Not my words, the words of the press. Norwegian Cruise Line faces backlash after 'idiotic' dress code change https://torontosun.com/news/world/norwegian-cruise-line-backlash-dress-code-change
No more flip flops, shorts and T-shirts for dinner (in some, not all, restaurants). Pretty outrageous discrimination and class bias. /s
Interesting article. In my experience, how you dress CAN influence how you behave, in the workplace and on vacation. It looks like NCL has some work to do in explaining why the change, and updating their web site and ads, though. Not sure how class and discrimination figures in - it would be challenging to parse the difference between "trucker hat, stained Levis and work boots" and "designer ripped jeans and Versace logo hat" right? I'm thinking, if you can afford a cruise vacation, and the cruise line is up front about it, you can opt to bring a few of your more traditional dress up clothes if you want to eat in (and pay the up charge for) the fancier restaurants.
I'm a shorts, t-shirt and pullover kinda guy, and looking at what amounts to the dress code for guys -
“jeans or slacks with a collared shirt and closed-toed shoes.”
It only applies to some of the restaurants, I think it's quite reasonable, and I'm just not feeling the outrage.
Where do I sign up?
Uh oh, even more people will want to vacation in Charleston, where flip flops, short and T-shirts are church clothes in many congregations.
Eh, I'm not feeling the outrage either. If people want to dress like slobs in the evening, they still can. Just not in the more upscale restaurants. Dress codes are discrimination and class bias? In whose world? If you can't afford a pair of long pants, a golf shirt and closed toe shoes, you can't afford to cruise. And that applies to everyone, not any single segment of the passengers.
We have never sailed on a cruise ship that didn't have some kind of dress code in the evenings. But we have never sailed NCL or Carnival. By choice.
Well, boo hoo!
Exactly what classes are being discriminated against? Those Dolce and Gabanna flip-flops don't come cheap.
I wonder if they also plan to enforce the “no shorts or flip-flops” rule on their cruises in Hawaii - where an aloha shirt and slacks comprise formal wear.
The new policy still sets the bar pretty low.
Pretty bizarre move by NCL considering the commercial they released a couple of weeks ago.
Might have something to do with that "K-shaped economy" I posted about. There it was in a discussion about the airlines reducing their economy seating to install more first class seats. Basically the economy shifting to the wealthy doing better, the other end doing worse. Perhaps they believe their wealthier clients prefer it that way?
Much to do about nothing. Only applies to their upscale restaurants. Second, you can still be a slob in the dinner room or cafeteria. Explain to me how this rises to "outrageous discrimination and class bias." That is silly.
I think RobertH has it figured out. It wont be long until the "upscale" restaurants are all the ones above the water line. You will have to be the part of the K economy that beneifits from societies inequities to see the sun on a voyage. The rest of us will be eating at the McDonalds in steerage. https://youtu.be/U3quruHpcuo /s
I suppose that's a US expression. Anybody care to translate K?
Much to do about nothing. Only applies to their upscale restaurants. Second, you can still be a slob in the dinner room or cafeteria. Explain to me how this rises to "outrageous discrimination and class bias." That is silly.
Agree completely!! We've been on many, many cruises, and have never felt it was an imposition for us to dress appropriately for a fine dining facility. On the evenings we did not want to dress up, we simply ate at one of the less formal venues. Or ordered room service.
Cut offs, flip flops, and hoodies are ok for attending a neighborhood sandwich shop to get a hot dog or burger, but would you really wear such to a wedding, or funeral? If not, then why would you wear it to a fine dining restaurant just because you are on vacation.
In my humble opinion, the words "appropriate" and "decorum" have, in many cases, been replaced by the words "me, me, me".
I'll stand down from my soapbox.
Oh, Mr É, don't worry. NCL and their competition will always have room for the shorts and flip-flop crowd.
"Anybody care to translate K?"
It was in this post:
And these were the links I provided to explain "K":
--- for what "K-shaped economy" actually is and you don't want to watch the video:
https://www.usbank.com/corporate-and-commercial-banking/insights/economy/macro/k-shaped-economy.html
"Women should wear “slacks or jeans, dresses, skirts [or] tops."
Skirts OR tops?? Not...both? LOL
Anybody care to translate K?
Without clicking on a hyperlink, Picture a graph, with a line starting partway up the left (vertical) axis and extending right and upwards, and a second line starting at that same point, but extending downward. It should all look like a “K.”
The idea is that some of the people are doing much better as time goes on, while others are doing much worse. The gap gets bigger as the graph extends farther to the right, as the upward line doesn’t get any downward kinks, and the downward line has no chance of rising.
If you didn't want to follow the "K" links above then the simple:
Look at the letter K. Think of time flowing left to right. You hit the first part, the vertical line. Then you get a line that goes up and a line that goes down.
The "K" shaped economy is where both the wealthy do better, and the not-wealthy do worse.
The example in the other post was American Airlines ripping out a portion of the economy class seats to make more first class ones.
As for dress code, “No shirt, no shoes, No Service” has been a long-accepted policy at many establishments. If that’s asking too much, folks can sit in their cabin and eat a PB & J.
Believe it or not, but for some human beings prefer sometimes fine dining which is more than just consuming high-quality food - it is a question of atmosphere. There are also reduced levels of this version which still needs a decent and well-dressed atmosphere.
To qualify such as "idiotic" might say more about the commenting person than about the requirement itself. And this discussion shows that the filter seems to work.
Somehow I'm having flashbacks to discussions of what clothes should be worn to the Opera.
edit: As I said there, I don't care. Other people do. Enough for me.
On the other hand, since it’s Norwegian cruise line, what if they required wearing helmets with horns on this sides?
Was a Troll behind all of this?
Mark, well said.
My guess is the NCL did a survey (or paid real attention to the reviews) and the result of that survey influenced their policy.
The title of the article does more to define the author than the issue. But its a real thing and thought some might be interested if they were looking for an experience along the lines of what NCL is proposing.
