then you are set. If not you may
want to reconsider. I know when I cruise I get a balcony so I can get away
from folks.

The food on cruise ships I've found to be comparable to the food at the club
med I went to in Eluthera. It was good food considering they were feeding
large groups. I've found the in Hawaii there are many very fine restaurants
serving even better food that you can enjoy in shorts even at dinner.

If you don't even want to wear pants on your cruise, then I suggest
you pass by Celebrity, if not all the mainstream lines. Even Carnival
prefers the passengers to at least wear something other than shorts at
night. Note that I said prefers and not requires. NCL is probably
your best option since they have relaxed the standards. Note that NCL
plans to roll out a mandatory service charge of $10 per person per
day, which cannot be removed from your bill.

Perhaps you would prefer a Windjammer cruise, where shorts and no
shoes is typical.

A 30 Jul 2004 13:59:03 -0700,
(dep_blueman) escribió:
Do any mass market lines allow shorts in the main dining rooms for the
evening meal??

From what I've read, it is just about the only mandatory
part of the dress code on all mainstream cruise lines, and
is consistently enforced.


--
bicker®
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/D...ry_040602.html

We just returned from 7 nights on the Legend of the Seas, and fully a third
of the diners each night were wearing shorts in the main dining room. I was
surprised.

John



"*bicker*" wrote in message
.. .
A 30 Jul 2004 13:59:03 -0700,
(dep_blueman) escribió:
Do any mass market lines allow shorts in the main dining rooms for the
evening meal??

From what I've read, it is just about the only mandatory
part of the dress code on all mainstream cruise lines, and
is consistently enforced.


--
bicker®
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/D...ry_040602.html

We just returned from 7 nights on the Legend of the Seas, and fully a third
of the diners each night were wearing shorts in the main dining room. I was
surprised.

John



"*bicker*" wrote in message
.. .
A 30 Jul 2004 13:59:03 -0700,
(dep_blueman) escribió:
Do any mass market lines allow shorts in the main dining rooms for the
evening meal??

From what I've read, it is just about the only mandatory
part of the dress code on all mainstream cruise lines, and
is consistently enforced.


--
bicker®
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/D...ry_040602.html

"Sue and Kevin Mullen" wrote in message
...
I know what they advertise, but I would of thought that wearing shorts
was pushing the envelope a bit. If shorts are considered ok, they
wouldn't bother me, but I doubt I would wear shorts to dinner myself.

sue

Sue, we have been on three NCL cruises- two 7 day ones on The Norway and
Norwegian Sea and a fourteen day one on the Norwegian Crown and I did not
see any shorts in the dining room in the evening...morning and noon, yes,
but not in the evening.
In fact, I just pulled a *Cruise News* letter from my file on the Norwegian
Sea and it states, "Please no shorts after 6:00 PM in our lounges and
restaurants."

--Jean