Melig, no prob being being understood in Antwerpen if you speak dutch.
They even understand me... Nobody will talk dialect with an outsider and dialects are not that much spoken in cities anymore, it stays in villages though.

You're right, most speak normal Flemish Dutch and it was easy to talk with them but there was a funny couple who laced their local accent rather thickly that I had to ask if they were mixing local dialect words and they said just a bit for humor!. We were going around with a friend who used to live in Antwerp in his puber. In any case we appreciate the Flemish low key politeness and friendliness.