Formal Dress Code on Dawn

[Vt Cruise]

Does anyone know what the Dawn means by Formal and Elegant? Is it basically the same thing?Going on in two weeks so wanted to be prepared.

[Irish Shark]

Didn't all this go away?

Freestyle Dress Code

What's the dress code while NCL Freestyle Cruising? Simply put, there isn't one! No evening gown and tuxedo are required (unless you want to dress for dinner). For dinner, shows, nightclubs or anything else on the ship, “resort casual� is as dressed up as you will ever be expected to get. For those who like to get decked out for the night, many restaurants offer formal options.

Dress Code

The rule of "Freestyle" is a relaxed dress code. Evenings are always resort casual though there is one formal night and many passengers opted to get decked out. Shorts and jeans are not permitted in the dining rooms after 6 p.m.

[Fern]

Hi Vt Cruise,

Welcome to Cruisemates!

Here's what I found on the NCL site:

What is the dress code in dining rooms?

Freestyle Cruising gives our guests the freedom to dress as they please. Resort casual attire is always appropriate morning, noon and night. However, NCL/ NCLA does not allow any blue jeans, t-shirts, shorts, cut-offs, tank tops, bare feet, etc. in any of our fine dining restaurants for dinner, including all main restaurants, alternative restaurants, and cover charge venues.

Guests are allowed to wear blue jeans, shorts and t-shirts, in the evenings at the buffets, outdoor barbeques, and 24-hour venues, such as the Blue Lagoon, the Cadillac diner, etc.

Below are a few exceptions to the dining room dress code:

Blue Jeans will be allowed in all dining rooms on all Houston departures, due to the Texas culture.
Blue Jeans will be allowed in the Trattoria's in the evenings.
Bermuda shorts with knee high socks, or Scottish kilts with knee highs will also be allowed in all dining rooms in Bermuda as these are considered formal dress in Bermuda.
Hawaiian shirts are allowed with proper slacks in all dining rooms.
Ladies Capri Pants, which are a length between the knee and ankles, are acceptable in all fine dining rooms as long as they are not blue jean capris.

I don't see anything that mentions Formal or Elegant?? On our NCL cruise there was an optional Formal Night, but no one was "forced" to dress up. We dressed "country club casual" and were fine!

Have a great cruise!

[nmnita]

When we have cruised NCL normally there are 2 formal optional nights: the first one will find about 50% of the cruisers in something resembling formal (very few tux or long gowns) men will be wearing suits or sports outfits and the gals in after 5 dresses all the way down to God onlly knows. You can feel very comfortable in almost anything that is neat and clean. For us, it is usually a suit for DH and a nice cocktail outfit for me: the second formal optional will be fewer dressed in formal, elegent, simi formal, whatever, but still lots of cute sun dresses for gals or nice slacks; guys sport jackets or just a really nice pair of dockers and a golf shirt. This is one of the things that sets NCL apart. The dress code is more like a nice caribbean resort. NMnita

[travelnut2]

That is the problem with NCL now, you never know how to dress and so even when you get dressed up in a nice long gown and man a suit, people come in the Dining Room with just a pair of pants and short sleeved shirt whereas on Holland America they will not let you in the Dining Room on Semi Formal or Formal nights unless you have a jacket on, which is so much nicer.

[jenniez]

NCL cruises are more casual than other lines I've been on, but formal to NCL can be anything from a tux or dark suit and evening gown to a dressy pants suit or skirt. I've worn black skirts with beaded tops. Whatever's easy to mix and match- You don't want to drag too much with you.

[nannylynn]

We will be going on the Dawn on Sunday. 3rd time on the Dawn. Some people dress up in tuxes and gowns, my husband got tired of putting on a tux so I take a sport jacket. You can be as casual as you want but on formal nites a sport jacket and a nice outfit are fine.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by travelnut2

That is the problem with NCL now, you never know how to dress and so even when you get dressed up in a nice long gown and man a suit, people come in the Dining Room with just a pair of pants and short sleeved shirt whereas on Holland America they will not let you in the Dining Room on Semi Formal or Formal nights unless you have a jacket on, which is so much nicer.

Semi formal, not known as informal in HAL they will let you in without a jacket. We just got off the Amsterdam. I will admit there were few who were not wearing jackets and ties, some wore jackets and golf shirts but there was no dining room police arresting anyone.

As for NCL and dressing for formal optional nights, that is just what they mean: optional, you can dress to the nines if you want or dress casual. For many this is a good thing, not a problem. NMNita