Anyone Miss the Formal Nights?

I still remember the days many years ago that NCL, like other lines, had formal nights. Thank goodness, they are a distant memory.

One of the last mainstream holdouts still clinging to those outdated formal nights is Holland America. While we truly like HAL, our family hates the formal nights. They are much to do about nothing. I have no idea why they insist on maintaining such an outdated policy. My solution is to not follow it and let them loan me a jacket. We have actually chosen NCL several times over HAL because of their formal nights.

Does anyone miss having to pack suits and ties to go on vacation?

Don't miss it one bit. That's why I like NCL Freestyle.

Nope. Not at all. Most lines have declined their services and food quality so much that it begs the question "Why make us bother with this?" And I'm never, ever comfortable in a suit. I go on vacation to be relaxed, casual, and comfortable. For the people that enjoy it, I say enjoy it. But we do not.

I don't miss it. If I or someone else wants to dress up formal....they can.

But I like that it's not required.

Harriet

I don't miss it. If I or someone else wants to dress up formal....they can.

But I like that it's not required.

 

Harriet

I'm with u! :)

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No..do not miss it at all....we do so enjoy a casual, relaxed cruise environment. Our first cruise was on HAL..and though we loved Alaska...we did not particularly like the "formal atmosphere" all together....

Went to Carnival...and did not like the "party atmosphere"...so found NCL...and it fit us perfectly....freestyle and choices.....(though I must qualify...fit us perfectly..past tense...not so sure now with all the changes..we will see)

Nope. There may be times and places to dress up, but eating surely isn't one of them. That said, I'd love to sail HAL one of these days. I think it's a cruiseline that combines a lot of what I like about NCL and Carnival, and there are always ways to avoid any formal nonsense. I'm just waiting for the right cruise at the right time for the right price.

Not at all!

Love to see others "Putting on the Ritz!" but I'm happy in my resort casual.

I figure IF I want to experience formal night again, I'll go on one of the cruise lines that still have formal night. But, so far I haven't wanted to do that.

When I want a formal night fix, that is when I cruise with Celebrity or Crystal. I love the fact, that on NCL, I don't have to bring formal attire.

I do like to dress up, but I get the sense that I'm a bit more traditional that the average NCL passenger, so this could very well be my first and last time on NCL.

I can see why people like the freedom of not having to dress up, but I wouldn't call formal nights "outdated." I think formal night is part of the cruising tradition, and I'll miss it on my upcoming cruise.

I do like to dress up, but I get the sense that I'm a bit more traditional that the average NCL passenger, so this could very well be my first and last time on NCL.

 

I can see why people like the freedom of not having to dress up, but I wouldn't call formal nights "outdated." I think formal night is part of the cruising tradition, and I'll miss it on my upcoming cruise.

Do not miss them!

Been there done that.

I do like to dress up ... I think formal night is part of the cruising tradition, and I'll miss it on my upcoming cruise.

Question: what's stopping you from dressing up, 24/7 if you wish? There's no rule that says you can't. I'd say perhaps what you're really missing is other people dressing up, and if that's the case, then you may be correct that NCL isn't the right line for you.

I kind of do...they were a very special part of cruising for us in the "old days". How we loved to dance to the Big Band and play roulette feeling like we were in a James Bond movie...

But I don't regret choosing NCL for our next cruise and not having them. Our last 2 cruises (RCCL and Carnival) had them and as PP's have mentioned, the standards have changed so much it just wasn't the same. Heck, on Carnival it actually felt more like a costume party as we were in very upscale cocktail attire and many others were in dockers and polo shirts. They even served BBQ ribs in the dining room that night... Let's just chock it up to another way that the "world has turned" and let it reside fondly in our memories with the rest of the nostalgia!

I do, but on Norwegian's Night Out a lot of people still dress up. I think not having one is a little less classy. I get its vacation and people want to relax, but it doesn't take that much effort to dress up one night.

Half my cruise outfits for the Caribbean can pass off for formal / dress up nights, so it really makes no difference to me. I'm just glad I don't have to bring / buy jewelry, makeup and/or any other accessories to 'fancy' them up - I just just 'dress up' and go. :)

LOL I wish I could say what I really wanna say but I can't dang it

As for missing formal dress heck no. That's the one thing I hated when i cruised RC and Carnival

I for one am so excited for my first cruise on NCL and NO formal night. High heels and rocky boats don't mix. I had to to change shoes immediately after dinner on my last cruise. Flip flops and formal wear don't mix ;)

An outsider popping in, I have looked many a time at NCL but somehow it has never aligned when our cruise bug bites. The thought of go as you are/feel to dinner every night was/is intriguing.

I'm about as informal a person as one can find, wearing jeans and t-shirt to work for 22 years and my formal wear decades old, but believe it or not the only time I get my family dragged out together in formal wear is on cruise. You can call it a money racket but formal pictures of the family and a sitdown dinner in a monkey suit once every year or so, ain't to much to lug my 20 year old sports jacket and dated tie. As I look back at those vacations and pictures, timeless ;)

I don't often get pictures like the one below either so even for $50 bucks for one check-in I opt in to formal night. Of course its only a "picture" but still timeless IMHO so.. hmm maybe I'll still bring the monkey suits. Do they have all them photographers and fancy backgrounds on NCL?

Oh one last thought, comment, clothing police aside here, on my last princess I saw lots of slacks and polo shirts on them "formal" "elegant" " formal" nights... so you can still be comfortable if you choose.

Can I amend my answer?

I miss the great food

The music in the dining rooms

Flaming desserts

white gloved service

sorbet between meals

the captain / officers greeting people entering the dining rooms

The gala midnight buffet so nice that for the first 30-60 minutes they only let people take pictures

The keepsake menus

The ice carvings done poolside that were on display in the dining room and midnight buffets

This was across many different lines. I know deep down it's just a photo op today. And if people like it, okay. But I'm not much for participating until the cruise line treats it like a "special event" like they used to. For the last several years it has just been another night at dinner, nothing more.

So, yeah, I appreciate how NCL does it. Resort casual is great. They aren't pretending to be half-pregnant

An outsider popping in, I have looked many a time at NCL but somehow it has never aligned when our cruise bug bites. The thought of go as you are/feel to dinner every night was/is intriguing.

 

I'm about as informal a person as one can find, wearing jeans and t-shirt to work for 22 years and my formal wear decades old, but believe it or not the only time I get my family dragged out together in formal wear is on cruise. You can call it a money racket but formal pictures of the family and a sitdown dinner in a monkey suit once every year or so, ain't to much to lug my 20 year old sports jacket and dated tie. As I look back at those vacations and pictures, timeless ;)

 

I don't often get pictures like the one below either so even for $50 bucks for one check-in I opt in to formal night. Of course its only a "picture" but still timeless IMHO so.. hmm maybe I'll still bring the monkey suits. Do they have all them photographers and fancy backgrounds on NCL?

 

Oh one last thought, comment, clothing police aside here, on my last princess I saw lots of slacks and polo shirts on them "formal" "elegant" " formal" nights... so you can still be comfortable if you choose.

 

 

 

 

Lovely family photos. I'm sure youll cherish them.

Question: what's stopping you from dressing up, 24/7 if you wish? There's no rule that says you can't. I'd say perhaps what you're really missing is other people dressing up, and if that's the case, then you may be correct that NCL isn't the right line for you.

The OP asked, does "anyone miss the formal nights?" I answered the question.

Nothing is stopping me from dressing up, but that doesn't change the fact that I expect that I will miss formal night on my upcoming NCL cruise.

Or maybe I'll be surprised and not miss it at all. Fortunately there are many cruiselines, each catering to different demographics and preferences so we can all choose the type of experience we'll enjoy most.

I once shared an office with someone who was an avid cruiser. After every cruise she went on, or her mother went on, I would hear all about it. Not the ship. Not the food. Not the ports visited. No. I would hear all about the formal nights. What they wore, how badly dressed everyone else was. How bad mannered some of the people were to not be wearing ballgowns. How terrible it was that a man wore a suit and tie not a dinner jacket and bow tie.

I vowed that wild horses would never get me on a cruiise ship. Then Freestyle happenned. I found I could go cruising after all and I have now completed 14 or 15 cruises with NCL. Wild horses still would not drag me onto the line they used to sail even though I hear they have changed quite a lot.

I don't miss formal nights at all. Their absence allows me to cruise.

I don't miss a formal night and I don't miss HAVING to eat with strangers every night as some preset time. I'll be happy to just dine solo or with just my family. If we happen to meet someone and invite them to dine with us that'll be great too, but I'm don't need NCL telling me whom to dine with.