Hello Everyone, I’m Leo and I’m an Italian cruise lover!
If you don’t know me, I’ve been writing about cruises for several years now. During these years, I must confess that one of the most common questions I receive is related to themed nights on ships.
I’ve already covered that topic in articles for major cruise lines; however, a reader emailed me the other day pointing out that I’ve never discussed themed nights on Holland America.
There’s actually a reason for that. HAL has very few theme nights on its ships, and I thought it might not be such an interesting topic for you. But, since some of you have asked, I’ve decided to talk about it anyway.
Okay then, enough with this introduction. Let’s look at the 2024 schedule for the theme nights on Holland America.
Smart Casual Nights
Most nights on Holland America are smart casual.
What does this mean? It means that you can wear something more relaxed than formal attire, but it still requires a degree of elegance.
For women, smart casual might include dresses, skirts and blouses, or trousers with a nice top, along with appropriate footwear.
For men, it typically means wearing trousers with a shirt or a polo. Jeans can be acceptable as long as they are not distressed.
Holland America also emphasizes that beachwear and men’s tank tops are not appropriate for the restaurant.
Orange dance party
The only real theme night on Holland America ships is Orange Night.
Why did they choose orange? It’s in honor of the House of Orange-Nassau, the current royal family of the Netherlands.
Every cruise features an “Orange Party” filled with music, swag, specialty orange drinks, and fun games.
The only problem here is dressing up, because orange is not such a common color in closets.
Men can opt for neutral-colored trousers like beige, white, or even black. They can then pair them with a simple orange shirt, which can be either a casual t-shirt or a dress shirt for a more formal look.
For women, an orange dress could be the easiest choice. An alternative could be an orange blouse paired with a skirt or pants in neutral tones.
Formal or Dressy Night
The other theme night featured on every Holland America cruise is the formal night.
I’ve actually noticed that they’re not calling it “Formal” anymore but just “Dressy“.
The reason is that for many, the term “Formal” was misleading as it implied a specific type of dress (such as black tie or tuxedo) that has never been a requirement. “Dressy” still suggests a festive or dressy attire without misleading guests into bringing attire that the majority of guests don’t wear.
You will probably have two “Dressy” nights if your cruise is 7 or 8 nights long. They usually occur on sea days but never on the last night.
Are there any other themed nights on Holland America?
There might be additional themed nights, but they are not standard across all cruises.
For instance, a friend of mine mentioned there was a masquerade night during his cruise, which coincided with Mardi Gras.
I’ve also heard that there are special nights for celebrations such as Thanksgiving, the 4th of July, or Halloween.
